12th June_,2020_Daily Global Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter.pdf

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Daily Rice e-Newsletter
Global Regional and Local Rice News

Myanmar’s mangrove forests are in grave peril
By Sustainability Times on June 12, 2020
Agriculture Forest
Mangrove forests are under threat across SoutheastAsia and in the country of
Myanmar alone more than 60% of them were lost within just two decades between
1996 and 2016, according to researchers at the National University of Singapore.
―Mangroves are one of the world‘s most threatened ecosystems, and Myanmar is
regarded as the current mangrove deforestation hotspotglobally,‖ the scientists
write in a study published in Environmental Research Letters. ―Net national
mangrove cover declined by 52% over 20 years, with annual net loss rates of
3.60%–3.87%. Gross mangrove deforestation was more profound:63% of the 1996
mangrove extent had been temporarily or permanently converted by 2016.‖
Most of the country‘s mangroves have been converted into rice paddies, oil palm
and rubber tree plantations, as well as areas used for aquaculture. The profound

loss of deforestation in the country‘s mangrove forests, which are critical for
biodiversity, is the reason why Myanmar has been described as a primary hotspot
of mangrove loss in the world. ―It is quite incredible to consider that nearly two-
thirds of all mangroves in Myanmar were deforested over a 20-year-period,‖ says
Edward Webb, one of the authors of the study.
Mangrove trees grow in various depths of water in coastal areas and they are
crucial for coastalmarine ecosystems. Their dense entangled roots stabilize
coastlines and provide homes to a variety of marine species, including fish and
crustaceans. Mangroves can also absorb large amounts of carbon dioxide, as a
result of which these forests play an important role in the fight against climate
change.
Mangroves growing in South Asia, in Southeast Asia and elsewhere in the Asia-
Pacific region account for nearly half, or 46%, of the world‘s entire mangrove
forests. Southeast Asia is home to the world‘s highest rate of mangrove

biodiversity. Many of the region‘s mangroves, however, have been lost owing to
agricultural activities.
―Loss ofmangroves equates to loss of habitat available for mangrove-dependent
wildlife, and this may include birds, mammals, fish and crustaceans, as well as
crocodiles,‖Webb says. ―Perhaps, as important are the implications for other
ecosystemservices associated with mangroves, including shoreline protection and
carbonsequestration.‖
The rapid deforestation of mangroves in Myanmar has also been detailed in
another study, led by Daniel Richards and Daniel Friess, two researchers at the
National University of Singapore who investigated the rate of mangrove
deforestation in Southeast Asia, including Myanmar, between 2000 and 2012.
The scientists reported that rice farming was a main driver of mangrove loss. The
government of Myanmar has sought to increase food security, which has resulted
in boosts to rice farming production. Yet that has come at a costto mangroves that
have been converted into paddies. ―Almost 25,000 hectares of Myanmar‘s
mangroves were converted to rice paddybetween 2000 and 2012,‖ Richards noted.
A similar situation has prevailed elsewhere in Southeast Asia. ―Sixteen percent of
all deforested mangroves in Southeast Asia were replaced with oil palm plantations
during our study period,‖ the scientist said. ―We usually think of oil palm as an
issue which affects tropical forests on land but our study shows that demand for oil
palm is also driving deforestation in coastalmangrove forests.‖
The rate of deforestation is of especial concern in Myanmar because the country‘s
government does not consider mangroves to be important parts of the ecosystem
that need to be preserved. ―As a result of the lack of environmental safeguards and
continuing economic transformation in Myanmar, we may expect mangrove
conversion to rice and other agriculture to continue to displace large areas of
mangrove in this country in the future,‖ the authors warn in their study.
The loss of nearly two-thirds of Myanmar‘s mangroves in just a few short years
has raised the specter of an environmental calamity in the making. Yet the
remaining forests can still be saved.

―The fate of mangroves in the country wil
l be tied to the strength of policies and implementation of conservation measures,‖
Webb says. ―Through properlong-term planning, management and conservation,
this resilient ecosystem can recover and be maintained for the future.‖
https://www.sustainability-times.com/environmental-protection/myanmars-
mangrove-forests-are-in-grave-peril/
Myanmar’s mangroveforests are in grave peril
By Sustainability Times on June 12, 2020
Agriculture Forest
Mangrove forests are under threat across SoutheastAsia and in the country of
Myanmar alone more than 60% of them were lost within just two decades between
1996 and 2016, according to researchers at the National University of Singapore.

―Mangroves are one of the world‘s most threatened ecosystems, and Myanmar is
regarded as the current mangrove deforestation hotspotglobally,‖ the scientists
write in a study published in EnvironmentalResearch Letters. ―Net national
mangrove cover declined by 52% over 20 years, with annual net loss rates of
3.60%–3.87%. Gross mangrove deforestation was more profound:63% of the 1996
mangrove extent had been temporarily or permanently converted by 2016.‖
Most of the country‘s mangroves have been converted into rice paddies, oil palm
and rubber tree plantations, as well as areas used for aquaculture. The profound
loss of deforestation in the country‘s mangrove forests, which are critical for
biodiversity, is the reason why Myanmar has been described as a primary hotspot
of mangrove loss in the world. ―It is quite incredible to consider that nearly two-
thirds of all mangroves in Myanmar were deforested over a 20-year-period,‖ says
Edward Webb, one of the authors of the study.
Mangrove trees grow in various depths of water in coastal areas and they are
crucial for coastalmarine ecosystems. Their dense entangled roots stabilize
coastlines and provide homes to a variety of marine species, including fish and
crustaceans. Mangroves can also absorb large amounts of carbon dioxide, as a
result of which these forests play an important role in the fight against climate
change.
Mangroves growing in South Asia, in Southeast Asia and elsewhere in the Asia-
Pacific region account for nearly half, or 46%, of the world‘s entire mangrove
forests. Southeast Asia is home to the world‘s highest rate of mangrove
biodiversity. Many of the region‘s mangroves, however, have been lost owing to
agricultural activities.
―Loss ofmangroves equates to loss of habitat available for mangrove-dependent
wildlife, and this may include birds, mammals, fish and crustaceans, as well as
crocodiles,‖Webb says. ―Perhaps, as important are the implications for other
ecosystemservices associated with mangroves, including shoreline protection and
carbonsequestration.‖
The rapid deforestation of mangroves in Myanmar has also been detailed in
another study, led by Daniel Richards and Daniel Friess, two researchers at the

National University of Singapore who investigated the rate of mangrove
deforestation in Southeast Asia, including Myanmar, between 2000 and 2012.
The scientists reported that rice farming was a main driver of mangrove loss. The
government of Myanmar has sought to increase food security, which has resulted
in boosts to rice farming production. Yet that has come at a costto mangroves that
have been converted into paddies. ―Almost 25,000 hectares of Myanmar‘s
mangroves were converted to rice paddybetween 2000 and 2012,‖ Richards noted.
A similar situation has prevailed elsewhere in Southeast Asia. ―Sixteen percent of
all deforested mangroves in Southeast Asia were replaced with oil palm plantations
during our study period,‖ the scientist said. ―We usually think of oil palm as an
issue which affects tropical forests on land but our study shows that demand for oil
palm is also driving deforestation in coastalmangrove forests.‖
The rate of deforestation is of especial concern in Myanmar because the country‘s
government does not consider mangroves to be important parts of the ecosystem
that need to be preserved. ―As a result of the lack of environmental safeguards and
continuing economic transformation in Myanmar, we may expect mangrove
conversion to rice and other agriculture to continue to displace large areas of
mangrove in this country in the future,‖ the authors warn in their study.
The loss of nearly two-thirds of Myanmar‘s mangroves in just a few short years
has raised the specter of an environmental calamity in the making. Yet the
remaining forests can still be saved.
―The fate of mangroves in the country will be tied to the strength of policies and
implementation of conservation measures,‖ Webb says. ―Through proper long-
term planning, management and conservation, this resilient ecosystemcan recover
and be maintained for the future.‖
Yazoo Backwater Pump Offers Promise to Mississippi Rice
Growers and the Environment

By Kirk Satterfield
Special to the USA Rice Daily
Kirk Satterfield is chair of the Mississippi Rice Council, vice chair of the USA Rice
Council, and vice chair of the USA Rice Farmers Board of Directors.
BENOIT, MS -- Flood protection in the Lower Mississippi Valley provides many
benefits, including the opportunity for hundreds of thousands of acres of land in
the Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi Delta region to be farmed without risks
of affect by the volatile Mississippi River. Areas with flood protection in the
Lower Mississippi Valley continue to provide some of the richest and most diverse
wildlife habitat in the country, and with flood protection that land can be managed
to provide net benefits for both agriculture and the environment.
A vast majority of the major flood controlcomponents throughout the Lower
Mississippi Valley have been completed. However, one major componentof the
Yazoo Backwater Area in Mississippi remains unfinished: a pumping station.
With all of the levee systems in place in the Yazoo Backwater Area, the lack of an
operational pumping station has effectively created an increase in flooding depth,
duration, and frequency. Recent backwater floods have destroyed people's homes
while negatively impacting businesses, wildlife populations, and hundreds of
thousands of acres of cropland typically planted to cotton, corn, soybeans, and,
most importantly, rice.
The Yazoo Backwater Pumps are not unique and were actually authorized in 1941,
along with several other pumping plants that have since been constructed and are
operational in Arkansas and Louisiana. By contrast, more than 200,000 acres of
cropland was flooded this April in the Yazoo Backwater Area that sits at a higher
elevation than cropland just across the river in Louisiana that was not flooded.

