3D Modeling Brings Concurrent Benefits to Machinery Builder
July 1, 2016
Mergers,
acquisitions and partnerships are risky endeavors for managers, as well as
workers. Sometimes these transactions favor one group over another, or end up
being disastrous for both groups. Other times, however, the deal turns out
great for everyone.A good example of the latter is the October 2015 agreement between Mitsubishi Heavy Industry Group and Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. (M&M) that gives M&M a one-third ownership share of Mitsubishi Mahindra Agricultural Machinery Co. Ltd. (MMAM). Founded in 1980, the company designs and manufactures a wide range of agricultural machinery, such as tractors, combine harvesters and rice transplanters.
Before the agreement, the company focused primarily on serving Japan. Today, MMAM has the resources to compete in the global agricultural machinery marketplace. Along with the technology and brand power of majority-owner Mitsubishi Heavy Industry Group (one of the world’s leading heavy machinery manufacturers), the company has access to M&M’s extensive sales network in India, China and the United States.
Equally beneficial is the company’s concurrent engineering approach to product development, which was implemented at MMAM’s main plant in Matsue, Japan, in 2013. Concurrent engineering requires products to be designed and developed simultaneously, rather than consecutively, to shorten time to market and cut production costs.
XVL Studio software has enabled the company to effectively implement this methodology. Made by Lattice Technology Inc., the software turns 3D design data into interactive 3D manufacturing data.
Prior to using XVL Studio, an MMAM engineer would check the part geometry from blue prints and simulate the order of the assembly process based on his experience. He would then specifically define the assembly process and develop work instructions.
With XVL Studio, an engineer directly creates digital mock-ups and technical illustrations of parts from 3D data. He then digitally creates the assembly process with these parts, including verifying the tooling and jigs needed for assembly based on actual part geometry. If a problem arises during the process, he can easily highlight any change to ensure that downstream documentation has the proper updates.
The software lets MMAM engineers easily attach assembly instructions to part geometry models and animations. Instructions can be created in Excel, an interactive Web page or a browser-based Windows application. When an engineer selects a listed part name in Excel-based instructions, the part is automatically highlighted in the accompanying 3D model.
Plant managers especially like the XVL’s small file size, which is typically only 0.5 percent of the native CAD model size but still maintains part accuracy. This format allows engineers to design large assemblies with thousands of parts on standard desktop and laptop PCs, or mobile devices like the Apple iPad. It also lets users create enhanced models that include animations and annotations.
Another feature MMAM engineers like is called Snapshot. It lets users save view parameters (orientation, layout and camera angle) of a 3D model or restore the model’s position with a single click.
Lattice recently released Lattice3D Studio version 13.1, which lets engineers also create electrical routing representations in 3D of wires, cables, harnesses and connectors. For more information on 3D modeling software, call 415-274-1670 or visit www.lattice3d.com.
http://www.assemblymag.com/articles/93464-d-modeling-brings-concurrent-benefits-to-machinery-builder
Stop bashing GMOs, say 107 scientists and economists
Nobel prize laureates call on Greenpeace to
back off on opposition to Golden Rice and GMOs, saying genetic modification
holds the key to modern solutions to world hunger and malnutrition
, Staff June 30, 2016
One-hundred-and-seven Nobel laureates have stepped together into the decades-old debate surrounding genetically modified food (GMOs). The laureates, all from the science and economic fields, signed a letter released this week that both voices support for GMOs in food and challenges the opposition of Greenpeace and other groups to GMOs.The debate about GMOs, their safety and place in our food and agriculture, has been ongoing on the world and domestic stages. The implantation and consumption of GMO seeds and foods is strictly regulated by agencies such as the European Commission and the United States Department of Agriculture.
Genetic modifications entered into new territory with the 2012 invention and subsequent advancement of CRISPR technology, which allows scientists to zero in on specific genes to modify in an organism’s DNA with much more precision than previous gene technology.
Recommended:
What do you know about GMOs? Take the GMO quiz
However, this cutting edge technology was not
at the heart of the Nobel laureates’ letter yesterday, nor was it mentioned at
all. Instead the scientists focused on Golden Rice, a 1999 invention of
biologists Ingo Potrykus and Peter Beyer, who aimed to alleviate Vitamin A The rice, it seems, has become a symbol of the beleaguered movement to make impactful humanitarian advances in GMOs amid government regulation and anti-GMO activism.
"We urge Greenpeace and its supporters to re-examine the experience of farmers and consumers worldwide with crops and foods improved through biotechnology, recognize the findings of authoritative scientific bodies and regulatory agencies, and abandon their campaign against 'GMOs' in general and Golden Rice in particular," said the letter, signed by laureates across the fields of medicine, chemistry, physics, and economics.
The statement comes a little over a month after the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine released a report saying that they found no evidence that genetically modified crops led to widespread health problems or had negative environmental impact.
The letter, addressed to leaders of Greenpeace, the United Nations and governments around the world, calls for the end of both the campaign against "the tools of modern biology" and the genetically modified Golden Rice.
Greenpeace responded on Thursday with a statement issued from Manila, saying that "the only guaranteed solution to fix malnutrition is a diverse healthy diet" and denying the capabilities of Golden Rice.
"This costly experiment has failed to produce results for the past 20 years and diverted attention from methods that already work," wrote Wilhelmina Pelegrina of Greenpeace Southeast Asia. "Rather than invest in this overpriced public relations exercise, we need to address malnutrition through a more diverse diet, equitable access to food and eco-agriculture."
What may be behind the scientists' decision to focus their letter on Golden Rice is the parallel between the product, which is still in trials and testing, and the potentially unexplored solutions in today's labs.
Richard Roberts, a chief scientific officer at New England Biolabs, who organized the letter campaign along with geneticist Phillip Sharp, the winner of the 1993 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine, says that he was reacting to reports from fellow scientists that their genetic research was being restricted by anti-GMO activism.
"We're scientists. We understand the logic of science. It's easy to see what Greenpeace is doing is damaging and is anti-science," he told The Washington Post.
Golden Rice is a specific example of the hope of the signatories that genetic modification can help to alleviate world hunger and malnutrition. The rice, named for its hue, is genetically infused with beta carotene, which the human body turns to Vitamin A. The World Health Organization reports that 250 million preschool children worldwide are still affected by Vitamin A deficiency, which can cause blindness and death because of poor immune system development.
But since it was first produced in 1999, Golden Rice, whose research and development is now being funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, has yet to fulfill its goals. Instead, the rice remains in field testing in Bangladesh and the Philippines. It "will only be made available broadly if it is approved by national regulators and shown to reduce vitamin A deficiency for the world's poorest populations," says the Gates Foundation website.
"There's so much misinformation floating around about GMOs that is taken as fact by people," Michael D. Purugganan, a professor of genomics and biology and the dean for science at New York University, told The New York Times after a 2013 protest in the Philippines against the rice. Dr. Purugganan's research is not on genetically engineered modified crops, however having grown up in the Philippines he became involved in the conversation about Golden Rice.
"A lot of the criticism of GMOs in the Western world suffers from a lack of understanding of how really dire the situation is in developing countries," he said.
The opening line the laureates' letter references a United Nations finding that global production of "food, feed, and fiber" will need to approximately double by 2050 "to meet the demands of a growing global population."
As the world's available arable land stays static or decreases and populations (and world temperatures) continue to rise, sustainable and high-yield crops will be a challenge. Parts of that challenge could be faced with genetic modification, the scientists say.
That's not to say that the technology is not already in use: There are roughly 100 genetically modified plants in American agriculture, most of the cotton grown in India and China is genetically modified, as well as much of the world's soybeans and corn, reports Newsweek.
Given the presence of GMOs in American agriculture, recent domestic debates have been over labeling genetically modified food – the controversy was recently centered in Vermont, where legislators and advocates are working on a law requiring companies to label foods with GMOs.
But the issue, as it's framed in the letter, is not about whether or not people know what they are consuming, rather it's a question about whether the scientific community will be able use technology to try and address food insecurity.
Nobel laureate Randy Schekman, a cell biologist at the University of California at Berkeley, told The Washington Post that the opposition to scientific advance in GMOs affects "the world's agricultural future."
