Saturday, March 19, 2016

17th March,2016 daily Global rice e-newsletter by riceplus magazine

From crop production to market: Improving the livelihood of Pakistan’s basmati rice farmers

 Gene Hettel   |  Mar 18, 2016

BASMATI RICE farmers in Pakistan are finding better livelihoods with access to the European market. Photo: RPL.
A program for improving Pakistan’s basmati rice for the export market is a shining example of how the private and public sectors can work together to make a difference.

An improvement program in Pakistan for aromatic basmati rice has become the most complete contract farmer system that Joe Rickman has seen in his more than two decades of working with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in various capacities. Involved in the program over the last 5 years, Mr. Rickman, currently an IRRI consultant, believes it shows how the private and public sectors can work together to make a difference.“In the program, farmers are being rewarded for growing high-quality basmati rice,” he says. “At the same time, the effort is enabling Rice Partners Limited (RPL), an international rice milling company headquartered in Islamabad, to process and sell the product to the European operation of the international food conglomerate Mars, Inc., which is happy to have a robust, high-quality rice supply route in place while supporting small-scale farmers.”

Bringing farmers and market together
The program has brought together hundreds of basmati rice farmers in Punjab province (see map), RPL with its farmer contacts, Mars with its market knowledge, and IRRI with its technical knowledge and skills. It has resulted in the improved quantity and quality of Pakistan’s basmati rice production. Started in 2011 with just 27 contract farmers, the program grew to include 428 farmers in 2015.“We are on track to have more than 1,000 contract farmers and sell 20,000 tons of brown basmati rice in Europe via Mars’ Uncle Ben’s® products by 2017,”says Mr. Rickman.” After that, we hope to reach out to an additional 15,000 basmati growers in Pakistan.”

RPL contract area in Pakistan’s Punjab provincewhere 95% of the country’s basmati rice (2.47 million tons in 2010) is cultivated. Source: RPL
Private and public sector working together

The program was intensified when IRRI first began working with Mars and RPL. In October 2013, 12 associates from the Mars Ambassador Program came to IRRI to learn firsthand how to grow rice and help farmers improve crop yield and quality. Then, after having walked in the farmers’ shoes” by preparing the land, planting, harvesting, processing, and milling rice at IRRI, they—together with RPL officials and IRRI experts—developed a strategic plan for the improvement program. The aim was to enhance the basmati farmers’ productivity and the quality of their crop while, at the same time, increasing their efficiency in input use, especially water and chemicals.Also in 2013, Bayer Crop Science assisted with financial support and provided farmer training on pest management.
RPL oversees and supports the rice production through a contract grower scheme, procures the paddy from the individual farmers if it meets standards, and then ages and mills the brown rice before selling it to Mars for the European market. Very importantly, farmers receive cash benefits for their quality rice as a premium over the regular market price rate and they enjoy being paid immediately after harvest.
FAROOQ AHMED and M. Yaqoob check the crop of basmati rice farmer Ashiq Hussain. Photo: RPL.
Keeping records setting benchmarks—linchpin of the program
“RPL currently employs eight quality control officers (QCs), which I trained by helping them to develop a rice check and log book system,” says Mr. Rickman. “These QCs, such as Farooq Ahmed and M. Yaqoob (photo), visit farmers every 7-10 days to check on the crop, give advice, and record what is happening in the field. They record all inputs and keep them on a central log book and database at RPL.”Experience has shown that one QC officer can effectively work with up to 50 farmers. “If we increase the number of farmers above 50 per QC then we will decrease the effectiveness of the program and quality will suffer,” says Ali Tariq, RPL’s CEO. “Obviously, our target is more farmers. But to do this, we will need to increase our existing resources as it is already quite a tough job to monitor the farmers we already have.”

