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TOP Contents - Tailored for YOU Latest News Headlines…
Golden Rice Not So Golden for Tufts Fourth-quarter palay output to exceed 7.16 MMT–DA Commerce Min to sell rice from govt stock at low price to help consumers Investigation launched on rotten and burnt rice cases in Phitsanulok Rice warehouse inspection to be launched nationwide Don't count your chickens before they're hatched : Be careful about relying on government claims over rice sales" Steps on to revive traditional paddy varieties Bulk buyers wait for rice prices to ease Guyana Expecting Bumper Rice Production This Year
Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open- Sep 19 TABLE-India Grain Prices-Delhi- Sep 19 GM Rice Researcher Barred from Human Studies What the heck is ‘MOLSO’ rice?
Research funding and skills key to food for post-2015
NEWS DETAILS: Golden Rice Not So Golden for Tufts 2013-09-18 17:15:Golden Rice Humanitarian Board
Worth its weight in gold? Golden rice (right) protects against vitamin A deficiency in children.
A study in which Chinese children were fed a small amount of genetically modified rice violated university and U.S. federal rules on human research, according to a statement issued yesterday by Tufts University in Boston, whose scientists led the study. Tufts has barred the principal investigator, Guangwen Tang, from doing human research for 2 years and will require her to undergo training in research on human subjects.
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In August 2012, Tang and colleagues published a study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showing that golden rice is a promising source of vitamin A in Chinese children aged 6 to 8 years old. The study ignited a media firestorm in China a few weeks later, after Greenpeace issued a statement claiming that the children were used as "guinea pigs" and labeling the study a "scandal of international proportions." Three Chinese collaborators who initially denied involvement in the study, according to media reports, were punished for their participation in December, following an official investigation in China, and parents of the children received generous financial compensation from the Chinese government.Golden rice contains β-carotene, a compound that is turned into vitamin A inside the body and that gives the rice its trademark yellow hue. It was developed in the 1990s to help fight vitamin A deficiency, a major global health problem estimated to cause blindness in up to half a million children every year, half of whom die within 12 months after losing their eyesight.The study that has drawn so much opprobrium, carried out in 2008 among 72 children in a primary school in China's Hunan province, was designed to find out how well golden rice is converted into vitamin A inside kids' bodies. The results were good news for supporters of the rice variety: One serving could provide more than half of a child's daily vitamin A needs, the researchers reported.Tufts launched the investigation in September 2012, shortly after the controversy erupted. A spokesperson says that Tufts won't publish a report about the investigation, but the university e-mailed a brief statement to reporters yesterday. Tufts also sent ScienceInsider a letter from Diane Souvaine, Tufts’ vice provost for research, to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) with more details about the investigations. (Tang works at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, a facility operated jointly by Tufts and USDA). ScienceInsider also obtained a letter from Souvaine to Kristina Borror of the U.S. Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP) about the investigation.The letters show that Tufts' own institutional review board (IRB) investigated the ethical procedures, as did an external panel whose membership has not been made public. In addition, there was a third, internal review to look at whether there was any evidence of scientific fraud or data manipulation.The reviews found no evidence of health or safety problems in the children fed golden rice; they also concluded that the study’s data were scientifically accurate and valid. Indeed, Souvaine's letter to the USDA stresses that the results "have important public health and nutrition implications, for China and other parts of the world."But the IRB concluded that there were a number of problems in the way Tang conducted the study.
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For instance, she provided "insufficient evidence" that the study "was reviewed and approved by an Ethics Review Board in China in accordance with prevailing standards." It also found that some of the consent forms had not been obtained before the trial started, and there was "some evidence that the dates on some consent forms were changed and that other consent forms may have been inappropriately signed."Tang also made some unauthorized changes to the study protocol after obtaining permission, the IRB concluded; for instance, the participation of research team members from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention was not described in the protocol, and eight subjects were recruited to an unapproved "placebo" arm. Tufts, in its letter to OHRP, characterized Tang's actions as constituting "serious and continuing non-compliance with federal regulations" and with Tufts IRB policy. Tang, who was born in China and has been at Tufts since 1987, did not respond to requests for comment from ScienceInsider. Tufts has barred her from doing research on humans for 2 years, during which time she will be "retrained on human subjects research regulations and policies," the university stated; after the training is completed, for a further 2 years she can do human studies only as a supervised co-investigator. Tang, 64, has decided to close her lab next year as a result of the punishment, says Adrian Dubock, executive secretary of the Golden Rice Humanitarian Board in Switzerland, which was not directly involved in the study. "She did not choose the political controversy thrust upon her altruistic research," Dubock, who has kept in contact with Tang, says in a written statement. "Her retirement and the closure of her laboratory will be a loss to humanity." Tang is not the only one in the crosshairs. The external panel criticized Tufts' IRB for having failed to verify that there were ethics panels in place in China equipped to review the study, and whether they actually reviewed and approved the trial. The IRB should also have ensured that the informed consent form for parents explicitly stated that the rice is the product of genetic engineering.