While Greenpeace does not appear to have changed its stance, it remains to be seen how governments may react to the endorsement.
http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2016/0630/Stop-bashing-GMOs-say-107-scientists-and-economists
Watch out for a fresh ‘low’ as monsoon eyes Punjab, Haryana, Delhi
Thiruvananthapuram, June 29:
The
India Met Department has put out a watch for a fresh low-pressure area in the
Bay of Bengal in what is a clear pointer to a productive session of the monsoon
through the first week of July.
This is
the second in a row to materialise in the Bay, even as a predecessor parked
over South Chhattisgarh blinked in tandem, since both cannot exist at the same
time.
In view
of this development, the Met has assessed that conditions are favourable for the
rains to march into most parts of North-West India, including west Rajasthan,
the last outpost, over the next three days.
Forecast
Accordingly, over the next three days, the monsoon will enter more parts of Gujarat and West Rajasthan, the remaining parts of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, west Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh, most parts of Punjab and Haryana and the whole of Chandigarh and Delhi.
Accordingly, over the next three days, the monsoon will enter more parts of Gujarat and West Rajasthan, the remaining parts of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, west Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh, most parts of Punjab and Haryana and the whole of Chandigarh and Delhi.
Seasonal rains would have mostly made good the
eight-day delay that had hindered the monsoon’s spread and advance from Kerala
on the south-west coast.
During
the 24 hours that ended on Wednesday morning, the West Coast continued to
witness heavy to very heavy rain with Honnavar recording 20 cm; Harnai-18 cm;
Mormugao and Karwar-15 cm each; Ratnagiri-14 cm; Vengurla-13 cm; Panjim and
Alibagh-11 cm each; and Mumbai Santa Cruz- 10 cm.
Monsoon
activity towards the East of the country was not that pronounced, principally
because an existing low-pressure area over South Chhattisgarh had weakened
overnight. Still it was enough to bring heavy rainfall of 11 cm of rain to
Kothagudem in Telangana.
Reading
from the preparedness at the ground level and distribution of helpful
atmospheric features, it is more or less clear that the monsoon is readying for
an expansion over North India in the first week of July.
On
Thursday, heavy to very heavy rain has been forecast at isolated places over
Konkan-Goa; heavy rain in most places over west Madhya Pradesh, the hills of
West Bengal and Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, south Odisha, south Chhattisgarh,
coastal Andhra Pradesh, coastal Karnataka and Kerala.
On
Friday, July 1, the rains are seen breaking heavy over parts of North-West
India, especially over Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi,
west Uttar Pradesh, and east Rajasthan
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/watch-out-for-a-fresh-low-as-monsoon-eyes-punjab-haryana-delhi/article8788710.ece
Rice farmers call on gov’t to ban rice importation
By Ruth Abla Adjorlolo, Ghana Broadcasting Corporation Jun 30, 2016
at 11:12am
Thousands of tons of local rice are presently sitting the northern
part of Ghana without market.
The situation, the rice farmers explained will 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 will have to generate additional revenue from other sources to settle their indebtedness to the financial institutions from whom they received credit from 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.
This came to light when the leadership of the Savannah Agricultural Research Institute, SARI, and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, CSIR, toured their eighteen Rice Seed Scaling project demonstration sites in the Navrongo municipality.
The CSIR-SARI Technician at the Seed scaling project sponsored by USAID and implemented by AfricaRice and SARI in the Navrongo Municipality,
Alfred Acquah has expressed satisfaction about the performance of farmers at the demonstration sites of the Rice Seed Scaling project.
The move is expected to improve their livelihoods by increasing the competitiveness of domestic rice to meet the increasing regional demand.
The investment will also see to the increment of productivity and quality of paddy rice, increase the efficiency of local rice sourcing, processing and marketing. The Savanna Agricultural Research Institute, SARI, is one of the 13 Research Institutes under the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).
The Council, founded in 1957 involves more than 600 scientists in the fields of agriculture, fishery, forestry, industry, environment and health.
SARI’s mandate is to provide small scale farmers in the Northern, upper East and Upper West regions with appropriate innovation/option/technology to increase their food production base on a sustainable production system, which maintains and/or increasing soil fertility.
The research mandate also includes the development of appropriate cropping systems, varieties of crops such as maize, groundnut, Bambara, cotton and vegetables crops which are adapted to the needs of farmers in the different ecologies of northern Ghana.
SARI is well endowed with highly trained research scientists.
Their contribution to the advancement of scientific knowledge in their specialized fields has been acclaimed at the international level through special awards and citations from world-renowned scientific bodies and association.
Ghana is generally regarded as one of the more successful examples of an economic turnaround in sub-Saharan Africa.
From an over bureaucratic centralised state which led to a currency collapse in the late 1970s, Ghana has become a relative island of political stability and is thus encouraging inward investment. According to Mr. Acquah, small holder rice yields are quite low at 1 to 1.5 metric tonnes per hectare, which further affects incomes.
Key bottlenecks in the rice value chain include lack of irrigated land, poor access to quality seed material, farmers’ inability to pay for necessary inputs, sub-standard agricultural practices and cropping techniques, poor post-harvest handling, and lack of mechanisation, which will decrease unit costs.
The objective of CSIR-SARI is to significantly improve the livelihoods of rice farming small holder households in selected countries in the sub-region by increasing competitiveness of domestic rice supply to meet increasing regional demand.
The SARI program is confident that by the end of 2017, the program can be scaled up with the right systems and strong collaborations with its partners, leading to an improvement in the incomes and livelihoods of rice farmers and building sustainable solutions for the rice industry as a whole.
A farmer at the Korania demonstration site, George Adongo, commended CSIR-SARI for their support. He said the rice seed scaling project has improve their livelihoods and call on government and benevolent organizations to provide them with combined harvesters.
He advised his fellow farmers to plant Agra to enable them increase their production
The situation, the rice farmers explained will 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 will have to generate additional revenue from other sources to settle their indebtedness to the financial institutions from whom they received credit from 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.
This came to light when the leadership of the Savannah Agricultural Research Institute, SARI, and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, CSIR, toured their eighteen Rice Seed Scaling project demonstration sites in the Navrongo municipality.
The CSIR-SARI Technician at the Seed scaling project sponsored by USAID and implemented by AfricaRice and SARI in the Navrongo Municipality,
Alfred Acquah has expressed satisfaction about the performance of farmers at the demonstration sites of the Rice Seed Scaling project.
The move is expected to improve their livelihoods by increasing the competitiveness of domestic rice to meet the increasing regional demand.
The investment will also see to the increment of productivity and quality of paddy rice, increase the efficiency of local rice sourcing, processing and marketing. The Savanna Agricultural Research Institute, SARI, is one of the 13 Research Institutes under the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).
The Council, founded in 1957 involves more than 600 scientists in the fields of agriculture, fishery, forestry, industry, environment and health.
SARI’s mandate is to provide small scale farmers in the Northern, upper East and Upper West regions with appropriate innovation/option/technology to increase their food production base on a sustainable production system, which maintains and/or increasing soil fertility.
The research mandate also includes the development of appropriate cropping systems, varieties of crops such as maize, groundnut, Bambara, cotton and vegetables crops which are adapted to the needs of farmers in the different ecologies of northern Ghana.
SARI is well endowed with highly trained research scientists.
Their contribution to the advancement of scientific knowledge in their specialized fields has been acclaimed at the international level through special awards and citations from world-renowned scientific bodies and association.
Ghana is generally regarded as one of the more successful examples of an economic turnaround in sub-Saharan Africa.
From an over bureaucratic centralised state which led to a currency collapse in the late 1970s, Ghana has become a relative island of political stability and is thus encouraging inward investment. According to Mr. Acquah, small holder rice yields are quite low at 1 to 1.5 metric tonnes per hectare, which further affects incomes.
Key bottlenecks in the rice value chain include lack of irrigated land, poor access to quality seed material, farmers’ inability to pay for necessary inputs, sub-standard agricultural practices and cropping techniques, poor post-harvest handling, and lack of mechanisation, which will decrease unit costs.
The objective of CSIR-SARI is to significantly improve the livelihoods of rice farming small holder households in selected countries in the sub-region by increasing competitiveness of domestic rice supply to meet increasing regional demand.