The campaign to "Finish the Pumps" has been a long and hard-fought battle by
many including agricultural advocates such as Delta Council, Mississippi Farm
Bureau, Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce, and the American
Farm Bureau. Conservation organizations, such as Delta Wildlife; the Mississippi
Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks; the Mississippi Forestry
Commission; and the Mississippi Chapter of the Nature Conservancy, also are in
supportand recognize the environmental benefits of the project.
Recently, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers published a Notice of Intent to issue a
revised Environmental Impact Statement for a redesigned Yazoo Backwater Pump
Project. I urge all USA Rice Federation members to join the American Farm
Bureau, Mississippi Farm Bureau,
Delta Council, and others, in supporting the notice of intent by submitting
comments at www.forgottenbackwaterflood.com or sending an email to
yazoobackwater@usace.army.mil.
The deadline for submission of comments is this Monday, June 15. Every

submission, however brief, is critical as the total number of public comments in
favor of the project is heavily weighted in the process.
If you have questions or would like more information, please contact
fhowell@deltacouncil.org or visit www.forgottenbackwaterflood.com.
WASDE Report Released
WASHINGTON, DC -- The outlook for 2020/21 U.S. rice this month is for larger
supplies, greater domestic use, reduced exports, and increased ending stocks. Most
of the 2020/21 revisions are the result of 2019/20 supply and use changes. The
2020/21 all rice beginning stocks are increased 1.5 million cwt to 32 million, a
result of higher 2019/20 imports, now forecast at a near-record 33.5 million,
raising 2019/20 ending stocks.
All of the increase in 2019/20 imports is for long grain, based on a record import
pace to date, primarily aromatics from Thailand. Long-term growth in imports is
expected to continue in 2020/21 as projected imports are raised 1 million cwt to a
record-high 33.6 million. The combination of increased beginning stocks and
higher imports raises 2020/21 total supplies by 2.5 million cwt to 281.8 million.
Total 2019/20 domestic use and residual is raised 2 million cwt to 135 million,
based on the higher import forecast. Similarly, total 2020/21 domestic use is also
raised by 2 million cwt to 139.5 million, based on higher imports. Total 2019/20
exports are lowered by 2 million cwt to 96 million, all for long grain as the U.S. is
becoming increasingly uncompetitive as the marketing year nears completion.
Total 2020/21 exports are reduced by 1 million cwt to 99 million, all based on
lower long grain exports as the U.S. is expected to remain uncompetitive early in
the marketing year.
Projected 2020/21 all rice ending stocks are raised 1.5 million cwt to 43.3 million,
up 35 percent from the 2019/20 revised ending stocks. The2020/21 all rice

season-average farm price (SAFP)is unchanged at $12.90 per cwt, compared to
the upwardly revised 2019/20 SAFP of $13.10.
The 2020/21 global outlook is for larger supplies, fractionally lower consumption
and trade, and increased stocks. Supplies are raised by 1 million tons to a record
683.3 million, mainly on higher beginning stocks forChina and Thailand. World
production is only fractionally higher at 502.1 million tons as increases for Brazil
and Nigeria are almost completely offset by a reduction for Vietnam, with global
production remaining record high.
World 2020/21 consumption is lowered by 100,000 tons to 498 million, still a
record, as decreases for Viet Nam and Philippines are not completely offset by
increases for Brazil, China, Nigeria, and the U.S. Global trade is reduced 300,000
tons to 44.9 million, primarily on lower exports from Viet Nam and China.
Projected 2020/21 world ending stocks are raised 1.2 million tons to a record high
of 185.4 million with China accounting for 63 percent of the total.
Go here to read the full report.
USA Rice Daily
Choiceof increasingrice-growing or keeping water
storage areas in Mekong Delta
SGGPThursday, June 11, 2020 15:02
Farmers in the Mekong Delta have started to harvest the summer-autumn rice crop.
This year, farmers enjoy a good harvest and high prices of rice.
Farmers harvest rice in the Mekong Delta (Photo: SGGP)

Vietnam‘s rice exports have shown positive signs when the Government allowed to
resume rice exports and the global demand for rice increased. The prices of
Vietnamese rice also surged to the highest level in the pasteight years, opening up
many export opportunities.
Mr. Dien Van Ut, a farmer in Phuong Binh Commune in Phung Hiep District in
Hau Giang Province said that right after he finished harvesting rice, traders bought
the OM5451 rice variety at VND5,400 per kilogram at the field, as high as the
price of rice in the previous winter-spring rice crop. Currently, farmers in Hau
Giang Province have harvested nearly 5,000 hectares of summer-autumn rice with
productivity at nearly 6.5 tons per hectare.
Summer-autumn rice was bought at VND5,400-VND5,800 per kilogram at the
field and dried paddywas bought at VND6,100-VND7,100 per kilogram. At
present, many traders are waiting to buy paddyfrom farmers right after harvesting,
said Mr. Tran Chi Hung, Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural
Development of Hau Giang Province. In the summer-autumn rice crop, farmers
grew rice on an area of 1.5 million hectares.

The export price of Vietnamese rice in May this year is considered to be the
highest in the past eight years when hitting US$527 per ton up 21.4 percent
compared to the same period last year. In June this year, the export price of 5-
percent broken rice reached $473-$477 per ton, lower than that of Thailand by $30
per ton but higher than that of India by $100 per ton. According to the Ministry of
Industry and Trade (MoIT), in the first six months of this year, rice exports of
Vietnam might reach 3.7 million tons, much higher than the amount of rice for
export of 3 million tons. Currently, many countries in the world pay great attention
to food security amid the context of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. The MoIT
said that Vietnam has a great opportunity to surpass Thailand in global rice exports
this year with competitive export prices and increasing rice exports after the export
quota is removed.
Accordingly, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) is
considering increasing rice productionto meet the increasing global demand for
rice. According to the plan, the autumn-winter rice crop this year, the Mekong
Delta provinces will maintain the rice-growing area at 750,000 hectares. However,
the forecast said that the rice productionof the world will possibly drop by 2.7
million tons and the demand for rice will increase by 3.7 million tons. The ministry
will closely watch the developments of the market to adjust the rice-growing area
of the autumn-winter rice crop to around 800,000 hectares if possible. It will focus
on determining the crop calendar, the flood areas, the crop structure, and suitable
technical solutions for the autumn-winter rice crop, said Minister Nguyen Xuan
Cuong of the MARD.
However, increasing the area of autumn-winter rice crop also makes farmers and
scientists worry because with this expansion, how the downstream areas of Ben
Tre, Hau Giang, Soc Trang,

Bac Lieu, and Ca Mau provinces will be affected during the dry season. Earlier,
farmers in the Mekong Delta provinces merely grew 200,000-300,000 hectares of
autumn-winter rice crop. The regions of Long Quyen Quadrangle and Dong Thap
Muoi (Plain of Reeds)are usually not used to grow the autumn-winter rice crop
and left to be flooded by rains and floods.
These two regions becometwo water reservoirs with a total area of about 1.2
million hectares to regulate water for the Mekong Delta. They keep water during
the rainy and flood season then gradually release water to Tien and Hau rivers to
help to reduce saltwater intrusion in the dry season. Therefore, farmers in the
downstream area of the Mekong Delta, and scientists said that the MARD should
consider and evaluate the pros and cons when increasing the area of autumn-winter
rice crop. The impacts of saltwater intrusion and drought were extremely serious,
damaging fruit trees, vegetables, and rice, causing a widespread shortage of fresh
water in the coastalarea.
Many people think that the rice-growing area of the autumn-winter rice crop
should only be at 300,000-500,000 hectares and farmers should concentrate on
growing high-quality rice varieties. Because in recent years, the ratio of fragrant,
specialty, and high-quality rice of Vietnam accounted for more than 80 percent of
the total export amount. Many institutes, universities, and Vietnamese rice
exporting enterprises currently are focusing on researching and creating high-
quality rice varieties following the market demand. Rice exports of Vietnam are
facing a great opportunity to enter the EU market when the EU-Vietnam Free
Trade Agreement becomes effective.
Although the export quota to this market is merely around 80,000 tons of rice, this
is considered as a segment of high-quality rice. Some Vietnamese enterprises have
prepared the raw material areas in the pastfew years to meet the strict
requirements of this market, along with strict production processes. This is an
important foundation for Vietnamese enterprises to diversify the segments of
fragrant and high-quality rice to choosymarkets.

