Commodity Insurance and Trade Finance – March 12, 2012

In the current economic climate, trade risk is ever present in the global rice market. This one day workshop will take participants through typical finance and insurance risks and solutions associated with rice markets, and how traders, buyers and sellers should be responding.

The workshop will cover:

• Risk reduction in trading operations.

-          Identifying and minimising risk.

• Chartering – procedures and avoiding losses

-          Establishing standard chartering terms

-          Ensuring reactivity in case of problems.

-          Involving experts as soon as needed

• Contract terms – how to balance legal and commercial requirements.
• Marine Insurance

- Incoterms

-  Types of Insurance

-  Policy placement

-  Policy management

-  Loss prevention

-  Reduction of premiums

Meet your workshop Leader:

Richard Watts, Managing Director, HR Maritime, Switzerland

Richard Watts is experienced in all areas of shipping, trading, insurance, finance

and legal matters. He started his career working for the leading independent

Rice Trading Company in 2000 by working in various departments, including

contract execution, legal, insurance and shipping (time charter and voyage).

Richard then moved to Addax & Oryx Group’s Rice Trading Company, Ascot

Commodities NV, where he managed all shipping operations for the carriage

of approximately 1 million tons of rice per year. During this time, Richard was

managing all aspects of shipping, including the numerous demurrage claims

generated by the majority of operations being in West Africa. Richard was also

managing all insurance and legal files.

In 2008 Richard created HR Maritime, based in Geneva with the aim of providing

services to the Trading and Shipping Community. Richard is a Fellow of the

Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers (ICS).

Day 1 – Tuesday 13^th March 2012

0800       Welcome Coffee and Registration

0850       Welcome from the Organisers

0855       Opening Remarks from the Chairman

Ian Hart, Managing Editor, The Public Ledger, UK

Rice Trade with Europe

09.00     Recognising Trade Patterns: Recent Developments In International Rice Trading

• Regionalising rice production and demand
• Exploring trading patterns and supply challenges
• Global food security plans and the impact on rice markets

Ian Hart, Managing Editor, The Public Ledger, UK

09.30     The 2013 Common Agriculture Policy Reforms And The Impact On Rice Markets

• Effects on local rice pricing
• Rules for production, intervention, import and export
• Challenges for the local producer

Katerina Spanou, Board Member, Spanos SA, Greece

10.00     Exploring Knowns And Unknowns:  The Food Manufacturer Perspective On Rice Markets

• Developments in European consumer demand
• Global and EU rice prices and impacts on the consumer
• Positioning of local versus imported rice
• Price risk management approaches

Antoine Laroche, Purchasing and Sales Director, Soufflet Alimentaire, France

10.30     Q&A Session Followed By Morning Networking And Refreshment Break

11.15     Why The Rice Price Will Soon Be Above All Expectations And Why It Will Stay So

• Reviewing the Thai rough price intervention in 2011 and its effect on trade
• Farm subsidies in the EU and USA and its effect on trade
• The Cambodia experiment by the EU and its results
• The free trade agreement of the EU with the Caricom nations
• The Venezuela factor and its significance

Dr. Turhane Doerga, President, Alesie Group of Companies, Western Hemisphere

 

11.45     Panel Discussion: Exploring Price Developments For Rice In Europe And Internationally

• Price volatility – what will be the impact of recent government interventions?
• Current market developments on export stock availability
• Will the market see more substitution and price interlinkages?
• Pricing forecast across key varieties
• Managing price volatility in the current environment

Dr. Turhane Doerga, President, Alesie Group of Companies, Western Hemisphere

Katerina Spanou, Board Member, Spanos SA, Greece

12.30     Networking Lunch

Developments in EU Rice Markets

14.00     Arbitration In The Rice Trade

• Need for proper contracts
• Various issues of enforceability in EU and the rest of the world

Conrad Creffield, Director, Novel Management Services, Switzerland

14.30     Assessing Current Trends In Rice Retailing and Marketing

• Understanding retailer requirements
• Regionalising the areas of growth in the EU market
• Opportunities for sustainability in rice retailing

Christian Ulloa, European Sourcing Manager, ICA – Ahold, Sweden

15.00     Consumer Trends In Speciality Rice

• Product innovation and consumer attitudes to speciality rice
• Current demand for organic, wild, fair-trade, black, red and jasmine rice
• Future demand patterns and consumer preferences

