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Scientists identify genes that could lead to tough, disease-resistant rice Drought may cut key farm exports from California 6Share on emailShare on print U.S.D.A. certifies U.S. rice as non-transgenic NFA sets pre-bid confab for rice importation Cambodian rice exports fall in Q1 Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open- Apr 02 Paddy, maize are rabi season gainers in Andhra Pradesh Thai court takes on new case as PM Yingluck's legal woes mount Stepped-up release pressures home rice traders 25% of paddy fields destroyed; No alternative but to import rice Rice gains steam on buying interest Purdue professor will talk about science/society interactions NACC wants 3 ministers to speak for PM Gene discovery could yield gen-next 'super rice' Telengana farmers losing interest in rice Cambodian rice exports fall in Q1
NEWS DETAILS: Scientists identify genes that could lead to tough, disease-resistant rice Tue, 04/01/2014 - 3:28pm Marcia Goodrich, Michigan Technological Univ. As the Earth’s human population marches toward 9 billion, the need for hardy new varieties of grain crops has never been greater.It won’t be enough to yield record harvests under perfect conditions. In an era of climate change, pollution and the global spread of pathogens, these new grains must also be able to handle stress. Now, researchers at Michigan Technological Univ. have identified a set of genes that could be key to the development of the next generation of super rice.A meta-data analysis by biologist Ramakrishna Wusirika and PhD student
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Rafi Shaik has uncovered more than 1,000 genes in rice that appear to play key roles in managing its response to two different kinds of stress: biotic, generally caused by infectious organisms like bacteria; and abiotic, caused by environmental agents, like nutrient deficiency, flood and salinity. Traditionally, scientists have believed that different sets of genes regulated plants’ responses to biotic and abiotic stress. However, Wusirika and Shaik discovered that 1,377 of the approximately 3,800 genes involved in rice’s stress response played a role in both types stress. “These are the genes we think are involved in the cross talk between biotic and abiotic stesses,” said Wusirika.About 70% of those “master” genes are co-expressive— they turn on under both kinds of stress. Typically, the others turn on for biotic stress and turn off for abiotic stress.The scientists looked at the genes’ response to five abiotic stresses—drought, heavy metal contamination, salt, cold and nutrient deprivation—and five biotic stresses—bacteria, fungus, insect predation, weed competition and nematodes. A total of 196 genes showed a wide range of expressions to these stresses.“The top genes are likely candidates for developing a rice variety with broad stress-range tolerance,” Wusirika said.Next, they would like to test their findings. “We want to do experimental analysis to see if five or 10 of the genes work as predicted,” he said. Source: Michigan Technological Univ.
Drought may cut key farm exports from California 6Share on emailShare on print Issue Date: April 2, 2014 By Ching Lee
Water shortages are expected to reduce production of many of the state's top agricultural exports, and marketers, analysts and commodity groups say it remains to be seen how this will impact California's ability to supply key export markets—and hang on to them.The outcome has implications throughout the California economy, said Josh Rolph, director of international trade for the California Farm Bureau Federation."Based on the severe water shortages expected in Northern and Central California, it seems apparent there will be reduced production of a number of crops," he said. "If farm exports decline as a result, that will affect jobs throughout rural areas, as well as at ports and other urban workplaces. "For products such as almonds, the state's No. 1 farm export, much will depend on what the actual size of the crop will be this year, said Richard Waycott, president and CEO of the Almond Board of California. If yields reach close to 2 billion pounds—similar to the last two years—then there should be enough to supply export
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markets, he said."There may be some shortages on size or certain varieties perhaps, but it's just too early to say," Waycott said.California remains the premier producer of almonds, supplying more than 80 percent of the world supply, while countries such as Australia and Spain have comparatively small production.With more than 200,000 almond acres facing water shortfalls, Dave Baker, director of member relations for Blue Diamond Growers, said there are definitely concerns about how the state's crop will fare. He noted growers have been using more groundwater that has high salt and boron content. He said that could affect production later in the year and prolong stress on the trees caused by water deficits, damaging them for two to three years. These impacts could cut the state's crop by 200 million pounds, he added.Exports of California pistachios have seen record highs in recent years and a light crop could thwart further market expansion, said Richard Matoian, executive director of American Pistachio Growers, which represents production in California, Arizona and New Mexico. He noted some 40 percent of California growers are in water districts facing "zero" water allocations this year. "I think the concern is we're potentially going to face a loss in momentum that we've