13 February 2015 Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine

World Rice News 13.02.2015

13.02.2015

USDA. All rice imports were increased 1 million hundredweight to 23 million, all in combined medium- and short-grain rice. The forecast for all rice exports was unchanged at 103 million hundredweight, with long grain exports increasing 1 million hundredweight to 71 million hundredweight, and medium- and short-grain declining 1 million to 32 million hundredweight. All rice ending stocks were raised 1 million hundredweight to nearly 42 million. Long-grain stocks were lowered 1 million to 28.1 million, and combined medium- and short-grain stocks were raised 2 million to 11.5 million.

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Iran to import Basmati rice from India next fiscal. Basmati rice exports to Iran, the biggest destination for the aromatic and long-grained rice from the country, are likely to commence from the next fiscal following assurance from the Iranian authorities. Tehran has not approved any new contract for import of Basmati rice from India since October 2014.

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Four African countries, Nigeria, Ghana, Burkina Faso and Tanzania are to benefit from the $3.3 million grant provided by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) and the German Development Cooperation (BMZ) under their competitive African Rice Initiative (CARI) project. The implementing institutions of the grant are led by GIZ, Technserve, the John A. Kufuor (JAK) and Kili Trust (KT). The project which will end in 2017 is targeting about 120,000 small scale rice producers, while secondary beneficiaries are the rural service providers and rice millers. More information on grain market can be found in UkrAgroConsult newsletters and daily reports or through on-line access to thewebsite.

 

http://www.blackseagrain.net/novosti/world-rice-news-13-02.2015

 

Company revitalises rice farming

Ropate Valemei
Friday, February 13, 2015

Grace Road Food Company staff members and management with residents of Galoa Village in Navua. Picture: SUPPLIED

THROUGH its continuous investment in farm development, a rice company in Navua is expanding its farming project from Navua to Galoa.Grace Road Food Company Ltd managing director Daniel Kim said the Galoa farming site was their second farming initiative.Mr Kim said they would continuously develop farm lands in full partnership with the residents of Galoa.He said the land the company agreed to develop was about 200 acres.

"We are confident that this jungle-like land will be transformed into a beautiful farm," he said.He said the company's machinery would also expand as native farm lands needed advanced development for rice farming.He said other agricultural machinery would also be brought in to suit Fiji's climate.Senior agricultural officer at the Ministry of Agriculture, John Cox, said the company provided the spark to revitalise the rice farming sector last year, adding that spark was turning into flames in 2015.Meanwhile, the company is hosting the International Conference on Rice Farming for Food Security in Fiji on February 19 in Navua

http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=294889

 PhilRice promotes Rural Transformation Movement for farmers

February 13, 2015

BUTUAN CITY, Feb. 13 (PIA) – The Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) Agusan is promoting its Rural Transformation Movement (RTM) for the welfare of the community farmers not only in the province of Agusan del Norte but in the entire Caraga region.In an interview over Advanced Forward Emergency Broadcasting System (AFEBS) Network of the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) Caraga in this city, Marilyn Amoin, Science Research Specialist 1 of PhilRice Agusan bared that its Rural Transformation Movement is intended to make the farmers more diversified and integrated."We want to help the farmers earn more by venturing into other products and livelihood.

We want to see them improve their lives through different strategies," said Amoin.Amoin also said that the pilot area for its Rural Transformation Movement is in Brgy. Basilisa, RTR, Agusan del Norte. "We are encouraging the community farmers to avail of this opportunity and be a millionaire. We call this Movement because we wanted to see our farmers experience the changes in their lives while they are into this program of PhilRice. We should act and move forward to achieve this goal," she added.With the said movement, farmers are encouraged to produce other products such as livestock raising, vegetable production and byproducts."Together with PhilRice personnel from our central office, we are still on the process of conducting social diagnostic and mapping in Brgy.

