The Trans-Pacific
Partnership issues in-depth
By DOUG PALMER
7/26/15 6:16 PM EDT
There
are hundreds if not thousands of issues to resolve within the nearly 30
chapters of the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership pact, which would cover more
than 40 percent of world economic output. Here are some that have received the
most attention:
Autos —
The United States has a 2.5 percent tariff on cars and 25 percent tariff on
trucks; Japan has no tariffs on vehicles. However, the American Automobile
Policy Council, which represents Ford, General Motors and Fiat Chrysler, says
regulatory and tax hurdles effectively make Japan the most protected and closed
automotive market in the world. U.S. negotiators have secured a commitment to phase
out the 25 percent tariff on trucks over the longest period allowed for any
product in the TPP — a way to counter any move by Japan to put long phase-outs
of import tariffs on sensitive agricultural products. But for the past two
years they have also been engaged in a negotiation aimed at dismantling
“non-tariff barriers” that Japan has erected to U.S. auto exports. Japanese
automakers produce all of the trucks and 71 percent of the vehicles they sell
in the United States at their plants in North America. They argue Detroit-based
automakers only have themselves to blame for their lack of success in Japan by
offering cars larger than most Japanese consumers prefer. Meanwhile, both U.S.
and Japanese automakers have interests in Malaysia, a booming auto market with
significant restrictions on imports.
Story
Continued Below
Currency —
The White House beat back an effort in Congress to put a provision to require
enforceable rules against currency manipulation in a bill to fast-track the
passage of trade agreements. Still, the legislation makes addressing the
concern a principal U.S. negotiating objective — the first time that has been
done. If the TPP fails to include a meaningful currency provision, the pact
could be subject to a disapproval resolution stripping away its “fast track”
protections, making it open for amendment and subject to filibuster in the
Senate. Ohio Sens. Rob Portman, a Republican, and Sherrod Brown, a Democrat,
have been out front in calling for enforceable currency rules, as have Democratic
lawmakers from Michigan such as Rep. Sander Levin and Sen. Debbie Stabenow.
Dairy —
A complicated four-way dance is going on in the dairy negotiations, and right
now everyone is waiting for Canada to make its move. U.S. dairy producers were
opposed to the agreement when it only included New Zealand, the world’s largest
dairy producer, but came around when Canada and Japan, two substantial dairy
markets, joined the negotiations. Now, as trade officials head to Maui, it
looks like Japan is prepared to strike a deal on dairy products, although some
concerns over access to its butter market remain. But so far, Canada has not
put a meaningful dairy market offer on the table, leaving U.S. producers to
fear they could lose more from the final agreement than they gain. That’s a
problem for congressional approval because, as one lobbyist observed, “every
senator has a cow in their state.”
Geographical
Indications — Many common names for cheese, such as parmesan and asiago,
originated in Europe, and in recent free trade agreements, the European Union
has tried to lock up rights to use the names for its own producers. The U.S.
dairy industry fears that could hurt its exports and wants safeguards against
that practice in the TPP. However, some countries such as Canada, which is
currently part of the TPP talks, and South Korea, which could join in a second
tranche, have already signed free trade pacts with the EU that contain
protections for geographic indications.
Government
Procurement — Many countries restrict access to their public works
contracts, reasoning that domestic firms should be the main beneficiaries of
taxpayer-funded projects. The United States allows some “Buy American”
preferences for its own companies but generally has an open market and has
pushed for more access to foreign government procurement through its free trade
agreements. The issue is a sensitive one for Malaysia, which has had government
procurement preferences to help ethnic Malays since 1969 and previously walked
away from free trade talks with the United States over the issue. Many members
of Congress from steel-producing states do not want to see any weakening of Buy
American provisions under TPP, while Canada has sought more access to U.S.
state and municipal projects funded by federal dollars.
Investor-State
Dispute Settlement — Opponents of free trade agreements often point to the
investor-state dispute settlement mechanism as one of their concerns. The
provisions allows companies to sue host governments for actions that damage
their investment. Critics say it undermines the right of governments to
regulate in the public interest, while proponents say it is a necessary
protection against discriminatory and arbitrary government action. Australia
refused to include an ISDS provision its 2005 free trade pact with the United
States, possibly because the United States refused to provide more access for
Australian sugar. Australia more recently said it would consider the issue on a
case-by-case basis and included ISDS in its free trade pact with South Korea
but not with Japan, both of which it concluded in 2014. The United State has
ISDS in all of its free trade pacts except the one with Australia.
Labor
and Environment — Labor groups have been some of the harshest critics of
free trade agreements, arguing they keep wages low in the United States by
encouraging companies to move production overseas in search of a cheaper
workforce. Environmental advocates worry about damage to critical natural
resources as result of increased trade. Neither group has been assuaged by the
administration’s promises that the TPP will be the “most progressive” trade
agreement in history. While final details are still secret, the pact is
expected to contain enforceable labor and environmental provisions. However,
some lawmakers have urged that countries such as Vietnam be required to comply
with labor and environmental provisions of the pact before receiving any of its
market access benefits.
Pharmaceuticals —
This issue pits Washington’s desire to provide profit incentives for American
pharmaceutical companies to develop new drugs against critics who say overly
restrictive patent and clinical test data protections drive up the price of
generic medicines and potentially limit the ability of countries to define
their own national intellectual property standards. Recent U.S. free trade
agreements with Colombia, Peru, Panama and South Korea have provided five years
of “data exclusivity” for patent holders. Another protection, known as patent
linkage, was made voluntary for the three Latin American countries but
mandatory for South Korea. It requires regulators to check for potential patent
violations before approving a new generic drug for manufacturing. The United
States has been pushing for 12 years of data protection for “biologic” drugs,
the same as contained in the 2010 Affordable Care Act, but is alone on that
position. Both Canada and Japan provide eight years of data protection for
biologics in their own laws while five years is the norm for many other
countries. The advocacy group Médecins Sans Frontières has warned 12 years of
data exclusivity for biologics would “limit access to medicines for at least
half a billion people,” but Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch has
pushed hard for the lengthy term.
Pork —
When Japan sought to exclude a long list of “sacrosanct” agricultural
commodities from complete tariff elimination under the pact, no one screamed
their opposition louder than the National Pork Producers Council. A year later,
the group’s efforts seem to have to worked, and the pork industry appears
largely satisfied with the Japanese market access package as final negotiations
near, although officials have some remaining concerns that they say need to be
addressed in Maui. U.S. pork producers are also excited about the deal with
Vietnam, a fast-growing country of 90 million people where rising incomes are
expected to boost meat consumption in future years. Iowa and North Carolina are
the top pork-producing states, but production is spread throughout the Midwest
and reaches as far south as Texas.
Rice —
Japanese consumers eat more than 130 pounds of rice each year, about four times
U.S. levels, but very little comes from outside the country. Because rice
cultivation is so closely associated with the national identity, the government
uses a combination of strict quotas and high tariffs to ensure picturesque rice
paddies remain in the Japanese landscape. U.S. rice producers still hope for
expanded export opportunities, but if the United States is stingy with Australia
on sugar it’s harder to press Japan on rice. Arkansas is the biggest rice
producing state, with sizeable production in Louisiana, Texas and California.
State-owned
enterprises — Companies directly or indirectly owned by governments play
an increasingly large role in international trade and often are dominant
players in their own markets. Japan Post, a state-owned conglomerate that
operates a wide variety of businesses, including post offices, banks and an
insurance division, ranks 23rd on Fortune magazine’s list of the 500 largest
companies in the world. SOEs are responsible for an estimated 40 percent of
Vietnam’s economic output and also play major roles in Malaysia and Singapore’s
economies. TPP countries appeared to have largely agreed on a set of rules to
“level the playing field” between state-owned and private firms, but a debate
continues over which SOEs would be excluded from the disciplines.
Sugar —
The U.S. government supports domestic sugar prices by restricting imports but
typically has given free-trade partners some additional access to the United
States. Not so with Australia, which got nothing on sugar in the free trade
deal it struck in 2004. U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman has hinted the
U.S. would provide some additional access this time around but in a way that
would not jeopardize the sugar program, which benefits sugarcane farmers in
Florida and Louisiana and sugarbeet growers in Michigan, Wisconsin, North
Dakota, Nebraska, Montana, Wyoming, Idaho and Washington.
