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Pakistan moves to introduce flood-tolerant rice varieties
Rice likely to rule around current levels
Thailand to launch new rice bond next week
Vietnam's Rice Exporters To Face Severe Competition In 2014
Japanese Begin to Question Protections Given to Homegrown Rice
Just being top nominee can be a prize
BOC warned vs release of seized smuggled rice
CP Intertrade brand to join govt rice auction
Commerce Ministry confirms it has enough fund for rice mortgage scheme
Finance Ministry seeking new funding source for rice pledging scheme
Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open-Jan 10
TABLE-India Grain Prices-Delhi-Jan 10
Noose tightens against defaulting rice millers
New rice competes with weeds, offers high grain quality to boot

NEWS DETAILS:

Pakistan moves to introduce flood-tolerant rice varieties
Source: Thomson Reuters Foundation - Fri, 10 Jan 2014 11:33 AM
Author: Saleem Shaikh and Sughra TunioMore news from our correspondents

ISLAMABAD (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – For the first time
in years, Pakistani farmer Zulfiqar Ali cannot afford to sow winter
wheat. Damage to his standing rice crop from heavy monsoon rains
has left him penniless.―My rice crop on 18 hectares was flattened
by lashing rains in July,‖ said Ali, standing next to his paddy field

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in Sialkot district, some 190 km (120 miles) from Islamabad, Pakistan‘s capital. ―I have already landed in a debt
trap, and my children have been hungry for many days.‖Although Pakistan produces enough rice to meet both
its domestic and export needs, the country‘s longer-term food security is at risk, as demand for the staple crop
continues to grow and increasingly extreme weather threatens yields.Experts say the solution lies in adopting
flood-resilient and high-yielding rice varieties, but the government is doing too little to promote these, leaving
farmers like Ali exposed to economic ruin.Ali is now worried about how he will clear the loan of 240,000
Pakistani rupees (around $2,300) he borrowed from a moneylender earlier in the year to buy his rice seed.
Some 150,000 hectares (370,000 acres) are brought under paddy in Sialkot every year in June or July. The crop
is harvested in September and October, and the land is then prepared for planting wheat in November.Farmers
typically use earnings from selling their rice harvest to meet household expenditures, clear their debts and sow
the next crop.But 85 percent of rice fields in Sialkot were hit by devastating rains and floods in 2013, according
to Ibrahim Mughal, chairman of Agri Forum Pakistan, a national farmers‘ association based in
Lahore.―Although Pakistan (has) managed to bring more area under rice, above-normal rains and subsequent
riverine flooding in Punjab and Sindh – where over 70 percent of the country‘s rice is produced – have dashed
hopes for bumper rice production,‖ he said.
RICE FORECAST DOWNGRADED

The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) downgraded its forecast for Pakistan‘s rice production in
its November 2013 Rice Market Monitor because of the past year‘s torrential rains and flooding.In the
financial year 2013-14, the FAO expects Pakistan to produce around 8.7 million tonnes of paddy - 0.6 million
tonnes less than the target of 9.3 million tonnes set by the federal government.Rice is sown on 3 million
hectares (7.4 million acres) of land in Pakistan. More than 1.6 million hectares have been affected by rain and
floods, according to officials in the Food Security and Research Ministry. The FAO forecasts that Pakistan will
have 2.9 million tonnes of rice available for export in 2014, 3 percent less than in 2013.However, Raja Ali Khan
Baloch, parliamentary secretary at the Food Security and Research Ministry, argues that the country has no
shortage of rice.
―Despite the crop losses, adequate rice will still be available for achieving export targets and domestic
consumption,‖ he said. Nonetheless Baloch cautioned that the country would suffer on both fronts if extreme
weather events continue and if flood-resilient varieties of rice are not introduced among farmers.A particular
concern is that demand for rice in Pakistan is growing along with the country‘s population, currently 180
million.According to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, domestic rice consumption grew to 3 million tonnes in
2013 from 2.4 million tonnes in 2011, a 25 percent increase.
RISING PRICES

Commodity dealers say reports of flood-related damage to rice crops have hiked prices on the wholesale and
retail markets.―Last year we sold the finest quality of aromatic rice for 10,000 rupees ($94) per 100 kg. But now
it sells for above 14,500 rupees ($136) per 100 kg,‖ said Sheraz Ahmad, a rice exporter and chief executive of

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MS Enterprises in Karachi.―Any downward change in rice production means escalation in hunger and
malnutrition,‖ warned Abid Suleri, a food security expert and executive director of the Islamabad-based
Sustainable Development Policy Institute.The possibility of a decline in production has wider economic
consequences too. Pakistan exports rice to countries in the Middle East, Africa and Southeast Asia.
After cotton, rice is the country‘s biggest source of foreign exchange, accounting for over 40 percent and worth
$2 billion annually, according to the State Bank of Pakistan.Pervaiz Amir, an agricultural scientist and former
member of the Prime Minister‘s Task Force on Climate Change, said flood-resilient crop varieties are the way
forward to avoid - or at least reduce - damage to crops that are critical to food security.Sensitising farmers about
the advantages of these varieties is important to increase demand for them, he said.But Pakistan‘s agricultural
researchers have failed on this count, Agri Forum‘s Mughal said.―Farmers have been left with no option but to
sow old rice varieties that are not flood-resistant and yield less than 485 kg rice per hectare, as compared to
improved flood-resistant varieties sown in India, Bangladesh, Indonesia and Taiwan that yield 890 to 990 kg per
hectare,‖ he said.
NEW RESEARCH PROJECT

