Farm mechanization training ends today
Published: 15 July 2016
THE
weeklong Farm Mechanization Training (FMT) that aims to equip local farmers
with knowledge and skills on production of manual rice milling machine, solar
grain drier and peanut shelling machine will conclude today.The FMT is being held at the Taiwan Technical Mission (TTM) farm near King George, East Honiara with about 13 participants from Western and Isabel provinces in attendance.
The training was opened on Monday by the Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAL), Jimmy Saelea.
Saelea said “this training is to equip rice farmers and other technical staff to appreciate the development and adoption of small-scale low cost and energy efficient machinery for use by subsistence farmers in PNG and Solomon Islands.
“I encourage all trainees to gain as much knowledge as possible from the training.
“You are the few lucky ones to be given the opportunity to be the first for this subject matter training,” he said.
Saelea said that processing, preservation and quality improvement of agricultural crops for the benefit of local population will always be assured of any government of the day’s support, including the current DCC government which recognizes and is committed to encouraging and supporting rural development.
Director of Extension and project sub coordinator Michael Ho’ota also said, “this is a new area of development within the Ministry of Agriculture & Livestock (MAL) with the objective of this project to develop and adopt small-scale low cost energy efficient machines for use by subsistence farmers in PNG and SI.
“The continuity and expansion of this project should enable MAL to produce efficient low cost subsistence small machines for our farmers in the rural areas,” he said.
The week long training involves production of manual rice milling machine and training on how to use the solar grain drier and peanut shelling machine.
FMT is jointly funded by the European Union and Solomon Islands government of Solomon Islands project on enhancing productivity of land and labour through small scale mechanization for subsistence farmers in Papua New Guinea (PNG) and Solomon Islands.
Training is facilitated by a trainer from NARI -PNG and his Solomon Islands counterpart.
http://www.solomonstarnews.com/news/national/11044-farm-mechanization-training-ends-today
Congress just passed a bill that could change the way you buy food
The US
House of Representatives passed a bill
Thursday that would change the way companies label genetically-engineered (GE)
foods sold in this country, often referred to as GMOs. The bill directs the
Department of Agriculture to write rules establishing a national standard for
how GE products are labeled. Companies will be allowed to use text, symbols or
a QR code to let consumers know about GE ingredients in their products. A
federal labeling law would nullify
Vermont's existing GMO labeling law, which is seen as more stringent than
the rules proposed by the current bill, and prevent individual states from
writing their own laws regulating the labels on genetically engineered foods.
There is
no evidence that genetically-modified foods pose any
particular danger to people. And the case against them relies
heavily on disinformation. Representatives passed the bill with a 306 to 117 vote. Since it already cleared the Senate last week, it will become law pending President Barack Obama's signature. Obama is not expected to veto the law.
Some Democrats and consumer advocates argue that the law does not go far enough in requiring companies to disclose GE ingredients. Jim McGovern (D-Massachusetts), ranking member on the House Agriculture Nutrition Subcommittee, made this case on the House floor.
"The debate about GMO labeling is about transparency and the right of every American to know what's in the food they eat," he said. "It's very simple. The best approach would be a clear and easy-to-understand label or symbol, not some crazy QR code that only creates more hassle and confusion." (Many Americans do not own smartphones, which are needed to scan and understand QR codes.)
Republicans, for their part, have argued that a national labeling standard falls in line with science and best practices for government regulation. Consumer Reports notes that the bill has also received support from industry groups, like the National Corn Growers Association.
Employees stock shelves near a sign supporting non genetically modified organisms (GMO) at the Central Co-op in Seattle, Washington. Thomson Reuters
In remarks emailed to Tech Insider, William Hallman, chair of the Department of Human Ecology at Rutgers University, noted that the bill as written only applies to particular "recombinant forms of genetic engineering, and might exclude products with genes edited using CRISPR or other methods." He also noted that products that don't include DNA, like sugar or olive oil, might not require labeling.
It remains unclear, he wrote, how exactly this law will impact consumer attitudes toward GE foods:
It is interesting that this proposed solution would theoretically give consumers the ability to know whether their food is 'bioengineered', for which 'right to know' advocates have been actively pushing. On the other hand, packages would not have to bear special labels such as those required by the Vermont law (Act 120). Our data and that of others suggests that a label saying that a product was 'produced with genetic engineering', as the Vermont law requires, is likely to be seen by consumers as an indication that the product is undesirable.
