Friday, November 18, 2016

نومبر ۱۸،۲۰۱۶ ڈیلی رائس (چاول) نیوز اپ ڈیٹس،رائس پلس میگزین

Philippines Says 2016 Paddy Rice Output to Be Lowest in Three Yearsi
Manila. The Philippines said on Wednesday (16/11) its paddy rice output is now expected to hit 17.91 million tons in 2016, the lowest in three years and below a July forecast of 18.135 million tons, due to crop losses from an El Niño dry spell and typhoons.
The Philippines, one of the world's biggest rice importers, could buy another 250,000 tons of rice in addition to the 250,000 tons purchased recently from Vietnam and Thailand, if it sees a need to boost state buffer stocks.
The latest forecast from the Philippine Statistics Authority for output this year is 1.3 percent lower than a 2015 harvest of 18.15 million tons, which followed record production of 18.97 million tons in 2014.Unmilled rice output in the fourth quarter is forecast to grow 0.33 percent from last year to 7.3 million tons, following a 16.35 percent annual increase in the July-September quarter, the statistics authority said in a report
http://jakartaglobe.id/international/philippines-says-2016-paddy-rice-output-lowest-three-years/


Thailand to export at least 9 mln tons of rice in 2017

BANGKOK: Thailand expects to export at least 9 million tonnes of rice in 2017, the commerce ministry said on Thursday.
“For 2017, we expect initially that our rice exports will be no less than 9 million tonnes,” Duangporn Rodphaya, director-general of the Foreign Trade Department at the Commerce Ministry, told Reuters, adding that the figure was not yet an official target. Duangporn said Thailand would achieve its 2016 rice export target of 9.5 million tonnes

http://www.customstoday.com.pk/thailand-to-export-at-least-9-mln-tons-of-rice-in-2017/


Coastal Science and Societies

Europe’s Race to Save Its Rice

Biologists are trying to breed a salt- and snail-resistant line of European rice.
Published November 17, 2016
The Ebro Delta in Spain is an important region for European rice production. 775 words / About 4 minsThe Ebro Delta, famous as a battleground during the Spanish Civil War, is now the setting for a different contest, one that is pitting rice farmers against two enemies: the rice-eating giant apple snail, and rising sea levels. What happens here will have a bearing on the future of European rice production and the overall health of southern European wetlands. Not to mention the future of Spanish paella and Italian risotto.
Located on the Mediterranean just two hours south of Barcelona, the Ebro Delta produces 120 million kilograms of rice a year, making it one of the continent’s most important rice-growing areas. As the sea creeps into these freshwater marshes, however, rising salinity is hampering rice production. At the same time, this seawater also kills off the voracious giant apple snail, an introduced pest that feeds on young rice plants. The most promising strategy has become to harness one foe against the other.
The battle is currently being waged on land, in greenhouses at the University of Barcelona. Scientists working under the banner “Project Neurice” are seeking varieties of rice that can withstand the increasing salinity without losing the absorbency that makes European rice ideal for paella or risotto.
“The project has two sides,” says Xavier Serrat, Neurice project manager and researcher at the University of Barcelona. “The short-term fight against the snail, and a mid- to long-term fight against climate change. But the snail has given the project greater urgency.”
Originally from South America, the snails were accidentally introduced into the Ebro Delta by Global Aquatic Tecnologies, a company that raised the snails for freshwater aquariums, but failed to prevent their escape. For now, the giant apple snail’s foothold in Europe is limited to the Ebro Delta. But the snail continues its march to new territory, says Serrat. “The question is not if it will reach other rice-growing areas of Europe, but when.”
Over the next year and a half investigators will test the various strains of saline-tolerant rice they’ve concocted. In 2018, farmers will plant the varieties with the most promise in the Ebro Delta and Europe’s other two main rice-growing regions—along the Po in Italy, and France’s Rhône. A season in the field will help determine which, if any, of the varieties are ready for commercialization.  
As an EU-funded effort, the search for salt-tolerant varieties of rice is taking place in all three countries. Each team is crossbreeding a local European short-grain rice with a long-grain Asian variety that carries the salt-resistant gene. The scientists are breeding successive generations, through a process called backcrossing, to arrive at varieties that incorporate salt tolerance but retain about 97 percent of the European rice genome.
In Barcelona, for example, they now have 3,000 plants, from which 120 will be selected as the basis for another round of 3,000. This process will be repeated once more, until a minimum of 20 lines are singled out for testing hydroponically in high salt concentrations. The best of those will make it to field trials.
Cultivating salt-tolerant rice is just one line of attack in the fight against the snails. Over the past six years, scientists have tried, and failed, to eliminate the pest through various means.
In the northern Ebro Delta, where the snails first escaped, the land has been turned into a testing ground. Government authorities have tested two chemicals: calcium cyanamide and saponin. Neither has proven particularly effective at stopping the snail’s advance.
Another more effective (and more controversial) approach has been to dry out the rice fields during winter and flood them with salt water. This kills the snails, but there is residual salinity, enough to kill significant amounts of rice when growing season begins. In some cases, this deliberate saltwater inundation wiped out 35 percent of production. There’s another glitch: farmers remain unconvinced that it works.
Miguel Ángel Rosselló, a local farmer, says the costs of flooding are too high. “My fields are contaminated by the salt,” he says. “And the snail wasn’t eliminated.” Scientists with the University of Barcelona believe the seawater kills off the snails, but say subsequent fresh water injections reintroduced them.
“We flooded over 700 hectares with seawater and there was no sign of the snail in those fields afterward,” says a technician with Forestal Catalonia, the government agency in charge of seawater flooding operations. “But they can get back in through the canal networks, farm machinery, even seagulls.”
Because of resistance from farmers, his agency has not flooded fields with seawater on a large scale since 2014, the second and last time it was attempted. Now, authorities are looking to Project Neurice as the key to the future of European rice—along with its most emblematic dishes

