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Daily Global Rice e-Newsletter

Aug ,2015

Vol 5,Issue XIII

August 25 ,2015

Vol 5,Issue XIII

Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter

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Pakistan, Iran eye US$5b trade Mubarak Zeb Khan Dawn

Publication Date : 25-08-2015

Ahead of a high-level technical delegation from Iran, the Ministry of Commerce on Monday

explored various avenues to enhance bilateral trade to $5 billion in the next five years after the

lifting of international sanctions against Iran.A delegation from Iran will visit Islamabad on

August 25 to 26 to revive the trade links.Pakistan has a narrow export basket to Iran because 63

per cent of exports comprised of rice alone.Pakistan‘s exports to Iran fell to a low level of $43

million in 2014 from $182 million in 2010.

While Iranian imports fell to $186 million in 2014 from $884 million in 2010.Pakistan signed a

preferential trade agreement (PTA) with Iran in 2006. Iran is not willing to convert PTA into a

free trade agreement.Tariff concessions were granted to Iran on 309 tariff lines while Pakistan

was offered concessions on 338 tariff lines.Major sectors covered under the PTA were rice,

fruits, cotton, cotton yarn, pharmaceutical products and cutlery.In April 2015, Pakistan and Iran

decided to prepare a five-year plan to enhance bilateral trade to the tune of $5 billion.The visiting

delegation will also discuss expansion of PTA.

Experts predict that payment mechanism normalisation will pave way for diversification of

exports to Iran.The meeting held on Monday in the commerce ministry was attended by officials

from Federal Board of Revenue, State Bank of Pakistan and Trade Development Authority of

Pakistan.The meeting discussed the trade complementarity with Iran and decided to actively

pursue policies to enhance exports of agricultural products to Iran.

http://www.asianewsnet.net/-Pakistan-Iran-eye-US$5b-trade-79901.html

Farmers eye El Nino forecast NICK HEYDON

25 Aug, 2015 04:00 AM

Given concerns about El Nino, some growers won't look to plant dryland cotton

FARMERS are taking into account commodity prices and the season, with many an eye on the El Nino

situation, before making a call about their 2015-16 summer crop plan.McGregor Gourlay senior

agronomist Scott Rogers, Croppa Creek, said the season around Moree was looking promising with a

good moisture profile."There are some areas west of the Newell Highway that aren't looking quite as

good as in other parts of the region," Mr Rogers said.Yet he said, generally, the area planted to summer

crop would probably be down across the district.

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"The summer crop area will probably be back a little bit, with the area planted to sorghum down

given strong chickpea prices."Mr Rogers said given the high chickpea prices, the area set aside

for a summer crop had instead been planted to chickpeas to take advantage of the strong

market.He said dryland cotton was looking to be a popular choice for some farmers, particularly

those looking to switch to this crop for weed management, while there should also be some areas

planted to mungbeans with growers choosing a quicker option to try and avoid a dry

summer.Generally, he said summer crop planting was set to kick off from late August.

"The sorghum plant could possibly be a little bit earlier this year, as a lot of growers are nervous

about the long-range forecast," Mr Rogers said."Given concerns about El Nino, some growers

won't look to plant dryland cotton."As for last year's summer crop, Mr Rogers said the early

planted crops in the district had struggled due to some dry conditions, whereas the later planted

crops were able to take advantage of some rain.In the state's south, NorAg Consulting

agronomist Mark Norvall, Leeton, said seasonal conditions were pleasing at the moment."The

rain has been really good, and is above average compared to this time last year," he said."We are,

however, hanging out a little bit for water allocations to be announced - water allocations are still

low at this point in time."

http://www.theland.com.au/news/agriculture/cropping/general-news/farmers-eye-el-nino-

forecast/2740907.aspx

Golden Rice: a shining solution, or an impending danger? Beta-carotene enriched Golden Rice is a much touted humanitarian solution to widespread Vitamin A

deficiency in poor countries. But many argue the golden grains are only meant to improve the image of

big biotechs.

As the planet's population increases and climate change impacts agricultural production, the big

question for many is how to meet global food demand and ensure that food is nutritious in the

future. So far, the solutions touted - ranging from intensifying farming to genetically modifying

crops - are controversial.In countries such as Brazil and Paraguay, the rise of soybean

monocultures has already caused widespread deforestation and displacement of indigenous

people - sparking protests. But another crop in the form of genetically-altered rice has been at the

center of a raging debate for at least 30 years. It has become a debate over the acceptability of

genetically modified foods in general - and passions run high on both sides.

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The Philippines is home to both developers and critics of the controversial golden grains

Dubbed "golden rice" by its backers, the yellow-colored rice is enriched with beta-carotene to

combat widespread vitamin A deficiency in the developing world. They say it could improve

human health and that preventing production is immoral."We call it a crime against humanity,"

said Patrick Moore, director of Allow Golden Rice Now, a group advocating for the rice's

acceptance. "We take a fairly hard approach, because you have two million children dying every

year."

UNICEF estimates that vitamin A deficiency affects around 250 million children and that it's the

leading cause of preventable childhood blindness in over half of all countries, mainly in Africa

and South Asia.Still, on the other side, it's detractors say genetically modifying a staple food -

consumed by nearly half the world‘s population, according to the International Rice Research

Institute- could have untold effects on human health and biodiversity.Masipag, the network for

Philippine farmers and scientists, say caution is needed.

―Is Golden Rice food, medicine or both? If it is both, then the health department should be doing

safety studies,‖ said Masipag‘s director Chito Medina. ―So far only feeding studies have been

going on, showing that the Vitamin A is absorbed by the body, but there are no safety data

showing whether chemicals may have been produced in the process of genetic engineering.‖

Philippines: The theater of war

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It is unclear what genetically modified rice means for biodiversity - particularly for the future of

other varieties of rice

The Philippines is ground zero for the

rice's warring factions. It's the base of

theInternational Rice Research

Institute (IRRI), which is spearheading

the development of golden rice. It's also

home to the rice's most fervent opponents.

Anti-golden rice activists best expressed

this opposition in August 2013 when they

destroyed test fields in Pili, Camarines

Sur in the west of the country.The

destruction of the fields sparked debates

within the debate. Golden rice promoters saw the protest as a sign that the activists feared the

dangers to human health and environment they had been warning of for so long would prove

unfounded - and destroyed the evidence that could prove the contrary.

"On the one hand, they say there hasn't been enough science, enough testing on golden rice and

then they trash the science that would show golden rice works," said Moore.To Masipag,

however, the test field's destruction made clear that golden rice simply isn't welcome in the

Philippines. Medina said the network itself wasn't officially part of the destruction, but some of

its members were there in their own capacity. Medina also says that IRRI's logic when it comes

to golden rice is faulty.

For IRRI, rice will remain a staple, so what's wrong with making it more nutritious? Masipag

and other activists say that's the wrong approach. The safer, more biodiversity-friendly way to

combat vitamin deficiency is to provide a more balanced and varied diet, with protein and

vegetables. And they say enough beta carotene is found in nature - there‘s no need to modify a

staple food.

