Quality of carbohydrates is vital to good health
14/11/2017
The consumption of quality whole
grains is associated with lower mortality rates and lower risk of type 2
diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity and possibly colorectal cancer,
according to a statement released today by the International Carbohydrate
Quality Consortium (ICQC), a global committee of leading nutrition scientists.
The committee, whose only UK
academic is Dr Marie-Ann Ha of Anglia Ruskin University, today released the
Consensus Statement on Whole Grains as the culmination of its third meeting,
which took place in Rome in late September.
Whole grains, such as those found
in wholemeal bread, pasta and brown rice, are important sources of dietary
fibre, nutrients and phytochemicals in the diet. The scientists stressed the
importance to consume about two servings per day (16g dry weight per serving)
of whole grains, as this quantity is associated with health benefits. The
statement adds that whole grain foods with a low glycaemic index, such as
pasta, should be encouraged.
Furthermore, the scientists
stressed the need to communicate information on whole grains to the public and
health professionals, including increasing awareness about health benefits,
information on whole grain content of foods, promotion in the media, efforts by
the food industry and food services to make whole grains enjoyable and
affordable, and to support a regulatory environment that promotes simple but
evidence-based labelling and on-pack promotion.
Dr Ha, Senior Lecturer in Public
Health at Anglia Ruskin University, said: “Grains are the major source of
carbohydrates globally, but the quality of these grains is vital to ensure a
healthy diet.
“The ICQC decided to focus on
this subject for our third meeting, and we believe this Consensus Statement is
important to promote healthy eating and lower the risk of obesity and disease.
“We need to determine the
difference between intact whole grains, like brown rice, and milled whole
grains, such as those found in wholemeal bread and pasta. Both have a positive
effect on health, but the question of how exactly these respective benefits are
seen requires more research.”
About ICQC
The International Carbohydrate
Quality Consortium (ICQC) is a non-profit, worldwide organization of scientists
with expertise in carbohydrate nutrition research, whose mission is to support,
summarize and disseminating the science around dietary carbohydrate and health
with a focus on quality and to harmonize the work of scientists from academia,
industry and government. Our activities focus primarily on carbohydrate
nutrition and health promotion.
https://www.cambridgenetwork.co.uk/news/quality-of-carbohydrates-is-vital-to-good-health/?
The Global Partnership Working Around the Clock to Save Wild
Relatives of Major Crops 
courtesy of The
Crop Trust.
In the early 1970s, a wild species of
grass saved its cousin, rice, from the devastating grassy stunt virus.
Today, a global partnership managed
by The Crop Trust and
the Millennium
Seedbank at Kew is scaling up a ten-year effort to catalog,
conserve, and prepare the genetics of other wild cousins of major crops, known
as crop wild relatives(CWRs),
in light of increasing stresses to agriculture including climate change and
population growth.
The total damage from the rice
virus amounted to more than US$2.5
billion in 2017 dollars and at least 116,000
hectares (287,000 acres) of destroyed rice fields before it was
stopped, according to the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI).
Scientists at IRRI reacted to the outbreak by screening nearly 7,000 varieties
of modern rice and rice CWRs for resistance to the virus. They found only one that
was resistant: a sample of Oryza nivara, a rice CWR that is native
to Uttar Pradesh, India. By 1988, IRRI reported that more than 30 million hectares (74
million acres) in 30 countries were planted with varieties of virus-resistant
rice bred to contain genes from Oryza nivara.
In contrast, scientists in the
1840s did not yet know that potato CWRs contain genes for
resistance to the disease that triggered the Irish
Potato Famine, and so could not respond in time to save the 1
million Irish who died from starvation and related causes.
Estimates of the economic value
of crop wild relatives vary widely, but the business services firm
PricewaterhouseCoopers put the total potential value of the future use of wild
genepools of 32 major global crops at up to US$196 billion.
Meanwhile, more than one-fifth
of plant species worldwide are threatened with extinction due
to increasing pressure from
wars, pollution, urbanization, climate change,
the intensification of agriculture, and invasive species, according to the Royal Botanic
Gardens, Kew.
“It’s now clear that scientists
around the world are in a race against time to collect and conserve many of the
most important plant species for future food security,” says Dr. Nora
Castañeda-Álvarez, a scientist at The Crop Trust.
The Crop Trust, the Millennium
Seed Bank at Kew, and their partners are confronting this problem on a global
level by identifying gaps in the world’s collections of CWRs,supporting the collecting efforts of
24 national programs to fill those gaps, and working with more than 40
institutions to develop
pre-breeding materials that will help adapt crops to a changing
climate.
