16th june ,2020 daily global regional and local rice e-newsletter

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Daily Rice e-Newsletter
Global Regional and Local Rice News

Govt procures 520 specialisedrice tractors to boost
production
Ghana‘s quest to reduce the importation of rice by increasing local production has received a
major boost, following the purchase of 520 specialised rice tractors by government for onward
distribution to rice farmers in the country.
The tractors, comprising 220 Cabrio Compat tractors and 300 Global Multipurpose mini tractors,
were made in the Czech Republic and procured by government with a €10million interest-free
facility from the Czech Export Bank, arranged by Knights A.S. of the Czech Republic for the
government of Ghana.
An agreement to that effect was signed in April 2018, when a delegation from the Ministry of
Food and Agriculture led by Food and Agriculture Minister, Dr. Akoto Afriyie, visited the Czech
Republic.
The Cabrio Compact Tractor and Global Multipurpose Mini Tractor are designed and
conditioned to help triple rice production by allowing rice farmers to harvest and thresh their
ripened rice on the field. They also adapt to wet and muddy areas of rice fields.
Throwing more light on the tractors, he said: ―Most of tractors are of higher horsepower,
expensive and useful only for large-scale farmers. The farmers from these developing countries,
however, are of small or medium scale and cannot afford such large-energy tractors.
―There was therefore a need to solve this problem by importing into these countries Cabrio
Compact Tractors and Global Mini Tractors, which are simple, effective and affordable – and
can help alleviate ordeals small or medium scale farmers go through in their daily farming
activities/operations,‖ Mr. Deyang said.
He added that village infrastructure projects and agricultural mechanisation can only succeed in
developing countries ―when peasant farmers are introduced to smaller machinery rather than
nurtured to handle bigger machinery‖.
―With these tractors, which are easier to maintain and service, a gradual transformation and
nurturing of machine maintenance culture will be created as an introductory stage for larger
machinery and extensive agricultural mechanization,‖ Mr. Deyang said.
Capabilities of the tractor
Explaining the tractor‘s effectiveness, the Chief Executive Officer of Knights A.S, Dr. Karl

Laryea, said two types of the tractor – CABRIO and GLOBAL – are highly multipurpose with a
very wide range of active and passive accessories. With the CABRIO Compact Tractor, he said,
it is intended for medium-scale farmers or small-scale farmer associations/cooperatives with a
cultivated area of about 20 hectares.
―The GLOBAL Multipurpose Mini Tractor is a simple technology, and the first step to
agricultural mechanisation for small scale farmers with a cultivated area of 2 to 3 hectares,‖ Dr.
Laryea added.
According to Dr. Laryea, a market survey conducted in sub-Saharan African countries revealed
there was a great demand for the Compact and Mini Tractors, and ―this is attributed to the fact
that there are only few companies in the region engaged in solving existing problems of the small
and medium scale farming industry‖.
Major milestones
In terms of achievements made so far, Dr. Laryea informed that Knights, A.S. of the Czech
Republic can boast of the excellent results from test trials of the technology in many sub-Saharan
African countries apart from Ghana. He mentioned Oyo State of Nigeria; Taraba State of
Nigeria; Guinea Conakry; Liberia; Republic of Benin; Burkina Faso; Uganda; Angola; D.R.
Congo; Zambia and many more. Most importantly, the Republics of Ghana, Benin and Liberia
have ordered over €35 million worth of the technology from the year 2005 to date. The
technologies are mainly widely used also in Central and Eastern European countries, but have
been modified and conditioned to meet the challenges of Africa‘s hard terrain.
Knights A.S. of the Czech Republic has technical experts who train local technicians on how to
use and maintain the technologies, in both the Czech Republic and the country of delivery.
Before delivery take place, the experts are dispatched to the delivery site to assist in transferring
the know-how on the technologies; as well as setting up a network system to enable future
supply, maintenance and supply of spare-parts for after-sales services.
Local Content
Knights A.S. is represented in Ghana by BIGA International Limited, located at Kaneshie
Estates, Accra. BIGA International Limited is responsible for servicing and the supply of spare
parts for after-sales services of the CABRIO and GLOBAL Multipurpose Tractors supplied from
the Czech Republic. BIGA International Limited also has a Tractor Training School at Aburi,
where they teach operators and farmers how best to use and maintain the tractors in order to
achieve maximum life span as given by their manufacturers in the Czech Republic.
https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/business/Govt-procures-520-specialised-rice-
tractors-to-boost-production-980002

Flavor of the Week: Black rice, a brown rice that turns deep
purple
Datassential. | Jun 15, 2020
Black rice is actually a type of brown rice, which is to say rice without the bran and germ
removed. It gets its deep color, ranging from dark purple to black, from high levels of the
antioxidant pigment anthocyanin. There are many different varieties of rice marketed under
different brands, but when cooked they all take on a showstopping deep purple color that is
social media-ready.
Black rice can be more bitter than other rice varieties, but in East Asia and Southeast Asia it‘s
often sweetened, particularly with palm sugar and coconut milk, and used in desserts. In the
United States it‘s used as an attractive, nutrient-dense substitute for other rice varieties in bowls,
salads, sides and elsewhere.
According to market research firm Datassential, black rice is found on only 1% of American
restaurant menus but has jumped more than 100% in the past four years.
Learn more about this Flavor of the Week by clicking through the slideshow.
https://www.restaurant-hospitality.com/food-trends/flavor-week-black-rice-brown-rice-
turns-deep-purple
Rice futures sliceyear-to-dategain in half overthe
course of a week
Published: June 12, 2020 at 3:19 p.m. ET
By
Myra P. Saefong
Prices down 22% this week, but still trade 21% year to date
Rice futures shave year-to-date gain by more than 20% this week.
AFP/

Rice has outperformed most major commodities so far this year, touching their
highest level since 2008 earlier this month, as consumer demand for the food staple
spiked in the midst of pandemic-related hoarding.
Trading has been volatile, however, and futures prices look to end the week down
nearly 22%, for their biggest weekly loss since March 1994, according to FactSet
data.
The rice market has seen a couple of years of tighter stocks ―with Mother Nature
delaying or outright stopping planting,‖ said Ted Nelson, risk management
consultant for INTL FCStone, with heavy rains affecting the 2019-20 crop
throughout the U.S. Delta region, which includes the top rice-producing state of
Arkansas.
So far in 2020, most-active rough rice futures have climbed 21%, with the July
contract RRN20, -0.18%settled at $16.065 per hundredweight on Friday. Most-
active rice futures settled at $22.065 on June 4, the highest finish since April 25,
2008.
Carryout stocks for the 2019-20 crop year, which is defined as the amount of
supply minus demand, has dropped throughout the year on the back of early export
demand, said Nelson. Then came an ―unexpected spike in domestic use and export
interest‖ as the COVID-19 pandemic brought ―food security‖ to the fore.
The tighter stocks and higher demand situation ―pushed an already illiquid futures
market into levels we have not seen since 2008,‖ said Nelson.
―Currently, there is a very tight, almost nonexistent supply in the U.S. interior
markets,‖ said Nelson, adding that domestic mills and rice buyers are trying to
ration demand, with new crop rice only a couple of months away from harvest.
Shawn Hackett, president of Hackett Financial Advisors Inc., however, doesn‘tsee
a shortage. Instead, it‘s ―access‖to rice that may be a problem because of COVID-
19 hoarding. There ―could be regional shortages stemming from logistical
problems,‖ he said.

If those pandemic fears subside, and the U.S. ends up with a large crop, that may
cause prices to collapse, said Hackett.
Upcoming supplies in the U.S., however, are expected to rise. They should be
―much more plentiful‖ for the 2020-21 crop year, Nelson said.
Total acres planted in the U.S. are forecast to rise to 2.85 million acres this year,
from 2.54 million acres in 2019, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture
report released in late March.
The USDA also forecasts the 2020-21 U.S. rice crop at 216.2 million
hundredweight (cwt), up 17% from a year earlier, according to a report released in
May.
Nelson expects rice prices to weaken as harvest starts in Louisiana and the
southern Delta and ―works its way north starting in the coming weeks.‖
Globally, however, supply and demand may remain tight.
The International Grains Council estimates global rice demand of 500 million
metric tons for the 2020-21 crop year, with production at an estimated 506 million
metric tons.
So globally, ―this year‘s weather in key growing areas will be watched closely and
any adverse weather could result in reduced global production,‖said Blake
Robben, senior market strategist at Archer Financial Services.
On a short-term basis, Robbenexpects rice prices to remain within a $16 to $13
range, ―unless the market undergoes another supply shock.
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/rice-futures-slice-year-to-date-gain-in-
half-over-the-course-of-a-week-2020-06-12
SLRF to open Louisiana rice mill in September
Photos: South Louisiana Rail Facility
06.15.2020
By Eric Schroeder

LACASSINE, LA. — South Louisiana Rail Facility (SLRF) has announced plans to develop an
$11.6 million rice mill in Jefferson Davis Parish, La. The mill is expected to add 7 new direct
jobs and 28 indirect jobs.
SLRF said it will invest $10 million to equip the new facility, with construction slated to begin in
September. SLRF was launched in 2010 to receive, preserve and distribute paddy rice to
international markets. The company has four tanks that provide 156,000 bus of pre-positioned
cargo to load 40 rail cars, with trucks able to unload in four minutes through elevators that can
handle up to 25,000 bus per hour.
As part of the project, SLRF is partnering with India-based Agreeta Farmer Network to optimize
the facility‘s logistics and to prepare local farm products for international markets. The SLRF
rice mill will have an expected life span of several decades and will serve hundreds of rice
farmers and investors in Southwest Louisiana, the company said.
―Rice cultivation and distribution has been a bedrock agribusiness for our state since its earliest
days, and today I join the South Louisiana Rail Facility in announcing a new chapter in its
history,‖ said Governor John Bel Edwards of Louisiana. ―The South Louisiana Rail Facility‘s
new rice mill will reward the hard work of more than 200 Louisiana rice farmers with added
value for their operations and diversified products for international markets. This new facility
will be built to last and to provide opportunities for Louisiana farmers for decades to come.‖
Mark Pousson, manager of SLRF, added, ―The South Louisiana Rail Facility is excited to partner
with Agreeta to continue to provide new marketing avenues to the region‘s rice growers. This
collaboration will ensure that sustainably sourced Louisiana rice is available to consumers in
Southwest Louisiana and beyond.‖
The rice mill will be located on land owned by the Louisiana Agricultural Finance Authority,
which will retain ownership of the mill. The state of Louisiana is providing $1.6 million to SLRF
through the state‘s performance-based Economic Development Award Program, which is
designated for infrastructure needs on site and at the mill.
https://www.bakingbusiness.com/articles/51205-slrf-to-open-louisiana-rice-mill-in-september
Ricetariffcollectionshit P7.96Bin end-May
By: Ben O. de Vera - Reporter / @bendeveraINQ
PhilippineDaily Inquirer / 04:44 AM June 13, 2020

