Friday, January 02, 2015

1st January,2015 Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine

The Rice That Can Help You Sleep Better

January 1, 2015
Do you have sleep issues? You are not alone, of course — more than 30 million Americans suffer from sleep deficit. According to the National Sleep Foundation, we lose one hour of sleep every night, adding up to two full weeks of sleep deficit every year. Lack of adequate and good quality sleep is known to wreak havoc on health. An article in the Scientific American states that “Short-term sleep deprivation leads to a foggy brain, worsened vision, impaired driving, and trouble remembering. Long-term effects include obesity, insulin resistance, and heart disease. And most Americans suffer from chronic deprivation.”
Here is some good news: A powerful natural aid to better sleep could be just a supermarket shelf away. The next time you go shopping, pop a packet of jasmine rice into your cart, and eat it about four hours before bedtime—a 2007 research study conducted at the University of Sydney says it helps you sleep better.
This is how:
A Thai favorite that has a lovely nutty flavor and emits a delicate fragrance, jasmine rice has a high glycemic index, which means it quickly raises blood sugar. This, says Dr. Chow, the lead researcher, may boost tryptophan and serotonin, the two brain chemicals responsible for sleep.During the research, scientists compared the effect of jasmine rice and long-grain rice on sleep. Two groups of healthy men with no sleep problems were served rice with vegetables and tomato puree.
They found that the group served jasmine rice fell asleep within an average of 9 minutes, while the long-grain rice eaters took more than 15 minutes to doze off.The research team also altered the time gap between serving the rice and going to bed. The results indicated that four hours was the ideal time period for the sleep-friendly effects of jasmine rice.Here is a healthy and delicious recipe for cooking with jasmine rice, ideal for warming you up on a cold winter night. I hope it helps you get the sleep of your dreams, too!

KBP seeks immediate compensation for basmati growers

December 31, 2014
RECORDER REPORT
Kisan Board Pakistan (KBP) has urged the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to ensure immediate implementation on a relief package announced by him to compensate the rice growers at the rate of Rs 5,000 per acres. KBP Central President Sadiq Khan Khakwani made this demand during a meeting of a delegation of Basmati growers here on Tuesday. The growers expressed their reservations over government attitude and non-implementation of the premier's announcement. 
KBP Chief demanded that the farmers who suffered losses because of recent floods should be compensated at the earliest. He said that unrest is being found amongst basmati growers due to non-implementation of the package. He said in response to a countrywide protest staged by the rice growers, the Prime Minister had directed the Federal Finance Minister and Minister for Food Security to compensate growers and approved necessary funds. However, KBP Chief regretted, no method has been evolved in this regard which is a question mark on functioning of these departments. He reiterated that the government should take immediate steps to resolve the issues and compensate the loss suffered by Basmati growers. 

Source with thanks:Business Recorder Pakistan

Rice industry stakeholders lament over import allocations, Say scheme will derail self-sufficiency efforts

Wednesday, 31 December 2014 21:17
Written by EDITOR
RICE industry stakeholders have cried out to the Federal Government asking that the recent wave of rice import licenses be cancelled outright before investments made by them in the last four years go down the drain. In a protest letter written to the government through the ministers of Finance and Trade and Investments, the stakeholders drew attention to what they called “the recent indiscriminate and wrongful award of import licenses as well as concessions to dubious businessmen with absolutely no investments in the rice sector who are now making millions and billions of naira selling those licenses to importers in the market” They warned that the current development in which new comers without experience were favored over and above operators who are at present investing billions in line with the Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA) threatens their investments.
 The allocations, the petitioners said, “provide a free ride for smugglers, thereby derailing the objectives on rice self-sufficiency. The country according to reports also stands to lose in excess of N 40 billion through smuggling and loss of customs revenues.” The Federal Ministry of Finance stipulated revised lower tariffs for rice imports vide Ministry of Finance Circular BD/FP/TT/50/I/99 dated July 8th 2014 (entitled 2014-2017 Fiscal Policy Measures On Rice).  According to this circular, bonafide “investors with rice milling capacities and verifiable backward integration programme” are entitled to import rice at the revised tariffs of 10% duty rate and 20% levy. 
As per the same circular, the pure rice traders (with no existing capacities/programme) were to pay a duty of 10% and a levy of 60%.  However, the allocations released by the Ministry of Agriculture include several beneficiaries who do not meet the stipulated criteria issued by the Ministry of Finance in July 2014. 
A study of the list of beneficiaries of the preferential import quotas, reveals that of the 28 companies, only 16 have mills, while the remaining 12 have no milling capacities but regrettably account for higher imports than the qualified millers.  Investigations also reveal that many of the companies without any proven capacities have already started selling off the quotas to pure importers for a handsome margin, leading to huge loss of customs revenue and defeating the basic purpose of the allocations.
   Genuine bonafide investors and industry players in the rice value chain are seeking immediate corrective action from the Ministry of Agriculture through cancellation of allocations and revisions to be effected based on FG’s circular in July 2014. Industry observers feel the Honorable Minister of Agriculture may have been misadvised on the track record and qualification of the beneficiaries, leading to flawed assessment of eligibilities.
State budget policy limits research work of geneticists

