Rice News

Incentive Boost for Rice Millers By Express News Service

Published: 09th January 2015 06:03 AM

Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter www.ricepluss.com

January 08, 2015 Volume 5, Issue I

Last Updated: 09th January 2015 06:03 AM

BHUBANESWAR: The State Government

has announced incentives to encourage rice

millers in paddy procurement and export of

surplus rice.While the Government

exempted two per cent Central Sales Tax

(CST) on inter-State trade of rice, the millers

can reimburse two per cent market fee paid

to regulated market committees on

equivalent paddy traded outside the State.

According to rice millers, the waiver of CST

will boost the trade of surplus rice in a

transparent manner.The State Government

has made a provision of `one crore for

reimbursement of market fee to the millers.

The Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare

Department has requested district Collectors to

ensure that levy rice due from millers is

collected before they dispose of any stock in the

open market. The millers are required to deliver

25 per cent of levy rice to the Food Corporation

of India out of the paddy procured by them from

mandis or directly from farmers.With the

exemption of CST and market fee, the Odisha

traders will be able to compete with traders of

other States. Odisha being a rice surplus State,

millers can sell the surplus rice to registered

dealers through fair means, official sources said.

Neighbouring States like West Bengal,

Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Bihar have

already allowed free trade of rice.The State

was at a disadvantage due to the prevalent

tax structure. As surplus rice could not be

moved out of the State, Odisha was facing

acute shortage of storage space.For paddy

procurement under levy route, the millers

have to pay the entire cost. The

Government, however, debarred defaulting

rice millers from taking part in the paddy

procurement process.As per procurement

guidelines for Kharif Marketing Season

(KMS) 2014-15, the millers can participate

in procurement process only if they have

delivered 100 per cent custom milled rice

for the paddy taken by them during 2013-

14.In order to implement the decisions, the

Government has decided to have a facility to

store paddy on temporary basis. It has

decided to store 10 lakh tonne of paddy

during KMS 2014-15 in CAP (cover and

plinth) storage locations under the open sky.

http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/odisha/I

ncentive-Boost-for-Rice-

Millers/2015/01/09/article2610950.ece

Exporters contract one

million tons of rice this year

Member enterprises of the Vietnam Food

Association (VFA) have already clinched export

contracts for at least one million tons of rice

with delivery scheduled for this year.

Most of the volume will be delivered to

customers this year based on the contracts that

VFA’s member enterprises signed with

importers last year. The volume is 200,000 tons

higher than the same period last year.Huynh The

Nang, general director of Vietnam Southern

Food Corporation (Vinafood 2), however, said

local rice exporters might face many more

difficulties this year.The demand for rice of the

Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia is forecast

to jump, but Vietnam will have to compete with

Thailand, which wants to reduce its huge rice

stockpiles.China, a major importer of

Vietnamese rice in recent years, is said to have

inked a memorandum of understanding to

purchase two million tons of rice from Thailand

this year.

However, Nguyen Dinh Bich, an expert in the

rice industry in Vietnam, has cast doubt on the

news, saying Thailand reportedly sold two

million tons of rice to China in 2013 but the real

volume was only 300,000 tons.Concerns have

risen among domestic rice exporters for tougher

competition from India and Pakistan as these

two nations have cut prices of their low and

medium-grade rice to compete with similar

products of Vietnam.Currently, India and

Pakistan sell 5% broken rice at US$385-395 per

ton and US$380-390 per ton respectively,

compared to US$380-390 per ton for Vietnam’s

same type. Their 25% broken rice is priced at

US$350-360 per ton and US$335-345 per ton

compared to US$350-360 per ton of Vietnam.

According to VFA, Vietnam had exported 5.96

million tons of rice from January 1 to December

18 last year, falling 11% against the previous

year. Up to 83% of the volume was shipped to

Asian and African countries and the rest to

America, Europe and Oceania.Last year,

Vietnam’s FOB rice export prices averaged

US$439 per ton, inching up 2% per ton against

2013. The price of low-grade rice slightly

increased while that of 5% broken rice decreased

4-5% from the year’s beginning to US$393 per

ton at the end of last year.To order to boost rice

shipments this year, the Ministry of Industry and

Trade suggested rice exporters diversify

markets, and seek to make full use of the

opportunities from bilateral and multilateral

trade agreements, and follow updates on

importing markets.The ministry also urged VFA

and relevant agencies to enhance the quality of

Vietnamese rice and help local rice exporters

cope with challenges.

SGT

Tags:rice export,

http://english.vietnamnet.vn/fms/business/12061

7/exporters-contract-one-million-tons-of-rice-

this-year.html

Thailand off-season rice

crop to fall 30 pct on yr as

drought hits Source: Reuters - Thu, 8 Jan 2015 10:17

GMT

Author: Reuters

A worker drives a tractor to scoop rice grains at

a mill in Suphan Buri province, about 65.2 miles

(105 km) north of Bangkok October 28, 2014.

REUTERS/Chaiwat Subprasom

BANGKOK, Jan 8 (Reuters) - Drought will cut

major rice exporter Thailand's 2015 off-season

crop by over 30 percent, according to the latest

report from the Office of Agricultural

Economics.Thailand is one of the world's top

three rice exporters but the smaller harvest is

unlikely to have a big impact on global prices,

which are under pressure from still large

stockpiles in Thailand and bumper output in

rival exporters India and Vietnam.The expected

decline in production, however, could provide a

floor under the local market <RI-THBKN5-P1>,

where prices slid 5 percent in the last quarter.

Thailand's off-season rice is grown between

November and April after the main crop is

harvested. The second crop needs irrigation as

there is little rain during that period.But

Thailand is experiencing drought in eight

provinces, according to the Ministry of

Agriculture, and the government has said it

would not provide water for rice farming along

the length of the Chao Phraya river from

October through April.The Chao Phraya,

Thailand's main river, flows south through the

fertile central rice-growing region and on to

Bangkok.Thailand will produce around 6.7

million tonnes of off-season rice this year

compared to 9.7 million tonnes in the previous

year, the ministry said.

"We don't see a big impact because Thailand has

to compete with other exporters," said a

Singapore-based trader. "One benefit is that

lower production will be less of a headache for

the Thai government."Thailand's military

government is still trying to sell off stockpiles

bought under the previous government's rice-

buying scheme that paid farmers well above

market rates for their rice.Thailand's legislature

begins a hearing against ousted former Prime

Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on Friday over

the rice subsidy scheme that critics denounced as

a wasteful handout to her supporters.If found

guilty, she could be banned from politics for five

years.Thailand was expected to surpass Vietnam

and India last year to regain the rank of largest

rice exporter, with 10.2 million tonnes to be

shipped, compared with India's 10 million

tonnes, according to the U.N. Food and

Agriculture Organization.

