Application
Note: The Use of HRMS and Statistical Analysis
in the Investigation of Basmati Rice Authenticity and Potential Food Fraud
18 Aug 2015
There is increased concern regarding the authenticity of basmati
rice throughout the world. In Britain, the Food Standard Agency found in 2005
that about half of all basmati rice sold was adulterated with other strains of
long-grain rice. A proof of principle method has been established to assess the
authenticity of basmati rice using ‘off the shelf’ supermarket samples with the
latest advances in high resolution GCMS hardware and informatics. In this
application note, Volatile compounds of interest were extracted from heated dry
rice via SPME/headspace. Following a generic GC separation, detection was
performed using a SYNAPT G2-Si run in HDMSE mode. Progenesis® QI, the latest
OMICS informatics package from Waters®, is designed to utilise the
4-dimensional data produced during a HDMSE acquisition.
Rice
growers, dealers demand realistic polices
August
18, 2015
Our
Staff Reporter
HAFIZABADThe
paddy growers and rice dealers belonging to the district have been grappling
with a severe crisis due to the government ‘unrealistic’ policies on rice
export.The growers and dealers have stocked rice worth billions of rupees for
the last two years but due to absence of a clear policy to export rice.Addressing
a meeting of the growers and rice dealers on Monday, Kissan Board Gujranwala
Division president Aman Ullah Chattha said that due to unrealistic policies of
the government the growers and rice dealers were on the verge of bankruptcy. He called upon the government to ensure early
export of old stock of rice and ensure announcement of support prices of
Basmati paddy at Rs2,500 and non-Basmati at Rs1,200 per 40 kg prior to the
arrival of new crop.
He also reminded the Prime Minister of Pakistan of his promise that Basmati
growers would be paid subsidy of Rs5,000 per acre. He said that despite several
requests subsidy has not yet been paid to them, which, he said, was
discouraging. CRUSHED TO DEATH: A young villager was killed
on the spot when a speeding car hit his bike on Pindi Bhattian-Hafizabad Road
near Tahli Goraya. According to police source, Abu Bakar, a resident of Sagar
village was on the way to Pindi Bhattian on a bike. When he reached near Tahli Goraya, a speeding
car coming from the opposite direction, hit his bike causing his death
instantly. The car driver sped away after the mishap. The
police are investigating.
http://nation.com.pk/national/18-Aug-2015/rice-growers-dealers-demand-realistic-polices
Basmati acreage may remain at last year’s
levels
TOMOJIT BASU
Prices likely to fall once new supplies hit markets as Iran
remains passive
NEW DELHI, AUGUST 18:
Basmati acreage in India for the
2015-16 Kharif season is likely to remain the same as last year even as prices
had dropped considerably to ₹2,000-2,900/quintal in 2014-15 from as much as ₹4,000 the year before.
Area under basmati cultivation
touched 2.1 million hectares (mh) last year and sufficient rainfall across
Haryana and Punjab – which account for as much as 70 per cent of basmati output
– through most of the ongoing monsoon season has resulted in consistent
planting.India produced 8.3 million tonnes of basmati rice last year.“Acreage
should be about 2 mh, the same as last year at. We don’t expect a change given
the good precipitation in the key basmati-growing areas and also western Uttar
Pradesh which is almost completely irrigated,” said AK Singh, who heads the
Genetics Division at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI).Rajen
Sundaresan, Executive Director of the All India Rice Exporters’ Association,
concurred and said “initial surveys indicated that acreage this Kharif would
match that of last year.”
Early planting woes
Singh, who was the chief breeder
of the Pusa-1509 basmati variety, expected a slight decline in its coverage and
an increase in area under Pusa-1121, another popular variety he helped breed
and which accounted for 75-80 per cent of the $4.79 billion earned through
basmati exports in 2013-14.
In 2014-15, Pusa-1121 was planted
on around one million hectare while Pusa-1509 was covered between 0.5 and 0.7
mh. “There has been a slight change this
year and 1121 will cover 1.3-1.35 mh while 1509 may slide to between 0.35 and
0.4 mh,” he said.A reason for the decline in area under Pusa-1509 could be the
high breakage levels in the grain, which prompted millers in Haryana to scale
back on procurement this year. Early planting was identified as the chief cause
for the breakage.“Last year, farmers planted 1509 on a large scale by June
since it had the qualities of being early maturing and flowered quickly,
besides a higher yield. This year, they were asked to plant it in July so that
the problem can be avoided,” said Trilochan Mohapatra, Director, Central Rice
Research Institute, Cuttack.
Exports to Iran
With Iran unlikely to buy as much
basmati rice as it did two years ago, prices could take a beating when the new
crop hits the market, said analysts. “If production is consistent with last
year, prices are likely to be down since Iran is not buying much rice,” said Tejinder
Narang, a grains trade expert.
Exports to Iran fell to 0.93
million tonnes (mt) last year from 1.4 mt the year before, according to data
provided by the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development
Authority.
(This article was published on August 18, 2015)
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/industry-and-economy/agri-biz/basmati-acreage-may-remain-at-last-years-levels/article7554348.ece
El Nino shadow looms large over South,
Gangetic plains
VINSON KURIAN
Subdivisions in the East and North-East seem to be less
influenced by an El Nino, while some of the subdivisions in North-West are
betting on a bumper July
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, AUGUST
18:
With the signature of a growing El Nino written large over the
Indian monsoon, which are the Met subdivisions vulnerable to rain deficits
during this month (August)?
The Gangetic Plains of North India show their susceptibility
during an El Nino year such as this, says K Srikanth, a Chennai-based blogger.
