3rd february,2014 daily global rice & oryza exclusive e newsletter by riceplus magazine

3rd February , 2014

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TOP Contents - Tailored for YOU

Latest News Headlines…
 Insecticides instigate rice pests’ attack
 Senate to file perjury charges vs David Bangayan
 Rice growers focus on hybrid success

Exclusive ORYZ NEWS
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Oryza White Rice Index Ends Week at $464 per Ton, Firm on Higher India Rice Quotes
Italy to Protect Local Rice Producers and Reduce Zero-Import Duties from LDC Nations, Cambodia,
Myanmar
Oryza U.S. Rough Rice Recap – With Old Crop Trade Subdued, Focus Shifts to New Crop
Oryza Afternoon Recap – Chicago Rough Rice Futures Finish the Week Little Changed as Charts Take
on Bearish Tilt
Will Thailand BAAC Withdraw New Lending Schemes for Rice Farmers? What Does Government Have
in Store for Farmers?
Jamaica Replaces U.S. Rice Imports with Guyana Rice in 2013
Russia Rice Production Declines 12% in 2013 Due to Reduced Area, Yield
Vietnam Plans to Shift 130,000 Hectares of Rice Area to Other Crops in 2014
Oryza Overnight Recap – Chicago Rough Rice Futures Nearly Unchanged as Grain Complex Exerts
Mixed Pressure
Efficient Milling Can Reduce Dependency on Rice Imports, Says Philippines Agriculture Group
India Winter Rice Crop Planting Area Reaches 2.1 Million Hectares; Up 40% from Last Year
Pheu Thai Party Risks Losing Thailand Rice Farmer Votes in February 2014 Election
India Rice Sellers Lower Some of Their Quotes Today; Other Asia Rice Quotes Unchanged
Oryza Quick Glance at World News
Oryza Global Rice Quotes

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NEWS DETAILS:

Insecticides instigate rice pests’ attack
By Ferdie G. Domingo | Feb. 03, 2014 at 12:01am

SCIENCE CITY OFMUNOZ, Nueva Ecija --- Insecticides do not repel rice black bugs but instigate instead
renewed attack by the rice pests, according to experts from the Philippine Rice Institute
(PhilRice).Entomologists Gertrudo Arida and Hoai Xuan Truong of PhilRice‘s crop protection Division said
insecticides become ineffective when they also kill the known enemies of the black bugs such as wasps, ground
and coccinellid beetle, wolf, lynx, long-jawed spider, red ant and damsel bug.―Insecticides should be used to a
minimum,‖ the two scientists said.The first rice black bug attack was in Bonobono, Bataraza in Southern
Palawan in 1979.
A major outbreak occured in 1982 and it spread to Central and Northern Palawan.Massive and intensive
insecticide applications failed to control the bugs. Damage rice fields was estimated at more than 4,500
hectares.Arida and Truong said damage can be prevented by planting rice varieties that mature during the
regular planting season, which was effective because it breaks the pests‘ life cycle.Instead of more insecticides,
the farmers should use light as traps because the bugs were strongly attracted to high intensity light, the
scientists said.Light traps using 2,000 to 3,000 watts should start five days before and after the full moon and
should be set up every night from eight to 12 midnight, the scientists said.They said other schemes to prevent
pest infestation involved flooding, herding ducks into the field, and proper sanitation.A flooded filed will
submerge eggs of pests that will not hatch after 24 hours in the water, and ducks will also feed on the bugs, but
farmers must clean their field by removing weeds that serve as alternate hosts for the rice black bugs, the
scientists said.

Senate to file perjury charges vs David Bangayan
ABS-CBNnews.com
Posted at 02/03/2014 1:02 PM | Updated as of 02/03/2014 1:59 PM

MANILA (UPDATE) - The Senate agriculture committee on Monday is set to file perjury charges against
businessman David Bangayan for allegedly lying under oath during the Senate's investigation on rice
smuggling.However, instead of detaining him, Sen. Cynthia Villar directed the Senate legal counsel to file
perjury charges against Bangayan before Friday this week.She said she will also ask the Department of Justice
and Bureau of Immigration to place Bangayan under the immigration watchlist. She said the panel will ask the
Department of Foreign Affairs to cancel his passport.Meanwhile, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said she has
already placed Bangayan in the watchlist.She also said the National Bureau of Investigation is set to serve the
arrest warrant for Bangayan issued by the Caloocan regional trial court in connection with a charge for violation
of RA 7832 or the Anti-Electricity and Electric Transmission Lines/Materials Pilferage.

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De Lima said this is the same arrest warrant issued by the court against David Tan, which is allegedly an alias
used by Bangayan. The justice chief said the DOJ issued a manifestation to the court, saying that Bangayan and
Tan are one and the same person.Senate Minority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile was the first to move to cite
Bangayan for contempt after the senator insisted that Bangayan is alleged smuggling king David Tan.Enrile
cited as evidence Bangayan's own libel complaint against Jesus Arranza in 2005 wherein he admitted that he is
Bangayan "aka David Tan."Bangayan, however, said his lawyer made a mistake in filing the complaint and that
he was merely quoting a newspaper report identifying him as Tan.Meanwhile, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo
Duterte also confirmed that Bangayan had been using the alias David Tan.Sen. JV Ejercito then seconded
Enrile's motion to cite Bangayan for contempt.
For his part, Bangayan said it is common practice that import permits are sold among rice importers because of
the restrictions imposed by government.He said that in 2012, his group only cornered about 7% of total rice
importations to the Philippines that year.Bangayan said he only started in rice importation in 2011.The National
Food Authority said Bangayan is not a registered rice importer and has no permit to import rice.This is despite a
letter from the Vietnamese embassy that said a company linked to Bangayan had signed a contract to import
120,000 metric tons from Vietnam in October 2013. The importation did not push through after the NFA did not
issue an import to Adolphe Trading.Adolphe's office is at Unit 401, Prestige Tower in Pasig City, which is
owned by Bangayan.

