Flooding in South puts a damper on US rice harvest
In this Aug. 18, 2016 photo, rain clouds build above maturing rice awaiting harvest outside Lonoke, Ark. Flooding in Louisiana, and a long period of wet weather in Arkansas, threatens to cut yields. Futures prices for rice have ticked up slightly, but economists say it is too early to say whether conditions could force grocery prices upward. (AP Photo/Kelly P. Kissel) syndication.ap.org
LONOKE, Ark. (AP) — Heavy rain that brought record flooding to Louisiana recently has put a damper on the nation's harvest of rice, a food staple that usually likes water as it grows but can't be gathered by machine if fields are inundated.
While rice is an aquatic plant, this is the time of year when farmers drain their land and roll in heavy equipment for the harvest. Some fields remain unreachable in parts of Arkansas and Louisiana.
"I've heard from a lot of the farmers the water level has been higher than a lot of the past hurricanes," said Dustin Harrell, a rice agronomist at the LSU Agriculture Research Center near Rayne, Louisiana. Two feet of rain fell in parts of the state.
The 2016 crop was expected to be 26 percent larger than 2015's, according to Eric Wailes, an agricultural economist at the University of Arkansas. Losing part of this year's crop shouldn't trigger price increases for rice used for food, or for cereal or beer that use rice as an ingredient, he said.
"Having a much larger crop swamps this event," Wailes said from his office in Fayetteville, Arkansas. "It's premature to make a strong assessment of what it all means."
If anything, he said, an 8 percent bump in rice futures prices over the past week would offset some losses if a farmer cannot move his entire crop to market.
"The biggest losers are the farmers who are actually inundated," Wailes said. "The crop that was harvested is now more valuable."
According to USA Rice, a trade organization, Louisiana farmers had harvested about 80 percent of their crop before the deluge, not including second-season growth along the Gulf Coast. Louisiana had about 450,000 acres of rice this year or 15 percent of the U.S. crop.
Arkansas farmers, who grow half the nation's rice crop on nearly 1.6 million acres, had completed about 2 percent of their harvest when unusual August rains arrived last week. For the month, rainfall is running about 350 percent of normal and the next few weeks are critical.
"We cannot drain, and the rivers are backing up into the fields," said Larry Jones, who farms 1,500 acres in rice and 1,500 acres in soybeans at Clover Bend, south of Walnut Ridge. He worries the rains will continue.
"The Black River is out of its banks. The river has to run down, then the creeks, and then our fields can run down," he said.
November rice prices climbed from $9.515 per hundredweight Aug. 12 to $10.31 on Friday. For a time last week, they were at $10.70 — up 12 percent over two business days.
"There is a window here for farmers" to get a good price in what was expected to be a glutted market, Wailes said. "It would take a fairly widespread and significant continuation of a bad harvest to support prices in the $10 to $11 range."
Foul weather can force the rice plants into the mud and excess moisture can make rice heads sprout, diminishing their quality. With hurricanes and tropical storms, systems dump heavy rain and then move on. The recent weather pattern has brought rain for days.
Rice is also grown in California, Mississippi, Missouri and Texas. Half the nation's annual output is exported to 110 countries with top markets in Mexico, Japan, Haiti, Canada, Colombia and South Korea. Wailes said he expected that farmers, as a whole, would meet their obligations — though shipments might be delayed slightly.
___
Follow Kelly P. Kissel on Twitter at www.twitter.com/kisselAP and go to http://bigstory.ap.org/author/kelly-p-kissel to find his recent work
http://www.businessinsider.com/ap-flooding-in-south-puts-a-damper-on-us-rice-harvest-2016-8
Paddy grain stored for flood-damaged farms
Submitted by ttwin on Mon, 08/22/2016 - 18:50
Floods hit homes and farms in Moenyo Township,
Bago Region. (Photo-Kyi Naing).
The
Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation said 480,000 baskets of paddy
grain have been stored to provide for flood-damaged farms in Ayeyawady and Bago
regions.“The ministry has kept 130,000 baskets of paddy in reserve—70,000 baskets from the Union fund and 60,000 baskets from the agriculture department fund,” said Aye Ko Ko, deputy director-general of the agriculture department.
In addition, the agriculture department has 10,000 baskets of paddy grain in reserve, while 10,000 baskets have been reserved by the Bago Region fund for flood-hit farms.
In the 2016-2017 paddy growing season, floods hit 140,614 acres of paddy and destroyed 2,849 acres in Bago Region. The floods hit 130,710 acres and destroyed 88 acres in Ayeyawady Region.
Dr Soe Tun, vice chair of the Myanmar Rice Federation, said: “The floods have not hampered the country’s local rice consumption, although they have destroyed many acres of paddy plantations. The country needs to monitor the situation as the floods have hit the country’s major rice-producing areas.”
The ministry has urged farmers to re-grow monsoon paddy in a timely manner, grow short-term paddy strains, use direct seeding methods and grow other crops in flood-damaged farms
http://www.elevenmyanmar.com/business/5742
Rice registers negative inflation rate in Q1 of 2016
- August 22, 2016
An Inflation Report for the second quarter of 2016 recently released by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), said food inflation increased by 2.3 percent in the second quarter of 2016 from 1.6 percent in the first quarter “on tighter supply of agricultural products due to El Nino and pest infestations.” In contrast, it said “rice prices continued to decline compared to year-ago levels” due to ample supply.
The same report showed that other food commodities such as fruits, milk, cheese and eggs registered higher prices, with vegetable prices even reaching double-digit inflation levels.
Administrator Tomas R. Escarez of the National Food Authority (NFA), the agency mandated to ensure food security and stabilize rice supply and prices, said this once again highlights the significance of prudent buffer stocking, market positioning and monitoring by the agency so that availability, accessibility and affordability of the staple food are continuously safeguarded and maintained across the country.
“Being the basic food of Filipinos, rice traditionally consists about 30 percent of every Filipino family’s food basket, thus a stable price and supply, more so a decrease in prices, always redounds to the greater benefit of majority of our populace, especially the poor,” Escarez said.
The ample supply during the first semester, despite the El Nino phenomenon in some areas across the country, was attributed to the output from the summer harvest from February to April, and the timely arrival of rice imports before the lean months of July to September.
For the first quarter of 2016, rice prices were monitored to be -2.0 lower compared to the previous year’s, inching a bit higher to - 0.9 in the second quarter as the country approached the so-called lean months for rice.
The Philippine Statistics Agency (PSA) recorded the national average price for well-milled rice at P41.13/kilogram in the first quarter of 2016 versus P42.68 during the same period in 2015, and P41.3/kg during the second quarter of 2016 versus P41.81/kg in 2015.
