18th december (thursday),2014 daily global rice e newsletter by riceplus magazine

Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine
Contact us for Advertisement & Specs: mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com +92 321 369 2847
Volume 4 Issue: XI
Today’s News Headlines…
 Arkansas County natives named to Rice Leadership
program
 Louisiana benefits from improved U.S.- Cuban relations
 Updated Cuba policy could spell out big money for Ark. rice
growers
 Prices of rice here remain stable: NFA
 SETX rice industry mary benefit from possible Cuban
embargo lift
 Thailand Regains Position As Top Rice Exporter
 Ex-president Kufuor in big rice business
 India rubs Iran the wrong way, rice farmers pay the price
 Basmati exports set to decline
 Thailand dominates rice trade amid sale of reserves
 Tax Extender Bill Impacts Farming Communities
 Agriculture Committee Assignments for 114th Congress
Announced
 Yunnan Province Department of Agriculture Visits USA
Rice
 Weekly Rice Sales, Exports Reported
 CME Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures
 Permit levels could make good irrigation targets for farmers
 SE Texas rice farmers optimistic about end to Cuba
embargo
 Strain: Farmers would benefit by Cuba trade
 What will major shift in U.S. policy toward Cuba mean for
agriculture?
 High levels of arsenic found in rice
 Global rice exports surge in 2014
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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter18th
December, 2014
www.ricepluss.com
Vol 4, Issue XII

News Detail….
Arkansas County natives
named to Rice Leadership
program
Rice Foundation Chairman Todd Burich
praised all the applicants for the extremely
competitive program and asked rice
industry representatives to encourage
finalists to reapply next year.
Submitted PhotoPictured are Rice
Leadership Development Class members
Greg Van Dyke (from left), Dustin Harrell,
Paul Johnson, Hudgens Jeter, Collin
Holzhauer, Nat McKnight and Nicole
Creason.
By USA Rice Federation
Posted Dec. 17, 2014 @ 12:42 pm
STUTTGART —
The seven members of the 26th Rice
Leadership Development Class were
announced during the USA Rice Outlook
Conference annual luncheon last week. The
program is an intensive two-year study of all
aspects of the rice industry and includes
media training and leadership
development.Rice Foundation Chairman
Todd Burich praised all the applicants for
the extremely competitive program and
asked rice industry representatives to
encourage finalists to reapply next year."The
rice industry enjoys strong leadership, and
has a bright future," Burch said. "This
program plays a critical role thanks to the
high caliber participants, their dedication to
our industry, and the training they receive."
The new class includes producers Nicole
Orlicek Creason of Jonesboro; Hudgens
Jeter of Stuttgart; Paul Johnson of Welsh,
Louisiana; Nat McKnight of Cleveland,
Mississippi; and Greg Van Dyke of Pleasant
Grove, California. Industry related members
are Dustin Harrell of Rayne, Louisiana, with
the LSU AgCenter; and Collin Holzhauer of
Harrisburg with Southern Rice and
Cotton.Candidates for the program must be
between 25 and 45 years of age at the time
of application and derive their primary
livelihood from some aspect of the rice
industry.
Over the next two years, class members will
attend four one-week sessions designed to
strengthen their leadership skills and
enhance their understanding of every aspect
of the rice industry. Rice Leadership alumni
are currently serving in key positions on
many industry boards and committees.John
Deere Company, RiceTec, Inc. and
American Commodity Company sponsor the
Rice Leadership Development Program
through a grant to the Rice Foundation. The
USA Rice Federation administers the
program.
Read
more: http://www.stuttgartdailyleader.com/article/20
141217/News/141219679#ixzz3MJBh7RN0

Louisiana benefits from
improved U.S.- Cuban
relations
Scott Rogers, The News-Star9 p.m. CST
December 17, 2014
One of the state‘s largest rice growers
praised Wednesday‘s announcement of a
possible improved relationship between the
United States and Cuba saying it would
provide an economic boost across Louisiana.
Elton Kennedy of Morehouse Parish,
perhaps the state's largest rice grower and a
leader in the USA Rice Federation, hopes
Congress will move forward in ending the
embargo now that President Barack Obama
said his administration would work toward
resuming diplomatic relations and trade with
Cuba for the first time in more than 50
years.―It will definitely be a great boost
especially to rice growers. We need the
market so bad because our exports have
been lacking. It‘s great news and something
that should have already happened. I hope
Congress will make it happen because we
need it badly. It‘s so natural for us because
Cuba is close to our shore. It‘s sad because
all this (embargo) has done is hurt ourselves.
It‘s time to do something,‖ Kennedy said.
Cuba once was Louisiana‘s biggest market
and Kennedy said Cubans prefer Louisiana
rice.Fred Franklin of Richland Parish, whose
family plants more than a thousand acres of
rice, said Cuba consumed about 600,000
metric tons of rice per year and imports
about 60 percent of its rice. He believes the
United States could provide 400,000 metric
tons a year through an improved
relationship.―One word ... tremendous,‖
Franklin said of improving trade with Cuba.
―We lost that business a long time ago and
they were our largest exporter. We are so
close by that nobody could compete with us
just because of the proximity. It would be
fantastic for rice growers, rice mills and
everybody. Trade with Cuba would be
tremendous because of so much rice Cuba
consumes. It just confuses us farmers how
we will trade with other countries we‘ve had
issues with but not Cuba. This thing has
been going on since the 50s.‖
U.S. farmers can sell their rice to Cuba now,
but it must be an up-front cash transaction
and must be conducted through a foreign
bank, restrictions that are usually prohibitive
to trade.Commissioner of Agriculture Mike
Strain said resumed trade would be a boon
for the Port of New Orleans. A half-century
ago, before the trade embargo with Cuba, 65

percent of all trade goods to and from Cuba
traveled through the Port of New Orleans.
―It‘s going to be extremely positive for
Louisiana, specifically for rice and poultry,‖
Strain said. ―They‘re our closest trading
partner We‘re poised to reconnect with
Cuba. They want and need our products and
because of our proximity to the island we
can get them there cheaper than other
countries.‖Gov. Bobby Jindal issued a
statement Wednesday calling on Congress to
stop the president‘s plan with Cuba, saying
it jeopardizes the safety of Americans.
―I am happy that Alan Gross has returned to
his family after being imprisoned — but he
should have been released without
conditions. This is just one more sign that
shows the President has no strategy for
leading on an international stage. His policy
of appeasement toward Cuba and other
threats is endangering national security and
the American people. Negotiations like these
confuse our friends and reward our enemies.
Ruthless dictators like Assad, Putin and
Castro think Obama is an easy mark and will
be sorry to see him go.
With today‘s announcement, the President is
appeasing a Communist dictatorship headed
by the Castro brothers that takes political
prisoners and completely disregards basic
human dignity. Taking steps to normalize
relations with Cuba only serves to reward
them, and it is a disservice to those in Cuba
who wish to be free and who live in fear of a
dictatorial regime. The U.S. should be a
beacon and fearless advocate for freedom
and democracy – instead, the President is
validating the Castro way of governing and
only allowing the brothers to tighten their
grip on the island. We must be willing to
stand for freedom around the globe. The
safety of the American people depends on
it,‖ Jindal said.However a local church
leader who has conducted countless mission
trips to Cuba over the past two decades
believes the embargo continues to hurt
Cuban citizens and hampers Louisiana‘s
exports.
Northminster Church of Monroe has
conducted mission trips to Cuba annually for
the past 20 years, traveling to Ciego de
Avila, Cuba, to partner with its sister church,
Iglesia Bautista Enmanuel for community
projects.Northminster Church member Craig
Henry said the last trip to Cuba was
conducted in October. He believes an
improved relationship between both
countries will help the citizens - many who
live in poverty - and bring Cuba into the
21st century.―It‘s great news today and a
really positive movement, finally,‖ Henry
said.
―There are so many positive aspects for
Louisiana and hopefully our rice farmers
will be able to sell rice more easily,‖ Henry
said.Cuba buys most of its rice from China,
but Henry said Louisiana could provide the
country with a cheaper alternative which
helps Cubans and increases business for rice
farmers and Louisiana ports.―I think the
more open we are with our Cuban brothers
and sisters the sooner Cuba can enter the
21st century. Things are better since we first
went in 1994 but it‘s still tough on the

