16th september ,2017 daily global regional & local rice e newsletter

Daily Global Rice

E-Newsletter

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September 16,2017 Vol 8 Issue VIII

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New rice cultivation tech discovered MULTAN: A newly discovered rice cultivation technology that doesn‘t require standing water will become a general practice among farmers within next five years, an agronomist said on Thursday. ―The new technology comparatively needs less labour but promises more profit,‖ said Dr Abid Mahmood, director general agriculture (research) in a statement issued by provinvial agriculture department. ―It will enable farmers to cover maximum area in shortest possible time and without that long backbreaking labour.‖ Dr Abid said Pakistani rice was known for its quality, taste, and aroma all over the world. ―The government is vigorously involved in raising awareness among farmers to adopt modern farming technologies for boost country‘s agriculture exports,‖ he said. https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/229935-New-rice-cultivation-tech-discovered

LCCI: Review rice tariff to curb smuggling Our Reporter On: September 15, 2017 In: Industry

The Federal Government should consider a downward review of the tariff on rice to curb its smuggling, the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has said.

Its Director-General, Mr. Muda Yusuf, said rice smuggling has continued to thrive, in spite of the ban on the commodity, due to high import tariff. ―Rice is not contraband, you can import rice. What has created the smuggling problem with rice is the tariff and that is what is driving the smuggling. If you take it through the port irrespective of where you source your forex from, you have to pay 70 per cent levy.

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―If you have a product coming through the official channel at 70 per cent, there cannot be better incentive to smuggling than that. So, that is why rice is coming from all over the place,‖ Yusuf said, in Lagos, during the week. He dismissed the claim by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, that the country would be self sufficient in rice production and would no longer import rice by 2018 as mere academic and not in tune with reality.

His words: ―The Minister said we will be self sufficient in rice production in 2018, but that is just academic. There is nothing on ground empirically. It is desirable, but in terms of empirical evidence, I don‘t think it is something achievable. ―If you do a proper and empirical assessment of the rice market today, the market share of smuggled rice is bigger than the share of rice that is produced locally. So, this is part of the trade policy challenges that we have. ―It is a popular thing to say that we have to grow rice; the import duty should be high so that we can grow local rice. It is a very patriotic statement to make, but the reality is completely different and policy should align with reality so that we don‘t just make policies in vain.‖ The LCCI boss said it was important that the government policy makers got their facts right. ―I have heard some government officials say the bulk of the rice in the country is Nigerian rice but

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that is not correct. The moment we start thinking that way, then we will not do what we need to do,‖ he said.

According to him, what is required is to deploy policies to improve productivity in rice production http://thenationonlineng.net/lcci-review-rice-tariff-curb-smuggling/

PARC starts campaign to promote hybrid rice cultivation

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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Agriculture Research Council (PARC) in collaboration with Chinese hybrid rice seeds research organization has initiated a campaign to promote hybrid seed cultivation across the crop growing areas of the country. The main aim of this joint initiative was to enhance per acre crop productivity, increase profitability and produce surplus commodity for exports enhancement.

In this regard, an official of the council told APP here Friday that both the countries have decided to work together for conducting joint awareness programmes to adopt hybrid rice seeds.

The Chinese scientists are scheduled to train 30 Pakistani agriculture scientists, selected from all the four provinces. Besides, he said that they will also impart training to the members of the provincial field extension departments on hybrid rice cultivation. They would also organize road-shows and field visits across the rice-growing areas to address the issues and challenges in promotion of hybrid rice seed, he added.

He further informed that the a revolutionary hybrid rice seed was recently developed by the Chinese researchers, which would help Pakistani farmers to enhance significantly their per acre yield. The new developed rice seed variety would help to produce extra surplus, hence the country would be able to export more rice for exporting it to other countries, he added. He said a travelling seminar has also been designed by PARC and Chinese Yuan Longping High-tech Agriculture Company to travel in all the four ecological zones of the country in Khyber Pukhtunkhawa, Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan.

The main objective of the seminar was to estimate the local hybrid seed requirements for different regions and showcase the hybrid rice varieties, he remarked. In addition, he said that the other aim if the activity was the capacity building of the local experts from all over the country in order to promote the hybrid rice techniques. High level Chinese team comprising on 12 top hybrid rice experts will be the part of this travelling rice seminar, he added. http://www.brecorder.com/2017/09/15/369510/parc-starts-campaign-to-promote-hybrid-rice-cultivation/

LCCI, Philippines embassy to establish hotline-like contact

By Our Correspondent September 15, 2017

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LAHORE: The Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) and Pakistan embassy in the Philippines have agreed to establish hotline-like contacts in a bid to ensure timely exchange of trade and investment-related information.

The understanding was reached at a meeting between Pakistan Ambassador to the Philippines Dr Aman Rashid, LCCI President Abdul Basit, Senior Vice President Amjad Ali Jawa and Vice President Muhammad Nasir Hameed Khan at the LCCI office.

Rashid said the Philippines – a Southeast Asian country – was a dynamic consumer market and had a vast scope for Pakistani pharmaceutical, rice, textile, yarn, leather and fresh fruit, particularly oranges, businesses.

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He assured businessmen that the embassy in the Philippines would extend maximum cooperation to Pakistan‘s business community.

Basit said the LCCI would make efforts focused on specific sectors for ramping up the volume of two-way trade. He saw a lot of potential in both the countries to expand bilateral trade.

Pakistan‘s major exports to the Philippines were cotton, cereals and pharmaceutical products, but Basit pointed out that these constituted a very small segment of Manila‘s total imports of these commodities from the rest of the world.

Pakistan is one of the largest producers of cotton and rice in the world. The aroma and quality of the rice is superb. Pakistan also has a highly developed pharmaceutical industry. ―Businessmen of the Philippines may consider the quality and price of these Pakistani products to economise on their procurement cost,‖ Basit suggested.

Pakistan could also increase its import of vehicles, machinery, electrical and electronic equipment and mineral fuels from the Philippines.

He emphasised that frequent exchange of business delegations and holding of single-country exhibitions would yield desired results as exchange of business-related information helped respective societies to familiarise with each other.

Being an agrarian economy, the LCCI chief said, ample opportunities were available in the food processing sector. ―Pakistan is deficient in post-harvest technology and will welcome transfer of technology from the Philippines through joint ventures,‖ he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 15th, 2017 https://tribune.com.pk/story/1506661/lcci-philippines-embassy-establish-hotline-like-contact/

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Pakistan participates in ―World Food Fair‖ at Istanbul Observer Report

Ankara Leading Pakistani companies participated in the 25th ―World Food Fair, held at Tyap Fair Convention & Congress Center Istanbul from 7-10 September 2017, Pakistan Embassy Ankara said here Thursday.The Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) and the Consulate General of Pakistan Istanbul, facilitated the Pakistani companies during the fair as well as endeavored to inform the Turkish businessmen about the tremendous potential that exists between Pakistan and Turkey in the areas of bilateral trade and investment.

The Fair was attended by business community from Turkey and other countries and provided an opportunity for establishing business-to-business contacts.

Prominent companies in the business of food and herbal products including Hamdard Laboratories, S. Amden and Company, Bhandhari Rice Mills, and Food Links International established stalls at the event.

World Food Fair, Istanbul is the largest food related exhibition in Turkey.