Castañeda-Álvarez was part of an
international team that published a study in 2016showing
that 95 percent of CWRs are insufficiently represented in the world’s
genebanks.Genebanks are
collections of samples of crops and CWRs around the world designed to make
genetic resources available cheaply and effectively for the long term. Crops
for which CWRs are in “urgent need of collection and conservation” include
banana, sweet potato, carrot, pineapple, and spinach. Even collections for CWRs
of some vital staples like rice, wheat, potato, and maize show “significant
gaps.” The team found that 29 percent of the CWRs for 81 of the world’s most
important crops are completely missing from the world’s genebanks.
Because CWR genetic material has
value to agricultural systems around the world, the members of the CWR
partnership ensure the availability of the collected and developed materials
under the terms of the International
Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture to
ensure international access. Breeders and farmers around the world can obtain and work with materials
stewarded in any of the 144 countries that
are party to the Treaty as long as they agree to make varieties they develop
freely available or, if they develop a commercial product, pay a percentage of
profits into a benefit-sharing fund.
Luis Salazar, The Crop Trust’s
Communications Manager, explains, “We live in an interdependent world. We all
eat the same basic staple crops, and thus it’s everybody’s responsibility to
also make sure we safeguard the crop diversity that is the basis of our food
security.”
In order to make the resilience
traits that CWRs may display available for breeders to work with, the CWR
partnership has initiated pre-breeding projects
focused on 19 high-priority crops.
The pre-breeding process aims to isolate desired genetic traits and introduce
them into breeding lines that are more readily crossable with modern varieties.
Lentils were chosen for
pre-breeding because they fix their own nitrogen and are the main source of
protein in many diets that are low in meat but face an “extreme” genetic
bottleneck and are suffering from droughts and fungus in production centers
like Turkey and Canada. Carrots are
a vitamin-rich, storable, high-value crop that is seeing significant yield gaps
in high-stress growing conditions, such as saline soils in Bangladesh and more
regular heat waves in Pakistan. Sweet potato plants
grow fast, need little input and labor, produce more energy per land area than
any other food crop, and have served as a vital famine relief crop in countries
from Mozambique to Japan.
As climate change and other
pressures continue to increase in severity, the value of the CWR project’s work
will only become more urgent, according to Marie Haga,
the Executive Director of The Crop Trust. She recently told Food
Tank, “The astonishing range of species and varieties cultivated by
farmers past and present is one of the world’s most valuable natural resources.
It represents the raw materials that plant breeders and farmers need for
tomorrow’s climate-resilient crops.
When we lose this diversity, we
lose our options for the future.”
For example, the sub-group of
banana varieties that makes up 99 percent of
banana exports derives from one variety grown
by one man in the 1950s that proved resistant to a fungus that nearly wiped out the
global banana market. Today, multiple new fungal
pathogens are spreading through banana plantations around the
world with even greater speed because of the efficiency of international
transportation and increasingly variable precipitation patterns caused by
climate change. The banana is the world’s most popular fruit, according to the United
Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. In the quest to save it, The Crop
Trust and its partners are turning to banana
CWRS for answers.
PM reviews rice research at IRRI
— ASEAN Summit
Elias
Hubbard
November
14, 2017
Indian
scientists at IRRI brief PM Modi on benefits of special rice varieties which
provide substantial benefits to Indian farmers.
Bhubaneswar:
Odisha-born scientist Dr. Kshirod Jena today explained benefits of
salt-tolerant rice varieties to Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Manila in
Philippines during the latter's visit to International Rice Research Institute
(IRRI).
The
Prime Minister reviewed a photo exhibit showcasing flood tolerant rice
varieties; drought tolerant rice varieties; salinity tolerant rice varieties;
and IRRI's work with women farming cooperatives.
IRRI
describes itself as "the world's premier research organization dedicated
to reducing poverty and hunger through rice science".
A
"rice field laboratory" named after Prime Minister Modi was also
inaugurated by him at the institute.
IRRI
will also work with the Indian Center for Agriculture Research to have local
farmers test the innovation.
India is
also setting up a regional centre of the IRRI in Varanasi, the Prime Minister's
constituency, to develop high-yielding rice varieties. The IRRI, which is known
for its work in developing rice varieties that contributed to the Green
Revolution in the 1960s and now, it boasts of having offices in 17 countries.
"Dr.
Arvind Kumar informed benefits of drought-tolerant rice varieties which
stabilize the productivity of rice on over 12 million hectares of drought-prone
areas in India and improve the livelihoods of poor rural communities",
External Affairs Ministry said in a tweet.
IRRI has
an office in India, and 16 other countries in Asia and Africa.
On
Twitter, Modi said he met with Indian scientists and researchers who work at
IRRI.