In other words, a national labeling standard might be a blessing for companies worried that existing state labels make their products look dangerous to customers.
http://www.techinsider.io/congress-passes-gmo-labeling-bill-2016-7
APEDA AgriExchange Newsletter - Volume 1516
APEDA AgriExchange Newsletter - Volume 1516
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SNA Conference: Thinking Rice in
the School Cafeteria and Beyond
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May the best rice bowl recipe win!
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SAN ANTONIO, TX- Nearly 7,000
school nutrition professionals from across the nation descended upon the Henry
B. Gonzales Convention Center here this week for the School Nutrition
Association's (SNA) Annual National Conference to learn about the latest and
greatest in food, beverage, supply equipment, and service solutions. The 3 day conference
featured lengthy dedicated exhibit hall hours, where USA Rice hosted a popular,
interactive booth.
Attendees lined up to spin USA
Rice's famous prize wheel that tested their knowledge of U.S. rice. Every prize
wheel contestant walked away with a rice crispy cake made using U.S.-grown rice
and educational information about the many benefits that rice brings to the
table. While they were waiting in line to spin the wheel and answer some rice
trivia, attendees picked up packets of kid-friendly rice recipes and a Rice 101
Cooking Guide that contained rice preparation information for foodservice
professionals.
A new feature this year at the USA
Rice booth was a recipe contest that asked participants to submit a creative
rice bowl concept for use as a standardized K-12 recipe. Several hundred people
entered the contest for a chance to win a cash prize and serve as a consultant
during the development of their winning recipe.
"We are really excited about
the level of participation for this new healthy rice bowl recipe contest,"
said Katie Maher, USA Rice's director of domestic promotion. "It was an
engaging element of our booth that encouraged attendees to think of rice as a
versatile ingredient that can be paired with many other nutritious foods. The
menu options really are endless when it comes to rice."
During this year's conference, USA
Rice staff also met with key school nutrition influencers from Iowa, Kansas,
and Louisiana to discuss new opportunities for incorporating rice onto school
menus and to learn how USA Rice can continue providing useful resources to
schools.
"It's crucial for us to take
time to make these connections with people who are responsible for menu
planning and food purchasing decisions," said Maher. "It affords us
the opportunity to share our resources with them and to reiterate our message
that rice is a central component of a healthy, well-balanced diet in school
lunchrooms and at home."
07/15/2016 Farm Bureau Market Report
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Rice Comment
Rice futures ended the week on a negative note.
The WASDE report showed mostly offsetting changes, but 16-17 ending stocks are
projected at their highest level since 85-86 thanks to large increases in
California medium grain stocks. The all rice on farm average price was lowered,
again a result of lower prices in California. September has bounced off support
near $10.25, with the next upside target at last week’s high
of $10.94 ½.
California Rice Harvest Expected To Be Near Normal
Thursday, July 14, 2016 | Sacramento, CA | Permalink
Rice field in the Sacramento Valley.
Photo / California Rice Commission
California
farmers are growing about 545,000 acres of rice this year, about 100,000 acres
more than each of the last two years.Jim Morris with the California Rice Commission says this year is an average planting, but it’s welcome news to rice farmers who have had to idle fields during the drought.
“Rice was one of the most impacted crops in all of California from the drought and that impact not only affects the farmers directly it affects our economy," says Morris. "It also hurts the wildlife habitat that the rice fields provide.”
Harvest gets underway in September. California is the nation’s second largest rice producing state. Almost all of the sushi rice in the nation is grown in the Sacramento Valley.
Morris says California rice contributes $5 billion to the state’s economy and flooded fields help provide habitat for migrating birds.
http://www.capradio.org/articles/2016/07/14/california-rice-harvest-expected-to-be-near-normal/
CreekSpeak looks at salmon grown in rice fields
Deo Ferrer – Daily Democrat File Photograph
Nigiri Project researcher Dr. Jacob Katz pulls a sample of zooplankton from the
water. Katz will be speaking at CreekSpeak later this month.
Posted: 07/14/16, 8:48 AM PDT | Updated: 1 day ago
Putah
Creek Council’s third CreekSpeak presentation of 2016, on Thursday, July 21,
will feature Dr. Jacob Katz speaking about how an ongoing research project in
the Yolo Bypass is changing the relationship between productive farmland and
wildlife conservation. In the last four years, researchers have worked with landowners to grow salmon in rice fields and recreate some of the seasonal floodplains that once covered California’s Central Valley.
