December 09,2016 Vol 7 , Issue 12
Daily
Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter
Global, Regional & Local Rice E-Newsletter
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Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter Today Rice News Headlines...
THAI 2016 RICE EXPORTS EXCEED TARGET AT 10.5MN T Asia Rice: Prices Mostly Soften on Thin Demand Joha rice set to get GI tag Trial of ousted Thai PM Yingluck to end in July 2017 – lawyer USA Rice Outlook Conference Kicks Off Row rice could be important production practice for the future China Okays Cambodia Rice Suspend ban on vehicle imports through land borders, Reps tell FG Africa Must Ditch Neoliberal Policies To Improve Rice Sustainability Honored for helping rice farmers Japan grants $3M for purchase of U.S. rice to Haiti Cambodia exports 107,091 tons of milled rice to China in 11 months Christmas: Lagos to sell bag of rice for N13,000 from December 15 10,000 tonnes of rice sold to Venezuelan buyers; amount to increaseAgri. Minister Rotting rice to be used to make ethanol Global Rice Seed Market 2016 Krishidhan, Rasi Seeds, JK seeds, Syngenta Rice price rise helps increase real income by 0.11pc: Study Uganda: Shs50.7 Billion to Benefit Scientists in Research Training Rice bran gets its own brand via orysp Vietnam‘s fertile ‗rice bowl‘ threatened by climate shifts, Chinese dams India and International Rice Research Institute in Philippines celebrate 50th Anniversary
Editorial Board Chief Editor
Hamlik
Managing Editor
Abdul Sattar Shah Rahmat Ullah Rozeen Shaukat
English Editor
Maryam Editor Legal Advisor Advocate Zaheer Minhas
Editorial Associates
Admiral (R) Hamid Khalid Javed Islam Agha Ch.Hamid Malhi Dr.Akhtar Hussain Dr.Fayyaz Ahmad Siddiqui Dr.Abdul Rasheed (UAF) Islam Akhtar Khan
Editorial Advisory Board
Dr.Malik Mohammad Hashim
Assistant Professor, Gomal University DIK
Dr.Hasina Gul
Assistant Director, Agriculture KPK
Dr.Hidayat Ullah Assistant Professor, University of
Swabi
News Detail...
Dr.Abdul Basir Assistant Professor, University of
THAI 2016 RICE EXPORTS EXCEED TARGET AT 10.5MN T Thursday, 08 December 2016 20:21
Swabi
Zahid Mehmood PSO,NIFA Peshawar
Falak Naz Shah
Head Food Science & Technology 2 ART, Peshawar
Posted by Shoaib-ur-Rehman Siddiqui
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Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter
BANGKOK: Thailand's rice exports this year will reach 10.5 million tonnes, the commerce minister said on Thursday, above an earlier target of 9.5 million tonnes.Thailand, the world's second biggest rice exporter, will see its rice export amount exceed its target this year, Apiradee Tantraporn told reporters and rice traders at a Bangkok event."I'm confident that Thai rice exports will reach 10.5 million tonnes", she said. This exceeds the government's earlier target of 9.5 million tonnes.The amount is worth around 170 billion baht ($4.8 billion) to 180 billion baht ($5 billion), Charoen Laothamatas, president of Thai Rice Exporters Association, told reporters. Thailand has exported 9.33 million tonnes of the rice this year until the end of November, a 9 percent increase from the same period last year, according to a ministry press statement.Apiradee said she expected next year's rice export to be at least 10 million tonnes. The amount matched the forecast given by the Thai Rice Exporters Association last week http://www.brecorder.com/markets/commodities/asia/331044-thai-2016-rice-exports-exceed-target-at105mn-t.html
Asia Rice: Prices Mostly Soften on Thin Demand 3
Hanoi. Rice export prices in India and Vietnam weakened this week on thin demand, but still failed to attract buyers, while prices widened in Thailand during a slowing harvest, traders said
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Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter on Wednesday (07/12). India's 5-percent broken parboiled rice prices dropped $1 this week to $347-$351 per tonne, free-on-board (FOB) basis, due to sluggish demand from African buyers, though supplies were limited due to a cash crunch, they said. "We are not able to sign any big new deals. Prices are firm in the local market due to limited supply. At this level, finding buyers is difficult," said an exporter based in Kakinada, a city in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh.
He said Thailand and Vietnam, which trail India in global rice exports, were offering more competitive prices. India's summer-sown rice output is seen at a record 93.88 million tonnes in the crop year to June 2017, a 2.81 percent rise from the year earlier, the farm ministry has said. Vietnamese rice prices also eased this week as buyers were absent, traders said. The 5-percent broken rice prices eased to $335-$340 a tonne, FOB basis, from $340-$350 last Wednesday, traders said. 4 "Vietnam's competitiveness is lower than Thailand's now," a trader in Ho Chi Minh City said. Thai's benchmark 5-percent broken rice prices widened to $360-$365 a tonne on Wednesday, FOB basis, from
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Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter $360 last week, but a trader in Bangkok said prices would remain stable as harvest was slowing. Another trader said the gap in prices of Thai and Vietnamese rice could be a disadvantage. "It's quite a big gap," he said. "Vietnam could easily attract buyers." Thailand's rice exports are on track to meet the 2016 target of 9.5 million tonnes, the commerce ministry has said. The average price of Thai 5 percent broken rice in January-November of 2016 rose 2.5 percent from a year ago to $398/ton, FOB basis, while that of Vietnamese 5 percent broken rice edged down 0.8 percent in the same period to $349/ton, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization said in its December report
Joha rice set to get GI tag ROOPAK GOSWAMI Guwahati, Dec. 7: Assam's aromatic joha rice is all set to get the geographical indication (GI) tag provided there is no opposition from any quarter. The office of GI under the ministry of commerce says the tag will be given in the next few months if there is no opposition."All the formalities and conditions towards getting the GI tag have been met. We have advertised it in our journal to inform people that we intend to provide the GI tag to joha rice. The application will be registered if no opposition is received within four months," the official said. GI is a mechanism employed to identify agricultural, natural or manufactured goods which possess certain special qualities or characteristics based on the climatic or production conditions unique to a geographical location. Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat, and Seuj Satirtha, an NGO in Sivasagar, had moved the application for joha rice. "Joha rice varieties are genetically distinct from other classes of rice cultivated in Assam and elsewhere. A study on diversity analysis at the DNA-level based on molecular markers clearly showed that joha rice varieties were distinct from others, as reflected in separate groups from other varieties of Assam rice," the report in the GI journal said. AAU associate director (research) Prasanna Kumar Pathak, who made the application, said the joha GI status would be for 43 known varieties of joha which exist in the region.It said the joha class of rice is unique in aroma and grain characteristics and distinct from other aromatic rice like basmati in biochemical and other quality attributes. "The uniqueness of joha rice is mainly attributed to particular climatic conditions prevalent in the area, together with varietal characters and systems of rice cultivation, adding to the best expression of aroma and flavour in the product. The aroma of joha rice is also considered to be distinctly different from basmati rice," the report stated.