The current national rice inventory stands at 3,077,100 metric tons, good to last for 96 days. Of this volume, 913,500 MT belongs to NFA, good to last for 28 days, while 994,700 MT are commercial stocks, and 1,168,900 MT are household stocks. (NFA)
- See more at:
http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/2131471841234/rice-registers-negative-inflation-rate-in-q1-of-2016#sthash.6GNKNmby.dpuf
All you wanted to know about kharif and rabi
August 22, 2016:
After a
weak start in June this year, the southwest monsoon is expected to close on a
positive note. Thanks to the late pick up in rains, the cumulative rainfall for
the season has been near normal at 99 per cent of the long period average.
Adequate rainfall this year has resulted in better sowing during the ongoing
Kharif season. Higher water storage at leading reservoirs due to southwest
monsoon will have a positive rub-off on the ensuing Rabi season as well. What
are these two seasons and why are they important for India?
What is it?
In
India, about two thirds of the land is rain fed and thus sowing and cultivation
happens primarily during the two monsoon spells — Southwest and Northeast
monsoon. Of them, southwest monsoon is the principal rainfall season as India
gets most of its rainfall during the June-September period.
Crops
that are sown during the southwest monsoon season are called kharif or monsoon
crops. These crops are sown at the beginning of the season around end May to
early June and are harvested post the monsoon rains beginning October. Rice,
maize, pulses such as urad, moong dal and millets are among the key kharif
crops.
Those
that are sown around the Northwest monsoon season, which begins by October are
called rabi or winter crops. These crops are sown at the onset of winter which
coincides with the northeast monsoon. The harvest for these crops happens
typically during April and May, during the summer season.
Wheat
which is the staple grain for people in the Northern parts of the country is
among the key rabi crops. Vegetables such as potato, tomato and onion are also
cultivated post the winter onset and are harvested in summer.
Why is it important?
Rice and
wheat being country’s staple crops, a good kharif and rabi harvest is critical
to the country’s food security. Rice and wheat accounted for 40 per cent and 37
per cent of the country’s food grain production of 257 million tonnes in
2014-15 (second advanced estimate). Good monsoon rainfall, particularly during
the southwest monsoon, is critical to the sowing and harvest of these crops.
Besides
a large domestic market, India is also the largest exporter of rice. The
country raced ahead of Thailand with export of 10.23 million tonnes in 2015,
making it the top rice exporter in the world. Likewise, India also exports a
significant portion of wheat produce; however the exports over the last two
years took a beating, thanks to surplus production in Australia.
Why should I care?
A good
kharif and rabi season is very critical to ensure food availability to feed the
country’s growing population. Also, a weak monsoon and lower crop output may
cause the government to increase minimum support prices to farmers, as a
measure of support to the larger farming community. This in turn can translate
into higher market price.
This
means that you may have to shell out more as your monthly food bill. On the
other side, if you are an investor in agri stocks — be it inputs or
commodities, it may be important to keep a close tab on the progression of rabi
and kharif season.
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/opinion/columns/slate/all-you-wanted-to-know-about-kharif-and-rabi/article9018093.ece
New PNG rice policy concerns Australia
12:32 pm on 22 August 2016
Australia
has expressed concern about a new quota system in Papua New Guinea's national
rice policy.PNG's Department of Agriculture and Livestock this month laid out plans to provide an 80% quota of the local rice market to rice importer Naima Agro-Industry Ltd.
Australia's Trade Minister Steven Ciobo however said a quota system was inconsistent with PNG's obligations under the World Trade Organisation.
In a letter to his PNG counterpart Richard Maru, Mr Siobo warned that Australia would be authorised under WTO rules to take retaliatory action against PNG exports to Australia.
Mr Maru said he would consult with the national executive council before the government formulated its response to Australia's serious concerns.
Rice field Photo: Supplied
The PNG
government's announcement of the quota for Naima, which it says has no previous
rice experience, had sparked concern with a major player in the local rice
sector.Trukai, two-thirds of which is owned by Australian rice farmers and the rest by a PNG super fund, said it had concerns the new policy could jeopardise its business in PNG.
With a packaging plant in Lae, Trukai employs about 1,000 people in PNG and said it had been working with local farmers to develop a domestic industry.
Recently, PNG's prime minister Peter O'Neill said that the policy had central aims of boosting rice production and fostering investment in the local industry.
He said PNG's increasing food needs meant it would be best to ease its reliance on food imports from Asia and Australia
http://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/311576/new-png-rice-policy-concerns-australia
Customs in manhunt for smuggler of 31 containers of rice
Advertisement
Conducting newsmen round the scene of the seized commodity stuffed in 31 containers at the weekend, the Deputy Comptroller General (DCG) in charge of Enforcement in the service, Dan Ugo, disclosed that the item was valued at over N71 million.
He added that the importer would be prosecuted for the act as, according to him, there was a plot ab initio to smuggle in the item as he declared it as yeast, which carries five percent duty instead of rice which duty was 10 percent and 60 percent levy.
Ugo said the service viewed the development as
a serious one because if not detected, the Federal Government would have lost
huge revenue in the process, hence the culprit would be severely punished to
serve as a deterrent to others who might want to follow his footsteps in
future.He maintained that the era of issuance of Demand Notice (DN) for
under-declaration or wrong declaration was gone, pointing out that the issue
here was not that of mistake but a deliberate effort to smuggle.
The DCG declared that the importer of the Thai
rice, which originated from China, would be prosecuted alongside his agent, as,
according to him, if the latter was not an accomplice he would have given a
hint of what the containers were harbouring in his Single Goods Declaration
(SGD) form.He said if this had happened, the case would have been treated as a
possible mistake but for the agent to have kept secret the entire affair until
it was busted, it meant he was an accomplice.
Ugo assured that the full weight of the law
would be applied in a case such as this in order to “get revenue for
government, protect the economy of the country in times like this and to teach
the bad eggs in the system that illegality does not pay”.Findings revealed the
marketers of the Thai rice as Masters Energy Commodities Trading Company
located at 31A Remi Fani Kayode Street, G.R.A., Ikeja, Lagos.
Meanwhile, maritime operators have cried out
for government’s intervention in the crisis rocking the sector following a near
paralysis of the ports occasioned by the new floating exchange rate policy
introduced by government.With the policy, which has resulted in about N313
exchange rate to U.S.$1.00, as at last week, importers have stopped opening
Letters of Credit (LC) with their banks as they can hardly afford such a huge
cost for their goods.
