21st feb.,2014 daily global rice e newsletter by riceplus magazine

21st Feb , 2014

Share developments
in RICE
and allied sectors,
Promote the Concept of
Knowledge Economy
Dear Sir/Madam,

YOUR IDEA has a great worth---JUST share it through
RICE PLUS

Daily Rice E-Newsletter by Rice Plus Magazine www.ricepluss.com
News and R&D Section mujajhid.riceplus@gmail.com
Cell # 92 321 369 2874

10000+ stakeholders of rice industry read & apply various ideas
and analysis written by the authors.
Be the part of Rice plus authors
Visit: www.ricepluss.com,www.publishpk.net
mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com , riceplus@irp.edu.pk
TOP Contents - Tailored for YOU
Latest News Headlines…




















Int'l Rice Research Institute releases 44 new rice varieties in 2013
Govt closes ‘Cipinang rice’ case, continues other probes
Developing the ‘Green Super Rice’
House Implores FG to Implement Agreement With Rice Dealers
NFA can’t impose rice curbs — DOJ
Foreign Trade Department denies dumping rice in world market
Thai Rice to Flood Global Markets as Subsidy Ends
Farmers demand rice payments Feb 28
Thai Rice Farmers Give Government a Week to Make Payments
Thai Prime Minister denies corruption allegations over rice program
.Tax exemption for rice, tobacco import from Laos
PH faces WTO sanctions for rice importation policy
Indonesian govt has yet to issue rice import permit
Thai rice not being dumped: trade chief
Food group exports up by 6.30%,imports down by 8.95%
Non-basmati rice trades lower on reduced offtake
Exporters sound alarm on rotting rice stocks
Yingluck vows to pay, rice growers return home

Cell # 92 321 369 2874

News Detail…

Int'l Rice Research Institute releases 44 new rice varieties
in 2013
02-20-2014 16:16 BJT
|

MANILA, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- Philippine-based International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and its partners
released 44 new and improved rice varieties last year to help Asian and African countries prop up their rice
output despite declining resources.IRRI said in a statement released on Thursday that rice varieties resilient to
climate change were among those released last year. These include nine salt-tolerant varieties in the Philippines,
three flood-tolerant varieties in South Asia, and six in sub-Saharan Africa.The research institute said resilience
to climate change is a " big thrust" of its work in improving rice varieties that will help farmers produce more
rice with the same, or declining, amount of resources.
"These improved rice varieties are considered public goods. Hence, our partners are free to release these for
farmers' use or for more breeding work to suit local needs in their countries," said Eero Nissila, head of IRRI's
breeding division.Last year, a total of 21 new and improved rice varieties were released in the Philippines, six in
Bangladesh, five in Myanmar, three in Nigeria, two in Tanzania, two in India, and one each in Cambodia,
Vietnam, Indonesia, Mozambique, and Rwanda.Since its establishment in 1960, the Philippine-based research
institute said it has released 1,000 improved rice varieties across 78 countries.One of these is IR8, which was
introduced more than 50 years ago and was later dubbed as "miracle rice." IRRI said IR8 served as a key driver
of the "Green Revolution" and prevented famine in rice-eating Asian countries.

Govt closes ‘Cipinang rice’ case, continues other probes
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Business | Fri, February 21 2014, 12:11 PM
The government stated on Thursday it had officially closed the ―Cipinang rice‖ case after it found the imported
rice to be of premium quality and not medium quality as previously reported.Trade Ministry director general of
foreign trade Bachrul Chairi confirmed his office, with the help of research company PT Sucofindo, had
checked the quality of the ―Cipinang rice‖.―Based on our assessment of rice we took from the market, the
imported rice is premium,‖ Bachrul said at the customs office on Thursday.―With this conclusion, we declare
this case is closed,‖ he continued.
Aside from Sucofindo, the ministry also involved scientists from the Bogor Institute of Agriculture (IPB).The
―Cipinang rice‖ case emerged during an inspection on Cipinang Market in East Jakarta on Jan. 22 by Bachrul. It

Cell # 92 321 369 2874

was then that he was informed that the imported rice from Vietnam was of medium quality: The import of
medium quality rice is illegal.Regarding the 32 containers of rice (800 tons of rice) discovered during Finance
Minister Chatib Basri’s inspection on Tanjung Priok Port on Feb. 7, the customs office stated there was
irregularities in the import procedure.Based on preliminary results from the investigation, the customs office
stated that 24 of the 32 containers were proven to have violated the Trade Law.There is possibility that the
violations will increase, Susiwijono, the office’s director of revenue and customs and excise regulations, said,
who was also at the press conference.Right now the government is still holding the containers at Tanjung Priok
Port in North Jakarta until the investigation is completed.
―We are now at the final stage of this investigation, when we examine the variety of the imported rice,‖
Susiwijono said, without clarifying when the investigation would be over. This current test follows three earlier
tests. It includes an assessment of grain length (minimum 7 millimeters); a ratio of length and width comparison
(minimum 3 percent); and amylose content.Suswijono also said that the government had appointed the Rice
Research Body in Subang, West Java, to uncover the actual type of rice in the containers from Vietnam.During
his inspection, Chatib was informed that the label read: ―Thai Hom Mali/fragrance rice‖. Thai Hom Mali is a
prestigious Thai rice, while fragrant rice is from Vietnam. Moreover, the barcode was the code of Thai Hom
Mali, and the phrase ―fragrance rice‖ causes suspicion. The three responsible rice importers are PT Pangan
Sejahtera (PS), CV Trimitra Makmur Lohata (TML) and CV Kusuma Food Indonesia (KFI). For fragrant rice,
Pangan Sejahtera has an import quota of 400,000 tons; Trimitra Makmur Lohata, 100,000 tons; and Kusuma
Food Indonesia, 400,000 tons. (alz)

Developing the ‘Green Super Rice’
Posted by Online on Feb 21st,
A team of Filipino and international rice scientists has completed the first phase of developing ―Green Super
Rice‖ (GSR) which is being introduced in Asia, including in the Philippines, and in Africa. ―Green‖ because it
is environment-friendly, and ―super‖ as the variety produces more grains, resists drought, pests, floods, salty
water, and insects; increases yield; and does not need high fertilizer inputs. It is designed to flourish under the
toughest growing conditions.