Rice growers focus on hybrid success
Feb. 1, 2014

Rice is a crop that is vitally important to Louisiana,
both for its commercial value and for its use in so
many Louisiana dishes. We asked Steve Linscombe,
professor and director of the Louisiana State
University AgCenter Research Station in Crowley,
to answer our questions about rice and its prospects
in 2014.
Question: The Rice Technical Working Group, researchers and extension people from the rice-growing
states, meets next month in New Orleans. Are there any emerging issues in rice production that will take
up a lot of discussion at the meeting?
Answer: One major topic of discussion will be improving the grain quality of rice hybrids. Hybrids have a
significant yield advantage over pure line varieties but typically have lower whole grain yields after milling and

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more chalk in the milled rice kernel. Researchers are working to maintain the yield advantage while improving
the quality and grain appearance. Another topic of great interest is the development of a new type of herbicide
resistance that will allow for the control of red rice, which will be similar to the Clearfield system that is
currently so important to Louisiana rice production.
Q:Louisiana is coming off a strong rice crop year. What is the outlook for rice this year?
A: There is a level of optimism heading into the 2014 rice crop. We are coming off an excellent production year
in which we set a statewide yield record of 7,300 pounds per acre. The rice acreage in the state should increase
as the corn acreage decreases, especially in north Louisiana. We will see an increase in the planting of medium
grain types as there is a premium for those types compared to long grain types. The demand for medium grains
is being driven (at least partially) by the drought in California, which will decrease the amount of rice planted
there. California produces primarily medium grain types.
Q: We have experienced some harsh winter weather in recent days. How will that affect rice farming?
How will it affect insects in relation to rice fields?
A: The harsh winter should decrease the pressure from some rice insect pests, especially on the early planted
rice. It should also have a positive influence on the pressure from some rice diseases. When we have a very mild
winter, some of the rice plants in crawfish ponds will survive over the winter and some rice diseases can
actually build up on these plants leading to heavy disease pressure on the rice crop. This should not be a factor
this year.
Q:Agricultural Commissioner Mike Strain has talked about rice exports. Where are the prospects for
trade in 2014? Where is our rice suitable for trade partners?
A: Up to 70 percent of the Louisiana rice crop can enter the export market in some years so having good trade
partners is critical to the Louisiana rice industry. Our rice is exported to numerous countries. One market that
we are especially interested in entering is China. This is a huge rice market and because of various factors it
appears that this country will need to increase their rice imports in the future. This would be an excellent market
for Louisiana produced rice.

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Q: The exhibition area at the Rice Day event last June showed that plenty of young people hold interest
in rice research. Are there enough young people interested in rice to keep our farms growing in future
generations? What do you see for the future?
A: We have seen a large number of younger individuals take up rice farming in recent years. This is
encouraging as we need new young blood to maintain this important industry into the future. Rice farming has
been a major part of the southwest Louisiana economy since the 1880s and was one of the primary reasons this
region was first settled. Hopefully this industry will continue in the region well into the future.
In Photo: Steve Linscombe speaks to a Rice Day gathering at the LSU AgCenter Rice Research Center in Crowley. / Submitted photo

Exclusive ORYZ NEWS
Oryza White Rice Index Ends Week at $464 per Ton, Firm on Higher India Rice
Quotes

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The Oryza White Rice Index, a weighted average of global white rice export quotes, ended the week at $464 per
ton, up about $1 per ton from a week ago, $2 per ton from a month ago and down about $19 per ton from a year
ago. Right now, Asian rice quotes remain in only about a $50 per ton range with Thailand rice the most
expensive and Pakistan rice the cheapest Asian origin. Rice quotes are firm in the Americas amid limited
supplies.The global rice market continues to focus on developments in Thailand and the massive political
uncertainty the nation faces as it approaches the February 2 elections. Some analysts say the nation would be
better off to wait until things cool down before holding elections. Protestors have died, polling stations are
being blocked, and government opposition (fearing a loss in the upcoming election), has called for the
―suspension of constitutional government so that an unelected ‗peoples council‘ can ‗save‘ democracy,‖
according to The Economist. The publication has a heading that expresses the situation perfectly, ―Sham
government v undemocratic opposition.‖ The military is likely to be sucked into the mess and a coup is still a
possibility. Hopefully, Thailand can find productive order and improve the policies for its citizens and mend its
troubled rice export sector.
Global rice quotes continue to slowly and surely head higher. Besides better policy at home, the opportunity for
Thailand‘s rice sector could be improved with El Nino. Some weather analysts are projecting an El Nino
weather pattern, which can cause droughts in parts of Asia. In the last El Nino, India avoided a drought thanks
to a counter local weather phenomenon, the Indian Ocean Dipole. However, in the El Nino, India may not fare
so well. If crop production is reduced in India, the nation‘s massive domestic food security program may make
exports impossible. Time will tell. It will be important to watch the weather. India‘s rice yields are already so
low, however, that the risk is spread thin - it should take a massive drought, and/or very severe drought to affect
the nation‘s rice production in a catastrophic way.
Thailand
Thailand 5% broken rice ended the week at $440 per ton, unchanged from a week ago, up about $15 per ton
from a month ago and down about $115 per ton from a year ago.
Earlier this week, the Bank of Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC) announced it will revise
lending packages to farmers still waiting for payments under the rice mortgage program. The packages included
extra loans on farmer pledging documents and lower interest rates. However, the packages may be withdrawn if
the government succeeds in getting the 130 billion (around $4 billion) loan to pay farmers.
The Finance Ministry is seeking bridge loans from local banks in order to pay the farmers under the rice
mortgage program and some banks have been vocal about not participating for fear of causing a bank run.
The government now says farmers should be paid within a month according to Finance Ministry‘s Public Debt
Management Office. Farmers will have to see it to believe it. The government has changed the deadline several
times. In the meantime, local sources say that government officials are trying to encourage farmers to find
alternative sources of income.
The National Food Authority (NFA) in the Philippines said they won‘t accept Thailand‘s counter-offer in the
November 2013 tender. Vietnam offered rice about $12.75 less than Thailand‘s offer, and Thailand counter-