https://sggpnews.org.vn/business/choice-of-increasing-ricegrowing-or-keeping-
water-storage-areas-in-mekong-delta-87124.html
Rains spur farming activity in Srikakulam district Hans
News Service |
11 Jun 2020 11:36 PM IST
e to More Seed stockat a warehouse in Srikakulam districtSeed stockat a
warehouse in Srikakulam district Highlights Farmers demand that the government
supplies seed at subsidised price in sufficient quantity Srikakulam: Farming
activity for kharif season is gathering pace with the onset of monsoon. Most of the
areas in the district received moderate to heavy rains.
The farmers have begun preparation for cultivation of paddy. Paddy is the main
crop during kharif seasonin the district. Paddycrop is being cultivated in an extent
of 5.18 lakh acres across the district. Also Read - Nellore: Farmers demand
payment of 9 crore dues from sugar factory Farmers in the district prefer Sampat
Swarna and Swarna varieties. But this year, the government has imposed ban on
cultivation of Sampat Swarna variety. As a result of it, farmers have decided to
switch over to Swarna variety. Rice millers are not purchasing 1075, Samba
Masuri, 1001 variety paddy. Presently Swarna variety seed is available at
subsidised price.
Also Read - Andhra Pradesh Power utilities directed to submit action plan for
kharif season The stock is sufficient only to 10 per cent of area under cultivation.
Total area under cultivation is 5.18 lakh acres. Against this backdrop, farmers are
making efforts to procure Swarna variety seed from private traders and the traders
are exploiting farmers by jacking up the price. Seed companies fixed Rs 1,000 per
50 kg Swarna seed bag, but traders in rural areas are selling it at Rs 1,300 per 50
kg bag. On the other hand, tenant farmers are unable to get seed through
government channel as they have no documentary proofregarding cultivation of
the lands. The government needs to supply seed sufficiently to the farmers at
subsidised price to prevent private traders from exploiting the farmers, AP Rythu
Sangham Palakonda division president B Appala Naidu demanded.
https://www.thehansindia.com/andhra-pradesh/rains-spur-farming-activity-
in-srikakulam-district-627524

A Rice Farmer Who Loves Farming, Food & YouTube
— Meet Matthew Sligar
June 9, 2020
While I didn‘t meet a rice farmer til I was an adult, I have a lot of them to thank for
a lifetime of enjoying rice! I‘ve had the chance to meet and talk with rice farmers
across the U.S. and in several countries in Asia. I love hearing about how it‘s
grown. So sitting down for a conversation with Matthew Sligar who farms in
Northern California is something I relish. We‘ve had the chance to visit on his
farm several times but for this podcastepisode, we were two thousand miles apart.
What kind of rice is grown in California?
Matthew and other rice farmers in California (the northern Sacramento Valley)
grow medium grain rice, he explains that it is the sticky rice that is suchan integral
part of many Asian foods including sushi! The long-grain rice that is used in some
other foods is usually grown in Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, Louisiana and
Mississippi.
Since for many of us, we think about brown and white rice as the types of rice we
put on the plate, Matthew walked through the process ofmilling with us. The
milling process is where they take the rough rice that farmers grown and remove
the hulls and determine whether the bran will remain making it brown rice or the
bran is polished off making it white rice. He walks through the process in this
video.
Getting His Creative On
As you can see in the video above, Matthew has a creative side that combines with
helping people better understand where their food comes from.
I found him online several years ago because a video he did offering trick or
treaters a single grain of rice rather than the expected candies. And while most of
his videos are more directly related to the way food is produced, this rice farmer

always makes the videos interesting with his witty sense of humor and video style
including fast edits. His YouTube channel is called Rice Farming TV and he
produces videos weekly! You can follow the 2020 rice crop in this playlist too.
And this year, he also has published a children‘s bookabout what happens on his
farm! The bookDaddy‘s GotDirt: A California Rice Story is great for young kids

with rhymes and images. You can read Grounded by the Farm‘s review of Daddy‘s
Got Dirt here too!
https://groundedbythefarm.com/rice-farmer/
NorthernDivisionrice taskforceto be reactivated
Elenoa Turagaiviu Editor North eosborne@fbc.com.fj | @ElenoaFBCNews
June 12, 2020 12:20 pm
Minister for Rural and Maritime Development Inia Seruiratu has issueda
directive for the reactivationof the rice taskforcein the Northern Division.
[Source:Minister for Rural and Maritime Development]
Minister for Rural and Maritime Development Inia Seruiratu has issued a directive
for the reactivation of the rice taskforce in the Northern Division.

The directive was issued to the Acting Commissioner Northern Uraia Rainima
during the Minister‘s tour of the Fiji Rice Limited factory and facility in Dreketi,
Macuata.
The taskforce would work with the main National Rice
Taskforcetowards the main government goal of
reviving rice productionbut with special attention on
Vanua Levu. Article continues after advertisement
Seruiratu says for Fiji, rice imports will be less because
of flights restrictions so there will be heavy reliance on
local production.
He says with Government still paying a lot of money in
maintaining infrastructure, rice production needs to increase.
Fiji Rice Limited plans to producein access of6,000 tonnes of rice annually in
Vanua Levu alone.
https://www.fbcnews.com.fj/business/northern-division-rice-taskforce-to-be-
reactivated/
Cebu police, military to get rice donated by Chinese
consul
By John Rey Saavedra June 11, 2020, 9:20 pm
RICE FOR FRONT-LINERS.People's Republic of China ConsulGeneral in
Cebu Jia Li (third from right) turns over 3,000 10-kilo bags of rice to Presidential
Assistant for the Visayas Sec. Michael Lloyd Dino in a ceremony at Project Balik
Buhay command center in Cebu City on Tuesday (June 9, 2020). Dino said a
portion of the rice donation from the Chinese government will be distributed to the
police and military front-liners in Cebu. (Photo courtesy of OPAV)

CEBU CITY – In recognition of their front-line service in combating coronavirus
disease 2019 (Covid-19), the police and the military in Cebu will receive a portion
of the rice donations from the Chinese government, Secretary Michael Lloyd Dino
said.
Dino, in a statement on Wednesday, said 300 bags with 10 kilos of rice each given
by Chinese Consul General in Cebu Jia Li to the Office of the Presidential
Assistant for the Visayas (OPAV), will go to the Philippine National Police (PNP)
and the Armed Forces ofthe Philippines (AFP).
Jia turned over more than 7,000 bags of rice worth PHP3.5 million to Dino, Mayor
Edgardo Labella and Governor Gwendolyn Garcia on Tuesday on the occasionof
the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the
Republic of China and the Philippines.
Dino received the 3,000 10-kilo bags of rice while Labella received 2,000 bags in a
simple turnover ceremony at the Project Balik Buhay command center at the
Greenery in Barangay Mabolo here.In a separate ceremony, the Chinese
government also turned over 2,292 bags of rice to Garcia at the Cebu Provincial
Capitol. The total donation of 7,292 bags of rice is worth P3.5 million.

Aside from the 300 bags for the PNP and AFP, Dino said OPAV will also allocate
400 bags each to the cities of Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu while the remaining 1,600
bags will be equally divided for Regions 6 and 8.
The rice donations to Western and Eastern Visayas are intended for distribution to
local government units where there are quarantine centers and those with rising
number of Covid-19 cases.
Dino thanked the Chinese government for their continued supportto the Filipino
front-liners who have been fighting to contain the coronavirus since from the start
of the public health crisis in March. (PNA)
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1105604
What's the secret to great jollofrice?
This beloved West African rice dish has long kicked up lively debate, so we asked
the experts
• Do you have a culinary dilemma? Email feast@theguardian.com
Anna Berrill
Tue 9 Jun 2020 14.00 BST
West-African classic: jollof rice, with chicken and plantains. Photograph:
Rimma_Bondarenko/Getty Images/iStockphoto
I love jollof rice, but never get it quite right at home. What’s the secret?
Beth, Cobham, Surrey
This seemingly simple question is a loaded one – the beloved West African staple
has caused diplomatic incidents (Nigeria‘s culture minister was accused of
betraying his country‘s cuisine in 2017 after reportedly saying Senegal‘s was the

best
jollof) and famously got Jamie Oliver into hot water when he added coriander,
parsley and lemon to the traditional orange-red mix (#JollofGate). So, into the
trenches we go…
The principle of jollof, says Zoe Adjonyoh, founder of Zoe‘s Ghana Kitchen, is
―it‘s a red sauce with onion and heat‖. It‘s what you do after this – the vegetables
(carrots and peas are popular), rice, liquid, meat and the cooking method – that‘s
the subject of dispute in Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Cameroon
and beyond. ―Every household has a different way of cooking it,‖ Adjonyoh
explains.
Advertisement
What can be agreed on, however, is that time is essential. ―Like most West African
food, you can‘t rush it,‖ says chef Maria Bradford, who grew up in Sierra Leone.
―You want to caramelise the onions slowly in coconutoil, before adding tomatoes,
spices, herbs, ginger, garlic, scotchbonnet, white cabbage and, finally, stock.‖
Adjonyoh agrees: ―The secret is in how much love and attention you give the
sauce.‖ That‘s what flavours the dish, after all. She blends tomatoes, onion, scotch
bonnet, tomato puree, dried chilli and salt, and makes a spice mix of ground ginger
and coriander, onion powder, garlic powder, smoked crayfish powder, smoked