Basilisa, as well as in other communities where we can identify qualified farmers for the Rural Transformation Movement, which we are promoting. We are also looking into and assessing the needs of the farmers and on how we can better improve their present livelihood," shared Arbutante.As to the criteria on how community farmers can avail of the PhilRice's RTM, Ginalyn Arbutante, Science Research Assistant of PhilRice Agusan also revealed that they are still finalizing the criteria and will soon release it to the public. "It is an advantage on the part of the farmers who are also land owners because they have big chances to expand their livelihood," she said.Arbutante further disclosed that PhilRice is also promoting technology development for the farmers to improve their production and increase their income. The institute also produces quality seeds available for the farmers.

"For inquiries about our Rural Transformation Movement, the public can send it along with their other concerns thru PhilRice's Text Center at 09209111398. We will be very glad to accommodate them," highlighted Arbutante.Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) is a government corporate entity attached to the Department of Agriculture created through Executive Order 1061 on 5 November 1985 (as amended) to help develop high-yielding and cost-reducing technologies so farmers can produce enough rice for all Filipinos. (Jennifer P. Gaitano, PIA-Caraga)

http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/2041423736179/philrice-promotes-rural-transformation-movement-for-farmers#sthash.K6m7U7Gp.dpuf

Grace Road Hosts First Conference

February 12

09:182015

by Ranoba Baoa, SUVA

Grace Road Food Company Limited, will host its first major International Conference on Rice Farming for Food Security in Fiji on February 19.The conference dubbed will be enabled through world-wide leading rice seed researcher Dr Kyung-Ho Kang (National institute of Crop Science, RDA). It will be held at its Deuba Rice-farm office with 80 people expected to attend.Also in attendance will be Professor of Biotechnology Dr. Seong-Gene Lee (Chonnam National University)

Dr Kyung-Ho Kang worked for IRRI (International Rice Research Institute) from 2008 to 2010, and is currently working for KAFACI (Korea-Africa Food & Agriculture Cooperation Initiative) and NICS (National Institute of Crop Science, RDA).Dr Kyung-Ho Kang is also associated with the National Institute of Crop Science of South Korea.He will also explain the discoveries behind his research, examples of his rice-seed research, and the performance of his research application.Through the keynote speech, he will enunciate a proposal of the best suited type of rice for Fiji.

Additionally, Dr Seong-Gene Lee of Chonnam National University in South Korea will explain the importance of food security in preparation of worldwide climate change.Grace Road managing director Daniel Kim said: “Grace Road Food Company Limitedis currently undertaking tremendous amount of effort in order to raise the rice-farming industry.“Establishment of Research Center, out of all the effort being put in Grace Road Food Company Limited, is the most essential matter.

“With Dr. Kang at its core, establishment of Grace Road Food Company Limited’s research center will bring a monumental transformation in advancement of Fijian rice industry.“Additionally, the purpose of this conference is to announce to the Fijians the importance offood security, the necessity of rice production in order for food security and the value of high rice yield and quality through seed improvement.He added: “Along with this goal, Grace Road Food Company Limited will also announce its plan about how we can achieverice self-sufficiency by the year 2020.”is the missing link we have been looking for.”

http://fijisun.com.fj/2015/02/12/grace-road-hosts-first-conference/

Rice Production Grant: Nigeria, Three Others To Benefit

Feb 13th, 2015 and filed under Business. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

Four African countries, Nigeria, Ghana, Burkina Faso and Tanzania are to benefit from the $3.3 million grant provided by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) and the German Development Cooperation (BMZ) under their competitive African Rice Initiative (CARI) project.The implementing institutions of the grant are led by GIZ, Technserve, the John A. Kufuor (JAK) and Kili Trust (KT).The project which will end in 2017 is targeting about 120,000 small scale rice producers, while secondary beneficiaries are the rural service providers and rice millers.