India toppled Thailand three years ago to

become the world's top rice exporter as the

government intervention scheme priced Thai

rice out of the export market and as Delhi lifted

a four-year ban on non-basmati rice sales in

2011 to trim stocks. (Reporting by Kaweewit

Kaewjinda and Panarat Thepgumpanat, with

additional reporting by Naveen Thukral in

SINGAPORE; Editing by Simon Webb, Amy

Sawitta Lefevre and Tom Hogue)

We welcome comments that advance the story through

relevant opinion, anecdotes, links and data. If you see a

comment that you believe is irrelevant or inappropriate,

you can flag it to our editors by using the report abuse

links. Views expressed in the comments do not represent

those of the Thomson Reuters Foundation. For more

information see our Acceptable Use Policy.

http://www.trust.org/item/20150108101514-

597s8

India, Pakistan spar over

GI tag for Basmati rice

By: Sajan C Kumar | Chennai | January 8, 2015

12:36 am

India’s fight to protect its iconic Basmati

rice outside the country, especially in

Pakistan, would be in jeopardy if it does not

get the geographical indicator (GI) tag in its

own country without further delay, the

Agricultural and Processed Food Products

Export Development Authority (Apeda) has

argued.Basmati rice growers in Pakistan

reportedly have Basmati GI tag partially

registered in their country and a litigation

was going on in a Pakistan court between

them and India’s Apeda over the GI tag

given to Basmati rice from Pakistan.In India,

the application for GI tag for Basmati rice

has been mired in legal tangle with Madhya

Pradesh government upping the ante against

the Apeda’s move to register GI tag without

including the state.

The ongoing litigation in bodies such as GI

Registry and Intellectual Property Appellate

Board (IPAB) has taken a long time and was

threatening to weaken the case, as close to

700 to 800 proceedings are pending across

various countries. In IPAB too, Pakistan’s

Basmati Growers’ Association (BGA) has

appealed against granting of GI tag to Indian

Basmati rice.Apeda, under the Union

commerce ministry, told the IPAB bench

that the delay in the proceedings was

hampering the country’s prospects of

protecting the rice variety as Pakistan has

moved the GI dispute tribunal against

granting of GI tag to Basmati rice, arguing

that those historical geographies of Basmati

rice producing areas, are now part of

Pakistan.When the case came up at IPAB,

the counsel for Apeda requested for an early

hearing in the case as they are in a hurry to

get the final order.

―We have to first get the GI tag for Basmati

rice in India, so that we can effectively

counter Pakistan and other countries who are

throwing challenges against our Basmati

rice variety,‖ the counsel said.After hearing

Apeda, Pakistan Basmati Growers

Association, Madhya Pradesh government,

the farmers and a new organisation, who

wanted to implead in the case, the IPAB

bench of Justice KN Basha, chairman and

Sanjeev Kumar Chaswal, technical member,

adjourned the matter to February last week.

The Bhopal-based New Darpan Social

Welfare Society had filed an implead

application, seeking to be included as a party

to the proceedings.The Lahore-based BGA

had also moved IPAB in appeal against the

order of the assistant registrar of GI Registry

that ordered inclusion of Madhya Pradesh in

the amended application by Apeda. BGA

had also opposed granting of GI tag to

Indian Basmati rice in totality.BGA had

submitted that Basmati is a name for a

slender, aromatic and long grain variety of

rice grown in the specific geographical area

at the foothills of the Himalayas in Pakistan.

It further argued in the appeal that only the

rice grown in certain areas of Punjab in

Pakistan, where the rice kernels are grown

on conventional rice lands and they interact

with the environment, atmosphere, soil and

climate to yield exquisite rice can be called

Basmati in the true sense.The counsel for

BGA told FE that they have also appealed

against the inclusion of Madhya Pradesh in

the areas for registration of GI tag for

Basmati in India.

Apeda had filed an application with the GI

Registry to register the name Basmati for

rice covering Punjab, Haryana, Delhi,

Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and part of

Uttar Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir,

omitting the state of Madhya Pradesh,

triggering protest from the farmers from the

state as well as opposition from the state

government.They informed the assistant

registrar of the GI Registry that the non-

inclusion of Madhya Pradesh in the Basmati

growing area would have an adverse affect

on the lives of farmers who are mainly

depending upon Basmati cultivation and its

exports.

Accordingly, GI Registry, asked Apeda to

amend its application for GI registration of

Basmati rice to include the uncovered area,

including certain area in Madhya Pradesh.

Against this, Apeda has approached IPAB

with an appeal against the order of assistant

registrar of the GI Registry, issued on

December 31, 2013, which allowed the

opposition by various parties, including the

department of farmer welfare and

agriculture development of MP, Madhya

Kshetra Basmati Growers Association

Samiti based in Raisen district among others

against the application of Apeda.

Opposition to South

Korea's 513% rice tariff

By Rich Keller, Editor, Ag Professional January

08, 2015 | 11:30 am EST

The United States, China and other rice-

exporting countries are opposing South

Korea's move to levy a 513 percent tariff on

imported rice, saying the rate is too

high.Korea Times reported that the

country’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food and

Rural Affairs, contends that the U.S., China,

Australia, Thailand and Vietnam objections

filed with the World Trade Organization

(WTO) about the nation's new tariff rate on

rice imports is not appropriate.

"The five rice-exporting countries filed a

complaint with the WTO against our 513

percent tariff," said Kim Kyung-mee,

director of the ministry's agriculture trade

division. "They claimed the way we

calculated the rate was incorrect. But what

they really want to say is the 513 percent

rate is too high."The news reporter, Lee

Hyo-sik, noted for the past 20 years, South

Korea, as Asia's fourth-largest economy,

imported a certain amount of rice every year

under the minimum market access (MMA)

program, in exchange for a waiver. In 2014,

the nation was obliged to import 408,700

tons of rice, about 10 percent of its annual

rice consumption of 4.1 million tons. To

delay the opening of the rice market, Korea

would have to increase the MMA quota this

year.

Without objections, the WTO would issue a

certificate allowing South Korea to levy the

tariff, but with objections to receive WTO

approval, Korea will be negotiating with the

five countries. Those negotiations

notoriously have taken years; it was 57

months for Taiwan negotiations to liberalize

its rice markets, according to Hyo-

sik.Meanwhile, the tariff went into effect

January 1 and will stay in place, according

to government directors.Even after all the

negotiations with Taiwan, Hyo-sik reports,

the country’s tariff was 563 percent, and

Japan’s tariff is the highest at 1,066 percent.

