
Rice export prices rise to 3.5-month high
Vietnam exported 1.48 million tons of rice worth $715 million in the first three months this year, up 24 percent in volume and 10.5 percent in value against the same period last year, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
The ministry said stable global demand and high transportation costs resulted in March’s price hike.
Vietnam’s 5 percent broken rice was sold at $415-420 per ton in late March, up $20 per ton from the beginning of the month. On average, the rice has cost $414 per ton in the world market in March, up $16 per ton against February.
Meanwhile, Thailand’s 5 percent broken standard rice was sold at $408-412 a ton, down $16 from the beginning of the month as the baht continued to drop against the dollar.
Vietnam exported over 6.2 million tons of rice for nearly $3.3 billion last year, according to the General Department of Vietnam Customs.
The average export price of Vietnamese rice rose 5.5 percent in 2020 to $526.8 per ton in 2021, according to the agriculture ministry.
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Rice Market Update: Uncertainty Remains Key Factor

Prices for long grain milled are priced at or just above $650 pmt, whereas prices in South America are at least $100 pmt below that. South America is in the peak of their harvest season, with several questions swirling around the drought situation in Brazil. We know that Uruguay has crested the high point, and is on the downhill slope of the last 20% of their crop. Argentina is just ahead of them. Brazil and Paraguay are the big swings that will be coming to light in the next few weeks.
In Asia, prices have held steady despite the inflationary rise that so many other commodities have seen. For more than a quarter now, prices in Thailand and Vietnam have oscillated around $400 pmt, while India and Pakistan have been around $360 pmt. This can in large part be attributed to India, who hasn’t slowed exports over the COVID-19 pandemic, and has been responsible for its third record crop in as many years.
India’s farm subsidies, which many speculate have led to their record crop, has blunted the inflationary impacts of rice world-wide. With rice being the most basic food calorie for human consumption that prevents hunger for the poorest nations, this can be viewed as a positive in the global environment. However, India’s rice subsidy violations have put a burden on many rice producers around the globe; these violations were front-and-center this week with the World Trade Organization (WTO).
India has been called out by the U.S. rice industry and others to stop creating an unfair playing field with their rice subsidy program. It is making rice from the United States and other origins uncompetitive on a global scale, and can have severe detrimental impacts on food security world-wide in the future.
Prices on the ground show Texas in the lead at $17/cwt. Louisiana is strong at $15.25/cwt, while prices in Mississippi, Arkansas, and Missouri are fluctuation between $14.75-$15.75 based on variety and qualities.
The weekly USDA Export Sales report shows net sales of 8,300 MT this week, a marketing-year low, down 51% from the previous week and 81% from the prior 4-week average. Increases primarily for Mexico (13,700 MT), Haiti (7,300 MT), Jordan (4,000 MT), the Dominican Republic (2,000 MT), and Honduras (1,500 MT), were offset by reductions primarily for Colombia (22,000 MT).
Exports of 80,300 MT were up noticeably from the previous week and up 98% from the prior 4-week average. The destinations were primarily to Mexico (32,700 MT), Colombia (22,300 MT), Haiti (15,300 MT), El Salvador (4,100 MT), and Canada (2,000 MT).In the futures market, May 22 prices are down just over 1% this week to $16.010. May 23 contracts are about flat from last week, now at $16.615. Average Daily Volume registers at 411, down 23% from last week, while open interest is flat at 9,701.
Sri Lanka crisis: India begins shipment of rice to crisis-hit island nation
The rice is being offered under a credit line of $1 billion to Sri Lanka announced by India recently towards the purchase of food, medicine and other essential commodities. Of this credit line, $150 million is earmarked for rice supplies to Sri Lanka.

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Drop in prices
The drop in prices was attributed to stepped up arrivals at mills which resulted in farmers waiting for their turn for two or three days to dispose of the stocks. The initial arrival of crops that were harvested a fortnight ago which were in smaller quantities fetched good prices for farmers. On the other hand, the Food Corporation of India has refused to accept custom milled rice of 2020-21 rabi season after March 31 though the State government wanted the deadline to be extended by two months.Union Minister of State for Tourism G. Kishan Reddy said that the State government was yet to meet its target of 2020-21 rabi despite several reminders. The Centre will keep its commitment to the State for 2020-21 rabi but not the corresponding season which has triggered the stand-off with the State.
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The influx of demand from feed buyers in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine has raised numerous questions over the direction of the Asian low-quality white rice market.
Rice markets react
But the demand from feed buyers has spiked in both India and other Asian rice markets since the Ukraine conflict began. In India, for example, sources have reported instances of defaulting and low supplies, with one Kakinada-based exporter going so far as to describe the local broken rice market as a "disaster" due to the sudden influx of demand. In rice export origins which are also destination markets for corn and/or wheat, such as Vietnam, many exporters have withdrawn their broken rice offers due to high domestic demand. Vietnamese 100% broken white rice price has increased by $65/mt since the invasion of Ukraine, reaching a high of $370/mt FOB on March 25, according to Platts assessment from S&P Global. However, many sources view broken rice prices from Vietnam as hypothetical, with the country even importing substantial volumes from India to meet demand. In traditional broken rice markets -- notably in West Africa -- the situation is more immediately concerning from a food security perspective. In Senegal, which is a huge market for broken rice for human consumption, a sizable gap is opening up between current retail prices and replacement costs. While in part this is due to Senegal's new retail price cap and high freight rates, the significant rise in Indian broken rice prices in recent weeks has only served to widen this gap. According to one Europe-based trader who buys for the country, this gap has reached $90/mt in recent days, and made it "impossible" to buy for Senegal at present without taking on huge financial risks. However, with sufficient stocks in Dakar for Ramadan and the following weeks, the trader added that it makes no sense to re-enter the market before the religious holiday is over, with hopes that the replacement cost gap will have narrowed in the interim.Unusual price spreads
Because of the massive influx in demand for Asian broken rice, unusual price spreads between different rice grades have emerged. Pakistani 5% and 100% broken white rice were briefly assessed at par earlier in March while the gap was $70/mt a year prior. The spread between Thai 5% and A1 Super 100% broken white rice has narrowed to only $2/mt in recent days, compared to $51/mt a year prior. One major Singapore-based rice trader said that "some 25% [broken white rice] shipments for feed purposes" was seen from Myanmar to Europe. Sources buying from the Myanmar market have reported that offers of low-quality B234 broken white rice have been largely unavailable in recent weeks due to high feed demand, with higher quality broken rice prices also moving up substantially. Despite sources reporting no obvious reason for why feed buyers could not turn to 25% broken white rice if 100% broken white rice was unavailable, or priced uncompetitively, sales of this product for feed purposes so far remain rare. A second Singapore-based trader said that they were advising their traditional broken rice buyers in Africa to accept 25% broken white rice due to supply and price issues for 100% broken white rice. However, the first Singapore-based trader cautioned that this would ultimately "depend on corn prices." FAO's Shirley Mustafa agreed, saying that "because this trend is influenced by factors outside of rice markets, developments in these external markets will have an important bearing." Mustafa added that "current forecasts suggest record-breaking supply availabilities in the major exporters this season, thanks to bumper harvests expected in India, Pakistan and Thailand. If these are realized, they should be more than sufficient to cater to the higher global needs."Outside forces
Despite uncertainty surrounding how this situation will play out, it is almost inevitable that feed demand will take up an unusually large portion of international rice sales in 2022. A third Singapore-based trader said that it will "not be a huge chunk ... But it will not be insignificant either." The questions which remain at this point are whether 25% broken white rice sales for feed will become more widespread and how this demand for cheap rice will impact traditional buyers of 25% and 100% broken white rice for human consumption. However, with rice still a minor player in the massive global feed market, the situation will ultimately remain at the mercy of outside forces.Southeast Asia must close yield gap to remain major rice bowl