The initiative is geared towards improving their sourcing capacity of quality supply. Speaking on the establishment of the Nigeria/ECOWAS Rice Sector Policy and Regulation Advocacy Platform in Abuja, CARI’s project coordinator, Mr. Stefan Kachelriess-Matthess, stated that the main instrument for the implementation of CARI across the four countries on the matching grant will be on the basis of Public Private Partnership (PPP).Kachel-Mathhess said the projects would be implemented at two levels of support, adding that CARI’s support was up to 40 per cent of implementation cost.He said CARI’s Nigerian partners in the private sector would provide 60 per cent of the implementation cost.

He said CARI’s Nigerian partners in the private sector would provide 60 per cent of the implementation cost.In her remark, the Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), Mrs. Fidelia Njeze, who was represented by Mrs. Jael Kpatuwak expressed the hope that the CARI project would address coordination failures. She expressed that the process would create better linkages among rice value chain actors the results of which she said would lead to increase in economic returns for all stakeholders.

According to her, the sector holds the key to getting Nigeria out of poverty as it provides food security, employment for the teeming population and creating the platform for a diversified economy towards an industrial revolution.Also speaking at the event, the ECOWAS Commissioner of Agriculture, Environment and Water Resources, Dr. Lapodini Marc Atouga, represented by a Director at the commission, said rice consumption in the last two years in the sub-region had increased from 7 to 7.7 million tons.He pointed out that this was an indication that production was not matching up with consumption as it has to depend on international imports for 40 per cent of its rice supply with Thailand and Vietnam as the leading suppliers of the commodity to the region.

http://www.parc.gov.pk/index.php/en/senior-managements

No power cuts for firms: Etela Rajender

DC CORRESPONDENT | February 14, 2015, 03.02 am IST

Telangana Finance Minister Etela Rajender (Photo: DC)

Warangal: Telangana finance and civil supplies minister Etela Rajender said there will not be any power cuts even for one hour for the industries from 2016. He was addressing the rice millers at the inauguration of rice trade expo at the Hayagreeva Chary ground in Hanamkonda on Friday. The minister asked the millers to cooperate with the government in fulfilling their promises. He asked the millers to cultivate only BPT fine rice. He also warned them against any irregularities on their part. “The government is people friendly, but we will not tolerate any irregularities. Please do not give us the situation to show our other side,” he said. The rice expo will is being organised by the Telangana rice millers association and will be continued till February 15.

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/150214/nation-current-affairs/article/no-power-cuts-firms-etela-rajender

USA Rice Staff Urge Louisiana Growers on Farm Bill Sign-Ups, Provide Issue Briefings         

Ben Mosely

ALEXANDRIA and DELHI, LOUISIANA -- USA Rice staff continued their travel through the Pelican State this week to brief growers at the Central Louisiana Rice Growers Association membership meeting and the Northeast Louisiana Rice Growers Association rice forum.  USA Rice Vice President of Government Affairs Ben Mosely stressed to growers that time is running out for them to make base acre reallocations and yield updates under the new farm bill. "You have until February 27th to make changes and I don't see any indication that USDA is going to be offering extensions," Mosely said. 

"If you miss this opportunity, not only are you stuck for five years, but you're leaving money on the table right now."USA Rice President and CEO Betsy Ward shared information on key markets and what new and expanding market access could mean for Louisiana's growers."I'm confident we can recapture most of the Cuban market once the legal and legislative hurdles have been cleared," she offered.  "And frankly, given your proximity to Cuba, you are poised to benefit perhaps the most."Michael Klein

Michael Klein, USA Rice's Vice President of Marketing, Communications & Domestic Promotion, updated attendees on exciting domestic promotion activities that are paid for by the state's check-off contributions."Our popular classroom outreach programs are a very effective grassroots education initiative," he told audiences.  "We work with educators to teach kids about rice, and they in turn teach their parents, friends, neighbors, and families.We reach thousands of teachers and tens of thousands of kids in all six rice states magnifying our message.  The true value of the impact is difficult to measure, but that's what we do - we stretch those promotion dollars as far as we can.""We appreciate the opportunity to speak directly to the growers to share with them just a few of the things we are working on their behalf," Ward said.  "I also value the feedback we receive from them that we take back to Washington."