Fourth-quarter palay output to exceed 7.16 MMT–DA Category: Agri-Commodities :Published on Thursday, 19 September 2013 19:37 :Written by Alladin S. Diega / Correspondent
Mlang, North Cotabato —The Department of Agriculture (DA) said palay production from October to December will be more than the 7.16 million metric tons (MMT) projected by the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (Bas) for the period.Agriculture Undersecretary Dante Delima, who is also national rice program
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coordinator, said actual output during the palagad or main harvest ―may exceed the target by 2 percent.‖―Mga 2 percent pa ang ilalagpas ng target [palay production] for the fourth quarter,‖ Delima said in a news conference following the Harvest Festival attended by DA officials in Region 12.Farmers in some areas of the country have already started harvesting their crop.Harvest of palay usually goes into high gear by the end of September or the first week of October. Because of this, the DA said the price of commercial rice should go down in the coming days.Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala said his department is now investigating ―big people‖ who are behind the persistent increase in the price of commercial rice during the previous months.―Some of them are those who did not gain from importing rice,‖ Alcala said.The 187,000 metric tons of milled rice imported by the Philippines this year was undertaken solely by the National Food Authority (NFA).NFA Administrator Orlan Calayag said the decision to limit the participation of the private sector in rice importation this year was arrived at following consultations with various groups including farmers.―Sometime last February, a stakeholder meeting was held which included farmers. They suggested that for this year, only the NFA should conduct the importation para daw di masabayan ng mga may masamang plano,‖ Calayag said.He, however, refused to elaborate when pressed to provide details.This decision to let the NFA undertake the importation of rice this year was criticized by Magdalo Party-list representatives Gary Alejano and Francisco Ashley Acedillo. The two party-list representatives launched an inquiry to investigate allegations of corruption in the DA and NFA’s purported ―monopolistic‖ rice importation scheme. Alejano and Acedillo said this was a scenario Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan had warned against in various academic papers prior to his appointment.―Rice importation should also be increasingly made a private sector domain, thereby relieving the NFA of the burden of handling rice imports,‖ according to a study cited by Alejano and Acedillo in their statement.Citing another study, the two party-list representatives noted that the active participation of the NFA in rice importation in the past ―increased the volatility of domestic farm prices, discouraged private investments in the rice supply chain, impeded diversification to high-value crops and non-farm employment activities, and in bred massive corruption.‖
Commerce Min to sell rice from govt stock at low price to help consumers Thursday, 19 September 2013By NNT
BANGKOK, 18 September 2013 The Ministry of Commerce will sell 200,000 tons of 5% white rice in government stock in small packages at a price lower than the market value. Deputy Minister of Commerce Nattawut Saikua said the 200,000 tons of rice would be packaged into 40 million bags weighing 5 kilograms each and sold under the brand "Khao Thung Ruam Jai." The price is set at 85 baht, lower than the current market price of 90-125 baht.The rice will be available at the ministry's Took Jai shops, Show Huay Show Suay shops and Blue Flag restaurants.Mr Nattawut said a committee would be set up to supervise the distribution of the rice in a bid to help prevent corruption
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Investigation launched on rotten and burnt rice cases in Phitsanulok Thursday, 19 September 2013By NNT
PHITSANULOK, 18 September 2013The Commerce Ministry has established a committee to investigate the case of rotten and burnt pledged rice being dumped in a warehouse in Phitsanulok Province. Deputy Commerce Minister Yanyong Phuangrach expected that the committee would complete its investigation within 2 weeks. The probing result would later be forwarded to the rice pledging monitoring sub-committee and the National Rice Policy Committee.Meanwhile, Director General of the Marketing
Organization for Farmers Thanetpol Thanaboonyawat reiterated that the 1,000 tons of rice in question were from the 2008 rice pledging scheme. He said the rice was part of the 13,000 ton lot sold to a Chinese firm, with 12,000 tons of the lot already shipped to China. However, the planned shipment of the remainder was stalled by the 2011 floods which also damaged the stored rice.In an attempt to dry out the damaged rice, the warehouse owner relocated the rice to a space behind the warehouse. Mr. Thanetpol nonetheless stressed that the relocation had been done properly, denying the rumor that the rice was part of the recent rice fraudulent cases.
Rice warehouse inspection to be launched nationwide BANGKOK, 19 September 2013 (NNT) - The Marketing Organization for Farmers (MOF) will launch an inspection of all the 400 rice warehouses nationwide, following the case of rotten and burnt rice found in Phitsanulok Province. The inspection is expected to commence tomorrow, covering all of the 400 rice silos in 30 provinces. The MOF indicated that warehouses that do not possess proper conditions for storing rice will be removed from the Government's rice mortgage scheme. The probe is expected to be finished within 2 weeks. Regarding the rotten and burnt pledged rice of Kasetpaisan Thanyakij Company in Phitsanulok, the MOF Director, Mr. Thanetpol Thanaboonyawat, reaffirmed that the incident was not a cover up. Earlier, officials show concerns that the burnt rice was the lower quality rice that did not qualify for the mortgage scheme and the incident might have been used to mask the practice. The MOF Director revealed that a
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preliminary investigation revealed that methyl bromide used in rice smoking might be the culprit behind the supposed spontaneous combustion. The final cause of the fire will soon be finalized. The rice company has, however, promised to compensate for the estimated damage of 10 million baht.