Collections from the import duty slapped on rice reached P7.96 billion as of May,
almost four-fifths of the yearly target.
In a statement, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) maintained that it was ―adopting
measures and corrective actions to ensure correct valuation of rice importations‖
following allegations of undervaluation that, in turn, reportedly led to losses worth P890
million among local farmers from January to April.
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The BOC said it remained ―committed to its mandate of collecting and protecting
revenues due to the government.‖
Of the duties being collected from the implementation of Republic Act No. 11203 or
the Rice Tariffication Law, P10 billion would be automatically earmarked for the
annual Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) aimed at modernizing the
rice sector, while excess amounts would be allocated to farmers whose livelihood were
badly hit by the import surge due to liberalized trade.
RA 11203 slapped the following levy on imported rice: 35 percent, if the shipment is
from Asean; 40 percent, if within the minimum access volume of 350,000 metric tons
and from countries outside Asean, and 180 percent, if above the MAV and coming from
a non-Asean country.
After it became law in February last year, rice tariffication generated P12.3 billion in
import duties in 2019 after the private sector imported 2.03 million MT of the Filipino
staple.In turn, retail prices of rice became cheaper by about P10 a kilo to date compared
to their peak in 2018, after the law removed the import quota that had protected the
domestic industry while stripping off the state-run National Food Authority its import
and regulatory functions. https://business.inquirer.net/299840/rice-tariff-collections-
hit-p7-96b-in-end-may#ixzz6PWJ0JWqJ

Vietnam set to supply 60,000 tonnes of rice to
Philippines
Asia News Network | Publication date 14 June 2020 | 21:52 ICT
Vietnam has won a tender offered by the Philippines to export 60,000 tonnes of rice to the country. VIETNAM
NEWS AGENCY/VIET NAM NEWS
Vietnam has won a tender offered by the Philippines to export 60,000 tonnes of rice to the
partner country at a higher price than that of countries which won the bids, said Vietnam‘s
Ministry of Industry and Trade.
Accordingly, 45,000 tonnes out of the total would be delivered to Manila while the remaining
15,000 tonnes would be sent to Davao.
The Philippines invited tenders for a project to purchase 300,000 tonnes of rice under
government-to-government (G2G) auction.

This is the first auction in the form of G2G since the Philippines‘ rice industry was liberalised.
The country‘s import under the G2G mechanism is due to the fact that many businesses have yet
to deliver rice in private contracts signed earlier with the Philippines‘ counterpart, while the G2G
contracts have faster delivery times.
The Philippine International Trading Corp (PITC) was given $149 million by the government to
buy the rice.
In particular, the Philippines needs 25 per cent broken rice at the reference price of $497.62 per
tonne, delivered at the ports of Manila, Cebu, Tacloban, Zamboanga and Davao.
The rice would be for national reserves to ensure national food security amid the impact of the
novel coronavirus.
India, Thailand, Myanmar and Vietnam submitted their bids, and only Thailand failed to win the
contract.India is set to supply 96,000 tonnes with prices of $484.70 and $486.70 per tonne while
Vietnam is projected to ship 60,000 tonnes priced at $497.30 per tonne. Myanmar is to sell
33,000 tonnes for $489.30 per tonne.It is expected that the first 150,000 tonnes of rice would be
delivered before July 14. The remaining amount would be before August 14.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Industry and Trade said Vietnam‘s rice exports surged after the
government allowed the resumption of exports from May 1.The General Statistics Office said in
the first five months of the year, rice export turnover reached $1.4 billion, posting 17.2 per cent
and 3.7 per cent year-on-year increase respectively.
It was estimated that rice exports in May sharply increased by 47 per cent and 55.3 per cent in
terms of quantity and value over the previous month to reach 750,000 tonnes with value of $395
million.
Notably, Vietnam‘s rice export prices last month was at an average of $527 per tonne,
representing 21.4 per cent year-on-year increase. This has been the highest hike in years.
In total, the average rice export price in the first five months of the year was $485 per tonne.
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/vietnam-set-supply-60000-tonnes-rice-
philippines#:~:text=Vietnam%20has%20won%20a%20tender%20offered%20by%20the%20Philippines
%20to,Ministry%20of%20Industry%20and%20Trade.

Trade minister fields questions about rice export
management
The Saigon Times
Monday, Jun 15, 2020,19:38 (GMT+7)
HCMC – Vietnam has witnesseda profusion of rice trading activities over
the first five months of the year, especiallywith the country‟s rice exports
reporting a positive growth both in terms of volume and value, stated Tran
Tuan Anh, Minister of Industry and Trade, at a NationalAssembly question-
and-answersessionthis morning, June 15.
Following the prime minister‘s order to fully resume rice export activities starting May 1,
Vietnam‘s rice exports skyrocketed 87% in volume and over 93% in value last month against
April at nearly 954,000 tons worth some US$492 million, according to data from the General
Department of Vietnam Customs.
Rice harvest in the Mekong Delta of Tien Giang. Vietnam‘s rice exports in May skyrocketed 87% in volume and over 93% in
value month-on-month – PHOTO:TRUNG CHANH

From the start of this year until May, the country exported 3.06 million tons of rice worth
US$1.48 billion, up 11% in quantity and over 25% in turnover compared to the figures a year
ago.
Despite certain challenges in managing the country‘s rice exports in late March, the ministry‘s
overall strategy ensured the most critical requirements were met.
Moreover, the country‘s rice production also adequately met the domestic demand and ensured
national food security. Local farmers, too, sold their rice and rice products at good prices, which
rose 25% against the 2019 figure, noted the minister.
The minister admitted that lessons must be learnt from the shortcomings witnessed in the
ministry‘s regulating of rice exports during the five-month period.
When the Covid-19 infection was at its peak in the country, Anh said Vietnam‘s rice export
volume in the first two months soared some 32% versus the same period a year ago and the
upward spiral continued in March.
The pandemic fueled demand for the rice reserves of many countries, leading to soaring rice
prices in the local and global markets. As a result, Vietnam exported a huge volume of rice to
foreign markets.
During this time, especially on March 22, Vietnam was at risk of facing a second coronavirus
wave that triggered public panic. There was a likelihood of inadquate rice stocks for domestic
consumption, the official admitted.
If the country had maintained the rice export quota at 25,000 tons per day as it did in the first
half of March, the occurrence of an incident threatening the national rice reserves could have
led to the shortage of rice for local consumption, despite the Mekong Delta witnessing a bumper
rice harvest, according to him.
To cope with the situation, the prime minister decided to suspend rice exports until May to help
stabilize domestic rice prices.
The Government leader then made adjustments and allowed the partial resumption of rice
exports, with the quota set at 400,000 tons for April, following feedback from many localities.
https://english.thesaigontimes.vn/77200/trade-minister-fields-questions-about-rice-export-
management.html
Quality rice seed promoted for wet-season
planting

June 15, 2020 | 12:02 am
PHILSTAR
THE Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) recommended that farmers use
high-quality seed to ensure good yields during the wet season.
In a statement, PhilRice Plant Breeding and Biotechnology head Dr. Oliver E.
Manangkil said that crops from high-quality seed grow, mature, and ripen uniformly,
resulting in a 10% or more increase in yield.
To prevent yield loss, Mr. Manangkil called for the use of high-quality seed,
‗relatively pure‘ and free from visible seed-borne diseases.
PhilRice said that field pests and diseases are prevalent during the wet season.
Mr. Manangkil said that high-quality seed also has at least an 85% germination rate
and lower content of weed seed.
―Seeds play a huge role in achieving good harvest and income, as they are basically
the foundation of any crop. Using high-quality seeds is one of the most fundamental
strategies for farmers to be competitive,‖ Mr. Manangkil said.
Mr. Manangkil encouraged farmers to buy seed from accredited growers to ensure
quality.
However, if there are no accredited growers in an area, PhilRice said that farmers may
source their seed from fellow farmers whose fields have demonstrated uniform crop
growth.

―Farmers can also produce their own high-quality seeds by following proper
procedures in rouging and removing off-types,‖ Mr. Manangkil said. — Revin
Mikhael D. Ochave
https://www.bworldonline.com/quality-rice-seed-promoted-for-wet-season-planting/
Myanmar, Thai firms bag contractsforPH rice
imports
By: Karl R. Ocampo - Reporter / @kocampoINQ
PhilippineDaily Inquirer / 04:05 AM June 15, 2020
State-owned Philippine International Trading Corp. (PITC) last week started awarding
contract bids for the importation of 300,000 metric tons (MT) of rice as part of the
government‘s contingency plan to ensure food security.
However, only 105,000 MT of rice were awarded as some bidders either failed to meet
PITC‘s requirements or did not participate in some lots.
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The bidding was divided into five lots, but only three lots were successfully bid out.
In all, four participated in the government-to-government scheme last week, which
included Thailand‘s Department of Foreign Trade, Vietnam‘s Vinafood I, Myanmar
Rice Federation and the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of
India Ltd.The first lot was given to Myanmar Rice Federation with a bid price of
$489.25 a MT. The contract indicated the delivery of 10,000 MT of rice not later than
July 14 and 23,000 MT of rice not later than Aug. 14—both to be delivered via the port
of Manila.

For the second lot, two batches of 21,000 MT of rice are set to be delivered not later
than July 14 and Aug. 14, respectively, through the Cebu port. This was bid out to
Myanmar Rice Federation for $494.25 a MT.The bidding for the third and fourth lots
were unsuccessful, which was supposed to be coursed through Tacloban and
Zamboanga. The governments of Thailand and Myanmar did not participate in the
bidding while Vietnam and India failed to meet PITC‘s requirements.The last lot was
awarded to Vinafood I with a bid price of $497.30 a MT. Two tranches of 15,000 MT
of rice are expected to arrive not later than July 14 and Aug. 14 via the port of
Davao.The remaining 195,000 MT of rice will have to be rebid, although the National
Food Authority has yet to decide when.
Total amount for the bidding was at P2.02 billion, or 27 percent of the P7.45-billion
allocated for the government contract. INQ
https://business.inquirer.net/299922/myanmar-thai-firms-bag-contracts-for-ph-rice-
imports#ixzz6PWJpvjyQ
Ratoonrice: not much cared for but a blessingfor
marginalisedfarmers
07:47 PM, June 15, 2020/ LAST MODIFIED: 08:24 PM, June 15, 2020
Harvesting of Ratoon rice, commonly known as 'muri dhan' is an age-old farming practice. This photo
was taken in Deraiupazila of Sunamganj. Photo: Collected
Dwoha Chowdhury

Only about a month after harvesting 85 maunds of Boro paddy from around five bighas of land,
farmer Suresh Debnath of Sunamganj's Korchar haor area was able to gather another 25 maunds
of paddy from the same field.
Locally known as Muri Dhan or Demi Dhan, the crop grows without human intervention from
the stems of freshly cut rice plants by a natural process called ratooning.
This paddy is considered a blessing, meant only for the poor and marginalised farmers. As an
age-old custom, solvent farmers refrain from gathering this crop.
Photo: Collected
"I have been harvesting Boro for around 25 years and gathering Muri dhan for the last five or six
years," Suresh (50) of Bishwambarpur upazila said.
Ratooning does not cost anything if the weather remains favourable.