Tobacco —
With U.S. cigarette consumption continuing to fall, American tobacco companies
are eager for new markets to sell their cancer sticks, coffin nails or lung
busters, as they are known on the street. Many anti-smoking groups argue
tobacco should not even be included in free trade agreements, while farm and
business groups counter that excluding any legal product sets a bad precedent.
The issue gained prominence after Philip Morris used a bilateral investment
treaty between Hong Kong and Australia to sue for damages stemming from
Australia’s “plain packaging” law, which replaced familiar cigarette trademarks
with graphic images of cancer victims. U.S. trade officials proposed to address
the issue within the TPP by agreeing that measures taken to protect human, animal
or plant life or health would not violate the agreement as long as they not
disguised trade barriers. Washington also proposed requiring any TPP country to
first consult with its TPP partners before challenging any tobacco control
measure as a violation of the trade pact. Neither anti-smoking nor business
groups were happy with the compromise. Malaysia countered with a proposal that
would exempt tobacco-control measures from being challenged under TPP.
Textiles
and Footwear — The United States imported $82 billion worth of apparel in
2014, including about $30 billion from China. Vietnam was second with more than
$9 billion in sales to the United States and would be in a good position to
grab market share from China under TPP pact because of tariff elimination.
However, strict “rules-of-origin” are expected to limit Vietnam’s gains by
requiring that any clothing be wholly assembled within the TPP countries to
qualify for duty-free treatment under that pact. That means Vietnam could not
import fabric from a third country, such as China, and use it to make clothing
that qualifies for duty-free treatment. Some exceptions to that rule, in terms
of a list of apparel products that are in “short supply” in the United States,
are expected. Still, a significant loosening of the so-called “yarn forward”
rule of origin poses problems for clothing manufacturers in TPP countries Peru
and Mexico, who have adapted to the standard. Meanwhile, Boston-based shoe
manufacturer New Balance also is worried about increased imports from Vietnam
under the pact and has fought to maintain duties on a number of products lines
it assembles at its facilities in Maine.
New molecule found in
common rice disease could help in fight against HIV, ANU biologist says
Updated yesterday at 1:45pm
A
new molecule discovered in a common rice disease could help in the battle
against HIV, biologists have said.A team of international researchers found a
new molecule seen in rice disease, bacterial leaf blight, has similar molecular
mechanisms to that of HIV.Researchers found the rice plant's immune system is
triggered by a molecule called RaxX, which is secreted by the disease.The
disease is detrimental to rice crops across the globe, with half of the world's
population reliant on the grain for food security.Bacterial leaf blight can
destroy up to 80 per cent of a crop in some countries if it develops early.It
is a little bit like a flu shot, each flu shot has a mixture which would most
likely protect you to the next season flu and similarly these farms can grow
rice plants which would most likely be resistant to the bacteria in the field.
Australian
National University's Dr Benjamin Schwessinger
Australian
National University researcher Dr Benjamin Schwessinger said the discovery may
give insight into human health, as the "chemistry is similar to that of
HIV entering human cells".He said the chemical properties of RaxX, a
tyrosine-sulfated protein, have a wider significance than just rice diseases."Several
major human diseases, for example HIV, involve tyrosine-sulfated proteins. The
sulfation stabilises the molecules but its role in binding and cell entry is
not precisely understood," he said."The new understanding could lead
to the development of novel methods to block such diseases."Dr
Schwessinger said the molecule "has never been seen before", and
could boost crop yields and lead to more disease-resistant types of rice."We've
realised that the type of molecule plays an important role in the immune
response of rice plants," he said.
"The
plant transfers water and nutrients into vessels and the bacteria normally
clogs those up which leads to the death of the plant."It will now be much
easier to develop containment strategies against the disease and breed more
robust rice plants."
Some
strains of rice are naturally resistant to the disease, which has given the
team a clue as to what was affecting the plants.The team discovered the rice
plant's XA21 immune system was triggered when the RaxX molecule was secreted by
the leaf blight bacterium Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo).The team
generated mutants of Xoo that did not produce RaxX and tested whether they
triggered the rice immune response, which allowed them to isolate the Xoo gene
that was creating the RaxX molecule.Dr Schwessinger said the modified proteins
have a similar make-up to the HIV cells, however any application was "far
off"."The proteins we recognised were modified and similar
modifications were required for HIV to enter the human cells," he said."So
if we look to future research of the molecular mechanism ... it could lead to
insight to its application to HIV."
Dr
Schwessinger said he hoped the research could help rice immunity and methods to
produce more food in regions where it is needed."It is a little bit like a
flu shot, each flu shot has a mixture which would most likely protect you to
the next season flu and similarly these farms can grow rice plants which would
most 
likely be resistant to the bacteria in the field," he said.The
research has been published in the journal Science Advances.Topics: science-and-technology, aids-and-hiv, health, canberra-2600, act
likely be resistant to the bacteria in the field," he said.The
research has been published in the journal Science Advances.Topics: science-and-technology, aids-and-hiv, health, canberra-2600, act
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Negotiators inch towards historic trade deal
Negotiators inch towards historic trade deal
Shawn Donnan, World Trade Editor
If
the 12 trade ministers gathering at a beachside hotel and spa on the Hawaiian
island of Maui this week to put the finishing touches on the Trans-Pacific
Partnership live up to the
confidence of their negotiators, the agreement could finally be sealed at the
end of this week.For five long years negotiators from the US and other Pacific
Rim economies have been labouring away at the fine details of a trade agreement
of more than 700 pages and 29 chapters.
The
TPP, which with the US and Japan includes two of the world’s three
biggest economies, covers 40 per cent of the global economy. In scale alone it
would be the biggest trade agreement the world has seen in two decades and the
biggest regional agreement ever struck. As the economic backbone of US
President Barack Obama’s pivot to Asia and his strategic response to the rise
of China it also has geopolitical ambition.Optimism that a deal can be
finalised has grown in recent weeks after the US Congress handed the so-called “fast-track”
authority the president needs
to guarantee he can smooth the way through the legislature for the TPP.
The
consensus view is that other countries have been withholding their final and
best offers on any number of issues until that legislation, which restricts
Congress to simple up or down votes on trade agreements, passed. Without it
they faced the risk of any deal struck by the Obama administration being ripped
up by the legislature.
But
can the US and its partners really seal the deal?
Negotiators
say they are within a whisker of a final agreement and quietly confident of an
announcement when the ministerial meetings conclude on Friday. The US and
Japan, the two biggest players, have all but completed their own bilateral deal
over market access for everything from auto parts to beef and rice. The Obama
administration is so confident it has notified Congress it expects this TPP
ministerial meeting to be the last.Yet there remain enough sticky issues that
ministers may still go home disappointed and have to reconvene in the heat of
August for another attempt.Li Keqiang pushes for China-Europe investment treaty
China’s
premier Li Keqiang has criticised investment flows between the EU and China as
“hardly satisfactory” and made a strong appeal for the early conclusion of a
bilateral treaty that would give Chinese companies a smoother path to acquiring
European counterparts.
“We
are at the point where we can nearly touch the goal line, but the last stretch
of any negotiation is always the most difficult,” Shinzo Abe, the Japanese
prime minister, told his ministers on Friday.Inside the negotiating room the
biggest remaining hurdles are to do with intellectual property and the patent
protections afforded to new pharmaceuticals. Officials have also been working
to adjust a controversial provision that allows investors to sue member
countries for compensation and, critics say, circumvent local courts and
potentially hinder governments’ ability to regulate.The most immediate threats
to an agreement may be political, however.
Canada
is under intense pressure to open up its highly protected dairy industry to
outside competition from countries such as New Zealand, home to Fonterra, the
world’s largest dairy company. But the Canadian government of Stephen Harper,
which is facing elections in October and eager to avoid a political hit, has
yet to even offer a proposal.*
That
has prompted some in the US in particular to argue that Canada may have to drop
out of the TPP. In a letter to the Canadian ambassador in Washington on Friday,
US senators Orrin Hatch and Ron Wyden, two of the architects of the recently
passed fast-track legislation, said their “support for a final TPP agreement
that includes Canada is contingent on Canada’s ability to meet the TPP’s high
standards.”We are
at the point where we can nearly touch the goal line, but the last stretch of
any negotiation is always the most difficult
-
Shinzo Abe, Japanese prime minister
The
Canadian government responded that it would not bow to any public bullying or
what it has dubbed “negotiating via the media”.Malaysia’s prime minister, Najib
Razak, is also facing a political scandal at home, and negotiators from other
countries worry that his government may be too weak to make concessions on
sensitive issues over state-owned enterprises and the country’s preferential
labour laws for ethnic Malays.Even if a deal is struck in Maui this week it
will have to be signed off by the 12 countries’ leaders and their
various parliaments.But all of that will be moot if this week the gathering
trade ministers do not live up to their billing.