Don't count your chickens before they're hatched : Be careful about relying on government claims over rice sales" Sep 19, 2013 3:15PM UTC:Bangkok Pandit
MCOT on September 4: Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul on Wednesday said Thai rice exported to China is of good quality, for it tended be packaged and exported directly by the Commerce Ministry. Mr Surapong spoke of the discussion between the Thai premier and her counterpart Li Xiaoqiang on Monday during her recent official visit that Chinaindicated that it would buy one million tonnes of rice from Thailand. MCOT on September 8: China has pledged to buy 1.2 million tonnes of Thai rice, along with another several hundred thousand tonnes of agricultural produce with the contracts to be inked in this month, Thai commerce minister Niwatthamrong Boonsongpaisarn said on Sunday. Mr Niwatthamrong announced the deal after his visit to the People’s Republic of China last week. Apart from the one million tonnes of Thai rice, the minister said, China will also buy 300,000 tonnes of cassava and another 200,000 tonnes of rubber. He said the contracts will be inked this month with two state enterprises and the delivery of all produce is expected to be complete within a year. Matichon on September 8 reports the Minister as stating there is an Agreement with a Chinese State Enterprise to purchase 1.2 million tonnes and to deliver within one year… and the sales contract will be completed this month ( 1.2 1 … ). Kom Chad Leuk also has the same essentials (agreement, 1.2 million tonnes within a year and contract will be completed within this month). BP: The opposition – in particular former Finance Minister Korn – was skeptical of the sale claims and linked to the below Reuters report. Reuters on September 12:
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Thailand’s government said on Thursday it had sold 1.2 million tonnes of rice from its stockpiles to China and that its stocks now stood at 10 million tonnes, a huge drop from the previously reported 17 million and one that traders found hard to explain. Industry officials were unsure why China would buy so much rice at a time when demand was weak and there were abundant cheaper supplies elsewhere, while a Chinese source said the two sides were still in talks. “We have signed a contract to sell and it would take about a year to deliver the whole lot,” Commerce Minister Niwatthamrong Bunsongphaisan told reporters. He declined to give prices or other details. … An industry source close to the State Grain Administration, China’s state body responsible for grain trading and distribution, said talks on a government-to-government deal had been taking place with Thailand for some time but nothing had been settled. “It is impossible for China to import that much rice as China doesn’t need that much,” the source said, referring to the 1.2 million tonnes. BP: 1. Reuters skepticism is probably partly based on their previous reports on this issue. Reutersin September 2012: Thailand, the world’s top rice exporter, said it had signed contracts to sell 7.3 million tonnes of the stockpiled grain to foreign governments in exports from now until late next year, but top importers Indonesia and Philippines denied any deals. … “They are all contracts committed to by other governments, not just MOUs,” Thailand’s commerce minister, Boonsong Teriyapirom, told reporters, adding that rice exports could reach 8.5 million tonnes this year.He said the contracts had been signed with governments including China, Indonesia and the Philippines. But the two southeast Asian nations flatly denied the remarks, while China has not made any comment. Philippine state grains agency National Food Authority said the country had not signed any new rice supply deal with Thailand. “We have not signed any government-to-government deal with Thailand,” NFA Administrator Angelito Banayo told Reuters. “What we have is a supply arrangement with them for 1 million tonnes, which they have committed to sell to us if we need additional supply.” In Jakarta, state procurement agency Bulog said it had not signed any rice deal with any country.
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“There is no G-to-G rice import contract or deal between the Indonesian government with any country so far, including Thailand,” said Chief Executive Sutarto Alimoeso. Reuters in January 2013: Commerce Minister Boonsong Teriyapirom claimed in September that Bangkok had contracts to sell 7.3 million tonnes in 2012 to countries including Indonesia and the Philippines.
The problem was that those countries denied any deals had been signed andtraders didn’t see any cargoes leaving Thai ports. The government did sign a memorandum of understanding with China to allowing rice exports to Beijing, but so far there is no sign of any additional cargoes. In fact, quite the opposite is true, with Thai rice exports to China falling 52 percent in the first 11 months of 2012 from the prior year, according to Chinese customs data. BP: At a minimum, the government has been misleading in the past on how it has framed the previous ―sales‖. Supply arrangements/MOUs/and various other agreements have not always resulted in the export of the large quantities of rice talked. Whether it is an MOU, an agreement, contract with intention to sell, or even a clear sales contract with specified dates and prices, given the previous history and the fact that things can change meaning rice may or not be sold, until the rice is actually exported, you shouldn’t really focus on the deals. Looking at actual rice exports is the better figure. We will see at the end of the year (although for the China deal it is supposedly within 12 months so we can look at monthly/quarterly exports next year as well). NOTE: Obviously, there are differences between a mere MOU vs a clear sales contract where the non-Thai side is on the record of confirming the details with the later being of interest in regards to estimates/forecasts, but actual exports are key. 2. The other part of the Reuters report ―It is impossible for China to import that much rice as China doesn’t need that much,‖ the source said, referring to the 1.2 million tonnes. The Nation: The deal has raised suspicions given the low volume of Thai rice exports to China in the past few years. In 2009, Thailand shipped only 328,238 tonnes to China. From 2010 through 2012, the volume was 264,207; 267,846; and 143,082 tonnes. BP: The past is the past though. Below is previous worldwide imports for China:
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SOURCE: ORYZA – this is from earlier in the year. The Nation in July: The FAO expects that India will remain the biggest rice producer next year, as it is increasing production, while Vietnam’s output may drop slightly. China will be the world’s biggest importer, at 3 million tonnes compared to the average 1.2 million tonnes per year from 2009-11, as the country is set to build up rice stocks, followed by Nigeria at 2.7 million tonnes. Kyodo News in August: China’s imports of rice in 2012 quadrupled from the previous year to 2.4 million tons. In 2013, they are set to reach 3.2 million tons — surpassing those of Nigeria to become the biggest in the world — and in 2014 a record 3.4 million tons, according to estimates released in mid-August by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Oryza report from early September: “China is expected to import about 4 million tons rice in 2013-14, up about 14% from about 3.5 million tons imported in last year,according to the China National Grain and Oils Information Center (CNGOIC). CNGOIC lowered its 2013-14 rice production forecast by one million tons to about 35 million tons, due to ongoing drought in key rice producing areas.