China sells rice at auction

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With maize prices soaring, export demand zooms for Indian broken rice as feed
Buyers in Vietnam, China and Indonesia switch to the foodgrain, but its rates rising sharply
Only small orders taken
“Exporters are accepting only small immediate orders that can be shipped in containers. From Kandla in Gujarat, maize is now going to Oman and other Gulf countries, as they are keen on maintaining the feed quality,” said Mukesh Singh, Co-founder of Mumbai-based MuBala Agro Commodities Ltd. A major reason for domestic maize prices increasing is that the kharif crop has almost got exhausted. Singh said maize is currently quoted at ₹2,200-500 a quintal against the minimum support price of ₹1,870. Demand for maize has increased as supplies from Ukraine, which contributes 16 per cent of global exports, have been cut off with shipments from the Black Sea coming to a total halt after Russian troops entered eastern Ukraine on February 24.Lukewarm demand
“Prices of maize delivered in Chennai for exports are ₹2,350,” said ACEA’s Prakash. In Gujarat, agricultural produce marketing committee yards such as Dahod, the modal, or rate at which most trades took place, was ₹2,300 on Monday. According to the International Grains Council (IGC), Argentina quoted $329 a tonne last weekend, while Brazil offered maize at $364 and the US at $363 (f.o.b) free on board. Currently, benchmark corn futures on the Chicago Board of Trade are ruling at $7.44 a bushel ($292.83 a tonne). “We shipped 250 tonnes of maize to Hong Kong some time back, but after that demand has been lukewarm,” Prakash said. “There are still some varieties of maize being shipped to Vietnam and Indonesia. A lot of maize is going to Bangladesh by road,” said VR Sagar, Director, Bulk Logix. Bengani and Singh concurred with his views. “Some exporters are expecting prices to increase to $420-430 and are holding off,” Sagar said.Exports feasibility
Maize is one of the agricultural products whose exports have been good this fiscal, increasing by over 30 per cent in the first 10 months. According to the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), the export of other cereals, in which maize plays a major part, was 3.16 million tonnes (mt) valued at $1.74 billion during April-January this fiscal against 2.37 mt valued at $527 million in the year-ago period. MuBala’s Singh said maize exports were feasible as long as prices were around ₹1,700-800 a quintal in the domestic market. Until December, Bangladesh was the top buyer purchasing 1.25 mt, while Vietnam purchased 0.95 mt. “In view of the high prices, there is good demand for 100 per cent broken non-sortex rice that is commanding a higher price,” said Prakash. The non-sortex rice will have yellow and black coloured grains.Chinese purchase
“Even broken rice prices are now quoted near maize prices as there is a shortage,” said Sagar. Broken rice are commanding ₹2,100 a quintal and more. An exporter from Bengaluru said 100 per cent broken rice prices were at par with 25 per cent broken white rice. As per IGC data, 25 per cent broken rice price last weekend were $349 a tonne. According to APEDA data, China, which began importing Indian rice in the last fiscal after over three decades, bought 1.1 mt of rice during the April-December period of the current fiscal and Vietnam 0.6 mt. In October, the US Department of Agriculture said broken rice accounted for 97 per cent of India’s rice exports to China during January-August last year. “Broken rice has always been going to China and Vietnam over the last couple of years. This year, there is a shortage now,” Sagar said. “Exports of broken rice could also be a problem in view of the surge in price. We could manage when prices ruled at around ₹1,600-700,” he said, adding that the issue now was the grain’s availability. China began buying broken rice from India to use it as feed after corn prices surged last fiscal. Also, Beijing is required to build feed inventories as part of its plans to increase the production of pigs. Singh said it takes time to accumulate broken rice quantity for exports as they are done in bulk. A Delhi-based trade consultant said most of the broken rice was heading from the east coast ports such as Kakinada and Kolkata to Vietnam and Indonesia. “Maize prices will begin to decline once the arrival of the rabi crop beings,” Bengani said. “Rice prices will begin tapering off once Rabi arrivals begin. This will happen around mid-May,” said Sagar.Freight advantage
Delhi-based exporter Rajesh Paharia Jain said India has freight advantage to export to China, the Netherlands and South Korea, which had been buying from Ukraine before the conflict intensified. “It is a win-win situation for India after the Russian-Ukraine crisis. As India has a freight advantage of $70-80 a tonne and Chinese demand is up, it would be favourable to India. India maize export share to China might improve,” he said, adding that the coarse cereal exports might increase by 5-7 per cent in 2022-23.Broken rice: Centre can tap global demand

Rice exports: interesting times ahead?






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Angimex inks rice export contract with Sierra Leone
Scope of deal
Within the scope of cooperation, Angimex will transfer the sample rice field to the enterprises of the Republic of Sierra Leone. The sample rice field is Angimex’s first successful factor to ensure high-quality rice input. The expansion of the large sample rice field is one of the solutions to increase the value of rice for export, according to the policy of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD). When farming on the large sample rice field, farmers will simultaneously sow each high-yield and high-quality rice variety in the same field. Therefore, this combination of high-quality rice production and rice field expansion brings practical benefits to farmers, including changing production mindset and improving economic efficiency. Aiming at improving the quality of rice seeds in the future, the agricultural services of Angimex give an emphasis on providing farmers with in-depth knowledge and cost-saving methods during varietal selection, cultivation, and harvest. Angimex’s experts with rich experience in the field of agriculture will train farmers to master cultivation techniques and answer the farmers’ questions during the farming process.Rice Market Update: Uncertainties Continues to Grow

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New, possibly arboreal rice rat species discovered in Ecuador
"In total, the expeditions to the Kutukú region in southeastern Ecuador involved 1,200 trap nights, but only one specimen of the new species Mindomys kutuku was found," says Dr. Claudia Koch, curator of herpetology at the LIB, Museum Koenig Bonn, explaining the effort that went into locating the rare animal. From the collected specimen, the dry skin, skeleton and tissue were preserved for the collections. Preservation will allow future research to detect environmental changes, learn more about the ecology of the animals and plants -- and securely document the new species description, which was published in late February in the journal Evolutionary Systematics. The rice rat genus Mindomys was previously considered monotypic and included only the type species Mindomys hammondi. This species is known from only a few specimens, all of which were collected in the foothill forests of the Andes in northwestern Ecuador.
World Bank says Ukraine war may prompt grain shortages in poor countries
WASHINGTON, March 16 (Reuters) - The World Bank on Wednesday said a number of developing countries face near-term wheat supply shortages due to their high dependence on Ukrainian wheat exports that have been disrupted by Russia's invasion.
The World Bank said in its latest Trade Watch report that Gambia, Lebanon, Moldova, Djibouti, Libya, Tunisia and Pakistan are the most exposed to the disruptions of wheat exports from Ukraine, which make up roughly 40% or more of their wheat imports.
"These importers will have trouble quickly switching to alternative sources, possibly leading to supply shortages in the short run," the World Bank said.
The grain supply situation has been worsened by Russia's imposition of export curbs on wheat and other cereal grains to countries outside of fellow Eurasian Economic Union members Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.
Russia was the top wheat exporter in 2018 and Ukraine the fifth largest, according to World Bank data. The two countries together make up about a quarter of world exports.
Western sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine do not specifically target Russian grain exports, but sanctions that prohibit dollar and euro transactions with top Russian banks make trade finance more difficult.
Aside from the direct supply shortages to Ukraine's biggest grain customers, higher market prices for wheat will affect middle-income countries across the globe, the World Bank report said.
The United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization's Cereal Price Index in February was up 14.8% from a year earlier, and the World Bank said wheat futures prices had surged 60% since the start of the conflict.
"Moreover, disruptions to exports of wheat will affect markets for corn and rice, which are wheat substitutes, benefiting net exporters and harming net importers of those products," the bank added.
Disruptions caused by the war in Ukraine also could challenge a strong global trade recovery in 2021, with goods and services trade now exceeding pre-pandemic levels, the World Bank said.
Overall trade in 2021 surged by 26% over 2020 levels and by 17% over 2019 levels, with trade values exceeding 2019 levels in all regions, except for transportation equipment, the World Bank said.
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Rice Processing Cost: Consumers To Pay More As Millers Groan

