25th November, 2014 Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine

Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine
www.ricepluss.com
Vol 4,Issue XI
Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter
25th November, 2014
Todays News Headlines
Vietnam and IRRI jointly craft strategy to boost countrys

rice industry
Bhler signs optical rice sorters supply deal with Riceland

International in Thailand
Iranian rice importers due tomorrow
3 types of rice ready for climate change
Why rice is dangerous to feed your children
A galloping seafood delight
Haryana government lowers employees' retirement age by 2
years
Langley Honored by Riceland Foods
CME Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures
Harvests trump drought in Yuba-Sutter
Burdekin growers gather to consider rice growing future
Rice yield increase of 30 percent enabled
Louisiana Rice: Last of Verification Fields Harvested, Yields
Good
Rice raised on classical music harvested
Report Warns Burma on Rice Price Volatility
Japan 2014 Cereal Production Forecast to Remain High
Government's rice procurement still lags at 10.35 million
tonnes
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News Detail.
Vietnam and IRRI jointly craft
strategy to boost countrys rice
industry
on 26 November 2014.
HanoiVietnam's Ministry of Agriculture

and Rural Development (MARD) this week
put its full weight behind a national strategy
designed to make rice production an even
larger engine of inclusive economic growth.
Agriculture Minister Cao Duc Phat and Vice
Minister Le Quoc Doanh convened a multistakeholder effort to refine key elements of
the strategy, which includes developing rice
varieties with high export value, adopting
advanced crop management techniques, and
more intensive use of machines and other
technologies in rice farming.
Together with the top leadership of the
International Rice Research Institute (IRRI)
and other public and private sector partners,
MARD seeks the rapid and sustained growth
of the agriculture sector, especially the rice
subsector in which Vietnam is already a
global leader. The rice industryserves as the
foundation
of
Vietnam's
inclusive
development success story.This weeks
collaborative effort advances, in the

country's rice sector, the June 2013 Vietnam
government decision QD-889, or Approving
the Project on Agricultural Restructuring
Toward Raising Added Values and
Sustainable Development. In response to
this decision and to MARD priorities, IRRI
has offered support to Vietnam-led rice
sectorimprovement efforts in key areas.
During a technical workshop on Wednesday,
26 November, MARD officials and partners
discussed IRRIs proposed technical
assistance package. Co-chaired by MARD
Vice Minister Le Quoc Doanh and IRRI
Deputy Director General V. Bruce J.
Tolentino, topics included high-quality rice
varieties and commercial production of
specialty rice for domestic and export
markets; branding of Vietnamese rice;
reduced pre- and postharvest losses; climate
change adaptation and low carbon emission
measures in rice production; support for
small farmers; and policy advice to further
enhance the country's formidable rice sector.
On Thursday, 27 November, MARD
Minister Cao Duc Phat and IRRI Director
General Robert Zeigler will sign a host
country agreement that will facilitate more
robust international exchange among
Vietnamese and IRRI scientists and experts
who will refine and implement Vietnam's
rice sector strategy. This also makes IRRI
the first international agricultural research
center to be officially recognized as an
international
organization
by
the Government of Vietnam.
Contact us for Advertisement & Specs: mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com +92 321 369 2847

Source:
http://irri.org/news/mediareleases/vietnam-and-irri-jointly-craftstrategy-to-boost-country-s-rice-industry
Bhler signs optical rice sorters

supply deal with Riceland
International in Thailand
Monday, 24 November 2014 09:16
In addition to relevant government agencies,
other participants in the working sessions
included academic partners, such as
the Vietnam Academy of Agriculture
Sciences and
the Vietnam
National
University of Agriculture, as well as key
industry
players
like Vinafood and
the Vietnam Food Association.
This weeks developments raise to a higher
level the decades-long partnership between
Vietnam and IRRI, which started in 1963
when the first Vietnamese scientist studied
at the rice institute. A 2011 report from
the Australian Centre for International
Agricultural Research found that between
1985 and 2009, IRRI varieties and breeding
lines contributed, on average, 50% of the
annual yield increases in southern Vietnam
and the use of new varieties increased
Vietnamese rice farmers income by
US$127 per hectare (in 2009 values) per
year during the study period.
Since 1963, IRRI has enabled more than 100
Vietnamese scholars to gain advanced
degrees in rice science. In addition, more
than 700 Vietnamese rice specialists, of
whom more than one-third are women, have
received training in rice technologies at
IRRI.
Bhler has signed an agreement with

Riceland International in Thailand for
the supply of SORTEX S UltraVision
Optical Sorters in the Southeast Asian
country
Vichai Sriprasert, president CEO of
Riceland International with Ye Aung, senior
rice technologist at Bhler Thailand. (Image
source: Bhler)
According to the rice processing and optical

sorting solutions firm, this contract for seven
sorters, signed at the International Rice
Congress 2014, marked a further milestone
in Bhlers continuing expansion in rice
processing across Asia and is strategically
significant for Bhler Thailands position in
the important Thai rice market. It added that
as one of the top 10 exporters of rice by
volume, with annual sales consistently in the
region of 400,000 metric tons, Riceland
International is a key customer for Bhler
Thailand.