ALI TARIQ (black shirt) observes QCs M. Imran Mali and M. Yaqoob checking the grain quality of the harvest of farmer M. Anwar Nawaz. Photo: RPL.
IRRI and RPL have developed a rice crop check system, which is used as a bench mark for both farmers and QCs to follow. “The farmers are supported by recommendations on all agronomic and harvesting aspects of rice farming,” says Mr. Rickman. “Because aflatoxin and pesticide residues have been the major reasons that grain lots are rejected in Europe, the check system has been introduced to alleviate these problems by providing farmers with information on economic injury levels, withholding period after spraying, and recommendations on harvesting and drying.”Using these quality standards for the paddy, RPL has established the purchase standards for basmati rice. If a contract grower does not meet these standards, the crop is rejected and will then have to be sold on the local markets at a reduced price.
Mutual benefits
“Farmers are developing more sustainable agronomic practices that positively impact on productivity and the environment while we are obtaining a high-quality and safe food product delivered to our factories and customers in Europe,” says Luc Beerens, European procurement manager at Mars in Rotterdam. “It is also an opportunity to test and audit the Sustainable Rice Platform standards in the real world. With basmati yields in Pakistan being currently half of those in neighboring India, it is a perfect opportunity to make a huge difference.”
The success of the program is already evident. “When the program first started, the rejection rate of basmati rice shipments into Europe was as high as 80%,” says Mr. Beerens. “In 2013 and 2014, this was reduced to 25 and 8%, respectively.”
Farmers have already benefited financially. “Those who follow the guidelines and sell their crop to RPL receive a 10% premium above local market value, points out Mr. Tariq. “And they are paid within 24-36 hours of delivery with all transportation costs covered by RPL.”

RPL IS LOOKING to improve the gender balance of participating farmers. Here, the first women farmers, Shadan Bibi (left) and Khursheed Bibi (right), sign a RPL grower contract. Photo: RPL.
Farmers getting in the queue
With this level of support offered by RPL and Mars, it is little wonder that new farmers are lining up on a daily basis to join the program. In 2015, RPL signed up two women farmers and is continuing to look for ways to improve the gender balance of the program.
“Simple things such as counting the number of seedlings established, weed management advice, and understanding the quality traits have all contributed to the farmers’ knowledge,” says Mr. Rickman. “They also look forward to the security of signing a new contract with RPL each year.”
Testimonials
Indeed, local farmers like the program. “I’ve been an RPL contract farmer for the last 4 years,” says Mubasahar Naveed Wagha from Khairpur Mallian Village. “RPL respects us. Their QCs visit us regularly during both the sowing and harvesting seasons. We get very good prices and their method of payment is swift. God bless them all.”

CONTRACT FARMERS Mubasahar Naveed Wagha and Asghar Mujahid are happy with the RPL-Mars-IRRI program results. Photos: RPL.
“For the 3 years that I have been a contract farmer, the RPL team has guided me on proper farming practices,” says Asghar Mujahid also from Khairpur Mallian. “They gave me free seeds. They visited me weekly and gave me fruitful advice through their training programs and rice experts. My yield has improved. We are thankful that RPL has liberated us from the middlemen. I am especially thankful to Mr. Tariq who has done a lot for our village.”
Next steps
“While we feel that many of the quality issues that we initially faced have been overcome, we now need to start working on getting higher mill outs from the rice in farmers’ fields,” says Mr. Rickman. “At the moment, RPL is exporting less than 45% of the combined-harvested rice. Our aim is to get this up to 60% by working more closely with the combine operators and farmers during harvest and the RPL rice mill during processing.”

IRRI AND RPL are working to improve the mill out to at least 60% of the crop making it to the European export market. RPL is currently exporting less than 45% of the combined-harvested rice. Photo: RPL.
One major part of the problem is that the crop is being harvested too early, which increases the number of green and immature grains. Also, many combines are not set up and/or operated correctly, resulting in threshing losses of more than 200 kilograms per hectare and a harvest that contains damaged grains and trash.
RPL will be involving more farmers in its small demonstration and field testing site. Here, comparisons can be made between different production systems such as transplanted and seed-drilled rice, planting rates and land levelling. “In the future, we will introduce variety testing, which will add further to the knowledge available to the farmers,” says Mr. Tariq.
By working in this program with the RPL-Mars-IRRI team, farmers have already become keenly aware that quality seed is an important issue. Mars’ European market requires that the super basmati rice must be 95% DNA pure, which means that seed must be 98% pure.
In 2016, RPL is looking at ways to begin the production of its own breeder seed to ensure that the 98% purity level can be maintained. And IRRI will be looking to introduce disease resistance and submergence tolerance into the existing basmati varieties.
IRRI CONSULTANTS Joe Rickman (second from right) and Sarkarung Surapong (third from right, who came on board in 2015 to help identify varieties to multiply for distribution to farmers) with RPL team members in Punjab province. Photo: RPL.
——————–
Mr. Hettel is an IRRI consultant based in the Philippines.
http://ricetoday.irri.org/from-crop-production-to-market-improving-the-livelihood-of-pakistans-basmati-rice-farmers/

