13th April ,2022

Bumper rice harvest under way

THANKS to consistent rainfall and well-timed warm temperatures, the New South Wales rice
crop is set to be the largest in five years, with the industry predicting 600,000-650,000 tonnes to
be received into storages by the end of May. Most of the rice grown in Australia is concentrated
in the Murrumbidgee and Murray valleys of southern NSW, with small growing pockets in
north-east NSW, northern Victoria and northern Queensland. The 2021 NSW rice crop totalled
more than 450,000t, up from record low levels of 54,000t in 2019 and 45,000t in 2020 due to
drought. Ricegrowers Association of Australia (RGA) president Rob Massina said about a third
of the 2021-22 crop has been harvested. ―A lot of that would have been received in the
Murrumbidgee Valley and western Murray,‖ Mr Massina said. ―The eastern Murray is starting to
kick ahead now.‖ Mr Massina said the early crop size estimates are indicative of an above-
average crop. ―It is quite substantial at about 10 times bigger than it was two years ago. ―It has
been an exceptional growing season; from all reports I‘m hearing those yields have been very
good and most growers are quite happy with the results.‖ He said the perfectly timed warm
weather was the main factor behind the good crop yields. ―We have had the nice warm periods
through those critical stages of January and February. ―Maintaining a temperature above 15
degrees is critical and that has been achieved through those growing periods.‖ NSW mixed
farmer, Peter Kaylock, said he is half-way through his rice harvest. He said his property, located
near Moulamein in the Riverina, had the right temperatures at the ideal time for the rice crop of
about 300 hectares to flourish. ―It‘s smiles all around; it will be the best crop we have had in
many years,‖ Mr Kaylock said. ―Everything is falling in the right place, mainly the temperature
at the right time of year.‖ Mr Kaylock said he aims for a yield of 10t/ha but expects to exceed
this target.
High indicative prices
The above-average season has also come at a time when the price for rice is expected to be high.

Ricegrowers Association of Australia president Rob Massina

Most NSW growers are part of a pool through SunRice Group, which receives and markets the
product over a 12-18 month period. The difference between costs and returns is given back to
growers at a per-tonne price. Rice growers will get an indicative price range of what SunRice
expects will be the per-tonne cost of the raw product; however, this is dependent on supply chain
costs and other market factors. Mr Massina said at this stage the price of rice was set to be on the
higher end. ―Our indicative pool price is one of the highest we have seen in many, many years.
―We are hoping demand for good-quality Australian food makes sure the price of rice continues
to increase both globally and domestically.‖ SunRice‘s latest predicted price range for the 2022
harvest is $390-450/t. This price is for medium grain rice, Reiziq, which is the main variety
produced by SunRice growers. Despite this, he said growers are also grappling with high input
costs. Mr Massina said urea has been one of the largest on-farm issues, with the cost of the
fertiliser doubling between seasons.
Floods impact northern crops
On top of these input cost pressures, the NSW Northern Rivers rice-growing region has also seen
significant crop losses due to a record flooding event in February which was followed by another
period of high rainfall last month. Based in the Northern Rivers, Natural Rice Co contracts
predominantly dryland rice growers to produce and supply branded products to Australian
supermarkets. The company sources black, brown and wild-blend rice grown in high-rainfall
regions of NSW. Natural Rice Co‘s Steve Rogers said growers in his region took a significant
hit, losing about 60 per cent of their crop. ―That can be the nature of the beast; we grow our rice
dryland and to do that we grow it in the floodplains and low areas,‖ Mr Rogers said. ―Typically,
we get these little floods that come through and rice thrives in those conditions. ―But, with the
record flood everything was pretty well underwater by 3 metres for a long time – about 10 days,
up to 2 weeks.‖ He said growers in the Woodburn area were the worst affected by the flooding,
while others north-west of Coraki escaped much of the damage. ―Unfortunately for the guys in
the Woodburn area, it is not just their rice, it is their cane, their machinery, their house as well.‖
Mr Rogers said this heartbreak is coupled with the higher-than-normal cost to grow the crop due
to input price rises, as well as the early predictions that yields were going to be at least above
average. ―We had perfect conditions all the way through, and everything was looking well above
average yield. ―There was going to be that return on the extra investment and to lose it
completely is awful.‖ Mr Massina said the RGA was working to ensure Northern Rivers growers
were getting all the help they needed following the devastating floods. ―I know some rice
growers in the Northern Rivers region of NSW have been impacted by the floods. ―We are
making sure as the Ricegrowers Association that we are lobbying for any help that they can get
to get their crop off or any funding they can get.‖
https://www.graincentral.com/news/bumper-rice-harvest-under-way/
Climate Policy on The Rice Stuff
By Deborah Willenborg

ARLINGTON, VA – The Rice Stuff podcast examination of climate change continues with
Episode 43, ―Climate Change – Policy,‖ with some heavy hitters.

The episode‘s guests are Steve Dyokas, senior advisor in the State Department‘s Office of
Global Change; USDA Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation Robert Bonnie;
and Arkansas rice farmer and Field to Market Board of Directors member Mark Isbell.

Find out what drives climate policy and how American rice farmers can influence it
―Climate is a huge priority for the Biden Administration and their commitment can be seen in all
aspects of the way they govern and in all kinds of policy initiatives,‖ said show co-host Michael
Klein. ―Dyokas is at the U.S. Department of State where he works on the AIM for Climate
initiative, a joint program between the U.S. and United Arab Emirates, but that would seem to
indicate the President sees climate policy as a tool of diplomacy. We asked him about that.‖

While AIM for Climate focuses quite a bit on overseas production, Under Secretary Bonnie‘s
work is closer to home.