It was gathered for instance that in the last
one week no LC has been sighted at the Tin Can Island Port (TCIP) command of
the Customs, meaning that shippers within that period did not place any order
for cargoes.According to the President, Shippers’ Association of Lagos State
(SALS), Rev. Jonathan Nicol, apart from importation, at N400 exchange rate, it
would be difficult to expect investors in a situation like this.In a chat, he
said it was a wrong policy for government to compel everybody to source for
forex through the Bureau de Change (BDC) operators, whose rate he lamented was
too high.Nicol pointed out that the margin between the exchange rates of the
BDCs and the banks was too wide for any investor or importer to survive using
the former as his source of forex.He regretted that the loss of Nigeria had turned
to the gain of neighbouring countries, saying that presently while Cotonou and
Lome ports could boast of at least 50 vessels at a time, their Nigerian
counterparts wallowed in empty berths
https://www.today.ng/news/national/171361/customs-manhunt-smuggler-31-containers-rice
Iran imports radar, navigation devices worth $452 million
23
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08/22/2016 Farm Bureau Market Report
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Rice Comment
Rice futures were sharply higher in reaction to
today's crop conditions report. Nationwide, 13% of the crop is now rated poor
to very poor, up from 8% last week. Another 25% is in fair condition, while 61%
remains in good to excellent condition. In Louisiana, 17% is now in poor to
very poor condition, while at home in Arkansas, 19% is in poor to very poor
condition, 29% is in fair condition, and 52% is in good to excellent condition.
Excessive rains have resulted in rice that has lodged and has sprouted in the
field. This will all result in poorer quality rice and less than ideal yields.
November has resistance at the recent high of $10.70
USA Rice Daily, Monday, August 22, 2016
Louisiana Ag Commissioner to Meet with Farmers Impacted by
Flooding
BATON ROUGE, LA -- This week Dr. Mike Strain, Commissioner of the
Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry, and representatives from the
Farm Service Agency, the Louisiana State University AgCenter, and the Natural
Resources Conservation Service will be meeting with farmers and touring farms
impacted by the historic flood event. Please plan to attend the meeting
in your area.
Tuesday, August 23
10:00 a.m.
Christian and Julie Richard's Farm Shop
5632 Hwy 700, Kaplan, LA 70548
2:00 p.m.
Progressive Tractor Company
5017 Interstate 49 South Service Road, Opelousas, LA 70570
Thursday, August 25
9:00 a.m.
Pointe Coupee Farmers Co-op
5087 Hwy 1, Batchelor, LA 70715
2:00 p.m.
Sunshine Equipment Company
2300 LA-70, Donaldsonville, LA 70346
ThinkRice.com Thinks
Refresh
ARLINGTON, VA -- USA Rice recently
revamped thinkrice.com, its consumer-facing website, with design,
content, and functionality improvements. The sleek new look enhances the user
experience and enriches the way USA Rice communicates the U.S. rice message
with all public audiences.
"One of our priorities is to
inspire people to Think Rice and recognize that U.S. rice is an on-trend
ingredient that meets their culinary, nutritional, and locally-grown
preferences," said Katie Maher, director of domestic promotion
programs. "And a huge part of that is having a fresh and modern
online presence that resonates with visitors."
The updated website uses colorful
graphics and photos to grab viewers' attention. On the home page, a
slider moves across the screen showcasing popular content areas like
sustainability and nutrition, and will be updated throughout the year to help
boost website traffic.
Beneath that, visitors can easily
navigate to recipes for foodservice, consumer, or K-12, and to our "Meet
U.S. Rice Farmers" section to hear their stories from the field.
"One of my favorite new
functions of the site is the interactive nature that draws viewers in to
highlight important messages," said Maher. "On the home page we
have a graphic that uses animation to display topline stats of rice's
sustainability story as you scroll over it. It's an impactful way to get
the main message out there without overwhelming the reader, and we'll be doing
more of this in the future to showcase food and rice trends."
Maher explained that USA Rice
worked to refresh thinkrice.com
because this program year domestic promotion activities will focus on driving
more traffic to the site through social media as well as foodservice
advertising and e-newsletters.
"Foodservice operators and
health professionals look to commodity boards and trade associations, like USA
Rice, as experts and a reliable source of information and resources," said
Maher. "We wanted our website to reflect those expectations and be
viewed as a valuable resource because that is key to having new and returning
visitors.
08/19/2016 Farm Bureau Market Report
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Rice Comment
Rice futures were lower again today, but losses
were limited by increasing concern about the crop. The market is reacting to
heavy rains in Louisiana and other areas of the Delta and the potential impact
that will have on the crop there. The condition report released Monday showed
65% rated good to excellent. However, that is expected to deteriorate severely
as the flood waters recede and we see the full extent of the damage. Warm, wet
conditions in Arkansas are causing sprouting and eroding the quality of the
crop at home. Last week’s production report showed a reduction due to a
decreased yield projection. The average yield was decreased to 7,659 pounds per
acre, down from 7,680 pounds in the July report. A decrease in production,
beginning stocks and import projections resulted in a decrease in the ending
stocks estimate, which is now 54.7 million cwt. Exports and domestic use were
unchanged. Recent price losses resulted in the average farm price estimate down
80 cents on either end to $10.40-$11.40.
America’s rice crop threatened by Louisiana flooding, Arkansas rain
ST. AMANT, La. – High water in Louisiana and Arkansas has put a damper on the nation’s rice harvest.While much of Louisiana’s crop was in before record floods this month, Arkansas farmers had just started harvesting before rainy weather began last weekend.
So far, the biggest losers are farmers whose fields are inundated and may not be able to harvest. Those who do succeed will find slightly higher prices. But economists say that the weather isn’t bad enough to push up consumer prices for food rice, or for beer and cereal that use rice as an ingredient.
Arkansas produces half the nation’s rice, while Louisiana produces about 15 percent. Farmers fear that continued bad weather, or a Gulf Coast hurricane, could worsen problems before the rest of the crop is brought in.
Flood-weary residents cleaned out houses Saturday as search parties went door to door looking for survivors or bodies trapped by flooding so powerful in some cases it disturbed the dead and sent caskets floating from cemeteries.
REUTERS/Jonathan Bachman
At
least 13 people died in the flooding that swept through partsof southern
Louisiana after torrential rains lashed the region. An estimated
60,000 homes have been damaged, and 102,000 people have registered for federal
assistance so far.Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said Sunday people around the U.S. are just starting to pay attention to the extent of flooding that killed at least 13 people in the state.
Edwards told CNN’s “State of the Nation” on Sunday that the disaster has received less attention because it wasn’t a hurricane or named storm.
Edwards, a Democrat who took office this year, said he suggested to President Barack Obama and presidential adviser Valerie Jarrett that they delay a trip to Louisiana until the initial disaster response was over and recovery efforts had started.
Obama is traveling to Baton Rouge on Tuesday.
As waters are receding, residents are faced with mud-caked homes so thoroughly soaked that mold is a top concern.
“It’s much worse than I expected,” said Sheila Siener. “The water, the dirt, the smell. Water in the cabinets. Everything’s filthy. I’ve never been through a flood, so I really didn’t know.”
In other areas the water is still high enough to cause concern. In Lake Arthur, pumps and sandbags were keeping floodwaters out of the town of 2,700 in southwest Louisiana. But authorities said there’s still too much danger for people to return.
In a uniquely Louisiana problem, some families are also trying to rebury relatives whose caskets were unearthed by the floods.