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Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter In 2007, the first consignment of 17MT of joha rice was exported to three European countries Germany, the UK and Switzerland - where it was in high demand.Historically, joha rice, like khorika joha, finds mention in the 14th century Assamese version of the Ramayan ( Saptakanda Ramayana) attributed to poet Kaviraja Madhava Kandali. This work is also considered one of the earliest written scriptures in Assamese. According to the story, Kumbhakarn, the younger brother of Ravan, was woken up after Ravan prepared a heap of delicious food made of khorika joha. The application says there is need to protect this rice as there is legitimate concern among the farming community, academicians and policy makers that the market potential of joha rice may be jeopardised by some unscrupulous traders or middlemen who sell other small grain aromatic rice developed elsewhere in the name of joha rice.
Trial of ousted Thai PM Yingluck to end in July 2017 – lawyer
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Ousted former Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra speaks with members of Thai media as she arrives at the Supreme Court for a trial on criminal negligence looking into her role
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Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter in a debt-ridden rice subsidy scheme during her administration, in Bangkok, Thailand December 9, 2016. REUTERS/Chaiwat Subprasom A criminal negligence trial against ousted former Thai prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra, Thailand's first female premier, will end in July 2017, with a verdict expected soon after, her lawyer said on Friday.Yingluck is accused of negligence over a rice-buying scheme that helped sweep her to power in a 2011 general election.The scheme was aimed at boosting rural incomes and was popular with rural voters, but the finance ministry estimated it caused a loss of 536 billion baht (11.93 billion pounds)."We think that the court will hand down a verdict in this rice case next year after cross-examining the last witness in the middle of July," lawyer Sommai Koosap told Reuters. The trial against Yingluck began in 2015.She denies any wrongdoing but faces up to 10 years in prison if she is found guilty."I will fight this until the end," Yingluck told reporters on Friday.Opposition to the rice-buying scheme helped embolden Yingluck's opponents among royalist Bangkok elites and others in a movement that ultimately led to her downfall.Thailand was once the world's top rice exporter but lost its crown to India after the collapse of the scheme, which ensured that farmers were cushioned by subsidies and that the state bought rice from farmers at sometimes double the market rate.The end of the scheme left Thailand with mountains of rice that the current military government is trying to offload.Thailand has about 8 million tonnes of rice left over from the scheme that it needs to get rid of, the commerce ministry said this month. The military has said it would wean farmers off farm subsidies since taking power following a May 2014 coup that toppled Yingluck.However it has had to contend with disgruntled rice farmers struggling with low prices and has back-pedalled somewhat on that pledge with a series of rescue packages in recent weeks.Yingluck was retroactively impeached after the 2014 coup by the junta's legislature, which banned her from politics for five years for failing to stop the rice programme.Her supporters say the move was aimed at curbing her political influence.Yingluck has toured Thailand this year as part of a series of appearances with her supporters that some analysts see as a bid to ensure the survival of her political legacy. (Reporting by Amy Sawitta Lefevre, Aukkarapon Niyomyat and Patpicha Tanakasempipat; Writing by Amy Sawitta Lefevre; Editing by Paul Tait) http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-thailand-politics-idUKKBN13Y0D0?il=0
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Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter USA Rice Outlook Conference Kicks Off By Deborah Willenborg
MEMPHIS, TN -- The 2016 USA Rice Outlook Conference got underway here last night with an opening reception in the exhibit hall and a fundraising dinner for the USA Rice Political Action Committee. And today's General Session opened with a host state welcome from Mississippi rice farmer Kirk Satterfield followed by keynote speakers Shelly Van Treek with Kellogg Company and former NASA Astronaut Michael Massimino.Van Treek, the global chief procurement officer for Kellogg, said the company's core business driver is climate smart agriculture and helping farmers improve yields in the face of climate challenges. "Sustainable agriculture is at the heart of what we do," Van Treek said. "Climate change is a core business driver so enabling and fueling growth for us means using fewer natural resources." She talked about the importance of rice in manufacturing different Kellogg products, including the ubiquitous Rice Krispies, but also the more than 180 flavors of Pringles chips! Massimino thanked the rice industry for producing a great tasting already dehydrated food that's easy to eat in zero gravity. He said food, real food, was important to the space program not just for its nutritional value but also the psychological element. "Thank you for what you do, growing food for all of us to eat - that by the way, we love eating in space," said Massimino. He shared video of a crewmate grabbing a bite out of a burrito as it floated by in space and talked about making rice pilaf as one of his favorite meals on the Space Shuttle. The early morning schedule included the debut of the Innovation Stage centrally located in the Exhibit Hall. "The new Innovation Stage was a big hit and showcased the latest and greatest technology has to offer the industry," said USA Rice President & CEO Betsy Ward. "We really appreciate all of our exhibitors and sponsors for their support and knew the change in venue would move their messages front and center." Ward said the Annual Rice Awards Luncheon was a conference highlight. "Attendees met the National Rice Month Scholarship winner, Heaven McKinley, and saw her award winning video.
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Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter They heard moving speeches from the Rice Award winners, got to meet the 2017/19 Rice Leadership Development Program class, and reconnected with people in the industry that they may not have seen since the year before," she said. The Outlook conference is the largest annual rice-specific gathering in North America and is an educational service of USA Rice. Next year's conference is scheduled for December 10-12 in San Antonio, Texas
Row rice could be important production practice for the future Louisiana rice farmers are finding furrow-irrigated or row rice can work if it's done properly and "by the rules," says Scott Franklin, one of the organizers of a meeting that focused on the practice in Rayville, La.Louisiana rice farmers have seemingly abundant supplies of water now, but that probably won‘t always be the case, according to Scott Franklin, vice president of the Northeast Louisiana Rice Growers Association. ―As a young person, I have to think about that,‖ says Franklin, a farmer who helped organize the Row Rice Production meeting in Rayville, La., last month. Franklin believes furrow-irrigated rice or row rice has the potential to save water and money – if done properly. ―It‘s not a perfect science – it has a long way to go,‖ he said. ―But the potential is there.‖ Although Franklin said growers may see some reduction in harvest costs because fields are not as likely to be as muddy in row rice situations as in conventional, flooded field conditions. ―I‘m sure we‘ve all driven by fields of conventional rice and seen the combine buried up to the axle because of field conditions at harvest,‖ he said. ―You‘re not as likely to see that in furrowirrigated rice.‖In an interview following the meeting, Franklin said the potential for water savings may be the biggest draw for rice row.