July events
Srikanth analysed the scenario to reassess the
vulnerability of various Met subdivisions after factoring in the actual
sequence of events in July.Both East Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are, more often
than not, highly vulnerable for failure in August when the preceding July has
left behind a deficit.The drought-prone subdivisions of Marathwada and
Rayalaseema also fit the bill during August after a below-normal July.Most of
the West Coast except Kerala falls into deficit once July and August have
delivered below par.Subdivisions in the East and North-East India seem to be
less influenced by an El Nino with most, except Bihar, showing lesser chances
for poor rain in August.
Strong influence
Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland-Manipur-Mizoram-Tripura normally ride
their luck on a strong showing in June.
On the other hand, some of the subdivisions in North-West India
are betting on a bumper July to end the season with a decent rain record.In the
South, almost all subdivisions are faced with the prospect of a poor August and
thereby a poor season overall indicating a potentially stronger El Nino
influence over this part of the country.
An earlier study by Srikanth in early July had shown how
critical July rainfall is for the prospects of monsoon season as a whole. It
listed out subdivisions vulnerable to deficit rain during El Nino years.The
final July numbers are in sync with the expectations from a study for 12 sub
divisions, Srikanth toldBusinessLine. Of these, eight had been
identified as highly vulnerable.All of them have ended up with a deficit.
Thirteen other subdivisions marked out as less or moderately vulnerable also
ended up in the red.
But five, picked out for being moderate-to-highly ulnerable,
turned in a surplus after they received isolated heavy rainfall of high
intensity.
(This article was published on August 18, 2015)
The Hindu
Fear of the
future makes people seek out spiritual gurus in search of reassurance. And that
is why a thousand Radhe Maas flourish
India is famous for Basmati rice,
yoga, Gandhi and, of course, spiritualism.Sadhus and sants dot the country, ranging from
the lone, bearded baba under the village tree to swamis who live luxurious lives with a
battery of attendants and devotees doing their bidding. Clairvoyant,
spiritual guru, representative of god — godmen and women in India have been
called these and much more. They are in the news again, thanks to Radhe Maa of
Mumbai who has been accused by a woman of instigating her in-laws to harass her
for dowry.All of us have heard from friends, relatives, acquaintances, even
strangers, of how they met baba ormataji and their lives changed forever.
Their businesses picked up, the childless got a child, ‘problems’ sorted
themselves out… in short, it was happiness all the way.
Most seek the help (guidance?) of
godmen not for spiritual purposes but for improving their material lives. Will
I get a promotion or will my colleague beat me to it; will I get the party
ticket to contest elections, if yes, will I win; will my new venture make
profits — these are some of the typical ‘problems’ for which people seek
‘guidance’ or answers.These issues stem from fear – fear of the uncertain.
Humans love to peep into the future and when they are assured by their baba or mataji that all will be well (if not
today, then tomorrow), they heave a sigh of relief. When some of their
problems are resolved, thanks to some luck and the normal course of things,
they attribute it to miracles (‘even the doctors had given up hope’) and the
protective hand of the guru.
Dependency
syndrome
But what of the price people pay
for such assurance of ‘happiness unlimited’? By seeking the help of godmen and
clairvoyants, people turn away from reality. Even the educated and rational
become vulnerable when a slew of problems strikes them. Indeed, in most
instances, the devotee is assured that it is his good karma that brought him to the spiritual
guide in the first place (‘not everyone can get theswamiji’s darshan,’ he is assured). People start believing that all good
things that happen to them are thanks to the blessings bestowed on them, and
all the bad things will eventually pass, if they follow theirguruji’s
advice (which may range from an appeal for a modest contribution to demands for
huge sums of money to propitiate the gods).
Before they realise it, they
become dependent on these so-called gurus for their physical, emotional and
financial well-being. The search for quick-fix solutions and the lack of
courage renders them incapable of facing the day-to-day challenges of life.Why
are our godmen and women so successful? Most of them come from humble
backgrounds, start in a small way and, within a few years, have a huge
following with swanky ashrams, temples and loads of money. No business model
can explain their exponential growth. Almost always, they claim they are an
incarnation of god. A police officer, for instance, claimed that Lord Krishna
appeared in his dreams and told him he was Radha. Soon, a halo is created
around them by a few people, which is then publicised to attract more devotees
to the fold. Stories of miracles are meticulously spread.
The matajis and babas acquire a cult status once
politicians and celebrities, ever ready to exploit anything that can remotely
benefit them, enter the scene. Thanks to political patronage, adulation and
publicity, it is not long before dollars and foreign tours start flowing in.
The heady mix of money, power and religion without responsibility, and the
knowledge that even the state is scared of meddling with religious affairs,
make godmen and women acquire a larger-than-life image. Many invest in
hospitals, ashrams and educational institutions, which increases their
popularity.
Religious
sanction
What sets them apart from
politicians, celebrities and businessmen is the religious sanction of their
influence, which they exploit to the fullest. They no longer seek or appeal for
donations; they place orders. There are reports in the media of people who sell
their property, even abandon their families at the command of their so-called
gurus. What is baffling is the continued following sants and gurujis command even after allegations of
sex, sleaze and crime are levelled against them. Swami Premananda, once hailed
as a spiritual leader, was sentenced to life for rape and murder. Other
religious leaders have been accused of similar crimes and more. But their
followers live in denial; those who make the allegations are sidelined,
threatened, even silenced. Sadhus and sadhvis, it would seem, can do no wrong. Any challenge to their
authority is perceived as a challenge to religion itself. The fear of
antagonising the gods in whose name godmen and women thrive, and the fear of
reprisal prevent many from speaking out.
Ours is a country where religion
is fed to people on a daily basis, and spiritual gurus are held in great awe
and respect. It has produced many eminent spiritual leaders who have worked for
the welfare of people, showing them the path to salvation. This is perhaps the
reason people believe that those who preach in the name of god can do no wrong.All
religions preach spirituality. But it is necessary to remember that spiritualism
is also about giving up materialism, not promoting it in the name of religion.