Weather News Pakistan

1
1
Cities
Temp in Co
Today
Tomorrow
Temp
Outlook
Hum%
Temp
Outlook
Multan
16-26
Sunny
47
16-29
M Sunny
Sialkot
15-27
T Storm
45
14-26
T Storm
Sargodha
14-25
T Storm
44
13-26
M Sunny
Hyderabad
23-34
Sunny
33
21-37
Sunny
Mardan
14-19
T Storm
64
13-21
T Storm





www.pakissan.com

REAP delegation leaves for China

March 18, 2016
RECORDER REPORT
A 19-member delegation of Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) led by Noman Ahmed Sheikh, Senior Vice Chairman, has left for China. The delegation will visit three leading cities including Beijing, besides meeting with Chinese officials for promotion of Pakistani rice.Noman said that the delegation comprises leading rice exporters to enhance exports of Pakistani rice verities to China. He said that the visit has been arranged with the support of Trade Development Authority of Pakistan. "One to one business meeting has also been arranged for the members of the delegation with leading imports and representatives of chamber of commerce and industry", he added.

Hindustan Unilever to sell its rice export business to LT Foods

The decision to sell these units is in line with HUL’s strategy to exit non-core businesses
Photo: Pradeep Gaur/Mint
New Delhi: Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL), the country’s largest household goods maker, said on Thursday it has agreed to sell its rice export business to Delhi-based LT Foods Ltd that sells rice under Daawat brand for an undisclosed sum.The announcement comes six months after the local arm of Anglo-Dutch Unilever Plc sold its bread and bakery business under the Modern brand to Nimman Foods Pvt. Ltd, a company backed by private equity fund Everstone Group, for an undisclosed amount.The decision to sell these units is in line with HUL’s strategy to exit non-core businesses, while continuing to drive its growth agenda in the core packaged foods business, the company said in a statement.While the company did not disclose the deal size, the rice export business, according to the company statement, registered sales of Rs.51 crore according to the audited financials for the year 2014-15. HUL exports rice under two brands—Gold Seal Indus Valley and Rozana.
“The deal envisages transfer of the brands and inventory for a consideration of Rs 25 crore, subject to adjustments on closing. The transaction is subject to fulfilment of certain conditions and the parties will work together to complete this over the next few months. HUL will continue to manage the business until the completion of the transaction,” HUL said in a statement.HUL started exporting basmati rice in 1985 to the Middle East and Europe and then spread wings to 21 countries catering he mid segment of the market.
Sanjiv Mehta, chief executive and managing director of HUL, said: “Given the context of our portfolio priorities, we believe that it is in the best interest of the business to sell these brands to a strategic player such as LT Foods, who is capable and well positioned to unlock their full potential.”The announcement came after the stock market closed. HUL’s shares rose 0.68% to Rs.849.30 on BSE, while the benchmark Sensex fell 0.02% to 24,677.37 points on Thursday.
http://www.livemint.com/Companies/nLqftxI7T8EpUOO6IfX0eI/Hindustan-Unilever-to-sell-its-rice-export-business-to-LT-Fo.html

03/18/2016 Farm Bureau Market Report

Rice
High
Low
Long Grain Cash Bids
- - -
- - -
Long Grain New Crop
- - -
- - -


Futures:
ROUGH RICE
High
Low
Last
Change
May '16
1060.0
1041.5
1045.0
-9.5
Jul '16
1081.0
1077.5
1072.0
-9.0
Sep '16
1087.5
-9.0
Nov '16
1117.0
1117.0
1100.5
-8.5
Jan '17
1115.0
-8.5
Mar '17
1115.5
-8.5
May '17
1115.5
-8.5
   

Rice Comment

Rice futures were lower across the board today. The weekly export total of only 21,300 metric tons was off sharply from last week's 145,800 metric tons. Friday's stronger dollar added to the negative undertone. Technically, July posted a bullish reversal in Wednesday's trade while also posting a potential double bottom at the recent low of $10.20. May has downtrending resistance at $10.62. A close above that level would be another indication that the market has put in a bottom for the time being.




