17th december,2013 daily international rice e newsletter by riceplus magazine

17th December , 2013

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Plunder rap filed over rice import
Commercial rice trials go missing up north
VIETNAM PRESS-Vietnam's rice exports drop 14 pct y/y - Tuoi Tre
Minister Yukol expects rice exports to reach 7 mil tons next year
EU rice sector struggles with the increase of rice imports
TDRI proposes disposal of rotten pledged rice
As millers strike, rice prices may go up
Nigeria: Ghana, India to Procure Rice Seeds From Kebbi
Hold talks with rice mill owners, KRRS urges government
Thai rice struggles to find buyers
Rice farmers spar over dam release
Call for independent rice inspectors

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Rice grown in Maryland? Farmer sees a future that doesn’t involve flooding.
DOST's rice fortification gains support
Mississippi researchers find rice seed treatments work
Second day of rice mill strike prompts govt to act

NEWS DETAILS:

Plunder rap filed over rice import
By Cynthia D. Balana:Philippine Daily Inquirer
4:40 am | Tuesday, December 17th, 2013

MANILA, Philippines—Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala and National Food Authority (NFA)
Administrator Orlan Calayag are facing a plunder complaint in the Office of the Ombudsman in connection
with the importation last May of 205,700 metric tons of rice from Vietnam, which was allegedly overpriced by
P457.2 million.
In his complaint-affidavit filed on Monday, lawyer and public interest advocate Argee Guevarra described the
importation deal between the governments of the Philippines (represented by Alcala and Calayag) and Vietnam
as a ―cash cow‖ because of ―overpricing, unauthorized addition of 18,700 metric tons of rice, and the
government monopolization of rice retail.‖The rice importation in May, according to Guevarra, was valued at
$50.75/metric ton, or $10.439 million for the entire 205,700 MT of rice. (Guevarra used P43 per dollar as
conversion rate; the rate on May 15 this year was P41.16 to the dollar—Ed.)
Guevarra also accused the NFA of a new wave of rice importations from Vietnam beginning this month, and
said the agency had imported 500,000 MT of rice to beef up the Philippines‘ rice supply following the
onslaught of Supertyphoon ―Yolanda.‖
The lawyer said the respondents had ignored the expiration by June 30, 2012, of the quantitative restrictions
(QRs) imposed on private rice importations when they proceeded with the deal.―The diabolical plan is to
preserve the government monopoly over rice importations to earn large kickbacks for themselves,‖ Guevarra
said.He said the country was a signatory to the Marrakech Agreement establishing the World Trade
Organization and was committed to remove QRs on rice imports, among other provisions.However, the country
was allowed an accommodation in 1994 to regulate the volume of rice importation via trade quota to protect the
price of domestically produced goods. In 2005, this was extended to June 30, 2012.
No legal impediment
―With the expiration of the QRs on June 30, 2012, there should no longer be any legal impediment for the
private sector to import rice,‖ Guevarra said.―However, the Department of Agriculture‘s anomalous policy
ensured respondents‘ exercise of untrammeled discretion over the purchase and entry of imported rice, which

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they in turn used to enrich themselves with billions of pesos in illegal profits,‖ the complaint said.Guevarra said
that based on the prevailing market price of low-grade Vietnam rice, the overprice of the December rice imports
could be as high as P1.9 billion.He added that although the NFA had said that it was importing high-quality
rice, Alcala through Calayag had allegedly sold NFA rice of the lowest quality.
Barely edible
―I recently did the rounds of the market to check the current quality of NFA rice, and all I can say is that it‘s
barely edible. It‘s practically kanin baboy (pig swill). Is this what Alcala plans to feed to the Filipino masses,
aside from lies and excuses?‖ Guevarra said.The complainant described the agriculture official as the ―biggest
scammer‖ in the Aquino Cabinet for using Yolanda as an excuse to import overpriced rice instead of
rehabilitating farmlands to restore the agricultural livelihood of farmers in the affected Visayan region.Guevarra
said all the elements of plunder were present in the complaint: The respondents are both public officials; the
P457.2 million allegedly representing the overprice of imported Vietnam rice is beyond the P50 million
threshold for plunder; the offense was allegedly committed through a combination or series of overt criminal
acts by misappropriation, conversion, misuse or malversation of public funds.