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offered with a lower price, citing an agreement signed in June 2011 that allows the Thai government to make
new bids and negotiate with the Philippine government. The NFA said that the agreement only covers bilateral
trade and that negotiating with them would violate the rules of the tender.
India
India 5% broken rice is today quoted about $415 per ton, up about $5 per ton from a week and a month ago and
down about $15 per ton from a year ago.
Average monthly wholesale rice prices in India declined to around Rs. 2,808 per quintal in January 2014, down
about 4% from around Rs. 2,922 per quintal recorded in December 2013, according to official sources.
However, year-on-year, average rice wholesale prices in India are about 1% higher than around Rs.2,783 per
quintal seen in January 2013. In terms of USD per ton, average wholesale rice prices in India stand at about
$446 per ton (using current exchange rates) in January 2014, down about 6% from around $473 per ton (using
historical exchange rates) in December 2013, and down about 15% from around $523 per ton (using historical
exchange rates) seen in January 2013.
Paddy crop in over 50,000 acres in the Cuddalore district has still not been harvested due to a shortage of
workers and machines. If the crops aren‘t harvested soon, they will likely be damaged with quality and yield
deteriorating.
Planting area under India‘s Rabi (winter) rice crop is about 2.1 million hectares as of January 31. This is an
increase of about 40% from the 1.5 million hectares at this time last year.
Trials on the Indian flood-resistant hybrid rice variety 'Swarna-Sub1' show that the variety can produce 45%
higher yield even when it was submerged underwater for 14 to 17 days, compared to ‗Swarna‘, a rice variety
commonly cultivated in eastern India, according to sources. Trials show that the 'Swarna Sub1' variety can
deliver both efficiency gains through reduced yield variability and higher yield. The study also found that
‗Swarna Sub1' would benefit marginalized people living in flood-prone areas. Tests also show that 'Swarna
Sub1' would prove beneficial if grown in 12-14 million hectares of the 44 million rice cultivable land in India
where flash floods are common. The variety has also been released in Bangladesh, Nepal and in some Southeast
Asian countries.
The Basmati Rice Geographical Indications (GI) application filed by India‘s Agricultural and Processed Food
Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) will exclude the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh,
despite efforts by farmers and rice traders in the state. APEDA, who is the designated custodian of GI rights for
Indian basmati rice since 1999, says its inclusion would adversely impact exclusivity and exportability of
basmati rice.
Vietnam
Vietnam 5% broken rice is today shown about $405 per ton, unchanged from a week ago, down about $5 per

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ton from a month ago and up about $15 per ton from a year ago.
Continuing their efforts to out-compete India and Thailand, Vietnam‘s Ministry of Industry and Trade is urging
domestic producers to grow high-quality products like fragrant and glutinous rice to sell on the African market.
The government reported that exports for January 2014 would fall 21.3% from January 2013, reaching only
about 350,000 tons. Revenue would also decrease, down 19% from the previous January.
The government has announced plans to shift 130,000 hectares of paddy acreage to other crops such as
soybeans and corn, according to the Agriculture and Rural Development Minister. However, the minister
expects the country to maintain rice production, estimated to be about 43.4 million tons of paddy in 2014,
suggesting slightly higher yields.
In response to Philippine concerns over the computation of prices for Vietnam rice, members of the Committee
on Agriculture and Food will seek clarification from the Philippines Agriculture Secretary. According to local
sources, the rice may have been overpriced by about P825 million (about $18.2 million). Meanwhile, the
Philippines is also struggling to curb rice smuggling into the country and the Chairman of the Philippines
Senate Committee on Ways and Means has stated that the Bureau of Customs needs support from the state
administration. At its highest, about 50,000 tons of rice were smuggled into the Philippines each week in 2013
– that would be about 2.6 million tons if smuggled at that rate for an entire year.
Pakistan
Pakistan 5% broken rice ended the week at $395 per ton, unchanged from a week ago, down about $5 per ton
Pakistan raised concerns about India‘s rice subsidies in a representation to the World Trade Organization
Committee on Agriculture. It sought clarification on details of India‘s rice exports during the last two
years. There is some concern that India will breach the WTO prescribed subsidy limits once the Food Security
Program is fully implemented.
Brazil
Brazil 5% broken ended the week at $665 per ton, unchanged from a week ago and down about $20 per ton
from a month ago.
According to the USDA, Brazil will produce about 8.33 million tons of rice (milled basis) in MY 2013-14
(April-March). This is an increase of about 4%, or about 310,000 tons, from the previous year. Rice acreage is
also expected to increase about 1%, or by 30,000 hectares, this year.
US