Rice millers in the country are currently battling the rising cost of diesel, petrol and erratic electricity supply.
The situation has pushed the cost of processing rice at the mills to an unprecedented level, and this may translate to an increase in the final product in the market.
Findings in the market showed that a 50kg of milled rice, which some months ago sold between N25,000 and N28,000, now goes up to N32,000 for some of the popular brands, as at the time of this report.
For weeks now, power supply across the country has been epileptic and some small scale millers who mostly operate during the day are now forced to stay awake anytime of the night to use electricity anytime it comes.
Major millers who rely heavily on diesel to run their factories also face exceptional increase as the product has now reached a record high of N600 per litre. In some places, reports showed it goes for up to N650.
They said cost of production had increased, leading many of them to suspend production.
Alhaji Ali Sarkin Noma, owner of Ganzaki Rice Mill in Jalingo, told Daily Trust on Sunday that a litre of diesel now sold at N600, as against N400 few weeks ago.
He said there was also the scarcity of diesel and poor power supply from the national grid.
Sarkin Noma explained that consumers of locally processed rice would pay more because of the increase of diesel and paddy rice.
According to him, they purchase paddy rice from markets across the state and transport fares are up.
He said a 50kg bag of locally processed rice was sold at N23,500 before the increase of diesel, and now, millers have no option than to increase their prices in order to remain in business.
Musa Garba, another miller, also told Daily Trust on Sunday that he reduced his production level from 600 bags of paddy rice to about 100 bags daily because of high cost of diesel and poor power supply.
He said consumers of locally processed rice would pay more if the current trend of high cost of diesel was not addressed.
A large-scale irrigation farmer, Yahaya Mafindi, said many rice farms had dried because farmers could not afford to buy both diesel and petrol to water their rice farms.
Yahaya Mafindi stated that rice millers got supply of paddy rice from irrigation farmers this time and many farmers are unable to fully cultivate their farm, which means there will be less paddy rice for the millers.
Meanwhile, findings revealed that a liter of petrol is now sold at N300 while diesel is sold at N600 in Jalingo.
In Kano State, it was gathered that all the three categories of rice mills operating in the state are virtually affected by the ongoing fuel scarcity. The mega, medium and small scale mills in the state are all complaining about the current fuel scarcity.
According to the proprietor of Premier Rice Company, Ilyasu Nazifi, an engineer, many rice mills are running on diesel, which is currently selling at N500 per litre, which he said had made production very expensive. He explained that the fuel hike in price and its scarcity had affected not only production but other logistic aspects of the rice value chain.
He further revealed that the price of rice had not changed as rice has been one of the main stabled commodities in the country. He, however expressesed worry that rice mills would be left with no option than to increase the price should the hike and scarcity persist longer than necessary.
He called on the authorities concerned to arrest the situation before it gets out of hand and result in an increase in the price of milled rice.
It was also revealed that most rice mills across the state are really finding it very difficult to keep the business going due to issues surrounding the current fuel scarcity.
Malam Hannafi Alhassan, an operator of a small rice mill in Mariri Kumbotso Local Government of Kano State, said he had to increase the processing charges per bag of paddy to N3,000 from N2,500 due to the hike in the prices of diesel and petrol, as well as its scarcity.
Another small-scale rice mill operator Habu Baffa Kiru said he had stopped milling for the mean time pending the availability of diesel, as he claimed he could not afford to continue milling with the current price of diesel.
The situation is not different in Katsina State as the situation resulted into lean revenue for the millers in recent months.
Alhaji Mustapha Mu’azu Maiauduga, the manager of Beto Rice in Malumfashi, said that unlike before, people were less patronizing their packaged rice ostensibly because of the price.
“The assumption of every Nigerian is that when rice is locally produced and milled, its price has to come down, but unfortunately we cannot sell a 50kg of milled rice less than N22,000 due to surge in the cost of production. Diesel is now over N400 a litre and there is no consistent electricity supply to operate our machines,” he said.
Another rice miller in Funtua, Abdulrazaq Isma’ilm said because of high cost of production they had since resolved to operate as service providers.
“We now don’t mill rice for sale directly here; rather, we mill for individual consumers and rice sellers who bring in their paddy. This, in our consideration, is more profitable to us as we only charge N2,500 per bag of paddy rice. We have regular customers across Faskari, Kankara, Funtua, Bakori and Danja local government areas,” he said.
On whether they operate on diesel or electricity, Abdulrazaq said for the business to be sustained one would be on electricity, otherwise cost of diesel would force the business to fold up.’
Daily Trust on Sunday observed that people from far and near now prefer to go for local rice sections of Dandume, Funtua or Bakori to make choice of the stable instead of going for the packaged one which now costs above N22,000 per 50kg.
Rice millers in Kaduna State are also expressing worry over what they described as high cost of production due to poor and epileptic power supply, as well as the scarcity and high cost of petrol and diesel.
Our correspondent reports that small-scale processors who rely on firewood for the parboiling process of paddy rice say a ban on tree felling in Kaduna State has equally impacted on production cost which has resulted in the high price of rice in the market.
Imam Saidu, who operates a local rice mill in Kaduna, described the situation as sad, saying that rice, one of the major staple foods in Nigeria, is now becoming unaffordable for low income earners.
He said the rice sector, like other agricultural sectors, was debased by security and infrastructural challenges, as well as economic challenges.
“Our farmers are unable to produce the required paddy rice because of the insecurity in most parts of the rice producing states. Now, with the little we are able get from farmers, the cost of processing the rice is now high because our machines work on diesel since the government’s power is inefficient and unreliable, especially at the moment,” he said.
Daily Trust on Sunday gathered that epileptic power supply, coupled with scarcity and high cost of petrol and diesel, has surged the price of rice in the market. Our correspondent gathered that a bag of 50kg of rice which sold at N22,000 late January is now sold at N27,000.
Also speaking in Kaduna, Alhaji Idris Sarkin Alhazan Rigachikun, a local miller said, “We used to process and bag each 50kg of rice at N2,200, but we now do it at N3,000. There is no electricity, so we have fallen back on the generating set, and you know the present situation in Nigeria.”
Prices rise across major hubs on higher demand for rice

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Berbice rice millers project further reduction in paddy prices
‘Formulate organic food policy to regulate outlets in State’
Organic rice farming can be profitable if marketed well, says expert
The importance of promoting organically-farmed traditional paddy varieties was the focus of a conference organised by the Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Bishop Heber College in collaboration with Consumer Research, Education, Action, Training and Empowerment (CREATE) and its affiliated programme Save Our Rice Campaign Tamil Nadu on Friday. The event included an exhibition of traditional paddy strains. “For the past 15 years, we have conducted the National Paddy Festival, and distributed traditional rice seeds to farmers. As a result, they have started shifting over to organic rice farming. But they face a major problem with marketing their produce. Only when they can sell their crop can farmers sustain organic cultivation. We are taking some steps to rectify this situation from this year,” P. Duraisingham, chairman of Madurai-based CREATE, told The Hindu. “Since it is World Consumer Day on Saturday, we have invited consumer group heads from 40 districts to brief them about the medicinal value and nutritional benefits of heritage paddy,” he added. The lack of certification was a major drawback in organic paddy farming today, said Mr. Duraisingham, who is also a member of Bureau of Indian Standards. “We would like the State government to formulate an organic food policy to regulate the outlets. From the consumer’s perspective, the price of organically grown rice is exorbitant. This too has to be standardised, because some farmers and middlemen are creating a false impression about the high cost of organic cultivation,” he said. In her address, Usha Soolapani, national convenor of ‘Save Our Rice Campaign’, said, “Along with wheat, maize and potato, rice is among the four crops that ensure global food security. Paddy is a part of Asian culture, and India is a major producer of rice. But even though farmers are growing more than three times of what we need, they are still losing money when they invest in rice cultivation. This is why they are moving away to more remunerative crops such as banana, coconut and areca.Kazakhstan’s south to reduce rice and oil crops acreage

