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Rice News Headlines...
October 17,2017 Vol X ,Issuu 9
OMOGUEN: THE GOLDEN RICE PROJECT IN THE PHILIPPINES The many facets of Pak-China trade Iran’s Food Exports Booming USA Rice Exhibits at the Anuga Food and Beverage Trade Show Vietnam braces for typhoon Khanun after floods kill 72 International students graduate from 'super rice' program President emphasises need for achieving food security Organic Rice is a Family Affair at Lundberg Family Farms Rice registers 7.2pc more production compared to set target Policy guidelines for procurement of paddy in Kharif Marketing Season issued Rice that multiplies in Maine soil is a big plus China breaks hybrid rice output record Kedah padi farmers cry rise in operational costs, plea for GST exemption Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open- October 17, 2017 Government takes steps to boost rice production as Ghana observes World Food Day Vietnam Braces for Typhoon Khanun After Floods Kill 72 China sets new world record for rice yield Rice crosses govt production target ASIA RICE-VIETNAM'S PRICES UP ON LOW SUPPLY; MARKET EYES PHILIPPINE IMPORTS Farmers should turn to paddy Researchers announce 2.25m high-yielding rice(1/4) Chinese scientists put rice grown in seawater on the nation’s tables Tariffication to give rice sector P27-billion safety net India is Malnourished Yet Obese. We Can't Feed Rice, Wheat to The Starving Who Need Eggs, Dals: Scientist
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News Detail... OMOGUEN: THE GOLDEN RICE PROJECT IN THE PHILIPPINES The Golden Rice Project in the Philippines Tuesday, October 17, 2017 By ROBERT L. DOMOGUEN MOUNTAIN LIGHT ―GIVING ownership and control of the Golden Rice (GR) to those who truly need it,‖ conclusion of a three-part series article ***** In science, it often happens that scientists say, 'You know that's a really good argument; my position is mistaken,' and then they would actually change their minds and you never hear that old view from them again. They really do it. It doesn't happen as often as it should because scientists are human and change is sometimes painful. But it happens every day. I cannot recall the last time something like that happened in politics or religion. (1987) -- Carl Sagan ***** The two previous articles in this series preceding this one tried to highlight the efforts of scientists in developing and promoting golden rice as an alternative solution to vitamin A deficiency in the Third World. In both articles, we also showed that there are individuals and groups who are opposed to GR as a food crop and its uses. Unfortunately, the debate on the GR project may have unnecessarily or unfortunately labeled the crop and this technology as both wicked, which is rather subjective and irresponsible. In writing about GR and engaging the discussion, I intend to find an objective and correct awareness on the crop, how it can reach the market and how the technology can be managed, owned or controlled by the farmers and communities who needed it most. I am happy to find voices in the scientific community who advance this outlook – for the needy farmers to own and have control of GR and its technology. Most of these scientists are actually engaged in promoting GR as an alternative natural solution to existing strategies of addressing VAD, especially in areas where the distribution of vitamin A supplements are not effective or where poverty prevents people from eating a ―variety of diets.‖ People who simply oppose GR because it comes in the form of a genetically modified organism (GMO) are not helpful in this quest GMO crops have long been in existence already. In science, it is absurd opposing practical and beneficial discoveries to human survival, at a time when these are critically needed like the green revolution technologies did several decades past. When viewed through a biased ideological lens, GR as a crop, its uses and benefits can be entirely negated or accepted. Sometimes, the methods of opposition employed and/or their acceptance and enforcement in the hands of ideologues can be destructive and unreasonable, where the end justifies the means. The destruction of the GR experiment station and the GR crops grown in Pili, Camarines Sur, to the dismay of local residents and rice farmers, will continue to tarnish and highlight the 2
www.ricepluss.com | www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com For Online/Newsletter Advertisment mujahid.riceplus@gamil.com unreasonable action taken by opposing groups in advancing their seemingly ―crusading moral‖ cause. Meanwhile, experts have already affirmed this reality to be true. A Patents‘ for Humanity Award recipient, there is a need for what GR can deliver: vitamin A. To put this into context and right perspective, the World Health Organization estimated around 250,000 to 500,000 vitamin A-deficient children become blind every year, half of them dying within 12 months of losing their sight. Some aggressive commercial interest may have put a dent into this great pursuit. Its success may yet add fuel to the biotech industry‘s cause. I am largely interested in the potential of GR for real good, especially in this part of the globe. When it succeeds, I join the scientists and advocates who want the GR seeds given to farmers free to use in their rice fields. Ads by Kiosked Published in the SunStar Baguio newspaper on October 17, 2017. Latest issues of SunStar Baguio also available on your mobile phones, laptops, and tablets. Subscribe to our digital editions at epaper.sunstar.com.ph and get a free seven-day trial http://www.sunstar.com.ph/baguio/opinion/2017/10/17/domoguen-golden-rice-project-philippines569802
The many facets of Pak-China trade BR RESEARCH OCT 16TH, 2017
Pakistan‘s current and potential trade agreements have been severely criticized time and again by this column. Ranging from accusations of being ill-prepared and accepting concessions on items that already have 0 percent tariff to the potential of imports damaging local economy, negotiators of trade agreements have a lot to answer for.However, imagine as in an ideal situation where Pakistan‘s negotiators were masters of this art and went into meetings well-prepared. Would Pakistan still be facing a substantial trade deficit? The 3
www.ricepluss.com | www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com For Online/Newsletter Advertisment mujahid.riceplus@gamil.com answer is, yes. Pakistan‘s competitive advantage in China has eroded away completely in recent years (read ―Pakistan-China FTA farce, published by BR Research on September, 22). For example, Pakistan‘s top export cotton and its derivatives face extremely tough competition from Vietnam which is covered under the China-ASEAN trade agreement. However, if Pakistan was given preferential market access for all its major exports, would its trade deficit with China turn into a trade surplus?
Obviously, as long as Pakistan imports high value-added goods from China and exports resource-based goods, trade deficit will persist. But this in no way implies that it is acceptable for negotiators to give away market access without receiving significant concessions in return which has been the case time and time again.
In itself, trade deficit is not all-evil as it is painted to be. A fast-growing economy, which is what Pakistan hopes it is and will be courtesy CPEC, pulls in more imports as its expands. Pakistan‘s imports of capital goods are for the betterment of Pakistan‘s long term economy. The larger issue is the decline in exports which Pakistan‘s trade agreement negotiators are culpable for, at least in part.
Along with the myriad of issues faced by the manufacturing community is the lack of access to markets of Pakistan‘s trading partners. From lack of R&D, availability of finance, energy related issues to the lack of capacity to enjoy economies of scale, Pakistan‘s industry faces a lot of challenges. But if these challenges were to be done away with, Pakistan‘s exports would still be hampered by its ineffective trade agreements. For example, even if Pakistan‘s rice is superior to Vietnam‘s, Pakistan faces 65 percent tariff compared to ASEAN‘s 33.7 percent. It would not 4
www.ricepluss.com | www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com For Online/Newsletter Advertisment mujahid.riceplus@gamil.com make economic sense for Chinese importers to opt for Pakistan‘s rice when the alternative costs significantly less.
A stronger and more competitive manufacturing industry goes hand in hand with better market access. Rather than raising a hullabaloo about rising imports, policies conducive to facilitating and improving the quality and range of Pakistan‘s exports are required as well as trade agreements that allow Pakistan‘s products better market access.
