17th February 2017 Global Rice
E-Newsletter by riceplus Magazine
Asia Rice-Prices edge up,
Indonesian demand eyed
© Reuters. Asia Rice-Prices
edge up, Indonesian demand eyed
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Export offers advance slightly
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Vietnam eyes possible demand from Indonesia
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Thai prices not to rise by March - traders
By
Ho Binh Minh
HANOI,
Feb 17 (Reuters) - Asian rice prices gained slightly this week on possible
demand from Indonesia, even though supply was boosted by a Thai government rice
sale, the ongoing harvest in Thailand and an upcoming harvest in Vietnam,
traders said.
Rice
prices in Vietnam rose after a long Lunar New Year holiday as traders were
monitoring talks on rice sale to Indonesia, traders in Vietnam said on
Wednesday.
Quotations
for the 5 percent broken rice widened to $350-$360 a tonne, free-on-board
Saigon Port, from $350-$355 in the week ended Feb. 5, while the 25 percent
broken rice stood nearly flat since the start of the month at $330-$335 a
tonne. RICE/ASIA1
"Vinafood
2 has ordered 15-percent broken rice from its member companies, so that it
would have stocks handy for negotiations," a trader in Ho Chi Minh City
said.
Vinafood
2 is Vietnam's top rice exporter. The 15 percent broken grade is often sought
by Indonesia.
Last
year Indonesia bought 1.5 million tonnes of rice from Thailand and Vietnam, the
world's second- and third-largest exporters of the grain after India. said most
Vietnamese exporters were reluctant to offer now while waiting for more clues
on pricing when the harvest of the winter-spring crop peaks from later this
month.
In
Thailand, a government rice sale and an ongoing harvest would not boost prices,
traders said.
Thai
5-percent broken rice RI-THBKN5-P1 rose slightly to $370-$375 a tonne, FOB
Bangkok, from $365-$375 two weeks ago, even after the Thai government sold
152,377 tonnes via an auction to 15 private companies. don't think it has any
impact. Rice sold in the auctions is not of the kinds wanted by main foreign
buyers," a trader from one of the 15 companies said, adding that some of
the grains at the sale will be exported.
Thailand
has now begun harvesting an off-season crop, and traders said the additional
supply will not boost prices in at least another month.
"I
don't see prices inching up in March," another trader said.
Supply
from Vietnam and Thailand has been rising so far this year, based on official
estimates.
Thailand
has exported nearly 400,000 tonnes between Jan. 1 and Feb. 7, up 36 percent
from a year ago, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture report early
this month.
In
January Vietnam shipped an estimated 495,000 tonnes, up 56.7 percent from a
year ago, the country's Agriculture Ministry has said
http://in.investing.com/news/commodities-news/asia-rice-prices-edge-up,-indonesian-demand-eyed-49693
Local rice farmers cry for market
File photo
Thousands of tonnes of local rice are presently sitting the
northern part of Ghana without market, Graphic Business has learnt.
The situation, the rice farmers explained would have a negative impact on their fortunes and also prevent them from farming during the next farming season.
This is due to the fact that the farmers would have to generate additional revenue from other sources to settle their indebtedness to the financial institutions from whom they received credit from to during the previous farming year.
An acre of rice farm requires between GH¢1,500 and GH¢2,000 to cultivate, hence the situation has put thousands of farmers out of business, although the government on a number of occasions have vowed to revamp the industry.
According to the farmers bad road network, delayed harvesting, improper harvesting, threshing, drying and storage handling issues are some major challenges they face.
Mr Richard Akoko, a rice farmer from Navrongo, in the Upper East Region noted that the region had never experienced such development ever since, he started farming.
“Our biggest issue is that we do not have the capacity to even send our produce to neighbouring countries to sell, neither do we have the strength to meet the market forces within,” he added.
Mr John Akaribo, a rice farmer from the Upper East Region, also indicated that the price of local rice has reduced from GH¢120 per 100 kilogrammes to GH¢60 of the same kilogrammes of the rice at the Temale market specifically.
This situation, he said was attributable to the increase in importation of foreign rice in to the country.
Mr Emmanuel Buokanso a rice farmer at Yendi in the Northern Region, said the notion that Ghanaian rice was not tasty, full of stones and husk, therefore, makes impure and less quality as compared to imported rice is still in the minds of most Ghanaians therefore making it difficult to sell their product.
“There is, therefore, the need to create awareness on consumption of the local rice to enable farmers to make financial gains take care of our families and reduce poverty” he said.
The Programme Coordinator of Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana (PFAG) Ms Victoria Adongo said the association had been informed about the plight of the domestic rice farmers in the three northern regions.
She said even though the phenomenon was worrying, most of the domestic rice from the northern part of the country did not go through proper milling.
She urged that the government to put premium on good processing practices such as grading, labeling, milling and good packaging to help consumers to develop appetite for local rice.
The situation, the rice farmers explained would have a negative impact on their fortunes and also prevent them from farming during the next farming season.
This is due to the fact that the farmers would have to generate additional revenue from other sources to settle their indebtedness to the financial institutions from whom they received credit from to during the previous farming year.
An acre of rice farm requires between GH¢1,500 and GH¢2,000 to cultivate, hence the situation has put thousands of farmers out of business, although the government on a number of occasions have vowed to revamp the industry.
According to the farmers bad road network, delayed harvesting, improper harvesting, threshing, drying and storage handling issues are some major challenges they face.
Mr Richard Akoko, a rice farmer from Navrongo, in the Upper East Region noted that the region had never experienced such development ever since, he started farming.
“Our biggest issue is that we do not have the capacity to even send our produce to neighbouring countries to sell, neither do we have the strength to meet the market forces within,” he added.
Mr John Akaribo, a rice farmer from the Upper East Region, also indicated that the price of local rice has reduced from GH¢120 per 100 kilogrammes to GH¢60 of the same kilogrammes of the rice at the Temale market specifically.
This situation, he said was attributable to the increase in importation of foreign rice in to the country.
Mr Emmanuel Buokanso a rice farmer at Yendi in the Northern Region, said the notion that Ghanaian rice was not tasty, full of stones and husk, therefore, makes impure and less quality as compared to imported rice is still in the minds of most Ghanaians therefore making it difficult to sell their product.
“There is, therefore, the need to create awareness on consumption of the local rice to enable farmers to make financial gains take care of our families and reduce poverty” he said.
The Programme Coordinator of Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana (PFAG) Ms Victoria Adongo said the association had been informed about the plight of the domestic rice farmers in the three northern regions.
She said even though the phenomenon was worrying, most of the domestic rice from the northern part of the country did not go through proper milling.
She urged that the government to put premium on good processing practices such as grading, labeling, milling and good packaging to help consumers to develop appetite for local rice.
http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/business/Local-rice-farmers-cry-for-market-416146
The best family friendly restaurants in Manchester for half term
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12:54, 17 FEB 2016
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UPDATED 12:54, 17 FEB 2016
We asked
parents for their best family dining destinations - this is what they told us
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SHARES
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Subscribe
Children
can create their own pizza at Salvi's
When it comes to eating out with the kids it can be somewhat of
a challenge.
That window of opportunity to enjoy happy family time before the
little ones get bored, cranky or tired is a short one - and can easily be
smashed to smithereens if you pick the wrong place.
We asked parents to recommend their favourite ‘family friendly’
places to eat out with the kids across Manchester. Here are some of your
suggestions.
Jamie’s Italian (Manchester city centre)
Where is it?
There are now more than 40 Jamie’s Italian restaurants, but the
one closest to home is on King Street.in the city centre.
What’s on the menu?
The children’s menu offers two sizes for big or little kids and
dishes come with fresh salad and a drink.
As you’d expect from the man who’s campaigned for heathier
school meals for kids, it’s all decent grub - ranging from Jamie’s Proper
Picnic Box (an organic Norfolk chicken wrap with rainbow vegetable crisps,
seedless grapes, cherry tomatoes and a piece of seasonal fruit) to Happy
Chicken Lollipops (freshly made lemony organic chicken fillet lollipops with
baked hedgehog potatoes and crunchy nuts and seeds).
It might be an Italian but for kids and adults there’s a lot
more than just pizza and pasta.
The offering includes Gennaro’s Famous Porchetta - slow-cooked
pork belly filled with garlic, chilli and herbs, served with roasted root veg,
spiced apple sauce and salsa verde; while Jamie’s Italian burger is a popular
choice.
How much does it cost?
The Little Kids deal is £6.50 and for Big Kids it’s £6.95 - with
the salad and drink included. Desserts are an extra £1.25. Jamie’s Super Lunch
runs Monday to Friday 12pm to 6pm and costs £12.95 for two courses or £14.95
for three. The mains range from spiced aubergine for £9.95 to a 10oz dry-aged
rib-eye steak for a meaty £22.50.
Anything else?
The restaurant offers gluten-free and vegetarian options and
staff are able to advise on alternative dishes for people with allergies and
intolerances. If it’s super food you’re after, it has its own menu section
dedicated to such including salads (of course) and roasted squash and winter
greens.
Jamie's
Italian
All The Shapes (Prestwich)
Where is it?
All The Shapes is on Warwick Street in Prestwich and is
relatively new on the scene, having opened last November.
What’s on the menu?
You won’t find chicken nuggets on this children’s menu. It’s all
pretty healthy - and tasty too - ranging from eggy bread or scrambled eggs on
toast to mini houmous and pitta. For adults, brunch is served 9am to 4pm, with
everything from a dry cured streaky bacon butty to Shapes Green Eggs which
consists of griddled avocado, crispy fried egg, green salsa, greens and
sourdough. Small plates and shares are served 4pm to 8.30pm with the dishes
including potato wedges, beef and pork koftas and spinach pancake. Sunday
dinner, served 2pm to 7pm, is also proving a hit.
