Grumpy Faces

What goes up, must ...

The previous entry on this blog came on what then seemed a defining moment in Thailand's rice-pledge system. Apparently the pressure had become too much for the sitting government and in spite of all their assurances to the positives of the the rice-pledging, it was thought to bring pledge prices in line with world market prices. Instead of the other way round.

Well as could be expected, farmers were livid: Happy hour to end? We think not! Farmers were to take to the streets. And in Thailand governments futures have been determined by street protests in the latter years. So a new move was needed.

So the expected move was to turn back the drop in rice-pledge price (Bangkok Post, June 30 / July  1, The Nation, July 1)!

However, now some question the governments credibility: this week you are compelled to act in manner a, the next you do the opposite (Bangkok Post, July 1).

And then in November we are to expect that the prices might drop again (Nation, July 3) ...

The same source (July 5) notes that meetings will take place on forehand though. But how will farmers opinions align itself with those of traders and the government wanting to have lower prices? 

One option (though not achievable) I believe would be to let the Thai currency go bankrupt, due to over-excessive government spending (not so difficult). This will result in lower exchange rates and higher inflation. If in the meantime the pledge price remains the same, ergo the problem will resolve itself, everybody will be back to pre-rice pledge times ....

Well if the price is not to move, more will be needed to be done to increase returns / stem losses.

The former: more efforts would be made to sell the pledge produce sooner; thus the pledge price becomes a de-facto export subsidy. The Thai government wishes to dump 4-5 million tonnes on the world market within 3 months (Bangkok Post , July 1); naturally this will mean lower world prices and higher losses ... 

Another part of the export strategy will be upgrading the exports of parboiled rice (Bangkok Post, July 7) a strategy through which Thailand will once again become the globe's leading exporter of rice. This would be the dumping part of the government scheme. Export markets for parboiled rice are mostly cash-strapped African nations. 

New ideas for rice pledging? Lower the price but maintain higher prices for farmers with smaller acreages. So reports the Nation (July 9). This might be cheaper in terms of subsidy, but higher costs for administration and higher rates of corruption .... Typical political thinking ...

Other ideas? Thanks to the Nation (July 4) we also note that:

'Countries such as Vietnam, India, Cambodia and Myanmar would also be encouraged to focus on sustainable rice selling in order to provide their farmers a steady income, he [Deputy Commerce Minister Yanyong Phuangrach] added'. 

Sustainable? Isn't that why the rice pledge programme is in trouble? Because it's not sustainable? Not well-thought out?

Or should we see the scheme in a different light? The Bangkok Post suddenly champions the rice pledge scheme (July 2): every country subsidizes their farmers, so why not Thai?

Corruption? Yeah corruption is everywhere in Thailand.

'Our farmers need our help. I think most people will agree with that. Let's have an honest discussion that puts things in perspective and come up with policies that can help make the lives of our farmers more bearable, so once again we can put a smile back on all those grumpy faces'.

Another option? The Nation (July 12) quotes UN's FAO organisation as noting that Thailand could become the no. 1 seller of rice exports once again (yeah?). That's if they lower their pledging price ... Think again.

The outlay for the rice-pledging scheme will increase; apparently there is a need for more storage capacity (Nation, July 16).

Deeper thought

Bangkok Post (July 23) cooked up opinion: rice plan was always a recipe for disaster?

'The biggest problem, however, is that even now, after so many bad turns, the government does not seem to realise that it has to be more proactive and make some major corrections to its rice-pledging scheme will not stumble into the same pitfalls as it has in the past few years. Having the prime minister eat freshly-cooked rice and proclaim that it is fragrant and delicious won't help'.

Not all is lost (financially?), according to Thai deputy commerce minister (Bangkok Post, July 19), it's a probability:

'The government is prepared to take a big loss as it struggles to offload record stockpiles of rice built up through the state-buying programme, with plans to call for bids on the ageing hoard of grain every two weeks.
"The sale will probably be at a loss as the government aims to increase domestic prices, not to make profits out of the program," Deputy Commerce Minister Yanyong Phuangrach told reporters'.