average Cuban. It‘s tough to live there when
the average Cuban makes $1 a day. I‘m
confident as we move into this new
relationship things will improve and life will
be better for them,‖ Henry said.
Updated Cuba policy could
spell out big money for Ark.
rice growers
Posted: Dec 17, 2014 8:26 PM
PSTUpdated: Dec 17, 2014 8:26 PM PST
By Matt Mershon, Reporter
LITTLE ROCK (KATV) -President
Obama's call for open travel and commercial
opportunities between Cuba and the U.S. is
being met with criticism by some and
excitement by others here at home. The
move more than 50 years in the making is
welcome news for Arkansas rice growers
who would like to reunite with their once
largest customer. On Wednesday, President
Obama announced an update to the U.S.
Cuba policy, including the reestablishment
of diplomatic ties between the two countries
– including travel and commercial trade.
Pre-embargo back in 1961, Cuba was the
number one market for U.S. rice exports,
and Arkansas rice growers would like to see
that be the case again. ―From what we know,
we have an opportunity to reestablish some
commercial trade that's been away for much
too long,‖ said Ben Noble, executive
director of the Arkansas Rice
Federation. Noble admits the announcement
made on Wednesday doesn't include many
details surrounding potential trade with the
communist nation, but he remains
optimistic. For years Arkansas has pushed
for the easing of trade restrictions on Cuba.
In a letter penned by Governor Mike Beebe
to the National Governor's Association back
in 2009, he stressed how big open rice and
poultry trade with Cuba could be for the
Natural State.
“Arkansas is uniquely situated to provide
products that Cuba's people need. Cuba
currently imports most of its rice from
Vietnam. Given our proximity to Cuba,
however, we could ship products there in
less time and send goods on smaller ships,
allowing access to a greater number of ports
around the country, not just the capital,
Havana.” - Gov. Mike Beebe
State rice producers were able to conduct
rice trade with Cuba after 2000, when trade
restrictions were lifted to allow for ―cash in
advance‖ purchases. Noble said ―cash in
advance‖ hurts a commodity like rice, and in
2005 harder trade restrictions were put in
place on Cuba. Noble mentioned after 2005,
rice trade from the US to Cuba was nearly
non-existant. ―Certainly any amount of
increased trading opportunities will be of
benefit to this state,‖ commented Noble.
Estimates suggest the United States on a
whole could see exports of rice to Cuba
valued at over $200 million. With that much
money on the line, trade mission trips are
already being lined up. ―The state chamber
already had plans to go to Cuba in the
summer with this type of focus,‖ said Noble.

―I would expect that the announcement
[Wednesday] will increase the attention on
that trip and probably the interest in
participation.‖
http://www.katv.com/story/27656859/updated-
cuba-policy-could-spell-out-big-money-for-ark-
rice-growers
Prices of rice here remain
stable: NFA
By Reuel John F. Lumawag
Thursday, December 18, 2014
THE National Food Authority (NFA-Davao
City) said prices of rice in the city have
remained stable as of Thursday.Based on the
agency's monitoring, the retail price of
regular milled rice is from P31 to P39 per
kilograms (kg) with a prevailing price of
P35/kg while the wholesale price is at P30 to
P36/kg with a prevailing price of
P33/kg.Well milled rice is at P35 to P42/kg
with a prevailing price of P38.50/kg while
the wholesale price is at P32 to P39 with a
prevailing of P35.50/kg.
The prices of Fancy rice, Special rice B and
Special rice A, also remain stable.The price
of Special rice B, which includes organic
rice and the 160 toner variety among others,
is at P36 to P50/kg with a prevailing price of
P43/kg.Special rice A, the most expensive
varieties of rice that includes glutinous rice,
red, brown, and black rice among others, is
at P42 to P74/kg with a prevailing price of
P58/kg.NFA Davao City provincial director
Virgilio B. Alerta, in a phone interview with
Sun.Star Davao yesterday, said the stability
in the price of rice is due to the increase in
supply brought by the harvest months of
October, November, and December.There is
now harvest coming from the rice producing
provinces of the region, which are Davao del
Sur, Davao del Norte, Compostela Valley,
and Davao Oriental.
Alerta said the region is moderately self
sufficient when it comes to rice
production.He also said the surplus of rice
production from North Cotabato, Sultan
Kudarat, and South Cotabato are also being
sold in the markets here.Alerta said
consumers can expect the stability in the
price of rice up until the first quarter or early
second quarter of next year. Based on the
cycle of rice production, he said the price
would increase around April, the beginning
of the lean months, and will last until
September.He said they will closely monitor
the prices of rice around February or March
next year.Alerta also said consumers can be
assured that there is sufficient supply of
NFA rice. At present, they have some
900,000 sacks of rice in their
warehouses.NFA rice is being sold at
P27/kg for regular milled rice and P32 for
well milled rice
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/davao/business/2
014/12/18/prices-rice-here-remain-stable-
nfa-382711
SETX rice industry mary
benefit from possible
Cuban embargo lift

SETX rice industry may benefit from
possible Cuban embargo lift Updated:
Thursday, December 18 2014, 01:24 AM
CST BEAUMONT - by Kara Dixon
Douget's Rice Mill has been operating in
Southeast Texas for more than three
decades. Vice president Greg Devillier said
the rice industry has been profitable for for
the past few years. "The past year, the price
of rice has dropped pretty good," said
Devillier.
On Wednesday, President Obama
announced steps the White House will take
to establish a relationship with Cuba. One of
them is to lessen restrictions that would
allow commercial travel and business
between the countries. Devillier said that
lifted embargo will help the rice industry.
"We get another buyer of U.S. grown rice. It
always helps the price of rice," Devillier
said.
The embargo was put in place by Congress
in 1960 shortly after the Cuban Revolution
and influx of Cuban Exiles to the U.S.
Devillier said the embargo was not a great
idea because Cuba was the rice industry's
top customer. "My understanding of the
embargo is that we can't sell products to
Cuba. That doesn't make business sense at
all because at the time the embargo came,
they were our top customer," said Devillier.
Retired Lamar University professor Dr.
Bruce Drury does not think the embargo has
been effective. If lifted, he said it may take
time for anyone to feel the effects.
"They don't have any money right now,"
said Dr.Drury. "They've got to change the
economy and generate some money."
President Obama's statements on Cuba have
received mixed reaction on Capitol Hill.
Texas District 1U.S. House Republican
Representative Randy Weber released a
statement. Weber said there was no
communication between the President
Obama and Congress regarding the
numerous policy changes. "The President
needs to come to Congress moving forward
with anymore policy changes that greatly
affect this nation's economy and well-
being," said Weber. "These policy changes
will have a direct impact on Southeast
Texas, including economic ones.
I will stay active in the debate particularly
through my role on the foreign affairs
committee to ensure that what's done, is in
the best interests of Texas District 14,"
Weber said. Drury said since Congress
voted to put the embargo in place, they also
have to lift it. He thinks it will pass. He also
said the Cuban government needs to do its
part.
"It all depends on President Castro and his
government turning things around allowing
people to express ideas, establishing
businesses and allowing foreign capital into
the country," Drury said. If the Cuban
economy makes money, he said rice isn't the
only industry that would prosper. "They'll
not only buy rice, they'll buy automobiles,
heavy equipment...all sorts of things. It will
be a win win for everybody," Drury said.
While it is not certain what the outcome may
be if the embargo is lifted, he believes the
humanitarian effects may outweigh the
economic effect.