Iftikhar Ahmad, chairman of the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council, a government-supported agency, said
inadequate state funding, bureaucratic bottlenecks and an absence of political will were responsible for the lack
of research into flood-tolerant rice varieties.―We have recently approached the Philippines-based International
Rice Research Institute (IRRI) to help Pakistan introduce flood-tolerant rice. Besides we are pushing the
government to play its active part on this count to avoid food insecurity in the country and (losing the) export
market to other countries,‖ Ahmad explained.
Senior officials at the Food Security and Research Ministry said the joint venture with IRRI, funded by a $1
million grant from the Asian Development Bank, began in August last year.Under the project, led by the Punjab
Agriculture Research Board (PARB) in Lahore, IRRI is providing technical assistance to develop rice varieties
that can survive floods, droughts and heat waves.PARB head Mubarak Ali hopes that flood and droughtresistant varieties - which are now in an experimental phase - will be introduced to farmers by the end of this
year.
Saleem Shaikh and Sughra Tunio are climate change and development correspondents based in Islamabad.
In Snap: A farmer walks through a flood-hit paddy field in Sialkot district, some 190 km (120 miles) from Islamabad, Pakistan‘s
capital. TRF/Saleem Shaikh

OUR CORRESPONDENT
KARNAL, JAN. 10:

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The rice market is unlikely to see any major change in the next few days. The market may continue to rule
around the current levels with marginal fluctuation, said trade experts.A mixed trend was seen in the rice market
with Pusa-1121 varieties rising by Rs 100-200 a quintal, while other aromatic and non-basmati varieties
remained unchanged on moderate buying.Amit Kumar, proprietor of Ginni Rice, told Business Line that the
uptrend in Pusa-1121 is unjustified as it is not backed by fundamental factors. Prices of Pusa-1121 varieties
increased by Rs 500-700 a quintal over the last 4 days.Traders see this situation as a temporary phase and
expect the market to see a correction in the coming days, he said.In the physical market, Pusa-1121 (steam)
moved up by Rs 200 to Rs 9,200 a quintal, while Pusa-1121 (sela) improved by Rs 100 to Rs 8,100.Pure
Basmati (raw) quoted at Rs 12,500. Duplicate basmati (steam) was sold at Rs 7,000.Pusa-1121 (second wand)
was quoted at Rs 7,000, Tibar at Rs 6,000, while Dubar at Rs 5,000.In the non-basmati section, Sharbati (steam)
was sold at Rs 5,000, while Sharbati (sela) was quoted at Rs 4,800. Permal (raw) was sold at Rs 2,300; Permal
(sela) at Rs 2,350; PR-11 (sela) was sold at Rs 2,900; PR-11 (raw) at Rs 2,800; and PR14 (steam) at Rs 3,200.
Paddy Arrivals

About 8,000 bags of different paddy varieties arrived at the Karnal Grain Market Terminal. About 4,000 bags of
Pusa-1121 arrived and were sold for Rs 4,100-4,200; 1,000 bags of Sugandha 999 were sold at Rs 2,600; 2,000
bags of PR at Rs 1,300-1,330; while 1,000 Sharbati bags were sold for Rs 2,200-2,220.Reuters reports: In other
Asian markets, Thai 5 per cent broken grade white rice was offered unchanged from last week at $420 a
tonne.Vietnam 5 per cent broken rice eased to $410 to $415 a tonne, free-on-board basis, from $415 to $420 in
the last week of December.Its 25-per cent broken rice was quoted at $385 a tonne, against a range of $385 to
$390 on December 25.
(This article was published on January 10, 2014)
Keywords: Rice, futures, commodity

Thailand to launch new rice bond next week
January 9, 2014 6:17pm

BANGKOK – Thailand's state-backed farm bank will start book building for a 20 billion baht ($604.96 million)
bond next week to help meet payments to rice farmers, but with terms unchanged from a similar issue in
November, appetite may be limited.The government needs the money to pay farmers under a scheme where it
buys rice at above market prices, a subsidy that boosted its popularity and helped it win a landslide in 2011
elections.But the government has struggled to sell the rice, making it difficult to fund the scheme. Farmers who
have not been paid since the subsidy was renewed in October have threatened to join anti-government protests.
Farmers blocked a highway in the northern province of Phichit on Tuesday to protest at late payments under the
scheme.