https://www.hakaimagazine.com/article-short/europes-race-save-its-rice

Slight decline in 2016 rice output seen


The Department of Agriculture (DA) said on Thursday unmilled-rice production for the whole of 2016 will decline slightly, despite the positive performance of the farm sector in the third quarter.
DA Director Leo P. Cañeda said palay production in 2016 could settle at 18.13 million metric tons (MMT), lower than the 18.15 MMT produced last year.
“The prospects [for rice production] are bright. But the dramatic decrease in palay output last year presented difficulties for us,” Cañeda told participants of the Philippine Agricultural Journalists’ (PAJ) “Usapang Sakahan” forum held in Quezon City on Thursday.
In its latest report, the Philippine Statistics Authority projected that 2016 palay output will decline by 1.3 percent to 17.91 MMT as harvest area in the fourth quarter is expected to shrink.
In the July-to-September period, rice production rose by 16.35 percent, a feat which hasn’t happened in recent years, according to Cañeda.
“We never had it so good as in 2014, when production shot up to 18.96 MMT, the highest ever, because our yield level reached 4.00 metric tons [MT] per hectare despite a reduction in total area harvest,” he added.
The DA expects paddy-rice production to bounce back in 2017 and grow by 2.3 percent to 18.56 MMT following the government’s rollout of various interventions to prop up output, such as the provision of free irrigation.In 2018 Cañeda said rice production is expected to reach 20.3 MMT and 21.6 MMT in 2019. He added that this would entail increasing the national average rice yield of 3.9 MT per hectare to 4.64 MT per hectare.
Other interventions implemented by the Duterte administration under the National Rice Program include the rehabilitation of irrigation canals and distribution of high-yielding seeds.
After over five years of hiatus, the PAJ, in partnership with Inang Lupa Movement Inc., relaunched its Agri Forum—a monthly discussion and media event tackling wide-ranging issues on food, agribusiness and agriculture.
The panel of reactors included Dr. William Dar, founder of Inang Lupa Movement and former Agriculture secretary, and Philippine Confederation of Grains Associations President Herculano Co Jr.
http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/slight-decline-in-2016-rice-output-seen/





Indonesia sees rice stocks soar, no imports planned until year-end

Ina Parlina
The Jakarta Post
Jakarta | Thu, November 17, 2016 | 10:17 am
Food court: President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo (right) talks with Agriculture Minister Amran Sulaiman (center) and Village, Disadvantaged Regions and Transmigration Minister Eko Putro Sandjojo in a rice field in Boyolali, during a visit to the Central Java regency on Oct. 29. (Antara/Aloysius Jarot)


After struggling to survive the impact of the El Niño weather phenomenon last year, Indonesia has finally seen domestic supply of the country’s most important staple food return to adequate levels, putting aside the need to import by year-end.President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo said Wednesday that the country’s national rice stock stood at 1.98 million tons in October, soaring from 1.03 million tons in the same month last year, an achievement he attributed to friendly weather throughout this year.“I can assure you that there will be no [rice] imports until the end of the year,” he said on the sidelines of his visit to the Army Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad) headquarters in Cilodong, on the outskirts of Jakarta.
The El Niño weather pattern, known to trigger a prolonged dry season, impacted rice production in the country in the final months of last year.Soon after his inauguration in late 2014, Jokowi announced that he was targeting achieving rice self-sufficiency by 2017 and his government would give more incentives to farmers to meet this objective.In 2014, the government, through the State Logistics Agency (Bulog), imported at least 425,000 tons of rice from Thailand and Vietnam. (hwa)
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/11/17/indonesia-sees-rice-stocks-soar-no-imports-planned-until-year-end.html



Israeli water experts investigate benefits of drip feeding rice

Australian rice growers are being encouraged to explore new ways of irrigating their crops using less water.
Instead of flooding paddocks, researchers are looking at whether it is possible to successfully water rice using drip tape buried beneath the soil.The method is widely used in vegetable production and was pioneered by Israeli company Netafim more than 50 years ago.Today, more than 75 per cent of Israel's irrigated agriculture uses a sub-surface drip system.Netafim agronomist Dr Itamar Nadav said farmer attitudes to water use need to keep evolving.
"I think it will take some time for the rice industry in the world and in Australia to understand it and adopt it.
"Rice takes a lot, a lot of water.
"And if we can reduce the amount of water that is being used by the crop it's amazing."The majority of Australia's rice is irrigated, with small volumes grown in north Queensland and northern New South Wales marketed as rain fed.Netafim is working with Israel's Ben-Gurion University to test sub surface drip irrigation on a rice farm in Woodland, California.Over the next few years it plans to test the method on different rice varieties in a range of countries.Dr Nadav said drip feeding rice also had the potential to boost crop yields.
"The plant is given the exact amount of water and exact amount of fertiliser that it needs," he said."As opposed to flood irrigation, it gives all the water the plant needs, but in one day."It's like walking in the desert and drinking once a week instead of each day or whenever you want."This is the difference."
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-11-17/rura-rice-on-drip-irrigation/8032962





Mali rice crop up 20 pct to record 2.8 mln tonnes


BAMAKO Nov 17  – Mali produced a record 2.81 million tonnes of rice in its 2016-17 season, up 20 percent from last year and above an initial crop forecast, provisional government statistics showed on Thursday.