A guru or guide should ideally
help realise one’s spiritual dream, not promise the world to his or her
devotees in exchange for money, land or patronage. Anyone who claims to speak
on behalf of god and broker deals with god for a commission can hardly be
trusted to elevate a person spiritually.But then, till people realise that life
has its ups and downs and no one except them can fight their everyday attles, swamijis and matajis will continue to prosper. They
will continue to promise quick fixes in the name of the god they claim to
represent and who has ordained them to provide salvation to humanity – that
part of humanity which is willing to submit and asks no questions.
Soya acreage at all-time high, touches
121 lakh hectare
The area under
soyabean cultivation in the country this year is at an all time high at 121.086
lakh hectare, senior officials from the Soybean Processors Association of
India...
The area under soyabean cultivation in the country this year is
at an all time high at 121.086 lakh hectare, senior officials from the Soybean
Processors Association of India (SOPA) said. Last year, the sowing had touched
110.177 lakh hectare.According to Davish Jain, chairman, SOPA, although this
year the area under soyabean cultivation is higher by 10 lakh hectare as
compared to last year, the production may not be higher than last year due to
lower yield.Jain said the erratic tenure of the monsoon and moisture levels
could result in some loss to the expectation of a bumper crop. Last year, the
total production touched 99.64 lakh tonne.
The acreage has gone up
further in Madhya Pradesh to touch 68 lakh hectares and there could be an
overall improvement of 1-2 lakh hectares across the country, he said.“For
farmers soya is seen as a better option in terms of prices of other competing
crops such as cotton and basmati rice. They received a bad deal last time and
ended up in losses. Farmers, who had replaced soya with other crops, are
returning to soya plantation this year and the lost acreage of 2013 at 121 lakh
hectares has been regained,” Jain pointed out.DN Pathak, SOPA executive
director, agreed and pointed out the yield could be lower because of
damage to crops.There have been pest attacks, stunted growth and flowering
problems and all this could impact production, he said.Industry experts said
the prices of oilseeds have been one of the major factors for a boost in sowing
this year.
SOPA has conducted a survey of soyabean crop in the three major
soyabean growing states of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan. The
survey was carried by extensive field travel by SOPA teams in 59 soyabean
growing districts of the countryt in these states.According to agriculture
department of Madhya Pradesh, area under soyabean cultivation in the state this
year is 67.280 lakh hectare which is higher than last year (55.462 lakh
hectare). Due to poor rains immediately after sowing and then heavy rains which
caused water logging soya crop in approximately 3.6 lakh hectare has been
destroyed completely.The vegetative growth of plants and formation of pods have
been affected adversely due to water logging and insufficient sunlight. Looking
at all these aspects, the production of soyabean will be down by 15-20% this
year in Malwa region.
Adesina Slams Oshiomole Over Criticism Of
Jonathan’s Agricultural Transformation Agenda
Posted by: niyi August 19, 2015
Immediate past Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development,
Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, has slammed Edo State Governor, Adams Oshimhole, for
describing the Agricultural Programme of former president Goodluck Jonathan as
a scam.In a statement signed by his Special Assistant on Media, Dr. Olukayode
Oyeleye, the former minister said it was most uncharitable for the governor who
was in a better position to know the success of the Agricultural Transformation
Agenda (ATA) to attempt to discredit it for reasons best known to him.“Foremost,
it is a bad public relations stunt, not expected from the governor. Secondly,
his comments detract from the ATA – a reform that was vigorously pursued and
implemented by Dr Akin Adesina, now president elect of African Development
Bank,” the former minister said.
“For reasons of safeguarding the economy and strengthening the
confidence of the international community in Nigeria, genuine efforts towards
ensuring food security and diversifying the economy away from oil should not be
subjected to cheap politics as the negative impact that follows such public
comments could be to the nation’s detriment.“Governor Oshiomole ought to know
better that, under ATA, efficient distribution of subsidised farm inputs – also
known as the Growth Enhancement Support Scheme (GESS), reached 14.3million
farmers with 1.3million MT of fertiliser, 102,703 metric tons of improved rice
seeds, 67,991 metric tons of improved maize seeds, 6,171 metric tons of
improved cotton seeds, 130 million stems of cassava, 45.5million seedlings of
cocoa, nine million seedlings of oil palm amongst many other crops between 2012
and 2014.“Those inputs helped produce an additional 21million MT of food that
has acted as a buffer against inflation with the devaluation of the Naira.
“At a time that the nation desperately needs to build upon the
achievements of the immediate past minister of agriculture, Governor Oshiomole
can only do the Edo people some good by recognising the fact that lending by
commercial banks to agriculture increased from 0.07 per cent in 2011 to five
per cent in 2014 while banks lent a total of N27.5 billion to fertiliser and
seed companies.
“As the chief executive of a state so blessed with natural
resources so highly favourable to productive agriculture, Governor Oshiomhole
ought to think rather on how to make Edo more enterprising. In doing so, an
area he is expected to be more interested in, should be agriculture.“For that
reason, Governor Oshiomhole ought rather to be keen on how the intervention
that brought agriculture from policy oblivion to a sector that is now widely embraced
could be replicated in Edo State within the remaining number of months he has
to spend as a governor.“He ought to have been asking, for instance, the
erudite, resourceful and hardworking former minister, how he was able to
achieve so much within so short a time.
“If Governor Oshiomhole knows how to play the politics well, he
should be thinking of how to leverage on the former minister’s growing
relevance at the continental level as the new head of the biggest development
financial institution in Africa.
“He is supposed to be expressing interest in the increased
investment in the fertilizer sector totaling $5billion from major companies
such as Indorama, Dangote, and Notore.“He should have been asking his special
assistants to study how usage also rose from 13kg per hectare in 2011 to 80kg
in 2014, or how seed companies in Nigeria grew from 11, producing 14,000 metric
tons of improved seeds, to 134 companies doing 174,000 metric tons of seeds.“The
governor should be asking how Nigeria become the world leader in the use of ICT
to reach farmers directly with farm inputs and how the World Bank is trying to
scale out this efficient system of ensuring high productivity of small holder
farmers across Africa.