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BP: As you see the forecast for rice imports for China is on the rise. Whether it will reach the lofty (read: unrealistic in the extreme) target of Thailand exporting 4-5 million tonnes per year seems very unlikely, but 1.2 million tonnes over the next 12 months (which you could then divide as 600,000 tonnes a year) is at least possible as there is a large increase in demand from China for imported rice. Why you ask? A. Price: In addition, China Daily Asia in July: Hubei long rice in China has a hefty price tag of $625 per ton, compared with $451 in Vietnam and $598 in Thailand. From a USDA report in June ―Rice imports from Vietnam, Pakistan and Thailand continue to be price competitive over domestic rice―. BP: China subsidizes their farmers too and the price is seen as too high to buy rice domestically,* but since then the price of Thai rice has fallen with the government trying to sell stock with Reuters noting in August that the price had fallen around 20%: Thai benchmark 5 percent broken rice RI-THBKN5-P1 has already lost much of its artificial premium to its Vietnamese counterpart RI-VNBKN5-P1, which was caused by Thailand’s decision to build inventories rather than sell at a loss. The difference between the two is currently $82.50 a tonne, making the Thai grain 21 percent more expensive that its Vietnamese equivalent. In late January the difference was $180 a tonne, or a premium of 46 percent for Thai rice. Prior to the start of the Thai intervention scheme, the two traded more or less in lockstep and as at the beginning of August 2011 the difference between them was $10 a tonne in Thailand’s favour. BP: Agree on the reduction of the artificial premium, but difference of US$10 was slightly unusual as Thai rice has typically been higher priced that Vietnamese rice as the below FAO report from September 2013 shows:
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Source: FAO BP: As you can see regardless of what scheme has been a premium of 10%-20% on Thai rice compared to Vietnamese rice, but USD$180 a tonne difference was clearly excessive.* The gap is dropping and the price of rice will likely continue to come down so the gap is between the usual 10-20%. If so, the quantity of Thai rice being exported will likely now start to increase over the next year. B. Contamination problems with Chinese rice In addition, China Daily Asia in July: Hubei long rice in China has a hefty price tag of $625 per ton, compared with $451 in Vietnam and $598 in Thailand. Recent reports of tainted rice found in Hunan province have added to this trend away from domestic varieties. Some Chinese consumers are even switching to more expensive Thai imports.
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High traces of cadmium, a carcinogenic industrial chemical, were found in long-grain rice from Hunan sold in Guangdong province. Rice from Jiangxi and Guangdong provinces is also not immune from contamination. This came at a critical juncture when an excess supply of rice has flooded the global market. …“This must be music to the Thai government, which is desperately looking for buyers to offload some of its bulging mortgage stocks,” said Samarendu Mohanty, head of the social sciences division at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), in a blog entry. “(Chinese imports) should provide much-needed support for rice prices.” FT in August: Another reason cited by some analysts for the rise in rice imports is the recent cadmium contamination scare. Concerns about soil pollution affecting the grain from Hunan and Guangdong may have added further impetus to the buying from overseas markets, they say. BP: These are actual contamination problems and relate to a carcinogenic chemical… C. Drought in China Xinhua on August 8: The 56-year-old farmer in Xinglong village, Qiyang county, Hunan Province, is expected to reap only 10 percent of harvest compared with previous years as his 2 mu (0.13 hectare) of paddy rice, 1 mu of peanuts, 1 mu of sorghum and 1 mu of mung bean and corn all withered up. … About 4 million hectares of farmland have been affected by the drought as of Monday, according to the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters. … In Hunan Province, which produces 13 percent of China’s paddy rice, 913,333 hectares of farmland have been affected and 1.49 million people as well as 860,000 cattle lack drinking water, according to the provincial flood control and drought relief headquarters. China Daily on August 13: Agriculture experts worry that a severe drought that began in June may damage the rice harvest in central and eastern China this year, but add that it’s too early to know whether the entire country will be affected. … Although he doubled his rice planting area this year to 13.3 hectares, Sun estimated that his farm’s output will be 15 to 20 percent lower. “For good-quality rice, the best temperature for pollination is about 32 C. But it has been above 38 C for more than a week,” he said.
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…. Sun said he is not expecting a good harvest this year. Because the output ofgood-quality rice is expected to be low and high temperatures have increased the cost of irrigation and labor, rice prices will increase, he added. From a USDA report in August ―China’s 2013/14 rice crop is lowered 1.0 million tons to 142.0 million, down 1 percent from 2012/13. Hot dry weather in the lower Yangtze River Valley and in the southwest stressed mostly the single rice crop. Rice production is likely to be negatively affected in Hunan, Jiangxi, and Anhui provinces‖. BP: Please note that this lowering doesn’t sound like much, but it before the current forecasts of 3 million tonnes of imports for China so hence it does explain the forecasts of 4 million tonnes of imports from China. We are still waiting to see how bad the drought and weather will be and its impact on Thailand, but you see it is good-quality rice that is being affected so perhaps Thailand can take advantage of this. With increased demand from China for imported rice, we are likely to see more Thai rice being exported, but will it reach 1.2 million tonnes by next year? *Actually, this is the biggest failing over the implementation of the rice pledging scheme in BP’s view (there is the question of the price, but in BP’s view that is not really a question of the policy and not the implementation). It has been clear for a while that with India’s decision to start exporting non-Basmati rice at the end of 2011 meant that the rice pledging purpose of rising the price which would push up the world price was not going to work. Delaying sales from Thailand only kept the Thai rice price high. It seems there was hope by those in the government that there could be a change in the world situation i.e large scale drought or something like what happened in 2008 which pushed rice prices through the roof and then the government could sell the rice at a much higher price and the overall losses from the rice pledging scheme would be limited (like holding onto stocks hoping they would rebound instead of partially cutting your losses and selling some of the stocks). If that had happened, the government could then be vindicated. This hasn’t happened. Since India’s re-entry to exporting non-basmati world rice prices have actually dropped – just look at Vietnamese rice prices – and there is no end in sight to this situation. This is actually fairly simple to understand. There were 32 million tonnes of rice being exported worldwide in 2010 with India exporting less than 2.5 million tonnes with over 95% of it being basmati rice. In 2011, India exported 7 million tonnes with 4.5 million tonnes being non-basmati rice, but the amount of rice exported was only around 35 million tonnes. Such a large increase in supply of non-basmati rice for export has hurt the world price. Nevertheless, the government should have cut its losses much sooner instead of letting the amount of rice being stored getting so large. It really needs to sell a lot of rice now to reduce the volume of rice being stored to actually being less than under 10 million tonnes
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Steps on to revive traditional paddy varieties SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
Eco-scientist G. Nammazhwar giving away seedlings to a farmer near Pudukottai on Wednesday. Photo: Special Arrangement TOPICS: Agriculture,India,Tamil Nadu,economy, business and finance,agriculture
National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) will popularise traditional paddy varieties among farmers by reintroducing age-old cultivation practices.So far, NABARD has identified 18 traditional paddy varieties, includingkaruthakkar, karunkuruvai, maapillai samba, garudan samba, poongar, sivapapukarani, kuruvai kalanjiyam, illupai poo samba, kaivirai samba, neela samba, and sembuli samba.The bank has imparted training to 150 farmers in raising some of these varieties in various parts of the district in the last three years.Working in coordination with non-governmental organisation, NABARD has been motivating farmers to choose one variety from among the 18 species based on soil and irrigational facilities available in their fields. Inaugurating the transplanting of garudan samba at Marudanthalai village near here on Thursday, Somasundaram, district development manager, NABARD, said that it has been planned to motivate about 500 farmers to take up traditional paddy cultivation in the next three years. Evangelist for eco-friendly farming
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practices G.Nammazhwar, who gave away the nurseries of the variety to farmers, underlined the need for developing agriculture through good practices. Bio-manures and bio-agents can enrich soil and prevent pest attacks, he said.A demonstration on utilising panchakavya, a bio manure, and herbal insecticides was conducted. Several farmers interacted with Mr.Nammazhwar and got their doubts clarified.Later, a number of agricultural labourers sowed garudan samba in the fields of Ganesan, a farmer.A.Athappan, director of Rose, a non-governmental organisation which coordinated the programme, said that a number of farmers in and around Marudanthalai evinced interest in raising traditional varieties. Keywords: Paddy varities, NABARD, Pudukottai farmers, traditional paddy varieties, traditional agricultural practices
Bulk buyers wait for rice prices to ease OUR CORRESPONDENT KARNAL, SEPT. 19:
The rice market saw a steady trend with the prices of aromatic and non-basmati varieties ruling unchanged on Thursday.Due to restricted trading, rice prices have been ruling almost unchanged since Tuesday, said market sources.Tara Chand Sharma, Proprietor of Tara Chand and Sons, told Business Line that lack of trading at all levels kept aromatic and non-basmati rice prices unchanged.Bulk buyers are keeping themselves out of the market and they don’t want to take fresh position as they are waiting for the prices to fall, he added.Rice prices may drop but the fall will be limited, it is unlikely to see any major fall in rice prices, said Tara Chand Sharma.According to the trade experts, market may witness only need-based buying with marginal fluctuation in prices in the coming days. In the physical market, Pusa-1121 (steam) sold at Rs 8,300-80 a quintal, while Pusa-1121 (sela) quoted at Rs 7,70050.Pure Basmati (Raw) quoted at Rs 11,000. Duplicate basmati (steam) sold at Rs 6,730. For the brokens of Pusa-1121, Dubar quoted at Rs 3,700, Tibar sold at Rs 4,400 while Mongra was at Rs 3,100 . In the non-basmati section, Sharbati (Steam) sold at Rs 4,500-4,600 while Sharbati (Sela) quoted at Rs 4,300. Permal (raw) sold at Rs 2,320 , Permal (sela) went for Rs 2,300 , PR-11 (sela) sold at Rs 2,900 while PR-11 (Raw) quoted at Rs 2,700 PR14 (steam) sold at Rs 3,000-80. PADDY ARRIVALS
Around 12,500 bags of different paddy varieties arrived at the Karnal Grain Market Terminal. About 10,500 bags of PR paddy arrived and quoted at Rs 1,300-30 a quintal, around 1,000 bags of Pusa-1509 arrived and sold at Rs 3,350 while 1 thousand bags of Sharbati arrived and sold at Rs 2,320 a quintal. (This article was published on September 19, 2013)
Keywords: Rice rates
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Guyana Expecting Bumper Rice Production This Year Published: Thursday | September 19, 2013 A tractor ploughing a rice field in Berbice, Guyana.
Guyana says it will exceed the 2013 target for rice production by as much as 80,000 tonnes.
Agriculture Minister Dr Leslie Ramsammy said with a first crop production of 263,528 tonnes, the second crop may well exceed the 2013 target of 450,000 tonnes.The authorities say more than 75,000 hectares of rice land had been placed under cultivation for the second crop. They said early indications are that farmers were having a good crop with a fairly good yield, averaging approximately 35 bags of paddy per acre."If the rest of the crop maintains that level of yield which we fully expect, of course it could get better, but we don't expect it would be worse. We expect that this crop would produce far in excess of 220,000 tonnes of rice," Ramsammy said.He said the first crop could have easily passed 300,000 tonnes had it not been for the drought and the paddy bug infestation, which were not unique to Guyana or unusual for rice industries around the world."We can't say how successful we have been thus far until more rice is harvested. What we can say, however, is that in this initial stage, we have seen encouragingly very little impact of paddy bug," Ramsammy added.
Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open- Sep 19 Thu Sep 19, 2013 3:41pm IST Nagpur, Sept 19 (Reuters) - Gram and tuar prices in Nagpur Agriculture Produce and Marketing Committee (APMC) showed weak tendency on lack of demand from local millers amid high moisture
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content arrival. Fresh fall on NCDEX in gram prices, easy condition in Madhya Pradesh pulses and increased overseas supply also pushed down prices, according to sources.