But most times after Boro harvest, flash floods hit the area or the water development board opens
the dykes to inundate the haors for fishing. Meaning farmers do not get a chance to harvest the
ratoon rice.
According to International Rice Research Institute (IRRI)'s 1988 publication 'Rice Ratooning',
which defines the process as an ability of the rice plant to regenerate new panicle-bearing tillers
after harvest, could be a practical way to increase rice production per unit area, in a short period
of time.
It takes about 140 to 160 days for Boro production and ratoon rice takes about a month to grow
but the yield is usually one-third of the initial harvest, said experts.
Professor Dr Mohammad Noor Hossain Miah of the Department of Agronomy and Haor
Agriculture at Sylhet Agriculture University noted that ratoon rice grows at medium to medium-
high elevation in the haor region during the Boro season, given favourable weather.
"As the yield is minimal, only the marginal farmers and poorer people harvest it. The haor land is
very fertile and provides good yield without fertiliser," he said, asserting that the ratoon
production can be increased with additional care.
Md Anwar Hossain, deputy director (cereal crops) of the crops wing of the Department of
Agriculture Extension, said, "Most of the time, flood occurs in the haor region right after Boro
harvest, leaving no opportunity for ratooning. Farmers at some higher elevation prepare for other
crops and then Aman [paddy], leave no room for ratooning."
However, the deputy director agrees that ratoon rice as a chance crop can increase production if
flooding is delayed such as this year.
Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) has been researching this topic since 1987 and
published a paper in 2017 saying that ratoon rice can play a vital role in food security.

According to the publication, while harvesting the initial batch of Boro paddy, farmers should
leave 20-35 centimetres of tillers. Irrigation and application of five kilograms of urea and potash
fertilisers around five to seven days from the primary harvest can boost the ratoon production.
Md Shahjahan Kabir, director general of BRRI and also the key author of the article, said
different types of paddy including BRRI-28, BRRI-81, BR-26 and hybrid varieties that can
preserve carbohydrate are suitable for ratooning.
He, however, warned that ratoon paddy often retains the pests and diseases of the preceding Boro
paddy which can later affect Aman production.
Low production of Ratoon rice does not make it profitable enough for farmers to use pesticides
and fertilisers, he said.
https://www.thedailystar.net/ratoon-rice-not-much-cared-blessing-marginalised-farmers-
1914849#:~:text=Locally%20known%20as%20Muri%20Dhan,the%20poor%20and%20marginalised%20
farmers.&text=Meaning%20farmers%20do%20not%20get%20a%20chance%20to%20harvest%20the%2
0ratoon%20rice.

Rice Prices
as on : 16-06-2020 10:50:23 AM
Arrivals in tonnes;prices in Rs/quintal in domestic market.
Arrivals Price
Current %
change
Season
cumulative
Modal Prev.
Modal
Prev.Yr
%change
Rice
Durgapur(WB) 23.00 NC 946.25 2760 2760 -3.16
Asansol(WB) 21.00 -4.55 1014.89 3070 3070 2.33
Gazipur(UP) 19.00 5.56 1910.00 3210 3210 -1.53
Jayas(UP) 17.70 -1.67 662.90 2350 2350 17.50
Muzzafarnagar(UP) 17.00 -43.33 4121.00 2670 2665 -7.13
Pukhrayan(UP) 15.00 50 469.00 2550 2540 15.38
Rampur(UP) 15.00 25 441.00 2610 2590 2.76
Alibagh(Mah) 1.00 NC 73.00 4200 4200 NC
Murud(Mah) 1.00 NC 72.00 4200 4200 NC

Kharif sowing 13 per cent higher due to betterweather
conditions
Our Bureau New Delhi | Updated on June 13, 2020 Published on June 13, 2020

Defying Covid scare, farmers across the country have planted kharif crops in 13 per cent more
area till Friday as compared to corresponding period last year.
The total area under kharif crops till now is nearly 93 lakh hectares (lh) as compared to 82 lh in
the same period in 2019-20, according to data released by Agriculture Ministry.
Farmers in many parts of the country commenced kharif cultivation early this year taking
advantage of increased soil moisture from higher than usual summer rains and better reservoir
levels.
Even though these are early days, there is substantial increase in planting of groundnut in
Rajasthan, pulses and coarse cereals in Karnataka and in sowing of early cotton variety in
Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan. Similarly, bajra sowing is off to a good start in Rajasthan and
Haryana, even though other major bajra growing States Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra are yet to
start planting.
Similarly, planting of rice and sugarcane too is marginally higher than what was done in the
corresponding week last year.
Also helping farmers is the early advancing of the south-west monsoon and a couple of pre-
monsoon cyclones that brought in a lot of rains. Besides, water levels in reservoirs monitored by
the Central Water Commission (CWC) remain much higher than that in the same period last
year.
According to CWC, total live storage in 123 reservoirs on Thursday was on Thursday was 53.64
billion cubic metre (BCM) as against 31.57 BCM in the same week last year. The current year‘s
storage is nearly 73 per cent more than that in the same period in 2019-20, it said.

Similarly, the country as a whole received 32 per cent more pre-monsoon rains this year and
aided by a low pressure monsoon is advancing well making its onset early in different parts of
the country, said met department in its weekly bulletin.
Published on June 13, 2020
A letter from the Editor
https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/kharif-sowing-13-per-cent-higher-due-to-
better-weather-conditions/article31819792.ece
https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/business/Govt-procures-520-specialised-rice-tractors-to-
boost-production-980002
TropicalStorm Cristobal had littleeffect on Louisiana
rice crop
Bruce Schultz, bschultz@agcenter.lsu.eduPublished 4:57 p.m. CT June 12, 2020 | Updated
7:47 p.m. CT June 12, 2020
Roadways across St.Bernard Parish, Louisiana, were flooded on Sunday, June 7, as Tropical
Storm Cristobal neared landfall. Lafayette Daily Advertiser
CONNECTTWEETLINKEDINCOMMENTEMAILMORE
MAMOU — This year‘s rice crop is progressing well, and the recent Tropical Storm Cristobal
had little effect, an LSU AgCenter rice expert said at the Evangeline Parish rice field day on June
11.AgCenter rice specialist Dustin Harrell said March temperatures were warmer than normal
and were ideal for young rice, but April brought three cold fronts that stressed the plants.―If
that‘s the worst thing we see, then we‘re going to have a great year,‖ he said.The rice plants also
benefitted from warm May temperatures, although hail damaged fields in a few instances.
Rice in the flowering stage may have been damaged by Cristobal, ―but for the most part, we had
very little impact from that storm,‖ Harrell said.The south Louisiana crop is about 10 days ahead
of usual.―Don‘t be surprised if you hear reports of rice being harvested in the first part of July,‖

he said.Farmers who anticipate growing a second rice crop should start planning. Applying
gibberellic acid at the soft dough stage of development can give improve second-crop
yields.―Sixty percent of the time, we have seen an increase with gibberellic acid,‖ he said.
Mowing rice stubble after harvest of the first crop can improve second crop yields by 5 barrels.
AgCenter weed scientist Eric Webster said recent cloudy weather could cause rice sprayed with
the Provisia herbicide to have signs of injury. Leaves could appear to be misshapen, but the
plants will recover in two to three weeks.
―It‘s just something we‘re going to have to live with,‖ he said.
The second version of Provisia, PVL02, has improved yield potential from PVL01. He said
AgCenter rice breeder Adam Famoso has three lines of Provisia that could have even better
yields.
Webster said the herbicide Loyant can be applied with fertilizer, but the best results are obtained
when it is sprayed.
Loyant controls ducksalad for more than five weeks because of its impressive residual strength.
A new product, a mixture of Loyant and Grasp, will be available from Corteva.
AgCenter entomologist Blake Wilson said the Dermacor seed treatment is providing 80% control
against rice water weevils, compared to 50% control from Cruiser and Nipsit.
Rice planting for 2020 is nearing completion in southwest Louisiana. Alan Lawson is drill
seeding his rice fields in Acadia Parish on April 3, 2019. (Photo: Bruce Schultz/LSU
AgCenter)
Good results against the weevil can be obtained with a new product, Fortenza, if it is used with
Cruiser.
The Mexican rice borer is becoming more of a consistent threat to rice in south Louisiana.
The apple snail, an invasive species, is expanding its range, Wilson said. The snails interfere
with crawfish operations, but one farmer lost a stand of rice to the pest, and the farmer resorted
to treating the field with copper sulfate and replanting.

Stem borers can cause losses of 15% to 20%, and currently only pyrethroids are labeled for
control of the insects. But FMC has applied for a label to use Prevathon on rice for stem borers.
Stink bugs in Louisiana fields have not shown resistance to pyrethroids, but they have developed
resistance in Texas, Wilson said.
Farmers may have to spray up to three times for stinkbugs because the available chemicals have
little residual capability. A new product, Tenchu, may only require one application, he said.
AgCenter plant pathologist Don Groth said farmers should be ready for false smut and kernel
smut. The diseases showed up last year in the worst outbreak he‘s ever seen.
Propiconazole and difenoconazole have the best action against both smuts, he said, but they have
to be applied at the boot stage even though it‘s a disease that shows up in the heading stage. Boot
fungicide applications also will control sheath blight and Cercospora. However, blast disease is
controlled by applications at heading.
The current cool spell will help suppress sheath blight and bacterial panicle blight.
―This weather is coming at a perfect time. It‘s beneficial to fill the grain by delaying disease
development,‖ Groth said.
Groth announced he will probably be retiring in the winter after 37 years with the AgCenter. He
said the Evangeline Parish field day may be his last, and he expressed his gratitude.
―I can‘t imagine another industry I‘d rather work with,‖ he told farmers and ag consultants.
The Evangeline Parish field day was the first for the new AgCenter soybean specialist, David
Moseley.
The current projection for the state‘s soybean crop is about 900,000 acres, roughly the same as
last year, he said.
―Most of our crop is looking pretty good right now,‖ Moseley said.
The crop is ahead of last year‘s progress, and 99% of the crop is in the fair-to-excellent range.