At least 15 cemeteries across seven parishes have had disruptions, the Louisiana Department of Health reported Saturday, although they don’t yet have an estimate of how many graves, tombs and vaults have been damaged.
The department is reaching out to affected parishes to do assessments. In most cases, the disinterred caskets and vaults are still within the territory of the cemetery, although one casket ended up in a nearby backyard. In one case, a local funeral home has already recovered and re-interred the small number of caskets that surfaced.
Willie Brooks III said Saturday that he went earlier in the week to see his grandmother’s grave at the Plainview Cemetery in Denham Springs, after hearing on social media that one woman said her mom’s vault was gone.
“The vault was completely gone,” Brooks said. Instead there was just a hole where his grandmother’s vault used to be. “It could be down the street. It could be in the Amite River. I don’t know.”
Brooks was born and raised in Louisiana and he’s heard of this happening before but never to this extent: “It’s like a horror movie.”
In other areas the search for the living goes on.
Driving through neighborhoods where pools of water still stand outside and families are ripping out carpets and carrying water-logged sofas to the curb, the searchers are looking for houses with little activity.
In many areas the water is still so high that people are rowing boats out to their houses to see what the situation is like inside
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/america-rice-crop-threatened-louisiana-flooding-arkansas-rain/
Flooding in South puts a damper on US rice harvest
In this Aug. 18, 2016 photo, rain clouds build
above maturing rice awaiting harvest outside Lonoke, Ark. Flooding in
Louisiana, and a long period of wet weather in Arkansas, threatens to cut
yields. Futures prices for rice have ticked up slightly, but economists say it
is too early to say whether conditions could force grocery prices upward. (AP
Photo/Kelly P. Kissel) The
Associated Press
By KELLY P. KISSEL, Associated Press
LONOKE, Ark. (AP) — Heavy rain that brought record flooding to
Louisiana recently has put a damper on the nation's harvest of rice, a food
staple that usually likes water as it grows but can't be gathered by machine if
fields are inundated.While rice is an aquatic plant, this is the time of year
when farmers drain their land and roll in heavy equipment for the harvest. Some
fields remain unreachable in parts of Arkansas and Louisiana.
"I've
heard from a lot of the farmers the water level has been higher than a lot of
the past hurricanes," said Dustin Harrell, a rice agronomist at the LSU
Agriculture Research Center near Rayne, Louisiana. Two feet of rain fell in
parts of the state.
The 2016 crop
was expected to be 26 percent larger than 2015's, according to Eric Wailes, an
agricultural economist at the University of Arkansas. Losing part of this
year's crop shouldn't trigger price increases for rice used for food, or for
cereal or beer that use rice as an ingredient, he said."Having a much
larger crop swamps this event," Wailes said from his office in
Fayetteville, Arkansas. "It's premature to make a strong assessment of
what it all means."If anything, he said, an 8 percent bump in rice futures
prices over the past week would offset some losses if a farmer cannot move his
entire crop to market."The biggest losers are the farmers who are actually
inundated," Wailes said. "The crop that was harvested is now more
valuable."
According to
USA Rice, a trade organization, Louisiana farmers had harvested about 80
percent of their crop before the deluge, not including second-season growth
along the Gulf Coast. Louisiana had about 450,000 acres of rice this year or 15
percent of the U.S. crop.Arkansas farmers, who grow half the nation's rice crop
on nearly 1.6 million acres, had completed about 2 percent of their harvest
when unusual August rains arrived last week. For the month, rainfall is running
about 350 percent of normal and the next few weeks are critical."We cannot
drain, and the rivers are backing up into the fields," said Larry Jones,
who farms 1,500 acres in rice and 1,500 acres in soybeans at Clover Bend, south
of Walnut Ridge. He worries the rains will continue."The Black River is
out of its banks. The river has to run down, then the creeks, and then our
fields can run down," he said.November rice prices climbed from $9.515 per
hundredweight Aug. 12 to $10.31 on Friday. For a time last week, they were at
$10.70 — up 12 percent over two business days.
"There is a window here for farmers" to get a good price
in what was expected to be a glutted market, Wailes said. "It would take a
fairly widespread and significant continuation of a bad harvest to support
prices in the $10 to $11 range."Foul weather can force the rice plants
into the mud and excess moisture can make rice heads sprout, diminishing their
quality. With hurricanes and tropical storms, systems dump heavy rain and then
move on. The recent weather pattern has brought rain for days.Rice is also
grown in California, Mississippi, Missouri and Texas. Half the nation's annual
output is exported to 110 countries with top markets in Mexico, Japan, Haiti,
Canada, Colombia and South Korea. Wailes said he expected that farmers, as a
whole, would meet their obligations — though shipments might be delayed
slightly.
___
Follow Kelly P. Kissel on Twitter at www.twitter.com/kisselAP and
go to http://bigstory.ap.org/author/kelly-p-kissel to find his recent work.Copyright
2016 The Associated Press.
All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten
or redistributed.
http://www.usnews.com/news/business/articles/2016-08-21/flooding-in-south-puts-a-damper-on-us-rice-harvest
Antique Bazaar’s India Independence Day menu
Antique Bazaar's India Independence Day menu is
served August 14-16Image Credit: Supplied
The restaurant is a mainstay on Dubai’s Indian
culinary sceneImage Credit: Supplied
How much of the Tricolour is too much?
This was the question growing in our minds at a
preview of the Independence Day set menu at Antique Bazaar. In a showing of
nationalist pride, even the menu shouts rather than whispers what’s to be
expected. The Tricolour takes centre stage, and everyone from Gandhi to Nehru
are namechecked.It all starts with a combination of cucumber, white radish and
carrot in the Tiranga Salad, a visual
representation of India’s flag finished off with green chili and lemon standing
in for the navy blue Ashoka Chakra. The emphasis is clearly on the visual,
although the veggies make for refreshing, crunchy nibbles. No attempt is made
to enhance an interplay between the different ingredients, to — in a way — aid
the way they relate to each other. Normally, this would be a critical point.Not
today, though. Because it is National Day, after all. And if you can’t make
allowances on a day like this, then when can you?
And an acceptance of this realisation increases
the fun quotient exponentially. Because ultimately the team don’t take
themselves too seriously with what’s a more relaxed take on a special menu —
and the first time Manager Ravinder Singh Manhas and his team have attempted to
create one. First there’s seeing how the Tricolour is interpreted in every
course laid before you — yes, some work better than others — and then you also
get to experience the different dishes for their individual — and sometimes
collective — merit.
The team in the kitchen set themselves another
challenge on top of this — they’ve created two complete menus — one vegetarian
and the other non-veg — playing with the same interpretation. In some cases
using the same basis of spices work, others call for a wholly different take.
