December 15 ,2018 Vol 9 ,Issue 12
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THESE PRODUCTS WILL HELP TO REDUCE THE LEVEL OF GLUCOSE IN THE BLOOD Jan Hartman | December 12, 2018 | News |
Minimize the consumption of potatoes and rice Scientists from Canada have concluded that replacing starchy side dishes lentils effectively reduces the level of glucose in the blood. Thus, according to the experts, it is possible to achieve a 20 percent reduction in blood sugar levels. So experts recommend to replace the potato and rice in their dishes that is on legumes. With such an appeal addressed to people with diabetes and peredam employees of the Department of health and the science of nutrition and the Department of agriculture and agriculture Canada Allison Duncan and Dan Ramdath. According to them, regular consumption of potatoes and rice in modern humans is significant in order that this food can be considered healthy. In half of the cases starchy side dishes needs to be replaced by others, because in large numbers they contribute to the development of tolerance to insulin, what is the reason for the high content of glucose in the blood. All of this is a prerequisite to the development of metabolic syndrome, obesity and diabetes. Add to your diet legumes As a side dish experts recommend to prefer legumes, and particularly lentils. Replacing half portion of rice with lentils help to reduce the level of glucose in the blood by 20 percent, instead of the potatoes – by 30, experts say. ―Legumes can reduce chronic diseases associated with improper glucose levels,‖ added the scientists.
Jan Hartman Jan Hartman has been a reporter on the news desk since 2013. Before that she wrote about young adolescence and family dynamics for Styles and was the legal affairs correspondent for the Metro
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desk. Before joining The Sivertelegram, Jan Hartman worked as a staff writer at the Village Voice and a freelancer for Newsday, The Wall Street Journal, GQ and Mirabella. https://sivtelegram.media/these-products-will-help-to-reduce-the-level-of-glucose-in-the-blood/72779/
The impact of climate inaction on food security By Lisa Cornish // 13 December 2018 A farmer watering plants at an organic farm in Boung Phao Village, Laos. Photo by: Asian Development Bank / CC BY-NC-ND
CANBERRA — The global food system needs to be transformed to respond to the health and nutrition needs of the future. To achieve this, however, there needs to be a strong global program to prevent greater threats from climate change. In Canberra on Nov. 30, leaders of three CGIAR centers gathered to talk about global food systems as part of a forum on transforming global food systems hosted by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research. The message on climate was consistent: Food security is
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critical to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. But climate change is creating a risk that is growing rapidly. “One of the biggest issues in the use of averages is that it hides the real story of climate change. The real story is around the variability and unpredictability of weather.” — Matthew Morell, director general, International Rice Research Institute Martin Kropff, director general of the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center, and Matthew Morell, director general of the International Rice Research Institute, spent their time visiting Australian research institutes and presenting at a range of forums. As part of their visit, they spoke to Devex about the limits of agricultural research, and why we may be fast hitting barriers of how science can solve food crises in a fast-changing environment. ―Whether it is rice, maize, and livestock, we are looking at similar questions: the livelihood of smallholder farmers, nutrition, empowerment of women, and impact of climate change,‖ Morell said. ―We need to do this to come up with an overall comprehensive solution to solve some of these challenges.‖
Food security requires climate action ―In 1993, I was a scientist at IRRI and our crop models [were] incorporating early climate change projections,‖ Kropff said. ―We made a prediction based on the available models and in those days we wanted to be careful and not alarmist. And I was skeptical. But 25 years later what the models projected is happening. These predictions are real — and I am convinced we have to get out act together. It is not going to be simple.‖ Though the impact of climate change on the environment and food security has been known for decades, the response has been limited.―We have individuals in the world — it is pretty clear who they are — that really want to put their head in the sand about this issue,‖ Morell said. ―They will say that if it‘s cold, that is proof that global warming doesn‘t really exist. But there are also those who point to averages.
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―One of the biggest issues in the use of averages is that it hides the real story of climate change. The real story is around the variability and unpredictability of weather. What I see on the ground is that a monsoon is delayed. I see that there is rain in the dry season when farmers really need it to be dry because they have planted crops that can‘t cope with excess water,‖ Morell said. Among the solutions are to build in biological insurances within plants, giving them the ability to withstand these stresses — whichever way the production season turns out. There is also crop insurance for smallholder farmers so they have the confidence to invest in inputs, maximizing their potential income without fear of being financially destroyed because of the weather. But it is crucial, both Morell and Kropff said, that such solutions are coupled with action to prevent global warming to levels currently being forecast.
Responses remain reactive rather than proactive ―I‘m afraid on food security I would place us as globally complacent,‖ Morell said. Scientific modeling, Morell said, shows that drought, new diseases, and extreme weather events such as cyclones or typhoons will happen — even if it is impossible to pinpoint place or time. ―But if we are rational human beings, we understand that we should invest to future-proof our food systems to deal better with these eventualities,‖ Morell said. ―Yet our political systems and current thinking is responsive — and by then it is less cost-effective and simply less effective in general to deliver food aid rather than build a more resilient system in the first place.‖ Get development's most important headlines in your inbox every day. Subscribe The actions of governments today are still as responsive as the past. And this means that funding for research is just not adequate.
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―In 2008 we had the price of major staples increase and there was an injection of funding because of that,‖ Morell said. ―But now we have slipped back into our old ways. What appalls me is that we still have 800 million people who go to be hungry every night. We still have 151 million children suffering from stunting and hundreds of millions of people suffering from iron and nutrition deficiencies. This is right in front of us every day and it‘s a global disgrace that we haven‘t eliminated that. ―Around the world, there has been a trend, and the populist movement is less generous. And this means the prevention of issues down the track — and the research funding needed — are being overlooked.‖
Limits of what science can achieve ―We continually have new diseases coming in,‖ Kropff said. Since taking on the role of director general in 2015, he has seen more than one new disease a year that has dramatically impacted crops — including a new disease in Africa that is growing fast across the continent, wiping out maize. It is one of the effects of changing environmental conditions. In 2011 an emerging disease wiped out 20 percent of maize crop in Kenya, and it took four years to produce a resistant variety. ―Four years is too long,‖ Kropff said. ―But 10 years ago it would have been 14. We are fast, but not fast enough. We need to deal better with predicting new diseases and have technology that is faster.‖ The concern for Kropff is that with the rate of emerging diseases, there may be a time when they cannot be fast enough. ―When you start innovating, at the beginning it is easy. But there starts to get to a stage where it requires a lot more science to go to the next stage,‖ he said. ―It‘s bigger than people think.‖
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Reducing the impact of climate change is the better solution.
Working together for collective action Responding to the issue of climate change in food security requires global action. Among the 15 CGIAR centers — including the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center and International Rice Research Institute — there is collective action with it impacting all aspects of their work. ―It‘s so important to work globally together,‖ Kopf said. ―I‘m still convinced we can do something about this. The Sustainable Development Goals are the same for all of us and there is a lot of ideas and things we do. And we have programs that go across the centers with our scientists working together. And we need to continue doing this to influence research, funding, and global policies.‖ https://www.devex.com/news/the-impact-of-climate-inaction-on-food-security-94015
Hybrid Rice Contrived By CRISPR Can Clone Its Seeds Celine Machando December 13, 2018 comments off
Succeeding more than 20 years of conjecturing about it, scientists have modified a hybrid diversification of rice so that some of the plants generate cloned seeds. Intersecting two fine varieties of grain can render one prodigious one, merging the principal variety of genes to yield crops advisable attributes such as greater produce. However, such hybrid grain miracles usually do not progress along those desired genetic aspect to all seeds in the course of reproduction. Therefore farmers who persistently want excessive produce have to disburse for the contemporary hybrid seeds every year.
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This contemporary lab genre of hybrid rice would protect those constitution through self-cloning says study coauthor Venkatesan Sundaresan, a plant geneticist at the University of California, Davis. Albeit 400 types of plants encompassing some blackberries and citruses have engendered selfcloning seeds inherently overhauling those routes in crop plants has been difficult than anybody anticipated Sundaresan says. He and his teammates envisioned the idea for the contemporary research while scrutinizing how a fertilized egg becomes a zygote, this mystical cell that restores a whole organism. The researchers found that recasting two sets of genes engendered the Japonica rice hybrid called Kitaake to clone its own seeds. Initially the team discovered that in an impregnated plant egg only the male variety of a gene called BABY BOOM1 discovered in sperm propelled the evolvement of seed embryo. Therefore the scientists thrust a genetic starter switch, called a promoter that allows the female variety of the same gene do similar work. http://coastlineledger.com/2018/12/13/hybrid-rice-contrived-by-crispr-can-clone-its-seeds/
Biologists have created is able to ―clone‖ yourself figure By paradox
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13.12.2018
The rice had not lost the ability to have sexual reproduction.Molecular biologists from the United States created a new variety of rice, able to produce seeds without the participation of the second plant is actually copying itself. Prospects for application of such ―clones‖ have been described in the journal Nature. Today, among scholars there is no clear idea about when and where was the domestication of rice. Genetic studies show that rice was ―tamed‖ by the ancient inhabitants of Southeast Asia or southern China approximately from 9 to 13 thousand years ago, however, the first unequivocal archaeological evidence of its existence have to a much later era, 4.5 to 4 thousand years ago. All this time the farmers and the breeders, dreamed about the breeding of such rice, for reproduction which would not need plants, male and female. At the same time it would make him independent of pollinators, and would create a ―stable‖ varieties of this grain, the properties of whose seed does not depend on the qualities of an unknown ―partner‖ for reproduction. Interestingly, many of the plants in the wild have this property, which scientists call apolognia. On the other hand, no cultivated plant has similar qualities that makes breeders each season to actually re-create hybrid varieties of wheat, tomato, rice and other plants. Sundaresan and his colleagues were able for the first time to realize this dream by studying how different genes in the ―male‖ pollen and ―female‖ semjazachatki. They were interested in those
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stretches of DNA that were active in only one of the types of plant germ cells and what functions they performed. Including turning off these genes, scientists discovered that one of these sites, ―male‖ gene BBM1, played the role of a ―trigger‖ that launches the development programme semjazachatki in full Bud of rice. Following this idea, scientists have modified the DNA of one of the popular varieties of rice so that BBM1 is included not only in male but also in female germ cells. Additionally, scientists have changed their genome in such a way that the formation of pollen and semjazachatki not led to the fact that the number of chromosomes they have halved. This allowed these cells alone become a full-fledged embryo without fertilization by another gamete type. In this case, interestingly, the rice had not lost the ability to have sexual reproduction. He gave healthy offspring, if the pollen could fertilize semjazachatki before it turned into another ―clone‖. As shown by comparison of DNA from different generations of plants, their genomes were completely identical to each other in 30% of cases. In the near future, biologists plan to increase this figure to 100%, and find a way to make ―clones‖ to form the endosperm, pulp grain, without pollen http://micetimes.asia/biologists-have-created-is-able-to-clone-yourself-figure/
New way to grow rice plant clones from seeds ByDaily Excelsior 13/12/2018
LOS ANGELES:Scientists, including those of Indian origin, have discovered a way to grow rice plant clones from seeds, an advance that could lead to high-yielding and disease-resistant crops. The ability to produce a clone, an exact replica, of a plant from its seeds would be a major breakthrough for world agriculture, said researchers at the University of California, Davis in the US.