How much does it cost?
There are no meal deal / early bird offers but this place is
quickly drumming up a reputation for its reasonably priced high quality fodder.
If it’s just a snack for the kids you’re after then you can’t go wrong with the
eggs and toast for £3.30.
The adult brunch menu starts from £2.50 for sourdough toast with
jam or marmalade, up to £6.50 for kedgeree - smoked poached haddock, yellow
basmati rice, curry sauce and egg. The small plates and shares range from
Israeli cous cous, honey and lemon dressing, chilli and herbs for £3 to the £10
Shapes board made up of beef, mixed leaves, goats cheese, cornichons, mustard
and sourdough.
Anything else?
All The Shapes kitchen staff cook everything to order which
means it’s fresh but you might have to be patient if it’s busy - tell that to
the kids!
All
The Shapes
Croma (Chorlton)
Where is it?
Croma is on the busy Wilbraham Road in Chorlton but there are
also branches in Manchester’s Albert Square and in Prestwich and Didsbury. All
of them are popular haunts for families.
What’s on the menu?
The place has its own Kids Pizzatini Menu. This includes dough
balls or Pizzatini salad, pizza or pasta, ice cream or chocolate cake and a
cromacinno.
For adults there is an Espresso Lunch Menu running Monday to
Friday, 12pm to 2pm.
You can pick any pizza with either a glass of wine, peroni, soft
drink or coffee.
An early bird menu also runs from 3pm to 7pm Sunday to Friday
(10pm Mondays).
This includes garlic bread, dough balls or salad followed by any
pizza or main course salad. A glass of house wine, Peroni, soft drink or coffee
is included in the price with chocolate fudge cake, treacle tart or cheesecake
costing an extra £3.
How much does it cost?
The Pizzatini menu costs £5.95 per child. Espresso Lunch Menu is
£8.95 a head, while Early Bird is £11.95.
Anything else?
Kids get a colouring play pack to keep them busy at the table.
There is no need to book for tables fewer than six. If you can’t face a sit
down meal but also don’t fancy cooking, everything on the menu is available to
take away. Pizzas can be made with gluten-free dough for an extra £1.50.
Croma
in Chorlton
READ MORE: What's in the Corn Exchange? Your ultimate guide to Manchester's
newest food and drink destination
Giraffe (Trafford Centre)
Where is it?
Giraffe is on the first floor in The Orient and is close to the
escalators to the ground floor with plenty of room for buggies. The city centre
also has a branch, in Spinningfields.
What’s on the menu?
The kids meal deal runs all day every day with mains including
the Open Face Omelette (a flat open free-range egg omelette topped with tomato sauce
and melting cheese), sausage and mash and salmon fillet and salad. For adults
there are small plates and sharing dishes including halloumi skewers and
crunchy shrimp, to an array of burgers or Global Mains which - as the name
suggests - features foods from across the world. There’s burritos, enchiladas,
carbonara, Thai duck stir fry and not forgetting the good old British beer
battered cod.
How much does it cost?
The kids meal costs £5.65 and includes a main and a drink. Small
plates and sharing dishes range from £2.95 for olives, £3.85 for those
succulent sounding halloumi skewers, to £10.50 for the Mezze Platter including
tabbouleh, hummus, tunisian ratatouille, baba ghanoush, tzatziki, falafels,
grilled halloumi skewers and mini pitta breads. Burgers start from £9.95 for a
classic, while the global mains vary from £8.25 for Penne Margherita to £15.50
for slow cooked BBQ Baby Back Ribs.
Mid-week, from noon until 5pm, there are four Global Mains for
just £6.95 each. These are the Deli Burger, Goan Seafood Curry, the Falafel,
Feta and Roasted Red Pepper Quesadilla and the Chipotle ‘Nacho’ Chicken Burger.
Anything else?
Giraffe prides itself on being family-friendly and is a regular
venue for kids’ birthday parties.
Giraffe
in the Trafford Centre
Albert’s (Didsbury)
Where is it?
It’s on Barlow Moor Road in West Didsbury.
What’s on the menu?
The menu is divided into ‘little ones’, ‘bigger ones’, ‘pizzas’
and ‘afters’ - I like places that keep it simple. And they come with unlimited
organic cordial - it gets better.
Dishes range from sweet potato rissoto for the little ‘uns, to
mini pie and mash or little beef dinner (on Sundays) for the bigger ones who
can handle something a bit meatier.
The pizzas come with thin cut chips.
For adults the pizzas start from £8 while there’s loads more to
choose from in the mains including slow roasted duck and malayan chicken.
How much does it cost?
Little ones £5, bigger ones and pizzas £7. That includes the
unlimited drink. ‘Afters’ of ice cream sundae, fresh fruit jumble or chocolate
brownie bites are £1.50.There is a special lunchtime menu for adults of two
courses for £11.95.
Anything else?
A Little Chefs option is also on the menu where they supply the
base and the toppings and the kids get to build their very own pizza, for the
same price as those made by the real chefs.
Albert's
Didsbury
Carluccio’s (Spinningfields)
Where is it?
Carluccio’s is in the heart of the main Spinningfields financial
district, overlooking the open spaces of Hardman Square. There’s also a branch
in The Trafford Centre.
What’s on the menu?
Kids have the choice to make their own pasta dish combining
their favourite shape and sauce. They can have penne or spagehetti with a
choice of either tomato, pesto, butter, meatballs, or ragu. If that doesn’t
take their fancy there are other options including cheese and ham melt, chicken
milanese and ravioli. Many of the main dishes are also available in smaller
portions so you shouldn’t be stuck for something the kids will eat (and like).
There’s a good range of pasta and meat and fish dishes for the
grown ups. The tempting sounding pappardelle con pollo features chicken and a
mix of shitake, oyster and button mushrooms with crème fraiche, garlic, white
wine and pine nuts tossed in egg pappardelle.
How much does it cost?
The kids’ menu is £6.60 per child which includes a drink and a
dessert of either an ice cream or fruit salad. The good news is that over half
term kids eat for £1 with each adult meal bought. A set menu over weekends and
evenings costs £13.99 for two courses and £16.99 for three.
Anything else?
Carluccio’s prides itself on its quality of pasta - using only
the finest dried pasta from family-run producers in Italy who use traditional
bronze dies to create a rough surface for the homemade sauces to cling to. So
there you go. It’s also a place where ‘little things matter a lot’ so your mini
diners should get a warm welcome.
Carluccio's,
Spinningfields
Tampopo (Albert Square)
Where is it?
The original Tampopo is in Manchester city centre’s Albert
Sqaure but there are also branches in the Trafford Centre and the newly
renovated Corn Exchange.
What’s on the menu?
The menu is made up of street food and signature dishes from
across East Asia. Most kids like noodles and here they get special chopsticks
to practice with.
There are three different menu options for children of all ages
- mini explorer for under fives, junior explorer for kids aged three to eight
and adventurous explorer for kids seven and above.
The noodles with chicken, vegetables and sweet soy sauce would
be a winner with most juniors while the adventurous ones get to pick a child’s
portion from the main menu. For grown ups the street food ranges from Thai
curry noodles (yellow noodles in a red curry sauce with chicken, ginger,
garlic, fresh lime and red onion) to the new Malaysian satay chicken and rice
with red onion, cucumber, rice and and a peanut sauce. There’s also loads of
soups, stir fries and curries to choose from, as well as small plates, salads
and greens to pick two or three from, or share lots with friends.
How much does it cost?
The kids’ menu is £3.95 for minis, £4.25 for juniors and £5.50
for the adventurous explorers.
Drinks are an extra pound, as are desserts (either ice cream or
sorbet).
For adults small plates start from around £4 up to £13.95 for
the Asian sharing platter (for two) of spring rolls, BBQ chicken, pork
dumplings, coconut prawns, satay chicken and Thai corn fritters.
Main street food dishes start from around £8 and curries from
£10.50.
Anything else?
If you’re really in a rush and need to grab a meal to take home
the restaurant also offers a take out service. You can order over the phone,
online or just turn up.
Until the end of February the restaurant is offering a £5 mains
deal to eat in or take away. Ask what’s on offer in each venue.
Tampopo
Salvi’s (Manchester city centre)
Where is it?
Savi’s newest restaurant is at the Corn Exchange but there are
other branches in John Dalton Street and at the Airkix Indoor Skydiving centre
at Trafford Quays Leisure VIllage.
What’s on the menu?
As an Italian there’s obviously pizzas and pasta aplenty but the
Corn Exchange branch has a mozzarella bar with deli products imported from
Italy every week.
As they do in Italy, kids here eat smaller portions off the main
menu but the restaurant has just launched its first ever dedicated children’s
pizza.
A group of children from Oldham were asked to invent it and
named their creation the Pepper Pig pizza. It features peppers, Italian
sausage, tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese.
How much does it cost?
The children’s Pepper Pig pizza costs £5.95 including a drink,
with 50p of that going directly to the Forever Manchester charity which helps fund
family activities.
Adult pasta dishes range from £9.95 to £12.95 and pizzas start
at £7. Other mains start from £12.95 including Salsiccia Italiana - grilled
Italian sausage with caponata. Kids can have half portions for half the price.
Anything else?
The Pepper Pizza event was planned to help launch Salvi’s
special kids’ pizza making experiences to ensure little diners feel like VIPs
when they visit.
Kids ordering any pizza from the menu will get the chance to
help create it themselves - (not available on Friday or Saturday nights and
must be mentioned when booking).
DNA rice breakthrough raises
‘green revolution’ hopes
New genome sequencing
technology could help scientists offset problems that plagued the production of
grain
By
Cecil Morella / AFP, LOS BANOS, Philippines
A farmer shows rice samples
from a paddy field at the International Rice Research Institute in Laguna,
south of Manila last October.