Prime
Minister Modi is on a three-day visit to Manila to attend the ASEAN India
summit and East Asia Summit on November 14.
The
Philippine laboratory will conduct the research, and the data will be forwarded
to the Indian office for testing.
India,
Philippines sign four agreements to strengthen bilateral ties
Nov
14, 2017 15:43 IST
India, Philippines
India and the Philippines on 13 November 2017 signed four
agreements to enhance cooperation in various fields including defence and
foreign services. The agreements were signed following the PM Narendra Modi
bilateral meeting with the Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte.
These four agreements cover areas of defence, agriculture, small and medium enterprises and tie-up between think-tanks of both the countries.The agreements were signed during PM Modi three-day visit to Manila, the Philippines to attend the 15th India-Association of Sou
These four agreements cover areas of defence, agriculture, small and medium enterprises and tie-up between think-tanks of both the countries.The agreements were signed during PM Modi three-day visit to Manila, the Philippines to attend the 15th India-Association of Sou
Traditional Japanese broth aids
gastric emptying: First-of-its-kind trial
15-Nov-2017 - Last updated
on 15-Nov-2017 at 02:27 GMT
Ingestion of the broth may improve gastric motility.
Three amino acids – the key components in traditional
Japanese broth (dashi) – promote gastric emptying in healthy adults and could
therefore be beneficial to people with functional dyspepsia.
Dashi is prepared by boiling dried foods such as kelp and
bonito for a very short time, and contains amino acids that confer a savoury,
umami taste to meals
The concentrations of three free
amino acids (histidine, glutamate, aspartate) were 10- to 12-fold higher
compared with 15 other free amino found in three broths assessed by researchers
at Kyoto University.
Based on the component analysis
of the three actual broths served in traditional restaurants, a chemically
synthesized broth was prepared to investigate their effect on glucose
metabolism and digestion.
Seven healthy individuals were
enrolled in a four-period crossover study. Participants drank or ate hot water,
synthesized broth, hot water with rice, and synthesized broth with rice.
Writing in the journal Nutrition,
they stated: “Ingesting synthesized broth with rice resulted
in a rapid rise in plasma glucose in an early postprandial phase compared with
that by ingesting water with rice.
“Ingesting synthesized broth with
rice resulted in a significantly higher gastric emptying coefficient than that
after rice with water.”
Future studies
They added that the findings were
especially relevant for people suffering with functional dyspepsia, symptoms of
which include early satiation and pain or burning in the epigastrium.
“A clinically interesting finding
of the present study is that the common broth in the Japanese diet may be a
dietary option for patients with functional dyspepsia to alleviate delayed
gastric emptying and promote digestion,” added the researchers.
“Further studies to demonstrate
the beneficial effect of broth in patients with functional dyspepsia are
required.”
The researchers added that,
unlike the Mediterranean diet, there are few studies that have assessed the
health benefits of the Japanese diet.
“The present study sheds light on
the function of clear broth, which may have some healthy effects,” they added.
“Our findings suggest that
ingestion of the broth of dried kelp and dried bonito may improve gastric
motility.”
Source: Nutrition
“Effects of three major amino
acids found in Japanese broth on glucose metabolism and gastric emptying”
theast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit and the 12th East Asia Summit.
This is the second visit by Indian PM to the Philippines in 36 years after the visit of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1981. Earlier in 2007, then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had visited Philippines for the ASEAN summit.
PM Modi visit to International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in Philippines
During his visit to the Philippines, PM Modi visited the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in Los Banos and interacted with several Indian scientists working there.
The scientists at IRRI briefed the PM on flood-tolerant rice varieties which can withstand 14-18 days of submergence and provide 1-3 tonnes more yield per hectare in flood-affected areas.
Following this meeting with the scientists, a ‘Rice Field Laboratory’ named after PM Modi was also inaugurated by him at the institute. The laboratory is named as 'Narendra Modi Resilient Rice Field Laboratory'.
PM Modi also contributed two Indian rice seed varieties to the gene bank of the international rice research centre in the Philippines with an aim to mitigate global poverty and hunger by improving the cultivation of the key grain.
This is the second visit by Indian PM to the Philippines in 36 years after the visit of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1981. Earlier in 2007, then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had visited Philippines for the ASEAN summit.
PM Modi visit to International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in Philippines
During his visit to the Philippines, PM Modi visited the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in Los Banos and interacted with several Indian scientists working there.
The scientists at IRRI briefed the PM on flood-tolerant rice varieties which can withstand 14-18 days of submergence and provide 1-3 tonnes more yield per hectare in flood-affected areas.
Following this meeting with the scientists, a ‘Rice Field Laboratory’ named after PM Modi was also inaugurated by him at the institute. The laboratory is named as 'Narendra Modi Resilient Rice Field Laboratory'.