―The orange sweet potato has five times more beta carotene than golden rice. Carrots have twice

to three times more,‖ said Medina. ―But vitamin A needs fats in order to be absorbed by the

body. That is one of the reasons there is vitamin A deficiency of very poor people - it‘s because

they can‘t afford to buy meat and they don‘t have balanced diets.‖

Bad for biodiversity?

Just what golden rice may mean for biodiversity, and for the future of native rice varieties is also

hotly contested. IRRI says misinformation about the detrimental effects of the genetically-

modified grain on existing varieties is contaminating debate."We don't understand, we don‘t

know where these ideas are coming from. There is no such thing as wiping out the other varieties

because rice is a self-pollinating plant," said Bruce Tolentino, IRRI's deputy general. "It's an

accusation without scientific basis."

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But activists point to an incident in 2006, when the U.S. Department of Agriculture Department

said trace amounts of a genetically modified strain of rice known as LibertyLink were found in

long-grain rice set for export - apparently after contamination.

"I find it absurd that they use the self-pollination argument, because past experience in China and

the US has shown the opposite," said Dirk Zimmermann, a sustainable agriculture campaigner at

Greenpeace. "Where they planted the rice in small test fields, it spread wildly onto other

production surfaces."Golden rice's cause also isn't helped by the fact that many of the patents for

the rice are held by big-name biotechs like Syngenta, Bayer and Monsanto - all of which have

been singled out for criticism in the GMO and monoculture debate.

Still, advocates of the rice point out that the biotechs have granted royalty-free access to allow

scientists to further develop the rice on a non-profit basis. But many are still worried the

introduction of golden rice will end up pushing farmers into industrial monoculture production.

The golden rice debate isn‘t going to end anytime soon - partly because the product isn't on the

market yet. The IRRI recently reported setbacks on their newest data: right now the rice doesn't

produce the same yields as other industrial varieties and can't compete commercially.IRRI‘s

Tolentino said researchers are working on breeding the rice to address the yield aspect. If they

succeed, they will have to apply for a regulatory permit to test the new variety in an open field.

Only after that would the seed be registered onto the standard seed regulatory system for the

government and private seed growers to use in the market.

―It will take awhile. We‘re still only at the breeding stage,‖ he said. ―It can be anywhere from at

least two years to five years from today.‖But Masipag‘s Medina takes little comfort in the wait.

He says regulatory approval is likely.―Regulators will tend towards approval, they are in favor of

it without really knowing what it is,‖ he said. ―But for us 35,000 MASIPAG farmers, we will be

avoiding golden rice consumption. We‘ll consume what we grow. It‘s sufficient for us.‖

http://www.dw.com/en/golden-rice-a-shining-solution-or-an-impending-danger/a-18670353

Heart smart lamb boost ANDREW MILLER

25 Aug, 2015 02:52 PM

BOOSTING the heart smart properties of lamb may be as simple as supplementing the animal's diet with

a small amount of canola or rice bran oil, according to Tasmanian researchers.Ongoing work at the

Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture (TIA) has been assessing the impact on meat, from feeding sheep

pellets with as little as five per cent of polyunsaturated oils.And Victorian and Tasmanian lotfeeders said

they would be open to the idea of including oils in sheep feed.TIA associate professor in Animal Science

and Genetics, Aduli Malau-Aduli, found feeding sheep supplements like canola, rice bran and flax seed

oil produced lamb that was both healthier and tastier.

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"The results are very promising and we have found that not only does the meat contain high

enough levels of omega-3 fatty acids to deliver health benefits, but that the bad fats, or saturated

fats, are also significantly lower in the meat," Associate Professor Malau-Aduli said."Saturated

fats are detrimental to human health, hence the increasing interest in the search for meat with

high unsaturated fat content and in particular, omega-3 fatty acids that can help combat heart

disease and arthritis," Professor Malua-Aduli said.

Victorian and Tasmanian feedlotters were open to the idea of including oils in sheep feed.Rick

Edgar, who runs a feedlot at West Cuyuac, Merino Stud Nareen, said he had heard about the

trial."I think the eating quality is the big challenge - but I think I would be interested," Mr Edgar

said."Would the cost be that big - canola oil in the mix with the pellets ?

"I don't think that would be a major hurdle - five pc is not a massive change, I think it is an easily

achieved option."Georgie Burbury, Eastfield, Cressy (Tas) said a feedlot would be the place to

try supplementary feeding, if there was a market for the lamb.She said TIA had approached

Eastfield, which turned off 4000 lambs a year, to be part of the trial, but it did not fit into their

system at the time."It comes down to ration cost and the price of the product at the end."If there

is a price for the product, at the other end, then it's a controlled environment, where you can

tinker with the ration," Ms Burbury said.Professor Malua-Aduli said the research demonstrated

meat from sheep fed polyunsaturated oil supplements contained enough omega-3 to be officially

considered a source of dietary omega-3.The meat contained at least 30mg of omega-3 per 100g

of product.

"Taste tests results have also been promising with the lamb fed with canola supplements showing

superior eating qualities," Associate Professor Malau-Aduli said.Research team member, TIA

PhD student Aaron Flakemore's said his goal was to see supermarket lamb with a Heart

Foundation Tick sticker."There is quite a bit of diversity between sheep - some sheep convert the

oil to unsaturated fats better than others," Mr Flakemore said."So there is potential to start

selecting and breeding sheep that are better at making healthy fats."Associate Professor Malau-

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Aduli will deliver a free public talk in Hobart as part of the University of Tasmania's Research

Week at 5.30pm on Wednesday, September 2 at the Brunswick Hotel.

The event will include lamb canapes for guests.

9th International Rice Festival Names Honorees

CROWLEY, LA-- Honorees at this year's International Rice Festival have been announced

ahead of the September 19 Festival Honoree Social and Queen's Ball held here.

Schilling

Schilling

Herbert E. Schilling II of Lafayette, Louisiana has been named Festival Honoree. Schilling is

President of the Schilling Distributing Co., Inc. and has served on the prestigious Anheuser-

Busch Advisory Panel. Anheuser-Busch is the reported largest single domestic user of U.S. rice.

Through Schilling's partnership with Louisiana Rice Mill, L.L.C. he has established a close

association with the rice industry and has maintained relationships that began under the tutorship

of his father with rice mills in Acadiana.

Sylvester

Jeffery Sylvester of Ville Platte, Louisiana was named Rice Farmer of the Year. A fourth-

generation farmer, Sylvester partners with his two brothers to farm 5,500 acres of rice, crawfish,

and soybeans. Extremely active in the community and the rice industry, Sylvester is an alum of

the Rice Foundation Leadership Class, a past board member of the Louisiana Rice Council, the

current president of the Evangeline Parish Rice Growers Association and the Louisiana Rice

Growers Association, and a board member of the Louisiana Rice Political Action Committee.

Sylvester was also instrumental in the formation of the Central Louisiana Rice Growers

Association.

Breaux

The International Rice Festival announced that Tyler Joseph Breaux of Iota, Louisiana is the

Junior Farmer of the Year. Tyler is 17 years old and the son of Jarrod Allen Breaux and Kim

Sittig Breaux. A fourth-generation rice farmer, he and his family farm rice, soybeans, and

crawfish.