Bloomberg (July 19) suggest that yes, a loss may occur.

Overtime for Thai finance minister: rating's agency Moody's need not worry (Nation, July 17) he assures us. Thai government confidence (the Nation, July 13):

'The government is confident that the rice-pledging scheme will not negatively affect the country's fiscal position, and is continuing the programme as it helps to increase purchasing power and narrow the income gap, the finance minister said yesterday'.

The Nation (July 15) notes that despite what we might think farmers hardly gain from higher prices:

'Phuti Srisamutnak, president of the Thai Farmers Support Association, said farmers remained poor, despite the high pledging price. Humidity was the main factor that pressured the price, allowing farmers to earn much less than Bt15,000 per tonne. Usually, they get only Bt12,000 a tonne from millers, claiming the rice is of low quality.
"The cost of production has increased considerably in line with the high pledging price. After the government set the price at Bt15,000, the cost of production [including rentals, pesticide, fertiliser, labour, transport, tractor rentals, and fuel) also went up by Bt3,000 a tonne. The cost of production has been increased from Bt5,000 per tonne per rai to more than Bt8,000," he said'.

The Thai troubles with rice pledging even make Time World (July 12) An excerpt of the past 2 years of rice-pledging:

'In the meantime, her administration [Thai PM] has to bat away daily reports on the rice “scheme,” as the local papers call it. Stories hint at galloping costs and widespread corruption. The government has acknowledged the program has already cost [US] $4.4 billion in its first year. How much it will eventually cost depends on a factor outside of the government’s control, the global price of rice'. 

Side issues of rice pledge

• Quality control. 

With the Thai government unable to off-load rice as they await for the moment the market will cave in and the subsequent price rise (hint: they are in for a long wait) there are issues with what is now being sold: is it poor quality produce? Are there traces of fumigation?

Bangkok Post (July 1) reports on a small amount of chemical contamination.

Then come the rumours. To achieve a (to the eye) sell-able product, fumigation is required. Bangkok Post (July 11):

'Mr Suttipong [TV host] argued that he posted about the alleged contamination of some rice brands [amongst them CP brand Umbrella] with good intentions, because he is concerned about the health of consumers.

While he was composing the post on his iPhone, he accidentally hit the send button, despite the post being incomplete. He immediately deleted the post but it had already been shared by many people, he said.

He insisted that his comments had nothing to do with politics or the intention to discredit any brand of rice'.

TV host is now being sued for defamation.

The government also notes that the (CP) Umbrella brand of rice is safe for consumption (Bangkok Post, July 14).

Bangkok Post (July 16) sides with CP.  

The Nation (July 17) has some quality news:

'A consumer watchdog is calling on the government to inspect packaged rice after random tests found several samples to be tainted with high levels of methyl bromide, which is used to kill rice-eating bugs.
Meanwhile, three state agencies - the Agriculture Department, the Medical Sciences Department and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) - said they found no contamination in tests they conducted earlier.
Saree Ongsomwang, secretary-general for the Foundation for Consumers, said her agency had teamed up with the Bio Thai Foundation to collect 46 random samples of packaged rice sold under 36 brands to test for chemical substances, including methyl bromide, organophosphate, carbamate compounds and fungicide.
All samples, collected between June 19 and 27 from supermarkets, retail shops and department stores, were tested at an independent laboratory.
Tests found that 12 of the 46 samples were free of contamination, but traces of methyl bromide were found in 34 samples, of which one sample was found to have exceeded the safe level with 67.4 milligram per kilogram of the chemical. As per the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) codex, levels of methyl bromide in food should not exceed 50mg per kg'.

The Bangkok Post (July 18), while commenting on TV host affair, hacks in on Facebook:

'And another concern on Facebook is clicking "Like" on your friends' messages and pictures. Before you click "Like", please consider if you should'.