Called the “Nigiri Project,” this effort demonstrates the potential to create fish and bird habitat while maintaining agricultural production on those same lands.
Katz is the director for California Trout’s Central California region. He focuses on integrating biologic science and natural history into the management and operation of California’s water infrastructure. Through the Nigiri Project, he is developing ways to get greater fish and wildlife benefit out of working agricultural landscapes while ensuring that California is always home to self-sustaining runs of wild salmon.
The CreekSpeak presentation begins at 7 p.m. in the Margaret Parsons Room of the Winters Community Library, 708 Railroad Ave, Winters.
All CreekSpeak events are on the third Thursday of the month, and alternate locations between the Davis Veterans Memorial Center Club Room (203 E. 14th St.) and the Winters Community Library. CreekSpeak talks are free to Putah Creek Council members and open to the public. A $5 donation is requested from those who have not yet joined the Council.
More information about these presentations is available at www.putahcreekcouncil.org, or by calling Putah Creek Council at 795-3006
http://www.dailydemocrat.com/article/NI/20160714/FEATURES/160719955
Avoid ‘miracle’ rice, just eat a carrot!
Published Jul 16,
2016, 12:48 am IST
Updated Jul 16,
2016, 12:48 am IST
Golden rice is a false miracle.
Representational image
Norman Borlaug, father of the Green Revolution,
died on September 9, 2009. Alfred G. Gilman died on December 23, 2015. Both
were Nobel laureates and now both dead. Gilman was a signatory to a recent
letter condemning Greenpeace and its opposition to genetic engineering. How
many Nobel laureates does it take to write a letter? Easily ascertained — the
dead Gilman and 106 others were enlisted in “supporting GMOs and golden rice”.
Correct answer — 107, dead or alive. The laureates were rounded up by Val
Giddings (senior fellow, Information Technology and Innovation Foundation), Jon
Entine (author of Abraham’s Children: Race, Identity and the DNA of the Chosen
People) and Jay Byrne (former head of corporate communications, Monsanto). Real
people don’t have the luxury of getting Nobel laureates to write 1/107th of a
letter, “chosen” folk do. Evidently. Cornell University is a “chosen”
institution — central to genetically modified public relations. The Cornell
Alliance of Science is funded by Bill Gates, just like the failed golden rice
experiment.
The Nobel laureates accuse Greenpeace of
killing millions by delaying ghost rice — something the biotech industry
accuses me of doing, for the same reason. Unlike golden rice — whose failure to
launch is the industry’s own failure, the opposition to genetic engineering
(and hence golden rice) is very real and successful. As Glenn Stone, a rice
scientist at Washington University, states: “The simple fact is that after 24
years of research and breeding, golden rice is still years away from being
ready for release.” It is Borlaug’s Green Revolution monocultures that
contributed to malnutrition by destroying biodiversity, which destroys the
diversity of nutrients we need to be healthy. As Navdanya research has shown,
biodiversity produces more food and nutrition per acre. Borlaug’s ghost is
still shaping the industrial agriculture “miracles” based on monocultures of
the mind and spin in place of science.
It is now more than 20 years since the
“miracle” golden rice began to be promoted as the excuse to allow patents on
life. The last time golden rice was resurrected when Patrick Moore of Allow
Golden Rice Now was sent to Asia to push the failed promise. Women of the world
organised and responded to Moore — Diverse Women for Diversity issued a
declaration on International Women’s Day in 2015 titled Women and Biodiversity
Feed the World, not Corporations and GMOs. Golden rice is genetically
engineered rice with two genes from a daffodil and one gene from a bacterium.
The resulting GMO rice is said to have a yellow colouring, which is supposed to
increase beta-carotene — a precursor of Vitamin A. It has been offered as a
potential miracle cure for Vitamin A deficiency for 20 years. But golden rice
is a false miracle. It is a disease of nutritionally empty monocultures offered
as a cure for nutritional deficiency. In fact, golden rice, if successful, will
be 400 per cent less efficient in providing Vitamin A than the biodiversity
alternatives that women have to offer. To get your daily requirement of Vitamin
A, all you need to eat is one of the following:
Two tablespoons of spinach or cholai (amaranth) leaves or radish leaves
Four tablespoons of mustard or bathua leaves
One tablespoon of coriander chutney
One-and-a-half tablespoon of mint chutney
One carrot
One mango
So, if you want to be four times more efficient than 107 Nobel laureates, just eat a carrot!