The event annually attracts over 360 domestic and international food producers, who converge in Istanbul to network, negotiate and conclude business contracts with Turkey‘s food industry buyers https://pakobserver.net/pakistan-participates-world-food-fair-istanbul/

Two Weeks to Go for Sustainability Award Nominations

By Michael Klein

ARLINGTON, VA -- Only two weeks remain to nominate yourself or someone you know for the first ever USA Rice Sustainability Award.

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The award is open to individuals or entities with significant involvement in the U.S. rice industry and with a history of promoting and advancing sustainability through innovative practices and demonstrated leadership in the sustainability community.

"Putting sustainable practices into your operation is important, but just as important is telling people you are doing it," said Jennifer James, an Arkansas rice farmer and chair of the USA Rice Sustainability Committee that created the new award. "This is about communicating to the public and our customers that we are being responsible and we are doing right by the environment. If we don't show them that we are the good guys, how will they know? What if they start to deselect U.S. rice because they don't realize how environmentally beneficial we really are? That would be a disaster for us, but also for the environment and the wildlife habitats we're creating."

The award committee is accepting nominations through September 29, 2017 and the award will be presented at the USA Rice Outlook Conference in San Antonio, Texas on December 10, 2017.

The simple application form can be found here and should be emailed to awards@usarice.com.

Apply Now for Rice Leadership Program

By Chuck Wilson

STUTTGART, AR -- Rice producers and other industry-related professionals who are interested and meet the eligibility requirements are encouraged to complete the application process for the 2018 Rice Leadership Development program by October 7. The next class will be announced in December at the USA Rice Outlook Conference in San Antonio, Texas.

The Rice Leadership Development Program gives young men and women a comprehensive understanding of the U.S. rice industry, with an emphasis on personal development and communication skills training. During a two-year period, class members attend four one-week sessions that are designed to strengthen their leadership skills.

Board rooms across the country, as well as leadership positions all around the rice industry are populated with alumni of the program. Every graduate agrees, time spent in this program is well worth it, resulting in a better, more complete understanding of the industry, and it opens participants' eyes to practices and customs going on beyond their farm gate or company, but that are supremely relevant to their development as an industry leader.

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The class is comprised of five rice producers and two industry-related professionals chosen by a committee of agribusiness leaders evaluating their applications, reviewing letters of recommendation, and conducting personal interviews with the finalists. Candidates must be 2545 at the time of application and derive their primary livelihood from some aspect of the rice industry.

The program is sponsored by John Deere Company, RiceTec, Inc., and American Commodity Company through The Rice Foundation and managed by the USA Rice Federation.

For more information on the program and an application form, click here.

2 ministers blame traders, journos for rice price hike Staff Correspondent | Update: 14:29, Sep 15, 2017 Commerce minister Tofail Ahmed and food minister Quamrul Islam blamed dishonest businessmen for the unbridled price hike of rice in the country.The two ministers also questioned the responsibility of the journalists who are disseminating information of the rice price hike.

They were talking to reporters at their respective secretariat offices on Thursday.

Tofail Ahmed said, ―India hasn‘t stopped exporting rice. They have over 10 million tonnes of rice for export whereas a group of dishonest businesspeople have created a fake letter which said India has stopped exporting rice to Bangladesh.‖ Claiming that there is no shortage of rice in the country, the commerce minister said, ―The corrupt traders created the fake letter to disrupt the rice market and a few newspapers and TV channels came up with reports based on this fake letter that has no signature.‖ Criticising the journalists, he said, ―The journalists need to behave more responsibly for the 160 million people of the country. They must cross check before preparing reports. Preparing reports based on thin air is uncalled for.‖ The minister further said the government has directed the deputy commissioners and police supers to conduct drives against illegal hoarders of rice. ―Those who are doing this to tarnish the image of the government will not be spared.‖ In response to a question, Tofail Ahmed said the Bangladesh High Commission in India and High Commission of India in Bangladesh would be the first to know about any such order [about stopping export of rice to Bangladesh]. ―I have contacted both the offices and they said this is a blatant lie.‖ Meanwhile, the food minister, in a press conference at the ministry‘s conference room on Thursday, said currently there are 10 million tonnes of rice in the country and there is no crisis of rice. ―There is no reason of such a price hike.‖

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Blaming the traders and media for rice price hike, Quamrul said, ―Vested quarters are doing politics with the price of rice. They are trying to confuse the people and alarm them with steep rice prices.‖ He also said the government will sign an agreement with Myanmar to import 200,000 tonnes of rice.

The minister also requested journalists not to publish any news that will instigate the price of rice to go up.

Issuing a note of warning to rice millers and hoarders, Quamrul said, ― Stop doing politics over the issue.‖ He also informed the journalists that they have called the millers and leaders of rice traders‘ association on 19 September for a meeting. Commerce and agriculture affairs ministers will be present.

Mentioning that the government has taken steps to control the rice price, food minister said law enforcers have seized 50,000 tonnes of rice from trader Abdur Rashid‘s mill and fined him Tk 50,000. ―Law enforcing agencies are working to control the price hike. I also seek your [journalists] help.‖ He said the government will begin OMS (open market sale) of rice at Tk 15 a kg and of flour at Tk 17 a kg. The scheme will be started at the divisional towns initially.

The minister also mentioned that importers brought 600,000 tonnes of rice from India after the government had decreased duty.

Quamrul said they government has imported 250,000 tonnes of rice from Vietnam. Of this amount, 154,000 tonnes have been sent in different warehouses of the country. The rest of rice is waiting to be unloaded.

Quoting Benapole customs house commissioner Shawkat Hossain, Prothom Alo Jessore office reported that Benapole customs house and Petrapole land port authority of India have not received any letter on temporary ban of rice export to Bangladesh.―Rice is being imported at a regular pace daily,‖ he added http://en.prothom-alo.com/bangladesh/news/159549/2-ministers-blame-traders-journos-for-riceprice

Stakeholders Lament Continued Importation Of Maize, Rice Oluseyi Taiwo-Oguntuase

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September 15, 2017

Maize produce Lagos– Despite the acclaimed diversification into agriculture by this present administration, investigations revealed that some products like rice, maize are still being imported by big companies into the country.

Stakeholders in the sector have kicked against the trend, saying that unchecked importation of crops where the country has advantage might jeopardise the labour of local farmers in the drive for self sufficiency in food production.

With about 82 million hectares of arable land suitable for maize, stakeholders have raised questions on the rationale for continued importation of these products by some organisations rather than partnership with local farmers to boost the present production capacity in the country.

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States like: Jigawa, Kano, Bauchi, Sokoto, Zamfara, Katsina, Borno, Niger, Kebbi, Kaduna, Adamawa, Yobe, Taraba, Plateau, Nasarawa, and Gombe States are the major producers of the commodity.

Adeola Elliott, former Chairman Lagos Chambers of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Agric and Agro Allied Group, attributed the rising trend and preference to lack of synergy among MDAs, saying that they are all working at cross purposes.

He said the refusal by the government to embrace the subsidy regimes for agro-produce is inimical to global price competition and that some companies import some produce as intermediate raw materials and not really as edibles.