USA Rice Advocacy Gets Results in Food Aid Debate
By Peter Bachmann

WASHINGTON, DC -- During USA Rice's 2016 Government Affairs Conference here last month, USA Rice members educated Members of the Agriculture Subcommittee of the House Committee on Appropriations on the importance of maintaining in-kind commodities in the food aid program during emergency response efforts around the world, and asked specifically that U.S.-grown rice, including fortified rice, be prioritized for delivery to those in need.

The payoff came yesterday when, at an Ag Subcommittee hearing, Chairman Robert Aderholt (R-AL), argued in favor of funding for USDA's Food for Peace program, saying, "I and others in Congress are concerned that moving the American farmer and shipper from the participation in this tradition of the Food for Peace program does not create intended efficiencies, but will instead lead to cuts in the program due to lack of support."

Aderholt concluded, "Without the support and the participation of the American farmer and shipper, it's hard for many of us to go back to our constituencies and justify spending more money on foreign aid programs at a time when our nation's deficit is out of control."

Funding for USDA's Food for Peace program that provides aid to countries in-need has been under attack by the Administration and some Members of Congress since the negotiations for the 2014 Farm Bill.  Some groups want to significantly reduce funding for the program while others want to shift spending from currently providing in-kind, U.S.-grown commodities to cash vouchers to procure food in foreign markets.

Jamie Warshaw, Louisiana rice miller and chairman of the USA Rice Food Aid Subcommittee, was among those who met with Chairman Aderholt last month.  Warshaw said, "We talked with Chairman Aderholt about the rice industry's priorities for the year, one of which is maintaining the current levels of in-kind food aid.  And it's obvious that meeting paid off after hearing his support for our concerns and those of other commodity organizations seeking to preserve this important role that American farmers and American businesses play in sending our abundant crop to those in need."

Earlier this year, Representative Rick Crawford (R-AR) and Senator John Boozman (R-AR) sent a letter signed by 20 lawmakers representing seven states across the nation's rice growing territory that requests Food for Peace funds for FY 2016 be prioritized for rice shipments.  Rice is the most widely consumed crop worldwide and yet U.S. international food aid shipments of it have been steadily decreasing over the last five years.


USA RICE DAILY NEWS
Tough Competition in Chile's Rice Market  

SANTIAGO, CHILE -- Agriculture Secretary Vilsack has brought his trade mission to Chile, the wealthiest country in South America and the most prolific negotiator of free trade agreements.

"Chile is classified as a 'high-income' country by the World Bank and has a per capita GDP of $22,346," explained USA Rice Vice President of International Promotion Jim Guinn, who is participating in the trade mission.  "It's an impressive economy that has really turned around.  In 1990 the poverty rate was 40 percent, today it is 7 percent."
This year however, Guinn says the economic growth rate is projected at 2.2 percent, due principally to low commodity prices, especially copper, which makes up about 50 percent of Chile's exports by value.  
Chile has entered into 23 trade agreements covering 60 countries, including those in the newly negotiated Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP).  The U.S.-Chile Free Trade Agreement came into force in 2004 and as a result, bilateral trade between the two countries quadrupled in the first eight years of the agreement.  In 2014 total U.S. exports reached $16.5 billion, a $7 billion trade surplus for the United States, although U.S. rice exports have held low and steady for the past five years.
Unlike Peru, Chile is not a huge consumer of rice.  Their 17.6 million citizens consume about 29 pounds of rice annually per capita, or 231,000 MT.  Last year, domestic production in Chile was 164,000 MT and is estimated at 172,000 MT for this year. 
Approximately 50-60 percent of that is imported, with the lion's share going to Argentina (35 percent), Paraguay (25 percent), and Uruguay (13 percent).  In 2015, U.S. exports, which were mainly medium grain, were 2,200 MT or about 1.5 percent of total rice imports.  