Vietnam sets new rice

export price to meet

Philippines 0.18m import

demand

Reported by: `Customs Today Report January 8, 2015

MANILA: To

meet

Philippines

private traders’

rice import

demand of

187,000 tonnes, the world’s third-largest rice

exporter Vietnam has set export prices in

preparation to meet an import demand.Last

month, the Philippines’ state grains procurement

agency allowed private traders to import

187,000 tons of rice. Exporters must sell the 5-

percent broken rice to Philippine importers at

$385 a ton, free-on-board Saigon Port, industry

body the Vietnam Food Association.

The floors are $375 a tone for the 10-percent

broken grade and $365 a tone for the 15-percent

broken grade, the statement said. All the prices

are valid between Jan. 1-31.―The export prices

for the Philippines now are lower than the

previous floor, so it could be the new benchmark

for other orders,‖ said a Vietnamese trader in Ho

Chi Minh City.The 5-percent broken rice was

quoted this week at $380-$390 a ton, FOB basis,

widening from $385-$390 per ton quoted before

the New Year holidays, while buyers were still

absent and stocks remained low, traders said.The

Philippines, Vietnam’s second-biggest rice

buyer in 2014 after China, is expected to import

between 1.5 million and 2 million tons from

Vietnam this year, the Customs Department

news.

Tests on Fukushima Rice

Finally Show Safe Results by Lizabeth Paulat

January 8, 2015

10:00 am

It has taken three years, but rice growing near

the Fukushima nuclear plant has now tested

safely for consumption. The Fukushima disaster

in 2011 caused international concern over food

safety and water contamination when a tsunami

pounded into the nuclear facility and unleashed

toxic radiation.For reference, the government’s

limit on safe amounts of radiation is 100

becquerels per kilogram. The areas affected by

the disaster were the farming communities of

Fukushima, Iwate, Tochigi, Gunma, Chiba,

Miyagi and Ibaraki.

During the period after the disaster, items like

bamboo shoots, shiitake mushrooms, beef and

rye were all testing far outside of the accepted

range. Mushrooms ranged from 150-350

becquerels, while beef was around 772

becquerels per kilogram.The danger of exporting

food from a nuclear disaster site set off long

range economic problems for Japan’s farmers

and fears from consumers all over the world. In

Japan, 44% of people said they’d

avoid radioactive foods, with 22% preferring

stricter government control. Citizen fears are not

unfounded. In response to the nuclear disaster,

Japan actually raised its limits of acceptable

radiation exposure to 20x higher than what’s

considered safe in the United States. Many felt

this was Japan’s way of mitigating a PR crisis.

Yet across the Pacific, the West Coast of the

United States also worried about how the spread

of radioactivity might impact their fish and

agriculture. Such fears prompted residents in

California to pass measures to improve the

testing of marine life off their shores.Although

scientists tried to calm fears, telling residents

that the levels of radioactivity in water that

reached the West Coast would be far below

international acceptable standards, it did little to

pacify concerns.

So it is no doubt that in this atmosphere of fear

and apprehension, farmers and Japanese officials

are breathing easier with the study results. More

than 360,000 tons of rice were tested in the

study. However, it seems the evidence has yet to

be corroborated by outside sources, and that’s

still causing some hesitation. Many around the

world wanted the UN to oversee or take over

clean up in Fukushima, citing distrust of the

government.This was also true for the Koreans.

Reports of groundwater seepage from the

nuclear facility prompted South Korea to ban

imports from the region in 2013. Although the

Korean scientists are expected to come back

again within the month and consider lifting the

ban, many still harbor concerns over importing

the rice.It’s a difficult challenge for farmers,

who have undoubtedly suffered some of the

largest economic losses in the disaster. Many

toiled on organic farms that have been ravaged

by nuclear waste. One farmer, Toraaki Ogata,

told the North Queensland Resister, ―All I can

do is pray there will be no radiation…It’s not

our fault at all, but the land of our ancestors has

been defiled.‖While the Japanese government

assigned about $1.3 billion for decontamination

methods in these zones, it has been a slow

moving process to get clean rice.

However, it is one that Tsuneaki Oonami

claims has been done right. Oonami, a

Fukushima official, told reporters that, ―The fact

that the amount of rice that does not pass our

checks has steadily reduced in the last three

years indicates that we’re taking the right

steps.‖ And for the sake of the farmers, the

environment and international trade, this has

been welcome news.

http://www.care2.com/causes/tests-on-fukushima-

rice-finally-show-safe-

results.html#ixzz3OMsgvw5Z

Nigeria: Addressing

Bottlenecks in Rice Self-

Sufficiency Plan

ANALYSIS

By Femi Adekoya

To make Nigeria self-sufficient in rice

production by 2015, a timeline presently under

review, government embarked upon an

ambitious plan through the Agricultural

Transformation Agenda, to address the

perceived threat that increasing volumes of

milled rice imports into Nigeria are displacing

local production potential. Although, a complete

embargo is yet to be placed on the importation

of the commodity, there are concerns that

preferential treatments to stakeholders may be

threatening government's backward integration

plan in the sector. FEMI ADEKOYA examines

the issues of sufficiency of policies under the

plan and the potential to improve quality and

competitiveness of domestic rice product in the

markets.

FOR the first time in a while, the nation is

beginning to give due attention to the non-oil

sector, especially the agro-allied sector,

considering the dwindling revenue profile from

global crude oil sale.Imposition of tariffs on

commodities in some cases in a bid to protect

growth of local industries and sectors with huge

potential has been the trend under the backward

integration policy to aid the transformation

agenda I the agricultural sector.

For instance, the tariffs are intended to protect

the domestic rice sector while it undergoes

improvements in paddy production, processing,

and marketing with support of public sector

reforms and fiscal investments.The reforms

include the deregulation of seed and fertilizer

markets and the setup of private sector

marketing corporations to help coordinate the

market and set grades and standards.

Similarly, innovative financing mechanisms for

supplying credit are also being pursued while

significant fiscal investments are being poured

into establishing staple crop processing zones

(SCPZs) that are intended to encourage the

clustering of food processing industries in

proximity to raw materials and end

markets.However, recent activities have shown

that the Federal Government's backward

integration plan for the rice industry may suffer

a major setback if key issues of discretionary

approval of waivers and unrealistic supply gap

are not addressed.

For instance, emerging facts show that the

country may continue to lose at least N20 billion

to smugglers of the commodity and another N20

billion to discretionary concessions and waivers,

especially to non-committed stakeholders under

the scheme.

With at least $183.6 million enjoyed in bonds,

there are questions bordering on the sincerity of

government under the backward integration

plan, considering the fact that investors who

have only expressed interests enjoy higher

imports than those who have remain committed

to the plan, especially now that some of them are

already trading the import quotas at higher

prices to interested importers.Findings by The

Guardian have shown that the Federal

Government through the indiscriminate granting

of waivers under the backward integration plan

may be promoting activities of smugglers while

putting the rice policy under threat.