*The article has been amended from the original to make clear
that it is the Canadian government facing election
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/12307780-3270-11e5-91ac-a5e17d9b4cff.html#axzz3h9V2vYdo
Vietnam's Jan-July rice
exports dip 3 pct y/y-farm ministry
Mon Jul 27, 2015 3:49am GMT
HANOI, July 27 (Reuters) -
Rice exports from Vietnam, the world's third-largest exporter of the grain
after India and Thailand, are estimated to have eased 3.1 percent in the first
seven months of 2015 from a year ago to 3.72 million tonnes, the Agriculture
Ministry said on Monday.Revenue from the grain exports in the January-July
period will reach an estimated $1.59 billion, down 8.3 percent from a year ago,
the ministry said in a monthly report.Vietnam, could ship 5.91 million tonnes
of the grain this year, down 6.5 percent from 2014, the Vietnam Food
Association said, below the 6.3 million tonnes forecast by the U.N. Food and
Agriculture Organization. (Reporting by Ho Binh Minh; Editing by Martin Petty)
http://af.reuters.com/article/commoditiesNews/idAFL3N1043Y720150727
Rice sector wary of
EU-Vietnam deal
Mon, 27 July 2015
As
Vietnam and the European Union reach the final stages of negotiating a
bilateral trade agreement, giving Cambodia’s neighbour zero-duty exports to the
economic bloc, local rice millers and exporters have expressed concerns that
the deal could hurt the Kingdom’s rice exports.Under the proposed EU-Vietnam
Bilateral Free Trade Agreement (EU-V BFTA), the EU may import around 76,000
tonnes of rice, mostly husked and milled, from Vietnam at zero per cent duty,
according to Oryza, an industry publication.Song Saran, president of Amru Rice
(Cambodia), said he was concerned if the EU-V BFTA went ahead, as it would be a
big crisis for the country’s rice industry.
“If
it is materialises, Cambodia would face a big challenge to compete with Vietnam
and it will lose certain market share,” Saran said.“In the short-term, it will
limit growth in rice production and exports, as well as the investment needed
to improve the sector,” he added.Currently, the European Union (EU) imports
rice and other products duty-free from least developed countries under the
Everything But Arms policy.Of the rice exports to the EU under this policy,
Cambodia accounts for 22 per cent and Myanmar
three per cent.If Cambodia needs to maintain or increase the 250,000 tonnes its
exports to the EU, Saran said it will have to improve its production capacity
and logistical services to remain competitive.
“To get more volume, we need better expanding our dryer, warehouse,
and reserve funds to purchase the rice paddy during the harvest, “he said,
“Farmers should improve paddy production yield and quality.”To do so, Saran
said, it require the government should provide financing to boost stocks of
paddy for export with low interest, building the warehouse and dryer machines,
reducing cost for farmers in rice farming, accessing the direct market among
farmers and rice millers, and coordinating the cost reduction on transportation
among trucking companies and exporters to explore the cost effective and reduce
transportation fee.
According
to David Vann, former senior advisor to Cambodia Rice Federation, starting this
October the EU will import 10,000 tonnes of rice duty-free from Vietnam.“That
is just the start and once the 10,000 tonnes quota is achieved, they would
renew and would add more tonnage subsequently.
”Given
the size of Cambodia’s exports to the EU – which is 60 per cent or 172,000
tonnes according to the Ministry of Agriculture – Vann said that it would be
advisable to expedite diversification to other markets.Independent economist
Srey Chanthy said that despite tough competition from Vietnam, Cambodia could
increase focus on the niche market of fragrant rice – a variety that is not
grown in Vietnam currently.“Cambodia should also double efforts to diversify to
other Asian markets, like China and Malaysia, and Africa, which remains a much
untapped destination,” he said. “That would drive us to be less dependent on
the EU market.”IMAGE:A man unloads a bag of rice at an export warehouse in
Phnom Penh earlier this month.Vireak Maihttp://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/rice-sector-wary-eu-vietnam-deal
Farmers in Phrae begin rice
cultivation as a little rain resumes
Monday, 27 July 2015By NNT
PHRAE, 26 July
2015 - Farmers in the northern province of Phrae have begun rice cultivation
after scattered showers were seen all over the area in the past several days,
bringing in more water to agricultural lands and the Yom River. Water record at
Huai Sak Station on the Yom River in Song District showed a height of 1.18
meters on Sunday (26 Jul) with the flowing speed of 14.42 cubic meters per
second. Mae Yom Reservoir under the Mae Yom Water Distribution and Maintenance
Project, with its longest concrete reservoir in Thailand, is receiving 16.5
cubic meters of water per second. Phrae Governor Sak Somboonto says that the
drought disaster in the province has ended but it is still under the effect of
an ongoing dry spell. Due to rain suspensions, 91,780 people in 37,200
households living in 62 subdistricts in eight districts have been affected. The
shortage of rain has threatened 4,770 rai of corn plantations, 4,960 rai of
rice plantations, and 100 rai of garden crops. A preliminary survey of the
damage included 4.15 million baht loss of income.
http://www.pattayamail.com/news/farmers-in-phrae-begin-rice-cultivation-as-a-little-rain-resumes-49403#sthash.4OjciIzM.dpuf
Auction date for inferior
rice stock postponed
July 27, 2015 1:45 pm
Commerce
Ministry has delayed the auction date for inferior rice in its stockpile, from
the end of this month to next month, allowing more time for officials to
conduct a thorough survey and separate quality grains from inferior ones.Commerce
Minister General Chatchai Sarikanya, he has ordered ministry officials,
academics, the National Farmers Council, surveyors, rice sellers, and the
Thailand Development Research Institute to inspect silos where government’s
rice has been stored.These officials are to thoroughly inspect 1.29 million
tons of the supposedly low quality rice in the ministry’s stockpile as well as
estimating the cost of improving the grains for various purposes.
After
the examination, the officials would determine whether the rice should be sold
in smaller portions or as an entire silo. They would also separate inferior
grains from the rice to be sold for public consumption.Auction winners have
been told to strictly use these grains for particular purposes, the Minister
said, adding that his ministry would later conduct follow-up inspections to make
sure that the low-quality rice would not be sold for public consumption.Chatchai
also disclosed that the auction of around 400-500,000 tons of quality grains
scheduled for next week would go ahead as planned.
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Auction-date-for-inferior-rice-stock-postponed-30265301.html
UNISAME SUBMITS
PROPOSALS TO PLANNING MINISTRY FOR SHARING WITH ROUNDTABLE PARTICIPANTS
Jul 27, 2015 | Thaver
President
of the Union of Small and Medium Enterprises (UNISAME) Zulfikar Thaver and
committee members invited the officials of the Small and Medium Enterprises
Development Authority (SMEDA) at Unisame house to seek their guidance and
endorsement for final submission of proposals for rapid promotion and
development of the micro, small to medium enterprises (MSMEs) to the Ministry
of Planning, Development and Reform (MoPD&R) at the SME Round Table
Conference scheduled for 29th July 2015 at Islamabad.
The
UNISAME chief welcomed Haroon Ahmed Khan general manager (GM), Muslim Raza
deputy GM and Uzair Muhammad manager SMEDA and explained in details the
requirements of the MSMEs mainly access to finance, allotment of land,
technical help, uninterrupted supply of energy and raw materials and marketing
support and last but not the least protection against miscreants and
corruption. He said UNISAME is dispatching its proposals to Dr Faheem ul Islam
member MoPD&R and copy to Prof Ahsan Iqbal federal minister for planning development
and reform simultaneously for his consideration.
Thaver
highlighted the features of the SME Policy which envisaged each and every
aspect of SME promotion and development. It is a comprehensive plan for SME
promotion and development on modern lines with scientific approach.The SME
policy was prepared with the help of the stakeholders and covered the issues of
finance, technical support for product
up gradation, modernization and standardization.The access to finance and facilitating the MSMEs sector are widely discussed and strengthening of banking. insurance and leasing systems are discussed thoroughly in the SME policy.For technical support the policy promised the setting up of an SME institute.The SME policy has emphasized the need for SME Export house, SME Fund, Venture Capital, Credit Guarantee and an SME specific bank.
up gradation, modernization and standardization.The access to finance and facilitating the MSMEs sector are widely discussed and strengthening of banking. insurance and leasing systems are discussed thoroughly in the SME policy.For technical support the policy promised the setting up of an SME institute.The SME policy has emphasized the need for SME Export house, SME Fund, Venture Capital, Credit Guarantee and an SME specific bank.