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Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter ―I think row rice has a place,‖ he said. ―When we talk about the benefits of row rice the first thing we think about is how much water you save, and as a young person, I think it is important to think about that and have that mindset.‖ Louisiana rice farmers have seemingly abundant supplies of water now, but that probably won‘t always be the case. ―One day there is going to be a battle for water – there‘s no question about it,‖ he said. ―It‘s already going on in California; it affects the rice industry there. We have a plentiful supply, but you never know what the future‘s going to hold.‖ Franklin said some producers in northeast Louisiana are showing row rice can work. ―We have some who have proven that it is – when you take care and follow the rules – a smarter and better way to farm rice. It‘s not a perfect science, there‘s still a long ways to go, but more people have had success with it than didn‘t.‖
Kara Matheny, Texas AgriLife Extension Specialsit discusses ag apps at TPPA conference. TECHNOLOGY
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Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter Ag apps offer easy access to vast amounts of information Apps for agriculture are readily available, easy to access, free or inexpensive and provide vast amounts of information for farmers and ranchers. Producers should take an app for a test run before downloading. Ron Smith | Dec 08, 2016 As recently as 15 years ago, when farmers took information to and from the field it was usually on paper—in a notebook, an Extension pamphlet, a pesticide label—and they stored it either in a shoebox on the dashboard of their pickup truck, in a metal file cabinet, or, after spending a few hours on the keyboard, on their office computers.Farmers and ranchers looked to almanacs for historical data, printed crop production guides for in-season decisions, and budget print-outs to check breakeven figures. They even checked the back porch thermometer to see if they needed to wear a coat.It was a paper first era of data collection and management.
No longer. ―We have apps for that,‖ says Kara Matheny, Texas AgriLife Extension specialist in Washington County. Matheny, along with this writer, discussed ―Apps for Agriculture,‖ during the opening session of the 28th annual Texas Plant Protection Association Conference in Bryan, Dec. 6.
Not only can producers find all that information on their office computers, Matheny says, most have it available in their pockets—on a smart phone or tablet.Agriculture has developed applications in recent years that provide information on most any aspect of crop or livestock production—although Matheny admits that offerings for livestock remain on the light side.As smart phones and apps became more common on farms and ranches, she perceived a need for more information about what was available, what was useful and what was just . http://www.deltafarmpress.com/rice/row-rice-could-be-important-production-practice-future
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Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter China Okays Cambodia Rice Only 27 Cambodian rice millers can export to China after passing Chinese quality and food hygiene tests. KT/Chor Sokunthea
Cambodian milled rice has passed quality and food hygiene tests for export to China.A delegation of Chinese experts inspected the quality and safety at 27 rice mills during a week-long visit, said Hean Vanhan, director-general of the agriculture department at the Agriculture Ministry.The result of the checks, Mr. Vanhan said, will allow selected millers to export rice to China. ―We have an export quota of rice to China at about 200,000 tons per year, but China wants to make sure the imported rice from Cambodia meets their requirement in terms of quality and the absence of pests,‖ he said. The Ministry of Agriculture earlier sent out reports on the 27 quality rice mills for the Chinese government to check after the ministry inspected 60 rice mills which had applied to export rice to China. Last December, China asked Cambodia to evaluate its rice exporters to determine whether they adhered to the hygiene laws in China, because officials in the world‘s second-largest economy
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Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter did not trust all of the 71 rice exporters registered with the Ministry of Commerce.―All of the rice millers they have checked are of high enough quality to meet their requirement. Therefore only those rice millers are allowed to export rice to China,‖ Mr. Vanhan said.China is one of Cambodia‘s big markets for milled rice.In September, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang in a meeting with Prime Minister Hun Sen at the sidelines of the Asean Summit in Laos, pledged to double China‘s annual purchase of 100,000 tons of Cambodian rice to 200,000 tons, starting next year. China also pledged a loan of $300 million to Cambodia‘s rice millers for building warehouses with drying facilities. China also gave assurances that it will grant greater access for Cambodia‘s agricultural products to enter its markets.Cambodia exported up to 100,000 tons of rice to China from January to November, while total exports of rice in the period increased five percent to nearly 480,000 tons, government figures say. http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/32940/china-okays-cambodia-rice/
Suspend ban on vehicle imports through land borders, Reps tell FG ON DECEMBER 9, 20165:34 AMIN NEWSCOMMENTS By Emman Ovuakporie, Godwin Oritse & Johnbosco Agbakwuru ABUJA—The House of Representatives, yesterday, asked the Federal Government to suspend the ban on importation of vehicles through land borders in Nigeria. Consequently, the lawmakers, at plenary, mandated the Committees on Governmental Affairs and Customs and Excise to ensure implementation and report back to the House within six weeks for further legislative input. This development was based on a motion, entitled ‗‘Need to suspend The Ban On Importation of Vehicles Through Land Borders, promoted by Abdulahi Salame, APC, Sokoto. Meantime, stakeholders in the maritime industry were divided on the issue, yesterday. While some supported the ban, others kicked against it. Salame, in his presentation, argued that those making these policies have failed to patronise made-in-Nigeria goods, especially Nigerian assembled vehicles, which are, in any case unaffordable for 80 percent of Nigerians. He said: ―The percentage of Nigerians who can afford cars has declined drastically, following the decline in the value of the Naira, rising inflation, unemployment and high cost of living that have bedeviled Nigeria where over 80 per cent of Nigerians live below $2 a day. ―The Federal Government has powers under Section 18 of the Customs and Excise Management Act to restrict the movement of goods into and out of Nigeria by land or inland waters and to