Cell # 92 321 369 2874

The project involved 12 years of research
between the International Rice Research
Institute (IRRI) based in the Philippines and
the Chinese Academy of Agricultural
Sciences (CAAS) in Beijing, China, and
included farmers in 16 countries in Asia
and Africa. Scientists used conventional
plant breeding techniques to cross-breed
250 varieties from world’s largest rice
collections.GSR research was boosted in
2007 with an $18-million grant from the
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation which
saw the project’s global potential. IRRI and
14 research institutions in China worked on
GSR, tapping hundreds of rice breeders
around the world, to come up with rice
varieties that could cope with stresses in
environment and soil, raise production, and
help rice farmers on unirrigated land. For
GSR’s second phase, which began in 2013
and runs until 2015, the Gates Foundation
infused another $15 million to help spread
its benefits to 500,000 poor farmers in Asia and Africa.Initial GSR seeds were provided in the Bicol Region
through the Philippine Department of Agriculture-Region 5, the United Nations Food and Agriculture
Organization, and Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Fishery, and Forestry, under the project ―Analysis and
Mapping of Impacts and Food Security.‖ Field trials of GSR lines were incorporated in Environment Farmer
Field School and were reproduced at the Bicol Experiment Station in Camarines Sur while tests were done in
areas with three agrosystem conditions – flooding, drought, and saline intrusion. IRRI said the scientific method
used for GSR can also be applied to other crops, such as wheat, barley, cassava – staples that feed billions of
people.The Manila Bulletin, led by its Chairman of the Board of Directors Dr. Emilio T. Yap, President and
Publisher Atty.
Hermogenes P. Pobre, Executive Vice President Dr. Emilio C. Yap III, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Cris J. Icban Jr.,
Business Editor Loreto D. Cabañes, Directors, Officers, and Employees, congratulate the Philippine Rice

Cell # 92 321 369 2874

Research Institute headed by Executive Director Dr. Eufemio T. Rasco Jr., International Rice Research Institute
Director General Dr. Robert S. Zeigler and Deputy Director General Dr. Bruce J. Tolentino, Chinese Academy
of Agricultural Sciences President Li Jiayang, and Green Super Rice Project Director Li Zhikang, for their
partnerships in developing and rolling out a high-yielding rice variety that will promote food security and assist
resource-limited farmers for the Filipino people in our Republic of the Philippines and worldwide.
CONGRATULATIONS AND MABUHAY!

21 Feb 2014

Muhammad Bello
The House of Representatives has appealed to the Federal Government to hasten the implementation of an
agreement it reached with the Rice Millers Importers and Distribution Association of Nigeria (RIMIDAN)
following the ban on importation of rice last year.Part of the agreement at the November 2013 meeting between
the government and stakeholders on rice, was that the government should bring down the price of rice to $190
per metric ton as a result of the global fall in rice prices from $600 to $350.
Mandating its committee on customs to
summon all relevant stakeholders in order to
fashion out a way forward on the rice
transformation agenda, the House observed the
increase of duty on rice importation from 50
percent to 100 percent in 2013 was good
decision by the federal government to further
stimulate local farming and production of the
commodity.Nasiru Baballe Ila (APC, Kano),
whose motion the House adopted noted that:
"the good intention of the federal government has been sabotaged by unquantifiable smuggling at a rate never
witnessed in the past.""Over three million tons of parboiled rice was smuggled into Nigeria in 2013 through
Benin Republic.
This culminated in that country gaining over N200 billion in dutiable levy," he regretted.According to him, the
situation was worsen when Benin Republic deliberately removed 18 percent VAT on all parboiled rice imports

Cell # 92 321 369 2874

destined for Nigeria, whilst the duty of 12.5 percent is to be charged on the benchmark price of only $200 per
metric tonne, thereby bringing down effective duty to only $25 per metric tonne against the $570 per metric
tonne dutiable rate being charged at Nigerian ports."Nigeria Customs Service, which is the second largest
revenue generator to the government coffer lost over N300 billion from sharp practices of smuggling. It is
pertinent to note that import duty on rice is the major source of revenue to the Service," he said.
Tags: Business, Nigeria, Featured, House, FG, RICE

NFA can’t impose rice curbs — DOJ
By Rey E. Requejo | Feb. 21, 2014 at 12:01am

The Department of Justice has taken a legal position that the National Food Authority has no power to extend
the implementation of quantitative restriction on rice importations.In a 12-page confidential legal opinion,
Justice Secretary Leila de Lima stressed that the NFA has no authority to extend the imposition of QR following
the expiration of government’s commitment to the World Trade Organization – General Agreement on Tariffs
and Trade (WTO-GATT) in June 2012.De Lima said that while the agreement already expired, it had provisions
saying extension of the QR on agricultural products ―shall only be by agreement after the conduct of
negotiations.‖It is beyond the power of a mere implementing agency like the NFA, which must exercise its rulemaking and regulatory powers in accordance with, and not contrary to, applicable laws, De Lima’s opinion
stated, copy of which was forwarded to Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala.
The Justice Secretary stressed that such provisions of the WTO-GATT are binding. ―The WTO provisions on
the lifting of QRs as well as their exceptions, and the provisions on negotiations for its extension are already
effective and should be complied with. It is not for nothing that the Philippine government gave its consent to
the WTO agreement.‖ De Lima noted that at this point, the government is still in the period of negotiating for
the extension of the QR to 2017.However, the DOJ legal opinion was not made public yet as de Lima said they
would issue a more ―definitive legal opinion‖ after considering ―varying interpretations.‖It was also not
distributed among members of the NFA Council, the country’s rice policy-making body, during their meeting
last Monday.Asked about the de Lima opinion, NFA Farmer Sector Representative Edwin Paraluman said:

―I did not see any DOJ opinion.‖Pressed as to whether copies of the said opinion were distributed to members
of the council, NFA Board Secretary Ofelia Cortez-Reyes said in Filipino that she did not ―remember matters
like that.‖Stakeholders in the rice industry have been waiting for the legal opinion of the DOJ on the matter,
which they said would serve as a guide for the courts in resolving petitions for injunction filed by rice
importers.The GATT allowed member-countries of the WTO to restrict the importation of sensitive agricultural
products. The agreement, however, already expired in June 2012.While the government started renegotiating
with member-countries on the extension of the pact, it continued to impose the QR.Rice importers questioned
such policy, saying their importations should be allowed even without import permits as long as the

Cell # 92 321 369 2874

corresponding taxes are paid - now that the WTO-GATT has already expired.The issue was highlighted after
the Bureau of Customs seized tons of rice imported without permit, which were later on released upon separate
court order.Reacting to Creencia’s observation, Alcala said: Based on our assessment, we are just doing what
we think is the best for our farmers.
What will favor our farmers? They should consider that.He added that all rice importers should register with,
and secure an import permit from, the National Food Authority.―That is what we are fighting for, that all
importers should register. Like for instance, you buy a car, the you will need to register because if you don’t
then it will not be good. If we just let them be and we have no control on that what do you think will happen?
Rice smugglers will be very happy when that happens.Alcala said he has asked the DOJ for a ruling on the
legality of QR but ―DOJ is still waiting for something before they issue an official statement but the Solicitor
General already told us that the implementation of QR should continue.‖

Foreign Trade Department denies dumping rice in world
market
February 21, 2014 6:03 pm

The Foreign Trade Department Friday urgently clarified that Thai government has never neither dumped rice
prices in the world market after there was a report that the country might be at risk of breaching the World
Trade Organisation's rule on rice dumping.The United States and some others nations have sounded warning
noises at the World Trade Organisation because of Thailand's lack of transparency on sales and stocks.Director
general Surasak Riangkrul denied a report on the Thai government's dumping rice in the global market. Though
it ever sold rice to Indonesia under the Government to Government deal basis, the selling price was not below
the market price as alleged.

Thai Rice to Flood Global Markets as Subsidy Ends
Kittisak Ratanawarahal, chairman of the Northern Farmers Network, stands in warehouse of rotten rice
abandoned ten years ago in Phichit province under price-support scheme by then-prime minister Thaksin
Shinawatra Feb. 6, 2014.
SINGAPORE — Millions of tons of Thai rice are set to flood into already oversupplied international markets
when the government's controversial subsidy scheme grinds to a halt later this month.The country's caretaker
government last week said it did not have the power to renew the program, which has paid farmers in one of the

Cell # 92 321 369 2874

world's top exporters of rice nearly double market rates and is due to expire at month-end.That will force
farmers to offload the March harvest into a market currently dominated by India and Vietnam. With Bangkok
already shifting grain from record government stockpiles, the sales threaten to worsen a supply glut that has
dragged on international prices.
While many rice farmers are expected to remain loyal to
Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, who swept to
power in 2011 on the back of rural votes generated in
part by the subsidies, a slump in prices that could be
blamed on her leadership would erode her support base
and be another blow for her embattled government.The
bulk of the around 5 million tons of milled grain that is
expected to be produced from next month's crop,
equivalent to more than 10 percent of all rice traded
globally last year, is likely to be sold to exporters as
farmers and millers have limited capacity to hold back
stocks."It's like farmers are being set adrift. We will have to sell rice to millers at prices lower than what we got
in the past," said Boonserm Thongsook, a farmer in the province of Suphan Buri, around 40 km north of
Bangkok."I may not vote for Yingluck again as she ignores us. The scheme is about to end and she does nothing
to support us."The subsidy program has been mired in allegations of corruption and faced growing losses,
becoming a target of a Bangkok-based protest movement bent on ousting Yingluck and the caretaker
government she has led since December.Unrest is spreading to her party's natural supporters in the countryside,
where many farmers have gone unpaid for their rice for months as the program scrambles for funding.
Hundreds of unpaid Thai rice farmers this week swarmed around Yingluck's temporary office and threatened to
storm the building.Any possible reintroduction of the rice-buying scheme would be off the cards until the
completion of disrupted elections, which the country's Election Commission said was unlikely until late
April.Most market participants expect some sort of program to re-emerge no matter who wins at the polls,
though it is likely to be far less generous than the current scheme. Thailand has had different forms of rice
support scheme for around three decades."From the world market's point of view, the end of the scheme could
be bearish because it implies a potentially large boost to world export availability," said Darren Cooper, senior
economist
with
trade
body
the
International
Grains
Council
in
London.
Global glut