And the Nation (July 18) now comes with the surprising info that state agencies concerned with food health issues are increasing their checks and becoming more strict. Too late?

Bangkok Post (July 20) notes that the Thai PM assures the rice the Thai buy in their local store is up to standard (with the 1 exception).

And it is time to shut up (concerning rice contamination) or else we will shoot ourselves in the foot (Nation, July 21).

Bangkok Post (July 26) notes that even after fumigation, rice is safe to consume.

Bangkok Post (July 24) pays a visit to a rice warehouse: sorry sight. And the expectations are that the government is useless in ensuring proper storage.

Thai Rice Packers are offering compensation if anyone dies after consuming contaminated rice (Nation, July 25).

•  Corruption

And the fire-brand sales of rice (see above) will of course happen transparently (Nation, July 1). 

Despite this assurance,  Anti-Corruption Thailand wants this to happen transparently (?) (Bangkok Post, July 5).

Concerning corruption, one part of the government is claiming that the pledge programme is rife with corruption (Bangkok Post, July 3). Then a day later (Bangkok Post) the PM wants proof (she doesn't believe her own government member?) despite this:

'However, she [the PM] admitted checks on rice stocks at 2,000 warehouses have found evidence of corruption at 27 of them'. 

The Nation (July 6) continues in the same frame:

'... each phase of the rice-pledging scheme process is susceptible to fraud, such as the inflated number of registered farmers, 3 million tonnes of incorrect rice stocks reported and the loss figure of Bt220 billion'.

Then the Bangkok Post (July 7) notices that the government official is actually an undercover agent for the opposition ... Or not? Note the 70 plus comments ...

• Illegal pledging. 

Twenty five tonnes of illegally imported rice from Myanmar are found (Bangkok Post, July 2). 

In Burma they are well aware of the rising amounts disappearing to Thailand (Asia Sentinel, July 9), but note that the illegal trade with China is much higher (est. 800,000 tonnes).

Reuters (July 14) also notes the rice smuggling trade which goes to Thailand whereas everybody would expect the reverse ...

'The International Grains Council in London estimated the equivalent of 750,000 tonnes of milled rice a year was coming into Thailand, senior economist Darren Cooper said. That would be about 900,000 tonnes of unmilled rice, or paddy.
"Clearly shipments (to Thailand) started going up since the intervention scheme started," Cooper said. "It is highly attractive for the neighboring countries to try and get as much rice across to Thailand as possible and supply into the scheme."'

• Theft

Bangkok Post (July 8) mentions that four millers will be charged with theft (actually embezzlement) of rice. No news on whether this has actually happened ...

Regional

Vietnam is much more tentative in it's government involvement in the market (Nation, July 3):

'On June 15, several businesses began to purchase rice for storage in the Mekong Delta under a government programme that aims to ensure farmers' income level.

The government has covered 100 per cent of interest rates on three-month loans to assist businesses to buy rice.

However, the large remaining stockpile of winter-spring rice, due to low exports over the last few months, is a challenge, as the eligible enterprises do not have enough warehouse space to store the forthcoming summer-autumn rice'.

Indonesia has been building up it's own stacks of rice, naturally to make it less susceptible to price swings. This is bad news for exporters ... (Reuters, July 25).

 

Cambodian affairs

An interview with a rice miller in the Phnom Penh Post (July 26). Same, same. Lack of capital to trade, some distrust in providence of product.

Four months after signing an agreement to sell rice to the Philippines, nothing has happened (PPP, July 25):

'Philippine Ambassador to Cambodia Noe Wong and Cambodian Minister of Commerce Cham Prasidh signed a deal in April for the Philippines National Food Authority to import rice through the Cambodian state-owned enterprise Green Trade.

Thon Virak, Green Trade’s director, said yesterday that the company is waiting to schedule a meeting because relevant partners are busy preparing for the election.

“We are still waiting for the delegation from the Philippines to come here for a detailed discussion,” Virak said. “We plan to send the invitation letter to them, but need to wait for Cambodia’s new government to form after the national election.”

