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کے چاولوں کو کیسے پہچان سکتے ہیں؟ آسان طریقہ
جانئے
بیجنگ (نیوزڈیسک) آپ نے کئی مصنوعی چیزوں کے بارے میں سن رکھا ہوگا
لیکن شاید آپ کو یہ معلوم نہیں ہے کہ مصنوعی یا جعلی چاول بھی دنیا کی مارکیٹ میں
موجود ہیں۔آپ کے لئے یہ بات نئی ہوگی یا آپ اسے ماننے کے لئے تیار نہیں ہوں گے لیکن
حقیقت میں بین الاقوامی مارکیٹ میں ایسے چاول موجود ہیں۔
جعلی چاول پہلی بار چین میں دیکھے گئے اور اس کے بعد
ویتنام اور بھارت میں یہ دیکھنے کوملے۔یہ وہ ممالک ہیں جہاں چاولوں کو شوق سے
کھایا جاتا ہے،اس کے بعد انڈونیشیااور یورپ میں بھی یہ چاول پائے جاتے ہیں۔دیکھنے
میں یہ چاول اصل چاولوں کی طرح لگتے ہیں اور پہلی ہی نظر میں انہیں پہچانا نہیں
جاسکتالیکن ان کے استعمال کی وجہ سے پیٹ میں درد ہونے لگتی ہے۔تحقیقاتی رپورٹس کے
مطابق یہ چاول آلو اور سینتھیٹک (مصنوعی)ریشوں سے
بنائے جاتے ہیں۔انہیں عام آنکھ سے نہیں پہچانا جاسکتا لیکن ان کی پہچان کا طریقہ
یہ ہے کہ جب انہیں ابالا جائے تو ان کی ہیت اور شکل تبدیل نہیں ہوتی اور یہ ویسے
ہی رہتے ہیں جیسے کچے ہوتے ہوئے ان کی شکل ہوتی ہے۔ان کی کوئی خوشبو نہیں ہوتی اور
انہیں سونگھنے پر پلاسٹک کی بو آتی ہے
The rice that changed the world
K Deepalakshmi
NOVEMBER 22, 2016 19:08 IST
UPDATED:NOVEMBER
23, 2016 04:07 IST
Thanks
to the IR8 variety, India is self-sufficient in rice production. | Photo Credit: N. Rajesh
IR8, the high-yielding rice variety
helped India fight famine, turns 50 this month
In 1967, when a 29-year-old N. Subba
Rao sowed a semidwarf variety of rice in over 2,000 hectares in Atchanta, West
Godavari district in Andhra Pradesh, he wouldn't have thought he would be part
of a revolution in rice cultivation.What Dr. Rao sowed in his farm was IR-8, a
rice variety developed by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) that
could produce as much as seven tonnes of rice per hectare, while the
traditional seeds could produce only two tonnes per hectare. The rice was first
introduced in 1966 in Philippines, where the agri-research firm was based.
The research for a developing a
high-yield variety of rice began in 1960s when most Asian countries, including
India, were reeling under famine. Peter Jenning, who joined as a rice breeder at
the IRRI began experiments with rice crossing. The team tried as many as 38
crosses involving rice varieties from China, Taiwan and Indonesia.
After years of research, Henry M.
Beachell, who worked with Jenning, developed the IR8-288-3 by crossing Dee-Geo-woo-gen
and Peta variety of rice and tested it in the Philippines. The results were
amazing. From 88 kg of pure seeds sown, 71 tonnes were harvested. The following
year, in 1966, IRRI distributed IR-8 seeds to Filipino farmers for free.
Impressed by the harvest, the news of "miracle rice" spread IRRI
officially released the variety re-christening it as IR-8 on November 29, 1966.
Green revolution in India
At around the same time, Agriculture
Minister C. Subramaniam invited Nobel-laureate Norman Borlaug to work on
improving the agricultural sector in the country. Borlaug went on to
revolutionise wheat cultivation in the country. But India was largely a
rice-eating nation. Rice was cultivated in everyregion, from the hilly terrains
of north and north-east to the coasts of south. And IR8 came as a boon.
Dr. Subba Rao's mass cultivation
paved way for farmers using this high-yield variety. At an event to mark the
50th anniversary of the IR8 variety, eminent agricultural scientist Prof M.S.
Swaminathan said, "The success of IR8 was largely due to its high yield
potential and the synergy generated between technology and public policy."
Dr. Swaminathan had a key role in popularising the IR8 and subsequent
high-yielding varieties of paddy in India.
He recalled how a farmer in Tamil
Nadu's Thiruvannamalai district named his son Irettu (8 is 'ettu' in Tamil).
Mr. Ganesan, the farmer, had harvested about 16 tonnes per hectare of paddy,
said Prof. Swaminathan, while the earlier yields were less than two tonnes per
hectare.
Farmers' favourite
The IR8 became popular with farmers
because it had a short growth duration and a high yield related to its response
to nitrogen fertilizer, says the IRRI on its website. The resistance of this
variety to pest and insect attacks was another reason why farmers preferred it.