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Some in neighboring Phitsanulok have also protested.The marketing of the bond from Jan. 16 to Jan. 23
coincides with protesters' plans to shut down Bangkok as part of an attempt to oust Prime Minister Yingluck
Shinawatra, adding to political uncertainty that is likely to put off investors.A source at an arranging bank for
the bond said the terms would be unchanged from November when the Bank of Agriculture and Agricultural
Cooperatives, which funds the scheme, raised only half the 75 billion Thai baht ($2.27 billion) it wanted."We
bought some last time. But we are not so keen this time unless the price is good," said Chajchai Sarit-apirak,
first senior vice president at Kasikorn Asset Management.
Around 1 million tons of rice-selling certificates that the government issued to farmers since October are still
unpaid, a senior official at BAAC said."Those unpaid certificates are worth around 100 billion baht and the
BAAC needs to pay to farmers within January," BAAC executive vice-president Supat Eauchai told Reuters. –

Vietnam's Rice Exporters To Face Severe Competition In 2014
HANOI, Jan 10 (Bernama) - The Vietnam Food Association (VFA) said the country will face severe
competition in 2014 due to reduced prices in the world's rice market as Thailand continues to lower its selling
price and competition between Asian exporters remains.At a meeting to implement a 2014 rice production plan
held in Ho Chi Minh City on Thursday, the VFA warned local rice will now have to compete with Thai fragrant
and white rice and Indian basmati, parboiled and broken rice, Vietnam News Agency (VNA) reported.The
association believes Vietnam's high quality white and fragrant rice gives it a competitive edge in the African,
Southeast Asian and some Asian markets such as China.Despite reduced volume, however, Southeast Asia is
still Vietnam's traditional market.
VFA said cross-border trade and exports to China is anticipated to increase and could become Vietnam's largest
rice importer, but warned of hidden risks from this market which buys Vietnamese rice at low prices.To deal
with the challenges, the VFA will take appropriate measures when dealing with markets through concentrated
contracts that ensure a certain market share and export level.It will strengthen trade promotion to emerging
markets and prepare to enter the U.S. and Japanese markets once negotiations of the Trans Pacific Partnership
conclude.The association will also develop high yield rice varieties to meet the market's demand and develop a
brand name for Vietnamese rice.
Rice producers proposed the government have a development strategy for the rice industry and control chemical
residues in export products to enter markets in the U.S, European Union, Japan and South Korea.Due to
anticipated difficulties facing the market this year, the VFA plans to export between 6.5 to 7 million tonnes of
rice equivalent to last year's amount.It is expected that the country will export about 1.2 million tonnes of rice in
the first quarter of the year.Last year, Vietnam shipped 6.68 million tonnes of rice, a year-on-year decline of
13.45 percent.

Cell # 92 321 369 2874

Japanese Begin to Question Protections Given to Homegrown Rice
Bags of hulled rice at Echigo Farm‘s processing plant in Higashikanbara, Japan. Echigo Farm, which sells its organic rice at a
premium, is a rare upstart in the Japanese rice business. Kentaro Takahashi for The New York Times

AGA, Japan — For decades, Japan has
defended its 778 percent tariffs on rice with a
kind of religious zeal. Rice is a sacred crop,
the government has argued, not open to trade
negotiations. Its farmers are not just defenders
of a proud agrarian heritage, but form the
nation‘s spiritual center as well.Hardly, says
Hiromitsu Konsho, a young organic rice
farmer in this rice-growing region of Niigata.
Many Japanese farmers have all but given up
on their tiny plots, he says. They earn most of
their income elsewhere, farming only part
time and paying little attention to improving
their crops.Yet, kept on life support by
subsidies, production controls and tariffs,
these farmers grow mediocre rice year after
year, he says. Now an increasing amount of this rice has nowhere to go, as Japanese favor bread over their
traditional staple. The government will soon raise subsidies that encourage farmers to divert their rice to animal
feed.More enterprising farms face difficulty in expanding their plots or experimenting with more sustainable
cultivation, steps that would let them better compete in a free market.
Mr. Konsho points to his Echigo Farm, a rare upstart in rural
Japan, whose organically grown rice sells at high-end
retailers as far away as Tokyo and Singapore. It faced
difficulties at first, but now its rice has become a hit,
fetching 5,500 yen per kilogram, or about $24 a pound —
almost 10 times the market price.―It‘s high time to revive
Japanese rice farming,‖ Mr. Konsho said.Echigo Farm
almost did not get off the ground 10 years ago, when Mr.
Konsho first came to Niigata from a Tokyo office job with
the idea of starting an organic rice farm. Bureaucrats tried to
block his land leases. Local farmers threw rocks into his rice
paddies and flung salt at him, an insult reserved here for evil
spirits.

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―The idyllic rice farms most city people think of are things of the past,‖ Mr. Konsho said. ―Rice farming is
collapsing, and not because of free trade.‖The recent debate over how much Japan should open up its
agricultural sector to join a proposed free trade group led by the United States, the Trans-Pacific Partnership, is
opening up new rifts in Japan, rifts that defy traditional urban-rural divides. Increasingly, urban Japanese — and
even some farmers — are questioning exactly what those tariffs protect.Japan has signed only a few limited free
trade agreements, thanks to its tough stance on agricultural tariffs. Consumers pay more than twice the global
average price for rice, and four times more for wheat.Still, Japan won‘t give an inch on farming tariffs, Akira
Amari, Japan‘s trade minister, declared at the latest talks for the Trans-Pacific Partnership last month, holding
up talks at the 11th hour. The T.P.P., which involves the United States, Japan and 10 other Pacific Rim nations,
would create the world‘s biggest free trade zone.Tens of thousands risk losing their livelihoods if farming tariffs
are brought down, critics said at a recent national rally against the T.P.P. in Tokyo.
―How is the government going to protect all the small-time farmers scattered across the country?‖ said
Kazumori Yamazaki, a rice farmer from Ishikawa in central Japan.Shigeaki Okamoto, 52, who runs a successful
fruit and vegetable farm in Aichi, in central Japan, says Japanese farmers can compete without tariffs. Unlike
rice, Japan-grown vegetables face global competition, with most import levies between 0 percent and 3 percent.
Still, four-fifths of the vegetables the Japanese consume are homegrown. Vegetable growers on average earn far
more than rice farmers.Indeed, Japan‘s stiff protections on rice no longer have much to do with protecting
farmers, Mr. Okamoto says. They instead protect a sprawling network of farm co-ops that has leeched off
farmers and stymied their efforts to innovate, he says.