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Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter appoint customs stations. ‗‘However, similar exercise of such powers on rice importation through the land borders in April 2016, has occasioned untold hardship on Nigerians, as a bag of rice now sells for between N20,000 and N23,000, against N8,000 a few months ago. ―As it is now, the government has not put in place alternative measures to ensure that Nigerians will have access to cars since it is cheaper to buy cars from neighbouring countries and still generate revenue by ensuring that our borders are secured to prevent smuggling, and also that there will be no job losses. ‘‘ Salame also expressed worry that ―the ban will cause more harm than good as it will certainly lead to increase in smuggling,deprive poor Nigerians access to acquiring vehicles, skyrocket the prices of cars cleared at the Wharf, increase inflation and further mount pressure on the already weak naira and lead to idleness, insecurity and criminality at the border points.‘‘ Maritime stakeholders divided over policy In the maritime industry, stakeholders were clearly divided on the issue. While some kicked against the House of Representatives‘ directive to the Federal Government to rescind the decision on the ban of vehicles imported through land borders, others welcomed the call to suspend the ban because it will not only affect revenue but also put the Customs under pressure to check smuggling. Speaking to Vanguard, National President of the National Council of Managing Director of Licensed Customs Agents, NCMDLCA, Mr. Lucky Amiwero, said the government‘s ban on importation of vehicles through land borders was wrong. Amiwero said the borders were entry points for cargoes, adding that government loses a lot of revenue when the borders were closed. He explained that despite the closure, quite a number of vehicles found their way into the country through smuggling http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/12/suspend-ban-vehicle-imports-land-borders-reps-tell-fg/
Africa Must Ditch Neoliberal Policies To Improve Rice Sustainability – OpEd Rice paddy field in Africa. Photo by Ji-Elle, Wikipedia Commons. BY WILLIAM LI DECEMBER 8, 2016 ―The increasing role of rice in the food basket of [Sub-Saharan African] consumers has made rice a political crop whose price and accessibility directly influence social stability.‖ — Noted in Papa A. Seck, Rising trends and variability of rice prices: Threats and opportunities for subSaharan Africa (2010), 404.Nearly 40 percent of Africa‘s rice consumption is sustained by
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Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter imports as a result of neoliberal Structural Adjustment Programs (SAPs) that have been instituted since the 1980s. Policies that promote domestic rice production should be pursued instead because reversing reliance on foreign imports is imperative to agricultural self-sufficiency within the continent.
The current issue with neoliberal policies is that they force Sub-Saharan Africa to conform to Western economic values rather than fulfilling its own interests. The intention of SAPs was to promote long term economic growth in poor countries by providing loans through the World Bank or International Monetary Fund. However, critics have often associated these loans with blackmail as each is tied to a specific set of constraining neoliberal requirements that the recipient is compelled to meet. The demands from SAPs have firstly pressured African countries to decrease agricultural subsidies at the expense of smallholder rice farmers. In the Gambia, this resulted in a four-fold increase in the price of fertilizer and a subsequent 40 percent drop in domestic rice production as rural incomes could not keep up with rising farming costs. Ironically, while Western institutions pressured Africa to cut subsidies, agriculture continues to be massively subsidized in the US and in Asia. Local rice farmers have also suffered because SAPs influence Sub-Saharan governments to decrease trade barriers; as a result, foreign imports have flooded the local rice markets in Africa.
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Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter Smallholders are no longer able to compete with the cheaper imported rice in their own countries. Essentially, agricultural neoliberal policies have encouraged Sub-Saharan nations to marginalize smallholders, once ―the backbone of African agriculture,‖ as a secondary concern. In addition to the destruction of domestic farming, a greater risk is posed for African rice consumers as a whole. Since Africa has increased its dependence on rice imports to fulfill the demands of growing urban populations, its inhabitants have become alarmingly vulnerable to the ebb and flow of global food prices. When the price of rice shot up by 74 percent in 2008, African households were devastated. Loss of food security translated to a series of destructive food riots in urban areas. Promoting local self-sufficiency as a main food policy goal, therefore, is imperative to maintaining social stability and protecting citizens from both hunger and violence. Three main policy changes are needed to improve smallholder farming and restore selfsufficiency in Africa: Increasing the production and competitiveness of domestic farmers through public investment in rural development: specific aims include improving seed distribution and access to agricultural inputs, facilitating irrigation to support more farmland, and promoting other crops that are better adapted to local environments as substitute options for struggling rice farmers. Reversing urban-bias in food policy: Consumers are willing to pay more for local rice on the condition that its quality matches or exceeds that of imported rice, so investment in postharvest rice quality is the first step in shifting urban consumer demand away from foreign rice imports. Improving local rice access and quality: first, advancing road and transport infrastructure would facilitate interregional commerce and subsequently provide consumers access to a larger variety of food sources. Second, establishing food for work and food transfer programs and improving methods of crop storage would increase food availability for the most at risk during emergency periods of low harvest (such as drought). Without breaking free of neoliberal Structural Adjustment Programs, Sub-Saharan Africa cannot accomplish its goals of agricultural self-sufficiency. Instead, it will continue its trajectory of high risk, low reward growth. Smallholder farming will be further repressed, African countries will increase its import reliance, and urban inhabitants will be even more vulnerable to international market shocks. Evidence has shown very minimal economic growth, but high instability as a result of SAPs and other neoliberal policies.