In Inqallabi Tikke, the starter
course, the white component won us over: chatpatti tandoori gobhi, an amazing
cauliflower dish that’s creamy and perfectly seasoned with a chunkier version
of the chicken’s marinade. My companion was quite surprised by the relish with
which I tucked into the veg, and my reasoning still stands: I would turn
vegetarian today if all vegetable dished were this engaging. The florets hit
that sweet spot between undercooked crunchy and overcooked limp and are
complemented by the marinade, which also highlights the difference between the
veg and the non-veg courses: I found the chicken version bland.
The course also features broccoli with a
mint-based tang and fish with a predominant ajwain flavour in the green band,
and lamb that could be more tender and paneer tikka we just didn’t care for in
the orange.
The mains come with a colourful bread basket in
— you guessed it — the colours of the flag. Again, the emphasis is more on
colour than flavour, but Jalliaanwala Baagh Se add to
the fun spread. There’s a regular kulcha, for the middle stripe, and tandoori
breads made with fresh spinach for the green, and a carrot-red chili powder
combination for the saffron one.
In this course, called Gandhi
Giri, the meat versions are absolutely stellar. Chicken gets the
creamy treatment once again in a white korma curry that’s way better than the
starter; the textbook batter-fried, still flaky fish gets a slightly more spicy
tomato-based curry; and the mutton, soft as you want, gets a gorgeous spinach
curry. A rich dal makhani (Bhagat Ki Pasand) and long-grain
basmati rice perfumed with cloves (Bose Ka Khazaana) round it off.
This course is an example of perfect execution
— each works well individually, while the different styles also play well off
each other in terms of flavour and texture.
The restaurant, rather empty when we started
around 8pm, by this stage is a hive of activity and the buzz is infectious. The
ghazal singers and classical dancers mix in some Bollywood item numbers diners
singing along to while gesticulating wildly.
Dessert, Nehru Ki Pasand, is slightly more
subtle than the preceding courses. A simple halwa of grated carrot is sprinkled
with crushed pistachio, which also makes its way onto ras malai, the sponge
exactly right and just sweet enough without going overboard.
The featured drink, Azadi Ke
Naam, is a refreshingly tangy mango lassi. Elevated with a hint of
lime and mint, it holds its own throughout the meal.
Antique Bazaar is a mainstay on Dubai’s Indian
culinary scene for a reason. It might not be one of the flashy new joints
everyone raves about on social media, but theirs is a tried-and-trusted kitchen
— you always know you won’t leave unsatisfied.
Even with the National Day trial run, we
enjoyed the element of fun introduced by the colour-based interpretation of the
Tricolour. What sells us, though, is that taste and flavour remain the most
important considerations.
So, how much of the Tricolour is too much? No
amount — if you feed my palate along with my heart.
Antique Bazaar’s India Independence Day menu is
served August 14-16. It costs Dh130 for the vegetarian menu, and Dh150 for
non-veg. Find the restaurant in Four Points by Sheraton Bur Dubai, Khalid Bin
Al Waleed Road; 04 397 7444; antiquebazaar-dubai.com
APEDA AgriExchange Newsletter - Volume 1541
- Tuesday, August 23, 2016
Home » News » Provincial » IRRI
wants Asian rice growers’ action plan
IRRI wants Asian rice growers’ action plan
by Vanne Elaine
Terrazola
August 21, 2016
August 21, 2016
The
International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) is pushing for rice research and
innovation collaboration among rice-growing countries in Asia, in time for an
upcoming ASEAN conference on agriculture and forestry in Puerto Princesa,
Palawan next week.
(Photo courtesy of www.global-inst.com)
Dr. Matthew Morell, IRRI director general, said
a 10-point action plan before agriculture leaders to ensure that rice remains
available and affordable across the region will be introduced, especially amid
the challenges brought about by climate change.
Morell said the initiative aims to create
technology collaboration between the countries that may improve the genetic
resources of rice varieties.
The venture also hopes to develop rice
varieties that are adaptive to region-specific conditions of drought, flooding
and salinity.
Top agriculture and forestry policymakers from
the ASEAN member countries Philippines, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos,
Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam; as well as China, Japan,
and South Korea, will gather for the annual ASEAN Ministers on Agriculture and
Forestry Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM-AMAF) from August 24 to August
26.
In 2013, India, Nepal, and Bangladesh entered
into a similar agreement which allowed the sharing of rice varieties between
these countries.
“Now is the time for ASEAN to make this
commitment. A joint investment in rice breeding can achieve food security for
the entire region as well as create inclusive economic growth in the rice
industry,” said Morell.
http://www.mb.com.ph/irri-wants-asian-rice-growers-action-plan/
FTA talks with Indonesia: Pakistan sets condition
August 22, 2016
Pakistan has reportedly refused to start
negotiations on Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Indonesia until Pakistan's
concerns on existing Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) are addressed within
six months, well-informed sources told Business Recorder.Commerce
Ministry had poorly negotiated PTA with Indonesia during the PPP government and
there were visible indications that some prominent importers of edible oil
struck a "lucrative" deal with officials in the Ministry and TDAP.
Pakistan's main focus in PTA was to export Kinnows against import of palm oil, which was highly in favour of Indonesia. Pakistan has extended financial benefit of $800 million per annum to Indonesia against $40-50 million.Pakistan has given five tariff lines for reduction in duty, ie bed linen, two garments and two fabrics, the sources added.
Commerce Minister Khurram Dastgir Khan was also not satisfied with FTAs and PTAs signed with other countries and directed the bureaucracy to review all the pacts.The sources revealed that a Pakistani delegation visited Indonesia last week to review the PTA and convey Pakistan's concerns as the pact is entirely in favour of Indonesia.Commerce Minister who was also in Jakarta recently urged his counterpart to reconsider the import quota policy for Pakistan for items included in PTA and emphasised that a quota-free market access would help Pakistani exports to Indonesia to also grow."Indonesia wants an FTA but Pakistan is unwilling to proceed on this matter until its apprehensions are removed before next meeting scheduled to be held in November 2016," the sources added.
Pakistan, sources said, has also shared an analysis of PTA's impact and to some extent Indonesians were convinced and promised to resolve the discrepancy."Pakistan has also conveyed that if its concerns are not rectified, Islamabad can re-divert its focus to Malaysia," the sources maintained.Indonesia had given less market access to Pakistan on garments and bed-sheets compared to India, China and some ASEAN countries."Pakistan has now sought more market access in garments and bed-sheets as compared to India, China and ASEAN countries," the sources further added.Islamabad has raised the issue of kinnow, rice, potato and meat exports. Indonesia has given permission for one specific variety of potato used in chips but Pakistan has urged Indonesia to include all verities of potato in PTA as well.
Replying to a question regarding export of 10,000 tons rice, the sources said, Pakistan has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Indonesia but the latter maintained a complete silence after the pact. However, Pakistan has stressed that Indonesia must ensure it buys rice from Pakistan in accordance with the pact.Indonesia has imposed a ban on import of Kinnow from November to February from across the world. But Pakistan's kinnow export season is January and February. This implies that if Pakistan does not export kinnow in January and February, it's out of the Indonesian market.