ASIA RICE Prices rise across major hubs on higher demand for rice
March 10 (Reuters) - Prices of rice exported from top Asian hubs jumped this week on solid demand, while Vietnamese traders also flagged high shipping costs due to the Ukraine crisis.
Thailand's 5% broken rice prices rose to $415-$428 per tonne, on average a peak since late June, from $400-$403 a week ago.
As corn and wheat prices rise, animal feed makers were looking to use more broken rice, pushing up prices across the board, Bangkok-based traders said.
Another trader said he recently received interest from buyers in Europe, the United States, Iraq and Iran for different grades of Thai white rice.
Demand from Hong Kong has also increased, the trader said, with concerns over plans for a city-wide lockdown sparking panic buying by residents.
Thailand exported 459,752 tonnes of rice worth $234 million in January, up 8.92% from the same period last year, the commerce ministry said.
Rates for top exporter India’s 5% broken parboiled variety rose to $371-$378 per tonne from last week's $370-$376, also a peak since mid-June.
"Consumers are trying to build stockpile due to the rally in wheat and corn prices. Demand is improving for rice," said an exporter based at Kakinada in southern state of Andhra Pradesh.
Vietnam's 5% broken rice prices rose to their highest since December at $410-$415 per tonne on Thursday, versus $400 last week, amid higher demand, traders said, with the Ukraine-Russia conflict prompting buyers to place more orders from elsewhere in Asia.
Another trader said shipping costs had surged since the Ukraine-Russia conflict began, with international freight costs rising 50% and domestic freight costs climbing 70%-80%.
"We're concerned costs will keep rising if the conflict continues," the trader said.
Traders said farmers in the Mekong Delta had harvested 20%-25% of the winter-spring crop.
Domestic rice prices in Bangladesh remain high despite good crops and reserves, traders said, adding that the global market was seeing a hike due the Ukraine-Russia conflict.
"It is very much unlikely that local prices will come down soon," a trader said.
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Chasing climate-ready glutinous rice for food security in Thailand and Laos
Chasing climate-ready glutinous rice for food security in Thailand and Laos
Professor Apichart Vanavichit, Director of the Rice Science Center offers insight into how the next generation of glutinous rice varieties are critical to food security in Thailand and Laos
Rice can be broadly classified based on cooking properties as glutinous and non-glutinous. Cooked glutinous rice is sticky, translucent, and chewy with a sweet aftertaste, while non-glutinous rice is fluffier, and less sticky and sweet. Furthermore, Glutinous rice contains more amylopectin, whereas non-glutinous rice contains more amylose.Origin of glutinous rice
There are three groups of glutinous rice-based on grain sizes, small (japonica), medium (upland), and long slender (indica) grains. The origin of glutinous rice has become a hot topic for discussion by evolutionists who speculate that glutinous rice has two roots. Glutinous rice has been grown in the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS), especially in Laos, for 4,000 – 6,000 years, and at least 2,000 years in Yunnan, China, by Tai ethnic groups. In particular, ethnic groups in Myanmar, Thailand, and Laos helped conserve upland rice diversity. Furthermore, Laos has contributed the most remarkable genetic diversity in glutinous rice to the International Rice Genebank at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI).The key to food security
Laos and Thailand are the only countries that consume glutinous rice as primary stable food. Laos consumes glutinous rice at 171 kg per year, the highest per capita consumption globally. In Thailand, glutinous rice is vital for household consumption in the north and northeast at 125-155 kg per capita per year. Thai farmers typically grow side-by-side, glutinous rice for household consumption and Hommali rice for cash. The current consumption of glutinous rice in Thailand has been on the rise recently due to the popularity of the northeastern cuisines in restaurants and street foods among Thais and tourists. From 2021 to 2026, the demand for glutinous rice is increasing healthily.Sticky rice is not just sticky
Glutinous rice provides high amylopectin for the food and beverage industries. China is the major importer of glutinous rice from Thailand and Vietnam, mainly for alcohol production. Unlike such industrial utilisation, glutinous rice cooking is a delicacy that starts from rice cooking. Glutinous rice cannot be appropriately done in an ordinary automatic rice cooker but depends on traditional streaming practices in a unique bamboo basket. Different glutinous rice varieties are varied considerably on cooking qualities such as degrees of stickiness, chewiness, hardness, and fragrance.
Cultivation of glutinous rice in Thailand
Thailand is the world’s top glutinous rice producer on 3.17 Mha, generating about 7-7.5 MT and exporting about 7% annually. RD6, the most popular glutinous rice in Thailand and Laos, is widely grown in the northeast of Thailand. RD6 and Thai Hommali Rice (KDML105 and RD15) are the three most cultivated rice varieties occupying lowland rain-fed areas, constituting about 70% in northeastern Thailand. Fluctuations in rainfall distribution and poor soil fertility are critical constraints in the northeastern lowland rain-fed. Originated from gamma radiation of KDML105, RD6 is as susceptible to most biotic and abiotic stresses similar to the progenitor. Resilience to infertile soil, mild drought, salinity, and acid sulfate soil benefit high-quality Thai Hommali Rice and RD6 (Bureau of Rice Research and Development, Thailand Rice Department, 2010). Nonetheless, RD6 has still been the most popular glutinous rice in Thailand and Laos because of its soft-sticky and perfume quality of cooked rice.New waxy rice development
Grain yield of glutinous RD6 and Thai Hom Mali Rice is as low as 2.32 t/ha due to their genetic makeups, soil infertility, and the lack of irrigation system in the main northeast area in Thailand. Traditional Thai RD6 and Lao TDK1 are tall, photoperiod sensitive, and susceptible to multiple biotic and abiotic stresses. RD6 has superior cooking quality with a strong aroma. Still, it is very vulnerable to blast and bacterial blight diseases, easily lodged, and intolerant to flood and drought, significant production constraints in the lowland rain-fed regions. To be accepted by farmers and consumers, new rice strains are improved to resist biotic and abiotic stresses and hold similar cooked rice quality as RD6 for prolonged softness, stickiness, chewiness, and fragrance. Because cooking glutinous rice is time-consuming, preservation is convenient for farmers and workers to consume the leftover later. Therefore, prolonged soft-stickiness is a critical characteristic of cooked glutinous rice to prevent staleness. This cooked rice quality is the hallmark for the genetic improvement of glutinous rice for household consumption in Thailand. By comprehensive gene pyramiding developed by the research team at the Innovative Plant Biotechnology and Precision Agriculture (APBT), newly improved RD6 varieties are designed to resist flash flooding, bacterial leaf blight, leaf blast, brown planthopper and gall-midge. In particular, focusing on canopy architecture such as reducing plant stature, sturdy stem, and early flowering is essential for the next generation of glutinous rice varieties. New outstanding glutinous rice varieties targeting the northeast area are released for farmers. The first famous glutinous rice is Thanyasirin, a photoperiod sensitive variety with superior cooking quality similar to RD6 but withstanding lodging. It is outstanding in its resistance to a broad spectrum of blast strains. The next variety, Nan 59, is a semi-dwarf photoperiod sensitive variety with the same cooking quality as RD6 and additional characteristics such as resistance to blast and bacterial leaf blight. Nan 59 has been the favourite variety because of its high yielding in a sustainable low production cost. The newest generation named Hom Naga is outstanding for early flowering with good cooking quality, tolerance to flash flooding and drought, and resistance to blast and bacterial blight. Now farmers can grow Hom Naga two times yearly. With assistance from the breeding team in Thailand, improving TDK1 for resistance to flash flooding, bacterial leaf blight, leaf blast, brown planthopper, and grain yield has been accomplished by the close collaboration between Thailand and Laos. The new high-yielding TDK8 was released for farmers in Laos. It is aromatic, has good cooking quality with short stature, early maturing (130-135 days), and most of all, resistance to lodging and leaf blast disease. These varieties have helped Thai and Lao farmers improve grain yields at low inputs that allow more for their households, earn more income through higher yields than traditional varieties, and are more able to withstand the impacts of climate change.Cost-benefit of new varieties
The selection of many tailor-made RD6 varieties, such as Thanya Sirin and Nan 59, guided farmers and stakeholder communities in a farmers’ participatory program. Such a tactic induced farmers to voluntarily adopt new glutinous rice varieties and perform good farmers’ safe seed practices for sustainability and benefit-sharing among farmers, breeders and rice millers. For the popular Thanya Sirin, the economic benefits are mainly to farmers, in terms of increasing their revenue from yield enhancement both for consumption and sales and reducing production costs. The present value of net benefits in 2018 was 150 million baht. The benefit-cost ratio was seven times over the expense, for one baht of research investment, seven-baht return. In conclusion, the investment in glutinous rice breeding is economically worth it and has already generated high benefits for society.
VIETNAM TO EXEMPT IMPORT TAX ON 300,000 T CAMBODIAN RICE THIS YEAR

Rice could keep Asia’s food inflation risks from getting worse
Odisha government to work on export plan for aromatic rice