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U.S. 4% broken rice is today shown about $590 per ton, unchanged from a week ago, down about $5 per ton
The U.S. House of Representatives passed a 5-year Farm Bill Wednesday by a vote of 251-166. This bill
eliminates $4.5 billion a year in direct payments and favors crop insurance programs instead. The U.S. rice
industry is largely supporting this bill and is hopeful it passes the Senate, too, so that farmers can begin making
planting decisions, although the new insurance won‘t be available until 2015. The Senate plans to vote on the
farm bill Tuesday.
A drought has been officially declared in parts of California, including the rice-growing region in the
Sacramento Valley. Farmers anticipate only being able to plant 75% or less of their paddy fields, and experts
are saying the 2014 drought looks to be worse than the droughts in 1976 and 1977. The Bureau of Reclamation
hasn‘t released official numbers about how much water may be provided to farmers, but it‘s likely the cuts will
be worse than the 25% reduction for dry years required by their settlement contracts.
Texas farmers are struggling to get the water they need, too. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
signed an order granting the Lower Colorado River Authority permission to withhold water from lower-basin
rice farmers if Lake Travis and Lake Buchanan are less than 1.1 million acre feet on March 1.
Chicago rough rice futures were volatile this week, jumping to $15.580 per cwt (about $343 per ton) on
Tuesday before settling at $15.420 per cwt (about $340 per ton) on Friday.
Other Markets
Cambodia 5% broken rice is quoted around $455 per ton, unchanged from a week ago and down about $10 per
ton from month ago. Local sources tell Oryza that Italy is leading the way for the EU to reduce/end zero-import
duties enjoyed by Cambodia and Myanmar as Least Developed Countries (LDCs) under the Everything by
Arms (EBA) agreement. This could severely impact Cambodia's rice export potential to in the nearterm.
5% broken rice of Uruguay and Argentina today quoted about $630 per ton, unchanged from a week and a
month ago and up about $20 per ton a year ago.
The government in South Korea will buy at least 408,700 tons of rice (milled basis) in 2014, an increase of
about 5% from the 2013 target, under the country‘s 2014 Minimum Market Access (MMA) rice purchasing
plan. This increase is projected despite that the country‘s per capita consumption declined about 3.7% in 2013
due to diversified diets, according to Statistics Korea, a record low for the country. According to the USDA,
the U.S. (S. Korea‘s main rice supplier) will provide about 29-32% of the total MMA volume.
Maldives will purchase 9,000 tons of parboiled rice from the U.S., the U.A.E., Australia, Canada, Turkey,
Pakistan, India, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Europe or South America
and applications are due February 27.

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In 2013, Japan‘s rice production increased about 1% from the previous year, to about 7.8 million tons (about
8.6 million tons of paddy), due to favorable weather conditions, increased acreage, and good yield.
According to the USDA, Mexico is striving to increase production of paddy rice to about 270,000 tons in
2018. This is an increase of about 50% from 2012‘s production of 180,000 tons. The government is
orchestrating a new six-year Agricultural Development Plan to assist with this and other agricultural goals.
Rice farmers in Lalmonirhat, Bangladesh are upset over high fertilizer prices, driven up by its use on increased
tobacco acreage. There are at least 50,000 hectares of tobacco in the Lalmonirhat this year, more than double
the amount last year, and rice farmers there think fertilizer dealers might be favoring tobacco farmers.
According to its Ministry of Agriculture, China imported 14.59 million tons of grains in 2013, an increase of
4.3% from the previous year. However, rice imports dropped 4.1% to 2.27 million tons, according to Chinese
data.
The Agriculture Minister in Ghana claims that the country will boost rice production enough in the next three
years to reduce imports. They are also working to develop new varieties of rice that more closely resemble the
polished, aromatic rice that Ghana imports.
Despite efforts to increase rice production, Nigeria will likely have to import about 2.9 million tons of rice in
2014, the same quantity as it did in 2013. The Nigerian government is striving for rice self-sufficiency within
two years, and milled production is likely to increase 29% to about 3.1 million tons, in part due to a $300
million investment by an African business conglomerate. However, according to the USDA, climate change,
poor infrastructure, and continued disruptive attacks by the Islamic sect ―Boko Haram‖ are making selfsufficiency difficult.
Russia‘s paddy production for 2013 declined about 12% from 2012 to about 926,000 tons. This is largely due
to both reduced acreage and yields.
Tags: Oryza White Rice Index (WRI)

Italy to Protect Local Rice Producers and Reduce Zero-Import Duties from LDC
Nations, Cambodia, Myanmar
Jan 31, 2014

In support of the local rice industry, the Italian Government is asking the European Union (EU) to stop allowing
zero duty imports from Eba (Everything but Arms) countries, such as Cambodia and Myanmar. Italy is the EU‘s
largest
rice
producing
nation.
Local sources tell Oryza that on Wednesday in Rome there was a meeting among Ente Risi, the Italian agency
for rice, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Economic

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Development, together with the members of agricultural unions and the millers association in order to discuss
the Eba dossier that will be brought to Brussels.
As previously reported, December 16-17, 2013 the Italian delegation spoke at a meeting on Agriculture and
Fisheries held by the Council of the European Union, supported by Bulgaria, Greece, Spain, France, and
Portugal: it noted the EU rice sector is facing increased competition from rice imports, from Least Developed
Countries (LDCs) and other countries with which the EU has trade agreements. The goal is to change zero duty
import conditions, since these are deeply affecting European rice sector, from farmers to millers, according to
local sources.In the past few years Italian paddy production has shrunk: 246,653 hectares in 2011; 235,052
hectares in 2012 (down 5% y/y); and 216,019 hectares in 2013 (down 8% y/y) . Thus, paddy production has
also declined: 1,560,128 tons in 2011; 1,551,272 tons in 2012 (down 5% y/y); and 1,471,291 tons in
2013 y/y); of paddy rice has been of, that means -5.1% on 2012, when it had been, down -0.5% on
2011. Along with falling production, paddy quotes have also fallen, especially for export varieties such as Long
B. Farmers who could find other, more profitable crops to plant than rice are gradually changing their crops; in
2013 corn replaced rice especially in Lombardy, in Pavese and Lomellina areas, because of more favorable
prices.
The bad weather conditions at the beginning of spring 2013 in fact compelled many farmers to plant rice
because it was the best suitable crop considering the wet weather, otherwise the production decline could have
been higher.
Tags: italian rice production, Cambodia rice exports, myanmar rice exports, Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Eba (Everything but Arms)

Oryza U.S. Rough Rice Recap – With Old Crop Trade Subdued, Focus Shifts to New
Crop
Jan 31, 2014