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Instead of purchasing expensive hybrid seeds each year, which is often beyond the means of farmers in developing countries, farmers could replant seeds from their own hybrid plants and derive the benefits of high yields year after year. ―It‘s a very desirable goal that could change agriculture,‖ said Venkatesan Sundaresan, a professor at UC Davis. Sundaresan and postdoctoral researcher Imtiyaz Khanday discovered that the rice gene BBM1, belonging to a family of plant genes called ―Baby Boom‖ or BBM, is expressed in sperm cells but not in eggs. After fertilisation, BBM1 is expressed in the fertilised cell but — at least initially — this expression comes from the male contribution to the genome. BBM1 switches on the ability of a fertilised egg to form an embryo, according to the study published in the journal Nature. Researchers first used gene editing to remove the ability of the plants to go through meiosis (cell division), so that the egg cells formed instead by mitosis, inheriting a full set of chromosomes from the mother. Then they caused these egg cells to express BBM1, which they would not normally do without fertilisation. ―So we have a diploid egg cell with the ability to make an embryo, and that grows into a clonal seed,‖ Sundaresan said. So far the process has an efficiency of about 30 per cent, but the researchers hope that can be increased with more research. The approach should work in other cereal crops, which have equivalent BBM1 genes, and in other crop plants as well, Sundaresan said. (AGENCIES) http://www.dailyexcelsior.com/new-way-to-grow-rice-plant-clones-from-seeds/
Farmer-Miller Dispute Paralyses Paddy Procurement In Nuapada Edited By Bikram Keshari Jena | By Rojalin Mishra Last updated Dec 13, 2018 - 23:13:43
Nuapada: Farmers in Nuapada district have alleged that dilly-dallying of rice millers and lackadaisical attitude of the administration has virtually paralyzed the paddy procurement process in the district.
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According to sources, the millers are demanding cuts/concessions during procurement citing that paddy do not meet the fair average quality (FAQ) norms. Sources said that tonnes of paddy brought for sale by farmers from distant villages are lying outside the mandis and the farmers are spending sleepless nights to guard them. The mandis in Dharambandha and Moharadihi are paralyzed since 2 days due to the dispute between the millers and farmers. As per allegations, the millers are demanding a reduction of 22.5 kilograms of paddy per quintal citing fair average quality (FAQ) norms. ―The millers are demanding 2-kg cut per quintal, but after we told them that we could only allow 1-kg deduction, they are not willing to procure,‖ alleged a farmer Thumuklal Debangan.
―My harvest is lying outside the mandi and millers are harassing us,‖ said another farmer Kapur Singh Majhi. ―After complaints, the millers came and procured some of it. They are demanding more cuts and forcing us to sell our paddy in lower prices,‖ said Om Prakash Kalar, President of Dharambandha Primary Agricultural Cooperative Society.
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On the other hand, the District Supplies Officer has refuted the allegations made by the farmers and said 1.24 lakh quintal paddy have already been lifted from the mandis. ―Cuts/concessions are not being done anywhere. Paddy from all the mandis is being lifted and all the problems have been sorted out. Out of 61 mandis, 47 mandis are functioning properly in the district‖ said Ashok Kumar Das, District Supplies Officer. https://odishatv.in/odisha/farmer-miller-dispute-paralyses-paddy-procurement-in-nuapda-339434
Odisha Farmers Warn Of Non-Cooperation Agitation From February 2019 Edited By Bikram Keshari Jena | By Devbrat Patnaik Last updated Dec 14, 2018 - 21:41:35
Bhubaneswar: With farmer protests and agricultural distress becoming a major game changer in three Hindi heartland States of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan, all three major political parties in Odisha now seem to be chalking out plans to garner votes of farmers in the State. But with the State government already on the firing line over the tardy pace of paddy procurement and delay in opening of mandis, it seems their problems will worsen if they fail to fulfil the demands of the farmers at the earliest. After a 13-day -long hunger strike failed to move the Odisha government, the Naba Nirman Krushak Sangathan (NNKS) yet again took to streets today and launched a padyatra from Raghunathpur area in Bhubaneswar towards Raj Bhawan to submit a memorandum to the Governor regarding their long-standing demands of price, prestige and pension. Exactly what had happened last month, this time as well, a fully-prepared pre-positioned Commissionerate Police stopped the agitating farmers at Nicco Park Chhak following which the farmers sat on a dharna at the spot. The farmer‘s outfit has threatened to launch a noncooperation agitation from February 1, 2019 if the government does not fulfil their demands. The NNKS alleged that despite several ministerial committee meetings to resolve farmers‘ issues, nothing has been done so far by the government.
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―Through the memorandum, we have given an ultimatum to the State government and if they do not fulfil our demands before January 31, 2019, we will launch non-cooperation agitation across the State from February 1,‖ warned NNKS convenor Akshay Kumar. Meanwhile, farmers across the state have been alleging harassment by rice millers in the paddy procurement process. Similarly, Opposition parties have been targeting the ruling-BJD over alleged irregularities in paddy procurement.
Congress had earlier accused that the paddy
procurement process is being hampered by the alleged nexus between millers and functionaries of the government. Besides, Opposition party chief whip had urged the State government to stop the practice of ‗Katni Chhatni‘ (Reductions on weight of paddy citing sub-par ‗fair average quality‘). Reiterating this, LoP Narasingha Mishra today demanded the resignation of Agriculture Minister and said, ―The paddy procurement process is yet to begin in many places in Western Odisha while farmers are being exploited by the mill owners & middlemen. If the minister doesn‘t take any action against the mill owners, he should better resign from the post.‖ Commenting on the issue, BJP spokesperson Golak Mohapatra said ―This government has done nothing and has failed in all aspects. In the future, farmers will definitely bring a change in the State with their votes.‖ Responding to the allegations, senior BJD leader Prasanna Acharya said, ―Government is completely aware of the issues our farmers are facing. It is trying its best to find a solution in phases which will continue in the future as well.‖ https://odishatv.in/odisha/odisha-farmers-warn-of-non-cooperation-agitation-from-february-2019-339655
Clear pending bills: Millers Fatehgarh Sahib, December 14
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Resentment prevails among rice millers against state procurement agencies due to non-clearance of their pending bills despite the fact that the millers have received clearance certificate i.e. ―no dues‖ from procurement agencies. Nakesh Jindal, press secretary of the association, said on the basis of the NOC, the miller was allotted paddy for the next season. He said there was no reason for procurement agencies to retain any amount of millers related to previous years. He urged the Food Minister to direct agencies to release the dues of the millers worth crores. — OC https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/clear-pending-bills-millers/698618.html
RDB to provide finance to vegetable producing communities Chea Vannak / Khmer Times
Cambodian farmers working in the field. KT/Chor Sokunthea The Rural Development Bank (RDB) is ready to provide loans to vegetable producing communities in a bid to promote chemical-free vegetable production for the local market, said director general Kao Thach yesterday. However, to be eligible for the loans, which have a maturity date of 5 years, the vegetable farmers will have to form their own communities, he said. The maturity date depends on loan size, he said, but he declined to reveal the amount the bank has earmarked for the communities, adding that the budget is from the RDB and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). ―It depends on the amount of loan to be disbursed because I think the vegetable communities are not big enough. They only have a few hundred members making up 50 families, so the loan amount is not a big one. ―I expect the loan incentives will help in the implementation of the project which will rope in 20 communities for an upcoming test pilot programme. ―RDB has started a campaign to encourage farmers to form their agricultural communities. The idea is to get them to produce safer vegetables. The communities in Kampong Speu and Prey Veng provinces will benefit from this pilot project. It will help them get financial support from the bank,‖ Mr Thach said.
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He also said RDB encourages farmers in some provinces around the capital Phnom Penh plus those from Kampong Cham to form communities though in the first stage, the project will focus on the provinces of Kampong Speu and Prey Veng. He said market demand is high for chemical-free vegetables. ―I believe market demand is high if we produce following the standards. We import a lot of vegetables since we only have a small scale production capacity. The problem is our farmers do not dare produce in high quantity. They are afraid they will not have access to the market to dispose their products. ―We work with the traders in the markets, particularly the traders who buy organic vegetables and then encourage them to take up contract farming with the communities,‖ he said. Rith Chamroeun, general manager at Natural Food Store, a shop selling organic vegetables, welcomed the move, saying the project will help boost production of both organic and chemicalfree vegetables which will contribute to lower the prices, making it possible for them to compete with imported ones. Local organic vegetables are produced based on good agricultural practices. RDB is also providing special loans to rice millers for the purchase of paddy rice and to build rice storage facilities. https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50559346/rdb-to-provide-finance-to-vegetable-producing-communities/
Think Rice Truck Raffle Winner! The moment of truth! Michael Fruge of Eunice, Louisiana was the lucky winner of the (photo courtesy Kathryn Duncan) Think Rice Truck Raffle. During the USA Rice Outlook Conference General Session 3, his name was pulled by 82nd International Rice Festival Queen Victoria Callahan from amongst almost 700 entries (click the photo to watch the drawing). Congratulations, Michael and enjoy your new F-150!