Just being top nominee can be a prize
That network, as Mr. Okamoto likes to say, is bureaucracy run amok. About 216,000 people work in
agricultural cooperatives in Japan, under the umbrella of the Japan Agricultural Group, or J.A. There is one coop employee for every two full-time rice farmers. The central government‘s ¥2.3 trillion farming budget for the
current year is seven times the budget to oversee the nonagricultural 99 percent of the Japanese economy.
Much of that money makes its way to these co-ops, charged with administering production controls on rice, as
well as its sales and distribution. Under that system, farmers receive subsidies in exchange for limiting the
amount of rice they grow, which keeps rice prices high and small, part-time rice farmers in business. The
average Japanese rice farmer spends only about 30 days a year on agricultural work, and over half of all farmers
till less than a hectare each of land, about 2.5 acres, according to the latest census data.

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Workers at Echigo Farm prepare gift packages of rice, a tradition at the end of the year. The farm‘s organic rice is
popular. Kentaro Takahashi for The New York Times
The tiny farms find it impossible to achieve economies of scale. But that suits the J.A. just fine, because the organization
gets commission income from collecting and selling their crop — something larger, dedicated farms could do on their
own. The J.A. also makes money selling small farmers the machinery, fertilizer and pesticides necessary for growing rice
part time.In addition, the J.A. acts as financier to Japanese farmers, handling deposits, loans and insurance in a side
business that has made it one of Japan‘s largest financial organizations.Japan could make a full switch to direct-income
subsidies, like the United States and European Union have done, which would at least protect farmers against international
competition without the need for tariffs.
But that would mean the J.A. would lose its commissions and its political clout.The rise of entrepreneurial farmers like
Mr. Konsho or Mr. Okamoto would have the same impact because they do not rely on the J.A. for sales or equipment.Mr.
Okamoto refused to work with the J.A. in expanding his farm, focusing on produce like strawberries, which he is able to
sell independently. ―Japan‘s agricultural policy hasn‘t made farmers strong — it‘s made them weak to the point of
collapse,‖ he said.But the biggest problems lie in rice cultivation, Mr. Okamoto says. Most Japanese rice farmers have no
incentive to raise the quality of rice they grow, because J.A. buys their harvest regardless of quality. Years of neglect have
made Japanese rice not just more costly, but also lower in quality — and more dependent on fertilizer and pesticides —
than much of the rice grown in the United States, Southeast Asia or China, industry insiders say.Regulations that

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discourage new entrants have made the sector unattractive to younger Japanese. Three-quarters of Japanese farmers are
over 60 years old.
One thing that could help entrepreneurial farmers, Mr. Okamoto says, could be the ―special economic zones‖ that are part
of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe‘s plans to revive the economy. Under those plans, several areas across Japan could
experiment with easing regulations, helping farmers to tap outside financing to invest and to expand their fields. Mr. Abe
has also said that the government will do away with production controls of rice in 2018.Experts remain skeptical,
however, that there will be real change. Production controls live on even under Mr. Abe‘s new plans, albeit as subsidies to
farmers who switch to other crops or produce rice for livestock.Politicians cannot afford to ignore the J.A. The
organization is able to deliver votes in rural areas, especially among legions of part-time rice farmers — not to mention
dole out much-coveted jobs for farmers‘ children.Kazuhito Yamashita, an agricultural expert at the Canon Institute for
Global Studies in Tokyo, said that at Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations Japan could be forced to offer concessions to
the Americans on some farm products, like wheat and sugar.
Japan could even expand the small quota of rice imports it accepts each year to appease the United States and other rice
producers.―But Japan will never free up its rice market in the real sense,‖ he said. ―There are too many vested
interests.‖Toyokazu Wakatsuki, 47, a farmer whose family has farmed rice for generations in Aga, was initially among
local farmers skeptical of Echigo Farm. But now he helps Mr. Konsho run it.―We‘ve been growing rice for the J.A., not
for the consumer,‖ Mr. Wakatsuki said. ―Farmers need to start taking the initiative.‖

BOC warned vs release of seized smuggled rice
By Eva Visperas, The Philippine Star
Posted at 01/10/2014 3:20 AM | Updated as of 01/10/2014 3:20 AM