―I think of USDA as kind of our home team,‖ said show co-host Lesley Dixon. ―So not only did
we have a team captain on the show, but Bonnie was so obviously well-versed in rice issues –
from habitat creation to input costs, it was encouraging to visit with him.‖

Bonnie explained that ―USDA‘s approach, as we think about agriculture and forestry, is going to
be about incentive-based, voluntary approaches. If it doesn‘t work for our producers…it‘s not
going to work for the climate. Part of the thinking with Partnerships for Climate Smart
Commodities was trying to do something that can be integrated into working lands and
production agriculture.‖
Mark Isbell refined the conversation even more, looking at climate policies through the lens of
the rice farm.

―We've got to make sure that we never look at a one-size-fits all approach,‖ Isbell said.
―Unfortunately, it's easy for people to latch on to something like cover crops. It's fantastic, does a
lot of good for a lot of people, doesn't work fantastically in rice; we're still playing with it. There
are many different things you can do to create more sustainable, more climate smart farming
practices and we have to have a suite of options that we support rather than narrowly focusing on
those that we might just be comfortable with understanding.‖

Future Rice Stuff climate episodes will look into climate change and global markets, and how to
effectively communicate what the industry is doing on the topic.

―We still want this to be a dialogue with the industry and our listeners,‖ Klein said. ―I hope folks
will tweet at us or leave us messages or questions on our website that we can cover in future
episodes. You can do that right from our website www.thericestuffpodcast.com – ‗Talk to Us.‘‖

New episodes of The Rice Stuff are published on the second and fourth Tuesday of every month
and can be found on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.

USA rice daily

India supplies 11,000 MT of rice to SL ahead of

national new year
the Indian High Commission in Colombo stated that the delivery of rice was done less than
a month after signing the agreement.

Colombo: Awaiting to usher the National New Year, crisis-ridden Sri Lanka on Tuesday
welcomed a consignment of 11,000 MT of rice received under the concessional Indian Credit
Facility of $1 billion. Having delivered 5000 MT over the last few days, Tuesday‘s consignment
is a part of total 40,000 MT to be imported by the State Trading Corporation from India under
the Credit Facility Agreement which was signed between the Government of Sri Lanka and the
State Bank of India on March 17, 2022.
―The supply is a part of the multi-pronged support extended from India to Sri Lanka in the last
few months, which includes timely supply of fuel, other forms of economic and forex support
etc.,‖ the Indian High Commission in Colombo stated adding that the delivery of rice was done
less than a month after signing the agreement. ―The expeditious supply, before the Sinhala and
Tamil New Year, is in line with the understandings reached regarding India‘s support for Sri
Lanka‘s energy and food security.‖ The assistance comes in the wake of India‘s External Affairs
Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar‘s visit to Sri Lanka in March. Facing an acute food crisis due to
economic calamity and agricultural ―blunder‖ where President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in May 2021
banned using all chemical fertilizer while halting the import as well. The hurried ban sans plan
for a proper alternative angered farmers with thousands got on to streets until the decision was
reversed in November 2021. Rajapaksa‘s decision to ban inorganic fertilizer on health and
environment reasons, plunged country‘s agriculture into a disaster with a 40 per cent drop in
crops production specially rice. The move also denied harvesting of paddy for farmers which is
also connected to the tradition of the national new year. Nearly two million farmers who
cultivate around 700,000 hectares of paddy during Maha Season falls during ―North-east
monsoon‖ from September to March have been affected.
https://www.siasat.com/india-supplies-11000-mt-of-rice-to-sl-ahead-of-national-new-year-
2307653/

Officials raid godown at Pahadi Shareef, seized PDS rice

stocks
Maheshwaram: In what is perceived as the biggest-ever raid against hoarding of PDS rice in
the recent past, the SOT along with Civil Supplies officials, on Tuesday seized a godown in the
Jalpally area in Maheshwaram constituency. According to a report, nearly 100 tonnes of PDS
rice was seized in a raid jointly carried out by the Civil Supplies department officials and SOT at
Pahadi Shareef. Later, the officials, led by ASO Bala Saroja, seized the godown pending
investigation. While the actual seized quantity of rice appears to be very high, the officials are
confirming only 20-25 tonnes. Bala Saroja, Assistant Civil Supply Officer, Saroornagar Circle
III said, "we have seized nearly 20-25 tonnes of PDS rice today at Pahadi Shareef. Later the
godown too was seized and police were deployed there. As the godown is located in an
extremely remote area and was bolted we can't transport the seized rice in such a short time.
Tomorrow we will evaluate the actual quantity of the seized grain and submit a report to the
Joint Commissioner, Civil Supplies". Since the beginning of 2022, she said, a total of 31 raids
were conducted by the Civil Supplies authorities in coordination with SOT. "Raids were carried
out at places such as Pahadi Shareef, Miyapur, Chandanagar, L B Nagar, Mailardevpally,
Madhapur and Gachibowli.About 1,800-2,000 quintals of PDS rice was seized since January this
year and cases registered at various police stations," she explained. As increased quantity of rice
is being supplied to card holders through FPSs, she said, most people are selling it to hoarders.
Giving a clean chit to dealers, she said, "nothing is left in the hands of dealers as they have to
distribute grains following biometric procedure. It is card-holders who are selling rice back to
hoarders soon after securing it from FPSs in their areas."
Author Name: https://www.thehansindia.com/news/cities/hyderabad/officials-raid-godown-at-
pahadi-shareef-seized-pds-rice-stocks-737819?infinitescroll=1

Why is India's basmati rice export seeing a decline?