 Contact:  Randy Jemison (337) 738-7009

Visit USA Rice at the 63rd Annual Mid-South Farm & Gin Show        

MEMPHIS, TN -- Plan to visit the USA Rice Federation at Booth 2080 during the 2015 Mid-South Farm & Gin Show, February 27-28 at the Memphis Cook Convention Center. The event is one of the largest farm shows in the region. In 2014 more than 400 companies and groups from more than 40 states exhibited over the two-day trade show.View attendee registration details online.   Download the show's mobile app to receive updates and search "rice" in the exhibitor section for more information on rice-related exhibitors and booth locations.

2015 Rice Leadership Class takes center stage

Feb 13, 2015Forrest Laws | Delta Farm Press

Greg Van Dyke, Pleasant Grove, Calif.; Dustin Harrell, LSU AgCenter; Paul Johnson, Welsh, La.; Hudgens Jeter, Stuttgart, Ark.; Collin Holzhauer, Southern Rice & Cotton; Nat McKnight, Cleveland, Miss.; and Nicole Creason, Jonesboro, Ark., will participate in rice leadership class activities in 2015 and 2016.

RELATED MEDIA

2015 National Conservation Systems Cotton and Rice Conference Photos

Members of the 2015 Rice Leadership Development Program class were announced during the annual Rice Awards Luncheon at the 2014 USA Rice Outlook Conference. The class is comprised of five rice producers and two industry-related professionals selected by a committee of agribusiness leaders. “The rice industry enjoys strong leadership, and has a bright future. This program plays a critical role thanks to the intensive training and the high caliber participants,” said Rice Foundation Chairman Todd Burich.The new rice-producer class members are Nicole Creason, Jonesboro, Ark.; Hudgens Jeter, Stuttgart, Ark.; Paul Johnson, Welsh, La.; Nat McKnight, Cleveland, Miss.; and Greg Van Dyke, Pleasant Grove, Calif.

The new industry-related class members are Dustin Harrell of the LSU AgCenter, and Collin Holzhauer with Southern Rice & Cotton.The Rice Leadership Development Program gives young men and women a comprehensive understanding of the U.S. rice industry, with an emphasis on personal development and communication training. During a two-year period, class members attend four one-week sessions that are designed to strengthen their leadership skills.John Deere Company, RiceTec, Inc., and American Commodity Company are sponsors of the Rice Leadership Development Program through a grant to The Rice Foundation. The USA Rice Federation manages the program.

http://deltafarmpress.com/rice/2015-rice-leadership-class-takes-center-stage?utm_source=USA+Rice+Daily%2C+February+13%2C+2015&utm_campaign=Friday%2C+December+13%2C+2013&utm_medium=email

State's private, public lands being altered for birds

Courtney SpradlinCourtney.Spradlin@shreveporttimes.com10:52 a.m. CST February 13, 2015

Migratory birds are flourishing on private lands that are part of a federal initiative to create and maintain more land as flooded habitat, a Mississippi State University study finds.The land the study references is part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Migratory Bird Habitat Initiative, which incentivizes private landowners, such as rice and crawfish farmers, to keep land flooded at a shallower depth and for a longer period of time in the summer and early fall.

The most participation out of eight states is in Louisiana, and the program is open to private landowners in the northwest part of the state, though it's most popular in the east and south where rice and crawfish farming are more prevalent.

Rice paddies and crawfish farms already are equipped with levees and water control structures that can pump or release water to precise depths over many acres, making the private farms the most efficient and cost-effective candidates for the federal private lands program.Flooded, out of use farmland mimics the migratory birds' naturally preferred habitat along the Mississippi and Central flyways, the main routes waterfowl and shore birds take south for the winter.