https://www.brecorder.com/2017/10/16/375021/the-many-facets-of-pak-chinatrade/
Iran’s Food Exports Booming Monday, October 16, 2017
The share of food and processing industries‘ exports in Iran‘s total non-oil exports in terms of value in H1 increased by 7% YOY With around $118 million worth of exports, chocolate products were the main item shipped from Iran to overseas destinations during the six months
Iran‘s exports in food and processing industries witnessed a 9.3% and 23.4% rise in value and volume respectively.These exports rose to 923,000 tons worth $1.4 billion during the six months to Sept. 22 from 748,000 tons worth $1.28 billion in the corresponding period of last year, IRNA reported.―With around $118 million worth of exports, chocolate products were the main item shipped from Iran to overseas destinations during the six months. Other major exports include dairy products, tomato paste, juice and concentrate,‖ Kaveh Zargaran, secretary-general of the Federation of Iranian Food Associations, announced. 5
www.ricepluss.com | www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com For Online/Newsletter Advertisment mujahid.riceplus@gamil.com The official noted that the increase in exports by food and processing industries came, as Iran‘s agro product exports saw a 2.5% decline in value and volume during the period under review year-on-year.According to Zargaran, the fall in agro exports owes mainly to decline in the exports of pistachio and apple. Although pistachio exports decreased considerably by 43% and 48% in value and weight respectively during the period, the delicacy still tops Iran‘s agro exports. A total of $63 million worth of pistachio was exported in H1 from Iran.The share of food and processing industries‘ exports in Iran‘s total non-oil exports in terms of value during the period increased by 7% YOY. This is while the value of total non-oil exports witnessed a 3% YOY decrease during the period. Dairy Exports Earn $500m Dairy exports earned close to $500 million during the six months. According to Zargaran, government support in the form of subsidy has played a major role in boosting dairy exports. ―If the current trend of dairy exports continues and nothing comes on the way, a one-billiondollar record by the yearend is likely,‖ he added.According to the official, dairy exports earned $773 million in the last fiscal year to March 2017. Among the exported products, yogurt topped the list with $218 million, followed by cheese with $187 million, infant formula with $129 million and cream and ice cream with $120 million. Rise in Agro Imports Zargaran said the country imported about 9 million tons of agro products worth $5.90 billion during the six-month period, registering a 13% and 26% rise in weight and value respectively year-over-year.Rice, corn, soybean, unprocessed vegetable oil and veal were major agricultural products imported into the country during the period.Rice imports, with a 37% share (around $996 million) in total imports, registered a staggering 108% year-on-year jump in value.Close to 3.5 million tons of corn worth $813 million were imported, marking a rise of 40% and 29% in tonnage and value respectively. Soybean imports rose by 11% in value, registering 1.18 million tons worth $620 million. Unprocessed vegetable oil imports stood at around $600 million, indicating an 85% hike.Veal imports worth $231 million had a 26% YOY increase in value.Iran‘s nominal food production capacity stands at 100 million tons per year. However, currently, only 40 million tons are produced annually in the country, which indicate a large gap. ―There is a noticeable production deficiency in the country‘s food industry while food exports generate the highest amount of value added,‖ Mehdi Sadeqi-Niaraki, an official with the Ministry of Industries, Mining and Trade, has been quoted as saying by IRNA.―Last year (March 2016-17), Iran exported $2.958 billion worth of food products,‖ he said.Sadeqi-Niaraki noted that Iran is targeting the export of $6.5 billion worth of food products annually by the fiscal 2025-26 https://financialtribune.com/articles/economy-business-and-
markets/74239/iran-s-food-exports-booming 6
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USA Rice Exhibits at the Anuga Food and Beverage Trade Show By Hartwig Schmidt
COLOGNE, GERMANY - Earlier this month, USA Rice exhibited at the Anuga 2017 "Taste the Future" trade show here. With more than 7,400 exhibitors and 160,000 visitors, 90 percent of whom are involved in their companies' purchasing decisions, Anuga is the world's largest and most important trade fair for food and beverages, and USA Rice has exhibited there for the past nineteen years. Several USA Rice member companies attended Anuga, including American Commodity Company, Sun Valley Rice Company, and Farmers' Rice Cooperative, all from California. The show provided their representatives the opportunity to meet with partners, foodservice specialists, press, and U.S. Department of Agriculture personnel from the region. "Anuga is a great place to meet current and potential trade contacts from all over Europe, Asia, and the Middle East," said Derek Alarcon, Farmers' Rice Cooperative Director of Export Sales, who 7
www.ricepluss.com | www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com For Online/Newsletter Advertisment mujahid.riceplus@gamil.com attended the show. "There was great interest in U.S. rice and this year there was no discussion of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in rice like we've typically heard in the past. Buyers over here understand U.S. rice is free of GMOs but they say convincing consumers of that is the challenge." Participants noted that there was considerable traffic at the USA Rice booth and many quality leads were developed. The European market expects high quality food products and therefore the market commands a premium and provides a higher value for U.S. rice. "Interest really centered around medium grain with the most common point of discussion on lower production and higher prices," said Chris Crutchfield, President and CEO of American Commodity Company, who attended the show. "With carry over stocks down considerably and planted acreage and yield both off, prices have strengthened and customers are seeking less expensive alternatives. It looks like global supply will remain tight pending the Australian harvest in the spring of 2018 and any lifting of the current Egyptian export ban." The USA Rice booth was stocked with informational brochures and various U.S. rice samples for viewing by visitors.
Vietnam braces for typhoon Khanun after floods kill 72
HANOI: Vietnam braced for typhoon Khanun on Monday after destructive floods battered the country‘s north and centre last week, killing 72 people, the disaster prevention agency said.
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www.ricepluss.com | www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com For Online/Newsletter Advertisment mujahid.riceplus@gamil.com Last week‘s floods were the worst in years, the government and state-run Vietnam Television said, with thousands of homes submerged. Another 200 houses collapsed and several towns remain cut off by the floodwater. The floods also damaged more than 22,000 hectares (54,300 acres) of rice.
Vietnam is the world‘s third-largest exporter of rice and the second-biggest producer of coffee, although the floods have not affected the Southeast Asian nation‘s coffee belt. Eighteen people from the hardest-hit province of Hoa Binh in the north were buried by a landslide, but only thirteen bodies have been found, Vietnam‘s disaster agency said.
The government has said it is fixing dykes, dams and roads damaged by last week‘s flood and is preparing for typhoon Khanun, which is expected to cause heavy rain in northern and central Vietnam from Monday. It has also warned ships and boats to avoid the approaching typhoon. Vietnam is prone to destructive storms and flooding due to its long coastline. A typhoon wreaked havoc across central provinces last month. Floods have also affected nine out of 77 provinces in Thailand, Vietnam‘s neighbour to the west. Three people had been killed in flooding since last Tuesday, Thailand‘s disaster agency said on Monday. The Thai capital, Bangkok, was hit by heavy rain at the weekend, with gridlocked traffic bringing parts of the city to a standstill. Bangkok has often been described as the ―Venice of the East‖ because of its many waterways. However, the floods prompted criticism of Bangkok‘s city government, with some social media users accusing authorities of not managing water levels in canals properly.The city government defended itself,
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International students graduate from 'super rice' program 2017-10-16 14:06chinadaily.com.CN
A group of international students graduated Friday from an agricultural training program sponsored by the Ministry of Commerce and received graduation certificates from Yuan Longping, China's renowned rice scientist, Xinhua reports.The 45-day program, hosted by Yuan Longping High-Tech Agriculture Company, taught advanced breeding and cultivating techniques of "super rice" to 21 students from countries including Thailand, Indian, Pakistan and Ethiopia. The program also brought them to hybrid rice test fields in Huaihua and Zhangjiajie in Central China's Hunan province. Yuan, dubbed as China's "father of hybrid rice", awarded certificates to the international students and congratulated them by speaking English at a ceremony held in Changsha, the capital city of Hunan. "I am not a qualified teacher," Yuan said, joking that he can only spared time for those international students to share his thoughts and experience with them. The students were impressed by the training and inspired by what they have learnt. Huang Dahui, the deputy director of Longping High-Tech International Training Institute, said the faculty has held more than 100 such training programs since 2000, and more than 6,000 foreign students have benefited from the programs. "The programs have introduced our advanced technology to the whole world and also deepened friendships between China and different countries," Huang said. http://www.ecns.cn/2017/10-16/277211.shtml
President emphasises need for achieving food security ISLAMABAD: President Mamnoon Hussain has emphasised the need for adoption of a multidimensional approach for investing in food security and uplifting the rural livelihoods to control the migration patterns in the rural areas.
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―I am confident that food security will continue to be one of the priority areas for our future public and private investments to achieve self-sufficiency and rural development,‖ the president said in a message on the occasion of World Food Day being observed on Monday. He was pleased to learn that the Ministry of National Food Security and Research (NFS&R) and Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in collaboration with other UN agencies and partner organisations are celebrating the day to highlight the significance of achieving self-sufficiency in food grains. Mamnoon said that it is heartening to note that Pakistan has made significant progress in food production over the last seventy years as it has witnessed a considerable increase in the production of wheat and rice. The present government is also focusing on the sustainable development of agriculture sector and in this regard has taken a number of measures for the welfare of the farming community, he added. ―Pakistan is now not only self-sufficient in both these food grains, but it has also become an exporter of these commodities,‖ he said.
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www.ricepluss.com | www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com For Online/Newsletter Advertisment mujahid.riceplus@gamil.com The president stressed that the food security, in the context of population growth, is a major concern and millions of humans around the globe are in constant need of food and shelter. This is particularly true for Pakistan as it has been working in close coordination with UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in managing the Afghan refugees, he emphasised. He also said that Pakistan is committed to achieving food security and alleviate poverty in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2017/10/15/president-emphasises-need-for-achieving-food-security/
Organic Rice is a Family Affair at Lundberg Family Farms OCTOBER 16, 2017 by EMILY MONACO
Image care of Lundberg Family Farms The story of Lundberg Family Farms begins 80 years ago, when Albert and Frances Lundberg first settled in Richvale, California with the goal of making a commitment to 12
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care for the soil. Eight generations later, the Lundberg family is still doing just that, with sustainable organic rice production that supports the Lundberg family motto: ―Leave the land better than you found it.‖ ―We‘re proud to continue the family legacy of sustainable farming,‖ says Grant Lundberg, CEO of Lundberg Family Farms and son of Eldon Lundberg, one of Albert and Frances‘ four sons. ―We‘re humbled to be stewards of what my grandparents established eight decades ago and hope future generations will continue to be inspired as much as we have been.‖
Image care of Lundberg Family Farms
A Family Farm at Heart From a modest rice farm in the ‘30s to a rice mill in the ‘60s, Lundberg Family Farms has grown to a 16,000 acre operation producing 18 different varieties of rice, about 70 percent of which are certified organic (including organic short-grain brown rice, the company‘s flagship product that remains its most popular, even today).