Photo: AFP/NOEL CELIS
Rice-growing techniques learned through
thousands of years of trial and error are about to be turbocharged with DNA
technology in a breakthrough hailed by scientists as a potential second “green
revolution.”
Over the next few years farmers are expected to
have new genome sequencing technology at their disposal, helping to offset a
myriad of problems that threaten to curtail production of the grain that feeds
half of humanity.
Drawing on a massive bank of varieties stored
in the Philippines and state-of-the-art Chinese technology, scientists recently
completed the DNA sequencing of more than 3,000 of the world’s most significant
types of rice.
With the huge pool of data unlocked, rice
breeders will soon be able to produce higher-yielding varieties much more
quickly and under increasingly stressful conditions, scientists involved with
the project told AFP.
Other potential new varieties being dreamt
about are ones that are resistant to certain pests and diseases, or types that
pack more nutrients and vitamins.
“This will be a big help to strengthen food
security for rice eaters,” said Kenneth McNally, an American biochemist at the
Philippines-based International Rice Research Institute (IRRI).
Since rice was first domesticated thousands of
years ago, farmers have improved yields through various planting techniques.
For the past century breeders have isolated traits, such as high yields and
disease resistance, then developed them through cross breeding.
However, they did not know which genes
controlled which traits, leaving much of the effort to lengthy guesswork.
The latest breakthroughs in molecular genetics
promise to fast-track the process, eliminating much of the mystery, scientists
involved in the project told AFP.
Better rice varieties can now be expected to be
developed and passed on to farmers’ hands in less than three years, compared
with 12 without the guidance of DNA sequencing.
Genome sequencing involves decoding DNA, the
hereditary material of all living cells and organisms. The process roughly
compares with solving a giant jigsaw puzzle made up of billions of microscopic
pieces.
A multinational team undertook the four-year
project with the DNA decoding primarily in China by BGI, the world’s biggest
genome sequencing firm.
Leaf tissue from the samples, drawn mostly from
IRRI’s gene bank of 127,000 varieties were ground by McNally’s team at its
laboratory in Los Banos, near Manila’s southern outskirts, before being shipped
for sequencing.
A non-profit research outfit founded in 1960,
IRRI works with governments to develop advanced varieties of the grain.
THREATS TO RICE
Farmers and breeders will need the new DNA
tools, which scientists take pains to say is not genetic modification, because
of the increasingly stressful conditions for rice growing expected in the 21st
Century.
While there will be many more millions to feed,
there is expected to be less land available for planting as farms are converted
for urban development, destroyed by rising sea levels or converted to other
crops.
Rice-paddy destroying floods, drought and
storms are also expected to worsen with climate change. Meanwhile, pests and
diseases that evolve to resist herbicides and pesticides will be more difficult
to kill.
And fresh water, vital for growing rice, is
expected to become an increasingly scarce commodity in many parts of the world.
Govt Urged to Prepare Rice
Reserves Ahead of El Niño
Report
- 0 0 googleplus0 0 reddit0 0
By KYAW HSU MON / THE IRRAWADDY
RANGOON — The Myanmar Rice Federation (MRF) is
urging Burma’s government to prepare rice reserves for a potentially extreme El
Niño period in the months ahead.
Weather specialists anticipate El Niño, which
has a 12- to 18-month cycle, to produce dangerous heat waves in the first six
months of this year. As a result, the government is warning people to make
adequate preparations, particularly those in the agriculture sector.
“Due to El Niño, the summer paddy will be
cultivated late as we may face water shortages. There may be a rice shortage
and as a consequence, rice prices would go up,” Soe Tun, MRF vice chairman,
told The Irrawaddy.
“That’s why we’re encouraging the government to
prepare rice reserves.”
In Burma, the annual paddy-harvest runs from
around June-July until September-October. This year Soe Tun said rice should be
stored starting in April and May.
The outgoing government has recently been
calling on farmers to take the necessary steps to brace themselves for another
El Niño, including more economical use of drinking and irrigation water,
regular checks for irrigation leaks and improving irrigation channels.
The government already appears to be heeding
the rice federation’s advice. On Wednesday, a report in the state-run Global
New Light of Myanmar stated that the ministry of commerce had prepared over 40
warehouses for the storage of rice in Rangoon, Mandalay and Irrawaddy
divisions, as well as Arakan State.
Tun Lwin, considered Burma’s most trusted
weather forecaster after having served in the Ministry of Meteorology and
Hydrology for more than 30 years, said recently that El Niño could soon ratchet
up temperatures in Burma to 45 degrees Celsius.
“El Niño started mid-last year, and it’s
expected to linger until about the same time this year. We’ll have to prepare
for some of the highest temperatures yet this summer,” he said.
The majority of Burma’s rice fields are located
in Magwe, Pegu and Irrawaddy divisions, which could see temperatures of more
than 40 degrees Celsius as early as this month.
Rice is one of Burma’s primary export items,
but as a result of widespread flooding in July and August of last year, as well
as an increase in crop prices, the commodity’s trading power has experienced a
dramatic decline. According to MRF estimates, more than 700,000 ac
http://reliefweb.int/report/myanmar/govt-urged-prepare-rice-reserves-ahead-el-ni-o
MP govt moves
Madras HC against IPAB order on Basmati GI tag
The Court asked APEDA not to take action
against Basmati farmers in MP pending disposal of petition, says counsel
BS Reporter | Chennai February 17, 2016 Last Updated at 20:12 IST
BS Reporter | Chennai February 17, 2016 Last Updated at 20:12 IST
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ALSO READ
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The government of Madhya Pradesh has moved a writ petition in the Madras High Court to set aside the order of the
Intellectual Property Appellate Board (IPAB), related to the registration of Geographical Indication (GI) for Basmatirice in
an application by the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export
Development Authority (APEDA).
The IPAB on February 5, has directed the
Assistant Registrar of Geographical Indications Registry, Chennai, to proceed
with registration of Geographical Indication (GI) tag for Basmati rice as per
the geographical demarcation conducted by APEDA, which did not have the areas
of Madhya Pradesh covered under it.
The state of Madhya Pradesh has claimed
that 13 out of its 51 districts has been cultivating Basmati rice and is
entitled to receive the GI protection.
The Madras High Court today directed APEDA not to take coercive action
against Basmati farmers from Madhya Pradesh pending disposal of the writ
petition, said Sai Deepak, counsel who appeared for the state. The Court has
also issued notice to APEDA and others seeking their response in three weeks.
The next hearing is to be held in April. The court has also observed that the
procedure for GI registration for Madhya Pradesh, as the IPAB directed the
registry to consider afresh, can be continued with a timeline of six months, he
added.
Following the IPAB order, on February 15,
2016, the GI Registry also issued an order registering the GI for Basmati for
the geaographical demarcation provided by APEDA. Incidentally, the state of
Madhya Pradesh filed its petition with the Madras High Court seeking direction
to set aside the IPAB's order on the same day.
In its writ petition, the State of Madhya
Pradesh claims that the State currently produces around one million tonnes of
Basmati rice in a single paddy season and the order of IPAB would result in
immediately altering the status quo to the detriment of the State and its
80,000 Basmati farmers and their families.
It added that the IPAB order erraneously
presumes that the State never challenged the areas claimed by APEDA as
traditional Basmati cultivation areas. The State argues that APEDA has not
mapped the exact area where Basmati is grown and gave a blanket protection to
some of the States while it did not pay heed to the request of Madhya Pradesh
to include 13 specific districts in the GI application.
IPAB, in its order, also asked the
registrar to reconsider the matter of inclusion of uncovered area including the
State of Madhya Pradesh into the area covered under the GI for Basmati, afresh
by affording reasonable opportunity to both the sides - the States and APEDA.
It has also dismissed two petitions from Basmati Growers Association of Lahore,
Pakistan, related to the matter.
The IPAB order was in an appeal filed by
APEDA against the order of the assistant registrar in December 31, 2013,
related to a dispute between the export promotion body and the State of Madhya
Pradesh and Daawat Foods for inclusion of some of the
uncovered area in Madhya Pradesh into the GI application filed by APEDA.
Agreeing to the arguments of Daawat Foods and others, the assitant registrar
has asked APEDA to amend the application to include the uncovered area with map
of the region clearly demarcating the area of production within 60 days from
the date of the order on December 31, 2013. The IPAB has set aside this
finding.
APEDA claimed that the rice has been grown
and produced in the states of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand
and parts of Uttar Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir and submitted the data to
establish its claim in this region. It also argued that a worldwide watch
agency was appointed to monitor the trade mark registers worldwide for any
third party attempted registration in the name of "Basmati" or any
deceptive variations and it has taken legal actions in 40 countries against
rival third parties for alleged attempt of infringement. It has also
successfully challenged an attempt by Ricetec, a US-based company from taking
monopoly on the rice grains
Seven years after application,
basmati rice gets GI tag
In 2008, Apeda had applied to the GI registry
asking for exclusive commercial use of the ‘basmati’ tag for grain varieties
grown within the boundaries of the Indo-Gangetic plain
·
·
After seven years of filing applications for the grant of
geographical indication (GI) recognition for basmati rice, the Chennai-based GI
registry on Tuesday granted the coveted tag to the commerce ministry’s wing
Agricultural and Processed Foods Export Development Authority (Apeda).
Apeda has been given the GI tag as the sole custodian of basmati
rice grown in the Indo-Gangetic plains. Last month, the Chennai-based
Intellectual Property Appellate Board (IPAB) had asked the GI registry to grant
GI certification to Apeda while allowing stakeholders from Madhya Pradesh to
submit fresh documents for inclusion in the basmati grown areas.