Guinn says 10-15 percent of the market is parboiled rice, a majority of the domestic crop is long grain, and after touring a local supermarket here, he surmised that most of the rice imports also are long grain.


"In my opinion, the opportunities for U.S. rice here will be in small quantities and likely limited to U.S. medium grain or specialty rices," Guinn said.  "The geographic proximity of competing suppliers of long grain rice in MERCOSUR, whose prices are significantly lower than U.S. prices, and the strength of the U.S. dollar, create considerable challenges for significant gains in this market.  However, I have additional meetings with the trade here before heading home that may provide additional perspective on the opportunities for U.S. rice here in Chile."

USA RICE DAILY NEWS


THIS JUST IN: HEALTHY PURPLE BREAD

By infusing white bread with antioxidant-rich anthocyanins from black rice, scientists have created a bread that's low on the glycemic index and loaded with health benefits.



Scientists from the National University of Singapore are rolling (kneading and rising) out a baked good "superfood": purple bread, a new report from CNNsuggests. White bread has long been banished from the pantries of the fit and health-conscious because it’s high on the glycemic index scale, meaning its sugars are quickly digested and surged into the blood stream, spiking blood sugar levels and increasing your odds of obesity and diabetes. But there’s no denying it takes Herculean effort to forgo the breadbasket when you’re eating out. Scientists addressed the dilemma by changing the formula of white bread without compromising its texture.


To do this, they extracted black rice anthocyanins, a vibrant pigment that naturally occurs in the grain as well as fruits and vegetables like grapes, blueberries, and sweet potatoes, and infused it into white bread. Aside from the bright purple color, research has found anthocyanins are super high in antioxidants, which can reduce inflammation, prevent cardiovascular disease, lower obesity risk and diabetes, as well as ward off cancer. Due to a chemical reaction with the bread’s starch, the added anthocyanins effectively slowed the rate of digestion by 20 percent. Though that doesn't make it any lower in calories (the amount of wheat flour and starch remains the same), you’re getting a slower release of energy so you use those calories over a longer period of time.
And yes, the majority of the antioxidants withstand baking: 80 percent of the healthful qualities are preserved in the bread’s crust and crumbs even at 392 degrees Fahrenheit.


Taskforce to weigh measures for rice sector’s future

The Commerce Ministry has created a special taskforce to study challenges threatening the sustainability of the nation’s rice industry and will report its findings within two weeks, a ministry official said yesterday.The announcement comes following a closed-door meeting yesterday between Commerce Minister Sun Chanthol, the Cambodian Rice Federation (CRF), and rice millers and exporters that are part of the CRISIS (Cambodian Rice Industry Survival Implementation Strategy) initiative.During the meeting, the CRF called for urgent measures aimed at addressing two key challenges to the rice sector, namely for the government to crack down on illegal rice imports from neighbouring countries, and to provide $20 million to $30 million in soft loans to struggling millers.
The suggestions partly mirror those of a nine-point action plan forwarded to the ministry on March 7 by the CRISIS group, of which four were submitted for Prime Minister Hun Sen’s consideration.In it, the group urged the government to impose a 100,000-tonne limit on rice imports from neighbouring countries and take punitive action on millers found guilty of mixing local and imported rice for export.It also asks the government to facilitate access for millers to $250 million in soft loans, recommends subsidising electricity prices for millers, and calls for negotiating access to Laem Chabang port in Thailand to reduce logistics costs.

Penn Sovicheat, director of the Commerce Ministry’s domestic trade department, said the ministry’s new taskforce will examine the claims and recommendations presented by the CRF and CRISIS initiative.“Now we will study and identify all the issues and solutions, and determine their compliance with [international commercial] law,” he said.“We will examine these issues during the next week or two and submit our findings to the Commerce Minister and Deputy Prime Minister [Keat Chhon].”CRF president Sok Puthyvuth said following yesterday’s meeting that the federation was focusing on pushing two urgent issues that could be addressed within two months.
“We’re facing a lot of challenging issues, but we need to define these issues according to short-, medium- and long-term solutions,” he said,“We requested the government take action on illegally imported rice and provide a special loan package of $20 million to $30 million to help millers struggling to get finance, as these are short-term solutions that can be accomplished in two to three months.”Kann Kunthy, CEO of Brico and a member of the CRISIS initiative, said despite his group’s prodding, the CRF has failed to address the biggest challenges to the rice industry and convey them to the government.“We have emphasised the most urgent issues based on detailed studies that would serve to benefit the entire rice industry,” he said.
Image : An employee works at a rice shop in Phnom Penh. Eli Meixler
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/taskforce-weigh-measures-rice-sectors-future