Commercial rice trials go missing up north
ABC Rural ;By Matt Brann:Updated Tue 17 Dec 2013, 5:55pm AEDT
PHOTO: Rice being trialled under netting at Tortilla Flats near Adelaide River, NT (Matt Brann)
AUDIO: Mixed results for northern rice trials (ABC Rural)

MAP: Darwin 0800
For the first time in many years, there were no commercial rice
trials planted in the Northern Territory or Western Australia.For
growers in the Ord irrigation scheme (WA), the threat of a fungal
disease known as rice blast is still an issue.And for Bruce White at
Mt Keppler Station in the NT, he simply didn't have enough water
to produce a crop after a poor wet season."We didn't think we had
enough water (in our dam), so consequently we didn't grow any
rice, it was too much of a risk," he said."But it's given us time to
develop better levy banks, better water gates, and we're all geared
up for next season.
"Mr White says heavy rain in November means his dam already has more water in it than at the end of last
year's wet season.He says the plan is to grow about 60 hectares of rice in 2014."It's still very experimental and it
might not be successful, but if you don't have a go, you'll never know," he said.Although there were no
commercial rice trials in the Northern Territory or Kimberley this year, small research trials were still carried
out by the WA Department of Agriculture (DAFWA) and the NT's Department of Primary Industry (NTDPIF),
with crops grown near Adelaide River (NT), Katherine (NT) and Kununurra (WA).Northern Territory
researcher, Nick Hartley, says a warmer than average dry season and some early rain in October, provided

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mixed results for the trial near Adelaide River."Yields were looking good, especially the Vietnamese varieties,
but in the later part of the season we had rain and things didn't eventuate like we wanted it to."Mr Hartley says
the crop yielded around 8 tonnes per hectare, but in the past has reached over 11 tonnes per hectare.
He says none of the NT rice was affected by rice blast and ongoing research into the disease is paying
off."That's the first priority, getting varieties that are resistant to rice blast," he said."The producers in
Kununurra are very wary of this disease and that's understandable, but they can see there's some promise,
especially because there's now a funded project happening, which is looking at rice blast throughout the Top
End."Growers have told me that maybe in five years time they might delve back into rice."Research from

DAFWA suggests a strong yielding rice crop in the Ord Valley this year would have been a viable crop for local
growers (see graph
below).
PHOTO: Analysis by DAFWA shows that a commercially achievable rice yield of 8 tonnes per hectare, the gross margin at $317 per tonne is $298
per hectare. (DAFWA)

VIETNAM PRESS-Vietnam's rice exports drop 14 pct y/y - Tuoi Tre
December 16, 2013 8:38 PM

Vietnam's rice exports are likely to reach 6.6 million tonnes in2013, a drop of 1.1 million tonnes from last year,
due todecreasing demand from Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia,according to the Vietnam Food
Association, the Tuoi Tre (Youth)newspaper reported.Rice exports in 2013 were also hurt by a fall in price
ofabout $14.5 per tonne, it said.NOTE: Reuters has not verified this story and does not vouchfor its accuracy.
(Hanoi Newsroom; Editing by Prateek Chatterjee)

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Minister Yukol expects rice exports to reach 7 mil tons next year
Published on December 17, 2013 by TFP · No Comments

BANGKOK, 17 December 2013 (NNT) â€‖ The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives predicts that
Thailand will export 7 million tons of rice next year, while rice production in the country will be as high as 38
million tons.According to Minister of Agriculture Yukol Limlamthong, there are over 3 billion rice consumers
around the world, mostly in Asia. As the market has a tendency to grow wider and wider, it is essential that Thai
farmers have the knowledge to enhance rice productivity in order for Thailand to be more competitive in the
world market, says Mr. Yukol.Thailand, according to the minister, is more advantageous than its competitors in
terms of research which has helped add the value to Thai rice.The minister believes that Thailand will next year
export 7 million tons of rice, an amount close to this yearâ€€s figure, adding that the country‘s total rice output
in 2014 will be 38 million tons.The minister is also calling for grouping of rice producing countries in order for
them to gain higher negotiating power in the world stage.
(NNT: Thammarat Pramotmaneerat)

EU rice sector struggles with the increase of rice imports
At the last Council meeting on Agriculture and Fisheries held in Brussels on 16 and 17 December 2013, the
Italian delegation, supported by Bulgaria, Greece, Spain, France and Portugal, underlined the difficult situation
that the EU rice sector is facing in particular with the increase of EU imports of this product (17559/13).Italy
noted that in some EU regions, rice cultivation represents the most important agricultural activity of the area
but, over the past few years, this sector has gradually been losing profitability and the rice cultivated surfaces
are progressively reduced.
This situation is made worse by the increase of EU imports of milled rice from least developed countries
(LDCs) and from other countries with which the EU has bilateral agreements.While taking note of the concerns
of Italy and some member states, the Commission recalled that for some rice varieties, the EU is largely
dependent from its imports. It noted also that in a first assessment no brutal imbalance has yet been observed in
the rice market. However, the Commission said it was ready to initiate formal action on the basis of convergent
data showing a risk of major crisis.
Source: Council of the European Union