Being much smaller in size, the IR8 could withstand wind action unlike the
traditional tall paddy. These paddy are ready for harvest in just 105 days.
Indian scientists took a cue from
this on rice crossing and developed more dwarf varieties such as IR 20, IR 36
and IR 50.
Seeing the success in India and the
Philippines, a member of Dr. Jenning's took it to war-torn Vietnam. It was
fondly called "Honda rice" in Vietnam, as a bumper harvest assured
farmers enough money to fund a Honda motorcycle. The rice variety travelled to
Latin America the same year and eventually became the most sought-after variety
in the tropical regions.
Impact of climate change
A study published by Field Crops
Research journal in 2010 explains how the yield has dropped by 15 per cent due
to climate change. Researchers have blamed hotter nights, frequent flooding and
air pollution for the drop in the yield of IR8.
The same was emphasised by Dr.
Swaminathan. "In the future, rice will play an important role in climate
change management since it can grow under a wide range of altitudes and
latitudes. For example, rice has grown below sea level in Kuttanad area of
Kerala. At the same time, it is grown in high Himalayas. Wheat has no such
resilience and is very much depended upon favourable night temperature.
Therefore, more research should be done on the role of rice in climate change
management," he said on Monday.As IR8 turns fifty, it might get ready for
another makeover, this time to stand the tests of climate
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Thailand have agreed on a market access strategy under
the proposed free trade agreement to increase the volume of bilateral trade.
The understanding was reached between the technical teams of
both countries during the fifth round of negotiations that was held last week
in Bangkok, Thailand.The sixth round of the meeting will be held in Islamabad
on Dec 22-23, 2016. The first round of treaty was held in Oct 2015.
An official source privy to the
meeting told
Dawn that both sides have exchanged lists of items for duty
concession under the treaty. Bangkok handed over a list of 1,700 items seeking
duty reduction on it.
On the other hand, Pakistan has sought market access on 1,200
items. “These are requests lists which will be further consulted with relevant
stakeholders,” the official said.
The official said Pakistan has specially requested for market
access on 650 items. He said Bangkok has agreed to offer for almost all these
products. However, Thailand is reluctant to give any preferential market access
for Pakistani rice and leather products.
Pakistani textile products, sports goods, carpets, etc will get
preferential market access under the proposed FTA.
Both sides also agreed to cover the non-tariff barriers under
the treaty.
On the request of Bangkok, both sides agreed to arrange meetings
of automobile sectors to work out details on any engagement. The official said
Pakistan has offered Thai investors to invest in the Pakistani auto sector.
No market access will be offered in the areas of papers and some
chemicals due to resistance from local manufacturers, the official said.
It was agreed during the meeting that Pakistan will phase out
regulatory duties on importable items after five years of the implementation of
the treaty.
Trade volume between Pakistan and Thailand was $952 million at
the end of 2015-16, in which Pakistan exports were $107m and imports were
$845m.
Exportable items to Thailand currently include fish and fish
preparations, cotton fabrics for women, paper and paper board, raw cotton,
cotton yarn, leather, medical and pharmaceutical products, the material of
animal origin, medical and surgical instruments, chemical element and
compounds.
ISLAMABAD:Pakistan's top performing exports to China should be added to
tariff concession and elimination list so that Pakistan could benefit from the
indicative export potential value of $20 billion to China.
The Pakistan Business Council urged the government to divert more
high potential exports towards China to make full use of existing and future
concession and eliminations.
The PBC in its report about third review of Pakistan-China Free
Trade Agreement (FTA) and Recommendations for Phase 2 Negotiating stated that
Pakistan's total exports to China have increased to $1.4 billion in the last 10
years, as the exports stood at $1.9 billion in 2015. Major export patterns
remained cotton, textile and rice and these products have an individual
indicative potential export value of over $100 million.
On the other hand, Pakistan's imports from China have increased
over the last 10 years as well, going up to over $8 billion from $2.9 billion
in 2006 to $11 billion in 2015. Pakistan's imports from China in 2015 were
mainly electronics, stainless steel items, polyester, yarn, fabric and tires.
The report indicates that due to sheer size of Chinese economy as
well as other factors it must be acknowledged that China will continue to have
a positive impact on Pakistan. However it is important that Pakistan continues
to face high tariffs.
Presently, rice and fruit exports face 65 percent and 24.2 percent
tariffs respectively and this is something that must be addressed during the
phase two negotiating.
The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is a great milestone which is
expected to lead the massive development in manufacturing, employment,
infrastructure, energy and logistics and government ensure that phase 11
negotiating bring about better trade terms as Chinese markets receives 40
percent or greater share in Pakistani exports for 8 commodities.
The PBC in its recommendations said data collection and reporting
needs to be standardised and transparent as currently there are huge
discrepancies. The report shows that Pakistan has a trade deficit of over $9
billion with China whereas Chinese reported data shows a trade deficit of over
$14 billion indicating that in 2015 there is nearly $5 billion in trade that is
unaccounted for that mean severe revenue losses and tax evasion are taking
place.
The government should closely monitor those local industries and
manufacturer sectors that are harming imports.Pakistan and China signed an FTA
in November 2016. Pakistan offered tariff concession and elimination on 6711
products while China did the same in 6418 products over a period of five year.