Katie Page, Senior Analyst, Datamonitor, UK

15.30     Q&A Session Followed By Afternoon Networking And Refreshment Break

16.15     Case Study: Establishing Trade Routes Into Europe

• Introducing a new variety of rice in a niche market: Cambodian Jasmine Rice
• Understanding import legislations and tariff barriers
• Understanding buyers needs
• Logistics, from the factory to the supermarkets shelves

David Sok, General Manager, Asia Golden Foods, France

16.45     Emerging Developments In Safety Regulation And Requirements In Rice

• Food safety and quality for rice products
• EU plans to put maximum limits on arsenic
• GM Zero Tolerance Policy in EU
• What are the current definitions of maximum residue levels for pesticides and other agricultural chemicals?

Werner Nader, Managing Director, Eurofins Global Control GmbH, Germany

17.15     Q&A Session

17.30     Networking Drinks Reception

Close of Day 1

Day 2 – Wednesday 14^th March 2012

08.30     Welcome Coffee and Registration

08.55     Opening Remarks from the Chairman

Rice Supply Security

09.00     Asian Rice Suppliers Discussion: Export And Price Outlook

• Spotlight on Thai rice
• The Indian export scenario
• Pakistan’s projections for international trade
• Vietnam and Europe trade focus

Protik Guha, Vice President, Amira Foods Ltd., India

Syed Najah Hussain Shah, Chief Executive, ATC Processing (Pvt.) Ltd., Pakistan

Tran Quoc Nam, Sales and Marketing Manager, Dong Thap Trading Corporation (DOCIMEXCO), Vietnam

Song Saran, Chairman, AMRU Rice (Cambodia) Co. Ltd., Cambodia

Bas Rozmuller, Project Manager, Agricultural Supply Chain Development, IFC Advisory Services, Cambodia

10.30     Morning Networking & Refreshment Break

11.00     Rest Of The World Rice Suppliers Discussion: Export And Price Outlook

• Medium grain / Mediterranean rice markets
• Latin American supply markets
• What is the position of US Rice in the EU?

Stephen Jones, Rice Broker, Jackson Son & Co., UK

Silvia Hidalgo, International Trade Analyst, Cooperativa Arrozeira Extremosul, Brazil

1200       Expanding Centres Of Demand: Rice Imports In Africa And The Middle East

• Regional trading outlooks in the context of specific varieties
• The role of key producers in meeting African and Middle Eastern demand
• Traceability and authenticity considerations

Shahid Tawawalla, CEO, Meskay and Femtee, Pakistan

12.30     Networking Lunch

14.00     Exploring African Rice Markets And Their Impact On International Rice Trade

• Emerging import markets and the exporters’ ability to supply them
• Analysing African demand and production
• Exploring future export scenarios and opportunities

Frédéric Lancon, Economist, Environment and Society Department, CIRAD, France

Freight and Cargo Risk Management

14.30     Developing Trends In Container And Dry Bulk Markets

• Container versus dry bulk
• The evolution of rice containerization
• Logistics solution for the rice exporters

Rodrigo Dall Orsoletta, Commercial Manager, Tecon Rio Grande S/A, Brazil

15.00     Risk Management: Cargo Insurance Developments For Importers And Exporters

• Insuring risks when chartering vessels
• Risk management and loss prevention
• Claims control and resolution

Richard Watts, Managing Director, HR Maritime, Switzerland

15.30     Q & A Session Followed By Afternoon Networking & Refreshment Break

Developments In Rice Research And Technology

16.15     Exploring Technologies And Practices That Drive Improvements In Crop Yield And Sustainability

• Delayed transplanting to reduce evaporation losses and groundwater pumping
• Laser assisted leveling to reduce groundwater pumping and improve yields
• Raising bund heights to dramatically improve retention of water from monsoon rainfall

Carlo Galli, Water Resources, Technical & Strategic Adviser, Nestle, Switzerland

16.45     Innovation In Rice: Driving Improvements In Crop Yield

• Key trends for crop improvement technologies
• Globalization of innovation for rice
• The importance of customer insight

Phillip Herve, Product Research Manager, Bayer CropScience, Belgium

17.15     Q&A Session

17.30     Closing Remarks From The Chairman

End of Conference