Domestic Usage Report Released; Shows Production Rising and Imports Decreasing By Jesica Kincaid Do As It Says
USA Rice released the annual U.S. Rice Domestic Usage Report today, tracking shipments and consumption of U.S. milled rice from August 2016 to July 2017. According to the report, U.S. rice mills
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shipped 119.8 million cwt of rice to domestic and foreign markets, an increase of 7 percent from one year earlier. Gary Reifeiss, of Producers Rice Mill and chairman of the USA Rice Domestic Usage Report Subcommittee, shared his optimism about this report. "Total rice production increased by 16% this year, and rice imports have also decreased by 2.9 percent overall despite increased purchases from Thailand. The percentage of domestic rice in the U.S. market share remained strong at 81.4 percent." Overall, the report captures 72.3 million cwt of rice shipped domestically, an increase of 6 percent over last year. Of that, 55 percent is for direct food use and 45 percent for processed foods like pet food, beer, sakĂŠ, and snacks. The report is free for USA Rice members who have participated in data collection. All others can go here to purchase a report for the reduced fee this year of $250 ($500 for non-members).
Iraq and U.S. Renew Rice Agreement for Three Years By Sarah Moran
BAGHDAD, IRAQ - The Embassy of the United States of America in Iraq and the Ministry of Trade of the Republic of Iraq renewed the rice memorandum of understanding (MOU) for an additional three years.
U.S. Ambassador Douglas Silliman (l.) and Iraq Minister Mohamad Hashim Alaney signing the extension
The MOU, that notes the common objective of strengthening commercial ties between the U.S. and Iraq, used to be renewed every six months but now has been extended until 2021. The MOU also specifies a certain amount of money be allocated for U.S. rice purchases.
The MOU has facilitated the sales of 210,000 MT of U.S. rice since its inception in July 2016.
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Domestic Usage Report Released; Shows Production Rising and Imports Decreasing By Jesica Kincaid
Do As It Says
USA Rice released the annual U.S. Rice Domestic Usage Report today, tracking shipments and consumption of U.S. milled rice from August 2016 to July 2017. According to the report, U.S. rice mills shipped 119.8 million cwt of rice to domestic and foreign markets, an increase of 7 percent from one year earlier. Gary Reifeiss, of Producers Rice Mill and chairman of the USA Rice Domestic Usage Report Subcommittee, shared his optimism about this report. "Total rice production increased by 16% this year, and rice imports have also decreased by 2.9 percent overall despite increased purchases from Thailand. The percentage of domestic rice in the U.S. market share remained strong at 81.4 percent." Overall, the report captures 72.3 million cwt of rice shipped domestically, an increase of 6 percent over last year. Of that, 55 percent is for direct food use and 45 percent for processed foods like pet food, beer, sakĂŠ, and snacks. The report is free for USA Rice members who have participated in data collection. All others can go here to purchase a report for the reduced fee this year of $250 ($500 for non-members).
Think Rice Road Trip Ends on a Charitable Note and with a Salute to the Military
Proud to serve those who serve proudly
By Michael Klein SAN DIEGO, CA - The Think Rice Road Trip came to a close here earlier this week after more than 5,000 miles across nine states with thousands of consumer interactions, and USA Rice teams distributing more than 4,000 pounds of rice and 3,000 Aroma rice cookers. Along the route the teams made several charitable donations in Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, and California, but saved one of the most meaningful for last.
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Since arriving in southern California in late November, the #RideWithRice crew teamed up with the San Diego Food Bank, a group that manages hundreds of charitable organizations in the region, to help them with their important mission.
Kevin Berken and Jennifer James repping rice on Fox 5 San Diego "In November we gave the San Diego Food Bank four commercial rice cookers to distribute, and then last week we participated in the group's Day to Donate alongside great partners like San Diego Fox 5, Von's Supermarkets, Toyota, SeaWorld, and others," explained Cameron Jacobs, USA Rice domestic promotion manager. "Louisiana rice farmer Kevin Berken and Arkansas rice farmer Jennifer James were on hand and helped us generate excitement at the event and hand over about 500pounds of rice."
And then this Monday, USA Rice participated in a food distribution organized by the San Diego Food Bank for families at Naval Base San Diego where the rice cooker distribution generated even more excitement than usual.
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"They told us to expect about 250 families to come through, but word got out that we were giving away rice cookers and we actually saw 386 families," said Asiha Grigsby, USA Rice international promotion manager who was on hand for the event. "The reaction was pretty overwhelming - folks were so appreciative. Being from a military family myself I understand how important it is to let these men and women know we stand with them." Grigsby said one attendee told her, "I'm a busy mom of three including a 10-day old, and my husband deployed this morning. This cooker is exactly what I need and I came down just for this. Thank you so much!" USA Rice Manager of International Policy Jesica Kincaid also volunteered for the event and at one point found herself side by side with the commander of the entire base, Captain Roy Love, handing out cookers and rice. "The volunteers told us this was the most people they have ever served at a single event," she said. "By the end, the other food stations were running low on supplies, but we had enough rice cookers and rice from Uncle Ben's and Producers to send everyone home - including the volunteers - with a care package. It was really special." All told the USA Rice contribution to the San Diego Food Bank exceeded 420 rice cookers and 1,000 pounds of rice, which will have a huge impact on the community."I consider us lucky to be able to partner with the San Diego Food Bank," Jacobs said. "They are so vital to the region with such a wide reach, a caring staff, and delightful volunteers, led so effectively by the wonderful Jim Flores. We met a lot of hard-working and dedicated people around the country, but wrapping up our tour here in California with Jim and his crew sent us all home feeling even better about our programs."
Riding with the USA Rice and San Diego Food Bank Crews
Louisiana farm uses leftover rice to make Vodka BY DAN BOUDREAUX THE ADVOCATE
DECEMBER 09, 2018 12:01 AM, UPDATED DECEMBER 07, 2018 06:29 PM BRANCH, LA. An old saying says that if life gives you lemons, then you make lemonade, but what do you do if life gives you rice?
Many in south Louisiana would say you make a gumbo, but one Branch business has decided to do something different with its excess rice. In July, Michael and Mark Fruge, owners of Fruge
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Aquafarms and Fruge Seafood, launched a new sister company, Fruge Spirits, and used that rice for a new product: rice vodka they call J.T. Meleck.
"We've been working on this for about two years and we went to market in July," Michael Fruge said. "I'm in seafood, so I see a lot of the foodie trends, and this is something that has always intrigued me."
Fruge's family has been farming rice in this Acadia Parish community since 1896. They expanded into using the fields for crawfish as many farmers have done over the past century since commercial rice farming became popular, but making alcohol from rice was a new concept for the Fruges and fairly unique for vodka.
Only a few distilleries worldwide make vodka from rice, and it's been done in Louisiana as well, but Fruge has a theory as to why distilling rice vodka hasn't caught on even more.
Large-scale rice farming outside of Louisiana didn't begin to really take off in America until the 1910s and 1920s, and prohibition stopped farmers from experimenting with leftover rice that was beginning to go bad like they did for generations through grains like barley, wheat and corn. Having gone to conventions and from talking to people, Fruge wondered why rice vodka wasn't more common. " 'Is there something wrong with it?' So we went ahead and distilled some and thought it was pretty good. So it must be that no one ever really tried," he said.
The desire to add value to his rice crop was what pushed Fruge into venturing into this territory of spirits.From that came J.T. Meleck, named for Fruge's great-great-uncle John Meleck.Local supermarkets, including Rouses, Champagne's and Nunu's, are selling the spirits after successful tastings held at their locations. Fruge said they've begun to take off in Acadiana and are moving into the Lake Charles, Baton Rouge and New Orleans markets.Vodka lovers have said J.T. Meleck is smooth, has no smell and needs very little dirt to make a good martini, which are all hallmarks of a good vodka."We have a really good tasting product," he said. "People who try it really like it. What makes it do that, I don't know. Maybe we got lucky, but we put a lot of effort into it. So I hope we did a little more than just get lucky."
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Louisiana's rice farmers produce hundreds of millions of dollars worth of rice every year. In 2014, 3.4 billion pounds of rice was produced at a total value of more than $670 million.
However, according Jeremy Hebert, county agricultural agent in Acadia Parish at the LSU AgCenter, the profit margin for rice is small and having another product that rice can be used for may help farmers offset their costs.
"It usually costs between $600 and $700 an acre to grow rice, and rice is selling cheap," Hebert said. "Any time you have these value-added products or a niche market, it's a good thing. These farmers need more ways to help offset the costs."
The Fruges also are working on a rice whiskey that will hopefully see fruition once they're finished aging in a couple years. Fruge said they have about 9,000 cases of whiskey that they began aging this March and looking for the day it's ready.
"No one knows how long it's going to take. So we're aging them in barrels and tasting and testing right now. No one knows if it's going to be good or not. It's an expensive experiment, I guess, but I had this intuition and decided to go for it."
The goal though is to someday make J.T. Meleck a national brand, he said. Right now, the amount of rice needed to meet demand is easily being met, but Fruge said if it really takes off they may buy from other farmers or contract out farmers to help them grow more, which would further boost the local rice industry.