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Though the company has seen great expansion, the Lundberg family still maintains a family farm in California, which produces about 40 percent of the rice the company sells; the rest is produced by about 40 other family farmers that the second generation of Lundbergs began bringing on board in the ‘70s. ―We realized that the business had so much more potential, and that there was growth in organics,‖ explains Jessica Lundberg, Vice President of People, Planet and Process as well as a member of the Board of Directors of Lundberg Family Farms. ―We had to make a decision: do we want to go out and buy more land, or should we really be investing in the business side of the brand and bringing more growers in to help us?‖ They opted for the latter – mainly because, as Lundberg explains, bringing more growers in was the easiest way to convert even more land to organic production. ―We found a handful of growers who shared the philosophy of organic and shared the philosophy of crop rotation, of taking care of the soil, of even just healthy food production,‖ she says. By bringing these farmers on board, the company was able to focus on the sustainability of other elements of the business. ―Leaving the land better than you found it was pretty clear as farmers,‖ says Lundberg. ―It really was a challenge for us to think, OK, how do you take these values and apply them across a food company?‖ The Lundbergs have since found their inspiration: everything from energy use to packaging to production at the facility is designed with sustainability in mind. ―We‘re trying to maintain the philosophy and grow it as we get bigger as a company, as we bring more people in who are new to organic and who are new to the business,‖ she says. Lundberg works on a contract basis with its growers. Depending on the soil type of their farms, some farmers may produce only rice and cover crops, while others produce a greater variety, with rice being only one piece of their rotation. It‘s important to the Lundbergs that there be a great deal of transparency between the company and the growers, to build trust and ensure that everyone feels supported. ―It‘s understood that we‘re all in this together,‖ explains Lundberg. ―There are harder varieties to grow, meaning that there‘s more risk with them, because maybe they have different levels of competition with weeds, but that we all have to take a little bit of a share of that.‖ 14
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Image care of Lundberg Family Farms
At the Forefront of Development in Sustainable Food The Lundbergs haven‘t stopped at rice. The company has recently become the national leader in the production of domestically-grown organic quinoa, and it has also begun producing whole-grain prepared foods, from gluten-free pasta to rice cakes and chips to frozen arancini appetizers. In addition, Lundberg is moving onto the world of biodynamic farming, with biodynamic short-grain and sushi rice. ―Within our markets, biodynamic is still something that people are learning about,‖ says Lundberg. ―So to be able to really promote it and have people understand what biodynamic is and to grow that market is a little bit challenging. It‘s kind of like what organic was 40 years ago.‖ Even as Lundberg Family Farms continues to expand and grow, though, it remains a family company at heart.
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―We do maintain a family council, so that‘s just family members that organize activities and keep the family coming into the business very proactively,‖ explains Lundberg, who notes that day-to-day, there are about eight family members working together, six from the third generation of the family and two from the fourth. ―It‘s really fun to work with family,‖ says Lundberg. ―There‘s always challenges, just because family members know you really well, but it‘s also very supportive in that we all have a vision with where we want to go with the business and we‘re all committed to the legacy of the company we‘re working for.‖Continuing to have family at the heart of the business makes it easy to encourage the newest generation of the family to think about a career with the family business in mind. And, says Lundberg, ―That could be the way that they could continue a legacy set up by their great grandparents and continue a really noble profession of food production.‖ http://www.organicauthority.com/how-its-made-organic-rice-is-a-family-affair-at-lundberg-family-farms/
Rice registers 7.2pc more production compared to set target Rice production registered 7.31 million tons during 2017-18 which is 7.2 per cent more than the target set by the government. According to official sources, the government set production target of rice at 6.818 million tons at an area of 2.786 million hectares land across the country, however the production remained 7.2 per cent higher. The breakup figures show that in Punjab the government set target for 3.5 million tons of productions at an area of 1.8 million hectares land however the the production remained 3.742 million tons at an area of 1.823 million hectares land, showing an increase of 6.9 per cent . Similarly, in Sindh province, 2.85 million tons of the crop was produced at an area of 822,000 hectaresland against the target of 2.6 million tons at an area of 750,000 hectares land. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, production of 159,000 tons of rice was achieved compared to the target of 144,000 tons, however, the Balochistan province produced 3 per cent less crop as its production remained 557,000 tons compared to the target of 574,000 tons.
The rice experts attributed increase in rice production to revival of rice prices in the international market. They said 2015-16 was not a good year for rice growers as prices plunged to very low level during the year which resulted in less production in the next year. https://pakobserver.net/rice-registers-7-2pc-production-compared-set-target/
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Policy guidelines for procurement of paddy in Kharif Marketing Season issued October 16, 2017, 6:35 PM IST
THE STATE GOVERNMENT ISSUED POLICY GUIDELINES FOR PROCUREMENT OF PADDY IN KHARIF MARKETING SEASON 2016-17. FURTHER GUIDELINES FOR PROCUREMENT OF PADDY DURING THE RABI SEASON OF KMS 2016-17 WERE ALSO ISSUED.AS PER THE ―PROCUREMENT POLICY‖ FOR THE KHARIF MARKETING SEASON 2017-18, THE MINIMUM SUPPORT PRICE FIXED BY UNION GOVERNMENT OF INDIA FOR 2017-18 ARE AS FOLLOWS. PRICE PER QUINTAL OF FAIR AVERAGE QUALITY OF PADDY FOR COMMON VARIETY IS RS 1550 AND GRADE ―A‖ IS RS 1590. IN VIEW OF ZERO MILL LEVY FROM KMS 2015-16, IT BECOMES NECESSARY FOR THE STATE GOVERNMENT TO MAKE ARRANGEMENTS FOR PROCUREMENT OF ABOUT 53.13 LAKH MT OF PADDY IN KMS 2017-18 I.E. 27.49 LAKH MT IN KHARIF AND 25.64 LAKH MT IN RABI. IF MORE PADDY ARRIVES INTO THE PADDY PURCHASE CENTERS (PPCS), IT SHALL BE ACCEPTED BY THE PADDY PURCHASE CENTERS WITHOUT LIMITING IT TO THE TENTATIVE TARGET INDICATED. THE PADDY THUS PROCURED SHALL BE GOT CUSTOM MILLED, RESULTANT RAW RICE DELIVERED BY THE RICE MILLERS SHALL BE UTILIZED FOR PDS/OWS AS PER THE GOI ALLOTMENT AND RICE MILLERS SHALL DELIVER RESULTANT BOILED RICE TO FCI. THE DEFICIT STOCKS OF RAW RICE UNDER PDS / OWS SHALL BE PROVIDED BY THE FOOD CORPORATION OF INDIA AS PER MOU ENTERED WITH GOVERNMENT UNDER DCP OPERATIONS HTTPS://WWW.SIASAT.COM/NEWS/POLICY-GUIDELINES-PROCUREMENT-PADDY-KHARIF-MARKETINGSEASON-ISSUED-1243522/
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Rice that multiplies in Maine soil is a big plus Locally harvested rice becomes part of a delish main dish. BY CHRISTINE BURNS RUDALEVIGE
Cold-Climate Rice Salad is served on a bed of roasted squash. Staff photo by Derek Davis
There is a children‘s book written in the 1970s titled ―One Grain of Rice: A Mathematical Folktale.‖ The story is set in India, where a greedy raja takes nearly all of the subsistence growers‘ rice for safekeeping should famine come. When it does, he hoards the rice for himself. A wise village girl named Rani convinces him to give her just a single grain of rice on the first day of the new moon, doubling the amount daily until a full moon appears in the sky. After 18
www.ricepluss.com | www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com For Online/Newsletter Advertisment mujahid.riceplus@gamil.com thinking out loud on the page that one grain of rice could hardly amount to much, the raja grants Rani‘s request. One grain becomes 2 then 4 then 8 then 16, and so on until it tops out at 536,870,912 on the 30th day. The math lesson in play means that Rani gets a billion grains of rice in the end. A little long division translates that number to 29,000 pounds of rice. The average Asian eats about 300 pounds of rice annually (in the United States we‘re closer to 26 pounds a year), so Rani‘s supplication saves her village from starvation. The life lesson in play is that a single grain of rice can indeed multiply to feed the collective even in harsh conditions. That‘s the mindset farmers Ben Rooney and David Gulak of Wild Folk Farm had when they planted a single experimental paddy of cold weather rice in traditionally agriculturally inhospitable clay soil in Benton back in 2013. The enterprise has since grown at a pretty good clip. I was part of the work party last May that transplanted seedlings into eight paddies, each named after a planet. It‘s back-breaking work. You fasten a flat of 3-inch-high juvenile plants that germinated in the farm‘s rudimentary aquaponic greenhouse around your waist with a bungee cord. Then you wade barefoot (if you‘re brave; I wore boots) through ankle-deep, oozing muck; bend over the flat as it digs into your hip; gently coax a seedling from its cozy crib; and nestle its spindling roots into its watery big-boy bed in a neat row. Each plant sits about 6 inches from its nearest sibling. You take a giant step backwards and do it over again, and again, and again. Optimally, it takes four people working two hours to transplant seedlings into a single 5,000square-foot paddy. Rooney takes it from there. Because rice is a water-intensive crop, the paddies are flooded and drained using a closed irrigation system fed by a pond. The paddies are also planted with azolla, a companion plant for rice that both prevents weeds and helps fix the nitrogen into the clay soil. Khaki Campbell ducks waddle and swim, eating the azolla and fertilizing the clay soil. The ducks are harvested for their meat before they can eat the growing grains of rice. Nets draped