Phase 1 of the FTA ended in December 2012, phase 11 negotiating started in July
2013 aiming to eliminate tariffs on at least 90 percent of all products.
Furthermore both countries agreed on the target for bilateral trade of $15
billion by the end of Phase 11. At the end of 2015, bilateral trade equaled
over $12,953 million to $2421.96 million in 2006 prior to the implementation of
the FTA
Robots, DNA technology, the
Internet of Things and climate modelling are just some of the ideas and
technologies being showcased at the AgFutures conference in Brisbane today and
tomorrow.
Hosted by the Queensland Department of Agriculture, AgFutures is
this year focusing on innovation and investment.Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI)
chief executive Robert Henry spoke at the conference, saying gene technology
had the potential to play a huge role in increasing the productivity of crops.He
said QAAFI scientists had been looking at major crops such as wheat, rice and
sugar cane, identifying the genes that controlled the quality and efficiency of
production, allowing them to breed better crops that grew faster.But rather
than relying on genetic modification, Dr Henry said many scientists were
focusing on an acceleration of conventional breeding.
"Using the rapid
developments in biotechnology and the information technology, we can speed up
the process [of conventional breeding] and make bigger gains," he said."In
wheat we understand bread quality and in rice the qualities the consumer wants,
and that means we are going to be able to produce products that attract a
higher price in a competitive market place."
Another example of a long list of
research Dr Henry has been involved in over the years is research into wild
rice.He said gene technology was allowing scientists to find and use
disease-resistant genes in wild rice to modify domesticated rice, one of the
major crops in the world.
Virtual fences to become a reality
The question delegates at
AgFutures wanted answered was, will virtual fences ever be a reality?
CSIRO principal research
scientist David Henry said the answer was simple."Well, the good news is,
yes," he said."We are right in the throngs now of a start-up company
in Melbourne commercialising the technology.
"We are testing their
commercial prototypes on animals, making sure they behave appropriately,
working out how to apply it in industry and how do you capture value from it."It's
due for commercial release next year."
Dr Henry said despite what we
were led to believe, cows were easy to train.He said the virtual fence used
sound and a very small electrical impulse to control stock movement."You
train them with a combination of sound and a small electrical stimulus, that is
much less than the shock from an electric fence," Dr Henry said."Within
about three associations they learn to respond just to the audio cue. It is
independent of where they are — there are no visual cues, the audio is just a
buzz, and they learn to associate it within 24 hours."Delegates at the
AgFutures conference were told the farm sector could not rely so heavily on
governments to fund research, but where an idea or technology could show a
return on investment, investors would invest.
Farmers as well as farm labour in
the villages are facing hardship due to demonetisation and unless urgent steps
are taken to improve cash flow, the sector may suffer a huge blow.Kharif crops
are being harvested in many parts of the State and the farmers have to prepare
for the rabi season from January. Demonetisation could not have come at a worse
time.
Gandhi, a farmer from Kalipatnam
village near Narsapur town in West Godavari district, says that the new Rs 500
notes should be released in large numbers to ease the problem. "The new Rs
2,000 note is not of much use, as the smaller denomination of Rs 500 is not
easily available and it is not easy to exchange every Rs 2,000 note with twenty
Rs 100 notes," he says.
According to Bh. Ramachandra
Murthy, a farmer from Krishnapuram vilage in Thondangi mandal of East Godavari
district, "the old notes are being accepted right now, as there is still
time till the end of December to exchange them. But it is getting increasingly
difficult and the problem is getting out of hand. It is not easy for farmers or
farm workers to stand in queues to exchange notes."
Rice millers, commission agents
and merchants are unable to lift the harvested paddy and other crops from the
villages, and they complain that the limits on daily withdrawal of money is
hampering the activities.
"Farmers do not accept
cheques, even if they have bank accounts, as they are so used to cash
transactions. Old habits die hard," says A. Ramakrishna Reddy, a rice
miller from East Godavari district.
Y Sivaji, former member of the
Rajya Sabha, who has recently participated in the pre-Budget consultations in
New Delhi, has welcomed the move of the Government, but feels that certain
steps should be immediately taken to cushion the blow on farmers and the farm
labour.
He says, "We have suggested
that the Government allow purchase of farm inputs such as seeds, fertilisers,
and pesticides with old notes for the coming rabi season and the Government has
responded positively. It is also high time that the NREGA scheme is linked with
agriculture and a mechanism developed for the proper implementation of the
scheme. The farm labour should be registered with the panchayats."
He also feels that the credit
flow to the agricultural sector should be enhanced substantially after
demonetisation. "Moneylenders will also be left cashless in the villages
and therefore banks have to rescue the farmers," he has said.
Cambodia expects to yield 5 million tons of paddy surplus
11/22/2016 Asia
News Network (ANN)
This year, Cambodia will yield more than 5
million tons of rice, according to the Cambodian prime minister's projection.Prime
Minister Hun Sen projected this morning that the rice yields this year may
higher than the previous year. "After keeping some for local
consumption and seeds, there would be about 5 million tons of paddy rice left
forexportthis year's yield " he underlined at the
inauguration ceremony of a portion of the National Road No. 76 held in
Rattanakiri- a northeastern province.