TDRI proposes disposal of rotten pledged rice

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Date : 17

2556

BANGKOK, 17 December 2013 (NNT) – The Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI) has proposed
that a new government issue a law requiring warehouse owners to burn rotten pledged rice found in their silos,
in order to prevent corruption in the scheme. The TDRI also pointed out the upcoming government can discard
the rice pledging program, but the process must be done gradually, otherwise rice prices would drop sharply.
Mr. Nipon Puapongsakorn, a TDRI honorary member, made the comments at a recent seminar on 'Future of
Thai rice in the Global Arena', organized by the Thai Rice Foundation under the Royal Patronage. He stated that
the new government needs to urgently examine the amount of stockpiled rice, saying without the exact figure of
rice in store, the country would have to unnecessarily spend higher amount of money on maintenance and face
depressed prices for the whole stock. He also said that the lack of reliable pledged rice inspections would likely
attract corruption. Thus, he advised the government to check the stockpiled rice both in lists and in silos, to
ensure the accuracy of the data which would be used to formulate an efficient rice clearance plan.

As millers strike, rice prices may go up
TNN Dec 17, 2013, 05.59AM IST

Tags:rice|Karnataka State Rice Mill Owners‘ Association|indefinite strike

BANGALORE: The cost of rice is likely to go up in the coming days if the indefinite strike by the Karnataka State
Rice Mill Owners' Association continues. The strike began on Monday in protest against the government's decision
to procure five lakh tonnes of levy rice from them to meet the requirements of the flagship Anna Bhagya scheme of
30 kg of rice to BPL families."The impact of the indefinite stir will be felt in the next couple of days particularly in
Bangalore, where 20 lakh tonnes of rice come everyday .
All rice millers in the state have stopped procuring paddy from farmers and hulling it. Once the rice stock goes
down in the market , prices will go up,'' association president H S Rudraswamy told TOI.The disagreement between
the government and millers over the levy rice quota had been brewing for months after the Anna Bhagya scheme
was launched. According to the association's general secretary N Srinivasa Rao, the mill owners have been trying to
convince the government that five lakh tonnes per annum was an "unscientific requirement ,'' and the minimum
support price (MSP) of Rs 2,400 per quintal to procure the same be hiked to Rs 2,650.According to Rao, the levy
rice quota was 1.5 lakh tonnes for the past two decades .
The target has been hiked four-fold now.The cabinet meeting last week decided to stop buying rice from
Chhattisgarh for Anna Bhagya and solely depend on local market.The government was buying rice at Rs 29 per kg
from Chhattisgarh and the subsidy component for giving rice to 87 lakh BPL families worked to Rs 450 crore per
month.The association is also unhappy with the MSP of Rs 1,600 for procuring Sona Masuri paddy. "In Karnataka,
80% of rice produced is Sona Masuri for which there is a huge export demand. Except old Mysore area, Sona Masuri
dominates other regions ,'' Rao said.According to Mysore region rice millers association president YK Siddaramu the
millers consume 40 to 50 units of power per tonne of paddy hulling, which had now increased to 110 units due to

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technical reasons."It cost Rs 2,650 per quintal of rice against the government's fixed price of Rs 2,400,'' the
association president added.
TIMES VIEW
Just after the sugar crisis was resolved comes the rice issue. With millers stopping procurement of paddy, it won't be
long before the tillers too protest. As this cycle plays out, it's obvious the government didn't do its arithmetic right
when it launched the Anna Bhagya scheme. It's also true that such issues get amplified during an election year. But
this robbing Peter to pay Paul syndrome that afflicts most governments who love sop stories is not the solution.
Social welfare schemes must be backed by sound fiscal management so that states don't fall deeper intodebt traps
Govt: It's a legal requirement
Food and civil supplies minister Dinesh Gundurao said the government will try to resolve the issue in two or three
days."They were giving three lakh tonnes earlier, which has now been hiked to five lakh tonnes. Giving levy rice is a
legal requirement. We earlier wanted 13.5 lakh tonnes,'' he added. Food and civil supplies commissioner Harsh
Gupta maintained that the five lakh tonne target was a small percentage.Gundurao said all these years, levy rice was
being given to the Food Corporation of India, which had stopped pursuing it after began to get good quality rice
from Haryana and Punjab. But now rice is needed for government schemes, the minister said.
Hopcoms' outlets to reopen today
Hopcoms outlets across the city will reopen on Tuesday, after the day-long protest on Monday against the state
government's failure to respond to their demand for a wage revision in accordance with the Sixth Pay Commission.
"We decided to give the government one more week, following which we'll start an indefinite strike," said IR Nadaf,
honorary president, Hopcoms' Employees Union. TNN

Nigeria: Ghana, India to Procure Rice Seeds From Kebbi
BY GARBA MUHAMMAD AND BIRNIN KEBBI, 17 DECEMBER 2013

Ghana and India are to procure rice seeds from Kebbi State to boost their internal production, the Programme
Manager, Kebbi Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (KARDA) Alhaji Yahaya Haruna Jega, has
said."Ghana and India have identified the variety rice seeds from the Kebbi State as one of the best in terms of
quality and yield. Agricultural experts from the two countries were in the state on a mission to obtain rice seeds for
demonstration and possible adoption of the variety by farmers in their countries," he said while addressing newsmen
on activities of parastatals over the weekend in Birnin Kebbi.He said research also showed that the seeds used in the
state when cultivated could yield about seven to nine tones per hectare compared to other varieties that hardly
produce three tones per hectare. "Many countries have declared their intention to come down and procure our seeds
which is also attributed to a good soil fertility and method of handling," he added.