seen over the last few years of record shipments and record price returns to growers," he said.Matoian said while it's unclear how big an impact the drought will have on the state's production, he's certain the crop will be smaller and supplies tighter, leading to higher prices. He said it's unlikely competitors such as Iran could fill the gap created by a shorter California crop, as "all pistachio production areas in the world" are experiencing water issues of their own."No one else has the supply to be able to meet the worldwide demand, and there are no new production areas," he said.The price of medium-grain rice has shot up in recent months due to tight world supplies and announcement of water cutbacks in California, said Kirk Messick, senior vice president of Farmers' Rice Cooperative. The state typically exports about 50 percent of its rice.Even with production cutbacks, there should be enough rice in storage and in the new crop to supply the domestic market and the state's key export markets in Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, said Chris Crutchfield, president and CEO of American Commodity Co., a rice handler and marketer based in Colusa County. Crutchfield said more price-sensitive markets in the Middle East—which in recent years have purchased 20 percent of the state's crop—may import less California rice and turn more to Australia, Russia, India and Vietnam.But Messick noted that Australia, a major exporter of medium-grain rice, has its own drought issues and is facing a 20 percent to 30 percent lighter crop this year. Russia's crop also was off—by 40 percent, Crutchfield said—while Egypt, formerly a top producer of medium-grain rice and a California competitor, has reinstated a self-imposed export ban on rice.Other U.S. rice-producing states such as Arkansas and Louisiana will probably double their acreage to take up the slack, selling to Middle Eastern markets in Libya and Turkey, Messick said."We'll lose a certain percentage of consumers each time we have an event like this," he said.For the short term at least, California dairy farms should be able to produce enough milk to meet export demand, said Michael Marsh, CEO of Western United Dairymen. U.S. dairy exports reached an all-time high in 2013, helping to buoy prices for farmers, according to the U.S. Dairy Export Council. About 40 percent of the nation's total dairy exports come from the Golden State, according to the California Milk Advisory Board.Marsh said the drought has hit organic milk production particularly hard due to poor pasture conditions and lack of available organic feed, but the state's overall milk production is up. However, as producers work through their current hay inventories and look to restock, feed
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supplies will be very scarce and expensive, he said. That will limit farmers' ability to increase production—and may even lower it.Milk-producing states in the Midwest will make up some of the production and take some of the market share that historically may have gone to California, Marsh added.After two record harvests, there is currently plenty of wine to supply the market, said Gladys Horiuchi, spokeswoman for the Wine Institute in San Francisco. While it's uncertain how far this inventory will go should there be a short harvest this fall, any impacts are not immediate, she said. (Ching Lee is an assistant editor of Ag Alert. She may be contacted at clee@cfbf.com.) Permission for use is granted, however, credit must be made to the California Farm Bureau Federation when reprinting this item.
U.S.D.A. certifies U.S. rice as non-transgenic 4/2/2014 - by Keith Nunes Share This: Search for similar articles by keyword: [Biotechnology]
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Agriculture issued a one sentence statement on April 1 announcing it has reinstated a no-genetic modification statement for use by rice exporters and others in the industry.“There are no transgenic rice varieties for sale or in commercial production in the United States at this time,” the U.S.D.A.’s Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration said.In August 2006, the U.S.D.A. announced that a genetically modified variety of rice known as LibertyLink and developed by Bayer AG was found in the U.S. long grain rice supply. The announcement led to a decline in rice exports as such importers as the European Union ceased purchasing U.S. rice. In July 2011 a settlement of approximately $750 million was reached between Bayer and rice farmers who had sued the company for damages.“GIPSA’s decision to reinstate the assurance is a testament to years of hard work and cooperation among all segments of the U.S. rice industry to remove the Liberty Link trait from the U.S. rice supply and thereby meet consumer demands and regulatory requirements in many international markets,” said Al Montna, a California rice producer and former chairman of the USA Rice Federation, who led the industry’s response to the presence of LibertyLink. In response to the contamination, the U.S. industry adopted voluntary guidelines — called the Seed Plan — to remove LibertyLink rice from the rice seed supply beginning in 2007.“While we can’t turn away from new technologies, one of the lessons of the LibertyLink contamination is that we must continue to insist that there be
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consumer acceptance and widespread global regulatory approval before new technologies are introduced into the marketplace,” said Betsy Ward, president and chief executive officer of USA Rice.