At the same time, Premier Hun Sen also shared
some suggestions to the farmers in order to prevent the rice price falling.Premier
Hun Sen encouraged the farmers to keep and dry up their rice yields well and
said the rice price falling is not only happening in Cambodia, but other
countries in the region and the world.For the next year's riceexporttarget, the premier encouraged the rice millers
to see the potential destination, includingEU, and China, and
Vietnam.
During Chinese President Xi Jinping 's
visit, China pledged to buy the Cambodian rice until 200,000 tone, and in
Octember under the bilateral trade enhancement arrangement signed in
Hanoi, Vietnam promised to buy some 300,000 ton of rice.
WE have witnessed the rise and
fall of the rice industry, but can the Duterte administration finally attain
self-sufficiency by 2019, as it claims, similar to how all its predecessors
have vowed only to fail and succumb to the temptations of conveniently
importing huge volumes of the staple?
Should the Philippines pursue
rice self-sufficiency at all costs? Or must it focus, instead, on assuring food
security and higher incomes for farmers that could bail them out of their
moribund state of poverty?
Whatever is the right strategy,
these were among the issues discussed at the recent Usapang Sakahan forum
organized by our organization, the Philippine Agricultural Journalists Inc., in
partnership with Inang Lupa Movement, at the Sangkalan Restaurant in Quezon
City.
“RIPE” for takeoff?Department of Agriculture (DA) Director Leo P. Cañeda discussed
Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol’s Rice Industry Productivity
Enhancement (RIPE) program, claiming the situation is now ripe for a takeoff
for the Philippines to attain self-sufficiency.
Cañeda, as former, regional
executive director for Eastern Visayas, was able to transform Region 8 from a
rice-deficit region to a self-sufficient producer, even against the odds with
the region often ravaged by typhoons.
The DA aims to increase palay
productionfrom the current 18.150 million metric tons (MMT) to self-sufficiency
at 21.6 million MMT by 2019. This it aims to achieve through a combination of
irrigated hectarage and hybrid rice varieties to boost yields, and through
mechanization and modern and appropriate postharvest facilities to reduce
spoilage and wastage, with sun-drying on concrete roads along highways alone
accounting for as much as 25 percent of postharvest losses. Milling and other
losses from threshing, handling, etc., account for another 15 percent.
The government is increasing the infrastructure spending for irrigation to
P21.53 billlion in 2018, up from the current ceiling of P7.15 billion. Small
irrigation facilities will also be built in ideal rain-fed areas.
Just to emphasize the importance
of irrigation, it is said that before other inputs are to be considered,
agriculture needs No. 1, water; No. 2, water; and No. 3, water. Unlike rain-fed
ricelands that produce only one crop a year, irrigated lands produce two or
three crops a year. But out of the 4.656 million hectares in total rice lands,
only 331,157 hectares so far are irrigated areas planted to hybrid rice.
The current national average rice
yield is 3.90 MT per hectare, which is below the average hybrid rice yield of
5.7 MT per hectare. There are even hybrid yields of 8 to 12 MT per hectare per
crop. The DA aims to increase the national average yield to 4.64 MT per hectare
by 2019, Cañeda says.
Swiped when ripe?But when things get (fruitful) ripe, they get swiped [Kung namumunga, pinupukol]. Whether
this is a Filipino cultural trait or not, criticisms are normal in a democracy,
and should be welcomed as a feedback mechanism to help refine ideas and
programs. Otherwise, aversion to criticisms can lead to complacency and hubris,
whereby the myopic intellectual rust starts corroding.
Former Agriculture Secretary
William D. Dar of Inang Lupa said he wishes “self-sufficiency is attained, but
it should not be done at all costs. There must be actual numerical targets, so
we can ascertain and measure exactly if our goals are attainable and not just
sweeping general statements. There are also over 1.3 million hectares of
irrigable flat lands that are not yet being done.”
On competitiveness, Dar said we
can never be competitive, as our production costs are as much as P11 to P12 per
kilo, in contrast to Vietnam’s P6 to P7 per kilo, and Thailand’s P9 per kilo,
as both enjoy vast flat lands naturally irrigated at virtually no cost by the
huge Mekong River. Our focus must, therefore, be on food security and higher
farmer incomes and not on self-sufficiency alone.
Jesse Las Marias, an economist
and agriculture practitioner, who was one of the forum audience, says “with
better technologies and farming systems like the System of Rice Intensification
[SRI] system, we can bring down costs of production to P4 to P6 per kilo, which
are already competitive with our neighbors.” How it works deserves a separate
discussion.
Imports distorting markets anew?Joji Co, president of the Philippine Confederation of Grains
Associations, said it is difficult for them to plan long term because, while
the government aims to go for massive local production and self-sufficiency, we
hear reports that the National Food Authority (NFA) allowed the importation of805,000 metric tons, which
will arrive not later than February 28, 2017.The problem here is that this
importation privilege is open to almost anybody, including the rice
stakeholders. “And we would not know if those granted import permits will
actually double what is allowed,” he added.