Elliott, however, urged the government to address agriculture holistically through intelligent, fiscal and monetary policies to create global market evenness, saying that anything contrary to this will sustain the domination of the agric-business by multinational organisations operating in Nigeria. ―The reasons for persistent importation can be attributed to lack of synergy among MDAs. They are all working at cross purposes. The government refusal to operate subsidy regimes for agroproduce is inimical to global price competition.

Dr. Victor Iyama, National President, Federation of Agricultural Commodity Associations of Nigeria (FACAN) said it is very sad that this is one areas that calls for concern.

According to him as far as the association is concerned, the country and its citizens have no reason importing maize because it is one product where the Nigeria experiences glut in yields. ―It is very sad, that is one area that calls for concern, as far as we are concerned we don‘t see any reason why we should be importing maize because we grow maize here in Nigeria. It is very ridiculous as far as we are concerned; that is one area that we experience glut and I don‘t see any reason why they should be importing maize,‖ Iyama said if the country continues to encourage its own the nation will surely get there someday.Observing that though a number of farmers were affected by army worm infestation, Iyama stated as part of the challenges farmer encounter it was not enough reason to embrace importation of maize into the country with reckless abandonment.

Emmanuel Ijewere, Coordinator Nigeria Agribusiness Group (NABG) who promised to verify newspaper reports indicting Olam of importation of rice and maize, saying that such moves must be in connivance with the law enforcement agencies.

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―Olam is a company that is actually investing a lot into Nigerian villages and I see them to be proactive in Nigeria so I find it difficult to believe that Olam will be doing something to impact negatively on the Nigerian farmers,‖ he said.

However, responding to this issue, Audu Ogbeh Minister of Agriculture assured that government was already looking into the issue and that it will be appropriately dealt with. ―Rice farmers are selling a ton of paddy two years ago at N65,000 they moved to N150, 000. We gave them a lot of support and we told them that the N150,000 is very expensive that they can do well with N120,000 and still make profit because if your output is too expensive for the millers to buy your products. In the end, you will get stock with your rice and they will not be able to feel the gap.

He accused maize farmers of prolonged storage till a period prices will rise to N140,000 per ton in defiance of government‘s directive to sell, saying that such was responsible for the gradual loss in the poultry industry.

Ogbeh said; ―we know what is fair for the farmers to make profit, we have reduced interest rate to nine per cent; we are supplying them fertilisers and chemicals as we can, so if government is giving them that level of support they should not be too expensive because if they do the poultry farmers can‘t afford the maize at that price. ―Maize is not yet banned, but as we are trying to discourage importation we must also not upset the World Trade Organisation because they will sue us, they will make us pay fines. ―The answer is for farmers and buyers to be reasonable so that we can arrive at a certain price which will make everybody happy, so we avoid importation, we don‘t like importation especially when local farmers can produce but we are holding meetings with them shortly both the rice and the maize farmers,‖ he said.

Meanwhile, commercial farmers under the aegis of the Nigerian Farmers Group and Cooperative Society (NFGCS) has called on the Federal Government to probe Nigeria Customs Service and other agencies at the seaport over allegation of the importation of seven ship-loads of maize from India by Olam Group.

The farmers group while speaking through its National Coordinator, Redson Tedheke, called on President Muhammadu Buhari to investigate how such huge amount of imported grain would be allowed into the country when such can be produced in the country.

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According to him, ―The current price of maize in Nigeria is between N130,000 and N250,000 per ton for local production. We gathered that the current landing cost of the maize imported by Olam is N40,000/ton. But our fear is that the action will spell doom for farmers who are constrained by funding, lack of capacity of government agencies and the continuing war against army worms in the current farming season,‖ he added.

NBMA Raises Alarm On Imported GM Maize Meanwhile, the National Bio-safety Management Agency (NBMA), has alerted Nigerians on tons of genetically modified (GM) Maize imported into the country without necessary approvals.

Dr. Rufus Ebegba, the NBMA Director General/CEO, who disclosed this while addressing newsmen in Abuja on Wednesday said Agency got notice of the importation through an intelligence report and has set in motion necessary machineries to track the importers and bring them to book. ―The NBMA got an intelligence report on the importation of GM Maize into the country. We have no application from anyone on this and we are not aware of any move to bring in this maize. The NBMA Act 2015 has stipulated steps and procedures for the importation, production and processing of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) in the country and we will ensure that the act is strictly followed,‖ Dr. Ebegba said He urged the general public not to panic as the Agency would never compromise on its mandate of ensuring that the safety of Nigerians and the environment was topmost in its dealings.

Emphasising that with an already existing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the NBMA and the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), the products would not be allowed into the country without adherence to due diligence.He said that the Agency was empowered by law to carry out a risk assessment of the imported product before it will be allowed into the country to ensure that it is safe. http://independent.ng/stakeholders-lament-continued-importation-maize-rice/

Trickery and politics responsible for higher rice prices, says food minister

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Senior Correspondent, bdnews24.com

2017-09-14 15:37:44.0 BdST Updated: 2017-09-14 15:37:44.0 BdST Food Minister Qamrul Islam says trickery and politics are to blame for the recent increase in rice prices.Bangladesh has produced 19.2 million tonnes of rice paddies despite flood damage and pests, he said at a press conference at the secretariat on Thursday. ―They are playing politics with rice, trying to engineer shortages throughout the country. They are purposefully tricking people, trying to create anxiety and fear by controlling the rice.‖The minister blamed it on a section of traders and mill owners. ―We are experiencing deceit and conspiracy. There are over 10 million tonnes of rice in Bangladesh, so how can this situation be?‖ ―I call upon merchants and mill owners to fix this. There is still time for you to act morally. We will in no way tolerate your cartel, your racket, your attempts to play politics, your creation of a shortage to inflate the prices of rice. This is your final chance.‖Two rounds of floods have damaged crops across the country since the haor floods. The rice price, which rose a few months ago, has risen even higher in the past few days.

The decision to reduce the tariff on rice imports by 26 percent has failed to calm the rice market.

The government has made agreements with Thailand, Cambodia and Myanmar to import rice.

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Though two rounds of rice imports have arrived from Thailand, rice prices have yet to fall.

Officials at the food ministry have blamed a lack of oversight by the commerce ministry.The commerce ministry has not taken any visible measure to manage the rice market, they said. http://bdnews24.com/business/2017/09/14/trickery-and-politics-responsible-for-higher-riceprices-says-food-minister

Expanding agricultural trade between the US and Cuba would benefit both countries

BY REP. RICK CRAWFORD (R-ARK.), OPINION CONTRIBUTOR — 09/15/17 08:00 AM EDT THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY CONTRIBUTORS ARE THEIR OWN AND NOT THE VIEW OF THE HILL

© Hill Photo Illustration/Garrett Evans President Trump‘s June 16 Cuba policy announcement pledges a ―much better deal for the Cuban people and the USA.‖ Two premises of that new policy –promoting Cuba‘s private business class and trading humanitarian agriculture goods – are as complementary as they are compelling. With a new generation of Cuban leaders poised to assume control in less than five months, there is no better way for the Trump administration to start guiding Cuba towards a mutually advantageous relationship than by expanding two-way agricultural trade.