The deal also demonstrated Bhlers
significant investment in its customer
partnerships, technical innovations and
localised service and support, which is
fuelling the demands for processing and
optical sorting solutions from rice
processors around the world, according to
the group.Mark Ledson, MD of Bhler
Thailand, said, The agreement with
Riceland International demonstrates our
commitment to help our customers develop
state of the art processing solutions.It is
also an acknowledgement of our global
capability to supply complete process
engineered solutions to leading rice
processors, driven by our leadership in rice
research and technical excellence. We look
forward to continuing our strong working
relationship with Riceland International.
http://www.fareasternagriculture.com/index.php?option=co
m_content&view=article&id=4383:buehler-signs-opticalrice-sorters-supply-deal-with-riceland-international-inthailand&catid=1099&Itemid=101
Iranian rice importers due

tomorrow
our correspondent
Tuesday, November 25, 2014
From Print Edition
LAHORE: A 19-member Iranian Rice Importers
Association delegation is coming to Lahore from
November 26 to 28 to visit different rice factories, farms
and laboratories in perspective of Pak-Iran mutual rice
trade business, a statement said on Monday.
The delegation intends to evaluate the

opportunities for increasing the import of
quality rice from Pakistan, it said. The
delegates would focus on assessing health
certifications in Pakistani rice factories.They
will also get engaged with the banking

authorities in Pakistan in sorting out various
banking
issues,
including
payment
mechanism.Iran has emerged as the largest
importer of rice in the world, as it imports
around 11 percent of the world rice worth
$2.5 billion, the statement said. According
to the International Trade Centre, the
demand for rice in Iran has doubled during
2012-13 and in the last five years, import of
rice grew more than 35 percent.
Hence, there exists a huge opportunity for
the exporters of Pakistani rice.Presently,
almost 90 percent of rice is from India
although import from Pakistan would be
more economical, it said.Pakistan is the
fourth largest exporter of rice in the world
with exports of more than $2 billion.This
high-level delegation is an opportunity to
maximise the huge potential of trade
between Pakistan and Iran.Rice exporters
are hopeful the visit will help them penetrate
in the Iranian market.The Iranian delegation
is being facilitated by the Trade
Development Authority of Pakistan.
Source with thanks: http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysNews-3-286202-Iranian-rice-importers-duetomorrow#sthash.rpa2WTJy.dpuf
3 types of rice ready for climate

change
New types of rice can survive drought,
floods and salt water intrusion all impacts
of climate change
Pia Ranada
Published 8:02 AM, Nov 25, 2014
Updated 8:19 AM, Nov 25, 2014
LOS BAOS, Philippines Can you
imagine a world without rice?

nature/environment/75979-climate-changeready-rice
Why rice is dangerous to

feed your children
Mark Koebrich and Consumer Reports, News 1010:26
a.m. EST November 24, 2014
If climate change has its way, that may be

the kind of world that awaits us, or at the
very least, our children.Rice, with its
dependence on water and sensitivity to heat,
is one of many crops threatened by global
warming. In the Philippines, every 1 degree
Celsius increase in night-time temperature
could reduce the amount of harvested rice
by as much as 10%, according to the
Department of Agriculture.Rice, which
feeds almost half of the human population,
is already suffering from other impacts of
the global phenomenon such as rising sea
levels, drought and stronger typhoons.
Add this to the fact that by 2050, the world
will have to feed an estimated 2 billion more
people. With more mouths to feed, limited
land to grow rice and climate change, the
world is looking bleak for rice-lovers.That's
why scientists all over the world are coming
up with new types of rice that can withstand
the worst of climate change and still end up
in people's plates.Here are new kinds of rice
developed by the International Rice
Research Institute (IRRI) in Los Baos,
Laguna using advanced breeding technology
Source with
thanks:http://www.rappler.com/science-
(Photo: JAY DIRECTO, AFP/Getty Images)
CONSUMER REPORTS - Consumer