The
policy even promised an office for SME Ombudsman for redress of grievances.Thaver
urged the MoPD&R to implement the SME policy in letter and spirit and also
study the World Bank report prepared by Dr Salman Shah and his team for
strengthening SMEDA to increase its scope and out reach.Secondly he stressed
the need to facilitate the sector by making doing of business easy by removing
all impediments and simplifying procedures, implementation of one window
operation, availability of information centers at SMEDA offices, reduction of
duties on raw and packing materials, promotion of innovative and import
substitution industries, incentives for new entrants, subsidizing solar, wind
and biomass devices for alternate energy and duty free imports of second hand
tyres for alternate fuel.
Thaver
emphasized the need to provide personnel and funds to SMEDA for projects for
agro based industries.UNISAME participants pinpointed the need for increasing
the limits of micro finance banks from Rs 500000 to 1 million to enable them
finance the small entrepreneurs who are not financed by the commercial banks.Secondly
the members also requested for removal of withholding tax (WHT) on banking
transactions on non filers and requested for at least one years time to enable
the non filers to become filers. The WHT on profits on bank savings account is
also high and the members complained of double taxation, first on profits and
then on withdrawal of profits which is unfair and unjust.Basically UNISAME
members had their reservations on WHT itself which they said is against the
norms of taxation and cannot be imposed in this manner.
Of
course income tax is acceptable because it is on income but WHT on withdrawals
is unfair because many a times it is not related to income and cannot be
charged in this manner on each and every transaction.Haroon Ahmed Khan GM SMEDA
said the sector deserves priority being the majority sector and the backbone of
the economy and he would make his best efforts to impress upon the government
to give priority to the sector.Muslim Raza Dy GM said he endorsed the demands
of UNISAME for global marketing support for SME wares and work on war footings
for the establishment of the SME Export House to inform, educate and promote
SME products on the internet through SME galleries.Uzair Muhammad said SMEDA
would sharpen its training tools for the sector and conduct training courses in
Information technology, energy preservation and accounting systems.
http://www.unisame.org/unisame-submits-proposals-to-planning-ministry-for-sharing-with-roundtable-participants/
APEDA RICE India
|
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Agri economy may nosedive
Priti
Nath Jha, TNN | Jul 26, 2015, 10.36PM IST
MUZAFFARPUR:
State's agriculture economy may nosedive with farmers not receiving
remunerative prices of their produce in absence of sufficient number of agriculture
processing plants and drought conditions looming large on the one hand and
non-payment of about Rs 365 crore from existing 11 sugar factories in the state
going into gradual deficit on account of glut in sugar market, on the other. Fast changing climatic conditions have
already damaged litchi and mango crops in the state and the prospect of a good
kharif too has been marred by scanty rainfall. Director, state agriculture
department, Dharmendra Singh, acknowledged that the rainfall during the current
month is nearly 60% less than normal rain in the state.
Although,
it is too early to say that Bihar is facing drought, farming has been
definitely affected in rain-fed areas, he added. Informed sources said Bihar produces
nearly 80 lakh tones of paddy every year, on an average. But only 8 lakh tonnes
of paddy is being consumed by state's own rice mills. Producers have sold out
their paddy only at Rs 800 per quintal to traders who have sent the entire
stock to good quality rice mills outside Bihar. Definitely, there are rice
hullers in every locality of the state being operated either with diesel or
electricity but even villagers prefer to eat polished and branded rice produced
by outside rice mills than that produced by local hullers.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/patna/Agri-economy-may-nosedive/articleshow/48228638.cms
Madagascar to increase rice
yield using Chinese hybrid rice
July 26, 2015
ANTANANARIVO:
Like other rice farmers in Madagascar, 19-year old Patrick Razanakoto is
hopeful of increasing his rice yield after using Chinese hybrid rice seeds.“I
decided to use hybrid rice when I saw my neighbour’s yield,” Razanakoto told
Xinhua in his hometown of Ambatondrazaka, 268 km northeast of Madagascar’s
capital Antananarivo.“Before, I was only cultivating one hectare of land and
harvesting less than two tons of rice. But I decided to increase the piece of
farmland by renting additional three hectares and I now expect to harvest at
least four tons of rice per hectare after I started using hybrid rice seeds,”
the young farmer said.Razanakoto says “a better future for his family” is what
has motivated him to increase his production.
”“My
dream in life is to be rich like everybody else. After some years, my priority
is to have my own land,” he said, adding that he would not wish to see his
child suffering like him and wanted him to study and become a doctor.Razanakoto
has rented three hectares from Matagri, a company that popularizes Chinese
hybrid rice dubbed Weichu-903. It rents land to farmers in Ambatondrazaka,
gives them seeds and fertilizers and also buys their paddy.According to Andre
Ranaivoson, the head of Matagri, the company deals with two categories of
farmers, with the first category comprising farmers with their own piece of
land and the second comprising those who are facilitated with everything,
starting with land.“We give them seeds, equipments and money.
After
the harvest, both parties calculate their cost of production and deduct it from
the profits,” Ranaivoson said.He said whereas one hectare of land will require
26 kg of hybrid seeds, it can produce between 8 to 12 tons of hybrid rice after
152 days of cultivation.Ambatondrazaka Regional Director of Agricultural
Development Samuel Rakotondrabe told Xinhua the region has four varieties of
rice among which Weichu-903 is the most appreciated by the farmers currently
for its yields and taste.Rakotondrabe said during the 2014-2015 farming season,
only 135 hectares of land in Ambatondrazaka were placed under hybrid rice
cultivation.
A
local chief, Jean Yves Ranaivonirina, told Xinhua Madagascar will no longer
experience food insecurity challenges if all the 100,000 hectares of arable
land in Ambatondrazaka, the country’s breadbasket, can be placed under hybrid
rice.He noted that besides its good taste, the Weichu-903 rice variety could be
cultivated at any time of the year, it has a higher yield and fetches more
money on the market than the other rice varieties. A kilo of its paddy is one
third more expecnsive than other rice varieties.Rice is the staple food in
Madagascar. According to statistics from the National Instute of Statistics
(INSTAT), most Malagasy households eat rice three times a day while a Malagasy
consumes an average of 114 kg of rice per year.INSTAT notes that the country
currently produces only 5.9 million tons of rice per year, which is below the
required quantity for 22 million Madagascans. The low production has been
attributed to use of poor quality seeds, lack of proper farming equipments and
shortage of fertilizer.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/business/26-Jul-2015/madagascar-to-increase-rice-yield-using-chinese-hybrid-rice
USA Rice, Members, Iraqi
Trade Minister Talk Markets
Presenting market realities
AMMAN, JORDAN -- In a continued
effort to keep U.S. rice competitive in the Iraqi market, USA Rice members met
last week with the Iraqi Trade Minister and his staff to discuss requirements
and expectations surrounding that country's public tender process. Iraq imports
approximately 1.4 million MT of rice
annually and the Iraqi Grain Boardpurchases nearly all imports via a public
tendering process. 
The past year has seen both positive trade
results, including a recent sale of 60,000 MT of U.S. long grain rice, but also
frustration when U.S. tenders fail even while we remain price competitive
vis-Ã -vis other South American origins.The meeting with the Trade Minister was
intended to better understand the tendering process and the rationale for
certain requirements contained in the tender documents. In addition to USA Rice members and staff,
USDA/FAS Minister Counselor for Iraq Ron Verdonk attended the meeting. USDA and the U.S. Department of State have
been extremely engaged and helpful to the U.S. rice industry as we try to gain
reliable and consistent access to the Iraqi rice market.
The U.S. team also reiterated a long-standing
invitation for the Trade Minister and members of the Grain Board to visit rice
country in the United States this summer.
The Minister has indicated that he will try to schedule a visit before
September and USA Rice will develop an appropriate itinerary to accommodate the
Minister's schedule.