Sources told FE that GI protection in India would lead to
similar recognition in other countries, including the European Union (EU) and
the US, which implies that India’s competitors would be barred from using the
‘basmati’ tag. In the absence of GI for basmati rice, many private companies
had been trying to register their products under the title, which commands a
premium in the global market.
Basmati rice from the Indo-Gangetic plain, which includes the
Punjab province of Pakistan, has a special aroma attributable to it. India
commands an 85% share in global basmati trade at present. Following the GI
notification, farmers in 77 districts of seven states — Punjab, Haryana,
western Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir — would now get
the benefit.
In 2008, Apeda had applied to the GI registry asking for
exclusive (commercial) use of the ‘basmati’ tag for grain varieties grown
within the boundaries of the Indo-Gangetic plain. Subsequently, India and
Pakistan had initiated steps to register basmati under GI as ‘joint heritage’
for protecting its premium market abroad. But that bid did not fructify due to
opposition within Pakistan.
Last month, the IPAB bench has also dismissed a plea by the
Basmati Growers Association (BGA), Pakistan, which was joined as a party in the
case. “It is for the BGA to agitate their rights and establish their claims before
the High Court of Sindh at Karachi. The appellant, without taking steps to
substantiate their claim in respect of Basmati rice in their country, namely
Pakistan, there is no justification for them to intervene and interfere in the
proceedings initiated by Apeda in respect of getting GI tag for basmati rice
covering the areas within the territory of India as specified in the maps filed
along with the GI application”, the IPAB had noted.
India’s basmati rice exports, which had touched a record R29,000
crore in 2013-14, fell to R27,600 crore in 2014-15, due to a decline in
shipments to Iran. In the first three quarters of the current fiscal, the
country has exported R17,588 crore of basmati rice against R20,455 crore worth
of shipment during the same period in the previous fiscal.
According to official data, more than 237 products have got GI
certification for preserving their uniqueness.
Financial
express
EXPORTS
EXCEED $25BN FOR FIRST TIME IN COUNTRY’S HISTORY
Wednesday,
17 February 2016 15:56
249
ISLAMABAD:
Minister for Commerce Engineer Khurram Dastgir Khan Wednesday told National
Assembly (NA) that Pakistan's exports exceeded $ 25 billion target for the
first time in country's history.
He said
in 2014-15 negative growth in exports was witnessed due to significant decline
in the global prices of cotton, leather products and basmati rice as Pakistan's
export is dependent on these products.
He said
decline in the value of currency has made a difference to the competitive
process, adding that for China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project
infrastructure would be built for which steel and other materials would be
required to import as our local industry is not in a position to meet the huge
target.
He added
that appropriate measures would be taken for anti-dumping of steel.
Responding
to a question he said the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) had imposed ban
on livestock exports due to which an increase was witnessed in meat export from
190.2 million $ to 210.5 million $ and further increase is expected.
He said
that Pakistan has to increase trade with regional countries including
Afghanistan, Iran and Middle East and will have to take certain measures for
the industry.
Khurram
Dastgir in response to a question said according to World Bank database the
standard ratio of exports of goods and services in terms of global GDP is 29.6
percent, whereas Pakistan had 12.28 percent rate in 2014 in this regard.
The
minister informed the house that government should take measures, including
improving infrastructure to reach the World Bank standards. "We have
provided all the information in Urdu regarding GSP Plus on websites for
competition in world markets," he added.
In
response to a question, he said Pakistan's exports of gypsum to India
constitute more than 99% of its global exports of gypsum. There is overall
increase in quantity of gypsum exports to India in last three years with slight
dip in fiscal fear 2014, he added.
He said
increase was witnessed in export of gypsum to 5.5 million tones in 2013-14 and
8.75 million tones in 2014-15.
The
minister said in value terms, the exports show a minor decline which is
attributable to variation in US$ rates. This increase in exports of gypsum is a
result of rise in demand of Pakistani Gypsum from Indian cement industry, he
added.
Copyright APP
(Associated Press of Pakistan), 2016
|
|
Scientists
develop ‘breakthrough’ GM rice with increased iron and zinc
Photo: Irri
Related tags: Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam, Indonesia, Rice, GMO, Research, Science, Bakery, Bread, Diabetes, Markets, Exports, Trade, Food, Nutrition, Diet, Health, Dairy, Milk
Rice scientists have made a “breakthrough” in
genetic crop development through a process of biofortification to increase iron
and zinc levels in rice. Their discovery, the researchers say, will have a
significant impact on the global fight against human micronutrient deficiency,
or “hidden hunger”.
Having found proof of concept
in confined field trials for increasing iron and zinc levels in rice without a
yield penalty, or a change in grain quality, the development could potentially
help developing nations reach nutritional targets for iron and zinc, which are
essential to prevent malnutrition, anaemia and stunting.
The work, led by the
Philippines-based International Rice Research Institution (Irri), has been published in Nature‘s Scientific Reports .
“This significant increase
in iron and zinc levels was achieved through rigorous gene optimisation,
large-scale plant transformation and event selection at the confined facilities
of Irri,” said Inez Slamet-Loedin, senior scientist and head of Irri’s
Genetic Transformation Laboratory.
“We are now developing
back-up lines using rice and bean genes. More work needs to be done to
facilitate varietal release and allow future impact.”
According to the World Health
Organisation, iron deficiency is the most pervasive form of malnutrition and a
leading cause of anaemia in women and children. Zinc deficiency, meanwhile,
causes stunting and has serious consequences for health, particularly during
childhood.
Polished rice grains generally
contain only about 2µg of iron and 16µg of zinc per gram. With limited
variation in grain iron content across the rice gene pool, conventional
breeding efforts have fallen short of reaching 13µg of iron and 28µg of zinc
per gram of polished rice to fulfil 30% of the estimated average requirement in
humans.
However, the Irri study found
a method to genetically engineer rice to have significantly increased levels of
iron and zinc—up to 15µg and 45.7µg respectively—per gram of polished rice that
human cells can potentially absorb.
To do so, the scientists used
genes—nicotianamine synthase from rice and ferritin from soybean—that together
produced high-micronutrient grains. They introduced the genes to a rice
variety, IR64, and bred these into other popular indica varieties, the world’s
most widely grown type of rice from South and Southeast Asia, where Fe and Zn
deficiencies are prevalent.
Howarth Bouis, director of
HarvestPlus, the CGIAR global agriculture research partner which funded the
research, said the study heralded the social application of transgenic
techniques.
Bouis said: ‟The research
results, which have exceeded target levels of both iron and zinc, speak of the
immense potential of using transgenic techniques in pursuing biofortification
to improve the nutritional value of food crops.
“This demonstrates how
scientific innovations can expand the range of solutions to curbing
micronutrient deficiencies.”
Meiert Grootes, chairman of
Europe’s biggest supplier of speciality baking products, has acquired a stake
in a Malaysian-Australian biotech firm that earlier this year launched
ingredients to produce the world’s first clean-label, low-GI “diabetic” white
bread.
Holista Colltech, which
develops “natural healthstyle products”, announced that Grootes's
shares, when fully exercised, would allow the 27-year bakery industry veteran
to own up to 10% of the company. Within three years, he expected to emerge as
Holista’s third-biggest shareholder, the company said in a statement.
In January, Holista CollTech
claimed a global scientific breakthrough when it announced it had developed
ingredients to produce a white bread with a glycemic index of 53—the world’s
lowest for such a product. The company said its blend significantly reduced the
high blood sugar levels caused by consuming white bread and bakery
products.
Its claims have been
validated by an Australian university, which conducted a final clinical study
in December, confirming that white bread blended with Holista’s GI Lite formula
and a natural sourdough by Veripan, the Swiss company which Grootes chairs,
registered the lowest glycemic index level ever achieved by any clean-label
white bread.
The formula consists of
Holista’s GI Lite, which contains extracts of okra, lentils, barley and
fenugreek, and Veripan’s Pantura sourdough.
Rajen Marnicka, chairman and
chief executive of Holista, called the results a “major breakthrough” at
a time of growing concerns surrounding high blood sugar levels across
Asia-Pacific.
Holista and Veripan will
initially begin their joint distribution of Panatura GI in Australia around
October. The roll-out will be followed in Europe, North America, China, India
and the rest of Asia. The global white bread market is worth US$170bn.
Holista claims that the use
of Panatura GI will increase production costs marginally, and will comprise
roughly 5-7% of the final formulation.
Grootes said: “I can say
with conviction that this is the best thing since sliced bread. With Holista’s
expertise and our business networks, we intend to make this revolutionary
ingredient available to food manufacturers around the world.”
Unable to keep up with rising
local demand, Vietnam’s dairy sector shows immense potential for local and
foreign investors, according to a new report.
Market analyst Research and
Markets has found that factors such as rising demand due to an increasing
affinity for Western cuisine have bolstered Vietnam’s dairy
market—traditionally one of the lowest per-capita milk consumers in Southeast
Asia. This in turn has brought heavy investment to the segment.
With demand outstripping
supply, milk production of 456,400 tonnes in 2013 met just 28% of the market.
While domestic supply has grown by 26.6% annually from 2001-2014, and reached
549,500 tones in 2014, such quantities are still not sufficient to meet the
market’s needs.
Low cattle numbers mean that
Vietnam is heavily reliant on milk imports. In 2013, the market for imported
milk products was valued at US$1.1bn, an increase of 130% over the previous
year. This figure is expected to reach US$3.6 billion by 2045.
Now exporting dairy products
to more than 29 foreign markets, the country’s dairy farms have been ramping up
a modernisation programme, and the total milk cow herd was expected to have
reached 240,000 by the end of last year.
Vietnam now plans to meet 60%
of domestic demand for fresh milk by 2045, based on a projected population of
roughly 113m. To meet this target, Research and Markets believes the country
needs to develop a herd capable of producing 5.65m tonnes of milk
annually.
