Friday, September 22, 2017

22nd September,2017 daily global regional local rice e-newsletter by riceplus magazine

USA Rice Throws Taste Party at Local High School

ASHBURN, VA -- Today, USA Rice staff visited Rock Ridge High School in Loudoun County, Virginia, to host a "taste party" and celebrate National Rice Month (NRM). During the lunch event, USA Rice taught more than 300 students about the U.S. rice industry and screened a short "Rice 101" film.

Following the presentation, students tested their U.S. rice knowledge on the Think Rice trivia wheel and sampled a dish of brown cilantro lime rice prepared by the school's kitchen staff.

"These school visits present a great opportunity for USA Rice to teach students and faculty the importance of U.S. rice in a fun and casual environment," said Cameron Jacobs, USA Rice domestic promotion manager. "Plus we got to hear from those on the front lines of school foodservice about cooking rice for a population of 1,200 students."

Loudoun County's School Nutrition Marketing Coordinator Stefanie Dove created the taste party template and helped coordinate the event.

In addition to participating in the taste party, USA Rice also donated a commercial rice cooker to the school to help with future production of U.S. rice dishes.

"This rice cooker is a tremendous addition to our school's kitchen and with rice becoming a staple in our cafeteria, demand has never been higher," said Sherri Foster-Craft, Rock Ridge's school nutrition manager.

20th Annual Rice Cook Off Celebrates National Rice Month

By Kane Webb

LAKE CHARLES, LA -- Yesterday, the Calcasieu, Cameron & Beauregard Rice Growers Association and the Port of Lake Charles held their 20th Annual Louisiana Rice Cook Off contest to celebrate National Rice Month. The contest is held annually to promote the value the local rice industry plays in Southwest Louisiana, and to highlight the variety of healthy dishes that can be made with rice.

Contestants represented 17 area middle and high school Family and Consumer Science departments, with dishes submitted required to contain a minimum of one cup of rice in the recipe to participate. Awards were given for the top three dishes overall and the top Healthy Choice dish, and each contestant received a new rice cooker donated by Farmers Rice Mill.

The students met with local rice farmers, ag extension agents from Louisiana State University, Port of Lake Charles staff, and local dignitaries while the contest was being judged. They learned about the nutritional value of rice as a food source and played rice fact trivia and other educational games to test their knowledge about rice and the U.S. rice industry.

"In addition to celebrating National Rice Month, the event gives us a chance to share with students the importance of the rice industry to our local economy and the impact it has on the entire region," said Adam Habetz, president of the Cal-Cam Rice Growers Association. "It's a great way to involve our younger generation in learning more about rice, while giving them the opportunity to show off their cooking skills with their favorite rice dish."

Govt to stock up on 900,000 tons of rice by Nov

21.09.2017

| UkrAgroConsult

Government has decided to store 900,000 tons of rice by November 12 to rein the rising price of the staple food in local markets

Coarse rice is now selling at Tk64 in local markets - a record high for the country. This same rice was sold at Tk38 at the beginning of the yearThe government will stockpile 900,000 tons of rice by November 12 to stem the rising price of the staple food in local markets.According to the sources in the Ministry of Food, the per kg rice price has risen by 39% over the last nine months in Bangladesh’s markets, but by only 6% on the international market.

Coarse rice is now selling at Tk64 in local markets – a record high for the country. This same rice was sold at Tk38 at the beginning of the year.“We have already taken steps to import 900,000 tons of rice to ease the upward price pressure,” Food Secretary Md Kaikobad Hossain told reporters after a cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

“A total of 200,000 tons of rice is now in government storage while 150,000 tons is at the Chittagong port now,” he said. “The remaining 550,000 tons will arrive at Chittagong by November 12.”Finance Minister AMA Muhith chaired Wednesday’s cabinet committee meeting, which also approved the Food Ministry’s proposal to import 50,000 tons of non-bashmoti and parboiled rice from Thailand through an international tender.In local currency, the per kg price of this rice has been fixed at Tk36.

Food Secretary Kaikobad added that the total import of more than 900,000 tons of rice will be made entirely through Government-to-Government agreements.“The private sector has no role to play in this regard,” he said.“It is true that the import cost through international tender is lower than that of the Government-to-Government purchase scheme, but the G-to-G initiative ensures product quality.”

The food secretary said sometimes it so happens that awarded firms do not intend to import rice and do not provide guarantee money to the government, which creates uncertainty in the local market. This is not seen in G-to-G scheme.The food ministry aimed to procure 1,000,000 tons of rice from international markets to meet the rice shortage. Stocks had fallen to a five-year low of 345,000 tons as at September 14.

According to a report of the ministry, the government failed to import 300,000 metric tons of rice from Thailand and India due to price differences between the two countries and the international market.The per unit cost of importing from Thailand was $464 under the Government-to-Government purchase while that from India was $454.Last month the government signed two deals with Vietnam and Cambodia respectively to import two and a half million tons of rice from each of the two countries.

After the inter-ministerial meeting of Food and Expenditure

Committee on August 16, Qamrul told reporters that the target of harvesting 19,100,000 tons of Boro paddy was not achieved due to flood in haor and otherareas.“I did not buy the plan to procure 700,000 tons of rice and 800,000 tons of wheat,” he said, when asked about procurement.

http://www.blackseagrain.net/novosti/govt-to-stock-up-on-900-000-tons-of-rice-by-nov

DA targeting to raise rice yield, cut production cost

By Jasper Y. Arcalas - September 21, 2017

Increasing the national average palay yield and reducing production cost will help Filipino farmers survive the competition in the Asean rice market, according to the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice).PhilRice, an attached agency of the Department of Agriculture (DA), said the Duterte administration wants to raise national average rice yield to 6 metric tons (MT) per hectare and cut production cost to P8 per kilogram.

“This target, supported by strategic government interventions in the medium term [until 2022] will make our farmers competitive and sustain the nation’s rice industry in the long run,” said Dr. Flordeliza H. Bordey, senior socioeconomist of PhilRice, in a statement.With the Asean integration, Bordey said the Philippines is confronted with a different economic scenario so targeting rice self-sufficiency is no longer enough.

“As our commitment to the World Trade Organization, we now have to replace our quantitative restriction [QR] policy with its tariff equivalent,” she added.Once the QR on rice is lifted, Bordey said importers can bring in rice from Asean member-countries as long as they see it profitable. She noted that the 35 percent tariff is the only protection of the Philippines.

A study undertaken by the PhilRice and the International Rice Research Institute noted that imported rice from Thailand and Vietnam will be around P31 and P27 per kilogram, respectively.This scenario is favorable to consumers, especially for poor families who spend about a third of their income for food expenses.

However, Bordey warned that cheaper imports will also reduce the price of locally produced rice.“This will have a negative impact on the income of our rice farmers who, at present, only produce an average of 3.87 MT/ha at a cost of P12/kg”, she said.

“This means that rice farmers, say in Nueva Ecija, who spend P48,000 per hectare on average, must have a yield of around 6,000 kg, or 6 MT, to survive the competition,” Bordey added

Govt. to purchase 350,000 tons of rice for reserve

By Yonhap

· Published : Sept 21, 2017 - 15:02

· Updated : Sept 21, 2017 - 15:02

South Korea will increase the purchase of local rice that will be set aside for reserve purposes this year to help stabilize prices on the domestic market, the agriculture ministry said Thursday.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said it will buy 350,000 tons of rice harvested this year from Sept. 25 to Dec. 31.

It will increase the purchase of rice from last year's 82,000 tons to 90,000 tons and buy 260,000 tons of packaged rice. Some 10,000 tons of rice will be set aside for ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve as Seoul plans to send rice aid to developing nations, the ministry said.

A farmer harvests rice in a rice paddy in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, Sept. 6, 2017. (Yonhap)

Launched in 2013 by 10 countries of the ASEAN and the three Northeast Asian countries of South Korea, Japan and China, APTERR is aimed at safeguarding the region's food security in case of emergencies, such as floods and droughts.

The APTERR participation is also part of the Seoul government's schemes to deal with a chronic oversupply of rice in the country stemming from a sharp drop in rice consumption.

Some 300,000 tons of rice remained in excess last year, as the 4.2 million-ton supply outnumbers the 3.9 million tons consumed, and the glut will likely stay at 200,000 tons in 2017.

This year, the ministry plans to temporarily abolish upfront payment, which was given to farmers in August before each year's rice price was confirmed in September or October.

Under the system introduced in 2005, the government paid extra money to farmers in addition to the prepayment to complement the rice price later. But last year farmers had to return part of the money they received in advance after the government failed to properly predict rice prices, causing complaints. (Yonhap)

http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20170921000693

Rakhine continues to export rice to Bangladesh

Submitted by Eleven on Thu, 09/21/2017 - 10:11

Writer:

Maungdaw border trading camp exports rice to Bangladesh in early August

KITSAPA- Although trade already suspended in Maungdaw Border Trade Camp due to violence attacks of ARSA extremist Bengali terrorists in northern Maungdaw Township, Rakhine State, rice is being exported to Bangladesh from Sittway border trade camp.Since the beginning of July, rice export to Bangladesh was boosting via Maungdaw and Sittway border trade zones. Although Maungdaw border trade camp doesn’t export rice to Bangladesh, Sittway exports more rice to Bangladesh. Until September 15th, Sittway earned US$ 0.525 million from rice export.

“ As Maungdaw Township suspended its rice export, rice is being exported to Bangladesh from Sittway border trade camp. Rice export increased because only Sittway border trade camp exported rice to Bangladesh. There was no impact on rice export as Maungdaw already suspended rice export,” said one of the rice dealers.

The ARSA extremist Bengali terrorists launched simultaneous attacks to over 30 border outposts in Maungdaw border area on August 25th.

Due to ARSA Bengali terrorist attacks, Maungdaw border trading suspended until September 17th. However, Sittway regularly deals with Bangladesh.

As Maungdaw border trade already suspended, merchants left in hand of rice and dry-fish. So, they are hoping to get dealing chance if security will be good condition

http://www.elevenmyanmar.com/business/11679

20th Annual Rice Cook Off Celebrates National Rice Month

By Kane Webb

How a Mobile Rice Mill Transformed the Life of Tribal Villagers in Maharashtra

•

AGRICULTURE, INNOVATION,

Padgilwar Corporation successfully innovated a small-scale rice mill that can be transported easily from village to village, and run on basic electricity.

by Vidya Rajaa day ago

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Khandbara is a village in the Nandurbar district of Maharashtra, close to the Maharashtra – Gujarat border. An agrarian village, the primary product of the village is paddy, and for years, the villagers were selling unprocessed paddy to traders and millers.

