Global News: Ebro’s SunRice acquisition to boost business

(News resource: AFN, Mar. 30, 2011)

Ebro Foods’ two planned acquisitions in the rice sector will be a “new step forward” for the Spanish food group, the company’s chairman and CEO has insisted. Antonio Hernandez Callejas said Ebro’s move to buy Australian rice processor Ricegrowers, as well as the rice assets of fellow Spanish food maker SOS Corporacion Alimentaria - deals that are both yet to be finalised - would benefit the business. Speaking at the Consumer Analyst Group Europe (CAGE) conference in London on Monday, Callejas said Ricegrowers, which trades as SunRice, was a strong business. “SunRice is a very powerful business which is very complimentary to us,” Callejas said.

For more details, please link to the webpage of AFN.

Taiwan TRQ tender for rice imports in April

The third, also the last tender for tariff rate quota, TRQ, of rice imported into Taiwan in 2011 will open on April 28th.

There were 35,652 MT of quota released through the first and second rice TRQ tenders, which the dates are Nov. 26th, 2010 and Feb. 24th, 2011. And there will be 15,000 MT of import quota released in the last tender. And the total quantity should be 50,652 MT.

The 50,652 MT of rice should be imported into Taiwan market by private sectors before Dec. 31, 2011.

Taiwan should import 144,720 MT of rice every year, which 94,068 MT to be imported by Taiwan Council of Agriculture, COA, and 50,652 MT by private sectors.

Global News: Traceability for Thai rice to be introduced

(News resource: THE NATION, Mar. 28, 2011)

Thailand will implement a traceability system for rice as a strategy to add value to Thai rice and boost the confidence of consumers and, in particular, Japanese importers. The plan came out of a recent meeting between Commerce Minister Porntiva Nakasai and Japanese rice traders, who called for Thailand to adopt the traceability system. The development will not only better serve demand from Japanese buyers, but also increase trading opportunities for Thai rice in other markets.

For more details, please link to the webpage of THE NATION.

Global News: Philippines bags Hanoi rice deal, seeks Thailand supply

(News resource: ABS-CBN, Mar. 23, 2011)

The Philippines on Wednesday agreed to import 200,000 tons of rice from Vietnam, a deal expected to push up prices in the world's second-largest exporter of the grain, but still below rival Thailand. The Philippines state grains agency is seeking to bring in this year's rice imports before the lean harvest season starts in July. It is also in talks for a similar deal with Thailand, the world's top exporter. But traders in Thailand said they were unlikely to supply a big portion of Manila's rice needs with Thai prices well above those in Vietnam.

For more details, please link to the webpage of ABS-CBN.

Global News: Kerala Millers resume rice export

(News resource: Hindu.com, Mar. 21st, 2011)

Millers in Kerala have resumed the process for export of rice from Kerala as the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, has permitted conditional export of non-basmati rice. The DGFT has allowed millers to export 25,000 tonnes of ‘matta' variety of rice from the Kochi sea port till September 30 this year. The rice exporters in Kerala had been demanding that the ban on export of non-basmati rice be lifted.


For more details, please link to the webpage of Hindu.com.

Global News: Gov't ready to release rice stockpile

(News resource: Japan Today, Mar. 17, 2011)

Farm minister Michihiko Kano said Wednesday the government is ready to release its stockpiled rice and that there is ample supply, in an effort to ease concerns about rice shortages in some parts of the country. While the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry projected about 8.11 million tons of rice to be needed in a year from last July through the end of this June, it has secured a supply of 10.13 million tons and also has 920,000 tons of rice in its stockpile.

For more details of the news, please link to the webpage of Japan Today.

Global News: Japan Says Has Enough Rice Stocks, Ready to Release If Needed

(News resource: Bloomberg, Mar. 16, 2011)

Japan has sufficient stockpiles of rice and is ready to release them if required, farm minister Michihiko Kano said today, as fears of a nuclear radiation leak after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami led to hoarding in some parts of the country. “There are shortages in some areas” but the country has enough in reserve, Kano said in a statement today. Road congestion, scant fuel supplies and the government’s prioritizing aid to earthquake-affected regions were the cause of the rice deficiencies, the statement said.

For more details of the news, please link to the webpage of Bloomberg.

USDA Creates a New Report of Taiwan Foodservice

Last Firday, USDA Foreign Agriculture Service (FAO) uploads a new report named "Taiwan Foodservice - Behind the Scenes (PDF) ".

The report is a monthly publication providing an in-depth look at the foodservice industry in Taiwan.

It's good to have a official report informing us more market tones in my country. But the first report is empty from the general information, page 2. Maybe this one is just a demonstration, and we have to wait until April to read the full report.

Global Snapshot: Rice May Extend Decline, Limiting Food Costs, UN's Calpe Says

(News Resource: Bloomberg, Mar. 15, 2011)

Rice, the staple for half the world, will probably drop on increased supplies, trailing other grains and curbing record food costs. Global stockpiles will increase 4.6 percent to 137 million metric tons by the end of this season, the highest level since 2002, Concepcion Calpe, senior economist at the UN Food & Agriculture Organization, said in an interview. Rice may drop 9.3 percent to $12 per 100 pounds in two months, said Jonathan Barratt, managing director at Sydney-based Commodity Broking Services Pty, who correctly predicted last year’s advance to $15.

For more details of the news, please link to the webpage of Bloomberg.

Global Snapshot: Thai Cabinet approves B200m assistance for Japan

(News Resource: Bangkok Post, Mar. 14, 2011)

The cabinet on Monday approved a 200 million baht budget for providing assistance to victims of the earthquake and subsequent tsunamis that have devastated northeast Japan, and will send a medical team and supplies to help rescue efforts. It resolved to send 10,000 tonnes of Jasmine rice and 5,000 tonnes of glutinous rice to Japan, a team of medical personnel and medical supplies.

For more details of the news, please link to the webpage of Bangkok Post.

Global News: Philippine Gov't to start tender for rice import rights next week

(News Resource: ABS-CBN)

The state grains agency may start the bidding process for private sector rice import rights next week, as it seeks to secure supplies to counter any risk of bad weather causing major crop damage. Angelito Banayo, administrator of the National Food Authority (NFA), told Reuters the private sector, which was allowed to buy up to 660,000 tons, could purchase rice from Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia. "We may publish the invitation to bid by next week, with actual bidding to be held 10 days after," he said in a phone interview on Thursday.

For more details, please link to the webpage of ABS-CBN.

Taiwan News: Government Meeting For Food Safety

(News Resource: Agriculture and Food Agency, AFA, Taiwan)

On March 7th, Taiwan Council of Agriculture (COA) held a cross-institute meeting to discuss the potential threat of international food safety. In the meeting, COA announced that there won't be shortage on rice, wheat, and soil bean in Taiwan. According to the estimation from COA, the stockpile of rice in Feb is 480,000 MT and will reach 520,000 MT in Dec. The amount is higher than the standard of FAO, Japan, and South Korea.

For more detail of the news, please link to the webpage of AFA (traditional Chinese version).