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America‘s distressed rural economy and Cuba‘s growing number of entrepreneurs have much to gain from increased trade opportunities. At the heart of this potential lies the reality that Cuba must import 80 percent of its food needs to feed its 11 million people, a problem that has only been exacerbated by the damage done to crops by Hurricane Irma. The U.S. can already sell agriculture goods to the island, but a cash requirement restriction prevents trade on a meaningful scale. With the advantage of geographical proximity, American farmers should already be supplying $1.4 billion of Cuba‘s $2 billion agricultural import needs, and the only thing stopping them is a US law preventing Americans from selling on private credit what they can already sell in cash.

Unfortunately, Cuba now imports much of its rice, corn, poultry, soy and other agribusiness needs from our competitors in distant parts of the globe. The island meets its annual rice needs, for example, by importing rice from Vietnam, which takes 36 days to arrive in Cuban ports, when it could be importing rice in 36 hours from Arkansas, Texas, or Louisiana. By taking steps, even incremental ones, to improve U.S. access to Cuba‘s agricultural market, the administration could help boost sagging U.S. farm prices, grow export revenue, and create desperately needed jobs in rural America.

Beyond American farmers selling to Cuba, expanded two-way agricultural trade would also advance the interests of the Cuban people and private businesses. Cuba‘s private farmers, over half a million in number, form the backbone of its growing entrepreneurial class. When I traveled to Cuba last year, I visited an agricultural market and saw for myself a group of sellers beginning to learn the dynamics of a market place.

A third of Cuban farmland is now worked by private farmers, who represent the largest group of private landowners on the island, holding title to over 6.5 million acres of high quality land.

Most of these farmers produce products that don‘t compete with American farmers – products like bananas, coffee, tobacco and others. In the case of tobacco, the country‘s most important agricultural product, private farmers are responsible for nearly all of that production.

Yet Cuban farmers are still impoverished by U.S. standards, earning on average less than $100 per month and unable to afford modern farm equipment. If Cuban agricultural products could be exported freely to the United States in a two-way agricultural trade relationship, private Cuban farmers could earn the income needed to buy modern U.S. farm equipment and other agribusiness needs, improve productivity and lift their overall standard of living.

With Cuban President Raul Castro set to retire in February 2018, the time is right for Congress and the administration to make small changes to our current trade relationship by encouraging bilateral agribusiness trade. The Cuba Agricultural Exports Act, which eliminates the ban on American agricultural export financing, already enjoys strong bipartisan support in Congress and should be passed. But legislation and regulatory changes promoting limited bilateral trade could also effect the change President Trump wants to see in Cuba. In fact, he already has authority under existing regulations to permit U.S. imports of Cuban goods produced by Cuban entrepreneurs.

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Whatever the avenues, we can‘t miss this opportunity to create jobs in rural America while at the same time encouraging private land ownership and free markets on the island nation. Measures taken now to build a stable, mutually beneficial US-Cuba trading relationship in agriculture will go a long way towards increasing American influence with Cuba‘s new generation of leaders, restoring prosperity for American farmers, and helping ordinary Cubans shape their country‘s future.

Crawford represents Arkansas's 1st District. He is a member of the Agriculture Committee and chairman of the Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/foreign-policy/350772-expanding-agricultural-tradebetween-the-us-and-cuba-would

Bangladesh demand pushes up rice prices in India ReutersSeptember 15, 2017 BENGALURU: Steady demand from Bangladesh raised rice prices in India this week but the flood-ravaged country is unlikely to go beyond its initial export targets for the year to shore up depleted stocks.

Bangladesh will stick to its earlier plans to import up to 1.5 million tonnes of rice in the year to June 2018, a food ministry official said on Thursday.

The world‘s fourth-biggest rice producer stepped its rice up purchases this year to boost stocks in a bid to combat high domestic rates. In August, it cut a duty on imports of the grain for the second time in two months.

However, the measure was not being viewed as a long-term policy by Bangladesh. Commerce Minister Tofael Ahmed told parliament on Tuesday that the import duty cut and bulk rice imports were temporary. ―The government will protect farmers‘ interests,‖ the minister said.

The lower import duty has, however, prompted purchases by private dealers, with most of the deals being struck with neighbouring India.

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Demand from Bangladesh and limited local supplies pushed up India‘s 5 per cent broken parboiled rice prices by $3 to $413-$416 a tonne.―Limited supplies are available for exports at higher price. Until new season crop starts, prices will remain firm,‖ said an exporter based in Kakinada in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh.

Indian farmers had planted 37.15 million hectares of paddy rice as of Sept 8, slightly lower than 37.69m hectares a year ago. India‘s non-basmati rice exports are likely to slow over the next few months.

Thai benchmark 5pc broken rice was quoted at $380-$390 a tonne, free-on-board (FOB) Bangkok, up from $380-$385 last week amid a stronger baht.―It looks like there‘s going to be a rising trend and the price might increase again next week because we‘re approaching the end of the harvest season,‖ said a rice trader in Bangkok.

A trading house based in Thailand struck a deal with Bangladesh‘s state grains buyer to export 50,000 tonnes of rice. ―Apart from this, there are no other deals with other countries in the making,‖ said another trader.

In Vietnam, the benchmark 5 percent broken rice fell to $378-$385 a tonne this week from $385$390 last week, FOB Saigon. Trade was slow due to low demand from major importers, traders said, adding that output was likely to be lower from the minor autumn-winter crops.―Crop yields could decrease due to late planting and effects of August flooding in Mekong Delta,‖ a trader in Ho Chi Minh city said.

Published in Dawn, September 15th, 2017 https://www.dawn.com/news/1357721/bangladesh-demand-pushes-up-rice-prices-in-india

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Harvey-related rains hit Arkansas soybeans hard, rice less so

By Ryan McGeeney, U of A System Division of Agriculture Sep 14, 2017

Many fields in Cross County remain submerged after heavy rains in recent weeks. (Photo courtesy of Rick Wimberly.)

While Arkansans were spared the worst of the destruction wrought by Hurricane Harvey, many growers in the eastern portion of the state are nevertheless dealing with the storm‘s impacts.

Bands of stormy weather spanning out from Hurricane Harvey in late August and early September dumped upwards of 10 inches of rainfall in some eastern Arkansas counties, impacting tens of thousands of acres of both rice and soybeans in the state.

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Arkansas rice growers, already besieged by flooding in the spring, pushed to speed their harvest operations through the weekend of Aug. 25 through 27, said Jarrod Hardke, Extension rice agronomist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.

Growers remained behind the five-year average for harvest progress, however, according to a Sept. 5 report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture‘s National Agricultural Statistics Service (as of Sept. 3, Arkansas growers had harvested about 18 percent of total rice acreage, compared to the five-year average of 23 percent).

Hardke said initial concerns of rice lodging—in which the plant leans and then falls to the ground, saturated with water or beaten by wind—proved to be overstated. ―While the event was happening, a lot of that rice didn‘t end up laying down as it looked like it was going to,‖ Hardke said. ―It hasn‘t triggered the drastic lodging we were concerned was going to happen. ―It‘s a double-edged sword, though,‖ he said. ―A lot of growers look at fields that don‘t have much of any lodging, and that can be a bad sign to them in certain ways—if rice is holding a lot of grain, it should go down. If it‘s not going down, there may not be as much actual rice on the plant.‖ Throughout August, much of Arkansas experienced high humidity and atypically low temperatures, and the state‘s rice crop was slow to dry out as a result. Ironically, water retention in rice often lends it rigidity, which may have helped much of the crop survive the battering stemming from Harvey, Hardke said. While initial estimates put the impact of lodging at 80,000 acres of rice throughout the state, Hardke said he now estimates the number is probably closer to 40,000 acres.