VietNamNet Bridge – Some scientists carry out research to create new varieties with the state’s money, but then sell their results to businesses for money, according to Dr. Duong Van Chin, an agronomist.


Chin made the statement when asked about the quality of plant varieties and what the state should do to retain greatest geneticists. Dr. Chin was a “state employee”, holding the post of the deputy head of the Mekong River Delta Rice Institute. But after retirement, Chin became the director of the Dinh Thanh Agriculture Research Center, a cooperation project between the An Giang Plant Protection JSC and Syngenta, a multinational group on biotechnology and plant varieties.In other words, Chin was once a hired state employee in the past and he is a businessman at this moment.

Analysts noted that when scientists work for state’s institutes and agencies, they cannot create good plant varieties, but when they shift to work for private businesses, they gain many achievements.

Do scientists receive better pay when they work for businesses?

Chin said that most of the rice varieties in the Mekong River Delta are products created by scientists at the state-owned Mekong River Delta Rice Institute.However, in some cases, there are also people who carry out research with the state’s money but later sell the best varieties they create to private businesses.Chin said the current management policy prompts scientists to do this.
In general, scientists have three to five years to carry out their research works, and after that period, they must submit one or several varieties. If they cannot, they must return the state funding.With such a policy, scientists have to create new varieties, at any cost, and have the varieties recognized by watchdog agencies.“They (scientists) do not care if the varieties they create have high quality and fit the consumers’ taste,” Chin said.

Funding disbursement
Why do scientists prefer working for businesses to state research institutes?

An official of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) said the ministry budgets VND700 billion a year for scientific research. Of this, VND500 billion is paid to researchers, while the remaining VND200 billion is given for project implementation.“The modest sum of money is obviously not enough for all fields of agriculture production,” he noted.
Chin noted that it takes scientists five to seven years to create a new plant variety, but Vietnamese scientists are not given enough time to adequately complete their research works.

Dat Viet

Tags:geneticists,research work of geneticists,scientific research in vietnam,

Source with thanks: http://english.vietnamnet.vn/fms/special-reports/118979/state-budget-policy-limits-research-work-of-geneticists.html

JCR-VIS reaffirms entity ratings of Matco Rice Processing at A-/A-2

December 31, 2014
RECORDER REPORT
JCR-VIS Credit Rating Company Limited (JCR-VIS) has reaffirmed the entity ratings of Pakistan's largest basmati rice exporter, Matco Rice Processing (Pvt) Limited, at "A-/A-2" (Single A-Minus/ A-Two) with stable outlook. Despite being a highly competitive market with numerous international rice brands, rice exports from Pakistan increased by 3.3 percent in FY14 to US 1.9 billion dollars. Matco was able to capture a larger share of the same as the company's exports increased by 25 percent in FY14. Growth in exports has been achieved due to increased sale of basmati rice which fetched a better price in the international market compared to IRRI. 
Sharing his thought on the rating, Chairman Matco Rice, Jawed Ali Ghori said, "This rating is yet another testament of our market leading product quality and reflects upon the trust of our valued customers. Our management has projected increased margins and overall profitability in the long-run and relishes the current entity rating of A-/A-2 by JCR-VIS with an aim to further enhance it in the years to come." 
He further added that "Matco Rice is constantly striving to increase the quality of products by applying international standards and strengthening rice procurement procedures.-PR 