prawn powder, dawadawa (fermented locust bean), nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice,
salt and, sometimes, brown sugar.
It‘s a long list, yes, but, as Adjonyoh explains, ―in Ghana, jollof is more aromatic‖.
Add a tablespoonof the spice mix to caramelised onions, along with chilli powder,
madras hot curry powder, fresh ginger and garlic, then the tomatoes and good
chicken stock, and cookuntil it ―doesn‘ttaste of tomato any more, but just the
spices‖.
Adjonyoh washes her rice three times, then works to a 1:2 rice-to-liquid ratio:
―You want the tomato base to make up two-thirds of that ‗liquid‘, and you add it
only once the rice is boiling in the remaining third of water, to open up the grain.‖
Pop on a lid, then, once two-thirds of the liquid has been absorbed, turn off the heat
and leave to finish cooking in its steam.
The rice used is also a bone of contention. Adjonyoh favours long-grain, while
chef Fafa Gilbert goes for jasmine (for its ―scent and sweet flavour‖) or basmati;
Lope Ariyo, author of Hibiscus, flits between the latter and long-grain, which she
parboils before finishing off in 1:1½ rice-to-liquid. Emeka Frederick, half of the
duo behind Nigerian tapas joint Chuku‘s, uses brown rice at home and quinoa in
the restaurant: ―It has the right flavour profile, but in a lighter form.‖ Not to
mention none of the preconceptions.

Traditionally, jollof is made over fire, so to emulate that smokiness, Gilbert
recommends slightly charring the bottom, before upping the ante with smoked
paprika, as well as thyme, rosemary and nutmeg. And, because extra fat is always a
good idea, she finishes her jollof with butter or coconutoil, and serves it with
grilled chicken, fried plantain and avocado.
Ultimately, that‘s the joy of jollof: you do you, and don‘tlet anyone tell you
otherwise. ―What I love is that everybody cooks it in their own way,‖ Frederick
says. ―Forgetjollof wars and follow your tastebuds – but do add a kick of fresh
ginger.‖
Advertisement
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https://www.theguardian.com/food/2020/jun/09/whats-the-secret-to-great-jollof-
rice-kitchen-aide
Punjab Governmentpromotes direct seeding of rice
Posted: 8:03 am, June 8, 2020 by admin

Chandigarh, June 7
To copeup with the labour scarcity amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the state
government has stepped up its efforts to encourage farmers to switch over to direct
seeding of rice (DSR) instead of the traditional transplantation of paddythis year.
This year, nearly 25 per cent of the total area under paddysowing is expected to
come under this technology which will help to slash cultivation costin terms of
both labour and water.
To promote the technology and motivate farmers to adoptit, the State Agriculture
and Farmers Welfare Department sanctioned 4,000 DSR machines and 800 paddy
transplanting machines to farmers on subsidyranging from 40 to 50 per cent.
Secretary, Agriculture, KS Pannu said Punjab had earlier fixed the target to bring
around 5 lakh hectares under the DSR technique but given the labour shortage and
keen interest shown by farmers to adoptthe advance technology, 6-7 lakh hectares
of area is expected to come under this technology, which roughly accounts for 25
per cent of the paddygrown in Punjab.
He further stated that the DSR technique would be instrumental in saving about 30
per cent of water besides cutting the costof paddy cultivation by nearly Rs 6,000
per acre. He said as per reports and research of Punjab Agriculture University, the
yield of paddy from the DSR is on a par with paddycrop grown by conventional
technique of transplanting.
He also appealed to farmers that most critical element in new technology is the
control of weeds and as such, farmers must be careful that prior to undertaking
DSR, they must procure weedicide and spray the same within 24 hours of sowing
the crop.
Farmers from across the state would cultivate paddyon 27 lakh hectares, which
include 7 lakh hectares under high quality basmati rice

P890Mlostdue to allegedriceimportundervaluation
in 4 months
By: Karl R. Ocampo - Reporter/ @kocampoINQ
Philippine Daily Inquirer / 05:14 AM June 11, 2020
Rice farmers were estimated to have lost P890 million between January and April
this year from the alleged undervaluation ofrice imports that arrived in the country
during the period, an industry group said.
Based onthe Federation of Free Farmers‘ (FFF)latest analysis, the Bureau of
Customs (BOC)had failed to collect P890 million in tariffs during the first four
months from importers who declared lower prices oftheir imports compared to the
BOC‘s ownreference prices.
The agency‘s reference price list is based onprevailing rates in the international
market, which was supposedlythe benchmark for import prices.
FFF said about one-third ofthe volume imported was undervalued by at least 10
percent, and accounted for84 percent ofthe tariff shortfall. In one instance, a
shipment of 6,014 metric tons (MT) of 5-percentbroken rice arrived from Vietnam
in April with a declared value of $319.63 per MT—30 percent lower than BOC‘s
reference price of $447 per MT.
In addition, the group noted that importers spentonly $0.33 to insure and ship rice
from countries like Thailand and Vietnam, against the internationally published rate
at a minimum of$33 per MT.
―If this is the practice, what then is the purposeofthe reference rates? What will
now stop an importer from conniving with the exporterto issue undervalued

invoices or issue two separate invoices to split the total costofthe importers?‖ FFF
national chair Raul Montemayor said.
While Assistant Customs CommissionerVincent Maronilla admitted that the
group‘s analysis was close to their own data, he said in a phone interview with
Inquirer that the alleged undervaluation instances were still being assessedbythe
agency‘s internal committee and would not remain unchecked.
―Themajority if not all ofthe shipments that were below the reference price were
paid by the tentative assessmentrule with a correspondingcash bond. Weadapted
this assessmentto fast track importation and manage the capacity of our personnel
during the [enhanced community quarantine], which is a mechanism that can be
used under the [World Trade Organization] parameters. That means we will accept
the imports but eventually we‘ll have a hearing to ensure the actual value of these
imports. If they are really undervalued, we will forfeit the bonds [postedby
importers],‖ he said.
―There are determinations to be made. We also have a postclearanceaudit … The
timeline for this usually takes three months, but our problem is the community
quarantine so we are operating with a limited workforce,‖he added.
The FFF had flagged similar anomalies in 2019 which resulted in an estimated tariff
shortfall ofP1.9 billion.
Under the rice tariffication law, the government is mandated to pourP10 billion
yearly into the rice industry for six years, which is to be sourced fromtariff receipts.
nything in excess of the P10 billion may be used for additional supportprograms
for farmers and will be appropriated by Congress.
https://business.inquirer.net/299643/p890m-lost-due-to-alleged-rice-import-

Vietnam reaps more from rice export in 5 months
Date
6/11/2020 10:51:55 AM
Vietnam earns some 1.4 billion U.S. dollars from exporting nearly 2.9 million tons
of rice in the last five months of this year, up 17.2 percent and 3.7 percent annually
respectively, as stated by the country's General Statistics Office on Thursday, June
11th.
In May alone, Vietnam exported 750,000 tons abroad, gaining 395 million U.S.
dollars, up 11.7 percent in volume, and 35.7 percent in value.
Vietnam's main export markets included China, Malaysia, and the Philippines.
According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, between January and May, the
average export price came into 13 percent compared to the same period last year to
485 U.S. dollars per ton.
MENAFN1106202000450000ID1100306972
https://menafn.com/1100306972/Vietnam-reaps-more-from-rice-export-in-5-
months
Vietnam Jan-May rice exports up 12.2%y/y to 3.09
mln tonnes - customs
HANOI, June 11 (Reuters) - Vietnam exported 3.09 million tonnes of rice in the
first five months of this year, up 12.2% from a year earlier, official customs data

released on Thursday showed.Rice export revenue in the January-May period rose
26.8% from a year earlier to $1.5 billion, the Customs Department said in a
statement.
Rice exports in May rose87% from April to 953,950 tonnes, the department said.
Vietnam, the world‘s third largest rice exporter, briefly banned the shipment of the
grain in March and limited the shipment at 500,000 tonnes in April to ensure food
security amid the coronavirus outbreak. (Reporting by Khanh Vu Editing by Ed
Davies)
https://business.inquirer.net/299643/p890m-lost-due-to-alleged-rice-import-
undervaluation-in-4-months#ixzz6P9FuXsct
Vietnam wins deal to supply 60,000 tons of rice to the
Philippines
10/06/2020 16:20 GMT+7
Vietnam will ship 60,000 tons of rice to the Philippines after it won part of a
300,000-ton government-to-government rice tender held on June 8,
which also saw the participation of India, Thailand and Myanmar, Nguyen Van
Thanh, director of Phuoc Thanh IV rice company, told the Saigon Times on
June 9.
Farmers harvest rice in the Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang. Vietnam has
won a deal to ship 60,000tonsof rice to the Philippines– PHOTO:TRUNG

CHANH
However, the Philippines only purchased a combined volume of 189,000 tons
of rice, which is much lower than its target, as suppliers offered prices higher
than the country‘s projected price. The Philipines may hold further tenders to
purchase the remaining volume of 111,000 tons of rice to meet its target.
Vietnam will ship 60,000 tons of rice at US$497.3 per ton, which is higher than
that offered by its rival suppliers. Of this, Vietnam will ship 45,000 tons to the
Manila portand the remaining to the Davao port.
Among the suppliers, India won a deal to supply the largest volume of rice at
96,000 tons to the ports in the Philippines, at prices ranging from US$484.7 to
US$485.7 per ton.
Myanmar secured a contract to ship 33,000 tons of rice to the Manila port, with
each ton valued at US$489.3. Meanwhile, Thailand failed to clinch any deal as
its offering price exceeded the buyer‘s projected price.