With dwindling old crop supplies, the U.S. cash market has now shifted its focus to getting next year‘s crop
planted and priced. As of now, new crop offers could be found around $13.33-$14.44 per cwt fob farm (about
$294-$318 per ton) depending on where they are located while most bids could be found around $13.00-$13.33
per cwt fob farm (about $287-$294 per ton).As of today, old crop offers could still be found around $15.55 fob
farm (about $343 per ton) however most farmers are now looking for $16.11 per cwt fob farm (about $355 per
ton) or higher.Bids from larger mills decreased slightly today to around $14.90 per cwt (about $328 per ton)
while bids for exporters were still said to be around $15.50 per cwt (about $342 per ton), both for February
through March delivery, smaller mills are still sadi to be bidding around $16.11-$16.25 (about $355-$358 per
ton) delivered mill.
Tags: U.S. rice prices, U.S. rice market

Oryza Afternoon Recap – Chicago Rough Rice Futures Finish the Week Little
Changed as Charts Take on Bearish Tilt
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Jan 31, 2014

Chicago rough rice futures for March delivery settled 2.5 cents per cwt (about $1 per ton) lower at $15.400 per
cwt (about $340 per ton). Rough rice futures came under selling pressure again today, although the expected
spread activity failed to materialize until the final moments of trading. Overall the market spent the majority of
the session trading within a tight $15.400-$15.425 per cwt (about $340 per ton) range. Overall the market was
little changed on the week, with today‘s loss tipping the market to a 2.5 cent per cwt (about $1 per ton) loss.
The market continues to search for direction as the cash market remains quiet. Technically the outlook has
turned bearish, with traders expecting prices to move to test nearby support at $15.360 per cwt (about $339).
The other grains finished slightly higher today; soybeans closed about 0.6% higher at $12.8275 per bushel;
wheat finished about 0.4% higher at $5.5675 per bushel; and corn finished the day about 0.1% higher at
$4.3400 per bushel.U.S. stocks declined on Friday, but benchmark indexes cut early losses by more than half, as
worries about emerging markets lessened and investors considered earnings and economic data. After a 231point decline, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was lately off 86.48 points, or 0.6%, to 15,762.13. The S&P
500 tumbled 5.17 points, or 0.3%, to 1,789.02, with consumer discretionary and energy hardest hit and utilities
and telecommunications the best performing among the S&P's 10 major industry groups. The Nasdaq lost 9.07
points, or 0.2%, to 4,114.06.
Stocks remained under water through a series of economic data on Friday, with Thomson Reuters/University of
Michigan's final read on consumer sentiment showing a decline in January from the previous month, while the
Chicago Purchasing Manager's Index for January fell 1.2 to 59.6, down for a third month in a row. Data also
had personal income up 0.1% in December, matching estimates, and spending rising 0.4% versus a 0.5%
estimate. Gold is trading about 0.2% lower, crude oil is seen trading marginally lower, and the U.S. dollar is
seen trading about 0.2% higher at about 1:00pm Chicago time.Thursday, there were 1,037 contracts traded, up
from 624 contracts traded on Wednesday. Open interest – the number of contracts outstanding – on Thursday
decreased by 5 contracts to 7,480.
Tags: chicago rough rice futures, U.S. rice prices, U.S rice market

Will Thailand BAAC Withdraw New Lending Schemes for Rice Farmers? What
Does Government Have in Store for Farmers?
Jan 31, 2014

Earlier this week, the Bank of Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC) announced it will revise
lending packages to farmers still waiting for payments under the rice mortgage program. The packages included
extra loans on farmer pledging documents and lower interest rates.However, the packages may be withdrawn if
the government succeeds in getting the 130 billion (around $4 billion) loan to pay farmers. The BAAC
Chairman told local sources, ―The BAAC no longer needs to offer relief measures to farmers following the
government's clear-cut plan on the 130-billion-baht borrowing.‖ However, the government's attempts to raise
funds have proved futile so far, and the BAAC has not clarified whether it will continue its new lending
packages, creating more confusion among farmers.The BAAC is supposed to pay rice farmers based on the
pledging documents they own. The program was designed such that the farmers can claim the money on their

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pledging documents from the BAAC. But the BAAC has been avoiding payments citing insufficient funds. The
BAAC union is against the use of the bank‘s liquidity for payment to rice farmers.Now, there is a new twist to
the story. Local sources say that local government representatives in Thailand are scouting for ways to help rice
farmers to earn extra income.
Tags: Thailand rice mortgage program, Bank of Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC)

Jamaica Replaces U.S. Rice Imports with Guyana Rice in 2013
Jan 31, 2014

The sole rice mill in Jamaica completely replaced U.S. paddy rice with imports from Guyana in 2013 mainly
due to higher prices of U.S. rice, according to the USDA.
The USDA says that Jamaica did not import any paddy rice from the U.S. in 2013 for the first time in recent
history. Traditionally, Jamaica's rice imports consisted of 20% of the U.S. paddy rice, but the share of U.S.
paddy rice in Jamaica's rice imports has been declining in the last five years.According to the USDA, Jamaica‘s
total rice import market remains steady at about 90,000 tons. However, the U.S. paddy rice imports by Jamaica
declined about 93% from around 46,000 tons in 2008 to 3,300 tons in 2012, and have vanished in 2013.
Meanwhile, Jamaica's rice imports from Suriname have been increasing in the past five years. Suriname
accounted for around 28% of Jamaica's total imports in 2011, according to the USDA.Trade sources say that the
change in the pattern is due to the quality and pricing issues, according to the USDA. While Guyana paddy rice
prices high, those are cheaper than U.S paddy rice prices. However, local sources say tariff on U.S. imports
could be another reason. Since imports from both Guyana and Suriname receive preferential treatment under the
common external tariff (CET) for the Community (CARICOM) countries and CET on rice for non-CARICOM
countries is 25%, paddy rice imports from the U.S., which is not a member of CARICOM, becomes
comparatively expensive.
Tags: Jamaica rice imports, U.S. Rice exports, Guyana rice exports, Suriname rice exports