“It is grossly unfair for Governor Oshiomhole not to recognise
that ATA of 2011 to 2014 was Nigeria’s equivalent of the ‘green revolution’
that took place in Asia in the 1960s and 1970s, where new highly productive
varieties of rice and wheat, and the chemical fertilisers that helped them
achieve their potential, led to a doubling and tripling of yield and
self-sufficiency.“Particularly troubling is the fact that a political leader of
a State as enlightened as Edo State could feign ignorance at the fact that the
number of integrated rice mills, needed to produce parboiled rice, preferred by
Nigerians, has grown from just one in 2010 to 24 in 2014.“Equally worrisome is
he fact that he is unaware that our parboiled rice milling capacity increased
from 70,000 metric tons to 800,000 metric tons. His former colleague in Lagos,
at some point, had bought as many as 56 trailer loads of paddy rice from Kebbi
(a major massive producer of rice under ATA) for processing into ‘ Eko Rice ‘
brand in Lagos. It means Governor Oshiomhole’s criticism is fraught with irregularities.
“Realising that the demand for import quality-grade parboiled
rice was estimated at 2.5million Metric tons (MT) in Nigeria, the gap in
milling capacity prompted the Federal Executive Council to approve a N9billion
fund to support private sector companies to acquire nine new 36,000 metic tons
per annum factories to further raise the capacity to 1.2million MT, leaving a
national supply gap of 1.3million MT that was to be met by controlled imports
under the new rice policy.
“The new Rice Policy, aimed at reducing the amounts of rice
imports and instead encourage new domestic rice investments in the nation, has
led to new investments in rice production and milling of over N500billion,
including N200billion by Aliko Dangote, of which a 200,000MT per annum mill and
10,000 hectares will be located in Edo State. Is Governor Oshiomhole aware of
this?
The former minister also lambasted Oshimhole for claiming that the past
government frittered away over N800billion on waivers for rice millers and
others, killing local rice production and making agriculture unattractive.He
made it clear that contrary to the governor’s claim, the total amount owed the
government by rice importers, who imported beyond their approved limit, is
estimated at N30billion, an information that is conspicuously displayed on the
website of the Nigerian customs.
“It has to be emphasised here again that it was the immediate Dr
Adesina that the took up the fight against the erring importers, asking them to
pay what they owed the government.“The truth is that under ATA, Nigeria has
made giant strides towards achieving self-sufficiency in rice. Between 2011 and
2014, a total of six million rice farmers were reached with improved rice seeds
and fertiliser and an additional two million hectares cultivated.“National
paddy rice production rose by an additional 7 million MT and the nation reached
85 per cent sufficiency in rice production.
“Furthermore, for the first time in Nigeria, rice cultivation is
twice a year, in the wet and dry seasons. We have also seen the rise of
thousands of small mills fitted with destoners and polishers producing
parboiled rice of similar quality as imported rice. With the new investment in
large scale rice mills, imported rice will soon become a thing of the past.“The
governor may wish to ask the leader of the cocoa value chain, an illustrious
son of Edo State, who served under the immediate past minister of agriculture
in revolutionising cocoa production, Edo was one of the biggest beneficiaries
of the efforts to increase cocoa production base through the free distribution
of cocoa pods for raising seedlings in many farms in the cocoa-producing
states.“In the Oil Palm value chain, a total of 9 million sprouted oil palm
sprouted nuts were distributed to 45,353 small and large oil palm estate owners
between 2013 and 2015. Additional Crude Palm Oil (CPO) production due to these
interventions is projected to be 400,000 MT of crude oil palm which would close
the gap of 350,000MT of crude oil palm that is currently being imported. There
has been well over N100billion new investment in crude oil palm production in
the country.
“Nigeria’s agriculture sector has undergone major reforms and
transformation in the past three and a half years under the leadership of the
immediate past Honorable Minister of Agriculture and President-elect of the
African Development Bank, Dr Akinwumi Adesina.“Governor Oshiomhole would
benefit from data originating from the National Bureau of Statistics, showing
that the agricultural sector grew by 9.19 per cent (year-on-year) in the third
quarter of 2014, up by 2.7 per cent from Q3 of 2013. The agricultural sector
grew by 38.53 per cent between 3rd and 4th quarters of 2014, with crop
production being the main driver, with a growth of 43.5 per cent. The Agricultural
Transformation Agenda has proven to be a well-thought-out policy with great
gains for Nigeria.
“It was Philip Asiodu, the former super permsec who recently
opined that ‘What has killed this country is the refusal of any new government
to build upon what their predecessors had done.”
“If ATA is allowed to continue as conceived and implemented
under Adesina, Nigeria could reach an additional 32 million farmers by 2019, up
from 14.5million farmers reached with inputs between 2012 to 2014, reaching at
least 8 million of unemployed youths.“Under ATA, a production of 7.1 million MT
per annum of rice paddy was achieved With the new investments in milling,
milling capacity could rise to 5 million MT and Nigeria will be self-sufficient
in rice production by 2017. It is indeed shameful for a country like Nigeria to
import rice.
“Should ATA continue, cassava processing capacity, currently
just below 100,000MT/annum and a bane of the cassava industry, will be raised
to 675,000MT per annum by 2019. Same thing with maize production, from the
achievement of over 12 million MT/annum in 2014 (compared to 9million MT/year
in 2011), we will increase this to 18 million MT/annum by 2019 to accommodate
the rise in demand for food, poultry feed, and maize for the milling industry.