Contact:
Jim Guinn (703) 236-1474
USA RICE FEDERATION
Biting into Canada's Ethnic
Communities
Chef Nick Liu
TORONTO, CANADA -- In an effort to make inroads with Canada's
multicultural society, USA Rice is focusing recent promotion efforts here on a
particular target market -- Chinese Canadians. USA Rice launched a media
campaign aimed at this typically white rice consumer group to increase
awareness, consumption, and sales of brown rice. USA Rice educational materials were
translated into Chinese, along with four Asian recipes developed by one of
Toronto's hottest culinary stars, Chef Nick Liu. "Creating brown rice
recipes for this campaign was a natural fit for me," said Chef Liu. "I embraced the recipe development,
adopting the same culinary approach I use for my restaurant's menu creations,
which draws upon both my Chinese heritage and Canadian upbringing. I combine Asian flavors with local
ingredients to create delicious recipes where brown rice is a natural
fit."The recipes and brown rice information were featured in nearly 50
articles and garnered three million media impressions in Chinese
publications. A recent grocery store
audit here revealed that T&T, a popular Chinese supermarket, offers more
than 35 products featuring U.S.-grown rice, six of which are brown rice.
Contact: Sarah Moran (703) 236-1457
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Crop Progress:
2015 Crop 51 Percent Headed
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WASHINGTON, DC -- Fifty-one percent of the nation's 2015 rice
acreage is headed, according to today's U.S. Department of Agriculture's Crop Progress Report.
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CME Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures
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CME Group (Preliminary): Closing Rough Rice Futures
for July 27
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Good rainfall expands crop
planting by 26%
By ET Bureau | 27 Jul, 2015, 04.40AM IST
Rainfall in the
past 24 hours was 45% more than average, reducing the total deficit since June
1 to only 5%, data from the IMD showed.ET SPECIAL:
NEW
DELHI: Heavy monsoon showers drenched crops in agriculturally significant
central and northwestern India, bringing the season's total rainfall one
percentage point closer to normal after four days of torrential rains. Rainfall
in the past 24 hours was 45% more than average, reducing the total deficit
since June 1 to only 5%, data from the India
Meteorological Department showed. The weather office has predicted very
heavy showers in parts of the country in the days ahead, which is likely to
further reduce the rain deficit of the season. Unexpectedly good rainfall has
encouraged farmers to expand the area under cultivation by 26% compared with
last year, with strong gains in pulses and oilseeds. This is expected to reduce
India's dependence on imports.
The weather office had forecast a 12% deficit in rainfall this season, particularly in July and August. While June rainfall was 16% more than normal, the monsoon dipped sharply in early July before it gained momentum again in the past week. Rainfall in the past seven days has been close to normal or higher, which will help paddy, oilseed, coarse grain, cotton and other crops. Parts of western India where crops were drying up due to weak rainfall received strong monsoon showers in the past week, helping the crops recover.
Economists and analysts say that going by current trends, this year's kharif production is likely to be higher than last year. This will reduce fears of food inflation, a key consideration for the Reserve Bank of India's approach towards interest rates. Numerical forecast models of the weather office indicate that rainfall is expected to remain higher than normal for the following week, which should further increase crop planting. Gujarat, western Madhya Pradesh and parts of west Rajasthan along with Jammu and Kashmir received heavy rainfall in the past few days.
The weather office had forecast a 12% deficit in rainfall this season, particularly in July and August. While June rainfall was 16% more than normal, the monsoon dipped sharply in early July before it gained momentum again in the past week. Rainfall in the past seven days has been close to normal or higher, which will help paddy, oilseed, coarse grain, cotton and other crops. Parts of western India where crops were drying up due to weak rainfall received strong monsoon showers in the past week, helping the crops recover.
Economists and analysts say that going by current trends, this year's kharif production is likely to be higher than last year. This will reduce fears of food inflation, a key consideration for the Reserve Bank of India's approach towards interest rates. Numerical forecast models of the weather office indicate that rainfall is expected to remain higher than normal for the following week, which should further increase crop planting. Gujarat, western Madhya Pradesh and parts of west Rajasthan along with Jammu and Kashmir received heavy rainfall in the past few days.
However,
southern India as well as the northeast saw muted rainfall in the past day.
Rainfall in southern India has been 15% below the longterm average since the
start of the monsoon season on June 1. North-west India, on the other hand has
a 10% surplus rainfall, which should boost output because the region includes
the key grain-producing states of Punjab and Haryana. Rainfall in West Bengal, a major rice
producing region, has also progressed well, while it has picked up
significantly in western Uttar Pradesh, which is also a major agricultural
region, after a shaky start in June.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/agriculture/good-rainfall-expands-crop-planting-by-26/articleshow/48230458.cms
By Mohammed Shosanya
Lagos
— President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has said that there is no going
back on his plan to invest heavily in rice farming in five states in order to
reduce the importation of commodity into Nigeria.Dangote, who spoke at a series
of town hall sensitisation meetings between the management of Dangote Rice
Farming Ltd and officials of the Jigawa State government and communities on the
rice project, said he hopes to use the same as platform to become the leader in
rice farming in the world and also boost the Nigerian economy, encourage
self-sustainability and import substitution in rice.
The
management team led by Alhaji Mohammed Bello who represented Dangote, said the
company was set to reduce rice importation by investing to become the largest
farmer in the world by 2020 with excess of 150,000 hectares of land spread
around three to five states.A statement by the company quoted Bello as saying
that Dangote Rice Farming Ltd will produce and sell one million tonnes of high
quality parboiled rice within the next five years and at the same time support
and develop other Nigerian rice farmers through an out-grower plan that will
generate employment.He said state of the art equipment worth millions of
dollars meant for the take-off of the rice project were being expected on a
location in Kaffin Hausa local government area of Jigawa State.
http://allafrica.com/stories/201507270936.html
Rice imports drop by 53% as
prices rise
JULY 26, 2015 : IFE ADEDAPO
Bags of rice
The volume of rice being imported into the country has dropped by
53 per cent in the last one month just as the price of the commodity has
increased by over 20 per cent in the market, following the Central Bank of
Nigeria’s decision to place rice among 41 items not valid for foreign exchange.
The CBN had last month warned banks and bureau de change operators against
making available foreign exchange to importers of rice and 40 other items in a
bid to conserve the hard earned forex and boost the production of those
products.Already, the decision is beginning to take a heavy toll on the
importers of the affected items and the general business environment.
In
the case of rice, statistics from the Nigerian Ports Authority’s daily shipping
position obtained on Friday revealed that out of 37 ships expected to berth at
the seaport terminals between July 9 and August 1, rice was not included.The
ships carrying other food commodities and other products are expected to berth
at the APM Terminals, Apapa Bulk Terminal, GDNL, ENL, Lister, among other port
terminals.It was gathered that since the beginning of the month, only one ship
carrying about 34,000 metric tonnes of rice had berthed on July 2 at the
ENL/GDNL Terminal.
But
in May, the Lagos ports received a total of 71,630 metric tonnes of rice. The
34,000MT of rice for July, therefore, shows a decline of 52.5 per cent.Our
correspondent gathered that rice importers were finding it difficult to import
the product due to high cost of buying dollars at the parallel market for
business.The value of naira had been depreciating for the past one month. And
as of Thursday, the value of naira to dollar stood at N244.The Afrinvest
Research, in its foreign exchange market review of the past week, stated that
importers of items banned from accessing foreign exchange at the official
market had continued to scramble for hard currency in the parallel market.It
said, “We anticipate that the foreign exchange policies in Nigeria will affect
local manufacturing companies that depend on the importation of some of the
listed items for raw materials.
This may further have some impact on growth
rate and inflation in the third quarter of 2015.”In its circular released on
the June 23, the CBN explained that the move was to encourage the local
production of the goods and sustain the stability of the forex market.The CBN
Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, had threatened to sanction banks that flouted
the directive and provided foreign exchange to importers of the banned
products.Findings by SUNDAY PUNCH from various markets in Lagos and other parts
of the country on Friday showed that the price of rice had continued to rise
with a 50kg bag of the product selling for a minimum of N8,500, compared with
N7,000 it was being sold at the beginning of the year.
A
trader at Daleko Market, a major rice market in Lagos, Mrs. Folashade Adeleke,
said that the price of the food commodity had increased due to the persistent
clampdown by the Nigeria Customs Service on smugglers from the land borders.She
said, “The Cotonou rice, which is smuggled into the country, is always cheaper
and importers are forced to reduce their price in order to compete effectively.