Two tablespoons of spinach or cholai (amaranth) leaves or radish leaves
Four tablespoons of mustard or bathua leaves
One tablespoon of coriander chutney
One-and-a-half tablespoon of mint chutney
One carrot
One mango
So, if you want to be four times more efficient than 107 Nobel laureates, just eat a carrot!
Not only do these indigenous alternatives based
on women’s knowledge provide more Vitamin A than golden rice ever will, and at
a lower cost, but also provide multiple other nutrients. Our critique of golden
rice is that even if it is developed, it will be inferior to the alternatives
women have in their hands and minds. Women are being blocked from growing
biodiversity and spreading their knowledge to address malnutrition, by rich and
powerful men and their corporations who are blind to the richness of the earth
and our cultures. Through their monoculture of the mind, they keep imposing
monocultures of failed technologies, blocking the potential of abundance and
nourishment. As I wrote in 2000, blindness to biodiversity and women’s
knowledge is a blind approach to blindness prevention.
Grain.org concluded in Grains of delusion:
Golden rice seen from the ground, way back in 2001: “The best chance of success
in fighting Vitamin A deficiency and malnutrition is to better use the
inexpensive and nutritious foods already available, and in diversifying food
production systems in the fields and in the household. The euphoria created by
the Green Revolution greatly stifled research to develop and promote these
efforts, and the introduction of golden rice will further compromise them.
Golden rice is merely a marketing event. But international and national
research agendas will be taken by it.”
The Giddings-Entine-Byrne Nobel PR stunt was
timed to coincide with the US Senate vote on the Dark Act — the denial to
Americans of the right to know what they eat. With two decades of the GMO
experiment failing to control pests and weeds, creating super pests and super
weeds instead, there is now an attempt to push through the “next generation” of
GMOs — such as “gene drives” for exterminating nutrient-rich species like the
amaranth. Amaranth, a weed to the 107 Nobel laureates, is a richer source of
Vitamin A than golden rice has promised it will be, when it grows up. The
laureates would have us round up all the Vitamin A we already have in
abundance, create deficiencies by exterminating it with RoundUp, and provide
golden rice to alleviate the absence of Vitamin A.
Mr Gates is also supporting this failed
miracle, as well as the failed communication through the Cornell Alliance for
Science. He also funds the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition and Harvest
Plus, the corporate alliance for biofortification. The corporate-controlled
World Food Prize for 2016 has been announced for “Biofortification”. Scientists
funded by Mr Gates have been given the prize for inventing an orange sweet
potato. But the Maori in New Zealand had developed kumara, orange (beauregard)
sweet potato, centuries ago. Mr Gates is also funding the biopiracy research of
James Dale of Queensland, who took the Vitamin A-rich indigenous bananas of
Micronesia and declared them to be his invention. The biopiracy of people’s
biodiversity and indigenous knowledge is what Mr Gates is funding. The Gates
fortification or Nobel fortification, will not nourish people. Fraud is not
food
http://www.deccanchronicle.com/opinion/op-ed/160716/avoid-miracle-rice-just-eat-a-carrot.html
Piñol aims rice security, but critics are skeptical
July 15, 2016 9:23 pm
Department
of Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol
The Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol,
reiterated on Friday three ambitious goals: attain rice self-sufficiency, limit
rice imports to the minimum access volume, and establish a buffer stock to feed
the population for six months in times of a crisis.To achieve these goals, he
is aiming to increase rice production by at least one metric ton per hectare
each harvest and instructed the National Food Authority to increase rice
inventory to more than 600 percent above what is required by law, which is 30
days’ supply in the lean months and15 days supply in other times.
Piñol had earlier presented to the Cabinet the
preparations his department is making to tackle the impact of La Niña that is
expected to hit the country by the coming November or December.Meanwhile, his
plan for rice buffer stocks met with skepticism at the National Food Authority.
An official of the agency pointed out that a higher inventory of buffer stock
would only result in rice rotting in warehouses because of NFA’s inability to
dispose old rice stocks in storage. Even worse, the source said, a massive rice
inventory would also create depressed farm gate prices of palay.
