The price of rice could rise sharply, causing another shortage of the staple grain, the International Rice Research Institute has warned.

"We don't have a lot of buffers. We really need to produce another record rice crop to survive, to keep the price low," the institute's Sam Mohanty says.

The Thai Rice Exporters Association has increased the price of its benchmark white rice by 3% in the past week to $608 a tonne. It is the fourth consecutive week of increases.

Export bans

A year ago rice cost $370 a tonne but shot up to nearly $1,000 in mid-May 2008.

Earlier this week the Philippines agreed to buy at least a million tonnes of rice from the Vietnamese government, according to trade sources.

As supplies of rice tightened last year, governments banned the export of rice.

The IRRI is concerned that could happen again this year if rice crops are as bad as they fear.

But the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation says the situation is nowhere near as bad as the institute claims.

"In April, Egypt should lift its ban on exports, and India may soon after. This could have a depressing effect on prices. I don't foresee any shortages," said an FAO source.

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7833846.stm, 16/1/2009

For more information on demand of rice, join our 2 speakers as they present their papers on:

Long-Term Prospects for Agriculture & Major Commodity Groups: World Agriculture Towards 2030

• Demand and production of wheat, rice & coarse grains
• Demand and production of oil crops, vegetable oils & products
• Demand and production of livestock commodities
• Diversion of food grains towards energy crops

Mr. Mahesh Uniyal, Consultant, Economic and Social Development Dept

FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific

Day 1, 11.50am

Global / Asia Rice Trade Flow & Market Outlook

Mr. Rajeev Raina, Senior Vice President& Head, Rice Division
Olam International Ltd

Day 1, 12.20pm

In view of good response to the World Grains Trade Summit on 17-18 Feb 2009, and in anticipation of the need for larger space to accommodate more registrations, CMT has decided to move the conference venue to the Goodwood Park Hotel Singapore.

Goodwood Park Hotel is conveniently located in the heart of the shopping and entertainment hub of Orchard and Scotts Roads. The Hotel is within the main banking and business district of Shenton Way; making it an ideal choice for both leisure and business travellers. Taxi to Singapore Changi International Airport takes approximately 25 minutes.

As a benefit of being our conference delegate CMT has arranged special discounted room rate at S$ 300++ (Deluxe Single) per room per night including 1 Buffet Breakfast (subject to room and rate availability) for our overseas attendees at Goodwood Park Hotel Singapore. Please reserve your room with the hotel directly, providing full credit card number and expiry date to:

Goodwood Park Hotel Singapore

22 Scotts Road

Singapore228221

Singapore

Tel: 6567301811

Fax: 65 67385034

Angelina Tan, Reservations Manager

rmresv@goodwoodparkhotel.com

Location Map:

For additional information about CMT’s World Grains Summit 2009 do feel free to contact grace@cmtsp.com.sg at tel: 65 63469147

AWB Ltd today advises it is in discussions regarding a possible merger with ABB Grain Ltd.

These discussions are ongoing.

The transaction will only progress if appropriate terms can be agreed and due diligence is completed to each party’s satisfaction.

If agreed, any merger would proceed by way of a scheme of arrangement and would be subject to shareholder, court and regulatory approvals and other conditions agreed by the parties.

AWB Ltd will keep the market informed as required.

Source: www.awb.com.au 28/11/2008, Location: Melbourne, Australia

For more information on AWB, join Mr. Gordon Davis, Managing Director of AWB Ltd., as he presents his paper on:

Australia’s Wheat Supply and its Global Impact on Trade

· AWB Operations Overview

- Grain acquisition

- International marketing plan

· Australian Wheat marketing has changed forever…

- Australian wheat market

- Competition increasing

- Our new competitors

· Wheat production

- Australia / World wheat production & consumption

· A world of opportunity

- Global demand for grains is trending at a faster rate than supply

- Grain food use consumption

· AWB future focus

World Grains Trade Summit, a key industry conference will be held on 17-18 February 2009 in Singapore. The Summit will map the fundamental factors reshaping the grains sector while turning a critical eye towards current market volatility. The event will spotlight insights of the grains industry via investment and innovation successes as well as pinpointing any critical industry gaps that exist currently. Sessions will weigh opportunities in the grains market in Asia and the World, and provide market analysis from innovators and market leaders alike.

Singapore, December 2, 2008 -- The Grains market has seen extreme volatility for the year 2008 as grains prices rose dramatically then reversed course and crashed sharply. The grains market was severely influenced by the cost of crude oil and volatility in the currency markets, as well as supply fears. Only adding to the volatile 2008 was the Credit Crunch causing prices to fall even further from its mid-year peaks.