This was because there was no rice mill in the Khandbara village. The residents of the village had to travel at least 35 km to get the paddy cleaned. The economics of transporting the paddy to get it cleaned was clearly not attractive, and farmers had little choice but to sell unprocessed paddy at lower rates.

In 2010, an initiative to increase the farmers’ income was being explored by Dr Hegdewar Seva Samithi, an NGO, through its agriculture-focused arm – Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK).

After studying the economies of Khandbara and its surrounding villages, the Kendra advised the farmers to form a Farmers’ Cooperative Society. Avenues to add value to the basic produce were explored, and the KVK undertook studies to evaluate the most cost-effective means to achieve the same.

With an outlay of Rs 1 Lakh, the KVK approached Padgilwar Corporation – a farm equipment manufacturer that has been working with small farmers in Maharashtra for over 60 years.

Padgilwar Corporation successfully innovated a small-scale rice mill that can be transported easily from village to village, and run on basic electricity.

The company successfully developed the product within Rs 40,000, as against the Rs 1 Lakh it was allotted. The USP of the mill was its small size and ease of use.

Mobile rice mill
Photo Source: Facebook

Instead of buying the mill outright for itself, the KVK and PagdilwarAgro Industries decided to give the machine on rent to an unemployed villager’s family, and also trained them in its usage.

It has proven itself to be a win-win situation for all the parties concerned. The villagers are now able to clean their paddy without leaving their village cluster, and able to realize Rs 35 per kg, instead of uncleaned paddy at Rs 12 per kg.

The Mobile Rice Mill rental is at Rs 500 per year, and in addition to cleaning charges, the mill renters are also able to sell the husk that the cleaning process generates as waste – thereby providing employment and sustainable income to an erstwhile unemployed family.

Industrial rice mills require acres of land and use technology imported from countries like Japan and China.

Rice coming out of rice micro mill

It is heartening to see such innovative solutions being developed in India that can be used to tackle India specific issues better.The Padgilwar Corporation is keen to replicate this success across India and has indicated that the product can be customized for different crops like wheat, millets etc.You can find out more by visiting their website.

A mobile rice mill developed in Maharastra is changing the lives of many

In 2010, an initiative to increase the farmers’ income was being explored by Dr Hegdewar Seva Samithi, an NGO, through its agriculture-focused arm – Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK).

With an outlay of Rs 1 Lakh, the KVK approached Padgilwar Corporation – a farm equipment manufacturer that has been working with small farmers in Maharashtra for over 60 years.

Padgilwar Corporation successfully innovated a small-scale rice mill that can be transported easily from village to village, and run on basic electricity.

The company successfully developed the product within Rs 40,000, as against the Rs 1 Lakh it was allotted. The USP of the mill was its small size and ease of use.

Mobile rice mill

Photo Source: Facebook

Instead of buying the mill outright for itself, the KVK and PagdilwarAgro Industries decided to give the machine on rent to an unemployed villager’s family, and also trained them in its usage.

Industrial rice mills require acres of land and use technology imported from countries like Japan and China.

Rice coming out of rice micro mill

It is heartening to see such innovative solutions being developed in India that can be used to tackle India specific issues better.

The Padgilwar Corporation is keen to replicate this success across India and has indicated that the product can be customized for different crops like wheat, millets etc.

You can find out more by visiting their website.

Like this story? Or have something to share?

Write to us: contact@thebetterindia.com

Bringing global agriculture thought leaders at Agriconference 2017

It is first of its kind conference on Agriculture and Veterinary sciences that focuses on fostering innovation and thought leadership in this field. ”

— Dr. Devi Prasad Juvvadi

HYDERABAD , TELANGANA, INDIA , September 20, 2017 /EINPresswire.com/ -- International Conference & Expo on Agriculture & Veterinary Sciences:Research and Technology is scheduled to be held from 23 to 25 October 2017, Hyderabad, India. Agriconference 2017 organized by Cenetri Publishing Group will be the best amalgamation of eminent researchers, students and delegates from both academia and industry where you collaborator to have interactive access to emerging technology and approaches globally.

Speaking on the occasion of Curtain Raiser, Chairman of the Conference Dr. Devi Prasad Juvvadi said "It is first of its kind conference on Agriculture and Veterinary sciences that focuses on fostering innovation and thought leadership in this field. Just to help you understand the magnitude - we have received over 1000+ research papers across 13+ countries and top 400 of them have been accepted. The focus is to have International scientific panel discussions on agriculture, to bring together bright minds to give talks that are idea-focused, and on a wide range of subjects, to foster learning, inspiration and wonder – and provoke conversations that matter which robust agriculture demands with attractive opportunities leading to competitive advantages.”

Several national institutes involved in agriculture such as Indian Institute of Rice Research (IIRR), Indian Institute of Millets Research (IIMR), National Academy of Agricultural Research and Management (NAARM), MANAGE, Centre for Good Governance (CGG) etc are acting as knowledge partners to the conference.
Several international luminaries in agriculture and Veterinary Sciences have confirmed their participation, Prof.Devi Prasdad, said.

Meenakshi K
ThoughtFolks Digital
+1 408 444 7536
email us here

https://www.einnews.com/pr_news/405020934/bringing-global-agriculture-thought-leaders-at-agriconference-2017

Nuclear Technology Helps Southeast Asia Boost Climate-Proof Rice, Experts Demonstrate

Laura Gil, IAEA Office of Public Information and Communication

Ambassadors of Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines and Viet Nam attended an event on climate-proof rice production, along with senior officials from other countries. (Photo: F. Nassif/IAEA)

Nuclear technology has helped farmers grow rice that can cope with the diverse effects of climate change, scientists demonstrated today during an event held on the sidelines of the IAEA’s 61st General Conference. Experts from Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Viet Nam shared how farmers have boosted rice production in harsh climate conditions in the past five years with the help of the IAEA and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

“We will suffer from water and food crises if we do not adapt our agricultural practices,” said Shyful Azizi Abdul Rahman, senior research officer at the Malaysian Nuclear Agency, to a room packed with delegates from around the world. “Rice is our major crop and source of income.”

Countries in Asia, which produces 90% of the world’s rice, have seen fluctuating yields in recent years due to rising temperatures that bring diseases and pests, extreme floods and drought, and a rise in sea levels that leads to increased soil salinity in coastal areas.

“Nuclear techniques in plant mutation breeding, soil and water management and crop nutrition are providing solutions to challenges of both food security and climate change – both important Sustainable Development Goals,” said Najat Mokhtar, Director of the Division of Asia and the Pacific at the IAEA's Technical Cooperation Department, through which the IAEA is supporting these countries.

In the past years, the IAEA and FAO have been helping scientists use nuclear and isotopic techniques to develop climate-smart agricultural practices. By tracking water in soil, for example, scientists in Malaysia have helped farmers improve water management.

“With the new practices, we are protecting our soil, our water and our rice,” Abdul Rahman said, adding that Malaysia’s next step will be to use fertilizer more efficiently. Nuclear techniques can also help quantify the amount of nutrients that crops need.

In the Philippines, isotopic techniques unveiled that splitting the application of fertilizer in different time periods saved rice farmers more than USD 4 million per season and increased yields by almost 50%. Based on water data gathered using isotopic techniques, they also managed to save 35% of the water used for irrigation. “Thanks to isotope tracer techniques, we have reformulated fertilizer and water use,” said Roland Rallos, science research specialist at the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute.

Different condition, different rice

Plant mutation breeding techniques help scientists develop rice varieties that can resist diverse conditions. The process involves irradiating seeds to create new, improved varieties of rice that are tolerant to drought, salinity or floods, for example.

In 2016, Viet Nam’s Mekong River was severely affected by drought and salinity. “With regards to climate change, we are one of the most affected countries,” said Khanh Nguyen Trong, Director of the Field Crops Research Institute. “Our priority now is to be able to respond to food and agricultural threats in the future.”

Since 2012, applying plant mutation breeding techniques, scientists have developed seven rice mutant varieties that produce high yield and are tolerant to draught. “More than 300 000 farmers are profiting from the new varieties, developed to cope with climate change,” Nguyen Trong said.

Following his presentation, Totti Tjiptosumirat, Head of the Center for Isotopes and Radiation Application at Indonesia’s National Nuclear Energy Agency (BATAN), talked about the challenge Indonesia is facing: a rising demand for food thanks to population growth and higher incomes, coupled with the loss of arable land.

Thanks to the technical support of the IAEA and FAO, BATAN has released 22 mutant rice varieties, which have so far helped over 800 000 farmers and produced enough food for 20 million people.

“Global food demand will increase by 60% in 2050,” said Qu Liang, Director the Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture. “And where does food come from? Agriculture. More than two thirds of the world’s hunger is happening in Asia and the Pacific, which is why we are all committed to providing an optimal solution to enhancing production in the face of climate change, both regionally and globally.”

https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/news/nuclear-technology-helps-southeast-asia-boost-climate-proof-rice-experts-demonstrate

FAILURE TO SUPPLY RICE TO GOVT DEPOT

784 Pabna rice mills black-listed

12:00 AM, September 21, 2017 / LAST MODIFIED: 12:00 AM, September 21, 2017

No further contact for two years, says district food controller

Our Correspondent, Pabna

The government has black-listed 784 rice mills, out of 876 mills in Pabna, as they did not supply rice to the government depot, resulting in the failure of government's rice procurement drive in the district this year.

The authorities concerned have decided not to make any agreement with them in next two years, said sources of the district food controller's office.

“The government had set a target to buy 25 thousand tonnes of rice during the Boro season from May 2 to August 31. During the four months procurement drive rice millers supplied only 2.5 tonnes of rice,” said Md Abdul Kader, district controller of food.

“We repeatedly requested all the rice mill owners in the district to make agreement for supplying rice to the government depot. But owners of only 92 rice mills out of 876 have made the agreement and supplied 2.5 tonnes of rice,” he said.