PM Modi also contributed two Indian rice seed varieties to the gene bank of the international rice research centre in the Philippines with an aim to mitigate global poverty and hunger by improving the cultivation of the key grain.
Paddy
Procurement Begins In Sambalpur
On Nov 15, 2017 171
KalingaTV News Network
Sambalpur: Paddy procurement for the
current kharif marketing season (KMS) began in the district from today. Paddy
would be procured through 77 market yards and paddy purchase centres spread
across nine blocks in the district, informed a senior official.
As many as 34,285 farmers of the district have registered for
selling their paddy this year. The State Government has set a tentative target
to procure 2,55,882 tonnes of paddy during the current season.
A total of 51 millers would participate in the kharif paddy
procurement process and the minimum support price (MSP) of paddy is `1,550 per
quintal for common paddy and `1,590 per quintal for Grade ‘A’ paddy.
Ironically, a special squad, led
by District Civil Supply officer, found over 22,000 gunny bags of paddy during
raids in five rice mills in Burla and Ainthapali area in the district
yesterday.
http://kalingatv.com/latestnews/jaga-begins-playing-balia-in-special-ward/
Food Science's Mukhopadhyay,
Siebenmorgen Win Second Cereal Chemists Award in Four Years
Nov. 14, 2017
Photo by Fred Miller
Sangeeta Mukhopadhyay, a Bumpers
College doctoral student, and Distinguished Professor of food science Terry
Siebenmorgen have conducted research that could be used to improve the process
of drying rice.
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Sangeeta Mukhopadhyay, a University of
Arkansas doctoral student in food science, was named winner of the student
paper competition at the American Association of Cereal Chemists International
annual meeting in San Diego, California, in October.
Mukhopadhyay won the 2017 Engineering and Processing Best
Student Paper Award for her entry, "Experimental Simulation of Cross-Flow
Rice Drying: Effect of Tempering Approaches on Milling Yields."
Terry Siebenmorgen, Distinguished Professor in the Dale Bumpers College
of Agricultural, Food and Life Science's Department of Food Science and with
the U of A System Division of Agriculture, is Mukhopadhyay's major adviser and
co-author of the research.
Mukhopadhyay's research focuses on experimental simulation of
cross-flow dryers, the most common rice dryers in the U.S. rice industry. For
the 2017 paper, she and Siebenmorgen simulated a cross-flow drying column with
the goal of understanding the effect of post-drying tempering approaches on
rice milling yields and the extent of fissure occurrence when rice from
different dryer cross-sections are tempered differently. They found the
tempering approach immediately after drying significantly affects head rice
yields (HRYs) of rice located at different dryer cross-sections during drying.
This effect was more prominent on rice located near the heated-air plenum
during drying. These results can be used to design better cross-flow rice
dryers and improve the drying process.
Mukhopadhyay, from Kolkata, India, earned her bachelor's degree
in food technology from West Bengal University of Technology in India in 2009
and her master's degree in food and agricultural engineering from Indian
Institute of Technology Kharagpur in 2012. She joined U of A's rice processing
program as a graduate assistant working with Siebenmorgen in 2012.
Mukhopadhyay, who has served as a teaching assistant in food
engineering, and Siebenmorgen have won the AACCI Engineering and Processing
Best Student Paper Award twice in four years. They won in 2014 for the entry
"Impact of Rapid Moisture Adsorption on Rice Milling Yields."
AAACI is a global, nonprofit association of more than 2,000
scientists and food industry professionals focused on advancing the
understanding and knowledge of cereal grain science and its product development
applications through research, leadership, education, technical service and
advocacy.
About the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life
Sciences: Bumpers College provides
life-changing opportunities to position and prepare graduates who will be
leaders in the businesses associated with foods, family, the environment,
agriculture, sustainability and human quality of life; and who will be
first-choice candidates of employers looking for leaders, innovators, policy makers
and entrepreneurs. The college is named for Dale Bumpers, former Arkansas
governor and longtime U.S. senator who made the state prominent in national and
international agriculture.
About the University of Arkansas: The University of Arkansas provides an internationally
competitive education for undergraduate and graduate students in more than 200
academic programs. The university contributes new knowledge, economic
development, basic and applied research, and creative activity while also
providing service to academic and professional disciplines. The Carnegie
Foundation classifies the University of Arkansas among only 2 percent of
universities in America that have the highest level of research activity. U.S.
News & World Report ranks the University of Arkansas among
its top American public research universities. Founded in 1871, the University
of Arkansas comprises 10 colleges and schools and maintains a low
student-to-faculty ratio that promotes personal attention and close mentoring.