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FOODGRAINS & PULSES GRAM * Gram varieties reported steady in open market but demand was poor.
TUAR * Tuar varieties ruled steady in open market here matching the demand and supply position.
* Udid varieties suffered heavily in open market on lack of demand from local traders amid healthy supply from producing regions.
* Masoor varieties and Lakhodi dal firmed up in open market on renewed demand from local traders amid weak supply from producing regions.
* Wheat mill quality recovered in open market on increased buying support from local traders amid tight supply from producing belts.
* In Akola, Tuar - 4,000-4,200, Tuar dal - 6,300-6,500, Udid at 4,700-5,000, Udid Mogar (clean) - 5,500-5,700, Moong - 5,900-6,300, Moong Mogar
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(clean) 7,000-7,200, Gram - 2,800-3,000, Gram Super best bold - 3,900-4,100 for 100 kg.
* Other varieties of wheat, rice and other commodities remained steady in open market in thin trading activity, according to sources.
Nagpur foodgrains APMC auction/open-market prices in rupees for 100 kg
FOODGRAINS
Available prices
Gram Auction
2,520-2,955
Gram Pink Auction
n.a.
Tuar Auction
2,520-3,030 2,100-2,600
3,800-4,290
Moong Auction
n.a.
Udid Auction
3,800-4,370 3,800-4,000
n.a.
Masoor Auction
4,300-4,500
n.a.
Gram Super Best Bold Gram Super Best Gram Medium Best
2,600-2,800 4,400-4,500
3,850-3,950 n.a.
Gram Mill Quality
3,750-3,800
Deshi gram Raw
3,150-3,200
Gram Filter Yellow
n.a.
Gram Pink
4,400-4,500
n.a.
Gram Dal Medium
Gram Kabuli
Previous close
7,700-10,000 7,600-8,000
3,850-3,950
n.a. 3,750-3,800 3,150-3,200
n.a. 7,700-10,000 7,600-8,000
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Tuar Fataka Best
6,600-6,800
Tuar Fataka Medium
6,600-6,800
6,200-6,400
Tuar Dal Best Phod
6,200-6,400
6,000-6,100
Tuar Dal Medium phod
6,000-6,100
5,600-5,800
5,600-5,800
Tuar Gavarani
4,500-4,600
4,500-4,600
Tuar Karnataka
4,300-4,400
4,300-4,400
Tuar Black
7,300-7,500
Masoor dal best
7,300-7,500
5,300-5,500
Masoor dal medium Masoor
5,100-5,200
n.a.
5,000-5,200
n.a.
Moong Mogar bold
7,400-7,500
Moong Mogar Medium best Moong dal super best Moong dal Chilka
5,200-5,500
7,500-7,600
6,500-6,900
5,400-5,600
5,500-5,800
5,200-5,400
5,400-5,800
Moong Mill quality
n.a.
Moong Chamki best
5,800-6,000
n.a.
Udid Mogar Super best (100 INR/KG) Udid Mogar Medium (100 INR/KG) Udid Dal Black (100 INR/KG) Batri dal (100 INR/KG)
6,100-6,300 5,500-5,700
5,000-5,200
4,600-4,800
3,850-3,950
Lakhodi dal (100 INR/kg) Watana Dal (100 INR/KG) Watana White (100 INR/KG)
6,800-7,200
5,000-5,300 4,900-5,100
3,850-3,950
2,900-3,000 3,300-3,400
2,800-2,900 3,300-3,400
3,100-3,300
Watana Green Best (100 INR/KG)
5,700-5,900
7,200-7,600
3,100-3,300 7,200-7,600
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Wheat 308 (100 INR/KG)
1,650-1,750
Wheat Mill quality(100 INR/KG) Wheat Filter (100 INR/KG)
1,650-1,750
1,600-1,630
1,575-1,625
1,600-1,800
Wheat Lokwan best (100 INR/KG)
1,600-1,800
1,950-2,350
Wheat Lokwan medium (100 INR/KG) Lokwan Hath Binar (100 INR/KG)
1,950-2,350
1,750-1,950
n.a.
n.a.
MP Sharbati Best (100 INR/KG) 3,100-3,600 MP Sharbati Medium (100 INR/KG)
1,750-1,950
3,100-3,600
2,600-2,900
2,600-2,900
Wheat 147 (100 INR/KG)
1,450-1,550
1,450-1,550
Wheat Best (100 INR/KG)
1,500-1,600
1,500-1,600
Rice BPT New (100 INR/KG) Rice Parmal (100 INR/KG)
2,900-3,500 2,100-2,400
2,900-3,500 2,100-2,400
Rice Swarna Best (100 INR/KG) 2,300-2,400 Rice Swarna Medium (100 INR/KG) Rice HMT (100 INR/KG)
2,300-2,400
2,050-2,300
4,200-4,600
Rice HMT Shriram (100 INR/KG)
4,200-4,600
4,400-5,000
4,400-5,000
Rice Basmati best (100 INR/KG) 10,000-12,500 Rice Basmati Medium (100 INR/KG) Rice Chinnor (100 INR/KG)
Rice Chinnor Medium (100 INR/KG) Jowar Gavarani (100 INR/KG) Jowar CH-5 (100 INR/KG)
10,000-12,500
6,200-7,500
5,000-5,500
1,800-1,900
6,200-7,500
5,000-5,500
4,400-4,800
1,500-1,650
2,050-2,300
4,400-4,800 1,500-1,650
1,800-1,900
WEATHER (NAGPUR)
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Maximum temp. 32.2 degree Celsius (89.9 degree Fahrenheit), minimum temp. 23.8 degree Celsius (74.8 degree Fahrenheit) Humidity: Highest - n.a., lowest - n.a. Rainfall : 3.2 mm FORECAST: Generally cloudy sky. Maximum and Minimum temperature likely to be around 33 and 23 degree Celsius respectively.