Cell # 92 321 369 2874

Traders and officials said Thai rice prices, which have already dropped 14 percent since January, won't fall
much further as they are already cheaper than competing varieties."Exporters will not offer prices that are lower
than their costs of production," said Chookiat Ophaswongse, honorary president of the Thai Rice Exporters
Association.Thai exporters said prices could fall to $350 ($1 = 32.4 baht) a ton for the benchmark 5-percent
broken variety, the lowest in seven years, from $375 a ton currently offered on a free on board basis.That
compares with $410 a ton being quoted for similar varieties in top exporter India and $400 a ton in No.2 seller
Vietnam.
Thailand paid farmers 15,000 baht ($463) per ton of paddy under the intervention scheme that started in
October 2011, compared to the 8,000-9,000 baht per ton they can expect in the open market this year.Most Thai
farmers live in poor and remote areas that lack access to large storage silos, meaning they have little opportunity
to hold back rice in hope that prices will climb in future.As well as sales from the upcoming harvest, authorities
will open a tender this week to sell 500,000 tons of rice from state warehouses, after a previous 400,000-ton
offering attracted healthy interest.Extra supply from Thailand comes as India is looking to shrink reserves
swollen after bountiful monsoon rains and Vietnam starts to harvest the highest-yielding of its three annual
crops.
The world's top rice buyers in Southeast Asia and Africa, who have stayed out of the market since January, are
likely to make the most of their purchases from Thailand, hitting Indian and Vietnamese exports."Demand in
the start of the first quarter has been subdued but we expect buyers to be back in the market in March or April,"
said a Singapore-based trader, who declined to be named."They will any day prefer Thai rice over other origins
even if the prices are at par."Thailand, which was the world's top exporter of rice until Yingluck's intervention
scheme derailed shipments in 2011, is known for its high quality grains.Vietnam has said it expects its rice
exports in January-March to decline by a quarter with African buyers switching to cheaper Thai cargoes.

Farmers demand rice payments Feb 28
Friday, 21 February 2014By MCOT

BANGKOK, Feb 20 – Protesting farmers today set Feb 28 as their deadline for the government to pay them for
the rice they have sold under the state’s subsidy scheme.Rawee Rungruang, leader of the Thai Farmers
Network, insisted that officials would not be allowed to enter the Commerce Ministry in Nonthaburi, adding
that some protesting planters would occupy the office of the International Trade Promotion Department on
Ratchdapisek Road tomorrow to completely cripple the ministry.Not a single official will be permitted into the
Commerce Ministry’s premises whether in Nonthaburi or elsewhere, he said.Mr Rawee said farmers wanted

Cell # 92 321 369 2874

overdue payments in seven days, or by
Feb 28.Payments for farmers in seven
western provinces would be Bt5 billion
and another Bt10 billion for those in
central region, he said.An informed
source said cash-strapped farmers might
be compelled to sell their rice at
Bt5,000 per tonne.Rice millers offered
to buy rice at Bt8,000 per tonne early
this year while the government’s
pledging price is Bt15,000 per tonne.In
the rice-growing province of Ayutthaya,
farmers from several central provinces
took a rest on the Asian Highway
opposite the provincial hall, after
having travelled from Uthai Thani and
joined by others in Nakhon Sawan, Chai Nat, Sing Buri, Ang Thong, Sara Buri and Lop Buri.Chada Thaiseth,
former Chatthaipattana MP from Uthai Thani, who led the caravan of farmers, said the group was heading for
Suvarnabhumi Airport to put pressure on the government for rice payments.He promised that farmers would
neither close the airport nor create traffic congestion in the area, saying they only wanted to talk with caretaker
Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, and not her representative.

Thai Rice Farmers Give Government a Week to Make Payments
Rice farmers walk between their tractors on a main highway where they spent a night in Ayutthaya. Thai
farmers called off a tractor drive to Bangkok's main airport to protest against not being paid under a rice subsidy
scheme after an assurance they would
Ron Corben
February 21, 2014
BANGKOK — Pressure on Thailand's
government eased Friday after thousands of
rice farmers, preparing to demonstrate in
Bangkok over delayed rice payments, accepted
promises of money next week. Thai rice sector
remains deeply troubled as the government
tries to find a way to pay tens of thousands of
farmers.Faced with threats from thousands of

Cell # 92 321 369 2874

farmers arriving in Bangkok, Thailand's besieged government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra
successfully negotiated their return home Friday with promises to meet outstanding payments next week.
The farmers, from the central regions, are among as many as one million rice growers waiting for outstanding
payments from last year's crop under the government's controversial rice price support scheme.The Thai
Government has sent more than $20 billion during the two years it has been in office to farmers and millers as
part of a scheme that offered to pay growers 50 percent above world prices.The plan was a center piece of the
governing Pheu Thai Party's election manifesto in 2011 and helped it secure the votes of the rural electorate in
the north and northwest of the country.
But analysts and rice industry observers say the scheme has been dogged by corruption allegations and
suggestions of fake government-to-government deals that failed to materialize.Vichai Siriprasert, honorary
president of the Thai Rice Exporters Association, said the scheme has led to huge losses for the
government."Now we have a big mess because the price was set at the wrong level. We know that as a
consequence we could not sell the rice - overstocked and ran out of money," he explained. "The government I
would say lost about two thirds of the investment. So after two years they managed to get back only 18 baht for
every 100 baht invested in the mortgage scheme.
"Anger over the late payments has grown within the rural community as farmers face increasing indebtedness.
Farmers associations have linked some 11 farmer suicides in part to the delays.Earlier this week, Yingluck, on
national TV, offered a public apology.But while Yingluck spoke of her sadness for the farmers, she defended
the scheme, claiming delays in payment were due to on-going anti-government protests in Bangkok.At the same
time, the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) is to press charges against Ms Yingluck in her role as
chair of the national rice policy committee. Yingluck has rebutted the claims.Thailand, once the world's leading
rice exporter has slipped to third place behind India and Vietnam. Unable to sell its rice stockpiles on the
international market without major losses, some 20 million tons of rice is now in warehouses, often
deteriorating in quality.
David Dawe, a U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) economist, says Thailand faces challenges in
attempting international sales to raise funds to pay farmers without triggering a collapse in the global rice
market."If they hold this stuff for too long it continues to deteriorate in storage and incur costs as well. But if
they get rid of it all now they are going to cause the market to really collapse and so it's really going to be a fine
balancing act," stated Dawe.But Dawe said Thailand could return to being the world's top rice exporter once the
current problems are overcome. The government, a caretaker administration until a new cabinet is formed after
the February 2 national polls, has sought alternative funding sources to pay the farmers, including loans from

Cell # 92 321 369 2874

state-owned banks. But depositors and staff have protested including a run on deposits at one bank that led to a
halt in loans.The rice farmers, strong supporters of the governing Pheu Thai Party, have given the Yingluck a
week to meet the outstanding payments or are vowing to return and besiege the city.