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Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter Therefore, Africa must put agricultural self-sufficiency at the centerpiece of its policies before opening up to the international market, but it needs the support of international institutions through reformed agricultural policies.* William Li studies agricultural policy in developing countries as an undergraduate at the University of ennsylvania http://www.eurasiareview.com/08122016-africa-must-ditch-neoliberal-policies-to-improve-ricesustainability-oped/
Honored for helping rice farmers Thursday, December 8th 2016, 5:35 am PKTThursday, December 8th 2016, 6:56 am PKT By Theresa Schmidt, Reporter (Source: IFG Port Holdings) JEFF DAVIS PARISH, LA (KPLC)
Agriculture is the no. 1 industry in Jeff Davis Parish, yet with flooding and economic issues, it's been hard times for farmers.The Jeff Davis Economic Development Commission is honoring the developer of an export grain terminal which may have saved some farmers.Rice is a staple in Louisiana kitchens and all over the world. Yet, with flooding and the disappointing demand of domestic markets, some Jeff Davis rice farmers have struggled to survive. But now, IFG Port Holdings' export grain terminal at the Port of Lake Charles has become a key export point for Louisiana rice. Kabir Ahmad, of New York City, is the CEO of IFG Port Holdings. He is pleased to have helped create this opportunity for farmers in our area."A lot of the farmers had not previously thought that they could get access to the international export markets and we started working with them.They loaded their first export vessel and since then, over the past year, they've loaded more than 150,000 metric tons of rice and have a brand new market to sell their rice," he said. The grain terminal here is described as state-of-the-art, with the latest equipment to move rice and other commodities from truck or rail car to ship for export. And there's a lab on-site for government testing of the grains. Ahmad calls Lake Charles one of the premier export points for rice and sees tremendous potential for growth."The farmers are very excited. I think they're looking forward to having an opportunity to export to Mexico, to Latin America, Central America and potentially Cuba in the future. From there sky's the limit for them," he said. Ahmad was presented with the inaugural award of the Jeff Davis Parish Economic Development Commission at a luncheon in Welsh.The Jeff Davis Economic Development Office plans to give
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Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter the award yearly for outstanding contributions to the agriculture industry in our area. Jeff Davis parish has more than 150 rice producers that work more than 77,000 acres of land. http://www.kplctv.com/story/34001437/ceo-of-export-grain-terminal-honored-for-helping-rice-farmers
Japan grants $3M for purchase of U.S. rice to Haiti Thursday December 8, 2016 Haiti Sentinel
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (sentinel.ht) – Japan granted $3 million [USD] to Haiti on Thursday for the purchase of U.S. rice as part of a food security agreement the two countries have with each other.Pierrot Delienne, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Yoshiaki Hatta, Ambassador of Japan in Haiti signed a Grant Agreement for the Food Assistance (KR) project for 2016. As part of this project, the Government of Japan will make available to the Haitian Government, as a donation, 350 million Yen ($3 million). This amount will be used to purchase rice, which will be sold at preferential prices by the Office of Monetization of Development Aid Programs (BMPAD) to stabilize the local market. The Government of Japan expressed its desire to see the donation benefit the many affected families to prevent hunger and improve the nutritional status of the country along with the development of agricultural capacity http://sentinel.ht/2016/12/08/japan-grants-3m-purchase-u-s-rice-haiti/
Cambodia exports 107,091 tons of milled rice to China in 11 months Xinhua, December 8, 2016
Cambodia had exported 107,091 tons of milled rice to China in the first 11 months of 2016, up 16.5 percent from 91,883 tons over the same period last year, the latest report said Thursday.The report released by the Secretariat of One Window Service for Rice Export showed that China is the top buyer of Cambodian rice, followed by France and Poland.According to the report, the Southeast Asian country had sold a total of 479,689 tons of milled rice to 64 countries and regions during the January-November period this year, representing a 5-percent rise over the same period last year.Cambodia is an agrarian country with some 80 percent of the population being farmers. Last year, the country produced over 9 million tons of paddy rice, according to figures of the Ministry of Agriculture. Enditem http://www.china.org.cn/world/Off_the_Wire/2016-12/08/content_39875416.htm
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Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter Christmas: Lagos to sell bag of rice for N13,000 from December 15 December 8, 2016Agency Report
The Lagos State Government on Thursday said it was ready to roll out Lake Rice on December
15 to Lagosians at N13,000 per 50 kg towards the Yuletide celebrations.The sale will come as succour for millions of Lagosians who like their counterparts in most parts of the country have had to pay over N20,000 for a bag of rice, mostly imported. Sanni Okanlawan, Special Adviser on Food Security to Governor Akinwumi Ambode, made the disclosure in Lagos during the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) National Agriculture Stakeholders Summit.Mr. Okanlawan said that sales of the rice would be made at all the 57 Local Government Areas (LGAs) and Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in the state to ensure proper distribution.―Lake Rice is the acronym of both Lagos and Kebbi States joint product which will be out to the public on December 15 at the rate of N13,000 per 50kg bag as it is already subsidised by the government.
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Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter ―To make it more available, the rice will be sold at the 57 LGAs and LCDAs for easy accessibility and to guard against unwanted persons diverting the product.―The state government has put in place a committee that will ensure that Lagosians have the best Christmas celebration, that is why we are offering the wholesome and well packaged rice,‖ Mr. Okanlawan said.The special adviser also said that the state had established a Department of Agribusiness, an Agriculture Trust Fund and Commodity Exchange Market to be set up soon http://www.premiumtimesng.com/regional/ssouth-west/217430-christmas-lagos-sell-bag-rice-n13000december-15.html
10,000 tonnes of rice sold to Venezuelan buyers; amount to increase- Agri. Minister Posted by: Derwayne Wills in Agriculture, News December 8, 2016 Guyana‘s Agriculture Minister, Noel Holder Guyana‘s rice is no longer purchased by the Venezuelan government, but private buyers in Guyana‘s spanish-speaking neighbour have purchased thousands of tonnes of rice directly from Guyanese millers.Agriculture Minister Noel Holder confirmed this yesterday to Demerara Waves Online.―It is not government to government but private to private,‖ Minister Holder explained noting that the arrangement sees buyers coming from Venezuela and purchasing directly from millers in Guyana.This arrangement has been ongoing for the past four or fives months, Holder noted, and the amount of rice already-purchased, some 10,000 tonnes, is expected to increase as the arrangement continues. Holder said the Guyana government continues to engage with Panama, Mexico, Italy, and Spain on purchasing agreements between governments. The Agriculture Minister expects the Mexican team in Guyana during January 2017.It is still too early to tell how much rice Mexico will purchase from Guyana. The Agriculture Minister explained Mexico‘s rice demand is some 1.8M tonnes, while Guyana can only produce 600,000 tonnes.Asked whether the Guyana government benefits from the private-private rice trade between Guyanese sellers and Venezuelan buyers, Minister Holder responded, ―of course it does.‖