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Hold talks with rice mill owners, KRRS urges government

The HinduThe State Cabinet has decided to procure 5 lakh
tonnes of levy rice before March 31 next to meet the
requirements of the Anna Bhagya scheme
In view of the closure of rice mills in protest against the
State government‘s decision to procure levy rice, the
Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS) has urged the
government to hold discussions with mill owners to sort
out the differences.The State Cabinet has decided to
procure 5 lakh tonnes of levy rice before March 31 next to
meet the requirements of the Anna Bhagya scheme.Apart
from seeking abolition of the levy system, the KRRS has
appealed to the government to purchase rice in the open
market for the Anna Bhagya scheme.
Support price
Sangha president Kodihalli Chandrashekar told presspersons here on Monday that although the support price
announced by the government for paddy was Rs. 1,600 a quintal, the market price ranges between Rs. 1,200 and
Rs. 1,300 a quintal.―Paddy price would fall further in view of the strike. Hence, the government should convene
a meeting of rice mill owners immediately and sort out the issue,‖ he said.Mr. Chandrashekar also said that the
government could procure rice for the scheme within the State. ―Over 35 per cent of the rice produced in
Karnataka is going to neighbouring States. The government should ensure that it is utilised within the State by
purchasing it for the scheme,‖ he said. He also pointed out that the government had earlier purchased rice from
Chhattisgarh at Rs. 28 a kg.
Keywords: Anna Bhagya scheme, Karnataka rice mills protest, Karnataka State Rice Millers‘ Association, rice production in
Karnataka

Thai rice struggles to find buyers
Published: 17 Dec 2013 :Newspaper section: Business

Rice buyers remain reluctant to purchase Thai rice even though prices are now competitive with Vietnamese
grain."This is unusual, as Thai rice prices are now quoted at about the same price as Vietnamese rice," said

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Chookiat Ophaswongse, honorary president of the Thai Rice Exporters Association. "The free-on-board prices
of 5% white rice, for instance, are only US$420 per tonne, but we still can't find buyers.
This has never happened in Thai rice trading."Mr Chookiat said this could be because rice buyers and traders
are betting Thai rice prices will drop further as the Thai government is under pressure to accelerate the sales of
its rice stocks to fetch proceeds and honour its payment promises to farmers taking part in the rice pledging
programme.Most who pledged under the main crop are waiting for a late payment, as the government failed to
resolve its funds shortage before the House dissolution.Moreover, the state-owned Bank for Agriculture and
Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC) has refused to use its own liquidity to advance money to farmers without the
National Rice Policy Committee's approval to widen the 500-billion-baht limit on outstanding spending.The
bank also said recently it has a mere 22 billion baht on hand until the end of 2013 to pay farmers who pledged
rice for the current main crop, making an extra 51 billion baht necessary to fund the scheme.
Since the main crop began in October, about 5.5 million tonnes of paddy worth 90 billion baht has been
pledged. The main crop runs to the end of February.Mr Chookiat said Vietnam is expected to have a bumper
rice crop for the winter-spring season, due to be leased next February, while Indonesia has not shown any
intention of wanting to buy rice.The winter-spring crop is Vietnam's biggest and most of the grain is exported.
The harvest often peaks in March.Vietnam's rice exports between January and November rose 9.7 % from a
year ago to an estimated 7.44 million tonnes, the Agriculture Ministry said, led by Chinese purchases. The
exports set a record for annual shipments with a month to go.Thai rice shipments for the year are estimated at
only 6.5 million tonnes, far below the 8.5 million goal of the Commerce Ministry, said Mr Chookiat. For the
first 11 months, Thailand shipped only 5.9 million tonnes, with shipments in December estimated at 300,000
tonnes.
"This is regarded as a holiday period," he said. "We expect rice trading will become more active from next
February."

Rice farmers spar over dam release
Published: 17 Dec 2013 at 08.25:Online news:

UTHAI THANI : Rice farmers are fighting over the management of water from Thap Salao reservoir in Lan
Sak district.Water has been released from the reservoir since Nov 21 to supply paddy fields in several districts
where rice was dying from drought.The water failed to reach about 100 farms in Thap Than district, and with
the reservoir due to close its sluice gates this Friday, time was running out.After making inquiries, the farmers
with dry land found out that their counterparts in tambon Nong Yai Dam had blocked the waterway with
sandbags to keep the water for themselves.The farmers who were missing out tried to remove the sandbags,
which prompted a quarrel between them and the farmers in tambon Nong Yai Dam.Farmers in tambon Nong
Yai Dam have now agreed to remove some sandbags to allow the water to run through to the areas where water
is needed to save the dying rice. Water has now started reaching the farmers who have gone without.