Last year, a similar agreement between Cambodia and the Philippines was also planned but could not be finalised after Cambodia reportedly delayed a decision to lower prices to levels the Philippines was demanding'.

Same, same thus.

Though Cambodia's exports are on the up, they are increasingly worrying about the other Thai neighbour, Burma (PPP, July 10):

'Cambodia exported nearly 176,000 tonnes of rice in the first six months of the year, a 125 per cent increase from the same period in 2012, when about 78,000 tonnes left the country.

Most of that, or about 60 per cent, went to countries in the European Union, which grants Cambodia duty-free tariffs under its Everything But Arms agreement to provide opportunities for growth.

In June, however, the EU readmitted Myanmar to its trade preference scheme in response to wide-ranging political and economic reforms taking hold in the country since President Thein Sein took power in 2011'.

What seems odd is the following:

'Srey Chanthy, Acting Interim President of the Cambodian Economic Association, said that Myanmar, with its “large land cultivated area” and “plenty of rice surplus”, can be a big player. But the decades out of the game have taken their toll.

“It will take Myanmar years to be recognised in the market and improve their production standards,” he said.

Chanthy said that Myanmar will have to put in place a new institutional structure and a relevant legal framework with quality standards before it can meet market needs'.

The same could be said for Cambodia ...

Another export market, Brunei is to be focussed on (PPP, July 7):

'With its first shipment expected in November, the Baitong Rice Export Company and the Federation of Cambodian Rice Millers Association will send 3,000 tonnes of fragrant rice to Brunei, the smallest of the 10-member ASEAN states, with a population of a little more than 400,000'. 

Note the prices of over $1000 a tonne!

Not only are overall Cambodian rice exports up (doubled!), exports of organic rice are also double (Cambodia Daily, July 10):

'“In the first six months of this year we’ve exported about 200 tons of organic rice, which is about double last year’s figure,” said Cedac president Yang Saing Koma, adding that farmers aren’t producing enough to meet de­mand. “We hope that by next year, we’ll be exporting 1,500 tons annually.”' 

Hong Kong officials wants more direct Cambodian rice imports (PPP, July 2).

A little hybrid

Malaya Business Insight (July 9) has some new insights on hybrid seeds:

'Market forces and realities on the ground should allow farmers to choose hybrid rice or not.

“There should be no subsidy for hybrid rice,” said Susan R. Brena who heads the Seed Technology Division of the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice). 

“If you want agriculture to take off, let’s teach our farmers to pay for premium quality seeds,” she told Malaya Business Insight.

...

The plan is to increase the hectarage of hybrids by 72 percent to 284,400 hectares; last year it was 164,787 hectares – or just 3.5 percent of the country’s of 4,689,960 hectares. The hybrid rice hectarage will be expanded to 388,000 hectares next year'.

So despite private investment and goverment investment, hybrids still fail to take off on a larger scale?

Fancy

China a compass nation? Well, read this (China Post, Mar. 8): 

'China has delayed the introduction of genetically modified rice and corn as it tries to head off public fears, leading government scientists said on Thursday.'

Caving in to public demand? Fancy that. Oh, do note this is a Taiwanese publication ...

Rice pledge price

Will the pledge price drop? Bangkok Post (Feb. 28): 

'The Ministry of Commerce will propose to the National Rice Policy Committee that the pledging price of non-glutinous unmilled rice be lowered, permanent secretary Watcharee Wimuktayon said.

The rice panel, chaired by Commerce Minister Boonsong Teriyapirom, is scheduled to meet on Friday, March 1.

Mrs Watcharee said her ministry will propose three price levels for non-glutinous paddy to the committee for consideration - the same 15,000 baht per tonne, 14,000 baht and 13,000 baht per tonne'. 

So the ministry is so wise they can't even come up with 1 recommendation? More government logic: 

'If the pledging price of the paddy is lowered, rice exporters would be able to export more and foreign exchange revenue would rise and the rice industry would expand, while farmers would not be affected, she said'. 