Co says the regular huge imports
force them to slow down on their procurement from rice farmers, which dampen
farm prices. Moreover, rice millers could not also plan effectively to upgrade
and replace their old rice mills, which are already 40 to 50 years old and have
very low grains-recovery rates of only 60 percent, against other countries
hitting almost 70 percent. He said the government must invest massively in rice
driers, as drying the palay on concrete roads does not only expose the grains
to the rains, but they are also consumed by birds, insects and rats. Whether
you save by cutting down on wastage either through mechanized driers, better
threshers or upgraded rice mills, a mere 10-percent savings can already produce
an additional 2 million tons of rice from wastage of palay processing.
For the rice-milling industry to
improve its production efficiencies, Co says all they are asking is for the
government not really to finance them fully, but just to subsidize the
high-interest cost increments of banks and many financing programs.
Again, they are faced with the
dilemma of whether they must invest in capital outlays for long term, or join,
as well, the more convenient business of importing rice, as all it takes is a
small office and a secretary, and you can do international trading and just
outsource the logistical needs from trucking to warehousing, etc.
Also present as a speaker at the
forum was Gawad Saka awardee farmer Nemesio Concepcion, an outstanding rice
farmer from Central Luzon. Whether we achieve self-sufficiency, or go through
the usualruceandfall, either way there is some
basis and agrainof truth.
The Civil Supplies Corporation
has convinced the rice millers to supply fine rice varieties at Rs.30.50 per
kilogram to welfare hostels and Mid Day Meals programme, thereby saving Rs.40
crore for the exchequer, a press release from the Civil Supplies Department
claimed on Tuesday. Further, Rs.80 crore would be saved in the purchase of rice
for public distribution, the note said.
Old stocks of steamed rice, BPT-5204, Sona Masuri and Samba
Masuri varieties will be supplied for the next three months. Though new stocks
have arrived, the new rice will be sticky till it becomes old, the note said.
The corporation has also persuaded the millers to purchase paddy
at not less than Rs.1,800 per quintal, the note said. A total of six lakh
tonnes will be supplied by millers who were also brought around by the
corporation to supply at Rs.2,400 per quintal for Grade-A and Rs. 2,350 per
quintal for ordinary variety, inclusive of market fee and gunny bags. This will
save Rs.80 crore of public money.
Last year, the Federal Government approved the research for the
Nitrogen-use-efficiency, water-use-efficiency and salt tolerant (NEWEST) rice
variety project at the National Cereal Research Institute (NCRI), Badeggi,
Niger State as part of the overall strategy to end rice importation by 2017 and
promote food security in the country
Government's decision was based on the fact that farmers in the
country and across Africa are experiencing low yields resulting in high rice
imports in SSA where over 40 per cent of the rice consumed is imported. The
average grain yield in Africa (2.2 t/ha) is below the world average (3.4 t/ha)
by 49 per cent and several factors account for this low yield.
Soil nitrogen deficiency has been cited as a major constraint to
rice production. Nitrogen deficiency is mostly acute in the highly weathered
upland areas where an average yield of only one tonne per hectare, which is
about 25 per cent of yield potential, has been recorded. Also, nitrogen is
difficult to retain when applied in lowland areas due to floods and flowing
water that characterise such areas.
A major concern that constraints rice production in nitrogen
deficient soils is the inability of farmers to buy fertilisers to address this
constraint, and when they buy, they can hardly afford the required rate for
optimal yield. Improving the nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) of rice is one means
of overcoming these limitations.
Similarly, drought has been identified as a major limiting
factor in rice production in SSA where about 80 per cent of rice farms
traditionally depend on rainfall. The farmers are often resource constrained,
and cannot afford irrigation systems. With the utilisation and application of
water use efficient (WUE) component, the rice will require less water and this will
offer an appreciable coping mechanism against drought.Also, high salinity is increasingly becoming a major problem in
rice growing areas of the coastal lowlands and mangrove swamps.
So principally, the ongoing rice research at Badeggi is to
address the above stated constraints which over the years, conventional
breeding methods have not been able to tackle.
The editorial has raised questions on the absence of the
critical mass of qualified scientists to undertake genetic engineering as well
as their ability to handle such high level technology.
But the question to ask is whether genetic modification is more
of a high level science than stem cell or other form of science that
researchers at Nigerian universities have attained accolade and honour for
their works in such areas.
Yes it is right to say Nigeria is not like America that is so
versed in research but that was the same kind of argument presented when
Nigeria ventured into nuclear technology, a technology that one accident can
kill every living thing within certain radius, but 10 years after we have
forged on and their fears have not come to pass.
What were the nation's manpower potentials when our first
satellite, NigeriaSat 1 was launched? We all remembered that after the launch,
Nigerian scientists were able to build, launch and control NigeriaSat X in
orbit.
The Guardian can send its reporters to the research centres
across Nigeria and investigate their capacity. It is denigrating to question
the patriotism of loyal and dedicated researchers who in view of all odds have
not only continue to thrive but challenge and contest all honours and awards
with their counterparts in other parts of the world.