Soybean losses are expected to be considerably higher in several counties, however. Rick Wimberly, Cross County Cooperative Extension Service agricultural agent, said that while growers in his county suffered relatively little damage in rice, despite flooding, about 25,000 acres of soybeans have been submerged for more than a week.

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―We had the potential for 60 bushels per acre or more on those acres, and for the most part, those are ruined,‖ Wimberly said. ―At the most, they might make 30 bushles per acre. But I‘m not going to bank on it. ―We‘ll probably see a 75 percent loss in a lot of these fields—some of them worse,‖ he said. ―It‘s too late for those soybeans. They‘ve stood there for eight days with floodwaters in them.

Any pods in that water are ruined or rotten.‖ Richard Klerk, Woodruff County Cooperative Extension Service agricultural agent, said lateplanted soybeans in low-lying areas have been hit hardest in his county. ―We can‘t get the water off the fields fast enough to give the plants a chance to recover,‖ Klerk said. ―Where there was good drainage, or the rain wasn‘t too heavy, the soybeans look pretty good. But those low areas have taken it on the chin, with all the rainfall. ―It‘s just a slow process, trying to move all the water off a concentrated area after 10 inches of rain, to move it into ditches,‖ he said. ―There are farmers pumping water over levees, to get it off the fields and into whatever kind of drainage they can.‖ Jeremy Ross, Extension soybean agronomist for the Division of Agriculture, said the rain and humid conditions have resulted in quality issues with many of the state‘s April-planted soybeans, including shriveled and discolored beans. There are also considerable disease issues, including pod and stem blight. ―The fungicide application probably went out a little too early to really give us good control on some of these late-season diseases,‖ Ross said. ―The yields are still pretty good, but the quality of some of these fields just isn‘t where we thought it should be. ―The forecast for the next couple of weeks looks pretty favorable, thought, so we‘re hoping to get out of these early-planted fields,‖ he said. ―We think the quality will get a little better with May-planted beans.‖

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To learn about Arkansas row crops, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.edu.

http://www.hpj.com/crops/harvey-related-rains-hit-arkansas-soybeans-hard-rice-lessso/article_f6202894-994f-11e7-8a6a-836aad2fd43b.html

RICE PRICE SOARS Saturday, "September 16, 2017"

Rice price soars As rice prices have gone up further in the last four days, the government yesterday said conspiracy has been afoot to destabilise the rice market

http://www.thedailystar.net/tags/rice-price-soars

Rice stocks buzzing on Thursday India Infoline News Service | Mumbai | September 14, 2017 15:19 IST

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The share of rice stocks were buzzing after the lunch hour during Thursday‘s trading session amid almost flat markets.

The share of rice stocks were buzzing after the lunch hour during Thursday‘s trading session amid almost flat markets.The share of Kohinoor Foods was trading up by 11.40% at Rs 77 per share on BSE at 1457 hours. The stock also witnessed a spurt in volume by more than 9.15 times. The stock has attracted a total traded volume of 13,83,485 shares and traded value of Rs 1,069.99 lakh on NSE. The share of the KRBL was trading up by 2.34% at Rs 497 per share on BSE at 1453 hours.

The stock witnessed a spurt in volume by more than 1.92 times on Thursday. The stock also hit new 52-week high at Rs 499.80 per share.

The stock of LT Foods was trading up by 5.03% at Rs 69.90 per share on BSE at 1503 hours.

The stock has witnessed a spurt in volume by more than 4.75 times. The stock has attracted a total traded volume of 24,70,358 shares and traded value of Rs 1,716 lakh on NSE.

The share of Chaman Lal Setia Exports was trading up by 3.41% at Rs 94 per share on BSE at 1500 hours. The stock touched its intraday high and low at Rs 94.85 per share and Rs 90.10 per share, respectively.

Meanwhile, the major benchmark indices Sensex was trading up by 0.22% at 32,256 level and Nifty was trading up by 18 points at 10,093 level.

http://www.indiainfoline.com/article/news-top-story/rice-stocks-rice-stocks-buzzing-onthursday-117091400438_1.html

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The rice grown at Wales was intended for aquaculture purposes

By Staff Writer 5 hours ago Comments

Dear Editor, I am in New York on business and so what I write here is from memory and not from my notes which are on my desktop computer in Guyana.

I refer to a letter from Ganga Persaud which was published in the Stabroek News of the 14th September 2017 and captioned „Give the sugar workers land at Wales, and Burma an infusion of cash and more attention for proper paddy seedling production.‟ In this letter Mr Persaud says, “The curtain has been drawn and the stage is boldly set to go into full-time paddy production at the now abandoned Wales Sugar Plantation. The lands that have been converted by the Ministry of Agriculture for the sole purpose of propagating new strains of seed paddy through state agency GRDB and state institution, the Burma Rice Research Station, is another government ploy to go into paddy production in order to fully occupy the vast unutilised cane lands at Wales Estate. The whole concept is for the state to go into competition with the country‟s peasant rice farmers.”

All of this is total nonsense! And since this rice project was conceived by me, I have to explain my thinking about it, since I would not want anyone to get away with the idea that I would conceive such a harebrained scheme as Mr Persaud describes as legitimate diversification.

At all times I felt that aquaculture was the answer to Guyana‟s total problem in agriculture, and the reason was that all of the liabilities we currently see in growing sugar cane today, become assets for us in aquaculture.

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1. Poorly tidal drained, low-lying land below sea level, becomes a major asset for aquaculture since we will be using flooded fields to grow fish.

2. The heavy, swelling clay soils which exist on the Guyana coast become assets, since they hold water for ponds extremely well.

3. The layout of the cambered beds which are so problematical for the mechanisation of sugar cane harvesting and make us completely uncompetitive in sugar cane production, become less of a problem, since as the bottom of ponds, they mean nothing whether they are cambered or flat. But we should flatten them as a matter of policy.

4. The heavy rainfall of Guyana will be an asset rather than such a massive liability.

Editor, there is more but I will stop there.

In May 2016 at my instigation, the board of GuySuCo invited a US company Aquasol to come to Guyana and tell us if my vison which I presented to the board successfully, and which was adopted, whether Guyana had the ability to become a world class aquaculture producer, both of shrimp and tilapa. The Aquasol team which included Dr Claude Boyd, a world class expert on aquaculture, sat in the GuySuCo boardroom in May 2016 and told the board that indeed we appear to have ideal conditions for aquaculture, with two exceptions: 1. The water and land was a little acid and 2. the cost of electricity was a bit expensive, but that a yield of 10,000 pounds of tilapia per acre per year was possible. The first problem of the acidity could have been easily and not expensively corrected with limestone applications after every crop, but the cost of electricity we will have to live with until we became an oil producing nation in a few years.