Source with thanks:Business Recorder Pakistan
New Group Set Up for More Sustainable Rice
31 December 2014
GLOBAL - The Sustainable Agriculture Initiative (SAI) Platform’s new Sustainable Rice Project Group aims to speed up the implementation of sustainable rice growing practices.There are already several existing initiatives out there promoting aspects of sustainable rice growing, such as the Sustainable Rice Platform, International Rice Research Institute, and Keystone’s Fieldprint Calculator. SAI Platform’s Rice Project Group, recognising that each of these initiatives plays a role, will build on existing work and focus on speeding up the practical implementation of sustainable practices based on a common industry standard. The members agreed to collaborate in a variety of rice growing area such as Spain, Italy, US, South East Asia and India.
Richard Burkinshaw, Kellogg’s Rice Sustainability manager and SAI Platform member, said: "SAI Platform membership has grown so fast recently that there is now a critical mass of members eager to collaborate to enable faster deployment of sustainable rice agriculture practices in their value chains."The project group recognizes that these practices improving quality and yields, whilst reducing water use and greenhouse gas emissions are well known and tested. For example alternative water management strategies, integrated pest management, managing resource efficiency all have a potential role to play in the challenging flooded environment that rice needs .
"The group recogniss that to see large scale adoption, engagement has to be practical, simple and have win-win scenarios for farmers, customers and the environment. Our aim is to make sustainable rice growing transparent and accessible, helping more to gain as a result."The new group’s mission is to identify and develop a pragmatic, globally applicable Sustainable Rice Practices Standard based on SAI Platform’s easy to use Farm Sustainability Assessment, and to then test and implement it, and feedback any learnings to the Sustainable Rice Platform.
Members have committed to test the resulting standard in their respective supply chains and fund the costs of this joined effort. Local pilots will be executed by the Group’s members. SAI Platform’s secretariat will take care of the overall coordination.The project is planned initially for a year. If successful, the group could decide on follow-up steps like scaling-up, agreeing on metrics and indicators.
TheCropSite News Desk


Corporate corner
January 01, 2015
Wedding ceremony of Tanvir Zahoor’s daughter
LAHORE (PR): The marriage ceremony of Kiran Tanvir, daughter of well-known poet and writer Tanvir Zahoor was held the other day. British Empire member Malik Ghulam Rabbani, Aman and Insaneyat Forum president Rana Ihtisham, Punjab PML-N president Syed Naseeb Gerdezi, M Ilyas Moghal Adovocate, Short story writer Tariq Balooch Sehrai and other relatives participate the marriage ceremony.

The personalities who congratulated the Tanvir Zahoor were; Federal Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, MPA Dr Shehzad Qaser, Tariq Aziz from London and M Anwar Qadri, Faisal Nawas From Norway, Dr Khalid Kamal from USA, Justice Syed Afzal Haider, MNA Rai Mansib, APAT president Khalid Pervaiz, Own Shahid from Japan, Iftikhar Malik, Manu Bhai, Khalid Choudhri, Begum Naheed Munir Niazi,Haji Inam Ilahi and others.JCR-VIS Reaffirms Ratings of Matco Rice Processing Ltd

KARACHI (PR): JCR-VIS Credit Rating Company Limited (JCR-VIS) has reaffirmed the entity ratings of Pakistan’s largest basmati rice exporter, Matco Rice Processing (Pvt.) Limited (Matco), at ‘A-/A-2’ (Single A-Minus/ A-Two) with stable outlook. 
Despite being a highly competitive market with numerous international rice brands, rice exports from Pakistan increased by 3.3% in FY14 to USD 1.9b. Matco was able to capture a larger share of the same as the company’s exports increased by 25% in FY14. Growth in exports has been achieved due to increased sale of basmati rice which fetched a better price in the international market compared to International Rice Research Institute (IRRI).Meezan Bank, Pak Kuwait

Takaful sign agreement 
Karachi (PR):  Meezan Bank and Pak Kuwait Takaful Co Ltd have entered into an agreement whereby Pak Kuwait Takaful will provide Takaful (Islamic Insurance) coverage for the properties financed by Meezan Bank through its housing finance product ‘Easy Home’. At the memorandum of understanding signing ceremony, Mr. Muhammad Raza, Group Head Consumer Banking & Marketing at Meezan Bank said that “Meezan Bank is committed to providing a completely Shariah-compliant and comprehensive product menu”.  

