May 10 (Bloomberg News) —

Rice output will increase 4% from 680 million tons in 2009, as rice production in India, the world’s second largest grower and consumer of rice, is set to increase by 15% to 151 million tons. This data is according the UN Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) e-mail report.

“The chances of El Nino conditions dissipating over the coming months have improved, which would support a return to more normal weather conditions. This to the benefit of still to be planted crops,” said FOA, “India is anticipated to drive much of the production upturn in the region.”

Increased global rice output might help extend a slump in prices, as it eliminates the risk that India may turn to the overseas market to domestic demand of rice. Rough rice futures hiked to last year’s high of $16.27 per 100 pounds in Chicago in part because of speculation that India may become a net importer of rice for the first time in twenty years.

“Greater availability of supplies from the harvesting of the 2009 secondary crop in the northern hemisphere and the 2010 main crops south of the equator could give grounds for further price declines,” quoted FOA.

Rice production in the Philippines, the world’s largest rice importer, might expand by 9% to 17.4 million tons, down from the disappointing 2009 season, as the Philippine government provides seed subsidies to farmers, and the European Union offers a $13.5 million agriculture assistance program, said the FOA.

Rice Production to Rise to Record This Year is a post from: Simply Rice ::..

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1. Philippines to Quadruple Rice Yield by 2011

Bandar Seri Begawan, March 12^th, 2010 – (Brunei Darussalam) The Philippines can increase its rice yield up to 4 tons per hectare, plant its main crop twice a year and attain a 20 percent rice self-sufficiency by 2011 in only 1,300 hectares of land.

While farmers can increase their yields by double cropping – it’s going to take a lot of hard work said, Ronilo A. Beronio, head of the Philippine Rice Research Institute, a Philippine government research and entrepreneurial institution.

During the Wasan farm demonstration, Beronio was quoted as saying, “we have demonstrated that the Philippine rice production system works despite the problems”. Beronio is part of a three member delegation researching the issue. The delegation was comprised of rice and soil experts and who made a three-day strategic assessment of the 1,500 hectares of land planted with rice in the four districts.

Other experts that visited the Philippines (Brunei) were international rice expert Dr. Eulalio Bautista, Dr. César Mamaril, and the PhilRice OIC Deputy Executive Director for Research. They left the country yesterday. When asked about the groups findings, Beronio said that the present problem is strategic , very challenging and a double whammy.

One of the main issues in Philippine rice production is that of problematic drainage, which making the land hard to dry out. Because there are toxicities in the water and land, the drainage issue is exacerbated. “The soil is acidic, salty, full of sulphur, and deficient in nutrients,” Beronio said, adding that in Brunei, seawater floods the land during high tide.

Dr Mamaril, a retired scientist from the International Rice Research Institute, developed the Minus-One Element Technique (MOET) that checks if the soil has enough nutrients for the rice to seed thereby guiding farmers in the use of fertilizers. MOET uses a pre-weighted, low-cost fertilizer formulation from PhilRice to identify the nutrients present in the soil and those needed to nourish the plant. The technique was debuted at the Wasan demonstration farm last year. Since then, rice experts from the Philippines and PhilRice have been sent to Brunei to develop new varieties of rice suited to Philippine soil, aid in seed production, as well as help train local Filipino extension workers in farm techniques.

“We will send two to three Philippine extension specialists to conduct a field school with Brunei farmers,” said Beronio. “They will live and work with the local farmers for three or four months and guide them in the art and science of modern rice production. After all, farming is a full-time job”.

20 students and a teacher from the Wasan Vocational School, as well as 10 extension workers from the Ministry of Industry & Primary Resources are expected to fly to the Philippines for a three-week training and education program at the PhilRice Central Experiment Station. The assessment survey and overseas training are part of the Brunei Darussalam-Philippine Bilateral Cooperation Project to help the Sultanate attain rice self-sufficiency.

For more information please visit the Borneo Bulletin at  http://www.borneobulletin.com.bn/

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Philippines to Quadruple Rice Yield by 2011 is a post from: Simply Rice ::..

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1. Rice Production to Rise to Record This Year

Philippine Rice Farming

HONG KONG – The rising cost of food is driving Asian inflation rates higher, increasing the stakes for a successful harvest this year in a region still bruised by the 2008 food crisis.

Prices for rice, sugar, milk, and in some places, fruits, vegetables and cooking oils, have risen in recent months, putting pressure on overall consumer prices. The region’s most important economies, including India, China, Thailand, Philippines and Indonesia, are all grappling with how to handle rising prices without snuffing out their economic rebounds. Food-price increases are leading to higher inflation rates across much of Asia, though energy costs and tighter labor markets are also putting pressure on prices.

Asia was hit hard in 2007 and 2008 when shortages of foodstuffs, especially rice, led to hoarding and riots. Armed guards were dispatched to protect rice warehouses in Thailand and the Philippines; Indonesia deployed border agents to prevent smuggling.

Some analysts warn that the structural issues that caused the 2008 food emergency—too much demand and not enough food—are still in place.

For now, prices aren’t near levels that would create major dislocations. For example, in Bangkok, rice is trading at $592 a ton, according to the Thai Rice Exporters Association, after rising 10% from September through December to $618 a ton.

But prices are climbing and businesses hit by rising food costs in 2008 are again feeling the heat. Macquarie Group analysts recently downgraded Hong Kong fast-food company Café de Coral, citing higher food prices. Many of Café de Coral’s dishes are a combination of meat and rice.

A company spokesman said in an email that food prices are a challenge.

“We are not able to raise prices across the board and we have to absorb a substantial portion of the increases,” the Café de Coral spokesman said. “We will need to change the menus periodically to accommodate some of these increases.”

–You can find this article and more like it at: online.wsj.com

Rice Shortages Causing Food Crisis in Asia is a post from: Simply Rice ::..

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