Reports has issued new guidelines for limits
on how much rice you and your children
should eat.Consumer Reports analyzed Food
and Drug Administration data on more than
600 foods that contain rice and found some
with worrisome levels of inorganic arsenic,
which is linked to several types of cancer.
The Food and Drug Administration
recommends parents consider other options
rather than rice cereal for their children's
first solid food.
Consumer Reports' analysis found that hot
rice cereal and rice pasta can have much
more arsenic than its lab saw in previous
tests. So Consumer Reports now
recommends that children rarely eat these
foods, which means not more than twice a
month. And Consumer Reports recommends
children under five limit rice drinks, rice
cakes and ready-to-eat rice cereals. Levels

of arsenic vary. Consumer Reports based its
recommendations on the higher levels in
each food group to offer consumers the best
protection.
As for rice itself, Consumer Reports' lab
tests in 2012 found high levels of inorganic
arsenic in white rice and even higher levels
in brown rice. Consumer Reports has tested
other types of rice and other grains and has
found several alternatives with much lower
levels of inorganic arsenic. Some good
choices sushi rice from the U.S. and
white basmati rice from California, India
and Pakistan. On average they had half the
amount of arsenic as most other types of
rice. And brown basmati rice from
California, India and Pakistan has about one
third less inorganic arsenic than other brown
rice. Other good options bulgur, barley
and faro, as well as gluten-free grains like
amaranth, buckwheat, millet and quinoa.
In response to Consumer Reports'
investigation, the USA Rice Federation
issued this statement: "Research conducted
by the Food and Drug Administration and
U.S. rice industry shows arsenic levels
found in U.S.-grown rice are below safe
maximum levels established this year by the
World Health Organization. Studies show
that including white or brown rice in the diet
provides measurable health benefits that
outweigh the potential risks associated with
exposure to trace levels of arsenic. The U.S.
rice industry is committed to growing a safe
and healthy product; we continuously test
our crop, and research ways of reducing the
already low levels of arsenic found in rice

even further.
The Food & Drug Administration issued this
statement: The FDA's ongoing assessment
of arsenic in rice remains a priority for the
agency. Last year, the FDA released what
we believe to be the largest set of test results
to date on the presence of arsenic in rice and
rice products, and we are planning to release
a draft assessment of the potential health
risks associated with the consumption of
arsenic in these same foods.
Until that review is completed, the agency
continues to recommend that consumers,
including pregnant women, eat a wellbalanced diet containing a variety of grains.
Parents should feed infants and toddlers a
variety of grains as well, and consider
options other than rice cereal for a child's
first solid food.Published studies and
ongoing FDA research indicate that cooking
rice in excess volumes of water five to six
times that of the rice and draining the
water can reduce the arsenic content, though
it may also reduce the nutritional value of
the rice.
A galloping seafood delight

By DON AND CARLENE CULLIMORE
Tuesday, November 25, 2014 at 1:00 pm
The July 29 column by Tribune Food Editor
Marcia Vanderlip stirred memories of a rich
seafood dish created by chef Graham Kerr,
the octogenarian Galloping Gourmet who
has been a food writer-kitchen celebrity for
more than half a century. I became
acquainted with Kerr through his TV
cooking show that was airing in the 1970s.
The series began in the 60s in Canada and
later was syndicated in the United States.

Graham acquired the intriguing moniker
Galloping Gourmet early in his career
when he undertook a 35-day tour of the
finest restaurants around the world while
promoting a new cookbook. Known for his
sense of humor, Graham devised a clever
way to start his TV shows entering the
kitchen while leaping over a piece of
furniture before coming to a grinning halt in
front of the cameras. His live audiences
surely watched his aerial acrobatics
anxiously lest he trip and make a crash
landing.
The name of Grahams seafood dish I
learned to cook escapes me. I had written
down the recipe while watching the TV
show but lost it some years later when
moving. However, the ingredients and
general instructions for creating the dish are
still with me, although I had not prepared it
for many years until last week.
Its a dish I prepared for my wife when we
were first dating and I was living in a rustic
Oregon beach house in the small community
of Manzanita. Reminiscent of a classic
French seafood dish containing ample
quantities of clarified butter and cream and
fortified with wine, it is not for those who
are counting calories or cholesterol.
It became an immediate hit with our Oregon
friends when we entertained. I prepared it
numerous times before leaving the
Northwest to move to Florida in 1989, but it
disappeared from our table fare as new
foods in a new place replaced it in our
culinary adventures.
The combination of butter, cream and other
flavorful fats was typical of Kerrs early
cooking shows and recipes, but he moved on
to more healthy kitchen fare in later years
after his wife and producer of his many

TV shows Treena suffered some serious
health issues that prompted a change of diet
to one featuring less saturated fats and more
healthful food choices.
SEAFOOD IN A BUTTER-CREAM-WINE
SAUCE
1 cup basmati rice, steamed
12 scallops
12 medium-size shrimp, shelled
16 ounces cod, cut into squares
approximately 1 inch thick by 2 inches
1-1/4 sticks butter, clarified
2 medium cloves garlic, mashed and skins
off
1 cup cream
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 teaspoon dry dill (more if fresh)
Pinch of salt (to taste)
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
2 to 3 tablespoons arrowroot thickener
Precook rice and keep warm atop stove
while preparing seafood. Clarify butter in
sauce pan, skimming sediment off the top,
then pour into larger pan or skillet on lowmedium heat. Place mashed garlic in pan
and let simmer until golden-brown, then
remove cloves and discard. Add wine to
butter and increase heat to medium-high for
2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and
add cream, dill, salt and pepper.
Wait until mixture is at medium heat and
add cod and set a kitchen timer for 10
minutes. After 4 minutes, add scallops; after
5 minutes, add shrimp. At this time, mix
arrowroot in 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water until
smooth and pour into pan and stir until
mixture thickens. Do not overcook fish; it
will become rubbery if you continue
cooking beyond 10 minutes.When done,
pour seafood mixture over rice. Serve with
simple green salad and crusty French bread.