Thai Prime Minister denies corruption allegations over rice program
By Kocha Olarn, Saima Mohsin and Jethro Mullen, CNN
February 21, 2014 -- Updated 1246 GMT (2046 HKT)

Bangkok, Thailand (CNN) -- Thai Prime Minister
Yingluck Shinawatra has denied allegations that she
failed to heed warnings of possible corruption in a rice
subsidy program whose recent problems have stoked
anger among farmers in the country's rural
heartland.The controversy over the rice program has
deepened the political crisis in which Thailand has been
mired for months.Thailand's National Anti-Corruption
Commission (NACC) said Tuesday that it was bringing
charges against Yingluck over the program, which
pledged to pay farmers well above the market rate for
their rice but has run into financial problems.The
commission has summoned Yingluck, whose
government is already under pressure from months-long
protests in Bangkok, to appear February 27 to be
notified of the charges.

my duty with righteousness and contrary to the
me by the NACC, I have done nothing wrong,"
statement
Thursday.The
anti-corruption
which accuse Yingluck of ignoring warnings of
program, could eventually lead to the suspension
from all political positions."Though I may be charged in this criminal case and may
have to give up my position in accordance to the wishes of those who want to topple
my government, I will still lend my full cooperation and give necessary information
to the NACC," she said.Yingluck insists that the rice subsidy program, introduced in
2011, has been successful and benefited farmers.But critics says it has wasted large

"I wish to assure you
that as I have served
charges brought against
Yingluck said in a
commission's charges,
corruption
in
the
of the Prime Minister

Cell # 92 321 369 2874

amounts of public funds trying to please rural voters, hurting exports and leaving the government with large
stockpiles of rice it can't sell without losing money.
The program has encountered intensified difficulties after an election earlier this month was disrupted by antigovernment demonstrators and failed to deliver a conclusive result.The situation has left Yingluck's weakened
caretaker government struggling to operate effectively and ensure payments are made to rice farmers.
Angry farmers
Problems with the subsidy program have angered many farmers, normally an important component of
Yingluck's support base.Groups of farmers have held protests in recent weeks after not being paid for their
rice.About 3,000 farmers from central Thailand spent Thursday night camped out on the outskirts Bangkok after
traveling on tractors, trailers and quad bikes.They had threatened to take their protest to the city's main airport,
Suvarnabhumi, if they didn't get paid what they're owed.But the leader of the group of farmers, Chada Thaiseth,
said Friday that they would be heading home later in the day after the government informed them they would be
paid early next week.The farmers said their planned protest wasn't political -- unlike the anti-government
demonstrators in central Bangkok, they say they don't want to see the ouster of Yingluck.But they do want their
money.
Long-running protests
The tensions over the rice program come against the backdrop of the protests by groups affiliated with
Yingluck's political opponents.Those demonstrations, calling for Yingluck to step down, have been taking place
in central Bangkok since November and have been plagued by outbreaks of deadly violence.Earlier this week,
police tried to clear demonstrators out some protest sites. But the efforts resulted in violent clashes that left five
people dead, including one police officer, and dozens wounded.Police have since suspended their attempts to
seize the protest sites for the time being.And a court ruled Wednesday that the government can't use force and
weapons against peaceful unarmed protesters.
The protest leaders say they want to rid the country of Yingluck and her wealthy brother, the deposed former
Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.Thaksin, who lives in exile, faces a corruption conviction, which he says
was politically motivated, if he returns to Thailand. Political opponents say Yingluck, who convincingly won
elections in 2011, is simply Thaksin's puppet, an allegation she has repeatedly denied.The protests were sparked
in November by Yingluck's government's botched attempt to pass an amnesty bill that would have paved the
way for her brother's return to the political fray in earnest.The protesters say they want Yingluck's government
replaced by an unelected "people's council," which would oversee electoral and political changes.
On the scene of protests in Bangkok
Farmers ride tractors to Bangkok protests

Cell # 92 321 369 2874

Tax exemption for rice, tobacco import from Laos
Laotian rice and tobacco imports will
experience tax exemptions to meet quotas,
according to the Circular 06 on tariff rate
quotas in 2014 recently issued by the Ministry
of Industry and Trade.To qualify for the
exemption, cargo must have a certificate of
Origin Form S granted by the Laos People’s
Democratic Republic and pass through specific
border gates when entering Vietnam.Currently
only Vietnamese businesses with a license to
sell tobacco are permitted to import the product.
By Ha My – Translated by Hai Mien
Image:Rice loading at a seaport in HCMC (Photo: SGGP)

PH faces WTO sanctions for rice importation policy
Details MANILA,

Philippines—No
rice
import permit, no entry.
Customs
Commissioner John Sevilla on Thursday said
this directive will be observed by the Bureau
of Customs (BOC) in monitoring rice imports
in the country’s ports amid a legal opinion by
the Office of the Government Corporate
Counsel (OGCC) that the country stands to be
sanctioned by the World Trade Organization
(WTO) if it maintains this policy.
The
special treatment for rice imports had expired
in June last year. ―The lawyer of the BOC is
not the OGCC,‖ Sevilla told reporters, admitting that he has yet read to the legal opinion issued by Government
Corporate Counsel Raoul Creencia.