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Call for independent rice inspectors
Published: 17 Dec 2013 at 16.00:Online news: Local News

The next government should set up a committee unaffiliated to any political party to scrutinise the last
administration‘s rice-pledging policy, an academic at the Thai Development Research Institute (TDRI)
suggested on Tuesday.Nipon Phuapongsakorn, the former president of the TDRI, said an independent panel
should be tasked with finding out exactly how much rice is left in state stockpiles and revealing the figure to the
public, to make the scheme more transparent.Similar investigations had been conducted on several occasions,
he said, but the information obtained had never been revealed.The new government must also determine how
much rice has been sold by the previous administration to validate state-to-state rice deals that ministers claim
to have signed, said Mr Nipon.He said many of the deals were dubious because the Bank for Agriculture and
Agricultural Co-Operatives had yet to receive money from the state to pay farmers who pledged crops under the
rice scheme.

Rice grown in Maryland? Farmer sees a future that doesn’t involve flooding.
View Photo Gallery — Maryland rice, flood not included: An innovative farmer produces a short-grain rice without the paddy fields.

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By Tim Carman, Wednesday, December 18, 3:15 AM E-mail the writer
When Heinz Thomet decided in 2011 to plant rice, perhaps
the first farmer in more than 130 years to do so in the
Chesapeake region, he remembered a magazine article he had
read nearly two decades earlier. It concerned a Jamaican man
who‘d moved to Albany, N.Y., and adopted a practice that
deviated from those of virtually every rice farmer in America:
He grew his plants without flooded or swampy land.―I
thought, ‗If they can do it in Albany, we can grow it here,‘ ‖
recalled Thomet, co-owner ofNext Step Produce in
Newburg.A Swiss native who grew up on a farm, Thomet, 54,
knew that the porous sandy soil in Charles County would
never hold water for a traditional rice paddy, at least not
without major expense. So he did research and relied on his 40 years of farming experience to cobble together
his own idiosyncratic method for growing rice, unaware that some of his practices would place him squarely in

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the middle of a low-rumbling debate on the best way to produce the grain.Thomet has unwittingly aligned
himself with a small group of experimental U.S. farmers and hobbyists, probably no more than 50, who are
breaking with a tradition that dates to colonial America. They‘re rejecting paddy rice in favor of an increasingly
accepted agricultural system that promises to increase crop yields while decreasing water use, chemical
dependency and even the amount of arsenic in our grains.
The beauty of the system, advocates say, is its emphasis on education, not technology. Any rice farmer can reap
the benefits just by reading about the sustainable methods and incorporating them. Growers often need no
proprietary seeds, herbicides or fertilizers, effectively marginalizing the companies that profit from current rice
production methods.
Is that why Big Ag has turned a cold shoulder to the system?
Heinz Thomet is the antithesis of Big Ag. Partly surrounded by conventional farms that raise crops common to
Maryland — corn and soybeans mostly — Thomet is a certified organic farmer with an experimental streak as
wild as the graying beard that engulfs his face. Next Step has, over the years, sold young ginger, miniature
kiwis, persimmons, figs and a variety of grains beyond the winter wheat that‘s popular in the state. In that sense,
rice aligns perfectly with Thomet‘s unorthodox, free-thinking approach to agriculture.As he began
experimenting with rice, Thomet tried a few different seeds, including a jasmine variety and the famous
Carolina Gold, which was resurrected in South Carolina in the 1980s after being all but left for dead. Yet it was
a Japanese variety, Koshihikari, that responded best to the particular soil, climate and agricultural practices at
Next Step. This fall, Thomet harvested more than 400 pounds and started selling the short-grain brown rice for
$12 a pound at the FreshFarm Market at Dupont Circle.It‘s not clear when a farmer last grew rice in the
Chesapeake region for commercial sale, export or personal use.
If anyone has planted the grain in recent decades in either Maryland or Virginia, the effort wasn‘t enough to be
mentioned in the USDA‘s Census of Agriculture, which is conducted every five years. In his 24 years at
Virginia Tech, Carl Griffey, professor of crop genetics and breeding, says no one has ever called him with
questions about rice.Yet, despite its rich connection to the Carolinas, rice does have a modest history in
Virginia. In the 1600s, colonists at Jamestown carried out early experiments in rice farming, ―not without some
temporary success,‖ wrote Lewis Cecil Gray in his 1933 volume, ―History of Agriculture in the Southern
United States to 1860.‖ The grain, in fact, was spotted in Virginia as late as 1781, when a soldier marching to