Servings: 4-5.
Hooda had increased the retirement age of state
Classically trained, Carlene Cullimores

professional cooking career spanned 30
years. Don Cullimore is a freelance writer
and editor. Reach them at
ccullimore@sbcglobal.net.
government employees by two years to 60. It
Source with thanks 2014 Columbia Daily

Tribune
Haryana government lowers

employees' retirement age by 2
years
By PTI | 25 Nov, 2014, 11.18PM IST
Manohar Lal Khattar-led government in Haryana decided
to roll back the Congress regime's decision to enhance the
retirement age of state employees by two years.
ET SPECIAL:
was enhanced to 62 years for Class IV

employees and persons with disabilities.
The decision to roll back the retirement age will
be
implemented
immediately,
Chief
Minister Manohar Lal Khattar told reporters

after the Cabinet meeting this evening. "All
employees who had completed 58 or 60 years in
their respective categories and are still serving
would be retired on November 30, 2014.The
upper age limit for fresh recruitment would
remain (unchanged at) 42 years. This decision
had been taken to ensure maximum employment
opportunity to the youth," he said. he Cabinet
also decided to increase VAT on diesel from the
present 9.24 per cent to 12.07 per cent, with the
Chief Minister saying the exchequer would earn
an additional Rs 750 crore annually following
the move. However, opposition Congress termed
the decision to increase the VAT on diesel as
"anti-farmer".
CHANDIGARH: The Manohar Lal Khattar-led

BJP government in Haryana today decided to
roll back the erstwhile Congress regime's
decision to enhance the retirementage of state
employees by two years, evoking sharp reaction
from the opposition.
"This is the most unfortunate anti-people and

anti-farmer
decision.
This
will
lead
to
inflationary pressure on the market as a whole,

besides putting unwarranted burden on the
farming community who are already browbeaten
by astronomical low prices of cotton and
At a Cabinet meeting here, the BJP government
basmati rice," Congress national spokesman and
decided to lower the retirement age from 60 to
former
58 years and to hike VAT on diesel from the
Surjewala told over phone.The Congress leader
present 9.24 per cent to 12.07 per cent. Shortly
was also critical of the rollback of some of the
before the October 15 Assembly polls, the
decisions of the Congress regime including the
Congress government led by Bhupinder Singh
lowering of the retirement age. Among other
Haryana
minister
Randeep
Singh

decisions, Khattar said the state government had
also decided to remove the Chairman and
members
of
Haryana
Staff
Selection
Commission and to revoke the Act of Haryana

Teacher Service Selection Board. He said a new
system would soon be introduced for teachers
recruitment.
Source with thanks:
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/
policy/haryana-government-lowers-employeesretirement-age-by-2-years/articleshow/45276403.cms
Reece excelled at both. In Washington,

Reece is considered one of the top ag policy
guys on Capitol Hill."Langley joined the
USA Rice in 2005 and recently took a
position with the National Cotton Council as
their vice president of Washington
operations.
(Left to Right): Rich Hillman, Vice Chairman
of RFI Board; Roger Pohlner, Chairman of RFI
Board; Langley; Danny Kennedy, President &
CEO RFI
Contact: Deborah Willenborg (703) 236-1444
Langley Honored by
Riceland Foods
Langley honored by Riceland
STUT
TGA
RT,
AR At
their
annua
l
meeti
ng
last
Thursday, Riceland Foods honored Reece
Langley with the company's 'Friend of the
Farmer' award for his advocacy for the rice
industry during his tenure as the USA Rice
Federation's vice president of government
affairs.While at USA Rice, Langley worked
on two different Farm Bills -- the first, in
2008,
and,
most
recently,
the
groundbreaking Agricultural Act of 2014.
Of that experience, Riceland President and
CEO Danny Kennedy said, "The 2014 Farm
Bill required patience and perseverance, and
News shared by USA Rice Federation's
CME Group/Closing Rough

Rice Futures
CME Group (Preliminary): Closing Rough Rice
Futures for November 25
Month
Price
Net Change
January 2015
$12.370
- $0.075
March 2015
$12.645
- $0.075
May 2015
$12.885
- $0.075
July 2015
$13.090
- $0.075
September 2015
$12.245
- $0.075
November 2015
$12.145
- $0.075
January 2016
$12.145
- $0.075