The
official also said that it would be problematic for the Duterte government to
institutionalize a 6-month buffer stock, noting the financial and logistical
restrictions facing the agency.“Where would they put the rice stocks? Are they going to build or rent new warehouses? Where would they get the budget?” he said.
“Let’s say we have the funding and that they can buy more palay, the NFA’s capacity to dry and mill the grain were very limited,” he added.
The official also said that it is “incumbent to remind the good secretary” of the NFA’s mandate.
“Our mandate is to ensure availability of rice. At the same time, we must also ensure that the price of rice is low enough to remain affordable to low-income consumers. We are not here to compete with commercial rice traders,” the official said.
NFA, the source said, can keep rice stocks in good condition for only six months and palay for nine months. “A considerable volume of rice in NFA warehouses were more than six months old, while daily withdrawal at government depositories were at its lowest due to the substantial presence of commercial rice in the market at competitive prices,” the official said.
At the beginning of last month (June), the Philippine Statistics Authority data showed that the country’s total rice stock inventory was good for three months—with stocks in the households sufficient for 34 days, those in NFA depositories for 32 days, and those in commercial warehouses for 29 days.
Rice stocks was pegged at 3.24 million metric tons, or 7.15 percent higher than the 3.02 million metric tons level in June 2015, but 12.31 percent lower than the previous month’s inventory level of 3.69 million metric tons.
Of this month’s total rice, 36.13 percent were with the households, 30.74 percent in commercial warehouses, and 33.13 percent were in NFA depositories. The latter comprised 85.39 percent of the rice imported.
The NFA was created with the intention of protecting the interests of both rice producers and consumers. As such, the agency’s two primary mandates are to stabilize the price of rice and to ensure food security.
The price stabilization mandate means that the NFA tries to influence prices on two fronts. At one front, it must support the palay farm despite the reforms undertaken in the past gate price at a level that is enough to ensure a reasonable return for rice farmers.
A well-placed source in the Department of Agriculture, meanwhile, questioned Piñol’s target to increase rice productivity and areas, saying that Philippines remained heavily reliant to the availability of rain with 60 percent of harvest attributed to rain-fed areas.
The source added that increasing productivity by one metric ton per hectare per harvest would entail massive funding support from the government.
“Piñol’s statement is very general. In specific areas, were irrigation is not yet available, this is possible. However, increasing productivity in majority of irrigated areas, where utilization of hybrid seeds and farm mechanization are relatively high, this in no long viable,” the sources.
“This will also be possible if Piñol will subsidize everything from fertilizers to seeds to mechanization, not just irrigation,” he said.
Piñol earlier said that new areas for planting rice would be opened during his term which will increase production by 4.8 million metric tons of rice, more than enough to cover the 1.8 million MT annual rice shortage.
Piñol also said that he has employed the service of Project NOAH for identifying suitable lands, noting that more than 2.5 million hectares showed potential as new rice areas.
Studies are also being made to determine the viability of low-cost communal irrigation projects, instead of maintaining irrigation facilities that have become rundown, to reduce production cost and help farmers become more competitive. Rice production cost in the Philippines is higher than in Thailand, Vietnam and India.
Critics said that rice sufficiency in the Philippines is unlikely within the next 10 years, citing geographical conditions, lack of agriculture infrastructure and failed implementation of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).
The Philippines has less comparative advantage in rice production compared with major rice exporters like India, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam—all blessed with the world’s large rivers. Besides, the Philippines is a calamity prone nation with an average of 20 typhoons hitting the country annually
http://www.manilatimes.net/pinol-aims-rice-security-but-critics-are-skeptical/273989/
Enrollment period for 2016 USDA safety net coverage ends Aug. 1
- Jul 15, 2016
The choice between ARC and PLC has already been made by producers but a contract to participate must be signed each year for the farm to be eligible for program benefits. Please do not wait until the last week to request an appointment as “ALL” signatures for “ALL” producers on the contract and supporting documents MUST be in the county office by Aug 1, 2016.