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Yorktown noticed a field of rice, ―which I thought was a great curiosity,‖ Lt. William Feltman wrote in his
journal.But by and large, Virginia was considered an inhospitable place for rice ―not because it won‘t grow, but
from an idea that it requires in order to yield large crops, a hotter sun,‖ noted the author of an 18th-century
volume titled ―American Husbandry.
‖Wayne Randolph, an agriculture specialist at Colonial Williamsburg, has an alternate theory on why Virginia
and its farmers never blossomed into rice producers: ―I suspect that it was because they were competing with
tobacco and [rice] in the low country.‖In 1880, the U.S. Department of the Interior released its Report on the
Productions of Agriculture, which noted that ―the single state of South Carolina produces nearly one-half‖ of
the rice grown in the United States (more than 52 million pounds out of a total production of 110 million
pounds). Even so, Rockville-based culinary historian Michael Twitty says that rice probably was grown in
Maryland as late as the 1880s, mostly for home consumption or trade with neighbors.―With the emergence of
railroads, it was becoming a lot less necessary‖ to grow backyard rice, Twitty says.
Current rice production has shifted to other parts of the United States, namely Arkansas and Louisiana, but it
has little in common with the way rice was apparently grown in Virginia in the 1600s: ―There is some reason to
believe that it was upland, or ‗dry,‘ rice; that is, rice raised more or less as are other grains,‖ wrote the late
Karen Hess in her book, ―The Carolina Rice Kitchen.‖If you ask Thomet why he decided to grow rice in a
region not known for it, he‘ll look you dead in the eye and give you the same answer you might have heard
from a 17th-century colonist: ―I eat rice.‖For the most part, rice in the United States is grown in flooded fields
or the boggy lands near rivers or other bodies of water, after practices that date back millennia to rice farming in
China and Southeast Asia. The floodwaters serve a purpose: They control weeds that otherwise would compete
with the rice plants, which have a unique ability to survive the oxygen-less environment of a paddy field. But as
water becomes a precious resource and as consumers fret over arsenic levels in rice (which are higher in plants
grown in paddies), some advocates have been promoting an alternative method: It‘s called system of rice
intensification, or SRI.
What exactly is SRI? Erika Styger, director of programs at the SRI International Network and Resources
Center at Cornell University, lays out four practices that broadly define the system. They are transplanting
seedlings at a young age (to promote disease and pest resistance); reducing plant density (to decrease
competition); adding organic matter such as compost to the soil (to increase fertility); and eliminating flooded
fields (to allow the roots to breathe better).―A lack of oxygen — rice can tolerate it, but rice is not thriving in

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it,‖ Styger says. ―Usually when you flood the fields, the roots are basically rotting away, because roots need to
breathe as well.‖By adopting those methods, or some of them, farmers can produce higher yields (between 20
and 100 percent higher than conventional harvests) with up to 50 percent less water and 90 percent less seed,
Styger and her colleagues say. What‘s more, SRI can eliminate fertilizers, reduce the methane gases that
scientists say contribute to global warming, and dramatically lower the levels of inorganic arsenic, the most
toxic form.
The latter issue has been a particular concern for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration; the agency‘s
scientists have determined that arsenic in rice (and rice products) poses no short-term risk but are now focused
on any potential long-term effects.In flooded fields, farmers create the oxygen-depleted conditions in which rice
plants can absorb more of the arsenic found naturally in some soils, says John Duxbury, a professor of soil
science and international agriculture at Cornell. The SRI approach, conversely, creates a more aerobic or
oxygen-rich environment that can lower the amounts of arsenic in a plant, he adds.
Duxbury has conducted a handful of preliminary tests that show rice grown with SRI practices have inorganic
arsenic levels as low as 5 parts per billion, compared to 100 parts per billion for some U.S. rices grown in paddy
fields. One of the SRI rices tested was Lotus Foods‘ organic Madagascar pink rice.SRI advocates say they also
have the field evidence that the system delivers on its promises. Since its introduction in the 1980s in
Madagascar, SRI has been adopted by farmers in more than 50 countries. The SRI Center‘s Web site is rife
with research papers and journal articlesanalyzing the success and occasional setbacks of these practices
overseas.The evidence has been conclusive enough to attract significant endorsements. Over the years, SRI has
been championed by a diverse list of organizations, officials and potential funders. Among them: Oxfam
America, Africare, Worldwide Fund for Nature, the administrator for the U.S. Agency for International
Development, the immediate past president of the World Bank and at least two state agricultural ministers in
India. SRI‘s success has also inspired farmers to adapt the practices to other crops.SRI has even attracted the
attention of Jim Carrey.
Yes, that Jim Carrey, the actor better known for his comedic turns in ―Ace Ventura: Pet Detective‖ and ―Dumb
& Dumber.‖ Through his Better U Foundation, Carrey has given more than $4 million of his own money to
launch and fund the SRI Center at Cornell, which is the epicenter of international SRI research, networking and
promotion. After its initial three-year grant, Better U is now helping the center raise money for its annual
operations.Despite its acceptance overseas and its high-profile endorsements, SRI has barely made an