Indonesian govt has yet to issue rice import permit
Fri, February 21 2014 18:56 | 475 Views

Cell # 92 321 369 2874

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Trade Ministry has not yet issued any permit for the importation of premium
rice for 2014 rice allocation."No permit has been issued so far," Trade Deputy Minister Bayu Krisnamurthi
stated during a discussion with journalists here on Friday.Bayu also pointed out that his ministry will, in the
near future, issue a Trade Ministers regulation on rice importation which will be aimed at tightening the
importation of rice, particularly premium rice."We will review and improve the old regulation.
We hope that with the new trade ministers regulation the system will work properly," the Deputy Trade
Minister noted.Bayu stressed that in the ministers regulation that will be issued, any permit to import rice will
still need recommendations from the Ministry of Agriculture.Recently, the government suspected that a
violation with regard to rice import permit had taken place, particularly with the importation of 32 containers of
800 tons of rice from Vietnam."If administrative violation is proven, then we will revoke the importers permits
and include them on the black list. If it is proven that there was smuggling involved, then it will be dealt with
the smuggling crime," the Deputy Trade Minister stressed.The trade ministry has also proposed that the HS
code of rice import should be changed following a suspicion on the abuse of rice import permits.Medium and
premium rice have the same HS import code, namely 1006.30.99.00, except the ThaiHomali type of rice, which
has its own HS code of 1006.30.40.00.Medium rice can only be imported by state-owned logistics board Bulog,
while Premium rice can be imported by licensed importers, but only for certain markets such as restaurants.
However, with the same HS code, import permits for premium rice can be abused by importers to import
medium rice that could flood the domestic markets.Late last month, Chief Economic Minister Hatta Rajasa
ordered the Trade Ministry and the Agriculture Ministry to investigate an alleged illegal entry of Vietnamese
rice into Indonesia.The minister was responding to a report on illegal rice imports discovered at the Cipinang
wholesale market, East Jakarta, noting that the price of the illegal rice was less expensive than the price of
farmers rice.It was also reported that the Vietnamese rice was brought into the country using legal documents
from the Directorate General of External Trade of the Ministry of Trade.Hatta stressed that the government had
never issued a permit for individuals to import rice.
Therefore, he was convinced that the rice that came from Vietnam had been imported illegally.The government
has only issued a license for rice imports to state-owned logistics board Bulog as a market price stabilizer.Bulog
was assigned by the government to import rice or to purchase it from farmers to guarantee proper rice stocks in
storage."The license to import rice will be issued for Bulog only, except for the importation of certain types of
rice for foreigners and others. It is Bulog that has the authority to import it," the minister reiterated.The
Indonesian customs authorities investigated the alleged abuse of permits to import Vietnamese rice, which had
sparked a debate at the Cipinang wholesale market in East Jakarta.However, Director General of Customs and
Excise Susiwijono Moegiarso stated that the import of 16.9 thousand tons of rice complied with standard
procedures and rules, as well as having been given import approvals, surveyors reports and automated
reconciliation from the Indonesian National Single Window portal.
However, he did not rule out the possibility of the import permits being abused on the grounds that the permits
included written approvals intended to import special rice, instead of general rice, which can be imported by
state logistics board Bulog."This has happened as the HS codes of the two types of rice are the same:
1006.30.99.00. The Directorate General of Customs and Excise is investigating the alleged abuse of the import

Cell # 92 321 369 2874

permits, including the audit of the surveyors reports," he explained.Last year, the Ministry of Trade issued a
permit to import 16.9 thousand tons of special rice, consisting of 1,845 tons of the Basmati variety and 14,997
tons of the Japonica variety.
(A014/INE)
EDITING BY INE.
Editor: Suryanto
COPYRIGHT © 2014

Thai rice not being dumped: trade chief
Petchanet Pratruangkrai

The Nation February 22, 2014 1:00 am
Farmers on trucks and tractors return home
after receiving a promise from embattled PM
Yingluck Shinawatra that they would receive
overdue payments next week for rice sold
under the government.Denies Indonesian claim
of cheap sales or breaching world trade rules
The Foreign Trade Department yesterday
dismissed reports that Thailand dumped cheap
rice on the world market - a move that could be
a breach of World Trade Organisation
rules.The United States and some Asian
nations have sounded warnings at the WTO
because of Thailand's alleged lack of
transparency on rice sales and stocks. Thailand
has a glut of 18 to 20 million tonnes in state stockpiles bought via the pledging scheme. An Indonesian trade
official pointed to "indications" that Thai suppliers were dumping rice in that country.
Foreign Trade chief Surasak Riangkrul denied yesterday that the government had sold rice cheaply in the global
market. Thailand had sold rice to Indonesia under a government-to-government deal, but the price was not
below the market price, despite what had been alleged, he said. Moreover, the deal was not a recent one and the
government had not sold rice to Indonesia in the past year, he added."Thailand has sold rice at the market price
and has never offered Indonesia or other countries rice at very low prices," Surasak said. He added that the
department would investigate the reports, and it may need to ask the Indonesian Embassy in writing about the
case.When asked about a move by the US, Cambodia and Vietnam against Thailand at the WTO, Surasak said