Documents obtained and investigations by The

Guardian showed that indiscriminate approach

of the Federal Government in granting waivers

and import allocation quotas to investors who

have no investments in the industry, either in

form of paddy or rice milling may be a

dysfunctional approach to the backward

integration plan in the sector.According to the

list of beneficiaries of the preferential import

quotas, quantities of rice imports approved and

corresponding size of performance bond to be

submitted shows that of the 28 beneficiaries,

only 16 have mills, while the remaining 12 have

no mills and account for higher imports than

millers.

Investigations also show that many of the

investors who got import allocation quotas are

already trading it to interested stakeholders at

between 60 to 80 per cent levy having got the

same at 20 per cent levy.Specifically, documents

obtained showed that investors who have only

submitted expression of interests without

commensurable form of investments in the

sector, may be enjoying waivers amounting to at

least N20 billion under the exercise.

http://allafrica.com/stories/201501071281.html

New Imported Rice Tax

Increase Actually Lowers

Prices While Strengthening

Domestic Producers in Costa

Rica By TCRN on January 8, 2015 in Business

The Costa Rica News (TCRN) – Domestic Costa

Rican rice producers are applauding the

government’s decision to increase tariffs from 35%

to 62.06% on imported milled grain, a measure

that will benefit both consumers and domestic

suppliers.The safeguard proposed by the National

Association of Rice Manufacturers (ANINSA) and adopted by the Ministry of Economy, Industry and

Trade (MEIC) will be in effect for four years, and

excludes milled rice from Central America and the

United States due to a prevailing trade agreement

signed by both parties.ANINSA President,

Eduardo Rojas, said imported rice was

endangering more than 1,000 Costa Rican farmers.

The increase in the tariff will improve internal

productivity of the country and allow rice to be

sold at more affordable prices for Costa Ricans.

―The WTO allows the country to use such

instruments so that we can organize internally and

improve production,‖ Rojas said.The owner of

Canas de Guanacaste, Fabián Chacón, was pleased

with the announcement released Thursday because

he believes that this way the grain stays in-country,

unlike many other products.―You want to restore

food security in this country. Corn and beans have

practically disappeared from production. The last

one on the table is rice and it’s being seriously

threatened by imports,‖ voiced Chacón.

Meanwhile, another domestic producer of rice,

Alex Rojas, said the increase in the tariff will

ensure a healthy competition between rice

suppliers.―This move comes at the right time

because opportunists importers from Uruguay

recently surfaced who were cheap that what we

could compete with,‖ he added.Moreover, the

MEIC is analyzing a further proposal to reduce the

price of rice by 4%. This negotiation will be

resolved in the coming weeks. (Amelia Rueda)

The Costa Rica News (TCRN)

San Jose, Costa Rica

http://thecostaricanews.com/new-imported-rice-

tax-increase-actually-lowers-prices-while-

strengthening-domestic-producers-in-costa-rica

Vietnam clinches one

million tonnes of rice deal

in 2015 Friday, 09 January 2015 03:51

Member enterprises of the Vietnam Food

Association (VFA) have already clinched

export contracts for at least one million

tonnes of rice with delivery scheduled for

this year

The volume is 200,000 tonnes higher than

the same period last year. (Image source:

IRRI)

According to VietnamNet, most of the

volume would be delivered to customers in

2015, based on the contracts that VFA’s

member enterprises signed with importers

last year.The volume is 200,000 tonnes

higher than the same period last year.

Huynh The Nang, general director of

Vietnam Southern Food Corporation

(Vinafood 2), however, said local rice

exporters might face many more difficulties

this year.The rice demand of the Philippines,

Indonesia and Malaysia is forecast to jump,

but Vietnam would have to compete with

Thailand, which wants to reduce its huge

rice stockpiles, The Nang added.China, a

major importer of Vietnamese rice in recent

years, has signed an MoU to purchase two

million tonnes of rice from Thailand in

2015.Concerns have also risen among

domestic rice exporters for tougher

competition from India and Pakistan as these

two nations have cut prices of their low and

medium-grade rice to compete with similar

products of Vietnam.Currently, India and

Pakistan sell five per cent broken rice at

US$385-395 per tonne and US$380-390 per

tonne respectively, compared to US$380-

390 per tonne for Vietnam’s same type.

Their 25 per cent broken rice is priced at

US$350-360 per tonne and US$335-345 per

tonne compared to US$350-360 per tonne of

Vietnam.According to VFA, Vietnam had

exported 5.96mn tons of rice from 1 January

to 18 December 2014, falling 11 per cent

against the previous year. Up to 83 per cent

was shipped to Asian and African countries

and the rest to America, Europe and

Oceania.In order to boost rice shipments this

year, Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry and

Trade suggested rice exporters diversify

markets and seek to make full use of the

opportunities from bilateral and multilateral

trade agreements, and follow updates on

importing markets.

http://www.fareasternagriculture.com/crops/agri

culture/vietnam-clinches-one-million-tonnes-of-

rice-deal-in-2015

Why Nigeria still import

rice- Group

By Adesanya Alao

January 8, 2015 20:36:22pm GMT |

farm

WorldStage Newsonline-- The Chairman, Rice

Processors Association of Nigeria, Mohammed

Abubakar, said Thursday explained

why Nigeria still import rice, saying it does not

produce enough paddies to meet the demand to

attain self sufficiency.Speaking in Abuja at a

press conference organised by the Nigeria Rice

Investors Group, he said that although the total

amount of rice produced locally was about 2.5

million to three million tons, only about 800,000

tons were processed annually by integrated rice

millers, adding that Nigeria has only 24

integrated rice millers.Rice produced by

integrated rice millers are cleaner than those

produced by remote rice farmers.

According to Abubakar, Nigeria consumes over

five million tons of rice annually.He noted that

investors were intensifying efforts in the

production of paddy rice in other to end

importation, adding that in three years Nigeria

will end rice importation.Abubakar said, ―We

have the capacity to process 800,000 tons. But

that is not for all the places you expect rice

production in Nigeria. But we are growing

because we have a growing population. The total

production that we have has not exceeded 2.5

million to three million tons. That's why there is

a room for importation.―We have a long way to

go. That is why we are advocating that you, me,

and everybody should come and join the centre

so that we can produce more paddies which will

translate to more rice and eventually translate

into stopping importation of rice into Nigeria.

―Almost all the investors are going back to the

production of paddy. That means maybe by two

or three years, the issue of import will come to

rest. The issue of policy change, policy

summersault will come to rest because we will

have enough paddies that we can process and

use to feed our country.‖Earlier in his address, a

former Attorney General of the Federation and

Former Minister of Justice, Michael Aondoaaka,

said no government gave attention to the rice

value chain as the present administration.