Indonesia has also set a condition that it will import meat from those countries which are free from foot and mouth disease and Pakistan is not free from this disease. However, some zones are free of this disease. Pakistan has urged Indonesia to procure meat from Pakistan on a zone basis.
According to sources, Indonesian authorities have promised to look into Pakistan's concerns positively and after consulting stakeholders and approval from Parliament it would be in a position to negotiate PTA with Pakistan on a more equitable basis.
http://www.brecorder.com/market-data/stocks-a-bonds/0/78126/
PRAN signs deal with IRRI
PRAN and International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) have inked an agreement to purchase 2,500 tonnes premium quality aromatic rice worth about one million USD from the marginal farmers of the south and south western region of the country. Eleash Mridha, director of PRAN Group, and Timothy Russell, chief of party of the Feed the Future Bangladesh Rice Value Chain Project, signed a deal on Saturday on behalf of their respective organization at PRAN-RFL Center in the city, said a press release today.
Mahtab Uddin, chief operating officer of PRAN
Agro Business Limited, and Yasir Asrafat, manager-project coordinator of Feed
the Future Bangladesh Rice Value Chain Project, were present during the signing
ceremony.
IRRI is implementing Feed the Future Bangladesh
Value Chain project financed by USAID with a view to increase farmers’ incomes.
IRRI is providing cutting edge technology and training 8,000 farmers in
Jessore, Khulna, Faridpur and Barisal regions."This agreement will help
PRAN to get good quality aromatic rice from well trained and organized farmers
in a reliable and sustainable manner," said Timothy Russell.
"The farmers will improve their
livelihoods through cultivating high-yield aromatic rice variety. They will get
a buy back guarantee on crops they grow with the PRAN’s support," said
Eleash Mridha, according to a news agency.
http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/2016/08/21/42911/PRAN-signs-deal-with-IRRI
PhilRice – Isabela to hold rice science exhibit
- August 22, 2016
- By Merlito G. Edale Jr.
She said the rice science exhibit also aims to increase public knowledge on the province’s rice heritage; value the history of Isabela rice production and its impact on providing enough rice for the country; and appreciate agriculture as a good prospect for the youth.
Dubbed “Boosting Isabelinos Sense of Pride through Rice Heritage”, the week-long exhibit is in partnership with the City Government of Cauayan and the SM Mall management.
Pasicolan urged the public to visit the exhibit and appreciate the various kinds of rice culture produced by Isabelinos. (ALM/MGE/PIA-2 Isabela
http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/481471829134/philrice-isabela-to-hold-rice-science-exhibit
Concern over deteriorating state of Liverpool city centre Heap's Rice Mill building
- 16:37, 21 Aug 2016
- Updated 17:57, 21 Aug 2016
- By Alan Weston
Joseph Heap & Sons Ltd Rice Millers
building (Heap's rice mill) close to Liverpool city centre off Pownall Street.
Photo by Ian Cooper
The
developers of an historic Liverpool
city centre site said they were still committed to the scheme -
despite concerns about the deteriorating state of the building. Grade II-listed Heap’s Rice Mill is part of a £130m residential development - but so far no work has been carried out at the site on the city’s southern waterfront.
In the meantime, the physical condition of the building - which borders Liverpool’s World Heritage zone - has caused concern.
The site has planning permission for 800 homes and 12,000 sq ft of leisure and retail units around a public space called Baltic Square.
It was acquired earlier this year by a new property investment group, Inhabit , from developer Elliot Group, who were behind the original scheme.
A spokesperson for Inhabit said: “Heap’s Rice Mill is an integral part of Inhabit’s plans for its first private rented sector scheme in Liverpool. Therefore, safely regenerating the building is a top priority.
“We continue to perform on-going assessments of the site as we prepare for the next stages of development. We are looking forward to turning Heap’s Rice Mill back into a functional piece of Liverpool’s vibrant city scape.”Inhabit has six other city centre locations across the UK in Manchester, Leeds, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Birmingham and Bristol.Joseph Heap founded his milling business on the site, next door to the famous Baltic Fleet pub, in 1778, though the present structures dates from the mid-Victorian era.Initially, developers planned to demolish the mill – a move which sparked outcry from heritage campaigners, who convinced the Government to give it listed building status.Now that it cannot be demolished the building’s historic façade is due to be incorporated into the final scheme.
It also includes four new-build blocks comprising a mid-rise 16 storey building on the corner of Park Lane and Liver Street and three other buildings of 14 and 12 storeys, as well as the mill itself.
General view of the disused Heap's Rice Mill
showing large amounts of vegetation growing out of it. Photo by Ian Cooper
http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/concern-over-deteriorating-state-liverpool-11779415
CRF Says Do Not Adulterate Rice
Rice millers and exporters were strongly urged
by the Cambodian Rice Federation (CRF) on Friday to adhere to a code of ethics,
to ensure that consumers of the Kingdom’s staple grain sold in domestic and
overseas markets were not cheated by unscrupulous traders mixing supplies with
lower quality rice to maximize profits. Heng
Peng, vice president of CRF and executive member of CRF’s committee on code of
conduct and ethics, said the flood of cheap rice from neighboring Vietnam had
made some Cambodian rice millers and exporters resort to “questionable tactics”
to stay solvent in the market.“Some of them are mixing their market supplies
with lower quality rice and selling them out of desperation,” said Mr. Peng.
“This is dangerous and unacceptable because it
will affect the country’s reputation and make us lose our market share, if
consumers do not have confidence in our rice quality,” he pointed out.
Mr. Peng urged all CRF members to follow a code of ethics and not offload to the market adulterated Cambodian rice that would further cause problems for the already near-rock-bottom sector.On the issue of cheap rice flooding the country from neighboring Vietnam, Mr. Peng told Khmer Times that CRF’s ethics committee will work closely with relevant government ministries to ensure that relevant taxes and duties are paid on all grain entering the Kingdom from neighboring countries.Chan Pich, vice president of CRF’s ethics committee, told Khmer Times that three resolutions were passed at the CRF committee-level in an attempt to alleviate the current problems plaguing the country’s rice sector.
Firstly, he said, all CRF members will be asked
to join the federation’s ethics committee to ensure that they do not resort to
unethical practices like mixing rice supplies with lower quality grain.Secondly,
added Mr. Pich, CRF members will urge other millers, suppliers and exporters to
sign a code of conduct to ensure that rice supplies and exports from the
Kingdom are unadulterated and of the highest market quality.Thirdly, according
to Mr. Pich, CRF will review its agreement with the Ministry of Commerce to
ensure exporters get preferential treatment from the government in the form of
lower export taxes.