One of Louisiana's largest and oldest agricultural festivals, the International Rice Festival draws

thousands of attendees who travel far and wide to take part in the festivities. The four-day

celebration highlights the importance of the rice industry and offers various special events that

are rich in tradition. This year's festival will be held October 15-18th here in Crowley.

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CME Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures

CME Group (Prelim): Closing Rough Rice Futures for August 25

Month Price Net Change

September 2015 $11.345 - $0.050

November 2015 $11.625 - $0.055

January 2016 $11.925 - $0.050

March 2016 $12.175 - $0.045

May 2016 $12.425 - $0.040

July 2016 $12.450 - $0.040

September 2016 $11.460 - $0.040

Scientists Describe Mechanism of Plant Immunity Against

Pathogens

Agrigenomics August 25, 2015

Norwich, UK (Scicasts) — An international team of scientists

have described precisely how a plant can sense a pathogen,

bringing an unprecedented level of detail to a fundamental

hypothesis in plant immunity of relevance to tackling disease in

crops.In the mid-20th century, an American scientist named

Harold Henry Flor helped explain how certain varieties of plants

can fight off some plant killers (pathogens), but not others, with

a model called the "gene-for-gene" hypothesis. Seventy years

later, an international team of scientists describes precisely how

a plant senses a pathogen, bringing an unprecedented level of

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detail to Flor's model."We know that plants have sensors to detect pathogens but we knew little

about how they work," says Professor Banfield from the John Innes Centre (UK).

In a study published in eLife, the team led by Professor Mark Banfield, in collaboration with the

Iwate Biotechnology Research Centre (Japan) and The Sainsbury Laboratory (UK), investigated

how one sensor protein from rice called Pik binds with AVR-Pik, a protein from the rice blast

pathogen. This fungus causes the most devastating disease of rice crops. Using X-ray

crystallography facilities at Diamond Light Source in Oxfordshire, the team succeeded in

imaging the contact points between the plant and pathogen proteins at the molecular level - the

first time this has been done for a pair of plant and pathogen proteins that follow the gene-for-

gene model.

Dr Abbas Maqbool from the JIC, first author of the study added, "Harold Flor predicted that

plant sensors discriminate between different pathogen types, but at the time he had no knowledge

of the molecules involved. It is remarkable that his ideas have now crystallized into detailed

molecular models."Dr Maqbool, Professor Banfield and colleagues went on to discover that the

strength at which the Pik sensor binds with the pathogen AVR-Pik protein correlates with the

strength of the plant's response.

This opens up new avenues for engineering better plant responses against pathogens by building

sensors with increased strength of binding to pathogen proteins, and therefore conferring

enhanced resistance to disease."Once we understand how these plant sensors detect invading

pathogens, we can devise strategies to 'boost' the plant immune system and help protect rice and

other important food crops from disease," says Professor Banfield.

Article adapted from a John Innes Centre news release.

Publication: Structural basis of pathogen recognition by an integrated HMA domain in a plant NLR

immune receptor.Maqbool, A et al. eLife (August 25, 2015):

http://www.redorbit.com/media/uploads/2015/08/ThinkstockPhotos-200247942-001.jpg

Scientists turn oil spill dirt into fertile soil by Eric Hopton

AUGUST 25, 2015

Major oil spills are dramatic and deadly, and most occur offshore, hitting hard and

understandably grabbing big headlines.But 98 percent of all spills – that‘s more than 25,000 a

year – are on land. Clean-up costs exceed $10 billion annually and the environmental impact of

all that contaminated soil is enormous. What if we could reclaim the poisoned land?

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Scientists at Rice University have developed a process known as ―pyrolysis‖ to turn the black

oily dirt into good fertile soil. The technique, in which contaminated soil is heated in the absence

of oxygen, is fast, energy efficient, and much cheaper than current methods.

The dream becomes reality

The new approach is also much better for the environment than standard incineration techniques

for fast remediation, says Pedro Alvarez, professor and chair of Rice‘s civil and environmental

engineering department.―Our original goal was to speed the response to oil spills, but our

aspiration was to turn contaminated soil into fertile soil,‖ says Alvarez. The professor and his

team turned that dream into reality.―Pyrolyzing‖ the contaminated soil for three hours reduced

the amount of petroleum hydrocarbon pollutants to well below regulatory standards. But, as an

unexpected bonus, pyrolysis also enhanced the soil‘s fertility by turning the remaining carbon

into beneficial ―char‖.―We initially thought we could turn the hydrocarbons into biochar,‖

Alvarez says. ―We turned out to be partly wrong: We didn‘t get biochar, but a carbonaceous

material that we call char and resembles coke.‖

―Biochar is a particle that is separate from the soil‘s mineral grains,‖ says biogeochemist and co-

author Caroline Masiello, an associate professor of Earth science.While biochar is itself a

particle, the coke-like char appears to coat existing soil particles. ―It has an internal physical

structure that allows it to hold water and nutrients and provides a home for microbes, but here,

we‘re not making any of those things. We‘re making an organic film that coats the minerals,‖

explained Masiello.

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Growing lettuce from the dead land

By removing toxic pollutants and the hydrophobicity that repels water, as well as retaining some

of the carbon and nutrients, Alvarez hoped the reclaimed soil would enhance plant growth.So the

researchers went on to test their discovery by successfully growing lettuce in reclaimed soil.

―There‘s no one plant officially accepted as the standard for testing petroleum toxicity, but

lettuce has been accepted by the community as very sensitive to toxins, especially petroleum,‖

said graduate student Julia Vidonish, the paper‘s lead author.

Not just desert sand ―Reclaimed soil may not necessarily be used to grow food, but it certainly could be used for re-

greening: planting grass to minimize erosion and to restore vegetation,‖ Alvarez said.The process

takes advantage of existing petroleum chemistry. But the end product is clean. ―The

Environmental Protection Agency does not classify petroleum coke as hazardous waste,‖ said

chemical engineer and co-author Kyriacos Zygourakis, professor of chemical and biomolecular

engineering.―We proved we can remove all the bad actors and all the contaminants and at the

same time have a final product with agricultural value. We don‘t just turn it into desert sand.‖

The new paper is published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology.

http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/1113408133/rice-university-scientists-turn-oil-spill-dirt-into-fertile-soil-

082515/#TG6MejW9IBmFXUf5.99

PH eyes 6.5 pct rice output growth in 2016, says may buy more Reuters

Posted at 08/25/2015 5:41 PM

MANILA - The Philippines aims to increase rice production by as much as 6.5 percent next year

after an expected fall in this year's output, with state spending to boost crop yields helping to

offset possible losses from the El Nino dry weather condition, a senior official said on

Tuesday.Higher domestic output, however, does not mean the Philippines, one of the world's

biggest rice importers, will not import the grain any more, with the government finalizing plans

to buy an additional 250,000 tonnes before the year ends, Francis Pangilinan, the country's food

security chief, told a congressional budget hearing.