India's basmati rice export has been witnessing a decline. It plunged to its lowest in the last four
years in 2021. Is Indian basmati losing its shine, or is it a temporary phase?
Basmati rice

From risotto to Iranian pulao, Indian Basmati has been an essential part of recipes savoured in
different parts of the world for ages.Basmati rice is popular due to its long grains, distinctive
texture, and rich fragrance. People world over swear by its taste. In India too, biryani or matar
pulao cannot be imagined without basmati.All of this has made Basmati rice one of India's oldest
anchors in farm exports. Its main producing regions are the states of Punjab and Haryana, along
with the foothills of the Himalayas. India is still the world‘s largest exporter of basmati. But, its
export is now coming down.India clocked the highest-ever agriculture exports of over 50 billion
dollars in FY22.But for the third consecutive year, exports of Basmati rice saw a fall over the
previous year in value terms. This fact has been highlighted by the provisional figures. In 2021-
22, India exported 3.53 billion dollars worth of Basmati rice, the lowest since 2019-20.Experts
have told Business Standard that the reasons for the continued fall in exports include the loss of
the traditional market of Iran due to US sanctions. Shipments to Iran plunged 26% from a year
ago to 834,458 tonnes.
It was mostly because Iran‘s rupee reserves dwindled.APEDA Chairman M Angamuthu told
Business Standard that in some areas, due to an increase in minimum support price, the Basmati
acreage had been overtaken by non-Basmati rice.In the last three years, around 20 per cent area
has shifted from Basmati to non-Basmati rice in these regions. This is due to reduced price
differentials.Fungicide problems in the European Union is also a big contributing factor.Trade
policy analyst S Chandrasekaran told Business Standard that Basmati sales to the EU had
dropped to 150,000-200,000 tonnes from 500,000 tonnes a year.One of the most common
Basmati rice varieties produced in India does not qualify for duty rebate from the EU.Adding
another blow to Basmati export, Oman, Egypt, Jordan, UAE, and Saudi Arabia adopted pesticide
residue norms in 2021 that were on par with those in the EU.This had led to apprehensions that if
Indian farmers were not given time to bring about changes in their pesticide use, Basmati exports
would take a big hit due to these stringent norms.India‘s Basmati exports to the EU have been
falling since the region tightened its pesticide residue norms in 2017.But, on the other hand,
overall rice export has seen a big jump. India is the world's biggest rice exporter. It exports non-
Basmati rice to African countries and Basmati to the Middle East.According to a report, India's
total rice exports saw a jump of nearly 46 per cent in 2021 from a year ago to a record 21.42
million tonnes.
The jump came as Bangladesh, China and Vietnam increased purchases.Also, the existing
challenges in the EU and the possibly new ones in West Asia by no way mean that the appetite
for Basmati is dwindling.Basmati is one of India's signature food items. Efforts should be made
to revive its exports, especially since much of the market is slowly shifting towards Pakistan,
India‘s primary rival in the global Basmati trade.But experts point out that the export may pick
up soon. Recently Latin America opened its doors to Indian Basmati rice for the first time ever.
Talks between Iran and the US on nuclear agreement also offer hope. If they reach an agreement
and sanctions against Iran are lifted, export of Indian Basmati to Tehran will re-start.
https://www.business-standard.com/podcast/current-affairs/why-is-india-s-basmati-rice-export-
seeing-a-decline-
122041200101_1.html#:~:text=Experts%20have%20told%20Business%20Standard,because%20
Iran's%20rupee%20reserves%20dwindled.

Rice pyramids: Price of commodity still high 3 months

after unveiling
12th April 2022

50
Expectations that price of Nigerian grown rice would reduce in the market following the
unveiling of 13 rice pyramids by President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja in January have
not been met as price of the commodity is still on the high side.

A recent market survey showed a slight upward trend in the price ahead Easter celebration which
comes up next weekend. The 50kg bag of rice sells for between N30,000 and N33,000, while
25kg goes for between N15,000 and N17,000 in open markets and some shopping malls in
Lagos. The celebrated 13 pyramids of rice unveiled by President Buhari comprising 1.2 million
units of 100kg bags of rice in Abuja on January 18, 2022, has not been able to effect massive
supply for reduced prices of the commodity. The 13 pyramids were said to be the biggest on the
continent with each of the pyramids containing about 115,000 bags of 100kg each.

While commissioning the pyramids, President Buhari saidß ―the Anchor Borrowers‘ Programme
(ABP) has so far supported over 4.8 million smallholder farmers across Nigeria for the
production of 23 agricultural commodities including maize, rice, oil palm, cocoa, cotton,
cassava, tomato and livestock, among others.
―I am aware that the bags of paddy will be moving straight from here to rice milling plants across
Nigeria, which will lead to the release of processed rice to the markets by the rice millers. The
measure will aid our efforts at reducing the price of rice in Nigeria,‖ the president said.

According to him, before his administration launched the ABP, ―there were only 15 standard rice
mills in Nigeria. As of today, we have over 50 standard and integrated rice mills creating jobs
and reducing unemployment. We expect additional significant output when two new mills are
started in Lagos and Katsina. I am also aware that because of the large margins in this business,
more people are showing interest in investing in our agribusiness,‖ he noted.

Speaking at the unveiling ceremony, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin
Emefiele, disclosed that the apex bank had invested N1 trillion to empower at least 4,489,786
rural farmers through intervention financing leveraging its flagship programme, the ABP.

Emefiele said, ―the programme has developed an ecosystem among all nodes of the agricultural
value chain and these linkages can be better optimised through synergy among all stakeholders.
As at the end of December 2021, we have financed 4,489,786 farmers that cultivated 5,300,411
hectares across 21 commodities through 23 participating financial institutions in the 36 states of
the federation and FCT.‖

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Emefiele noted that the launched mega pyramids represent aggregated paddy rice submitted as
repayment of loans by RIFAN farmers under the 2020 dry season and 2021 wet seasons, adding
that the event also symbolised the efforts made by farmers to commit to loan repayment through
produce submission and ultimately ensure the sustainability of the programme.

https://www.sunnewsonline.com/rice-pyramids-price-of-commodity-still-high-3-months-after-
unveiling/

Ghana Rice Production to Fall 18% in 2022-2023

Provided by Dow Jones
Apr 12, 2022 4:55 PM GMT+5
By George Mwangi
Special to Dow Jones Newswires

Ghana's milled-rice production for the marketing year October 2022 through September 2023 is
forecast to fall 18% due to dry weather conditions and rising fertilizer prices, according to the
U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Production is expected to drop to 450,000 metric tons from 550,000 tons forecast for the current
year, the USDA said late Friday in its Ghana annual grain and feed report.
During the 2021 rice planting season--April to May for the southern part of the country and May
to July for the northern part--many rice farmers were disappointed with the delayed supply of the
government's subsidized fertilizers, as well as a reduced subsidy rate of 38% instead of 50% as in
preceding years, the USDA said.
"Fertilizer is now almost inaccessible to the farmers," the USDA said. "This is due to the soaring
global prices, driven by the Russia-Ukraine conflict."
In 2022-2023, Ghana's rice imports are forecast at 1.0 million tons, an increase of about 11%
over the current year, it said.
"This increase is in response to the shortfall in domestic supply that will be induced by lower-
than-expected domestic production," it said.
Vietnam, India, Thailand, China and Pakistan are the main rice suppliers to Ghana.
The market share of U.S. rice in Ghana has shown signs of recovery lately, after dropping to 1%
in 2015, the USDA said.