He said, ―As the chairman of a company that is

involved in local rice production and also a key

government official in the past, I can assure you

that in recent times, I can vow and say no

government has given attention to agriculture as

this present government. The revolution put in

place by this government is capable of creating

jobs and stemming the rising unemployment in

the country.―People should take advantage of

locally produced rice because if you buy one bag

of local rice, you are helping the farmers. If we

mill one bag, the bulk of money goes directly to

the farmers. That is why the President has

vowed to support local farmers through out the

country.‖

The President, Nigeria Rice Investors Group,

Mr. Tunji Owoeye, stated that although there

were challenges in the rice sector, businesses in

the industry were doing better presently than

before.He said, ―We are not politicians but

businessmen. I can assure you that businesses

and even farmers in this sector are doing well

now compared to what is used to be in past.

However, that does not mean that we don’t have

challenges, we have a lot of them, but we are

making progress.‖

http://worldstagegroup.com/index.php?active=n

ews&newscid=19924&catid=36

Iran ban, Iraq duty hike to

take a toll on rice exporters

Sutanuka Ghosal, ET Bureau Jan 6, 2015,

12.35PM IST

Tags:rice|Iraq|Iran|Gurdaspur

Overseas|basmati rice|All India Rice

Exporters' Association

KOLKA

TA:

India's ric

e exporte

rs may

end the

current

fiscal on

a damp

note

as Iraq has doubled the import duty to 40%,

while Iran has clamped an outright ban at a

time when price realisation has slipped 15-

20% in overseas markets.A senior official

of All India Rice Exporters'

Association(AIREA) told ET that traders are

currently shipping only rice consignments

with permits of last year to Iran. "We are

hoping that Iran will lift the ban. We are

planning to send a delegation to Iran in early

February to sort out the issue," said the

official, requesting not to be named.

The official added that the sudden increase

in import duty by Iraq has come as a major

blow and it is bound to impact exports to the

country.According to an estimate by

exporters, basmati shipments are likely to

come down to 35 lakh tonne from 37 lakh

tonne in the previous year.Iran has barred

rice from other countries as its local crop is

reported to be good this year and is set to

arrive in the market there.The country

imported over 12.5 lakh tonne of rice during

April-July 2014, compared with 14.5 lakh

tonnes in the year-ago period.In the past two

years, Iran has bought over 2.5 million tonne

of basmati rice from India.

The average price realisation has declined to

$800-1,100 per tonne from $1,0001,300 per

tonne last year.Exports of basmati rice in the

first seven months of the current fiscal

declined over 8% to 19.36 lakh tonne from

21.13 lakh tonnes in the year-ago period.

However, exports of non-basmati rice

between April and October 2014 stayed

almost the same as in the previous year, at

about 4.2 lakh tonne.The lacklustre export

demand of basmati rice has pushed down

prices in the domestic market as well, with

farmers getting Rs 3,200 per quintal for Pusa

1121 crop, compared with Rs 4,100 last

year.Retail prices of basmati rice may fall

further in the domestic market if exports

slump, said Bal Krishna Mittal, managing

director of Gurdaspur Overseas, which deals

in basmati rice.Output of basmati rice in the

kharif, or summer, season in 2014 was

robust at about 81 lakh tonnes, up from 66

lakh tonnes in the previous year.

http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/20

15-01-06/news/57747960_1_basmati-shipments-

basmati-rice-india-rice-exporters

Gluten-Free Ramen, Pullet

Eggs and More

By FLORENCE FABRICANTJAN. 7,

2014

CreditRuth Fremson/The New York Times

Continue reading the main story

Continue reading the main storyShare This Page

To Indulge: Sweet Canelés for All Tastes

Céline Legros has been making her tiny but

elegant canelés from Bordeaux, fluted cakes

with a dark caramelized crust, for private events

and selling them online for a couple of years.

Now the lawyer turned baker has opened a shop

for her bite-size sweet and savory canelés. She

said that when specializing in only one thing,

―you need variation.‖ Her sweet canelés come in

a dozen flavors, including rum, pistachio,

caramel, chocolate and orange. The savory ones,

ideal for hors d’oeuvres, are chorizo, basil-pesto,

truffle and Parmesan. She also sells miniature

financier cakes. All are much smaller than the

ones made by other French bakeries. ―I noticed

how there was a trend for minis in New York,‖

she said: Starting at $4.90 for three at Canelé by

Celine, 400 East 82nd Street, 646-678-4124,

canelebyceline.com.

Photo

CreditTony Cenicola/The New York Times

To Slurp: Gluten-Free Ramen, Noise Not

Included

The delectable enjoyment of slurping a bowl of

ramen has been mostly out of bounds for those

whose diets are gluten-free. But now Lotus

Foods, a California company that specializes in

exotic rice, has introduced rice-based gluten-free

ramen with earthy, nutty flavors that are

enjoyable even for those who do not avoid

gluten. There are three varieties, each based on a

different type and color of rice: Jade Pearl, a

green organic rice ramen infused with leaves and

stems of edible bamboo; black Forbidden Rice

ramen; and a toasty-toned ramen of millet and

brown rice: Lotus Foods Rice Ramen is $6.59

for four cakes, $35.54 for six packages; also

sold with miso soup mix, lotusfoods.com.

Photo

CreditLauren DeCicca for The New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/08/dining/glut

en-free-ramen-pullet-eggs-and-more.html?_r=0

Vietnam sets rice

export prices for

Philippine demand Reuters

Posted at 01/07/2015 5:59 PM | Updated as

of 01/07/2015 6:13 PM

HANOI - Vietnam, the world's third-largest

rice exporter, has set export prices in

preparation to meet an import demand of

187,000 tonnes by Philippine private traders,

which may lead to lower price levels in early

2015, traders said on Wednesday.Last

month, the Philippines' state grains

procurement agency allowed private traders

to import 187,000 tonnes of rice and said

shipments must arrive on or before Feb.

28.Exporters must sell the 5-percent broken

rice to Philippine importers at $385 a tonne,

free-on-board Saigon Port, industry body the

Vietnam Food Association said in a Dec. 31

statement seen by Reuters on

Wednesday.The floors are $375 a tonne for

the 10-percent broken grade and $365 a

tonne for the 15-percent broken grade, the

statement said. All the prices are valid

between Jan. 1-31.