Russia Rice Production Declines 12% in 2013 Due to Reduced Area, Yield
Jan 31, 2014

Russia's paddy rice production in 2013 stood at around 926,000 tons, down about 12% from around 1.05
million tons in 2012, mainly due to reduced area cultivated and yields.According to the preliminary data from
the Russian State Statistical Service (Rosstat), rice area in Russia decreased by 11,000 hectares or around 5.4%
to 190,000 hectares in 2013 from the previous year's 201,000 hectares. Average yield per hectare in Russia
declined to 4.96 tons in 2013, down about 10% from 5.49 tons in 2012.Industry experts forecast significant
decline in Russia's grain exports, including rice, between January and February 2014 due to both seasonal
factors and less-competitive prices. However, they expect Russia‘s grain exports to recover in the spring of
2014 due to larger stocks and improved weather conditions.According to the USDA, total milled rice

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production in Russia is expected to decline to 615,000 tons in the MY 2013-14 (May 2013 - April 2014), down
about 10% from 684,000 tons in MY 2012-13. The US agency estimates the country's area under cultivation to
remain at unchanged from 185,000 hectares in MY 2012-13. The USDA estimates Russia‘s rice exports to
reach around 120,000 tons in MY 2013-14, down about 43% from 210,000 tons in MY 2012-13. The agency
estimates that Russia will also import 250,000 tons of rice in MY 2013-14, up 25% from previous year's
imports of 200,000 tons.
Tags: Russia rice production, Russian State Statistical Service (Rosstat)

Vietnam Plans to Shift 130,000 Hectares of Rice Area to Other Crops in 2014
Jan 31, 2014

The Vietnamese government is planning to shift around 130,000 hectares of rice area to other crops such as
soybeans and corn as part of the changes in agriculture and rural development in 2014, according to the
Agriculture and Rural Development Minister.The minister told local sources that Vietnam‘s rice area stood at
around 7.9 million hectares in 2013, but corn area was a mere 1,157 hectares. Vietnam‘s rice production
exceeds consumption needs of the country every year, but the country imports around 4 million tons of corn and
soybeans yearly, the minister says. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) will guide
rice farmers to shift crops which will help them improve their farm income.
However, the minister adds that the government will maintain rice production levels by expanding model rice
fields and using appropriate rice varieties for export in an area of around 200,000 - 250,000 hectares. According
to the minister, the rice cultivation area in 2014 is expected to stand at around 7.6 million hectares with an
estimated production of around 43.4 million tons of paddy rice.According to the USDA, Vietnam‘s rice
production is expected to reach around 27.7 million tons (basis milled) in MY 2013-14. The US agency
estimates Vietnam‘s area harvested under rice to fall by 62,000 hectares to 7.8 million hectares in MY 2013-14
from around 7.862 million hectares in the previous year. The country needs 20.5 million tons of rice in MY
2013-14 for domestic consumption, according to the USDA.
Tags: Vietnam rice production, Crop diversification

Oryza Overnight Recap – Chicago Rough Rice Futures Nearly Unchanged as Grain
Complex Exerts Mixed Pressure
Jan 31, 2014

Chicago rough rice futures for March delivery are currently paused 0.5 cents per cwt (about $0.11 per ton)
lower at $15.420 per cwt (about $340 per ton) as of 8:00am Chicago time. The other grains are seen mixed this
morning ahead of floor trading in Chicago: soybeans are currently seen unchanged, wheat was paused about
0.1% higher, and corn is noted about 0.4% lower.U.S. stock index futures signaled a steep drop at the start of
trading on Wall Street Friday, as investors considered earnings from companies including Chevron,

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Amazon.com and Google. Futures offered little reaction after data had personal income up 0.1 percent in
December, matching estimates, and spending rising 0.4 percent versus a 0.5 percent estimate. Some analysts
suggested the negative outlook for the market open was due in part to continued anxiety about emerging
markets.
In terms of economic data Friday, there will be the Chicago PMI (purchasing managers' index) at 9:45 a.m. ET,
which will be eyed ahead of next week's ISM (Institute for Supply Management) report. In addition, there will
be consumer sentiment at 9:55 a.m. U.S. stock index futures are currently trading about 0.9% lower, gold is
currently trading about 0.7% higher, crude oil is seen trading about 0.8% lower, and the U.S. dollar is currently
trading about 0.2% higher at 8:00am Chicago time.
Tags: chicago rough rice futures

Efficient Milling Can Reduce Dependency on Rice Imports, Says Philippines
Agriculture Group
Jan 31, 2014

The Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (Sinag), an agriculture group in the Philippines, says that better
milling facilities could help reduce milling losses significantly and make the country self-sufficient in
rice.According to a Sinag representative, poor milling facilities in most parts of the Philippines cause milling
losses which leads to high prices. The group claims that the country could save around 1.5 – 2 million tons of
rice annually with efficient milling processes, which is more than the around 1.2 million tons the country
imports annually, according to USDA data.The Sinag representative told local sources that most of the rice
mills in the Philippines run at efficiency levels of 60%, which means such mills can recover only 600 kilograms
of milled rice from a ton of paddy rice.
According to the Philippine Center for Post-Harvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech), best milling
facilities can recover 68% to 72% of rice from paddy rice. However, according to PhilMech 2008 data on postharvest inventory, there are 25,372 mills in the country, of which around 24,420 (about 96% of total mills) are
single-pass mills that have a recovery rate of 50%-55%, around 48 are compact rice mills that have a milling
recovery of 60%, while the remaining 904 are multi-pass mills with a recovery rate of 65%-70%.
According to the USDA, rice production in the Philippines is expected to reach around 11.64 million tons
(milled basis) in MY 2013-14, about 1.2 million tons less than an estimated domestic consumption of around
12.85 million tons.
Tags: Philippines rice imports, Rice milling in Philippines