Thailand’s industry ministry
has advised small- and medium-sized food manufacturers to target Myanmar, which
has ben witnessing a significant rise in imports from its eastern neighbour.
The ministry’s National Food
Institute found that Thai exports to Myanmar had increased by almost one-quarter
in 2015, making it the country’s fourth biggest food market after Japan,
America and China.
Yongvut Saovapruk, president
of the institute, said that Myanmar, whose economy is forecast to grow by 8%
this year, represented 4% of Thailand's total food exports in 2015 with a value
of THB900bn (US$25.3bn).
He said that consumers there
were particularly keen on Thai food traits, such as noodle-based foods with
salty tastes, and had a preference for fried food over boiled food. They did
not, however, appreciate coconut milk being used in recipes.
Receiving 17% of Thailand’s
THB231bn (US$6.5bn) food shipments to Asean, Myanmar is the country’s leading
regional importer, and offers significant potential for processed foods and
beverage exporters, Yongvut said.
"Euromonitor
predicted that the average growth of the market for processing foods in Myanmar
between 2014 and 2018 will be about 15% per annum," he said.
"However, the market
growth of non-alcohol beverages in Myanmar is as high as 23% per year over the
period.”
Indonesia’s byzantine
personal and corporate registration processes are putting off overseas food and
beverage investors, according to the industry’s representative body.
Adhi Lukman, chairman of the
Food and Beverages Businesses Association, said a simpler bureaucratic system
is required to attract more companies to the country.
"Starting from
something simple, like residential permit. This permit is used to make a
taxpayer registration number, trade licence, and company registration
certificate," he explained, adding that construction and location
licences should also be simplified.
Adhi called on the government
to overhaul its current system to guarantee a smoother transition for companies
arriving in Indonesia.
"Hopefully, the
regional and central government could synergise because the central
government’s will to [facilitate licensing] has been carried out," he
said.
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TOPICS:
New USDA Proposed Nutrition Rule
May Present Opportunity for Rice
By Katie Maher
WASHINGTON, DC -- Yesterday, U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA) Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition and
Consumer Services Kevin Concannon announced a proposed rule designed to provide
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants increased access
to healthy foods by requiring stores that accept SNAP to stock a wider array of
food choices.
SNAP, formerly known as the Food
Stamp Program, is the nation's largest nutrition assistance program accounting
for 79 percent of Farm Bill costs at $756 million.
"USDA is committed to
expanding access for SNAP participants to the types of foods that are important
to a healthy diet," Concannon said. "This proposed rule ensures that
retailers who accept SNAP benefits offer a variety of products to support
healthy choices for those participating in the program."
The proposed rule would require
SNAP-authorized retailers to offer seven varieties of qualifying foods in four
staple food groups for sale on a continuous basis. The staple food groups are
dairy products; breads and cereals, which includes rice; meats, poultry and
fish; and fruits and vegetables. In addition, the proposal calls for retailers
to stock at least six units within each variety, leading to a total of at least
168 required food items per store.
While the majority of SNAP
benefits are redeemed in supermarkets and superstores, this proposal could
provide a new opportunity to expand rice distribution in retailers accepting
SNAP, and potentially increase rice products on shelves.
USA
Rice Daily, Wednesday, February 17, 2016
U.S.-China Reach Agreement on Phytosanitary
Protocol for Rice Exports
Shipments Expected to Start in the Spring
·
·
·
·
·
·
Sharelines
·
U.S.-China rice agreement includes separate inspections by USDA and
its Chinese counterpart of U.S. mills.
·
The technical aspects of U.S.-China rice agreement are unlike any
other the U.S. rice industry operates under.
·
Exporters interested in the Chinese rice trade should develop
strict protocols including detailed records.
U.S.
officials have confirmed that the United States and China have agreed on a phytosanitary protocol that will permit the import of U.S. milled
rice.
“The
challenge now is to move from agreement to shipments,” said Betsy Ward, CEO of
USA Rice, an industry group.
“This
extraordinary agreement has been a long time coming and I commend the U.S.
negotiators and USA Rice for sticking to it and getting us a phytosanitary
protocol,” said Dow Brantley, Arkansas rice farmer and USA Rice Chairman.
“While more complicated and detailed than any other rice protocol in the world,
it is something both industries appear able to make work that will result in a
new market opening up for U.S.-grown rice.”
U.S.
Department of Agriculture officials provided details on how they intend to turn
the phytosanitary protocol into actual export opportunities for U.S. rice. USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) held a Grain Sector Strategic Planning Meeting
where the status of access to China was a key topic discussed by APHIS
leadership. APHIS laid out a series of steps involving separate
inspections by APHIS and its Chinese counterpart of U.S. mills and storage
facilities interested in exporting to China, publication by China of a list of
ports eligible to receive U.S. rice and, issuance of a decree by the Chinese
government authorizing imports. If there are no interruptions, imports
could be permitted by early spring of this year, according to the agency.
“We have
been working with APHIS for several weeks to identify U.S. mills and storage
facilities interested in exporting to China and willing to comply with the
insect trapping and record keeping requirements of the protocol,” said Bob
Cummings, COO of USA Rice, who participated in the briefing.
“APHIS will soon contact these entities to arrange on-site inspections to
assess compliance with APHIS’s work plan. A list of certified U.S. mills and
storage facilities will then be forwarded by APHIS to China and Chinese
authorities will do their own inspections, though perhaps just a sample of facilities.
USA Rice will continue to work with APHIS and take the lead in educating the
industry about the specific requirements of the protocol and work plan.”
“The
technical aspects of this agreement are unlike any other protocol the U.S. rice
industry currently operates under,” said Chris Crutchfield, president of
American Commodity Company, a California rice mill and chair of the USA Rice
Millers Phytosanitary Protocol Task Force. “I strongly encourage all
facilities and exporters who wish to be involved in the Chinese rice trade to
carefully read and understand all aspects of the agreement, and to develop and
follow strict standard operating procedures and protocols including the
detailed maintenance of records, as everything will need to be available for
inspection by Chinese government officials at their request.”
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Africa: Rice - Africa's Ticket Out of Poverty
Tagged:
AfricaFood
and Agriculture
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Africa
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By
Busani Bafana
Cotonou
— Africa is eating more rice than other food staples, though it produces less
than it needs. This is good news for the cereal's potential to help Sub Saharan
Africa out of poverty according to researchers. Rice is the second most
important source of calories in Sub-Saharan Africa, according to the Africa
Rice Center (AfricaRice), a research organisation working to contribute to
poverty alleviation and food security.
Thanks
to fast urbanising Africa, consumption of rice is growing by six per cent
annually. "Rice is important for Africa food security and the reasons are
clear," AfricaRice Center, Deputy Director General, Marco Wopereis, told
IPS, adding that "consumers like it and the consumption growth is just
mind boggling as a result of population and change of preference as people in
cities want food that can be prepared quickly and stored easily and rice is
just perfect for that." Projections are that in 25 years, the world will
be eating 110 million tonnes more of milled rice and one third of that will be
eaten in Africa, according to him.
Grown
in 40 out of 54 countries in Africa, rice is the most important agricultural
activity and source of income for more than 35 million smallholder rice
farmers.
However,
current demand for rice is outpacing local production which covers only 60 per
cent of requirements. As a result, the continent is spending more than US$5
billion annually on importing 12.5 million tonnes of rice each year. This
accounts for 32 per cent of the world's rice imports, making Africa one of the
largest rice importers in the world and a major player in the rice trade.
This
situation is changing, says Wopereis, who is convinced that the rice sector
represents a route out of poverty for Africa. Under its 2011-2020 Strategic
Plan, AfricaRice has prioritised improving yields and the quality of rice in
Africa. "We have seen after 2008 a tremendous increase in production and
good news came out of Africa we have seen yields gone up by 30 per cent
reaching 2,1 tonnes on average per hectare in 2012," he said, noting that
since then yields have remained flat but production has increased in area.
"We
would need a clear investment from public and private sector sectors to boost
the rice sector with enabling policies to make it work because we are currently
importing more than 12 million tonnes of milled rice and if we do not increase
production, we have to import more and more and we could run into the same
crisis as we had in 2008," he emphasised.
The
2008 food crisis jolted some countries in Sub Saharan Africa, forcing
governments, international agencies and donors to invest in ambitious
production programmes which have yielded results. More than 200 participants
comprising researchers, private sector partners especially seed partners and
government representatives from over 20 African countries, Europe and Asia met
in Cotonou in mid-February under the banner of the AfricaRice 2016 Science Week
and Global Rice Science Partnership (GRiSP) to take stock of developments in
the rice sector in 2015. The Science Week served specifically as an annual
review for reflection and planning of rice research-for-development (R4D)
activities in 2016 for AfricaRice Centre and its partners around the world.
There
is good news on rice research. Indigenous rice varieties have received a
facelift by helping develop resilient and high yielding lines of the cereal.
Cultivated for more than 3,000 years in parts of Africa, the African rice,
known by its scientific name, Oryza glaberrima, is unique to the continent and
has become an economic and political crop.
Over
the last six years, AfricaRice has worked with policy makers to implement the
rice strategy at the country level. For example, Senegal, one of the top rice
growers in Africa, has identified regions that will be rice self-sufficient and
produce for the market. Sustainably enhancing the production, processing and
marketing of rice are some of the critical challenges that need to be overcome
to transform the cereal into Africa's key to food and economic security.
Africa
has the technologies continues to improve them but the continent should link up
with the big players such as Africa Development Bank through its projects and
with the private sector to scale up rice technologies. Rice production per
hectare should go up with improved seed varieties, efficient weeders, threshers
and mini combine harvesters.
AfricaRice
is currently undertaking a study on what it means for Sub Saharan Africa to be
self-sufficient by 2025. An estimated $20 billion would be needed in
investments to reach self-sufficiency in 10 years. This will be reached through
improved management of existing rice land, closing yield gaps and increasing
production and where possible double cropping.