SHREVEPORTTIMES.COM

Bird watcher paradise

Though Northwest Louisiana doesn't have as many rice fields and even fewer crawfish farms, plenty of land is being flooded locally, though not on private lands as with the initiative. The flooding practice is being put to use on publicly owned acreage maintained by Red River Wildlife Refuge, which has been purchasing land in the river bottoms since 2002 using the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund and funds generated by the federally instated hunting duck stamp.According to Red River Wildlife Refuge director Pat Stinson, the average number of ducks on refuge lands in Northwest Louisiana has risen since the group began habitat maintenance.uvenile white Ibis fishes in Lake Caroline recently at the Red River National

At the refuge's Bayou Pierre unit about 20 miles south of Shreveport, for example, Stinson has seen the average number of ducks on flooded lands in winter months climb from about 1,000 to between 5,000 and 6,000.The refuge purchased and installed water control systems over its collection of reclaimed and out of use rice farms using offshore mineral lease royalties from the federal government.The USDA private lands program started in 2010 after the Gulf oil spill to provide more habitat should the birds' wetlands be impacted.

 "The worst case scenario for the oil spill didn't happen. It didn't blow up here with bad weather and land on the habitat for these birds, but we provided crucial habitat for them," said John Pitre, a wildlife biologist and state resource conservationist with the USDA's Natural Resource Conservation Service.Louisiana's participation in the project spans 194,000 acres that stretch from the northeastern to the southwestern corners of the state. Farmers in parishes such as Acadia, Calcasieu, Jefferson Davis and Evangeline are taking the most advantage, Pitre said, though the incentive isn't very high.

Birds fly over the water at Red River Wildlife Refuge's Bayou Pierre unit. (Photo: Henrietta Wildsmith/The Times)

"For instance, a crawfish farmer will flood his fields to about 18 inches of water and start flooding in October when nights are getting cool. He'll hold it until the spring, but as the water goes anoxic they're letting water go.

 It's a mud flat for two days and dries up," Pitre said. "What we get them to do for just a couple of dollars an acre is instead of draining it immediately, draw a little water off and make it shallow for longer." Mississippi State University's study found during the winters of 2011 and 2012, nearly three times as many ducks were found on the managed land in parts of Mississippi and Louisiana as on land that was not part of the initiative.

Modern agriculture practices such as damming and the channeling of rivers for flood control have interrupted the "natural cycles" of flooding plains near rivers — where birds would find plenty of habitat and in the appropriate seasons, according to Matt Brady, a graduate student at Louisiana State University studying biogeography of Louisiana birds.Brady said data shows that due to modern agriculture and irrigation, bottomland hardwood forests are not faring as well as they could. Floods that would bring more water, silt and nutrients are not occurring throughout the year.

"Also with the advent of large-scale agriculture, it has shifted a lot of habitat used by the birds, too. There used to be tracts of land that were on the natural rhythm … These sort of changes have changed the habitats that used to be really appropriate for birds. They're no longer as appropriate," Brady said. "The building of levees has really messed with the hydrology of Louisiana."Modern farming of monocultures such as vast fields of soybeans are "deserts for wildlife," Brady said.

Louisiana duck hunting offers mixed bag

"Go to the middle of a soybean field, and there's not a bird there. Without a real diversity of plants, the field can't support that many organisms. Also, they're sprayed with pesticides, which kill the things birds otherwise would eat," he said.According to Pitre, the decline of a migrating bird population due to a lack of habitat isn't just of national importance — it could affect the entire hemisphere.Maintaining healthy populations of migrating birds is integral because bird diseases that are communicable to humans occur when populations are stressed or in habitats where they shouldn't be.

"When you meet their habitat, food and space needs they are healthier," he said.The Western Hemisphere's migrating birds travel from arctic regions to the Southern Hemisphere in some cases.Stops along the birds' journey include farmlands, and this fact alone is why many farmers do their part to provide more habitat, according to Pitre.Farmers — the "stewards of the land" — like to see birds on their farmlands, he said."A farm full of a diverse population probably means you are caring for the environment and you don't have over-use of chemicals," Pitre said. "And most farmers grew up hunting and watching birds.