India Winter Rice Crop Planting Area Reaches 2.1 Million Hectares; Up 40% from
Last Year
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Jan 31, 2014

Planting area under India's Rabi (winter) rice crop (November – April) stands at around 2.1 million hectares as
of January 31, 2014, which is up about 40% from about 1.5 million hectares recorded during same time in 2013,
according to the Ministry of Agriculture. Rabi rice crop accounts for around 10% – 15% of total annual rice
production in India.India‘s total Rabi planting area (including rice and other grains) stands at about 64.3 million
hectares as of January 31, 2014, up about 6% from about 60.8 million hectares recorded during this time last
year.
Tags: India rice planting area

Cell # 92 321 369 2874

Pheu Thai Party Risks Losing Thailand Rice Farmer Votes in February 2014
Election
Jan 31, 2014

Thailand‘s Pheu Thai Party, led by caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, may risk losing crucial rice
farmers‘ votes in the February 2, 2014 election due to the caretaker government‘s failure to garner funds to
make payments to around one million farmers before the January 30, 2014 deadline set by farmers, according to
local sources.Rice farmers constituted one of the loyal groups of the ruling Pheu Thai Party partly due to its rice
mortgage program. However, delay in payments under the program is forcing farmers to sell their belongings to
repay debts and around three farmers have committed suicides allegedly due to delayed payments, according to
local sources.
While some farmers still support the caretaker government, several others are planning to sue the governments
for payment delays.Meanwhile, the caretaker government's latest attempt to raise funds through short-term
bridge loans from state-owned and private banks has failed with many banks not attending the bidding-loan
auction for the first 20 billion baht (around $607 million) tranche yesterday. The State Council approved the
government to borrow 130 billion baht (around $4 billion) recently, but banks are concerned about the legality
of the borrowing decision and consider the lending as risky despite the government offering BAAC bonds
guaranteed by the Finance Ministry as repayment option.
Local sources say the Finance Ministry may plan for $40 million baht (around $1.2 billion) loan auction on
February 4, 2014.The caretaker government is not authorized to sign government-to-government deals and is
unable to sell rice from its huge stockpile. A general auction for 500,000 to one million tons of rice from
government planned early next month could help the government, but questions remain about the formation of a
new government before the auction date.Experts from the Thai industry, including the Thai Rice Exporters
Association (TREA), want the election to be postponed until the political condition stabilizes. The political
instability in Thailand is forcing investors to move away their investments from the country and analysts say
that Thailand risks losing its reputation as a good investment center in Southeast Asia.
Tags: Thailand rice mortgage program, Pheu Thai Party, Yingluck Shinawatra

India Rice Sellers Lower Some of Their Quotes Today; Other Asia Rice Quotes
Unchanged
Jan 31, 2014

India rice sellers lowered their quotes for parboiled rice and 100% broken rice by about $5 per ton each to about
$395 - $405 per ton and $295 - $305 per ton respectively today. Pakistan rice sellers kept their quotes mostly
unchanged. Thailand and Vietnam rice sellers are out today due to a holiday.
5% Broken Rice

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Thai 5% rice (of new crop) was last quoted around $435 - $445 per ton, about a $35 per ton premium over Viet
5% rice last shown around $400 - $410 per ton.Indian 5% rice is quoted around $410 - $420 per ton, about a
$20 per ton premium over Pak 5% rice quoted around $390 - $400 per ton.
25% Broken Rice
Thai 25% rice (of new crop) was last quoted about $390 - $400 per ton, about a $15 per ton premium over Viet
25% rice last shown around $375 - $385 per ton.Indian 25% rice is quoted about $355 - $365 per ton, about a
$10 per ton premium over Pak 25% rice quoted around $345 - $355 per ton.
Parboiled Rice
Thai parboiled rice of the old crop was last quoted around $455 - $465 per ton.
Indian parboiled rice is quoted around $395 - $405 per ton, down about $5 per ton from yesterday and about
$10 per ton discount to Pak parboiled rice quoted around $405 - $415 per ton.
100% Broken Rice
Thai broken rice, A1 Super, of the old crop was last quoted around $310 - $320 per ton, about a $45 per ton
discount to Viet broken rice last shown around $355 - $365 per ton.
Indian broken sortexed rice is quoted about $295 - $305 per ton, down about $5 per ton from yesterday and
about a $25 per ton discount to Pak broken sortexed rice quoted around $320 - $330 per ton.
Tags: Asia rice quotes, India rice quotes, Pakistan rice quotes, Thailand rice quotes, Vietnam rice quotes

Oryza Quick Glance at World News
Jan 31, 2014

Financial Times
*Microsoft‘s directors could name a successor to Steve Ballmer as chief executive within days, according to
two people familiar with its plans, setting the stage for only the third leader in the software company‘s 39-year
history.
*India‗s central bank governor has hit out at the U.S. and other industrialized countries for running selfish
economic policies as their recovery leads to turmoil in emerging markets. Speaking a day after the U.S. Federal
Reserve moved to withdraw more of the monetary stimulus, which fuelled strong inflows into developing
countries, Raghuram Rajan said emerging markets had helped pull the world out of the 2008 financial crisis and
should not be ignored now.
*A vice-admiral and naval cyber security chief of U.S. has been selected as the new head of the National
Security Agency, the American intelligence authority embroiled in controversy over the reach of U.S. espionage
operations.
*Growth in the U.S. economy accelerated to an annualized pace of 3.2% in the last quarter of 2013, validating
the Federal Reserve‘s decision to taper its asset purchases and boosting hopes for a strong 2014.
*The US government has asked for $2.1 billion in penalties from Bank of America in a high-profile case where
the bank was found liable for civil fraud over bad mortgages sold to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
*Ukraine‘s embattled president withdrew from the political scene citing a respiratory illness as one of the main
opposition leaders urged the west to mount ―an enormous effort‖ to stabilize the country and warned of an
imminent crackdown on anti-government protesters.