“Due to the sheer negligence of the rice mill owners, the government's rice procurement target utterly failed this year.

“The district food office has included 784 rice mills in the black list for declining to make agreement with the government for rice supply in the procurement season. And the authorities have decided not to make any agreement with them in next two years,” the official said.

Idris Ali Bishwas, president of District Rice Mill Owners Association, said, “Most of the millers did not make any agreement this year as the government has fixed Tk 34 for a kg of rice under the procurement drive while it is selling for at least Tk 48 in the market.

“Production cost of the rice has increased as paddy prices increased due to its poor supply amid massive loss of the crop in floods this year,” he added.

As the crisis began, auto rice mill owners purchased most of the paddy from the market and the marginal millers could not buy sufficient paddy from the market, local sources said.

http://www.thedailystar.net/country/784-pabna-rice-mills-black-listed-1465045

Your Nutrition May Be at Risk Thanks to Climate Change

· September 20, 2017

by PHILIP PERRY

Getty Images.

When it comes to climate change, we’ve taken into account less arable land, more flooding, less reliable weather, and how all of this might affect crop yields. But what scientists are now finding is that dramatic, atmospheric changes are effecting how plants operate internally. Today, food crops are getting more carbon dioxide.
As a result, they’re manufacturing more sugars and carbs and producing fewer nutrients. That means over time, our food becomes less nutritious. In the near future we might gorge ourselves, and still come up malnourished.
Before the industrial revolution, our atmosphere was about 280 parts per million carbon dioxide. Last year, the planet surpassed 400 parts per million. Scientists say if nothing dramatic changes, we’re likely to reach 550 parts per million within the next 50 years or so. Though climate change may still be a hot button issue for some, the fact that there is far more CO₂ in the atmosphere doesn’t seem to be disputed.
We’ve known that for the last 50-70 years that the vitamin, mineral, and protein contents of certain vegetables has been dropping. Agricultural researchers have said that since we’ve been breeding the same crops for greater and greater yields, nutrition has fallen to the wayside for so long, it was bound to drop. But this doesn’t account how significant a decline took place. A groundbreaking 2002 study out of Princeton University was the first to link CO₂in the atmosphere with less nutritious food crops.
It was authored by mathematician Irakli Loladze who first noticed this phenomenon in a biologist’s lab. Zooplankton populations suffered after they fed upon green algae which had gotten more sunlight than they normally would out in the wild. Although the algae grew much faster, they also traded producing nutrients for carbohydrates. As a result, the zooplankton population suffered. Although they engorged themselves, they received less of the nutrients they needed. The mathematician wondered if the same thing could happen to us.

The nutritional value of many crops has been dropping for decades. Getty Images.
A 2004 study supported these findings and brought the issue to the forefront. Here, researchers found that a variety of fruits and vegetables had been losing iron, vitamin C, calcium, and protein, a decline that’s been occurring since 1950. Though impactful, according to a recent Politico report, few scientists in the agricultural, nutritional, or health spheres have been aware of this encroaching problem, until recently.
A 2014 Harvard study conducted over six years on fields in Japan, Australia, and the US, served up a dire warning. It found that around 150 million people in 18 different countries could face a protein deficiency, due to a 5% drop in dietary protein in staple crops like wheat and rice, by 2050.
The study compared crops grown in the field to those grown in lab-like conditions, where crops were ensconced in carbon dioxide via sprayers, which kept them at between 546 and 586 parts per million. That’s where scientists think our atmosphere will be at in forty to sixty years. Wheat saw 9.3% less zinc, an essential nutrient to health. While wheat, peas, and rice saw reduced protein levels.
This is the first study to evaluate the risk climate change poses to the nutritiousness of our food supply. The results were published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives. Samuel Myers authored the study. He’s a senior research analyst at Department of Environmental Health, part of Harvard's T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Over a billion of the world’s most vulnerable will be further at risk. Getty Images.
Myers and colleagues looked at UN data including demographics and income inequality measures, and combined these figures with their experiments with crops. As a result, the protein content of staples are predicted to decrease as follows: rice 7.6%, wheat 7.8%, potatoes 6.4%, and barley 14.1%. The hardest hit places would be South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, places where protein deficiency is already a substantial problem. In India authors point out, the diet might lose 5.3% of its protein, affecting 53 million people.
A paper alongside this one, published last summer in the journal GeoHealth, found climate change will also likely reduce iron content in staple food crops. This could increase iron deficiency globally. Iron is expected to drop 3.8% due to global warming. Here, those in South Asia and North Africa are the most at risk of anemia, particularly children under five and women of childbearing age. 1.4 billion children ages 1-4 and women of childbearing age are thought to be at risk.
According to Myers,
Strategies to maintain adequate diets need to focus on the most vulnerable countries and populations, and thought must be given to reducing vulnerability to nutrient deficiencies through supporting more diverse and nutritious diets, enriching the nutritional content of staple crops, and breeding crops less sensitive to these CO2 effects. And, of course, we need to dramatically reduce global CO2 emissions as quickly as possible.
Why can’t we address climate change? Well, turns out we’re bad at thinking about it. To find out why, click here:

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:4LaaJA0SeCkJ:bigthink.com/philip-perry/your-nutrition-may-be-at-risk-thanks-to-climate-change+&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=pk

12:00 AM, September 21, 2017 / LAST MODIFIED: 02:45 AM, September 21, 2017

Rice price shows downward trend

Wholesale price of coarse rice falls by Tk 4 a kg; govt going for more import

A mobile court formed by Chittagong deputy commissioner visits a rice storage facility in the city's Majhirghat area yesterday. The court raided several such facilities and fined one for hoarding longer than permitted. Photo: Prabir Das

Reaz Ahmad and Rejaul Karim Byron

Failing to import parboiled (Shiddo) rice from Myanmar due to high price, the government yesterday approved another deal to import 50,000 tonnes of rice through international tender.

A Thai-based company has agreed to provide Bangladesh with parboiled rice at $438 per tonne, $47 less than the asking price of Myanmar.

Meanwhile, a day after three ministers held a meeting with rice traders, millers and importers in the capital and fulfilled some of their demands, rice prices at wholesale markets started showing a downtrend.

Coarse rice prices, which shot up to Tk 47/48 a kg in the wholesale markets and up to Tk 54 a kg in the retail markets, came down by Tk 4 a kg at the wholesale level yesterday.

Market sources attributed the price fall to release of rice by many of the millers from their godown stocks.

Importers at Benapole land port told The Daily Star that once the circular allowing use of poly-bags instead of jute sacks for rice packing reaches there, the prices would fall further.

Bangladesh Rice Millers' Association President Abdur Rashid said consumers at the retail level would get price fall benefits in three to four days.

A visiting Myanmar official delegation on Monday agreed to provide Bangladesh with just one lakh tonnes of white (Atap) rice at $442 a tonne but didn't budge from their asking price of $485 per tonne for parboiled rice.

Amid a spiraling of rice prices in domestic markets, the government struck deals, both through tenders and government-to-government arrangements (G2G), to import as much as 9 lakh tonnes of the staple, two-third of which is white rice.

While allocating this white rice for an extended Open Market Sale (OMS) operation, the government found that the sale of subsidised food grains drew little response from people here who prefer parboiled rice over white one.

Food Secretary Kaikobad Hossain told reporters in Dhaka that of the total expected import volume, two lakh tonnes had so far reached public food granaries while another 1.5 lakh tonnes were expected to reach land ports soon.

Some 5.5 lakh tonne more rice would be brought in by November, Kaikobad added.

The government had decided to import as much as 20 lakh tonnes of food grains (15 lakh tonnes of rice and 5 lakh tonnes of wheat) in the ongoing fiscal year following crop loss in excess of 20 lakh tonnes due to haor flashfloods and rice blasts.

Though it succeeded striking G2G deals with Vietnam, Cambodia and Myanmar for importing rice, most of it was white rice. Government efforts to sign deals with India and Thailand for import of parboiled rice did not yield results as both the countries asked for exorbitant prices -- over $500 per tonne.

Asked why the government went for relatively pricey imports through G2G arrangement while rice is available at cheaper rates through open tenders, the food secretary yesterday told reporters that there was no quality concern in case of G2G rice, while private parties on winning bids sometimes tended to compromise the quality.

Besides, the government-to-government deals guarantee quicker shipment, he added.

OMS & FOOD FRIENDLY PROGRAMME

A day after the food minister's announcement that the OMS programme would be extended from district to upazila level, the subsidised food grains sale programme could not be launched in most upazilas yesterday.

In most of the areas, dealers selected by the food department for OMS programme were busy depositing money in banks and collecting the rice allocated from the government silos in their respective districts.

Our correspondents from Rajshahi, Dinajpur, Natore sent dispatches that dealers would begin the OMS operation today.

In another development, the government postponed distribution of rice at Tk 10 a kg among 50 lakh ultra poor across the country due to insufficient rice stock in public grannaries.

Food officials said the priority was to operate OMS programme on a wider scale now over Food Friendly Programme. Together these two programmes would require more than 6 lakh tonnes of rice but the government's food reserve currently has only 3.4 lakh tonnes of rice.

http://www.thedailystar.net/frontpage/rice-price-shows-downward-trend-1465186

Scientists decode cereal gene map to tackle climate change

Rice production seen hitting 3.36 MMT in Q3

By Jasper Y. Arcalas

September 20, 2017

Despite the projected reduction in palay harvest area and yield, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said paddy-rice output in the July-to-September period would still reach 3.36 million metric tons (MMT).

In its report published on September 20, titled “Updates on July-September 2017 Palay and Corn”, the PSA revised downward its forecast for unmilled rice production to 3.36 MMT, from 3.39 MMT.

“The probable decrement in palay production may be attributed to reduction in harvest area and yield caused by flash floods in South and North Cotabato; lower yield in Sultan Kudarat, Lanao Sur and Maguindanao,”the report read.

“[Also] late plantings due to late release of irrigation water in Bulacan, rice blast infestation in Negros Oriental, and occurrence of tungro in Aurora during vegetative stage of the crop [would cut output],”it added.

The PSA also noted that harvest area may contract by 0.10 percent to 851,757 hectares, from 852,610 hectares. Yield per hectare could also fall to 3.95 MT, from 3.98 MT.