Narendra Modi in Philippines: PM visits International Rice
Research Institute in Los Banos, meets Indian scientists
Los Banos, Philippines: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday visited the global rice
research centre in the Philippines and got a briefing from scientists at the
world-famous institute which is working towards developing better quality of
rice seeds to address issues relating to food scarcity.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi
welcomed by Philippin
e president Rodrigo Duterte on Sunday. AP
e president Rodrigo Duterte on Sunday. AP
A large number of Indian
scientists are working in the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in
Los Banos, an urban locality situated at a distance of around 65 kms from
Manila, the capital of the Philippines.
A number of scientists at the
IRRI briefed the prime minister on flood-tolerant rice varieties which they
said can withstand 14-18 days of submergence and can provide 1-3 tonnes more
yield per hectare in flood affected areas.
The Indian government is also
setting up a regional centre of the IRRI in Varanasi, the prime minister’s
constituency, to develop high-yielding rice varieties.
The IRRI, which has offices in 17
countries, is known for its work in developing rice varieties that contributed
to the Green Revolution in 1960s.
"The Varanasi Centre would
help increase farmers' income by enhancing and supporting rice productivity,
reducing cost of production, value addition, diversification and enhancement of
farmers' skills," the Prime Minister's Office tweeted.
Spokesperson in the external
affairs ministry Raveesh Kumar said the IRRI has successfully collaborated with
Indian Council for Agricultural Research to introduce drought-tolerant,
flood-tolerant and salt-tolerant varieties of rice in India.
He said the IRRI and its partners
have provided assistance to 2,00,000 women farmers in Odisha which included
providing capacity building programmes, and improved agriculture technology.
The IRRI centre in Varanasi will
help in utilising the rich biodiversity of India to develop special rice
varieties.
Modi arrived in the Philippines
on Sunday on a three-day visit to attend the ASEAN-India and the East Asia
summits.
http://www.firstpost.com/world/narendra-modi-in-philippines-pm-visits-international-rice-research-institute-in-los-banos-meets-indian-scientists-4206877.html
Fresh NGT order allows units meeting
emission norms
Nov 15, 2017, 12:29 AM; last updated: Nov 15, 2017, 1:28 AM
(IST)
Nov 15, 2017, 12:29 AM; last updated: Nov 15, 2017, 1:28 AM
(IST)
Geetanjali Gayatri
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, November 14
In a tizzy after the NGT banned industrial activity in the
NCR, the Industries Department, Haryana, today heaved a sigh of relief after
the former allowed industrial units to operate provided these meet the norms
and the emissions are within the prescribed limit.
In an order dated November 9, the NGT had imposed a ban on
industrial activities that release emissions after which the Industries
Department received representations seeking a clarification.
Sources said the CII in a representation to the department
had termed the blanket ban as “abrupt and unwarranted” but mentioned that it
supported initiatives to curb emissions. Stating that the ban should not apply
to industry where emissions were within the permissible limits, the
representation urged the Industries Department to intervene and ask the Haryana
State Pollution Control Board to seek a clarification from the NGT while
maintaining the status quo.
Various representations received by the department also
wanted the board to clarify in its public notices that industrial units
complying with the specified emission norms were out of the purview of the NGT
order and could, therefore, continue with their activities. Also, industrial
units using natural gas or other similar environment-friendly fuels could
operate as per their approvals.
The Industries Department, in view of the NGT order and
representations from industry, had initiated the exercise of
implementation while seeking a clarification on the order . “Today’s order
implies that there is no ban on operation of industrial units if these are
conforming to the norms,” a senior government functionary said.
Relief to 200 Karnal units
Karnal : The fresh NGT order has brought cheer
for around 200 industries like rice mills, sugar mills and solvent extractors
edible oil plants. After the fresh order, the Haryana State Pollution Control
Board (HSPCB) asked such industrial units to resume operations that had been
lying shut since Friday.in regard to carrying on their manufacturing
activities. Rice millers, solvent extractors’ edible oil units and farmers
hailed the decision and assured the HSPCB to abide by the prescribed emission
norms . Vijay Setia, president, All-India Rice Exporters Association (AIREA),
said: “ We have started our mills to meet the deadline to supply rice to the
state government and meet our export obligations”. “We have conveyed the fresh
NGT decision to the industrial units and asked them to resume operations,” said
Virender Kumar, SDO, HSPCB. TNS http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/haryana/fresh-ngt-order-allows-units-meeting-emission-norms/497583.html
Basmati rice makes Greek Style Rice Pilaf
special
·
By
SARA MOULTON Associated Press
·
Nov
13, 2017 Updated Nov 13, 2017
Sara Moulton
This photo shows a Greek-style rice pilaf served with chicken in
New York. This dish is from a recipe by Sara Moulton. (Sara Moulton via AP)
·
Sara
Moulton
This Nov. 3, 2017 photo shows a Greek-style rice pilaf served
with chicken in New York. This dish is from a recipe by Sara Moulton. (Sara
Moulton via AP)
Sara Moulton
This photo shows a Greek-style rice pilaf served with chicken in
New York. This dish is from a recipe by Sara Moulton. (Sara Moulton via AP)
With the exception of ooey-gooey
potato concoctions, side dishes rarely get any respect. Most of us devote our
love and attention to the protein in the center of the plate and then throw
together some kind of vegetable and/or starch as an afterthought. Here, however,
is a pilaf fully capable of stealing the limelight from the usual star of the
show.