Write to Barcelona editors at barcelonaeditors@dowjones.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

April 12, 2022 07:55 ET (11:55 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2022 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
https://www.morningstar.com/news/dow-jones/202204124485/ghana-rice-production-to-fall-18-
in-2022-2023

World’s first LED lights developed from rice husks

Hiroshima University
Milling rice to separate the grain from the husks produces about 100 million tons of rice husk
waste globally each year. Scientists searching for a scalable method to fabricate quantum dots
have developed a way to recycle rice husks to create the first silicon quantum dot (QD) LED
light. Their new method transforms agricultural waste into state-of-the-art light-emitting diodes
in a low-cost, environmentally friendly way.
The research team from the Natural Science Center for Basic Research and Development,
Hiroshima University, published their findings on January 28, 2022, in the American Chemical
Society journal ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering.
―Since typical QDs often involve toxic material, such as cadmium, lead, or other heavy metals,
environmental concerns have been frequently deliberated when using nanomaterials. Our
proposed process and fabrication method for QDs minimizes these concerns,‖ said Ken-ichi
Saitow, lead study author and a professor of chemistry at Hiroshima University.
Since porous silicon (Si) was discovered in the 1950s, scientists have explored its uses in
applications in lithium-ion batteries, luminescent materials, biomedical sensors, and drug
delivery systems. Non-toxic and found abundantly in nature, Si has photoluminescence
properties, stemming from its microscopic (quantum-sized) dot structures that serve as
semiconductors.
Aware of the environmental concerns surrounding the current quantum dots, the researchers set
out to find a new method for fabricating quantum dots that has a positive environmental impact.
Waste rice husks, it turns out, are an excellent source of high-purity silica (SiO2) and value-
added Si powder.
The team used a combination of milling, heat treatments, and chemical etching to process the
rice husk silica: First, they milled rice husks and extracted silica (SiO2) powders by burning off
organic compounds of milled rice husks. Second, they heated the resulting silica powder in an
electric furnace to obtain Si powders via a reduction reaction. Third, the product was a purified
Si powder that was further reduced to 3 nanometer in size by chemical etching. Finally, its
surface was chemically functionalized for high chemical stability and high dispersivity in
solvent, with 3 nm crystalline particles to produce the SiQDs that luminesce in the orange-red
range with high luminescence efficiency of over 20%.
―This is the first research to develop an LED from waste rice husks,‖ said Saitow, adding that the
non-toxic quality of silicon makes them an attractive alternative to current semiconducting
quantum dots available today.
―The present method becomes a noble method for developing environmentally friendly quantum
dot LEDs from natural products,‖ he said.
The LEDs were assembled as a series of material layers. An indium-tin-oxide (ITO) glass
substrate was the LED anode; it is a good conductor of electricity while sufficiently transparent
for light emission. Additional layers were spin-coated onto the ITO glass, including the layer of
SiQDs. The material was capped with an aluminum film cathode.
The chemical synthesis method the team developed has allowed them to evaluate the optical and
optoelectrical properties of the SiQD light-emitting diode, including the structures, synthesis
yields, and properties of the SiO2 and Si powders and SiQDs.
―By synthesizing high-yield SiQDs from rich husks and dispersing them in organic solvents, it is
possible that one day these processes could be implemented on a large scale, like other high-
yield chemical processes,‖ Saitow said.
The team‘s next steps include developing higher efficiency luminescence in the SiQDs and the
LEDs. They will also explore the possibility of producing SiQD LEDs other than the orange-red
color they have just created. Looking ahead, the scientists suggest that the method they have
developed could be applied to other plants, such as sugar cane bamboo, wheat, barley, or grasses,
that contain SiO2. These natural products and their wastes might hold the potential for being
transformed into non-toxic optoelectronic devices. Ultimately, the scientists would like to see
commercialization of this eco-friendly approach to creating luminescent devices from rice husk
waste.
/Public Release. This material from the originating organization/author(s) may be of a point-in-
time nature, edited for clarity, style and length. The views and opinions expressed are those of
the author(s).View in full here.

https://www.miragenews.com/worlds-first-led-lights-developed-from-rice-763032/

India likely to get average monsoon rains in 2022 - Skymet

By Reuters Staff
APRIL 12, 202212:02 PMUPDATED A DAY AGO
MUMBAI, April 12 (Reuters) - India is likely to get average monsoon rains this year, a private
weather forecasting agency said on Tuesday, raising prospects of higher farm and economic
growth in Asia‘s third-biggest economy.
 Monsoon rains are expected to be 98% of the long-term average, and there is a 65% chance that
India will get average rainfall, Skymet said.
New Delhi defines average, or normal, rainfall as between 96% and 104% of a 50-year average
of 88 centimetres (35 inches)for the four-month season beginning June.
The state-run India Meteorological Department will announce its annual monsoon forecast later
this month.
Nearly half of India‘s farmland, which has no irrigation cover, depends on annual June-
September rains to grow crops such as rice, corn, cane, cotton and soybeans. (Reporting by
Rajendra Jadhav; Editing by Kim Coghill)
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
https://www.reuters.com/article/india-monsoon-idAFL2N2WA0CX

Odisha Makes 100% Rice Allocation Demand Under National

Food Security Act

The Odisha Food and Supplies Minister Ranendra Pratap Swain on Monday demanded allocation
of 100 per cent rice to Odisha under the National Food Security Act (NFSA).