The West African country produced 2.33 million tonnes of unprocessed paddy rice last season and forecast 2.71 million tonnes for 2016-17. It now has a projected surplus of 565,000 tonnes, said statistics officer Namory Diabate.The increase was due to good rainfall, an increase in cultivated areas, the modernisation of farming equipment and fertilizer subsidies, Diabate said.Mali is Africa’s second largest rice producer behind Nigeria. The rice season includes a production phase from May/June to September/October followed by a marketing phase from October/November to the end of March. (Reporting by Tiemoko Diallo; writing by Nellie Peyton; editing by David Clarke)

http://naija247news.com/2016/11/mali-rice-crop-up-20-pct-to-record-2-8-mln-tonnes/

 

 

 

Exploring how rice could survive salt stress

November 17, 2016
The rice plants were placed in pots on conveyor belts, allowing them to be automatically moved under imaging cameras several times a day. This enabled the team to carefully monitor their growth. Credit: KAUST - King Abdullah University of Science and Technology

Real-time genetic detailing of rice plants highlights the roles of different loci in response to salt stress during growth.Rice is a staple for more than half of the world's population, yet it is also the most salt-sensitive cereal crop. KAUST researchers have studied the early responses of rice plants to moderately saline conditions and for the first time pinpointed new salt tolerance genetic loci1. The results could support breeding programs to improve global rice productivity."Thanks to the unique Plant Accelerator facility in Australia, which is run by Bettina Berger from the University of Adelaide, we could analyze numerous aspects of the growth of multiple plants simultaneously," said Mark Tester, KAUST professor of plant science and associate director of the University's Center for Desert Agriculture, who supervised KAUST Ph.D. student Nadia Al-Tamimi on the project.

The Plant Accelerator, created by Tester before he joined KAUST, is a facility that can grow thousands of plants at the same growth stage in pots on conveyor belts. Each plant moves automatically to be imaged daily by digital cameras, generating quantitative data on growth on a large scale-a technique called high-throughput non-invasive phenotyping.Al-Tamimi's team grew two types of rice varieties-297 indica and 256 aus-alongside a control group and monitored them for 13 days under high- and low-salt conditions. They photographed the plants to monitor biomass and shoot development and measured transpiration levels (how much water the plants used) by weighing each pot daily.
Nadia Al-Tamimi at the Plant Accelerator facility, which has enabled for the first time the careful and systematic study of rice plants’ early responses to salt stress. Credit: KAUST - King Abdullah University of Science and Technology

Unlike many previous plant growth studies, the researchers made no prior assumptions about early stage growth in their analysis, using unbiased statistical methods to help analyze the high-throughput phenotypic data. They found that growth rate diminished in salt-treated soils, with a rapid slowing of growth immediately after the addition of salt. The indica lines fared better than aus, however, which led the team to uncover significant genetic differences between the varieties. By combining data on relative growth rate, transpiration rate and transpiration use efficiency (TUE) with a genome-wide association analysis, the researchers could search for genetic loci related to specific plant traits.

It was important to carefully standardize the process to be able to isolate influences."Nadia's systematic approach to ensure pot weight changes were purely due to transpiration-rather than from the soil surface-was key to including the transpiration data," Tester said. "It appears genes involved in TUE maintenance are crucial to the main vegetative stage of rice growth, while other factors are more significant at earlier stages."
Some genetic loci (for example, those connected with signaling processes) were important to growth in the first two to six days, while other loci became prominent later."This is perhaps the most astonishing aspect of this work-we can now provide genetic detailing in real time, pinpointing exactly when each locus comes into play during salt shock," Tester noted.

More information: Nadia Al-Tamimi et al. Salinity tolerance loci revealed in rice using high-throughput non-invasive phenotyping, Nature Communications (2016). DOI: 10.1038/ncomms13342



http://phys.org/news/2016-11-exploring-rice-survive-salt-stress.html#jCp

Rice Prices

as on : 17-11-2016 08:10:31 PM
Arrivals in tonnes;prices in Rs/quintal in domestic market.
Arrivals
Price
Current
%
change
Season 
cumulative
Modal
Prev.
Modal
Prev.Yr
%change
Rice
Gadarpur(Utr)
350.00
-58.73
193814.00
2055
1898
11.38
Cachar(ASM)
60.00
50
4470.00
2200
2200
-18.52
Srirampur(ASM)
60.00
-33.33
3020.00
3000
3000
0.67
Saharanpur(UP)
40.00
-20
7011.00
2280
2300
9.62
Khatra(WB)
39.00
14.71
1595.00
2300
2300
NC
Gazipur(UP)
35.00
9.38
3770.00
2210
2210
9.68
Gauripur(ASM)
34.00
6.25
3336.80
4500
4500
NC
Bishnupur(Bankura)(WB)
30.00
-25
606.00
2300
2300
-
Udala(Ori)
13.00
-18.75
812.00
2800
2800
NC
Dibrugarh(ASM)
11.60
36.47
215.60
2250
2250
-
Kolhapur(Laxmipuri)(Mah)
11.00
NC
2470.00
3000
3000
-14.29
Islampur(WB)
10.00
-33.33
578.90
2400
2400
11.63
Kaliaganj(WB)
10.00
-16.67
1255.00
2550
2550
-5.56
North Lakhimpur(ASM)
9.80
50.77
2259.90
1900
1900
NC
Chengannur(Ker)
6.50
NC
651.00
2400
2300
-4.00
Jeypore(Kotpad)(Ori)
5.80
61.11
343.50
4100
4100
26.15
Jeypore(Ori)
3.90
-29.09
363.70
4100
4100
NC
Kalyanpur(Tri)
3.00
NC
31.10
2800
2800
12.00
Lakhimpur(UP)
2.60
-93.5
365.95
2150
2190
-2.71
Kasipur(WB)
1.10
57.14
47.20
2240
2350
4.19
Ernakulam(Ker)
0.56
NC
15.36
3500
3500
-1.41

RELATED

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/article9356920.ece





11/17/2016 Farm Bureau Market Report


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


Futures:
ROUGH RICE
High
Low
Last
Change
Jan '17
976.0
941.0
951.0
-18.5
Mar '17
1000.0
967.0
977.0
-18.0
May '17
1001.5
-17.5
Jul '17
1020.0
-17.0
Sep '17
1029.5
-17.0
Nov '17
1029.5
-17.0
Jan '18
1029.5
-17.0
   

Rice Comment


Rice futures gave back most of yesterday's gains. Weekly exports of 77,400 tons weren't enough to inspire buying interest. January is building support at Tuesday's low of $9.30.