NFA sets pre-bid confab for rice importation By Czeriza Valencia (The Philippine Star) | Updated April 2, 2014 - 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines - A pre-bid conference on April 3 has been set by the National Food Authority for the importation of 800,000 metric tons (MT) of rice buffer stock for this year.The actual bidding would be held on April 15.NFA spokesman Rex Estoperez said the terms of reference for the importation would be read out during the April 3 prebid conference which would be held at 9 a.m. at the Social Hall of the Sugar Regulatory Administration building in Quezon City. supplier for Manila’s rice buffer stock this year would be selected though an open bidding to be held at the NFA headquarters in Quezon City.An open bidding scheme would allow countries and other private companies with no existing rice supply agreement with the Philippines to vie for the supply of Manila’s buffer stock requirement this year.Bidders must be able to supply long grain white rice that is well-milled and with 15 percent brokens, and should be able to deliver the volume in four tranches between April to August. Only Vietnam and Cambodia currently have supply agreements with the Philippines as Thailand was not able to renew its supply agreement with the country.Estoperez said that with the open bidding scheme in place, Thailand would be able to participate in the bid without renewing its supply agreement.An open bidding would also enable the NFA to procure the buffer stock at the best price.The lean season for palay (unhusked rice) falls between July to September when farmers produce less to avoid crop damage caused by typhoons that routinely visit the country during this time.
Cambodian rice exports fall in Q1 Wed, 2 April 2014
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May Kunmakara As Thailand sells its rice reserves and reforms in Myanmar are rewarded with more access to markets abroad, Cambodia’s total exports of milled rice are on the decline, falling more than 10 per cent in the first quarter of this year compared with the same period in 2013, according to industry insiders.The Myanmar Rice Federation said in March that the country, once a major rice exporter to the world before being hit with sanctions, is at a turning point.Once barred from trade and isolated, Myanmar is benefiting from duty-free preferences enjoyed by Cambodia and other emerging markets due to a broad range of political reforms passed since President Thein Sein came to power in 2011.In the previous three to four years, the country has exported about a million tonnes of rice. That figure should double by 2020.Thailand is coming out of a failed rice-subsidy scheme that left the country with more than 10 million tonnes of milled rice.At least one million tonnes have been sold since March, according to industry publication Oryza, citing the US Department of Agriculture.Data from the Secretariat of One Window Service for Rice Export Formality showed that Cambodia exported some 84,330 tonnes of rice between January and March, down from 95,228 tonnes in the same period last year, an 11 per cent drop.Kim Savuth, who runs his own rice exporting company, Khmer Food, while also serving as the president of the Federation of Milled Rice Exporters of Cambodia, said there is nothing to fret over, since most of the decline came last month.“We are not in the severe situation, as it just dropped in March,” he said.Ken Ratha, spokesman for the Ministry of Commerce, said the ministry has set up a committee to establish a National Rice Millers Federation to deal with issues like these. “We do hope that after the establishment, it will be a big help for their concerns and to boost the export of milled rice,” Ratha said.“It doesn’t mean that we do nothing now. All of the challenges have been taken into account,” he added. “We are urging more investment in the rice sector. That will be the big help to boost the industry to compete with others.”Savuth, from the Federation of Milled Rice Exporters of Cambodia, said that in order to compete, the country should promote its recent brand victories, referring to a strain of Cambodian rice winning the World’s Best Rice Award for the second year in a row. Contact author: May Kunmakara
Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open- Apr 02 Wed Apr 2, 2014 4:37pm IST