The projected harvest area in the third quarter, however, is bigger than last year’s record of 745,140 hectares.

PSA data also showed that its latest palay production forecast is still higher by 13.3 percent than the 2.969 MMT produced in the same period last year.

The report noted that about 123,930 hectares, or 15 percent, of the updated standing crop for the July-to-September period have been harvested.

The PSA added that around 1.3 million hectares, or 70.7 percent, of the farmers’s planting intentions for the fourth quarter have materialized.

“Of the [2.028 million] hectares standing palay crop, 73 percent were at vegetative stage, 18.2 percent at reproductive stage and 8.8 percent at maturing stage,” the report read.

The expected increase in the country’s paddy-rice output this year prompted the United States Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) to revise downward its projection for Philippine rice imports this year to 1.1 MMT, from 1.6 MMT.

In its Global Agriculture Information Network report, FAS said Philippine rice harvest area in marketing year 2016-2017 could expand to 4.705 million hectares, 2.28 percent bigger than the FAS’s previous forecast of 4.6 million hectares.

Image Credits: Bloomberg

Pakistan refuses to lift ban on import of cattle from Canada

Islamabad :Pakistan has refused lifting ban on import of live cattle from Canada because Toronto is still with the risks of infected with Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) commonly known as mad cow disease. It has been officially conveyed to Canada on Tuesday by top guns at Pakistan’s Ministry of Commerce.

“Canada is still on Controlled BSE Risk and not on negligible BSE Risk country lists, therefore, the ban on import of live cattle from Canada cannot be lifted,” top official sources confirmed to The News here on Tuesday.

Federal Minister for Commerce Pervez Malik held meeting with Canadian High Commissioner to Pakistan Perry John Calderwood here. In order to protect and safeguard domestic cattle stocks as exports as well as the exports of meat and other bovine products, the Ministry of Commerce imposed a ban in 2001 on the import of live animals, meat, and bovine meal, tallow, and feed ingredients (of animal origin) from all countries infected with BSE commonly known as mad cow disease.

The list included UK, Ireland, Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, Holland, Spain, Germany, Italy, France, Switzerland, Portugal, Finland, Canada and USA. The disease is difficult to be detected in live animals, as no test is currently available in Pakistan.

The World Animal Health Organisation - Office of International des Epizooties (OIE) is a Paris based inter-governmental organisation with 152 countries, including Pakistan, as its members. The OIE has currently classified countries as Negligible BSE risk, Controlled BSE risk and undetermined BSE risk countries. OIE updates the risk status on a regular basis. The last ranking has been done by OIE in May 2013.

Currently, Pakistan is importing most of its dairy cattle from Australia. However, other countries like USA, Canada as well as the European Union (EU) were consistently agitating that Pakistan should review its existing import policy pertaining to live animals and animal products, in light of the revised rankings done by OIE. Therefore, the matter was examined in conjunction with the Ministry of National Food Security & Research.

It was felt that allowing the import of live animals from negligible risk countries will benefit Pakistan livestock industry as Pakistani importers/dairy industry will be able to source their animals from multiple countries and breeds. This would also bring our import regime in congruence with the OIE guidelines.

In this backdrop, a meeting was held in the Ministry of Commerce to discuss the issue of lifting ban on import of live animals from BSE infected countries. The meeting was attended by representatives of Food & Agriculture Organisation (FAO), Ministry of National Food Security & Research (MNFS&R) and the provincial governments. After detailed deliberations, the following course of action was agreed upon:

Ban on import of feeds containing meat, bone meal and greaves etc. derived from BSE infected ruminants (i.e. cattle/goat etc.) shall continue and strictly followed.

The ban on import of live animals from BSE infected countries shall continue in general, however, imports from countries which have been declared as “Negligible Risk” by OIE shall be allowed subject to the following conditions:

“Animals from only such herds shall be allowed for import where no incidence of BSE has been reported for last 11 years and this fact shall be certified by the concerned Veterinary Authority of the exporting country.”

Efforts shall be made by MNFS&R to conduct a BSE risk assessment in Pakistan and apply to OIE for categorisation of Pakistan as a “BSE Negligible Risk Country”.

Ministry of Commerce submitted a summary for the ECC of the Cabinet for seeking approval of the above proposals, which was approved by the ECC in its meeting held on 18-07-2014. Ministry of Commerce issued an SRO to this effect as well.

However, according to official press release issued by Ministry of Commerce, the Federal Minister for Commerce and Textile Mohammad Pervaiz Malik welcomed the Canadian High Commissioner and also thanked him for the letter of facilitation and invitation to visit Canada, extended by Francois-Philippe Champagne, Canadian Commerce Minister. He also shared his intention to visit Canada probably in first week of November this year to discuss ways and means to bolster the already cordial trade relations between the two countries.

Mohammad Pervaiz Malik highlighted that trade between Pakistan and Canada stood at US $0.91 billion during the FY 2016-17 and said that there is tremendous potential between the two countries to increase the bilateral trade by many fold.

Pakistan’s major exports to the Canada include rice, made up articles of textiles material, articles of apparel and major imports from Canada are grain oil seeds and pulses, vegetable preparations machinery and its parts, pharmaceutical products, oil-seed & chemicals.

The commerce minister informed the Canadian high commissioner that the Department of Plant Protection (DPP) and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) agreed to adopt mutually agreed scientific solution to the problem of fumigation of Canadian exports to Pakistan to ensure food safety standards and said that with the support of CFIA the DPP has completed technical and legal evaluation of the information provided by CFIA and now await invitation from CFIA to DPP experts for on-the-spot inspection of integrated measures employed in Canada to ascertain export of quarantine free cargo to Pakistan.

Canadian High Commissioner Perry John Calderwood congratulated Mohammad Pervaiz Malik on becoming the Commerce Minister and said that there had been a substantial improvement in the security situation in Pakistan and Pakistan was also taking major steps for ease of doing business which made the Pakistani market very lucrative for Canadian businesses and investors.

He informed the commerce minister that Canada had already made significant investment in Solar Energy Projects in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.

Canadian High Commissioner said that there has been a solid foundation of Pakistan and Canada trade relations and now a sustained effort is needed to build on that foundation and increase the bilateral trade. He also expressed need to bring the Pakistani and Canadian businesses together so that they get understanding of businesses in both countries and explore new investment opportunities.

https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/231420-Pakistan-refuses-to-lift-ban-on-import-of-cattle-from-Canada

Govt to stock up on 900,000 tons of rice by Nov

· Asif Showkat Kallol

· Published at 01:49 AM September 21, 2017

Government has decided to store 900,000 tons of rice by November 12 to rein the rising price of the staple food in local markets

Coarse rice is now selling at Tk64 in local markets - a record high for the country. This same rice was sold at Tk38 at the beginning of the year

The government will stockpile 900,000 tons of rice by November 12 to stem the rising price of the staple food in local markets.

According to the sources in the Ministry of Food, the per kg rice price has risen by 39% over the last nine months in Bangladesh’s markets, but by only 6% on the international market.

Coarse rice is now selling at Tk64 in local markets – a record high for the country. This same rice was sold at Tk38 at the beginning of the year.

“We have already taken steps to import 900,000 tons of rice to ease the upward price pressure,” Food Secretary Md Kaikobad Hossain told reporters after a cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

Finance Minister AMA Muhith chaired Wednesday’s cabinet committee meeting, which also approved the Food Ministry’s proposal to import 50,000 tons of non-bashmoti and parboiled rice from Thailand through an international tender.

In local currency, the per kg price of this rice has been fixed at Tk36.

Food Secretary Kaikobad added that the total import of more than 900,000 tons of rice will be made entirely through Government-to-Government agreements.

“The private sector has no role to play in this regard,” he said.

“It is true that the import cost through international tender is lower than that of the Government-to-Government purchase scheme, but the G-to-G initiative ensures product quality.”

The food ministry aimed to procure 1,000,000 tons of rice from international markets to meet the rice shortage. Stocks had fallen to a five-year low of 345,000 tons as at September 14.

The per unit cost of importing from Thailand was $464 under the Government-to-Government purchase while that from India was $454.Last month the government signed two deals with Vietnam and Cambodia respectively to import two and a half million tons of rice from each of the two countries.

According to the ministry source, food Minister Md Qamrul Islam set the target of 8,00,000 tons of rice collection internally in the current Boro season. By September 10, only 250,000 tons had been collected.The minister earlier announced that the government would procure 1,600,000 tons of paddy, rice and wheat, 78% of which was not achieved.After the inter-ministerial meeting of Food and Expenditure
Committee on August 16, Qamrul told reporters that the target of harvesting 19,100,000 tons of Boro paddy was not achieved due to flood in haor and otherareas.“I did not buy the plan to procure 700,000 tons of rice and 800,000 tons of wheat,” he said, when asked about procurement.

http://www.dhakatribune.com/business/commerce/2017/09/21/govt-stock-900000-tons-rice-nov/

Deadline for Rice Leadership applications approaching

Growers, industry members should submit their information by Oct. 7.

Sep 21, 2017

Rice producers and industry-related professionals who meet the eligibility requirements are encouraged to complete the application process for the 2018 Rice Leadership Development program soon. Deadline for applying is Oct. 7.

Members of the next class of rice producers and industry members will be announced during an awards luncheon at the 2017 USA Rice Outlook Conference, which will be held in San Antonio in December.

“The Rice Leadership Development Program gives young men and women a comprehensive understanding of the U.S. rice industry with an emphasis on personal development and communication skills training,” says Chuck Wilson, who has directed the program for the USA Rice Federation.

During a two-year period, class members attend four one-week sessions that are designed to strengthen their leadership skills.

“Board rooms across the country, as well as leadership positions all around the rice industry are populated with alumni of the program,” says Wilson. “Every graduate agrees, time spent in this program is well worth it, resulting in a better, more complete understanding of the industry, and it opens participants’ eyes to practices and customs going on beyond their farm gate or company, but that are supremely relevant to their development as an industry leader.”

The class is comprised of five rice producers and two industry-related professionals chosen by a committee of agribusiness leaders evaluating their applications, reviewing letters of recommendation and conducting personal interviews with the finalists.

Candidates must be 25-45 at the time of application and derive their primary livelihood from some aspect of the rice industry.