"It will be much better for the Cubans. It
will be much better for the Cuban-
Americans and much better for Americans,"
Drury said. Here's a look back at U-S
relations with Cuba since Cuba‘s
revolution: Key events in U.S.-Cuba
relations: -- Jan. 1, 1959: Fidel Castro's
rebels take power as dictator Fulgencio
Batista flees Cuba. The United States soon
recognizes the new government. -- June
1960: Relations begin to sour as Castro
veers left. Cuba nationalizes U.S.-owned oil
refineries after they refuse to process Soviet
oil. Nearly all other U.S. businesses are
expropriated by October. -- October 1960:
Start of U.S. embargo: Washington bans
exports to Cuba, other than food and
medicine. -- Jan. 3, 1961: U.S. breaks
relations with Cuba and closes embassy. --
April 16, 1961: Castro declares Cuba a
socialist state. -- April 17, 1961: U.S.-
trained Cuban exiles stage the failed Bay of
Pigs invasion aimed at toppling Castro. U.S.
intelligence agencies also stage repeated
attempts over the years to kill the Cuban
leader. -- Feb, 7, 1962: President John F.
Kennedy expands embargo, banning almost
all Cuban imports. -- October 1962: U.S.
blockade forces removal of Soviet nuclear
missiles from Cuba. U.S. President John F.
Kennedy agrees privately not to invade
Cuba. -- April 1980: Mariel boatlift: Cuba
says anyone can leave; some 125,000
Cubans flee, causing a refugee crisis for the
United States. -- December 1991: Collapse
of Soviet Union devastates Cuban
economy.
-- August 1994: Castro declares he will not
stop Cubans trying to leave; some 40,000
take to sea heading for United States. --
Sept. 12, 1998: Five Cuban spies arrested in
the United States. They are later convicted.
Cuba mounts an international campaign to
free them, saying they were defending island
against U.S.-based terror attempts. -- July
31, 2006: Fidel Castro announces he has had
operation, temporarily cedes power to
brother Raul. Fidel resigns as president two
years later. -- Dec. 3, 2009: USAID
contractor Alan Gross arrested in Havana,
stifling incipient efforts to improve U.S.-
Cuba ties under President Barack
Obama. -- Dec. 17, 2014: Gross freed and
remaining members of Cuban Five spy ring
freed as part of prisoner exchange
watchVideo:
http://fox4beaumont.com/community/featur
es/community-news/stories/setx-rice-
industry-may-benefit-possible-cuban-
embargo-lift-611.shtml
source with
thanks: http://fox4beaumont.com/community/fea
tures/community-news/stories/setx-rice-
industry-may-benefit-possible-cuban-embargo-
lift-611.shtml
Thailand Regains Position
As Top Rice Exporter
By Minggu Simon Lhasa
BANGKOK, Dec 18 (Bernama) -- Thailand
is projected to regain its title as the world's
top rice exporter this year, toppling
India.Increased exports of Thai rice to other

countries in the Far East and Africa are
expected to propel Thai rice exports to 10.2
million tonnes in 2014, which, if confirmed,
would stand only 500,000 tonnes short of
the 2011 record exports, according to the
Rice Market Monitor (RMM).This was
revealed at a briefing by Vili Fuavao,
Deputy Regional Representative for Asia
and the Pacific of the United Nation's Food
and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) here
this afternoon.
A development dominating the international
rice trade this year has been the resurgence
of Thailand as a leading rice exporter, "an
advance made possible by key policy
changes regarding government market
intervention, namely the suspension of the
paddy pledging programme and public stock
sales," the report states."The ensuing
restoration of its competitive edge has
permitted Thailand to recapture much of the
market share lost to India and Vietnam over
the past two years," it adds.The RMM
predicts that rice deliveries by India will fall
by five per cent to 10.0 million tonnes in
2014, depressed by a combination of
heightened competition for markets and a
reduction in demand in its major Basmati
outlets.
The export outlook is also bleak for
Vietnam, the RMM states, with official
deliveries now projected to remain close to
the 2013 depressed level of 6.6 million
tonnes, as the country is out-priced in Africa
and rivalled by Thailand in important Far
Eastern markets such as the Philippines,
Indonesia and Malaysia.Malaysia is
expected to import one million tonnes of
rice this year, almost unchanged from last
year.While final figures won't be confirmed
until early next year, FAO's last quarterly
report for 2014 indicates much of the
forecast growth in 2014 global trade in rice
is likely to be due to a surge in exports from
Thailand, which again will claim the title as
the world's top rice exporter.Global rice
production has remained steady, down only
slightly from the previous record-setting
year, with weather conditions contributing to
a 0.5 per cent decrease in Asia.
At 744.7 million tonnes (496.6 million
tonnes, milled basis), the resulting 2014
global production forecast is expected to be
only slightly lower this year compared with
last year (down 0.2 per cent or 1.6 million
tonnes).It reflects a 0.1 per cent contraction
of both plantings and yields to 162.9 million
hectares and 4.57 tonnes per hectare,
respectively, brought about by unfavourable
weather conditions.Overall global trade in
rice is expected to hit 40.2 million tonnes in
2014 and could reach 40.5 million tonnes in
the 2015 calendar year, the RMM states.
The anticipated growth in global rice trade
in 2014 is forecast to be sustained by a near
2.0 million tonne surge in shipments to
Asian countries to 18.9 million tonnes.
At a country level, the increase would
mostly mirror a resurgence of demand from
the Philippines, in the aftermath of damage
incurred as a result of typhoon Haiyan and
depleted inventories.The country may close
the year with delivery of 1.8 million tonnes,
up 1.1 million tonnes year-on-year, part of
which is to reconstitute public rice reserves,
the report states.
-- BERNAMA

http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v7/bu/newsb
usiness.php?id=1094568
Ex-president Kufuor in big
rice business
For every business magnate, US$400 million
(GHC1.28 bil-lion) is money that cannot be put
into a competitor‘s pocket. In the world of a
president, that is an amount of money that can
put up several classroom blocks, supply water,
or even purchase enough fuel to deal with ‗dum-
so.‘
What about an ex-president? It is dif-ficult to
tell, but the answer may not be far if you read
the mind of former President John Agyekum
Kufuor.That Ghana spends US$400 million on
importation of rice is a headache to the former
president. That amount is 147 short of the $547
million Millennium Challenge Account first
compact which the United States awarded his
administra-tion to construct the N1 (George
Bush) Highway, the Mallam interchange and
other road networks, especially in the Afram
Plains area of the Eastern Region.
It is also about $112 million less than the
amount of money the current adminis-tration
received on oil exports over Janu-ary to
December 2014.Now, the former president, who
was awarded the World Food Prize in 2011
along with Brazilian Lula da Silva, has put the
machinery of the John A. Kufuor (JAK)
Foundation, which he chairs, into motion to
advocate in favour of domestic production of
rice.
By this act, he is seeking to beat down the
amount of money spent on rice im-ports and
help to channel a chunk, if not all, of the amount
into the hands of local rice farmers to produce
the staple, which has now become the first
choice meal for majority of Ghanaian
households.―All we want to do is to ensure that
appropriate policy environment is created for the
production through processing and marketing of
local rice,‖ Professor Baffour Agyemang-Duah,
Chief Executive Officer of the JAK Foundation,
spoke of the former president‘s intentions.He
was speaking on Tuesday in Accra where the
JAK Foundation, in col-laboration with the
Ghana Rice Inter-professional Body, GRIB,
outdoored a Public-Private National Dialogue
Council on Rice, a vehicle that will facilitate the
sharing of ideas by private sector actors and
public sector institutions on policy and
regulatory improvements for the rice industry in
Ghana.
According to Prof. Agyemang-Duah, the Public-
Private National Dialogue Council on Rice (or
Rice Council) is ―an effort, in collaboration with
other partners, to revive the Ghanaian spirit
especially in the area of Ghanaian rice
production.―We want to today, constitute a
council and inaugurate it…so that the public
sector, which is normally controlled by
government, and the private sector where
individuals, independent people and com-panies
are operating can come together, have a
common platform to dialogue on the best,
appropriate policies for our rice industry to meet
local demand,‖ he intimated.
In real terms, the value of the rice industry per
annum is worth more than the US$400 giving
that local rice produc-tion is calculated to be in
the region of 30 percent of national need.The
JAK Foundation has, therefore, taken a strategic
initiative to ensure that if the local production is
not propped, in the least, the existing quota for
local farmers can be preserved.Looking three to
four decades back, however, one gets a picture
of massive retrogression. Here, Prof.
Agyemang-Duah recalled: ―…we know that in