The government was reviewing the latest production forecast for 2015 to see if there was a need

to buy more before El Nino intensifies further in the last quarter.Agriculture Secretary Proceso

Alcala said at the same hearing that the target next year is to harvest as much as 20.09 million

tonnes.That compares with the 18.86 million tonnes output that the government statistics agency

has projected for this year, below last year's record harvest of 18.97 million tonnes.Alcala said

the country will still need to import rice to ensure it has a comfortable buffer stock, especially

during the annual lean harvest season that usually starts in July.

Pangilinan, speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the budget hearing, said the government's

Food Security Council, composed of the country's economic managers, will soon finalize its rice

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import plans for the rest of the year.The Southeast Asian country expects to miss its 2015

production target after dry weather linked to the El Nino phenomenon, expected to intensify in

the last quarter, hurt the first-half harvest. http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/business/08/25/15/ph-eyes-65-pct-rice-output-growth-2016-says-may-buy-

more

Pearl Universal Impex invests $100m in rice cultivation

Posted By: Chikodi Okereochaon: August 26, 2015In: BusinessNo Comments

• From left: General Manager, Pearl Universal Impex Ltd, Mr. Nimit Jain; Director, Pearl

Universal Impex Ltd, Mr. Pranshu Goel; Governor Bello; Mr. Jain; Consultant and Public

Relations Officer to Pearl Universal Impex Ltd, Mr. Jibril Bokani Usman; Agronomist, Mr.

Ramanathan Srinivasan; District Head of Luma, Alhaji Isa M. Damisa during the visit.

A major importer of rice

in the country, Pearl

Universal Impex, has

invested over

$100million into the

cultivation of 7, 500

hectares of rice farm and

construction of two rice

mills in Niger State.

Receiving Niger State

Governor, Alhaji

Abubakar Sani Bello at

the farms, its Chairman,

Mr. Pulkit Jain, said the

firm would create 4, 000

direct jobs and 20, 000

indirect jobs through

their out grower scheme.

Jain said the company

intends to farm rice three

times a year on the land.

―We have some challenges, such as the bad road here. But we‘re bringing $2 million of our own

money to invest in the road, bringing the total of the entire project to $100 million,‖ he said.Jain

explained that the company has been a major importer of rice in the country in the past, with

imports of 350,000 metric tonnes of rice yearly, but chose to invest in cultivation and milling of

scientifically tested, high yielding varieties of rice in order to achieve the Federal Government‘s

target of achieving self-sufficiency in rice production.

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He added that the company is also about to set up integrated rice mills with parboiling and

drying facilities in Borgu and Bida local government areas of the state, each with paddy

processing capacity of 150, 000 tons per annum.―We will also support the out grower farmers in

Niger State by providing them with technical know-how, improved seeds, fertiliser and

pesticides and subsequently procure high quality paddy from them to feed 100 per cent capacity

of the rice mills,‖ he announced.Jain said to underline its commitment, the company last June

started a pilot scheme to determine the variety of rice most suitable to the region on a 500

hectares of land in Saminaka, a community situated around Swashi Dam in Borgu Local

Government Area of the state.

http://thenationonlineng.net/pearl-universal-impex-invests-100m-in-rice-cultivation/

What's new at India Sweet House? Chinese food

The 34-year-old Indian shop now has three new Indo-Chinese dishes on the menu: fried rice,

chili paneer and Manchurian. Shown here are the fried rice and the Manchurian -- which isn't

made with chicken, but is vegetarian.

(Amy Scattergood / Los Angeles Times)

By BARBARA HANSEN

India Sweet House on Pico celebrates its 34th anniversary on Aug. 27.

It‘s much the same now as it was then — founder

Jagdish (Jack) Chiller is on hand almost every day,

offering the same sweets and snacks. But recently,

something new was added — Indo-Chinese food.

This was the idea of Chiller‘s nephew, Sahil (Sam)

Chaudhary, a new face in the shop.―I have a lot of

young customers coming in. They need something

different,‖ he says.The three new dishes,

introduced this summer, are listed on a sign taped

to the wall menu. They are fried rice, chili paneer

and Manchurian. The recipes are Chaudhary‘s.

Educated at hotel schools in India, Australia and

the United States, he moved here from New Jersey

a few months ago. Why Chinese? India and China

have a common border and share some ingredients,

he said.Today, China is India‘s largest trading

partner, but the culinary influence began long ago when Chinese migrants settled in India,

chiefly around Calcutta (now Kolkata). Chinese food prepared with an Indian touch is

immensely popular all over the country and on every level, from street stalls to restaurants in

five-star hotels.

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Chicken Manchurian, in a brown sauce with garlic, ginger and soy sauce, is a classic. Because its

food is vegetarian, India Sweet House makes Manchurian with vegetables, including cauliflower,

cabbage, carrots and bell peppers. These are formed into balls held together with flour and

cornstarch and served in a bowl of dark broth seasoned with soy sauce. The mix includes enough

jalapeños to make this one spicy dish. Try it spooned over the fried rice, which is vegetarian-

style, without meat or eggs but with assorted vegetables. Basmati rice makes it light and flaky.

Chili paneer — cubes of Indian cheese smothered with bell pepper and onion — is slightly sweet

as well as spicy, with ground dried chiles from India. If you want to torque it up even more, a

shaker of hot, red chili powder is on each table. What you won‘t find is a bottle of soy sauce.The

condiment bar holds chopped cilantro, onion, green chiles and tamarind and mint chutneys, but

these are meant to go with Indian food.For a beverage? Hot tea, of course. And afterward, get a

sweet from the display in the counter.

India Sweet House, 5992 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles, (323) 934-5193. Daily Dish

Pack to school: What do professional chefs pack for their

kids?

Steve Mellon /Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Pack to school: What do professional chefs pack for their kids?

Steve Mellon /Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Chef Ling Robinson with a summer roll at her restaurant, Asiatique Thai Bistro.

Posted: Tuesday, August 25, 2015 12:00 pm | Updated: 12:05 pm, Tue Aug 25, 2015.

By Arthi Subramaniam Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Restaurant chefs are like every other parent when it comes to

wanting to give their children specially prepared, tasty and healthy

school-box lunches. But they have an advantage because of their

professional background and access to a variety of foods, and can

almost pull off anything when it comes to pleasing their child‘s

palate.Here‘s how they think outside the box for the back-to-school

days:Sonja Finn, chef and owner of Dinette in Pittsburgh‘s East

Liberty, does not favor sugared foods for her 3-year-old son, Miles,

but insists on some sort of fruit.What she packs: A pasta with

walnut-basil pesto. Sometimes she would pack baked spinach rice, which she makes with

basmati rice, onion, spinach and vegetable or chicken stock; or a roasted chicken breast; or some

version of a peanut butter sandwich made with no-sugar peanut butter and low-sugar wheat

bread. A banana is a must, and so is some sort of a cut fruit like watermelon, strawberries or

apricots. Miles‘ favorite is matzo balls made by his nana.