The good thing about science and technology be it GM, nuclear or
satellite is that, it is universal. Yes agreed that we may not have all the
facilities but that does not mean we should not do what we can with what we
have.
The Director-General of the National Biosafety Management Agency
(NBMA), Dr. Rufus Ebegba did not threaten to shut the research institute if it
fails the next round of preliminary trials, because he does not have such
powers. He can only stop the research which is just one of the many researches
the institute is undertaking.Ebegba did not say the statement below attributed
to him. "GMO rice is a strain that has been modified genetically to
increase micronutrients like vitamin A, accelerate photosynthesis, resist
pests, tolerate herbicides, increase grain size, generate nutrients or flavours
and produce human proteins."
Your editorial also raised so many questions including: Is such
genetically modified rice, therefore, safe, since the modification already
alters its composition? Like irradiated food, that doesn't expire, the question
is whether such product is still safe for human consumption. How long then
would the rice last? Or would it last forever? Are GMO products biodegradable?
These are critical questions that should be answered.These questions may not
even arise if we understand what the NEWEST rice is all about but for the
avoidance of doubt, it has nothing to do with the fears expressed as it won't
differ from the rice in the market currently. The only difference is that its
genetic composition is altered to accommodate or withstand drought, high soil
salinity, Nitrogen deficiency among others.
There is no possibility of horizontal gene transfer and it is
not possible for gene transfer between rice and millet as the editorial noted.The
fears about altering the natural process of degradation does not even arise as
before a GMO product is released it must meet health, environment, ecology and
other standards which are observed worldwide.Nobody has ever said that GM will
solve Nigeria's food problem, emphasis had also been on the fact that GM is a
tool that can assist in the provision of safe and healthy food for Nigerians.
The statement on whether Nigeria is prepared to do the necessary
research as far as genetic modification is concerned can only be postulated by
someone who lacks basic knowledge of the human capacities in our research
institutes. The GM beans project had progressed successfully in the last 10
years in the country under the supervision of Nigerians scientists at the
Institute for Agriculture Research, ABU, Zaria. The introduction of genetic
engineering may be one of the antidotes capable of reviving most of the
research institutes said to be comatose.The essence of the whole exercise was
reinforced by the former Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Science and
Technology, Mrs. Winifred Oyo Ita at the inauguration of the research that
"the main role of science in agriculture has been to help generate
novelties that allow us to produce more with less land and less effort".Abutu
is of the Programme for Biosafety System.Abutu is of the Programme for
Biosafety System
http://allafrica.com/stories/201611221087.html
China agrees to import rice from 17 mills in
India
In a major breakthrough that New Delhi had been
waiting for, China has agreed to import rice, non-basmati and basmati
varieties, from 17 registered mills in India, following efforts to ensure
market access for Indian products in that country.India had repeatedly sought
market access for items including non-basmati rice, pharmaceuticals and many
fruits and vegetables among others, citing the country’s widening goods trade
deficit with China. India’s goods trade deficit with China has ballooned from
$1.1 billion in 2003-04 to $52.7 billion in 2015-16.
Beetle fear
China is the world’s largest rice importer.
However, Beijing had so far not granted market access to India’s non-basmati
rice claiming that the item had failed to meet Chinese norms on quality, health
and safety. Its apprehensions included the possibility of the Khapra beetle (or
cabinet beetle) pest getting transported along with Indian non-basmati rice
consignments to China.
Official sources said after numerous requests
from the Indian side, Chinese officials visited India in September to inspect
19 rice mills registered with the National Plant Protection Organization
(NPPO). These mills are in Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
To export to nations including China, it is mandatory that Indian rice
exporters are registered with NPPO, the Indian government agency for inspecting
the mills and granting certificates on plant health for export purposes.
The NPPO assisted its Chinese counterpart AQSIQ
during the inspection for pest-risk analysis and plant quarantine purposes to
ensure that the non-basmati consignments from India will be pest-free, safe and
of good quality.
The Agricultural and Processed Food Products
Export Development Authority (APEDA) under the Indian Commerce Ministry was
also involved in the process. India had earlier sent the information sought by
AQSIQ regarding the quality protocol and standard operating procedures, the
sources said.
They said the Indian embassy in Beijing
informed the Commerce Ministry that Chinese authorities, last week, cleared 17
of these 19 mills for rice exports to China. The Commerce Ministry has
forwarded the list to APEDA and asked it to inform rice exporters to soon find
customers in China.