Value of rice husks increases as raw material for silica
VietNamNet Bridge - Rice husks, which can produce silica, an input material for many kinds of paints, have increased in value. 
When the rice yield is high, rice husks are collected at the price of VND600,000 per ton. If the yield is lower, rice husks could be sold for VND1 million per ton.Vietnam, as a large rice export country, has 9 million tons of rice husks every year, which means that it can get VND5.4 trillion from rice husk, or $240 million. Vietnam exported $2.68 billion worth of rice in 2015. As such, rice husks were valued at 1/10 of rice export turnover.

Scientists say rice husks can be used to make amorphous silica utilized in metallurgy, humidity absorption, ceramics & fire-resistant materials production. Silica can also be use to make high-grade concrete, tires, paint, hydrogel and solar cells.Some days ago, at a workshop titled ‘rice husk energy and silica’, Rice High Technology (RHT) from Russia introduced technology which collects silica with the purity level of 98.5 percent from burning rice husks.The demand for silica is high in the world market. Producers can sell silica abroad, or provide it to domestic companies, including Kova, a paint manufacturer. Kova’s self-cleaning coatings, fire retardant paint and anti-bacteria paint products, sell very well in Singapore and Malaysia and all use silica.

Kova imports silica for domestic paint production. 
Rice husks, which can produce silica, an input material for many kinds of paints, have increased in value. 
It is estimated that every ton of rice husks can produce 200 kilos of silica. This means that 9 million tons of rice husks can put out 1.8 million tons of silica a year.Amorphous silica prices in the world market vary, from tens of dollars to thousands of dollars per ton, depending on the quality. Silica for metallurgy can be priced at $500 per ton. This means that Vietnam’s 1.8 million tons of silica can bring $900 million in export turnover.

This amount of silica can make tyres valued at up to $3.6 billion. With amorphous silica at a very high quality used to make solar cells, priced at $1,500 per ton, Vietnam would be able to earn $27 billion.

Like rice husks, straw, which Vietnamese farmers threw away in the past, now can be exported to Japan. Japanese J-Bix has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Can Tho City People’s Committee on its import of rice husks and straw from the Song Hau Farm.According to Aoyama, vice president of J-Bix, the association needs 220,000 tons of straw each year for feed for cows and for making tatami. 

http://english.vietnamnet.vn/fms/science-it/167141/value-of-rice-husks-increases-as-raw-material-for-silica.html


Indonesia's rice output enough to meet local demand

A farmer dries rice grain at a rice mill at Campursari village in Temanggung, Indonesia, on Oct 20, 2016, in this picture taken by Antara Foto.

NOV 18, 2016, 5:00 AM SGT

JAKARTA • Indonesia is on track to be self-sufficient in rice production, after rice stocks jumped following better weather and increased support for farmers.President Joko Widodo said on Wednesday that the country's rice stocks stood at 1.98 million tonnes last month, up from 1.03 million tonnes in the same month last year, the Jakarta Post reported.He attributed this to better weather after the El Nino weather pattern - which typically brings drought to Indonesia - cut rice production last year. "I can assure you that there will be no (rice) imports until the end of the year," the President said on the sidelines of a visit to the Army Strategic Reserves Command headquarters in Cilodong, on the outskirts of Jakarta.After his inauguration in late 2014, Mr Joko said he was targeting achieving rice self-sufficiency by next year and his government would give more incentives to farmers to meet this objective.
Indonesia is the world's third- largest rice producer and it used to be self-sufficient in rice production. But a mix of bad weather, weak regulations, poor maintenance and investment in infrastructure for growing rice has hit production in the rapidly growing nation.Last month, Mr Joko said Indonesia was building 49 dams and thousands of small reservoirs to improve water supplies for crops.Rice is a politically sensitive commodity in Indonesia because it is the main staple for 250 million people and the main crop for millions of farmers.According to Antara News, the government is revamping regulations that impeded production."We are improving all regulations, which are seen to be hindering the pace towards achieving self-sufficiency in food production," Agriculture Minister Amran Sulaiman said late last month, according to Antara. He said Indonesia imported 1.9 million tonnes of rice over the past two years.
More transparent procurement of fertilisers and planting of higher-yielding rice varieties are also measures taken to boost production, Antara said in a report earlier this month.Separately, the Philippines has no urgent need to import more rice, the deputy head of the country's economic planning agency said yesterday, despite concerns about a shortage because of typhoons last month, Reuters reported.Dr Rosemarie Edillon's comment comes after the Philippine Statistics Authority said this year's paddy rice output would be 1.3 per cent lower than last year's.The Philippines is one of the world's largest rice importers.
http://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/indonesias-rice-output-enough-to-meet-local-demand
Overseas Promotion Funding Announced for 2017 


WASHINGTON, DC -- On Wednesday, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) is awarding $173.5 million in Market Access Program (MAP) funds to 70 nonprofit organizations and cooperatives and $26.6 million in Foreign Market Development (FMD) funds to 26 trade organizations.  USA Rice participates and receives money in both programs.  

For FY17, USA Rice received nearly $2.5 million in MAP funds and over $1.6 in FMD funds.  At the U.S. Agricultural Export Development Council (USAEDC) annual meetings earlier this week, FAS staff informed the cooperator groups that the reduction most groups received was due to a slightly higher sequestration rate, less carryover from previous years, and the addition of two new cooperators in MAP."While it is somewhat disappointing that less funding was available compared with last year, we are heartened by conversations with FAS that see the value in our overseas programs," said John Valpey, chairman of the USA Rice International Promotion Committee.  "We will continue to conduct a robust, global promotion program promoting all types and forms of U.S. rice." 

"We appreciate FAS support through the MAP and FMD programs which help the entire rice industry market products overseas," said USA Rice Chairman Brian King.  "Without these vital funds and the overseas FAS personnel that enable us to respond to issues that arise with trade, the U.S. rice industry would not be nearly as vibrant as it is now.  Nearly 50 percent of the U.S. rice crop is destined for overseas markets so it's imperative that we have adequate marketing, promotional, and trade servicing support."   