Rice deal winners can now tranport rice out of warehouses at night


BY EDITORON THAILAND
Rice deal winners can now tranport rice out of warehouses at night
BANGKOK, 18 March 2016 (NNT) – The Public Warehouse Organization (PWO) has informed five winning rice bidders of requirements from the rice purchase deals, before they can transport rice out of the government stocks.
The five bidders won the purchase deal under the scheme developed by the Rice Policy and Management Committee to sell 140,000 tons of low-quality grains to producers of animal feeds and noodles. Representatives from relevant industries were also invited to provide the winners with advice on how to manage rice. All rice deals are expected to be made within March 23. Most criteria under the agreements will remain unchanged, except for the transportation time.The grains can now be transported out of the warehouses at night. However, the nighttime transport permit will be deliberated on a case by case basis. Violators will be prosecuted if the low-quality rice is being used for purposes other than producing animal feeds and noodles.
http://news.thaivisa.com/thailand/rice-deal-winners-can-now-tranport-rice-out-of-warehouses-at-night/135569/


Drop in local production will force rice imports


KUALA LUMPUR: The Government is ready to import more rice if local grain production drops as a result of the persisting El Nino phenomenon.Deputy Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Datuk Seri Tajuddin Abdul Rahman said Malaysia imported 30% of rice for the nation’s consumption while the other 70% came from local growers.“If production falls, we will increase the import to offset the drop in local supply. Of course, that will be a temporary measure,” he said.Tajuddin said while the hot weather would definitely affect padi production.
Mardi, in a statement, said a 2°C rise in temperature could lead to a 13% reduction in padi yield while drought – or a 15% decrease in seasonal rainfall - could lead to drop in yield up to 80%. Any rice in temperature above 34°C was also certain to affect yield.Extreme heat could also cause damage to the rice yield and grain quality besides bringing disease, it said.Tajudin said the Government was flexible in its import policy despite aiming to achieve full self-sufficiency by 2020.“We are flexible in our policies because we have to think of food security. We don’t want to see people having problems because rice is our staple food.“If we have to import, then we will import. The basic policy is that we want to protect our local producers,” he added.
http://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2016/03/18/drop-in-local-production-will-force-rice-imports/