LWF Myanmar: innovative techniques for rice farmers

Producing more with less labor and less water
(LWI) - The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) is promoting long-term resilience in Myanmar by teaching farmers in the Kayin State new rice planting techniques that produces more rice with less labor and less water. This innovative method, called the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) has helped rice farmers increase production, improve the quality of seedlings and implement more sustainable practices. Despite the current conflict in Myanmar, farmers in less affected areas continue to strive towards creating opportunities for sustainable livelihoods. According to the Myanmar Humanitarian Response Plan 2022 issued by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, over 14,4 Million people are in need of humanitarian assistance with 6,2 million requiring urgent lifesaving support. LWF has been in these communities for years, supporting long-term community-based empowerment as well as humanitarian support through shelters and Non-food Items (NFIs) “LWF continues to work with the resilient local communities to implement projects that bring hope for a better future despite times of uncertainty,” says Susan Muis, LWF Regional Program Coordinator for Asia. “Although the challenges of conflict persist, in places where the situation is less dire, such as Kayin, farmers strive to uphold a commitment to improve their livelihoods and mitigate the effects of climate change.”Two times the rice with less water
Since 2019, the LWF has provided training on SRI for local farmers in Myanmar. Over 50 families have participated in the training. The technique is a climate-resilient agricultural practice that helps produce higher yields using organic methods including salt water, and cow manure. It requires a smaller investment than traditional rice production methods. The SRI technique uses less water than traditional rice planting. Rice seedlings are planted sooner, while they are young small plants and need less nutrients. Each seedling can yield two times more rice than the previously used techniques Local crops are vulnerable to the effects of climate change and insect infestation, affecting the living conditions of families who rely entirely on farming. Severe rainfall from the mountains floods the paddies, often located in lower altitudes, destroying the sprouting rice. In contrast, at the end of the rainy season paddies dry out due to the lack of moisture in the soil, decreasing the rice yield.With the SRI method the rice plants are stronger, more resistant to flood, draught, heavy winds, pests, and diseases. Yields are also higher.“I was quite interested in the new method because I enjoy experimenting with technologies" says U Saw Htein Linn, one of the first farmers to train and adopt the technique. “I also joined a Facebook group called network of SRI friends to share experiences and knowledge.” He adds, “with the SRI method the rice plants are stronger, more resistant to flood, draught, heavy winds, pests, and diseases. Yields are also higher. 10 baskets of paddy from the traditional method would yield 3.5 baskets of milled rice, SRI yields 4.” SRI has allowed farmers to gain more independence in rice seed selection. Linn states, “in the past we would collect paddy from the harvest and replant the next year. It would last 5 to 6 years as seed quality decreased with each season. We would then go to the department of agriculture to buy new seeds. With SRI the quality of seeds is consistent in addition to selling for food, I now also sell my high-quality paddy as seeds. People are purchasing their paddy from me and don’t need to travel to the city.” Daw San San Chit, Linn’s wife shares that the improvement of the quality of their yields and living condition has allowed them to give back to the community and those most in need. “Our family has donated to the vulnerable elderly, orphans and the monastery. The profit has been enough that we can afford to purchase and donate food to our community. We are taking better care of our children and will continue to apply the SRI.”
Thai rice exports still untouched by Russia-Ukraine war, says association
The Thai Rice Exporters Association said recently that the Russia-Ukraine war has not shaken rice exports yet, though rising oil prices may affect the situation in the long run.

Ghana introduces new rice variety at Nyariga District
Importation of rice
The beneficiary regions are Upper East, Volta, Bono, Ashanti and Eastern. Dr Samuel Mahama, Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist, CSIR at the Head Office, noted that the project aimed to address issues of pest infestation, low yields and quality of rice and boost local production to help cut down importation. According to statistics from the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Ghana spends close to $1 billion on the importation of rice annually and between 2017 to 2020, the government spent GH₵6.874 billion to import only rice into the country. Dr Mahama said the successes of the project which would be scaled up to benefit more farmers was part of efforts to complement government’s campaign for the consumption of locally produced rice to increase the revenue of farmers and develop the economy. Dr Issah Sugri, Senior Research Scientist, CSIR-SARI, Manga Station, noted that due to climate change impact and erratic rainfall pattern, farmers needed to be supported to venture into early maturing and high yielding varieties coupled with best agronomic practices to increase production. Dr Sugri stated that AGRA and Banse rice matured between 95 to 120 days and 80 to 90 days respectively. He added that farmers could engage in multiple cropping within a year to meet the increasing demand for varieties, particularly the AGRA.Thai rice prices forecast to rise 5% in Q2
Cambodia’s rice exports not impacted by Russia-Ukraine crisis

U.S. Army Corps works with tribe to improve wild rice
Rice harvesting commences in Region Two
paddy price not yet fixed by millers

Asia rice: Vietnamese rates gain as China routes reopen post Covid curbs

Rice Soars as Ukraine War Starts Scramble for Any and All Grains
ASIA RICE Vietnamese rates gain as China routes reopen post COVID curbs

March 3 (Reuters) - Prices of rice exported from Vietnam rose this week, as trade routes to China reopened with some traders betting on additional demand from buyers looking for alternate sources due to the Ukraine crisis.
Vietnam's 5% broken rice were offered at $400 per tonne on Thursday, versus $395-$400 a week ago.
"Shipments to China are expected to increase as China is reopening borders with Vietnam after coronavirus curbs," a trader in Ho Chi Minh City said.
"The ongoing Ukrainian war might prompt buyers to import more rice from Asia, including Vietnam," the trader added.
A Bangkok-based trader said the situation in Ukraine "might have increased freight rates slightly."
Prices of Thailand's 5% broken rice widened slightly to $403-$400 per tonne from $400 last week, also taking cues from currency fluctuations with the baht valued at 32.60 against the U.S. dollar on Thursday.
But another trader said the crisis has not impacted Thai rice exports because neither Russia nor Ukraine were among its main trading partners.
Ukraine's military recently suspended commercial shipping at its ports, threatening grain and oilseed exports.
Demand for rice from top exporter India improved, but prices of its 5% broken parboiled variety were unchanged at $370-$376 per tonne as the rupee weakened, translating into higher margins for traders from overseas sales.
"Demand for broken rice has improved as prices of corn are rising. Some buyers are looking for alternatives to corn," said an exporter based at Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh.
Indian farmers may harvest a record 127.93 million tonnes versus 124.37 million tonnes the year before.
Meanwhile, domestic rice prices stayed high in Bangladesh, despite good reserves, officials said.
Freight rates have increased slightly due to the Ukraine crisis, prompting higher import costs for grains, a trader said.
Vietnamese rice, spices, fruit gain firm foothold in international markets

Admin helps farmers grow aromatic rice in Simdega

Kenya introduces new hybrid rice in Mwea

Rice consumption in Kenya
“It is heart breaking for Kenya and the entire Africa to continue importing food while they have the ability to produce their own at a local level. Our objective is to achieve prosperity for the farmers through technology as will be evidenced through the hybrid rice. There is a greater need for the adoption of the technology in order to increase rice production in Kenya and in Africa as a whole,” Okogbenin said. Okogbenin said the level of rice consumption in Kenya stands at 650,000 tons as compared to the production, which is at 150,000 tons. As a result, the deficit is met by the importation of 500,000 tons of rice yearly. The crop scientist further observed consumption of rice has increased by 13% while productivity grew by only 3% and hence the need to jump start rice production in the country.Two Basmati rice varieties help boost export.
Two Basmati rice varieties help boost exports, farmers’ income
Both the varieties, developed by the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), Pusa, Delhi, fetch farmers like Singh financial benefits in the range of Rs 25,000 to Rs 30,000 per acre, after taking into account cost of cultivation as well as lease rental for the land.