The Vietnamese bidder was reportedly Vietnam Northern Food Corporationor
Vinafood 1, while the Philippine International Trading Corporation represented
the Government of the Philippines to organize the tender, instead of the
country‘s National Food Authority, as in the past.
Prior to 2019, the Philippines had imported rice under the quota regime. As a
result, aside from allocating annual quotas of some 850,000 tons of rice to the
private sectorin the Philippines, NFA maintained domestic supply-demand
balance to open bidding for rice purchases from other countries, mainly
Vietnam and Thailand.
However, President of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte on February 15 last year
signed into effect an act that turned the Philippines' rice imports from a quota-
based system to a tax-based one. The act abolished quotas in rice imports to the
Philippines to impose a 35% tax rate applicable to rice imports from ASEAN
countries. The import tariff is much lower than that imposed on non-ASEAN
nations, which is up to 180%.
With the Philippines resuming importing rice under the government-to-
government regime, the country hopes to replenish its national rice reserves
quickly amid the coronavirus outbreak. SGT
https://vietnamnet.vn/en/business/vietnam-wins-deal-to-supply-60-000-tons-of-
rice-to-the-philippines-647982.html
Choiceof increasingrice-growing or keeping water
storage areas in Mekong Delta
SGGPThursday, June 11, 2020 15:02
Farmers in the Mekong Delta have started to harvest the summer-autumn
rice crop. This year, farmers enjoy a goodharvest and high prices of rice.
Farmers harvest rice in the Mekong Delta (Photo: SGGP)

Vietnam‘s rice exports have shown positive signs when the Government allowed to
resume rice exports and the global demand for rice increased. The prices of
Vietnamese rice also surged to the highest level in t
he past eight years, opening up many export opportunities.
Mr. Dien Van Ut, a farmer in Phuong Binh Commune in Phung Hiep District in
Hau Giang Province said that right after he finished harvesting rice, traders bought
the OM5451 rice variety at VND5,400 per kilogram at the field, as high as the
price of rice in the previous winter-spring rice crop. Currently, farmers in Hau
Giang Province have harvested nearly 5,000 hectares of summer-autumn rice with
productivity at nearly 6.5 tons per hectare.
Summer-autumn rice was bought at VND5,400-VND5,800 per kilogram at the
field and dried paddywas bought at VND6,100-VND7,100 per kilogram. At
present, many traders are waiting to buy paddyfrom farmers right after harvesting,
said Mr. Tran Chi Hung, Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural
Development of Hau Giang Province. In the summer-autumn rice crop, farmers
grew rice on an area of 1.5 million hectares.

The export price of Vietnamese rice in May this year is considered to be the
highest in the past eight years when hitting US$527 per ton up 21.4 percent
compared to the same period last year. In June this year, the export price of 5-
percent broken rice reached $473-$477 per ton, lower than that of Thailand by $30
per ton but higher than that of India by $100 per ton. According to the Ministry of
Industry and Trade (MoIT), in the first six months of this year, rice exports of
Vietnam might reach 3.7 million tons, much higher than the amount of rice for
export of 3 million tons. Currently, many countries in the world pay great attention
to food security amid the context of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. The MoIT
said that Vietnam has a great opportunity to surpass Thailand in global rice exports
this year with competitive export prices and increasing rice exports after the export
quota is removed.
Accordingly, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) is
considering increasing rice productionto meet the increasing global demand for
rice. According to the plan, the autumn-winter rice crop this year, the Mekong
Delta provinces will maintain the rice-growing area at 750,000 hectares. However,
the forecast said that the rice productionof the world will possibly drop by 2.7
million tons and the demand for rice will increase by 3.7 million tons. The ministry
will closely watch the developments of the market to adjust the rice-growing area
of the autumn-winter rice crop to around 800,000 hectares if possible. It will focus
on determining the crop calendar, the flood areas, the crop structure, and suitable
technical solutions for the autumn-winter rice crop, said Minister Nguyen Xuan
Cuong of the MARD.
However, increasing the area of autumn-winter rice crop also makes farmers and
scientists worry because with this expansion, how the downstream areas of Ben
Tre, Hau Giang, Soc Trang, Bac Lieu, and Ca Mau provinces will be affected
during the dry season. Earlier, farmers in the Mekong Delta provinces merely grew
200,000-300,000 hectares of autumn-winter rice crop. The regions of Long Quyen

Quadrangle and Dong Thap Muoi (Plain of Reeds) are usually not used to grow the
autumn-winter rice crop and left to be flooded by rains and floods. These two
regions becometwo water reservoirs with a total area of about 1.2 million hectares
to regulate water for the Mekong Delta. They keep water during the rainy and
flood season then gradually release water to Tien and Hau rivers to help to reduce
saltwater intrusion in the dry season. Therefore, farmers in the downstream area of
the Mekong Delta, and scientists said that the MARD should consider and evaluate
the pros and cons when increasing the area of autumn-winter rice crop. The
impacts of saltwater intrusion and drought were extremely serious, damaging fruit
trees, vegetables, and rice, causing a widespread shortage of fresh water in the
coastal area.
Many people think that the rice-growing area of the autumn-winter rice crop
should only be at 300,000-500,000 hectares and farmers should concentrate on
growing high-quality rice varieties. Because in recent years, the ratio of fragrant,
specialty, and high-quality rice of Vietnam accounted for more than 80 percent of
the total export amount. Many institutes, universities, and Vietnamese rice
exporting enterprises currently are focusing on researching and creating high-
quality rice varieties following the market demand.
Rice exports of Vietnam are facing a great opportunity to enter the EU market
when the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement becomes effective. Although the
export quota to this market is merely around 80,000 tons of rice, this is considered
as a segment of high-quality rice. Some Vietnamese enterprises have prepared the
raw material areas in the past few years to meet the strict requirements of this
market, along with strict production processes. This is an important foundation for
Vietnamese enterprises to diversify the segments of fragrant and high-quality rice
to choosymarkets. https://sggpnews.org.vn/business/choice-of-increasing-
ricegrowing-or-keeping-water-storage-areas-in-mekong-delta-87124.html

Asia Rice-Thai prices hit 1-month peak on strong baht,
supply woes
Shreyansi Singh
JUNE 11, 2020 / 7:25 PM /
(Repeats Thursday‘s story with no change to text)
* Vietnamese prices remain at over 8-year high
* India rates unchanged amid weak demand
* Bangladesh to expedite local rice procurement for relief ops
By Shreyansi Singh
BENGALURU, June 11 (Reuters) - Thai rice export prices rose to their highest in
about a month this week due to a strong baht currency and persistent supply
concerns, losing out to cheaper offers from other Asian hubs.
Quotes for Thailand‘s benchmark 5-percent broken rice RI-THBKN5-P1 prices
rose to $505-$533 per tonne on Thursday - the highest level since early May - from
$490-$512 last week.
―Our prices are higher than all of our competitors thanks to the strong baht which
makes it hard to find buyers,‖ a Bangkok-based trader said.

The baht hit a more than four month high, translating into higher export prices in
U.S. dollars.
Supply concerns also persist in the domestic market despite rain that helped soften
the blow from one of the worst droughts in decades earlier this year, adding to the
rise in prices, another trader said.
In Vietnam, rates for the benchmark 5% broken rice RI-VNBKN5-P1 remained at
their highest since early 2012, at $475 per tonne, as demand remains steady though
supplies rose.
―The Philippines‘ recently completed rice purchase and the build-up in domestic
supplies have kept export prices from rising further,‖ a trader based in Ho Chi
Minh City said.
Vietnam exported 3.09 million tonnes of rice in the first five months of the year, up
12.2% from the year-earlier period.
Prices of top exporter India‘s 5 percent broken parboiled variety RI-INBKN5-P1
were also unchanged at $368-$373 per tonne, the lowest in over two months, amid
weak demand.
The new season supplies have started in a few Indian states, but export demand is
negligible, said an exporter based at Kakinada in the southern state of Andhra
Pradesh.
India has raised the price at which it will buy new-season common rice varieties
from local farmers by 2.9%.