The SARI program is confident that by the end of 2017, the program can be scaled up with the right systems and strong collaborations with its partners, leading to an improvement in the incomes and livelihoods of rice farmers and building sustainable solutions for the rice industry as a whole.
A farmer at the Korania demonstration site, George Adongo, commended CSIR-SARI for their support. He said the rice seed scaling project has improve their livelihoods and call on government and benevolent organizations to provide them with combined harvesters.
He advised his fellow farmers to plant Agra to enable them increase their production
https://news.ayekoo.com/1.9445893https://news.ayekoo.com/1.9445893
Rice Prices
as on : 30-06-2016 08:10:22 PMArrivals in tonnes;prices in Rs/quintal in domestic market.
|
Arrivals
|
Price
|
|||||
|
Current
|
%
change |
Season
cumulative |
Modal
|
Prev.
Modal |
Prev.Yr
%change |
|
|
Rice
|
||||||
|
Gadarpur(Utr)
|
660.00
|
13.79
|
115846.00
|
2181
|
2070
|
9.32
|
|
Gorakhpur(UP)
|
270.00
|
8
|
6522.00
|
2135
|
2145
|
5.17
|
|
Bazpur(Utr)
|
200.00
|
-54.55
|
45547.21
|
1900
|
1750
|
-11.63
|
|
Mathabhanga(WB)
|
100.00
|
-23.08
|
5020.00
|
2150
|
2150
|
10.26
|
|
Aligarh(UP)
|
90.00
|
12.5
|
4265.00
|
2300
|
2300
|
21.05
|
|
Karanjia(Ori)
|
66.50
|
1230
|
360.30
|
2600
|
2600
|
4.00
|
|
Jangipur(WB)
|
62.00
|
-0.8
|
880.00
|
2180
|
2175
|
0.69
|
|
Hapur(UP)
|
60.00
|
100
|
266.00
|
2280
|
2140
|
6.54
|
|
Barasat(WB)
|
55.00
|
NC
|
2830.00
|
2200
|
2200
|
-8.33
|
|
Saharanpur(UP)
|
50.00
|
-16.67
|
5770.00
|
2390
|
2400
|
10.39
|
|
Indus(Bankura Sadar)(WB)
|
50.00
|
-16.67
|
502.00
|
2550
|
2550
|
15.91
|
|
Cachar(ASM)
|
40.00
|
NC
|
2400.00
|
2500
|
2500
|
-7.41
|
|
Lanka(ASM)
|
35.00
|
16.67
|
2900.00
|
1750
|
1750
|
-1.41
|
|
Dhekiajuli(ASM)
|
32.00
|
33.33
|
1154.60
|
1900
|
2000
|
-13.64
|
|
Purulia(WB)
|
30.00
|
25
|
2196.00
|
2380
|
2340
|
NC
|
|
North Lakhimpur(ASM)
|
23.00
|
238.24
|
1593.30
|
1900
|
1900
|
-
|
|
Jasra(UP)
|
12.50
|
-37.5
|
615.00
|
2225
|
2150
|
4.71
|
|
Bankura Sadar(WB)
|
12.00
|
NC
|
100.00
|
2150
|
2150
|
-
|
|
Nilagiri(Ori)
|
11.00
|
37.5
|
523.00
|
2400
|
2400
|
4.35
|
|
Alappuzha(Ker)
|
10.00
|
NC
|
100.00
|
3975
|
3975
|
6.00
|
|
Dibrugarh(ASM)
|
8.10
|
1.25
|
1295.80
|
2450
|
2450
|
-
|
|
Mirzapur(UP)
|
7.00
|
7.69
|
1377.10
|
1975
|
1975
|
0.25
|
|
Kasipur(WB)
|
1.20
|
9.09
|
41.00
|
2280
|
2300
|
3.64
|
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/article8791734.ece
Rice Research Center hosts annual field day
Field Day 2016
Today
hundreds of rice producers gathered at the Rice Research Station in Crowley for
their annual Field Day.The Research Station, part of the LSU AgCenter, shared
their latest project with the farmers and took them on a tour of their testing
fields.A handful of speakers shared their expertise about new developments in
the industry.Topics included rice breeding, insect management and weed control.
Economists projected the most opportune markets to be Cuba, China and Iraq.
.katc.com/story/32341365/rice-research-center-hosts-annual-field-day.katc.com/story/32341365/rice-research-center-hosts-annual-field-day
Rice farmers hope Cuban trade could spur local boost
Source: WBRZ
Now, state leaders are hoping to expand the industry even more, by trading with Cuba.
Just west of Baton Rouge, rice farms are working diligently providing the food we all know and love. This year, rice industry leaders have their eye on Cuba, a nation that imports about the same amount of rice that Louisiana grows.
But exporting that rice to Cuba has been impossible for the last fifty years.
“The US is not allowed to sell rice to Cuba,” Jim Guinn said. “If we were able to, it’s one of the largest markets in the western hemisphere for rice.”
Now that diplomatic relations are slowly starting to thaw, local products may soon leave our ports headed straight to the island.
Louisiana exports about half of the rice it produces, and because of its location, experts say trading to Cuba is a no brainer. It could also provide a much needed economic boost to local farmers.
Farmers like Kevin Berkin are struggling to make ends meet. That’s why he supports the state’s efforts to branch out and explore new markets.
State leaders, local farmers and businessmen are planning to take a trip to Cuba in July to discuss new moves for trade, tourism and economic developmen
http://www.wbrz.com/news/rice-farmers-hope-cuban-trade-could-spur-local-boost/
NFA supply enough to cover lean months ahead
By: Angel Palpal-latoc
Philippine Daily Inquirer
12:16 AM June 30th, 2016
The National Food Authority (NFA) said there was no need yet to import milled rice since the country’s supply was still enough to meet domestic needs.
“We have more than enough stocks of the good quality, low-priced NFA rice for the lean months,” Escarez said.
He said the national rice inventory currently stood at 3.54 metric tons (MT), good to last for 110 days based on the national daily requirement of 32,560 MT.
Of the inventory, 1.02 million MT is with the NFA, 1.04 million MT is in commercial warehouses, and 1.47 million MT is kept in households.
“These stocks are now strategically prepositioned across the country, especially in calamity-vulnerable areas,” Escarez said.
The NFA chief said he has ordered all the agency’s field offices to closely monitor the rice supply and price situation in all markets nationwide.
He also instructed the offices to accredit more rice outlets to assure low-income residents could have access to the NFA supplies.
“Closer price monitoring and the opening of more rice outlets will ensure that our people will always have access to NFA rice,” Escarez said.
Despite sufficient rice supply, the Philippine government has expressed interest in Thailand’s efforts to sell stockpiled rice, the World Trade Organization said earlier this month.
In the fourth quarter of 2015, the NFA purchased 750,000 tons of rice from state-run suppliers in Vietnam and Thailand.
Local agriculture survives heavy rains
Except for work delays, rain and high water over the past year have not greatly hurt local agriculture. Shown here in a photo taken in February is the American Rice Growers facility in Raywood.
Posted: Wednesday, June 29,
2016 1:19 pm
Despite
all the many floods Liberty County has experienced over the past year,
excessive rainfall and high waters have had minimal effects on local field
crops. The negative consequences in most cases being only to have delayed
work.American Rice Growers Dayton General Manager Aaron Holbrook says the
percentage of this year’s rice crop hurt by the extra rain was “mighty small,”
and that only “a few acres didn’t get planted.”Rice being a water crop anyway, brief periods of high water will not usually hurt production.
“That’s the one crop that it didn’t effect much,” Holbrook said.
The little harm done by the rain was to prevent herbicides and fertilizers from being applied as planned, Holbrook said.
Roy Flora, Liberty County Ag Extension Agent, mentioned that the first cutting of hay was significantly delayed. Normally cut in early to mid May, the first cut was not made until the week of June 20.
He explained that the second and third cutting usually produces better hay, so that delay in work will effect the quality of this season’s hay. Even after the first cutting is made, more delay is expected because the ground is saturated so the hay will take longer to cure. Curing that would take only 3 or 4 days in dry weather will take 6 or 7 days when the soil is wet.
Based on what local farmers have told him, Flora said soybean crops in the west and south of the county have done “pretty well so far.”
Not much corn is grown locally, but some farmers did not get 100 percent of their crops in, Flora said.