Nagpur, Apr 2 (Reuters) - Gram and tuar prices in Nagpur Agriculture Produce and Marketing Committee (APMC) firmed up again on increased buying support from local millers amid thin supply from producing regions. Sharp rise in Madhya Pradesh pulses, weak overseas supply and reported demand from South-based millers also boosted prices, according to sources. *
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FOODGRAINS & PULSES GRAM * Gram mill quality recovered further in open market on good demand from local traders amid arrival from producing regions. TUAR * Tuar varieties ruled steady in open market in absence of buyers amid ample supply from producing regions. * Moong and Udid varieties touched to a record high on increased seasonal demand from local traders amid restricted supply from producing regions. Poor crop reports of these commonly used commodities also activated stockists. * In Akola, Tuar - 3,900-4,100, Tuar dal - 6,100-6,300, Udid at 6,100-6,500, Udid Mogar (clean) - 7,200-7,700, Moong - 8,500-8,700, Moong Mogar (clean) 9,800-10,500, Gram - 3,200-3,300, Gram Super best bold - 3,800-4,200 for 100 kg. * 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 Previous close Gram Auction 2,300-2,900 2,180-2,840 Gram Pink Auction n.a. 2,100-2,600 Tuar Auction 4,300-4,400 4,240-4,380 Moong Auction n.a. 6,100-6,300 Udid Auction n.a. 4,300-4,500 Masoor Auction n.a. 2,600-2,800 Gram Super Best Bold 4,000-4,300 4,000-4,300 Gram Super Best n.a. Gram Medium Best 3,600-3,800 3,600-3,800 Gram Dal Medium n.a. n.a. Gram Mill Quality 3,650-3,750 3,600-3,700 Desi gram Raw 2,850-2,950 2,850-2,950 Gram Filter new 3,300-3,600 3,300-3,600 Gram Kabuli 8,900-10,900 8,900-10,900 Gram Pink 7,900-8,300 7,900-8,300 Tuar Fataka Best 6,600-6,700 6,600-6,700 Tuar Fataka Medium 6,100-6,300 6,100-6,300 Tuar Dal Best Phod 6,000-6,100 6,000-6,100
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Tuar Dal Medium phod 5,900-6,000 5,900-6,000 Tuar Gavarani 4,400-4,550 4,400-4,550 Tuar Karnataka 4,600-4,700 4,600-4,700 Tuar Black 7,700-7,800 7,700-7,800 Masoor dal best 6,100-6,200 6,100-6,200 Masoor dal medium 5,600-5,900 5,600-5,900 Masoor n.a. n.a. Moong Mogar bold 10,500-10,800 10,000-10,500 Moong Mogar Medium best 9,800-10,200 9,500-9,800 Moong dal super best 9,200-9,500 8,800-9,000 Moong dal Chilka 8,500-8,700 8,200-8,400 Moong Mill quality n.a. n.a. Moong Chamki best 8,700-9,600 8,400-9,200 Udid Mogar Super best (100 INR/KG) 7,500-7,800 7,400-7,800 Udid Mogar Medium (100 INR/KG) 5,800-6,600 5,700-6,400 Udid Dal Black (100 INR/KG) 5,000-5,300 4,800-5,000 Batri dal (100 INR/KG) 4,500-6,000 4,500-6,000 Lakhodi dal (100 INR/kg) 3,100-3,200 3,100-3,200 Watana Dal (100 INR/KG) 3,350-3,450 3,350-3,450 Watana White (100 INR/KG) 3,400-3,500 3,400-3,500 Watana Green Best (100 INR/KG) 4,800-5,100 4,800-5,100 Wheat 308 (100 INR/KG) 1,700-1,800 1,700-1,800 Wheat Mill quality(100 INR/KG) 1,850-1,900 1,850-1,900 Wheat Filter (100 INR/KG) 1,650-1,850 1,650-1,850 Wheat Lokwan best (100 INR/KG) 2,400-2,500 2,400-2,500 Wheat Lokwan medium (100 INR/KG) 1,900-2,100 2,050-2,200 Lokwan Hath Binar (100 INR/KG) n.a. n.a. MP Sharbati Best (100 INR/KG) 3,000-3,600 3,000-3,600 MP Sharbati Medium (100 INR/KG) 2,400-2,900 2,400-2,900 Wheat 147 (100 INR/KG) 1,600-1,700 1,600-1,700 Wheat Best (100 INR/KG) 1,700-1,750 1,700-1,750 Rice BPT new(100 INR/KG) 2,700-2,900 2,700-2,900 Rice BPT old (100 INR/KG) 3,200-3,500 3,200-3,500 Rice Parmal (100 INR/KG) 1,700-1,850 1,700-1,850 Rice Swarna old (100 INR/KG) 2,500-2,800 2,500-2,800 Rice Swarna new (100 INR/KG) 2,300-2,400 2,300-2,400 Rice HMT new (100 INR/KG) 3,800-4,100 3,800-4,100 Rice HMT old (100 INR/KG) 4,400-4,600 4,400-4,600 Rice HMT Shriram (100 INR/KG) 5,300-5,800 5,300-5,800 Rice Basmati best (100 INR/KG) 12,000-13,500 12,000-13,500 Rice Basmati Medium (100 INR/KG) 6,500-9,000 6,500-9,000 Rice Chinnor (100 INR/KG) 5,600-6,000 5,600-6,000
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Rice Chinnor new (100 INR/KG) 5,100-5,500 5,100-5,500 Jowar Gavarani (100 INR/KG) 1,400-1,600 1,400-1,600 Jowar CH-5 (100 INR/KG) 1,700-1,800 1,700-1,800 WEATHER (NAGPUR) Maximum temp. 39.7 degree Celsius (103.4 degree Fahrenheit), minimum temp. 21.2 degree Celsius (70.1 degree Fahrenheit) Humidity: Highest - n.a., lowest - n.a. Rainfall : nil FORECAST: Mainly clear sky. Mainly clear sky. Maximum and Minimum temperature likely to be around 40 and 22 degree Celsius respectively. Note: n.a.--not available (For oils, transport costs are excluded from plant delivery prices, but included in market prices.)