But since the border has been closed and customs officers are seizing the smuggled
rice, the price of the product keeps increasing.”Adeleke said although she was
aware about the existence of locally produced paddy rice, only Ofada rice had
been widely accepted and currently being sold in the market.
The
immediate Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina, was reported to have
said that local brands such as upland rice, lowland rice and fadama rice were
available in Sokoto, Kebbi, Kano, Katsina, Niger and Kogi states.The Food and
Agricultural Organisation had predicted that Nigeria’s rice purchases would
drop by 3.3 per cent from three million metric tonnes in 2014 to 2.9 million
metric tonnes in 2015.
http://www.punchng.com/business/rice-imports-drop-by-53-as-prices-rise/
California rice farmers put
water rights to work for environment
July 25, 2015 Updated: July 25, 2015 9:10pm
Top: Water from
the Sacramento River flows in irrigation canals on the Davis Ranches in Colusa,
which have some of the state’s oldest water rights.COLUSA — Don Bransford drove
one recent day past rice fields stretching to the horizon, over a water-filled
slough and into the gravel parking lot of a historic 1894 brick ranch house
once owned by a Sacramento Valley farming pioneer.To continue reading this
story, you will need to be a digital subscriber to SFChronicle.com.
http://www.sfchronicle.com/science/article/California-rice-farmers-put-water-rights-to-work-6405452.php
Rice, milk and cars stand
in way of historic trade pact
Top trade officials from 12 countries scattered around the
Asia-Pacific region will descend on the island of Maui for a week of meetings
starting Friday.
By Doug Palmer
27/7/15,
11:46 AM CET
Updated 27/7/15, 3:35 PM CET
The Obama administration is closer than ever on a breakthrough on
the biggest trade deal in world history. But years of delicate negotiating
could be undone by Canadian milk. Or Japanese rice. Or U.S. pharmaceutical
patents.Top trade officials from 12 countries scattered around the Asia-Pacific
region have descended on the island of Maui for a week of meetings, where they
will sit in hotel conference rooms negotiating a free trade zone that would
cover about 40 percent of world economic output.And while they could leave with
a breakthrough deal, the talks could just as easily be blown up by petty and
not-so-petty grievances over everything from cheese labels to auto tariffs.The
administration sees the Trans Pacific Partnership as a major part of President
Barack Obama’s legacy, and his top trade representative, Michael Froman has
visited four countries and met with most of the others in Washington, D.C.,
over the past several weeks urging them to be prepared to close the deal.
The Republican Congress has already given Obama special trade
promotion authority, which would allow him to push through the deal with a
simple majority vote.But time is short, and there’s no guarantee of an
agreement.Canada wants to protect its dairy and poultry producers and Japan,
its rice farmers. American drug companies want other countries to adopt strong
U.S. protections on a blockbuster new class of medicines called biologics, and
U.S. automakers oppose giving Japan more market access. Canada and Malaysia are
particular concerns because of difficult domestic politics that could make it
more difficult for them to close in Maui, even if other countries are ready.If
talks slip into next year, election-year politics could destroy any momentum
and relegate the pact to another administration.“I think there’s limited time
to try to conclude a deal,” said Tami Overby, senior vice president for Asia at
the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. “I think there is a political drop-dead date.
I don’t know what that date is and I won’t speculate on it. … But I
do think there is one out there, and I think probably the administration is
very focused on that and has worked backward.”The breathless pace is possible
only because of the so-called “fast-track” bill, strongly opposed by most
Democrats, labor, environmental and health-care activists who are critical of
the trade deal.“The administration has indicated they want to wrap up
negotiations in this round,” Rep. Rosa DeLauro, a staunch opponent of the
agreement, told reporters. “My colleagues and I are here to say that is
altogether too fast a schedule. … The agreement itself is riddled with problems.
Congress, industry, advocates still have enormous concerns which the
administration has done little or nothing to resolve.”Timelines built into the
new trade promotion authority law require Obama to give Congress 90 days’
notice before signing any trade deal and to make the agreement public 60 days
before signing. So the transpacific pact must be completed soon for Congress to
vote on it before Christmas, the administration’s best-case scenario.
Still, U.S. trade officials have never closed a deal quite as
complex as the TPP, which aims to establish the rules of trade for the 21st
century and anchor the United States securely in the fastest-growing economic
region of the world rather than cede it to an ever-more-dominant China.“It’s
going to be some of the most interesting negotiations in diplomatic history,”
said John Corrigan, who tracks the talks for the U.S.-ASEAN Business Council, a
group of companies active in the Southeast Asia region. “Certainly the most
important trade deal in global commercial history, the most complex and the
most forward-looking.
The proposed pact would update the North American Free Trade
Agreement between the United States, Canada and Mexico and expand it to nine
other countries that range widely in terms of economic development and
political systems but share a desire for closer trade ties: These include two
that fought bitter wars against the United States in the 20th century — Japan
and Vietnam — as well as Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Peru, Malaysia,
Singapore and Brunei.Even before the deal’s details have been released, the TPP
has stirred NAFTA-sized opposition, with labor, environmental and other
activist groups preparing to fight the agreement, which could be headed to
Congress for a straight up-or-down vote by the end of this year or early 2016 —
just as the presidential primary season is getting underway.
Obama has promised the TPP will be the “most progressive trade deal
in history” in terms of raising labor and environmental standards, especially
in less-developed TPP countries like Malaysia, Vietnam and Mexico. But
opponents are skeptical it will make much of difference in those areas and say
it will simply encourage more jobs to move overseas.“The ‘most progressive
trade agreement’ isn’t much of a standard in our point of view,” AFL-CIO
President Richard Trumka told POLITICO this week. “It can be better than the
others, but still not good enough. … Bad trade agreements lower wages. Bad
trade agreements take jobs away.”Meanwhile, Congress is closely watching the
final negotiations, demanding a pact that opens markets and expands protections
for U.S. intellectual property while not harming politically important
constituencies.
“I think [Froman] understands the hot spots for the people who
support opening up markets and where he needs to go in order to get votes,”
Rep. Pat Tiberi, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee’s Trade
Subcommittee. “I think he clearly understands that he can’t just come back with
whatever” and win congressional approval.The final agreement could have 30 chapters covering an almost uncountable number
of issues in areas including tariffs on farm products and manufactured goods,
barriers to cross-border services trade, labor and environmental protections
and the controversial intersection of drug patents and access to medicines.
That’s bigger and more comprehensive than NAFTA, which had 22chapters, and the more recent U.S.-South Korea pact,
which had 24.
Scientists discover rice
plant's immune system trigger
Researchers say their discovery
could help doctors better combat human diseases, too.
By Brooks Hays | July 27,
2015 at 12:02 PM
A new discovery could boost rice production, the world's most
important grain crop. Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI 
ACTON, Australia, July 27 (UPI) -- Researchers in Australia have isolated the molecule that alerts
rice plants to the presence of bacterial leaf blight. The bacteria-secreted
molecule, called RaxX, triggers the plant to turn on its immune system."We've
discovered a new molecule that's never been seen before," Benjamin
Schwessinger, an agricultural researcher at the Australian National University, said in a press release. "We've realised that this
type of molecule plays an important role in the immune response of rice plants.
"Researchers
confirmed the importance of molecule after studying the behavior of plants that
have naturally developed more successful defenses against the disease. They
found that the rice plant's XA21 immune system had evolved to recognize the
disease's presence by seeking out the RaxX molecule.To confirm their work,
researchers developed leaf blight bacteria mutants that failed to produce the
key molecule. When exposed to previously resistant rice, the plants were unable
to fend off the bacteria. Scientists were then able to isolate the gene that
produces RaxX, a tyrosine-sulfated protein."It will now be much easier to
develop containment strategies against the disease and breed more robust rice
plants," Schwessinger said.
Rice
makes up more than a fifth of the world's diet, feeding millions. Bolstering
the crop against disease outbreaks could save rice growers millions, and better
secure sources of nutrition for impoverished eaters.But researchers say their
discovery could help doctors better combat human diseases, too."Several
major human diseases, for example HIV, involve tyrosine sulfated proteins. The
sulfation stabilises the molecules but its role in binding and cell entry is
not precisely understood," Schwessinger said. "The new understanding
could lead to the development of novel methods to block such diseases."The
new findings were published in
the journal Science Advances.
http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2015/07/27/Scientists-discover-rice-plants-immune-system-trigger/8401438007966/
Agri export outlook not
bright for India
Competing countries’ depreciating
currencies put them in an advantageous position even as India refuses to adopt
tech advances in agriculture
By: Tejinder Narang | July
27, 2015 12:24 AM
The
trend of a rise in agri and allied exports in the last five years has
reversed—such exports fell by 8.5%, from $33 billion in 2014 to $30.1 last
year—though the decline has been somewhat stemmed by higher beef and meat
products exports, up by $500 million. It simultaneously reflects policy
paralysis in the Indian agriculture sector as well as the redundancy that has
set in for most processes due to the march of technology. Is this tumble
because of the global fall in prices of commodities, almost by 20-25%? No, not
fully.