Ornamental and horticultural plants have suffered from the weather, mostly from fungus and mold growing on their leaves.
Calves normally ship in November. The number of calves in Liberty County had been going down but have picked up in the last couple of weeks.
While Liberty County is developing toward becoming more industrial and as a residential area for people working in Harris County, it remains a largely agricultural community.
According to a 2013 Texas A&M University “State of the Community” report, a little more than seven out of every 1,000 employed persons living in Liberty County work in agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting. That report calls agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting “still an economical threat of Liberty County.”
As of 2012, according to the USDA Census of Agriculture, Liberty County held 1,470 farms covering 286,793 total acres and averaging 195 acres each. Although the number of farms and the acreage given to farming in 2012 was down from the 1,589 farms counted in 2007 that covered 297,855 acres, the value of agricultural products sold increased over those five years by 39 percent.
The total market value of Liberty County agricultural products sold in 2012 was $34,939,000, of which 42 percent was from crops and 58 percent was from livestock.
The USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service says that as of Jan. 1, 2016 Liberty County had 52,000 head of cattle, 34,000 beef cows, and 1,300 goats.
In 2012, Liberty County ranked second among Texas’ 254 counties in the number of honey bee colonies with 13,808 colonies here. Liberty County was 11 in the value of rice sold; 12 in soybeans for beans; 25 in forage-land used for all hay and haylage, grass silage and greenchop; and 42 in its number of horses and ponies with 2,793. Liberty County then had 49,217 cattle and calves, putting it at 71 out of 254 Texas counties
http://www.yourhoustonnews.com/dayton/news/local-agriculture-survives-heavy-rains/article_a1a6d644-7bf2-5449-a132-e23cb5691041.html
2016 Acreage Preview: Rice Acres on the Rise as Drought Recedes
June 29, 2016 05:02 PM
The end of Texas’s punishing drought could mean
a resurgence in rice acres in Thursday’s USDA report.“There’s no doubt we’ll
have an increase in planted (rice) acreage in Arkansas this year, but we’ll
really see it in Texas,” predicted Jack Scoville, vice president of the PRICE
Futures Group in Chicago, who thinks Texas rice acres could jump significantly.
“All those farmers who were planting sorghum (due to the drought) are now
planting rice.”
Overall, he predicts farmers will plant 2.98
million acres of rice, which is just below the average trade guess of 3 million
acres.
That’s actually fairly close to USDA’s March
estimates. In 2016, rice growers intended to plant 3.064 million acres of
rice, an increase of 17% from 2015, according to USDA’s Prospective Planting
report. The top state for the grain has been Arkansas, where producers expected
to plant 1.581 million acres of rice this spring.
The
potential uptick is making some in the rice industry a little anxious.. “In all
likelihood, it can reasonably be expected that the total acreage number will
decrease but the big question will be the actual magnitude. Even small
adjustments to this number will have large impacts down-balance sheet and
ultimately in the market,” said the U.S. Rice Producers Association. “Until
then, the trade can do little except speculate and hope that the USDA does not
become even more over-zealous later in the month.”If rice acreage continues its rise from 2015 and the weather cooperates, growers could have a big harvest this year. Luckily, “export sales of rice have been pretty good,” Scoville said. “We’re going to need that good demand to increase to keep ending stocks down at reasonable levels
http://www.yourhoustonnews.com/dayton/news/local-agriculture-survives-heavy-rains/article_a1a6d644-7bf2-5449-a132-e23cb5691041.html
Monsoon rains 1 percent above average in past week - IMD
People shelter from the rain under umbrellas on a beach along the
Arabian Sea in Mumbai, India June 27, 2016.
Reuters/Danish Siddiqui
Monsoon rains
in India were 1 percent above average in the week ending June 29, the India
Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Thursday.The June-September
monsoon has remained 12 percent lower than average so far, but rains have
covered almost the entire country, and helped quicken the planting process of
summer crops such as rice, soybeans, cotton and pulses.Though the monsoon
arrived in India on June 8, a week later than usual, IMD expects rains to pick
up pace in July.(Reporting by Sankalp Phartiyal; Editing by Malini Menon
Shortage of power supply troubles paddy farmers
Tribune News Service
Bathinda, June 29
Even as the government claims of making the state power surplus,
farmers are not even getting power supply for the promised eight hours ahead of
the paddy sowing season.
Farmers in various blocks of Mansa district are complaining about
the poor supply of power.
The government had promised eight-hour power supply to the farmers
as the sowing of paddy is on its peak.
The farmers in the cotton belt, especially in Bareta block of Mansa
district have been complaining about the shortage of power supply.
The farmers, who have opted to sow paddy instead of cotton due to
the fear of whitefly attack, are still facing a precarious situation.
Whitefly fear has also led to increase in area under paddy
cultivation.
The cotton crop needs irrigation seven to eight times during its
growth whereas the paddy crop needs to be irrigated 14-15 times.
Even at the time of sowing, the paddy farmers need to irrigate
their field.
“The government
this year has released many motor connections but there are of no use if there
is no power supply. Most of the farmers, other than small or marginal, are even
willing to pay the bills for power usage but they demand that the supply should
be regular and round-the-clock. The farmers in Bareta and other areas are
getting about six hours supply instead of promised eight hours. However, in
some blocks of Mansa district, the supply of power is for eight hours. It has
been our demand that the government should supply power for irrigation during
the day instead of night,” said Ram Singh Bhenibagha, BKU Ugraha Mansa
president.
http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/bathinda/shortage-of-power-supply-troubles-paddy-farmers/258855.html
NFA rice inventory good for 32 days
Mary Grace PadinJune 29, 2016
The
National Food Authority (NFA) on Tuesday assured the public the
country has enough rice stocks to last throughout the lean season, or from
July to September.NFA Officer in Charge Tomas R. Escarez said the agency, as of June 15, has a rice inventory of 1.02 million metric tons (MMT), which is sufficient for 32 days.
This volume exceeded the mandatory 30-day buffer stock the food agency is required to maintain during the lean season.
“We have more than enough stocks of the good quality, low-priced NFA rice for the lean months. These stocks are now strategically prepositioned across the country, especially in calamity-vulnerable areas,” Escarez said
The official
said he has directed the NFA’s field offices to closely monitor the
rice-supply and price situation in all markets nationwide in preparation for
the lean months.
He also instructed the field offices to
accredit more rice outlets to sell NFA rice to make sure the supply will be
more accessible to low-income buyers anywhere in the country. “Closer price
monitoring and the opening of more rice outlets will ensure that our people
will always have access to NFA rice,” Escarez said.
According to data from the NFA, the
country’s rice inventory is currently at 3.54 MMT, which is good to last
for 110 days, based on the national daily requirement of 32,560 MT. Of this volume, 1.02 MMT are stored in NFA warehouses, 1.04 MMT in commercial warehouses and 1.47 MMT in the households.
for 110 days, based on the national daily requirement of 32,560 MT. Of this volume, 1.02 MMT are stored in NFA warehouses, 1.04 MMT in commercial warehouses and 1.47 MMT in the households.
http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/nfa-rice-inventory-good-for-32-days/
Bank bad debts a challenge but not a time bomb’
Arvind Subramanian
The
Centre and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) are working together to ensure bad
debts do not become a ‘time-bomb’ and impact the economy, according to the
Chief Economic Advisor.“It can’t be a time bomb,” said Arvind Subramanian on
Wednesday drawing a parallel with China. Corporate loan exposure of banks in
China corresponds to 165 per cent of that country’s GDP. In contrast, the
exposure at Indian banks to such loans works out to 35 per cent of the GDP.
“Various steps are being taken,” he said, without elaborating. Mr. Subramanian
was speaking to the media at the C.R. Rao Advanced Institute of Mathematics,
Statistics and Computer Science here. On consolidation of public sector banks,
he said the aim was to increase the efficiency and get fewer but more efficient
banks.
Brexit ‘ripples’
Describing
the referendum in which Britain voted to exit the European Union (EU) as a
landmark development that might slow down the global economy, he said: “We are
really well cushioned to bear the impact.”
India
remains a safe haven for investments, he said.
The
Centre would be carefully watching the Brexit impact on growth in the U.S. and
Europe, and resultant implications for Indian exports.