Paddy, maize are rabi season gainers in Andhra Pradesh KV KURMANATH HYDERABAD, APRIL 2: The rabi season in Andhra Pradesh ended with only paddy and maize topping the average cropped area.Other major crops fared poorly and could result in lower production.Paddy coverage crossed the average acreage of 14.31 lakh hectares (lh) at 16.20 lh. Rains in the first week of this month damaged crops in Rayalaseema and Telangana. Corn is the champMaize (corn) is the real gainer with the area rising to 4.50 lh against the normal 3.36 lh. It has emerged as an alternative to sugarcane in the coastal areas.With an assured market in the form of poultry industry, maize turns out to be a bankable option for farmers. Bengal gram coverage was around the usual 6.14 lh.Gains made in paddy and maize resulted in a marginal rise in the total cropped area of foodgrains.How this will translate into production remains to be seen as the State witnessed dry spells in some places, while unseasonal rain towards the end of the season also played spoilsport. Telangana gains Region-wise, the nine Telangana districts (excluding Hyderabad district) fared better with a 20 per cent jump in the total acreage, while the residual Andhra Pradesh witnessed a drop.Against the average area of 12.83 lh, farmers in the region cultivated on 15.35 lh.Nizamabad topped the list with the net sown area rising 50 per cent
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at 2.54 lh against the average 1.70 lh.Farmers in residual Andhra Pradesh cultivated on 23.45 lh against the average 26.36 lh. (This article was published on April 2, 2014)
Thai court takes on new case as PM Yingluck's legal woes mount BY AMY SAWITTA LEFEVRE BANGKOK Wed Apr 2, 2014 6:23am EDT
1 OF 4. Thailand's Finance Ministry officers stand behind the ministry's gate while anti-government protesters rally outside in central Bangkok April 2, 2014. Gunmen opened fire on a group of Thai anti-government protesters driving away from a Bangkok rally on Tuesday, killing one, wounding four and raising tension in a political crisis that has gripped the country for months. CREDIT: REUTERS/CHAIWAT SUBPRASOM (Reuters) - A Thai Court accepted a new case against Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on Wednesday over her removal of the security chief three years ago, compounding her legal problems after months of sometimes violent anti-government protests.Twenty-four people have been killed in the crisis, including a protester shot in the head on Tuesday after weeks of calm in the capital, Bangkok.Yingluck's supporters plan mass rallies of their own this week to counter attempts to remove her from office by activists determined to stamp out the influence of her brother, ousted ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra, seen by many as the real power behind the government.The Constitutional Court accepted a case brought by a group of 27 senators who petitioned it to rule that her removal of National Security Chief Thawil Pliensree in 2011 violated the constitution. Their case is that the prime minister abused her position by moving the security chief to an inactive post.Court spokesman Pimon Thampitakpong said he could not yet say how long the case would last but said it bore similarities to a probe of former premier
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Samak Sundaravej who was forced to step down in 2008.The Supreme Court ruled that Samak's appearances on a television cooking show and his acceptance of payment for them was a clear case of conflict of interest."If she (Yingluck) is found to have violated the constitution then she will no longer be prime minister," said Pimon, adding that Yingluck would be notified of the case in writing and would have 15 days to mount a defense.Yingluck's supporters have accused the Constitutional Court of bias in frequently ruling against the government. The court struck down a bill last year that would have made the Senate upper house a fully elected body and quashed a costly infrastructure plan intended to buttress the economy.In another victory for the opposition, the court on Wednesday threw out a petition by Labour Minister Chalerm Yoombamrung asking it to rule that the protests aimed at bringing down the government violated the constitution.Yingluck faces separate charges of negligence brought by the National Anti-Corruption Commission over a rice subsidy scheme that has run up huge losses. Should it forward the case to the Senate for possible impeachment, she could be removed.That would require the votes of three-fifths of the senators. Thailand's 150-seat Senate is made up of 77 elected senators. The other 73 are appointed and are largely seen as opponents of the government.Weekend Senate elections suggest it will have a pro-government majority.Anti-government protesters are now banking on military or judicial intervention.The military, which has staged