Harvests trump drought in
Yuba-Sutter
David Bitton/Appeal-Democrat
112414_db_walnuts_049.jpg
David Bitton/Appeal-Democrat Employees
keep busy sorting walnuts for quality at
Sacramento Valley Walnut Growers south
of Yuba City on Monday, Nov. 24, 2014.
Posted: Tuesday, November 25, 2014 12:15
am
By
Andrew
Creasey/ acreasey@appealdemocrat.com
Harvest season is over, and both mainstays

of Yuba-Sutter agriculture reported a strong
year despite a withering drought.Rice
growers reported strong production per acre,
although the overall yield suffered due to
water shortages and fallowed fields.And
while official numbers aren't in, several
growers said this year's local walnut crop
could be record-breaking. California,
statewide, is on track for a record year with
an expected crop of 545,000 tons, 11 percent
bigger than last year, according to estimates
from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's
National Agricultural Statistics Service.
And it's no different in Yuba-Sutter, said
Mat Conant, a Sutter County walnut
grower."I think overall production will make
this crop the best ever in this area. I'd be
surprised if it wasn't," Conant said. "But I

don't think anyone has their total yet to
figure that out."A surge in walnut prices
during the past few years caused a spike in
acres planted to walnuts in Yuba-Sutter.
There are almost 30,000 more acres of
producing walnut trees than in 2008, and
13,000 more acres are planted but have not
reached productive years. That increase in
acreage is a large part of the expected record
production year, said Raj Kumar Sharma,
owner of Sunrise Orchards in Yuba County.
"Every year for the next few years, we're
going to see an increase in tonnage because
more trees will come into production,"
Sharma said. "But there is more demand
than supply, so even if there is a little more
crop, it is still salable."The price is still
strong, although global demand from China
and Turkey has lagged, which has depressed
the market slightly, Conant said.Conant said
prices have reached $2.12 a pound, but he
said it will likely end a little lower.
The drought has impacted the quality of the
walnut crop, causing a smaller nut size and a
duller color, said Sarb Johl, who farms about
1,000 acres in Sutter and Yuba counties.The
edible yield the weight of the crop that
can be eaten is also expected to be
slightly lower this year, said Dan Silva, a
walnut grower and processor with the
California Valley Nut Company.Usually, the
walnut industry wants to see half the weight
of the nut be edible, but Silva said this year
the number will be around 42 to 46
percent.Part of the reduction in quality and
nut size is due to a series of warm days in
January, which broke the dormancy cycles
that help set the blossoms to develop a
strong nut, Silva said.
Rice turns out
Although about 25 percent of rice fields
throughout the state went unplanted due to

the drought, local rice growers reported a
strong season for the rice they could
plant.Overall production this year is at 3.6
billion pounds, which is a 24 percent
decrease from last year, according to data
from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's
National Agricultural Statistics Service.But
local rice growers reported near-record
yields in production per acre due to a strong
growing season that featured few days with
temperatures higher than 100 degrees and a
dry and cool, but not cold, August and
September, said Charley Mathews Jr., a
Yuba County rice grower
.The price of rice is up, but still below the
high prices of 2008, Mathews said."There is
still a lot of competition in the world for our
exports," Mathews said.Growers are getting
between $24 and $25 per 100 pounds of
rice, which is well up from a year ago, when
prices were between $16 and $17 per 100
pounds, Mathews said.
Rain needed
With harvest season ending, farmers are
now turning an eye to the winter weather
forecasts, hoping for a robust rainy season
that
breaks
the
three-year
drought."Everyone's a little nervous about
what the water year will look like," said
Charley Mathews Jr., a Yuba County rice
grower. "We're well behind of where we
were 12 months ago in terms of water
storage."Raj Kumar Sharma, owner of
Sunrise Orchards in Yuba County, said he
was encouraged by the start of the wet
season."We had a really good storm last
week, and they are predicting more rain, and
we are just in November," Sharma said. "I
am excited about it. I think we will be OK."
Source with thanks :http://www.appealdemocrat.com/news/harvests-trump-drought-inyuba-sutter/article_119dfb9c-7472-11e4-ab914f4b5a455e01.html
Burdekin growers gather to

consider rice growing future
ABC Rural
By Carmen Brown
Updated Mon at 4:52pmMon 24 Nov 2014,
4:52pm
PHOTO: Growers inspected a crop variety
trial near Home Hill as part of the Sunrice
information session yesterday (Carmen
Brown)
MAP: Townsville 4810
Plans to establish a large-scale rice
industry in Queensland's Burdekin region
are gaining momentum, with Australia's
largest processor holding its first grower
meeting in the region yesterday.
Almost 100 farmers attended the Sunrice
information session in Brandon, to learn
more about the practicalities and economics
of production.
We haven't come up here lightly, we've spent
a lot of money already
Sunrice acquired the milling assets of Blue
Ribbon Rice earlier this month, and is now
CONTACT reporter Andrew Creasey at 749-4780 and

on Twitter @AD_Creasey.