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So we decided to go ahead with the 300 acre trial which I had designed for GuySuCo. I chose this specific acreage for a reason; it established that our production would be spread over a 300 day period per year. This meant that firstly our field and later processing plant employees would be working 300 days a year, and not be seasonal workers as they are in sugar and rice. Secondly, that we will be supplying product to a processor in Guyana and later our own processing plant at Wales, every day all year except Sundays. Clearly if you are going to be producing such a perishable product which must be sent to the US unfrozen but fresh packed in ice less than 36 hours after harvesting, you have to reap consistently and not all in a few months, and consequently not supply to your buyers. You do not want to have millions of pounds in a few months, and then nothing for the rest of the year, because you would not be a serious supplier. Thirdly, in this plan we can in fact have our hatching and stocking programme for the 300 acre trial at around an acre a day, or 7 acres a week, which is very doable and requires a much smaller workforce doing less strenuous work with more continuous earning power all year.

Very soon after establishing the fact that that Guyana had great potential as a grower of aquaculture on the basis of what was said by Dr Claude Boyd of Auburn University in the US, I decided that I must learn everything I could about growing tilapia. I even designed and set up a small aquaponics operation in my yard to see first hand what the problems could be in time. And I have to give due recognition to my friend Mr Tejnarine Geer, formally Chief Fisheries Officer at Guyanaâ€&#x;s Ministry of Agriculture who is now an aquaculture consultant in Guyana serving both Guyana and Suriname at this time. We decided that my concept which was presented to the board and had their blessing, was that since 70% of the expense of growing tilapia is the feed cost, we must explore possibilities of making our own feed, which

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was the key to success. An acute case of amnesia prevented the executives of GuySuCo from remembering all of this.

And clearly to manufacture our own feed we would need raw materials, and it turns out that broken rice, rice bran and fish and shrimp protein which are available in Guyana in abundance and at an excellent price were the key to profitability. Once we decided to make our own feed using these ingredients, I spoke to Mr Pritipaul Singh and had a written MOU from him to sell us their fish waste at an excellent price; we also spoke to some rice mill people and secured excellent prices and a promise to supply both broken rice and rice bran.

The Wales rice project was an integral part of the aquaculture project, but was a forward looking plan at least 2-3 years in the future since there was no way that we can have a rice mill producing our own rice and by products in the near future with just a such a small acreage under rice. Therefore I asked the GuySuCo board to give permission to plant 485 acres of rice at Wales for this purpose. The 485 acres identified was not an accident, since it was land which had been converted by the field equipment department of GuySuCo many decades ago, and was therefore level land, under a light ridge and furrow layout and not cambered beds so appropriate for rice cultivation.

To do it on more land than 485 acres would not be easy, and maybe not even advisable, since converting cambered beds to flat land is very expensive, but if we got good yields from the laser levelling and the fact that we control our water completely at Wales, unlike most small farmers, we could possibly achieve a better yield. If that was so perhaps we can extend the cultivation of rice to around 1600 acres in time with our own rice mill.

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So in the long run I saw the planting of rice at Wales as offering to ourselves two of the main ingredients of our fish feed at our own rice mill installation from perhaps 1600 acres. But there was another reason why we should grow our own rice and mill it ourselves at Wales in conjunction with aquaculture. Editor, we would be growing fish at Wales, perhaps as much as 3000 acres in time, producing 30 million pounds of fish a year at a selling price of US 80 cents a pound, which would be a gross income to GuySuCo of US$24 million per year, and approximately US$8000 per acre per year, when sugar at current yields was only giving us a gross income of less than US$1000 per acre per year. But the fish create metabolic waste in the water and since they are growing on the same location in adjoining fields, it was possible in time to put the fish waste water into the rice fields and fertilize them that way, at no fertilizer cost, rather than flushing it into the Demerara river. This new branch of agriculture called aquaponics, ie using fish waste to fertilize plants is gaining momentum globally, and quite a bit of grant aid money is available for such green projects. Mr Geer and I have discussed this, and it was always a possibility in time. And my backyard operation is in fact aquaponics.

To see where we can go with this new King which is fish and not sugar, those with a computer must enter Tropical Tilapia on youTube and see what is happening in the world today, especially our part of the world.

Finally Editor, since we were going to have our pilot programme to produce rice paddy at Wales for feed manufacture in the future, one must realise, as I did, that in doing so we were in fact growing this rice on land which is for rice, virgin land. We would be rather stupid to try to sell the Wales paddy, which was not contaminated by red rice or bastard drop varieties over time for $1000 more per bag than paddy to manufacture rice, and the Ministry of Agriculture liked the concept so much, that they asked GRDB to finance the project for us. There is Online Advertisement:mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell # 0321 369 2874 www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com www.ricepluss.com

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nothing sinister about any of this. But I did not see how we can sustain this growing of paddy for seed for more than, say, 3 crops.

These are the facts: since I left GuySuCo there is no one there with this complete vision and they are clearly lost, which is why I keep saying that GuySuCo cannot diversify itself.

At no time did we attempt to destroy the livelihood of the rice farmers; that is patent nonsense, and will mislead rice farmers into believing that the current government has an obscene agenda in the rice industry, to the detriment of rice farmers.

Yours faithfully, Tony Vieira https://www.stabroeknews.com/2017/opinion/letters/09/16/the-rice-grown-at-wales-wasintended-for-aquaculture-purposes/

Woman Farmer Heads-Up Conservation Agriculture Techniques in Malawi REPORT from World Bank Published on 14 Sep 2017 —

STORY HIGHLIGHTS  Malawi, Mozambique, and Zambia are collaborating to improve the productivity of staple food crops, such as maize, rice, and legumes. 

Local farmers are testing new conservation farming technologies, with information on them is shared across the three countries.

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

Patricia Dzimbiri is a farmer in Malawi who has successfully piloted the sustainable farming methods and shared what she has learned with more than 80 other farmers.

LILONGWE, September 14, 2017 – Across three countries in southern Africa where maize (also known as “corn” in the Americas) is a staple food, a farmercentric approach to adopting conservation techniques in agriculture is resulting in better food crop yields---a blessing for the region’s small-scale farmers.

Many small-scale farmers in Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia, where the techniques are being tested, have long had to deal with poor soil, little rain, and low yields. Conservation Agriculture improves the long-term environmental and financial sustainability of farming by adopting soil management practices that minimize disruption to the soil's structure, composition, and natural biodiversity.

Under the auspices of the World Bank-financed Agricultural Productivity Program for Southern Africa (APPSA), women farmers in Malawi are among those taking part in the research. Conservation farming is one of the low-cost technologies being championed under APPSA. In practice, it includes covering the soil with mulch, using only a minimal amount of digging to till the soil, and planting maize and legumes together.

Regional Centers of Leadership for staple foods like maize, rice, and legumes such as cowpeas, are being established as part of the project, and building research capacity. Malawi is the leadership center for maize-based farming systems, Mozambique is the center for rice research, and Zambia for legumes.

At least 30 per cent of the farmers targeted by the project are women.

Planting crops together Patricia Dzimbiri is one of them. Aged 37, she comes from Chinguluwe Area in Malawi’s Salima District and has been participating in farmers’ field trials for conservation agriculture and the intercropping of maize and legumes for three consecutive years.

In the 2016/2017 cropping season, Dzimbiri set an acre of land aside for two field demonstrations.