the early 70s this country started exporting rice.
I was a young man, and I saw it myself under
the government of General (Ignatius Kutu)
Acheampong. Through a very, very vigorous
policy of operation feed yourself, we produced
so much rice we started exporting rice to our
neighbouring countries.‖
Sprint into 2014, and you will find that Ghana is
a pale shadow of its former self. Prof.
Agyemang-Duah acknowledges that ―We‘ve
been told many times by governments that we
spend a chunk of our scarce resources on
importing rice. And I understand that currently
we spend about 400 million dollars a year on
rice importation. The assumption is that if we
can produce our own rice then we will be saving
ourselves that much.‖His lamentation is that ―the
whole idea of relying on imported rice is the
problem just as we relying on so many goods
imported for our livelihoods is a problem.‖ He
expatiates that ―Now we know we are importing
not only rice, we are also im-porting tomatoes,
some vegetables, plan-tain; things that in our
very youthful days we will just walk behind the
backyard and just get them free of charge to our
homes for our meals.‖
According to the Ministry of Trade, a minimum
US$500 million is spent on rice imports and
even that is modest because many importers
engage in under-invoicing or under declaration
of actual value of their imports in order to avoid
tax.Evans Sackey, Executive Secretary at GRIB,
supplies that current rice consump-tion is at 1.6
million metric tonnes, up almost three-fold from
the 2008 figure of 600,000 metric tonnes. Per
the statistics, not more than 500,000 metric
tonnes, or 31 percent, is supplied by local
producers.
The inauguration of the Rice Council is,
therefore, meant to address challenges to local
production, which are mainly policy-related so
that an enabling environ-ment can be created for
local production to thrive.―The expectation is
that after this council is inaugurated, it will look
at the rice strategy and validate the priorities
therein. We will not end there. We are also
hoping that zonal councils will also be launched
in the regions where priorities of stakeholders
will also be discussed. Then the findings at both
the local and national levels will serve as the
basis for the public-private dialogue on the rice
industry,‖ said Prof. Agyemang-Duah.
He added, ―So, this is just the beginning. We
are building the national archi-tecture, to be
followed by the regional group.‖Beyond the
short term, ―we envisage that in the near future,
this council will link to the rice councils in other
neigh-bouring countries, for instance in Nigeria
and Burkina Faso, to constitute a West African
rice council. And if we succeed in that, we can
link that to other sub-regional councils as, for
instance, we have in East Africa,‖ the CEO said.
Meanwhile, the JAK foundation is a partner to a
major rice initiative – Com-petitive African Rice
Initiative, CARI. In partnership with
TechnoServe and Kilimo Trust of Tanzania, the
project is designed to maximize rice production
in Burkina Faso, Ghana, Nigeria and Tanzania.
This five-year project empowers small-scale rice
farmers in these Sub-Saharan Africa countries
and is sponsored by the Ger-man Cooperation,
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and managed
by the German Development Corporation,
GIZ.―The JAK Foundation is a partner handling
mainly the advocacy and policy as-pects of the
rice industry in Africa,‖ Prof. Agyemang-Duah
stated. ―Through these four countries, we hope
to create these councils that will, hopefully,
cascade into an African kind of rice council so
that in the future, all Africa can be self-reliant.‖
http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/Ne
wsArchive/artikel.php?ID=339643

India rubs Iran the wrong
way, rice farmers pay the
price
Thursday, 18 December 2014 - 7:05am IST | Place:
New Delhi | Agency: dna
Iftikhar Gilani
Rice exporters and farmers are a sad lot
these days. Their grouse is that Iran, the
biggest buyer of their produce, has ditched
them, for no fault of theirs. Iran, which used
to impose an aromatic rice import duty of
10% earlier has now raised it to 45%. It has
also started insisting on Good Agricultural
Practices (GAP) certifications and ISO 2200
packaging protocols and low arsenic levels.
A delegation of exporters, which visited
Teheran in October, returned empty-handed.
So, why is Iran doing this?
Iranians are particularly riled that, last
September, when they sought a meeting
between their president Hassan Rouhani and
Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New York
on the sidelines of the UN General
Assembly session, it was declined. PMO
attributed it to scheduling issues, but sources
say a meeting with an Iranian president
ahead of Modi's meeting with Israeli prime
minister Benjamin Netanyahu could have
created a diplomatic ruckus. Earlier,
Rouhani had invited Modi to Iran for talks.
The invitation was handed over to external
affairs minister Sushma Swaraj early
September on the sidelines of a summit of
the Shangahi Cooperation Organization
(SCO) in the Tajik capital Dushanbe.
How much does Iran import from India?
Iran accounted for around 38% of India's
total basmati rice exports. The country
exported 3.7 million tonnes of basmati last
fiscal. It declined to 4,23,431 tonnes in
April-September 2014, which is about 30%
of total basmati exports to Iran the previous
year. The value of basmati exports in 2013-
14 was Rs 28,187 crore. According to FAO,
India's rice exports in 2014-15 are expected
to decline by around 20%, with most of the
decline in basmati rice to occur in key
markets like Iran.
What about arsenic levels?
Rice exports to Iran are likely to decline
further due to the phytosanitary and other
restrictions. In July 2014, Iran increased the
accepted level of arsenic in rice from 80 ppb
(parts per billion) to 120 ppb. Moreover,
the Enforcement Directorate investigation
into UCO Bank's dealings with Iranian
importers has also hurt exports.

How bad are farmers hit?
The impact is already being felt in Punjab,
Haryana, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh.
Farmers in Punjab's Khanna mandi are
realising just Rs 3,200 per quintal for Pusa-
1121 basmati crop against Rs 4,100 last
year. The Parboiled Pusa-1121 Basmati rice
is currently said to be fetching about $1,100
per tonne (landed cost, West Asia),
compared to $1,400-plus at this time last
year.
Will domestic prices be affected?
Farmers had extensively grown Basmati,
depending on the trend in the last three
years. Basmati paddy production this year is
expected at 12 million tonnes, up from 8.5
mt in 2013-14. "The slump in exports may
bring down prices in the domestic market.
That does not spell good for basmati rice
producers," said Bal Krishna Mittal, MD,
Gurdaspur Overseas Ltd, which deals in
basmati rice. He wants the government to
restore the Interest Subvention Scheme to
avert a decline in rice exports and losses this
year.
http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-india-
rubs-iran-the-wrong-way-rice-farmers-pay-the-
price-2044940
Basmati exports set to
decline
Komal Amit Gera | Chandigarh
December 18, 2014 Last Updated at 22:33
IST
This year, earnings from the export
of basmati rice are expected to fall 15-20 per
cent, owing to Iran banning the import of the
commodity from India.Iran purchases about
40 per cent of the basmati rice sold in the
international market by Indian exporters.
Through the past few years, Iran has been
charging an import duty on rice (basmati
and non-basmati) to safeguard the interests
of farmers in that country.
This was
lifted
once the
local
crop was
consume
d. Last
year, the
import duty was raised from 22.5 per cent to
40 per cent in July; the move was rolled
back in December.
This year, however, Iran banned such
imports.Mohinder Pal Jindal, president of
the All India Rice Exporters' Association,
told Business Standard though exporters had
purchased about 80 per cent of the estimated
export demand, there was no clarity on the
demand from buyers in Iran.Besides Iran,
Europe and Saudi Arabia are the major
buyers of Indian basmati rice. Though