working hard to recruit local farmers to
grow its first wet-season crop.General
manager, David Keldie, says despite the
challenges of growing rice in northern
Australia, the company is committed to
developing a sustainable industry in the
Burdekin."We haven't come up here lightly,
we've spent a lot of money already," he said.
Source with thanks :

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-1125/burdekin-rice-industry-push-gainsmomentum/5915482
Rice yield increase of 30

percent enabled
Scientists at the University of Arkansas
System Division of Agriculture have
found that they can harness
photosynthesis the process that plants
use to convert light energy to chemical
energy to increase rice yields by up to
30 percent.
"Prior to buying Blue Ribbon's rice milling

assets we had already spent $1 million
researching and developing varietals that
suit this climate."So it's a big commitment,
we've taken a big step and we're going to
continue to invest as it's commercially
viable, and we hope the farmers support us.
"Mr Keldie says marketing Burdekin rice as
a premium north Queensland product will
also be key to the industry's viability."The
prices we're paying farmers are quite healthy
now up here, so it would allow us to
maintain that and be more specialised in the
varieties that we grow," he said."And to
steer those varietals and the crop we do
grow up here into more premium
markets."Obviously we have to market the
rice as well, we have to package it, there's a
lot of costs associated with that."So by
branding and utilising the north Queensland
brand, from a provenance perspective,
allows us to sustain that model."
PHOTO: Almost 100 growers attended an information
session and crop variety tour hosted by Sunrice

yesterday (Carmen Brow
Posted Nov. 24, 2014 @ 12:05 pm

A research group led by Andy Pereira of the
Crop, Soil, and Environmental Sciences
Department faculty examined a protein that
acts as a switch to activate genes that can
enhance the photosynthesis activity of rice
plants. The researchers discovered that the
protein, known as higher yield rice (HYR),
could enable the plants to survive stress,
thrive and increase productivity.The results
of the research are published in Nature
Communications,
an
online
multidisciplinary journal of the natural
sciences athttp://bit.ly/109ZzHl. The project
received support from the U.S. Department
of Agriculture National Institute of Food and
Agriculture and the National Science
Foundation.
The regulator HYR does regulate
photosynthesis, a complex process, said
Pereira, who holds the Anheuser-Busch and
Arkansas Wholesalers Professorship in Plant
Molecular Genetics. I saw in the
greenhouse that the plants using the HYR
regulator were much greener than any

others. It was because of more chlorophyll.
It had higher photosynthesis. All the rest
followed.
What followed was a process that
capitalized
on
natures
use
of
photosynthesis, in which plants take in
carbon dioxide and expel oxygen. If rice and
other plants are under too much stress,
photosynthesis will shut down. That might
be a good survival mechanism, and many
plants want just to survive, Pereira said.
But we dont want crops to just survive.
We want them to keep producing.
A plants natural reaction under stress is to
shut down photosynthesis to keep it from
producing reactive oxygen, which is
damaging to the plant. This is where the
HYR regulator protein comes in by keeping
the whole photosynthesis machinery active
and maintaining productivity, Pereira
explained. Before Pereiras research on the
project began a few years ago at the Virginia
Bioinformatics Institute at Virginia Tech
where he remains an adjunct faculty member
there was consensus among scientists that
increasing photosynthesis capacity would
probably increase productivity and yield.
No one had proven it until Pereiras group
demonstrated grain yield increases as high
as 29.7 percent by using the HYR
regulator.The research showed that a plant
needs to have the higher capacity to increase
its production. Increased light will produce
more photosynthesis, but if a plant doesnt
have the capacity to use it, there wont be
more production.
HYR increases photosynthesis, which
increases sugars, which increases biomass
and finally leads to more grain yield among
normal rice cultivars, Pereira said. Higher
photosynthesis leads to greater stress

tolerance in HYR rice plants. The increased
tolerance enables higher rice grain
production under drought and heat stress
with maintenance of good grain quality.
Most importantly, the suite of genes
regulated by HYR is the blueprint for
development of similar rice varieties using
non-GMO methods, Pereira added.
Source with thanks
:http://www.newportindependent.com/article/20
141124/NEWS/141129799/10082/NEWS
Louisiana Rice: Last of

Verification Fields Harvested,
Yields Good
AgFax.Com - Your Online Ag News
Source
By Johnny Saichuk, LSU AgCenter
Nobody can accuse the verification program

of not representing the real world. We were
about an hour or so into harvesting our
second crop field in Vermilion parish and
yields were looking good, harvest was going
well and the weather was cold but
cooperating. Nearly three hours later we
were rolling again, but ran out of time and
had to finish the next morning.Going, going,
gone; the last of the verification fields for
2014 were harvested on Tuesday and
Wednesday.