Replanting has been needed for some fields that flooded. The southern part of the state has been
dry, Moseley said, while the northern parishes have been wet, the opposite of the usual spring
pattern.
Moseley said his research at the Dean Lee Research and Extension Center at Alexandria is being
conducted as usual, despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and a tornado.
https://www.thenewsstar.com/story/money/2020/06/12/tropical-storm-cristobal-had-little-effect-louisiana-
rice-crop/3179141001/
IIT Madras researchersuse agri waste, plasticto make
biofuel
Special Correspondent
CHENNAI, June 15, 2020 16:47 IST
Updated: June 15, 2020 16:47 IST
Team develops microwave-assisted pyrolysis process to
achieve the goal
Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras have developed a microwave process
to produce biofuel from plastic waste, rice straw and sugarcane bagasse.
A team of three researchers led by R. Vinu, associate professor in Chemical engineering
department, published its research work in peer-reviewed journal ‗Bioresource Technology and
Fuel Processing Technology‘.
Biomass, as a renewable source of carbon with immense potential, leaves no carbon footprint.
―Agricultural waste products such as rice straw, sugarcane bagasse and wood chips can
potentially serve as bio-oil producing biomass,‖ he said.
To make bio-oils competitive with fossil fuels, their oxygenate content must be reduced and
hydrogen content increased. ―Mixing biomass with hydrogen-rich materials during pyrolysis can
conceivably make biomass derived bio-oil comparable to fossil-derived fuels in calorific value
and chemical/physical properties,‖ Mr. Vinu explained.

When plastics, rich in hydrogen, are added to biomass they enable conversion to low-oxygenate
bio-oils. Plastics also help to produce bio-oils with better properties besides tackling the waste.
Bio-oils not only yield high energy and fuel but also reduce char formation.
The team microwaved a variety of biomass including rice straw, sugarcane bagasse, groundnut
shells, wood sawdust and wood from Seemai karuvelam tree (Angaraji babul in Hindi, scientific
name Prosopis juliflora) with two synthetic plastics, polypropylene and polystyrene.
―We believe that microwave-assisted pyrolysis process is a sustainable and energy efficient
approach for resource recovery from a wide variety of wastes such as biomass agri residues,
plastic wastes including disposed single-use plastics and non-reusable face masks, and a mixture
of these,‖ Mr. Vinu added. GAIL (India) funded the research.
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/iit-madras-researchers-use-agri-waste-plastic-to-
make-biofuel/article31833372.ece
IIT-Madras researchers produce bio-oil from
agricultural waste
Researchers at the IIT-M have developed a simple microwave process to produce high-energy
bio-fuel oils from agricultural waste.
Published: 16th June 2020 07:11 AM | Last Updated: 16th June 2020 11:39 AM | A+A A-
IIT Madras (File photo | EPS)
By Express News Service
CHENNAI: Researchers at the IIT-M have developed a simple microwave process to produce
high-energy biofuel oils from agricultural waste.
The project, funded by GAIL (India) Ltd, aims to produce oil from waste such as rice straw and
bagasse, and plastic. Such oils generated from renewable biological sources are considered to be
a practical and pragmatic replacement for petroleum and petrochemical products, said the
statement.

One of the most common methods to produce bio-oil as ‗pyrolysis‘ or heat-induced breakdown
of components. However, the newly developed method results in lower heating value of bio-oils
compared to fossil fuels, and in addition, increases their acidity and corrosiveness, the statement
added.
However, mixing plastic with biomass would produce bio-oils with better properties - such as
higher energy yields. The IIT-M team used microwave to breakdown components, ranging from
rice straw, sugarcane bagasse, and groundnut shell, to wood sawdust and wood from ‗Seemai
Karuvelam‘ tree with two synthetic plastics.
―We believe usage of microwave is a sustainable and energy-efficient approach for resource
recovery from a wide variety of wastes, including disposed single-use plastics and non-reusable
face masks,‖ said R Vinu, Associate Professor with Department of Chemical Engineering. Vinu
was also the lead of the research team, and their results have been published in the journal,
‗Bioresource Technology and Fuel Processing Technology‘, the statement added. Dadi
Suriapparao and Banupriya Boruah from the department were also part of the research.
https://www.newindianexpress.com/good-news/2020/jun/16/iit-madras-researchers-produce-bio-oil-from-
agricultural-waste-2157047.html
IIT-M team develops microwaveprocess to make
biofuel oils
Date :16-Jun-2020
WhatsApp
CHENNAI :
The biofuel oils were produced from two waste products -- agricultural waste such as rice
straw and bagasse and discarded plastics

THE Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-M) on Monday said its researchers have
developed a simple microwave process to produce biofuel oils. In a statement issued here the
IIT-M said the biofuel oils with high energy values were produced from two waste products --
agricultural waste such as rice straw and bagasse and discarded plastics.
The project was funded by GAIL (India) Ltd. The urgency in search of renewable fuels is driven
by the environmental impact of extracting fossil fuel and volatility in oil prices and the
associated political unrest across the world. Biofuel oils generated from renewable biological
sources are considered a practical and pragmatic replacement for petroleum and petrochemicals,
IIT-M said.
The research team led by Dr R Vinu, Associate Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering
and the other members were Dr Dadi Suriapparao and Banupriya Boruah. ―Biomass is the only
renewable source of carbon on the earth with immense potential for the production of energy,
chemicals and materials with zero carbon footprint on the environment. Agricultural waste
products such as rice straw, sugarcane bagasse and wood chips, among others, can potentially
serve as bio-oil producing biomass,‖ Vinu was quoted as saying the statement. One of the
common methods to produce bio-oil from biomass is ‗pyrolysis‘ or heat-induced breakdown of
the biomass components into fuel components. However, bio-oil produced by the pyrolysis of
biomass contains large amounts of oxygenated groups or ‗oxygenates‘, far greater than in fossil
fuels.
https://www.thehitavada.com/Encyc/2020/6/16/IIT-M-team-develops-microwave-process-to-make-
biofuel-oils.html

G2G rice imports in limbo on legal cover,
funding
By BusinessMirror
June 16, 2020
By Bernadette D. Nicolas & Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas
THE Philippines‘ s 300,000-metric ton (MT) rice importation via government-to-government
(G2G) transaction is now in limbo as the Philippine International Trading Corp. (PITC) had no
legal authority to conduct the tender, officials told the BusinessMirror.
Budget Secretary Wendel E. Avisado said they could not provide the budget requirement of
P7.45 billion as the PITC tender had no legal basis since President Duterte has not greenlighted
the rice importation.
―We already officially responded to Department of Agriculture/PITC on the matter. We need the
prior approval of PRRD [President Rodrigo Roa Duterte] because there‘s no legal basis to import
rice. They should be the one to seek authority from PRRD. If they have it, then we will comply
on our side,‖ Avisado said in a message in a mix of English and Filipino.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) and the National Food Authority are providing technical
advice to the PITC regarding the G2G importation since they have been involved with rice
importation, especially G2G, prior to deregulation of the rice industry.
Budget Undersecretary Tina Canda also questioned the legality of the PITC rice importation,
arguing that the attached agency of the Department of Trade and Industry and even the DA itself
have no mandate to import.
―PITC needs to have a mandate to import. With RCEF, even DA has no mandate. ―The first
question you need to ask is the authority of PITC vs RCEF law,‖ Canda said, referring to the
Rice Tariffication Law which mandates the government to annually appropriate P10 billion to
fund RCEF, which was meant to support rice farmers.
Even if PITC has already conducted the bidding, Canda said several issues hound the PITC
importation, including the lack of funding source and the legality of the whole transaction.

Budget Undersecretary Laura Pascua said the DBM returned the request of PITC, ―commenting
that the Rice Tariffication Law requires an approval by the President of any importation, and
there is no item in the GAA [General Appropriations Act] which can be augmented to fund the
request.‖
Pascua said she was also surprised with this development as she recalled Agriculture Secretary
William D. Dar saying that the 3.3 million metric tons supply deficit from the estimated
production of 17.6 million metric tons can be raised from the P8.5 billion that the DBM released
for the rice resiliency project.
The P8.5-billion fund is part of Covid-19 releases and is on top of the RCEF.
In a June 11 advisory, PITC said it is holding in abeyance the issuance of notice of award to
prospective rice suppliers to the country pending the availability of funds from DBM. This, even
after it already conducted the bidding.
The PITC also said the ―submission of bids shall not be construed as a commitment to purchase
on the part of PITC and shall not be bound to award contract to any entity based on bids
received.‖
The PITC has also published the results of its evaluation of bids submitted by the four Asian
governments.
The PITC document showed that only 105,000 MT out of the 300,000-MT target importation
had qualified bids. Only three lots—Manila, Cebu and Davao—had ranking bids, with the
remaining lots of Tacloban and Zamboanga having no successful bids.
„Better scrap it‟
Federation of Free Farmers (FFF) National Manager Raul Q. Montemayor said it would be better
for the government to scrap the G2G transaction given the complications.
The government could explore other options to procure rice stocks, particularly to replenish the
depleting supply of the National Food Authority, to stabilize market prices, he added.
Some of the options Montemayor explained, are buying a certain volume of imports by the
private sector at their declared price and purchasing local rice from millers or traders through
bidding.

―Current rice supply is quite tight but sufficient. Our only problem is that NFA stocks are
depleting. And imports are quite expensive, so prices might go up in the lean months and the
government has limited stocks to stabilize,‖ he told the BusinessMirror.
Montemayor agreed DBM‘s argument in questioning the legality of the PITC importation.
Last month, FFF questioned this, stressing that there is no declaration of a rice shortage, a
condition required under the law for government importation.
―But I suppose they can find the legal basis they need. Maybe DBM is more concerned about the
funds given the tight situation now with Covid-19,‖ Montemayor said.
―If DBM releases funds, it will be a sunk cost and will be a grant to PITC,‖ Montemayor added.
Nonetheless, Montemayor said it was ―shameful‖ to have conducted the bidding without even
holding the necessary funds for the transaction. ―Those who bid spent time and money to
participate, only to be told later that there is no money yet to buy the rice. Worse, it‘s
government to government,‖ he said.
Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar told the BusinessMirror via SMS that he has yet to talk
with PITC on the issue.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) and the National Food Authority are providing technical
advice to the PITC regarding the G2G importation since they have been involved with rice
importation, especially G2G, prior to deregulation of the rice industry.
In April, Dar said the budget for the P7.45-billion rice importation has been approved and has
been given to the PITC. Dar said the idea for the G2G rice importation came from the DA and
the NFA to ensure the country has sufficient stockpile amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
https://www.thehitavada.com/Encyc/2020/6/16/IIT-M-team-develops-microwave-process-to-make-
biofuel-oils.html
Mobilityrestrictionshurt India‟s trade basket in May
Among major items, only exports of rice, spices, iron ore, and drugs and pharmaceuticals
recorded growth in May. Among major imports, iron pyrites and project goods grew during the
month.