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Her prep technique: ―I make pesto ahead of time and keep it in the freezer. On Sunday night, I

cook a pound of pasta and then add the frozen pesto to the hot pasta. I keep stirring until the

pesto melts completely, coating the pasta and at the same time cooling it. That way I don‘t need

to wait for it to cool to pack it away (waiting isn‘t an option anyway since it‘s already midnight

by the time I get around to making the school lunch). I can immediately pack it into individually

covered containers and put it in the fridge, and I‘m set for the week.‖ Frozen walnuts will ensure

that the pesto will be green, she says.What she won‘t pack: ―No juice boxes and no yogurt

shooters.‖From Dinette‘s menu: Dinette doesn‘t have a lunch menu, and so sometimes Miles

gets a slice of cheese pizza that was made the night before. ―A lot of Miles‘ lunches are prepared

at Dinette.

‖Her school lunch: ―I didn‘t take lunch from home. I did school lunch the whole time.‖Changes

in lunch-box fare: ―The convenience foods and prepackaged foods have gotten worse. There is

more sugar, more salt and the sizes have gotten bigger.‖Bill Fuller is the corporate chef at Big

Burrito. He has an 11- and 14-year-old and packs their lunches every day.What he packs: ―Either

a sandwich, milk (I pack the milk with a small ice pack together in a baggie because my kids

hate warm milk), fruit and snack (crackers, chips, etc.) or a thermos of soup or leftovers instead

of the sandwich. Occasionally two slices of leftover pizza in place of the thermos of

soup/sandwich. If they are sweet, I‘ll drop a piece of leftover Halloween candy or some cookies

in there.‖What he won‘t pack: ―Nothing that won‘t be temperature safe through the course of the

day. Not very many sweets. Never soda.‖

From Casbah‘s menu: ―I always sent leftover pastas from Casbah (his restaurant in Pittsburgh‘s

Shadyside), especially the Ricotta Cavatelli. Both my kids devour that.‖His school lunch: ―We

rarely packed lunches but when we did it was a sandwich, chips/snack, fruit. We usually ate

school lunch because my grandmother cooked in the cafeteria. In those days, they actually

cooked, so it was my grandmother cooking for us every day in grade school. Also, we got free or

reduced lunches throughout school too, and that was hard to pass up.‖His lunch box: ―I had an

‗Adam-12‘ box when I was a little kid.

Also a Spider-Man one, I think. I remember the ‗Adam-12‘ one best because I hit Eddie Krauch

in the face with it once and got in trouble. We were friends, mostly, but got in a fight that

day.‖Changes in the lunch-box fare: ―Not much in my world. I guess I can afford fresh fruit and

my mother couldn‘t. A lot of kids bring pre-packaged stuff. My older kid likes to take Ramen

noodles occasionally since the middle school cafeteria has a microwave. We never had a

microwave!‖Ling Robinson, executive chef and owner of Asiatique Thai Bistro in Larimer‘s

Bakery Square, who has four children and two grandchildren, says it‘s important to prepare a

different lunch every day for children as they will remember it. ―It‘s a gift from childhood that

creates special memories of how much their mother or father loved them,‖ she says.What she

will pack: Fresh, healthy, non-processed food.

―I always include a protein, fruit and vegetable. I grill chicken or beef or salmon, steam

vegetables, thinly slice apples, cut up some carrots, and put it all together in one container with a

light dressing using olive oil. For my older boys, who require more calories, I would make a

sandwich containing salmon, beef or chicken.‖What she won‘t pack: ―Chips, soft drinks or

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17

prepackaged meats.‖From Asiatique‘s menu: ―I would pack foods such as our Summer Roll,

which is quick and easy to make, and contains fresh leaf lettuce, cilantro, mint, avocado, tomato

and tapioca skin.‖ She wraps it with chicken or salmon and rice noodles.Her school lunch:

―Growing up in Thailand, I would take rice with mixed vegetables and seafood.‖ She says she

was fortunate because her parents insisted on those foods along with fruit. ―All kinds of fruits.

‖Her lunch box: ―My lunch box was a vertical stack of containers —the bottom one had rice, the

middle one had steamed vegetables and the top held fresh fruit. I also carried one metal spoon —

no plastic spoons. If you had brothers and sisters at the same school, you also carried their

lunches in your lunch box. You just added more containers to your stack. It was usually the older

child who had to carry it to school.‖Changes in the lunch-box fare:

―Back then, our lunch boxes featured these three different compartments for three food groups.

It was easy to open and was safe and secure. Today, everything is taken in Ziploc bags, which

are sometimes not so easy for the children to open without spilling on themselves. Also, it‘s all

about processed fruits and puddings in plastic containers. I do use the safe plastic box containers

that are easier to open. My boys and grandchildren would have a hard time carrying the stacked

lunch boxes today, so it‘s the next best thing.‖

FRESH RICOTTA CAVATELLI

WITH ITALIAN SAUSAGE,

RAPINI AND TOMATO

You could freeze the Ricotta Cavatelli before adding the sausage and tomatoes.

2 Ricotta Cavatelli (see recipe below)

1/4 cup olive oil, plus oil for pasta water

2 loose Italian sausages (spicy or mild)

4 cloves garlic, sliced thinly

1/2 bunch rapini, thinly sliced

1-2 teaspoons red pepper flakes (optional)

3 cups whole Italian canned plum tomatoes with juice

1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

1 ½ cups fresh ricotta (room temperature)

Make Ricotta Cavatelli.

In a 4-quart pot, add salt and oil to water. Bring water to boil before cooking sausage.

Heat a large skillet and add olive oil. Crumble sausage into oil and let it brown, breaking up large

chunks with a spatula.

When sausage is browned, add garlic and rapini. Add red pepper flakes, if desired. Stir until

rapini is tender.

Roughly crush tomatoes with your hands and add with juice to rapini-sausage mixture.

Put cavatelli in boiling water. Let cook until it floats and then just a minute more.

Strain pasta and add to sausage mixture. Add fresh oregano and toss together. Add seasonings.

Place in a large, shallow pasta bowl. Arrange dabs of ricotta across the surface.

Serve immediately.

For Ricotta Cavatelli

1 pound Lamagna ricotta

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18

3 eggs

4 cups all-purpose flour

Combine ricotta and eggs in mixer fitted with dough hook. Mix well.

Add flour; mix for about 5 minutes. If dough is sticky, add a little more flour and mix again.

Place dough onto counter. Wrap in plastic and allow to rest at least 30 minutes.

Roll dough out to 1/2-inch thick. Then cut into 3/4-inch strips.

Roll through cavatelli maker onto lightly floured tray. Freeze extra pasta.

— Bill Fuller

CHICKEN SUMMER ROLL

It is quick and easy to make.

1 to 2 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breast

1/2 ounce olive oil

1 tapioca skin

1 ounce baby spinach

1 ounce brown rice

2 sprigs cilantro

1 ounce shredded carrots

2 slices of cucumber

Thinly slice meat. Wash in salt water; thoroughly rinse.

Pour olive oil in nonstick pan and saute chicken on both sides until done. Let cool; side slice the

meat and keep ready for use in summer roll.

Wet tapioca skin and lay flat on clean surface.

Spread spinach on top of tapioca skin. Then top with brown rice, cilantro, carrots, cucumber and

sliced chicken.