Cambodia’s rice exports fell by 6.9 percent from the 283,825 tons in the first six months of last year to about 268,190 tons in same period this year, according to a report released by the General Department of Agriculture last fortnight.Hean Vanhan, the deputy director of the General Department of Agriculture, told Khmer Times the drop in the volume of rice exports was partly due to millers and exporters not having enough capital to buy rice in the harvest season to store in warehouses for processing and export, as well as the flow of rice imported from Vietnam, while Thailand was releasing its rice to the market at a lower price
Cambodia’s rice exports fell by 6.9 percent from the 283,825 tons in the first six months of last year to about 268,190 tons in same period this year, according to a report released by the General Department of Agriculture last fortnight.Hean Vanhan, the deputy director of the General Department of Agriculture, told Khmer Times the drop in the volume of rice exports was partly due to millers and exporters not having enough capital to buy rice in the harvest season to store in warehouses for processing and export, as well as the flow of rice imported from Vietnam, while Thailand was releasing its rice to the market at a lower price
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/28744/crf-says-do-not-adulterate-rice/
‘Change unhealthy dietary habits to avoid diabetes’
KARACHI: Three-day international diabetes and
endocrine congress was formally opened on Friday at a local hotel in which
experts from Pakistan and abroad spoke on a variety of issues concerning the
disease with special emphasis on millions of people suspected to have carried
the disease but were unaware of its presence. The health experts at an
awareness seminar, the first of the congress, urged the people to modify their
lifestyle, change their unhealthy dietary habits, include exercise and exertion
in their daily life and take precautionary measures to prevent themselves from
type II or lifestyle diabetes, which was mother of most illnesses.
They said millions of Pakistanis were
pre-diabetics or likely to have diabetes sooner or later in their lives, but
they could live a happy and healthy life by educating themselves, learning
about their health conditions and changing their way of living into simple and
healthy lifestyle. The congress was organised by the Baqai Institute of
Diabetology and Endocrinology (BIDE) of the Baqai Medical University.
Organisers said over 50 foreign delegates,
including health experts, diabetologists, dieticians, nutritionists and
surgeons from 26 countries and doctors and consultants from Pakistan were
attending the conference.
The public awareness session was aimed at
creating awareness of diabetes, its causes, symptoms and living with type I and
type II diabetes, which is commonly referred to as lifestyle diabetes.
Barbara Eichorst from Chicago, United States,
said millions of people were living with diabetes in the world but many of them
were living almost normal lives by acquiring self-management education and
changing their lifestyle.
“Lifestyle modification is the best medicine
and approach in management of diabetes and the good thing is that it is
absolutely free and costs nothing,” she said.
She urged the educators, doctors and
diabetologists to educate masses on diabetes and how to prevent it, saying
sedentary lifestyle was the main reason and cause of type II or lifestyle
disease.
Another foreign specialist and athlete Lucas
Forgarty from the US said he was an insulin-dependent patient since his early
childhood but he never considered his illness as an impediment and played
soccer, baseball and basketball without any difficulty although he had to
continuously monitor his blood sugar and take insulin daily or several times a
day depending on the requirement.
He advised people to educate their children
about diabetes, saying he had seen many children who were well aware of the
disease and eat healthy food to avoid getting overweight.
Erin Little, another type I diabetic and social
mobilizer against diabetes, said in India and Pakistan, rice, especially
biryani, was the basic food stuff instead of pizza and burgers, that was
causing diabetes, as it was completely carbohydrates with little protein and
asked people to avoid eating too much rice.
Dr Jamal Zafar, a professor of medicine from
PIMS Islamabad, said in a country with millions of diabetics and millions
others to become diabetics in coming years, mission of doctors and educators
should be prevention of the disease.
“This mission starts from educating our
children, who are ruining their lives by eating junk food and drinking fizzy
drinks,” he added.
Dr Zaman Shaikh urged people to seek qualified
doctors and consultants for treatment of their disease instead of going to
faith healers and quacks.
Dr Zahid Miyan answered questions of participants.
Dr Zulfiqar Ali G Abbas, a specialist of
diabetic foot in Africa, said that diabetic patients’ nerves in their feet get
damaged over a period of up to seven years and after that they did not feel any
sensation or pain in their feet despite deep wounds.
“Due to diabetes, these wounds get infected and
are not easy to heal. These chronic wounds led to amputation of the foot and
patients have to live a miserable life afterwards,” he said.
He said both in Africa and Pakistan, people
tried home remedies, herbal medicine, local surgeries and go to faith healers
for treatment of their diabetic feet and when situation got worse, they
approached qualified doctors but then it was too late.
“If you are a diabetic, take good care of your
feet.”
The seminar was also addressed by BIDE director
Dr Abdul Basit, artist Anwar Iqbal, educator Irum Ghafoor, Dr Musarat Riaz
while a dietician and a professional cook shared recipes for preparing
low-calorie food for the diabetes patients.
Published in Dawn, August 20th, 2016
Modifying lifestyle best way to prevent and manage diabetes’
August 20, 2016
International
experts from 26 countries converge in city for two-day International Diabetes and Endocrine Congress 2016
Karachi
A renowned diabetic foot specialist from Tanzania, Dr Zulfiqarali G Abbas, said on Friday that over a period of five to seven years, diabetes damaged nerves in the feet of patients and even a minor injury or infection could lead to the amputation of the affected foot or leg if qualified doctor was not consulted immediately.
“Unfortunately, people in both Pakistan and my home country Tanzania try home remedies, visit quacks, hakeems and faith healers, and when the situation gets worst they approach a diabetologist, but often they are so late that doctors decide to amputate their foot to save their lives,” he said while addressing an awareness seminar at the start of International Diabetes and Endocrine Congress (IDEC) 2016 at a hotel here.
The seminar was the first session of the IDEC being organised by the Baqai Institute of Diabetology and Endocrinology (BIDE) of Baqai Medical University. Over 50 foreign delegates, including diabetologists, dieticians, nutritionists and surgeons, from 26 countries and around 2,000 doctors and consultants from across Pakistan are attending the conference.
The public awareness session was aimed at creating awareness about diabetes, its causes, symptoms and living with Type I and Type II diabetes, which is commonly referred to as lifestyle diabetes.
Experts from abroad and Pakistan answered different queries of participants regarding the onset of diabetes and its management with the consultation from experts.
Dr Abbas, who studied medicine at Sindh Medical College Karachi and went to Tanzania, said that due to diabetes, foot wounds get infected and are not easy to heal, and these unhealed wounds lead to the amputation of the foot and patients have to live a miserable life afterwards.
“If you are a diabetic, take good care of your feet. Keep your blood sugar normal. In case of any loss of sensation in either or both feet, see a qualified doctor. Don’t delay seeing a doctor or you or your loved one would lose his or her foot,” he warned.
Foreign and local health experts urged people to modify their lifestyle, change their unhealthy dietary habits, include exercise in their daily life and take precautionary measures to prevent themselves from Type II or lifestyle diabetes, which is the mother of most of the illnesses.