. Updated: 16 Jun 2020, 01:33 AM IST Asit Ranjan Mishra
 Trade deficit of $3.2 bn after merchandise exports plunged 36.5%, imports fall 51.1%
 Decline in exports is high but there‘s an arrest in fall of exports compared to April, say
experts
NEW DELHI : India‘s trade basket plummeted in May though at a slower pace than the
preceding month as countries sealed their borders to arrest the spread of the coronavirus and
supply chains broke down because of mobility restrictions.
Merchandise exports plunged 36.5% and imports fell 51.1% in May, resulting in a trade deficit
of just $3.2 billion, data released by the commerce ministry on Monday showed.
In April, merchandise exports and imports had declined by 60.3% and 58.7%, respectively.
Among major developing economies, India‘s exports fell the most in April only behind a 61%
dip in overseas shipments by South Africa, according to calculations by the United Nations
Conference on Trade and Development.

However, trade minister Piyush Goyal on Monday tweeted that exports in the first week of June
at $4.94 billion have bounced back to almost the same level ($5.03 billion) during the same
period a year ago.
The decline in exports in May have been high, but there is a drastic arrest in fall of exports
compared to April, said Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) president Sharad
Kumar Saraf. ―This is because of the partial start of businesses across the country and orders
from markets like the US and the European Union. Revival still seems a very slow process as the
global business sentiments are at their lowest," he said.
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development last week said the world
economy may contract by 6% or 7.6% in 2020, depending on a single-hit or a double-hit
scenario, respectively. It expects India‘s economy to contract by as much as 7.3% in FY21 if a
second wave of coronavirus sweeps the country.
As major economies try to reopen, demand would be restricted towards the most essential items,
said Ravi Sehgal, chairman , Engineering Export Promotion Council of India. ―Even within
engineering exports, we need to rework our strategy. Sub-sectors such as medical devices would
be doing well while core infrastructure industries may take time to recover," he said. Among
major items, only export of rice, spices, iron ore, and drugs and pharmaceuticals recorded growth
in May. Among major imports, iron pyrites, project goods grew during the month.
The World Trade Organization has projected global merchandise trade to drop by 13% to 32% in
2020 because of the pandemic. ―The wide range of possibilities for the predicted decline is
explained by the unprecedented nature of this health crisis and the uncertainty around its precise
economic impact. But WTO economists believe that the decline will likely exceed the trade
slump brought on by the global financial crisis of 2008-09," it said in April.
India could report a current account surplus of $12-15 billion in FY21 based on the expectation
of a gradual normalization in trade levels in the coming months, a stabilization in crude oil prices
at a moderate level, a revival in demand for gold closer to the festive season, and the continued
adverse impact of economic uncertainty on remittances, said Aditi Nayar, principal economist at
Icra, a credit rating agency. ―However, if the domestic demand recovers faster than global
demand, the size of India‘s current account surplus may be limited below $10 billion," she said.
https://www.livemint.com/news/india/lockdown-impact-india-s-exports-decline-36-5-in-
may-11592225031205.html

Vietnam needs to grab the chance to boost agricultural
exports
Tuesday, 2020-06-16 12:37:34
NDO - Vietnam‘s farming exports in the first five months of 2020 fell by 4.1% to US$15.49
billion due to the coronavirus pandemic. But there are plenty of signs that such a decline will be
halted and exports will recover in the remaining months of the year.
Growth amid difficulty
Among Vietnam‘s agricultural exports that recorded growth during the January-May period, rice
was the best performer, having shipped nearly 2.9 million tonnes worth US$1.41 billion, up
5.1% in volume and 18.9% in value over the same period of 2019.
In May alone, rice exports surged by 47% in volume and 55.3% in value against the previous
month, with average prices soaring to US$527 per tonne. Prices in the first five months also rose
to 13%, averaging at US$485. This is a bright spot in Vietnam‘s farming export picture with the
coronavirus remaining complicated in many countries.
For fruits, export revenue plunged by 21.4% to US$1.15 billion as many fresh fruits were unable
to reach the Chinese market at the time of the outbreak explosion in the world‘s second largest
economy. Vietnam‘s farming exports continued to face difficulty with the virus having spread
widely to Europe and the United States.
Although fruit exports have yet to see growth, there are signs of a possible recovery, with the
latest good news coming from the export of fresh lychees to the US, Australia, Singapore and
Japan, while measures have also been taken to facilitate the shipment of lychees to China, one of
the largest markets for the tropical fruit for years.
The slump in seafood exports is also slowing down with the decline in May at just 1.6%,
significantly lower than the previous months, as exports to China soared by 20%. Total seafood
exports to China are forecast to fully recover by the end of June. In the meantime, seafood
exports to Japan in April and May grew by 16% and 9%, respectively, which is expected to make

the East Asian country the largest buyer of Vietnamese seafood in 2020.
According to VASEP, the body of seafood producers and exporters, exports to China and Japan
are picking up but recovery is unlikely to be seen in the US and Europe as the virus outbreak has
disrupted supply chains and trade activities. In addition, the demand for seafood has fallen as
restaurants are closed and consumers have cut their spending. If the outbreak persists,
Vietnamese seafoods are expected to face steeper declines in the coming months.
Efforts for quick and strong recovery
At a recent conference, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Xuan Cuong
noted that the demand for food will still grow despite the coronavirus since food is an essential
goods. Therefore, Vietnam needs to seize on this opportunity to quickly regain growth by
diversifying its exports in order to meet the new consumption demand of each country, such as
increasing the share of canned food instead of fresh products.
In this situation, rice is one of the candidates for explosive growth in the coming months. It is
estimated that the Mekong Delta will produce 2.3-2.5 million tonnes of rice in the upcoming
summer-autumn season, with high-quality rice accounting for 1 million tonnes and jasmine rice
580,000 tonnes. The Philippines is forecast to be the largest buyer of Vietnamese rice.
China and Indonesia have also been increasing their rice imports from Vietnam after the
outbreak has subsided, offering a golden opportunity for Vietnam to boost its rice exports.
While rice is looking up, challenges are still gripping the seafood sector. Processors and
exporters all agree on the need to focus on markets where the outbreak has been contained to
compensate for the continuing downturn in Europe and the US. The export structure is also
expected to see a marked shift towards canned products to meet safety requirements in the time
of outbreak. In the meantime, it has been predicted that shark catfish exports will not recover
until the third quarter, as such it is necessary to develop the domestic market to deal with the
surplus.
Steady growth has not been seen in fruit exports, but hope is being pinned on the rapid and
strong recovery of demand for imported products in China, a major market for many Vietnamese
fruits.
But it is necessary to encourage Vietnamese enterprises to export through official channels,
strictly abide by origin tracing and labelling rules, and meet other quality requirements under the
agreements with their partners.
After several months of taking a serious hit by the coronavirus, Vietnam‘s farming exports are

now gradually recovering in some key markets. Challenges will remain in the latter half of 2020
but, as Vietnam has essentially contained the coronavirus outbreak, it is an opportunity for the
country to build up importers‘ confidence in the quality and safety of Vietnamese farming
produce.
https://en.nhandan.org.vn/business/item/8771502-vietnam-needs-to-grab-the-chance-to-
boost-agricultural-exports.html
Farmers welcome KVK‟s advisory services
over mobile phones
Special Correspondent Tiruvarur
June 15, 2020 18:45 IST
The advisory service conceived and implemented by the Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK),
Tiruvarur, to provide solutions to the problems faced by farmers in the field over the mobile
phones during the lockdown period has received a good response.
The KVK authorities decided to make use of the linkage developed over the years through
mobile phones with farmers in Tiruvarur district to provide solutions to the problems faced by
them in the fields.
Around 200 farmers have utilised the service during the past two months where they have
received the suggestions/methods from KVK scientists to control pest attacks such as sucking
pest attack on cotton, rugose spiraling, whitefly attack on coconut and other crops and animal
husbandry related problems.
Apart from providing solutions through mobile phones, the KVK scientists have also analysed
the queries raised and the response from the farmers to the advice/suggestions from KVK to
comprehend how e-technology was utilised by the farmers to get their problems solved. This
analysis threw up some interesting facts about how the farmers have become adept to e-
technology.
While nearly 30 % of the farmers have shared the results with the scientists, others remained
content with the reply they received to weed out the problem faced by them. Most of them have
shared the photos or videos of the symptoms of the crop disease to get their problems solved
apart from getting their doubts cleared by posting messages or through recorded voice messages,
KVK sources said.

While the advisory service has gone down well with the farmers who have been adept to make
use of the technology, the KVK had also taken up another initiative - ―KVK on the move‖ - to
reach out to the farmers to help solve their problems.
The ―KVK on the move‖ has been designed in such a manner that the scientists would be visiting
the block extension centres once a week on rotational basis to address the farmers‘ problems.
This initiative has also been received well by the farmers who have attended the ―KVK on the
move‖ events held at Valangaiman, Thiruthuraipoondi and Koradachery blocks have brought the
affected crop samples ie. pest attacked rice, cotton and pluses crop and obtained the control
measures recommended by the scientists on the spot. The attendees have also been advised and
enlightened on how to approach the KVK scientists through mobile phones to get their problems
solved, the sources said.
https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Tiruchirapalli/farmers-welcome-kvks-advisory-
services-over-mobile-phones/article31834245.ece
Paddy procurementcrosses 1 crore mark in Telangana
A bar chart provided by the department shows continuous rise in paddy procurement each year.
Published: 16th June 2020 08:45 AM | Last Updated: 16th June 2020 08:45 AM | A+A A-
Paddy crop ready for harvest. (Photo | EPS)
By Express News Service
HYDERABAD: For the first time in the history of Telangana and erstwhile Andhra Pradesh,
paddy procurement in the State has crossed 1 crore metric tonnes (MT) mark.Paddy procurement
in Vaanakalam (monsoon crop) and Yasangi (winter crop) seasons accounted for 47 lakh MT
and 65 lakh MT amounting to a total of 1.12 crore MT.
Six years into the formation of State, Telangana has witnessed 367 per cent increase in the paddy
procurement, said Telangana State Civil Supplies Corporation Chairman Mareddy Srinivas
Reddy. Addressing the media, Reddy said, ―The State is transforming into the ‗rice bowl of
India‘ and it has become possible only with the vision of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao,
who rolled out farmer welfare schemes such as Rythu Bandhu, Rythu Beema, round-the-clock
free power supply for agricultural sector, and new irrigation projects, minimum support price
(MSP).‖