Globally,
the demand for agri-commodities continues to expand. But India has lost ground
in many traditional markets to competing economies such as Brazil, Argentina,
France, Russia and Ukraine.The depreciation of currencies of many rival countries,
the poor yield of Indian agriculture, inflexibility due to the government’s
tight control of the sector, etc, are some factors for this dismal performance.
The fall in exports of major agri items has been precipitous, to the extent of
50% in some cases.
The
continuing fall in crude oil prices due to the conflict in West Asia, the
inevitable entry of Iran and the ample US-shale oil output is likely to trigger
price compression of ethanol and other bio-fuels, which in turn will cause a
reduction of consumption of corn and soya. That trend will continue to
aggravate, causing values of agri-commodities like wheat, sugar, oil meals and
vegetable oils, to bottom out.Add to this mix the currency depreciation
scenario in many countries. Thanks to the Greek crisis, the euro is already
weak and will continue to remain so or weaken further—even a dollar-euro parity
(1:1) is being speculated. The Russia-Ukraine conflict and the falling crude
values create more their respective currencies. Brazil’s real will fall further
as it struggles to ensure export consistency of its humongous crops of soya and
corn to service the weakening power of China. These factors portend India will
remain out-priced in near future.
In the short-term, a downward bias will prevail internationally for
agri-commodity prices, unless there are major droughts or environmental issues.
Even under relatively volatile conditions, the world will produce more agri-commodities with the improvement in sowing/
harvesting/ irrigation/ fertiliser technologies and the growing usage of GM
seeds. To meet the competition owing to global changes and turbulence, India
has to introspect on its macropolicy for agriculture. The motto has to be “more
crop per drop”, and that ethos concerns each unit of power, fertiliser and
technological investment.
However, the current scenario lends itself to diverse views. Do we
need to focus wheat and rice production which is tied to dedicated procurement
for 7%-8% farmers? Should we keep importing about 14 million tonnes of edible
oil, with annual increments of 1 million tonnes? Are we to continue with
the import of pulses, given our demand stands at 5-6 million tonnes with
outlook of only increasing? Should we to shed our aggression in oil meals
export, where the decline is 52% in FY15, over FY 14? Can we afford to keep our
soy output unchanged at the 10-11 million tonnes we have been seeing for the
past 5 years? Should our maize/corn production remain at 23-24 million tonnes
while Brazil’s output has jumped to 80 million tonnes from 50 million tonnes in
the last five years? Is the government-controlled pricing of sugarcane,
irrespective of market forces, sustainable? Will more yield per hectare spur
exports?
Should
we continue to impose custom duties on items which are cheaper abroad to
protect our domestic inefficiencies and outdated policies? India has become a
high-cost agri market. Even Pakistan and Bangladesh, that hitherto sourced oil
meals from India, have shifted to oil meals of South American origins despite
the logistical disadvantage.Green revolutions have happened when India either
kept pace with world’s scientific developments or adapted them.The introduction
of high-yielding varieties of Mexican wheat seeds, as per Norman Borlaug, the
renowned American scientist, with increased use of fertiliser and irrigation
technologies, was responsible for average yields hooting up to 3 tonnes/hectare
from less than 1 tonne. Hybridisation of paddy by Indian Council of
Agricultural Research, led by scientist VP Singh, enabled India to improve the
quality and yield of basmati rice. Lower yields mean sub-optimal use of land,
labour, inputs and other natural resources. Reduced output is responsible for
lower income and lower economic growth, leading to stress in the economy.
There appears to be congenital
apathy in India for GM crops, which are now widely grown in the US and South
America. China is the largest importer (74 million tonnes) of GM soyabeans. But
India keeps thwarting agricultural progress by stalling on introduction of GM
crops. This supports vested interests in agricultural, industrial and political
circles. Why is a fair cost-benefit analysis not being carried out for GM
crops? Can we stand as an isolated island when it comes to modern agricultural
practices? If some modifications in the policy are to be introduced for
induction of GM crops, let these be deliberated upon. On the one hand, we are
one of the biggest consumers of imported GMO soy oil and cotton seed oil. On
the other, we still don’t permit these crops to be planted in our country. Is
this pure hypocrisy?
As the economy grow, we will need
more corn, soy, pulses, wheat, rice, edible oils, sugar, etc. Unless we don’t
come up with the right blend of policy, we may soon turn importers rather than
be a producer and exporter.
First Published on July 27, 2015
12:20 am
http://agriculture.einnews.com/article/277908326/e89yNzXrDUD3KuLk
New GM rice can cut
greenhouse emission: Scientists
Contributed by TYLER OWEN on July 27, 2015 at 8:57 am
Indian
labourers plant rice paddy cuttings in a field on the outskirts of Amritsar on
June 16, 2015 … With less carbon in the roots, there is less raw material for
the microbes to work on, the researchers explain. As a result, the world’s rice
paddies emit between 25 million and 100 million metric tons of methane every
year.In order to reduce the greenhouse effect buildup and offer more food to
the world, the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences has engineered a
“high-starch low-methane-emission rice” capable of producing a strong yield in
an ecologically friendlier manner, by making the roots smaller and grain
bigger. They also took measurements of starch content in the plants’ stems,
roots, and seeds. It was especially effective during the summer, he says, when
it cut methane emissions to 0.3 percent, compared to 10 percent of the control
rice plants’ emissions.
The
decrease in emissions was lesser in the autumn though the researchers say the
GMO rice still reduced the methane output by 50-percent. The longest part,
though, will be breeding a new variety of rice that is the same as the GMO
rice, but that can be sent to farmers to be planted and harvested.Moreover
there are still biological and environmental concerns regarding the possibility
of genetically engineered strain spreading in the wild, as GM rice has not been
approved for commercial cultivations anywhere in the world. Without more
trials, Bodelier wrote, it’s hard to know how the genetic modification impacts
the rice cultivar’s long-term chances for survival.
The
reduction in carbon going into the soil, then, means there is less for microbes
to convert into methane.In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Bruce
Linquist, a plant scientist at the University of California at Davis, echoed
Bodelier’s sentiment.But rice? This grain is so important to human nutrition
that it is second only to corn in its volume of production.Even if further
trials prove the efficacy of the modified rice, it faces huge hurdles in order
to become commercially viable.Modifying the genetic makeup of the rice was
fairly simple. Golden rice – a genetically modified strain of rice that
contains beta carotene to combat malnutrition in developing countries – was
ready for full-scale use in 2002, but has faced staunch opposition that has
kept it from market for over a decade.
They
maintain that have found a solution to the growing-population-climate-change
conundrum, however. The rice plant itself acts as a conduit, transmitting
methane from the soil into the atmosphere. Yet it turns out to be one of the
chief sources of methane emissions on the planet, according to a study
published July 22 in the journal Nature.Scientist new rice variety with
starchier grains
Scientist new rice variety with starchier grains – FreeDistrict
Breakthrough discovery for lowering arsenic
in rice
By Jenny
Eagle
27-Jul-2015
Related tags: Rice, Processing,
Food Standards Authority
|
Researchers at Queen’s University Belfast
have made a breakthrough discovery in lowering levels of arsenic in rice.
|
US legal standards
The UN WHO has just
set, in 2014, advisory levels of Asi in polished (i.e.
white) rice grain at 0.2 mg/kg, while the European Union and the US is in the
process of setting legal standards for inorganic arsenic in rice based
products.As part of the study, researchers at Queen’s tested two methods of
percolating technology, one where the cooking water was recycled through
condensing boiling-water steam and passing the distilled hot water through the
grain in a lab setting, and one where tap water was used to cook the rice in an
off-the-shelf coffee percolator . Both approaches proved effective, with
up to 85% of arsenic removed from a variety of different rice types and brands,
including wholegrain and white.The scientists concluded a shop-bought coffee
percolator is the best method for removing the carcinogen, inorganic arsenic,
from all types of rice, including white and wholegrain.