Neighbouring Bangladesh, the world‘s fourth-biggest rice producer, will speed up
rice procurement to secure supplies for relief operations amid the coronavirus
pandemic, Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder said.
The virus has infected 78,052 people and killed 1,049 in Bangladesh as of
Thursday. (Reporting by Rajendra Jadhav in Mumbai, Ruma Paul in Dhaka, Khanh
Vu in Hanoi and Panu Wongcha-um in Bangkok; editing by Arpan Varghese and
Nick Macfie)
https://www.reuters.com/article/asia-rice/asia-rice-thai-prices-hit-1-month-peak-
on-strong-baht-supply-woes-idUSL4N2DO2DR
SolarPowerFillsGapsinUnderservicedRuralArgentina
By Daniel GutmanReprint | |
Teddy Cotella stands in front of the solarpanels he installed in 2018 on his
farm in an area of scarce infrastructure and far from the powergrid, in the
Argentine province of Santiago del Estero. To getelectricity, he used to use
generators that consumedabout 20,000 litres of dieselfuel annually.
CREDIT:Courtesyof Teddy Cotella

BUENOS AIRES, Jun 10 2020 (IPS)- Rice farmers in the Argentine province of
Entre Rios often look like mechanics. ―They‘re always full of grease, because they
haul diesel fuel around all the time, for their water pumps,‖ says local farmer
Arturo Deymonnaz. He, however, doesn‘thave that problem, becausehe uses solar
energy to grow his rice.
Deymonnaz‘s farm is located outside the town of Villa Elisa, in east-central
Argentina, near one of the bridges that crosses into Uruguay. He‘s a lifelong
livestock producer – like his father and grandfather – but in 2018 he ventured into
rice production, tempted by an agronomist who assured him it could be grown
using clean energy.
―This is traditionally a rice-producing area, but many have stopped growing it
because so much money is spent on fuel that it is no longer profitable. Here, rice is
planted in November and harvested in April. That‘s 100 days with the pumps
running 24 hours a day to draw water from the wells for the rice,‖ he tells IPS.
But Deymonnaz says it‘s profitable for him to grow rice, thanks to the fact that he
draws water from a 48-metre-deep well using two pumps fueled by 36 solar panels
on his 300-hectare farm, 10 of which he now dedicates to planting rice.
―I call it my solar rice farm. I don‘t spend money on fuel and I don‘thave to put up
with the noise or the steam produced by the motor,‖ says the farmer, who also
installed a system of plastic sleeves with sluices to reduce the high water
consumption of his rice crop. He estimates that with this system he uses at least 30
percent less water.
Deymonnaz is representative of a phenomenon that is growing in this Southern
Cone country of 44 million people, which is the third largest economy in Latin
America and where agriculture accounts for 13 percent of GDP.
According to the latest National Agricultural Census conducted here in 2018, of
the 162,650 rural establishments that use some type of energy, 25,850 have solar
panels.
The water pumps used in rice farming are very powerful, which means they cannot
rely on conventional electrical connections. Even farms connected to the grid have
to use generators that run on diesel fuel.

Arturo Deymonnaz is the third generationof his family dedicatedto
livestock farming. But two years ago he began growing rice, which he
produces solely with solarenergy, in northern Argentina. Rice growers in
the area use high-powered pumps to extractfrom wells the enormous
amount of waterrequired to grow the crop, which previously were fueled by
huge amounts of diesel fuel. CREDIT:Courtesyof Héctor Pirchi
―In Entre Rios, the costof fuel is driving small-scale farmers out of business. We
used to have about 100,000 hectares of rice, but last year only half of that was
planted. That‘s why solar energy is a solution,‖ Héctor Pirchi, an expert on rice at
the National Institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA), told IPS.
But the use of solar energy is not limited to Entre Ríos:it is spreading through
rural areas all around the country.

Due to the lockdown in place in Argentina since March because of the COVID-19
pandemic, IPS interviewed several farmers, solar energy entrepreneurs and experts
in different provinces by phone from Buenos Aires.
TeddyCotella, who grows soybeans, corn, wheat and chickpeas in northern
Argentina, is fascinated by solar energy. His 3,000-hectare farm in the province of
Santiago del Estero is 12 km from the power grid, so for almost 20 years he used
generators.
―I used to use about 20,000 litres of diesel a year for electricity generation alone.
To people who complain about their power company bill, I tell them ‗try not
having electric service at all‘,‖ he says.
In 2018 Cotella installed solar panels along with lithium batteries, which store
electricity for the nighttime or rainy days. These provide electric power for all
three houses and for productionon the farm.
―People whose farms are located far from the grid shouldn‘t hesitate. I would also
put solar panels on a house in the city,‖ says Cotella, who adds that the investment
in solar panels is recovered in just three years.

Agritur is a 9,000-hectareagriculturalestablishment in the centralArgentine
province of San Luis where 1,800 solarpanels were installed in 2019,
producing 600 kilowatts ofenergyand providing half of the farm’s
electricity. All the crops are grown using an irrigation system, because
rainfall amounts to just 500 mm a year. CREDIT:MWh Solar
Northern Argentina mainly falls within the Chaco ecosystem, a vast semi-arid
plain covered in shrubs and hardwood forest that extends into Bolivia and
Paraguay. This region is home to Argentina‘s poorestprovinces and infrastructure
is scarce, so small solar parks change lives.
Ariel Ludueña owns Ener One, a renewable energy company that since 2017 has
installed some 2,500 solar panels in northern Argentina.
―I am sure that solar energy will continue to grow, especially in that area, because
it gives farmers independence. There are farms that are 80 km from the grid, along
bad roads over which it is not easy to transport fuel,‖ says Ludueña from the
western province of Córdoba.
One of Ludueña‘s customers is Ignacio Pisani, an agricultural productionengineer
who moved from Buenos Aires to the northwestern province of Salta 30 years ago
to devote himself to farming.
Pisani‘s farm is 15 km from the grid, and when he asked the provincial authorities
to extend it, they said he had to pay the cost, which was a disproportionate
investment for a small farmer.
So Pisani used a generator not only to provide electricity for his house and his
workers‘ houses, but also to pump water for his cows and for the drip irrigation
system he uses to grow onions, watermelon and alfalfa on his 1,500-hectare farm.
In this part of the Chaco, rain is scarceand is concentrated in the southern
hemisphere summer months.
The solarpanels seenin the backgroundpower the pump that extracts water
from this well to grow rice on the Colonia Mabragaña farm in the Argentine
province of Entre Ríos. Rice consumes enormous quantities of water, but on
this farm a systemof plastic sleeves with sluices reduces the crop’s water
consumption by at least30 percent. CREDIT:Courtesy of HéctorPirchi

―The generator was giving me a lot of problems: high fuel consumption, noise, the
need to buy spare parts… And I could see that the power grid was never going to
arrive. That‘s why I decided in 2018 to install a solar park with 50 panels that
would cover all my needs,‖ says Pisani.
The farmer financed the project with his own capital, after realising that in
Argentina the politically correct rhetoric in favour of renewable energy rarely
translates into concrete financial support.
―I turned to all the public and private entities in search of support, but nobody
helped me,‖ says Pisani, who along with the panels has 16 batteries that allow him
to guarantee electric supply for up to three days in casethe weather is rainy or
cloudy.

The outlook seems even more uncertain for large agricultural establishments,
which are key players in Argentina‘s foreign trade. According to official figures,
agribusiness products accounted for 42.6 percent of Argentina‘s total exports in
2019.
―Solar technology is constantly evolving and costreduction makes it one of the
most competitive, clean and efficient technologies for agribusiness
establishments,‖ says renewable energy economist Matías Irigoyen from Buenos
Aires.
―Although its implementation at the national level will depend on the energy
policies that are adopted, it is already the most convenient solution in several
provinces,‖ adds Irigoyen, who is also a partner the MWh Solar company.
In 2019, the company installed 1,800 solar panels on a 9,000-hectare farm in the
province of San Luis, in central Argentina.
The farm is a large consumer of electricity that buys energy directly from the
wholesale market, and since last year has been covering half of its demand with
solar energy.
―In addition to the fact that agribusiness companies can benefit economically from
renewable energies, the interesting thing is that they can also access new
international markets, due to the growing demand for products with a smaller
carbonfootprint,‖ says Irigoyen.
https://www.ipsnews.net/2020/06/solar-power-fills-gaps-underserviced-rural-
argentina/
Monsoonrains spread over a third of India, weather
office says
JUNE 11, 2020 / 2:49 PM
MUMBAI, June 11 (Reuters) - Annual monsoonrains key to farm output and
economic growth have covered more than a third of India and could spread further
into its eastern and western regions this week, the weather office said on Thursday.