A bar chart provided by the department shows continuous rise in paddy procurement each year.
During 2014-15, the government procured 24.25 lakh MT, which was doubled in 2016-17 with
53.69 lakh MT. Again in 2018-19, the procurement increased to 77.41 lakh MT. Despite Covid
crisis, the State has achieved a new record by procuring 1.12 crore MT. The current Yasangi
season has seen an increase of 76 per cent against the previous Yasangi season.
Pointing out that in a record, paddy was cultivated in 39 lakh acres, Reddy said, ―During the
current season, Civil Supplies Department has procured 65 lakh MT of paddy, and millers
procured 12 lakh MT. Another 15 lakh MT was fine rice, which farmers kept to meet their needs
and 6 MT for sowing.‖
Talking about the adverse conditions during lockdown, he said, ―We had only 9 crore gunny
bags against the requirement of 18 crore bags during lockdown 1. We managed to obtain the
bags in time.‖ During the current season, the department had set up 6,408 procurement centres
across the State.
‗TS becoming rice bowl of India‘
―The State is transforming into the ‗rice bowl of India‘ and it has become possible only with the
vision of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, who rolled out farmer welfare schemes such as
Rythu Bandhu, Rythu Beema, round-the-clock free power supply for agricultural sector, and new
irrigation projects, and MSP,‖ said Mareddy Srinivas Reddy, Civil Supplies Corporation
Chairman
https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/telangana/2020/jun/16/paddy-procurement-
crosses-1-crore-mark-in-state-2157150.html
Telangana emerges as „rice bowl‟ of India
Achieves record procurement of 1.12 crore tons of paddy
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 Posted: Jun 15, 2020 09:02 PM (IST)
 Updated : 19 hours ago

Photo for representation.
Naveen S Garewal
Tribune News Service
Hyderabad, June 15
Telangana has achieved a record procurement of 1.12 crore tons of paddy, making it
the ‗rice bowl‘ of the country. Announcing this on Monday, the Telangana State Civil
Supplies Corporation Chairman Mareddy Srinivas Reddy said a record 47 lakh tons
procurement in Vaanakalam (Kharif crop) and 65 lakh tons in Yasangi (Rabi crop)
during 2019-20 had set new records for the state. He said the state had come a long
way from the mere 24 lakh tons of paddy procurements for both seasons in 2014-15.
―Within six years of the formation of the state, a record 367 per cent increase was

witnessed in the procurement of paddy. Compared to last Yasangi, procurement this
year increased by 76 per cent (24 lakh tons),‖ he said.
He said the Yasangi procurement was achieved with the help of 6,408 procurement
centres. In all 65 lakh tons of paddy worth Rs 12,000 crore was procured from 9.68
lakh farmers. ―So far, Rs 11,000 crore has been deposited into the accounts of farmers
and the remaining will be credited into their accounts within a few days,‖ Srinivas
Reddy said.
Unlike the past, paddy was taken up in 39 lakh acres in the state and as estimated, 1
crore ton of paddy was produced. Out of this, a total yield of 65 lakh tons was
procured by the civil supplies department, 12 lakh tons purchased by rice millers.
Around 15 lakh tons are of a fine variety and over 6 lakh tons have been set aside as
seed, he said.
The state is facing a shortage of gunny bags because of the bumper crop. The demand
for gunny bags was estimated at 18 crore. ―As on March 24 at the time of imposition
of lockdown, there were only 9 crore gunny bags available with the department.
Supplies from Kolkata stopped because of the lockdown. But we saw to it that the
farmers are not put to trouble because of the shortage. We succeeded in overcoming
this problem too,‖ he said.
https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/nation/telangana-emerges-as-rice-bowl-of-india-
99570
Farmers welcome KVK‟s advisoryservices over
mobile phones
Special Correspondent Tiruvarur
June 15, 2020 18:45 IST
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The advisory service conceived and implemented by the Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK),
Tiruvarur, to provide solutions to the problems faced by farmers in the field over the mobile
phones during the lockdown period has received a good response.

The KVK authorities decided to make use of the linkage developed over the years through
mobile phones with farmers in Tiruvarur district to provide solutions to the problems faced by
them in the fields.
Around 200 farmers have utilised the service during the past two months where they have
received the suggestions/methods from KVK scientists to control pest attacks such as sucking
pest attack on cotton, rugose spiraling, whitefly attack on coconut and other crops and animal
husbandry related problems.
Apart from providing solutions through mobile phones, the KVK scientists have also analysed
the queries raised and the response from the farmers to the advice/suggestions from KVK to
comprehend how e-technology was utilised by the farmers to get their problems solved. This
analysis threw up some interesting facts about how the farmers have become adept to e-
technology.
While nearly 30 % of the farmers have shared the results with the scientists, others remained
content with the reply they received to weed out the problem faced by them. Most of them have
shared the photos or videos of the symptoms of the crop disease to get their problems solved
apart from getting their doubts cleared by posting messages or through recorded voice messages,
KVK sources said.
While the advisory service has gone down well with the farmers who have been adept to make
use of the technology, the KVK had also taken up another initiative - ―KVK on the move‖ - to
reach out to the farmers to help solve their problems.
The ―KVK on the move‖ has been designed in such a manner that the scientists would be visiting
the block extension centres once a week on rotational basis to address the farmers‘ problems.
This initiative has also been received well by the farmers who have attended the ―KVK on the
move‖ events held at Valangaiman, Thiruthuraipoondi and Koradachery blocks have brought the
affected crop samples ie. pest attacked rice, cotton and pluses crop and obtained the control
measures recommended by the scientists on the spot. The attendees have also been advised and
enlightened on how to approach the KVK scientists through mobile phones to get their problems
solved, the sources said.
https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Tiruchirapalli/farmers-welcome-kvks-advisory-
services-over-mobile-phones/article31834245.ece
How GMO, gene-edited crops can keep cancer-causing
heavy metals out of staple foods

Dibakar Das | June 15, 2020
This article or excerpt is included in the GLP‘s daily curated selection of ideologically diverse news,
opinion and analysis of biotechnology innovation.
One of the most pressing issues in public health is the presence of toxic elements in food,
which potentially risk the health of millions of people. The presence of toxic elements like
arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury especially in rice and rice-based food products is a serious
concern, which requires urgent public policy attention.
Arsenic, a class I human carcinogen, is found in substantial amounts in rice grown in South East
Asian countries like India, Bangladesh, parts of China and The United States. A recent
investigation of baby foods from major manufacturers in The United States found that 95%
contained lead, 73% contained arsenic, 75% contained cadmium and 32% contained mercury.
About 25% of food tested contained all four toxic elements, though at levels that are unlikely to
pose a risk to human health. Nearly 75% of samples tested in Australia contained inorganic
arsenic exceeding the EU maximum safe limit for infants and children. These figures are,
however, very limited, if not entirely unavailable, for southeast Asian countries, where exposure
to heavy metals is thought to be worse and may justify calls for urgent regulations.

While heavy metal-contaminated grains
remain a serious global health concern, recent
plant breeding advances, both in genetic
engineering and gene editing, are allowing
scientists to develop crop varieties that contain
very low levels of potentially harmful heavy
metals. Rice with low amounts of arsenic has
already been produced, and other crops such
as mustard could reduce consumer exposure to
selenium, though strict regulation may keep
these improved varieties off the market.
The exposure to arsenic can negatively affect the developing brain and IQ in children. The
accumulation of toxic elements like arsenic in the adult body can result in a variety of diseases
including cancer, cardiovascular diseases, skin lesions and birth defects in newborns. The
concentrations of inorganic arsenic in many Bengal (India) and Bangladeshi rice varieties may
often exceed 0.2mg/kg, the safe limit proposed by the Codex Alimentarous Commission, and the
total arsenic can be as high as 1.7 mg/kg in a few varieties.
Research suggests that the concentration of inorganic arsenic in rice varieties will increase two
fold as climate change continues. Given the magnitude of this problem, it is surprising that no
regulations to contain toxic elements, especially arsenic in rice and rice-based foods, exist in
countries like India and Bangladesh. Although the US and EU have enacted regulations to
control toxic elements in food, and most foods pose minimal risk in this regard, several studies
have shown that arsenic and lead can be toxic at very low concentrations. Regulators therefore
should ensure that safe limits are gradually brought down to further protect public health.
So how do toxic elements like arsenic end up in our food? What options do we have to minimize
them?
It turns out that arsenic and other toxic elements are naturally present in soil and ground water. In
some regions of the world, like those mentioned above, they occur in greater concentrations than
in others. When crops grown in those soils are irrigated with contaminated ground water, plants
end up absorbing these toxic elements from the soil and water. Plants then transport these
elements from their roots to their grains, the edible parts. As rice cultivation requires huge
volumes of water, it creates an essentially anaerobic environment in which arsenite, the most
toxic form of arsenic, becomes more readily available for absorption.
For this reason rice is especially good at absorbing arsenic. Although most of the arsenic from
rice grains can be removed by polishing, the growing preference for brown rice among
consumers and the wide use of rice flour in baby food preparation mean we must find an
alternative and effective solution to arsenic contamination.

https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2020/06/15/how-gmo-gene-edited-crops-can-keep-cancer-
causing-heavy-metals-out-of-staple-foods/
Choose the Varieties of Paddy According to
Your Region & Get Maximum Yield
Rishabh Bhan 15 June, 2020 5:19 PM IST
Paddy or rice is the most important food crop of India which covers a quarter of the total cropped
area. Paddy is the food of about half of the Indian population. It is consumed by a large part of
the world's human population, especially in Asia. It is the agricultural food crop with the third
highest worldwide production after sugarcane and maize. Paddy is one of the oldest known
crops.
It was grown in China in the largest form around 5000 years ago. Paddy in India dates back to
3000 CE. Its discovery was not made by any scientist but by farmers and native people.
Paddy cultivating countries
Paddy is grown successfully in regions with hot climate. Most of the world's paddy is grown in
Southeast Asia, China, Japan, India, Indochina, Korea, Thailand, Pakistan and Sri Lanka are the
major rice growing countries. Paddy cultivation is also practiced in a wide area in Italy, Egypt
and Spain. Major paddy cultivation states of India are Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar,
Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Orissa, West Bengal, & Uttar Pradesh.Choose the varieties of paddy
according to your region
The farmer should choose the varieties of paddy according to their region, while varieties of
paddy are developed according to the different region in the state, because the soil, environment
of every place is different.
Unirrigated condition: Narendra-118, Narendra-97, Saket-4, Barani Deep, dry emperor, Narendra
Lalmani
Irrigated condition: For irrigated areas, early ripening varieties include Pusa-169, Narendra-80,
Pant Paddy-12, Malaviya Paddy-3022, Narendra Paddy-2065 and medium ripening varieties Pant
Paddy-10, Pant Paddy-4, Sarju-52, Narendra-359, Narendra-2064, Narendra Dhan-2064, Pusa-
44, PNR-381 are the major varieties.