ROSALES, Pangasinan, Philippines – The peasant coalition Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (Sinag)
threatened to file a suit against the Bureau of Customs (BOC) if the agency releases seized rice that have no
import permits.Rosendo So, Sinag president, told The STAR yesterday that the BOC should stand firm and stop
the release of seized imported rice amid reports that smugglers are resorting to court actions to prevent Customs
authorities from implementing the seizure of shipments.He said if the BOC gives in to pressure, it would set a
bad precedent and many culprits would repeat the wrong procedure because they could get away with it
anyway.Jesse Dellosa, BOC deputy commissioner for intelligence, said they noticed the shift in strategy of rice
smugglers in the past months.
So said rice importers should first apply for import permits from the National Food Authority (NFA), which is
the proper procedure.―It should not be that when the shipment is already here then you apply (for permits). That
is wrong,‖ So added.Dellosa said at least P725 million worth of smuggled rice had been seized since September
from 1,936 shipping containers.These entered the country through the ports of Manila, Davao, Cebu, Cagayan
de Oro and Batangas.The BOC should not release the shipment because it involves illegal entry, So said.He said
when seizure had been made, the owners said they could get import permit from the NFA and they set an
appointment with the agency. But the NFA refused to issue the permit, he added.Lawyer Argee Guevarra, who

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earlier exposed the alleged anomaly in the NFA‘s rice importation, had urged the government to run after a
certain ―Buddy R‖ and not the fictional rice smuggler ―David Tan.‖Guevarra said Buddy R is a trader engaged
with the Department of Agriculture who manages the kickbacks in connection with government-to-government
(G2G) deals.He said Buddy R is engaged in buying NFA properties at a very cheap price and selling or leasing
the same at a higher cost.
―This Buddy R is the government‘s David Tan in rice smuggling who is in charge of determining and
distributing kickbacks from G2G scheme. He went to Singapore to receive kickbacks in relation to the April
2013 G2G rice importation from Vietnam,‖ Guevarra claimed.He said this trader was among those he already
charged before the office of the Ombudsman last month.He urged the Department of Justice to run after Buddy
R who, industry sources revealed, is a businessman surnamed ―Roa.‖Last November, he said Roa raked in huge
kickbacks from the importation of 500,000 metric tons of rice at a price of $462 per metric ton.―Buddy R is a
real person while David Tan is a product of fiction, a bogeyman or a phantom created to cow legitimate rice
traders who oppose the G2G scheme. I will ask the DOJ to investigate this person to know his dealings and
identify his handlers, including (Agriculture Secretary Proceso) Alcala and a congressman from Mindanao,―
Guevarra stressed.
Last Wednesday, Guevarra said that exposure of David Tan is part of a grand scheme to divert the public‘s
attention from the real culprits in rice smuggling.He previously filed a complaint against DA and NFA officials
before the justice department and a separate plunder case against the same officials before the Office of the
Ombudsman.―Again, I say the witch hunt for a certain David Tan is obviously part of a grand plot to instill fear
among legitimate rice traders who can be accused of being Tan himself. Buddy R is a real person while Tan is a
fictional character created to ensure Alcala et al‗s absolute control of the industry,‖ Guevarra pointed out. –
With Edu Punay

CP Intertrade brand to join govt rice auction
YUPIN PONGTHONG
THE NATION January 11, 2014 1:00 am
ROYAL UMBRELLA, a brand of the country's largest agricultural conglomerate Charoen Pokphand, will join
the government rice auction next Wednesday."We will join the bidding, certainly. We are interested in jasmine
rice, broken rice, white rice, and steamed rice," said Sumeth Laomoraphorn, chief executive officer of CP
Intertrade Co.In past bidding under the rice-pledging scheme for the 2013-14 harvest season, the company won
50,000 tonnes of rice. The price was Bt30 a kilogram.Sumeth said the government had been gradually releasing
rice from its stockpiles since the end of last year, recognising that it could not drive up world rice prices as it
had hoped when it set up the pledging programme. Hence the government has been forced to sell rice from its
stocks at prices nearly as low as those of Vietnam and India.

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Currently, Thai 5 per cent white rice is quoted at US$450 a tonne. The price of Vietnamese steamed rice is
$450-$460 a tonne, and India's is only $410 a tonne. Thai broken rice is $310-$320 a tonne, nearly the same as
Vietnam's. Thai jasmine rice trades between $400 and $500 per tonne.Sumeth said the world rice price had been
weakening in line with other commodities.He said Thailand's rice exports this year would improve, probably to
between 8 million and 8.5 million tonnes, compared with only 6.5 million to 6.7 million tonnes last year, which
would be close to the largest rice exporter, India. Vietnam is expected to rank third among rice-exporting
nations.
"We believe that the rice-pledging scheme will eventually be scrapped once we have a new government. It's
clear that the scheme is not successful and not influential on increasing the world rice price."He suggested that
the government should subsidise farmers only if the market price falls below the target. It should also buy rice
from farmers at a price just a little higher than market. In addition, it could provide financial aid to farmers for
their production.For the stock with 16 million tonne of rice, which is not under the rice-pledging scheme, the
government should gradually release by way of selling new rice first in to avoid lowering quality."If the
weather is normal, the government may take four to five years to release rice from the state stockpiles," Sumeth
said.