 MRUNAL MANMAY DASH

 ODISHA

 PUBLISHED: MONDAY, 11 APRIL 2022

 LAST UPDATED: 11 APRIL 2022, 10:25 PM IST

Photo: File
Rice Allocation From Centre
The Odisha Food and Supplies Minister Ranendra Pratap
Swain on Monday demanded allocation of 100 per cent rice
to Odisha under the National Food Security Act (NFSA).
Swain wrote a letter to Union Minister of Food and Public
Distribution, Piyush Goyal stating that Odisha should be
allocated 100 per cent rice against the current 86 per cent.
―As you are aware, Odisha is predominantly a rice
consuming State. The imposition of wheat allocation to the State seems arbitrary and causing
dissatisfaction among the beneficiaries," he said.
Swain further said, ―Moreover, the allocation of 14% wheat to Odisha in the absence of wheat
flour milling units in rural areas is supplementing to the difficulties of the beneficiaries in remote
areas and also not fulfilling the mandate of food security.‖
Swain cited examples of other states like Assam. Andhra Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Goa and
Telengana which are being allocated 100 per cent rice and wheat consuming States like Punjab
and Rajasthan which are being allocated 100 per cent wheat, and urged, ―I would request you to
consider allocation of 100% rice entitlement as being allocated to the above States against the
total monthly requirement of food grains under NFSA.‖
It is pertinent to mention here that Odisha is getting rice and wheat at a ratio of 86 per cent and
14 per cent respectively against its total monthly requirement of foodgrains under the National
Food Security Act.
https://odishatv.in/news/miscellaneous/odisha-makes-100-rice-allocation-demand-under-
national-food-security-act-174642
Parboiled rice a sticky point for Telangana

The Centre, through the Food Corporation of India, its main grain handling agency, procures
food grains like parboiled rice at minimum support prices for distribution at subsidised prices
through the public distribution system.

Telangana has alleged that the FCI -- in other words, the Centre -- has refused to procure
parboiled rice, or rice that has been partially boiled before husking. Households in many states
consume parboiled rice, while others don‘t, depending on dietary preferences. (HT Photo)
Updated on Apr 12, 2022 05:36 AM IST
ByZia Haq, New Delhi
Telangana chief minister Kalvakuntla Chandrashekar Rao on Monday launched a protest in the
national capital against the central government, saying his party would start a farm agitation if
the Centre didn‘t decide on procuring the state‘s paddy output within 24 hours.
What is at the heart of the dispute between the state and the Centre over the procurement of
paddy?
The Union government, through the Food Corporation of India (FCI), its main grain handling
agency, procures food grains at minimum support prices for distribution at subsidised prices
through the public distribution system (PDS).
Telangana has alleged that the FCI -- in other words, the Centre -- has refused to procure
parboiled rice, or rice that has been partially boiled before husking. Households in many states
consume parboiled rice, while others don‘t, depending on dietary preferences.
In terms of procurement, Telangana is a so-called decentralised procurement (DCP) state. Under
this arrangement, the state procures and mills rice for the PDS on behalf of the Centre, based on
its requirement. It keeps its required quantities for PDS distribution, and the balance is
transferred to the FCI.
Under the decentralised model, agencies of the state government set up procurement centres. In
states that have a robust network of mandis, or markets under agricultural produce market
committees, such as Madhya Pradesh, farmers have easy access to procurement points.
A dispute between the Telangana government and the Centre over procurement of paddy at
minimum support prices has been brewing since last year, with Rao alleging that the central
government was ―discriminating‖ against the state by refusing to buy parboiled rice.
The FCI has an agreement with states on how the procurement takes places under the
decentralised model. Since parboiled rice is not consumed in many states, the FCI has retained
the option of specifying what kind of rice it will take from decentralised states.
Watch: Toyota Urban Cruiser SUV score 4-star rating at Global NCAP crash test6 hours ago
Union food minister Piyush Goyal had told reporters on March 24 there was no question of any
discrimination against any state.
Explaining the DCP model, Goyal, referring to Para 18 of an agreement with states, had said that
if ―stocks of the rice procured by the state government exceeds its allocation under TPDS
(targeted PDS) and other welfare schemes, such excess stock shall be handed over to FCI by the
state government‖.
However, the FCI has the option to specify whether such access rice shall be in the form of raw
or parboiled rice to meet the overall consumption requirement of the country.
Parboiled rice is not universally consumed across all states, according to an FCI official. This has
led to FCI refusing to take over some of the balance parboiled rice offered by Telangana
government, setting the stage for confrontation between the state and the Centre.
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/parboiled-rice-a-sticky-point-for-telangana-
101649703208956.html