Tightly roll up tapioca skin.

Slice roll to desired thickness.

Makes approximately 5 pieces.

— Ling Robinson

SIMPLE PESTO

Any pasta will work for this pesto, but the more fanciful the shape, the better. I recommend

having the child pick it out.

1 1/2 ounces grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

2 medium cloves garlic

2 1/2 ounces frozen walnuts

6 ounces basil leaves

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1 pound pasta, cooked

In a food processor, pulse cheese, garlic, walnuts, basil, salt and 1/4 cup olive oil until a little

chunky. Scrape down sides.

Then running the processor, drizzle in the rest of the oil.

If making ahead of time, pack into a plastic bag or container and freeze.

Add pesto to cooked pasta.

Makes approximately 1 cup.

—Sonja Finn

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19

http://www.sentinelsource.com/site/contact/

El Niño event seen worst since 1998 – 25 Aug 2015

Tuesday, August 25th, 2015

The Philippines‘s government expects nearly all the country‘s 81 provinces by end-2015 to feel

the brunt of a dry spell from the current El Niño episode that is seen to be the worst since the

1997-1998 event, the Department of Science and Technology (DoST) said 24 Aug.Philippine

Statistics Authority data show GDP growth slipping from 5.85% y/y in 1996 to 5.19% y/y in

1997 and then worsening to a 0.58% y/y contraction in 1998.Agriculture Secretary Mr. Alcala

told reporters at the sidelines of budget deliberations at the House of Representatives on 18 Aug

that his department has asked for more than PHP1bn in additional funds to support El Niño

mitigating measures. In his announcement last 20 Aug, DoST assured that the government has

been preparing for the worsening El Niño episode that is expected by PAGASA to last until May

16.

External Link : http://www.bworldonline.com/content.php?section=TopStory&title=el-nio-event-seen-worst-

since-1998&id=114141

http://www.centennialasia.com/el-nino-event-seen-worst-since-1998-25-aug-2015/

Rice output up but PH still needs imports — DA August 25, 2015

Written by Jester P. Manalastas

Published in Nation

EVEN if the country is already rice sufficient the government still needs to import rice, the

Department of Agriculture (DA) said. During a budget hearing, Agriculture Secretary Proseso

Alcala reported to the Committee on Appropriations that the country was already 96 percent rice

sufficient in 2014, marking an increase from 82 percent in 2010. In fact, the Philippines was

tagged as the world‘s fastest rice producer with a production growth rate of of 4.02 percent from

2010 to 2014 by the 2015 United States Department of Agriculture World Production, Markets

and Trade report. Alcala added that in 2014, the Philippines recorded its historical best

production of palay — 18.97 million metric tons. He likewise boasted that the Philippines

bested other countries in production growth rates such as India with 2.97 percent, Vietnam with

2.35 percent, and China with 1.14 percent.―The Philippines also exceeded the world average of

1.39 percent,‖ Alcala added.

However, Alcala admitted that the government still needs to buy imported rice to ensure enough

buffer stock, especially during lean months or no rice production during summer months.

Kulang pa tayo sa target natin na 100 percent kaya kailangan pa ding mag-import, para

maiwasan natin na pumila ang mga tao para lang makabili ng bigas,‖ Alcala told the lawmakers.

The DA is also preparing for the adverse effect of the El Niño phenomenon, which the

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20

government is expecting to bring worse and long dry spell resulting in lesser rice production. For

2016, the DA proposed a budget of P53.38 billion or a 2 .6 percent increase from this year‘s

allocation of P52 billion.

http://www.journal.com.ph/news/nation/rice-output-up-but-ph-still-needs-imports-da

Riverina irrigators raise water access concerns through

social media ABC Rural

By Laurissa Smith

PHOTO: Dog Maggie, five-month-old Lachlan and Erin, 10 months, feature on social media for the southern Riverina's Speak

Up campaign. (Shelley Scoullar)

Irrigators in southern New South Wales are turning to social media to drive home their

message of local food production.

Some in the Murray Valley feel

government policies are restricting their

access to irrigation water.They want

politicians and the wider public to know

about it.The Speak Up campaign, which

was launched this month, invites

producers to interact with people by

sharing personal stories of growing food

with irrigation water, on Facebook,

Twitter, and Instagram.Deniliquin rice

farmer and secretary of West Berriquin

Irrigators, Shelley Scoullar, is behind the

initiative.She is frustrated at the lack of a

water allocation for general security

irrigators in the district, despite

Dartmouth Dam holding more than 70 per cent of its capacity and Hume Dam being 40 per cent

full.

"What we really want to be able to do is trade or lease with the (Commonwealth) Environmental

Water Holder the water they've got in surplus so we can use it for productive use," she said."Let's

finish off these crops."Mrs Scoullar said the response to the online campaign has been extremely

positive.Irrigators involved in the campaign met with the NSW Member for Murray Adrian

Piccoli last week to highlight their concerns.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-08-25/speak-up-campaign-southern-riverina-2508/6722072

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21

Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open- Aug 25

Tue Aug 25, 2015 2:29pm IST

Nagpur, Aug 25 Gram prices shot up in Nagpur Agriculture Produce and Marketing

Committee (APMC) here on good festival season demand from local traders amid thin arrival

from

producing regions. Notable rise on NCDEX, upward trend in Madhya Pradesh gram prices and

enquiries from South-based plants also helped to push up prices, according to sources.

* * * *

FOODGRAINS & PULSES

GRAM

* Gram varieties zoomed up in open market on increased buying support from local

traders amid weak arrival from producing belts.

TUAR

* Tuar varieties continued to go up in open market here on increased demand from

local traders amid thin arrival from producing belts. Weak production in this season

reports, thin overseas arrival and sharp rise in Madhya Pradesh tuar prices also

pushed up this commodities prices.

* Moong varieties, Lakhodi dal and Batri dal too zoomed up in open market here on good

seasonal demand from local traders amid tight supply from producing belts.

* In Akola, Tuar - 9,800-910,100, Tuar dal - 13,800-14,200, Udid at 9,400-9,700,

Udid Mogar (clean) - 11,300-11,700, Moong - 7,600-7,800, Moong Mogar

(clean) 9,200-9,800, Gram - 4,500-4,800, Gram Super best bold - 6,000-6,0200

for 100 kg.

* Wheat, rice and other commodities remained steady in open market in thin trading

activity, according to sources.

Nagpur foodgrains APMC auction/open-market prices in rupees for 100 kg

FOODGRAINS Available prices Previous close

Gram Auction 3,900-5,080 3,900-4,970

Gram Pink Auction n.a. 2,100-2,600

Tuar Auction n.a. 8,000-9,800

Moong Auction n.a. 6,000-6,400

Udid Auction n.a. 4,300-4,500

Masoor Auction n.a. 2,600-2,800

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Gram Super Best Bold 6,500-6,800 6,200-6,500

Gram Super Best n.a.

Gram Medium Best 5,900-6,100 5,600-5,800

Gram Dal Medium n.a. n.a.