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www.ricepluss.com | www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com For Online/Newsletter Advertisment mujahid.riceplus@gamil.com over the paddies when the plants are heavy with rice prevents a premature harvest by bobolinks, black birds native to Maine whose Latin name loosely translates into ―rice devourer.‖ Advertisement I returned to Wild Folk Farm last weekend to help harvest what Rooney says will amount to 3,500 pounds of cold-climate heirloom rices with names like Akamuro, Arpa Shal, Cse He Jao, Duborskian and Hayayuki. I worked the paddy where the Akamura rice grew. Akamura is an open-pollinated, short-grained variety that Rooney knows grows well here so he saves 10 percent of it for seed, a portion of which he‘ll germinate to plant next year‘s crop and a portion of which he‘ll sell to Fedco Seeds so other farmers in Maine or similar cold climates can give rice a go. I used a curved sickle to cut off bunches of tillers, laying these 3-foot-tall stalks laden with rice to cure slightly in the now dried paddy. In a call-and-response cycle, the six of us working to clear the paddy sang a song that Rooney composed. ―Cut ‘em down. Among autumn leaves. Where the ducks swam. These are rice paddies. On cool clay earth. Tread lightly. We sing together. Soon we‘ll feast.‖ The cured rice then gets sorted into fist-sized bundles and is gently slapped into a foot-powered thresher to remove the rice from the stalks. The rice, still in its husks, falls into a bucket below the thresher, and the stalks get repurposed, perhaps as crop cover material or a medium for a local potter to decorate his clay wares. (Rooney said they tried out a borrowed mechanical harvester last year, but they like the low-tech approach in part so they can show schoolchildren how rice is processed.) The rice sits in a high tunnel on tarps to dry for a few days. We took bucketsful of the dried stuff and ran it in a 19th-century hand-cranked wooden winnower Rooney found in an antique shop in western Massachusetts to separate the rice from the chaff. The rice moves down the work row set up on the bank between the paddies to the bicycle-powered husker, where workers pedal their
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Served atop roasted squash, the rice salad is sprinkled with sesame seeds. Staff photos by Derek Davis
Roasted Winter Squash with Cold Climate Rice Salad Kabocha squash is a dark green, stocky cousin of the pumpkin with a flavor and texture that evokes a sweet potato. You may have enjoyed it in Japanese restaurants as tempura, or as an addition to Asian hot pots and soups. Go with locally grown rice like Akamuro from Wild Folk Farm in Benton, if you can, but any short-grained golden rice will work. Serves 4 as a main dish 1 small kabocha or butternut squash
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www.ricepluss.com | www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com For Online/Newsletter Advertisment mujahid.riceplus@gamil.com 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1/4 teaspoon salt Black pepper to taste Advertisement 1/2 cup warm water or sake 6 tablespoons white miso paste 1 teaspoon sugar 1 tablespoon mirin 2 tablespoons rice vinegar 2 cups cooked short grain rice, cooled Advertisement ½ cup chopped scallion 1 red or yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped 2 tablespoons black or white sesame seeds, toasted Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Cut the unpeeled squash into 1-inch wedges. Toss the wedges with the oil, salt and pepper and lay them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast until soft, about 20 minutes.While the squash cooks, combine the water or sake, miso, sugar, mirin and rice vinegar in a medium-sized bowl. Add the cooked rice, scallion and bell pepper. Stir to combine.Arrange the roasted squash around the edges of a large platter. Fill the middle of the platter with the rice salad. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and serve. http://www.pressherald.com/2017/10/15/rice-that-multiplies-in-maine-soil-a-big-plus/
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China breaks hybrid rice output record By Liu Caiyu Source:Global Times Published: 2017/10/16 22:33:39 Scientists in pilot trials in Hebei say ‗high yields are our eternal goal‘ Chinese hybrid rice has set a new world record recently, according to the China National Hybrid Rice R&D Center, with Chinese scientists carrying out their tests on a pilot field in North China's Hebei Province.The new hybrid strain, called Xiang Liangyou 900, had the world's highest yields of any variety, at 17.2 tons per hectare, the Science and Technology Daily reported on Sunday. There were seven scientists taking part in the test conducted on three plots with mild saline soil, out of a total of 100, in Handan city, with their yields at 1,181 kilograms per mu (0.07 hectares), 1,129 kg/mu and 1,136 kg/mu, for an average of about 1,149 kg/mu. "High yields are our eternal goal and our continued yield improvements lay a solid foundation for China's granaries," Song Chunfang, of the China National Hybrid Rice R&D Center, told the Global Times on Monday. "More importantly, our newest record set a benchmark for farmers. Ordinary farmers will gradually understand the comparative rice output in the future," Song noted, adding that the strain has passed a national test, but it cannot be promoted nationwide because of climate limitations. The pilot field in Handan sees 205 frost-free days a year, with accumulated temperatures at about 4371 C and annual rainfall at around 594 millimeters, according to the Science and Technology Daily. It's "very hard" for this variety to have high yields, he said.During its growth, scientists tested transplanting, fertilization, and moisture and pest controls to be sure about its best features, Song told the Global Times.Behind all this is China's "father of hybrid rice" Yuan Longping, who began his research on hybrid rice about 50 years ago and kept setting new records in average yields.Yuan and other Chinese scientists have recently surpassed their expectations on yields from an alkali-resisting "sea rice." In this area, the Qingdao saline-alkali tolerant rice research and development center in East China's Shandong Province has come up with four types of rice with an estimated output of from 6.5 to 9.3 tons per hectare, the Xinhua News Agency reported.
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www.ricepluss.com | www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com For Online/Newsletter Advertisment mujahid.riceplus@gamil.com China's agriculture ministry launched a hybrid rice breeding program in 1996 and, after four years, hit a first-phase target of 10.5 tons per hectare, under Yuan's research team. It then hit the fourth-phase target of 15.4 tons per hectare in 2014, according to Xinhua. While about 65 percent of the Chinese depend on rice for a staple food, Yuan has said, "My institution and I are also willing to help other countries develop hybrid rice to contribute to world food security and peace."There are still 20 million people living on the bri http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1070597.shtml
Kedah padi farmers cry rise in operational costs, plea for GST exemption Kedah Farmers Association chairman Datuk Abdul Lateh Mohd Saman said the move was to ease the farmers' financial burden which has escalated due to the rise in the operational costs. Pic by NSTP/ Noorazura Abdul Rahman By Noorazura Abdul Rahman - October 16, 2017 @ 7:24pm ALOR SETAR: Kedah Farmers Association, on behalf of 100,000 padi farmers in the state, will submit a memorandum to the Finance Ministry to appeal for Goods and Services Tax (GST) exemption. Its chairman Datuk Abdul Lateh Mohd Saman said the move was to ease the farmers' financial burden which has escalated due to the rise in the operational costs. He said farmers had to make multiple GST payments, from padi planting process to the shipment of the crops, which sums up to 30 per cent. He said the memorandum will be submitted as soon as possible, before the tabling of the 2018 Budget by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak on Oct 27 "We have to pay five types of GST charges, from transportation of the fertiliser, seedlings, ploughing process, harvest process and finally, the transportation of the crops to the rice millers. "For each of the process, we have to pay six per cent, which brings the total GST charges to 30 per cent. "Padi farmers especially those who owns small plots do not earn much, as the floor price of padi is fixed by the government and having to pay GST is burdensome to them," he said after the opening of the association's 34th annual general meeting by Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Bashah Md Hanipah at Dewan Kolej Insaniah here.