Demand for parboiled rice low, can’t waste money, says

Centre

The ministry said that as a ―special case‖ in KMS 2020-21, Telangana was permitted to procure
44.75 LMT of parboiled rice, and the state government had submitted through a letter dated
October 4, 2021, that ―no par-boiled rice to be delivered by the Telangana government to the FCI
in future‖.
Written by Harikishan Sharma | New Delhi |
Updated: April 12, 2022 7:20:09 am
The Centre highlighted the demand for the parboiled rice was much lower than the supply. (File)
On a day when Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, along with his entire cabinet,
party MPs and MLAs, staged a symbolic dharna in support of an integrated national policy
for paddy procurement, the Centre said it had told the state last year that the Food Corporation
of India (FCI) will not procure parboiled rice in future.
The Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution said, ―It was decided in
the meeting held on August 17, 2021, that no parboiled rice will be accepted in the Central pool
for kharif marketing season (KMS) 2021-22 from any state due to high stock level. However,
states can procure parboiled rice for their own consumption.‖
The ministry said that as a ―special case‖ in KMS 2020-21, Telangana was permitted to procure
44.75 LMT of parboiled rice, and the state government had submitted through a letter dated
October 4, 2021, that ―no par-boiled rice to be delivered by the Telangana government to the FCI
in future‖.
It was only after the letter that Union Food Minister Piyush Goyal reportedly wrote to Telangana
chief minister, informing him that no parboiled rice will be procured by the FCI in future.
The Centre also highlighted that the demand for the parboiled rice was much lower than the
supply.
Sharing the details of the par-boiled rice stock with the FCI, Food Secretary Sudhanshu Pandey
said ―40 LMT is the current stock of (parboiled rice), which is sufficient for two years, and its
shelf life is one-and-a-half years‖. ―The annual consumption of parboiled rice is 20-lakh metric
tonnes, what will we do by procuring more than that. Public money will be wasted,‖ said Pandey,
responding to a query at a press conference.
The Food Ministry data shows that out of 40.58 LMT parboiled rice stock available as on April
1, 2022, 16.52 LMT is in Telangana, followed by Tamil Nadu (12.09 LMT) and Kerala (3 LMT).
The parboiled rice stock stood in the range of 0.04 LMT to 2.92 LMT in 10 other states.
The ministry said that in the last few years, the production in the parboiled consuming states like
Jharkhand, Kerala and Tamil Nadu has increased, resulting in lesser movement of the said
category rice to the deficit states.
Telangana is under the DCP (Decentralised Procurement) system, wherein ―the state
government/ its agencies procure, store and distribute‖ (against government of India‘s allocation
for TPDS & OWS etc.) rice within the state and the ―excess stocks‖ (rice) procured by the
state/its agencies are handed over to the FCI in Central pool.
According to the FCI data, a quantity of 94.53-lakh metric tonnes of rice was procured from
Telangana for the Central pool during KMS 2020-21. In the ongoing KMS 2021-22, a quantity
of 46 LMT of rice has been procured in the state till April 4.
In fact, the procurement of rice has been much higher than the total production of rice in
Telangana during the last two years. In KMS 2020-21, 94.54 LMT rice was procured in
Telangana even as total rice production was 77 LMT. In KMS 2019-20 also, the procurement
figure was 74.54 LMT, which was higher than the production (74.28 LMT) in the state.
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/demand-for-parboiled-rice-low-cant-waste-money-says-
centre-7865088/

Scarcity of paddy could surface during Yala season: Rice

Producers‘ Assn.

12 April 2022 08:58 am -

There might be a shortage of paddy during the Yala season due to the fuel and fertilizer crisis,
the United Rice Producers' Association (URPA) said.
Association's President, Muditha Perera said the current price of a kilogram of local Nadu rice in
the market is between Rs. 210 and Rs. 220. The selling price of a kilogram of samba is around
Rs. 230 in the market, he said.
The price of a kilogram of Kiri Samba has also increased to Rs. 270, Perera said.
Therefore, the URPA pointed out that due to current issues, the price of rice in the market could
go up further, he warned. (Chaturanga Samarawickrama)
https://www.dailymirror.lk/latest_news/Scarcity-of-paddy-could-surface-during-Yala-season-
Rice-Producers-Assn/342-235029

Sri Lanka: fall in rice output and the economy

Production is down 14% in 2021-22, but the crisis Sri Lanka faces has more to do with the
macro-economy than the organic-only policy, now revoked.
Written by Harish Damodaran | New Delhi |
Updated: April 12, 2022 7:55:51 am
Labourers load food items into a delivery lorry near a main market in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
(Reuters Photo: Dinuka Liyanawatte, File)
Sri Lanka‘s rice production has fallen 13.9% in 2021-22 (April-March) and average yield per
hectare by 14.4%, even as imports have soared to a five-year-high.
To what extent is this crisis an outcome of the Gotabaya Rajapaksa government‘s banning import
of inorganic fertilisers and agro-chemicals on May 6, 2021, before its revocation over six months
later on November 24?
Read |Breaking down Sri Lanka food shortage: Items people are queuing up for, and why
Table 1 shows that Sri Lanka‘s rice output dropped significantly to 2.92 million tonnes (mt) in
2021-22, from the previous year‘s 3.39 mt. The US Department of Agriculture further estimated
the island nation‘s imports at 0.65 mt as a result of lower domestic production.
What‘s interesting, though, is that the estimated production for 2021-22 is still higher than the 2-
2.5 levels of 2016-17 and 2017-18, which were drought years. Sri Lanka‘s rice imports in 2016-
17, at 0.75 mt, were even higher than that estimated for the just ended year.
 So
urce: US Department of Agriculture
Manmade vs natural
So, have the effects of the recent ―manmade disaster‖ — a forced overnight complete switching
to organic farming and blanket ban on imports of chemical agricultural inputs — been not all that
serious? Or, at least not as much as the natural disasters of 2016-17 and 2017-18, which also led
to a massive shrinkage of the area planted under rice?
But it isn‘t just rice, Sri Lanka‘s largest cultivated crop. A similar conclusion may be drawn in
respect of its No. 1 agricultural export item: Tea production in 2021 (at 299.34 million kg) was
actually higher than in 2020 (278.49 million kg). Exports, too, grew 7.7% (see table 2). Even in
value terms, the country‘s tea exports in 2021, at $1,324.37 million, were more than the previous
year‘s $1,240.9 million.
 Source:
Tea Exporters Association Sri Lanka
In short, it might seem that the Rajapaksa government‘s organic- only policy through executive
fiat hasn‘t produced an agriculture disaster of the sort projected by commentators. Sri Lanka‘s
crisis today has more to do with the macro-economy than the farm sector per see.
R Ramakumar, professor of economics at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences in Mumbai, does
not agree with this analysis. Sri Lanka, he points out, has two rice crops in a year. The first one –
the ‗Yala‘, equivalent to India‘s kharif crop – is planted in May-June and harvested in
November-December. The second – ‗Maha‘ or rabi season paddy – is planted in November-
December and harvested in March-April.
According to Ramakumar, the ban on import of synthetic fertilisers and crop protection
chemicals, including insecticides and herbicides, took effect when plantings of the ‗Yala‘ paddy
had just started. Much of the imports of these chemical inputs for the season would already have
taken place by then.
―The May 6, 2021 directive wouldn‘t really have impacted the Yala paddy. The lack of chemical
inputs has mainly hit the Maha season crop, whose yields have registered a 40-45% decline. The
rescinding of the ban happened towards end-November, which was too late for Maha plantings,‖
he says. Roughly 60% of Sri Lanka‘s annual rice production comes from the ‗Maha‘ crop.
The same goes for tea, where the almost 21 million kg increase in production compared to 2020
took place largely during the first five months of 2021. ―The last three months (October-
December 2021 over October-December 2020), in fact, recorded 12 million kg lower production,
due to which the country couldn‘t achieve its target for 320 million kg for the year,‖ adds
Ramakumar. The trend of lower production as well as exports has continued even in the first two
months of the new calendar year.