India: Paying for a rickshaw ride with a sack of rice

Other tales emerge from India’s chaotic ban on large currency notes
Image Credit: AFP
An Indian woman displays her 2000 rupee notes as she has her finger inked with indelible ink after exchanging withdrawn 500 and 1000 rupee banknotes at a bank in Chennai.

Published: 12:36 November 17, 2016
Los Angeles Times
MUMBAI: The rickshaw meter read about $2.30 (Dh8.45), but passenger Gaurav Munjal didn’t have cash. The first ATM he and the driver found had a long line; the second was out of bills.Frustrated, the 26-year-old tech entrepreneur asked the driver, “Do you want some rice?”The two men drove to a department store and Munjal used a credit card to pay for an 5kg sack of basmati rice that he deposited on the floor of the rickshaw, next to the driver’s feet.“Good thing for the barter system,” Munjal said later in an interview. “Otherwise it was chaos.”
An exasperating cash crunch has gripped India in the week since Prime Minister Narendra Modi took the unprecedented step of withdrawing the country’s large currency notes from circulation. Modi surprised the nation by announcing an instant ban on the 500-rupee and 1,000-rupee notes, worth about $7.50 and $15, respectively, and which account for 86 per cent of the cash in the market.The ban was billed as a sweeping move against corruption that would force Indians who hold large amounts of undeclared wealth to deposit the money at banks and make their assets official.
But it has stunned hundreds of millions of poor and working-class Indians who live an almost entirely cash-based existence, paying in bills for everything from rent to groceries to cellphone credit.The plan was shrouded in such secrecy that even India’s financial institutions were ill prepared, creating long, sometimes unruly lines outside banks, ATMs and chronically understaffed post offices that are authorised to exchange the now-worthless notes and dispense new ones.Indian media report that at least five people have died of exhaustion while waiting to change money outside banks, and that three children have succumbed to illnesses that private hospitals wouldn’t treat because their families had only old notes.
Credit and debit cards are unaffected, but only half of Indians have bank accounts. Even for those fortunate enough to find some cash — the government has set a temporary $66 daily limit for withdrawals — a newly released 2,000-rupee banknote is in effect useless for daily purchases because most merchants can’t make change.Adding to the headaches is that the 2,000-rupee note and a new, revamped 500-rupee note are of a different size, meaning it could take weeks to reconfigure the country’s 200,000-plus cash machines to dispense them.
For now, that has made the 100-rupee note the basic legal tender for most transactions, reducing the world’s seventh-largest economy to trading largely in the equivalent of $1 bills.The Wire, an online news site, called it “undeniably the most extraordinary situation India’s economy has faced since independence.”
At his roadside stall in central Mumbai, India’s financial capital, Ramesh Sisodia doled out steaming shot glasses of milky tea and coffee, the cheap and ubiquitous fuel for armies of Indian labourers and office workers, at 20 rupees (Dh1.08) a pop (about 30 cents). But Sisodia said some customers were trying to pay with 2,000-rupee bills.“It is not their fault, but how am I going to cope?” Sisodia said.His business had dwindled as his poorer customers chose to save their scarce small bills and richer ones opted for fancier coffee shops that take plastic.
“People don’t have money to buy bread — why would they stroll out for a coffee?” he said. “Those who can afford it would prefer to pay 10 times more for a coffee at Barista” — a Starbucks-like chain — “because they can pay by card.”As one customer took out his wallet to pay, a 10-rupee note (15 cents) fell on the ground. A bystander alerted Sisodia, who thanked him and said, “It is a precious note these days.”
When the customer produced exact change, Sisodia said, “God bless you, my friend.”Blue-collar workers are not showing up for jobs, unable to scrounge up money for bus fare or fuel to power their motorbikes. Mumbai’s cash-based taxis and rickshaws have also struggled as middle-class customers opt for card-based services such as Uber.Even filling up the tank has become a chore as gas stations, which have been authorised to accept the old bills for a limited time, refuse to make change, said Lallan Jaiswal, a cabbie sitting idle by the roadside, his khaki uniform slung over the driver’s seat.
“They fill up the tank only if we buy gas worth 500 or 1,000 rupees,” Jaiswal said — the equivalent of a day’s worth of fares.Neighbourhood grocers who deal mainly in cash have offered to sell goods on credit, while some customers are bartering phone credit — bought with a credit card — for vegetables.Such solutions fit into India’s long-standing tradition of jugaad, or ad hoc fixes. “But the middle class always suffers the worst,” said Kiran Gosrani, owner of a grocery in central Mumbai. “The big fish always get away.”Indeed, many Indians are sceptical that the drastic action will end the scourge of so-called black money — the vast amounts of off-the-books wealth that accrue at the rate of an estimated $460 billion a year, more than the economy of Thailand.
Black money is an outgrowth of an economy in which cash accounts for two-thirds of the value of all transactions, one of the highest rates in the world, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers. (In the US, it’s 14%.)
Much of the wealth that India has accumulated since economic reforms began in the 1990s has never been taxed or accounted for, parked instead in real estate, gold, foreign investments and, in some cases, bundles of cash sitting at home.It is those stacks of bills that Modi, who took office 2 1/2 years ago on promises to curb corruption, aimed to bring into the open. Supporters of the prime minister’s plan said those holding cash stockpiles would have to deposit them at banks, where huge amounts would draw the scrutiny of tax authorities, or allow their value to evaporate.
In a speech over the weekend, Modi asked Indians for patience until December 30, the deadline for depositing the old bills, saying, “I promise you I will give you the India of your dreams.”The chaos in the streets has overshadowed Modi’s rhetoric. But critics say that even if the policy had been smoothly implemented, black money would continue to flow from virtually every seam of a lightly regulated economy that presents endless opportunities for masking wealth.In the short term, jugaad is not limited to the working class; the wealthy, too, are finding ways around the currency ban.
Officials have said that bank deposits of less than about $3,600 can be made with virtually no questions asked, to attract small-time savers. One employee in Mumbai’s diamond bourse, who requested anonymity to protect his job, said jewellery merchants were distributing bundles of cash to their employees and having them deposit it under their names, to be retrieved later.“Employees willingly help out their bosses because they pay their salaries,” the person said. “At some places, even bank managers are helping them out because banks need rich customers.
http://gulfnews.com/news/asia/india/india-paying-for-a-rickshaw-ride-with-a-sack-of-rice-1.1930997


National Rice Awareness Month kicks off at PH’s rice granary


MUÑOZ, NUEVA ECIJA ― The Philippine Rice Research Institute kicked off the celebration of the National Rice Awareness Month (NRAM) during the celebration of the Institute’s 31st Anniversary, November 7.