Note: n.a.--not available
(For oils, transport costs are excluded from plant delivery prices, but included in market prices.)
TABLE-India Grain Prices-Delhi- Sep 19 Thu Sep 19, 2013 3:29pm IST Rates by Asian News International, New Delhi Tel: 011 2619 1464 Indicative Grains
Previous
opening
close
(in rupees per 100 kg unless stated) ---------------------------------------------------------Wheat Desi
2,300-2,600
2,300-2,600.
Wheat Dara
1,650-1,750
1,670-1,770.
Atta Chakki (per 10 Kg)
210-235
210-235.
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Roller Mill (per bag)
1,750-1,850
Maida (per bag) Sooji (per bag)
1,860-1,960
Rice Basmati(Lal Quila) Rice Basmati(Common)
Rice Sela I.R.-8 Gram
1,860-1,960.
1,830-1,930
Rice Basmati(Sri Lal Mahal)
Rice Permal
1,775-1,875.
1,830-1,930.
11,500 10,500
10,500.
7,400-7,500
2,500-2,600 3,100-3,150 2,050-2,150 3,300-4,100
11,500.
7,450-7,550.
2,500-2,600. 3,100-3,150. 2,000-2,100. 3,300-4,100.
Peas Green
3,100-3,200
3,100-3,200.
Peas White
2,650-2,750
2,650-2,750.
Bajra Jowar white
1,400-1,500 2,450-2,650
1,425-1,525. 2,450-2,650.
Maize
1,450-1,575
1,450-1,575.
Barley
1,300-1,400
1,300-1,400.
Guwar
3,250-3,650
3,250-3,650. Source: Delhi grain market traders
GM Rice Researcher Barred from Human Studies The lead investigator on a controversial study announces her retirement as Tufts releases a report citing ethics violations in the genetically modified food research.
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By Erin Weeks | September 19, 2013 One year ago, the publication of a study on vitamin A uptake in Chinese children fed golden rice sparked a fierce controversy that resulted in several scientists and government officials affiliated with the study losing their jobs. This week (September 17), Tufts University released the findings from its investigation into the research and the actions of the lead investigator, the school’s own Guangwan Tang.The scrutiny has centered on whether the 24 children who participated in the research and their families were given adequate explanation of the two-year study. Golden rice is a genetically modified variety that contains beta-carotene, designed to combat vitamin A deficiencies in developing countries. The study consent forms made no mention of genetic modification (GM), but instead referred to the golden rice as a ―new rice‖, likely because US federal guidelines require such forms be written in easy-to-understand language, and GM food remains—as in the U.S.—a charged issue in China. Tufts concluded that ―while the study data were validated and no health or safety concerns were identified, the research itself was found not to have been conducted in full compliance with IRB [institutional review board] policy or federal regulations.‖ The investigation also found that the dates on some consent forms may have been changed, while other forms may have been ―inappropriately signed.‖ Some parents claimed they had not even been aware they were participating in a scientific study, thinking it was a school program.Tang has been barred from conducting human-subject research for the next two years as a result of the findings, though according to ScienceInsider, the professor, 64, has decided to close her lab next year and retire. Tags scientific ethics, golden rice, GM crops, genetic modification and China
What the heck is ‘MOLSO’ rice? By Alvin Capino
What has happened in the Zamboanga City crisis, where a group of heavily armed Moro National Liberation Front fighters identified with MNLF founding chairman Nur Misuari have occupied barangays and taken hostages, has served to confirm what a wise man once said that anything can be done so long as the people involved do not mind who get the credit.We believe that the reason the ceasefire brokered by Vice President Jejomar Binay did not hold is that there are people, particularly those who are supposed to be in charge of resolving the Zamboanga crisis, could not accept the fact that Binay is the one who was able to find a solution.Blinded by their 2016 ambitions, these officials could not accept their failure and Binay’s success in opening the line of communications with the Misuari group.
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Their desire to get the credit made them forget the sufferings that the people of Zamboanga had to undergo, not to mention the heavy economic cost of the prolonged conflict that could have been settled days ago.It is clear that Misuari has chosen to talk to Binay because he trusts Binay whom he has known since his college days at the University of the Philippines. Understandably, Misuari found it difficult to talk to those in charge of finding a solution to the crisis by the government because of the harsh words they have publicly said against Misuari and his people.It is also clear that President Benigno Aquino III and Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin were briefed and informed by Binay every step of the way during his talks with Misuari and his representative. It is thus wrong to say that Binay was not authorized and did everything on his own. A ceasefire would have prevented the loss of lives and the destruction of property. It would have minimized the hardships of the evacuees. Binay could have done it—but those with 2016 presidential ambitions just couldn’t accept that Binay could succeed where they have failed. *** ―What the heck is MOLSO rice?‖ This is a question many people are asking nowadays as Department of Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala and his former congressional chief of staff whom he has appointed as National Food Administrator, Orlando Calayag, scramble to explain the scandalous overprice by as much as half-a-billion pesos of imported rice from Vietnam. Alcala and Calayag have other things to explain like how Alcala used his pork barrel when he was still a congressman as well as the details of how Alcala used the P199.4 million of congressional pork barrel coursed through the Department of Agriculture during his watch, the bulk of which went to NGOs and so-called People’s Organizations. But that is another story.Let’s go back to MOLSO which the DA and the NFA are using to justify the Vietnam rice import overprice hoping that the public will be confused by their gobbledygook. Lawyer Argee Guevarra has exposed what he said is the anomalous purchase by the NFA of 205,700 metric tons of rice from Vietnam last April. The Vietnam rice was imported under More Or Less at Supplier’s Option or MOLSO at $459 or P19,762.95 per metric ton.The importation is questionable from the start since it had no prior approval from the Department of Finance.From the pricing alone it is apparent that the import cost of the Vietnam rice was bloated. The prevailing price when the deal was made was only $360 per metric ton or P15,480.The importation was made under a government-to-government contract and under this arrangement, the cost should be lower. In this case, it was higher.