It's basmati rice that makes
Greek Style Rice Pilaf so special. An especially aromatic grain used for
centuries in India and Pakistan, basmati doesn't usually show up in a
Greek-styled pilaf. But I prefer its naturally nutty taste to the blandness of
the usual varieties of long-grain rice. (There's a reason that basmati means
fragrant in Hindi.) The seasonings, of course, are also key: sauteed spinach
spiked with red pepper flakes, feta cheese, olives and dill.
To make sure the cooked grains
ended up separate and fluffy — and to wash away excess starch — I started by
rinsing the rice. This requires covering the rice in several inches of cold
water, stirring it in a circular motion several times, dumping off the water
and starting again with fresh water. Repeat this process as often as it takes
for the water to become almost clear.
Cooking rice also requires some
care. It needs to be tightly sealed and cooked at a bare simmer to achieve the
right texture. Place a wet paper towel under the lid to ensure that no liquid
can escape. Waiting 10 minutes after it's cooked before fluffing it up allows
all the moisture to be absorbed.
If you're no fan of feta, just
swap in ricotta salata, a kind of aged ricotta. You're also welcome to lose the
dill in favor of oregano, basil or mint. And if you don't like olives, just
leave them out. Finally, if you'd prefer a vegetarian version of this dish,
reach for vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
Born as a side dish, Greek Style
Rice Pilaf easily converts to main-dish status. Just top it off with a little
sauteed shrimp or chicken and call it a meal.
Greek Style Rice Pilaf
Start to finish: 1 hour (30
minutes active)
Servings: 6
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil,
divided
1 cup basmati rice, rinsed until
the water runs clear and drained
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 2/3 cup low-sodium chicken
broth
8 ounces baby spinach
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 ounces finely crumbled feta
cheese (about 1/2 cup)
1 ounce chopped Mediterranean
olives (heaping 1/4 cup)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
In a medium saucepan cook the
onion in 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium heat, stirring occasionally until
it is golden, about 8 minutes. Add the rice and garlic; cook, stirring, for 3
minutes. Add the lemon zest and chicken broth and bring to a boil. Turn down
the heat to medium-low, adjusting the temperature to make sure that the broth
maintains a bare simmer, cover the top of the pot with a wet paper towel and a
tight-fitting lid and cook, without stirring, for 17 minutes. Remove from the
heat and let stand for 10 minutes.
While the rice is simmering, cook
the spinach. In a large skillet heat 1 tablespoon of the remaining oil over
high heat, add half the spinach and cook, stirring until it is wilted, add half
the pepper flakes, stir and transfer the spinach to a bowl. Repeat the
procedure with the remaining oil, spinach and pepper flakes and set aside.
When the rice is done and has
rested for 10 minutes, add the feta, olives and dill and, using a fork, fluff
the rice to separate the grains. Serve right away.
———
Nutrition information per
serving: 259 calories; 110 calories from fat; 12 g fat (3 g saturated; 0 g trans
fats); 8 mg cholesterol; 211 mg sodium; 30 g carbohydrates; 1 g fiber; 1 g
sugar; 6 g protein.
https://pilotonline.com/life/flavor/basmati-rice-makes-greek-style-rice-pilaf-special/article_b1a038b6-3d10-5822-989f-fc92dee70e70.html
LONDON:
Spectacular Pakistani stalls at the annual fair of Commonwealth Countries
League (CCL) in London have turned out to be a great attraction for the
visitors
According
to a message received here, the stalls showcased Pakistan’s cultural richness
and diversity through traditional handicrafts, clothes, souvenirs and exotic
cuisine.
Pakistani
cuisine, especially, the rice dish ‘Biryani’, with its exquisite taste, aroma
and presentation, was a culinary delight for the food lovers.
Wife
of Pakistan's High Commissioner, Mrs Sadaf Abbas, along with the ladies of the
High Commission introduced the visitors to the beautiful handicrafts made by
the Pakistani women.