demand from these regions is stable, given
the bumper crop in India, exporters are
bracing up for low prices.
Last year, the average realisation was $1,400
a tonne; as of now, the price stands at about
$900 a tonne. It is expected if the import
restrictions in Iran aren't lifted, the price will
fall further.
Enthused by the high demand and
remuneration last year, farmers in Punjab,
Haryana and Uttar Pradesh have diversified
from non-basmati to basmati this year.
However, due to a fall in import demand and
oversupply in the domestic market, prices
have crashed from Rs 3,500-4,000 a quintal
last year to Rs 2,200-2,800 a quintal this
year.
A senior official in the Agriculture and
Processed Food
ProductsExports Development Authority
said the slowdown in demand had resulted
from the ban by Iran. He added in the past
few years, basmati exporters had booked
huge profits, as Iranian importers had
bought aggressively. Last year, Iran had
imported 1,450,000 tonnes of rice from
India; this year, that country's rice imports
from India will stand at 900,000 tonnes.
Annual consumption of rice in Iran is about
three million tonnes and production this year
is reported at about two million tonnes.The
official added a price correction for basmati
was expected, as prices had become
unrealistic. High production of food grain
across the globe had led to a fall in the
prices of various commodities and rice
exporters couldn't remain insulated from this
trend, he said.
http://www.business-
standard.com/article/markets/basmati-exports-
set-to-decline-114121801568_1.html
Thailand dominates rice
trade amid sale of reserves
 Published: 18 Dec 2014 at 18.15
 Online news: News
 Writer: Bloomberg News
Rice exports from Thailand will hit a record
level next year as sales from reserves and
the end of a price-support programme help
the country retain its position as the largest
shipper, the Food and Agriculture
Organisation (FAO) said. Farmers in Phrom
Phiram district in Phitsanulok province
bring in their harvest in September. The
Food and Agriculture Organisation forecasts
rice exports from the kingdom to surge next
year. (Post Today photo).

Shipments surged 54% to 10.2 million
tonnes this year, helping Thailand to replace
India as the biggest exporter in 2014, the
Rome-based agency said in a quarterly
report on Thursday. In 2015, Thai shipments
will gain further to 11 million tonnes even as
local production drops, while India's
shipments will probably contract to 8.2
million tonnes from 10 million tonnes this
year, the United Nations' agency said.The
government halted a price-support
programme in February that spurred the
buildup of record stockpiles as exports fell,
enabling India to become the largest
supplier. The country's military, which took
power in May, said that it would press on
with sales from the holdings. Though dry
weather has caused a water shortage that
will cut the crop this season, Thai exports
will keep on rising, the FAO said."A
development dominating the international
rice trade this year has been the resurgence
of Thailand," it said, citing the end of the
price-support programme and sales from
public stockpiles. "The ensuing restoration
of its competitive edge has permitted
Thailand to recapture much of the market
share lost to India and Vietnam over the past
two years."Shipments from Vietnam, the
third-ranked exporter, were seen steady at
6.6 million tonnes this year, but will rise to
6.9 million tonnes in 2015, the agency
forecast. Global exports rose to a record
40.2 million tonnes this year, and may climb
to 40.5 million tonnes next year, it said.
"Thailand's market dominance is expected to
be largely unrivalled" in export markets in
2015, the FAO said. "The buoyant outlook is
in spite of the likely output reduction this
season, as potential shortfalls will be
checked by the still-large government rice
inventories."Global production is expected
to drop 0.2% to 496.6 million tonnes on a
milled basis in 2014-2015 as output in India
falls because a weak monsoon delayed
planting, the FAO said.World inventories
may decline 2.1% to 177.5 million tonnes as
demand rises 1.9% to 500.5 million tonnes,
it said. Stockpiles in Thailand may contract
to 16.1 million tonnes in 2015 from a record
17.8 million tonnes this year, it said.
The new government won't buy crops
directly from farmers as it spurred
oversupply, Agriculture Minister Petipong
Puengbun Na Ayudhya, said on Oct 1.
Thailand is looking to sell 2 million tonnes
to China for delivery in 2015-2016,
Commerce Minister Chatchai Sarikulya told
reporters on Nov 14.
Tax Extender Bill Impacts
Farming Communities
Time for an upgrade?
WASHINGTON, DC -- On Tuesday, the Senate
passed H.R. 5771, the Tax Increase Prevention
Act of 2014. The $42 billion tax package
applies tax breaks to the 2014 tax year,
retroactively and until December 31, 2014.
Included in the legislation was an extension for
Section 179, which according to Senator John
Hoeven (R-ND) is "one of the most important
provisions in the act" and provides a
"depreciation and expensing provision for small
businesses," including farms. Section 179,
which has been reinstated to the original limit of
$500,000, allows small business owners to
immediately depreciate 100 percent of a capital

purchase, avoiding the hassle of depreciation
over time and simultaneously lowering taxable
income.
In addition to the extension, the bill reinstates
50 percent bonus depreciation, which allows for
capital purchases of any size to be depreciated
50 percent in the first year. Though the
extension leaves long-term tax issues
unresolved, Hoeven said, "the short-term
solution will allow farmers and other small
businesses to expense and depreciate property
they have purchased or repaired for their
operations."Louisiana rice producer and USA
Rice Producers' Group Chairman John Owen
emphasized how important the extension is not
just to farmers, but to rural communities.
"Section 179 is hugely important to small
business owners and is a big boost to rural
communities. The $500,000 limit encourages
farmers to invest in machinery and improve their
operating efficiency, which results in
improvements to rural infrastructure that are key
to keeping small businesses strong," Owen said.
Contact: Evan Spencer (703) 236-1476
Source with thanks:USA Rice Federation
Agriculture Committee
Assignments for 114th
Congress Announced
Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS)
WASHINGTON, DC -- This week, Senate and
House Majority leadership announced
assignments to the House and Senate
Committees on Agriculture.Republicans who
will accompany incoming Chairman Pat Roberts
(R-KS) on the Senate Agriculture Committee
include: John Boozman of Arkansas, Thad
Cochran of Mississippi, Joni Ernst of Iowa,
Chuck Grassley of Iowa, John Hoeven of North
Dakota, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, David
Perdue of Georgia, Ben Sasse of Nebraska, John
Thune of South Dakota, and Thom Tillis of