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Meanwhile, Bashah said he backed the association's move to appeal for the GST exemption as it would help eased their burden. "The memorandum is vital to address the plight and the wishes of padi farmers and I believe they will be able to improve their yield quality if the federal government agrees to reduce their GST charges even by half," he said. Asked on the upcoming budget wish list, Bashah hoped that the prime minister would announce allocation or incentives that would spur the state economic growth and also the the state agriculture sector. https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2017/10/291812/kedah-padi-farmers-cry-rise-operational-costsplea-gst-exemption 25
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Researchers announce 2.25m high-yielding rice
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Source:Ecns.cn Published: 2017/10/17 11:41:50 A new kind of rice that can grow to a height of 2.25 meters is on show in Jinjing Township of Changsha County, Central China's Hunan Province, Oct. 16, 2017. Xia Xinjie, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Sciences Institute of Subtropical Agriculture (ISA), led a team to develop the rice after more than ten years of research. With an average height of more than 1.8 meters, the yield of the 'giant' rice is expected to surpass 11.5 tonnes per ha, 15 to 20 percent more than ordinary rice, according to the ISA. (Photo: China News Service/Xu Zhixiong)
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www.ricepluss.com | www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com For Online/Newsletter Advertisment mujahid.riceplus@gamil.com A new kind of rice that can grow to a height of 2.25 meters is on show in Jinjing Township of Changsha County, Central China's Hunan Province, Oct. 16, 2017. Xia Xinjie, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Sciences Institute of Subtropical Agriculture (ISA), led a team to develop the rice after more than ten years of research. With an average height of more than 1.8 meters, the yield of the 'giant' rice is expected to surpass 11.5 tonnes per ha, 15 to 20 percent more than ordinary rice, according to the ISA. (Photo: China News Service/Xu Zhixiong)
Yuan Longping, a renowned Chinese developer of hybrid rice, checks rice growth in Jinjing Township of Changsha County, Central China's Hunan Province, Oct. 16, 2017. Xia Xinjie, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Sciences Institute of Subtropical Agriculture (ISA), led a team to develop the rice after more than ten years of research. With an average height of more than 1.8 meters, the yield of the 'giant' rice is expected to surpass 11.5 tonnes per ha, 15 to 20 percent more than ordinary rice, according to the ISA. (Photo: China News Service/Xu Zhixiong) Yuan Longping, a renowned Chinese developer of hybrid rice, checks rice growth in Jinjing Township of Changsha County, Central China's Hunan Province, Oct. 16, 2017. Xia Xinjie, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Sciences Institute of Subtropical Agriculture (ISA), led a team to develop the rice after more than ten years of research. With an average height of more than 1.8 meters, the yield of the 'giant' rice is expected to surpass 11.5 tonnes per ha, 15 to 20 percent more than ordinary rice, according to the ISA. (Photo: China News Service/Xu Zhixiong) http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1070670.shtml
Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open- October 17, 2017 Reuters | Oct 17, 2017, 14:25 IST Nagpur Foodgrain Prices - APMC/Open Market-October 17 Nagpur, Oct 17 (Reuters) - Gram and tuar prices firmed up again in Nagpur Agriculture Produce and Marketing Committee (APMC) here on good festival season demand from local millers amid weak supply from producing regions. Fresh rise in Madhya Pradesh gram prices and enquiries from South-based millers also jacked up prices. About 400 of gram bags and 300 bags of tuar were available for auctions, according to sources. FOODGRAINS & PULSES GRAM * Desi gram raw declined further in open market on poor demand from local traders. TUAR * Tuar varieties ruled steady in open market here but demand was poor. * Moong and Udid varieties reported down in open 28
www.ricepluss.com | www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com For Online/Newsletter Advertisment mujahid.riceplus@gamil.com market on poor buying support from local traders amid good supply from producing regions. * In Akola, Tuar New - 3,900-4,000, Tuar dal (clean) - 5,700-6,000, Udid Mogar (clean) - 7,8008,500, Moong Mogar (clean) 6,900-7,200, Gram - 5,000-5,025, Gram Super best - 7,100-7,300 * Wheat, rice and other foodgrain items moved in a narrow range in scattered deals and settled at last levels in weak deals. Nagpur foodgrains APMC auction/open-market prices in rupees for 100 kg FOODGRAINS Available prices Previous close Gram Auction 4,300-5,020 4,200-5,000 Gram Pink Auction n.a. 2,100-2,600 Tuar Auction 3,600-3,970 3,500-3,900 Moong Auction n.a. 3,900-4,200 Udid Auction n.a. 4,300-4,500 Masoor Auction n.a. 2,600-2,800 Wheat Mill quality Auction 1,592-1,782 1,586-1,664 Gram Super Best Bold 7,000-7,500 7,000-7,500 Gram Super Best n.a. n.a. Gram Medium Best 6,400-6,800 6,400-6,800 Gram Dal Medium n.a. n.a Gram Mill Quality 5,100-5,200 5,100-5,200 Desi gram Raw 4,950-5,050 5,000-5,100 Gram Kabuli 12,500-13,200 12,500-13,200 Tuar Fataka Best-New 6,000-6,200 6,000-6,200 Tuar Fataka Medium-New 5,600-5,900 5,600-5,900 Tuar Dal Best Phod-New 5,300-5,600 5,300-5,600 Tuar Dal Medium phod-New 4,800-5,200 4,800-5,200 Tuar Gavarani New 3,8003,900 3,800-3,900 Tuar Karnataka 4,200-4,500 4,200-4,500 Masoor dal best 5,200-5,400 5,2005,400 Masoor dal medium 4,800-5,000 4,800-5,000 Masoor n.a. n.a. Moong Mogar bold (New) 6,800-7,200 7,000-7,500 Moong Mogar Medium 6,200-6,600 6,200-6,800 Moong dal Chilka 5,400-5,800 5,500-6,100 Moong Mill quality n.a. n.a. Moong Chamki best 6,9007,400 6,900-7,400 Udid Mogar best (100 INR/KG) (New) 8,000-8,500 8,000-8,700 Udid Mogar Medium (100 INR/KG) 6,200-7,200 6,500-7,500 Udid Dal Black (100 INR/KG) 5,200-6,200 5,600-6,600 Batri dal (100 INR/KG) 5,000-5,300 5,000-5,300 Lakhodi dal (100 INR/kg) 2,8003,000 2,800-3,000 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) 1,700-1,850 1,700-1,850 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) 3,100-3,600 3,100-3,600 MP Sharbati Medium (100 INR/KG) 2,200-2,700 2,200-2,700 Rice BPT best (100 INR/KG) 3,000-3,500 3,000-3,500 Rice BPT medium (100 INR/KG) 2,800-2,900 2,800-2,900 Rice Luchai (100 INR/KG) 2,200-2,400 2,2002,400 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) 3,600-4,000 3,600-4,000 Rice 29
www.ricepluss.com | www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com For Online/Newsletter Advertisment mujahid.riceplus@gamil.com HMT medium (100 INR/KG) 3,250-3,600 3,250-3,600 Rice Shriram best(100 INR/KG) 4,6005,000 4,600-5,000 Rice Shriram med (100 INR/KG) 4,200-4,500 4,200-4,400 Rice Basmati best (100 INR/KG) 10,000-14,000 10,000-14,000 Rice Basmati Medium (100 INR/KG) 5,000-7,500 5,000-7,500 Rice Chinnor best 100 INR/KG) 4,700-4,900 4,700-4,900 Rice Chinnor medium (100 INR/KG) 4,400-4,600 4,400-4,600 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. 36.4 degree Celsius, minimum temp. 19.6 degree Celsius Rainfall : Nil FORECAST: Mainly clear sky. Maximum and minimum temperature would be around and 36 and 20 degree Celsius respectively. Note: n.a.--not available (For oils, transport costs are excluded from plant delivery prices, but included in market prices) https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/nagpur-foodgrain-prices-openoctober-17-2017/articleshow/61115936.cms
Government takes steps to boost rice production as Ghana observes World Food Day |
Updated Oct 17, 2017 at 8:36am
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Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr. Sagre Babangi, says Ghana is food secure in almost every sector.According to him, the only sector requiring increased production is the rice sector.In an interview with Radio Ghana on the occasion of this year's World Food Day, Dr. Babangi said government is taking the necessary measures to improve the cultivation of rice and other crops so that the country can have enough food to feed the nation. Touching on the ‗planting for Food and jobs programme‘, Dr. Babangi said it has been successful so far in spite of some challenges. The Deputy Agriculture Minister also disclosed that officials from both Ghana and Côte d‘Ivoire‘s government will discuss strategies about influencing the price of cocoa on the International market. The two countries produce more than half of the world's cocoa, yet they do not play any role in determining the price of the beans.The President of the Ghana Rice Inter-professional Body, John Kennedy Amoro says there has been remarkable production of local rice but consumption has also increased. He therefore called for direct government support to ensure that the value chain is harnessed to produce quality rice.He believes a dedicated fund must be created to support rice producers because rice has a huge comparative advantage even over cocoa production. The President of the Agriculture Chamber of Commerce Philip Abayori, says the day is significant across the world because it is meant to eradicate hunger and ensure food security.According to him, Ghana has cause to celebrate the day because it is not doing badly in food production.He told GBC‘s George Ankrah that the Ministry needs to constantly re-train farmers on how to apply chemicals to ensure the safety of consumers. On the persistent ban of Ghana's export produce for low quality by the European Union, Mr. Abayori said Ghana's technical staff need to ensure safety and quality to maintain its presence on the International Market.He said banned chemicals must also be prevented from coming into Ghana.Meanwhile, the Public Relations Officer of the Ghana Standards Authority, Dr. Kofi Amponsah Bediako says Ghana has every right to observe the day because it has done enough to feed its citizens. He, however, cautioned that the country must focus on food safety going forward in the wake of attacks by the fall Army Worm.He called for collaboration with all the standard enforcement agencies in that direction. As the World observes World Food Day, farmers in Ghana are still battling the fall Army Worm infestation and draught.The 2016 second National best Farmer, Martin Akudugu who shared his thoughts on the day said Ghana will not enjoy bumper harvest as far as cereals are concerned.He suggested that the way to go is irrigation and urged government to speed up the change in dynamics.He said Ghana has no business importing rice, rather Ghana must be exporting rice if the right structures and support are put in place.