The rains are critical for farming, which makes up about 15 percent of Asia‘s third-
biggest economy at a size of nearly $2 trillion, since about 55% of arable land in
the south Asian nation is rain-fed.
―Conditions are becoming favourable for further advance of southwest monsoon
into more parts of the central Arabian Sea and Maharashtra,‖ the India
Meteorological Department (IMD) said in a statement.
In the next 48 hours, the monsoonwould also advance into some more parts of the
eastern states of Odisha and West Bengal, it added.
The western state of Maharashtra is India‘s second biggest producerof cotton,
soybean and sugar, while West Bengal is the top rice producer.
The monsoon‘s progress will help farmers speed up sowing of summer crops such
as soybean, cotton, rice and pulses.
Since the seasonbegan on June 1, the rains brought by the monsoonhave been
32% greater than normal, weather department data shows, particularly as a
cyclone, Nisarga, brought heavy rain last week to the west coast.
India is likely to receive above average monsoonrain for the second straight year
in 2020, the IMD said this month, boosting hopes for higher farm output in an
economy reeling under the impact of the coronavirus. (Reporting by Rajendra
Jadhav; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
https://www.reuters.com/article/india-monsoon/monsoon-rains-spread-over-a-
third-of-india-weather-office-says-
idUSL4N2DO22T#:~:text=The%20rains%20are%20critical%20for,Asian%20nati
on%20is%20rain%2Dfed.
Rice Prices

Arrivals in tonnes;prices in Rs/quintalin domestic market.
Arrivals Price
Curre
nt
%
chang
e
Season
cumulati
ve
Mod
al
Prev.
Mod
al
Prev.Yr
%chan
ge
Rice
Bangalore(Kar) 1184.0
0
9.23 102891.0
0
4100 4100 -9.89
Mandya(Kar) 766.00 26.19 3153.00 2400 2550 -
Siliguri(WB) 265.00 -7.02 4567.00 3400 2800 -
Sultanpur(UP) 180.00 NC 5277.00 2400 2385 -4.00
Hanagal(Kar) 156.00 271.4
3
207.00 1800 1750 -
Azamgarh(UP) 125.00 NC 4733.70 2585 2575 5.73
Gondal(UP) 115.00 -0.43 6166.00 2400 2400 -2.04
Kanpur(Grain)(UP) 110.00 15.79 5455.00 2325 2300 -1.48

Dadri(UP) 105.00 16.67 1030.00 5950 5950 -
Barhaj(UP) 100.00 42.86 8678.00 2525 2525 6.09
Lucknow(UP) 79.00 -35.25 4865.00 2450 2455 -7.20
Ballia(UP) 70.00 -22.22 2553.00 2550 2550 8.05
Kandi(WB) 70.00 NC 1275.50 2690 2720 6.75
Lohardaga(Jha) 67.00 -4.29 314.00 1950 1950 -
Hardoi(UP) 60.00 -40 7842.80 2500 2510 6.84
Kopaganj(UP) 51.00 4.08 1185.00 2590 2580 5.50
Vilaspur(UP) 51.00 NC 1407.70 2610 2610 3.98
Lalitpur(UP) 46.00 -8 1296.50 2500 2490 -3.85
Kalipur(WB) 46.00 -11.54 2317.00 2450 2400 2.08
Hapur(UP) 43.00 22.86 887.00 2650 2670 -8.30
Gorakhpur(UP) 40.00 NC 541.70 2620 2610 -
Faizabad(UP) 35.00 -12.5 1072.00 2420 2420 1.89

Lakhimpur(UP) 35.00 16.67 2162.00 2450 2460 4.26
Bankura Sadar(WB) 35.00 25 1824.00 2600 2600 -
Beldanga(WB) 35.00 -12.5 1125.00 2750 2750 NC
Meerut(UP) 32.50 18.18 548.00 2625 2625 -2.42
Choubepur(UP) 31.00 10.71 1387.25 2480 2480 -7.29
Teliamura(Tri) 30.00 20 289.00 2900 3100 NC
Muradabad(UP) 30.00 -6.25 1165.00 2600 2590 NC
Muzzafarnagar(UP) 30.00 66.67 4104.00 2665 2660 -7.30
Agra(UP) 30.00 NC 3181.50 2540 2540 -0.20
Pilibhit(UP) 28.00 12 46984.50 2605 2600 3.17
Saharanpur(UP) 28.00 -15.15 2078.00 2630 2630 -8.04
Shamli(UP) 28.00 -12.5 825.90 2665 2670 -3.44
Basti(UP) 27.00 -6.9 1294.00 2560 2550 8.94
Mainpuri(UP) 27.00 -10 3498.50 2540 2500 4.96

Etawah(UP) 25.00 -7.41 2399.50 2525 2550 -0.98
Jhijhank(UP) 25.00 -37.5 260.50 2540 2530 -
Puranpur(UP) 24.00 14.29 2192.50 2590 2600 4.86
Tamluk (Medinipur
E)(WB)
24.00 NC 210.00 2500 2500 NC
Asansol(WB) 23.00 4.55 971.89 3100 3100 3.33
Kolaghat(WB) 23.00 NC 206.00 2500 2500 NC
Karsiyang(Matigara)(W
B)
22.40 14.87 581.70 5000 5000 66.67
Egra/contai(WB) 22.00 33.33 464.00 2600 2600 13.04
Manvi(Kar) 20.00 -20 495.00 1839 1900 -
Badayoun(UP) 20.00 NC 1061.50 2585 2575 4.23
Chorichora(UP) 20.00 53.85 1269.00 2620 2620 16.70
Durgapur(WB) 20.00 -4.76 900.25 2760 2700 -3.16
Fatehpur(UP) 19.50 -13.33 2150.40 2470 2465 7.39

Sirsaganj(UP) 19.50 5.41 832.00 2550 2580 NC
Nawabganj(UP) 19.00 5.56 583.00 2400 2400 50.00
Balrampur(UP) 19.00 26.67 815.00 2400 2400 4.35
Gazipur(UP) 18.00 -18.18 1891.00 3210 3210 -1.53
Sahiyapur(UP) 17.00 -22.73 2086.00 2560 2550 7.56
Utraula(UP) 16.00 -3.03 257.20 2400 2400 -
Kayamganj(UP) 15.00 -25 1754.00 2500 2460 -4.21
Paliakala(UP) 13.00 18.18 454.50 2430 2430 6.11
Farukhabad(UP) 12.00 -14.29 911.50 2460 2450 -6.82
Jafarganj(UP) 12.00 -25 968.00 2415 2440 11.81
Rasda(UP) 12.00 20 399.00 2510 2530 1040.91
Jangipura(UP) 12.00 -7.69 530.00 2540 2540 8.55
Jayas(UP) 11.30 -5.83 627.20 2350 2350 17.50
Bahraich(UP) 11.00 -8.33 1001.30 2430 2420 1.25

Etah(UP) 11.00 22.22 322.00 2560 2560 NC
Mohamadabad(UP) 11.00 -63.33 746.30 2450 2460 -
Sheoraphuly(WB) 10.60 -3.64 149.50 3100 3100 3.33
Champadanga(WB) 10.00 -16.67 560.00 3150 3050 5.00
Mahoba(UP) 8.00 -25.23 398.10 2410 2400 6.40
Karvi(UP) 8.00 -42.86 504.00 2400 2385 4.58
Kasganj(UP) 7.00 16.67 416.50 2580 2570 0.78
Indus(Bankura
Sadar)(WB)
7.00 16.67 1076.00 2800 2800 3.70
Milak(UP) 6.50 8.33 125.10 2590 2580 -
Devariya(UP) 6.00 -14.29 880.00 2575 2575 4.67
Tulsipur(UP) 6.00 20 67.90 2400 2400 -
Naanpara(UP) 5.60 -17.65 607.50 2410 2410 8.56
Chandoli(UP) 5.00 -16.67 52.20 2575 2550 11.47

Achalda(UP) 5.00 25 283.10 2500 2540 13.12
Amroha(UP) 4.50 -10 137.00 2570 2580 -1.15
Mirzapur(UP) 4.00 -20 238.00 2645 2650 12.08
Chhibramau(Kannuj)(UP
)
3.80 5.56 554.50 2450 2450 -2.00
Khurja(UP) 3.20 -8.57 208.30 2650 2650 0.19
Akbarpur(UP) 3.20 -20 365.20 2420 2410 2.54
Bharwari(UP) 3.00 NC 70.50 2520 2460 -
Safdarganj(UP) 3.00 NC 31.00 2450 2450 -
Perinthalmanna(Ker) 2.90 NC 26.10 3000 3000 7.14
Kosikalan(UP) 2.50 8.7 203.00 2545 2540 1.80
Bilsi(UP) 2.00 33.33 17.00 2580 2580 -
Sehjanwa(UP) 2.00 -92 2155.50 2600 2600 20.37
Muskara(UP) 1.70 6.25 60.30 2350 2350 3.98