However,
given the offset that a good monsoon would provide, he said the Centre would
stick to the growth forecast made in the Economic Survey. The current account
deficit will be within one per cent of GDP helped by low crude oil prices, Mr.
Subramanian said.
A good
monsoon would also help cool prices of pulses, currently contributing to much
of the food inflation.
Keywords:
bad
debts, banking
sector, RBI, bad
loans
http://www.thehindu.com/business/Economy/bank-bad-debts-a-challenge-but-not-a-time-bomb-chief-economic-advisor-arvind-subramanian/article8788845.ece
Rice Foundation accepting applications for 2017 leadership program
Jun 30, 2016
The Rice
Foundation is accepting applications for the 2017 Rice Leadership Development
Program. Rice producers or industry-related professionals between the ages of
25 and 45 are eligible to apply for the program. The application deadline is
October 1.The Rice Leadership Development Program provides a comprehensive understanding of the rice industry, with an emphasis on personal development and communication skills. During a two-year period, class members attend four one-week sessions designed to strengthen leadership skills through studies of all aspects of the rice industry.
The class is comprised of five rice producers and two industry-related professionals chosen by a committee of agribusiness leaders. The committee evaluates the applications of all candidates, reviews letters of recommendation, and conducts personal interviews with the finalists. Interviews will be conducted at the USA Rice Outlook Conference in Memphis, Tennessee, in December.
The program is sponsored by John Deere Company, RiceTec, Inc., and American Commodity Company through The Rice Foundation and managed by USA Rice.
Additional information on the Rice Leadership Development Program and an application form can be found on the USA Rice website.
http://deltafarmpress.com/rice/rice-foundation-accepting-applications-2017-leadership-program
APEDA AgriExchange Newsletter - Volume 1507
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International
Benchmark Price
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06/30/2016 Farm Bureau Market Report
Soybeans|
High
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Low
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Cash Bids
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1176
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1084
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New Crop
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1141
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1068
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Riceland Foods
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Cash Bids
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Stuttgart: - - -
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Pendleton: - - -
|
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New Crop
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Stuttgart: - - -
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Pendleton:
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Futures:
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Soybean Comment
Soybeans surprised the market and continued to pull higher today.
New crop soybeans traded in a 68-cent range today after a volatile day.
Soybeans started out the day with another strong export sales report after the
USDA reported another week of stronger sales and exports. This was followed by
an acreage report where the USDA forecasted more soybean acres, but they were
near the average trade estimate a neutral number for the market. As far as
stocks goes this was about the only real bearish number received by the soybean
market as the USDA forecasted 870 million bushels of soybeans in storage
compared to a trade estimate of 829 million bu with a range from 775 – 862
million bu. While the estimate was higher than trade guesses, further increases
in the Brazilian Real relative to the dollar today has traders optimistic about
U.S. soybean export prospects. The market will continue to digest these numbers
and may need additional help to push past resistance near contract highs. Look
for soybeans to begin to come under pressure as the gap widens between corn and
soybean prices.
|
High
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Low
|
|
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Cash Bids
|
441
|
375
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New Crop
|
440
|
410
|
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Futures:
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Wheat Comment
Wheat prices managed modest gains today after a mixed report. Wheat
prices started the day with more positive demand news as both exports and sales
were strong again this week. As for the supply side, USDA forecast for acreage
was roughly a million acres above trade expectations at 50.18 million acres.
Wheat stocks on the other hand came in near trade expectations at 981 million
bushels compared to a trade estimate of 982 million bu. The market remains near
contract lows but stronger demand is helping underpin prices at this tim, but
if soybeans were to loose momentum wheat could see additional losses.
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High
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Low
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Cash Bids
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372
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250
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New Crop
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348
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255
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||
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High
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Low
|
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Cash Bids
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395
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355
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New Crop
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395
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359
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Futures:
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Corn Comment
Corn closed sharply lower today after the release of three bearish
USDA Report. The day started out with a new export sales were sales were down
46% from last week and 59% from the 4-week average. While exports were stronger
this week the market continues to worry about demand as sales continued their
multi week slide after strong sales to end the month of May. So after raising
concerns about demand the USDA released the acreage and quarterly stocks report
which were both above trade expectations. The trade expected 92.896 million
acres of corn, but were given 94.148 million acres; an increase of 547,000
acres from the March Planting intentions of 93.601 million acres. Additionally,
the market expected June 1 stocks to total 4.528 billion bushels with a range
from 4.437-4.650 billion bu; instead the USDA estimated 4.722 billion bu in
storage on June 1. All this combined to push corn prices even lower today as
new crop corn ended down 11.5-cents. Sharp losses over the last 11 days has
taken 77-cents off of corn prices, with the increases in acres the market is
likely to remain under even more pressure as weather forecasts improve for
major growing regions. Corn needs to see demand begin to pick back up in order
to help support prices. Just for a matter of reference, last year the market
expected the USDA to lower soybean acreage from Prospective Planting Forecast
of 84.635 million acres, but was surprised with higher acreage in this report
as the USDA forecasts 85.139 million acres; however, by the end of the marketing
year in January 2016 the USDA had lowered acreage to 82.7 million acres, so the
market was right in June.
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Futures:
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Cotton Comment
Cotton futures charted a bearish reversal today in reaction to the
USDA acreage report. US acreage was reported at 10.023 million acres. That is
up from the March 1 Planting Intentions total of 9.562
million and last year's total of 8.85 million acres. Today's losses give the
market a bearish appearance, but the uptrend drawn off the February low remains
intact, with support currently around 63.64 cents. Better exports last week
gave the market a boost Thursday, thanks to some weakness in the dollar. Weekly
export sales were 58,700 bales for 2015-2016 delivery and 138,300 for 2016-2017
delivery.
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High
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Low
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Long Grain
Cash Bids
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- - -
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- - -
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Long Grain
New Crop
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- - -
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- - -
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Futures:
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Rice Comment
Rice futures posted sharp losses in reaction to the acreage report.
USDA says 3.212 million acres of rice were planted nationwide. In Arkansas, the
total is a whopping 1.581 million acres: 1.43 million acres of long grain and
150,000 acres of medium grain. Crop conditions remain generally favorable, with
68% of the crop rated good to excellent for the second week in a row. September
violated support at $10.70 today, and there is little technical support above
$9.90. Weekly export sales this week totalled 84,100 metric tons for 15-16
delivery.
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Futures:
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Live Cattle:
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Feeders:
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Cattle Comment
Improving trade volumes and stronger cash prices helped push cattle
prices higher on Thursday, continued weakness in the corn market after multiple
USDA reports were bearish today also helped support cattle prices today. Live
cattle continue to try and establish a bottom which is helping propel feeders
higher.
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Futures:
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Fantastic Weather, Technical
Developments, Cuba, and the Rice Leadership Development Program Mark Louisiana
Field Days
By: Michael Klein
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Linscombe
points the way forward
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KAPLAN and CROWLEY, LA - As growers know all too
well, sometimes the weather just cooperates. Such was the case this week
when torrential and dangerous rains in some areas during the day suddenly gave
way to cool evenings and one of the mildest LSU Field Days most can remember.
On
Wednesday, the LSU H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station in
Crowley hosted the 107th annual rice field day to large crowds
and insightful presentations led by Dr. Steve Linscombe with other researchers
from LSU, Mississippi State, Texas A&M, and private industry.
New varieties - including a Clearfield hybrid;
fungicide timing; the impact of Provisia, a new herbicide-tolerant technology, on
weed control; and pests - including a new threat from Central America now being
tracked in Texas; were covered during the field tours. Researchers also
shared the latest information on promising new techniques to maximize ratoon
crops.
The sun came out just as the tours were concluding,
chasing the hundreds of attendees inside for additional presentations and
remarks from Jackie Loewer, Chairman of the Louisiana Rice Research Board, Jim
Guinn, USA Rice Vice President of International Promotion, Ronnie Anderson,
President of the Louisiana Farm Bureau, and others.
While the crowd appreciated the fine work the LSU Ag
Center staff are completing on behalf of the rice industry, talk of the
potential opening of Cuba as a new market for U.S. rice dominated many
discussions.
"Cuba has great potential for us - at one
time our top export destination," said Guinn. "While USA Rice has an
excellent relationship with the government and trade in Cuba, it's going to
take some more action by Congress before we can begin to realize the full
potential of this market."