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The defense offered by DA and NFA to justify the higher cost is that the $360-per-metric-ton price does not include shipping and other extra charges.However, rice importers say that the landed cost of the Vietnamese rice including handling and delivery charges should only be around $409—which means that some people might have struck it rich with a $50 (or P2,100) overprice per ton.If you consider the fact that 205,700 metric tons were imported and if you multiply this by $50 per metric tons, then the overprice is more than P400 million, clearly a plunderous amount. Guevarra said he is willing to have a more liberal view of things and he would allow the NFA to factor the cost of freight as well as the handling of the imported rice to NFA warehouses. But even when these costs are used in the computation, there will still be an overprice of $36.74 per metric ton.The bad news for consumers is that the NFA is reportedly considering the importation of 700,000 metric tons of rice from Vietnam this November under a similar government-to-government contract.The new importation will accordingly be sold as MOLSO rice—More or Less Still Overpriced
Research and Markets: Rice Milling (Asia) - Analysis of The Top 100 Companies Including Krbl Thai Lee Agriculture, Akemongkol Rice Trade, And Others DUBLIN -Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/2z2bvb/rice_milling) has announced the addition of the "Rice Milling (Asia)" report to their offering.The report provides a detailed overview of the Rice Milling (Asia) market and delivers a comprehensive individual analysis on the top 100 companies. It includes a wealth of information on the financial trends over the past four years.A quick glance at this Rice Milling (Asia) report will tell you that 27 companies have a declining Plimsoll financial rating, while 28 have shown good sales growth. Key Topics Covered Each of the largest 100 companies is meticulously scrutinised in a one-page individual assessment and is analysed using the most up-to-date and current financial data.Every business is examined on the following features: - The Plimsoll Chart: A graphical assessment of a company's financial performance
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- Four year assessment of the profit/loss and balance sheet - A written summary highlighting key performance issues Subsequently, you will receive a thorough market analysis highlighting the latest changes in the Rice Milling (Asia) market. This section includes: - Best Trading Partners - Sales Growth Analysis - Profit Analysis - Market Size - Rankings Reasons To Buy - See the market leaders - Identify companies heading for failure - Seek out the most attractive acquisition - Analyse industry trends - Benchmark their own financial performance For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/2z2bvb/rice_milling About Research and Markets Research and Markets is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.
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Research funding and skills key to food for post-2015 ublic spending on agricultural research must double in the next decade if the world is to successfully move to sustainable methods of food production, says a UN-backed report.This funding must be coupled with long-term investment in the training of agricultural professionals to fill the skill gaps in many developing countries, concludes the report published yesterday by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network's (SDSN) group on agriculture and food systems.The SDSN was launched by the UN last year to identify and demonstrate new approaches to sustainable development, and produced its first report in June. The new, agriculture, report was released together with six other reports by the network's thematic groups on issues including health, natural resource management, and ecosystem services and biodiversity. The reports represent a major input by scientists towards a new set of global development goals to replace the Millennium Development Goals in 2015.Achim Dobermann, the deputy director-general for research at the International Rice Research Institute, in the Philippines, and co-chair of the SDSN group on agriculture, says that recent increases in agricultural research investment by the private sector are no substitute for public funding.This is because commercially driven research tends to ignore many essential areas, such as environmental impact and agronomy, he says."All of these are 'bread and butter' areas, but, as they are not attractive to private sector, public funding must take the lead," he tells SciDev.Net. Increasing yields while minimising environmental harm is one of the greatest challenges facing agriculture and will require the use of a more tailored, knowledge-intensive system, the report says.To allow for the development of adaptable, site-specific farming methods, research into the size and location of gaps in yield and efficiency — where resources such as fertilizers are not being used efficiently — for crop and livestock production should be a top priority, it finds.The effective use of technology is essential to these goals, the report says.Examples of technologies that are important to fully exploit include genomics-based precision breeding methods, gene discovery and biotechnology — all of which are crop improvement methods that are particularly beneficial to smallholders, it adds.
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Another rich resource for development, according to the report, are digital technologies ranging from satellite imagery and big data analysis to platforms for research collaboration and improving farming advice.Dearth of human expertise,But, while such new technologies are useful tools, the report notes that only well-trained scientists and agricultural practitioners can provide the innovation and drive to bring about the necessary change.Many national agricultural research systems in developing nations are not up to the task and rely heavily on foreign donors, it says. Increasing national research spending to one per cent of GDP (gross domestic product) is essential to rectify weaknesses in human capacity, in terms of both skills and numbers, infrastructure and governance, the report adds.Furthermore, to avoid a generation-long gap in agricultural expertise, developing nations must focus on encouraging young people to pursue careers in relevant fields, it says.The low number of students studying in fields such as agronomy, soil science and pest management, particularly in Africa, is a real worry, says Dobermann.This problem reflects the political tendency to prioritise short-term results over scholarship and support programmes for young professionals that take many years to bear fruit, he adds. Aggrey Agumya, senior technical advisor at the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa, based in Ghana, believes that the capacity gap is so acute in many countries that even a doubling of public research spending might be insufficient.He says that the seriousness of the problem is masked by the fact that any spending increases often go on better salaries rather than improvements to infrastructure and research networks.But the greatest problem is not the lack of researchers but the inability of institutions to apply findings in ways that bring practical benefits, Agumya says.To improve this, great efforts must be made to strengthen agricultural institutions' planning and governance capacities to maximise research benefits, he adds
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