"We've been in the market since July and I think we're doing pretty well considering the territory we've been able to cover," he said. "It'll be years before we're a national brand, but that's the goal. You can make a lot of vodka out of 9 million pounds of rice, and we haven't even scratched that. But if we do run out, there's plenty more rice out there we can use."
Iraq signs wheat, rice imports with the United States in Freight News 13/12/2018
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Iraq has signed an agreement with the United States to import U.S. wheat and rice, the Iraqi trade minister said on Thursday.The agreement covers the first half of 2019, Mohammed Hashim said at a signing ceremony in Baghdad.―The agreement signals a wider cooperation with the American companies to supply Iraq with wheat and rice for 2019. The cabinet has approved it,‖ Iraqi trade minister Mohammed Hashim said during ceremonies held in Baghdad and attended by the U.S. ambassador to Iraq.The trade minister said this deal was signed because Iraq prefers the high quality of the U.S. rice and wheat.Iraq needs an annual wheat supply of between 4. 5 million and five million tonnes, and has an import gap of around two million tonnes a year. The country spends billions of dollars annually on a Saddam Hussein-era programme for food rationing, the Public Distribution System, which distributes subsidised bread and other essential food. Source: Reuters https://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/iraq-signs-wheat-rice-imports-with-the-united-states/
Some facts about rice BY THE MANILA TIMES DECEMBER 15, 2018 IN observance of Rice Awareness Month in November, allow us to share these fast facts: 1. It is not always cheaper to import rice. From 1961-2018, there were frequencies spanning 30 years when the prices of rice in the world market were higher than the prices of local rice. In 2008, the world market rice price breached the $1,000/metric ton (MT) versus a low of $428/MT at present. That was also the time when production shortfall due to natural calamities compelled rice exporting countries to hold on to their stocks for their own consumption. 2. Unli rice is untrue in the world market. Take note that available rice in the world market for export range from 26 million MT to 30 million MT. There are 81 countries importing rice yearly, and only eight of these countries corner about half of the exportable world surplus (China, Indonesia, Japan, Iran, Iraq, Malaysia, Bangladesh and the Philippines). The remaining 73 rice-importing countries would have to outsmart others to ensure their share of the remaining world rice buffer stock. 3. Against the rice farmers‘ interest.
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Since 2016, government economic managers continue to reject the proposal from the National Food Authority and the farmers‘ sector to increase NFA‘s palay support price for the following flimsy reasons: a. The increase of the 10-year-old support price of P17.70 per kilogram palay support price, including new incentive of P3/kg that proved to be not inflationary, after all. The new support price helped augment the government‘s rice buffer stock for price and supply stabilization and farmers are assured of higher income. b. Raising the NFA‘s palay support price would also trigger higher palay-buying price. Truth is, the NFA is now competitive with the traders in its palay procurement operations. 4. Rice food safety should be a priority. It is safer to eat our homegrown rice as Vietnam and Thailand rice have more pesticide residue, according to the joint study of IRRI and Philrice. 5. Senate Bill 1998 as adopted by Congress is anti-Filipino farmer/worker. The measure, or the Revised Rice Tariffication bill submitted to the Office of the President, if approved, will result in the following: a. The state will no longer control and regulate rice imports with unhampered rice importation by the private sector and will likewise distort local rice market. b. The state is no longer obligated to perform rice price and supply stabilization. c. The state will now allow bigger and longer rice import dependency. In 10 years, from the present 5 percent import dependency of the total rice consumption (2017) our import dependency on rice will increase by 400 percent in 2026. This will require the Philippines in 2026 to import around 8 MMT per year, a huge requirement given that, at present, the government is having difficulty in securing its 750 TMT rice requirements abroad.The state will now allow any private entity to import the 1,000,000 MT of rice yearly being imported before by NFA without the need for permits and registration. Question: If the private sector will not import rice because of high import prices, who will? This happened in 2004-2005 when the state allowed the private sector to import 600,000 MT, but they only imported 40 TMT because of high prices. https://www.manilatimes.net/some-facts-about-rice/482865/
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Focus on Brazil Photo: Adobestock 12.13.2018 By Chris Lyddon
Brazil is one of the world‘s biggest agricultural exporters, with the focus on its massive soybean crop as well as a large corn crop. A weak currency has helped Brazilian exporters remain profitable, while China‘s tariffs on U.S. soybeans have diverted demand to the South American country. The International Grains Council (IGC) forecasts Brazil‘s total grains production in 2018-19 at 103.8 million tonnes, up from 88.2 million the year before. Production of wheat is put at 5.4 million tonnes, up from 4.3 million the previous year, while the corn crop is put at 95.1 million tonnes, up from 80.8 million the year before. The IGC forecasts 2018-19 sorghum production at 1.9 million tonnes, down from 2.1 million the prior year. Brazil‘s total grains exports in 2018-19 are forecast by the IGC at 24.7 million tonnes, down from 31.5 million tonnes in 2017-18, while its imports of grains are put at 8.8 million tonnes, down from 8.3 million the year before. Wheat is its biggest imported grain, with the IGC forecasting the total at 7.4 million tonnes in 2018-19 compared with 7.1 million tonnes the prior year. Brazil‘s wheat exports are put at an unchanged 200,000 tonnes. Corn exports are put at 24.5 million tonnes in 2018-19, compared with 31.2 million the previous year, while imports of corn are forecast to come to 800,000 tonnes, up from 700,000 the year before. The IGC expects Brazil to import 600,000 tonnes of barley in 2018-19, up from 500,000 in 2017-18. Brazilian rice production will be 7.8 million tonnes in 2018-19, compared with 8 million the year before, while its rice imports are put at an unchanged 700,000 tonnes and its rice exports are forecast at 800,000 tonnes, down from 1 million the prior year. Brazil is a major producer of soybeans with the IGC forecasting its 2018-19 crop at 121 million tonnes, up from 119.3 million the year before. Brazil‘s exports of soybeans in 2018-19 are forecast at 75.3 million tonnes, down from 76.2 million the previous year. Brazil also is expected to export 15.6 million tonnes of soymeal, down from 16.1 million in 2017-18.
Corn and wheat An attaché report on the grains sector published in April explained that ―most of Brazil‘s firstcrop corn is consumed domestically by the country‘s large poultry and livestock industries, while the bulk of second-crop corn has traditionally been for export.‖
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The biggest export market, according to the attaché, is Iran, which was the destination for 16.5% of Brazilian corn exports in calendar 2017. The report lists Egypt, Japan, Spain, Vietnam, and ―other markets in Asia‖ as other export destinations. It describes Brazil‘s corn imports as ―negligible,‖ but notes that some small amounts come from Paraguay and Argentina to supply livestock operations in southern Brazil. Brazil‘s small wheat crop has been diminishing. ―Wheat area has been squeezed in recent years by expanding soybean hectares, as farmers try to increase revenue with a relatively more profitable crop,‖ the attaché explained. ―Imported wheat makes up roughly half of Brazil‘s domestic consumption, with most imports being duty-free purchases from MERCOSUL-partner Argentina.‖ Flour Milling and Rice According to the Brazilian flour millers‘ association, Abitrigo, there were 203 mills in operation in Brazil in April 2018, with 81% of them being described as industrial. In 2017, Brazilian mills put 7.964 million tonnes of wheat flour on the market, with consumption per person in the country put at 40.5 kilograms. ―Brazil generally imports higher-quality wheat so that millers can blend it with domestic supplies to achieve the desired flour quality for bakeries to make small crusty French-style baguettes (pão francês),‖ according to the attaché. ―This type of bread is a Brazilian breakfast staple, usually consumed with butter, cheese, cold cuts and coffee.‖ The attaché explained that ―rice is a staple food in Brazil, with most Brazilians consuming it one to two times daily.‖ ―Total rice area in Brazil has declined for eight of the last 10 years, with rainfed area seeing the largest declines, as rice is replaced with more profitable crops like corn or soy,‖ the attaché said. ―The vast majority of Brazil‘s rice imports come in duty-free from its MERCOSUL neighbors Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina. Most of Brazil‘s rice exports are bound for other countries in the Western Hemisphere or Africa.‖
Soybeans In an update in October, the attaché explained that an increase in the planted area for soybeans for 2018-19 is due largely to optimism among producers about prices and despite disruptions to fertilizer deliveries resulting from a truckers‘ strike in May. ―Since the beginning of the calendar year, local soybean prices rose markedly on the back of robust demand from China, as well as the weak Real (R$),‖ the report said. ―In the wake of U.S.-
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China trade tensions and following implementation of a 25% duty on U.S. soybeans by China in April, Brazil saw a surge in Chinese demand for its crop.‖ Had China continued to import U.S. soybeans, the attaché suggested, the dollar price for both Brazilian soybeans would have been lower. ―Even in this scenario, Brazilian producers would have still seen strong returns due to the plunging value of the domestic currency,‖ the report said. ―The fact that China has been buying Brazilian soybeans so strong means that Brazilian stocks will remain fairly low, hovering around 1% of domestic supply for MY 2017-18, as well as in 2018-19,‖ the attaché reported. ―In Post conversations, sources did not express any concern regarding the low stock to domestic supply ratio. ―The assumption in Brazil is that should there ever be a shortfall for domestic consumption, Brazil could always bring in additional supply from neighboring producers. Instead, traders and producers alike are clearing out every last bin in order to take advantage of the upside in prices stemming from international trade tensions.‖ Biotech and Ethanol An attaché report, published December 2017, pointed out that Brazil is the second largest producer of biotech crops in the world, putting the adoption rate for corn, soybeans and cotton for the 2017-18 crop at 81% of planted area. ―As of Nov. 17, 2017, there are 68 GE events approved for commercial cultivation in Brazil, of which 39 events are for corn, 15 for cotton, 11 for soybeans, one for dry edible beans, one for eucalyptus, and, most recently, one for sugarcane,‖ the report said. ―GE events with herbicide tolerance traits lead the adoption rate with 65% of the total area planted followed by insect resistance with 19% and stacked genes with 16%.‖ Brazil has been an enthusiastic adopter of ethanol, but its national program has been based on sugarcane. However, the attaché has reported that in August 2017, FS Bioenergia, a joint venture of Iowa-based Summit Agricultural Group and Brazil-based Fiagril, began commercial operations at Brazil‘s first corn-only ethanol plant in Lucas de Rio Verde, Mato Grosso (most ethanol plants in Brazil process only sugarcane or a mixture of corn and sugarcane).At the time of the report, the plant was being reconstructed to raise its capacity so that it could process 1.26 million tonnes of corn each year to produce 530 million liters of ethanol, along with 400,000 tonnes of distiller‘s dried grains with solubles (DDGS), and 15,000 tonnes of corn oil. Additional plants were being planned.―While corn ethanol production still accounts for only a tiny fraction of Brazil‘s overall ethanol production, the abundant supply of corn and growing domestic demand for ethanol, especially in the center of the country where gasoline prices are higher, likely mean that Brazil‘s corn ethanol production will continue to expand,‖ the attaché said. https://www.world-grain.com/articles/11371-focus-on-brazil