The two programs were authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill and offer a safety net to agricultural producers when there is a substantial drop in prices or revenues for covered commodities. Covered commodities include barley, canola, large and small chickpeas, corn, crambe, flaxseed, grain sorghum, lentils, mustard seed, oats, peanuts, dry peas, rapeseed, long grain rice, medium grain rice (which includes short grain and sweet rice), safflower seed, sesame, soybeans, sunflower seed and wheat. Upland cotton is no longer a covered commodity. For more details regarding these programs, go to www.fsa.usda.gov/arc-plc.
Call the Woodward office at 580-256-7882 Ext. 2 for more information or to sign up for the program.
http://www.woodwardnews.net/news/enrollment-period-for-usda-safety-net-coverage-ends-aug/article_c5f50f80-4a6e-11e6-bdb0-d3499f292520.ht
California Rice Harvest Expected To Be Near Normal
Thursday, July 14, 2016 | Sacramento, CA | Permalink
Rice field in the Sacramento Valley.
Photo / California Rice Commission
California
farmers are growing about 545,000 acres of rice this year, about 100,000 acres more
than each of the last two years.Jim Morris with the California Rice Commission says this year is an average planting, but it’s welcome news to rice farmers who have had to idle fields during the drought.
“Rice was one of the most impacted crops in all of California from the drought and that impact not only affects the farmers directly it affects our economy," says Morris. "It also hurts the wildlife habitat that the rice fields provide.”
Harvest gets underway in September. California is the nation’s second largest rice producing state. Almost all of the sushi rice in the nation is grown in the Sacramento Valley.
Morris says California rice contributes $5 billion to the state’s economy and flooded fields help provide habitat for migrating birds
http://www.capradio.org/articles/2016/07/14/california-rice-harvest-expected-to-be-near-normal/
5,000 rice farmers to benefit from CBN anchor borrower programme in Kogi
Lokoja, July 15, 2016 (NAN) No fewer than 5, 000 registered rice farmers in Kogi will benefit from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) anchor borrower programme.The state’s Chairman of Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN), Mrs Rabi Emaiku, made this known in a town hall meeting of Rice Value Chain Farmers and stakeholders on Friday in Lokoja.
Emaiku said that over 5,000 farmers in the state had registered and completed the necessary documentations required by the CBN to qualify them to access the rice fund.
Emaiku urged stakeholders involved in rice production to harmonise ways to boost and ensure adequate rice production in the state.
She advised farmers in the state to make good use of the opportunity provided them by the Federal Government through the CBN to boost production.
"Our associations are ready to give our trust and support to the CBN, Federal and State governments, and all other stakeholders to ensure the success of the programme in Kogi," she said.
The chairman also commended the State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello for his efforts and total support to farmers in making the programme a reality in Kogi.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the state governor was represented at the meeting by the Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr Tim Dichie.
The governor restated the strong commitment of the state government in making sure that food security is given priority attention in the state.
The CBN representative, Mr Idris Usman, who is the Head of Development Finance Office of CBN, Lokoja, said he was there to witness the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that would be signed by all stakeholders for onward transmission to the CBN for implementation.
Usman noted that 50 per cent guarantee of any amount agreed on in the meeting would be taken over by the CBN, while 40 per cent by State Government and 5 to 10 per cent by individual participants.
The stakeholders present at the meeting were: CBN, ADP, UNDP, Federal Ministry of Agriculture, RIFAN, Kogi State Ministry of Agriculture, Off takers from Kano, Edo and Anambra States.
Others were Seed Suppliers, Tractorization Company, Sterling Bank, AFAN, SWOFON, KSARPFUL and various farmers' associations in the state. (NAN)
ASA/YMU/AFA
http://nannewsnigeria.com/5000-rice-farmers-benefit-cbn-anchor-borrower-programme-kogi
Rice: 25,000 MT of Long Grain Rice Sold to the Ivory Coast
By Rebecca Bratter, USA Rice DailyJuly 14, 2016
USDA’s Food Assistance Division has approved the sale of 25,000
MT of long grain rice to the Ivory Coast as part of their Food For Progress
Program (FFPr). FFPr allows for U.S. commodities in key food assistance
markets to be sold by humanitarian groups who then invest the proceeds in the
development of a critical agricultural value chain. It is commonly referred
to as “monetization.” In the case of Ivory Coast, the sale of long grain
rice will be invested in the development of the poultry value chain.