The program is sponsored by John Deere Company, RiceTec, Inc., and American Commodity Company through The Rice Foundation and managed by the USA Rice Federation. For more information on the program and an application form, visit usarice.com and click on the Leadership Program icon.

http://www.deltafarmpress.com/rice/deadline-rice-leadership-applications-approaching

Southwest Louisiana producer named Rice Festival’s Rice Farmer of the Year

Kent Brown

Kent Brown, a fourth-generation rice grower from Hathaway north of Jennings, Louisiana, was named the International Rice Festival’s 2017 Rice Farmer of the Year.In the late 1800s, Brown’s ancestors, who were Iowa wheat farmers, moved during the historical migration of Midwest farmers to the prairies of southwest Louisiana to begin producing rice.

More than 100 years later, Brown continues to produce rice on the original 450-acre homestead as well as an additional 200 hundred acres of rented farmland for rice and crawfish production.Brown grew up learning about farming from his father. Following high school graduation in 1974, he began farming full-time.Over the decades, Kent added efficiency to his operation by purchasing on-farm grain storage and converting to an electric irrigation well.Now Brown’s son, Eric, will be the fifth generation to farm the family’s ground.

Currently, Brown grows XL 728 and CL 153 as well as Jupiter medium grain. He follows best management practices from Louisiana State University’s AgCenter and incorporates guidelines from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Conservation Stewardship Program.

For the past 34 years, Kent has been involved with the promotion of the agricultural industry and rice production. He currently sits on the board of Louisiana Agricultural Finance Authority (LAFA); is president of Jeff Davis Parish Farm Bureau Board of Directors; current treasurer of Jeff Davis Parish Rice Growers; current member of Louisiana Rice Promotion Board; current member of Louisiana Farm Bureau Rice Advisory Committee; and current member of Louisiana Farm Bureau Crawfish Committee. That doesn’t count previous positions he has helped for myriad of agricultural groups.

“I believe it is important to be involved in promoting the agricultural industry so people can have a better understanding of importance of agriculture in our nation,” he said in a news release.

Kent’s wife of 35 years is the former Jacquline “Jackie” Doucet of Hathaway, a retired teacher. They have three children and three grandchildren.

http://www.ricefarming.com/departments/industry-news/southwest-louisiana-producer-named-rice-festivals-rice-farmer-of-the-year/

Government to ensure adequate protection for farmers in law abolishing rice QR

By Jasper Y. Arcalas

September 20, 2017

Lawmakers and government officials are keen on retaining the National Food Authority’s (NFA) power to issue import permits (IPs) as a measure to regulate the entry of imported rice into the country.

This was evident during the House Committee on Food and Agriculture Technical Working Group’s (TWG) deliberations on the initial draft of the substitute bill amending Republic Act (RA) 8178, or the Agricultural Tariffication Act, on September 19.

The amendment will abolish the quantitive-restriction (QR) scheme on rice imports, as committed by the Philippines to the World Trade Organization.

The chairman of the TWG, Party-list Rep. Jose T. Panganiban Jr. of Anac-IP, said he is amenable to retaining the power of the NFA to issue IPs, but not as the sole authority to import rice.

“The permit shall come from the NFA, but to give them the sole authority to import all rice requirement, in fact, that is where I disagree,” said Panganiban, who also chairs the House Committee on Food and Agriculture.

During the TWG, Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo of the Second District of Pampanga proposed that the government adopt an import-licensing regime that would ensure regulation of rice imports in the country. Arroyo noted that this kind of measure would shield local farmers from adverse effects caused by sudden influx of cheaper rice from abroad.

Meanwhile, Agriculture Undersecretary for Policy and Planning Segfredo R. Serrano supported the proposal of maintaining the government’s authority to issue IPs, adding that a set of guidelines should be developed in issuing such.

“There could be a multisectoral [committee] tasked by law to develop guidelines in the issuance of import licences. Whether the import licensing remains within the NFA or other agencies, we do not have any problem with that,” he said.

“As for the proposal to confine the NFA’s authority to buffer stocking and emergency importation, we can conform with that as long as the import-licensing provision of the NFA is retained with adequate guidelines,” he added. The agriculture official pointed out that aside from higher tariffs, having an import-licensing regime would also serve as mechanism to protect local farmers from cheaper rice imports.

Serrano pointed out that without an import license or permit, a rice trader cannot bring in any imports.

“We propose in this bill that we preserved the import licensing for rice. There’s no much higher protection than import licensing…you can have a 1,000-percent tariff rate but if you do not have an import licensing then you are just as open as everybody else. I think the combination of applied tariffs that are not too high but pleasurable enough and the administration of import licensing by the NFA, or whatever agency that will administer it, will provide our farmers the protection,” he added.

The TWG later on included three provisions relating to the NFA in the draft of the substitute bill after no objection was made during the deliberations.

“So, we agree to confine the power of the NFA to import only for buffer stocking and emergency. We also maintain its current import-licensing power,” Panganiban said.

However, the TWG deferred other discussions relating to other powers of the NFA, such as market interventions, to a later meeting.

In its position paper submitted to Panganiban, NFA Administrator Jason Aquino said the state-run food agency should maintain its import-licensing authority even after the removal of the QR on rice.

“The NFA will still monitor and regulate all rice imports. During the transition period, the NFA should still retain its present regulatory powers, i.e., issuance of import permits,” Aqunio said in the position paper dated August 31, a copy of which was obtained by the BusinessMirror.

“After the transition period, the NFA should still be allowed to continue to license all those engaged in the rice business, to properly monitor the volume and arrival of all rice imports, and compliance to Food Safety Act,” Aquino added.

At present, the NFA regulates the country’s rice importation by dividing the current import quota to licensed and accredited traders and importers.

Any interested rice trader shall comply with the requirements outlined by NFA’s minimum access volume (MAV) guidelines.

For example, interested importers should file their letter of intent, after which the NFA MAV prequalification team will conduct the validation and authentication of all the requirements submitted by the applicants.

The team will also verify if the applicant is a party to any case or investigation for rice smuggling, hoarding, unauthorized rebagging or resacking of government stocks to commercial sacks, diversion and cornering activities. After this, a Certificate of Eligibility shall be issued to qualified applicants.

Under the guidelines, all rice importers are also required to register with the Bureau Plant Industry-National Plant Quarantine Services Division prior to the conduct of negotiation and actual importation.

Also, a private trader could only secure an IP from the NFA upon payment of a P5,000 processing fee per bill of lading, according to the agency’s MAV 2017 Guidelines.

The issuance of IP shall also be on a per bill of lading basis, according to the MAV 2017 guidelines, which was approved by the NFA Council. The NFA Council is the highest policy-making body of the NFA, which is chaired by Cabinet Secretary Leoncio B. Evasco Jr.

https://businessmirror.com.ph/government-to-ensure-adequate-protection-for-farmers-in-law-abolishing-rice-qr/

DA targeting to raise rice yield, cut production cost

By Jasper Y. Arcalas

September 21, 2017

PhilRice, an attached agency of the Department of Agriculture (DA), said the Duterte administration wants to raise national average rice yield to 6 metric tons (MT) per hectare and cut production cost to P8 per kilogram.

With the Asean integration, Bordey said the Philippines is confronted with a different economic scenario so targeting rice self-sufficiency is no longer enough.

“As our commitment to the World Trade Organization, we now have to replace our quantitative restriction [QR] policy with its tariff equivalent,” she added.

Once the QR on rice is lifted, Bordey said importers can bring in rice from Asean member-countries as long as they see it profitable. She noted that the 35 percent tariff is the only protection of the Philippines.

A study undertaken by the PhilRice and the International Rice Research Institute noted that imported rice from Thailand and Vietnam will be around P31 and P27 per kilogram, respectively.

This scenario is favorable to consumers, especially for poor families who spend about a third of their income for food expenses.

However, Bordey warned that cheaper imports will also reduce the price of locally produced rice.

“This will have a negative impact on the income of our rice farmers who, at present, only produce an average of 3.87 MT/ha at a cost of P12/kg”, she said.

“This means that rice farmers, say in Nueva Ecija, who spend P48,000 per hectare on average, must have a yield of around 6,000 kg, or 6 MT, to survive the competition,” Bordey added.

https://businessmirror.com.ph/da-targeting-to-raise-rice-yield-cut-production-cost/

Basmati rice exports grows 32 pc in Q1 driven by Iranian demand: ICRA

After a three year consecutive decline in exports, the exports of Indian Basmati rice witnessed a growth of 32 per cent in Q1FY2018, especially driven by demand from Iran, a report said here.

By: PTI | Mumbai | Published: September 21, 2017 6:45 PM

Indian Basmati rice exports have witnessed a rebound in the current fiscal with Q1FY2018 registering a 32 per cent growth in exports contributed by 25 per cent increase in realisations and 7 per cent increase in volumes, rating agency ICRA said in a report. Subramanian Swamy says economy is heading for depression, claims warning govt last May

After a three year consecutive decline in exports, the exports of Indian Basmati rice witnessed a growth of 32 per cent in Q1FY2018, especially driven by demand from Iran, a report said here. Indian Basmati rice exports have witnessed a rebound in the current fiscal with Q1FY2018 registering a 32 per cent growth in exports contributed by 25 per cent increase in realisations and 7 per cent increase in volumes, rating agency ICRA said in a report. This comes after a three year consecutive decline in basmati exports till FY2017 (Rs 21,605 crore), it said.

In the past, despite the volumes holding firm, the exports have been adversely impacted by pressure on realisations from peak of Rs 77,988/MT in FY2014 to Rs 54,011/MT in FY2017, driven by lower demand in the global market as well as lower paddy prices over the procurement seasons of FY2015 and FY2016.

Commenting on the trend, Deepak Jotwani, Assistant Vice President, ICRA said, “Basmati rice exports in the current fiscal have been encouraging, especially driven by demand from Iran. The Middle Eastern countries are the biggest importers; and also a source of volatility in demand.

“Demand from Iran, the second largest importer has been fairly volatile, primarily on account of import bans imposed from time to time,” he said.

“In Q1FY2018, Iran has been the primary contributor to growth in industry exports – contributing around 40 per cent to the total. However, from August 2017, Iran has again discontinued importing Basmati rice from India.

“Resumption of imports by Iran, which is anticipated around the procurement season, would be critical for the overall demand for Basmati rice. Any delays in the same could dampen the paddy procurement in the upcoming season as well as subdue the exports outlook for H2FY2018 and FY2019,” he said.