AfricaRice
three years ago developed seven high performing rice varieties known as the
Advanced Rice Varieties for Africa (ARICAs) which has been developed with
traits for tolerance to flooding at a vegetative stage, salinity, iron toxicity
and cold. These are high performing compared to the New Rice for Africa
(NERICA) varieties developed for rain-fed environments in the 1990s.
Moussa
Sie, a senior breeder at AfricaRice and coordinator of the Rice Breeding Task
Force in Africa, said ARICAs will help increase the number of rice varieties
available and boost production by at least 40 per cent. These have been
developed using participatory variety selection tools that breeders use to
involve farmers in developing what is suitable for their needs and conditions
in the view of flooding and droughts as a result of climate change.
"We
are working in particular to breed varieties that are more robust and more
ready to face the threats of climate change because rice is grown mainly by
poor farmers and we need to develop varieties for such kind of farmers,"
Sie told IPS. "We have rice champions like the NERICA-4 varieties which we
developed by involving farmers and ARICAs will follow the same route."
According
to Realising Africa's Rice Promise - the most comprehensive reference
publication on rice research in Africa - this staple is the future for Africa.
The study, a global collaboration by 100 authors with considerable expertise,
says sustainably increasing rice production and productivity, enhancing quality
and marketing are key to the transformation of the rice sector. "Rice is
critical for food security and political stability throughout Africa and it has
the greatest potential to fuel economic growth," the study notes
http://allafrica.com/stories/201602170998.html
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02/17/2016 Farm
Bureau Market Report
Rice
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Rice Comment
Rice future
were higher, but gains were limited. The average expected price for long grain
is now $11.00-$11.60/cwt, and mid-south medium grain is expected to bring
$11.70-$12.30. The market is anxiously awaiting the results of an Iraqi tender
for U.S. origin only rice. May has downtrending resistance near $11.60.
Rice Prices
as on : 17-02-2016 02:25:30 PM
Import From China? - Contact Certified Manufacturers. Inquire & Get A Quotation
Now!
www.globalmarket.com
www.globalmarket.com
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||||||
|
Gadarpur(Utr)
|
1425.00
|
-3.32
|
60526.00
|
2089
|
1803
|
30.56
|
|
Etawah(UP)
|
450.00
|
25
|
15330.00
|
2260
|
2250
|
2.73
|
|
Shahjahanpur(UP)
|
215.00
|
1.56
|
38597.70
|
2190
|
2190
|
8.15
|
|
Gondal(UP)
|
178.00
|
6.59
|
9887.10
|
2015
|
2020
|
-0.49
|
|
Ballia(UP)
|
140.00
|
-6.67
|
5270.00
|
1975
|
1960
|
NC
|
|
Sitapur(UP)
|
139.00
|
-6.71
|
4293.00
|
2200
|
2220
|
1.38
|
|
Mathabhanga(WB)
|
120.00
|
NC
|
2340.00
|
1950
|
1950
|
-
|
|
Basti(UP)
|
116.50
|
6.88
|
3269.00
|
2065
|
2060
|
5.90
|
|
Lucknow(UP)
|
102.00
|
-21.54
|
2774.00
|
2160
|
2140
|
-0.46
|
|
Kalipur(WB)
|
90.00
|
NC
|
2776.00
|
2050
|
2050
|
-6.82
|
|
Saharanpur(UP)
|
80.00
|
NC
|
3281.00
|
2050
|
2040
|
-1.44
|
|
Aligarh(UP)
|
70.00
|
NC
|
1565.00
|
2150
|
2170
|
13.16
|
|
Ghaziabad(UP)
|
70.00
|
-30
|
1560.00
|
2075
|
2070
|
-2.35
|
|
P.O. Uparhali Guwahati(ASM)
|
68.00
|
-9.33
|
2124.00
|
2100
|
2100
|
-19.23
|
|
Bindki(UP)
|
65.00
|
8.33
|
1613.00
|
2260
|
2250
|
8.39
|
|
Coochbehar(WB)
|
65.00
|
1.56
|
528.50
|
2050
|
2050
|
-4.65
|
|
Achalda(UP)
|
50.00
|
-34.64
|
2396.50
|
2250
|
2240
|
3.21
|
|
Nadia(WB)
|
50.00
|
NC
|
1000.00
|
3200
|
3200
|
3.23
|
|
Samsi(WB)
|
50.00
|
NC
|
14560.00
|
2800
|
2800
|
-
|
|
Gauripur(ASM)
|
46.00
|
6.98
|
1775.50
|
4500
|
4500
|
-
|
|
Muzzafarnagar(UP)
|
46.00
|
43.75
|
764.00
|
2075
|
2050
|
-
|
|
Cachar(ASM)
|
40.00
|
-33.33
|
1200.00
|
2700
|
2700
|
NC
|
|
Lanka(ASM)
|
40.00
|
-20
|
1665.00
|
1725
|
1725
|
-
|
|
Karimganj(ASM)
|
40.00
|
-50
|
1080.00
|
2200
|
2200
|
4.76
|
|
Haathras(UP)
|
35.00
|
-12.5
|
315.00
|
2170
|
2145
|
11.86
|
|
Balrampur(UP)
|
31.50
|
-12.5
|
951.00
|
2040
|
2070
|
-0.49
|
|
Balurghat(WB)
|
31.00
|
10.71
|
171.00
|
2850
|
2830
|
-
|
|
Purulia(WB)
|
30.00
|
-6.25
|
1302.00
|
2180
|
2200
|
-9.17
|
|
Kolhapur(Laxmipuri)(Mah)
|
25.00
|
-16.67
|
760.00
|
3000
|
3000
|
-
|
|
Jasra(UP)
|
22.50
|
-10
|
265.50
|
2060
|
2075
|
3.00
|
|
Bohorihat(ASM)
|
22.00
|
33.33
|
168.40
|
2075
|
2000
|
-10.75
|
|
Jalpaiguri Sadar(WB)
|
22.00
|
-12
|
579.00
|
2700
|
2700
|
-3.57
|
|
Mekhliganj(WB)
|
21.50
|
7.5
|
305.00
|
2000
|
2000
|
-
|
|
Diamond Harbour(South 24-pgs)(WB)
|
21.00
|
-8.7
|
211.00
|
0
|
1850
|
-
|
|
Alipurduar(WB)
|
18.00
|
NC
|
215.00
|
2200
|
2200
|
-
|
|
Kolaghat(WB)
|
17.00
|
NC
|
337.00
|
2300
|
2300
|
-
|
|
Tamluk (Medinipur E)(WB)
|
16.00
|
NC
|
358.00
|
2300
|
2300
|
-
|
|
Medinipur(West)(WB)
|
16.00
|
NC
|
391.00
|
2450
|
2450
|
2.08
|
|
Falakata(WB)
|
15.00
|
3.45
|
276.10
|
1990
|
1960
|
-
|
|
Vikasnagar(Utr)
|
13.00
|
-
|
13.00
|
2640
|
-
|
88.57
|
|
North Lakhimpur(ASM)
|
12.50
|
-12.59
|
810.70
|
1900
|
1900
|
-
|
|
Hazaribagh(Jha)
|
12.50
|
25.63
|
46.55
|
2945
|
3015
|
-
|
|
Kannauj(UP)
|
12.50
|
NC
|
172.10
|
2190
|
2180
|
0.92
|
|
Etah(UP)
|
12.00
|
9.09
|
61.00
|
1880
|
1890
|
-6.93
|
|
Firozabad(UP)
|
12.00
|
NC
|
325.00
|
2120
|
2110
|
3.92
|
|
Raiganj(WB)
|
12.00
|
9.09
|
506.00
|
2750
|
2800
|
-
|
|
Champadanga(WB)
|
12.00
|
-25
|
433.00
|
2350
|
2350
|
-12.96
|
|
Muradabad(UP)
|
11.00
|
83.33
|
326.50
|
2230
|
2240
|
12.91
|
|
Mannargudi(Ker)
|
10.00
|
NC
|
275.00
|
3600
|
3100
|
-
|
|
Pilibhit(UP)
|
10.00
|
-92.86
|
16248.00
|
2195
|
2195
|
-6.40
|
|
Kaliaganj(WB)
|
10.00
|
11.11
|
346.00
|
2650
|
2700
|
-
|
|
Dibrugarh(ASM)
|
9.50
|
-40.62
|
596.30
|
2400
|
2400
|
-
|
|
Katwa(WB)
|
8.50
|
-5.56
|
77.50
|
2400
|
2300
|
NC
|
|
Bhivandi(Mah)
|
8.00
|
NC
|
166.00
|
3350
|
2300
|
97.06
|
|
Nilagiri(Ori)
|
8.00
|
NC
|
269.00
|
2300
|
2500
|
NC
|
|
Baraut(UP)
|
8.00
|
-50
|
147.00
|
2115
|
2135
|
1.20
|
|
Dibiapur(UP)
|
8.00
|
14.29
|
55.00
|
2260
|
2230
|
3.20
|
|
Nimapara(Ori)
|
7.00
|
7.69
|
123.00
|
2200
|
2200
|
NC
|
|
Chengannur(Ker)
|
6.00
|
NC
|
333.00
|
2400
|
2450
|
-17.24
|
|
Jhansi(UP)
|
6.00
|
NC
|
134.50
|
2100
|
2100
|
7.69
|
|
Khairagarh(UP)
|
6.00
|
NC
|
227.00
|
2090
|
2090
|
2.96
|
|
Silapathar(ASM)
|
5.40
|
-18.18
|
448.60
|
3000
|
3000
|
NC
|
|
Hailakandi(ASM)
|
4.00
|
NC
|
83.00
|
2700
|
2700
|
NC
|
|
Fatehpur(UP)
|
4.00
|
14.29
|
95.50
|
2145
|
2165
|
2.63
|
|
Imphal(Man)
|
3.90
|
-4.88
|
115.60
|
2900
|
2900
|
-
|
|
Darjeeling(WB)
|
3.20
|
23.08
|
44.90
|
2800
|
2800
|
3.70
|
|
Madikeri(Kar)
|
3.00
|
NC
|
26.00
|
1440
|
1200
|
-
|
|
Aroor(Ker)
|
3.00
|
NC
|
112.70
|
6900
|
6900
|
-25.81
|
|
Islampur(WB)
|
3.00
|
NC
|
167.20
|
2150
|
2150
|
-
|
|
Perinthalmanna(Ker)
|
2.90
|
NC
|
36.50
|
2600
|
2600
|
-
|
|
Melaghar(Tri)
|
2.50
|
NC
|
76.30
|
2350
|
2350
|
NC
|
|
Chorichora(UP)
|
2.50
|
177.78
|
264.40
|
2125
|
2100
|
8.42
|
|
Bonai(Bonai)(Ori)
|
2.00
|
NC
|
44.10
|
2000
|
2000
|
-9.09
|
|
Siyana(UP)
|
1.50
|
NC
|
51.50
|
2045
|
2055
|
1.24
|
|
Kalimpong(WB)
|
1.40
|
75
|
17.20
|
2400
|
2450
|
-14.29
|
|
Lamlong Bazaar(Man)
|
1.40
|
-22.22
|
39.30
|
2700
|
2700
|
-6.90
|
|
Sardhana(UP)
|
1.20
|
20
|
47.30
|
2165
|
2060
|
4.59
|
|
Gurusarai(UP)
|
1.20
|
50
|
4.10
|
2200
|
2250
|
-
|
|
Shillong(Meh)
|
0.80
|
-33.33
|
31.90
|
3500
|
3500
|
NC
|
RELATED IRRI and German equipment company forge a win-win partnership
Carlito Balingbing, Reianne Quilloy, and Joseph Sandro | Feb 17, 2016
|
Substituting fertilizer for salt
and sand. In Europe, the POLARO is used to spread salt and sand for better road
traction. In Asia, this lightweight machine can be attached to a four-wheel
undercarriage for fertilizer and crop care application. (Photo: Isagani
Serrano, IRRI)
In addition to water, fertilizer is also an important input in
rice production on the irrigated lowlands of Asia. But, unlike water, which
usually flows naturally for even distribution onto farmers’ fields, the uniform
application of fertilizer is laborious and difficult.