 Their grandfathers probably taught them about the roseate spoonbill and the sandhill crane."Maintaining habitat for these birds also is important to the state's economy and its identity as a sportsman's paradise, said Stinson.The Red River Wildlife Refuge covering about 16,000 acres in northwest Louisiana floods about 1,700 acres each year for the migrating and wintering birds, with the same goal to provide waterfowl and shore birds habitat as they travel through the state.

The refuge is prime for duck hunting, which occurs on much of the land, Stinson said, a sport that's "extremely important in the states of Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi and Texas."The refuge, one of about 20 in the state's network, starts flooding in June and July for shore birds that are migrating, and then later in August and September for dabbling and diving ducks.Migratory birds are flourishing on private lands that are part of a federal initiative to create and maintain more land as flooded habitat, a Mississippi State University study finds.

The Associated Press contributed to this article

Mississippi State University Evaluation of the Migratory Bird Habitat Initiative Report findings

•Flooded rice lands in Louisiana and Texas supported high densities of migrating and wintering waterbirds during fall 2010 through spring 2011, averaging 15 birds per acre versus two birds per acre on non-flooded rice fields.•During peak fall migration 2013, the Migratory Bird Habitat Initiative sites had more than seven times more birds per acre than on state or federally managed or conserved coastal wetlands in Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi combined.

•Wetlands enrolled in the Migratory Bird Habitat Initiative in Louisiana and Mississippi contained 1.3 to 1.5 times more biomass (dry weight) of seeds known to be consumed by waterfowl than non-managed wetlands.•Migratory Bird Habitat Initiative-managed ratoon (leaving roots and lower parts of the plant uncut) rice fields in Louisiana contained the greatest density of waste rice for waterfowl.•177,000 acres of Migratory Bird Habitat Initiative land in southwest Louisiana provided one-fourth of the region's duck energy needs.

See the full report at www.fwrc.msstate.edu.

http://www.shreveporttimes.com/story/news/local/2015/02/12/states-private-public-lands-altered-birds/23290439/?utm_campaign=%5B%27Friday%2C+December+13%2C+2013%27%5D&utm_source=%5B%27USA+Rice+Daily%2C+February+13%2C+2015%27%5D&utm_medium=%5B%27email%27%5D

CME Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures

CME Group (Prelim):  Closing Rough Rice Futures for February 13 Month Price Net Change March 2015 $10.525 + $0.195 May 2015 $10.765 + $0.195 July 2015 $11.015 + $0.195 September 2015 $11.055 + $0.190 November 2015 $11.225 + $0.125 January 2016 $11.315 + $0.125 March 2016 $11.315 + $0.125

Duty drawback restored for rice exports

K. R. SRIVATS/VISHWANATH KULKARNI

Duty drawback facility is being restored on rice exports after a span of nearly seven years.

The facility, withdrawn in 2008, will now be available if shippers apply separately

NEW DELHI/BENGALURU, FEB 12:  

In a move that will bring some cheer to rice exporters, the Finance Ministry has restored duty drawback after a span of nearly seven years.However, this time round, the duty drawback will be extended under the concept of brand rate basis, which means that each exporter will have to separately apply to the Finance Ministry to get a rate approved, official sources said. Listed rice firms such as KRBL, LT Foods and Kohinoor may gain from this.

Duty drawback payments are made to exporters to compensate them for the customs and excise duties paid on inputs used in the manufacture of exportable products. Such payments are either made as all-industry rates (fixed as a percentage of free-on-board) or as brand rates.“The Finance Ministry’s decision will help neutralise the duty suffered on packaging material by rice exporters,” Ajay Sahai, Director General and CEO of Federation of Indian Export Organisation (FIEO), told BusinessLine.