Speaking
on the occasion, the wife of high commissioner said: “The CCL fair is an annual
feature on our list of events. The proceeds of the Pakistani stalls are donated
to the Commonwealth Girls Education Fund (CGEF). The Fund equips the
disadvantaged girls with education to bring about positive change in the
society.”
High
Commissioner Syed Ibne Abbas visited the Pakistani stalls and appreciated the
efforts of the ladies of the High Commission for actively promoting Pakistan’s
culture and traditional products through participation in international fairs.
On
this occasion, he said: "We have excellent relations with the
Commonwealth, and participation in such events would further cement these
relations.”
The
fair was held at Kensington Town Hall, London on November 11. The occasion
provided the visitors with a great experience of cultures of the Commonwealth
countries.
http://thenews.com.pk/latest/244205-Rich-Pakistani-culture-showcased-at-Commonwealth-fair
TDAP participates in Foodex Saudi Exhibition at
Jeddah
November
14, 2017
JEDDAH - The
Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) in collaboration with Commercial
Section Consulate General of Pakistan participated in Foodex SaudiExhibition Jeddah , being held from November
12-15, 2017 at Jeddah Center for Events &
Forums.
The Exhibition was inaugurated by
Prince Abdullah bin Saud bin Mohammed Al Saud, Head of Tourism &
Entertainment Committee at Jeddah Chamber of Commerce.
The Consul General of Pakistan Consulate
Shehryar Akbar Khan told that that promoting bilateral trade between Pakistan
and Saudi Arabia is one of the
foremost responsibility, among others, of Pakistan Consulate. He said that 11
Pakistani companies are participating in the exhibition . The participating
companies/ exhibitors are among the top exporters from Pakistan dealing in
rice, beverages, spices, bakery and confectionaries.
He said that while Saudi Arabia is the region’s
largest food producer with 74.1 percent of total products in the GCC, it
imports more than $25 billion worth of food and beverage products each year to
meet its rising consumption demands. He added that with growing demand at an annual rate of 18.5 percent due to expanding
domestic market on account of growing population and increasing annual pilgrimage, SaudiArabia’s food and drink imports
are likely to reach around $ 70 billion per annum in next four to five years.
Reliance on imports is also likely to increase as the Saudigovernment has decided to reduce
wheat production to conserve water, he told.
These developments, Shehryar Akbar Khan said,
offer huge opportunity to Pakistani companies to further penetrate into Saudi market and increase their
market share. Given the fact that Pakistan is an agricultural country, and more
than 50 percent of its exports are agro and textile based it has enormous
potential to increase its exports by tapping halal food market of Saudi Arabia, which currently
imports more that 80 percent of its total food and beverages requirement.
Commercial Counselor Shehzad Ahmad Khan said
that Pakistan Consulate is extending full cooperation to Pakistani businessmen
match-making for their products in Saudi Arabia
and to tap enormous opportunities emerging out of Saudi Vision 2030 to promote
bilateral and investment.
http://nation.com.pk/14-Nov-2017/tdap-participates-in-foodex-saudi-exhibition-at-jeddah
Amid bumper paddy yield, Punjab, Haryana procure 235 lakh
tonnes
IANS | Chandigarh Last Updated at
November 14, 2017 22:13 IST
Agrarian states Punjab and Haryana have procured over 235 lakh tonnes of
paddy so far, Food and Supplies Department officials said here on Tuesday.
Punjab has procured over 169 lakh tonnes
and Haryana over 66 lakh tonnes, heading towards
record paddy procurement this season.
Government agencies have procured 98.5 per cent of the paddy
arriving in the grain markets in Punjab and nearly 95 per cent in Haryana. The remaining paddy has been procured
by rice millers and private traders.
Punjab is expecting a record procurement of over
182 lakh tonnes of paddy this year compared with over 168 lakh tonnes last
year.
Paddy arrival in Haryana is much higher than the over 60 lakh
tonnes that arrived in the state's grain markets corresponding period last
year.
The procurement, which began in both states on October 1, will
continue till November end.
The Reserve Bank of India has sanctioned over Rs 33,800 crore for
paddy procurement in Punjab in this kharif season.
--IANS
js/tsb/dg
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is
auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/amid-bumper-paddy-yield-punjab-haryana-procure-235-lakh-tonnes
Bangladesh scraps rice deal with Cambodia
A woman cleans rice for sale at a shop in Phnom Penh on Aug 2,
2017. (Reuters photo)
DHAKA: Bangladesh has cancelled its first-ever deal with Cambodia
to import 250,000 tonnes of white rice over a delay in shipments, officials at
the state grains buyer said on Tuesday.
