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Rice E-Newsletter
March 17 , 2015
V o l u m e 5, Issue I
STABILISING Asean rice markets is a crucial concern for averting crises, such as the 2007-08
global rice crisis. The current strategy towards this is by growing the size of rice reserves in the
Asean-Plus-Three Emergency Rice Reserve (Apterr), although Apterr has been critiqued for its
small size relative to total demand and low utilisation. A look into the stabilisation policies in
currency markets show that more important than size is the way the reserves are used to
incentivise actors towards behaviours that reduce risk exposure.
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The Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) has developed 25 new heat-tolerant varieties
that can stand the impact of harsh climate change and other extreme weather conditions such as
the El Nino phenomenon.Dr. Norvie Manigbas, lead researcher, said the development of rice
varieties with high temperature tolerance was intended to address effects of climate change in
areas where 90 to 95 percent of the population depend on rice.He said PhilRice was able to
identify the new breeding lines after rigorous selection for high temperature tolerance using
conventional method and marker-assisted selection.
We established breeding nurseries in high temperature prone areas in Cagayan and Nueva Ecija
to screen and select breeding materials under field conditions, Manigbas said.Rice grows
optimally between 20-35C and becomes increasingly sensitive to increasing temperatures
especially during flowering. In 2010, Manigbas and his team developed new rice genotypes that
can tolerate and adapt to high temperatures at 37-39C under irrigated lowland conditions.They
identified N22 (Nagina 22 from India), Dular (India), and Nipponbare (Japan) as donor parents
and used conventional breeding and molecular marker-assisted selection to generate new high
temperature tolerant breeding populations.Manigbas said planting was done on staggered basis
so that flowering, or reproductive stage of all test entries, will coincide with the highest
temperature during the growing season.
PhilRice identified twenty five new breeding lines tolerant and 16 of those had lower percent
sterility compared with the tolerant checks and donor parent N22, he said.Manigbas said the
new lines will be evaluated further for other traits and if they passed, they can be nominated to
the National Cooperative Test for Multi-Environment Testing.With his co-researchers Luvina
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http://www.manilatimes.net/philrice-develops-25-new-heat-tolerant-rice-varieties/170005/
Grain of salt: Leader of the 'Allow Golden Rice Now' campaign Patrick Moore addressing a press conference in New Delhi on
Monday. - RAMESH SHARMA
The Allow Golden Rice Now campaign led by former Greenpeace member Patrick Moore
made its way here on Monday after similar events in Manila and Dhaka.It aims to promote
golden rice, a genetically-modified variant containing beta-carotene, that the technologys
proponents claim will address the problem of Vitamin A deficiency in the developing
world.Interestingly, its touted as an entirely humanitarian endeavour with public research
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Hybrid Rice
Delhi ,March 17, 2015 Last Updated at 14:20 IST
Government of India has not fixed any target for increasing acreage of hybrid rice in the country.
However, efforts are being made to promote cultivation of hybrid rice through various crop
development programmes such as National Food Security Mission (NFSM), Bringing Green
Revolution to Eastern India (BGREI) and Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY). From the
initial level of 10,000 hectares in 1995, area under hybrid reached one million hectare in 2006. It
has picked up during the last nine years, mainly because of increasing popularity of hybrid rice
in eastern Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh and area under
hybrid rice has exceeded to 2.5 million hectares during 2014, which is about 5.6% of the total
rice area in the country.
Although, there are reports of incidence of bacterial infection, but no report about huge loss to
paddy crop have been received from state governments of Tamil Nadu and Andhra
Pradesh. Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) and Directorate of Rice Research
(DRR) have jointly developed bacterial blight resistant variety 'Improved Samba Mahsuri' which
variety was notified and released for cultivation in 2008. The variety has so far spread to an area
of 90,000 ha in the states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. This
information was given by the Minister of State for Agriculture Sh.Mohanbhai Kundaria in Lok
Sabha today.
http://www.business-standard.com/article/government-press-release/hybrid-rice-115031700393_1.html
The government plans to introduce a coldtolerant variety of Boro paddy to avoid crop damage by
erratic weather.This particular variety, tolerant to cold conditions both at the seedling and
reproductive stages, can be introduced within two years, said Dr Jibon Krishna Biswas, director
general of Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI).We are now running trials, and once we
get successful results, we will apply for its commercial release.