This year’s NRAM will focus on mainstreaming brown rice as an alternative food staple to white rice. Also known as pinawa, brown rice is a whole grain cereal produced by removing only the hull using mortar-and-pestle or rubber roller milling machine. The bran layer (darak) is retained giving the grain its brown color and keeping its high levels of soluble fiber antioxidants and other vitamins and minerals.

“The country faces problems such as undernourishment, low income of rice farmers, rice insufficiency, and hunger. To help address these issues, promotion of brown rice consumption is necessary,” said Dr. Flordeliza H. Bordey, PhilRice’s deputy executive director for development. 


Social media campaign

The main activity of NRAM is the #BROWN4good Challenge, a social media campaign that seeks to promote brown rice as a “good” food, led by the Be Riceponsible Campaign.

First goodness is for the body noting its health benefits. Second is goodness for the farmers especially those who belong to farmer cooperatives that are linked to hotels, restaurants, supermarkets, and other market outlets for brown rice.
Third goodness is for the country. A PhilRice study revealed that brown rice has a 10% higher milling recovery advantage that would result in about 1.2 million MT additional edible rice supply. Lastly, the fourth goodness is for the less fortunate. Every hashtag is equivalent to one cup of brown rice which will be donated to partner-charities nationwide.
“We are eyeing at least 50,000 hashtags per region and we have partnered with the LGUs and DA-RFO as well as other groups for this,” said Hazel V. Antonio, campaign director of the Be Riceponsible Campaign.       

Food and fashion



Also part of the NRAM celebration is the opening of the exhibit titled Evolution of Novo Ecijano’s Farming System and Filipino Costumes, November 3.“Agriculture is the common denominator of food and fashion. Most of the basic things that humans need for survival such as food, clothing…. are products of plant and animal farming,” Bordey said during the event. .

The exhibit, which will run until November 30 at the Central Luzon Agricultural Museum in Central Luzon State University (CLSU), highlights farm implements representing the emergence of Nueva Ecija as rice granary and the Ayala doll collection. The featured farm implements, which were researched and curated by the Rice Science Museum, is part of its cultural mapping study being conducted in the country’s top rice producing provinces.

On the other hand, the 42-year-old doll collection dramatize the distinctive features of the Filipino clothes with some from farming communities. Made out of wood, the dolls have similar clothing materials and body adornments worn by the people they represent.“But more than an appreciation for rice farming and Filipino costumes, [it is hoped] that the exhibit will spark meaningful conversations among stakeholders, [especially] the youth, on how we can take lessons from history and use these for individual growth and increased participation in nation-building,” she said.


Youth force in agri

In engaging the youth in nation-building, Bordey said that platforms, which the youth are receptive including fashion, must be used as Filipinos also better retain information through visual and interactive experiences.

Meanwhile, Dr. Melissa A. Agulto, CLSU vice-president for academic affairs, said that the exhibit makes the Novo Ecijanos proud of their farming heritage, encourages the youth to choose a career in agriculture, and challenges the audience to find nation-binding common themes amidst the county’s rich and cultural diversity.

“[Initiatives] like this, which aims to heighten the awareness and appreciation of one’s heritage and identity, play an important role in today’s globalized society. With the blurring of national boarders due to globalization, there is a need to remind ourselves of our roots, so that we may become global citizens but with deep understanding of our Filipino identity,” Agulto emphasized.


Kenneth C. Esguerra, Ayala Museum senior curator, added that the exhibit may also help in inspiring Filipinos to be involved in rice advocacies.A partnership among Rice Science Museum of PhilRice, CLSU, local government of Science City of Muñoz, and the Ayala Museum, the exhibit expects 20,000 viewers. Queries and reservations can be made through the following numbers: (044) 456-0285 loc 530 or (0939) 154 5543.NRAM is celebrated every November pursuant to Presidential Proclamation No. 524, s.2004.

Hacking rice farming


One strategy to attract the youth to venture in rice farming is to strengthen their awareness of the latest ICT tools in modern agriculture. On November 15, 2016, ICT experts gathered at PhilRice to inspire more than a hundred graduating students from five universities to venture in agricultural ICT.








The 3rd Agrihackathon Symposium showcased the full utilization of ICT in agriculture.“Where else can we find the next noble ideas and ICT innovations in agriculture than in our youth,” said Dr. Flordeliza Bordey, PhilRice deputy executive director for development.“We are encouraging IT students to produce a number of ICT tools to speed up the modernization of rice farming in our country,” Bordey added.

Guest speaker Engr. Franch Maverick Lorilla from CloudFarm Innovations, an agri-tech company in Davao City, also discussed business startups on agricultural ICT.“We can be techno-preneurs and create machinery, software, applications, sensors, knowledge banks, and many other tools to help our farmers,” Lorilla explained.

Lorilla is the co-creator of the Heat Stress Analyzer, a smart sensor and app that helps farmers maximize their yield through advance monitoring and analytics of the crop condition. The participants also learned about the existing ICT tools used by PhilRice such as the PhilRice Text Center, Pinoy Rice Knowledge Bank (PRKB), Rice Crop Manager (RCM), Minus One Element Technique App (MOET), Philippine Rice Information System (PRISM), and the Rice Doctor diagnostic tool app.“I appreciate that there are already existing ICT tools to help our farmers. I feel motivated since future ICT practitioners like us have the potential to contribute in advancing the agriculture sector in our country,” said Carl Angelo Dallo, a student from Central Luzon State University (CLSU).