If the pledge price drops, farmers will not be affected? 

On the same proposal the Nation clarifies: 

'Vatchari [same as Watcharee above] said farmers should be able to accept the price change because the government will continue to support them and help with reducing the costs of production.
Although the price pledging is the result of the government's policy, it could be adjusted if it will create a better outcome for the rice industry, Vatchari said. Farmers should not suffer from lower incomes as most have relieved themselves of debts during the past two years of high prices, she added'. 

No proof though ...

The response of farmers: predictable? Bangkok Post (Mar. 1): 

'The Commerce Ministry's proposal to slash the rice pledging price has infuriated paddy farmers, who are threatening to hold a mass rally if it goes ahead.

Kittisak Ratanawaraha, head of a network of rice growers in 17 northern provinces, said any move by the government to go back on its promise to pay 15,000 baht for each tonne of pledged rice would be completely unacceptable'.

It also notes

'Mr Kittisak said farmers rarely receive the full 15,000-baht rate under the present rice pledging scheme, because moisture and contamination are often cited as excuses to cut the price.

Even with the best rice, farmers are often paid only up to 11,000 baht a tonne.

The government has delayed payments for four months, forcing farmers to depend on loan sharks who charge interest rates of 20% a month.

He said if the government cut the pledging price to 13,000 baht a tonne, farmers could end up being paid only 8,000-9,000 baht a tonne.

The Phichit farmer said the pledging scheme was ripe for abuse and does not really benefit farmers.

"If the government wants to really help farmers, it should freeze the prices of fertilisers and farm chemicals, cut interest rates for us and end the delays in payments for pledged rice," Mr Kittisak said'.  

Pandora´s box, once opened it will never ever close .... 

The article garners nearly 50 comments!

Anyway the Nation (Mar 1) reports that even the notion that prices might drop has been ... dropped:

'Commerce Minister Boonsong Teriyapirom yesterday said the NRPC [National Rice Policy Committee] would not convene today, as earlier announced by the ministry's permanent secretary Vatchari Vimooktayon.

...

Chookiat Ophaswongse, honorary president of the Thai Rice Exporters Association, said that to keep its promises to farmers, the government might maintain the pledging price. But because of fiscal constraints, it may put a lid on the amount each farmer can get from the programme.
"Officers involved with the scheme admitted that the pledging scheme had created many problems, including excessive budgets, limited warehousing space, and a drop in export volume," he said'. 

Inevitable?

But the pledge system continues. Bangkok Post (Mar 11) reports 

'The pledging price for the 2012-2013 second crop of off-season rice will remain unchanged, Internal Trade Department director-general Wiboonlaksana Ruamraksa says'. 

Aha. Farmers win? Or the cleptocrats?

On the side

The Nation continues (Mar. 6)  with summing up the costs: 

'The government's rice-pledging scheme is taking a toll on Thailand's tightly squeezed budget, as some of the funds from fiscal years 2014-16 might be required to offset the Bt100-billion [US$3 billion!] loss'.

Sell-off on the cards? 

'The government will have to sell off its rice stockpile amassed under the rice pledging scheme at market prices, PM's Office Minister Nawatthamrong Boonsongpaisan admitted on Thursday.
...  
Jac Luyendijk, chief executive officer at Swiss Agri Trading SA, which handles 600,000 tonnes of rice annually, said the price outlook in the long run is bleak. "We have to keep in mind that with these increasing rice stocks in Thailand, the problem will become bigger and bigger," Mr Luyendijk said. "Once Thailand unloads its stockpile we will look to very depressed rice prices for years to come." "Thailand will have to get rid of the surplus in the next few months to be able to continue the programme and purchase rice again," said Samarendu Mohanty, a senior economist at the International Rice Research Institute, a group based in the Philippines. "Thailand cannot continue to hold these stocks for a long time due to quality issues and also the space."' 

The optimists view of the road ahead, as reported by the Bangkok Post (Mar. 7).