Cell # 92 321 369 2874

impression on U.S. rice growers, aside from sustainability mavericks such as Thomet and Glenn Roberts,
founder of Anson Mills, the heirloom grain company in Columbia, S.C. Roberts, in fact, is an even rarer breed:
He‘s raising paddy rice and experimenting with SRI trials in his fields.―I‘m not going to go away from flood
rice,‖ says Roberts, who employs intermittent flooding.
―I‘m just going to grow twice as much rice.‖Major U.S. rice growers may never even get to the
experimentation phase with SRI, which they view as better suited for subsistence farmers in Africa, Asia and
Latin America. ―It‘s more appropriate for other parts of the world, where land is at a premium and workers are
not,‖ says Michael Klein, vice president of marketing and communications for the USA Rice Federation, an
advocacy group for the America rice industry.―It‘s not a method that lends itself to feeding several billion
people,‖ Klein adds. It‘s an economic issue: Large-scale rice farmers, Klein says, simply would not be able to
afford the labor to weed their fields.What‘s more, the U.S. rice industry is already developing seeds and refining
agricultural techniques to increase yields and reduce water use.
The industry, for example, has devised ways to limit flooding with the application of herbicides and the use of
herbicide-resistant rice varieties, says Steve Linscombe, director of the Louisiana State University AgCenter
Rice Research Station near Crowley, La. Linscombe says such systems have helped reduce water use by 15 to
20 percent.Rice researchers are also developing seed varieties that, one day, may be drought resistant or grown
with less water or even tolerant of higher-salinity water. ―Water resources are the most limiting resource,‖ says
Linscombe. ―You can absolutely grow rice with less water. . . . It‘s coming down the road in 10 years,‖ at the
earliest.SRI advocates scratch their heads over such high-tech research. Norman Uphoff, professor of
government and international agriculture at Cornell and senior advisor of the SRI Center, often wonders why
major U.S. rice growers don‘t just adopt SRI practices instead of wasting time on expensive systems that SRI
proponents contend are ultimately unsustainable.
If growers need evidence, Uphoff can point them to a large-scale, mechanized farm in Pakistan that has had
success incorporating SRI practices into a number of crops. The Pakistani experiment, Uphoff notes, ―really
opened up the door for large-scale production.‖Some rice farmers have no motivation to investigate SRI
because water prices remain affordable — or because the system isn‘t applicable in their area, says Susan
McCouch, professor of plant breeding and genetics at Cornell. She is also the co-organizer of a National
Science Foundation-funded project to support small-scale organic rice production in the northeastern United

Cell # 92 321 369 2874

States. McCouch says flat-out that SRI doesn‘t work in the northern temperate zone; flooding, for example, is
mandatory in those climes to help buffer against cold temperatures early in the season.
―There is no one size fits all,‖ she says.McCouch sees SRI as more a belief system than a collection of practices
that can be adopted anywhere in the world. SRI, she says, is a trust in the individual farmer — and not Big Ag
— to decide what seeds and what agricultural practices are best for his land. In a sense, McCouch is describing
a farmer much like Heinz Thomet, who through his own investigations stumbled upon some SRI practices. To
McCouch, Thomet may be the perfect embodiment of SRI, which can serve as a symbol for the future of
American agriculture.―We need something like that to believe in agriculture again,‖ she says

DOST's rice fortification gains support
BY: DANILO E. DOGUILES
Wednesday 18th of December 2013
KORONADAL CITY , South Cotabato, Dec 18 (PIA) -- The Department of Science and Technology is
expecting more stakeholders in Soccsksargen Region to promote iron-fortified rice (IFR) as staple.This after
IFR has captured the attention of government agencies, local government units, rice millers and dealers, and
food chain business owners in forums specifically dealing on the agency's rice fortification program.Early this
month, DOST 12 and the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) conducted such forums in General
Santos City and Tacurong City in Sultan Kudarat.Emphasized in these gatherings were scaling up of rice
fortification program via technology transfer, rice fortification technology, technology transfer and business
planning, and guidelines and policies on food fortification.DOST's flagship program, Small Enterprise and
Technology Upgrading Program (SETUP) was also presented.DOST 12 Regional Director Dr. Zenaida Laidan,
in her message, emphasized iron-fortified rice is one of the most significant ways to address
malnutrition.Encouraged by the information they learned from the forum, the management of CLG Enterprises
in General signified intentions to adopt extrusion technology in producing iron premix.
They are proposing a project entitled "Upgrading of Iron Rice Premix and Fortified Rice Production."Based on
data released by the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS) and considering the ratio of 1 gram of premix in
every 200 grams, a distributor that owns a prototype machine for the production of premix with a capacity of
200 kg per batch could supply all the millers in the region, she said.IFR, a technology developed by DOSTFNRI, contains 6 mg of iron premix per 100 grams of rice.Consumption of IFR, according to FNRI could build
healthy red blood cells, improve physical and mental performance, prevents anemia, and strengthens body
against infections.Meanwhile, Engr. Felix Canoy, manager of National Food Authority in Sultan Kudarat noted
that the taste and color of the FNRI-developed IFR are better than the previously developed iron-coated rice.
Moreover, assistant scientist Dr. Imelda Agdepa of FNRI said that in clinical trials conducted to 173
schoolchildren over 6 months, results showed greater increase in hemoglobin in children who consumed IFR
than this who did not.In response to the support DOST 12 got for popularization of IFR,