Microsoft nurtures entrepreneurship
 ISLAMABAD (PR): As a global leader in technologies, Microsoft pursues a mission to provide a level-playing field for aspiring entrepreneurs, who want to build something to make the world a better place. With this dignified pursuit of nurturing the culture of Entrepreneurship, by supporting the Startup companies, Microsoft has now announced the beginning of “MIC Pre-Accelerator” program in Pakistan (Register before 29th December, 2014), designed to empower the progressive entrepreneurs. 

The MIC Pre-Accelerator is a 12-week intensive program designed by Microsoft Innovation Center (MIC) in Miami, U.S.A., to provide mentorship and training to the startup ventures, who seek more insight to take their ideas to market. The program comprises of workshops and coaching from Microsoft and its curriculum partners.

JS Bank to conduct due diligence of KASB Bank
KARACHI (PR): State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has granted permission to JS Bank to conduct due diligence of KASB Bank for its proposed acquisition. JS Bank has shown interest to carry out due diligence of KASB Bank as part of its long term vision.

JS Bank is one of the fastest growing banks in the country. The Pakistan Credit Rating Agency (PACRA) has maintained the long-term rating of JS Bank at “A+” (A Plus) and Short term at A1 (A One) respectively, which further indicates the financial health of the bank and the trust reposed in it by the country’s premier credit rating agency.

LTE handset offer with Bank Alfalah at 0% mark-up
LAHORE (PR): Warid Telecom brings yet another exciting offer in collaboration with Bank Alfalah Limited. The Warid customers using Bank Alfalah Credit Cards can now get LTE handsets on easy installment plans of 6 to 12 months with free LTE Mobile Internet Bundle at absolutely 0% mark-up.

This offer includes latest Samsung, Sony, Nokia and Huawei LTE devices. With 8GB monthly mobile internet bucket, Warid subscribers can enjoy absolutely free high-speed internet either for up to 12 months, depending on their installment plan.Commenting on the launch of this new offer, Mr. Asim Ali, Commercial Director, Warid Telecom said, “Having earned a great brand repute over the years for itself, Warid has always initiated the most affordable and exceptional services for its valued customers.

Rice Importers To Pay 60% Levy In 2015 – FG

 
 The minister of agriculture and rural development, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, has said that as the drive to ensure that Nigeria becomes self-sufficient in rice production gains momentum, a new policy has been approved to ensure that rice importers pay a tariff of 10 – 60 per cent.“The new policy,” according to an end of year report by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development made available to LEADERSHIP, yesterday, “is aimed at discouraging smuggling while leading to a quantum leap in the Backward Integration Programme (BIP),” Adesina said.He added that the policy has attracted more than $1.6 billion of private sector investments and it is expected that Nigeria will become a net exporter of rice just like Thailand or India within the next three years.
The minister said, “The new policy has an inbuilt tariff/levy differential deliberately skewed in favour of investors with verifiable BIP. These investors are allowed to temporarily import brown or finished rice to bridge the present gap in supply and demand and enjoy 10 per cent tariff and 20 per cent levy. On the other hand, mere rice traders will import at 10 per cent tariff and 60 per cent levy.”
The Nigerian local rice industry was, hitherto, comprised of entirely small-scale mills until 2008 when the first large integrated mill commenced operation.“By 2010 the small millers were producing about 60 per cent of parboiled milled rice in Nigeria, estimated at about 3-3.5 million metric tonnes with an estimated total consumption of about 5.5 million metric tonnes,” said the minister.He noted that initially the small mills could not generate products that could match the quality of imported rice because their products were deficient in critical quality attributes, including a lack of uniformity, flavour, odour, high content of broken grains, presence of stones and other extraneous materials, which limited consumer acceptance of lo cally processed rice.
However, the situation, he emphasised, has changed as clusters of small mills have acquired destoners and polishers, and have greatly improved the quality of their product.Speaking on the rice productions trends in Nigerian, Adesina said, “Nigeria rice sector had struggled to keep pace with post-civil war rising demands and driven by the oil boom of the early 1970s, the doors were left open for free import of rice. There was a positive reversal of the negative rice productions trends.”He added that Nigerian farmers have shown positive responsiveness to favourable government policy initiated by the current administration.
Rice industry stakeholders lament over import allocations, Say scheme will derail self-sufficiency efforts