Dr. Jasper Tallada of PhilRice, mentioned infrared imagery, vertical farming, hydroponics, drones, and satellite farming, as among the modern ICT tools for agriculture.Drones are used in rice farming for research activities such as data collection, tracking growth patterns, and pest and nutrient management.Vertical farming and hydroponics, on the other hand, are used to produce crops without relying on favorable weather, high soil fertility or high water usage.

Infrared imagery helps researchers in analyzing rice leaf nitrogen. This versatile technology, known to analyze data in less than 1 minute, has potential for soil, chemical, and grain quality analysis.

Satellite farming is used for yield mapping, monitoring, crop health assessment, and damage assessment during calamities. It provides a continual source of information, regardless of weather conditions.Aside from CLSU, the student participants come from Pampanga State Agricultural University, Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology, College for Research and Technology in Cabanatuan, and Pangasinan State University.

Lam Takhong Dam has too little water for 2nd rice crop

17 Nov 2016 at 12:53
WRITER: PRASIT TANGPRASERT

 

Lam Takhong Dam reservoir, in August this year. (Bangkok {Post file photo)

NAKHON RATCHASIMA --Lam Takhong Dam reservoir in Sikhiu district is far below capacity and there will not be enough water for farmers in five districts to grow a second rice crop, governor Wichien Chantaranothai said on Thursday.Mr Wichien said Lam Takhong Dam -- the main source for general use and tap water production in Sikhiu, Sung Noen, Kham Thaleso, Chalerm Phra Kiat and Muang districts -- now holds 119 million cubic metres of water, only 37.87% of its rated capacity.

Therefore, it was agreed at a recent meeting of water users in the Lam Takhong Dam basin that the dam would release a maximum of 432,000 cubic metres of water per day from Dec 1 to April 30 for general consumption and to maintain the ecological system.The meeting also resolved that farmers on about 150,000 rai of fields below the dam should not grow a second rice crop, and instead  plant crops which need little water. Water released from the dam would be reserved mainly for general consumption.The Nakhon Ratchasima Municipal waterworks would draw on 50,000 cubic metres of water a day from Lam Takhong Dam and 40,000 cubic metres from Lam Sae Dam for tap water production.To retain water for use during the coming dry season, the chiefs of all districts had been instructed to build small weirs on every steam in their area, the governor said.








Thai rice grades to be redefined


17 Nov 2016 WRITER: ONLINE REPORTERS


The Commerce Ministry has reclassifed hom mali rice standards to cater to all export markets after the existing standards have been in place for almost 20 years.The grain will be divided into three grades aimed at the upper, middle and lower markets to enhance the country's export competition, Duangporn Rodphaya, director of the Department of International Trade Promotion, said on Thursday."We've finished revising standards on rice products to better suit world markets, enhance exporters' competitiveness and meet increasingly diverse consumers' demands," she said, adding they would replace the existing standards in use since 1997.Under the new standards, the best grade is "Thai Hom Mali" rice, targeting the upper market. To qualify as such, the grain must have at least 92% of Thai hom mali.


The second grade, called "Thai jasmine rice", "Thai fragrant rice" or "Thai aromatic rice", is a fighting brand aimed at competing with neighbouring countries such as Vietnam amd Cambodia. It also encourages exports of new grains developed by the Agriculture Ministry.It must have at least 80% of Thai fragrant rice and not more than 20% of amylose content.The third grade for the lower market aims to promote exports so it is open to buyers' requirements. Customers who want fragrant rice with specifications other than the previous two types can place custom orders as needed, she said.

Organic Rice Protein Market Status 2016 to 2022 by Manufacturers, Historical and Forecasts, Professional Market Research Report

Friday, November 18th, 2016 - Market Study Report

MarketStudyReport.com adds “2016 Global Organic Rice Protein Market Status, 2011-2022 Market Historical and Forecasts, Professional Market Research Report” new report to its research database. The report spread across 121 pages with table and figures in it.This New Version Organic Rice Protein Market Research Report is a deep market research report in this market.

This report focused on global and regional market, major manufacturers, as well as the segment market details on different classifications and applications.First, this report analyzed the basic scope of this industry like definition, specification, classification, application, industry policy and news in Chapter 1.Second, the analysis on industry chain is provided including the up and down stream industry also with the major market players. And the analysis on manufacturing including process, cost structure and major plants distribution is conducted in Chapter 2.
Then the global and regional market is analyzed. In these chapters, this report analyzed major market data like capacity, production, capacity utilization rate, price, revenue, cost, gross, gross margin, supply, import, export, consumption, market share, growth rate and etc. For regional market, this report analyzed major regions like Europe, North America, South America, Asia (Excluding China), China and ROW. These analysis are conducted in Chapter 3 and 4.

In Chapter 5, the performance of major manufacturers are analyzed and then in Chapter 6 and 7 the analysis on major classification and application.

Then the marketing channel analysis is provided including the major distributors in Chapter 8.

Then this report analyzed the market forecast from 2017 to 2022 for global and regional market in Chapter 9 and the new project investment feasibility analysis in Chapter 10.

At last, this report provided the conclusions of this research in Chapter 11.