Previously, the association set the export

price floor for the 25-percent broken variety

at $380 a tonne as of Nov. 25, 2014."The

export prices for the Philippines now are

lower than the previous floor, so it could be

the new benchmark for other orders," said a

Vietnamese trader in Ho Chi Minh City.The

5-percent broken rice was quoted this week

at $380-$390 a tonne, FOB basis, widening

from $385-$390 per tonne quoted before the

New Year holidays, while buyers were still

absent and stocks remained low, traders

said.Vietnam could export 7 million tonnes

to 7.5 million tonnes of rice this year,

mainly to China and Southeast Asian

countries, after shipping around 7.5 million

tonnes in 2014, a state-run online news site

said, citing industry targets.The Philippines,

Vietnam's second-biggest rice buyer in 2014

after China, is expected to import between

1.5 million and 2 million tonnes from

Vietnam this year, the Customs Department

news site said, citing Vietnam Food

Association projections.

http://www.abs-

cbnnews.com/business/01/07/15/vietnam-sets-

rice-export-prices-philippine-demand

USA Rice and Cuba -

Getting Closer

Governor Nixon (l) and

Secretary Vilsack

WASHINGTON, DC -- The USA Rice

Federation has joined with more than 25

prominent U.S. food and agriculture associations

and companies to form a coalition that seeks to

advance trade relations between the United

States and Cuba. The U.S. Agriculture Coalition

for Cuba (USACC) formally launched at an

event here today that was attended by Secretary

of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, a bipartisan group

of Members of Congress, and Missouri

Governor Jay Nixon.

The purpose of the USACC is to re-establish

Cuba as a market for U.S. food and agriculture

exports and address liberalizing trade between

the United States and Cuba. The coalition will

work to end the embargo and allow for open

trade and investment, and coming just a few

weeks after President Obama's announcement of

a major policy shift on Cuba, is well-timed.

"President Obama's new policies on Cuba aim to

expand opportunities for U.S. farmers and

ranchers, expand choices for the Cuban people,

and create new customers for us," Secretary

Vilsack said.

"We know the Cuban market for rice is not

theoretical. It is real, it is large, and it is

compelling," said Betsy Ward, President and

CEO of USA Rice, who also spoke at the event.

"With rice imports valued at more than $300

million, Cuba is the second largest importer of

rice in the Americas. And there was a time

when Cuba was our number one export market -

we look forward to a return to those days."

CEO Betsy Ward meets the press

The U.S. rice industry has been advocating for

open trade and travel with Cuba since the mid

1990's and was the first U.S. commodity back in

Cuba in 2001, exhibiting at the Havana Trade

Fair, which led to the first U.S. rice sale to Cuba

in more than 40 years.Throughout the last

decade, USA Rice has sponsored numerous

trade missions, led and participated in many

forums, here and in Cuba, and participated in

eight Havana International Fairs. Consequently,

by 2004, U.S. rice sales to Cuba were valued at

$64 million. However, U.S. government policy

changes reversed that trend, and by 2009 sales

fell to zero, where they remain.

"All we need is an open door, the hard working

farmers will do the rest," said Governor Nixon.

"Given the opportunity to compete, America's

farmers will win."

"We applaud the Obama Administration for their

recent actions, and ask our leaders in Congress

to normalize trade with this nation that we

believe will once again become a major market

for U.S. rice," Ward said. "Open trade with

Cuba would be an enormous boon for U.S. rice

farmers, and we look forward to working with

the Cuban rice industry so together we may

supply the Cuban people with high-quality,

delicious rice."

Contact: Deborah Willenborg (703) 236-1444

USA Rice Federation

Weekly Rice Sales,

Exports Reported

WASHINGTON, DC -- Net rice sales of 28,600

MT for 2014/2015 were up noticeably from the

previous week, but down 53 percent from the

prior four-week average, according to today's

Export Sales Highlights report. Increases were

reported for Haiti (9,500 MT), unknown

destinations (6,000 MT), Turkey (2,600 MT),

Saudi Arabia (2,500 MT), and Jordan (2,400

MT). Decreases were reported for Iraq (600

MT).

Exports of 50,500 MT were down 45 percent

from the previous week and 34 percent from the

prior four-week average. The primary

destinations were Turkey (28,100 MT), Haiti

(10,500 MT), Mexico (4,400 MT), Canada

(3,300 MT), and Jordan (1,700 MT).

This summary is based on reports from exporters

from the period December 26-January 1.

USA Rice Federation

CME Group/Closing

Rough Rice Futures

CME Group (Prelim): Closing Rough Rice

Futures for January 8

Month Price Net

Change

January 2015 $11.295 - $0.115

March 2015 $11.525 - $0.125

May 2015 $11.755 - $0.115

July 2015 $11.980 - $0.115

September 2015 $11.555 - $0.005

November 2015 $11.430 - $0.145

January 2016 $11.665 - $0.060

Gulfood 2015 to enhance

Dubai’s role as global hub

for foodstuff commodity

trade

DUBAI — A world-class investment

platform and international business

facilitator, Gulfood 2015 is poised to play a

key role in enhancing Dubai’s global

position as an inclusive, transparent and

compliant marketplace for the foodstuff

commodities trade. The 20th edition of the

world’s largest annual food and hospitality

show will take place on Feb. 8-12, 2015 at

Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) and is

forecast to accelerate the Emirate’s already

brisk trade in commodities, in addition to

finished food products.

Owing to its strategic location for major

global markets, its developed logistics

infrastructure and efficient customs service,

as well as hosting the world’s largest annual

food trade event, Dubai has become a well-

connected, cost-effective global gateway for

foodstuff commodities trade. This includes

trade in commodities such as rice – the UAE

is the world’s largest re-exporter of rice,

importing rice from 32 countries and

exporting it to more than 80 countries

globally. It is also the world’s biggest re-

exporter of tea, with many of the world’s

largest producers and brands using Dubai as

their base. The Dubai Multi Commodities

Centre (DMCC) expected to facilitate more

than 7.5 million kilograms of tea re-exports

by the end of 2014.

According to recent figures released by

Dubai Customs, Dubai’s foodstuff foreign

trade including imports, exports and re-

exports amounted to AED21.5 billion in the

first quarter of 2014 – equating to 17 percent

growth on the AED18.3 billion recorded in

the corresponding period in 2013. This

growth reflects the increase in demand due

to economic and population growth, as well

as the capacity of the local market to

accommodate high volumes of foodstuffs. In

this context, a renewed focus on

commodities – meat, rice, grains, nuts,

vegetable oil, coffee, milk, tea – at Gulfood

2015 is particularly relevant and will play an

essential role in generating increased

revenues from global food transactions

across the UAE and specifically in Dubai.

―By providing a convenient and strategic

meeting platform for traders and investors

from around the world, Gulfood is perfectly

positioned to facilitate food trade through

Dubai and contribute to the growth and

development of the UAE’s increasingly

diverse economy,‖ said Trixie LohMirmand,

Senior Vice President, Exhibitions & Events

Management, DWTC. ―Focusing on

providing traders and investors with real

added value, the 20th edition of the show

will be more influential than ever with

business transactions expected to reach an

all-time high.‖

The biggest edition in the show’s history,

Gulfood 2015 is expected to attract more

than 4,800 international companies from 120

countries and over 85,000 visitors from 170

countries. With billions of dollars’ worth of

trading reported by exhibitors via their

participation at last year’s show, the US

pavilion alone - with almost 200 companies

participating - generated show-floor and

legacy sales of more than $300 million.