This was not the latest rice harvest last
year in Jeff Davis the second crop was
harvested on November 30 but it was
definitely the coldest. When the sun dipped
below the horizon we really got chilled
down. The next day was much better.In spite
of the more difficult growing season than
last year, the yields were only slightly lower
than 2013 yields. Actually, the total green
weight is slightly higher than last year. If
you wonder about the average yield of
second crop it is computed by multiplying
the second crop by the field acreage then
dividing by the total acreage of all fields
because we treat all fields together as a
single farm.
The average of both crops is computed by
adding the yield of first and second crop for
each field, then multiplying that number by
the field acreage, then dividing that figure
by the total acreage in the program.Basically
it is determining total production for all
fields then dividing by total acreage for all
fields. Got that? Here is what it looks like
mathematically (for dry cwt/A): [(23 X
78.65) + (20.7 X 74.83) + (42.6 X 137.74) +
(41.0 X 103.74) + (32.2 X 83.29)] divided
by 159.5 = 100.79. If you try the numbers as
reported there will be a slight difference
because I used Excel which did not round
off. That is the way I would figure a yield if
this was my farm and it is the way we
determine the state average. We multiply
each parish yield by each parish acreage
then divide by the entire state acreage.
This will be my last edition of Field
Notes. It started when we were just entering
the world of digital photography. I took a
picture of something we had seen in the field
that day and I sent it out to the rice agents in
the state from a hotel room that night with
the admonition to be aware of it. Wish I
could remember what it was, but that is too
many
years
ago.
Dr.
Linscombe
immediately answered the e-mail with a

comment to the effect that I should do this in
the form of a newsletter. At first I regretted
copying him on the message, but realized he
was right and I should put together a
newsletter.
The rest, as they say, is history. I began to
look forward to doing it each week and hope
you have learned something from them.One
of the reasons for the success of the rice
program has been excellent rice agents. I
have no doubt we have the best rice agents
in the country and for that I am truly
grateful. Someone once asked the famous
baseball manage Casey Stengel what made a
good manager. He answered, Good
players. I have been fortunate to work with
good players. Another reason is the
extremely competent network of company
field representatives and consultants.
Their phone calls often were the basis for
investigating a problem or writing about
some topic I would otherwise have
neglected.The rice industry has undergone
many changes since I started this job. In the
early 1990s there were over 3,000 rice
farmers in the state and now we are down to
1,000 or less. Those who have remained are
better farmers and have to be to survive in
this economic climate. The past few years
have been among the most rewarding
because of you.Years ago one of my
mentors exposed me to this statement
written by Etienne de Grellet, a Quaker
missionary. It has been a guiding light to me
so I thought I would share it with you:
I shall pass this way but once; any good
that I can do or any kindness I can show to
any human being; let me do it now. Let me
not defer no neglect it, for I shall not pass
this way again.
Tags: johnny
saichuk, louisiana, Louisiana
rice, LSU

AgCenter
News, rice
fields, rice yields
verification
Source
with
thanks:
http://agfax.com/2014/11/24/louisiana-ricelast-verification-fields-harvested-yieldsgood/#sthash.R4XabWKX.dpuf
Rice raised on classical

music harvested
2014/11/25 21:20:27
Taipei, Nov. 25 (CNA) Rice that has been
grown to the strains of classical music by
such maestros as Beethoven and Mozart
over the past four months in eastern Taiwan
was harvested Tuesday.The "rice listening to
the music" program, initiated by Poca A
Poca Music Education Foundation, started in
July, with a giant "rice music box" set up by
the side of the famous Mr. Brown boulevard
in Taitung's Chihshang Township.
Every day, music by Mozart, Beethoven and
Tchaikovsky was played to "nourish the
rice" in the township, which is famous for its
namesake rice.The foundation then invited
the children of Wan'an Elementary School
to join farmers in harvesting the crop.One
farmer said he originally thought the rice,
like himself, could only appreciate songs by
famous Taiwanese singers such as Chris
Hung and Jody Chiang, but after more than
100 days of listening to the maestros, he said
proudly that "I now also know Beethoven.
"The rice, harvested from a 3.2-hectare
paddy, has been packed into 7,000 bags that
will be auctioned off, with the proceeds
going toward the promotion of classical
music in remote areas.According to the

foundation, playing classical music to rice is
like letting unborn children listen to Mozart
or playing music to dairy cows.Athough the
effects on the rice are unknown, the project
has created an environment of musical
culture."We don't need to dress up in suits
and ties and go to the National Concert Hall
to appreciate classical music. We can also
put sound systems beside rice fields and
enjoy the music while watching the dancing
ears of rice," said You Chao-ming, chairman
of the foundation.
(By Tyson Lu and Lilian Wu)
ENDITEM/J
Source with thanks
http://focustaiwan.tw/news/asoc/201411250027.
aspx
Report Warns Burma on Rice

Price Volatility
By KYAW HSU MON / THE IRRAWADDY|
Tuesday, November 25, 2014 |
RANGOON
A new
World Bank
study warns
that instability
in the price of
rice in Burma is posing challenges to the
countrys largely impoverished farmers.The
study finds that rice price volatility in
Burma is the highest among net rice
exporting countries in Asia, preventing
farmers from earning high profits and
keeping many families at or close to poverty
income levels.