The evening before the LSU Field Day, more than
100 growers gathered at Christian Richard's farm in Kaplan for the HorizonAg
Field Day that featured exciting presentations, including varieties that
Horizon's General Manager Dr. Tim Walker is
confident will satisfy the demanding expectations of Central American customers
who are highly focused on quality.
USA Rice staff attended the field days and gave
presentations at meetings of the Louisiana Rice Promotion Board and the Central
Louisiana Rice Growers Association (CenLARGA).
"What struck me most perhaps about all of
the activities was the number of graduates and current students in the Rice
Leadership Development Program who were presenting," Guinn added.
"From the HorizonAg host, Christian Richard, to the HorizonAg presenters
in Dr. Walker, Michael Fruge, and Sunny Bottoms, to the LSU Field Day, led by
Dr. Linscombe and Dr. Dustin Harrell, and John Earles Jr. in the CenLARGA
organization. It shows the success and reach of the program and that the
graduates are doing exactly what is expected of them - leading the industry."
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Leadership grads abound, from the left: Fruge,
Bottoms, and Walker
|
Acreage Report: 2016 Crop
Planted Acres Up More Than 22 Percent from 2015
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agriculture Statistics Service Acreage report was released today. The annual report presents acreage by planted and/or harvested areas by state
|
Stop bashing GMOs,
say 107 scientists and economists
|
Nobel prize laureates call on Greenpeace to
back off on opposition to Golden Rice and GMOs, saying genetic modification
holds the key to modern solutions to world hunger and malnutrition
, Staff June 30, 2016
The debate about GMOs, their safety and place in our food and agriculture, has been ongoing on the world and domestic stages. The implantation and consumption of GMO seeds and foods is strictly regulated by agencies such as the European Commission and the United States Department of Agriculture.
Genetic modifications entered into new territory with the 2012 invention and subsequent advancement of CRISPR technology, which allows scientists to zero in on specific genes to modify in an organism’s DNA with much more precision than previous gene technology.
Recommended:
What do you know about GMOs? Take the GMO quiz
However,
this cutting edge technology was not at the heart of the Nobel laureates’
letter yesterday, nor was it mentioned at all. Instead the scientists focused
on Golden Rice, a 1999 invention of biologists Ingo Potrykus and Peter Beyer,
who aimed to alleviate Vitamin A deficiency among millions of malnourished
children with a genetically modified rice plant.The rice, it seems, has become a symbol of the beleaguered movement to make impactful humanitarian advances in GMOs amid government regulation and anti-GMO activism.
"We urge Greenpeace and its supporters to re-examine the experience of farmers and consumers worldwide with crops and foods improved through biotechnology, recognize the findings of authoritative scientific bodies and regulatory agencies, and abandon their campaign against 'GMOs' in general and Golden Rice in particular," said the letter, signed by laureates across the fields of medicine, chemistry, physics, and economics.
The statement comes a little over a month after the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine released a report saying that they found no evidence that genetically modified crops led to widespread health problems or had negative environmental impact.
The letter, addressed to leaders of Greenpeace, the United Nations and governments around the world, calls for the end of both the campaign against "the tools of modern biology" and the genetically modified Golden Rice.
Greenpeace responded on Thursday with a statement issued from Manila, saying that "the only guaranteed solution to fix malnutrition is a diverse healthy diet" and denying the capabilities of Golden Rice.
"This costly experiment has failed to produce results for the past 20 years and diverted attention from methods that already work," wrote Wilhelmina Pelegrina of Greenpeace Southeast Asia. "Rather than invest in this overpriced public relations exercise, we need to address malnutrition through a more diverse diet, equitable access to food and eco-agriculture."
What may be behind the scientists' decision to focus their letter on Golden Rice is the parallel between the product, which is still in trials and testing, and the potentially unexplored solutions in today's labs.
Richard Roberts, a chief scientific officer at New England Biolabs, who organized the letter campaign along with geneticist Phillip Sharp, the winner of the 1993 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine, says that he was reacting to reports from fellow scientists that their genetic research was being restricted by anti-GMO activism.
"We're scientists. We understand the logic of science. It's easy to see what Greenpeace is doing is damaging and is anti-science," he told The Washington Post.
Golden Rice is a specific example of the hope of the signatories that genetic modification can help to alleviate world hunger and malnutrition. The rice, named for its hue, is genetically infused with beta carotene, which the human body turns to Vitamin A. The World Health Organization reports that 250 million preschool children worldwide are still affected by Vitamin A deficiency, which can cause blindness and death because of poor immune system development.
But since it was first produced in 1999, Golden Rice, whose research and development is now being funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, has yet to fulfill its goals. Instead, the rice remains in field testing in Bangladesh and the Philippines. It "will only be made available broadly if it is approved by national regulators and shown to reduce vitamin A deficiency for the world's poorest populations," says the Gates Foundation website.
"There's so much misinformation floating around about GMOs that is taken as fact by people," Michael D. Purugganan, a professor of genomics and biology and the dean for science at New York University, told The New York Times after a 2013 protest in the Philippines against the rice. Dr. Purugganan's research is not on genetically engineered modified crops, however having grown up in the Philippines he became involved in the conversation about Golden Rice.
"A lot of the criticism of GMOs in the Western world suffers from a lack of understanding of how really dire the situation is in developing countries," he said.
The opening line the laureates' letter references a United Nations finding that global production of "food, feed, and fiber" will need to approximately double by 2050 "to meet the demands of a growing global population."
As the world's available arable land stays static or decreases and populations (and world temperatures) continue to rise, sustainable and high-yield crops will be a challenge. Parts of that challenge could be faced with genetic modification, the scientists say.
That's not to say that the technology is not already in use: There are roughly 100 genetically modified plants in American agriculture, most of the cotton grown in India and China is genetically modified, as well as much of the world's soybeans and corn, reports Newsweek.
Given the presence of GMOs in American agriculture, recent domestic debates have been over labeling genetically modified food – the controversy was recently centered in Vermont, where legislators and advocates are working on a law requiring companies to label foods with GMOs.
But the issue, as it's framed in the letter, is not about whether or not people know what they are consuming, rather it's a question about whether the scientific community will be able use technology to try and address food insecurity.
Nobel laureate Randy Schekman, a cell biologist at the University of California at Berkeley, told The Washington Post that the opposition to scientific advance in GMOs affects "the world's agricultural future."
While Greenpeace does not appear to have changed its stance, it remains to be seen how governments may react to the endorsement
http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2016/0630/Stop-bashing-GMOs-say-107-scientists-and-economists
Don’t miss out. Stay Informed. Get EcoWatch’s Top News of the Day
Greenpeace was targeted Wednesday by more than 100 Nobel laureates who have signed a letter calling on the environmental group to end its campaign against genetically modified organisms (GMOs).In the letter, Greenpeace is accused of leading “the fact-challenged propaganda campaign against innovations in agricultural biotechnology.” The NGO’s opposition on a particularly controversial GMO crop, golden rice, was put on blast.
Golden Rice, compared to conventional rice, has been genetically
engineered to produce and accumulate provitamin A (β-carotene) in the grain.
Photo credit: Golden Rice Project
In a
separate post Why Greenpeace is Wrong about GMOs and Golden
Rice, the campaign accuses Greenpeace of
spearheading “opposition to golden rice, which has the potential to reduce or
eliminate much of the death and disease caused by a vitamin A deficiency (VAD),
which has the greatest impact on the poorest people in Africa and Southeast
Asia.”The laureates’ letter argues that scientific and regulatory agencies around the world have “repeatedly and consistently” found GMO crops as safe for humans and animals for consumption as well as for the safety of the environment.
Organizers of the campaign held a press conference this morning at the National Press Conference in Washington to defend the letter.
“We’re scientists. We understand the logic of science. It’s easy to see what Greenpeace is doing is damaging and is anti-science,” Richard Roberts, campaign organizer and the 1993 winner of the Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine with Phillip Sharp, told The Washington Post. “Greenpeace initially, and then some of their allies, deliberately went out of their way to scare people. It was a way for them to raise money for their cause.”