http://www.gbcghana.com/1.11388475
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Vietnam Braces for Typhoon Khanun After Floods Kill 72 Oct. 16, 2017, at 12:17 a.m. A flooded communal house is seen after a heavy rain caused by a tropical depression in Hanoi, Vietnam October 16, 2017. REUTERS/Kham Reuters HANOI (Reuters) - Vietnam braced for typhoon Khanun on Monday after destructive floods battered the country's north and center last week, killing 72 people, the disaster prevention agency said. Last week's floods were the worst in years, the government and state-run Vietnam Television said, with thousands of homes submerged. Another 200 houses collapsed and several towns remain cut off by the floodwater. The floods also damaged more than 22,000 hectares (54,300 acres) of rice.Vietnam is the world's third-largest exporter of rice and the second-biggest producer of coffee, although the floods have not affected the Southeast Asian nation's coffee belt.Eighteen people from the hardest-hit province of Hoa Binh in the north were buried by a landslide, but only thirteen bodies have been found, Vietnam's disaster agency said. The government has said it is fixing dykes, dams and roads damaged by last week's flood and is preparing for typhoon Khanun, which is expected to cause heavy rain in northern and central Vietnam from Monday.It has also warned ships and boats to avoid the approaching typhoon. Vietnam is prone to destructive storms and flooding due to its long coastline. A typhoon wreaked havoc across central provinces last month.Floods have also affected nine out of 77 provinces in Thailand, Vietnam's neighbor to the west. Three people had been killed in flooding since last Tuesday, Thailand's disaster agency said on Monday. The Thai capital, Bangkok, was hit by heavy rain at the weekend, with gridlocked traffic bringing parts of the city to a standstill. Bangkok has often been described as the "Venice of the East" because of its many waterways.However, the floods prompted criticism of Bangkok's city government, with some social media users accusing authorities of not managing water levels in canals properly. The city government defended itself, saying it was working closely with the irrigation department. Thailand suffered its worst flood in five decades in 2011, with hundreds of people killed, industrial estates engulfed and key industries crippled.(Reporting by Mai Nguyen in HANOI; Additional reporting by Amy Sawitta Lefevre and Panarat Thepgumpanat in BANGKOK; Editing by Amy Sawitta Lefevre and Paul Tait) https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2017-10-16/vietnam-braces-for-typhoon-khanun-after-floodskill-72
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China sets new world record for rice yield Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-16 19:00:11|Editor: Song Lifang
SHIJIAZHUANG, Oct. 16 (Xinhua) -- Yuan Longping, renowned developer of hybrid rice, has set a new world record.A hybrid rice project headed by Yuan has achieved a yield of 1,149.02 kg of rice per mu (about 0.07 hectares), or 17.2 tonnes per hectare, in north China's Hebei Province, local authorities said Monday. Yuan's team grew "Xiang Liangyou 900," on an experimental field of 100 mu in Yongnian District, Handan City. Organized by the provincial science and technology department, they randomly selected three plots on the field, and supervised the harvest on Sunday, said an official with the department. A total of 3,591.84 kg of rice was harvested on plots totalling 3.126 mu, which set the new world record at 1,149.02 kg of rice per mu, said the official.According to a field hand, their fine management, including more irrigation and weeding, has contributed to the high yield. Last year, the crops yielded as much as 1,082.1 kg per mu and 1,088 kg per mu in Yuan's two projects in Hebei and Yunnan respectively. Both broke previous world records for the highest yield in high-latitude areas as well as output on 100 mu of farmland. A new world record in output of double-cropping rice was also set in south China's Guangdong last year, which achieved an annual yield of 1,537.78 kg of rice per mu of farmland. Known as China's "father of hybrid rice," Yuan began theoretical research about 50 years ago and has been setting new records of hybrid rice yields ever since. About 65 percent of Chinese people depend on rice as a staple food. http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2017-10/16/c_136683786.htm
Rice crosses govt production target By APP -October 15, 2017
Rice production registered 7.31 million tons during 2017-18 which is 7.2 per cent more than the target set by the government.According to official sources, the government set production target of rice at 6.818 million tons at an area of 2.786 million hectares of land across the country, however the production remained 7.2 per cent higher.
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The break-up figures show that in Punjab the government set target for 3.5 million tons of productions at an area of 1.8 million hectares of land however the production remained 3.742 million tons at an area of 1.823 million hectares of land, showing an increase of 6.9 per cent .Similarly, in Sindh, 2.85 million tons of the crop was produced at an area of 822,000 hectares against the target of 2.6 million tons at an area of 750,000 hectares.In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, production of 159,000 tons of rice was achieved compared to the target of 144,000 tons, however, the Balochistan produced 3 per cent less crop as its production remained 557,000 tons compared to the target of 574,000 tons. The rice experts attributed increase in rice production to revival of rice prices in the international market. They said 2015-16 was not a good year for rice growers as prices plunged to very low level during the year which resulted in less production in the next year https://profit.pakistantoday.com.pk/2017/10/15/rice-crosses-govt-production-target/
ASIA RICE-VIETNAM'S PRICES UP ON LOW SUPPLY; MARKET EYES PHILIPPINE IMPORTS 10/12/2017
By Koustav Samanta BENGALURU, Oct 12 (Reuters) - Low supplies boosted rice prices in Vietnam this week amid prospects of fresh purchase 34
www.ricepluss.com | www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com For Online/Newsletter Advertisment mujahid.riceplus@gamil.com interest from the Philippines, while deals with Bangladeshremained the sole bright spot for the otherwise subdued demandin top Asian exporters. Traders in Vietnam quoted the benchmark 5-percent brokenrice <RI-VNBKN5-P1> at $390-395 a tonne, free-on-board (FOB)Saigon, up from the $385-$390 last week.Supply is low after the summer-autumn crop was completelyharvested, bringing prices up. Some sellers held back grains inan attempt to make larger profits," a trader in Ho Chi Minh citysaid. "As for trading, Philippines will import rice from Vietnam,Thailand and other countries under the MAV (Minimum AccessVolume) 2017. I think they'll buy around 290,000 tonnes from Vietnam, same as last year."However, another trader said no deals have been finalised. The Philippines opened the rice import scheme, MinimumAccess Volume 2017, in August to private traders in Thailand,Vietnam, Pakistan and India, the National Food Authority (NFA) said on its website.As of late September, importers in the Philippines haveapplied to buy over 2.2 million tonnes, mostly from Thailand andVietnam, according to the NFA document. Meanwhile, Bangladesh, which has emerged as a major importerthis year after floods damaged its crops and sent domestic ratessoaring, has finalised deals to import 250,000 tonnes of parboiled rice from Thailand and India. Bangladesh has also approved the purchase of 100,000 tonnesfrom Myanmar, setting aside a rift over an ongoing Rohingyarefugee crisis.In India, the 5 percent broken parboiled rice prices <RI-INBKN5-P1> eased by $2 per tonne to the $400-$403 level onexpectations of a rise in supply."From the end of this month, supplies from the new seasoncrop will rise," said an exporter in Kakinada in the southernstate of Andhra Pradesh. Meanwhile, Thailand's benchmark 5-percent broken rice<RI-THBKN5-P1> prices dropped to $380-$388 a tonne, FOBBangkok, from the $385-$390 range last week, traders said."With the exception of Bangladesh, there hasn't been muchdemand from other countries. We expect Bangladesh to demand morerice until the end of the year," said a Bangkok-based trader. Thai prices are likely to remain stable, traders said, evenas the market takes stock of the impact of recent floods in thecountry."It is still too soon to tell whether there will be damage to crops because most of the rice has already been harvested,"said Charoen Laothamatas, president of the Thai Rice ExportersAssociation. (Reporting by Mi Nguyen in Hanoi, Rajendra Jadhav in Mumbai,Ruma Paul in Dhaka and Suphanida Thakral in Bangkok; additionalreporting by Arpan Varghese in Bengaluru; Editing by GregMahlich) http://www.agriculture.com/markets/newswire/asia-rice-vietnams-prices-up-on-low-supply-market-eyesphilippine-imports
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Farmers should turn to paddy Submitted by Eleven on Sat, 10/14/2017 - 15:50 Writer: Nay Ri, Kyaw Myo
A ceremony to mark International Day for Disaster Reduction takes place at MICC-2 in Nay Pyi Taw on October 13.Farmers should grow more paddy than mung bean and green gram as paddy is marketable, Toe Aung Myint, the permanent secretary of Commerce Ministry, told media at a ceremony to mark the International Day for Disaster Reduction at MICC-2 in Nay Pyi Taw on October 13.―Mung bean and green gram have to rely heavily on the Indian market. Other beans have markets. We export these beans to China and other countries, so farmers can grow more beans. The best idea is to grow paddy in the coming winter and summer, as there is enough rain,‖ he added.This year, the rice market is stable, and there remains a high demand for rice. So farmers should grow more summer paddy, the official said.―Growing many acres of bean may enable bean prices to plummet, as India has limited a quota of bean imports.‖The ministry has negotiated with government departments, including the Tatmadaw, for the consumption of mung beans and green gram in place of chick peas. ―Currently, some departments are unable to buy beans as they have to buy beans according to the budget year. We have already discussed with them about buying mung bean and green gram in the year to come,‖ he said. http://www.elevenmyanmar.com/local/11977 36
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Researchers announce 2.25m high-yielding rice(1/4) 2017-10-17 10:27Ecns.cnEditor:Yao Lan
A new kind of rice that can grow to a height of 2.25 meters is on show in Jinjing Township of Changsha County, Central China's Hunan Province, Oct. 16, 2017. Xia Xinjie, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Sciences Institute of Subtropical Agriculture (ISA), led a team to develop the rice after more than ten years of research. With an average height of more than 1.8 meters, the yield of the 'giant' rice is expected to surpass 11.5 tonnes per ha, 15 to 20 percent more than ordinary rice, according to the ISA. (Photo: China News Service/Xu Zhixiong) http://www.ecns.cn/visual/hd/2017/10-17/144359.shtml
Chinese scientists put rice grown in seawater on the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;s tables Salt-resistant species could boost countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;s rice harvest by nearly 20 per cent, top researcher says PUBLISHED : Monday, 16 October, 2017, 12:00pm UPDATED : Monday, 16 October, 2017, 11:22pm 37
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6 Oct 2017 Rice grown on a commercial scale in diluted seawater has, for the first time, made it into the rice bowls of ordinary Chinese people after a breakthrough in food production following more than four decades of efforts by farmers, researchers, government agencies and businesses. Ning Meng bought a bag of the rice online and had it delivered to the family of her boyfriend early this month. Her boyfriend was living with his parents in a city in Zhejiang province, and the rice was a gift to her future in-laws.On the evening of the Mid-Autumn Festival, they gathered around the rice cooker. The lid lifted, releasing a puff of steam and fragrance that made everyone take a breath.