“This is especially material in the light of decline in volume sales from other key market – Saudi Arabia which has 13 per cent of total exports in Q1FY2018 as against 20 per cent in FY2017,” Jotwani said.

On the supply side, during the last procurement season of October-December 2016, Basmati paddy prices had firmed up by 20-25 per cent across varieties, on the back of relatively lower production, the report said.

During the current season, there has been rainfall deficit in the key Basmati rice producing states of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana over the previous year’s monsoon season till mid-September 2017 as well as lower water reservoir levels in Uttar Pradesh, it said.

These factors can translate into lower paddy production in the current crop season, and thus the paddy prices are likely to open firm in the oncoming procurement season, mentions the report.

ICRA expects that the demand concerns in the form of Iran import ban and sluggishness from other key geographies would be overcome and export volumes in FY2018 to be around 4.1 million MT (4 per cent higher than FY2017).

In addition, higher paddy prices in the last procurement season and likelihood of firm prices in the upcoming procurement season are expected to push up the average realisations in FY2018, the report said.

As a result, export value is expected to grow to around Rs 26,000 crore in FY2018, a growth of 21 per cent over FY2017, Jotwani added

http://www.financialexpress.com/market/commodities/basmati-rice-exports-grows-32-pc-in-q1-driven-by-iranian-demand-icra/865078/

Basmati rice exports grow 32% in Q1: ICRA

By Jayashree Bhosale

, ET Bureau|

Updated: Sep 21, 2017, 02.59 PM IST

On the supply side, during the last procurement season of October – December 2016, Basmati paddy prices had firmed up by 20-25% across varieties, on the back of relatively lower production.PUNE: Indian Basmati rice exports have witnessed a rebound in the current fiscal with Q1FY 2018 registering a 32% growth in exports contributed by 25% increase in realisations and 7% increase in volumes. This comes after a three-year consecutive decline in basmati exports till FY2017 (Rs. 21,605 crores). In the past, despite the volumes holding firm, the exports have been adversely impacted by pressure on realisations (from a peak of Rs. 77,988/MT in FY2014 to Rs. 54,011/MT in FY2017), driven by lower demand in the global market as well as lower paddy prices over the procurement seasons of FY2015 and FY2016.

Commenting on the trend, Deepak Jotwani, Assistant Vice President, ICRA said: “Basmati rice exports in the current fiscal have been encouraging, especially driven by demand from Iran. The Middle Eastern countries are the biggest importers; and also a source of volatility in demand.

Demand from Iran, the second largest importer has been fairly volatile, primarily on account of import bans imposed from time to time. In Q1FY2018, Iran has been the primary contributor to growth in industry exports – contributing around 40% to the total. However, from August 2017, Iran has again discontinued importing Basmati rice from India. Resumption of imports by Iran, which is anticipated around the procurement season, would be critical for the overall demand for Basmati rice. Any delays in the same could dampen the paddy procurement in the upcoming season as well as subdue the exports outlook for H2FY2018 and FY2019. This is especially material in the light of a decline in volume sales from other key market - Saudi Arabia (13% of total exports in Q1FY2018 as against 20% in FY2017).”

On the supply side, during the last procurement season of October – December 2016, Basmati paddy prices had firmed up by 20-25% across varieties, on the back of relatively lower production. During the current season, there has been rainfall deficit in the key Basmati rice-producing states of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana over the previous year’s monsoon season till mid-September 2017 as well as lower water reservoir levels in Uttar Pradesh. These factors can translate into lower paddy production in the current crop season, and thus the paddy prices are likely to open firm in the oncoming procurement season.

“ICRA expects that the demand concerns in the form of Iran import ban and sluggishness from other key geographies would be overcome and export volumes in FY2018 to be around 4.1 million MT (4% higher than FY2017). In addition, higher paddy prices in the last procurement season and likelihood of firm prices in the upcoming procurement season are expected to push up the average realisations in FY2018. As a result, export value is expected to grow to around Rs. 26,000 crores in FY2018, a growth of 21% over FY2017," said Jotwani.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/agriculture/basmati-rice-exports-grow-32-in-q1-icra/articleshow/60778621.cms

How did Homi Jehangir Bhabha, father of India's nuclear programme, die?

Homi Jehangir Bhabha had announced that he would develop a nuclear bomb in 18 months, provided the Government of India gave its go-ahead

Aryan Prakash

Sep 20, 2017

The Bombay High Court in March this year directed the Narendra Modi government to file a detailed affidavit regarding the increase in deaths of nuclear scientists. The court gave the decision in response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by an RTI activist Chetan Kothari who alleged that the police had not probed the mysterious circumstances in which the bodies of nuclear scientists were found in the recent years. According to the Department of Atomic Energy records, 11 nuclear scientists died due to unnatural causes between 2009 and 2013.

The nuclear scientists hold key to a country’s defence and energy secrets. The spike in the number of deaths remind us of the sudden demise of Dr Homi Jehangir Bhabha, hailed as the Father of India’s nuclear programme in 1966. He was flying to Vienna to attend a meeting when the plane carrying him crashed into Mont Blanc in the Swiss Alps.

Also read: 6 politicians whose sudden deaths sparked controversies

A CIA conspiracy?

Robert Turnbull Crowley, the former director of clandestine operations in the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), shocked the world in an interview with journalist Gregory Douglas, making startling revelations about the US agency’s covert ops in 1996. During the conversation, he mentioned Homi Jehangir Bhabha’s death. Here’s a brief transcript of the conversation from the book Conversations With The Crow.

Douglas: How many people went down with him (Bhabha)?

Crowley: Ah, who knows and frankly, who cares?

Douglas: I suppose if I had a relative on the flight I would care.

Crowley: Did you?

Douglas: No.

Crowley: Then don’t worry about it. We could have blown it up over Vienna but we decided the high mountains were much better for the bits and pieces to come down on. I think a possible death or two among mountain goats is much preferable than bringing down a huge plane right over a big city.

Also read: From Rajiv Gandhi to Pramod Mahajan, these 10 political assassinations shook India

“India was quieter after Bhabha croaked,” Crowley added further. The former CIA official also claimed that the agency was behind the sudden death of former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri in Tashkent the very same year.

It should be known that the world was in the midst of Cold War involving the United States and the Soviet Union. According to Crawley, Washington feared that New Delhi could develop a nuclear bomb and use it against Pakistan. The relations between the Asian neighbours were at an all-time low after a war that was fought over Jammu and Kashmir a year ago. Bhabha, in his address on the All India Radio, announced that he would develop a bomb in 18 months.

Homi Jehangir Bhabha with Jawaharlal Nehru. (Photo: Express)

Starving Asia to death

During the interview, Crowley revealed that the CIA had invented a ‘disease’ that would destroy the rice crops in Asia.

Did I tell you about the idea to wipe out Asia’s rice crops? We developed a disease that would have wiped rice off the map there and it’s their staple diet. The f***** rice growers here got wind of it and raised such a stink we canned the whole thing. The theory was that the disease could spread around and hurt their pocketbooks.

Homi Jehangir Bhabha in his speech to All India Radio had claimed that India was ready to develop a nuclear bomb. (Photo: Express)

Although Bhabha died in 1966, India managed to test its first nuclear bomb at Pokhran in 1974.

For interesting news videos from InUth, follow us on Youtube.com/InUthdotcom

http://www.inuth.com/india/how-did-homi-jehangir-bhabha-father-of-indias-nuclear-programme-die/

Uncle Ben’s orders up 100 per cent sustainable rice

Mars moves leading brands over to sustainable-certified rice supplies, as it aims to ensure all its rice is delivered through the Sustainable Rice Platform by 2020

Fresh from unveiling a new $1bn sustainability strategy, food giant Mars has today confirmed that all the basmati rice sold under its Uncle Ben's and Seeds of Change brands will soon be sustainably certified. The company said the rice is now sourced exclusively from farmers who are working towards the Sustainable Rice Platform's (SRP) standard for sustainable rice.

The programme aims to encourage farmers to embrace agricultural and environmental best practices, with one trial in Pakistan delivering an eight per cent increase in yield, alongside a 30 per cent reduction in water use and a 32 per cent increase in net income for participating farmers. "We've shown that sustainable rice can sustain a farmer's livelihood," said Luc Beerens, global sustainable sourcing director for Mars Food, in a statement. "These innovations, if adopted throughout the industry, could fundamentally shift how rice is grown today, helping to protect the environment, lift farmers out of poverty, and meet future demand worldwide."

The company said that in addition to deploying the 46 performance indicators developed by the SRP, it would also invest in programs to address human rights and women's empowerment in its rice supply chains.

The milestone comes just weeks after Mars launched its new $1bn Sustainable in a Generation (SiG) Plan, which sets a raft of environmental targets for its own operations and supply chains.

Author Name: https://www.businessgreen.com/bg/news/3017871/uncle-bens-orders-up-100-per-cent-sustainable-rice

Upcoming cabinet meeting likely to approve National Food Security Policy

AHMAD AHMADANI

ISLAMABAD: The upcoming federal cabinet meeting is likely to approve a National Food Security Policy which is expected to modernise agriculture, besides envisaging zero hunger, augmenting of existing water resource base, development of climate-smart agriculture and development of hybrid seeds, fodder crops etc.

Official sources in Ministry of National Food Security and Research (NFS&R), on condition not to be named, disclosed that the next meeting of the federal cabinet is likely to take up “National Food Security Policy” and accord approval.

They said Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, on his return to the country from New York, will give his necessary consent to the proposed “National Food Security Policy”. And, later, the policy will be tabled in the cabinet meeting for final approval, said sources.

Official documents available with Pakistan Today also inform that the Ministry of National Food Security and Research (NFS&R) with the collaboration with all stakeholders including provincial governments has finalised a “National Food Security Policy”. The document has been submitted to the prime minister’s office for formal approval before its placement on the cabinet agenda.

Documents reveal that during the last five years, surplus quantities of major food crops have been recorded in the country. Resultantly, a surplus stock of wheat, rice, sugar, potatoes and other agricultural commodities is available and needs to be exported to earn foreign exchange.