Other countries with a long history of

Gulfood participation including Australia,

Brazil, Egypt, Italy, France, South Africa

and Germany also reported excellent results

and acknowledged the unprecedented global

reach of the busiest show to date.

The United States, which is among the

largest national pavilions at Gulfood 2015,

is Dubai’s third largest trading partner

contributing nine per cent annually,

equivalent to around AED3 billion. The list

is topped by India and Brazil, with shares of

12 and 10 per cent, respectively. While

Asia-Pacific, Middle East, Africa and

Western Europe are the major importers of

food products from Dubai, countries such as

Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and India are some of

the newest export markets - 82 percent of

new export deals concluded in 2013 came

from Saudi Arabia. According to Dubai

Exports, Dubai is favorably placed to meet

the growing demand for dried foods in Asia-

Pacific and for pasta in Western Europe,

with both regions witnessing strong demand

for vegetable oil.

With quality of produce, Halal standards and

freshness being of paramount importance,

the regional market potential is strong for

commodities, including the global meat

industry. According to the Alpen Capital

GCC Food Industry Report, the

consumption of meat is expected to grow

faster than any other food product through to

2017 at a CAGR of 3.9 per cent, followed

by fruits, vegetables, milk and cereals.

Due to significant shifts in consumption

patterns, particularly in emerging regions

such as the Middle East, consumers are

moving from carbohydrate-based foods to

protein-rich diets, including meat and dairy.

While traditional food habits still dominate,

the growing GCC population – expected to

exceed 50 million by 2020 - and rising

affluence regional levels are leading to

increased demand for premium protein-rich

foods, particularly meat. — SG

http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.r

egcon&contentid=20150108229840&utm_source=USA+Ri

ce+Daily%2C+January+8%2C+2015&utm_campaign=Frid

ay%2C+December+13%2C+2013&utm_medium=email

Two more varieties of

hybrid rice introduced

Abu Bakar Siddique

The new varieties, BADC Hybrid Dhan 2

and Buyer Hybrid Dhan 4, were released on

Monday, each variety having the capacity of

producing around six tonnes of paddy per

hectare

The government has introduced two more

varieties of hybrid rice for cultivation

aiming to boost the rice production in the

country.The new varieties, BADC Hybrid

Dhan 2 and Buyer Hybrid Dhan 4, were

released on Monday, each variety having the

capacity of producing around six tonnes of

paddy per hectare.Anwar Faruque, director

general of the Ministry of Agriculture’s

Seed Wing, said the government gives

priority to the cultivation of more hybrid

varieties to boost the food production in the

country, and introducing the two new hybrid

varieties is a part of that.

According to the Department of Agriculture

Extension (DAE), the annual paddy

production, in Bangladesh is around 3.38

million tonnes.The paddy production using

traditional and locally developed high-

yielding varieties are two tonnes and 3.8

tonnes per hectare, respectively. The paddy

production using hybrid seed is 4.7 tonnes

per hectare.Of the new hybrid paddy

varieties, the BADC Hybrid Dhan 2, sourced

from China by Bangladesh Agricultural

Development Corporation (BADC), has the

production capacity of 6.5-7.2 tonnes per

hectare, and the Buyer Hybrid 4, sourced

from India by Bayer Crop Science, has the

production capacity of 6-6.5 tonnes per

hectare, sources at the ministry said.Around

10-12% of the total paddy production in the

country came from hybrid seeds, which is

very low in volume, said Anwar, who is also

an additional secretary at the ministry.

―The government is trying to enhance the

use of hybrid seeds to get more production

in the gradually reducing agricultural land to

ensure food security of the country,‖ he

added.The state-owned Bangladesh Rice

Research Institute (BRRI) has developed 62

varieties of paddy so far. Of them, the

number of hybrid varieties is only six.A total

of 132 varieties of hybrid paddy have been

introduced in Bangladesh. Of them, the

BADC developed two varieties, the BRRI

developed six, and the rest were developed

by private companies.

http://www.dhakatribune.com/agriculture/2015/jan/08/two-more-

varieties-hybrid-rice-

introduced?utm_source=USA+Rice+Daily%2C+January+8%2C+2

015&utm_campaign=Friday%2C+December+13%2C+2013&utm

_medium=email

Iftikhar Soomro made

Director to Matco Rice

BoDs

January 08, 2015

RECORDER REPORT

Pakistan's largest Basmati rice exporter,

Matco Rice Processing (Pvt) Limited has

appointed Iftikhar Ahmed Soomro as an

independent, non-executive Director to its

Board of Directors. Soomro brings along his

vast corporate experience of leading many

prominent private and public sector

companies of Pakistan. He has previously

served as the Chairman of APTMA and as a

director of Pakistan State Oil, Pfizer

Pakistan, Park-Davis, Wyeth Pakistan,

SITE, KESC, Sindh Fine Textile Mills and

other corporates. Soomro has also

distinguished himself in the field of public

service, previously as an elected member of

the Sindh Assembly and member of Cabinet.

Currently he is the Honorary Consul General

of the Republic of Tunisia. Commenting on

the appointment, Jawed Ghori, Chairman of

Matco Rice said: "We are extremely pleased

that Iftikhar Ahmed Soomro has joined the

board of our company, bringing with him a

unique mix of skills and experience that will

help the board to guide Matco Rice to the

next level of growth." Matco Rice is

Pakistan's largest Basmati rice exporter.

International Finance Corporate (IFC), part

of the World Bank Group, is a shareholder

of Matco Rice and invested equity in the

company for capacity-building to cater to

increasing exports, support trade, and to

establish Matco as a global corporate in the

region.-PR

http://agriculture.einnews.com/article/24326616

5/pMKmwRIp04fr0aPt

India, Pakistan spar over

GI tag for Basmati rice By: Sajan C Kumar | Chennai | January 8, 2015 12:36 am

India’s fight to protect its iconic Basmati rice

outside the country, especially in Pakistan,

would be in jeopardy if it does not get the

geographical indicator (GI) tag in its own

country without further delay, the Agricultural

and Processed Food Products Export

Development Authority (Apeda) has

argued.Basmati rice growers in Pakistan

reportedly have Basmati GI tag partially

registered in their country and a litigation was

going on in a Pakistan court between them and

India’s Apeda over the GI tag given to Basmati

rice from Pakistan.In India, the application for

GI tag for Basmati rice has been mired in legal

tangle with Madhya Pradesh government upping

the ante against the Apeda’s move to register GI

tag without including the state.The ongoing

litigation in bodies such as GI Registry and

Intellectual Property Appellate Board (IPAB)

has taken a long time and was threatening to

weaken the case, as close to 700 to 800

proceedings are pending across various

countries. In IPAB too, Pakistan’s Basmati

Growers’ Association (BGA) has appealed

against granting of GI tag to Indian Basmati rice.