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Food import ban as catalyst for national devt December 14, 2018
By Taiwo Hassan The recent announcement by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) that Nigeria had saved over $21 billion on food imports in the last three years has shown that the nation‘s quest to prioritise agriculture is a step in the right direction. Taiwo Hassan writes. Indeed, statistics from various key government agencies, such as the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and others, had shown that the non-oil sector of the economy has been the driving force of Nigeria‘s economy in recent times. And particularly, agriculture is one of the sector that saw a huge turnaround, in line with the present administration‘s diversification agenda to revamp the sector by bringing it to the front burner as the ‗next level‘ in the heart of Nigerian economy. This is also geared towards using agriculture to replace crude oil, which had been over relied on as Nigeria‘s cash cow. In fact, the reason for this present administration to change the paradigm of the country‘s national economic development by ignoring crude oil and pursue vigorously agriculture development may not be unconnected to the fact that when it came to power, there was a sharp decline in the price of crude oil at the international market in 2015, which hit the Nigeria economy hard. However, when the regime‘s blueprint for Nigeria‘s economic development was unveiled, it categorically stated that it would prioritize agriculture and sustain backward integration programme by looking inward towards promoting self-sufficiency economy. Thus, the multiplier effects was felt by Nigerians. Turnaround With the Federal Government‘s economic blueprint already in place, the Economic Team of the Buhari‘s administration worked assiduously towards promoting the diversification agenda programme it adopted where agriculture was at epicenter and given the necessary support and funding to change the mindset of Nigerians away from crude oil as the highest revenue earner for the country. Leading the regime‘s ‗change mantra‘ towards the ‗next level‘ in Nigerian economy that period was the CBN, when it came up with the Anchor Borrowers‘ Programme for rice production and the 41 items prohibition list, which banned importers from foreign exchange window. This was in a bid to encourage local content. It is on record that the CBN under its Governor, Godwin Emefiele, saved Nigeria‘s economy from going under, because of its proactive monetary policy, which tailored and projected Nigeria as an agrarian state economy and discouraged foreign imports of goods. Basically, under the ABP programme, the apex bank had set-aside N40 billion out of the N220 billion Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Development Fund (MSMEF) given to farmers at single digit interest rate of maximum nine per cent per annum in 2015 as part of the efforts to boost rice production and also make Nigeria a net exporter of rice. This noble initiative by the CBN is still a talking point in l Nigeria‘s rice revolution that has seen other African countries coming to understudy the banking watchdog‘s model. In fact, the ABP is the game changer that put Nigeria‘s rebirth economically, as it empowered
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local farmers and attracted blue chip companies to invest in rice production. Speaking on the 41 items, Emefiele said although, the policy was restrictive of trade but it was necessary to protect the Nigerian economy from the importation of items that could dampen the local production and economic growth. According to him, the implementation of forex policy to restrict importers of certain items access to foreign exchange from the country‘s forex market led to improvements in the domestic production of those items and a reduction in Nigeria‘s import bill. Continent’s food imports saga However, it is no longer news that Nigeria and other countries in the continent are spending about $35 billion annually on food imports. Ironically, this huge food imports spending basically develops other continent‘s economies at the detriment of Africa. Interestingly, it has been predicted that Africa is estimated to spend $110 billion by 2030 on food imports if it did not make concerted efforts to look inward economically and stop foreign food imports. Out of the $35 billion annual food imports spending, Nigeria is responsible for $22 billion and this shows that the country is at the epicenter in changing the paradigm on the continent‘s food imports. This is the reason the African Development Bank (AfDB) and others have been clamouring that leaders of African countries must start looking inward to promote their agroallied sector and discourage dependency on food imports globally because it is not helping the continent‘s economy economically. President of African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr Akinwumi Adesina, rued it is unacceptable for Nigeria and others in the continent to be spending $35 billion annually on food imports. The AfDB chief, therefore, called for land tax for unused agricultural land, to provide incentives for faster commercialisation of agriculture and unlocking its potential in Africa. Adesina said Africa held the key for feeding nine billion people by 2050, adding that more than ever before, the world must help Africa to rapidly modernise its agriculture and unlock its full potential. According to him, the challenge of addressing global food security is the greatest in Africa. He said that close to 300 million were malnourished on the continent due to this challenge. According to him, Africa is the only region of the world where its proportion of the population that is food insecure is on the increase. ―There is therefore absolutely no reason for Africa to be a food importing region. Africa has huge potential in agriculture, but, as Dr. Borlaug used to say, nobody eats potential,‖ he said. ―Unlocking that potential, we must start with the Savannah of Africa, which covers mind boggling 600 million hectares of which 400 million hectares are cultivable. ―Africa sits on 65 per cent of the uncultivated arable land left in the world, so what Africa does with agriculture will determine the future of food in the world. ―African farmers need more than a helping hand. They need a policy lift‖. Nigeria’s food imports cut With controversy still raging over the true state of the Federal Government‘s local rice policy and importation, the apex bank Governor, however, revealed a damning figure on the country‘s food imports cut of the present regime since coming to power. He said that Nigeria‘s monthly food import bill fell from $665.4 million in January 2015 to $160.4 million as of October 2018. Emefiele explained that the reductions in food imports were recorded on rice, fish, milk, sugar and wheat, adding that the policy would be maintained.
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―Noticeable declines were steadily recorded in our monthly food import bill from $665.4 million in January 2015 to $160.4 million as at October 2018,‖ he said. ―A cumulative fall of 75.9 per cent and an implied savings of over $21 billion on food imports alone over that period. ―Most evident were the 97.3 per cent cumulative reduction in monthly rice import bills, 99.6 per cent in fish, 81.3 per cent in milk, 63.7 per cent in sugar, and 60.5 per cent in wheat. ―We are glad with the accomplishments recorded so far. Accordingly, this policy is expected to continue with vigour until the underlying imbalances within the Nigerian economy have been fully resolved‘. Emefiele’s position on ABP In the agriculture sector, he added that the Anchor Borrower Programme had ensured that Nigeria emerged from being a net importer of rice to becoming a major producer of rice, supplying key markets in neighbouring countries. As at last October, he said a total number of 862,069 farmers cultivating about 835,239 hectares, across 16 different commodities, had so far benefited from the Anchor Borrowers programme, which had generated 2,502,675 jobs across the country. ―It is in light of the success of the Anchor Borrowers Program with regards to cultivation of rice and maize that the Monetary Policy Committee in its last meeting on the 21st of November, 2018 recommended that the Anchor Borrowers program be applied to other areas such as palm oil, tomatoes and fisheries to mention a few,‖ Emefiele said. Buhari applauds However, President Muhammadu Buhari has lauded Nigerians for curbing excessive taste for foreign products. The new development, he said, has positioned the country for food self-sufficiency and resulted in saving over $21 billion. The President, in a statement by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, said the humongous savings would be deployed to other critical areas such as infrastructure, education, healthcare and many others. Last line From the forgoing, it indicates that there is a new vista in agriculture development in Nigeria, even though hunger is still prevalent in many households, which find it difficult to eat three square meals daily. https://www.newtelegraphng.com/2018/12/food-import-ban-as-catalyst-for-national-devt/
Fou Zone ‗C‘ Owerri Customs Impounds Goods Worth N591 Million Another contrabands worth N156m seized in 12 months LATEST NEWS
By Joe Nwachukwu - Owerri And Ishola Michael - Bauchi Last updated Dec 14, 2018
The Nigerian Customs Service of the Federal Operation Unit (FOU) Zone ‗C‘ Owerri, Imo State has intercepted 22 cars and more than 350 bags of foreign rice with the estimated cost of Duty Paid Value (DPV) put at N591 million.
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The Area Comptroller of the Zone ‗C‘ Mr. Kayode A. Olusemire announced this to newsmen while briefing journalists at the scene of the seized items in the Zone.
Falana advocates bearing of arms for LNSC Dec 15, 2018 I may consider political asylum — Ex US Secretary of States,… Dec 15, 2018 PDP instigated ASUU strike, NLC, oil marketers‘ agitation to… Dec 15, 2018 According to him, six suspects have been arrested in connection with the seized goods and they are helping them on their investigations and at the end of their interrogation, those who have cases to answer would be charged to court. Answering questions from reporters, the comptroller explained that out of the 22 impounded cars, 6 were armoured cars with the DPV ranging between N12 million to N80 million. Mr. Olusemeri wondered why some Nigerians, who have the money to purchase these vehicles, could not provide money to pay the Duty Paid Value to the Federal Government. He warned that the Nigerian Customs Service would not rest on its oars to ensure total eradication of this ugly trend of economic saboteur being performed by unpatriotic Nigerians.