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*Zynga is to pay more than $500 million to buy NaturalMotion, the UK-based developer of mobile apps such as
Clumsy Ninja and CSR Racing, in the social gaming company‘s largest acquisition yet.
Wall Street Journal
*In the latest effort to defend its economic record in the run-up to general elections, India‘s Congress party-led
government has released shining data about foreign direct investment in the country. India‘s Finance Ministry
announced that India has attracted more than $300 billion in FDI since 1999, and more than 90% of that came
during the last nine years, coincidently when the Congress party ran the country.
*The head of Pakistan's central bank, Yaseen Anwar, resigned Thursday, the government said, on the eve of a
review of the country's performance by the IMF.
*The U.S. believes North Korea has taken steps toward increasing its nuclear arsenal by restarting a plutoniumproducing reactor and expanding a uranium-enrichment facility, Washington's top intelligence official said.
*U.K.'s Prime Minister David Cameron and France's President François Hollande will announce new joint
defense deals at a summit Friday, including a missile purchase and feasibility study for production of an
unmanned combat aircraft, British officials said.
*Federal prosecutors will seek the death penalty for accused Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev,
Attorney General Eric Holder said Thursday.
*Unemployment in six of Brazil's largest metropolitan areas dropped to an average of 5.4% last year from 5.5%
in 2012, the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics said Thursday. Average monthly wages rose 1.8%
after inflation to 1,929 reais ($798), the ninth consecutive year of gains.
*Argentina's central bank has shed $1.25 billion of its dwindling foreign-currency reserves since it devalued the
peso last week, even as the currency came under renewed pressure on Thursday.
*The Obama administration is concerned that Russia may have violated a key arms-control treaty by testing a
ground-launched cruise missile.
*Europe's major central banks Thursday signaled that a lengthy credit squeeze in the region is coming to an end,
raising hopes that more lending, borrowing and spending will propel a more durable economic recovery this
year.
New York Times
*Japan's core consumer inflation rose 1.3% in December from a year ago, the fastest pace in more than five
years in December and the job market improved, encouraging signs for the Bank of Japan as it seeks to
vanquish deflation with aggressive money printing.
*The White House said Thursday that it is ―deeply concerned‖ with China‘s treatment of foreign journalists and
expressed disappointment that Austin Ramzy, a New York Times reporter, had been forced to leave the country.
Jay Carney, the White House press secretary, said in a statement that China should not be ―restricting the ability
of journalists to do their work,‖ and he urged the country‘s leaders to remove any limitations that ―impede the
ability of journalists to practice their profession.‖
*Several of India's most popular car models, including the famously small Tata Nano, crumpled in independent
crash tests in ways that would likely lead to fatality or serious injury, a global car safety watchdog said Friday.

Cell # 92 321 369 2874

*New home registrations in the UK increased by 28 percent in 2013 to 133,670, the highest number since 2007,
according to data from the National House Building Council. Falling unemployment, low interest rates, and
government programs have helped spur a housing recovery.
*The U.S. sharply criticized Syria on Thursday over delays in the timetable for eliminating its chemical
weapons, accusing the Syrian government of deliberately stalling their removal from the country to gain
bargaining leverage and — in a new complaint — reneging on a pledge to destroy the 12 facilities that produced
them.
*New York Mayor, Bill de Blasio, announced on Thursday that the city would end its battle over the Police
Department's aggressive practice by agreeing to reforms.
Tags: World news

Oryza Global Rice Quotes
January 31st, 2014
Long grain white rice - high quality
Thailand 100% B grade
450-460
Vietnam 5% broken 400-410
↔
India 5% broken
410-420
↔
Pakistan 5% broken 390-400
↔
Cambodia 5% broken 450-460
↔
U.S. 4% broken
585-595
↔
Uruguay 5% broken 625-635
↔
Argentina 5% broken 625-635
↔
Long grain white rice - low quality
Thailand 25% broken 390-400
↔
Vietnam 25% broken 375-385
↔
Pakistan 25% broken 345-355
↔
Cambodia 25% broken
420-430
India 25% broken
355-365
↔
U.S. 15% broken
565-575
↔

↔

↓

Long grain parboiled rice
Thailand parboiled 100% stxd
455-465
Pakistan parboiled 5% broken stxd 405-415
India parboiled 5% broken stxd
395-405
U.S. parboiled 4% broken
660-670
↔
Brazil parboiled 5% broken 590-600
↔
Uruguay parboiled 5% broken
NQ ↔

↔
↔
↓

Cell # 92 321 369 2874

Long grain fragrant rice
Thailand Hommali 92%
945-955
Vietnam Jasmine
555-565
↔
India basmati 2% broken
1515 -1525
Pakistan basmati 2% broken NQ ↔
Cambodia Phka Malis 895-905
↔
Brokens
Thailand A1 Super
310-320
↔
Vietnam 100% broken
355-365
Pakistan 100% broken stxd 320-320
Cambodia A1 Super 365-375
↔
India 100% Broken stxd
295-305
Egypt medium grain brokens NQ ↔
U.S. pet food 470-480
↔
Brazil half grain
345-355
↔
Medium grain milled
U.S. Calrose 4% broken
Egypt medium grain 6%

620-630
NQ ↔

↔
↔

↔
↔
↓

↔
All prices USD per ton, FOB vessel, oryza.com

For Advertising SPECS & RATES

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

Cell # 92 321 369 2874

3rd february,2014 daily global rice & oryza exclusive e newsletter by riceplus magazine

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