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Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter ―Nothing can leave here without it being given a certificate,‖ Minister Holder explained, noting the Guyana Rice Development Board must approve of the shipment. ―You gotta pay US$8 a tonne on every tonne of rice that leaves. Every bit of rice leaving here, we gotta give it a certificate before it goes on the boat.‖ Relations between Guyana and Venezuela have grown difficult since the coming into office of the David Granger administration. A more than 100-year-old border controversy between the two countries had escalated in 2015 to the point where the Venezuelan government was no longer trading ‗oil for rice‘ with Guyana in the Petrocaribe arrangement.Venezuela is currently experiencing an economic pitfall as global oil prices remain low; negatively affecting the petroleum-dependent country http://demerarawaves.com/2016/12/08/10000-tonnes-of-rice-sold-to-venezuelan-buyers-amount-toincrease-agri-minister/
Rotting rice to be used to make ethanol Move aims to prevent shortage of biofuel
8 Dec 2016 at 07:53 WRITER: YUTHANA PRAIWAN
Officials check the quality of pledged rice. Decaying rice will be used as feedstock to produce ethanol as the production of molasses is being delayed by the later sugar-crushing season. PATTANAPONG HIRUNARD Almost 4 million tonnes of decaying rice kept in government stocks for more than two years is expected to be used as feedstock to produce ethanol, due to be in short supply soon, according to the Department of Energy Business (DOEB).The DOEB was informed by the central government that the rice bought from farmers during the Yingluck Shinawatra administration's rice-pledging scheme that has not been sold is decaying. It has become inedible, suitable only as feedstock to produce ethanol. The supply of ethanol, which is blended with petrol to produce gasohol, is expected to fall short of demand in December and January due to the delay of the sugar-crushing season, which also means a delay in the production of molasses, the major feedstock for ethanol.Director-general Witoon Kulcha- roenwirat said his department is preparing to temporarily switch feedstock from molasses to decaying rice from the government's stock in order to prevent a shortage of ethanol. 21
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Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter
He said Thailand's ethanol production capacity stands at an average of 4 million litres per day with daily consumption of 3.6-3.8 million litres.But the shortage of molasses caused by unfavourable weather that delayed sugar crushing and molasses production, as well as mismanagement among ethanol producers that exported some ethanol during the mid-year, are likely to cause a shortage this month.Mr Witoon said the state Oil Fund would be ready to provide subsidies if the cost of producing ethanol from rice is higher than producing ethanol from molasses. Details of the subsidies are expected to be discussed later.The government now controls 8.4 million tonnes of rice bought from farmers since 2011, of which half is good quality and the remainder suitable for industrial use. To prevent ethanol shortage in the long term, the DOEB has ordered ethanol producers, traders and oil retailers to report production, inventories and production capacity every day until the end of February.The DOEB expects ethanol production in December to be around 3.7 million litres per day with demand of around 3.8 million litres. Given the uncertain ethanol production, the DOEB might delay the phase-out of E10, or gasohol 91, from January next year to January 2018, when there would only be E20 petrol available for all vehicles in Thailand.The delay in the mandatory use of E20 nationwide means a delay in greater ethanol demand to be blended with petrol.Previously, energy policymakers planned to slash E10 and leave only E20 available on the market within the next 10 years.However, Mr Witoon said major oil retailers are unlikely to bring their ethanol reserve of around 1% of total consumption to be sold, which would be sufficient for slightly over three days.
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Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter Major oil retailers recently expressed concern that ethanol production would be short for up to 56 days as demand for petrol in the first 10 months of this year rose by as much as 14% during the time that global oil prices remain low.Besides, the DOEB could also amend regulations related to ethanol production in order to help maintain sustainable ethanol production for the energy sector.The development of biofuels in Thailand started around a decade ago, when global oil prices rose above US$100 a barrel. Demand for biofuels has grown rapidly with the production of biofuels blended with petrol helping to reduce demand for pure petrol by up to 75 million litres per day.According to a report by the Department of Alternative Energy Development and Efficiency in September, Thailand has a total of 4 million vehicles with petrol-compatible engines, 2.5 million compatible with ethanol-blended petrol, or gasohol, and around 1 million compatible with E20. The Bangkok Post
Global Rice Seed Market 2016 – Dupont Pioneer, Bayer, Nuziveedu Seeds, Kaveri, Mahyco, RiceTec, Krishidhan, Rasi Seeds, JK seeds, Syngenta By Summer December 9, 2016
The Rice Seed Market Research Report is a professional and in-depth study on industry Size, Share, Trends, Growth, Application, Consumption Volume and Value, Forecast, Supply, Production, Price, Professional Survey 2016 to 2021 Global Rice Seed Industry is an accurate and quality research study on the Global Rice Seed market. This report is based on the briefings and interviews conducted with product manufacturers and their consumers, with demand-side research. This research is based on the interviews with end-users and their service providers. The blend of checks and balances combined with involving the players in the industry offers a clear and accurate picture of the entire Global Rice Seed market.Furthermore, the research data in the report after working closely with the investment bankers and financial analyst presents a clear idea of the investment scenario in the Global Rice Seed market. The report assess the market outlook for public companies, evaluates business cases of several private companies, and discusses investment trends in the Global Rice Seed market.The report on the Global Rice Seed market covers the present and future trends of consumer preferences that will shape the industry. The report assess the buying trends along with the purchase process,
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Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter technology preference, expenditures, and manufacturers and service provider preferences of endusers in the Global Rice Seed market.
The report dwells deeper by providing the region-wise consumer preferences and their impact on the market revenue and growth. The report also presents the current regulatory scenario of individual regional sectors in the Global Rice Seed market. Furthermore, the current regulatory scenario along with the upcoming regulations that will come in effect in the coming few years have also been mentioned in this report.
Get Enquiry for Free Sample Report: http://www.fiormarkets.com/report-detail/11535/request-sample Several key players operating in the Global Rice Seed market have been profiled in this report. The key players‘ business overview, product offering, revenue share, business strategies, and latest innovations have been included in this report. The in-depth competitive framework of the Global Rice Seed market will help clients to formulate the better strategies for a desired business outcome. http://aperturegames.com/2923/global-rice-seed-market-2016-2021/
Rice price rise helps increase real income by 0.11pc: Study FE Report
Increase in rice prices helps raise real income by 0.11 per cent in the country, a latest study has revealed.The disclosure was made in a research styled 'Rice Prices and their Relationship to Growth and Development', conducted by the think-tank Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS).The research finding found its place in the BIDS Research Almanac 2016, jointly authored by BIDS Director General Dr K A S Murshid and Senior Research Fellow of the Institute Dr Mohammad Yunus.The paper was presented by Dr Yunus at the first session of the concluding day of BIDS Almanac 2016, held at a city hotel on Thursday. It was organised by the Institute. Talking about rice prices and their relationship with local growth and development, the research showed that a 10 per cent hike in rice prices at farm, wholesale and retail levels, has helped increase real income by 0.11 per cent in the country.