OUR CORRESPONDENT
KARNAL, JAN. 10:

The rice market is unlikely to see any major change in the next few days. The market may continue to rule
around the current levels with marginal fluctuation, said trade experts.A mixed trend was seen in the rice market
with Pusa-1121 varieties rising by Rs 100-200 a quintal, while other aromatic and non-basmati varieties
remained unchanged on moderate buying.Amit Kumar, proprietor of Ginni Rice, told Business Line that the
uptrend in Pusa-1121 is unjustified as it is not backed by fundamental factors. Prices of Pusa-1121 varieties
increased by Rs 500-700 a quintal over the last 4 days.Traders see this situation as a temporary phase and
expect the market to see a correction in the coming days, he said.
In the physical market, Pusa-1121 (steam) moved up by Rs 200 to Rs 9,200 a quintal, while Pusa-1121 (sela)
improved by Rs 100 to Rs 8,100.
Pure Basmati (raw) quoted at Rs 12,500. Duplicate basmati (steam) was sold at Rs 7,000.
Pusa-1121 (second wand) was quoted at Rs 7,000, Tibar at Rs 6,000, while Dubar at Rs 5,000.
In the non-basmati section, Sharbati (steam) was sold at Rs 5,000, while Sharbati (sela) was quoted at Rs 4,800.
Permal (raw) was sold at Rs 2,300; Permal (sela) at Rs 2,350; PR-11 (sela) was sold at Rs 2,900; PR-11 (raw) at
Rs 2,800; and PR14 (steam) at Rs 3,200.

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Paddy Arrivals

About 8,000 bags of different paddy varieties arrived at the Karnal Grain Market Terminal. About 4,000 bags of
Pusa-1121 arrived and were sold for Rs 4,100-4,200; 1,000 bags of Sugandha 999 were sold at Rs 2,600; 2,000
bags of PR at Rs 1,300-1,330; while 1,000 Sharbati bags were sold for Rs 2,200-2,220.
Reuters reports: In other Asian markets, Thai 5 per cent broken grade white rice was offered unchanged from
last week at $420 a tonne.
Vietnam 5 per cent broken rice eased to $410 to $415 a tonne, free-on-board basis, from $415 to $420 in the last
week of December.
Its 25-per cent broken rice was quoted at $385 a tonne, against a range of $385 to $390 on December 25.
(This article was published on January 10, 2014)
Keywords: Rice, futures, commodity

Commerce Ministry confirms it has enough fund for rice mortgage
scheme
Friday, 10 January 2014By NNT

BANGKOK, 9 Jan 2014 The Commerce Ministry has reaffirmed that it has enough fund for the rice pledging scheme,
expecting to make the payments to all participating farmersin the 2013/2014 season by January 25th. The Ministry is expecting
the farmers to pledge 10 million tons of rice in the current production season. Commerce Minister Niwatthamrong
Boonsongpaisan stated that the amount would need 140 billion baht in compensation, adding that the ministry already paid 30
billion baht to the farmers, leaving 77 billion baht in payment pending. He expected that the payments would be completed
within January 25th.
Nonetheless the scheme still lacks 40 billion baht, and the Commerce Ministry will urgently ask the Election Commission (EC)
to approve its planned borrowing of 130 billion baht to finance the scheme. He said that even if the EC does not give the nod on
the matter, the Commerce Ministry is still able to use the money obtained from selling the pledged rice to be returned to the
farmers.Meanwhile, the EC has approved the ministry‘s request to sell the pledged rice in stock by any means it deems
appropriate. The Commerce Ministry, thus, has plans to clear the stock through both auctioning and Government-toGovernment deals. It expects to sell another 500,000 tons of rice in the new release

Finance Ministry seeking new funding source for rice pledging scheme
Friday, 10 January 2014From Issue Vol. XXII No. 2By MCOT

The Finance Ministry is speeding up its search for a new source of loans to pay farmers participating in the rice
pledging scheme by Jan 15.A meeting of the public debt policy and management committee was held last week,
chaired by Kittiratt Na-Ranong, Caretaker Deputy Prime Minister/Finance Minister, to consider new loan

Cell # 92 321 369 2874

sources to pay farmers under the pledging scheme during the 2013/2014 harvest season.The money must be
distributed to farmers by Jan 15 and managed to be within the ceiling.Kittiratt affirmed that the loan budget is
now still within the ceiling of Bt500 billion based on the assumption that the country‘s gross domestic product
(GDP) does not decrease, which will otherwise affect the debt ratio.Meanwhile, Anusorn Thammajai, a
committee member, said the loan budget will be within Bt500 billion, for the Election Commission (EC) stated
that such project could continue as it was an existing project, not a new one. Therefore, the committee will have
to speed up finding a new source of loans to pay farmers.Anusorn admitted that ongoing political problems have
affected the Thai economy in various dimensions and could affect the Public Debt Management Office‘s
projection on the country‘s economy in the next 4-5 years.He said the economy this year could grow less than 3
percent, which will result in a higher ratio of public debt to GDP and thus affect finding loan sources to fund
mega investment projects as well as economic opportunity losses.

Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open-Jan 10
Fri Jan 10, 2014 3:00pm IST

Nagpur, Jan 10 (Reuters) - Gram prices in Nagpur Agriculture Produce and Marketing Committee
(APMC) quoted strong on renewed demand from local millers amid weak supply from producing
regions. Fresh rise on NCDEX, upward trend in Madhya Pradesh gram prices and enquiries from
South-based millers also pushed up prices, according to sources.
*

*

*

*

FOODGRAINS & PULSES
GRAM
* Gram mill quality recovered in open market on increased buying support from local
traders amid weak supply from producing belts.
TUAR
* Tuar varieties ruled steady in open market here matching the demand and supply
position.
* Watana green firmed up in open market on good marriage season demand from
local traders amid tight arrival from producing regions.
* In Akola, Tuar - 4,100-4,200, Tuar dal - 6,200-6,400, Udid at 5,000-5,300,
Udid Mogar (clean) - 6,100-6,600, Moong - 6,800-7,000, Moong Mogar

Cell # 92 321 369 2874

(clean) 8,200-8,400, Gram - 2,600-2,700, Gram Super best bold - 3,600-3,800
for 100 kg.
* Wheat, rice and other commodities remained steady in open market in thin trading
activity, according to sources.
Nagpur foodgrains APMC auction/open-market prices in rupees for 100 kg
FOODGRAINS
Available prices Previous close
Gram Auction
2,500-2,825
2,500-2,700
Gram Pink Auction
n.a.
2,100-2,600
Tuar Auction
n.a.
3,800-4,050
Moong Auction
n.a.
4,400-4,600
Udid Auction
n.a.
4,300-4,500
Masoor Auction
n.a.
2,600-2,800
Gram Super Best Bold
3,800-4,000
3,800-4,000
Gram Super Best
n.a.
Gram Medium Best
3,500-3,700
3,500-3,700
Gram Dal Medium
n.a.
n.a.
Gram Mill Quality
3,300-3,400
3,250-3,350
Desi gram Raw
2,800-2,900
2,800-2,900
Gram Filter Yellow
n.a.
n.a.
Gram Kabuli
7,800-10,200
7,800-10,200
Gram Pink
7,700-8,100
7,700-8,100
Tuar Fataka Best
6,600-6,800
6,600-6,800
Tuar Fataka Medium
6,100-6,300
6,100-6,300
Tuar Dal Best Phod
5,800-6,000
5,800-6,000
Tuar Dal Medium phod
5,400-5,600
5,400-5,600
Tuar Gavarani
4,300-4,400
4,300-4,400
Tuar Karnataka
4,400-4,500
4,400-4,500
Tuar Black
7,100-7,200
7,100-7,200
Masoor dal best
5,400-5,500
5,400-5,500
Masoor dal medium
5,100-5,200
5,100-5,200
Masoor
n.a.
n.a.
Moong Mogar bold
8,600-8,800
8,600-8,800
Moong Mogar Medium best
7,900-8,200
7,900-8,200
Moong dal super best
7,300-7,600
7,300-7,600

Cell # 92 321 369 2874

Moong dal Chilka
6,800-7,000
6,800-7,000
Moong Mill quality
n.a.
n.a.
Moong Chamki best
6,200-7,000
6,000-6,800
Udid Mogar Super best (100 INR/KG) 6,800-7,000
6,800-7,000
Udid Mogar Medium (100 INR/KG) 5,400-6,200
5,400-6,200
Udid Dal Black (100 INR/KG)
4,600-4,800
4,600-4,800
Batri dal (100 INR/KG)
3,800-4,500
3,800-4,500
Lakhodi dal (100 INR/kg)
3,000-3,100
3,000-3,100
Watana Dal (100 INR/KG)
3,200-3,300
3,200-3,300
Watana White (100 INR/KG)
3,200-3,300
3,100-3,200
Watana Green Best (100 INR/KG) 4,200-4,500
4,100-4,500
Wheat 308 (100 INR/KG)
1,750-1,850
1,750-1,850
Wheat Mill quality(100 INR/KG) 1,700-1,800
1,700-1,800
Wheat Filter (100 INR/KG)
1,700-1,900
1,700-1,900
Wheat Lokwan best (100 INR/KG) 2,150-2,500
2,150-2,500
Wheat Lokwan medium (100 INR/KG) 2,000-2,100
2,000 -2,100
Lokwan Hath Binar (100 INR/KG) n.a.
n.a.
MP Sharbati Best (100 INR/KG) 3,200-3,700
3,200-3,700
MP Sharbati Medium (100 INR/KG) 2,800-2,900
2,800-2,900
Wheat 147 (100 INR/KG)
1,600-1,700
1,600-1,750
Wheat Best (100 INR/KG)
1,650-1,750
1,650-1,750
Rice BPT (100 INR/KG)
3,000-3,300
3,000-3,300
Rice Parmal (100 INR/KG)
1,800-1,850
1,800-1,850
Rice Swarna Best (100 INR/KG) 2,600-2,700
2,600-2,700
Rice Swarna Medium (100 INR/KG) 2,300-2,450
2,300-2,450
Rice HMT (100 INR/KG)
4,100-4,400
4,100-4,400
Rice HMT Shriram (100 INR/KG) 4,500-5,000
4,800-5,000
Rice Basmati best (100 INR/KG) 11,000-13,500
11,000-13,500
Rice Basmati Medium (100 INR/KG) 6,300-7,600
6,300-7,600
Rice Chinnor (100 INR/KG)
5,500-5,800
5,500-5,800
Rice Chinnor Medium (100 INR/KG) 5,100-5,300
5,100-5,300
Jowar Gavarani (100 INR/KG)
1,450-1,600
1,450-1,600
Jowar CH-5 (100 INR/KG)
1,750-1,850
1,750-1,850
WEATHER (NAGPUR)
Maximum temp. 29.8 degree Celsius (85.6 degree Fahrenheit), minimum temp.
15.8 degree Celsius (60.4 degree Fahrenheit)

Cell # 92 321 369 2874

Humidity: Highest - n.a., lowest - n.a.
Rainfall : nil
FORECAST: Partly cloudy sky. Maximum and Minimum temperature likely to be around 29 and 17
degree Celsius respectively.
Note: n.a.--not available
(For oils, transport costs are excluded from plant delivery prices, but
included in market prices.)