Fertilizer boosts rice yield when applied in the right amount and
at the right time. Applying it uniformly ensures an even distribution of
nutrients to the rice crop. However, for years, uniform application has been a
big obstacle for most rice farmers and even on the Zeigler Experiment Station
of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in the Philippines.
Although fertilizer spreaders are commonly available, they usually are designed
for use in large fields pulled by big tractors.
In 2014, an informal meeting between Walter Zwick, IRRI
collaborator in Cambodia, and Helmut Lehner, owner and managing director of Lehner Agrar GmbH in Germany, led to a consultation with Martin
Gummert, IRRI’s postharvest expert. during
which Mr. Lehner made an offer to theIRRI postharvest team to test POLARO, a battery-operated mechanical spreader developed
by the German company for applying sand and salt onto highways, but it works
just as well for fertilizer distribution on small rice farms. Mr. Lehner
donated one unit to IRRI to assess its performance against manual fertilizer
application.
“We thought that this mechanical spreader had tremendous potential
to help smallholder farmers obtain a uniform spread of granular-based
fertilizers in the field,” Engr. Gummert said.
After three cropping seasons, the postharvest team measured up to
a 9% yield increase, with urea (46-0-0) and complete fertilizer (14-14-14),
when the POLARO spreader was used. It also took less time to apply the
fertilizer using the mechanical spreader. Manual application took approximately
2 hours per hectare, whereas mechanical application using a tractor, running at
2 kilometers per hour, took 1.3 hours per hectare. Another field trial was done
for one cropping season in Battambang, Cambodia. Compared with manual
application, there was a 5–6% yield increase with the POLARO spreader.
IRRI’s postharvest team measured up
to 9% yield increase using POLARO to apply urea and complete fertilizer.
(Photo: Miriam Gummert, IRRI)
Sealing a win-win collaboration
Armed with the field results and suggestions for machine modifications, the IRRI postharvest team organized a roundtable discussion with Mr. Lehner and his team to tackle collaboration strategies. This led to Mr. Lehner’s commitment to improve the design to make the spreader more compatible for use by smallholder farmers. He also provided IRRI with funding for further adaptive testing of the new version of the POLARO spreader in the field.
Armed with the field results and suggestions for machine modifications, the IRRI postharvest team organized a roundtable discussion with Mr. Lehner and his team to tackle collaboration strategies. This led to Mr. Lehner’s commitment to improve the design to make the spreader more compatible for use by smallholder farmers. He also provided IRRI with funding for further adaptive testing of the new version of the POLARO spreader in the field.
Realizing that the utility of the machine could be further
maximized, Mr. Lehner’s team developed an additional sprayer applicator for
pesticides (herbicides and insecticides), which consisted of a spraying boom, a
tank, and a pump that fits the modified frame of the POLARO. As with fertilizer
application, the spraying of pesticides in Asia is mostly done manually, with
very uneven distribution. This can lead to potential negative effects on the
environment and the health of the operators.
Mr. Lehner then sent IRRI a free unit of the new spreader/sprayer,
that is, a two-in-one system of a fertilizer spreader and pesticide applicator.
This new version is being tested and will be used in field trials in 2016.
Precision farming for sustainability in Southeast Asia
Improved fertilizer and pesticide application reduces waste, emission, and pollution and protects the health of operators and consumers. These benefits are key to IRRI’s quest to develop rice production practices that are more environmentally sustainable than the current practices.
Improved fertilizer and pesticide application reduces waste, emission, and pollution and protects the health of operators and consumers. These benefits are key to IRRI’s quest to develop rice production practices that are more environmentally sustainable than the current practices.
Collaborators in the Closing
rice yield gaps in Asia with reduced environmental footprints project (CORIGAP) in Vietnam and Thailand quickly realized the tremendous
potential of the fertilizer/pesticide spreader when briefed on the results from
the IRRI farm. CORIGAP aims to close rice yield gaps through environmentally
sustainable means.
“For the 2016 rainy season, we want to use the POLARO fertilizer
spreader in our treatment fields and compare it with farmers’ fields that
employ manual fertilizer application, and then observe its effect on yield and
farmers’ income,” said Ladda Viriyangkura, expert on rice inspection and
certification from the Thailand Rice Department. “We are also interested in its
added use to improve herbicide application,” she continued.
Additional free units donated by Lehner GmbH to IRRI’s partners in
these countries will enable further testing of the spreaders under smallholder
farm conditions.
Partnership for sustainable rice production
The partnership between IRRI and Lehner GmbH also benefits IRRI’s partners, who are now able to verify another technology for mechanized rice production with their clients and other rice consumers through more sustainably produced rice.
The partnership between IRRI and Lehner GmbH also benefits IRRI’s partners, who are now able to verify another technology for mechanized rice production with their clients and other rice consumers through more sustainably produced rice.
________________
Engr. Balingbing is a senior associate scientist, Ms. Quilloy
is a communication specialist and facilitator of the Learning Alliance,
and Engr. Sandro is an assistant scientist at IRRI.
http://ricetoday.irri.org/irri-and-german-equipment-company-forge-a-win-win-collaboration/
Enter the
techie farmer and precision farming
TARLAC FOLK MAKE USE OF EVERYDAY IT
GADGETS AS FARM TOOLS
SHARES: 1015
By: Ronnel W. Domingo
@inquirerdotnet
Philippine Daily Inquirer
01:39 AM February 17th, 2016
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‘A shining example of the best,
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INQUIRER
FILE PHOTO
WITH the use of mobile phones becoming
more ubiquitous as modern gadgets become more affordable, it is no surprise
that even farmers in developing countries—traditionally seen as “low tech”—are
now adding these to their farm tools.
In Tarlac, an initial batch of 18
small-scale rice farmers are taking part in the pilot run of a program that
intends to popularize the use of information and communication technology to
help them better manage their farms.
Dubbed “Rice Crop Manager” or RCM, the
decision-support tool was developed by the International Rice Research
Institute with funding from the Department of Agriculture through its food
staples sufficiency program.
The DA-supervised Agricultural Training
Institute (ATI), in partnership with Smart Communications, is testing the
effectiveness of the RCM—particularly its text-messaging component—for eventual
mass adoption.
At the kickoff of the pilot last December,
select members of farmers cooperatives in the town of La Paz were equipped with
low-cost packages of mobile phones with preloaded SIM cards. The participants
tend farms in the barangays of Caut, Paludpud and La Purisima.
With respective localized versions also
rolled out in Bangladesh (also called RCM) and Indonesia (dubbed Rice
Agro-advisory Service), the tool is expected to help rice growers increase
their productivity through recommendations about site-specific crops and
nutrient management.
By harvest time, the expectation is that
RCM has helped farmers increase their yield and net income.
The IRRI is still evaluating a version
for Vietnam (also dubbed RCM) as well as four specialized versions for Uttar
Pradesh, Odisha and Bihar in India.
Here in the Philippines, RCM comes as a
mobile app for smartphones or a website accessible with a personal computer or
laptop where farmers—with the help of extension workers, when necessary—go
through a questionnaire of 15 to 25 questions. The questionnaire basically asks
for data about the farm, location, source of water, the kind of seeds they
intend to use, and so forth.