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Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter The research also showed that if rice prices increase by 10 per cent, it causes rise in labour wages by 20 per cent.The national Net Benefit Ratio (NBR) is 1.4 per cent (if rice prices increase by 10 per cent), it said. Average income in Bangladesh will rise by 0.2 per cent in the long run while poverty rate will also fall slightly if rice prices maintain usual rise, it said.The paper said such a hike (10 pc) in rice prices even can reduce poverty rate to 31.23 per cent from 31.5 per cent.Dr Murshid said, "We have to give up the old notion on increase in rice prices that it could extend a blow." "But we have to realise that hike in rice prices to some extent has little impact over poverty eradication process; it rather helps boost rural economy," he said. He said the price of rice hasn't increased in last ten years in real terms. This means farmers are the ultimate losers.A rice variety was sold at Tk 38-Tk 40 a kg in 2010. If its price remain the same now, it indicates that the price of the product declined in real term, he said.Asked, he said the primary trading of paddy by the farmer community will be included in the research in future which could give more diverse scenario. The research found that paddy covers 13 million farmers, 48 per cent of rural economy, 70 per cent of agricultural GDP and the cereal also meets two-thirds of calorie needs of the nation.BIDS former Director General Dr Quazi Shahabuddin chaired the first session while farm economists Dr Mohammad A Jabbar and Dr Sattar Mandol also spoke. Two more papers related to vegetable and fruit production and their exports were presented on the concluding day of the programme.Eleven research papers were disseminated during the two-day BIDS Almanac 2016 aiming to bring stakeholders, and policymakers to research domain to boost socio-economic development of the country, organisers said. http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/2016/12/09/55739/Rice-price-rise-helps-increase-real-income-by0.11pc:-Study
Uganda: Shs50.7 Billion to Benefit Scientists in Research Training By Lilian Namagembe Kampala — Uganda is one of the African countries set to gain from the Science Granting Councils Initiative (SGCI) fund worth $14m (about Shs50.7 billion) to train scientists in grant management, as part of efforts to boost research on the continent.The fund is intended to strengthen the Uganda National Council for Science and Technology (UNCST), a body charged
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Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter with integrating science and technology into the national development system, to move research evidence based policies. Mr Ismail Barugahara, the Deputy executive secretary of UNCST said the overall target is to enable the trainees identify key interest areas for allocation of research grants and promote appropriate technology."Ordinary people will therefore benefit from the research findings steered by the council," Mr Barugahare explained.He told Daily Monitor in an interview during the Science Grating Councils Initiative regional training workshop organised by the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) , an economic development program of the African Union in Kampala. Started in 2015, SGCI is a brain child of the Irrigated Rice Research Consortium (IRRC) the Department for International Development (DFID) and the National Research Foundation of South Africa, meant to solve research challenges in sub-Saharan Africa.Speaking on behalf of Mr Elioda Tumwesigye, the minister for science technology and innovation, Dr Peter Ndemere, the executive secretary of UNCST, said unlike in the past where training grants have been limited to scientists in the public institutions, they are opening the window to scientists in private intuitions as well."Government will use the research fund to employ competitive grants so that technology and research become the drivers of economic growth," he said. Ugandahttp://allafrica.com/stories/201612090046.html
Rice bran gets its own brand via orysp By: Josiah Go - @inquirerdotnet Philippine Daily Inquirer / 12:10 AM December 09, 2016
Sherill Quintana is the founder and president of Oryspa Spa Solutions, Inc., the leading maker of health and beauty products made from all-natural rice bran.It won the ―Most Promising Franchise‖ at the 2015 Franchise Excellence Awards and the ―Asean Business Awards for Excellence in Healthcare‖ at the Asean Business Summit at Vientiane, Laos last Sept. 5, 2016.A multi-awarded entrepreneur, Quintana was named ―Asean Woman Entrepreneur‖ in Hanoi, Vietnam and one of Go Negosyo‘s ―Most Inspiring Filipina‖, both in
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Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter 2016.She shares here her thoughts on how she started Oryspa and her goal of making it a global brand. Q: You started as a toll manufacturer. Please briefly share with us your business genesis. A: Sixteen years ago, I was making candles in my kitchen and practicing aromatherapy to kill time during a difficult pregnancy. I never planned to be an entrepreneur. In fact, I was looking forward to going back to development work. But, I wasn‘t able to find an available nanny. So with the help of a sturdy baby car seat, I brought my son with me to bazaars in Ateneo and Miriam College. Then and there, I realized that entrepreneurship was a good fit for mommies. After 10 years and three more children, the business still had no projections and not much of a system. It had its ups and downs. I ran it like my household. Later on, I learned that most micro-entrepreneurs like me were losing opportunities to build an empire and touch more lives because business systems were not in place. For several years, we became an indirect exporter and supplied some spas with massage oils. However, without a differentiating factor, my products suffered greatly during price wars. Q: How did you discover the raw material rice bran (‗darak‘) and what made you decide to use it as a key ingredient in your spa products? A: In 2008, I came across a study on Japan‘s rice wine and I had a eureka moment after reading the side comments on the article: ―the Japanese workers exposed to the bran being removed from the rice have fair and smooth skin‖. It also helps that I am married to an agriculturist, who specialized in plant breeding and was adept at rice research.