Varieties of paddy for the land: Narendra Osar Paddy-3, Narendra Paddy-5050, Narendra Osar
Paddy-2008, Narendra Osar Paddy-2009.
Varieties of Rice
There are 3000 varieties of rice in India, of which some varieties of rice are ready in a short time.
Short-duration rice varieties are ready in 60 to 75 days. Among the high-yielding rice seeds are
IR-5, IR-20, IR-22 and Taichung
Yield
The average rice production in India is around 2000 kg per hectare, which is three times that of
1950-51, but Egypt (6500 kg / ha), United States (6500 kg / ha) and Japan (6400 kg / ha). The
main reason for low production per hectare is not to use water, manure etc. properly.
https://krishijagran.com/agriculture-world/choose-the-varieties-of-paddy-according-to-your-
region-get-maximum-yield/
SPI inflation decreases by a nominal 0.05pc
By APP
-June 14, 2020
ISLAMABAD: The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) based weekly inflation for the week ended
on June 11, for the combined consumption group, witnessed nominal increase of 0.05 percent as
compared to the previous week.
The SPI for the week under review in the above mentioned group was recorded at 127.85 points
against 127.78 points registered in the previous week, according to the latest data of Pakistan
Bureau of Statistics (PBS).
As compared to the corresponding week of last year, the SPI for the combined consumption
group in the week under review witnessed a single digit increase of 8.49 percent.
The weekly SPI with base year 2015-16, covers 17 urban centers and 51 essential items for all
expenditure groups. The SPI for the lowest consumption group up to Rs17,732 witnessed a 0.35
percent increase and went up from 134.30 points in last week to 134.77 points during the week

under review.
Meanwhile, the SPI for the consumption groups from Rs17,733-22,888, Rs22,889-29,517 and
Rs29,518-44,175 also increased by 0.26 percent, 0.19 percent and 0.10 respectively, however for
the consumption group above Rs44,175 per month it decreased by 0.05 percent.
The items which recorded a decrease in their average price include chicken, bananas, onions,
garlic, gram pulse, potatoes, masoor pulse and gur.
The commodities which recorded an increase in their average price include tomatoes, match
boxes, eggs, wheat flour, rice, salt, milk, beef, cigarettes, curd, vegetable ghee, cooking oil,
mutton and sugar.
https://profit.pakistantoday.com.pk/2020/06/14/spi-inflation-decreases-by-a-nominal-0-05pc/
Pakistanbraces for fresh war on voraciouspests
By Our Correspondent

Published: June 15, 2020
If crops are eaten up, prices of flour and vegetables will skyrocket, warns a leading farmer
PHOTO: EXPRESS/FILE
ISLAMABAD: As the desert locust situation in the country is fast deteriorating, the National
Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on Sunday conducted surveillance of more areas
spread over 604,000 hectares in vulnerable districts.
They are entering the country from Afghanistan to damage the crop in Dera Ismail Khan district
in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa from where these locust swarms were entering Punjab thereby posing a
serious threat to the country‘s food basket.To many farmers in Sindh, an impending locust attack
when summer crops of cotton, sugarcane and rice are being sown, and fruit and vegetables are
ready to be picked is a much bigger problem than the coronavirus pandemic.

―If the crops are eaten up by the locusts, we will have a dire food security issue on our hands,‖
said Zahid Bhurgri, a farmer from Mirpurkhas district.
―The price of flour and vegetables will skyrocket,‖ making staple foods hard for some to afford,
added Bhurgri, who is also general secretary of the Sindh Chamber of Agriculture.
The United Nations‘ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates losses to agriculture
from locusts this year could be as high as Rs353 billion for winter crops like wheat and potatoes
and about Rs464 billion for summer crops.
A May update from the FAO warned it would be ―imperative‖ to contain and control the desert
locust infestation in the midst of the additional impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on health,
livelihoods, food security and nutrition for Pakistan‘s most poor and vulnerable communities.
Last year, Pakistan suffered its worst attack of locusts since 1993, for which the country was
largely unprepared.
Farmers now have little confidence the government will help them fight a new wave of voracious
insects threatening their harvests – though officials said extensive measures were being taken.
―Neither the central, nor the provincial government is doing anything about it,‖ said Bhurgri,
who grows vegetables, red chillies, cotton and sugarcane on about 600 acres of land.
Experts say insect populations have found new homes across Pakistan and are now laying eggs
in nearly 40% of its territory, including Sindh but mainly in Balochistan.
FAO locust forecaster Keith Cressman said locusts that had unusually stayed in parts of Punjab,
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the Indus Valley during the winter would now move southeast to their
summer breeding areas in the Cholistan and Tharparkar deserts from May to July.
Swarms breeding in Pakistan‘s deserts will likely be joined by others from southern Iran in a few
weeks, with more likely to arrive from the Horn of Africa around July, experts predict.
The swarms are expected to be much larger than in 2019, because their numbers increase on
average 20-fold with each generation. They travel in swarms of between 30 million to 50 million
insects, covering a distance of 150 km (93 miles) and devouring 200 tonnes of crops per day.
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2242702/1-pakistan-braces-fresh-war-voracious-pests/

U.S. Maintains Status as World's FifthLargest Rice
Exporter, According to USDA Projections
By Peter Bachmann
WASHINGTON, DC -- Just a month ago, 2020 rice trade was all-but-guaranteed to be
turned upside down following the impact of COVID-19 on shipping and the chaotic
procurement of staple commodities. However, the June edition of the U.S. Department of
Agriculture's (USDA) World Agricultural Supply & Demand Estimates (WASDE) Report
only shows modest changes to the balance sheet looking at logistical delays in China early
in the year and ongoing shipping delays in India.
USDA reviseddown 2019/20 U.S. rice exports as the marketing year closes out next
month. The roughly 60,000 MTreduction in exports can be attributed to the tight supply
and elevatedlong grain prices that have reduced shipments to Central America and
Mexico. USDA still expects 2019/20 to reflect a slight increase in export sales overthe
2018/19 marketing year.
Global trade in 2020 is forecast down this month, almost exclusively due to the short supply
in Thailand and uncompetitive, elevatedpricing. With the end of Viet Nam's export ban,
they have moved to quickly backfill Thai markets, drawing down the country's stocks. In
addition to revisions for the 2019/20 marketing year, USDA highlighted the larger U.S. and
global rice production projected for the 2020 crop. While 2020/21 is projected to bring
another increase in exports, that figure was revised slightly down in this month's WASDE
due to spillover of elevatedU.S. long grain pricing. Global trade in 2021 is expected to be
reduced with decreasing COVID-19-related demand and production surges in the U.S.,
Thailand, and Brazil.
Trade negotiations with the United Kingdom, Kenya, and Japan could all present potential
increases for U.S. rice exports through market growth.
"We are optimistic seeing USDA's projections for increased exports next year but we hope
to drive those figures up through our investments in international marketing and
promotion efforts in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and throughout the Western
Hemisphere," said Sarah Moran, USA Rice vice president international.
Moran added: "USA Rice has a strong global footprint that allows us to share the
advantages of using U.S.-grown rice, and additionally, having a larger 2020 crop will allow
our exporters to be more competitive and increase our opportunities to expand and develop
new markets."

While the U.S. had a relatively small 2019 rice crop, USDA still anticipates that total
exports will keepthe U.S. in fifth place for global exports for both the 2019/20 and 2020/21
marketing years behind India, Thailand, Viet Nam, and Pakistan.
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox/FMfcgxwHNqJFrTqNFDxFnpfSKdfldZML
La. rice crop off to good start
 Bruce Schultz LSU AgCenter
LSU AgCenter plant pathologist Don Groth speaks at the Evangeline Parish rice field day on
June 11. Groth, also the resident coordinator of the H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station,
announced he will probably retire this coming winter after 37 years with the AgCenter. Photo by
Bruce Schultz/LSU AgCenter
LSU AgCenter
MAMOU — This year‘s rice crop is progressing well, and the recent Tropical Storm Cristobal
had little effect, an LSU AgCenter rice expert said at the Evangeline Parish rice field day on June
11.
AgCenter rice specialist Dustin Harrell said March temperatures were warmer than normal and
were ideal for young rice, but April brought three cold fronts that stressed the plants.
―If that‘s the worst thing we see, then we‘re going to have a great year,‖ he said.
The rice plants also benefitted from warm May temperatures, although hail damaged fields in a
few instances.
Rice in the flowering stage may have been damaged by Cristobal, ―but for the most part, we had
very little impact from that storm,‖ Harrell said.
The south Louisiana crop is about 10 days ahead of usual.
―Don‘t be surprised if you hear reports of rice being harvested in the first part of July,‖ he said.

Farmers who anticipate growing a second rice crop should start planning. Applying gibberellic
acid at the soft dough stage of development can give improve second-crop yields.
―Sixty percent of the time, we have seen an increase with gibberellic acid,‖ he said.
Mowing rice stubble after harvest of the first crop can improve second crop yields by 5 barrels.
AgCenter weed scientist Eric Webster said recent cloudy weather could cause rice sprayed with
the Provisia herbicide to have signs of injury. Leaves could appear to be misshapen, but the
plants will recover in two to three weeks.
―It‘s just something we‘re going to have to live with,‖ he said.
The second version of Provisia, PVL02, has improved yield potential from PVL01. He said
AgCenter rice breeder Adam Famoso has three lines of Provisia that could have even better
yields.
Webster said the herbicide Loyant can be applied with fertilizer, but the best results are obtained
when it is sprayed.
Loyant controls ducksalad for more than five weeks because of its impressive residual strength.
A new product, a mixture of Loyant and Grasp, will be available from Corteva.
AgCenter entomologist Blake Wilson said the Dermacor seed treatment is providing 80% control
against rice water weevils, compared to 50% control from Cruiser and Nipsit.
Good results against the weevil can be obtained with a new product, Fortenza, if it is used with
Cruiser.
https://www.iberianet.com/etc/la-rice-crop-off-to-good-
start/article_37a63938-af06-11ea-bd5e-cb21c0f74bfb.html
Punjab allocates Rs39.6bn for agriculture,
food security
Rs4bn allocated for locust control, Rs1.86bn for farmers' interest-free loan scheme

ByHassan Naqvi
June 15, 2020
LAHORE: The Punjab government has allocated Rs39.6 billion for agriculture and food
security in the provincial budget for the fiscal year 2020-21.
During the budget session held in the Punjab Assembly on Monday, it was announced that out of
the total allocation for agriculture and food security, Rs31.7 billion are for non-development
expenditure and Rs7.9 billion have been kept for development expenditure.
The provincial government also allocated Rs4 billion to deal with locusts and other natural
catastrophes, of which Rs1 billion will be provided to the Provincial Disaster Management
Authority (PDMA).