Cell # 92 321 369 2874

Director Laidan thanked the National Food Authority and other agencies who have contributed or
have
promised
to
back
the
program
up.She also vowed continuous advocacy through conduct of forums, social marketing, as well
as
information, education and communication
campaigns
for the
commercialization of
the IFR technology.Laidan added that fortification of rice will be implemented via mill enrichment and
home enrichment.For home enrichment program, she explained, the iron premix will be made
available through retail stores. This is aimed at making iron-fortified rice available to rural households
and communities where access of mill-enriched rice is limited. (DEDoguiles-PIA 12 with BTagitican-DOST
12)

Mississippi researchers find rice seed treatments work
Mississippi State University | December 17, 2013:

After testing scores of samples taken from rice fields across the state, Mississippi State University scientists
found that seed treatments are effective in managing the crop‘s most troublesome insect pests.―In Mississippi,
we‘ve been evaluating seed treatments for about five years,‖ said Jeff Gore, entomologist with the Mississippi
Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station and MSU Extension Service. ―Our research has shown that rice
grown with a seed treatment typically yields from 8 to 12 bushels more per acre than untreated rice. The main
reason for that yield increase is rice water weevil control.‖Gore said seed treatments are effective in both
conventional rice varieties and hybrids.―Although they do not provide 100 percent control of rice water weevil,
seed treatments do provide significant benefits in rice,‖ he said. ―Because control is not absolute, a foliar
insecticide application may be necessary to maximize control in some situations.‖
Insect management…
Gore works at the Delta Research and Extension Center in Stoneville. He said researchers take core samples
about 4 inches in diameter and 8 inches deep from farms across the Delta, wash them and count the rice water
weevil larvae.―An infestation of one larva per core will result in about a 1 percent yield loss,‖ Gore said.
―Typical infestations in the Delta range from 10 to 25 weevils per core in untreated fields, resulting in a 10 to 25
percent yield loss.‖Gore said that seed treatments provide other benefits to rice producers, too.―Seed treatments
provide good control against a whole complex of other rice pests,‖ he said. ―Seed treatments help manage
chinch bugs, grape colapsis, thrips and soil insects, such as wire worms and white grubs, and get the plants off
to a good, healthy start.‖
Performance under flood…
Seed treatments for row crops, such as corn, cotton or soybean, target early-season pests that are in the soil
when the seed is planted. But rice seed treatments are different.―We‘re targeting primarily rice water weevils,
and they only move into the field when producers establish the permanent flood about three to six weeks after
planting,‖ Gore said. ―So seed treatments for rice have to last longer than in other crops, because they are sitting
in the field a lot longer.‖Gore said all of the seed treatments are water soluble, and water can have both positive
and negative effects on seed treatments.

Cell # 92 321 369 2874

Second day of rice mill strike prompts govt to act
Bangalore, December 17, 2013, DHNS:
As rice millers entered their second day of indefinite strikes, the State government has initiated the first
steps to resolve the issue by scheduling a meeting on Wednesday in Bangalore.
Minister for Food and Civil Supplies Dinesh Gundu Rao said on Tuesday that the
government was ready to hear any legitimate pleas by rice millers and resolve the
issue.Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah expressed confidence in their
pricing of rice at Rs 2,400 per tonne, and said that the government is in constant
touch with millers.The Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and
Industry (FKCCI) urged the government to settle the millers‘ problems in an
‗amicable‘ manner. In a statement, FKCCI has said that the outcome of the
settlement should be a win-win situation for both the government and millers. The industry body has said that
the idefinite strike has caused hardships to both the millers and the workers employed there. The millers had
begun their indefinite strike on Monday, across 23 districts in the State, to oppose the levy target fixed by the
government. There are as many as 1,800 rice mills in the State.

For Advertisment & Specs
Contact : Mujahid Ali
+92 321 3692874
mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com

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17th december,2013 daily international rice e newsletter by riceplus magazine

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