numerous coups since Thailand became a constitutional monarchy in 1932, overthrew Thaksin in 2006. It has stayed out of the fray this time.Army chief Prayuth Chanocha, who is months away from retirement, has for months parried questions over possible military intervention."If you were working in a company and didn't see eye to eye with the company's owner, would you chase your boss out?" Prayuth asked reporters on Wednesday in a typically cryptic comment. "I will do as I am told and I will not comment."Yingluck's "red shirt" supporters have called for a mass rally in Bangkok on Saturday. More militant factions within her camp say they are gearing up for a fight if she is removed from office. Anti-government protesters first took to the streets to oppose an amnesty bill that critics said would have permitted Yingluck's brother to return from self-exile. The bill was eventually rejected by the Senate, but protests continued and new demands emerged.Thailand has really been in crisis since Thaksin was ousted in 2006. The conflict broadly pits Bangkok's middle class and conservative establishment against Yingluck and Thaksin's supporters in the north and northeast.(Additional reporting by Aukkarapon Niyomyat; Editing by Nick Macfie)
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Stepped-up release pressures home rice traders PETCHANET PRATRUANGKRAI THE NATION April 3, 2014 1:00 am THE CARETAKER government's accelerated release of rice from its stockpiles has created difficulties for domestic traders, which now have to be much more active in promoting sales amidst a combination of lower market prices and weak consumer confidence in regard to rice quality.Somroek Tangpiroonthum, chief executive officer and managing director of Thai Ha - the producer of packed rice under the Kaset brand yesterday said the government's pledging policy and its stepped-up release of stockpiled rice was having a negative impact on domestic traders."The price of Thai rice, in particular in the domestic market, has dropped continuously since last year. The price is expected to reach its lowest level this year, following a huge amount of rice having been released onto the market during the year," he said. The price of packed rice on the domestic market had dropped by 4-5 per cent in late February compared with late last year, he added.The CEO said that as the government had become a major holder of rice stock, many consumers were worried about its quality. As a packer, the company therefore needs to pursue a number of strategies to promote confidence in the quality of rice and encourage consumers to buy it.One of these, he explained, is to focus more on organic rice production and selling - encouraging farmers to grow more nonchemical produce - and on specialty rice grains being supplied to the company.He also said the owner of the Kaset brand would concentrate more on selling organic rice in light of the rising health-consciousness trend. Moreover, organic rice and specialty rice grains have more added value. Thai Ha is now also paying greater attention to rice consumption in the industrial - or non-household - sector, that is, in hotels and restaurants.This year, the company plans to increase its sales to the industrial sector to Bt360 million, which would account for 20 per cent of its revenue. Thai Ha will also promote more rice exports, which currently contribute 54 per cent of sales.Somroek said that following the government's rice-release programme, the price of Thai rice would reach its lowest level by the middle of the year. Once it has less volume in its stockpiles, the price should start to increase early next year.However, he said he could not estimate what sort of price would be seen when it did bottom out, as the government had not yet stated clearly when it would stop releasing its rice.The company has, however, projected that Thailand should be able to export about 8.5 million tonnes of rice this year, as the government needs to release a huge amount from the stockpiles.
25% of paddy fields destroyed; No alternative but to import rice WEDNESDAY, 02 APRIL 2014 - 19:52
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Minister of Agriculture Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena stated that due to the delay in commencing Yala season, rice may need to be imported in future.Despite farming on Yala season has already begun, it has been hindered by the lack of sufficient rains.Nearly 400 thousand hectare of paddy fields are farmed during Yala Season.Agriculture Minister further stated that about 25% of paddy fields farmed during last Maha Season have been destroyed due to the lack of rains. The water level of main reservoirs has been receding rapidly, therefore, the farmers are provided with advice through District Secretaries.However, the meteorological Department stated that they expecting rain in many parts of the island during the weekend.