Apeda, under the Union commerce ministry,

told the IPAB bench that the delay in the

proceedings was hampering the country’s

prospects of protecting the rice variety as

Pakistan has moved the GI dispute tribunal

against granting of GI tag to Basmati rice,

arguing that those historical geographies of

Basmati rice producing areas, are now part of

Pakistan.When the case came up at IPAB, the

counsel for Apeda requested for an early hearing

in the case as they are in a hurry to get the final

order.―We have to first get the GI tag for

Basmati rice in India, so that we can effectively

counter Pakistan and other countries who are

throwing challenges against our Basmati rice

variety,‖ the counsel said.After hearing Apeda,

Pakistan Basmati Growers Association, Madhya

Pradesh government, the farmers and a new

organisation, who wanted to implead in the case,

the IPAB bench of Justice KN Basha, chairman

and Sanjeev Kumar Chaswal, technical member,

adjourned the matter to February last week.The

Bhopal-based New Darpan Social Welfare

Society had filed an implead application,

seeking to be included as a party to the

proceedings.

The Lahore-based BGA had also moved IPAB

in appeal against the order of the assistant

registrar of GI Registry that ordered inclusion of

Madhya Pradesh in the amended application by

Apeda. BGA had also opposed granting of GI

tag to Indian Basmati rice in totality.BGA had

submitted that Basmati is a name for a slender,

aromatic and long grain variety of rice grown in

the specific geographical area at the foothills of

the Himalayas in Pakistan. It further argued in

the appeal that only the rice grown in certain

areas of Punjab in Pakistan, where the rice

kernels are grown on conventional rice lands and

they interact with the environment, atmosphere,

soil and climate to yield exquisite rice can be

called Basmati in the true sense.

The counsel for BGA told FE that they have also

appealed against the inclusion of Madhya

Pradesh in the areas for registration of GI tag for

Basmati in India.Apeda had filed an application

with the GI Registry to register the name

Basmati for rice covering Punjab, Haryana,

Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and part

of Uttar Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir,

omitting the state of Madhya Pradesh, triggering

protest from the farmers from the state as well as

opposition from the state government.They

informed the assistant registrar of the GI

Registry that the non- inclusion of Madhya

Pradesh in the Basmati growing area would

have an adverse affect on the lives of

farmers who are mainly depending upon

Basmati cultivation and its exports.

Accordingly, GI Registry, asked Apeda to

amend its application for GI registration of

Basmati rice to include the uncovered area,

including certain area in Madhya Pradesh.

Against this, Apeda has approached IPAB

with an appeal against the order of assistant

registrar of the GI Registry, issued on

December 31, 2013, which allowed the

opposition by various parties, including the

department of farmer welfare and

agriculture development of MP, Madhya

Kshetra Basmati Growers Association

Samiti based in Raisen district among others

against the application of Apeda.

http://www.financialexpress.com/article/markets

/commodities/india-pakistan-spar-over-gi-tag-

for-basmati-rice/27319/

Porridge could be key to a

long and healthy life, says

Harvard University

Eating porridge, brown rice or corn each day

could protect the heart against disease,

Harvard University has found

Youngsters who eat oats regularly are 50 per

cent less likely to be overweight, one study

of 10,000 children found Photo: Tim

By Sarah Knapton, Science Editor

4:28PM GMT 05 Jan 2015

A small bowl of porridge each day could be

the key to a long and healthy life, after a

major study by Harvard University found

that whole grains reduce the risk of dying

from heart disease.Although whole grains

are widely believed to be beneficial for

health it is the first research to look at

whether they have a long-term impact on

lifespan.Researchers followed more than

100,000 people for more than 14 years

monitoring their diets and health

outcomes.Everyone involved in the study

was healthy in 1984 when they enrolled, but

when they were followed up in 2010 more

than 26,000 had died.However those who

ate the most whole grains, such as porridge,

brown rice, corn and quinoa seemed

protected from many illnesses and

particularly heart disease.Oats are already

the breakfast of choice for many athletes and

also for dieters, who find the high fibre

levels give them energy for longer.But

scientists found that for each ounce (28g) of

whole grains eaten a day – the equivalent of

a small bowl of porridge – the risk of all

death was reduced by five per cent and heart

deaths by 9 per cent.―These findings further

support current dietary guidelines that

recommend increasing whole-grain

consumption,‖ said lead author Dr Hongyu

Wu of Harvard School of Public

Health.―They also provide promising

evidence that suggests a diet enriched with

whole grains may confer benefits towards

extended life expectancy.‖The findings

remained even when allowing for different

ages, smoking, body mass index and

physical activity.Whole grains, where the

bran and germ remain, contain 25 per cent

more protein than refined grains, such as

those that make white flour, pasta and white

rice.Previous studies have shown that whole

grains can boost bone mineral density, lower

blood pressure, promote healthy gut bacteria

and reduce the risk of diabetes. One

particular fibre found only in oats – called

beta-glucan – has been found to lower

cholesterol which can help to protect against

heart disease. A bioactive compound called

avenanthramide is also thought to stop fat

forming in the arteries, preventing heart

attacks and strokes.Whole grains are also

widely recommended in many dietary

guidelines because they contain high levels

of nutrients like zinc, copper, manganese,

iron and thiamine. They are also believed to

boost levels of antioxidants which combat

free-radicals.The new research suggests that

if more people switched to whole grains,

thousands of lives could be saved each year.

Coronary heart disease is Britain’s biggest

killer, responsible for around 73,000 deaths

in the UK each year. Around 2.3 million

people are living with the condition and one

in six men and one in 10 women will die

from the disease.

Health experts said the study proved that

whole grains were beneficial to health

Victoria Taylor, Senior Dietician at the

British Heart Foundation, said: ―This is an

interesting study and reinforces existing

dietary recommendations to eat more foods

high in fibre.

―People with a higher intake of whole grains

also tended to have a healthier overall

lifestyle and diet so it might not be the

whole grains alone that are having the

benefit in relation to cardiovascular disease.

―But at this time of year when we are all

making resolutions to eat better, switching

to whole-grain versions of bread, breakfast

cereals, pasta and rice is a simple change to

make.‖

The research is published in the journal

JAMA: Internal Medicine.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/1

1325968/Porridge-could-be-key-to-a-long-and-

healthy-life-says-Harvard-University.html