Gram Mill Quality 5,800-5,900 5,400-5,700

Desi gram Raw 4,900-5,000 4,800-4,850

Gram Filter new 6,200-6,400 6,000-6,200

Gram Kabuli 6,400-7,500 6,400-7,500

Gram Pink 6,800-7,000 6,800-7,000

Tuar Fataka Best 14,300-14,700 14,000-14,100

Tuar Fataka Medium 13,500-13,900 13,000-13,500

Tuar Dal Best Phod 12,800-13,200 12,500-12,900

Tuar Dal Medium phod 12,000-12,600 11,700-12,200

Tuar Gavarani New 10,300-10,400 9,800-10,000

Tuar Karnataka 10,700-10,700 10,400-10,500

Tuar Black 12,600-12,900 12,400-12,800

Masoor dal best 8,600-8,800 8,600-8,800

Masoor dal medium 8,150-8,450 8,150-8,400

Masoor n.a. n.a.

Moong Mogar bold 9,600-9,900 9,600-9,800

Moong Mogar Medium best 8,200-8,800 8,200-8,800

Moong dal Chilka 8,600-8,800 8,500-8,800

Moong Mill quality n.a. n.a.

Moong Chamki best 8,400-9,200 8,400-9,000

Udid Mogar Super best (100 INR/KG) 11,700-12,000 11,700-12,000

Udid Mogar Medium (100 INR/KG) 10,600-11,000 10,600-11,000

Udid Dal Black (100 INR/KG) 9,400-9,800 9,400-9,800

Batri dal (100 INR/KG) 5,100-5,500 4,800-5,500

Lakhodi dal (100 INR/kg) 3,800-4,000 3,500-3,600

Watana Dal (100 INR/KG) 3,150-3,350 3,150-3,350

Watana White (100 INR/KG) 3,100-3,200 3,100-3,200

Watana Green Best (100 INR/KG) 3,300-3,900 3,300-3,900

Wheat 308 (100 INR/KG) 1,400-1,500 1,400-1,500

Wheat Mill quality(100 INR/KG) 1,600-1,700 1,600-1,700

Wheat Filter (100 INR/KG) 1,350-1,550 1,350-1,550

Wheat Lokwan best (100 INR/KG) 2,250-2,400 2,250-2,400

Wheat Lokwan medium (100 INR/KG) 1,950-2,100 1,950-2,100

Lokwan Hath Binar (100 INR/KG) n.a. n.a.

MP Sharbati Best (100 INR/KG) 3,400-3,700 3,400-3,700

MP Sharbati Medium (100 INR/KG) 2,750-2,900 2,750-2,900

Rice BPT New(100 INR/KG) 2,800-3,000 2,800-3,000

Rice BPT (100 INR/KG) 3,050-3,300 3,050-3,300

Rice Parmal (100 INR/KG) 1,700-1,900 1,700-1,900

Rice Swarna new (100 INR/KG) 2,400-2,500 2,400-2,500

Rice Swarna old (100 INR/KG) 2,700-2,800 2,700-2,800

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Rice HMT new(100 INR/KG) 3,400-3,800 3,400-3,800

Rice HMT (100 INR/KG) 3,900-4,300 3,900-4,300

Rice HMT Shriram New(100 INR/KG) 4,300-4,500 4,300-4,500

Rice HMT Shriram old (100 INR/KG) 4,600-5,100 4,600-5,100

Rice Basmati best (100 INR/KG) 8,000-10,000 8,000-10,000

Rice Basmati Medium (100 INR/KG) 7,000-7,500 7,000-7,500

Rice Chinnor new (100 INR/KG) 4,500-4,900 4,500-4,900

Rice Chinnor (100 INR/KG) 5,400-5,700 5,400-5,700

Jowar Gavarani (100 INR/KG) 2,100-2,350 2,100-2,350

Jowar CH-5 (100 INR/KG) 2,400-2,500 2,400-2,500

WEATHER (NAGPUR)

Maximum temp. 33.4 degree Celsius (92.1 degree Fahrenheit), minimum temp.

22.8 degree Celsius (73.0 degree Fahrenheit)

Humidity: Highest - n.a., lowest - n.a.

Rainfall : nil

FORECAST: Partly cloudy sky. Rains or thunder-showers likely towards evening or night.

Maximumand minimum temperature would be around and 34 and 23 degree Celsius

respectively.

Note: n.a.--not available

(For oils, transport costs are excluded from plant delivery prices, butincluded in market prices.)

http://in.reuters.com/article/2015/08/25/nagpur-foodgrain-idINL4N1103CI20150825

Monsoon: Sept, a washout for India, says Korean agency

VINSON KURIAN

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, AUGUST 25:

A deficient August is likely to be followed by a forgettable September to round off this year‘s

South-West monsoon when it retreats fully from mainland India in another 35 days.October

could spring a nasty surprise in terms of drier than normal weather, according to a long-term

forecast issued on Tuesday by the APEC Climate Centre based in Busan, South Korea.

November relief

But November could make an impression with normal rainfall for most of the country with

excess rain indicated for some of the fringe areas.And December could turn in a bumper in terms

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24

of normal rainfall for the country as a whole even as the extreme southern and western flanks

witness excess showers.

The month-wise break-up of expected rain for the four months of September, October,

November and December projected by the South Korean forecaster is as follows:

Month-wise outlook

September

Excess – Odisha, Gangetic West Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh

Normal- Chhattisgarh, East Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu and

Kashmir,Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Northeast Rajasthan, South Tamil Nadu and

Kerala

Deficient – rest of Northwest India and South Peninsula and entire Central India

October

Normal – South Kerala, South Tamil Nadu,East Rajasthan, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir,

Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland-Mizoram-Manipur-Tripura,

Assam and Meghalaya

Deficient – East India, Northwest India, Central India and South Peninsula

November

Excess – Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Bihar and extreme South Peninsula

Normal – Northwest India, West and South Peninsula

Deficient – Tamil Nadu, South Coastal Andhra Pradesh

December

Normal – almost the whole country

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Excess – South Tamil Nadu, Kerala, entire West Coast including Konkan-Goa and adjoining

interior Maharashtra, entire Madhya Pradesh and Vidarbha.

Deficit to stay

The overall rain deficit as a whole was unchanged at 11 per cent on Tuesday but individual

figures for the main four geographical divisions have worsened from overnight.Over South

Peninsula, the shortfall has reverted to being a crippling 20 per cent while that over the Central

Peninsula worsened to 14 per cent.More or less similar is the situation both in North-West India

and East and North-East India where the deficits, though still in single figures, have gone up to

five per cent and seven per cent respectively.

None of the weather models set great store by a fresh low-pressure area expected to form over

North Bay of Bengal in another two days.The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather

Forecasts speculates that the ‗low‘ would die out without so much as a whimper.

(This article was published on August 25, 2015

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/monsoon-sept-a-washout-for-india-says-

korean-agency/article7579217.ece

Arkansas Farm Bureau Daily Commodity Report

A comprehensive daily commodity market report for Arkansas agricultural commodities with

cash markets, futures and insightful analysis and commentary from Arkansas Farm Bureau

commodity analysts.Noteworthy benchmark price levels of interest to farmers and ranchers, as

well as long-term commodity market trends which are developing. Daily fundamental market

influences and technical factors are noted and discussed.