Participants receive text messages on
site-specific recommendations from the RCM delivered through the DA’s Farmers’
Contact Center (FCC), which the ATI operates and manages.
Edilberto de Luna, national coordinator
of the DA’s Rice and Corn Program, says the use of ICT, including text
messaging, will make the implementation of agricultural extension activities
easier.
“This (the pilot project) is only the
beginning as we hope to upscale this project using the experiences that we will
gain from this experiment,” De Luna says.
“There is a significant need to equip
more Filipino farmers with understanding, necessary skills, tools and access to
information so they could effectively cultivate their full potentials, thereby
improve their livelihood,” he adds.
According to ATI director Asterio
Saliot, the project also supports the agency’s effort to attract the youth to
engage in agriculture through the use of modern technology.
The ATI’s e-Extension Program for
Agriculture and Fisheries has three components —e-Learning, e-Farming and
e-Trading.
“In the face of aging Filipino farmers
and our vulnerability to typhoons, (we) are continuously forming partnerships
to help uplift the lives of farmers and mitigate the effects of climate
change,” Saliot says.
According to field tests for the earlier
version of RCM in the Philippines (the latest is version 2.0), the IRRI said
rice farmers in Isabela, Nueva Ecija, Oriental Mindoro, and Agusan del Norte
increased their net income by about P4,000 per hectare for every crop cycle.
Early efforts were mainly web-based but
the text-based component was added to give the project a wider reach.
However, it turned out that four in
every five of the 150,000 farmers who signed up for RCM did not provide mobile
phone numbers, suggesting that they had now direct access to such devices.
This is now being addressed through the
partnership with Smart, which donates handsets that will serve as test units to
further study the effectiveness of the RCM as used by farmers.
Even as RCM for rice farmers is being
fine-tuned toward mass use, another version for corn farmers—called Corn Crop
Manager—is under evaluation at the IRRI.
Saliot, the ATI director, says he looks
forward to the success of RCM and for its expansion to other crops like corn
and vegetables, and also for the inclusion of weather advisories. TVJ
Read more: http://technology.inquirer.net/46611/enter-the-techie-farmer-and-precision-farming#ixzz40KlkWJgj
Follow us: @inquirerdotnet on Twitter | inquirerdotnet on Facebook
$2-M rice
processing facility to open in Nueva Ecija
SHARES: 13
@inquirerdotnet
Philippine Daily Inquirer
03:06 AM February 17th, 2016
Rice growers in nearby Central Luzon provinces will soon have
easier access to high-quality seeds as a processing facility worth at least $2
million (about P96 million) is being built in Nueva Ecija.
The Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), with funding
from the Korea International Cooperation Agency, recently broke ground for the
construction of a pilot facility that is expected to be completed next year.
According to PhilRice, the seeds that will be made available
through the seed processing facility will have “high seedling vigor.”
This means the plants that will germinate have better chances of
survival and have better root anchorage, which will lead to higher yields for
the farmers.
PhilRice also said the facility would house advanced equipment
that could process up to two tons of seeds daily.
“The project’s objective is to increase the use of high-quality
seeds of our farmers in Region III and Pangasinan and also to increase the
efficiency of processing and certification of rice seeds by reducing the time
of processing and seed testing,” PhilRice executive director Calixto M.
Protacio said in a statement.
Citing studies by rice researchers, Protacio said the adoption
of high-quality seeds can help increase yield by a range of 5 percent to 10
percent.
In December, PhilRice also rolled out its Lakbay Binhi project
to make top-class seeds more available to farmers—especially in storm-affected
communities— through trucks converted in to mobile seed centers.
According to PhilRice, pilot runs benefited farmers in Dipaculao
and Casiguran towns of Aurora and Guimba in Nueva Ecjia.
In these towns where rice farms were devastated by Typhoon
“Lando” in October, 2015, PhilRice distributed to “over a hundred farmers” 82
bags each containing 20 kilos of what was described as high-quality and
location-specific seeds.
The new initiative responds to the challenge of having the right
amount of high-quality seeds delivered to the farmers at the right time.
PhilRice said Lakbay Binhi would eventually serve hard-to-reach
areas where there were no local seed growers and where adoption of high-quality
seeds was low.
Also, the Department of Agriculture-supervised institute plans
to work with growers of PhilRice-bred varieties to tap them as sources of
supplies for Lakbay Binhi.
Aside from offering seeds “at a reasonable price,” the Lakbay
Binhi will also bring to the field PhilRice experts who will share their
knowledge on crop management practices and location-specific technologies. Ronnel W. Domingo
http://business.inquirer.net/207182/2-m-rice-processing-facility-to-open-in-nueva-ecija
New types of rice could herald a second 'green
revolution'
Scientists
hope to produce higher-yielding varieties of rice as well as types resistant to
disease
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A key priority is to pack more nutrients into rice Getty
The production of rice – a grain that feeds half the world’s
population - is to be bolstered with new DNA technology, in a breakthrough
hailed by scientists as the next “green revolution".
Using a huge bank of rice varieties stored in the Philippines
along with cutting edge Chinese technology, scientists have completed the DNA
sequencing of more than 3,000 of the most significant types of rice.
With the vast pool of data scientists hope to produce
higher-yielding varieties of rice, scientists told AFP.
Other potential varieties include rice resistant to certain
pests and disease, or that contain greater volumes of certain nutrients and
vitamins.
Farmers harvest rice on a field on the outskirts of
Hanoi Getty
The genome sequencing project took four years and involved
decoding rice DNA.
It was primarily undertaken in China by BGI – the world’s
biggest genome sequencing firm - and used leaf samples from the International
Rice Research Institute’s (IRRI) gene bank of 127,000 varieties.
For the last 100 years, breeders have isolated traits in rice,
such as disease resistance and high yields, and developed them through cross
breeding.
However, this breakthrough in molecular genetics promises to
fast-track this process, meaning better rice varieties can be developed and
passed on to farmers in less than three years, instead of an expected 12 years
without DNA sequencing.
A key priority for IRRI is to pack more nutrients into rice,
evolving it into a tool to fight illness linked to inadequate diets in poor
countries and lifestyle diseases in wealthier countries.
READ MORE
"We're interested to understand the nutritional value....
we're looking into the enrichment of micronutrients," Nese Sreenivasulu,
the Indian head of the IRRI's grain quality and nutrition centre told AFP.
Dr Nese suggests Type-2 diabetes could be quelled by breeding
varieties of rice that will release sugar into the bloodstream more slowly.
Scientists also hope to breed rice with higher amounts of zinc,
preventing stunting and fatalities from diarrhea.
Scientists behind the project hope it will lead to a second
"green revolution".
The first began in the 1960s when the creation of
higher-yielding varieties of wheat and rice was credited with preventing global
food shortages, however these earlier efforts have been subdued in recent
years.
"This will be a big help to strengthen food security for
rice eaters,” said Dr Kenneth McNally, an American biochemist at the IRRI
Seven years after application,
basmati rice gets GI tag
In 2008, Apeda had applied to the GI registry
asking for exclusive commercial use of the ‘basmati’ tag for grain varieties
grown within the boundaries of the Indo-Gangetic plain
After
seven years of filing applications for the grant of geographical indication
(GI) recognition for basmati rice, the Chennai-based GI registry on Tuesday
granted the coveted tag to the commerce ministry’s wing Agricultural and
Processed Foods Export Development Authority (Apeda).
Apeda
has been given the GI tag as the sole custodian of basmati rice grown in the Indo-Gangetic
plains. Last month, the Chennai-based Intellectual Property Appellate Board
(IPAB) had asked the GI registry to grant GI certification to Apeda while
allowing stakeholders from Madhya Pradesh to submit fresh documents for
inclusion in the basmati grown areas.
Sources
told FE that GI protection in India would lead to similar recognition in other
countries, including the European Union (EU) and the US, which implies that
India’s competitors would be barred from using the ‘basmati’ tag. In the absence
of GI for basmati rice, many private companies had been trying to register
their products under the title, which commands a premium in the global market.
Basmati
rice from the Indo-Gangetic plain, which includes the Punjab province of
Pakistan, has a special aroma attributable to it. India commands an 85% share
in global basmati trade at present. Following the GI notification, farmers in
77 districts of seven states — Punjab, Haryana, western Uttar Pradesh,
Uttarakhand, Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir — would now get the benefit.
In
2008, Apeda had applied to the GI registry asking for exclusive (commercial)
use of the ‘basmati’ tag for grain varieties grown within the boundaries of the
Indo-Gangetic plain. Subsequently, India and Pakistan had initiated steps to
register basmati under GI as ‘joint heritage’ for protecting its premium market
abroad. But that bid did not fructify due to opposition within Pakistan.
Last
month, the IPAB bench has also dismissed a plea by the Basmati Growers
Association (BGA), Pakistan, which was joined as a party in the case. “It is
for the BGA to agitate their rights and establish their claims before the High
Court of Sindh at Karachi. The appellant, without taking steps to substantiate
their claim in respect of Basmati rice in their country, namely Pakistan, there
is no justification for them to intervene and interfere in the proceedings
initiated by Apeda in respect of getting GI tag for basmati rice covering the
areas within the territory of India as specified in the maps filed along with
the GI application”, the IPAB had noted.
India’s
basmati rice exports, which had touched a record R29,000 crore in 2013-14, fell
to R27,600 crore in 2014-15, due to a decline in shipments to Iran. In the
first three quarters of the current fiscal, the country has exported R17,588
crore of basmati rice against R20,455 crore worth of shipment during the same
period in the previous fiscal.
According
to official data, more than 237 products have got GI certification for
preserving their uniqueness.
http://www.financialexpress.com/article/markets/commodities/seven-years-after-application-basmati-rice-gets-gi-tag/212218/
USA Rice Daily, Wednesday, February
17, 2016
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