This program is an important component of the U.S. government’s
desire to invest in helping critical markets achieve agricultural
sustainability and eventually transition to commercial markets.The Ivory Coast,
traditionally a commercial market for USA Rice has descended into food
insecurity after years of civil unrest and economic instability. USA Rice
worked closely with industry, monetization agents on the ground in the Ivory
Coast, and the USDA to determine the appropriateness of this sale to a former
commercial market. After concluding the sale would not create any market
distortion and that it made sense to conduct food assistance activities in a
formerly commercial market, USA Rice encouraged and supported the sale of rice
for food assistance purposes.USA Rice has been working closely with both USAID
and USDA to emphasize both the availability and advantageous prices of U.S.
origin rice. As rice is the most consumed commodity in the world, it is
easily accepted by the target population of food assistance programs, making it
a highly effective tool to combat hunger.“This is the first of what we believe
will be multiple new sales of U.S. rice to the U.S. government for use in food
assistance programs in the coming year,” said USA Rice President & CEO
Betsy Ward. “We are continuing our close collaboration with government
agencies to increase rice use to help vulnerable communities around the world.
Monsoon covers entire country two days before its normal date: IMD
New Delhi, July 14:
The
Southwest Monsoon has covered the entire country two days ahead of its normal
date after reaching the last frontiers of Kutch and Western Rajasthan.
According
to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the country has so far received
four per cent more rainfall than normal.
All
sub-regions have been receiving good rainfall except the North-East and east
region of the country, where the deficiency has reached 23 per cent.
“The
Southwest Monsoon has advanced to remaining parts of north Arabian Sea, Kutch
and West Rajasthan. Thus, it has covered the entire country on July 13,” the
IMD said in its latest bulletin.
The
monsoon hit Kerala on June 8, seven days after its normal onset date, which
marks the start of the rainy season in the country. In mid-June its progress
had reduced considerably due to lack of traction near Karwar.
However,
after that it has made rapid progress. It usually covers the last frontiers of
Kutch and West Rajasthan on July 15. This marks the monsoon covering the entire
country.
The IMD
has forecast “above normal” rainfall this season.
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/monsoon-covers-entire-country-two-days-before-its-normal-date-imd/article8848853.ece
Rajkot Foodgrain Prices- Jul 15
Rajkot Foodgrain Prices Open- July 15
Jul 15 Market delivery prices of food grains and pulses at
Rajkot in India's western state of Gujarat opened on a mixed trend,
traders said Friday.
* *
FOOD GRAINS & PULSES
* Gram prices firmed up due to short supply.
* Udid prices dropped due to lack of buying enquiries from mills.
Prices of food grains and pulses in rupees per 20 kilograms, and deliveries
in 100-kilogram bags:
Delivery Auction price Previous price
FOOD GRAIN
Wheat Lokwan 00,320 340-405 345-392
Wheat Tukda 00,625 342-422 343-415
Jowar White 055 275-510 280-540
Bajra 0,020 280-340 290-345
PULSES
Gram 00,115 1,605-1,690 1,640-1,721
Udid 0,070 1,800-2,250 1,750-2,272
Moong 0,465 1,000-1,315 1,031-1,300
Tuar 0,035 1,450-1,724 1,475-1,734
Maize 005 305-370 305-350
Vaal Dsshi 010 1,175-1,650 1,250-1,450
Choli 0,010 1,750-2,000 1,750-2,050
Rajkot market delivery prices in rupees per 100 kilograms:.
Today's Price Previous close
FOOD GRAINS
Wheat Mill quality 1,830-1,840 1,830-1,840
Wheat (medium) 2,100-2,125 2,100-2,125
Wheat (superior best) 2,250-2,275 2,250-2,275
Bajra 1,890-1,900 1,890-1,900
Jowar 2,650-2,700 2,650-2,700
PULSES
Gram 8,800-8,850 8,700-8,750
Gram dal 10,700-10,800 10,700-10,800
Besan (65-kg bag) 7,650-7,700 7,650-7,700
Tuar 09,000-09,100 09,000-09,100
Tuardal 13,600-13,700 13,600-13,700
Moong 6,500-6,550 6,500-6,550
Moongdal 7,100-7,150 7,100-7,150
Udid 12,000-12,100 12,300-12,400
RICE
IR-8 2,200-2,250 2,200-2,250
Basmati Best 7,700-7,800
07,700-07,800
Parimal 2,250-2,300 2,250-2,300
Punjab Parimal 2,550-2,600 2,550-2,600
Basmati Medium 5,300-5,400 5,300-5,400
http://in.reuters.com/article/rajkot-foodgrain-idINL4N1A135T
Lounge review: Tamarind, Bengaluru
A north Indian restaurant at the airport sounds
like a bad idea, but Tamarind is neither boring nor over-the-top. The focus is
on delicious food cooked with knowledge and restraint
The restaurant interiors.