He said the government had been trying to develop crop varieties tolerant of extreme climatic
events to ensure steady food production.As a part of that initiative, BRRI has been working on
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Kevin Roderick: With this drought year starting to look like the worst yet, the
MetropolitanWater District is offering rich deals and Northern California rice farmers are selling.
Jombang, E Java (ANTARA News) - German chemical company BASF organized the Rice
Innovation Experience Tour in Carangrejo village, Kesamben sub-district, Jombang district, East
Java province, to introduce its new fungicidal product to 350 farmers."BASF has spent 250
million euros to conduct research and development in a bid to create a product that can help to
fight the rice blast disease and increase the yield of rice," BASFs Crop Protection Business Area
Manager for Southeast Asia Leon van Mullekom stated here on Tuesday.
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up for a callback. Only gifts made on April 2 through ArkansasGives will count
towards the Arkansas Rice Depot grand total; therefore, we will be set up at Rice
Depot from 8 am 8 pm on April 2 to assist you with your donation. Sign up for a call
to remind you to make your donation count!
Donate! We have set a goal to raise $25,000 through this event, but we will need your
help! OnApril 2, visit ArkansasGives.org to make a donation to Arkansas Rice Depot
between the hours of 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. ArkansasGives requires gifts to be made via
credit card (including American Express, Visa, Discover and MasterCard and debit
cards that bear the Visa or MasterCard symbol). The minimum gift required by the
Arkansas Community Foundation is $25, but since $30 will feed a child for a month,
we are asking a minimum gift of $30.
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6 friends to donate. This is going to be a really fun and easy way to help with
our fundraising efforts for 2015 as well as a perfect opportunity to introduce us to your
friends that might be interested in hunger relief. Forward this email to include your
friends and family in this challenge!
We couldn't fulfill our mission to improve the lives of hungry Arkansans without you! If you have
any questions feel free to contact me at brandi@ricedepot.org or (501) 565-8855 ext 102.
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The Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) has developed 25 new heat-tolerant varieties
that can stand the impact of harsh climate change and other extreme weather conditions such as
the El Nino phenomenon.Dr. Norvie Manigbas, lead researcher, said the development of rice
varieties with high temperature tolerance was intended to address effects of climate change in
areas where 90 to 95 percent of the population depend on rice.He said PhilRice was able to
identify the new breeding lines after rigorous selection for high temperature tolerance using
conventional method and marker-assisted selection.
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Vietnam has gained a substantial share of Hong Kong's rice market at the expense of Thailand,
resulting from fierce competition over the past 10 years.Back in 2004, Thailand controlled
almost 90 per cent of that city's rice market, by sending about 275,000 tonnes to Hong Kong. But
its market share plunged to about 45 per cent in 2013 and then slightly recovered to 48 per cent
last year, according to Hong Kong's Trade and Industry Department. Vietnam's rice sales in
Hong Kong started from almost nothing - 0.3 per cent of the market in 2004 - but its share
jumped to 42 per cent in 2013 before dropping slightly to 40 per cent last year.
"It will be very difficult for Thailand to regain 90 per cent," Fong Ngai, director of the Hong
Kong Economic and Trade Office for Asean, said yesterday during an interview on NOW26 TV.
Thailand's market share in the first month of this year was up to 65.1 per cent versus Vietnam's
26.3 per cent and Cambodia's 0.3 per cent. However, that might not be the trend for the whole
year. Vietnam made a very smart move. It started by selling to restaurants and caterers. Now it
can sell to consumers. "Before we saw only Thai rice on the shelves of supermarkets. Now we
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also see Vietnamese rice," Fong said. Recently Cambodia also made a successfully market entry.
In the near future, Myanmar and other Asean members will likely join the fray. Hong Kong's rice
market - 320,000 tonnes last year - is dominated by fragrant rice, followed by white rice. hareon
Charoen Laothamatas, president of the Thai Rice Exporters Association, is pessimistic about the
market outlook: "We will not be able to recapture our 90-per-cent market share in Hong Kong,
because of our higher price.