The government earmarked Rs4 billion as subsidy on agricultural inputs; Rs1.86 billion for
interest-free loan scheme for farmers, providing a subsidy of Rs36,000 per farmer; and Rs1.68
billion to enhance crop productivity of wheat, rice, sugarcane and oilseeds. The provincial
government has also allocated Rs500.2 million for construction of modern silos, Rs400 million
for matching grants under Agricultural Innovation and Development Enterprise (AIDE) fund,
Rs50 million for provision of happy seeder and rice straw choppers at 80pc subsidy under
mechanised management of rice crop residue programme to combat smog and Rs86.6 million for
mobile food sampling and inspection infrastructure.
―This is the same old system which has been in place since the last three or four decades in
which figures go up and down. The direction of the government is the same, and that direction is
wrong,‖ said Asif Sharif, an agriculture sector expert, while talking to Profit.
According to Sharif, despite Punjab‘s environment, temperature and atmosphere that is suitable
for crop production, the land and soil of the province is fast losing its ability to absorb water and
the province‘s water resources are diminishing.
He added that these factors lead to the deteriorating quality of food production in the province
and greatly increase the cost of food production.
―Our agricultural exports have declined by 30 to 40pc in the last few years. Unless we do
focused and targeted crop production and educate our farmers our agriculture sector will
continue to suffer,‖ he said while further stressing on the need to concentrate on increasing soil
fertility in the province.
―All these budgetary proposals are good for nothing. Instead, they will only increase problems
instead of mitigating them,‖ he added.
Abdul Basit, a progressive farmer from Rahim Yar Khan says that instead of announcing
subsidies for farmers, the government should allocate money to deal with the problem of locust
infestation, which is currently the biggest threat to food security in the country.
―We will not be able to benefit from the Rs1.68 billion allocated for enhancement and
productivity of different crops when the crops would have been already damaged by the locust,‖
he said.
―The government is already late in dealing with the locust problem. We don‘t want subsidies, we
want the
https://profit.pakistantoday.com.pk/2020/06/15/punjab-allocates-rs39-6bn-for-agriculture-food-
security/

IIDC: Ensure early disposalof issues relatedto
industries
TNN | Jun 16, 2020, 04:34 IST
fixed time frame
Lucknow: Infrastructure and industrial development commissioner Alok Tandon on Monday
directed all departments associated with industries to take responsibility for their action and
resolve issues as per guidelines within a fixed timeframe.
He said industrial development was the priority of the government and chief minister Yogi
Adityanath had given strict instructions to settle all issues at the earliest.
Addressing a meeting of Udyog Bandhu on Monday, Tandon and other senior officials reviewed
17 cases, including a complaint by Rice Millers Exporters Association of Ghaziabad. The
association said it was not getting exemption from mandi fee in import of paddy and export of
rice out of the state. The association was informed that as per a notification issued by the state
government, mandi fee will not be payable in trade areas outside mandi yards and the scope of
the mandi committees has been limited to mandi complexes.
On another issue related to payment of stamp duty on amalgamation of land, it was clarified that
stamp duty will be payable on the consideration of additional processing fee deposited in cases

of amalgamation of plots. If amalgamation has been done without payment of processing fee, a
stamp duty of Rs 100 has to be paid in the supplementary deed.
Hathras industries raised concern regarding high monthly electricity bills as billing was done on
KWH and KWA parameters. The IIDC directed the UP Power Corporation Ltd to find technical
solution to the issue and make appropriate provision in billing software within a month.
Labour shortage and scarcity of containers at ports hit India‟s rice exports
“Trucks are standing at the Kandla and Mundra ports for a minimum sevendays as there
is no labour to unload the trucks,” said Gautam Miglani, owner of LRNK, a Haryana-
based basmati rice exporter. “Also, since imports of all products have lessened, containers
are not coming to the ports. This is creating a lot of problems for basmati rice exporters.
Exports are getting delayed.”
By
Sutanuka Ghosal, ET Bureau|
Last Updated: Jun 13, 2020, 10.02 AM IST
In 2019-20, India had exported 4.4 million tonnes of basmati rice.
KOLKATA: Labour shortage and scarcity of containers at the ports has hit India‘s rice exports to
Africa, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran and the United Arab Emirates. While Africa imports non-basmati
rice from India, the Gulf countries rely on India‘s basmati rice for their domestic consumption.
―Trucks are standing at the Kandla and Mundra ports for a minimum seven days as there is no
labour to unload the trucks,‖ said Gautam Miglani, owner of LRNK, a Haryana-based basmati
rice exporter. ―Also, since imports of all products have lessened, containers are not coming to the
ports. This is creating a lot of problems for basmati rice exporters. Exports are getting delayed.‖
Miglani said this year Saudi Arabia and the UAE have emerged as the biggest buyers of basmati
rice. ―Exports to Iran have gone down as there are payment issues with the country. Exporters
from India are yet to get their payments. Nearly 300,000 tonnes of basmati rice is lying at Iranian
ports,‖ he said.
In 2019-20, India had exported 4.4 million tonnes of basmati rice.
The problem is not restricted to basmati rice producers. Non-basmati rice producers from West
Bengal and Jharkhand are facing a similar problem in shipping cheaper variety rice to Africa.

―As migrant workers have left, there is a huge shortage of labourers. The demand from Africa is
very strong, yet shipments are being delayed because of labour shortage,‖ said Suraj Agarwal,
CEO of Tirupati Agri Trade.
―Availability of containers at the Kolkata port has improved a bit, but it is yet to become fully
normal. Also, due to cyclone Amphan, which had badly hit Kolkata, the sheds of clearing and
forwarding agents where the goods are stored have been damaged. That too is delaying exports,‖
he said.
Africa had imported 1.1 million tonnes of rice at an estimated cost of Rs 2,500 crore. They
generally buy rice which is priced at Rs 24 -25 per kg.
Vinit Agarwal, owner of RK Exim, said his company is facing both labour shortage and non-
availability of containers at Vizag port, through which rice exporters from Jharkhand send their
produce to Africa.
Pankaj Jaiswal, owner of Kamla Devi Rice Mill in Lohardaga district of Jharkhand, said the
offtake of rice from the rice mills by exporters has come down due to the disruption in logistics.
―Also, rice mills in the state are not being able to become fully functional as migrant workers
from Bihar, who used to work at the mills, have left for their hometown,‖ he said.
Column | PalakkadanMatta rice and our heritage
Ajay Kamalakaran June 15, 2020 06:18 AM IST

Indiaâ€™s now-eased lockdown has forced even the strongest opponent of tech billionaires to try and
source some groceries online. One of the boons of this reliance on ecommerce for Malayalis is the
nationwide availability of Matta rice from the fields of Palakkad. Those who live in localities (outside
Kerala) that donâ€™t have many Malayali residents would find it next to impossible to get this variety at
the local grocery store.
The change in diet from the polished white rice to this fine red variety has proven beneficial to this writer
in many ways. Besides the obvious nutritional benefits that come with Matta rice, thereâ€™s the
compatibility of Kerala and particularly Palakkad cuisine with this variety. Erishery,sambar and any kind
of upperi goes great with this variety, just as north Indian delicacies taste better with Basmatirice.
Tastes and smells also have the ability to transport a person mentally to another place or to a past that is
filled with real and imaginary memories.
Some childhood memories tend to be particularly vivid, like the power of lightning to temporarily
brighten a pitch-dark village night or the sight of ducks descending on a paddy field to eat insects and
weeds. Then there are memories of our elders that have been passed down to us such as the reading of the
Ramayana in oil-lamp light during the Karkada month. Some memories have been deeply implanted into
our consciousness by literature. Itâ€™s hard not to feel nostalgia for the train that races â€œtoward the
mountain pass like a serpent with a flaming jewel on its forehead,â€• as the great O V Vijayan put it.

Preserving indigenous varieties
Ironically the very same tech giants that help Malayalis get indigenous varieties of grains in places that
are thousands of kilometres from Kerala are also part of the global system that looks to replace
indigenous varieties of rice with hybrids.
Indigenous rice varieties such as Black Njawara, Golden Njawara and Pokkali are full of vital nutrients
that are missing in popular varieties being grown by the farmers in Kerala. A study conducted by
researchers from the Kerala Agricultural University in 2018 revealed that Pokkali rice was among the best
varieties when it came to fibre and protein content. It is also a rich source of antioxidants and contains
minerals, including iron, boron and sulphur. The study also revealed that Pokkali had the lowest
carbohydrate content of the varieties that were tested.
Old timers in Kerala would frown on those who make Kozhikode Biryani with Basmati instead of
Jeerakasala,also known as Wayanadan Kaima. Jeerakasala,a variety that is indigenous to Wayanad as its
alternative name suggests, is also rich in nutrients and has an unmistakable fragrance.
Hybrid varieties of paddy made their way to Kerala from the 1960s. They have affected both yields and
the overall health of the population.
Even after they started to grow hybrid varieties of rice, for a long time farmers in Palakkad would only
personally consume two varieties of Matta - Thavalakannan (literally frogâ€™s eyes) and Chemban.

They were well aware of the nutritional benefits, something that was passed down through the
generations.
Crusader
One of the leading proponents for protecting and preserving Indiaâ€™s traditional agricultural knowledge
has been Dr Vandana Shiva. She has called for India to articulate its own biodiversity to protect both the
ecosystem and the knowledge system.
Rice has been cultivated for thousands of years in Kerala, but there has been an enormous decline in the
traditional rice-growing areas of the state such as Palakkad and Alappuzha since the 1960s. The main
reasons for this decline, according to a 2016 study by H Athira and N K Kumar, are biotic stress caused
by diseases and weeds,land degradation, uneven rainfall, groundwater depletion, low levels of
productivity, climate change, and chemical pollution. Not all of these factors are under the control of
farmers,but they are left with a clear choice: adopt high-yielding varieties, most of which are hybrids, or
use traditional ones that are suitable for marginal lands. Itâ€™s the latter that will benefit public health
and also help preserve something that is an integral part of our heritage.
If the global corporations have their way, we may end up losing the very varieties of rice that link us with
our ancestors and our culture. There has never been a more opportune moment for Kerala to reassess its
agricultural priorities.
https://english.manoramaonline.com/news/columns/keralaspora/2020/06/14/palakkadan-
matta-rice-kerala-heritage.html

16th june ,2020 daily global regional and local rice e-newsletter

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