Charra(UP) 1.60 6.67 92.00 2550 2550 0.20
Baberu(UP) 1.50 NC 70.00 2370 2380 6.52
Lalganj(UP) 1.50 50 254.60 2300 2300 -
Mawana(UP) 1.50 -25 129.20 2630 2625 -
Wazirganj(UP) 1.50 NC 47.50 2580 2590 -
Panichowki(Kumarghat)(
Tri)
1.30 -18.75 32.70 2960 2950 -
Khair(UP) 1.20 20 66.70 2580 2580 -0.77
Alibagh(Mah) 1.00 NC 71.00 4200 4200 NC
Murud(Mah) 1.00 NC 70.00 4200 4200 NC
Melaghar(Tri) 1.00 66.67 49.70 2700 2700 NC
Shikohabad(UP) 1.00 -60 263.00 2750 2750 12.24
Achnera(UP) 0.80 NC 31.00 2050 2560 -19.29
Anandnagar(UP) 0.70 -22.22 194.10 2540 2525 15.45

Atrauli(UP) 0.60 -14.29 5.20 2570 2560 -
Bharuasumerpur(UP) 0.60 -50 15.30 2500 2500 28.21
Published on June 12, 2020
https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/rice-
prices/article31812614.ece
Cambodia,Timor-Lestemull rice export deal
June 11, 2020
Ambassadorto Timor-Leste to Cambodia Ermenegildo ―Kupa‖ Lopes and Pan
Sorasak, Minister of Commerce. Supplied
Cambodia‘s rice export is set to reach Timor-Leste as the governments of the two
nations are working closely on the rice export deal. Cambodia has prepared 30,000
tonnes of milled rice as its first shipment to Timor-Leste, said Pan Sorasak,
Minister of Commerce.
The information was shared in a meeting with Ambassadorto Timor-Leste to
Cambodia Ermenegildo ―Kupa‖ Lopes.
The Minister also called on entrepreneurs from Timor-Leste to invest in the
installation of warehouses, rice-drying and storage facilities in Cambodia for
exporting rice to Timor-Leste.
Mr Sorasak also reviewed the memorandum of understanding (MoU) previously
signed and requested the Timor-Leste side to accelerate the implementation of the
signed MoU to bear fruit for the two nations.

In the first quarter of this year, Cambodia exported a total of 230,948 tonnes of rice
worth about $160 million to foreign markets, a 35 percent increase compared to the
same period last year. Chea Vannak/AKP
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50732894/cambodia-timor-leste-mull-rice-
export-deal/.
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50732782/cambodia-exports-almost-1-million-
tonnes-of-rice-paddy-to-vietnam-in-six-months/. Full versionText-only
versionView source
Cambodia exports almost 1 milliontonnes of rice
paddy to Vietnam in six months
June 11, 2020
Sorn Sarath / Khmer Times
Rice paddyfarmers in their field at Krang Samrer village in Phnom Sruoch distict
in Kampong Speu province, 65 kilometres west of Phnom Penh. KT/Chor
Sokunthea. Nearly 1 million tonnes of rice paddy were exported from Cambodia to
Vietnam from January to June this year, with exporters claiming that the COVID-
19 virus will not affect the Kingdom‘s rice export industry.
According to the Ministry‘s Agriculture Department Cambodia officially exported
921,047 tonnes of rice paddyto Vietnam from January 1 to June 9.
Most originated from the provinces of Kandal, Prey Veng, Svay Rieng, Takeo,
Battambang and Kampot.

Minister of Agriculture, Veng Sakhon, told Khmer Times yesterday that Prey Veng
is the number one province for rice paddyproduction, experiencing a ―very large‖
increase over the last 10 years, followed by Battambang province.
The minister said for the 2019-2020 harvest Cambodia produced 10,880,000
tonnes of rice paddy with a surplus of 5,760,000 tonnes.
―These figures show that we don‘twant to stop exports to Vietnam, because our
farmers will lack a market. Last season Cambodia was estimated to export more
than 2 million tonnes of rice paddyto Vietnam,‖ he said.
Secretary-General of Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF)Lun Yeng said: ―Farmers
could earn more revenue because they can export more rice paddy. When we
export more it means that we have rice surplus in stock,‖he said.
―We also have milled rice exports which are mainly focused on fragrant and
premium rice.‖
According to Yeng most of the rice paddyexported to Vietnam is also short-time-
growth rice that can take just three months to mature.
―Short-time-growing-rice is not our target for processing for export but we
encourage farmers to export it becauseit helps farmers to generate more income
and working capital,‖ he said.
Yeng said that so far most of Cambodia‘s rice exports to Vietnam have not been
officially recorded and are already estimated to be about 2 million tonnes by the
end of this year.
He said the price offered by Vietnam traders and local is the same but because of
the transportation costs, farmers prefer to send to nearby Vietnam.
Cambodia has never imported rice paddydirectly from Vietnam because we are
just a small rice miller, he added.

According to the CRF‘s figures, Cambodia exported a total of 230,948 tonnes of
rice to the international market in the first three months of 2020, a 35 percent hike
on the same period last year.
The figure shows that this first quarter, 44 percent of Cambodia‘s milled rice was
shipped to China (a total of 101,345 tonnes.
Yeng said China and the European Union market are still the most profitable for
Cambodian rice farmers.
―The two markets are like bothour hands,‖ Yeng explained.
―We see the rate exports to the Euopean Union are high but the quantity is smaller
than to China, so both are important for our market,‖ he added.
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50732782/cambodia-exports-almost-1-million-
tonnes-of-rice-paddy-to-vietnam-in-six-months/
Niumi Berending starts rice cultivationto attainfood
security
Posted on June 11, 2020 Author thevoice
By: Haruna Kuyateh
Niumi Brerending has started cultivating rice as part of efforts to attaining
household‘s food security which seeks to sustain families on small scale and attract
quiet numbers of people in Berending.
Alh. Amadou Njie, the village Imam who spoketo the Voice Newspaper stressed
the need for Department of Agriculture and partners to smallholder farmer with
equipment and machinery to enhance productionon a larger scale.

He said it aims to ensure year-round rice production. The Imam disclosed that the
attainment of food security calls for concerted efforts of all and reiterated the need
for more support.
He called on Imams to pray for peace and stability and urged to use their sermon to
enlighten public on COVID19 and thanks government for providing COVID19
emergency food aid to families.
―The supportaccording would help supplement household food security and
empower farmers to better prepare themselves ahead of 2020 farming season,‖he
said.
Awa Camara, a vegetable grower at Berending spokeon the significance of
building farmers capacity on processingand preservation of perishable vegetables
like tomatoes, pepper and onion to avoid post-harvest loss and boostincome.
She said that women are Principal producers of food and therefore supporting them
with cold storage facility.
She also called for supportwith fencing materials to enable women have more time
with famors. She stressed the need for capacity building on the preparation of

organic manure and it application on crops to enhance growth and development of
plants and by extension create market and promote health.
By: Haruna Kuyateh Women, farmers in Kinteh Kunda Janneh Ya of Lower
Badibou has launched an urgent to National Disaster Management Agency,
Department of Agriculture and other humanitarian organisations to support
vegetable gardeners with fencing materials. The called was made on Thursday
following a wildfire that destroyed vast land and seven vegetable gardens and left
[…]
The executive members of the Njaboute Foundation over the weekend held a two
day sensitization for the community of Busumbala and Old Yundum on Female
Genital Mutilation or Cutting (FGM/C). The ceremony held at Old Yundum Lower
Basic Schoolin West CoastRegion brought together over 50 participants.The
event was sponsored byMMK Gambia Finland […]
Dozens of veterinarians have completed a three days training on curing animal foot
and mouth disease, held at Mansea Beach Hotel under the organisation the
department of livestock services. The training also aimed to bring all the key
players that are dealing with the farmers directly to have refreshers discuss with
some of the burning […]
https://www.voicegambia.com/2020/06/11/niumi-berending-starts-rice-cultivation-
to-attain-food-security/
Project To Utilize Paddy Residues Efficiently Launched
Thu 11th June 2020 | 10:20 PM
LAHORE, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Jun, 2020 ) :The Punjab
government has started implementation of the project aimed at utilizing the paddy
residues efficiently by using modern machinery. A spokesmanfor the department
said on Thursday that applications had been sought from the farmers of
Gujranwala, Gujrat, Sialkot, Mandi Bahuddin, Narowal, Hafizabad, Lahore, Kasur,

Sheikhupura, Nankana Sahib, Faisalabad, Jhang, Chiniot, Bahawalnagar and Okara
in this regard.
Farmers would be given Pak Seeder, Happy Seeder, Rice Straw Chopper/Shredder
on 80 percent concessionary price, he added.
He said that an applicant must own a useable tractor of 65 horse power, whereas
under this scheme for 4 years an applicant would be bound to give obtained
agricultural machinery to other farmers on rent.
He further said that applications in this regard would be obtained till June 30
whereas farmers could contacton 99200705 for further information.
It is pertinent to mention here that this scheme would help in overcoming the
practice of burning paddyresidues.
https://www.urdupoint.com/en/pakistan/project-to-utilize-paddy-residues-
efficiently-944657.html

12th June_,2020_Daily Global Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter.pdf

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