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Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter We both set up a research laboratory where we developed the first five products, later branded Oryspa. Q: How did you face branding and positioning challenges since ‗darak‘ is commonly fed to pigs here in the Philippines. A: It was challenging to introduce Oryspa to the market. I had to intensify product awareness. I also reviewed client feedback and listened to the consumers to determine which products were in need. Studies showed that there was an increasing consciousness about the carcinogenic effects of chemical-laden topical products. Also, alternative organic products proved to be more in demand to sustain a healthy lifestyle. Oryspa focused on offering products to address these needs. The brand was named after the scientific name of rice – Oryza sativa. Q: Your vision is for Oryspa to become an international Filipino brand. Tell us the thought process behind this. A: From exporting products before Oryspa, I learned that the strategies we had for almost a decade can never be applied to the new brand, if I wanted different results. One thing that was wrong before was I lacked a clear vision. Vision as part of a brand‘s DNA answers your where and why. Brand founders should be clear about this at the onset. Part of my ―why‖ is the desire to be known as a Filipino brand. I believe that changing the culture of your business changes your game. It has always been fulfilling for me to build a homegrown brand and making it ready for global trade. https://business.inquirer.net/220982/rice-bran-gets-brand-via-oryspa#ixzz4SLHTU97q 28
Vietnam’s fertile ‘rice bowl’ threatened by climate shifts, Chinese dams www.ricepluss.com / www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com Contact Online Advertisement : mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell: 0321 369 2874
Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter
The unpredictability of floods, chronic pollution issues, shifting climate norms and interference caused by Chinese dams are creating severe woes for Vietnamese farmers growing rice, a staple crop of the Southeast Asian country‘s diet. (Associated By James Borton - Special to The Washington Times - - Wednesday, December 7, 2016
CAN THO, Vietnam — Overloaded trucks barrel down the National Highway from Can Tho, Vietnam‘s fourth-largest city and the largest city in the southern Mekong Delta, rumbling past industrial campuses and export-processing zones, kicking up dust from a newly landscaped Chinese paper and pulp mill. Across the road, the delta‘s dense jungle and mangroves spill over its banks. For generations rice farmers harvesting their shining emerald paddies have relied on the Lower Mekong‘s thousands of river arteries to water their crop, but today a perfect storm is building, one that is challenging their livelihoods. Nguyen Hien Thien, a 61-year-old rice farmer, summarizes the problem succinctly in a loud voice: ―Too much water and, more often, too little.‖ The unpredictability of the rains, coupled with an alarming rise in pollution levels, is transforming life here.The delta formed by the Mekong River rises on the Tibetan plateau and flows 2,600 miles before dividing into the Cuu Long (―Nine-tailed Dragon‖) and then spills into the South China Sea. Despite the abundance of water that could supply the area, the delta‘s network of rice paddies, marshes and canals is dramatically impeded either by too much water in
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Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter the flood season or too little during the low flow. An agricultural wonder, the Mekong Delta produces half of Vietnam‘s rice, but now faces growing environmental challenges. Upstream dams built by China are a prime culprit, though changing weather, saltwater intrusion, biodiversity depletion, rising sea levels and industrial pollution are all contributing to the mortal threat to the ecology of the delta, historically the fertile rice bowl for over 20 million people in southern Vietnam and a major contributor to the country‘s vast rice export business, which now holds a fifth of the total world export market.The delta, a low-level plain less than 10 feet above sea level, is crisscrossed by canals and river systems where boats, homes and floating markets coexist. Some families still recall that South Vietnam‘s delta proved to be a final quagmire for Vietnamese and Americans who fought and died there.Hai Thach, a tired-looking 65-year-old farmer, watches like a sentinel as the salinity of the water on his land rises — land he has cultivated since he was a boy for rice, coconuts, oranges and mandarins http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/dec/7/vietnams-fertile-rice-bowl-threatened-by-climate-s/?
India and International Rice Research Institute in Philippines celebrate 50th Anniversary of what came to be known as Miracle Rice IR8 was the world‘s first high-yielding rice and is credited with having prevented famines and sparking the Green Revolution in rice in Asia December 8, 2016
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Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter New Delhi, Dec 7, 2016: Back in 1966, Nekkanti Subha Rao, a farmer in India‘s southern state of Andhra Pradesh planted a semi-dwarf rice variety developed by the International Rice Research Institute on 1,000 hectares of land. Crossbred from a tall variety in Indonesia and a dwarf variety in China, IR8 was the world‘s first high-yielding rice and is credited with having prevented famines and sparking the Green Revolution in rice in Asia.NewsGram brings to you latest new stories in India.As India and the International Rice Research Institute in the Philippines celebrate the 50th anniversary of what came to be known as the Miracle Rice, farmer Rao, now 80 years old, recalls the wonder of the moment when he harvested an astonishing 7.5 tons per hectare. ―Never before,‖ he said. ―Every farmer feeling very, very, very happy, happy. 100 percent success.‖In the 1960s and 1970s, when India and several Asian countries grappled with food shortages, IR8 and varieties that followed helped triple rice output in Asia and fended off the specter of widespread hunger.―It transformed agriculture, which averted the perennial food crises that happened in those years, those decades. It saved millions of lives,‖ said Dr. Nafees Meah, IRRI‘s regional representative for South Asia. After India, IR8 went on to be planted across a host of Asian countries, such as the Philippines, Vietnam and Cambodia, where rice is the staple food for most people.In all these countries, say agriculture scientists, it did not just boost yields. The shorter length of the crop made it sturdier and less prone to collapsing before harvest time. And as it took less time to mature compared to traditional rice strains, it allowed farmers to cultivate more than one crop on the same land. ―It reduced the duration quite significantly and it continues to do so. Vietnam right now, in many parts of Mekong Delta where water is there, they grow three crops a year, primarily because of shorter duration varieties,‖ said Samarendu Mohanty, Head of Social Sciences at IRRI in Philippines. Mature rice fields of Peta, IR8 and DGWG varieties. VOA In about two decades, the IR8 made way to a host of other high yield varieties, but it is the parental strain for many of these. Recalling its phenomenal contribution, Mohanty said that in India alone, it
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Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter is estimated to have contributed $1.3 billion annually to the rice sector.Go to NewsGram and check out news related to political current issues. But ensuring food security is no longer the only challenge for Asia – a continent that is far more affluent than it was 50 years ago. At the same time, malnourishment continues to haunt millions of poor in the region, especially in South Asia. And everywhere, farmers are battling climate change.―Developing new varieties that are higher yielding and more nutritious, but ones that have less of an environmental footprint, ones that require less water, fertilizer, pesticide and ones that actually have reduced greenhouse gas emissions,‖ said Rod Wing, an American scientist at IRRI in Manila as he outlines the challenges of the 21st century. In recent years, new varieties that are more resistant to droughts and floods are showing promising results in east India and Bangladesh, a delta country where flash floods used to submerge or wash away crops.―With these new varieties, we have got a real opportunity,‖ Meah said. ―It has been adopted by millions of farmers, so they see the benefits of it. And it‘s a real improvement for their livelihoods as well.‖To improve nutritional levels, a genetically engineered strain has been developed to address Vitamin A deficiency that kills many under the age of five. On the other end of the spectrum, as Asia copes with what are sometimes called diseases of affluence and witnesses an explosion in the incidence of diabetes, scientists are developing varieties with low glycemic index, which release energy slowly.But the core challenge of productivity that IR8 sparked has still not gone away. ―The big question is how do we solve the 10 billion people question? That is, how are we going to feed three more billion people on the planet by 2050? It is a huge, daunting task,‖ said Wing at IRRI, pointing out that rice is the staple diet of more than half the world.And while farmers are harvesting higher and higher yields, they continue to battle other problems.―Cost of cultivation very, very high now. Labor cost is high,‖ rued farmer Subha Rao from his home in Andhra Pradesh. (VOA) http://www.newsgram.com/india-and-international-rice-research-institute-in-philippines-celebrate-50thanniversary-of-what-came-to-be-known-as-miracle-rice/
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