Difference of opinion

FIEO, however, is of the view that the Ministry should extend all-industry duty drawback rates for rice exports, rather than provide brand rate, which will be company-specific.Reacting to the move, Rajen Sundaresan, Executive Director of All-India Rice Exporters’ Association (AIREA) said the drawback will provide some relief to exporters.“We have been demanding the drawback since 2008, when it was withdrawn. We re-submitted our demand seeking drawback about four-months ago,” he added.

The industry had argued that rice, which undergoes processing, should be extended the drawback as exporters of other grains such as maize and wheat are already getting such a benefit. India exported 10.9 million tonnes of rice, including basmati, in 2013-14, with shipments valued at $7.789 billion, a growth of 25.32 per cent over the previous year.In the current financial year, from April till November, rice exports stood at 7.4 mt, valued at $5.12 billion. In December last, rice exports had seen a 7 per cent decline to about $725 million, industry sources said.

srivats.kr@thehindu.co.in

(This article was published on February 12, 2015)

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/policy/duty-drawback-facility-restored-for-rice-exports/article6887489.ece

Nimrat Kaur: It is a bitter-sweet love story, perfect for V-day

TNN | Feb 13, 2015, 12.00AM IST

The Lunchbox, co-produced by Anurag Kashyap along with Essel Vision and directed by Ritesh Batra, raked in 100 crores at the global box-office. Director Karan Johar says, "I couldn't have made a film as good as The Lunchbox." With the film premiering on TV on Valentine's Day, we spoke to Ritesh Batra and its actress Nimrat Kaur:

Why is the film perfect for V-Day?

Ritesh Batra: It is a love story and there couldn't be a better day to premiere the film.
Nimrat Kaur: I'm delighted that the movie will premier on television. I feel that it is a perfect Valentine's Day offering for viewers because it's a bitter-sweet story.



How would you describe the relationship between the two characters in the film? 

RB: I think both these characters, Saajan (Irrfan) and Ila (Nimrat), are lonely, and like the rest of us, are in prisons of their own making. Through this story, they find a way out of these prisons and a way to connect with each other. Shaikh's (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) character is very similar to the Mumbai city and it keeps changing and evolving.

NK: It's a love story between a married woman who is unhappy in her marriage and a widower, how an accidental lunchbox brings both of them together over small handwritten notes.

Tell us about any interesting incident during the making of the film...

RB: The day when we were shooting one of the canteen scenes with Irrfan and Nawaz, I had asked both the actors to feel free to improvise based on the notes I had shared on the set. We started rolling and it kept going on and on because I forgot to say 'cut'. I got so involved in their performance that it slipped out of my mind. It was beautiful to watch Irrfan and Nawaz perform together.

NK: The kitchen where I was shooting in the film was so cramped up that I would find it difficult to move. I would move and a cutter would hit me, and then I would accidently turn off the lights because my hands would hit the switch. But the funny part is despite the suffocation I had to face, it actually translated beautifully onscreen, and displayed Ila's claustrophobia in her marriage.
Valentine's Day Premiere of India Gate Basmati Rice presents The Lunchbox with hygiene partner, Tempo, on Saturday February 14, at 8 pm on &pictures.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/Nimrat-Kaur-It-is-a-bitter-sweet-love-story-perfect-for-V-day/articleshow/46216701.cms

 

Dining out: Allison's cadre of fans grows and for good reason

Terra Walters, Correspondent

12:43 p.m. EST, February 12, 2015

An award-winning movie currently in theaters chronicles the life of a boy over a 12-year period. A novel approach to a movie, but we have a similar kind of chronicle that has played out in a popular Crofton restaurant. When Allison's first opened in 2006, owner and chef Jim Hamrock's daughter Allison (for whom, of course, the restaurant is named) was just an adorable little girl. Now, she's a college student in California. Easy to imagine the strains of "Sunrise, Sunset" playing as you remember the cute kid while looking at a recent photograph of grown-up Allison framed on the wall.