The rice industry aims to improve water efficiency by 75 per cent by 2026
AgriFutures managing director John Harvey says the target – 1.5 tonnes of rice grown for each megalitre of water used – is part of a roadmap to “transform” the industry to ensure its survival.
"Our end goal is to ensure rice remains a competitive and profitable option for all rice growers," Mr Harvey said.
Australian rice growers already use 50 per cent less water than the global average, but the recent drought proved water availability will continue to be the largest challenge facing the industry.
The 2019–20 rice crop was one of the smallest ever recorded with growers only able to access zero to 6 per cent of their water allocation.
"We grow a lot of rice when there's lots of water like there is this year. We'll probably grow over 600,000 paddy tonnes. But then we have years where we only grow 45,000 paddy tonnes," Mr Harvey said.
How will the target be achieved?
The 2021 SunRice Grower of the Year, Darrell Fiddler, manages De Bortoli Wine’s broadacre operations at Griffith.
He is already "knocking on the door" of achieving the target having improved his water efficiency by around 40 per cent.
"When we first started growing rice we were at that 12.5 to 13 megalitres [of water used per hectare]. This year's crop will come in at about 7.5ML/ha," Mr Fiddler said.
Traditionally rice is grown partially submerged in water throughout the season, however a technique that delays the application of permanent water has gained traction in the industry.
Mr Fiddler was an early adopter of "delayed ponding" and credits it as having one of the biggest impacts on his water efficiency.
Aerobic-grown rice the next step
He is now looking at the next step, growing rice aerobically, without any water ponding, as part of a trial with Deakin University.
A crucial component of the trial is using automation to control irrigation flushes.
Cold-tolerant varieties that survive without the water 'blanket'
New rice varieties are also key to achieving the water efficiency target.
NSW Department of Primary Industries rice breeder Peter Snell said permanent water provided a type of blanket for rice, protecting it from damaging cold weather.
Therefore, a focus has been on breeding cold-tolerant rice varieties, which can handle the delayed or absent application of permanent water.
This includes a new variety, V071, which is being grown throughout the Riverina for the first time this year.
"We're very reliant on deep water to protect developing panicles and one of the big things for aerobic or growing rice on beds is getting cold tolerance."
Experts Discuss Study Findings to Boost Rice Yields
RESEARCH in agriculture has been described as a solid basis for increasing food production, including rice, whose consumption has increased significantly in recent years.
This was stated by the Kilimanjaro Regional Administrative Secretary, Willy Machumu, during a meeting to present and discuss the technical manual for contributing water use efficiency at irrigation schemes, which was held in Moshi, Kilimanjaro recently.
"All development issues are being implemented with great success after a thorough study, so this study you present today I believe will be the best foundation for increasing productivity in rice production in the country," he said in a statement read on his behalf by Mr Arnold Msuya from the Kilimanjaro Regional Secretariat.
"I am very impressed and optimistic that the study would improve food production and improve paddy agriculture by helpingto create strategic plans for rain harvesting and preservation of water as well as its proper utilisation," he said.
He appealed to the participants and the agricultural experts in general to use the results of the study effectively to increase rice production in the country.
"I am optimistic that irrigation paddy fields will be improved and later on increase rice production, especially when put in mind that irrigation paddy fields accounts for 26 percent of the rice production area than the rain fed one," he noted.
Earlier during a presentation through video from Japan, the Programme Director with the Japan International Research Centre for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS), Dr Nakashima Kazuo, said the demand for rice was continuously increasing due to increasing population growth and the spread of rice eating culture.
"Under these circumstances, Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries instructed JIRCAS to conduct a study on improving water efficiency in irrigation schemes in Africa", he said.
He said the study was aimed at increasing paddy production especially in Sub-Saharan Africa where rice production falls short of consumption, leading to an increase in the region's rice importations from Asia and North America.
He said it was due to that factor that Japan started its support for rice cultivation in Tanzania in 1974, whereby their experts conducted activities which were aimed at establishing techniques of irrigated rice cultivation in Lower Moshi district.
Speaking on behalf of the Head of the National Irrigation Commission, the Kilimanjaro Regional Irrigation Officer Eng Said Hussein Ibrahim, said the study involved Kilimanjaro Agricultural Training Centre (KATC), Arusha Technical College (ATC), National irrigation Commission, Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute Ministry of Agriculture and JIRCAS.
KATC Head, Eng Nicodemus Shauritanga, thanked JIRCAS for its collaboration in the study, whereby he said KATC's mentors who participated in the project would now be competent in research works due to the experiences they gained in the project.
INDONESIA’S 2021 UNHUSKED RICE OUTPUT AT 54.42 MLN TONNES

Rice Prices In Iran Double In One Year Amid General Inflation

Rice Price to Stabilize on Adequate Supply

All is not good with rice exports

Agriculture Department to set up mini rice mills
Minister inaugurates harvest of Rakthashali, Jaya and Basmati rice varieties
Of the three varieties cultivated at Kundelattu, Rakthashali with red husk and grain is considered uneconomical compared to some high yielding rice varieties. But the nearly-extinct variety of rice with high medicinal value has properties to cure many ailments. Dr. Sreekanth bought the Rakthashali seeds from Narayanan, a farmer and Basmati seeds from an online marketplace.
Kanjikuzhy grama panchayat president Geetha Karthikeyan presided. Grama panchayat vice president M. Santhosh Kumar, agriculture officer Janeesh and others spoke.Ukraine war: Amritsar rice exporter in a fix as stock stuck midway

S.Korea’s rice paddies log highest fall in area in 2021
Asia rice: Thai rates slip on weak baht; India’s demand

100% adoption eyed for high-yield rice seed

LOCAL GOVERNMENT units (LGUs) are being counted on to ensure 100% adoption of high-yield rice seed this year, funded by the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF)-Seed Program.
In Zambales, the total area planted to traditional seed has been steadily dropping from 16% in 2018, to 5% in 2019 and 0.06% in 2021, according to the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice).
“RCEF greatly contributed to the increase of high-quality seed utilization in our province. We commit to achieve 100% high-quality seed utilization this 2022,” Crisostomo R. Rabaca, provincial agriculturist of Zambales, said in a statement.
The RCEF seed program is a six-year initiative to help farmers compete with foreign rice imports, with 42 provinces involved in the rollout of high-yield seed.
PhilRice Executive Director John C. de Leon said the institute is working closely with LGUs, other agencies, seed growers’ cooperatives and associations, and legislators.
“For the second year in a row, our rice farmers (achieved) record production of 19.96 million metric tons of palay (unmilled rice),” he said.
The seed program’s impact on overall rice production for the dry and wet seasons in 2021 was estimated at between 15% and 23%, while its impact on production at targeted provinces was about 38% to 59%, PhilRice said.
In the dry season, 1.65 million bags of seed were distributed to more than 600,000 farmers. During the wet season, 1.76 million bags were distributed to more than 700,000 farmers.
The total area planted with RCEF-issued seed was 466,578 hectares in the dry season and 572,203 hectares in the wet season.
The RCEF is a component of Republic Act No. 11203 or the Rice Tariffication Law, which sets aside P10 billion a year to increase the productivity of rice farmers.
Rice profits up around 15 pct
Farm exports boom in new year

Scientists discover how to grow ‘seawater rice’, China plans to feed 8 crore people

Pakistan has potential of $4.5b rice exports

Rice profits up around 15 pct

Loc Troi Group JSC reaped the biggest-ever revenues of over VND10.2 trillion ($443.4 million) and after-tax profits of more than VND420 billion, up 36 percent and 14 percent, respectively.
Vietnam National Seed Group JSC (Vinaseed) made revenues of over VND1.93 trillion and after-tax profits of more than VND225 billion, posting respective year-on-year rises of 18 percent and 16 percent.
Both net revenues and after-tax profits of Trung An Hi-tech Farming JSC increased 15 percent to VND3.12 trillion and over VND100 billion.
Vietnam exported over 6.2 million tons of rice totaling nearly $3.3 billion last year, according to the General Department of Vietnam Customs.
The average export price of Vietnamese rice rose 5.5 percent against 2020 to $526.8 per ton in 2021, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
Loc Troi exported over 80,000 tons of rice worth over VND1 trillion, quadrupling in both volume and value against 2020. Vinaseed exported 60 tons of premium fragrant rice to the U.K. for the first time.
Domestic sales also increased last year, partly due to social distancing measures imposed to curb Covid-19. Hoa Sen Rice told VnExpress its sales surged 45 percent in 2021.
The Vietnam Food Association predicted Vietnam, which exported 505,700 tons of rice worth $246 million in January, would export over 6 million tons of rice this year. However, a sharp increase in prices of agricultural materials, especially fertilizers, will increase input costs and lowers farmer incomes.
Rice exports go up 11.16pc
$2.3m of Rice Exported in 10 Months

Asia rice: Vietnam rates rise as activity picks up, India market subdued

China issues 2022 minimum purchase prices for some rice products

No rice price hike during Ramadan, predicts food secretary

State goes slow on paddy purchase, milled rice delivery

‘Fistful of rice’ helps women keep Bangladesh’s Indigenous community afloat Previous