Extending the rice pledging scheme is bad news (nothing new there ...)? At least according to the Nation (Mar. 14): 

'The government's insistence on maintaining the rice-pledging price at Bt15,000 per tonne for another year will not only continue to dampen Thailand's export competitiveness and the rice-trading industry, but also lead to higher budgetary losses and a gloomy future for rice-farming development'.

'The government's rice pledging scheme appears to have created a new worry for consumers. Besides concerns over whether the government can manage its huge rice stockpile to prevent any severe impact on the country's budget, many people now wonder if is it safe to eat rice that has been kept in warehouses for years'. 

Well, such articles (Bangkok Post, Mar. 18) are undercutting the Thai governments ability to off-load on the local market, let alone as exports ...

More opposition as noted in the Bangkok Post (Mar. 19): 

'The government's costly rice pledging programme is again under fire, this time riling Virabongsa Ramangkura.

"I disagree with the government's plan to use taxpayers' money to subsidise the state's rice pledging scheme in the off-season harvest," said Mr Virabongsa, chairman of the Strategic Committee for Reconstruction and Future Development.

"The government had better shift its focus to promote high-value crops such as Hom Mali rice, organic rice, energy crops and fast-growing plants such as eucalyptus and the neem tree (Sadao). These will generate more benefits."'

There are some limitations set to the pledging. According to the Bangkok Post (Mar. 20), 18 varieties will be excluded. These short duration varieties are considered poor quality and thus fail to meet new quality requirements. do note that this is a proposal ...

 
ASEAN wide

Neighbours of Thailand are becoming ripe for harvesting? CPF thinks so (Nation, Mar. 4) and is investing in Lao and Cambodia: 

'CP Laos and CP Cambodia are investing a combined Bt250 million to set up a new silo for maize in Cambodia and a new feed-meal plant in Laos to strengthen CPF's integrated agricultural-industrial business ...'.

Focus:

'Sakol [Sakol Cheewakoset, president of CP Laos and CP Cambodia] said the plant in Pailin province would ensure the company's distribution in western Cambodia, an important area for agricultural production. Having a plant there will reduce logistics costs. Initially, capacity is set at 10,000 tonnes per month.
The company is also considering investing in aquaculture in Cambodia in the near future.
"CP's business in Cambodia is doing well, as food business still has great opportunity. Our five-year business plan aims to double our total sales every year," Sakol said'.

Meanwhile in Burma, a sign of the rosy future? The Nation (Mar. 19) reports that Burmese rice is heading towards Japan for the first time.

 

Rice and more

Meanwhile Cambodia is experiencing a positive return on it's exports.  Phnom Penh Post (PPP, Mar. 5) reports:

'Cambodia milled rice exports reached 49,815 tonnes in the first two months of this year, an increase of 106 per cent from the same period last year. Jasmine rice was the biggest part of the exports, followed by long grain white rice, data from the Secretariat of the One Window service for rice exports showed'.

Exports for all agricultural products to Malaysia looking up according to the PPP (Mar. 4): 

'Cambodia’s exports of agricultural products to Malaysia rose sharply last year compared to a year earlier, according to a press release from the Malaysian embassy to Cambodia, with milled rice and crude rubber accounting for most of the total'.

The PPP (Mar. 3) cites a report by Cambodia Development Resource Institute (CDRI) which looks into the sales of fertilizer. Amongst it's finds: 

'Lim Chheng Lay, vice-chairman of Lim Bun Heng Trading Co, a fertiliser importer and distribution company, estimates 40 per cent of fertiliser currently on the market is fake. ...

CDRI conducted a small survey of 35 farmers in Takeo province and estimates that 10 per cent of farmers had bought fake fertilisers, causing yield losses worth between $285 and $350.

CDRI’s preliminary findings also question the government’s licensing conditions, suggesting that it constrains market potential and encourages “large scale” illegal fertiliser smuggling from Vietnam.

After many attempts to make contact, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries would not comment on the issue'. 