Sri Lankans demanding president Gotabaya Rajapaksa resign over the debt-ridden country‘s
worst economic crisis protest outside the president‘s office in Colombo, Sri Lanka. (AP Photo)
The pre-ban setting
That being said, it is also a fact that Sri Lanka‘s current economic crisis predates the ―manmade‖
agriculture disaster unleashed by the May 6, 2021 edict.
The country‘s foreign currency reserves (including gold and money held with the International
Monetary Fund) touched a high of $8,864.98 million on June 30, 2019. Even as of February 28,
2020 – before Covid-19 struck – the reserves were at $7,941.52 million.

But as earnings from tourism (from $3,606.9 million in 2019 to $506.9 million in 2021) and
workers‘ remittances ($6,717.2 million to $5,491.5 million) plummeted, the reserves, too, started
depleting. They fell to $4,055.16 million in end-March 2021, $2,704.19 million in end-
September and $1,588.37 million by end-November 2021. The latest end-February 2022 data
from the Central Bank of Sri Lanka‘s website shows the total official forex reserves at $2,311.25
million, which suffices for just over 1.3 months of imports.
It‘s quite possible that the decision to ban imports of chemical agricultural inputs may have been
as much a response to depleting reserves as the ruling regime‘s commitment to organic
agriculture. Fertiliser imports alone were valued at $258.94 million in 2020. Given the rising
international prices, the import bill in the normal course would have gone up to $300-400 million
in 2021. Banning/restricting imports may have been viewed as a means for conserving scarce
foreign exchange.
It is another thing that the same knee-jerk policy has ended up hurting Sri Lanka‘s tea exports
and its having to import rice at a greater cost than fertilisers and crop protection chemicals.
https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/sri-lanka-crisis-fall-in-rice-output-and-the-economy-
7865051/
 11,000 MT of rice from India reaches Sri Lanka ahead of New
Year

Sri Lankans to celebrate Sinhala and Tamil New Year on April 13 and 14
 Updated At: Apr 12, 2022 02:11 PM (IST)

Photo for representation only. File photo

PTI
Colombo, April 12
A shipment of 11,000 MT of rice from India arrived here on Tuesday to help the economic crisis
hit Sri Lankans celebrate the traditional national new year.
Sri Lankans will celebrate Sinhala and Tamil New Year on April 13 and 14. This is one of the
biggest festivals in Sri Lanka.
The shipment of rice from India reached Colombo on board ship, ahead of the New Year
celebration by the people of Sri Lanka, an Indian High Commission statement said.
Sri Lanka is facing its worst economic crisis since gaining independence from the UK in 1948.
"16,000 MT rice supplied under India's multi-pronged support to Sri Lanka in the past week
alone," the statement said.
These supplies, which mark the special bond between India and Sri Lanka, will continue, the
Indian High Commission added.
India had recently announced a USD 1 billion line of credit to Sri Lanka as part of its financial
assistance to the country to deal with the economic crisis following a previous USD 500 billion
line of credit in February.
Indian credit lines to boost reserves and importation of essentials have provided a temporary
lifeline to the economy.
People in the country are experiencing a shortage of essentials and long hours under power cuts.
The government has just started a process to seek a bailout from the International Monetary Fund
(IMF) amidst street protests throughout the island calling for President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's
resignation for mishandling the economic crisis.
https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/world/11-000-mt-of-rice-from-india-reaches-sri-lanka-
ahead-of-new-year-385737

Thompson introduces bipartisan resolution for California

Ricelands in Wildlife Conservation
Thompson
By VALLEJO TIMES-HERALD | timesherald@dfmdev.com | Vacaville Reporter
PUBLISHED: April 11, 2022 at 2:47 p.m. | UPDATED: April 11, 2022 at 3:06 p.m.
Last week, Congressman Mike Thompson introduced a resolution in the House of Representatives
to recognize the significant role that California
ricelands play in wildlife conservation.
―California‘s ricelands play an essential role in
protecting our wildlife and conserving their
populations,‖ said Thompson in a news release.
―California‘s riceland owners alongside researchers
and partners from the salmon and waterfowl
community have been protecting our ricelands and
serving as good stewards of our environment. I am
proud to work with the organizations that have
endorsed this resolution to ensure that California‘s
ricelands continue to play an important role in
wildlife conservation and preserve and enhance
riceland habitats for generations to come.‖
Cosponsors of the resolution include Reps. Doug
LaMalfa, John Garamendi, Doris Matsui, Jim Costa,
Jimmy Panetta and David Valadao.
The resolution is endorsed by the California Rice
Commission, California Trout, California Waterfowl,
Ducks Unlimited, the National Audubon Society, the
Northern California Water Association, the
University of California, Davis, and the University of California Agriculture and Natural
Resources.
―We are honored to be recognized by this Ricelands Habitat Resolution that demonstrates how
hard our growers and millers of California Rice have worked, for decades, to care for the resources
of California and become known as the Environmental Crop,‖ said Tim Johnson, President & CEO
California Rice Commission in the same news release. ―We appreciate this reputation as a leader in
habitat conservation and environmental stewardship. We thank Congressman Thompson and his
staff for considering us for this great honor and taking the time to prepare this Resolution.
Sacramento Valley rice fields managed so that they provide habitat for waterbirds are widely
acknowledged to be one of the Nation‘s great conservation success stories. Now the science has
shown that these same fields are also critically important for recovering the Golden State‘s salmon
and other endangered fish populations.
―These working lands solutions are how we get the most pop per drop from our limited water
resources,‖ says Jacob Katz, lead scientist for the conservation non-profit California Trout. ―It‘s a
win-win-win model for California‘s fins, feathers and farms.‖
https://www.timesheraldonline.com/2022/04/11/thompson-introduces-bipartisan-resolution-for-
california-ricelands-in-wildlife-conservation/