Rice Prices

as on : 18-03-2016 08:10:18 PM

Arrivals
Price
Current
%
change
Season 
cumulative
Modal
Prev.
Modal
Prev.Yr
%change
Rice
Gadarpur(Utr)
2206.00
-27.88
91576.00
1810
2004
-17.28
Asansol(WB)
130.00
-2.26
1320.50
2250
2300
-
Bazpur(Utr)
120.00
-60
24908.41
1525
1200
-30.78
Pilibhit(UP)
96.00
-20
17524.00
2185
2190
-6.62
Chandabali(Ori)
85.00
NC
1183.00
1400
1800
NC
Saharanpur(UP)
84.00
600
3902.00
2150
6870
2.38
Sehjanwa(UP)
77.50
-16.67
347.50
2080
2120
5.32
Thodupuzha(Ker)
70.00
NC
1820.00
2650
2650
8.16
Barasat(WB)
50.00
-23.08
1980.00
2300
2300
2.22
Nadia(WB)
50.00
NC
1050.00
3250
3200
4.84
Beldanga(WB)
48.00
-4
1407.50
2290
2275
-10.20
Dadri(UP)
45.00
28.57
1557.00
2130
2150
0.47
Kasimbazar(WB)
44.00
NC
1364.50
2300
2320
-9.80
Gauripur(ASM)
43.50
45
2306.00
4500
4500
-
Dhekiajuli(ASM)
30.00
-11.76
747.50
1900
1900
-5.00
Diamond Harbour(South 24-pgs)(WB)
26.00
4
498.00
1850
1850
-17.78
Purulia(WB)
25.00
-30.56
1561.00
2180
2200
-7.63
Yusufpur(UP)
21.00
16.67
531.00
1900
1890
NC
Jeypore(Ori)
17.50
9.38
203.40
325
325
-
Jeypore(Kotpad)(Ori)
16.40
368.57
184.10
3250
3250
NC
Kannauj(UP)
16.00
3.23
280.30
2170
2180
-1.14
Buland Shahr(UP)
15.00
87.5
329.00
2030
2020
-0.25
Lakhimpur(UP)
14.00
-6.67
130.00
2170
2085
2.12
Dibrugarh(ASM)
13.00
30
875.80
2400
2400
-
North Lakhimpur(ASM)
12.00
18.81
1112.00
1900
1900
-
Mirzapur(UP)
12.00
9.09
1136.00
1945
1940
0.78
Kaliaganj(WB)
10.00
NC
466.00
2550
2550
6.25
Sheoraphuly(WB)
9.50
NC
335.50
2675
2675
-0.93
Katwa(WB)
9.00
5.88
121.50
2100
2200
-4.55
Bhivandi(Mah)
8.00
NC
246.00
3590
3500
131.61
Bolangir(Ori)
8.00
14.29
163.50
2200
2200
-8.33
Chengannur(Ker)
7.00
NC
418.50
2400
2300
-14.29
Tusura(Ori)
7.00
16.67
154.50
2200
2200
-8.33
Raibareilly(UP)
7.00
-12.5
246.00
2075
2070
3.75
Nimapara(Ori)
4.50
NC
147.00
2200
2200
15.79
Fatehpur(UP)
3.50
16.67
135.50
2215
2215
4.98
Islampur(WB)
3.10
-3.12
218.10
2150
2150
-
Gulavati(UP)
3.00
NC
31.00
2080
2080
1.96
Bonai(Bonai)(Ori)
2.00
NC
81.10
2000
2000
-9.09
Thoubal(Man)
1.10
NC
67.00
2800
2800
180.00
Tilhar(UP)
1.00
-81.82
815.50
2225
2190
6.97
Sardhana(UP)
1.00
-16.67
62.30
2150
2160
3.61
Shillong(Meh)
0.60
-50
41.50
3500
3500
NC
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/article8370269.ece


LOOK: Rice farm features giant AlDub faces

by Tessa Distor
March 18, 2016 (updated)
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image: http://www.mb.com.ph/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/aldub1.jpg
The faces of Alden Richards and Maine Mendoza, made of purple rice, are all over the FutureRice Farm in Muñoz, Nueva Ecija.
The “AlDub Rice” is a rice paddy art — an art form popular in Japan wherein farmers plant various types and/or colors of rice to come up with a specific image — made by the Philippine Rice Research Instititute (PhilRice).
According to the PhilRice, the farmers and the members responsible for the AlDub project employed the anamorphosis principle, which it said is “an art technique used for a distorted artwork that will only appear normal when viewed from a certain angle”.
“We used ‘AlDub’ as our design specimen for the paddy art and through Photoshop, we were able to incorporate the design in the dimension of the field,” FutureRice’s Information and Communication Technology Specialist Nehemiah Caballong said according to the PhilRice’ article published online.
FutureRice Program Leader and PhilRice Deputy Executive Director for Administrative Services and Finance Roger F. Barroga said that the aim of the project is to raise rice farming and agriculture awareness, especially among millennials.
“This is one of our strategies to make the youth of today be more informed about the current situation of rice farming in the country. There are many opportunities that await them in agriculture,” Barroga said as quoted by the PhilRice article.
Maine Mendoza, herself, took notice of the rice paddy art and found it cool. “Wow this is super cool! Galing!” she posted on Twitter, March 15.
It opened on March 15 and will be available until the harvest day on April 3, the PhilRice said.


http://www.mb.com.ph/look-rice-farm-features-giant-aldub-faces/#IEob6i7Hs6Qdk4LX.99

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