China allows imports of US rice for first time ever
―I could tell one grain from the other in my mouth,‖ said Ning, who gave it a top satisfaction rating. ―My boyfriend said it was like the braised rice he had back in his village. It is very good.‖. 38
www.ricepluss.com | www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com For Online/Newsletter Advertisment mujahid.riceplus@gamil.com The rice was not grown in traditional rice paddy, where fields are filled with fresh water, but on a salty beach on the Yellow Sea coast in Qingdao, Shandong. China has one million square kilometres of waste land, an area the size of Ethiopia, where plants struggle to grow because of high salinity or alkalinity levels in the soil. Agricultural scientist Yuan Longping, known as China‘s ―father of hybrid rice‖, told mainland media that if a tenth of such areas were planted with rice species resistant to salt, they could boost China‘s rice production by nearly 20 per cent. They could produce 50 million tonnes of food, enough to feed 200 million people, he said.
A research team led by Yuan, 87, recently doubled the output of seawater rice, which in the past was too low for large-scale production. In the mid-1970s, worrying about how to feed the world‘s largest, and rapidly growing, population, the Chinese government started looking for rice species that could grow in saltsoaked fields. 39
www.ricepluss.com | www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com For Online/Newsletter Advertisment mujahid.riceplus@gamil.com A major discovery was made by Guangdong-based researcher Chen Risheng, who stumbled on a species of red wild rice near a mangrove forest in Suixi county, Zhanjiang. After decades of trait selection, cross-breeding and genetic screening, researchers across the country came up with at least eight candidate species, but their productivity remained low, at two tonnes a hectare, just a third that of ordinary rice and insufficient for large-scale planting.
Where did that rice in your bowl originally come from?
Last month, at the nation‘s largest seawater rice farm, in Qingdao, the output of Yuan‘s seawater rice exceeded 4.5 tonnes a hectare, according to state media reports. Yuan Ce Biological Technology, a Qingdao-based start-up and business partner of Yuan‘s team, said it set up an online shop in August, branding the rice ―Yuan Mi‖ in honour of the project‘s chief scientist. The rice now being sold was harvested last year. This year‘s crop will enter barns next month. Each kilogram of ―Yuan Mi‖ costs 50 yuan (US$7.50), or eight times as much as ordinary rice. It is sold in packs weighing 1kg, 2kg, 5kg and 10kg.Nearly 1,000 people placed an order last 40
www.ricepluss.com | www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com For Online/Newsletter Advertisment mujahid.riceplus@gamil.com month, and six tonnes of the rice had been sold since August, a Yuan Ce sales manager said.â&#x20AC;&#x2022;Our sales revenue target is 10 million yuan by the end of this year,â&#x20AC;&#x2013; he said.
The seawater rice was grown on virgin land where no crops had been planted before.The rice grains have a unique texture and pleasant flavour, according to the company. Consumers pay a high premium not just for the pleasurable eating experience, but also for some potential health and safety benefits. Professor Huang Shiwen, the leader of the rice disease research team at the China National Rice Research Institute in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, said salt was a disinfectant that could reduce or cut off the transmission of some diseases caused by bacteria.
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www.ricepluss.com | www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com For Online/Newsletter Advertisment mujahid.riceplus@gamil.com ―To survive in the harsh environment, these species must have some ‗diehard‘ genes which may enable them to better resist the attack of certain diseases or bugs, especially those happening at the root or lower stalk,‖ he said. Chinese scientist guilty of stealing genetically modified rice
This could reduce the use of pesticides and lower the risk of exposure to harmful chemicals in the food chain, he said.The seawater rice developed by Yuan and other research teams is not irrigated by pure seawater, but mixes it with fresh water to reduce the salt content to 6 grams per litre. The average litre of seawater contains five times as much salt. Researchers said it would take years more research to develop a rice species that could grow in pure seawater. Professor Zhu Xiyue, an economics and policy expert at the national rice institute, said the seawater rice project would help secure China‘s food supply by turning ―waste land to green fields‖.―The output may be low and price high, but they can increase China‘s total area of arable land, which can be used and save many lives in hard times,‖ Zhou said.
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www.ricepluss.com | www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com For Online/Newsletter Advertisment mujahid.riceplus@gamil.com China is already the biggest of importer of some major agricultural commodities, according to a report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute last year. Zhou said the land area of some coastal provinces was increasing, as big rivers such as the Yangtze and Yellow River dumped enormous amounts of sediment into the sea. ―The seawater rice can be the first settler on this new land mass,‖ he added. But the project also has its critics. Liu Guangfei, a wasteland treatment expert at Beijing-based Eagle Green Technology Development, said Yuan‘s rice could not be planted in inland provinces such as Heilongjiang and Xinjiang, which had more than 90 per cent of the saline and alkaline soils in China. Hybrid rice crop falls short of super-sized target The chemical composition of inland soil varied significantly from that on the coast, he said. Yuan‘s rice was mainly resistant to sodium chloride, but waste land in inland areas had high levels of sodium sulphate, which could be detrimental to the rice. He also doubted whether planting rice would be of long-term benefit in treating waste land. ―Planting this rice will keep the land salty forever,‖ he said. ―It cannot be used to grow other crops.‖ Liu said there were other commercial plants that could survive in such soils, such as jujube and wolfberry, that could significantly reduce salt water levels in fields after a few year‘s of fresh water irrigation. But the biggest challenge to the seawater rice project was that China now had a surplus of rice. ―China is not in food shortage any more,‖ he said. http://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2115250/chinese-scientists-put-rice-grown-seawaternations-tables
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Tariffication to give rice sector P27-billion safety net By Jasper Y. Arcalas October 16, 2017
Photo from http://irri.org The rice sector may get at least P27 billion in government assistance, or nearly half of the Department of Agricultureâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;s (DA) P60.6-billion budget for 2018, once Congress approves the tariffication of the staple.Removing the quantitative restriction (QR) on rice by amending Republic Act (RA) 8178 would allow the government to generate P27 billion annually, according to a paper published by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (Pids). The Pids paper noted that the projected revenues would come from the importation of some 2.2 million metric tons (MMT) of rice at 35-percent tariff. Purchases of imported rice are expected to increase once the government removes the QR.