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The comptroller advised foreign rice importers to take advantage of loans being provided by the Federal Government for those cultivating rice in the country than importing foreign rice into the country. In the same vein, smuggled goods worth over N156, 615, 226. 00 have been seized by the Federal Operations Unit, Zone D of the Nigerian Customs between January and December, 2018. ALSO READ 7 years after, court orders reinstatement of sacked EFCC… Dec 15, 2018 We ―ll harness nation‘s meager resources to end agitations,… Dec 15, 2018 Widow demands DNA, relations weep as army buries slain… Dec 15, 2018 This was disclosed by the Zonal Comptroller, FOU, Zone ―D,‖ Peters Olugboyega, during a media briefing at the Customs House on Thursday in Bauchi, stating that: ―From January to December, 2018, the Unit has made seizures ranging from smuggled foreign rice, foreign soap, second hand clothing, Spaghetti and even hard drugs with total DPV (Duty Paid Value) of N156, 615, 226. 00 compared to N111, 699, 975.00 of the year 2017 despite low economic activities due to insurgency in Nigeria and dissidence in Cameroon.‖ While speaking further on the recent seizures made by the Service, Peters Olugboyega said that on 21st November, 2018, the operatives of the Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone ‗D‘ Bauchi, while acting on credible information patrol, accosted one used Mercedes Benz truck with registration No. ABJ 250 XA, suspected to be carrying contraband that was involved in an accident near a military check point along Kano – Bauchi road. He said the Operatives liaised with military personnel to evacuate the suspected goods and towed the accident vehicle to the Customs House, Bauchi, disclosing that; ―Upon physical examination, it was discovered to contain 179 bags of 50kg Foreign Rice classified under Chapter 1006 of Common External Tariff (CET) concealed in grain‘s Jumbo Sacks with total Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N6, 627, 000. 00 only.‖ The operatives of the unit, according to him, on 30th November, 2018, made another seizure of 130 bags of foreign rice classified under Chapter 1006 of CET that was re-bagged in Nigerian Lake Rice sacks with total DPV of N1,872, 000.00. He said that; ―also, on the 24th November, 2018, the operatives of the unit made a seizure of 100 cartons of Eva soap classified under Chapter 3401 of CET with DPV of N1, 800, 000.00,‖ adding that the total DPV for the 3 seizures is N12,819,600.00. Peters Olugboyega also said that on December 3rd 2018, the operatives of the Unit made another seizure of one used Citroen (J5) Bus with Registration No. KMC 855 XB conveying 100 bags of foreign rice classified under chapter 1006 of CET with the total DPV of N2,520,000.00.
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The Comptroller said the action of the operatives was in line with the provisions of section 8 (officers to have powers of Police officers) and section 158 (power to patrol freely) of Customs and Excise Management Act Cap. C45 laws of the federation of Nigeria 2004 as amended. He said that in view of the above indices, it shows that the officers/men of the unit are on high spirit in blocking and suppressing smuggling activities in the zone. https://www.tribuneonlineng.com/179180/
The time is ripe for rice-fish culture by Rob Fletcher 14 December 2018, at 9:21am The area of China devoted to rice-fish culture systems grew by 11 percent in 2016-2017 and now covers about 2 million hectares of the country, according to a new report. This was one of the key statistics – taken from the Report on the Development of Rice-Fish Integration in China: 2018 – to emerge from a workshop on the socio-economic impact of rice-fish culture, which was held at Shanghai Ocean University (SHOU) last week. Delegates at a workshop on the socio-economic impact of rice-fish culture, which was held at Shanghai Ocean University © FAO The workshop, which was supported by FAO and the Chinese government, brought together 20 international and 30 Chinese experts in this field. They discussed how rice-fish farming can reduce poverty, improve nutrition, contribute to traditional art and culture, and promote gender equality. Rice-fish culture can refer to many aquatic species that are cultured in rice paddies – either simultaneously or alternately – and in China it covers a wide range of species. 2 million hectares of China is currently being used for rice-fish culture ―It really depends on the climate – in the south we generally have species such loach, crabs and shrimp, while in the north it tends to be common carp. But increasingly innovative techniques are being used. Helped by the improved availability of quality seed, different species, including crayfish are now being produced in these systems too,‖ explains Dr Yuan Xinhua, senior aquaculture officer at FAO. ―2 million hectares of China currently practice rich-fish culture, a figure that‘s grown by about 11 percent in the last year,‖ he adds.
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Farmers who have practiced this technique have reported that keeping fish in their paddies increased rice yields by up to 10 per cent - with the fish controlling a number of insects that could damage the rice crops as well as helping to fertilise the plants with their faeces. They also give the farmers an additional source of food and income. In many poor rural communities the addition of fish to their diets provides a rich source of essential macro and micronutrients, allowing for healthy growth and development of individuals who previously suffered from the coexistence of undernourishment and undernutrition. However, Dr Yuan is quick to stress that, while there‘s still huge potential for the system to continue to grow – both in China and beyond – it cannot be universally promoted and is best suited to particular parts of the 113 countries devoted to rice culture globally. ―In China we‘re focusing on mountain areas, where the rice is grown in small terraces that are not suitable for using large machinery,‖ he explains. ―So our main focus is on traditional farmers in regions such as Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan.‖ SPONSORED CONTENT - ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ―In Vietnam, on the other hand, we‘re mainly looking at farms in the Mekong Delta, where the annual flooding makes them suitable for rice-fish production,‖ he adds. Rice-fish culture is perfectly suited to terraced hillsides In some countries – such as Myanmar – the rice lobby has traditionally been against any industry that threatens its hegemony (both cultural and economic) and Dr Yuan is keen to point out that he‘s not trying to disrupt national and regional policies that relate to rice or aquaculture production. ―We‘re not challenging national agriculture/land use policies and don‘t want to reduce the areas of rice paddies. We are demonstrating positive social impact to policy makers by sharing success cases worldwide,‖ he emphasises. And there‘s hope that even Myanmar will start to embrace the concept. ―WorldFish has now secured an agreement to launch a pilot project in Myanmar and they are now able to finally demonstrate how aquaculture is not a threat to rice production, but can actually improve the yields,‖ says Dr Yuan. He also points to a project in Indonesia in which tilapia, shrimp and pangasius are all being cultured in rice fields. Improvements in the availability of training are making the system more effective © FAO
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Studies in Thailand have indicated that the introduction of fish into rice farms has contributed significantly to the nutrition adequacy of the farming communities as a social benefit, highlighting the contribution of omega-3 fatty acids contained in the fish to the health of pregnant women and normal neurodevelopment and visual function in infants. The symposium revealed a raft of socio-economic benefits from around the world – the integration of loach to Hani terraces has lifted thousands of families from poverty; villagers in Indonesia and Laos now have more balanced diets; the system has helped to control malaria in Madagascar and Uganda; and has revitalised traditional culture and arts. As well as revitalising traditions, there has also been considerable progress in the rice-fish system itself. ―Innovative practices of integrating rice and fish farming implemented by small-scale farmers have led to much success lately, as farmers are cooperatively organised and have access to better fish seed and technical guidance. Rice production is becoming more environmentally friendly with fish as a bio-indicator, and much progress has been made in reaching farmers through farmer field school approaches,‖ says Dr Yuan. The system has provided opportunities for farmers to charge premium prices for the multifunctional goods and services through branding of rice-fish products and agro-ecotourism, following the recognition that rice-fish systems have been given by the Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems(GIAHS). This describes them as an ingenious cultural practice that has the potential to generate economic and social benefits for local communities through enhanced ecological functions and provision of multiple goods and services. Improved access to fish stocks is helping the system expand © FAO Some areas have been farming in these ways for centuries, but – more recently – these regions are beginning to promote the benefits of the technique more widely and it‘s paying off. ―In the village of Qingtian, in China‘s Zhejiang province, people started farming like this 1,300 years ago, but they are now promoting it very well and their GIAHS rice now fetches 10 yuan per kilo, which is over three times the price of normal rice,‖ says Dr Yuan. It‘s also bringing in tourists to the region, thus producing wider benefits to the local community ―Agro-tourism is becoming increasingly popular in rice-fish regions and means that there are now many family hotels in the village – it‘s a way of adding more value to agriculture,‖ says Dr Yuan. The rejuvenation of rice-fish farming has sparked a renaissance of cultural practices such as the traditional fish lantern dance