This report is a valuable source of guidance for manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, customers, investors and individuals who have interest in this market.
5 Major Manufacturers Analysis
5.1 Axiom Foods, Inc.?
5.1.1 Company Profile
5.1.2 Product Specification
5.1.3 2011-2016 Global Market Performance
5.1.4 2015 Regional Market Performance
5.1.5 Contact Information
5.2 AIDP, Inc.?
5.2.1 Company Profile
5.2.2 Product Specification
5.2.3 2011-2016 Global Market Performance
5.2.4 2015 Regional Market Performance
5.2.5 Contact Information
5.3 Ricebran Technologies?
5.3.1 Company Profile
5.3.2 Product Specification
5.3.3 2011-2016 Global Market Performance
5.3.4 2015 Regional Market Performance
5.3.5 Contact Information
5.4 Shaanxi Fuheng (FH) Biotechnology Co., Ltd?
5.4.1 Company Profile
5.4.2 Product Specification
5.4.3 2011-2016 Global Market Performance
5.4.4 2015 Regional Market Performance
5.4.5 Contact Information
5.5 Shafi Gluco-Chem (Pvt.) Ltd.?
5.5.1 Company Profile
5.5.2 Product Specification
5.5.3 2011-2016 Global Market Performance
5.5.4 2015 Regional Market Performance
5.5.5 Contact Information
5.6 Bioway (Xi'an) Organic Ingredients Co., Ltd.?
5.6.1 Company Profile
5.6.2 Product Specification
5.6.3 2011-2016 Global Market Performance
5.6.4 2015 Regional Market Performance
5.6.5 Contact Information
5.7 Golden Grain Group Limited?
5.7.1 Company Profile
5.7.2 Product Specification
5.7.3 2011-2016 Global Market Performance
5.7.4 2015 Regional Market Performance
5.7.5 Contact Information
5.8 Ribus, Inc.?
5.8.1 Company Profile
5.8.2 Product Specification
5.8.3 2011-2016 Global Market Performance
5.8.4 2015 Regional Market Performance
5.8.5 Contact Information
To receive personalized assistance write to us @ sales@marketstudyreport.com with the report title in the subject line along with your questions or call us at +1 866-764-2150
http://www.newsmaker.com.au/news/163759/organic-rice-protein-market-status-2016-to-2022-by-manufacturers-historical-and-forecasts-professional-market-research-report#.WC7hH7J94dU

Leap of Faith Alters Doctoral Student's Career Plans

Nov. 18, 2016
     
Photo by Whit Pruitt, University Relations
Dennis Lozada is working to breed wheat with a higher grain yield and that is adaptable in a wide variety of climates.
Dennis Lozada wanted to be a medical doctor. But, a leap of faith brought him to Fayetteville to study wheat — a crop he had never even seen until he began graduate school at the University of Arkansas in 2013. With no regrets, Lozada said the decision was one of the best of his life.Since childhood, Lozada has had a passion for helping others. He spent most his life thinking the best way to channel that passion was to become a medical doctor. However, after working with the International Rice Research Institute as an undergraduate, Lozada's career plans changed."When I saw first-hand the importance of agriculture, I knew that was the sector I needed to be in," he said.
Lozada refocused his undergraduate research on rice and intended to pursue that same research focus in graduate school. But, when University of Arkansas professor Esten Masonpitched him the idea of studying wheat breeding in the university's cell and molecular biology program, he took the chance and again changed his course."Things have definitely turned out differently than I expected them to, but I'm enjoying it," he said.Lozada is trying to breed wheat that has a higher grain yield and is adaptable to a wider range of climate environments than current wheat varieties. He works with 240 wheat varieties to identify regions in the wheat genome that affect variation for grain yield and adaptation traits. By doing so, he could potentially identify wheat varieties that have higher yield and productivity in target environments.The significance of his research earned Lozada a 2015 Monsanto Beachell-Borlaug International Scholars Program fellowship, which is valued at $100,000. The fellowship will afford him the opportunity to conduct research at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center in Mexico during the spring 2017 semester.

Lozada is still in the early stages of his research, but is excited for what is ahead and its potential impact."Wheat is one of the most important crops in the world," he said. "Knowing that the results of my research could potentially impact farmers and consumers by producing better crops for more people is something that is encouraging for me."Lozada holds a bachelor's degree in biology from the University of the Philippines at Los Baños. He is on track to complete his doctoral degree in cell and molecular biology at the University of Arkansas in 2018.
CONTACTS
Amanda Cantu, director of communications 
Graduate School and International Education 

479-575-5809,
 amandcan@uark.edu
http://news.uark.edu/articles/37177/leap-of-faith-alters-doctoral-student-s-career-plans

In difficult times for rice farmers GRDB is organizing a ‘cocktail’

By STAFF WRITER
 November 18, 2016
Dear Editor,

On November 15, 2016, I received an elaborate invitation from the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) for “An Evening of Rice”, a “Cocktail & Exhibition, celebrating the versatility of rice”. One wonders whose idea it was for such an event. Did the Board of Directors approve this event and if yes, was there any consultation with the industry stakeholders? What is the cost of this elaborate event?

The location of this event at the Umana Yana in downtown Georgetown can be considered a very poor choice of venue to facilitate the meaningful participation of  the industry’s stakeholders’. I assume that farmers and millers were invited and if they were how many of them would be able to attend this event in the evening at 18:30hrs, travelling long distances and leaving their homes unprotected in these troubling times of high crime.The industry is currently experiencing severe difficulties: a significant drop in production; a  reduction in the acreage under cultivation; farmers getting almost 40% less than they used to get, many of whom have abandoned their lands out of the frustration over the increasing debt burden.

In these difficult times when livelihoods are seriously threatened, the GRDB is organising a “Cocktail” ‒ to talk about what?

It seems as though there is no end to the reckless spending and misuse of rice farmers’ money by the current administrators of the industry. This cocktail and exhibition provides another opportunity for bureaucrats to rub shoulders and enjoy drinks at farmers’ expense.Surely, the GRDB could have come up with a better idea to ‘celebrate the versatility of rice’. What about a workshop in a farming community? What about a scientific conference engaging scientista at the Burma Rice Research Station or elsewhere involving farmers and millers? I am certain that any such  event as proposed would have given the farmers and millers better value for their money. Then again, what can you expect; this is the same government that promised $9000 a bag for paddy and has delivered 40% less than what farmers were originally getting.

Yours faithfully,
 D Seeraj

http://www.stabroeknews.com/2016/opinion/letters/11/18/difficult-times-rice-farmers-grdb-organizing-cocktail/

No comments:

Post a Comment