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www.ricepluss.com | www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com For Online/Newsletter Advertisment mujahid.riceplus@gamil.com Under a substitute bill approved recently by the technical working group created by the House Committee on Agriculture and Food, duties collected from importing the staple would form the rice competitiveness enhancement fund, or Rice Fund. ―The Rice Fund shall consist of all duties collected from the importation of rice under this act and shall be automatically credited to a special account in the general fund of the national treasury: provided that fund release shall not be subject to any ceiling by the Department of Budget and Management [DBM],‖ the substitute bill read, a copy of which was obtained by the BusinessMirror. The Rice Fund shall be channeled to six components: rice endowment fund, farm equipment/mechanization grants, rice-crop finance, postharvest development, rice scholarships and vocational education and research and development.―Up to 20 percent of the Rice Fund collected from the effectivity of this act from the applicable rates of duty for all rice importations shall be utilized for the establishment of a permanent rice-endowment fund, which shall be preserved as a capital fund and not expended, and which will be prudently invested, and its profits and earnings reinvested and any savings at the end of the year shall also accrue to the rice endowment fund,‖ it read. The substitute bill also noted that 20 percent of the Rice Fund shall be made available as grants to farmers and cooperatives in the form of farming machinery. Tractors, harvesters, millers, reapers and other related farming equipment would be given to farmers to increase their productivity. ―Up to 20 percent of the Rice Fund shall be used for a special program of the crop loans, farm inputs, crop insurance, loan guarantees and other financial assistance to farmers and farm workers included in the registry system for basic sector in agriculture, including related technical assistance and support, which shall be established and administered by the DA,‖ the substitute bill read.Another 20 percent of the Rice Fund will be allocated for postharvest facilities, logistics, storage, transportation facilities and infrastructure projects. As for the remaining 20 percent, 10 percent will be used to fund rice farmers‘s education, scholarships, technical and vocational training of farmers and their dependents. The remaining 10 percent will be channeled to the government‘s research and development program on rice.
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www.ricepluss.com | www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com For Online/Newsletter Advertisment mujahid.riceplus@gamil.com ―The congressional oversight committee on agricultural and fisheries modernization shall conduct a periodic review of the use of the Rice Fund,‖ the substitute bill read. It indicated that the fund will be disbursed by the DBM to the DA and that the Agriculture secretary would administer the fund. ―The DA, in consultation with the Philippine Council for Agriculture and Fisheries, shall promulgate the policies and guidelines necessary for the planning, administration, coordination and monitoring of the utilization of the Rice Fund,‖ it read. The programs that will be supported by the Rice Fund will only complement the existing initiatives rolled out by the DA for the rice farmers, according to the substitute bill. ―Any remaining balance at the date of expiration of the collection of duties for the Rice Fund shall not revert to the general fund but shall continue to be used for the purpose for which it was collected and set aside,‖ it read. The DA, together with other relevant agencies, will be tasked to craft a Rice Industry Roadmap that will serve as a ―backbone‖ of the sector‘s development. ―Upon the enactment of this Act, the DA, together with relevant agencies, shall be given a maximum of 180 days to finalize the rice road map to restructure the government‘s delivery of support services for the sector,‖ it read. ―As part of this road map, a five-year rice program shall be implemented to provide alternative livelihood for those who will be affected by the shift in the import policy. The road map shall be based on the following principles: rice industry; farmers‘ profitability, support covering the whole value chain and technology-oriented, location, situation and farmer-specific support services,‖ it added. House Committee on Agriculture and Food Chairman Party-list Rep. Jose T. Panganiban Jr. of Anac-IP earlier told the BusinessMirror that they plan to approve the bill on third and final reading before the end of the year. https://businessmirror.com.ph/tariffication-to-give-rice-sector-p27-billion-safety-net/ 46
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India is Malnourished Yet Obese. We Can't Feed Rice, Wheat to The Starving Who Need Eggs, Dals: Scientist India’s public health record suffered repeated blows last week. The WHO obesity report in The Lancet gave India the dubious honour of being the most malnutritioned country in the world, beating those in Sub-Saharan Africa. Aradhna Wal | News18.com Updated:October 17, 2017, 8:55 AM IST India’s public health record suffered repeated blows last week. The WHO obesity report in The Lancet gave India the dubious honour of being the most malnutritioned country in the world, beating those in Sub-Saharan Africa. The Global Hunger Index showed India worse off than North Korea, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. One of the secondary authors of the WHO report, Dr V Mohan, a Padma Shri winning diabetologist, president of the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation, was awarded for excellence in research by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the day it came out. Mohan spoke to News18 about rising obesity among children in India despite widespread hunger, how stuffing people with carbohydrates will not help and whether genetic screening can fight diabetes, which affects about 70 million people in the country. Edited excerpts: Despite rising obesity, India is still most malnutritioned in the world. Can you tell us what this means for India? India was a surprise in the WHO report, which compares obesity levels globally from 1975 to 2016. Its obesity rates have increased all over but it stands at the number one position, globally, for malnutrition. That‘s largely driven by the northern states, by Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, the BIMARU belt. There, undernutrition is rampant and the population is very high. UP has 300 million people, so undernutrition impacts all of India. The southern states have minimal undernutrition. However, obesity in the metropolitan cities — Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata,
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www.ricepluss.com | www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com For Online/Newsletter Advertisment mujahid.riceplus@gamil.com Chennai, Bangalore — has climbed very high.
In population-based studies for Chennai, Delhi, etc., almost 25-30 per cent children in private schools are overweight or obese. Even in government schools, with poorer children, the rate is 810 per cent. The trend is occurring in adults, and parallel among children, as economic development takes place in states, the urban poor start getting diabetes. This we saw in the INDIAB [ICMR India Diabetes] study.
It is a changing epidemiological trend. Forty years ago, obesity was very common in most developed countries in North America and Europe. However, it hit the maximum levels and then flattened out at a very high rate. Awareness of health grew and [consumption of] sweets and beverages came down. However, in countries with high malnutrition across Africa, there was no obesity at all. It was zero. These have seen the sharpest rises as their socio economic status has improved. It‘s the poor in developed countries who are obese. They eat McDonalds because it‘s the cheapest food with the highest calories and they can‘t afford fruit and vegetables. India is about 10 years away from this scenario. What, then, do we do about our nutrition problem? There is no one size fits all as far as India is concerned. Even if obesity is increasing we can‘t tell all people to cut down on their calories and not eat. People are starving. At the same time, we can‘t overfeed the under nutritioned. The study clearly shows that if you feed the underweight wrong stuff, give them too many calories, especially from carbohydrates, they suddenly become overweight. Carbohydrates, rice and wheat, are what we eat in our country. The poor and undernourished need protein. Give them eggs or dal, don‘t pump them with carbohydrates. So, when they grow, they will put on height not weight. They are all stunted because of undernutrition. Give them proper nutrition for height, and to build muscle not fat.
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www.ricepluss.com | www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com For Online/Newsletter Advertisment mujahid.riceplus@gamil.com You’ve just started the Department of Precision Diabetes in Chennai. What is precision diabetes and what will this centre accomplish? Our work is well known is the area of genomics of diabetes, describing why Indians get diabetes and which genes are responsible. With the department we will be able to screen for monogenic diabetes [where one genetic defect is responsible for diabetes]. Genetic screening has been going on for 10 years — we have found cases where young people or children were misdiagnosed with type-1 diabetes and put on insulin. We have taken hundreds off insulin, and treated them entirely with tablets. We are the only lab in India doing this. The precision department will take it to the next level, as we are now looking at type-2 diabetes. About 95 per cent of type-2 is treated by metformin [first-line drug]. When that doesn‘t you give sulfonylureas [second line drug] and so on. In collaboration with the University of Dundee, we are studying genes to see who will respond to metformin, who to sulfonylurea and who will have what side-effects. One person will have diarrhoea with 500mg of metformin, nothing happens to another person. One person responds to sulfonylurea for 40 years, another stops after six months. Now we know which genes are responsible for that. Those with the TCF7L2 gene will not respond, as it‘s the strongest gene for type-2 diabetes. We‘ve had 100,000 patients in our system and the Scottish group have 250,000. We have records of last 20 years. Using these, we can find out who will and who won‘t develop complications, who will survive long. We can know how to treat each patients early in the disease. It‘s how cancer, or hepatitis, which has been categorised as A, B, C, are treated. This is really cutting edge research. We hope the cost will also come down and a gene chip, marked at $10, will be able to screen everyone. You have just been awarded for excellence in research by the ICMR? What’s the status of research on diabetes in India, yours and others? Our big study, that came out late last year, was on the prevention of diabetes. We put prediabetics through diet and exercise, and were able to prevent diabetes in up to 32 per cent of 49
www.ricepluss.com | www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com For Online/Newsletter Advertisment mujahid.riceplus@gamil.com the participants. Now we know who will and won‘t respond to treatment. The study showed, for the first time in the world, that there are two types of pre-diabetics, one which respond to diet, exercise and metformin, and one that don‘t. We don‘t know how to prevent diabetes in the second group yet.
One of my most important papers is on long-term survivors, and it‘s the only such paper in the world. It showed that type-2 patients can survive 40-50 years if blood pressure and lipids are controlled well. We had a control group that did not survive that long. No one else has the follow up of 40-50 years, so the study has been reproduced. http://www.news18.com/news/india/indiais-malnourished-yet-obese-we-cant-feed-rice-wheat-to-the-starving-who-need-eggs-dalsscientist-1548169.html
Quote of the Day "If you are not taking care of your customer, your competitor will." -Bob Hooey
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