" Thai fragrant rice is quoted at about US$1,000 per tonne against Vietnam's $500 and
Cambodia's $600. Rice-subsidy schemes perpetuated by previous governments are to blame,
Charoen claimed. "The governments wanted higher prices and it led to a loss of our overseas
market share," he said. The previous governments did not recognise that the market price is very
important, while on the quality front, Vietnam and other Asean rice exporters have quickly
upgraded their products, he added. The association forecasts Thai rice shipments abroad to reach
about 10 million to 11 million tonnes this year compared with 11 million tonnes last year
.http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/VN-sees-success-in-seizing-HK-rice-market-fromTha-30256192.html
The short-grained stickiness of Japanese rice has become more popular here despite costing
more, with consumption more than doubling since 2011.Last year, Singapore residents consumed
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Patna: BJP members on Monday stalled the proceedings of first half of both the Houses of state
legislature over slow paddy procurement in the state. The opposition members trooped into the
well of both the Houses demanding a debate on the issue as was promised by CM Nitish Kumar
on March 12. They demanded a high-level probe into the alleged scam in paddy
procurement.Rejecting the pleas of ministers Vijay Kumar Choudhary and Shrawan Kumar in
the assembly that the government was ready for discussion and BJP should raise it as per the
rules, leader of opposition Nand Kishore Yadav said had the government been serious, it would
have tagged the cooperatives issue (administrative body of PACSs for paddy procurement)
instead of panchayati raj with the debate on the 3rd supplementary budget.
He requested Speaker Uday Narayan Chaudhary to accept the adjournment notice by BJP
members. But, the Speaker rejected the notice."The CM's fast on land acquisition bill was to
divert the attention of farmers who are angry with the government as PACSs (primary agriculture
cooperative societies) have stopped buying paddy because they lack storage facility as the FCI
godowns were already full," Yadav told the media after the House adjournment, adding only
12.5 lakh tonnes of paddy had been procured so far against the target of 30 lakh tonnes by March
31. He said the government was benefiting middlemen at the cost of 76% farmers who had to sell
their paddy at a throwaway price to brokers
."Only 8.98 lakh tonnes of paddy could be procured through PACSs and 3.5 lakh tonnes through
the state food corporation against the target of 24 lakh tonnes and 6 lakh tonnes respectively by
the two agencies," Yadav said, adding the CM was evading the issue as the government would
be in the dock as it had no defence for poor paddy procurement in the state.Sasaram MLA
Jawahar Prasad said farmers in his area, known as rice bowl of the state, were on the verge of
starvation because they were unable to sell their paddy. Now, rabbi buying season has arrived.
BJP MLA Prem Kumar gave an adjournment notice, which the Speaker rejected.Mahishi MLA
Abdul Gafoor, through a call attention notice, demanded opening of a bank branch as there was
none in a radius of five kilometres of Bhelahi village under Mahishi block.
In Council, BJP member Satyendra Narain Kushwaha moved an adjournment notice. Mangal
Pandey, Nawal Kishore Yadav, Rajnish Kumar, Sanjay Mayukh, Lal Babu Prasad and Kushwaha
trooped into the well and started shouting antigovernment slogans.Leader of opposition in the
Upper House Sushil Kumar Modi said the government has not paid farmers the bonus of Rs 300
per quintal of paddy procured as announced by it. Modi also demanded a CBI inquiry into the
rampant corruption in the state food corporation.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/patna/Houses-stalled-over-paddy-issueagain/articleshow/46587919.cms
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Month
Price
Net Change
May 2015
$10.625
+ $0.100
July 2015
$10.870
+ $0.095
September 2015
$10.985
+ $0.090
November 2015
$11.145
+ $0.080
January 2016
$11.295
+ $0.085
March 2016
$11.295
+ $0.085
May 2016
$11.295
+ $0.085
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Mr Pratuan said the tambon administration and irrigation officers are rationing water to prevent
community conflicts. But Pathum Ruennarong, 76, and his wife Prang Srisamran, 79, in tambon
Phlapphla of Song Phi Nong district, took the risk and grew rice.They said they did not know
what else to do. Luckily, their 50-rai rice field leased from a Bangkok landlord is close to a
reservoir, though they also worry about the supply as they fear they will run out before they get a
chance to harvest."Water must be pumped into the rice field every 15 days. We're afraid it may
not be enough until harvesting time in May," Mrs Prang said.Farmers expect yields to drop by
40% this year.Prices have hit an all-time low, between 6,500-7,000 baht per tonne, while leasing
land costs up to 2,500 baht per rai."If the prices stay this low, we are in for very meagre profits
or even losses," Mrs Prang said.
Courtesy:The Bangkok Post
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