Cell # 92 321 369 2874

officials would have to wait to see whether those countries filed a case. No country had done that at the world
trade body so far, he stressed.
However, the USA Rice Federation did write to the US Trade Representative in October 2012 to express fears
that Thailand would eventually dump rice on the global market.It expressed concern about the Thai ricepledging scheme and the effect it may have on increased production and eventually on exports, if all the stored
rice were to be released onto the market. The federation urged the WTO to investigate Thailand's compliance
with anti-dumping rules.Surasak said Thailand stood ready to prepare information and documentation to explain
its position to the WTO if a price-dumping case were to ensue.Meanwhile, Bachrul Chairi, director-general of
foreign trade at Indonesia's Trade Ministry, said there were signs that Thai suppliers were dumping rice in
Indonesia as the Kingdom offloads its record stockpile on an already oversupplied global market, the Jakarta
Globe reported.
"There is an indication that Thai rice suppliers dumped their rice exports in Indonesia," he told reporters,
without providing details of volumes or companies. "They sell their rice to Indonesia at lower prices," he
said.Asian rice exporters and producers will come under pressure with millions of tonnes of cheap Thai rice set
to flow into the market when the controversial subsidy scheme ends later this month and farmers elsewhere
offload their March harvest.According to the Thai Rice Exporters Association, the price of Thai rice in the
world market was still higher than that quoted by other rice-producing nations .The Phnom Penh Post reported
that rice buyers were holding out as they anticipated a fire sale of cheap rice flooding the market. So Cambodia
and other countries are taking the hit.

Food group exports up by 6.30%,imports down by 8.95%
APP
February 21, 2014

ISLAMABAD: Food group exports from the country during last seven months of current financial year
registered increase of 6.30 percent where as food imports in the country decreased by 8.5 percent as compared
to same period of last year.During the period from July-January, different food commodities worth $2.657
billion exported as compared to $2.449 billion of same period last year which were up by 6.30
percent.According to the data of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics rice exports from the country grew by 21.46
percent as about 1,762,090 metric tons of rice worth $1.211 billion exported.

The rice export from the country during the same period of last year was recorded at 1,787,225 metric tons
valuing $0.997 billion, it said.Meanwhile, the exports of basmati rice increased by 5.18 percent, while rice other
than basmati increased by 29.65 percent respectively during the period under review.During first seven months

Cell # 92 321 369 2874

of current financial year, about 309,879 metric tons of basmati rice worth $341.42 million exported as
compared to 345,863 metric tons valuing $ 334.11 million of same period last year.During the period under
review, fish and fish preparation exports from the country grew by 11.26 percent as about 82,470 metric tons of
fish and fish products worth $200.41 million exported which was recorded at 80,495 metric tons valuing
$180.137 million in same period of last year.
In last seven months of current financial year, meat and meat preparations also witnessed growth of 4.09
percent and reached at 44,612 metric tons worth of $140.16 million as against the 39,105 metric tons $134.66
million during same period of last year.On the other hand, food imports in the country during the period from
July-January decreased by 8.95 percent and recorded at 2.374 billion as compared to $2.608 billion in same
period of last year.The major food commodities which registered negative growth in their imports during the
period under review including tea by 26.63 percent, soybean oil by 24.12 percent and palm oil by 10.31 percent
respectively.axzaxFrom July-January, 73,834 metric tons of tea for domestic consumption costing $162.64
million imported which fell by 26.63 percent as compared to import of 74,027 metric tons valuing $221.86
million of same period of last year.

Non-basmati rice trades lower on reduced offtake
Friday, 21 February 2014

February 21:
Non-basmati rice prices fell up to Rs 100 per quintal at the wholesale grains market today on reduced offtake by
stockists against sluggish demand.However, other grains after moving in a narrow range in scattered deals,
settled around previous levels.Traders said reduced offtake by stockists
against sluggish demand mainly led to decline in non-basmati rice
prices.In the national capital, permal raw and wand fell by Rs 50 each to
Rs 2,050-2,150, Rs 2,200-2,225 per quintal, respectively.Permal sela
also lost Rs 100 at Rs 2,800-2,825, while IR-8 weakened by Rs 25 to Rs
1,825-1,850 per quintal, respectively.
The following were today's quotations per quintal:
Wheat MP (deshi) 2,070-2,270, Wheat dara (for mills) 1,640-1,645, Chakki atta (delivery) 1,645-1,650 Atta
Rajdhani (10 kg) 220, Shakti bhog (10 kg) 220, Roller flour mill 880-900 (50 kg), Maida 950-970 (50 kg) and
Sooji 990-1,020 (50kg).

Cell # 92 321 369 2874

Basmati rice (Lal Quila) 10,400, Shri Lal Mahal 10,000, Super Basmati Rice, 9,500, Basmati common new
8,500-9,200, Rice Pusa-(1121) new 7,700-9,300, Permal raw 2,050-2,150, Permal wand 2,200-2,225, Sela
2,800-2,825 and Rice IR-8- 1,825-1,850, Bajra 1,245-1,250, Jowar yellow 1,470-1,500, white 2,275-2,300,
Maize 1,400-1,405, Barley 1,395-1,400, Rajasthan 1,080-1,090.

Exporters sound alarm on rotting rice stocks
Iraq says no to imports for now, per one report
Published: 21 Feb 2014 at 00.04
Newspaper section: Business

With the government controlling a massive rice stockpile, exporters are warning that long-stored grains will
eventually erode buyer confidence in Thai rice quality and damage the country's storied rice export
industry."The latest report that Iraq will not buy Thai rice until the quality improves is a very good example,"
said Chookiat Ophaswongse, honorary president of the Thai Rice Exporters Association."The Thai Commerce
Ministry is duty-bound to accelerate direct talks with the Iraqi authorities to defend and clarify such allegations,
as I believe Iraq still needs to purchase Thai rice given its current price drop."Mr Chookiat said Thai rice
shipments to Iraq fared well in the first half of last year before the country halted purchases in the second half
on concerns about Thai rice quality.Thailand could have sold 300,000-400,000 tonnes more to Iraq last year
without the halt.