“For Sorghum, we will go from 9.76million MT in 2014 to 13
million MT by 2019 to cater for the increase in demand from the malted sorghum
and high energy food markets. We can produce 1.2million MT of soybean by 2019,
up from 700,000MT achieved in 2014 (compared to 500,000MT in 2011).“Same for
cotton, from 240,000MT/annum in 2014 ( was 125,000MT in 2011) to
500,000MT/annum by 2019, Cocoa production from 350,000MT exported/annum in 2014
to 700,000MT exported/annum by 2019; crude oil palm, production from
800,000MT/annum in 2014 to 1.6million MT/annum in 2019 and Nigeria will become
self-sufficient in CPO.
“It is uncharitable and against the interest of Nigerian public
to politicise issues of agriculture and food security as Governor Oshiomhole did
in his criticisms of that sector,” Adesina said.
https://www.informationng.com/2015/08/adesina-slams-oshiomole-over-criticism-of-jonathans-agricultural-transformation-agenda.html
Plant
doctors get to the root of plant stress in rice
TEXAS A&M AGRILIFE COMMUNICATIONS
IMAGE: IN A RICE ROOT PRUNING STUDY,
RESEARCHERS AT THE TEXAS A&M AGRILIFE RESEARCH AND EXTENSION CENTER IN
BEAUMONT USED TIME-LAPSE PHOTOGRAPHY TO MONITOR RICE PLANT GROWTH AND
DEVELOPMENT IN RESPONSE... view more
CREDIT: (PHOTO COURTESY OF DR.
ABDUL RAZACK MOHAMMED, TEXAS A&M AGRILIFE RESEARCH AND EXTENSION CENTER IN
BEAUMONT).
BEAUMONT -- Sitting in an air-conditioned office at the Texas
A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Beaumont, it's obvious:
People work better indoors when temperatures outside climb to the 90s while the
blazing sun shimmers through waves of humidity on nearby experimental rice
plots.
The rice plants, however, can't go inside. So, they stress. And
for rice farmers, that means lower yield and quality.
Most growers resign themselves to the facts. It's the summer in
Texas. It's hot.But Dr. Lee Tarpley, AgriLife Research plant physiologist, is
studying what specifically affects rice plants under extreme environmental
conditions. Knowing that, he believes, could lead to ways of helping plants
thrive in the heat and other stressful conditions."We tend to view these
environmental stresses as necessary evils -- especially temperature stresses --
as if there is little we can do to counter the effect," he said.
"We're finding that we can use specific knowledge of how the stress affects
the plant to design prevention measures."
Tarpley and Dr. Abdul Razack Mohammed, AgriLife Research
assistant scientist, presented their findings at the recent Rice Field Day at
the Beaumont center. They've studied not only the effect of heat but cold, submergence,
salinity, wind and drought on rice crops.One of the specific impacts, they
discovered, is high nighttime temperatures, a common phenomena in Texas."High
night temperatures do two things to rice plants," Tarpley said. "The
rice plant increases its production of a plant stress hormone, and an
oxidative-stress response occurs, which injures the plant. Both of these
ultimately lead to losses in yield and quality."
Because they were able to track the nighttime heat stress to
those two factors, he added, they were able to determine potential management
strategies."We can spray the crop with a chemical that prevents the stress
hormone activity, so that the plant never senses that it is supposed to be in
stress," Tarpley said. "Or we can spray the plants with a sort of
vaccination, which is like a small dose of 'oxidative stress.' That triggers
the plant to build its capacity to be acclimated to future stresses."Commercial
pre-harvest use of some of the stress hormone chemicals on higher-value crops is
occurring, Tarpley said, and it is just a matter of time and acceptance before
the vaccination-type products will be used on rice crops in the U.S.
Because of their research on the specifics of rice stress, the
international company Agrofresh, based in Collegeville, Pennsylvania, asked
Tarpley and Mohammed to study transplanting shock, a condition that affects
farms mostly in Asian countries where rice is started in a nursery then
transported to a field for planting."Transplanting shock can decrease growth
and development," Tarpley said. "And one thing we noticed is that a
lot of root pruning occurs during the transplanting process.
That reduces the production of tillers, which are important
since that is where the rice grains develop."They found that root pruning
reduces the net photosynthetic rate.That was key because photosynthesis - the
way plants use sunlight to make food and grow - depends on the green pigments
called chlorophyll. If there's not enough chlorophyll, the plant doesn't grow
well. And the connection between low chlorophyll and the presence of ethylene,
a natural plant hormone, has been well documented.
Ethylene is what causes bananas, apples and avocados to ripen
and get soft, and it is used commercially to ripen some produce such as tomatoes
after they are picked.The researchers decided to treat some plants with
1-methylcyclopropene, or 1-MCP, a compound that is used to keep plants and
produce fresh because it blocks ethylene perception in plants.The idea was to
see if 1-MCP would make the rice plants unaware that the roots were pruned,
thus slowing the effect of ethylene and maintaining a healthy level of
chlorophyll, Tarpley."The application of 1-MCP prevented transplanting
shock in rice," he said. "The treated plants had more tillers per
plant, more root length and greater chlorophyll concentration and net
photosynthetic rate."
He said though U.S. rice farmers directly seed their crops
rather than transplant, root pruning can also occur due to rice water weevils.
So his team plans to test the application of 1-MCP for its ability to mitigate
damage from those insects.Tarpley added that his research team continues to
explore the physiological effects of various environmental stresses so that
when pinpointed, management strategies can be developed.
###
Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not
responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by
contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the
EurekAlert system.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-08/taac-pdg081815.php
USA Rice Daily
Dietitians' Top Pick: USA Rice's Refreshed Toolkit
The new Think Rice toolkit goes live
ARLINGTON, VA -- This year, USA Rice updated
its retail dietitian toolkit as part of the Think Rice rebranding and the
resource is now available on thinkrice.com.