The details of production during last five years show that total production of wheat during the year 2016-17 has recorded 26.40 million tons, rice registered 6.84 million tons, maize 6.13 million tons and sugarcane 75.48 million tons.

Sharing details of the National Food Security Policy, the sources said that government has prepared the policy to develop the agriculture on modern lines. It also seeks to harvest of the untapped potential of high-value agriculture in FATA, Gilgit-Baltistan, Chitral, Balochistan, Azad Kashmir, Potohar, Thar, Nara and Kohistan through rain-water harvesting technologies.

Similarly, the policy proposes incentives for food processing, enhancing fruit and horticulture exports up to 20 per cent, enhancing food storage capacity at the federal and provincial level and developing farm mechanisation.

Earlier, Khaqan Abbasi during a meeting held on September 5, 2017, directed the Ministry of National Food Security and Research to work on a policy framework for putting in place optimal methods for ensuring food security in the country.

It is worth mentioning that sustainable growth of the agriculture sector as it was the mainstay of the national economy while presently the agriculture sector is contributing 19.5 per cent to the GDP of the country and around 42 per cent labour force is employed in the sector.

https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2017/09/20/upcoming-cabinet-meeting-likely-to-approve-national-food-security-policy/

From Dosa To Jalebi, Ethnic Fermented Foods Reveal Microbial Diversity

MONIKA KUNDU SRIVASTAVA

Fermented foods are not just a part of food culture but they also harbour microbial diversity

Fermented foods from jalebi to dosa are common across India. Scientists are now focusing on them as fermented foods are not just a part of food culture but they also harbour microbial diversity.A study of ‘starters’ that are used to prepare ethnic fermented foods in Sikkim and Meghalaya has revealed that they have rich microbial diversities. The novel study was undertaken to find out the type of bacteria and fungi present in two traditionally prepared ‘starters’-marcha and thiat-which are used to ferment a variety of starchy substances to produce a sweet alcoholic beverage popular in the two north-eastern states.

Marcha and thiat are traditionally-prepared starters similar to starter or jamun people use to prepare curd. In curd, bacteria help in changing milk sugar (a simple sugar) into an acid (lactic acid). In marcha and thiat,fungi convert starch (a complex sugar) present in rice into alcoholic beverages.

The traditional practice of using marcha and thiat starters in the process of fermentation is an integral part of socio-cultural heritage of Sikkim and Meghalaya respectively. This technique also helps in keeping alive important locally-found bacteria and fungi which could otherwise disappear over time.

Researchers used next generation sequencing technique to develop an accurate profile of fungal and other microbial communities present in marcha and thiat. It was found that marcha had more numbers and variety of fungi than thiat. However, the numbers and variety of bacteria were more in thiatthan marcha. Proteobacteria is mainly present in both the starters, followed by Firmicutes and Actinobacteria. The main fungus found is Ascomycota. Yeasts are mainly found in marcha whereas molds are more in thiat. The results of study have appeared in journal Scientific Reports.

“Ethnic fermented beverages and alcoholic drinks have the potential to grow in beverage industry if proper scientific and technical support is provided to indigenous practices of home-based alcoholic fermentation. These practices also preserve vast biological genetic resources, which otherwise may disappear over time,” said Prof Jyoti Prakash Tamang from School of Life Sciences, Sikkim University, Gangtok, who led the study.

“Fermented beverages produced by using starch and sugar-digesting starters are generally mild-alcoholic (4–5%), have a sweet taste with several health benefits. They are high source of calories and contain some vitamins and minerals,” he told India Science Wire.

Marcha is prepared from soaked rice with some wild herbs, ginger and red dry chilli, and a bit of previously prepared marcha powder crushed in a wooden mortar by a wooden pestle and mixed. The dough cakes are fermented at room temperature for 24 hours, sun dried for 3 to 5 days and then used as starters for production of cereal-based fermented beverages. For thiat preparation, soaked ‘sticky’ or ‘sweet’ rice is used along with leaves and roots of a black cardamom variety, a bit of old thiat, mixed and made into dough by adding water. It is fermented, sun-dried and used as a starter to prepare beverages.

The team of researchers included Shankar Prasad Sha, Anu Anupma, Pooja Pradhan from School of Life Sciences, Sikkim University; Kunal Jani, Dr. Avinash Sharma and Dr. Yogesh Shouche from the National Centre for Microbial Resource, National Centre for Cell Science, Pune.(India Science Wire)

(India Science Wire)

https://www.outlookindia.com/website/story/from-dosa-to-jalebi-ethnic-fermented-foods-reveal-microbial-diversity/301975

Mars hails basmati milestone in pursuit of sustainable rice supply

Mars hails basmati milestone in pursuit of sustainable rice supply

Mars Food has said that all of the basmati rice sold under its Uncle Ben’s and Seeds of Change brands will now be sourced from farmers who are working towards the Sustainable Rice Platform’s (SRP) standard for sustainable rice. SRP is an initiative co-convened by UN Environment and the International Rice Research Institute, aimed at developing a global standard for sustainable rice cultivation. Mars will work with its basmati rice growers in India and Pakistan to ensure that the company can trace its rice from field to fork.

It will also work suppliers and partners – including the International Rice Research Institute, World Wildlife Fund and Helvetas – to share with farmers ways of improving water efficiency, reducing and safely managing their use of fertilisers and pesticides, and improving health and safety. A 2016 pilot project to test SRP technologies in Pakistan demonstrated that new growing techniques delivered an 8% increase in yield, 30% reduction in water, and 32% increase in net income. The achievement is the first step in Mars’ goal to source all of its rice from SRP farmers by 2020 – a target first announced two years ago – and follows a commitment from the food giant to invest $1 billion in tackling urgent global issues like climate change and poverty.

That plan – called Sustainable in a Generation – was unveiled earlier this month by CEO Grant Reid, who likened the global food supply chain to ‘a broken engine’ that needs fixing. Irshad Ahmad Dogar, a Mars rice farmer who works with the company’s local partner in Pakistan, said the pilot has substantially reduced the cost of farming and increased his income. “I can now make sure my children get better education and schooling. Our children getting education and becoming responsible citizens of society makes my family happy.” Luc Beerens, global sustainable sourcing director for Mars Food, said: “We’ve shown that sustainable rice can sustain a farmer’s livelihood. These innovations, if adopted throughout the industry, could fundamentally shift how rice is grown today, helping to protect the environment, lift farmers out of poverty, and meet future demand worldwide.”

Facts on rice production

More than 3.5 billion people rely on rice for their daily nutrition
19% of the world’s population is employed in the production of rice
Traditional rice production uses 40% of the world’s irrigation water
It accounts for around a tenth of global greenhouse gas emissions
With a growing population, the need to make rice sustainable is clear

Almost 20% of the world’s population is employed in rice production yet traditional rice production methods use 40% of all irrigation water and accounts for up to 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions. With the number of people on the planet increasing by around 80 million a year, the need to improve the sustainability of the rice supply is increasingly clear. Mars has worked since 2013 through SRP to develop a global standard for sustainable rice that it can use to map its supply chain, identify gaps, and drive improvements. In addition to mapping against the 46 performance indicators of the SRP, the company said it is going further by investing in programmes to address human rights and women’s empowerment in its rice supply chains. For example, the company’s female empowerment programme provides mobile health clinics in Pakistan. In India, the programme is facilitating a qualitative study on gender roles in the rice supply chain to develop new initiatives aimed at improving girls’ education and diversifying incomes in rice communities. Mars’ Sustainable in a Generation ambition is focused on three key areas: healthy planet, thriving people, and nourishing wellbeing.

https://www.foodbev.com/news/mars-hails-basmati-achievement-in-pursuit-of-sustainable-rice-goal/

DA targeting to raise rice yield, cut production cost

By Jasper Y. Arcalas

September 21, 2017

With the Asean integration, Bordey said the Philippines is confronted with a different economic scenario so targeting rice self-sufficiency is no longer enough.

“As our commitment to the World Trade Organization, we now have to replace our quantitative restriction [QR] policy with its tariff equivalent,” she added.

A study undertaken by the PhilRice and the International Rice Research Institute noted that imported rice from Thailand and Vietnam will be around P31 and P27 per kilogram, respectively.

This scenario is favorable to consumers, especially for poor families who spend about a third of their income for food expenses.

However, Bordey warned that cheaper imports will also reduce the price of locally produced rice.

“This will have a negative impact on the income of our rice farmers who, at present, only produce an average of 3.87 MT/ha at a cost of P12/kg”, she said.

“This means that rice farmers, say in Nueva Ecija, who spend P48,000 per hectare on average, must have a yield of around 6,000 kg, or 6 MT, to survive the competition,” Bordey added.

https://businessmirror.com.ph/da-targeting-to-raise-rice-yield-cut-production-cost/

Move over craft beer, sake is the next big boom

By Tamara Hinson12 hours ago

Sake is quickly replacing craft beer as the coolest tipple on the block. Tamara Hinson speaks to the experts to find out more about the Japanese drink heading for global domination.
Yozo Saijo’s neighbours know when sake season begins. Saijo, chief executive of Osaka's prestigious Amanosake sake brewery, marks the November start of sake season by hanging bright green balls of cedar from his brewery's sloping roof.
By March, sake season's drawing to a close, and the bristly balls of cedar have turned a dark, dusty brown. The magic happens in a cluster of wooden, sloping buildings in the pretty town of Kawachinagano.
One building contains rice-polishing machinery - well-polished rice produces sake with a cleaner, brighter taste, and Amanosake is one of the few companies to polish it in-house, rather than purchasing pre-polished grains. In the fermentation room, huge vats hiss and hum beneath Kamidanas - Shinto altars.
As a tenth-generation brewer, Saijo sees his job as his destiny. "I didn’t have a choice, and my son will take over after I’m gone," he says with a certainty which suggests his offspring won’t have much say in the matter.
Saijo keeps his distance from his employees, explaining that in Japan, senior members of staff don’t mix with the people they manage. It’s easier said than done, because Amanosake employees are a dedicated bunch. When sake season's in full swing, they move into staff quarters on the brewery’s upper floor.
It's a reminder that in Japan, sake is so much more than a drink. “It's been consumed since ancient times," points out Tadahiro Osawa, sake sommelier at the Grand Hyatt Tokyo. "And it's made with rice, which has been a staple of Japanese cuisine for centuries. It's deeply rooted in Japan’s culture, economy and history, and it’s always given at traditional celebrations. For example, the traditional Japanese wedding ceremony includes a sake-sharing ritual which cements the bond between families.”