In all, Thai exporters shipped 703,869 tonnes to Iraq in 2013, down by 9.6% from the year before.Normally,
Iraq's import demand is between 1.5 million and 1.6 million tonnes a year.Sermsak Kuonsongtum, executive
director of Chaiyaporn Rice, a leading exporter to Iraq, attributed Iraq's decision to halt purchases of Thai rice
to dissatisfaction over quality and concerns about the accuracy of certain exporters' shipment weights.According
to the rice trading industry, in previous years a single Thai rice exporter, Siam Indica, dominated exports to
Iraq.That company was alleged to have close ties with the government, buying rice stocks at cheaper prices than
those offered to other rice exporters.But Surasak Riangkrul, director-general of the Foreign Trade Department,
said media reports about Iraq's ban on Thai rice are exaggerated, adding that Iraqi officials have yet to speak to
Thai counterparts about the issue.Iraq would not be the first country to halt purchases of Thai rice.In 2001,
Indonesia rejected a purchase deal for 30,000-40,000 tonnes of Thai rice struck by Indonesia's rice-buying
agency, Bulog, and Thailand's Public Warehouse Organisation, citing the substandard quality of the rice
delivered.

Cell # 92 321 369 2874

Mr Chookiat defended the quality of Thai rice, saying shipments handled by the private sector are strictly
inspected and the problems lie with state control of rice stocks."In fact, as far as we're aware, the deteriorating
rice quality and degraded rice in the government's warehouses only apply to domestic rice, not exports," he
said.According to Mr Chookiat, it is anyone's guess how long the government's stockpiled rice has been
mouldering in the warehouses.The question mark hanging over quality is one reason why rice exporters have
offered relatively low prices and a tepid reception to the government's tender proposal to dispose of its rice
stocks.

Yingluck vows to pay, rice growers return home
Published: 21 Feb 2014 at 19.02
Online news: Local News

Rice growers from some central provinces have agreed to return
home after receiving a promise from caretaker Prime Minister
Yingluck Shinawatra that long-overdue payments would be made
next week.It's not clear where the government will find the money
to keep its latest pledge. It owes farmers 130 billion baht and has
few options for raising new money because of its caretaker status.
The deal reached yesterday applies only to some farmers.Caretaker
Finance Minister Kittiratt Na-Ranong on Friday floated the idea of
selling "rice bonds" to the general public, since banks and big
investors aren't interested in helping.Chada Thaiset, a former
Chartthaipattana Party MP for Uthai Thani and a leader of the rice
farmers' rally, said he had received a pledge of payment in his talks
with Ms Yingluck.Rice growers from the central provinces are
heading home but will head back to Suvarnabhumi Airport if they
don't see some money next week. (Photo by Thiti
Wannamontha)."Ms Yingluck promised that the rice payments will
be made next week," he told farmers from a stage set up at a
roadside rest stop on the Asian Highway in Pang Pa-in,
Ayutthaya.Matichon quoted Mr Chada as saying the payment in
question would amount to 3 billion baht for Uthai Thani farmers.
He provided no details about plans to pay thousands of others.The
farmers had been threatening to descend on Suvarnabhumi Airport
to step up their protest but they turned around on hearing the news from Mr Chada.
Some thought they should move on to Suvarnabhumi as planned, because they did not believe the caretaker
government would be able to make the delayed payments.It is not clear what kind of promise Mr Chada

Cell # 92 321 369 2874

extracted from Ms Yingluck. He is angry with the Pheu Thai Party after it ran a candidate against him in the Feb
2 election, which he ended up losing.However, the farmers promised to return and to rally at the international
airport if they do not get paid next week as promised.Mr Kittiratt, meanwhile, held talks on Friday about a plan
to sell state rice scheme bonds.Those taking part included deputy finance ministers Thanusak Lekuthai and
Benja Louicharoen, representatives from the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC) and
other state agencies.Mr Kittiratt said officials were now preparing details of a bond issue, including
consideration on an attractive interest rate.
A final decision is expected within seven to eight weeks, he added.The caretaker administration, he said, had
the authority to sell the rice scheme bonds, which would be offered for sale mainly to retail investors.Big
institutional investors and state-owned enterprises were not the targets, he said.The caretaker finance minister
has been struggling to find anyone to lend the government money to meet its rice pledging obligations.Both
state and commercial banks have rejected loan requests because of the perceived risk. Mr Kittiratt also lobbied
cash-rich Airports of Thailand Plc to buy bonds but was turned down.The minister said, however, that he was
confident that a large number of people were interested in providing assistance for the suffering rice farmers.He
repeated the claim that if protesters had not obstructed the efforts of the government over the past two months,
all of the payments would have been made.He also called on former finance ministers Thanong Bidaya and
Thirachai Phuvanatnaranubala to refrain from criticising the government. They have said it would not be able to
make the rice payments as planned.Meanwhile, another group of rice growers has filed a petition with the
Office of the Auditor-General asking it to investigate alleged irregularities in the rice-pledging scheme and seek
measures to help them promptly.Rawee Ruangruang, chairman of the Network of Thai Farmers and a member
of the anti-government People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC), said no state agencies had paid the
money owed to rice growers because the government intended to take advantage of them for personal gain.Mr
Rawee said the farmers wanted the auditor-general to take legal action against corrupt officials involved in the
scheme.Chalermsak Chantaratim, secretary-general of the Office of the Auditor-General, received the farmers'
petition.
The video clip above shows rice farmers protesting against the government on Feb 21, 2014. (Bangkok Post
video)

For Advertisement Contact:
Mujahid Ali
+92 0321 369 2874
mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com

Cell # 92 321 369 2874

21st feb.,2014 daily global rice e newsletter by riceplus magazine

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

What's hot

What's hot (18)

Viewers also liked

Viewers also liked (16)

Similar to 21st feb.,2014 daily global rice e newsletter by riceplus magazine

Similar to 21st feb.,2014 daily global rice e newsletter by riceplus magazine (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

21st feb.,2014 daily global rice e newsletter by riceplus magazine