These materials are designed to provide retail dietitians with reasons,
recipes, and tools to recommend U.S. rice.
It also helps increase visibility of U.S.-grown rice in supermarket
customer outreach including: blogs, newsletters, social media, in-store radio
ads, store publications, and in-store activities.
"Nearly forty-six percent of retailers
publish health and wellness newsletters and 90 percent provide healthy recipes
to shoppers," said Paul Galvani, USA Rice Retail Subcommittee
chairman. "Retail dietitians are
often the decision makers behind which foods are highlighted in these
publications, so it's important that we regularly remind them and make it easy
for them to Think Rice and this toolkit does just that."
The
newly designed toolkit contains several consumer handouts that highlight
recipes, nutritional information, U.S. rice types and varieties, and steps to
building a healthy rice bowl, along with tips for choosing, storing, and
preparing rice. Retail dietitians also
have access to sample social media posts and ideas for promoting U.S. rice in
retail and local media communications.
Yesterday,
a retail dietitian from the 200 store Midwest chain Meijer prepared USA Rice's
Greek Rice Stuffed Tomatoes, a recipe featured in the toolkit, live on a local
TV news program. The Meatless Monday
segment focuses on healthy back-to-school dinners for busy families and
features U.S.-grown rice on-set. WDRB
News in the Morning on Fox 41 in Louisville, Kentucky has a viewership of
24,000 and the segment and recipe are also posted on the WDRB.com website which
receives more than 570,000 unique visitors per month.
"This TV feature is one of the added
benefits of reaching this influential audience, and shows how supermarket
dietitians reach the consumer beyond the grocery aisle as a credible, third
party spokesperson for rice," added Galvani.Galvani said USA Rice
regularly shares information with a network of dietitians at 34 retailers
nationwide.
Contact:
Katie Maher (703) 236-1453
Resources galore
CME Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures
|
CME Group (Prelim): Closing
Rough Rice Futures for August 18
|
September 2015
|
$11.840
|
- $0.155
|
|
November 2015
|
$12.115
|
- $0.160
|
|
January 2016
|
$12.410
|
- $0.160
|
|
March 2016
|
$12.640
|
- $0.135
|
|
May 2016
|
$12.870
|
- $0.135
|
|
July 2016
|
$12.890
|
- $0.115
|
|
September 2016
|
$11.920
|
- $0.030
|
|
Is the Philippines ready to scrap rice
import quotas in 2017?
By Alladin S. Diega | Correspondent
Conclusion
One of the things that the new administration would have to
think about next year is whether it would push for the retention of rice-import
quotas in 2017. Instead of slapping tariffs on all rice imports, the Philippine
government decided to maintain the so-called quantitative restriction (QR) on
rice to prevent the influx of cheap rice from neighboring Asian countries.The
QR has been in place for more than two decades.
When the second extension for the trade protection expired in
2012, Manila opted to negotiate for its retention. Following negotiations with
countries that have expressed their intention to consider Manila’s bid, the
World Trade Organization allowed the Philippines to continue implementing the
QR until June 30, 2017.In pushing for the retention of rice-import caps, Manila
said removing the QR would threaten the livelihood of some 2.4 million rice
farmers, who are small landholders. To maintain rice quotas, Manila had to
raise the minimum access volume (MAV) of rice to 805,200 metric tons (MT), from
the previous 350,000 MT. Rice imports that fall within MAV are slapped a tariff
of 35 percent, lower than the 40-percent tariff imposed on “out-MAV” shipments.
The rationale behind the implementation of the QR, an expert
said, is to ensure that Filipino farmers would be able to compete once the
quotas are removed. A study, titled “Benchmarking Philippine Rice Economy
Relative to Major Rice-Producing Countries in Asia,” found that rice production
is relatively competitive in the Philippines. Findings, however, suggested that
more needs to be done to ensure that farmers will survive once the government
fully opens up the country’s rice market.The study was commissioned by the
Department of Agriculture (DA), and was done in close collaboration with the
International Rice Research Institute. Using 2013 data, it examined rice
production in the Philippines, China, India, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam.
The study revealed that, among the six countries, the
Philippines ranked third in terms of the cost of producing rice per hectare. It
also found that Filipino farmers paid the highest amount of irrigation fee, at
P2,536 per hectare. In contrast, farmers in China do not pay for irrigation
water.Rice Watch Action Network (R1) lead convener Aurora Regalado said the
government should consider reducing irrigation fees. “Why do Filipino rice
farmers pay costly irrigation fees when neighboring rice-exporting countries
heavily subsidize their farmers by providing them free irrigation?”
Regalado said the government and the rice sector need to work
double time to prepare for the full impact of the possible lifting of the QR.
R1 called for a “mixture of strategies,” which would incorporate or align
initiatives rolled out under several government programs.David Dawe, senior
economist of the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization backed the
Philippines’s bid to pursue rice self-sufficiency. Dawe said, however, that the
country should also be prepared to become competitive.
“I think the government should pursue rice self-sufficiency
based on enhanced competitiveness, lower cost of production per ton, and a
sufficiency program based on research and development,” Dawe said in an
interview.In terms of decreasing the current production cost of rice in the
country, Dawe said “the single biggest thing, or component, of rice-production
cost is labor,” adding that to reduce that, “some kind of mechanization
program” should be pursued.The government, he said, must closely examine
whether the self-sufficiency program is making
progress. Dawe said the “litmus test” for the program is when the local rice
sector “is subjected to international competition to some extent through
import.
”Early this year Agriculture Assistant Secretary Edilberto de
Luna told stakeholders of the rice industry to brace for the possible
termination of the QR in 2017. The DA said it has jump-started nationwide
consultations with its partners for this.De Luna, who is in charge of the
national rice and corn programs, said there is a need for the rice industry to
prepare for this “eventful scenario.” He said there’s a need to craft the best
programs and directions to attain competitiveness and self-sufficiency in rice.Among
the strategies the DA had recommended include improved rice harvest by
restoring irrigation facilities; adoption of high-yielding varieties; provision
of farm equipment and facilities; and access to credit, among others.Dr.