Experts advise growing more low GI rice to fight spurt in diabetes

High cost of inputs leaves Mwea rice farmers with a bitter taste

From Plate to Plough: Fix rice farming to avoid a bumper emissions harvest

Gulf Food: Tilda – Market leader in the region’s premium Basmati rice category

New Thai rice varieties lined up to boost exports

Eunice farmer and LSU AgCenter develop new, diabetic-friendly rice

Philippine rice imports to hit 2.9 million MT

Rice feeds the world, now more than ever

Jesica Kincaid, Senior Manager, International Trade Policy, USA Rice, argues that rice feeds the world, now more than ever
Increasing need for international assistance
Numerous man-made and natural disasters as well as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic have only increased the need for such assistance. Two years into the pandemic, the World Food Programme reports (1) that global and national economic disruptions caused by subsequent waves of the virus have resulted in an estimated 97 million more people living in poverty in 2021 compared to 2019, leaving tens of millions more people hungry and malnourished. As a result, in 2020 and 2021, the U.S. rice industry saw record years for international food assistance deliveries. With the development and ever-expanding use of fortified rice, rice contributes to improving food security by not only fighting hunger but also acute malnutrition. Fortified rice is rice that is traditionally grown and milled, and following the milling process, a nutrient premix that is specified to the dietary needs of the recipient population is added as a coating or as an extruded kernel, without substantial additional cost. In addition to being nutritious, rice has a long shelf life, is easy to prepare, fits into the diets of many different ethnic groups, and is one of the least allergenic foods, making it a perfect fit for assistance programmes.The U.S. rice industry
In addition to the privilege of helping those in need, the U.S. rice industry also prides itself on its sustainable farming practices, having made substantial changes over the past 30 years that led to numerous environmental benefits. Some of these benefits include a 52% decrease in water use, a 41% decrease in greenhouse gas emissions, and a 39% increase in land use efficiency. U.S. rice farms, 96% of which are family-owned, contribute to a safe and strong supply chain for the well-being of all through sustainable practices and being good stewards of the land. On a global level, rice production has hit record levels for the last several years, with another record projected for the 2021/22 crop year and global stocks maintaining their highest levels in history. For rice consumers around the world, whether they are able to purchase rice at their local grocery stores or need assistance to feed themselves and their families, the U.S. rice industry is there to answer the call.Modern rice mill to come up at Chinnamanur, says Minister
‘DMK government keen on supply of quality rice through PDS outlets’
Quality rice
The DMK government had promised to supply quality rice through PDS outlets. It had been decided to set up a state-of-the-art rice mill at Chinnamanur for this purpose. It would procure paddy from farmers and send the rice to ration shops from here directly. This is going to be a reality soon, he said and added that the modern rice mill would come up on an outlay of ₹ 108 crore. For the benefit of the plantain growers, the government had established a cold storage facility. It has a great impact so that they would establish more such facilities in different locations in Theni district including Uthamapalayam, Bodi and Cumbum.The government strived hard to maintain the storage level in Mullaperiyar reservoir at 142 feet. He recalled the legal battle undertaken by the DMK government and assured the farmers that the Chief Minister M.K. Stalin would not let them down at any cost.
The party MLAs Cumbum N Ramakrishnan and Andipatti Maharajan were present. Earlier, Mr Periasami introduced the candidates to the voters. He also addressed meetings at different locations in Theni district.[Graphic News] S. Korea’s rice consumption hits another low in 2021

Substantial rise in FCI allocation of rice for ethanol production
No diversion of foodgrain from cental pool buffer stock, says Piyush Goyal
Wheat, rice procurement
In a separate reply to a query on the quantum of procurement of wheat, rice, sugarcane and other kharif crops, Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Union Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, said 433.44 lakh tonnes (lt) of wheat have been procured in 2021-22. Added to this, 601.85 lt of rice and 2996.37 lt of sugarcane have been procured in 2020-21. On the number of farmers benefited from the procurement, he said in the reply that 49.19 lakh wheat farmers got the benefit during the rabi marketing season 2021-22 as against 43.35 lakh farmers in 2020-21. Apart from this, 1.31 crore paddy farmers got the benefit during the kharif marketing season of 2020-21 as against 1.24 crore in 2019-20. To another query, Choubey said 426.98 lt of covered storage (owned and hired) capacity was available with FCI for storage of foodgrains as on on January 1. The stock position of FCI was at 290.46 lt as on January 1. “No food grains got rotted in FCI due to shortage of godowns in the last three years,” he said.Cotton purchase
Replying to a separate question on whether the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) had entered the market to purchase cotton, Darshana Jardosh, Union Minister of State for Textiles, said CCI is mandated to procure raw cotton, if prices of raw cotton fall below Minimum Support Price (MSP). “Since market price of raw cotton has been ruling above MSP right from the beginning of the current cotton year, there has been no need for CCI to undertake MSP operations. However, CCI has deployed adequate manpower at procurement centres to keep a close watch on kapas arrivals, market rates, and to meet any eventuality to undertake MSP operations wherever required,” the Minister said. A note in the reply said that seed cotton prices for FAQ grade are ruling much above MSP level since the beginning of current cotton season 2021-22, and farmers are getting higher prices. Thus, farmers do not require market intervention by CCI in current cotton season so far, as they are getting 65 per cent to 70 per cent higher above MSP rates by market forces itself, the note said.Non-Basmati rice exports likely to cross 17 MT this financial year: BV Rao, president, Rice Exporters Association

Rising freight rates impact India’s basmati exports to West Asia

Vietnamese rice well-received in Europe

Rice farmers face turbulent 2022

U.S. COTTON, RICE STOCKS UP ON MONTH

APEDA Invites Bids For Crop Survey to Estimate Acreage & Expected Yield of Basmati Rice During 2022 & 2023

Specific Model
It has requested that agencies submit specific models and methodology for the crop survey. It said that the 'Technical Bid' and the 'Financial Bid' must be filed separately. A firm must have a minimum of five years of experience conducting crop surveys using satellite imagery and field-based surveys for a trade group or government entity in India, according to the bidding rules. "Crop cutting experiment experience will not be considered for this reason," it stated. The acreage estimation of all basmati rice crop varieties, differentiated in traditional and evolved varieties of Basmati rice, including Sharbati and Sugandha types of non-Basmati rice, would be covered by satellite imageries and field-based survey. Reports will have to be submitted on a district-level basis for each State.Concerns Raised
However, experts have questioned the legitimacy of non-notified varieties of Basmati since Sharbati and Suganda are thought to be primarily used for mixing in pure Basmati. "It could also be projected that non-notified varieties are in the process of notification," an expert said, adding, "why should adulterants be surveyed?" By providing a quantity of such non-basmati crops, the survey will unwittingly facilitate in depressing actual Basmati paddy prices or distort market sentiments, he said. According to APEDA, the selected agency will also be responsible for variety-specific crop health monitoring and analysis, as well as advance yield prediction using climate-based yield modeling based on 10 years of historical yield and climate data. Reports must be submitted by the end of each month in July, August, September, October, November, and December. In the event of unusual weather conditions or pests/diseases wreaking havoc on yields, a fortnightly report will be required, particularly during crop maturity. Bidders who receive at least 70% (49 out of 70) in technical presentations will be shortlisted, and their financial bids will be opened. The financial bid will be worth a maximum of 30 points.Pune: Rice Mahotsav draws good response from farmers, customers

Hiding ‘‘Rice- Rubber Pact’’, Hyping ‘‘Hambantota Fib’’, Depicts Unfair Judgement

Wang during his visit quoted “The spirit of the pact characterized by independence, self-reliance, Unity and mutual support is deeply rooted in the heart of two peoples’ and such spirit should be carried forward’’. 1952 was a bad year for Sri Lanka; the country faced a global rice scarcity because rice from the country’s regular suppliers, Burma, Thailand, and Indo-China were unavailable. Between 1951 and 1952, the world market price of rice increased by 38 percent. In 1952, the Lankan government faced a foreign exchange crisis as a result of a sharp drop in export prices precipitated on the rapid end of the Korean War boom. Between 1951 and 1952, Sri Lanka’s export price fell by 23 percent as a result of the West’s reduced acquisition of commodities, particularly natural rubber by the USA, resulting in a trade surplus of Rs 345 million in 1951 turning into a trade deficit of Rs 200 million in 1952. In that desperate position, Sri Lanka attempted, but failed, to arrange a loan of $50 million from the USA, as well as favorable rates for a few rubber exports and rice imports. Moreover, she was forced to buy 60,000 tons of rice from the USA at a hefty price since she couldn’t find enough rice to feed her people. However, in 1952, China agreed to sell rice to Sri Lanka in exchange for rubber, and the “Rubber-Rice Pact” was signed. China was also in need of rubber at that time, as she was unable to receive it due to a ban on rubber export from Malaya imposed by a United Nations resolution prohibiting the sale of rubber to communist China.The Ceylon-China Commercial Agreement of 1952 was unquestionably one of the most beneficial trade deals ever negotiated between China and Sri Lanka, and it exemplified China’s open-minded diplomacy. The Western youth has a right to know about the ancient benign links between China and Sri Lanka, not simply the phony “Hambantota Debt Trap” rhetoric
Thailand rice exports expected to rise sharply

REAP extends help to govt in research,model farming
Sri Lanka to import 100,000 tons of rice from Myanmar
Iran orders immediate imports of rice, potato amid price surges