Rice gains steam on buying interest OUR CORRESPONDENT KARNAL, APRIL 2: Prices of Pusa-1121 and Duplicate Basmati rice varieties improved on buying interest, while other aromatic and non basmati varieties continued to rule flat amidst muted trade on Wednesday. Pusa-1121 (steam) moved up by ₹200 and sold at ₹9,300-9,400 , while Pusa-1121 (sela) improved by ₹150 and quoted at ₹8,300. Pure Basmati (raw) quoted at ₹12,300. Duplicate basmati (steam) improved by ₹300 to ₹7,300. Pusa-1121 brokens improved by ₹50-100. Pusa-1121 (second wand) was at ₹7,250, Tibar at ₹6,300 while Dubar at ₹5,300 a quintal. In the non-basmati section, Sharbati (steam) sold at ₹4,850 while Sharbati (sela) quoted at ₹4,300. Permal (raw) sold at ₹2,330, Permal (sela) at ₹2,350, PR-11 (sela) sold at ₹2,700 while PR11 (raw) at ₹2,600. PR14 (steam) sold at ₹2,950 a quintal. (This article was published on April 2, 2014)
Purdue professor will talk about science/society interactions Sault Ste. Marie
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Purdue University earth sciences professor Kenneth Ridgway will be at Lake Superior State University on Friday, April 4, to present a talk on interactions between science and society. The program is open to the public. Admission is free.Ridgway’s program “Earth Science and Communities: Great Earthquakes to Wild Rice,” begins at noon on Friday in room 207 of Crawford Hall. His presentation will appeal to general audiences. “The connection between earth science and communities seems obvious to most scientists, but is much less clear to most communities,” Ridgway said. “In the first part of this talk, I will explore the geologic setting, the infrastructural damage, and the impact on communities of recent large earthquakes in Taiwan, Turkey, Haiti and Japan. Decisions that communities and governments made about these types of geologic hazards had a profound impact on human life and the built environment. “In addition, I will discuss how we at Purdue are building connections between the scientific community and Native American communities. The strongest connections are developed when Native American students do research on issues that are directly relevant to their tribal lands and communities. An understanding of earth processes is critical in decision-making both at the global and local community levels.”Ridgway has been a faculty member in the Dept. of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences at Purdue since 1992.Much of his research is related to understanding the tectonic processes that occur along convergent plate boundaries. He has active field projects in Alaska, Argentina, and Oman.He is the co-director of Purdue’s Sloan Indigenous Graduate Program and is the recipient of the 2012 Geological Society of America Bromery Award, given to those who have made significant contributions to research in the geological sciences, or those who have been instrumental in opening the geoscience field to minorities.
He also received the 2012 Purdue Dreamer Award, given annually to an individual or organization within the Purdue community whose contributions embody Dr. Martin Luther King’s vision of service to others and furthers the university’s commitment to diversity.On the day before his public presentation, Ridgway will be meeting with students during a noon-hour lunch on Thursday, April 3, at the LSSU Native American Center, when he will discuss academic and project funding opportunities for Native American students who are earning degrees in any of the sciences, math, technology, and/or engineering. Students interested in attending are welcome to drop in, but it would be helpful to RSVP by contacting Stephanie Sabatine, ssabatine@lssu.edu, (906) 635-6664.
NACC wants 3 ministers to speak for PM Defence team seeks additional witnesses Published: 3 Apr 2014 at 00.53
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Newspaper section: News
The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) wants three cabinet ministers to testify in the rice-pledging case before the long Songkran weekend starts in the middle of the month.The commission has called on caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to instruct the three ministers to provide statements in her defence.The prime minister’s critics accuse her of negligence for allowing irregularities in the rice scheme to take place. They say the rice scheme is plagued by losses and corruption.The anti-graft body is investigating the claims against Ms Yingluck, in her capacity as head of the National Rice Policy Committee, which oversees the rice-pledging scheme.The commission wants Niwatthamrong Bunsongphaisan, caretaker deputy prime minister and commerce minister; Kittiratt Na-Ranong, caretaker deputy prime minister and finance minister; and Yanyong Phuangrach, caretaker deputy commerce minister to testify before Songkran begins on April 12, NACC chairman Parnthep Klanarongran said yesterday.Mr Parthep also said the case against Ms Yingluck did not present any problems for the NACC because it had based its investigation on facts.The commission is examining Ms Yingluck’s statements submitted in writing. If it decides to indict her, she must relinquish her prime ministerial duties immediately. Commissioner Vicha Mahakhun said yesterday the cabinet ministers worked directly under the prime minister and that it should not be difficult to have them testify soon.Mr Vicha said he had no idea when the NACC would decide whether to indict Ms Yingluck.Mr Niwatthamrong, Mr Kittiratt and Mr Yanyong are among 11 people whom Ms Yingluck named as additional witnesses in the case. The commission limited the number of witnesses to just three.Bancha Porameesanaporn, Ms Yingluck’s lawyer, said the NACC should allow more witnesses because all had important evidence.He will ask the NACC to allow four more witnesses. They are caretaker Labour Minister Chalerm Yubamrung, deputy police chief Pol Gen Worapong Chewpreecha, deputy secretary-general to the prime minister Pol Maj Gen Thawat Boonfuang, and Federation of Accounting Profession president Pichai Choonhawachira.Mr Chalerm says Ms Yingluck personally ordered him to look into corruption allegations concerning the scheme, Mr Bancha said.Ms Yingluck also ordered Pol Maj Gen Thawat to check rice stocks, which he found to be in good order. He and Mr Pichai will dispute statements by Supa Piyajitti, head of a sub-committee looking into the rice scheme accounts, that the rice policy had caused losses of over 200 billion baht. Since no rice stocks were lost, the sub-committee could not have possibly calculated such losses, the lawyer claimed.Mr Chalerm said yesterday that Ms Yingluck had done nothing wrong because her involvement was at the policy-making level.Ruangkrai Leekitwattana, a Pheu Thai Party legal adviser, said the NACC must handle the case fairly otherwise it would cause further political turmoil.He also demanded the NACC explain what should be done if Ms Yingluck has to cease performing her duties if it decides to indict her. He said Ms Yingluck ceased being premier when she dissolved the House on Dec 9 and should keep her caretaker role.