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© FAO Looking ahead The Shanghai event was one of two major FAO-backed rice-fish initiatives last year. The other – held in Montpellier in August – focused more on the technical, rather than social, benefits of ricefish production. As a result, in 2019, FAO plans to combine the momentum of both aspects into a follow-up event – most likely taking place in China in October, which is harvest season for rice. Meanwhile they will be looking to ways to scale up the initiative across suitable parts of Asia, Latin America and Africa. ―The biggest challenge to scaling up is getting financial support – ideally from local and national governments,‖ explains Dr Yuan. And, thankfully, the concept is gaining credibility more widely – the Ecuadorian government, says Dr Yuan, has requested the FAO to help launch a pilot scale project there too. ―We now need to improve awareness of the system – especially explain its social benefits; try to provide evidence so people can understand its benefits – both for the farmers and the villages; try to invite government agencies, researchers and farmers to share their knowledge and experiences; and finally try to produce best practice guidelines for rice-fish farmers,‖ Dr Yuan concludes. https://thefishsite.com/articles/the-time-is-ripe-for-rice-fish-culture
Series of Rice Grower Meetings Coming Up in January DECEMBER 14, 2018 EDUCATION, GRAIN
University of California Cooperative Extension will be hosting a series of winter meetings for rice growers in several areas of northern California throughout the month of January. ―So, this year we‘ve got five locations, sort of our standard four which are Richvale, Glenn, Colusa and
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then Marysville or Yuba City. This year we‘re going to do Marysville,‖ said UC Rice Farm Advisor for Sutter, Yuba, Placer, and Sacramento Counties Whitney Brim-DeForest. ―Last year we added a fifth one in Woodland and we‘re going to do that again this year. Seems like folks like having a fifth option.‖ The meetings will be held on two meetings will be held on Thursday, January 17, followed by two more meetings on Friday, January 18. The last meeting the series will be held on Tuesday, January 22. More information regarding the specific locations for each of the meetings can be found online at the UC Rice Blog. Attendees will hear updates on weed control and emerging weed issues, as well as rice pesticide and regulatory information. ―It covers what we think are the most relevant issues…and we do the same program at each of our locations,‖ said BrimDeForest. http://agnetwest.com/series-rice-grower-meetings-january/
Pay daddy for rice paddy PAY DADDy: Children of rice farmers with placards during a November 28 protest in front of the Ministry of Agriculture, Lands and Fisheries offices in Endeavour, Chaguanas. ―PAY daddy for his paddy,‖ was the cry of young children of rice farmers from various parts of the country during a recent placard demonstration. They demonstrated in front the newly-opened Ministry of Agriculture, Lands and Fisheries building in Endeavour, Chaguanas, on November 28. Led by Eniath Hosein of the Rice Farmers Association, the children‘s parents called on Agriculture Minister Clarence Rambharat to make representation on their behalf to the Agricultural Development Bank to hold back their monthly loan installments while they recuperate from the effects of the October floods which destroyed their rice fields. Rice farmer Eniath Hosein, told Newsday that the majority of commercial rice planters are unable to submit claims for flood losses, because they do not have legal title to the lands on which they plant. Hosein said, ―Most rice farmers today are planting on lands previously planted by rice farmers in the past. We have been asking the minister to find other means to verify bonafide farmers. The ministry knows who these farmers are.‖ The farmers hard-hit by the flood are from the villages of St Helena in Caroni, Piarco, Plum Mitan and Carlsen Field. They are members of Nariva Farms Ltd, Trinidad Islandwide Rice Growers Association and Caribbean Rice Association. Speaking on behalf of the 40 protestors, Hosein said that rice seedlings have since been scarce because the ministry closed the seed bank. He said, ―Rice farmers not getting the financial incentive for land preparation. Infrastructural development has slowed considerably. The current minister indicated that all farmers will be compensated but this is not happening.‖
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Additionally, Hosein said, the National Flour Mills continue to pay farmers late, as late as a year after they have submitted their claims. They farmers vow to escalate their protest. https://newsday.co.tt/2018/12/14/pay-daddy-for-rice-paddy/
Rice Prices as on : 14-12-2018 02:58:17 PM Arrivals in tonnes;prices in Rs/quintal in domestic market. Arrivals Current
Price % change
Season cumulative
Modal
Prev. Modal
Prev.Yr %change
Rice Varanasi(Grain)(UP)
350.00
NC
10460.00
2340
2350
1.74
Kanpur(Grain)(UP)
300.00
20
6075.00
2130
2025
0.47
Hardoi(UP)
300.00
3.45
3630.00
2230
2440
-2.19
Madhoganj(UP)
280.00
69.7
3624.30
2130
2130
-
Bharthna(UP)
210.00
-12.5
8992.50
2450
2450
-
Gondal(UP)
186.00
1.92
14113.50
2500
2500
17.92
Siliguri(WB)
170.00
1.19
12874.00
2700
2700
NC
Azamgarh(UP)
160.00
6.67
25385.00
2215
2210
5.48
Pilibhit(UP)
140.00
NC
19129.50
2270
2295
1.34
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,
Asansol(WB)
125.80
16.48
7058.90
3000
3000
15.38
Mainpuri(UP)
125.00
2.46
2531.50
2750
2740
-
Bindki(UP)
125.00
-21.88
1620.00
2260
2190
-
Etawah(UP)
120.00
-38.46
3146.00
2400
2400
5.96
Ghaziabad(UP)
120.00
100
5790.00
2725
2725
13.54
Puranpur(UP)
120.00
-53.85
9890.70
2275
2310
-
Kasimbazar(WB)
102.50
6.77
3134.50
2725
2770
9.88
Shahjahanpur(UP)
100.00
NC
13056.40
2365
2350
-
Agra(UP)
95.00
-12.04
4735.00
2540
2550
-4.15
Lucknow(UP)
92.00
-9.8
2652.00
2325
2350
8.14
Kalna(WB)
92.00
2.22
3339.00
3000
3000
-4.76
Chintamani(Kar)
91.00
-3.19
1842.00
1900
1900
-9.52
Kalipur(WB)
87.00
8.75
4395.00
2450
2450
6.52
Aligarh(UP)
80.00
NC
3660.00
2500
2500
-2.34
Barhaj(UP)
80.00
-11.11
5634.00
2290
2290
-
Memari(WB)
70.00
32.08
876.00
2350
2300
14.63
Faizabad(UP)
65.00
8.33
1257.00
2200
2225
-2.22
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Beldanga(WB)
65.00
NC
2605.00
2650
2650
6.00
Hapur(UP)
60.00
-14.29
3250.00
2730
2720
19.74
Allahabad(UP)
55.00
-8.33
1453.00
2350
2300
-
Khalilabad(UP)
50.00
66.67
1464.50
2230
2225
-
Lalitpur(UP)
50.00
-54.55
1820.00
2785
2730
-
Indus(Bankura Sadar)(WB)
50.00
-16.67
5665.00
2800
2800
9.80
Bareilly(UP)
46.50
-45.29
1707.40
2275
2275
-
Basti(UP)
43.50
-11.22
3127.50
2210
2205
4.49
Lakhimpur(UP)
43.00
1.18
1641.00
2260
2270
4.15
Karimpur(WB)
40.00
14.29
2040.00
3050
3150
-3.17
Jangipura(UP)
38.00
11.76
1332.00
2270
2270
-
Sahiyapur(UP)
36.50
-20.65
2983.50
2210
2220
-
Partaval(UP)
35.00
27.27
302.00
2270
2140
9.66
Gazipur(UP)
35.00
-32.69
1629.50
2900
2900
-
Gopiganj(UP)
35.00
1066.67
484.00
2400
2400
-
Devariya(UP)
30.00
-14.29
2242.00
2180
2125
2.11
Saharanpur(UP)
30.00
7.14
1951.00
2715
2710
14.80
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,
Naanpara(UP)
30.00
39.53
2043.90
2325
2330
4.97
Gajol(WB)
28.40
0.35
1942.40
3850
3850
32.76
Fatehpur(UP)
28.00
27.27
1324.30
2250
2240
2.27
Rampur(UP)
28.00
-6.67
723.00
2285
2350
-
Jayas(UP)
27.00
28.57
2531.00
1925
1930
-1.28
Vishalpur(UP)
26.00
73.33
853.00
2325
2320
-
Mathura(UP)
25.00
-28.57
1333.00
2700
2700
7.14
Nanjangud(Kar)
20.00
-
40.00
1525
-
-
Auraiya(UP)
20.00
-42.86
1063.50
2100
2100
-4.55
Falakata(WB)
20.00
NC
494.00
2650
2650
23.26
Alipurduar(WB)
20.00
NC
1120.00
2650
2650
15.22
Ramkrishanpur(Howrah)(WB)
19.20
3100
123.30
3000
3000
15.38
Pukhrayan(UP)
19.00
11.76
310.00
2160
2240
0.93
Sitapur(UP)
18.00
NC
216.00
2240
2210
0.27
Jaunpur(UP)
17.00
-38.18
3211.80
2320
2260
10.48
Ahirora(UP)
16.50
1400
388.35
2400
2400
14.83
Jhansi(UP)
16.00
33.33
83.00
2390
2270
-
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,
Saidpurhat (UP)
16.00
-38.22
177.90
2900
1959
37.44
Champadanga(WB)
16.00
14.29
800.00
3000
3000
9.09
Karsiyang(Matigara)(WB)
15.80
2.6
1122.20
3000
3000
11.11
Badayoun(UP)
15.00
7.14
1043.00
2275
2280
-
Muzzafarnagar(UP)
15.00
11.11
472.50
2710
2700
-
Kayamganj(UP)
15.00
25
1081.00
2360
2370
3.51
Mahoba(UP)
12.50
-0.79
611.60
2140
2150
-
Puwaha(UP)
12.00
NC
546.50
2400
2410
-
Farukhabad(UP)
11.00
-8.33
648.60
2660
2650
20.36
Giridih(Jha)
10.58
-14.26
981.30
4200
4200
20.00
Kicchha(Utr)
10.30
-65.67
1029.30
2200
2250
-
Jasra(UP)
10.00
-41.18
1547.50
2350
2350
-
Shikohabad(UP)
10.00
NC
133.00
2750
2680
-
Vilthararoad(UP)
10.00
NC
691.00
2150
2150
NC
Karvi(UP)
10.00
-20
312.50
2190
2170
-1.79
Ruperdeeha(UP)
10.00
42.86
77.00
1600
1600
-
Balrampur(UP)
9.00
-18.18
276.00
2250
2250
-
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,
Kannauj(UP)
8.20
5.13
304.40
2450
2500
11.36
Bijnaur(UP)
8.00
-30.43
211.10
2300
2290
-
Muradabad(UP)
8.00
-11.11
491.50
2300
2280
-
Etah(UP)
7.00
-36.36
184.00
2520
2530
-
Kasganj(UP)
7.00
75
168.50
2510
2500
-
Chitwadagaon(UP)
7.00
-22.22
491.70
2100
2100
-1.41
Banda(UP)
6.00
NC
87.00
2170
2140
11.28
Soharatgarh(UP)
6.00
-7.69
281.00
2270
2250
9.40
Tamkuhi Road(UP)
6.00
9.09
1097.00
2150
2150
-
Mirzapur(UP)
5.00
-16.67
1057.00
2290
2300
-
Nautnava(UP)
5.00
NC
90.50
2250
2250
10.29
Maudaha(UP)
5.00
66.67
275.90
2150
2150
2.38
Chhibramau(Kannuj)(UP)
5.00
NC
511.50
2300
2400
2.68
Garbeta(Medinipur)(WB)
5.00
-37.5
112.30
2800
2850
7.69
Kosikalan(UP)
4.50
-25
244.10
2580
2550
-
Buland Shahr(UP)
4.50
NC
206.50
2620
2620
11.97
Badda(UP)
4.20
5
32.40
2400
2400
-
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,
Mau(Chitrakut)(UP)
3.50
NC
121.60
1825
1775
-
Khurja(UP)
3.00
-76
1319.00
2600
2600
-
Sehjanwa(UP)
2.50
-16.67
273.70
2160
2160
-
Melaghar(Tri)
2.00
NC
8.00
3300
3300
-
Amroha(UP)
2.00
NC
119.82
2600
2600
5.26
Anandnagar(UP)
2.00
-80
206.80
2250
2250
-
Balarampur(WB)
1.82
NC
113.31
2630