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In the first, she compared maize grown using conservation agriculture techniques, with maize grown using more conventional farming practices. She was thrilled with the results. “The maize grew faster and bigger in the conservation plot, and needed only hand weeding, as there were far fewer weeds,” Dzimbiri said. Where the maize covered the ground in shade it also suppressed the growth of weeds.

Moisture and nutrient retention were much higher in this plot than in the one farmed using conventional methods. And so were yields: Dzimbiri harvested 225 kg of maize on the trial plot, compared to 150 kg from a conventional plot of the same size.

In the second demonstration, she compared growing maize intercropped with cowpeas, to maize grown alone, and grew both using conservation agriculture methods. She noticed that the maize grown with cowpeas looked much greener on top. “Cowpeas, being a legume, fix the nutrients that are used by maize [in the soil]. The canopy formed by the cowpeas retained extra moisture for the crops,” she said.

She harvested 200 kg of maize on the intercropped plot compared to 125 kg on the non-intercropped.

Higher yields mean more cash Better harvests have improved her cash flow. As a member of Tiyesere Village Savings and Loans Group, Dzimbiri can save money to buy inputs in time for the next cropping season. She has also bought livestock for breeding.

In her lead role, she is passing on her knowledge to fellow farmers. Dzimbiri has personally mentored seven farmers from nearby villages, and shared her knowhow with 70 others on field days and in other forums.

A lead farmer is a successful, innovative farmer committed to training others, who works directly with research and extension agents to champion a technology in their community. Dzimbiri plans to expand her intercropping of maize and legumes to 2 acres of land.

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Agricultural extension or technical support services by Malawi’s Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development work in close collaboration with the Chitala Agricultural Research Station to support the project, which is scheduled to close in 2018.

The project obtained a US$87 million credit from the International Development Association for the three countries involved, with the Centre for Coordination of Agricultural Research and Development in Southern Africa facilitating the program on a regional level

https://reliefweb.int/report/malawi/woman-farmer-heads-conservation-agriculture-techniquesmalawi

The ‗golden‘ GMO dilemma

By Jasper Y. Arcalas September 15, 2017

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LAWMAKERS should be open-minded about the biotechnological developments being conducted in the country so as not to impede progress of projects, such as Golden Rice, that seek to curb poverty and improve the lives of Filipinos.

Diocesan priest Fr. Emmanuel Alparce, a member of the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) Biotechnology Information, Education and Communication Committee, made the remark after legislators belonging to the Makabayan bloc filed a resolution seeking to conduct an inquiry on the development of Golden Rice in the country.

“They should study things about biotechnology and also learn from the long history and success of Bt Maize, not only in terms of it being safe for food, feeds and environment, but also the change it caused in the lives of farmers who have planted this,” Alparce told the BusinessMirror.

He added: “Bt Maize has caused economic benefits in the lives of Filipino corn farmers, which is an incontrovertible evidence of the benefits of biotechnology.”

Alparce noted that if the inquiry in the House of Representatives on Golden Rice pushes through, then lawmakers should listen to the statements and opinions of scientists and experts on biotechnology rather than just from propagandists.

“There’s no academy of science anywhere in the world that [states biotechnology] is harmful. Where do we go when we have problems with our car? We do not run to a scientist or a doctor, but we look for a mechanic,” he said. “So if we have a problem with our health, we do not run to a mechanic. We look for a doctor and trust what the doctor says.”

House inquiry On September 7 the Makabayan bloc in the House filed House Resolution 1294 that seeks an inquiry into the development of Golden Rice in the country.

In the resolution, Reps. Arile Casilao of Anakpawis, Carlos Isagani Zarate of Bayan Muna, Emmi de Jesus and Arlene Brosas of Gabriela, Antonio Tinio and France Castro of Act Teachers and Sarah Jane Elago of Kabataan have directed the Committee on

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Agriculture and Food to conduct an inquiry to determine Golden Rice’s impact on health, environment and farmers’ rights.

The lawmakers said agricultural research must be based on the farmers’ capacity and needs, saying it should take into consideration the diversity and complexity of the environment, while rich natural resources, such as traditional rice varieties, must also be maximized.

“Local rice varieties are more suitable to the country’s environment and climate, and the same assures the farmers of better yield, and should be conserved and protected from contamination from GMOs,” the resolution said.

“Genetically modified crops are not sustainable means to provide food for the people, as they greatly compromise the environment, livelihood of the farmers and health of the consumers,” it added.

The lawmakers argued that Golden Rice is “merely” a promotional product of agrochemical corporations using public institutions “to make possible the social acceptance of genetic engineering in food and agriculture.”

The Makabayan bloc said the technology, methodology, seeds and variety to advance the Golden Rice are being owned by Syngenta, an agro-chemical transnational corporation that profits by investing in the global seed industry.

‘Humanitarian’ However, Alparce disputed this claim, saying the Golden Rice being bred by PhilRice was donated by Syngenta for humanitarian reasons.

“So, it is currently owned by the Philippine government. No multinational, especially Syngenta, will have any patent or control with the Golden Rice to be sold in the Philippines,” he said.

Alparce added that he would be willing to attend the inquiries and hearings to be conducted by the House of Representatives on Golden Rice. “Even if I’m not invited, I

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will attend. So, I would know what are the questions that will be raised regarding the project.”

Alparce also expressed apprehension that the negative campaign being made by those against Golden Rice and biotechnology would impede the scientific developments undertaken by local scientists in food technology.

“The campaign might push back the development of science, in particular of Golden Rice. And this would push back the help that it might give to the poor,” he said.

“Filipino scientists with impeccable reputations have been working on this project for so long. And maybe due to ideologies and lack of information on the part of some sectors, it might just become a wasted project,” he added.

Compliance The Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), an attached agency of the Department of Agriculture, filed on February 28 its applications for the conduct of field trial for Golden Rice and biosafety permit to allow its direct use for food, feed or for processing.

PhilRice Golden Rice Project Leader Roel Suralta said they are currently complying with all the requirements to secure a permit for field trial from the BPI. “Perhaps, there is no reason for us not to secure the permit if we comply with all the requirements for field trial, as well as for biosafety permit to allow direct use of Golden Rice for food, feed or for processing,” Suralta told the BusinessMirror.

Suralta said he does not see the change in the BPI leadership affecting the evaluation of their application for field trial and biosafety permit.

Suralta added that he expects the decision of the BPI’s biosafety committee on their applications to remain impartial despite the fact that development of Golden Rice is a government-funded project.

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“It is an equal playing field whether the applicant is from the private sector or from the government. The approval is based on the complied requirements and the evaluation of the biosafety committee, after all,” he said.

“So, everything would really depend on their evaluation. As far as we are concerned, we are complying with all the requirements they are requesting,” he added.

Vitamin enriched Golden Rice is being developed as a potential complementary solution to address vitamin A deficiency (VAD). This new type of rice contains beta carotene in its grains, which is safely converted to vitamin A as needed by the human body.

“It is developed through genetic-engineering technique as it is impossible to employ conventional breeding methods due to the unavailability of any rice variety containing such trait,” Suralta said.

Suralta pointed out that safety and efficacy remain the primary considerations of the government in its development of Golden Rice.

“Our research so far indicates that Golden Rice is as safe and nutritious as ordinary rice.