Crop yields in India lower than
in US, Europe, China: Minister
OUR BUREAU
Agriculture
Minister Radha Mohan Singh
‘Govt schemes aiming to boost productivity’
NEW DELHI,
NOVEMBER 22:
The productivity of various crops and legumes in India are lower
than those in the US, Europe and China, Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh
informed the Lok Sabha on Tuesday. He said the government was implementing
several schemes to address this issue.In a written reply to a question, Singh
said, “Low crop yields cannot be attributed to non-availability of improved
technologies but several factors including short growing season, varied
agro-climatic conditions and weather extremities.”Singh said in countries with
high productivity, “Crops are largely grown in high input management conditions
of long growing period without any stress (moisture, temperature). Further, in
India on the same land, farmers grow more than one crop in a year and per day
productivity of most of the crops in India is comparable to the global
average.” Replying to a query if there was sluggish progress in improving crop
yields, the Minister said the Indian Council of Agricultural Research was
conducting research on 26 commodities, while several schemes such as National
Food Security Mission (NFSM) had been rolled out to increase production and
productivity of crops.He said the government’s crop improvement programmes
focussed on development of new crop varieties/hybrids with improved quality and
tolerance/resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses and making crops able to
withstand weather extremities.“The recent achievements in the field of
sequencing of genomes of important plants and microbes are gainfully utilised,”
he added.He said as a result of implementation of various crop development
schemes and programmes, the production and productivity of most of the
agricultural crops had increased.For instance, rice yields had increased from
2,131 kg per hectare in 2006-07 to 2,416 kg per hectare in 2013-14, while wheat
yields had gone up from 2,708 kg per hectare to 3,145 kg per hectare in the
same period.
Over the past month the military
government in Thailand has announced subsidies for rice farmers of 38bn baht
($1.1bn; £860m) to address a sharp fall in global rice prices.Thailand was once
the world’s leading exporter of rice, but lost that status after the collapse
of an extravagant price support scheme run by the last elected government.However,
the new subsidies have raised awkward questions for the government, which has filed
criminal charges against former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and imposed
a $1bn fine on her for losses incurred under her scheme
The Ebonyi Government is to
enforce its ban on the sale of foreign rice in markets and other outlets in the
State.
Gov. David Umahi made the disclosure when
participants of the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Senior Course 39,
Jaji, visited him in Abakaliki on Monday.According to the governor, the order
would soon be enforced to ensure that the residents patronised home-grown
Ebonyi Rice.“I will personally lead a task-force, consisting of the State
Executive Council members to various markets and enforce the order.“Individuals
who are selling the produce will provide certification of its quality because
most of the rice brought into the state is not parboiled.
“Any rice that is not parboiled after six
months turns to chaff as most of them brought into the country stay for about
10 years before being imported.“The rice then becomes poisonous and we have
banned cooking of non-Ebonyi rice inside the state’s Government House, hotels
and public functions.“The Ebonyi rice still presents its unique taste even when
cooked without meat and we will give you some quantities for attestation”, he
said.
The governor remarked that the state had three
functional rice mills and would inaugurate mills in the 13 Local Government
Areas of the state before the end of 2017.
“When we conclude the inauguration, we will
consult our stakeholders who show zeal and commitment but may not have money to
purchase the mills.“We will then aggregate and sell the mills to them with
government maintaining about 20 per cent minimum equity shares and the
stakeholders-80 per cent.“This is the type of Public Private Partnership (PPP)
we will be engaging, in line with the theme of your study-`tour of the state’,”
he said.Leader of the delegation, Commodore Michael Okonkwo, said the study
tour was one of the programmes that enabled participants to study the
socio-economic problems that confront the country.“The theme of the tour is:
Enhancing Economic Development through Public-Private Partnership’’, as we aim
at evaluating aspects of the theme that concerns Ebonyi.
“We are the third group of the study-tour
consisting of 27 members and nine other groups are touring other states of the
country for the same objective.“The other selected states include: Anambra,
Gombe, Cross River, Kano, Nasarawa, Niger, Rivers, Taraba, and Zamfara”, he
said.He said each team required to write a report and make a formal
presentation to the college on their observation in the visited states“We will
be glad to have the governor or his representative at the collage during the
report presentation in January. I will make a formal request on that through a
letter”, he said.
Cambodia
expects to yield 5 million tons of paddy surplus
Submitted
by Eleven on
Tue, 11/22/2016 - 10:09
RATTANAKIRI, Cambodia (Rasmei Kampuchea Daily/ANN) - Cambodia's
premier has revealed that the local farmers can produce more paddy this year as
compared to 2015. This year, Cambodia will yield more than 5 million tons
of rice, according to the Cambodian prime minister’s projection.
Prime Minister Hun Sen projected this morning that the rice
yields this year may higher than the previous year. “After keeping some
for local consumption and seeds, there would be about 5 million tons of paddy
rice left for export this year’s yield ” he underlined at the inauguration
ceremony of a portion of the National Road No. 76 held in Rattanakiri- a
northeastern province.
At the same time, Premier Hun Sen also shared some suggestions
to the farmers in order to prevent the rice price falling.Premier Hun Sen
encouraged the farmers to keep and dry up their rice yields well and said the
rice price falling is not only happening in Cambodia, but other countries in
the region and the world.