North Carolina. The Senate Agriculture
Committee will lose two democrat seats as a
result of the new majority. The two Senators not
returning to the Committee are Tom Harkin of
Iowa who is retiring and John Walsh of Montana
who dropped out of the general election.
Representative Mike Conaway (R-TX)
Incoming House Agriculture Committee
Chairman Michael Conaway (R-TX) announced
eight new Republican members: Jackie
Walorski of Indiana, Ralph Abraham of
Louisiana, Rick Allen of Georgia, Mike Bost of
Illinois, Tom Emmer of Minnesota, John
Moolenaar of Michigan, Dan Newhouse of
Washington, and David Rouzer of North
Carolina."USA Rice has a strong history with
Senators Boozman and Cochran, and with
Representative Conaway," said Ben Mosely,
USA Rice Federation vice president of
government affairs. "We look forward to
working with them to help educate new
members of the committees on issues important
to rice producers across the country."
Contact: Evan Spencer (703) 236-1476
Yunnan Province
Department of Agriculture
Visits USA Rice
The agenda reads: RICE
ARLINGTON, VA -- A team of policy and
program directors from the China Yunnan
Province Department of Agriculture met with
USA Rice Federation staff on Tuesday to get a
better sense of the U.S. industry. Of particular
interest to the Chinese team was U.S. rice
production and the safety net for farmers
provided in whole or in part by the U.S.
government.The delegation leader, Mr. Bin Ke,
Yunnan Province Department of Agriculture
Division Director, explained he saw the visit as
an opportunity to learn more about U.S.
agriculture and to establish an international
information exchange on new developments in
the agricultural commodity industry, particularly
regarding risk management and government-
subsidized safety net measures.
"The questions were frank and the discussion
lively," said Jim Guinn, USA Rice's vice
president of international promotion. "The
department chose USA Rice because we
represent and advocate for the interests of the
entire U.S. rice industry. We were happy to start
this relationship off on a positive and
collaborative note."Yunnan Province is located
in southwestern China and has a population of
more than 45 million.
Contact: Michael Klein (703) 236-1458
Weekly Rice Sales, Exports
Reported

WASHINGTON, DC -- Net rice sales of 78,000
MT for 2014/2015 were down 10 percent from
the previous week and 7 percent from the prior
four-week average, according to today's Export
Sales Highlights report. Increases were reported
for Japan (24,000 MT), Mexico (13,300 MT),
Haiti (9,500 MT), Panama (9,500 MT), and
Canada (4,500 MT).
Exports of 39,500 MT were down 64 percent
from the previous week and 50 percent from the
prior four-week average. The primary
destinations were Mexico (16,700 MT), Japan
(12,000 MT), Canada (3,100 MT), Honduras
(2,100 MT), and Saudi Arabia (1,700 MT).This
summary is based on reports from exporters
from the period December 5-11.
CME Group/Closing
Rough Rice Futures
CME Group (Prelim): Closing Rough Rice Futures
for December 18
Month Price Net Change
January 2015 $12.110 - $0.005
March 2015 $12.330 - $0.005
May 2015 $12.605 - $0.005
July 2015 $12.760 - $0.025
September 2015 $12.125 - $0.015
November 2015 $12.090 + $0.045
January 2016 $12.100 + $0.045
Permit levels could make good
irrigation targets for farmers
Dec 17, 2014Forrest Laws | Delta Farm
Press
RSS
18 and 36. Those two numbers are likely to
take on increasing significance in the
months ahead as farmers, farm organization
leaders and regulatory officials continue to
grapple with the problem of a declining
alluvial aquifer beneath the Mississippi
Delta.Those are the maximum amounts of
irrigation water growers can apply – 18
inches for cotton, corn, soybeans and grain
sorghum and 36 inches for rice – under the
irrigation well permits granted them by the
Mississippi Department of Environmental
Quality.―I remember asking last year how
many acre inches we can apply to corn,
cotton and soybeans, and none of us knew,‖
says Jason Krutz, irrigation specialist with
Mississippi State University and a speaker at
the Mississippi Delta Irrigation Summit held
at Stoneville, Miss., Dec. 10. ―That number
is 18, and rice is 36.‖
Krutz said few producers have probably
looked for that number and few cared until
now even though the amounts are specified
on the well permits.―But at the end of this
season, 10 percent of those wells will be
metered, and the information will be given
to a regulatory agency,‖ he said. ―So

somebody cares now about how much water
we‘re pumping out of the aquifer."For now,
participation in the metering program is
voluntary and will remain so as long as
growers using the meters report their
information for 2014 and enough additional
growers sign up in 2015 to reach the 10
percent level. But presentations at the
Summit indicated a number of growers are
exceeding the 18- and 36-inch maximums
on their permits.
On the other hand, if the metering program
doesn‘t reach 10 percent participation by the
June 30, 2015 deadline and the 2014
metering information isn‘t reported by the
Feb. 15, 2015, deadline, MDEQ officials
have said the program could become
mandatory.Chris Wells, the MDEQ‘s chief
of staff who was pinch hitting for Gary
Rickard, executive director of the agency,
noted that latest estimates say farmers in the
Mississippi Delta can pump up to 1.5 billion
gallons of day during peak irrigation use.
‖It‘s an astronomical number,‖ he said. ―I
personally can‘t fathom that much water,
and you can imagine the impact is that over
several decades there has been a decline in
the levels in the aquifer and not enough
recharge during winter to replace all of
that.‖Wells said that‘s what the Delta
Sustainable Water Resources Task Force,
which was created by the Department of
Environmental Quality and consists of a
number of farm and governmental
organizations is charged with
addressing.The Mississippi Delta Irrigation
Summit, which was attended by nearly 200
producers from Mississippi and Arkansas, is
also part of that effort, he noted.
Krutz said he believes farmers have charged
Mississippi State University with the task of
making them better furrow irrigators. ―That
charges makes sense with 80 percent of our
acres being furrow irrigated, and we need to
make strides in improving how we deliver
water with that system.‖Mississippi State
specialists have settled on three tools they
believe will help growers make better use of
their furrow irrigation systems. Those are
software programs like Pipe Planner, surge
irrigation and using soil moisture sensors for
irrigation scheduling.
―What we did on all our Extension sites and
what we‘re encouraging our producers to do
is use Pipe Planner,‖ says Krutz. ―It is well-
based, free, fairly interactive, and it gives
you a lot of information. It will tell you what
size and type of polytubing you need and it
will tell you the size, quantity and spacing of
the holes you need to make sure all the
water will hit the tail ditch at the same time
which then improves our application
efficiency.―And, by default, it‘s going to
reduce our irrigation costs.‖ (Pipe Planner is
a software program developed by Delta
Plastics Inc., a Little Rock, Ark.-based
company that provides disposable plastic
tubing for irrigation. Delta Plastics is
providing the software free as part of its new
H2O Initiative.)
Surge irrigation, he said, ―takes care of
problems we have in conventional irrigation.
We can have a lot of tail water runoff, which
is inefficient, and what we can‘t see is that
we can have a lot of deep percolation loss
with water moving below the rooting zone,
which means the plant cannot utilize it.‖It
can be especially beneficial in silt loam soils
or the traditional cotton soils, which tend to
―seal over‖ when water hits them, Krutz
noted. Sending ―pulses‖ of water across the
field so that it has time to soak in before
another pulse pushes down the row
improves irrigation efficiency about 25
percent.
Growers can choose from a number of soil
moisture sensors that all do the same thing:
―They‘re going to tell you when the profile