The golden rice project started roughly 20 years ago by German researchers. The GMO crop is developed to produce pro-vitamin A (beta-carotene) and is touted by proponents as a solution to vitamin A deficiencies prevalent in developing countries. The deficiency increases risk for infection, diseases and blindness.
Greenpeace, however, has deemed the golden rice project as “environmentally irresponsible, poses risks to human health, and could compromise food, nutrition and financial security.” Because of this stance, proponents of golden rice have long attacked the organization for being “anti-science” and prolonging the suffering of children with VAD.
In response to the letter, Wilhelmina Pelegrina, a campaigner for Greenpeace Southeast Asia told The Post that the organization was not blocking golden rice, as the initiative “has failed as a solution and isn’t currently available for sale, even after more than 20 years of research.”
“As admitted by the International Rice Research Institute, it has not been proven to actually address vitamin A deficiency. So to be clear, we are talking about something that doesn’t even exist,” she continued. “Corporations are overhyping golden rice to pave the way for global approval of other more profitable genetically engineered crops. Rather than invest in this overpriced public relations exercise, we need to address malnutrition through a more diverse diet, equitable access to food and eco-agriculture.”
She argues that the “only guaranteed solution” to fix malnutrition is a diverse, healthy diet: “Providing people with real food based on ecological agriculture not only addresses malnutrition, but is also a scaleable solution to adapt to climate change.”
Pelegrina said that Greenpeace has documented communities across the Philippines that continue to express concerns about using golden rice as a solution. In the video below produced by the organization in 2014, Filipino community members speak about solutions to nutrient deficiencies that are already available in their country.
The use of genetically modified technology is highly contentious in the Philippines. In 2013, a group of about 400 protesters, which included local farmers and members of two anti-GMO groups—the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Bikol (KMB) and the Sararong Inisyatiba nin Kahinwanmaan sa Wasakon ang Agrokemikals na Lasong-GMO (Sikwal-GMO)—destroyed an 800 square meter trial plot of golden rice that was weeks away from being sent to the authorities for a safety evaluation. The protesters said they uprooted and trampled the rice plants because they wanted to protect the health of the people and their environment.
“Greenpeace Philippines is already working with NGO partners and farmers in the Philippines to boost climate resiliency,” Pelegrina said. “There’s a real chance here for governments and the philanthropic community to support these endeavours by investing in climate-resilient ecological agriculture and empowering farmers to access a balanced and nutritious diet, rather than pouring money down the drain for GE ‘golden’ rice.”
Incidentally, a Washington University study published last month in the journal Agriculture & Human Values argues that the benefits of biotechnology, particularly golden rice, may be overhyped.
Washington University anthropologist Glenn Stone and Dominic Glover, a rice researcher at the Institute for Development Studies at the University of Sussex, argue in their paper that GMO activists should not be blamed for the slow introduction of golden rice.
“The rice simply has not been successful in test plots of the rice breeding institutes in the Philippines, where the leading research is being done,” Stone told the university publication. “It has not even been submitted for approval to the regulatory agency, the Philippine Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI).”
Stone argues that the golden rice 2013 protest did not have any significant impact on the approval of the crop.
“Destroying test plots is a dubious way to express opposition, but this was only one small plot out of many plots in multiple locations over many years,” he said. “Moreover, they have been calling golden rice critics ‘murderers’ for over a decade.”
Although the Philippine Supreme Court recently issued a temporary suspension of GMO crop trials, which could definitely impact GMO crop development, Stone pointed out that “it’s hard to blame the lack of success with golden rice on this recent action.”
“Golden rice was a promising idea backed by good intentions,” Stone said. “In contrast to anti-GMO activists, I argued that it deserved a chance to succeed. But if we are actually interested in the welfare of poor children—instead of just fighting over GMOs—then we have to make unbiased assessments of possible solutions. The simple fact is that after 24 years of research and breeding, Golden Rice is still years away from being ready for release.”
Stone also said the Philippines has managed to slash the incidence of vitamin A deficiency by non-GMO methods.
Ken Roseboro, the editor and publisher of The Organic & Non-GMO Report and The Non-GMO Sourcebook, agrees that the failure of golden rice is not due to anti-GMO campaigns and that conventional agriculture presents viable solutions to VAD.
“As Glenn Davis Stone of Washington University recently documented, golden rice is failing, not because of activists attempts to block it, but to poor performance in field trials,” Roseboro explained to EcoWatch via email. “Meanwhile, corn varieties with higher levels of vitamin A developed using non-GMO breeding methods are being grown in Africa and helping to address vitamin A deficiency there. But the press ignores this solution in favor of the failed techno-fix of golden rice.”
He continued, “to say that GM crops are extensively tested is also not true since the FDA doesn’t require safety testing of new GM crops and allows crop developers to voluntarily submit such safety data.”
Ronnie Cummins, founder and international director of the Organic Consumers Association, has spoken out against the Nobel laureates’ letter as well.
“What this letter shows is that even Nobel Prize scientists don’t know, or don’t want to know, since they take money from Monsanto and their minions, anything about the obvious human health, environmental and climate damage inflicted by GMOs, and the toxic pesticides and chemical fertilizers that always accompany them,” Cummins told EcoWatch via email. “This is a perfect example of why the global grassroots have lost all faith in the bought and sold scientific, corporate and political establishment
https://ecowatch.com/2016/06/30/nobel-laureates-greenpeace-gmo-golden-rice/
Rice science for farmers: Successful technologies
Published: June 30, 2016 4:11 am
Bhola Man Singh Basnet
The
government should immediately form a high-level National Food Security Mission
to cope with the burning problem of scarcity of food grain in the country. Food
self-sufficiency is the urgent demand of the present time The
theme of this year’s Thirteenth National Rice Day is “ Basis of commercial rice
farming – Extension of community nurseries “.Rice is the predominant cereal crop in South Asia. As per the preliminary estimate of Fiscal Year 2016/2017, the rice crop was grown in 13,62,908 hectares with the production of 42,99,078 metric tons and the productivity was 3.154 ton/ha.
There is less possibility of bringing more lands into production. Therefore, we have to increase the productivity per hectare per day by knowledge- and science-based farming. The promising rice varieties plus successful technologies generated by agriculture research play a pivotal role.
Nepal so far has released and registered more than one hundred rice varieties with full package of practices within the span of about fifty (50) years. The coverage by improved rice varieties in Nepal is 93%.
Some of the popular rice varieties among farmers are Radha-4, Radha-12, Sabitri, Bindeswori, Hardinath-1 in Tarai, Khumal-4, Khumal-11, Chainung-242 in mid-hills and Chandannath-3, Kekali 1, Lekali 3 in high-hills.
Nepal has also the highest altitude (9,000-10,000 ft) in the world, Chhumchaur, Jumla where rice is cultivated. The modern varieties can express their yield potentiality only when recommended packages are practiced.
Quality seeds alone can contribute 15-20% in yield. Seed selection can be done by following the specific gravity principle. Early paddy and boro (winter) rice can be used for increasing rice yield by utilizing the higher intensity of solar radiation, i.e using sun to end hunger.
The system of rice intensification (SRI) is the other agronomic manipulation which can increase rice yield. The plant growth regulators (PGRs) can also be used for increasing rice productivity.
In 2073 B.S., Nepal celebrated the Thirteenth National Rice Day on Asar 15 (29th June, 2012) by eating curd/yoghurt with beaten rice.
Because of the good performance of Nepal during the International Year of Rice – 2004, the Philippines-based International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in its Rice Today (Vol.3, No.3, 2004) had written one article mentioning “Year Achieves High-Profile in Nepal”.
Rice is number one cereal crop in Nepal. Not only is rice a key source of food, it is also a major employer and source of income for the poor.
The world food problem is created because of urbanization, crop diversification, fallow land, low investment in agricultural research and development, climate change, conversion of food crops like maize into bio-fuels.
China has banned the conversion of maize into bio-fuels. Rice is also the staple food for more than 50% of the world’s population (3.5 billion). Moreover, more than 90% rice is produced as well as consumed in Asian countries. So, rice trade is only about 6-7%. China and India produce about 50% of the Asia’s rice.
So, rice brings the Asians together. The present rice production is 481 million tons. In 2007-2008, there was a global food crisis but a few months later global financial crisis emerged and it eclipsed the food crisis.