Roehlano Briones, senior research fellow at the Philippine Institute for
Development Studies, said the government should also prepare for income loss
for local rice farmers. Lifting the QR, he said, would likely result in cheaper
rice prices but lower farm-gate prices for locally produced rice.
“What the government has to consider is how to actually provide
temporary support to farmers to compensate for their income loss. The
assistance could come in the form of a cash-transfer scheme or a
price-guarantee scheme,” Briones said in an e-mail to the BusinessMirror.A
cash-transfer scheme, he said, would provide fixed and lump-sum payments to
rice farmers. Under the price-guarantee scheme, farmers could be paid the
difference between a benchmark price and an “insurance price” in case prices
become too low. Briones said funds for these schemes could come from tariffs
that would be slapped on rice imports once the QR is removed.Briones said the
possible lifting of the QR could also act as a “transitional measure” for
farmers to diversify to high-value crops. With the lifting of the QR, Briones
said rice importing should become an “exclusive function” of the private
sector.“The detrimental effects [of the removal of the QR] on farmers are
unavoidable, but these can be mitigated with the right preparation,” he said.
http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/is-the-philippines-ready-to-scrap-rice-import-quotas-in-2017/
Get kids cooking early
for a fun way to bond: Chicken and rice skillet supper is super easy for kids
to make
TORONTO — Winning “MasterChef Junior” was a huge thrill for Logan
Guleff. But the 13-year-old is also immensely proud that he’s inspired kids in
many countries to cook.The blond bowtie-wearing cooking sensation won the
second season of the U.S. culinary competition series at age 11.Kids between
eight and 13 are tasked with preparing restaurant-quality dishes that are
assessed by professional chefs, including Gordon Ramsay — his favourite judge,
says Logan.“It’s really important for kids to get into the kitchen and cook,”
says Logan during a recent visit to Toronto.“It really gives them a great skill
that they’ll have all of their life.”Logan, who hails from Memphis, Tenn.,
suggests kids can start cooking at an early age with adult supervision. When he
was two, he made coffee in a drip pot. He graduated to pigs in a blanket, then
learned to use recipes and eventually started creating his own recipes.
HO - Uncle Ben's Canada/The Canadian PressWinning "MasterChef
Junior" was a huge thrill for Logan Guleff. But the 13-year-old is also
immensely proud that he's inspired kids in many countries to cook.
“Even if it’s cutting the pepper, peeling the potato, there’s
always a task out there for you to do,” he says.“For parents out there, if you
really want to get kids into the kitchen, you really need to let them make a
mess and that really helps the creative process.”Toronto-based registered
dietitian Cara
Rosenbloom started her
children — daughter Kasey, now 8, and son Aubrey, 4 — on simple tasks when they
were about 2 1/2.
“When your children are preschool age or can follow the tasks
that require a little bit of instruction they’re ready to cook too,” she says,
adding it can actually save time in the long run because parents can
concentrate on other components of the meal while the kids work.
“So you can start young with child-friendly tasks — ripping,
pouring, stirring, measuring … and as they get older you can teach them knife
skills, you can teach them how to use things like a spatula in a frying pan or
a blender with adult supervision. And soon they will be cooking your dinner.”Give
them a say in what goes into their school lunch and let them help pack it. Use
lunch boxes with different containers so you remember to pack some fruit,
vegetables and proteins into each one.
Look through magazines with recipes, cookbooks and websites for
cooking inspiration. For children who don’t read yet, there are cookbooks such
as “Picture Cook” by
Katie Shelly (2013) that use drawings to illustrate ingredients and recipe
steps.A recipe is a great building block to build your own repertoire, says
Logan, who has developed a line of spices and rubs and loves experimenting at
home.One day he wanted to tackle lollipops, so he searched on the Internet and
YouTube to learn how.
“Then I started messing with them to make all these wacky
flavours. I did yuzu (a citrus fruit), malt vinegar, just crazy flavours…. That
was a fun day.”Some were winners while others were less than stellar, he
admits.“A complete failure was I tried to make lime candy one time. I was
positive that I was going to make this delicious lime candy. I had such a
failure in the kitchen that day.“Then you come in the next day and you try
again. Usually it comes out better the next day.”Logan has created a series of
videos and tips available at www.getkidscooking.ca.
Families can submit photos of their food for a chance to win one of three
$10,000 cash prizes for RESPs.
HO - Uncle Ben's Canada/The Canadian PressTaco-licious Chicken Skillet with
Whole-Grain Brown Rice.
TACO-LICIOUS CHICKEN SKILLET WITH WHOLE-GRAIN BROWN RICE
Roasting corn in the oven intensifies and brings out its sweet flavours. It’s
the perfect accompaniment to this skillet dinner and fresh tangy salsa.
When making the recipe, Logan suggests flattening the chicken before cutting
it. The pieces will be of uniform thickness and cook more evenly.
Browning spices first injects even more flavour into the dish, Logan says.
Use ancho or chipotle powder for the chili powder and jalapeno or serrano chili
pepper for the red pepper in the salsa for added spice.Prep Time: 20 minutes
Start to Finish Time: 50 minutes
10 ml (2 tsp) olive oil
340 g
(12 oz) boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
5 ml (1
tsp) chili powder
2 ml
(1/2 tsp) ground cumin
250 ml
(1 cup) no-salt-added diced tomatoes
175 ml
(3/4 cup) no-salt-added chicken broth
175 ml
(3/4 cup) whole-grain brown rice
125 ml
(1/2 cup) shredded Mexican cheese blend
2 corn
cobs, husks and silk removed
10 ml (2
tsp) olive oil
1 ripe
mango, chopped
250 ml
(1 cup) halved cherry tomatoes
125 ml
(1/2 cup) chopped orange pepper
50 ml
(1/4 cup) finely chopped red onion
45 ml (3
tbsp) lime juice
15 ml (1
tbsp) chopped fresh parsley
pinch
salt and pepper
1. Preheat oven to 220 C (425 F).
2. In a skillet, heat oil over medium
heat; cook chicken, chili powder and cumin for 5 minutes or until browned.