Gene discovery could yield gen-next 'super rice' Last Updated: Wednesday, April 02, 2014, 14:49
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Washington: Scientists, including an Indian-origin researcher, have identified a set of genes that could be key to the development of the next generation of tough and disease-resistant 'super rice'. "As the Earth's human population marches towards 9 billion, the need for hardy new varieties of grain crops has never been greater," researchers said. It won't be enough to yield record harvests under perfect conditions. In an era of climate change, pollution and the global spread of pathogens, these new grains must also be able to handle stress, they said. Researchers at the Michigan Technological University identified a set of genes that could be key to the development of the next generation of super rice. Analysis by biologist Ramakrishna Wusirika and PhD student Rafi Shaik uncovered more than 1,000 genes in rice that appear to play key roles in managing its response to two different kinds of stress: biotic, caused by infectious organisms like bacteria and abiotic, caused by environmental agents, like nutrient deficiency, flood and salinity. Traditionally, scientists have believed that different sets of genes regulated plants' responses to biotic and abiotic stress. However, Wusirika and Shaik discovered that 1,377 of the approximately 3,800 genes involved in rice's stress response played a role in both types stress."These are the genes we think are involved in the cross talk between biotic and abiotic stresses," said Wusirika. About 70 per cent of those "master" genes are coexpressive - they turn on under both kinds of stress. Typically, the others turn on for biotic stress and turn off for abiotic stress. Scientists looked at the genes' response to five abiotic stresses - drought, heavy metal contamination, salt, cold and nutrient deprivation - and five biotic stresses - bacteria, fungus, insect predation, weed competition and nematodes. A total of 196 genes showed a wide range of expressions to these stresses. "The top genes are likely candidates for developing a rice variety with broad stress-range tolerance," Wusirika said. The study was published in the journal Plant Physiology. PTI First Published: Wednesday, April 02, 2014, 14:49
Telengana farmers losing interest in rice DC CORRESPONDENT | April 03, 2014, 04.04 am IST
Hyderabad: While earlier two crops were grown along with a third crop of green vegetables at times, the first two essentially being rice and maize — the interest in rice is dwindling fast in districts where farmers are dependent on bore-wells, mostly in Telangana districts.However, even as some rice cultivation areas might be lost to other crops, scientists say that it will not affect the overall rice production.
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“Wherever there is less water supply, we suggest farmers to go for dry crops; but paddy has lesser risks and is easy to cultivate and hence in case of adequate water supply, farmers still prefer paddy.In the last two years, there was more production of cotton due to reduced water supply. The overall production of paddy was not affected and is not likely to be affected much as we have developed very high yielding varieties of rice, and currently 70 per cent of the rice cultivation is under the high yielding varieties,” said principal scientist (Rice), ANGRAU (Acharya NG Ranga Agricultural University), Dr Suryanarayana. States: Karnataka pic for representational purpose
Cambodian rice exports fall in Q1 Published: 2 Apr 2014 at 18.41 Online news:
Cambodia’s exports of milled rice fell more than 10% in the first quarter of this year compared with the same period in 2013.A woman pours rice after a rice-cleaning process in central Phnom Penh in this file photo. (Photo by Reuters).The major reasons are Thailand's sale of its rice reserves and Myanmar's increasingly open market, the Phnom Penh Post reported on Wednesday, quoting industry insiders.Cambodia exported 84,330 tonnes of rice from January to March, down from 95,228 tonnes in the same period last year, an 11% drop, according to data from the Secretariat of One Window Service for Rice Export Formality.Its Ministry of Commerce has set up a committee to establish a National Rice Millers Federation, which is urging more investment in the rice sector to increase competitiveness, the daily said.The country should also promote its famous strain which has won the World’s Best Rice Award for the second year in a row, suggested an exporter.
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