All involved want the government to take action as if the government is able to, willing and most preferred party to intervene. How about companies taking action? Or farmers identifying fake fertilizer traders?

Millers need cash. So the Asian Development Bank responds with the Climate Resilient Rice Commercialization Sector Development program. Newsworthy? PPP (Mar. 11): 

'The Ministry of Commerce and bank officials announced yesterday that they will hold a meeting next month aimed at better facilitating rice millers’ access to credit'. 

So not newsworthy.

New markets? Green Trade is betting on Libya, so reports the PPP (Mar. 14). They cite company officials sounding very upbeat. Note:

'Last August, Green Trade signed a deal with Indonesia’s state-owned DULOG to supply 100,000 tonnes of milled rice per year. However, the rice was never exported'.

The PPP (Mar. 13) notes that returns from rubber are dropping even though prices are going up (seasonally) year-on-year the prices are down. 

'In 2012, Cambodia exported 54,000 tonnes of dried rubber, up 16.6 per cent from 46,700 tonnes in 2011.
The total value of 2012 exports, however, dropped 21.2 per cent to $158 million from $201 million in 2011, according to figures from the Ministry of Commerce'.

An article in the PPP (Mar. 20) notes how the government would like to diversify it's exports by promoting exports of agricultural produce. Seems more wishful thinking than a sound strategy.

Something missing from Cambodia? Not in the national news but Radio Australia (Mar. 19) mentions that large-scale rice cultivation should be halted: 

'Environmental scientists are calling for a stop to commercial rice farms being granted huge swathes of land in Cambodia, as one way to protect tropical flooded grasslands and the species that depend on them'. 

It follows on the heels of a Bangkok Post (Mar. 18) report on the subject: 

'Scientists from England's University of East Anglia said big companies have swept into the region, blocked off local communities, and set up commercial rice farms.

"The loss of this entire ecosystem from Southeast Asia is imminent," they said bluntly.

Researchers around the Tonle Sap great lake in northwestern Cambodia called the loss "catastrophic". The area is a wildlife centre of biodiversity and, equally, "a vital fishing, grazing, and traditional rice farming resource for around 1.1 million people," the researchers said'.

Rice prices
Do note that Vietnamese prices are dropping in real terms as well as in comparison to Thai rice prices, according to recent price overview from the FAO:

Prices are set to drop though. Bloomberg (Mar. 5) reports global plantings up to a record high with demand flat or even dropping.

Odd

Odd going-ons in Vietnam. According to Saigon GP Daily (Mar. 19) hybrid rice is illegally being cultivated in Tien Giang. The charactter of the offence: 

'Since Man [Nguyen Duc Man, director general of Pioneer Hi-Bred Vietnam Co. Ltd] is growing hybrid rice on a non-appointed area and without a legal license from the government, the Tien Giang Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is now checking his documents and will hold a meeting with local authorities to resolve this issue'. 

Sometimes one can exaggerate the dangers. The article also mentions: 

'In related news, residents of Tan Loi Hamlet in Tan Tien Commune in Tri Ton District of An Giang Province, discovered suspicious looking strangers trying to lease 12 hectares of land to grow hybrid rice. Had they not been found out and reported to local authorities, these strangers would have organized an informal discussion to introduce growing techniques for this hybrid variety to farmers'.

Following on the succes of it's hybrid rice seeds, Longping Agriculture wants to expand (Chinadailyusa, Mar. 14) to become a global leader. It's next step: 

'Wu [Wu Yueshi, chairman of the board of Yuan Longping High-tech Agriculture] said that in its first step to achieve the company's goal, it has submitted a proposal to the current session of CPPCC National Committee to build an "International Rice City" in Changsha of Hunan province, under the leadership of agrarian scientist Yuan Longping, honored as the father of hybrid rice.

"If the proposal is approved, the city will serve as an international production base of hybrid rice to further secure the national grain supply and meet the world's food demand," said Wu, who is also a member of the CPPCC National Committee'.