Non-basmati rice exports may exceed target on strong buys from China, Bangladesh
Shipments up 52% in April-Dec at 12.53 million tonnes clocking $4.48 billion
Top buyers
Largest buyer this year, so far, Bangladesh has purchased a record 1.53 mt against a mere 13,811 tonnes in the same period last year. In value terms, the Bangladesh rice purchases were over $596 million ($13.47 million). “Bangladesh, which has been an aggressive buyer since January last year, has slowed down purchases now. China’s purchases are seen topping a million tonnes. We feel China’s purchases will be more as long as the corn prices are high. China is buying brokens to meet the feed requirements,” Rao said. China has imported about 9.05 lakh tonnes in April-December compared with 33,705 tonnes in the same period last year. In value terms, China’s rice buys from India has exceeded $275 million ( $10.29 million). Similarly, other countries which have scaled up their purchases include Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Senegal, Somalia and Indonesia among others. Vietnam has bought over half a million tonnes during April-Dec this year, more than eleven times that of the same period previous year. Vietnam imported 5.66 lakh tonnes valued at $187 million as compared to 48,581 tonnes valued at $15.4 million in the previous year. Some markets like Nepal, Mozambique are stable, while several countries including Malaysia, Togo, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Russia and Iraq have scaled down their purchases.Crop projections
As per the first advance estimates, India is expected to harvest a record 107.04 mt of rice, the main kharif cereal crop. Kharif planting of rice was at a record 411.46 lakh ha over the normal area of 395.66 lakh ha. However, in the ongoing rabi season, the rice acreage has seen a decline at 23.61 lakh ha as on January 21, over the normal area for the season of 42.5 lakh ha.Rice Seeds Market Expected To Attain About USD 8.23 Billion By 2026
Minister: Rice prices soaring due to international market

Rice prices in the country are on the rise due to high demand and increased prices in the international market, says Agriculture Minister Dr Abdur Razzaque.
“We are trying to figure out how to be self-sustaining in terms of grain food production,” he said during a meeting on Thursday.
The minister said that the government did not need to import rice until 2017 and any imports were made by private traders.
“Then the import tax was reduced due to the floods, which in turn led to rice prices falling,” he said.
He added that the government is undertaking initiatives to increase production in line with the demands.
“We have also discussed how to increase the production of Boro, Aman and Aush rice,” the minister said before adding Bangladeshi scientists have invented the Bri-89, 92 which yield high produce.
Organic black rice finds few takers in Anantapur
Agricultural rice exports making Lake Charles a major player internationally
Lake Charles, LA (KPLC) - The Port of Lake Charles has become an international hotspot for one specific export, as tons of rice are being shipped out of the port and involves hundreds of stake holders here in the United States.
Rice is one of the biggest exports that the Port of Lake Charles handles, and the rice is grown locally here in Southwest Louisiana and East Texas.
“Six years ago, we didn’t know what we’d be doing today and it’s just an exciting adventure that we’re on,” said Mark Pousson, manager of the South Louisiana Rail Facility.
The rail facility is one of the 200 partners involved in rice exporting out of the Port of Lake Charles. Pousson said even with in the three years, rice exports out of the port have taken off with each grain of “rough rice” having an impact on a global scale.
“Annually, we’re running or average around 175,000 tons a year,” Pousson said. “We’re exporting to South America, Central America. We have a vessel on the way Tuesday that will go to Columbia. The first time we go to that country.”
From growing it on regional farms to shipping it out of the Gulf.
“It’s a huge accomplishment you know that we’ve produced it, we’ve marketed it, we logistically delivered to the buyer,” Pousson said.
Now, partnerships that continue to bring economic growth to Southwest Louisiana are reaching Asia.
“In 2019, a company from India approached us to partner in a rice milling facility, and so we are currently under construction of a rice mill in Lacassine,” Pousson said.
The mill is another step forward in expanding the possibilities to produce more exports and developing economic growth within the region. Pousson adds that all those involved from rice produces to the stakeholders are proud of all they’ve done and are looking forward to future expansion.
Precious ‘super-organic’ rice produced from formerly ‘dead’ fields



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CRF all set to market fragrant rice in European countries

Vietnam offers cooperation in textiles, rice production
Milled rice export to EU expected to increase

ASIA RICE-India rates jump to 7-month peak on freight trains shortage
EXCLUSIVE Indian rice traders stop new export deals as freight train shortage blocks shipments

MUMBAI, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Nearly a third of India's rice exports for this month are stuck due to a shortage of freight trains and most traders have stopped signing February export contracts to avoid demurrage charges, industry officials told Reuters.
The slowdown in exports from India, the world's biggest rice exporter, has allowed rival suppliers such as Thailand, Myanmar and Vietnam to increase overseas sales at higher prices.
Slowing exports could force the Indian government to increase procurement from farmers.
Shipments of more than 500,000 tonnes of non-basmati rice that need to be transported to ports on India's east coast from the central state of Chhattisgarh have been stuck due to the shortage of freight trains, dealers said.
They are part of around 1.5 million tonnes of rice that India had planned to export this month.
"Cargoes cannot move from producing centres to ports because of freight train scarcity," said Nitin Gupta, vice president of agricultural commodities trader Olam India's rice business.
"There is no clarity on the availability of trains so nobody is offering fresh cargoes."
Railway authorities have diverted wagons to ship fertilizers and to serve thermal coal power plants to ensure adequate power supply this winter after power plants ran out of coal a few months ago.
The delay in Indian shipments is hitting exporters hard as vessel rates have risen to $30,000 per day and some exporters need to pay as much as $500,000 in demurrage charges, wiping out their entire margin, said Himanshu Agarwal, executive director at Satyam Balajee, India's biggest rice exporter.
Traders have started quoting higher prices for overseas shipments to cover higher demurrage charges, and prices for India's 5% broken parboiled variety of rice have risen to $380 per tonne, the highest in six months.
Higher prices and shipping delays are prompting some buyers to switch to rival suppliers such as Thailand and Myanmar, said B.V. Krishna Rao, president of India's Rice Exporters Association.
Thailand's 5% broken rice prices rose last week to their highest since mid-July 2021 at $404-$405 per tonne.
"We have requested the Ministry of Commerce and Industry to help us by increasing railway wagons' availability," Rao said.
India's Ministry of Commerce and Industry and Ministry of Railways did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Monday.
In the past traders use to switch to road transport in the absence of railway wagons, but truckers have substantially raised freight charges in the past six months after diesel prices jumped to a record high, said a dealer with a global trading firm.
"At least for near-month shipments, Asian and African buyers are switching to Thailand, Myanmar and Pakistan. Indian exports could fall in the March quarter," he said.
India cornered nearly half of global rice shipments in 2021 as its exports surged 45% from 2020 to a record 21.4 million tonnes, or more than the combined exports of the next three largest exporters Thailand, Vietnam and Pakistan, according to provisional government data.
India's rice production has jumped to a record high in the current year and prices are still competitive, but logistics' bottlenecks are limiting exports, said Himanshu of Satyam Balajee.
ASIA RICE-STRONG RUPEE, TIGHT SUPPLIES LIFT INDIA RATES TO OVER 6-MONTH PEAK
Sri Lanka to import 300,000 tonnes of rice as crop loss expected
EU Commission confirms expected resumption of tariff-free Myanmar, Cambodian rice imports
South Korean rice imports decline

Pakistan poised to export near-record rice volume this season

Basmati prices on upswing in Punjab, with reduction in area hitting supply

India-Pakistan tug of war over GI tag for Basmati rice takes a new turn

Chinese help sought for rice industry

RUSSIA INCREASES RICE IMPORT VOLUME FROM PAKISTAN

Rice exporters slam PM aide’s claim
Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan say the statement regarding no demand of basmati rice in the world is misleading

A.P. organic rice set to tap world market
Export body to give it a makeover to help it face competitors from Southeast Asia
Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) Chairman M. Angamuthu has said that the authority has prepared a road map to export organic rice varieties from Andhra Pradesh to meet the growing demand in the European Union, Middle East and East Asia. Mr. Angamuthu told The Hindu here, “Post COVID-19, many countries, including the European Union are looking for rice varieties grown through organic farming methods in India. We have chosen Andhra Pradesh to source such rice for export.” “The APEDA under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry will be the facilitator between the importer and the exporter, and help the latter obtain necessary certification for export. Decks will be cleared for export once organic rice varieties are certified,” said Mr. Angamuthu.‘Branding needed’
“Despite India being a major rice exporter to 170 countries across the globe, Vietnam, Thailand and Philippines remain the prime competitors as India continues to export rice without any key features - branding, promotion and value addition,” explained Mr. Angamuthu. “In a war-footing initiative, a strategy has been prepared to brand the Indian rice varieties with value addition. However, product diversification will be the key strategy to face the challenge from our global competitors,” he addedThe senior IAS officer said that the APEDA is all set to groom a group of 100 progressive farmers or Farmers' Producer Organisations from Andhra Pradesh and connect them to the global market to export their respective products including horticulture crops and maize.
Grain – World Markets & Trade by USDA
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