Wednesday, 31 December 2014 21:17 Written by EDITOR
RICE industry stakeholders have cried out to the Federal Government asking that the recent wave of rice import licenses be cancelled outright before investments made by them in the last four years go down the drain. In a protest letter written to the government through the ministers of Finance and Trade and Investments, the stakeholders drew attention to what they called “the recent indiscriminate and wrongful award of import licenses as well as concessions to dubious businessmen with absolutely no investments in the rice sector who are now making millions and billions of naira selling those licenses to importers in the market”
 They warned that the current development in which new comers without experience were favored over and above operators who are at present investing billions in line with the Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA) threatens their investments. The allocations, the petitioners said, “provide a free ride for smugglers, thereby derailing the objectives on rice self-sufficiency. The country according to reports also stands to lose in excess of N 40 billion through smuggling and loss of customs revenues.”
 The Federal Ministry of Finance stipulated revised lower tariffs for rice imports vide Ministry of Finance Circular BD/FP/TT/50/I/99 dated July 8th 2014 (entitled 2014-2017 Fiscal Policy Measures On Rice).  According to this circular, bonafide “investors with rice milling capacities and verifiable backward integration programme” are entitled to import rice at the revised tariffs of 10% duty rate and 20% levy. As per the same circular, the pure rice traders (with no existing capacities/programme) were to pay a duty of 10% and a levy of 60%.
However, the allocations released by the Ministry of Agriculture include several beneficiaries who do not meet the stipulated criteria issued by the Ministry of Finance in July 2014. A study of the list of beneficiaries of the preferential import quotas, reveals that of the 28 companies, only 16 have mills, while the remaining 12 have no milling capacities but regrettably account for higher imports than the qualified millers.
Investigations also reveal that many of the companies without any proven capacities have already started selling off the quotas to pure importers for a handsome margin, leading to huge loss of customs revenue and defeating the basic purpose of the allocations.   Genuine bonafide investors and industry players in the rice value chain are seeking immediate corrective action from the Ministry of Agriculture through cancellation of allocations and revisions to be effected based on FG’s circular in July 2014. Industry observers feel the Honorable Minister of Agriculture may have been misadvised on the track record and qualification of the beneficiaries, leading to flawed assessment of eligibilities.
Source with thanks: http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/news/national-news/192283-rice-industry-stakeholders-lament-over-import-allocations-say-scheme-will-derail-self-sufficiency-efforts

Pakistani kebabs big hit at Kolkata fair

  
Pakistani kebabs big hit at Kolkata fair
Grilled marinated chicken tikkas and smoking seekh kebabs from Pakistan and rice dishes from Bangladesh with Ilish (hilsa fish) are not only tasty but healthy too, according to chefs from the two countries who are here for a fair. 
Two stalls from the neighbouring countries are not only rustling up delicacies at the ongoing 27th Industrial India Trade Fair here, but also dispelling myths about traditional foods.  Be it the warm platters of aromatic Sindhi Dum Biriyani, or the slow cooked chicken or mutton Nahari stew, the 15 dishes served at the kiosk of Pakistan's Warsi chain of restaurants are much in demand. Despite the rich creamy texture, the items are surprisingly high on nutrition, said chef Md. Arif of the Warsi restaurant that has outlets in Karachi, Lahore and Faizabad. "The cooking techniques that we use across the border, such as grilling and slow cooking, ensure that the nutritive properties of poultry and vegetables are retained," Arif, a resident of Karachi, told the media here.

Arif also swears by the combination of spices used. "The garam masala that we use is very different from the Indian version. When mixed in proper proportions with powdered dry fruit, it doesn't heat up the body too much." "In fact, in the chilly winter, spices and dry fruits are necessary. Our families have been surviving on this for generations without any side-effects," the 49-year-old Arif said about his family's secret spice mix. At the other end, the smell of oil squeezed out from the prized Hilsa fish has been a big draw. 
From Ilish biriyani to Ilish pulao and Ilish khichdi, the fish reigns supreme at the Bangladeshi food outlet. "We use all parts of the fish in our cooking. While the khichdi and pulao have boneless fish pieces, the biriyani has pieces with bones but no eggs. The oil that is used is also derived from the fish," said Atanu Pandit of the Bangladeshi food stall. This ensures no extra oil is needed during the cooking, and the fish in itself is nutritious due to the presence of Omega-3 fatty acids. 
"Ilish is very good for the brain and nervous system. The fusion of rice and fish is healthy. For the set-up here, we have used the Ilish caught in Bangladesh rivers," said Pandit.
Source with thanks: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life


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1stJanuary,2015 Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter By Riceplus Magazine