is full and how much water is being utilized
in the different regions of the root zone, and
they can set a threshold at which point we
think we will have yield loss or demonstrate
a yield loss if we go beyond that,‖ he
said.―That‘s a long ways off from just
scheduling every Monday when we start
turning the wells on. We‘ll see when we go
into our different field locations where
we‘ve paired up with you if this tool actually
works.‖Krutz‘s comments seemed to be
well-received by attendees, for the most
part. One grower was slightly
skeptical.―Jason has been working in
relatively wet conditions the last two years,‖
said one producer. ―We‘re waiting to see
how this works when we go weeks without
rainfall, and the crops are begging for
moisture.‖
For more information on conserving irrigation
water,
visithttp://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/d
etailfull/national/wntsc/?cid=nrcs143_023638
SE Texas rice farmers
optimistic about end to
Cuba embargo
By Manuella Libardi
Published 9:28 am, Thursday, December 18,
2014
Louis Broussard owner of Beaumont Rice Mils
Inc. looks through paperwork in a small office at
the heart of the mill. Guiseppe Barranco/The
Enterprise Photo: Guiseppe Barranco
An elderly woman working at a Havana
market ran up to Nick Lampson, hugged him
and offered her thanks for the then-
congressman's effort to bring back the high-
quality, cheap rice that she once had on
her table.
Lampson said he traveled to Cuba in 1999
with Southeast Texas rice farmers to meet
with then-President Fidel Castro and his
government in an attempt to call for renewed
agricultural trade between the United States
and Cuba. Before a 1960s trade embargo,
Cuba imported virtually all of its rice from the
U.S., Lampson said.
Americans and Cubans alike have longed for
five decades to repair the divide, Lampson
said on Wednesday, hours after
President Barack Obamaannounced the re-
establishment of diplomatic relations
with Cuba.Louis Broussard, president of
Beaumont Rice Mills and one of the farmers
who accompanied Lampson to Cuba, said re-
establishing economic relations with Cuba is
what the rice industry has been waiting for,
adding it would change the dynamics of the
entire industry.Before the embargo, Southeast
Texas numbered around 300 rice farmers,
Lampson said. The number is now about 30 or
40, he said.Lifting the embargo could
encourage farmers to get back in the game,
Lampson speculated.
Source with thanks:
http://www.beaumontenterprise.com/news/article/SE-
Texas-rice-farmers-optimistic-about-end-to-
5965640.php?utm_source=USA+Rice+Daily%2C+D

ecember+18%2C+2014&utm_campaign=Friday%2C
+December+13%2C+2013&utm_medium=email
Strain: Farmers would
benefit by Cuba trade
Ken Stickney,
stickney@theadvertiser.com6:17 p.m. CST
December 17, 2014
Resumed trade between the U.S. and Cuba
would be of enormous benefit to Louisiana,
which already ships some food to Cuba,
high-ranking state leaders say."They are
hungry people and they really need food,"
Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain said
of the Cubans.In specific, with resumed
trade Louisiana farmers could enjoy a
"tremendous increase in market for poultry
and rice," which the state produces in
abundance, if the U.S. and Cuba eventually
resume trade relations. But other
possibilities abound.Gary P. LaGrange,
president and CEO of the Port of New
Orleans, said 23,775 tons of poultry has
been shipped to Cuba through the port in
2014.
That's trade that resulted from agreements
initiated between Louisiana and Cuba during
a 2005 visit to Havana by then Gov.
Kathleen Blanco. That trip enabled
Louisiana to ship a limited array of goods to
Cuba: building supplies, communications
equipment and humanitarian aid.LaGrange
said that rice is exported to Cuba through the
Port of Lake Charles, also a result of that
initial visit by Blanco, although the rice
must make a circuitous route to Cuba
because of U.S. trade restrictions.President
Obama on Wednesday said his
administration would work toward resuming
diplomatic relations and trade with Cuba for
the first time in more than 50 years.
That announcement drew fire from
Louisiana's governor, who said, "Taking
steps to normalize relations with Cuba only
serves to reward them, and it is a disservice
to those in Cuba who wish to be free and
who live in fear of a dictatorial regime. But
not from all Louisianians criticized the
president's initiative.Strain, a Republican,
said resumed trade would be a boon for the
Port of New Orleans. A half-century ago,
before the trade embargo with Cuba, 65
percent of all trade goods to and from Cuba
traveled through the Port of New Orleans.
LaGrange said Cuba was the Port of New
Orleans' biggest trade partner prior to the
embargo."Opening borders helps us," Strain
said. "We stand at the gateway.
"Strain said Cuba needs what Louisiana can
provide. Obama would permit some farm
equipment to be exported to Cuba, whose
farmers' production has suffered from poor
soil.He said the state's poultry industry,
which extends from Tangipahoa Parish to
the upper reaches of the state, would benefit
from exporting more food to Cuba.
LaGrange said Louisiana poultry is a good
fit for Cuban consumers."They love their
chicken.
Almost meal has a chicken," LaGrange
said.Most meals have rice, too, and Steve
Linscombe, director of the LSU AgCenter's

Rice Research Center in Crowley, said
Louisiana can ship as much rice as Cuba can
handle.
The state is coming off bountiful crop
years."That's not an issue," Linscombe said
of supplying Cuba with ample amounts of
exported rice. "We are badly in need of
exports."Linscombe said Cuba was the
biggest export market for U.S. rice when the
embargo was put in place a half-century ago.
The Cubans prefer long-grain rice, which
Louisiana produces.Strain said that Cuba has
suffered because of poor soil, and even its
once touted sugar output has fallen off
considerably.Jim Simon, general manager of
the American Sugar Cane League in
Louisiana, said his organization does not
fear a short-term threat from Cuban
sugar."Maybe in years to come," Simon
said, but added that it takes many years to
normalize trade relations.
He said that at one time Cuba was a
"substantial sugar player," but is less
significant now.LaGrange said beyond farm
products and farm equipment, resumed trade
relations with Cuba could open up new
destinations for cruise ships that sail out of
the Port of New Orleans. That's something
that Port of New Orleans representatives and
Cuban officials have discussed during some
six of seven meetings over the past 15 years.
He said port officials have tried to keep
doors open to Cuba over the years in case
U.S. restrictions were lifted.
"We will take about cruising to Cuba and
making a call to Key West," LaGrange said
of one possible cruise route. "A call to Key
West, the Bahamas and Cuba would be a
natural cruise."David Baker, Hesse/BORSF
associate professor of marketing and
international business at the University of
Louisiana at Lafayette, suggested in the
medium-to-longer term oil exploration and
oil services companies might do business in
and around Cuba."However, recent
exploratory wells drilled by companies
Repsol from Spain, Petronas from Malaysia
and Petroleos de Venezuela In Cuban waters
have been unsuccessful," Baker said.
"The verdict is therefore still undetermined
if there is significant potential for this
sector."Strain said he supports resumed
trade despite political differences between
the two countries."We do business with
China, Vietnam and other countries," he
said. "We need to progressively open our
relationships. Through trade and education,
communism cannot stand."
Source with thanks:
http://www.theadvertiser.com/story/news/local/acadiana/20
14/12/17/strain-farmers-benefit-cuba-
trade/20550987/?utm_campaign=%5B%27Friday%2C+De
cember+13%2C+2013%27%5D&utm_source=%5B%27U
SA+Rice+Daily%2C+December+18%2C+2014%27%5D&
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What will major shift in
U.S. policy toward Cuba
mean for agriculture?
Rice would benefit greatly if trade barriers
lifted
Dec 17, 2014David Bennett

He may be a lame duck but President
Obama wasn‘t limping when he took the
podium Tuesday morning to announce a
major shift in relations between the United
States and Cuba. The surprising
announcement included a host of diplomatic,
humanitarian and business bullet points
intended to ease the island nation‘s isolation.
―In the most significant changes in our
policy in more than 50 years, we will end an
outdated approach that, for decades, has
failed to advance our interests, and instead
we will begin to normalize relations between
our two countries,‖ said Obama. ―Through
these changes, we intend to create more
opportunities for the American and Cuban
people, and begin a new chapter among the
nations of the Americas.‖The president
acknowledged his actions will not lift the
trade embargo that has been in place for
more than 50 years. However, the U.S. will
open an embassy in Havana and Obama
called on Congress to lift the trade ban.
Lawmakers with Cuban heritage
immediately attacked the plan and signaled
the embargo would only be lifted after a
bitter fight in both houses of Congress. In a
statement, Arkansas Rep. Rick Crawford
said, ―While I welcome the restoration of
trade between the U.S. and Cuba on behalf
of Arkansas agriculture and manufacturers,
Congress must proceed with caution and
deliberation in response to the president‘s
decision. I pledge to lend my voice and the
voice of Arkansas businesses to what
promises to be a thorough and robust
debate.‖What might the easing of sanctions
mean for U.S. farmers?
―We‘re still trying to figure out exactly what
all has been agreed to,‖ said Andrew
Grobmyer, executive vice president of the
Agriculture Council of Arkansas. ―But we‘re
certainly excited to see some action brought
by the Obama administration on Cuba. We
hoped it would‘ve happened earlier and
would‘ve been a unified effort by the White
House and Congress. But we‘ll take this and
hope it leads to the lifting of commerce and
trade restrictions.
―We want this to provide open trade —
especially with agricultural products in the
near future. This might be enough to
pressure Congress to move on the Cuban
trade embargo.―We‘ve pushed for trade with
Cuba for many years and through many
presidents. Congress should be proactive
and support this effort. Times have changed
over the decades and the opportunity is ripe
for this. By trading with Cuba, we can bring
the country more in line with U.S.