Sake in a Tokyo department store
But sake has officially gone global. Australia now has its first sake brewery (Sun Masamune Sake Brewery in Penrith, Sydney), and similar businesses have been cropping up all over Europe – the UK gets its first sake brewery in 2018 and America has several, with the majority located in California.
“The popularity of Japanese cuisine has contributed to a growing awareness of sake and is certainly increasing its popularity,” observes Yoko Ambo at Sydney's Sun Masamune Sake Brewery. “Japanese restaurants, including traditional and more contemporary izakaya (Japanese tapas-style dining bars) are becoming incredibly popular, and as a result Australians - and other nationalities - are increasingly curious about it."
But given that the Japanese's connection with sake runs far deeper than it does for other nationalities, can Australians or Americans really have the same appreciation for a drink with so much cultural significance?
Chuck Perkins at California-based sake brewery Kuracali doesn’t see it as a problem. "The traditions heighten the appreciation of sake but aren't essential when it comes to enjoying it," says Perkins. "Consumers will build their own relationship with it. Those outside of Japan will want to understand the original traditions, and at the same time, some Japanese consumers will want to try the new, unusual varieties of sake being made elsewhere."
For sake purists, the latter sentence will undoubtedly flag up warning signs. Could a Vegemite-infused version be coming to a Japanese restaurant near you? Sake is, after all, famous for its purity and limited ingredients: rice, water, koji (mould) and yeast.
But Perkins argues that subtly-tweaked varieties are a great way to introduce people to the drink. "I've noticed that customers who originally liked a sweet-flavoured variety, such as one flavoured with mango or habanero, often begin to prefer the traditional sakes, simply for the more subtle nuances which come from using just rice, water, koji, and yeast."
Keen to sample some sake? If you've never tried Japan's beloved rice wine before, the most important thing to remember is that there are four main types of sake: Daiginjo, Ginjo, Junmai, and Honjozo. All of them can be served at room temperature or chilled, although Junmai is best enjoyed warm, and chilling Daiginjo can help to bring out its subtle aromas.
"Daiginjo is considered the most premium type, and it's got a lighter taste and a more fragrant, fruity flavour, which makes it easy to drink," says sake sommelier Tadahiro Osawa.
When it comes to price, Osawa suggests a starting point of $15. "Generally, if a standard, 720cl bottle costs more than 1,500 yen ($15) then it's a good one," he says. Kanpai to that.

http://travel.nine.com.au/2017/09/22/09/37/sake-boom-australia

French officials in PH to sign agreement with DA

Updated September 22, 2017, 8:48 AM

By Roy Mabasa

Officials from the French Ministry of Agriculture and Food are in the country to reinforce French-Philippine scientific exchanges with the signing of a bilateral cooperation agreement on agriculture.

(Embassy of France to the Philippines and Micronesia via Facebook / MANILA BULLETIN)

According to the French Embassy in Manila, Héloïse Pestel, Director for International Affairs at the French Ministry for Agriculture and Food, and Sébastien Bouvatier, French Regional Agricultural Counselor for ASEAN countries based in the French Embassy in Singapore, will be witnessing the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in the Agricultural Sector between France and the Philippines by Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol and French Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Laurent Legodec on September 26.

This bilateral agreement seeks to strengthen communication and cooperation between the French Ministry for Agriculture and Food and the Philippine Department of Agriculture in areas of common interest, including the promotion of sustainable agricultural practices, exchanges on public policies on food safety, the development of the livestock sector, and the joint development of technical cooperation projects, among others.

The French embassy said the signing ceremony is the culmination of a Philippine-France Forum on Agriculture, an event jointly organized with the Department of Agriculture, which gathers over 200 Filipino and French researchers and experts to discuss and propose concrete, science-based leads and recommendations to policymakers on specific agricultural issues. Moreover, this forum seeks to bridge both socio-economic and environmental gaps while demonstrating the benefits of scientific collaboration between France and the Philippines.

While in the Philippines, the French officials will also be meeting officials from the Philippines’ Department of Agriculture and from the private sector, while representatives from French research institutes such as the Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD) and the French National Institute for Agricultural Research (INRA) will meet their colleagues from the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), the University of the Philippines-Los Baños, the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD), and the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA).

Th French embassy noted that the French-Philippine cooperation in the field of agriculture stands out for its long-term objectives and strong scientific dimension. Several French scientists have been particularly involved in projects on ecological intensification, agricultural conservation, emerging diseases, and animal health.

http://news.mb.com.ph/2017/09/22/frenchofficials-in-ph-to-sign-agreement-with-da/

Pragna Bharati silver jubilee at IIRR in Hyd on Sept 23

THE HANS INDIA | Sep 22,2017 , 05:01 AM IST

Pragna Bharati silver jubilee at IIRR in Hyd on Sept 23

Hyderabad: Pragna Bharati, a Nationalist Thinkers Forum, will be organising programmes to mark their silver jubilee celebrations and also National Conference on ``Rejuvenate Indian Agriculture for Sustainability” on September 23 & 24 at Indian Institute of Rice Research (IIRR), near Agricultural University, Rajendra Nagar on the city outskirts.

Addressing media persons on Thursday, Dr Tripuraneni Hanuman Chowdary said the seminar will be held under the guidance of Dr Daggubati Purandeshwari, former Union HRD Minister. State Agriculture Minister Pocharam Srinivas Reddy will be the chief guest

http://www.thehansindia.com/posts/index/Telangana/2017-09-22/Pragna-Bharati-silver-jubilee-at-IIRR-in-Hyd-on-Sept-23/328285

Rice prices up as government stock dwindles: BNP

Sun Online Desk 21st September, 2017 08:37:48

BNP senior leader Abdullah Al Noman has alleged that the rice prices have marked an unusual rise as the government has failed to stockpile enough food grains.“Rice prices are going up abnormally as its supply is very poor against its demand. The government was supposed to keep the stock of at least 10 lakh metric tonnes of food grains, but it has only 2.13 lakh metric tonnes.

It’s the main cause behind the soaring prices of rice,” he said.Noman, a former food minister, came up with the comment on Thursday while speaking at a discussion programme at the Jatiya Press Club arranged by Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Karmajibi Dal.

He said the government could have imported rice and reduced import duty on it to ensure its good supply in the market.The BNP leader said government godowns are now empty due to the government’s wrong policy to procure rice and sell it under OMS injudiciously.

He suggested the government to withdraw the import duty on rice and procure the staple quickly from the neighbouring country to arrest the unbridled rice prices with increasing its supply, reports UNB.Earlier at a press conference at BNP’s Nayapaltan central office, party senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi blamed ruling party-backed business syndicate for the soaring prices of rice.

“The rice prices didn’t come down though traders at a meeting with ministers assured of reducing that by Tk 2-3 per kg from Wednesday. This government has nothing to deliver, except issuing threats and showing arrogance,” he said.

The BNP leader said coarse rice is still being sold at Tk 55 while fine ones at Tk 65-70 as the ministers’ meeting with rice traders has no impact on the market.Rizvi also alleged that the silos have become empty as the ruling party men looted those in the name of government’s programme to sell rice at Tk 10 per kg. “They (AL men) bought the rice at Tk 10 and sold that at high prices in the black market.” He urged the government to take effective steps to bring the rice prices within the reach of common people.

Bangladesh to buy 50,000 tonnes rice from Thailand at Tk 1.81 billion

Senior Correspondent, bdnews24.com

2017-09-21 03:41:34.0 BdST Updated: 2017-09-21 03:41:34.0 BdST

The government has cleared a proposal to buy 50,000 tonnes rice from a Thai company through international tender.The cabinet committee on government purchase approved the proposal to buy the parboiled rice at $438 per tonne at a meeting chaired by Finance Minister AMA Muhith on Wednesday.

Siam Rice Trading (Thai) Company Limited will supply the rice at Tk 1.81 billion as the lowest bidder, Additional Cabinet Secretary Mostafizur Rahman told reporters after the meeting.

The government is importing food grains and easing import conditions after two spells of floods devastated crops on hundreds of thousands of farmland.

The crisis has pushed rice prices through the roof. Even the price of rice at the government's Open Market Sale programme for the poor has doubled to Tk 30 per kilogram.

http://bdnews24.com/economy/2017/09/21/bangladesh-to-buy-50000-tonnes-rice-from-thailand-at-tk-1.81-billion

Govt. to purchase 350,000 tons of rice for reserve

By Yonhap

· Published : Sept 21, 2017 - 15:02

· Updated : Sept 21, 2017 - 15:02

South Korea will increase the purchase of local rice that will be set aside for reserve purposes this year to help stabilize prices on the domestic market, the agriculture ministry said Thursday.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said it will buy 350,000 tons of rice harvested this year from Sept. 25 to Dec. 31.

It will increase the purchase of rice from last year's 82,000 tons to 90,000 tons and buy 260,000 tons of packaged rice.

Some 10,000 tons of rice will be set aside for ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve as Seoul plans to send rice aid to developing nations, the ministry said.

A farmer harvests rice in a rice paddy in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, Sept. 6, 2017. (Yonhap)

http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20170921000693

1 comment:

RaheemOctober 15, 2020 at 11:50 PM
What a really awesome post this is. Truly, one of the best posts I've ever witnessed to see in my whole life. Wow, just keep it up.
Rice purity test

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Friday, September 22, 2017

22nd September,2017 daily global regional local rice e-newsletter by riceplus magazine

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https://businessmirror.com.ph/da-targeting-to-raise-rice-yield-cut-production-cost/

Move over craft beer, sake is the next big boom

French officials in PH to sign agreement with DA

Pragna Bharati silver jubilee at IIRR in Hyd on Sept 23

Rice prices up as government stock dwindles: BNP

Sun Online Desk 21st September, 2017 08:37:48

Bangladesh to buy 50,000 tonnes rice from Thailand at Tk 1.81 billion

The government has cleared a proposal to buy 50,000 tonnes rice from a Thai company through international tender.The cabinet committee on government purchase approved the proposal to buy the parboiled rice at $438 per tonne at a meeting chaired by Finance Minister AMA Muhith on Wednesday.

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