Soybeans

High Low

Cash Bids 909 818

New Crop 893 829

Riceland Foods

Cash Bids Stuttgart: - - - Pendleton: - - -

New Crop Stuttgart: - - - Pendleton: - - -

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26

Futures:

High Low Last Change

Sep '15 908.00 888.00 894.25 +1.50

Nov '15 889.50 867.25 877.75 +3.75

Jan '16 892.00 870.00 881.00 +3.50

Mar '16 890.50 868.75 881.25 +5.00

May '16 891.75 872.00 884.50 +5.75

Jul '16 896.50 878.50 888.25 +5.00

Aug '16 895.25 883.50 887.50 +4.75

Sep '16 883.50 883.50 876.50 +5.75

Nov '16 879.25 862.00 872.25 +5.50

Arkansas Daily Grain Report

FOB Memphis Elevator Crops

Soybean Comment Soybeans were the lone bright spot in the commodity market, as prices recovered today following the overall

market higher today. In addition to this support, prices also got a boost from another large export sale for next

marketing year, that more than 11 million bushels over the last 2-days. While this is great for the near term,

sales for 2015/16 technology remain well below where we would like for them to be. The slow export market

will remain a drag on prices and will likely limit gains as long as the export market remains an issue.

Wheat

High Low

Cash Bids 465 419

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27

New Crop 513 488

Futures:

High Low Last Change

Sep '15 511.25 492.50 495.00 -8.25

Dec '15 516.00 496.50 499.50 -8.50

Mar '16 521.50 502.50 505.75 -6.75

May '16 525.25 506.50 509.25 -6.50

Jul '16 527.00 509.00 511.50 -6.25

Sep '16 534.75 518.75 520.50 -6.25

Dec '16 548.00 531.75 534.50 -6.00

Mar '17 550.00 550.00 544.50 -6.00

May '17 547.75 -5.75

Arkansas Daily Grain Report

FOB Memphis Elevator Crops

Wheat Comment Wheat prices closed lower today, and fell back below support near $5. Continued weak demand and improving

supply remains a drag on prices. U.S. wheat exports and domestic demand continue to be disappointing to the

market and preventing wheat from being able to hold gains above $5.

Grain Sorghum

High Low

Cash Bids 373 332

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28

New Crop 371 306

Arkansas Daily Grain Report

FOB Memphis Elevator Crops

Corn

High Low

Cash Bids 363 321

New Crop 390 341

Futures:

High Low Last Change

Sep '15 375.00 363.75 365.50 -3.25

Dec '15 386.75 375.25 377.00 -3.50

Mar '16 397.50 386.50 388.00 -3.75

May '16 403.75 392.75 394.25 -3.75

Jul '16 408.00 396.75 398.25 -3.75

Sep '16 401.75 390.25 391.75 -3.75

Dec '16 407.25 395.50 397.00 -4.25

Mar '17 416.75 406.50 407.75 -3.75

May '17 417.75 417.75 414.25 -3.50

Arkansas Daily Grain Report

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29

FOB Memphis Elevator Crops

Corn Comment Corn prices closed lower today. While outside markets strengthened, corn failed to hold onto yesterday's

marginal gains. Last week's crop tour showed mixed results with some of the last big states coming in above

last years yields. The market needs additional demand support to help maintain gains, and continue to hold

support near $3.63.

Cotton

Futures:

High Low Last Change

Oct '15 64.64 63.21 63.76 -0.88

Dec '15 64.82 62.86 63.16 -0.89

Mar '16 64.5 62.55 62.86 -1.08

Memphis, TN Cotton and Tobacco Programs

Cotton Comment Cotton futures were sharply lower again today. Growing fears of a global economic slowdown in light of the

recent events in China. Outside markets sold off hard as well. December futures continued to retrace the gains

charted in reaction to the monthly supply/demand report, completing a 62% retracement. The next support is at

the contract low of 61.25.

Rice

High Low

Long Grain Cash Bids - - - - - -

Long Grain New Crop - - - - - -

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Futures:

High Low Last Change

Sep '15 1148.0 1118.5 1134.5 -5.0

Nov '15 1176.5 1145.0 1162.5 -5.5

Jan '16 1190.0 1185.0 1192.5 -5.0

Mar '16 1217.5 -4.5

May '16 1242.5 -4.0

Jul '16 1245.0 -4.0

Sep '16 1146.0 -4.0

Rice Comment Rice futures followed other commodities lower today in reaction to economic news out of China this weekend.

Losses in rice weren't as sharp as other commodities, as the market found support yesterday's low. Additional

support can be found at the 50% retracement level of the summer's gains at $11.06.

Cattle

Futures:

Live Cattle:

High Low Last Change

Aug '15 144.850 143.375 143.525 -0.325

Oct '15 143.450 141.525 141.550 -0.775

Dec '15 145.575 143.700 143.700 -0.675

Feb '16 145.275 143.700 143.725 -0.475

Apr '16 144.025 142.525 142.650 -0.250

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Jun '16 136.175 134.650 134.875 -0.150

Aug '16 134.325 132.925 132.925 -0.175

Oct '16 136.450 135.050 135.300 +0.025

Dec '16 136.000 135.600 135.650 +0.125

Feeders:

High Low Last Change

Aug '15 211.650 210.650 210.700 -0.125

Sep '15 201.500 197.900 198.500 +0.425

Oct '15 198.250 194.325 194.725 -0.175

Nov '15 196.050 192.350 192.450 -0.325

Jan '16 190.475 186.925 187.050 -0.300

Mar '16 188.550 185.125 185.900 +0.125

Apr '16 188.000 186.100 186.875 +0.775

May '16 188.175 185.075 185.925 +1.025

Arkansas Prices

Ft. Smith Livestock Auction

Heber Springs Livestock Auction

Oklahoma City

Oklahoma City - Feeder Cattle Auction Weighted Average Report

Cattle Comment

Cattle prices weakened again today. While prices tried early on to close the gap left in yesterday

market, they failed to do so leaving open the downside potential in live cattle market. While beef

prices moved higher again today, they failed to provide enough support to push prices higher as

slow movement in cash markets.

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Hogs

Futures:

High Low Last Change

Oct '15 67.850 66.150 67.200 +1.375

Dec '15 63.500 62.000 63.200 +1.200

Feb '16 67.875 66.800 67.450 +0.700

Apr '16 71.800 71.075 71.275 +0.125

May '16 76.150 75.950 76.050 +0.300

Jun '16 79.800 79.125 79.150 -0.575

Jul '16 78.500 77.400 78.500 +1.600

Aug '16 77.425 76.875 77.000 +0.250

Oct '16 66.975 66.500 66.850 +0.350

Hog Comment

Shell Eggs

Daily Midwest Regional Eggs

Daily New York Eggs

National Turkeys

Weekly Weighted Average Prices for Whole Young Turkeys

Delmarva Broilers

Daily Southern Broiler/Fryers

http://www.arfb.com/ag-markets-statistics/report/