Our constitution says people have right to food too. The United Nations Organization (UNO) had also declared 2004 as the “International Year of Rice “ with the theme “Rice is Life”. The United Nations also had declared rice as the “Crop of the Year“ in 1966 with the theme “Freedom from Hunger” because at that time hunger was a big story in Asia.
There is less possibility of bringing more lands into production. Therefore, we have to increase the productivity per hectare per day by successful technological interventions.
The internal rate of return (IRR) in agriculture research is very high. It is said that to get success, there should be “research push and market pull”. Rice seeds can be selected based on the principle of specific gravity.
Early paddy and boro (winter) rice can be used for increasing rice yield by utilizing higher intensity of solar radiation especially after flowering. The system of rice intensification (SRI) is the other way of agronomic manipulation which can increase rice yield.
Had the yield of rice remained at its pre-green revolution level of 1.9 t/ha, current production would have required more than double the current rice land area and 50% of the forest areas would have been reduced.
A few years back Newsweek magazine had reported that since the last 30 years, the global water supply has been halved. What will happen 30 years from now? So water-saving technologies or wise use of water is a must.
In theory, three to five thousand litres of water is needed to produce one kilogram of paddy. Drought tolerant rice varieties with less water consuming agronomical manipulations are needed to combat global warming.
Food security, nutrition security, profitability and sustainability are the major issues at present and in the future.
Last but not the least, because of global food issues plus increased food prices, Government of Nepal should immediately form a high-level National Food Security Mission, involving field-hardened experts with proven track records including concrete plan of action with fixed priorities and assured budgetary allocation.
Food self-sufficiency is the ur gent demand of the present time. If Nepal is not self-reliant in food grain, a situation may come when we cannot buy food grain even if we have money in our pockets.
Basnet is a retired senior rice expert with Nepal Agricultural
Research Council (NARC)
APEDA AgriExchange Newsletter - Volume 1506
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Manipur state records an increasing rice production
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Correspondent
IMPHAL, JUN 30
Published
on 30 Jun. 2016 10:14 PM IST
There has been a steep rise
in rice production in Manipur even as the farm lands reduced by 10.48% in the
past several years.The total production of paddy was increased to 5,97,670 MT
from 4,39,000 MT during the last 15 years with a productivity of 2680
kg/hectare against the national average of 2177 kg/hectare.The state bagged
Krishi Karman Award conferred by the government of India in 2011-12 and 2012-13
for increasing the rice production, an official statement said Thursday.
Agriculture in the state is confined to 10.48% of the total
geographical area (the geographical area being 22.327-lakh hectare). The net
agricultural area has increased from the 222.51 lakh hectare to 234.12 lakh
hectare and increased the gross agricultural area of the state by 24.22 %.
The state has increased the cropping intensity from 121.61%
(2001-02) to 151.90% in 2015-16.
Of the total agricultural land, 50 hectare i.e. 21.32 % of the net
agricultural land were under irrigation. Pre- kharif paddy were brought under
cultivation of 18,110 hectare (2001-02) to 42,000 ha (2015-16). The production
of pre- kharif paddy was increasing from
43,460 MT to 1,68,190 MT in clean rice with a productivity of 2400 Kg/ha and
4000 Kg/ha respectively.
The total area under pulses is increasing from 22,180 to 30,920 ha
with a production of 16,450 MT and 29,440 MT during the last 15 year. The per
hectare yield of pulses is also increased from 750 Kg to 950 Kg/ha against the
National average of 537 Kg/ha. (2010-11)
The total area under maize is increasing from 16500 to 26720 ha
with a production from 33160 MT to 61560 MT during the last 15 year. The per
hectare yield of maize is also increased from 2010 Kg to 2300 Kg/ha against the
National average of 1959 Kg/ha (2010-11). The total area under oilseeds is
increasing from 22750 to 37480 ha with a production of 15210 MT and 31780 MT
during the last 15 year.
The per hectare yield of pulses is also increased from 670 Kg to
850 Kg/ha against the National average
of 1159 Kg/ha. (2010-11). The area and production of potato is increasing from
7520 to 15250 ha and production from
62,040 to 1,29,170 MT/ha.System of Rice Intensification (SRI) in Paddy and Zero
Tillage in Mustard have also been successfully introduced in the State. The Department had also introduced 2 (two)
High Yielding Variety of Rice namely Gin- Phou and Pari-Phou at Rice Research
Station, Wangbal, Thoubal District for increasing the production and
productivity in the State.
The Department has implemented Rashtrya Krishi Vikash Yojana
(RKVY), National Food Security Mission (NFSM), Crop Insurance Scheme, National
Mission on Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) and National Mission for Oilseed and
Oil Palm, etc. for the welfare of the farmers to increase the production &
productivity in the State. The
department has implemented Agriculture Technology Management Agency (ATMA) for
strengthening the extension reform in each District of the State. Under this
scheme, 56 Block Technology Manager (BTM), 82 Assistant Technology Manager
(ATM), seven computer programmers and 10 accountants were also employed.
The department had established a Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) at
Wangbal in Thoubal district. This organization has organized a number of
training at farmer’s level and taken up front line demonstration programme for
the welfare of the farmers for increasing the production and
productivity.Agriculture and allied activities is the mainstay of the state’s
economy where about 70% of the population depends on it. Agriculture in the
state is confined to 10.48% of the total geographical area. The state is
marginally deficit in cereals and highly deficit in the production of oilseeds
and pulses. Inspite of the rapid
advancement in the crop productivity, the high rate of population growth poses
a challenge of self sufficiency in agriculture within the state.
http://www.nagalandpost.com/ChannelNews/Regional/RegionalNews.aspx?news=TkVXUzEwMDA5OTAwNA%3D%3D
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Rice for free scheme will be procured from local millers only'
Press
Trust of India | Puducherry June 30, 2016 Last Updated at
12:42 IST
Narayanasamy to become
new Chief Minister of Puducherry Puducherry CM V Narayanasamy meets MoS PMO ROB
will be ready in 9 months: Narayanasamy Protests against Narayanasamy's
selection as CM Narayanasamy criticises move to dismantle NDC
The Puducherry government would procure rice needed for the free
rice scheme only from local millers, Welfare and Cooperation Minister M
Kandasamy said here today. He said that the government would ensure that 20 kg
rice was available free of cost through ration shops to all families covered
under the Public Distribution System. "We will supply single boiled rice
as this is the unanimous choice of all the families here.The 20 kg rice will be
available every month from August", he said. While 2.5 lakh families would
be given the rice in Puducherry region, 57,000 families would benefit in
Karaikal and 8000 and 16,000 in Mahe and Yanam regions respectively. He said
the V Narayanasamy government had come out with the first announcement after
assuming charge on June 6 that each family would be given 20 kg rice free of
cost every month and this promise was being implemented in letter and spirit.
The Rice was being procured by the government owned Civil Supplies Corporation
(PAPSCO) here.
He said the rice would be purchased from local mills as that would
encourage local farmers and also millers, instead of outsourcing it from
outside Puducherry. Kandasamy said government would also encourage women's
organisations to cultivate vegetables and promote horticulture and would
procure the produce so that rural women's economic empowerment would be
expeditiously encouragedhttp://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/rice-for-free-scheme-will-be-procured-from-local-millers-only-116063000303_1.html
Field crop price swings have small impacts on food prices
Jun 29, 2016 | Delta Farm Press
U.S.
commodity prices are much more volatile than restaurant and grocery-store
prices, suggesting that fluctuations in prices of major field crops — corn,
wheat, and soybeans — have a relatively small impact on food prices, says a
report by USDA’s Economic Research Service.From 1992 to 2015, the average farm
price of these crops, weighted by total production, has fluctuated widely year
to year — falling as much as 26.2 percent in 2013 and rising as much as 38
percent in 1995 and 2007.All-food price inflation, on the other hand, averaged 2.5 percent per year over the same time period.
One reason for the relative stability in food prices, as compared to field crop prices, is that food prices reflect the costs of processing, marketing, and retailing the food products in addition to the cost of the commodity inputs.
ERS's 2014 Food Dollar Series reports that the farmgate price of all food commodities (crops and livestock) was 14.5 cents of every consumer dollar spent on food and beverages.
http://deltafarmpress.com/rice/field-crop-price-swings-have-small-impacts-food-prices
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