A north
Indian restaurant at the airport? That, too, one called Tamarind? I have to
confess, enthusiasm levels were rather low for this one. Still, needs must, so
off we went to the brand new Taj Bangalore, located within the greater area of
the Kempegowda International Airport, on a Saturday evening. Bad idea. We spent
close to 2 hours on the road, most of it on the stretch between MG Road and the
highway. It was 10pm when we reached, an hour-and-a-half after our booking. The good stuff
No one turned a hair at our late arrival or frazzled appearance. Instead, with well-trained finesse, we were escorted to the restaurant, ensconced at a table we wanted, offered a choice of waters (still, sparkling, clove-flavoured regular) and presented with the menus. Then our server discreetly disappeared while we took a deep breath and pulled ourselves together.
When we looked up, there was an amuse-bouche (a tiny, spicy dal-vada lookalike with a hung-curd and mint garnish) and a “bread basket”—flaky “pastry sticks” with four chutneys, including a very moreish one of spring onions. To wet the throat, we asked for a lemon iced tea (Rs.300) and a spiced beet-and-apple martini (Rs.750). The cocktail was more apple than beet though and the spicing levels were mild. Still, a smooth, well-mixed drink.
The food menu itself is a fair balance of old favourites and oddball quirks. We zoomed in unanimously on the Sheermal Tart Mein Galouti (Rs.1,000), albeit apprehensively, still scarred by our last encounter with “fusion” Indian. The misgivings turned out to be misplaced because what arrived at our table were six small kebabs balanced in pastry shells, delicately spiced and utterly coherent, the base—though it didn’t quite have the traditional mildly sweet taste—rescuing the tender galouti from complete collapse as one bit into it. Thus encouraged, for mains we asked for the Nalli-e-Khas (Rs.1,100), a Lehsooni Khada Palak (Rs.900) and Laal Moth Ki Dal (Rs.700) with Phulkas (two for Rs.150; not on the menu) and Khushka (Rs.300), steamed basmati rice. Alongside, we got a Kuti Mirch Jaituni Naan (Rs.150)—naan sprinkled with olives and red chillies—gratis, as our server insisted it was a house speciality.
That the food will be of a certain quality at a five-star hotel is a given; all too frequently, though, dishes slip into a safe mediocrity. To stay within the inoffensive limits—for this is “royal” north Indian, arguably the version of the country’s cuisines most familiar to foreigner guests—and not be boring, to push classics yet be respectful of their integrity, is a tricky act. That’s where Tamarind scores. Be it the stir-fried spinach dish with whole garlic cloves or the perfectly done lamb shanks, or even the simple dal, the dishes indicated knowledge and restraint: The white butter underlined the dishes without coating the tongue, the spices were assertive without being overwhelming. The takeaway is a wholesome, satisfying comfort meal: just what you need before boarding that long flight away from the motherland.
For dessert, we tried the Tamarind Ice-cream (Rs.400) simply because it wasn’t something we’re likely to get anywhere else. The cold tartness takes some getting used to, but the taste grows on you.
The not-so-good
Why can’t chefs resist the urge to dress up lamb shanks like phallic symbols? As balanced as the Nalli-e-Khas was, the leaves and gilded trimmings sprouting from an upright piece struck the only jarring note of the evening.
Two, as much of a work in progress as the area is, better signage is an absolute necessity. After driving for hours, we spent another 15 minutes trying to figure out how to access the hotel.
Talk plastic
A meal for two, with one alcoholic and one non-alcoholic drink, one starter, phulkas, rice, two mains, a dal and a dessert cost Rs.5,837, including taxes.
Tamarind, Taj Bangalore, near Kempegowda International Airport, Devanahalli, Bengaluru (66003300). Open from 7.30-11.30pm, only for dinner at present.
http://www.livemint.com/Leisure/brjIyA18QDSPAp1oSdtw5K/Lounge-review-Tamarind-Bengaluru.html
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