ideals.‖What about the Mid-South
specifically?
―I think it would be a boost for all crops,‖
said Grobmyer. ―However, rice would be a
big winner because it‘s a big part of the
Cuban diet. And think about how close the
United States is to Cuba. Compared to other
countries we export to, it‘s not a long way to
haul from Arkansas to Cuba. From a trade
perspective, because transportation costs
would be low, it‘s kind of a natural
fit.―Another industry that would be helped is
poultry. Obviously, there‘s a lot of poultry
raised in the state.‖
http://deltafarmpress.com/government/what-will-
major-shift-us-policy-toward-cuba-mean-
agriculture?page=1&utm_source=USA+Rice+Daily
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High levels of arsenic found
in rice
Posted: Dec 17, 2014 12:25 PM
PSTUpdated: Dec 17, 2014 12:25 PM PST
By Brendan Clark
Consumer Reports has issued new
guidelines for limits on how much rice you
and your children should eat. Consumer
Reports analyzed Food and Drug
Administration data on more than 600 foods
that contain rice and found some with
worrisome levels of inorganic arsenic,
which is linked to several types of cancer.
The Food and Drug Administration
recommends parents consider other options
rather than rice cereal for their children's
first solid food.
Consumer Reports' analysis found that hot
rice cereal and rice pasta can have much
more arsenic than its lab saw in previous
tests. So Consumer Reports
now recommends that children rarely eat
these foods, which means not more than
twice a month. And Consumer Reports
recommends children under five limit rice
drinks, rice cakes and ready-to-eat rice
cereals. Levels of arsenic vary. Consumer
Reports based its recommendations on the
higher levels in each food group to offer
consumers the best protection.
As for rice itself, Consumer Reports' lab
tests in 2012 found high levels of
inorganic arsenic in white rice and even
higher levels in brown rice. Consumer
Reports has tested other types of rice and
other grains and has found several
alternatives with much lower levels of
inorganic arsenic. Some good choices —
sushi rice from the U.S. and white basmati
rice from California, India and Pakistan. On

average they had half the amount of arsenic
as most other types of rice. And brown
basmati rice from California, India and
Pakistan has about one third less inorganic
arsenic than other brown rice. Other good
options — bulgur, barley and faro, as well as
gluten-free grains like
amaranth, buckwheat, millet and quinoa.
In response to Consumer Reports'
investigation, the USA Rice Federation
issued this statement: ―Research conducted
by the Food and Drug Administration and
U.S. rice industry shows arsenic levels
found in U.S.-grown rice are below safe
maximum levels established this year by the
World Health Organization. Studies show
that including white or brown rice in the
diet provides measurable health benefits that
outweigh the potential risks associated with
exposure to trace levels of arsenic. The U.S.
rice industry is committed to growing a safe
and healthy product; we continuously test
our crop, and research ways of reducing the
already low levels of arsenic found in rice
even further.
The Food & Drug Administration issued this
statement: The FDA's ongoing
assessment of arsenic in rice remains a
priority for the agency. Last year, the FDA
released what we believe to be the largest
set of test results to date on the presence of
arsenic in rice and rice products, and we are
planning to release a draft assessment of the
potential health risks associated with the
consumption of arsenic in these same foods.
Until that review is completed, the agency
continues to recommend that
consumers, including pregnant women, eat
a well-balanced diet containing a variety of
grains. Parents should feed infants and
toddlers a variety of grains as well, and
consider options other than rice cereal for a
child's first solid food.Published studies and
ongoing FDA research indicate that cooking
rice in excess volumes of water – five to six
times that of the rice – and draining the
water can reduce the arsenic content,
though it may also reduce the nutritional
value of the rice.Complete Ratings and
recommendations on all kinds of products,
including appliances, cars & trucks, and
electronic gear, are available on Consumer
Reports' website. Subscribe
toConsumerReports.org.
Global rice exports surge in
2014
Thursday, 18 December 2014 03:28
Bumper produce and a surge in demand for
rice, particularly in the Far East Asia, have
resulted in 2014 recording the highest rice
export figures globally, FAO has announced

Increased exports of Thai rice to other
countries in the Far East Asia and Africa is
expected to propel Thai rice exports to
10.2mn tonnes in 2014. (Image source: Mike
Gifford/Flickr)
While final figures wouldn‘t be confirmed
until early next year, FAO‘s last quarterly
report for 2014 Rice Market
Monitor (RMM) indicated much of the
forecast growth in 2014 global trade in rice
was due to a surge in exports from Thailand,
which regained the title of world‘s top rice
exporter.―Indeed, a development dominating
international rice trade in 2014 has been the
resurgence of Thailand as a leading rice
exporter, an advance made possible by key
policy changes regarding government
market intervention,‖ the report
stated.Increased exports of Thai rice to other
countries in the Far East Asia and Africa is
expected to propel Thai rice exports to
10.2mn tonnes in 2014, which, if confirmed,
would stand only 500,000 tonnes short of
the 2011 record exports.―The ensuing
restoration of its competitive edge has
permitted Thailand to recapture much of the
market share lost to India and Vietnam over
the past two years,‖ it added.
The RMM predicted that rice deliveries by
India will fall by five per cent to 10mn
tonnes in 2014, depressed by a combination
of heightened competition for markets and a
reduction in demand in its major Basmati
outlets. The export outlook is also bleak for
Vietnam, the RMM stated, where official
deliveries are now projected to remain close
to the 2013 depressed level of 6.6mn tonnes,
as the country is out-priced in Africa and
rivalled by Thailand in important Far
Eastern markets, such as the Philippines,
Indonesia and Malaysia.
Production remains steady
Despite regional variations, overall, global
rice production had remained steady, down
only slightly from the previous record-
setting year. Weather conditions contributed
to a 0.5 per cent decrease in Asia.At
744.7mn tonnes (496.6mn tonnes, milled
basis), the resulting 2014 global production
forecast is expected to be only slightly lower
this year compared with last year (down 0.2
per cent or 1.6mn tonnes), reflecting a 0.1
per cent contraction of both plantings and
yields to 162.9mn hectares and 4.57 tonnes
per hectare, respectively, brought about by
unfavourable weather conditions.Overall
global trade in rice is expected to exceed
40mn tonnes in 2014 and could reach
40.5mn tonnes in the 2015 calendar year.
The anticipated growth in global rice trade
in 2014 is forecast to be sustained by a near
two million tonne surge in shipments to
Asian countries to 18.9mn tonnes. At a
country level, the increase mostly mirrored a
resurgence of demand from the Philippines,
in the aftermath of damages incurred as a
result of typhoon Haiyan and depleted
inventories. The country may close the year
with delivery of 1.8mn tonnes, up 1.1mn
tonnes year-on-year, part of which to
reconstitute public rice reserves, the report
stated.Traditionally a self-sufficient nation,
Sri Lanka has also been compelled to rely on
supplies from abroad to compensate for
significant production shortfalls, with
280,000 tonnes assessed to have been
purchased by the country.
http://www.fareasternagriculture.com/crops/agri
culture/global-rice-exports-surge-in-2014

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