2630
11.91
Tundla(UP)
1.80
-60.87
292.30
2530
2560
-
Bangarmau(UP)
1.50
-6.25
70.80
2250
2275
9.76
Bharuasumerpur(UP)
1.50
-25
22.00
2000
2000
-4.76
Chandoli(UP)
1.50
-16.67
256.30
2355
2345
-
Muskara(UP)
1.20
20
12.70
2250
2200
-
Panichowki(Kumarghat)(Tri)
1.10
-
2.20
2940
-
-
Alibagh(Mah)
1.00
NC
35.00
2250
2250
-43.75
Murud(Mah)
1.00
NC
34.00
2250
2250
-25.00
Charra(UP)
1.00
-50
82.60
2525
2500
-
Fatehpur Sikri(UP)
1.00
11.11
41.10
2550
2570
0.79
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,
Ujhani(UP)
1.00
NC
23.20
2270
2240
-
Gadaura(UP)
0.90
-40
57.20
2100
2100
3.70
Jagnair(UP)
0.90
28.57
101.20
2550
2570
0.39
Khairagarh(UP)
0.80
NC
135.60
2550
2560
1.19
Gurusarai(UP)
0.80
14.29
8.60
2250
2300
-
Achnera(UP)
0.60
NC
35.40
2560
2570
0.39
https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/rice-prices/article25742212.ece
Eating white rice regularly may raise type 2 diabetes risk Eating white rice on a regular basis may increase the risk for type 2 diabetes, according to new Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) research.HSPH researchers from the Department of Nutrition—led by Emily Hu, research assistant, and Qi Sun, research associate—reviewed four earlier studies involving more than 352,000 people from China, Japan, the United States, and Australia who were tracked between four and 22 years. The researchers found that people who ate the most rice—three to four servings a day—were 1.5 times more likely to have diabetes than people who ate the least amount of rice. In addition, for every additional large bowl of white rice a person ate each day, the risk rose 10 percent. The link was stronger for people in Asian countries, who eat an average of three to four servings of white rice per day. People in Western countries eat, on average, one to two servings a week. The study was published in the British Medical Journal March 15, 2012. White rice has a high glycemic index, meaning that it can cause spikes in blood sugar. Previous research has linked high glycemic index foods with increased type 2 diabetes risk. ―People should try to make a switch from eating refined carbs like white rice and white bread to eating more whole grains,‖ Sun told Time magazine.
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Additional HSPH authors, also from the Department of Nutrition, included An Pan, research associate, and Vasanti Malik, research fellow. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/hsph-in-the-news/eating-white-rice-regularly-may-raisetype-2-diabetes-risk/
Traders said GASC received a total of 11 offers, of which all the Chinese samples and one Vietnamese rice sample were accepted
Falling rice Grains of white rice falling through outstretched fingers into shallow glass bowl. Reuters/ Allison Achauer By Nadine Awadalla, Reuters News
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CAIRO - Egypt's state grain buyer, the General Authority for Supply Commodities (GASC), said on Thursday it had bought 47,500 tonnes of milled white rice in an international purchasing tender for shipment Feb 1 - March 1. GASC had been seeking short grain milled white rice of any origin, with 10-12 percent broken parts, and asked traders to submit 2 kg samples of their grains for a cooking test. Traders said GASC received a total of 11 offers, of which all the Chinese samples and one Vietnamese rice sample were accepted, traders said while all Indian samples and one Vietnamese sample failed the test. GASC gave no further purchase details. A trade source gave the following breakdown of the purchase: * Mufaddal: 38,000 tonnes of Chinese rice plus 25 pct equating to 47,500 tonnes of rice at $405 CIF and letters of credit opened at site. In-land costs for transfer from port to warehouse are 490 Egyptian pounds per tonne. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/12/13/need-magic-beans-help-us-offset-effects-climate-change/
Exploit Basmati rice export potential: ADB study Amin AhmedDecember 15, 2018
INSUFFICIENT investment in agriculture R&D has resulted in sub-optimal yields and a lowerthan-potential productivity growth curve of basmati rice varieties.—White Star ISLAMABAD: The celebrated export of Pakistan’s basmati rice as well as its production has slipped, according to a study of Asian Development Bank (ADB). The study, ‗Investment in Research and Development for Basmati Rice in Pakistan‘ points out that the contribution of basmati rice as a major export commodity is below its potential. Pakistan is fourth largest rice exporter in terms of quantity, and rice is the country‘s second largest export earner, after cotton. In the last decade, Pakistan‘s overall rice export growth has remained unchanged and, in the case of basmati, has dropped significantly.
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Newer long grain, non-aromatic varieties have been cutting into basmati‘s share of the premium rice market. Low value, non-basmati varieties can still thrive by catering to low-priced, lowerquality markets but premium varieties require greater research and development investment to maintain their edge. The study notes that being a niche variety with a relatively small gene pool, basmati requires more research than other varieties in order to increase its yields, protect it from disease, enhance its ability to compete with other varieties, and increase its resilience to climate and other environmental changes. Under-investment in basmati research and development (R&D) has led to underperformance of the subsector. Merely increasing budgetary allocations of public sector R&D will not achieve the intended purpose. A wholesale reform of the R&D institutional structure is almost impossible given incumbent interests and the absence of political motivation. While investment in basmati R&D requires attention to the entire value-chain, the single most important aspect is to develop seed varieties that can thrive in changing ecological and marketing environments. The study says that the cess collected from rice exporters in the last two decades has not been chanelled as the Export Development Fund Act stipulates. The Act specifies that the cess funds
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can be used for R&D, technical institutes, market and product development, and other areas related to export enhancement. Rice exporters pay a surcharge of 0.25 per cent, which is deducted by the bank from foreign receipts and submitted to the State Bank of Pakistan. Published in Dawn, December 15th, 2018 https://www.dawn.com/news/1451544/exploit-basmati-rice-export-potential-adb-study
Bago City farmers get P4.2-M in equipment, livelihood By Erwin Nicavera December 14, 2018, 7:01 pm
FARM EQUIPMENT. Bago City Mayor Nicholas Yulo (center) and Vice Mayor Ramon Torres (2nd from left) lead officials during the turn-over of the P4.2 million worth of farm machinery and livelihood projects at the City Agriculture Office in Barangay Balingasag on Thursday (December 13, 2018). (Photo courtesy of the City of Bago)
BACOLOD CITY -- The City of Bago in Negros Occidental distributed PHP4.2-million worth of farm equipment and livelihood to 14 associations on Thursday. The turn-over ceremony was led by Mayor Nicholas Yulo and City Agriculturist Carlito Indencia at the City Agriculture Office in Barangay Balingasag. Yulo said the city government recognizes the need to assist the farmers to attain rice industry development. ―The distribution of farm machinery has contributed to the improvement (of rice yield),‖ the mayor said. As of November, this year, Bago City‘s average rice yield was pegged at 4.4 metric tons per hectare, higher than the 4.1 metric tons per hectare in 2017. ―By boosting our production, we can also contribute to increasing the province‘s rice sufficiency level and ensuring food security,‖ Yulo added. Dubbed the rice granary of Negros Occidental, Bago City‘s contribution to the province‘s total rice production is about 19 percent.
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Farm machinery units, including a hand tractor, two thresher, one multi-tilling machine, three rice planting machines, and five pumps with engines, were distributed to 10 farmers associationrecipients. These included the Punta Playa Multi-Purpose Association, Mailum Organic Village Association, Barangay Napoles Women Association for Rural Improvement, Fermina Small Water Impounding System Association, Bago Integrated Farmers Association, Small Farmers Association of Abuanan, Dulao and Antipuluan, Newton-Camingawan-Para Farmers Association, Barangay Malingin Farmers Association, Association of Rice Farmers of Tabunan, and Sagasa Women‘s Group. They also received livelihood projects like "balut" (fertilized duck eggs) making, food processing, salted egg making, and mushroom production. Four fisherfolk associations, including Taloc Baybay Fisherfolk Association, Calubay Anahaw Small Fishermen Association, Can-itum Integrated Fisherfolk Association, and Barangay Calumangan Integrated Fisherfolk Association, were provided alternative livelihood projects such as fish vending, rag making as well as cooking equipment and facilities. Indencia said the machinery and livelihood projects are funded by the city government through its Agriculture Development Program. ―The program covers the city‘s measure to develop its rice and fishery sectors,‖ he said, adding that it also aims to provide farmers and fisherfolk alternative sources of income through the livelihood development component. http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1056722
Could gene-edited asexual rice produce better crops? 14 December 2018 A gene editing technique has been used to produce asexual rice, which could carry traits such as high yields and drought resistance. The Innovative Genomics Institute in the US explains how it works and why the researchers behind this innovation believe it will improve commercial rice crops.(Image: Diagram explaining how newly engineered rice can reproduce asexually, Credit: Innovative Genomics Institute.) https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p06vldq4
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