There are a multitude of changes that take place as children grow up and move on, but there's one thing that's stayed the same at Allison's: The food was super in 2006 and it's still super in 2015.This was proved once more as friends drove up from Virginia for the express purpose of going to Allison's. Driving 50 miles in snowy sub-freezing weather is quite an impressive tribute to anyone's cuisine.Our server was happy to return to the kitchen in order to find out if the Cornmeal Crusted Oysters ($9.50) were gluten-free, and the desired answer came back — they could be made without gluten. (Over the course of the evening, the server had to make that trip several other times, so it may be time to put together at least a cheat-sheet so servers will have that information available instantly. On a busy evening, the back and forth trips could slow down service considerably.)

The oysters were as delectable as we remembered, and if the preparation had been altered to render them GF? Nothing was lost in translation, for they were outstanding: succulent, briny oysters that were fresh and plump, encased in a crisp and savory batter that pointed up the bi-valves as opposed to overwhelming them.Good manners would have dictated that the two non gluten-restricted members of our party order only GF items as well, considering that we were sharing. But that would have meant passing on Allison's extraordinary Fried Calamari ($9.50). As has been mentioned previously in this space, when you can find a kitchen skilled at frying stuff? Let them fry you something. Not only did we not use the dipping sauce, we couldn't remember later what it had been.

The solution to our temporary lapse of manners came in the form of a sublime Tomato and Crab Soup ($5) relegated entirely (after one tasty sip each by the calamari folks) to the gluten-free diner who savored every steaming spoonful. Wish that soup were on the menu all the time instead of just as an occasional soup of the day.Our wine selection of the evening, a Pedroncelli Sauvignon Blanc ($28), made a seamless transition from first courses to main courses. Crisp, refreshing and versatile. We'll certainly revisit that one, especially when the weather warms up.Not only is it gratifying to see a restaurant stay consistently good over the years, it's also pleasing to see a restaurant maintain a patron-friendly price point. Three out of three members of our group ordered main courses that were exceptional and all three dishes were under $20. Kudos!

Chicken Limone ($14) features lightly-battered pieces of chicken breast in a scrumptious lemon butter and white wine sauce. Broccoli florets and angel hair pasta with marinara sauce accompanied. The price is even more impressive considering that the dish made two meals.It's hard to say which one dish should be ordered at Allison's above all the others, but feet to the fire? Go with the Grilled Salmon Fillet ($19) presented with a fresh mango salsa and an accent of pomegranate molasses. Basmati rice and grilled asparagus accompanied. It's easy to taste every minute of chef Hamrock's Culinary Institute of America training in this dish.The final diner in our party opted for the Grilled Italian Sausage ($17), a perfect wintertime treat.

The sausage popped with flavor and was graced with the inclusion of roasted potatoes, onions, asparagus and grilled peppers. Memorable.The dessert excuse du jour was that we wanted to end our meal with a hot drink (two cups of good coffee plus a hot tea) and needed something to go with the beverages. Crème Brulée ($6) got the nod, and we all enjoyed the rich creaminess of the custard though it would have benefited by a longer zap from the culinary blowtorch. (We prefer our topping to be a hot crackle of caramelized sugar.)

It's a mark of what a good restaurant this is, when one considers that in the eight-plus years since Allison's opened its doors, at least two dozen new eateries have opened in their vicinity. How has that affected Allison's? Their cadre of devoted regulars just continues to grow. That kind of dedication really makes a statement.

A FINAL NOTE: Also noted in the thriving Crofton and Gambrills restaurant scene, the arrival of a "western" branch of the well-liked Eastport favorite, Grump's Café.That felicitous blend of good fun, good food, and trendy-cum-funky cachet has taken over the space that was formerly the home of Roundz Gourmet Catering.

Terra Walters is a freelance writer and editor based in Annapolis.

WHEN YOU GO

WHAT: Allison's Restaurant.

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