Analysis of its nutritional composition reveals that Golden Rice contains similar nutrients to that of ordinary rice, except for its beta carotene content as intended. Golden Rice is also free from any toxic or allergenic properties and is therefore safe,” Suralta said. “The beta carotene in Golden Rice is also safe as it is similar to what is found in orangecolored fruits and vegetables.”

The World Health Organization (WHO) indicates that 190 million preschool children and 19 million pregnant women are still vitamin A deficient globally. In the Philippines, VAD among preschool children has increased from 15.2 percent (1.7 million) in 2008 to 20.4 percent (2.1 million) in 2013, based on the latest survey by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI). A number of pregnant (9 percent) and lactating mothers (5 percent) are also vitamin A deficient.

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VAD weakens the immune system and increases one’s risk to diseases, blindness, and even death from severe infections. WHO estimates that 250,000 to 500,000 vitamin Adeficient children become blind every year, and half of them die within 12 months of losing their sight. The United Nations Children’s Fund also projected that annual VADattributed death (all-cause) among children increased to 1,840 in the Philippines.

VAD also causes night blindness and increases maternal mortality among pregnant women, according to the WHO. “We look forward to the day that Golden Rice will become available and could help alleviate the problem of vitamin A deficiency,” Suralta said.

Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open- Septmember 15, 2017 SEPTEMBER 15, 2017 / 12:52 PM

Nagpur Foodgrain Prices – APMC/Open Market-September 15 Nagpur, Sept 15 (Reuters) – Gram and tuar prices reported strong in Nagpur Agriculture Produce and Marketing Committee (APMC) here on increased festival season demand from local millers amid thin supply from producing belts. Healthy rise in Madhya Pradesh pulses reported demand from South-based plants also boosted prices.

About 550 of gram and 250 bags of tuar were available for auctions, according to sources.

FOODGRAINS & PULSES

GRAM * Gram varieties ruled steady in open market here on subdued demand from local traders.

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TUAR

* Tuar gavarani and tuar Karnataka showed upward tendency in open market on good seasonal demand from local traders.

* Moong Chamki recovered in open market on good demand from local traders amid weak supply from producing belts.

* In Akola, Tuar New – 4,100-4,300, Tuar dal (clean) – 6,100-6,300, Udid Mogar (clean) – 8,300-9,000, Moong Mogar (clean) 6,800-7,100, Gram – 5,700-5,900, Gram Super best – 8,300-8,700

* Wheat, rice and other foodgrain items moved in a narrow range in scattered deals and settled at last levels in thin trading activity.

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

FOODGRAINS Gram Auction Gram Pink Auction Tuar Auction Moong Auction Udid Auction Masoor Auction

Available prices 5,600-7,700 n.a.

n.a. n.a.

Wheat Mill quality Auction

5,400-7,400

2,100-2,600

3,900-4,030 n.a.

Previous close

3,700-4,000 3,900-4,200

4,300-4,500 2,600-2,800 1,600-1,682

1,572-1,614

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Gram Super Best Bold

8,500-9,000

Gram Super Best

n.a.

Gram Medium Best

8,500-9,000

n.a.

7,600-8,000

7,600-8,000

Gram Dal Medium

n.a.

Gram Mill Quality

5,900-6,000

5,900-6,000

Desi gram Raw

6,050-6,200

6,050-6,200

Gram Kabuli

n.a

12,000-13,000

Tuar Fataka Best-New

12,000-13,000

6,500-6,800

Tuar Fataka Medium-New

6,500-6,800

6,100-6,400

Tuar Dal Best Phod-New

6,100-6,400

5,800-6,000

Tuar Dal Medium phod-New Tuar Gavarani New

5,800-6,000

5,400-5,700

4,350-4,450

5,400-5,700

4,400-4,500

Tuar Karnataka

4,750-4,950

4,700-4,900

Masoor dal best

5,200-5,500

5,200-5,500

Masoor dal medium Masoor

4,800-5,000 n.a.

4,800-5,000

n.a.

Moong Mogar bold (New)

7,000-7,500

Moong Mogar Medium

6,500-6,800

Moong dal Chilka

5,500-6,200

7,000-7,500 6,500-6,800

5,500-6,200

Moong Mill quality

n.a.

n.a.

Moong Chamki best

7,100-8,000

7,000-8,000

Udid Mogar best (100 INR/KG) (New) 8,500-9,500

8,500-9,500

Udid Mogar Medium (100 INR/KG)

6,500-7,500

Udid Dal Black (100 INR/KG) Batri dal (100 INR/KG)

6,500-7,500

6,000-7,000

5,000-5,500

6,000-7,000

5,000-5,500

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Lakhodi dal (100 INR/kg) 3,000-3,200 3,000-3,200 Watana Dal (100 INR/KG) 2,900-3,100 2,900-3,100 Watana Green Best (100 INR/KG) 3,800-4,400 3,800-4,400 Wheat 308 (100 INR/KG) 1,900-2,000 1,900-2,000 Wheat Mill quality (100 INR/KG) 1,750-1,850 1,750-1,850 Wheat Filter (100 INR/KG) 2,100-2,300 2,100-2,300 Wheat Lokwan best (100 INR/KG) 2,200-2,400 2,200-2,400 Wheat Lokwan medium (100 INR/KG) 1,900-2,100 1,900-2,100 Lokwan Hath Binar (100 INR/KG) n.a. n.a.

MP Sharbati Best (100 INR/KG) 3,300-3,800 3,300-3,800 MP Sharbati Medium (100 INR/KG) 2,200-2,800 2,200-2,800 Rice BPT best (100 INR/KG) 3,300-3,400 3,300-3,400 Rice BPT medium (100 INR/KG) 2,800-3,200 2,800-3,200 Rice Luchai (100 INR/KG) 2,400-2,600 2,400-2,600 Rice Swarna best (100 INR/KG) 2,500-2,600 2,500-2,600 Rice Swarna medium (100 INR/KG) 2,300-2,400 2,300-2,400 Rice HMT best (100 INR/KG) 3,800-4,000 3,800-4,000 Rice HMT medium (100 INR/KG) 3,500-3,800 3,500-3,800 Rice Shriram best(100 INR/KG) 4,800-5,200 4,800-5,200 Rice Shriram med (100 INR/KG) 4,500-4,700 4,500-4,700 Rice Basmati best (100 INR/KG) 9,500-13,500 9,500-13,500 Rice Basmati Medium (100 INR/KG) 5,000-7,500 5,000-7,500 Rice Chinnor best 100 INR/KG) 4,800-5,000 4,800-5,000 Rice Chinnor medium (100 INR/KG) 4,300-4,500 4,300-4,500 Jowar Gavarani (100 INR/KG) 2,000-2,100 2,000-2,100 Jowar CH-5 (100 INR/KG) 1,700-2,000 1,700-2,000 WEATHER (NAGPUR) Maximum temp. 31.0 degree Celsius, minimum temp. 23.2 degree Celsius Rainfall : Nil FORECAST: Generally cloudy sky with one or two spells of rains or thunder-showers.

Maximum andminimum temperature would be around and 31 and 23 degree Celsius respectively.

Note: n.a.--not available (For oils, transport costs are excluded from plant delivery prices, butincluded in market prices) https://in.reuters.com/article/britain-security-london/british-police-arrest-man-in-hunt-forlondon-bombers-idINKCN1BQ0RR

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