TABLE-India Grain Prices-Delhi-Jan 10
Fri Jan 10, 2014 2:55pm IST
Rates by Asian News International, New Delhi
Tel: 011 2619 1464
Indicative
Previous
Grains

opening

close

(in rupees per 100 kg unless stated)
---------------------------------------------------------Wheat Desi

2,100-3,100

2,000-3,000.

Wheat Dara

1,750-1,850

1,750-1,850.

Atta Chakki (per 10 Kg)
Roller Mill (per bag)

1,800-1,950

Maida (per bag)
Sooji (per bag)

215-240

1,950-2,050
1,900-2,000

215-240.
1,750-1,900.
1,950-2,050.
1,900-2,000.

Rice Basmati(Sri Lal Mahal) 12,000-14,500 12,000-14,500
Rice Basmati(Lal Quila)
Rice Basmati(Common)

12,000-14,400 12,000-14,400
8,500-9,500

8,500-9,500.

Cell # 92 321 369 2874

Rice Permal
Rice Sela
I.R.-8
Gram

2,100-2,400
2,900-3,100
1,875-2,025
3,100-3,200

2,100-2,400.
2,900-3,100.
1,850-2,000.
3,100-3,200.

Peas Green

3,250-3,800

3,250-3,800.

Peas White

2,850-3,050

2,850-3,050.

Bajra
Jowar white

1,310-1,660
1,500-2,200

1,300-1,650.
1,500-2,200.

Maize

1,425-1,625

1,400-1,600.

Barley

1,350-1,425

1,350-1,425.

Guwar

3,300-3,900

3,300-3,900.

Source: Delhi grain market traders.

Noose tightens against defaulting rice millers
Tightening noose around rice mills failing in returning the custom milled rice to the state procurement agencies,
Mansa police has registered four cases pertaining to embezzlement of rice worth Rs. 7.70 crore. Working on the
complaints of authorities of procurement agency the police have registered the case in last 6 days. Mansa SSP
Bhupinder Singh said a case has been registered against Sushil Kumar of Mansa owning Bhagwati rice mill for the
embezzlement of Rs. 2.95 crore of Punjab state warehouse corporation.
Likewise a case has been registered against Lalit Kumar of Budhlada owning Lalit rice mills on the accusation of
embezzling 5500 quintal rice of warehouse corporation worth Rs. 1.27 crore. Prem Chand Singla of Mansa has been
booked on the complaint of civil supplies of embezzling rice worth Rs. 1.75 crore. Likewise Sukhdev Singh, Bhim
Singh, Sher Singh of village Jatana and Gurmeet Singh of village Sahnewali have been booked on the complaint of
Punjab warehouse corporation authorities of embezzling rice worth Rs. 1.73 crore.

Cell # 92 321 369 2874

New rice competes with weeds, offers high grain quality to boot
Jan Suszkiw

STG061-35-061 is a new rice line that combines desirable traits like high grain quality with a natural ability to
suppress costly weeds like barnyardgrass. Credit: David Gealey. Using conventional breeding methods, U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists have developed a new rice cultivar that can hold its own against
barnyardgrass and other costly weeds, opening the door to reduced herbicide use. David Gealy and colleagues
with USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture
(UADA) at Stuttgart developed the new rice, STG061-35-061, by crossing standard U.S. long-grain varieties
with indica types from Asia. Indica rices are known for their ability to outcompete many weeds using
allelochemical root secretions and other defenses. But these rice types haven't caught on in the United States in
large part because of their poor grain quality, notes Gealy, with the ARS Dale Bumpers National Rice Research
Center in Stuttgart.Gealy, together with UADA rice breeder Karen Moldenhauer and ARS molecular geneticist
Melissa Jia, tackled the problem by crossing two commercial tropical japonica rices, 'Katy' and 'Drew,' with
PI312777, an indica germplasm line. They evaluated the offspring plants as part of multi-year trials that
included comparisons to other rice crosses and chose STG061-35-061 as the top pick for high grain yield and
quality, early maturity, stem strength, pest and disease resistance, allelopathy to weeds, and other desirable
traits.The team's trials included evaluations of the new cultivar in both weed-free and weed-infested plots, with
barnyard grass as the dominant weed species.
Several commercial cultivars, including 'Lemont,' along with indica lines, were also tested.During the trials,
conducted in 2008 and 2009, weed-suppression ratings for the new cultivar were 41 percent higher than 'Katy,'
68 percent higher than 'Lemont,' and about equal to PI 312777. In weed-free plots, the new rice averaged about
5,000 pounds of grain per acre versus 5,400 for 'Drew;' 4,000 for 'Katy;' and 4,300 for 'Lemont.'According to
Gealy, the new rice's combination of traits will make it especially suited to organic and low-input production
systems.

For Advertising SPECS & RATES
Contact: Advertising Department
Mujahid Ali
mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com
+92 321 369 2874

Cell # 92 321 369 2874

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