Vietnam announces tariff quotas for Cambodia rice,

dried tobacco imports

April 12, 2022

Khmer Times

Grain Structure: Last year, Vietnam announced that it would impose a zero percent tax rate on 31
commodities imported from Cambodia. Supplied

Vietnam‘s Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) has issued a circular stipulating the import of
rice and dried tobacco leaves originating from Cambodia under tariff quotas for 2021 and 2022.
Circular No. 06/2022/TT-BCT specifies import quotas for rice and dried tobacco leaves
originating from Cambodia that are entitled to special preferential import tax rates in Vietnam for
two years.

The total import tariff quotas in 2021 and 2022 from Cambodia for rice of all kinds is 300,000
tonnes per year (for paddy, the conversion rate is 2kg, equal to 1kg of rice), while the import
tariff quotas for dried tobacco leaves is 3,000 tons per year.
The document says in order to enjoy the special preferential import tax rate, the products must
have a Certificate of Origin form S issued by the Cambodian Ministry of Trade or an authorised
agency, and their customs clearance procedures must be conducted at the border gate pairs
specified in Appendix No. 2 attached with this circular. For dried tobacco leaves, importers must
show a license to import raw tobacco under tariff quotas issued by the MoIT in accordance with
Decree No. 69/2018/ND-CP dated May 15, 2018.
Circular No. 06/2022/TT-BCT will take effect from April 15 to the end of December 2022. On
March 9, the Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien signed the Circular No.
06/2022/TT-BCT.
In September last year, Vietnam announced that it would impose a zero percent tax rate on 31
commodities imported from Cambodia such as live poultry, poultry meat and by-products,
lemons and rice.
The list also includes finished pork products and unprocessed tobacco leaves, among others,
according to a decree issued by the Vietnamese Government on September 14.
On March 15, the newly-appointed Vietnamese Ambassador to Cambodia Nguyen Huy Tang
paid a courtesy call on Phnom Penh Governor Khuong Sreng. During the meeting, they
discussed ways to strengthen partnerships between the capital city of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh
City, and Phnom Penh.
The ambassador congratulated Cambodia and Phnom Penh on the achievements recorded in the
past two years despite the COVID-19 pandemic, reports said.
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501057056/vietnam-announces-tariff-quotas-for-cambodia-rice-
dried-tobacco-imports/

Consumption of rice to rise marginally

USDA says

Star Business Report

Tue Apr 12, 2022 12:00 AM Last update on: Tue Apr 12, 2022 12:30 AM

Population growth will lead to higher rice consumption in the coming years, said the US
Department of Agriculture. Photo: Star
Bangladesh's rice consumption may marginally rise to 3.7 crore tonnes in the marketing year
(MY) 2022-23 as the government continues to run food assistance programmes for the poor for a
recent food price hike, said the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) last week.
"Population growth will also lead to higher rice consumption in the coming years," said the
agency in its annual grain and feed report on Bangladesh.
The USDA estimates that Bangladesh consumed 3.67 crore tonnes of rice in MY 2021-22
beginning from May, marking the harvest of Boro, the principal rice crop.
"Bangladesh's feed industry is also using broken rice as a filler in various feed formulas. Due to
the recent high price of feed ingredients including soybean meal and corn, the feed industry will
use rice as a supplement to other ingredients," it said.
The agency forecasts that milled rice production would increase 1.3 per cent year-on-year to 3.63
crore tonnes in MY 2022-23 on expectations of an increase in harvesting area.
The USDA said imports might slump in MY 2022-23 to 7 lakh tonnes, with the expectation of a
bumper Boro harvest during the current harvesting season.
The agency did not take into account damage of crops for ongoing flash floods in haor areas in
the northeast.
It estimates rice imports to amount to 13.5 lakh tonnes in the current MY 2021-22 ending this
month because of good harvest of rain-fed crop Aman harvested in November and December of
last year.
The government has also slapped a 62.5 per cent tariff to discourage imports to protect the
interests of local rice farmers.
The USDA also predicted increased wheat imports by public and private agencies.
It said grain import may grow 1.3 per cent to 76 lakh tonnes in the July-June period of the year
2022-23, assuming an increasing and diversified use of wheat-based products for both the
domestic and export market.
"Despite higher international wheat prices, Bangladesh is continuing to import to meet
substantial domestic demand," it said.
India has been the preferred source, since Bangladesh started procuring wheat from the
neighbouring country in significant volumes since 2020.
Shorter shipment times, low freight cost, and geographic proximity makes India one of the
preferred sources of wheat for Bangladesh. Indian wheat is transported to Bangladesh via road
and rail, it added.
The USDA said India supplied 26 per cent of the total wheat import, followed by Russia, Canada
and Ukraine in MY 2020-21.
In the first seven months of MY 2021-22, India supplied approximately 2.8 million tonnes of
wheat to Bangladesh and captured 66 per cent of the market share, followed by Ukraine and
Russia, said the agency.
As of January 2022, Russia and Ukraine combined supplied approximately 9 lakh tonnes of
wheat, down 40 per cent year-on-year.
:https://www.thedailystar.net/business/economy/news/consumption-rice-rise-marginally-
3003116+&cd=1&