For the next year’s rice export target, the premier encouraged
the rice millers to see the potential destination, including EU, and China, and
Vietnam.During Chinese President Xi Jinping ’s visit, China pledged to
buy the Cambodian rice until 200,000 tone, and in Octember under the
bilateral trade enhancement arrangement signed in Hanoi, Vietnam promised
to buy some 300,000 ton of rice.
http://www.elevenmyanmar.com/business/6724
NEDA bats for competitive rice tariff
after QR lifting
By Czeriza
Valencia (The Philippine Star) | Updated November 22,
2016 - 12:00am
In a recent interview, NEDA deputy director general Rosemarie
Edillon said imposing a competitive tariff on rice imports after the expiration
of the quantitative restriction (QR) next year would significantly reduce the
cost of the staple that eats up 20 percent of the budget of the poor. File
photo
MANILA, Philippines - The removal of the special tax treatment on
rice imports is a “major strategy in bringing down the country’s poverty
incidence to between 13 to 15 percent” by the end of the Duterte administration
in 2022, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) said.In a
recent interview, NEDA deputy director general Rosemarie Edillon said imposing
a competitive tariff on rice imports after the expiration of the quantitative
restriction (QR) next year would significantly reduce the cost of the staple
that eats up 20 percent of the budget of the poor. At the same time, it
would enable the agricultural sector to transition to the production of more
high-value crops, she said.
“If we remove the QR, that would lead to lower prices of rice and
many of the poor are net rice consumers. On the part of the producers, that
actually induces them to more efficiently allocate their resources,” said
Edillon. Many rice famers, she said, are attracted to plant rice even if
their lands are not suitable to the crop because of the high support
price. “If they can transition to high-value crops they would earn more.
So instead of imposing a QR, we will impose tariff so there would be revenues
that may be plowed back into the sector in the form of technical assistance for
crop and income diversification,” she said. NEDA projects
additional revenues of P15 billion annually from duties on rice imports
assuming a tariff rate of around 35 percent – consistent with the tariff on
rice imports within ASEAN – is imposed.
Allowing free importation of rice would mean less domestic
production because of competition but this does not mean the government would
abandon the provision of support to rice farmers entirely, said Edillon.
“We are looking at provinces that can really compete under a new
regime. What the government will do is to implement productivity-enhancing strategies
in these areas to increase production,” she said. “We don’t mind less
production. What we are looking at more is the bottom line, that more farmers
will graduate from poverty. Right now, they can sell rice at a high price but
the production cost is also very high. That is the reason they can’t compete,”
she added.
The extended QR, which would lapse in June 2017, is meant to
protect the livelihood of Filipino rice farmers while they are strengthening
their production capability. This extension was borne out of two years of
negotiations with the World Trade Organization (WTO) and various member
countries under the Aquino administration. Through the QR, the Philippines
imposes a high tariff of 35 percent on imported rice, the volume of which has
been restricted to 805, 200 metric tons (MT). Importing outside the QR is even
more expensive as inbound shipments would be levied a duty of 40 to 50 percent.
To fill the supply gap, the National Food Authority (NFA) imports
rice through tenders and intervenes in the market by selling the staple at a
cheaper price.There is already consensus in the economic cluster of the Duterte
Cabinet to remove the QR but the Department of Agriculture is still firmly
against it. “It would be a high-level Cabinet discussion. We are preparing the
necessary technical data for that. It is now in the economic cluster but it has
to be raised to Cabinet level,” she said.
The removal of the special tax treatment on rice is among NEDA’s
main strategies for lowering the poverty incidence in the country by the end of
Duterte’s term. The government is raising its target for the reduction of
poverty incidence to between 13 to 15 percent by the end of Duterte’s term in
2022 from the previous target of 17 percent. This would be driven by rural and
regional development coupled with addressing the capacity constraints in other
economic sectors
BALTIMORE, MD --
The U.S. Agricultural Export Development Council (USAEDC) held their annual
workshop here last week attended by commodity trade associations, state and
regional trade groups, as well as marketing research companies, who gather to
hear about the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) priorities and
operations.
Deputy
Undersecretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services Alexis Taylor gave
the keynote address about expanding export markets for U.S. agriculture.
Mark Slupek, Deputy Administrator of the Office of Trade Programs, briefed
cooperators on the priorities for the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), and
Charlie Cook of the Cook Report gave an engaging and informative analysis of
the recent presidential election, highlighting what might lie ahead for trade.
During break-out
sessions, Sarah Moran, USA Rice senior director for international trade and
market development, joined a panel on cooperator partnerships including USDA's
Market Access Program (MAP) and Foreign Market Development (FMD) Program.
"This year's
theme at USAEDC was to highlight the successful public private partnerships
between USDA and the cooperator community," said Moran. "The
MAP and FMD programs which require an industry match are an excellent example
of these successful partnerships and have helped agricultural exports increase
significantly in the past 15 years. For instance, we were able to share
the work USA Rice is doing with FAS in Turkey regarding GMO contamination of
containers carrying U.S. rice. Turkey has a zero tolerance for GMOs and
while there is no GM rice in commercial production in the United States, rice
is shipped in containers that once carried GM modified commodities.
Turkish government officials, media, and agricultural engineers will travel to
the U.S. to learn about the benefits of agricultural biotechnology for farmers
and consumers. This activity will be funded through the Cochran Program."
The U.S. rice
industry benefits greatly through its partnership with FAS and was just awarded
more than $4.5 million in MAP and FMD funding for overseas promotion of
U.S.-grown rice.