So what will the future hold? The upcoming World Grains Trade Summit, to be held in Singapore on 17-18 February 2009 serves as the industry platform for expert sharing sessions and panel discussions on the future direction of Asia's Grains Markets. A key outcome of the event? Provide in-depth insights on how businesses can evolve amidst the volatile supplies and changing climate.

Noble Group Ltd's Head of Grains and Oilseeds, Diego Barbero will deliver the keynote address "World Grains Markets--Positioning Asia for the Future." In an interview with FT in August this year, Diego Barbero summed up the current market by noting that crop purchasers are forced to "play cat and mouse" with producers, who "naturally want to hoard their grains until prices are surging."

The UN Food & Agriculture Organization will also present an update on their Long-term Trends & Projections for Global Agriculture Commodities towards 2030 covering wheat, rice, coarse grains, oil crops, vegetable oils and products and livestock commodities.

Another key discussion topic is enhancing the safety of transactions and the role of the commodity exchange in protecting the interests of the grains market. The Chicago Mercantile Exchange Group (CME Group) will share their perspectives on measures to secure transactions on the exchange, and protecting interests of seller and buyer.

Other key contributors sharing market insights at the World Grains Summit include Singapore's newly established Singapore Mercantile Exchange (SMX), currently leading the market shift of agricultural commodities trading from the West into Asia.

World Grains Trade Summit also covers the following developments in the world's grains markets including:

• Impact of Global Economic Downturn on Asia's Grains Markets.
• Future direction of the uneasy energy crops-food grains relationship and impact of crude oil prices.
• Collapse of the Baltic Dry Bulk Index and its impact on grains shipping.
• Trade flow for Rice grains across Asia.
• Corn market outlook for China.
• Latest developments in wheat markets in Australia and AWB Ltd.
• Production & Export of Grains in Ukraine & Black Sea belt.
• Grains Markets dynamics in the Middle East with focus on Iran.
• Grains Demand & Supply outlook for Africa.
• Physical Risk Management solutions for Grains.

Round-table and panel discussions will also articulate strategies that grains and agricultural commodities companies are adopting to stay ahead of the current volatile market conditions and maintain investment inflow into the industry.

World Grains Trade Summit includes over 10 hours of networking with CEOs, MDs and Top Executives in the Global grains and oilseeds sector, and will serve as the grains industry networking platform for the year 2009.

Centre for Management Technology (CMT) will hold theWorld Grains Trade Summit in Singapore on 17-18 Feb 2009.The Conference aims to discuss how the regional grains business is evolving amid volatile supplies & changing climate.

World Grains Trade Summit 2009 is a platform for grains buyers and sellers, commodities trade finance professionals, grains traders and brokers, grains producers, dry bulk shipping agents, and grains industry service providers to share their views on the world grains market positioning, the demand and supply outlook in Asia, Middle East/ Africa, Iran, and Australia.

Among the key speaker contributions at the conference are;

·        Major importer/ end user like MAFF Japan & TTET Union Corp who will share how they are responding to market volatility.

·        Dr Kinlay Dorjee the Senior Economist from FAO Regional office for Asia and the pacific.He will provide his view on the long term prospect for agriculture & major commodities group till 2030, the demand and production of wheat, rice & coarse grains as well as the diversion of food grains towards energy crops.

·        TheSingapore Mercantile Exchange (SMX) will discuss the launch of the commodity exchange in Singapore and provide an overall view of commodities trading inAsia.

·        Mr Nelson Low, Head of Commodities Product ofCME group,Asia is to provide an update on the role exchange plays in the grains industry & safety of transaction in the current financial crisis.

·        Ministry of Japan’s Agriculture, Forestry & Fisheries (MAFF)’s  Director of Food Security Division Mr Tetsuo Ushikusa,  will discuss the future of Japan Agriculture Market & it impact on imports.

·        From Middle East / Africa, the chairman of Setareh Flour Mills Mohammad Reza Mortazavi will provide an overview of the Grains market outlook in Iran.

·        Jean Craven, Group Strategy of Export Trading Group will share on the production & investment outlook as well as demand of grains in Africa

·        From Australia,Mr Gordon Davis Managing Director of AWB will speak on Australia’s Wheat Supply and its Global impact on Trade. He will also discuss Australia / world wheat production & consumption, its marketing and the competition in the grains industries.

In addition to above, top panel of experts from Noble Group Ltd, Agrocrop International Pte Ltd, Nexant Asia, HSBC, Toepfer International Asia, Olam International Limited, Monsanto Company, SGS, Cofco Logistics & Trading Co Ltd, LMC International, Noble Chartering Ltd, Standard Chartered Bank, TTET Union Corporation, Bunge Agribusiness Singapore and many more will also be present at CMT’s World Grains Trade Summit 2009