Andy Meharg, professor of Plant and Soil Sciences, Queen's Institute
for Global Food Security said the breakthrough discovery is significant as
offers an alternative to decreasing inorganic arsenic in the diet.“In our research we rethought the method of rice cooking to optimise the removal of inorganic arsenic and we discovered by using percolating technology, where cooking water is continually passed through rice in a constant flow, we could maximise removal of arsenic,” he said.
Heart disease, diabetes
& nervous system damage
“Chronic exposure to inorganic arsenic can cause a
range of health problems including developmental problems, heart disease,
diabetes and nervous system damage.“However, most worrying are lung and bladder cancers. This breakthrough is the latest example of the commitment of researchers at Queen’s to changing lives and advancing knowledge that will have a lasting impact around the globe.”
Queen’s is now seeking
a patent for the development of a bespoke rice cooker based on a percolation
system.Rice has, typically, 10 times more inorganic arsenic than other foods
and according to the European Food Standards Authority, people who eat a lot of
rice, as is the case in many parts of the developing world, are exposed to
worrying concentrations. Children and infants are of particular concern as they
eat, relatively, three times more rice than adults – baby 
rice being a popular food for weaning – and their
organs are still developing.Market rice was purchased from major UK retailers
in the city of Belfast, or purchased online through UK retailers. Of the 41
samples tested in the study, two were generically labeled as being from the EU,
11 from Spain, six from Italy, five from Thailand, five from France, two from
Egypt, one from Japan, one from Australia, one from Lebanon, one from Pakistan,
one from Turkey and five from the USA; with 13 being unpolished (wholegrain)
and the rest polished.
rice being a popular food for weaning – and their
organs are still developing.Market rice was purchased from major UK retailers
in the city of Belfast, or purchased online through UK retailers. Of the 41
samples tested in the study, two were generically labeled as being from the EU,
11 from Spain, six from Italy, five from Thailand, five from France, two from
Egypt, one from Japan, one from Australia, one from Lebanon, one from Pakistan,
one from Turkey and five from the USA; with 13 being unpolished (wholegrain)
and the rest polished.
http://www.foodproductiondaily.com/Processing/Breakthrough-discovery-for-lowering-arsenic-in-rice
This
Cooking Method Helps Get Rid of Arsenic in Rice
Cooking rice in this surprising household
appliance could significantly cut down on the staple’s arsenic levels.(Image via AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
High levels of arsenic in rice shouldn’t scare you away, scientists
say, because they’ve found a way to flush most of the toxin, the journal Nature notes. Researchers for the study in Plos One acquired 41 rice samples from at least
a dozen countries and dumped them into either a lab-built contraption that
condensed steam and produced fresh, distilled hot water or into a regular old
coffee percolator with a filter, where the hot water dripped onto the uncooked
rice (and then back out of the rice).
The results: The coffee percolator-cooked
rice got rid of half its arsenic, while the steam device got rid of up to 85%
in some cases, depending on whether white rice or whole-grain rice was used,
per the study. These findings could affect countries that consume lots of rice
and even infants who eat rice-based cereals, as high arsenic levels in food
have been tied to cancer. The way rice is produced contributes to why the
product can have up to 10 times the arsenic levels of other foods: The water
present in the flooded paddies where rice is grown can shake up inorganic
arsenic found in the soil and infiltrate the plants, UPI reports.
The study’s leader notes this technique is
simply a short-term fix for people who don’t want to wait for longer-term
solutions like revamping rice-growing processes and cultivating strains that
contain low levels of arsenic, perNature. He also doesn’t expect
everyone to start firing up their coffee machines whenever they want to make
jambalaya—he’s really hoping this method may lead to better rice-cookers down
the road. “We just took something that’s in everybody’s kitchen and applied it
to show a principle,” he tells the journal. (Arsenic has been found in water, apple juice, and
even beer.)
https://www.yahoo.com/health/this-cooking-method-helps-get-rid-of-arsenic-in-125176764328.html
Scientists create starchier, low-methane rice
At
the other end of the plants, the grain was starchier than conventional rice,
increasing the food yield of the plants. And the new rice variety emitted less
than 10% of the methane of conventional rice, they reported.Rice paddies are
the largest single source of methane linked to human activity, with organic
dump yards and cattle belch producing the rest.“The altered allocation resulted
in an increased biomass and starch content in the seeds and stems, and
suppressed methanogenesis, possibly through a reduction in root exudates”, the
team concluded. Though methane lives for a very short time in atmosphere that
carbon dioxide (CO2), the most abundant greenhouse gas, it absorbs and radiates
more heat from the earth’s surface. In 2002, a study noted that the rice
plants, which carried more grains tend to emit less methane.
In
an essay in Nature that accompanied the study’s publication, Paul Bodelier, a
researcher at the Netherlands Institute of Ecology who was not directly
involved with the study, called the findings “a tremendous opportunity for
more-sustainable rice cultivation”, but cautioned that large-scale trials are
necessary before moving forward with full-scale commerical use.The decrease in
emissions was lesser in the autumn though the researchers say the GMO rice
still reduced the methane output by 50-percent. This could be because more
carbon going into rice grains left less carbon to go elsewhere.It is estimated
global rice production puts between 25 million and 100 million metric tons of
methane into the atmosphere each year. Carbon that is unused usually gets
released into the soil, which escapes into the atmostphere as methane.
In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Bruce Linquist, a plant
scientist at the University of California at Davis, echoed Bodelier’s
sentiment. Far fewer methane-producing bacteria hugged the roots of the new
rice.But the fact that this rice is genetically modified could prove to be a
sticking point in introducing it to farmers and the general population.Charles
Rice of Kansas State University in Manhattan recently contributed to a 2014
IPCC report on mitigating climate change.There is some concern, however, about
the environmental impact of genetically modified foods.
But
attempts to reduce emissions from paddies have focused on changes in farming
practices, which can be onerous and expensive. Since the low-methane strain of
rice isn’t bred to be herbicide or pesticide resistant, this most likely won’t
be an issue with this particular strain – though the way that its root-system
interacts with microbes in the soil is something to
watch.http://tvnewsroom.org/newslines/science/scientists-create-starchier-low-methane-rice-57770/
Rwanda: Locals to Use Rice
Husks for Energy
By Michel Nkurunziza
Government
will soon start generating energy from rice husks as part of push to absorb
greenhouse gases and as a strategy to fight deforestation.The 'Rice husks to
power project' is being implemented in Nyagatare District to produce green
energy.Bright Ntare, the programme manager of National Climate Fund (FONERWA),
said the project is among 17 climate change adaptation projects under
implementation in the country.Speaking on the sidelines of the South-South
meeting in Kigali last Thursday, convened to discuss financing climate
compatible development, Ntare said the projects are being funded by FONERWA at
a tune of Rwf22 billion.
The
three-day meeting drew experts from Bangladesh, Colombia, Ethiopia, Indonesia,
Kenya, Mozambique, Peru and Rwanda to discuss different funding alternatives
for projects initiated to mitigate effects of climate change in developing countries.It
was organised by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) in
collaboration with Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA).Participants
said green technologies by private investors need funding to avail renewable
energy in rural areas.
Ntare
said the 'Rice husks power project', whose implementation started last year,
could be ready in two months.Ankush Chhabria, the managing director of Novel
Renewable Energy, (the implementing firm), said the produced energy will be
connected to national grid.The pilot project will produce 70 kilowatt per hour
and could be rolled out to other areas of the country next year, he explained."When
the husks are left in the soil by farmers and rice millers, they emit
greenhouse gases into the atmosphere that contribute to climate change but once
the power machinery is completed in two months... .the ash from the processing
will be distributed to farmers as a fertiliser," Chhabria said.
The
company has signed a contract with rice millers for the distribution of husks. Under
the technology, husks are burnt in well-constructed facilities and machinery
that finally store the gas into clean energy for use.A part from funding public
institutions, FONERWA also gives innovation grants and credit line funds that
focus on research and technologies to private sector investors.Ellie Marsh, who
works with global development advisors from Switzerland, noted that there is
need to create opportunities for private sector, build investors' confidence
and foster public participation into adaptation mechanisms to develop such
technologies in developing countries.She also stressed that implementation and
sustainability level of the climate plans needs to be strengthened. http://allafrica.com/stories/201507270515.html
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