They said millions of Pakistanis were pre-diabetics or likely to have diabetes sooner or later in their lives, but they could live a happy and healthy life by educating themselves, learning about their health condition, changing their way of living and adopting a simple and healthy lifestyle.
Barbara Eichorst from Chicago, United States, said millions of people were living with diabetes in the world, but many of them were living almost normal lives like those who did not have diabetes by acquiring self-management education and changing their lifestyle.
“Lifestyle modification is the best medicine and approach in the management of diabetes and the good thing is that it is absolutely free and costs nothing. The only thing required is constant education and awareness that is helping millions around the globe to deal with diabetes effectively.”
She urged the educators, doctors and diabetologists to educate masses about the diabetes and how to prevent it, saying sedentary lifestyle was the main reason and cause of causing Type II or lifestyle disease.
Another foreign specialist and athlete, Lucas Forgarty, from the US, said he was an insulin-dependent patient since his early childhood but he never considered his illness as an impediment and played soccer, baseball and basketball without any difficulty although he had to continuously monitor his blood sugar and take insulin daily or several times a day depending on the requirement.
He advised people to educate their kids about diabetes, saying he had seen many children who were well aware about the diabetes and its causes eat healthy food to avoid getting overweight.
“Tell your kids diabetes is not a scary thing but the best way is to avoid getting this disease by having healthy habits,” he advised.
Erin Little, another Type I diabetic and social mobilize against diabetes, said that in India and Pakistan, rice and especially Biryani was the basic food stuff, instead of Pizza and burgers, which was causing diabetes, as it was completely carbohydrates with little protein and asked people in Pakistan and India to avoid eating too much rice.
She claimed that when she was diagnosed with Type I diabetes, people in her neighbourhood claimed that she was “cursed” but she was not only living happily but also helping thousands of others in India to deal with disease.
Dr Jamal Zafar, a professor of medicine from PIMS Islamabad, said that in a country with millions of diabetics and millions others to become diabetics in coming years, the mission of doctors and educators should be the prevention of the disease, and urged the entire society to join hands and prevent the epidemic of the lifestyle disease.
“This mission starts from educating our children, who are ruining their lives by eating junk food and drinking fizzy drinks. In this way, we can save an entire generation from getting diabetes and make them productive members of society,” he added.
Renowned diabetologist Dr Zaman Shaikh urged people to seek qualified doctors and consultants for treatment of their disease instead of going to faith healers and quacks. He added that delay in diagnosis and treatment of diabetes often resulted in serious complications and life-threatening conditions.
“People ask why doctors prescribe too many medical tests and examinations when they visit them. I would say these tests are necessary for knowing the condition of the patient and suggesting medicine.”
Another senior diabetologist associated with BIDE, Dr Zahid Miyan, answered questions from participants and said Type I diabetes was not a very common disease in Pakistan, where hardly 1-2 percent people were suffering from this condition.
“But the most serious issue we are facing is Type II diabetes, which is happening due to our habits and lifestyle. We need to eat balanced food, exercise daily for an hour and live a simple life. Avoid getting obese as it is the main reason behind causing diabetes.”
The seminar was also addressed by the director of the Baqai Institute of Diabetology and Endocrinology (BIDE), Dr Abdul Basit, artist Anwar Iqbal, educator Irum Ghafoor and Dr Musarat Riaz, while a dietician and a professional cook shared recipes for preparing low-calorie food for diabetes patients.
The IDEC 2016, formally inaugurated on Friday evening at Reagent Plaza, will continue for the next two days.
Number of diabetics
World renowned diabetologist and president of the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), Prof Abdus Samad Shera, on Friday feared that the number of patients with diabetes would be doubled in 2040 in Pakistan, saying that the country was currently facing an epidemic of diabetes and obesity, while around 14 million people could be potentially pre-diabetics without knowing their conditions.
“We are facing two epidemics at the moment — epidemic of diabetes and obesity. Currently there are around seven million diabetes patients in the county, while the same number of patients are pre-diabetics. We fear that the number of people with diabetes and those on the borderline would be doubled in the next 24 years”, he told the inaugural ceremony of a three-day International Diabetes and Endocrine Congress (IDEC 2016).
Prof Samad Shera, chairman of the Congress and the senior most diabetologist of the world, claimed that lifestyle diabetes or type II diabetes was initially a symptom-less disease which silently progressed and the victim only knew about it when it could not be reversed.
“Make it clear that frequent urination, thirst, throat dryness and other symptoms said to be associated with diabetes type are the symptoms of type I, which is a genetic and auto-immune disease. The diabetes we are facing these days is initially a symptom-less disease which does not show any symptom at least for six years”, he informed.
He advised people to eat less and walk more to avoid getting the lifestyle disease, saying people should know that their eating and living habits were resulting in causing them a disease which could not be reversed and could cause them immense problems later in the life.
“Anybody who is an Asian, is over 35 years of age, has 35 inches or above waist and has a family history of diabetes is at the risk of getting diabetes”, he informed
PHL eyes regional collaboration on rice in ASEAN
by Philippine News
Agency
August 19, 2016
MANILA —
The Philippines is pushing for a collaboration with ASEAN members and other
rice-growing countries in Asia to make rice available and affordable across the
region amid challenges posed by climate change.August 19, 2016
Farmers in Patul, Santiago City, Isabela
prepare an irrigated rice paddy for planting. The Magat River Integrated
Irrigation System irrigates some 85,000 hectares of rice land in the province.
(Ceasar M. Perante) /mb.com.ph
The
International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) will present a 10-point Action
Plan to the region’s top agriculture policymakers at the annual Senior
Officials Meeting-ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Agriculture and Forestry
(SOM-AMAF) conference to be held next week in Palawan.The Action Plan dovetails with the ASEAN Integrated Food Security Framework and includes the ASEAN Plus 3 Germplasm Development and Breeding Initiative.
This initiative effectively creates a regional technology collaboration platform that could improve the genetic resources of rice varieties available to the ASEAN Plus 3 countries.
At the same time, it enables work on a bilateral basis to accelerate the development and deployment of climate-smart rice varieties adapted to region-specific conditions of drought, flooding and salinity brought on by climate change.
“Now is the time for ASEAN to make this commitment,” said Matthew Morell, IRRI director general.
“The rice industry feeds over 600 million people in the region each day. A joint investment in rice breeding can achieve food security for the entire region, as well as create inclusive economic growth in the rice industry,” he said.
Deliberations of the SOM-AMAF will take place on August 22-26.
Participating countries in the conference will include the 10 ASEAN member countries — Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam — plus China, Japan and South Korea.
Read more at http://www.mb.com.ph/phl-eyes-regional-collaboration-on-rice-in-asean/#TI3yctuRizjWL6S1.99
New PNG rice policy concerns Australia
12:32 pm on 22 August 2016
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