The price of the commodity has
particularly far-reaching implications in
majority agrarian Burma, according to
Abdoulaye Seck, the World Banks country
manager in Burma.Agriculture is at the
heart of poverty reduction in Myanmar.
Changes in rice prices affect nearly 50
percent of the population whose livelihood
depends
on
rice
production,
he
said.According to the World Bank report,
rice prices have risen by 40 percent between
2009-13, risking Burmas overall food
security and export competitiveness.
A majority of rural population lives close
to the poverty line and spends more than 60
percent of their incomes on food. Even
temporary increase in rice prices reduces
real income and households spending on
health, education or more nutritious food.
Rice price volatility, indeed, should concern
everyone in Myanmar, Seck said.
The rice market in Burma had until recently
been in a downward spiral. A Chinese ban
on rice imports from Burma and a rise in
rice exports by neighboring Thailand were
cited as leading to the price fall. Rice
exports bottomed out at US$280 per 100
baskets (about 1.5 tons) in the middle of
October, before rebounding this month as
heavy rains led traders to speculate that this
year might see a reduced harvest.
Rice rose to $380 per 100 baskets last
week.Paddy price is going up about 10
percent these days because of heavy rain
traders think prices will increase again, said
Chit Khine, chairman of the Myanmar Rice
Federation.The World Banks report said
price volatility in Burma was mostly due to
the fact that rice production is heavily
concentrated in just two months of the year,

November and December.The report added
that fragmented seed market, poor roads,
weak phone coverage, unreliable market
information, low export diversification, and
high costs for rice mills to maintain rice
stocks amplify these price fluctuations even
further.
The World Bank recommended that rice
production be better spread across a given
year, and promoted efforts to lower the cost
of doing business for farmers and traders,
including by improving road and
telecommunications links.Any strategy for
stabilizing rice price volatility has to address
its structural causes, said Ulrich Zachau,
the World Banks country director for
Myanmar.The global lender also advised
against short-term measures to stabilize the
rice market.
Stable prices per se do not generate longterm agricultural growth if it is achieved
through shortsighted policies, said Sergiy
Zorya, a Word Bank senior agricultural
economist and lead author of the report.
Short-term measures such as export
restrictions, minimum farm prices or
government-owned stocks might reduce
some volatility but rarely produce positive
outcomes for food security and poverty
reduction in the long term.Burma was once
the worlds leading rice exporter, but the
industry all but collapsed under the former
military regime.
According to the Myanmar Rice Exporters
Association, Burmas rice exports in 201314 stood at about 1.2 million tons, down
from 1.47 million tons the year before.
President Thein Sein has set a target to

export 4 million tons of rice by 2020.A boy
sits nearby while his parents plant rice
seedlings in a paddy field on the outskirts of
Rangoon in 2012. (Photo: Soe Zeya Tun /
Reuters)
NEW
DELHI:
Rice
procurement
by
government
agencies continues
to
Source with Thanks:Irrawaddy
lag
million
at
10.35
tonnes
(MT) in the marketing year 2014-15 so far
Japan 2014 Cereal Production

Forecast to Remain High
25 November 2014
as against 10.9 MT in the corresponding

period last year.The Food Corporation of
India (FCI) and state agencies undertake
procurement of rice and wheat to ensure that
JAPAN - Harvesting
of the 2014 paddy
crop is currently
underway and will
continue until the
end
of
November.FAOs latest forecast points to a
paddy harvest slightly below last years
bumper output, at 10.6 million tonnes, as a
result of a small decrease in plantings due to
low prices at sowing time.The 2014 winter
wheat harvest, concluded in July, is
estimated by FAO at 840,000 tonnes,
slightly higher than the level of 2013 but
over 100,000 tonnes higher than the average
for 2009-2013.Aggregate cereal production
for 2014 is forecast at 11.6 million tonnes,
close to last years level and above the
average recorded for the period 2009-2013.
farmers get a minimum support price

(MSP)."Rice procurement as on November
24 is slightly lower than year ago.
Procurement in Punjab and Haryanais
nearing end. Other states like Telangana
have started buying," a senior FCI official
told PTI.
Rice marketing year runs from October to
September and the annual procurement
target for this year is 30 MT.In Punjab, rice
procurement so far this year has been 7.7
MT, as against 8 MT in the year-ago period,
while in Haryana, it reached 1.98 MT as
against 2.4 MT in the review period.In
Telangana, about 3,88,000 tonnes of rice has
been procured so far this year.Last year,
Government's rice
procurement still lags at 10.35
million tonnes
kharif rice procurement was 26.6 MT as

against the target of 32.06 MT.
http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com
PTI Nov 25, 2014, 03.19PM IST

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