Transfer to a plate.
3. Stir diced tomatoes and broth into a
skillet; bring to a boil. Add rice; reduce heat to low. Return chicken to
skillet; cover and cook for 20 to 25 minutes or until rice is tender and liquid
is absorbed. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, brush corn evenly with oil;
transfer to a baking dish. Roast for 12 to 15 minutes or until tender and
golden brown in some spots.
5. While other items are cooking, stir
together mango, cherry tomatoes, orange pepper, red onion, lime juice, parsley,
salt and pepper. Serve with chicken and rice and roasted corn.
makes 4
servings
Nutritional information per serving (1/4 of recipe): 450
calories; 12 g fat; 57 g carbohydrates; 19 g sugar; 6 g fibre; 320 mg sodium;
30 g protein.
Source: Uncle Ben’s.
http://news.nationalpost.com/life/food-drink/get-kids-cooking-for-fun-and-a-fantastic-way-to-bond-recipe-for-chicken-and-rice-skillet-supper?utm_source=USA+Rice+Daily%2C+August+18%2C+2015&utm_campaign=Friday%2C+December+13%2C+2013&utm_medium=email
|
International
Benchmark Price
|
|
Price
on: 18-08-2015
|
|
Product
|
Benchmark Indicators Name
|
Price
|
|
Apricots
|
|
1
|
Turkish No. 2
whole pitted, CIF UK (USD/t)
|
5875
|
|
2
|
Turkish No. 4
whole pitted, CIF UK (USD/t)
|
5125
|
|
3
|
Turkish size 8,
CIF UK (USD/t)
|
4125
|
|
Raisins
|
|
1
|
Californian
Thompson seedless raisins, CIF UK (USD/t)
|
2444
|
|
2
|
South African
Thompson seedless raisins, CIF UK (USD/t)
|
2348
|
|
Sultanas
|
|
1
|
Australian 5
Crown, CIF UK (USD/t)
|
2997
|
|
2
|
Iranian natural
sultanas (Gouchan), CIF UK (USD/t)
|
2044
|
|
3
|
Australian 5
Crown, CIF UK (USD/t)
|
2997
|
|
Source:agra-net
|
For
more info
|
|
|
Market Watch
|
|
Commodity-wise,
Market-wise Daily Price on 18-08-2015
|
|
Domestic
Prices
|
Unit
Price : Rs per Qty
|
|
Product
|
Market Center
|
Variety
|
Min Price
|
Max Price
|
|
Rice
|
|
1
|
Cachar (Assam)
|
Other
|
2000
|
2500
|
|
2
|
Chala (Kerala)
|
Other
|
2620
|
3040
|
|
3
|
Bonai(Orissa)
|
Other
|
2200
|
2400
|
|
Wheat
|
|
1
|
Dhing (Assam)
|
Other
|
1550
|
1800
|
|
2
|
Botad (Gujarat)
|
Other
|
1460
|
1765
|
|
3
|
Haveri
(Karnataka)
|
Local
|
1500
|
1550
|
|
Pine Apple
|
|
1
|
Shillong
(Meghalaya)
|
Other
|
2000
|
2200
|
|
2
|
Sirhind (Punjab)
|
Other
|
2000
|
2500
|
|
3
|
Hissar (Haryana)
|
Other
|
1500
|
2800
|
|
Cauliflower
|
|
1
|
Bilimora
(Gujarat)
|
Other
|
1000
|
1600
|
|
2
|
Solan
(Himachal Pradesh)
|
Other
|
1500
|
3000
|
|
3
|
Koraput (Orissa)
|
Other
|
2600
|
2800
|
|
Source:agra-net
|
For
more info
|
|
|
Egg
|
Rs
per 100 No
|
|
Price
on 18-08-2015
|
|
Product
|
Market Center
|
Price
|
|
1
|
Ahmedabad
|
320
|
|
2
|
Mysore
|
337
|
|
3
|
Nagapur
|
293
|
|
|
|
|
Other International
Prices
|
Unit
Price : US$ per package
|
|
Price
on 17-08-2015
|
|
Product
|
Market Center
|
Origin
|
Variety
|
Low
|
High
|
|
Potatoes
|
Package:
50 lb cartons
|
|
1
|
Atlanta
|
Colorado
|
Russet
|
22.75
|
22.75
|
|
2
|
Baltimore
|
Idaho
|
Russet
|
21
|
24
|
|
3
|
Detroit
|
Idaho
|
Russet
|
18.50
|
20.50
|
|
Carrots
|
Package:
20 1-lb film bags
|
|
1
|
Atlanta
|
California
|
Baby Peeled
|
18
|
20.50
|
|
2
|
Dallas
|
Arizona
|
Baby Peeled
|
16.50
|
18
|
|
3
|
Detroit
|
California
|
Baby Peeled
|
17
|
17.50
|
|
Grapes
|
Package:
18 lb containers bagged
|
|
1
|
Atlanta
|
Mexico
|
Red Globe
|
24.50
|
25
|
|
2
|
Baltimore
|
California
|
Red Globe
|
25
|
26
|
|
3
|
Dallas
|
Mexico
|
Red Globe
|
22
|
23.50
|
|
Source:USDA
|
|
Download/View
On-Line the above News in pdf format,just click the following link