The deal was signed in August at $453.00 a tonne as the
Bangladesh government raced to shore up depleted stocks and combat record
domestic prices of the staple grain after floods hit its crop. "We had to
terminate the deal as they failed to supply the rice on time," Badrul
Hasan, the head of Bangladesh's state grain buyer, told Reuters. Despite deals
with several rice-exporting countries including Vietnam, Thailand and Myanmar,
Bangladesh is battling to build its reserves, with rice imports set to hit
their highest levels in a decade. "We don't think this will have an impact
on our efforts to build stocks," he said, adding the state grains buyer
was in talks with an Indian agency. "Tomorrow we are holding talks with
India's National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation (NAFED).
We hope we will succeed in finalising a deal with
them." Traditionally the world's fourth-biggest rice producer, Bangladesh
has emerged as a major importer of the grain this year and helped pushed Asian
rice prices to multi-year highs in June. Rice is a staple food for Bangladesh's
160 million people and high prices pose a problem for the government, which
faces a national election next year. Bangladesh has also issued a series of
tenders as it looks to import a total of 1.5 million tonnes of rice in the year
to June. Rice at government warehouses stood at 411,000 tonnes, well below the
normal level of around 1 million tonnes. In August, Bangladesh cut a duty on
rice imports for the second time in two months. The lower import duty has
prompted purchases by private dealers, with most of the deals being struck with
neighbouring India. Bangladesh produces around 34 million tonnes of rice
annually but uses almost all its production to feed its population. It often
requires imports to cope with shortages caused by floods or droughts.
Rice Webinar: Thursday, November 16
Tune in Thursday, November 16, at 3:00 p.m. Central
Time, for a new rice webinar hosted by Dr. Bobby Coats, with the Department of
Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness at the University of Arkansas.
Jeremy D. Edwards, a USDA research plant molecular geneticist at the Dale
Bumpers National Rice Research Center in Stuttgart, Arkansas, provides an
overview of new gene editing techniques such as CRISPR/Cas9 and their potential
impact on the future of rice and plant breeding. Current and prospective
applications, and technical and consumer acceptance challenges will be
discussed.Go here to register for the webinar.
USA Rice Daily
Japan's Foodservice Industry Creates High Demand for U.S. Medium
Grain
By Yumi Kojima
TOKYO,
JAPAN -- Demand for U.S. medium grain rice by the foodservice industry in Japan
is on the upswing as the first Simultaneous Buy-Sell (SBS) tender in 2017 was
fully subscribed with U.S. rice gaining a 77 percent share of the 25,000 MT
purchased. And on Friday, November 10, Japan's Ministry of Agriculture,
Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) announced a second tender for 25,000 MT of rice
to be held on November 29.
"A shortage of reasonably priced domestic rice, favored by the Japanese foodservice industry, is driving the demand," said Jim Guinn, director of USA Rice Asia Promotion Programs. "Fortunately, buyers here have a good awareness of the quality and versatility of Calrose rice because USA Rice has been promoting U.S. medium grain rice in Japan since 2007."
Just last week, USA Rice hosted a foodservice seminar here where Guinn provided an overview of production and exports of U.S. rice, and talked about U.S. industry initiatives to provide a quality and safe product for the domestic and international markets while maintaining water quality, protecting the environment, and providing habitat for 230 species of wildlife.
More
than 70 attendees attended the seminar that featured technical information on
the quality and versatility of U.S. rice, and a side-by-side sampling of two
dishes made from Calrose and locally produced rice.
"A shortage of reasonably priced domestic rice, favored by the Japanese foodservice industry, is driving the demand," said Jim Guinn, director of USA Rice Asia Promotion Programs. "Fortunately, buyers here have a good awareness of the quality and versatility of Calrose rice because USA Rice has been promoting U.S. medium grain rice in Japan since 2007."
Just last week, USA Rice hosted a foodservice seminar here where Guinn provided an overview of production and exports of U.S. rice, and talked about U.S. industry initiatives to provide a quality and safe product for the domestic and international markets while maintaining water quality, protecting the environment, and providing habitat for 230 species of wildlife.
More
than 70 attendees attended the seminar that featured technical information on
the quality and versatility of U.S. rice, and a side-by-side sampling of two
dishes made from Calrose and locally produced rice. |
Discerning foodservice buyers taste the U.S. rice
difference
|
NRRI advises farmers against torching their
pest affected crops
Representative Image
CUTTACK: National
Rice Research Institute (NRRI) has warned the farmers against
torching their pest-affected standing paddy
crop as it will aggravate the problem further.
Scientists at NRRI have claimed that notorious brown planthopper (BPH) pest disperses easily and spreads to newer areas when farmer sets his standing crop on fire.
"The BPH is a very complex pest and when it faces adverse condition it develops wings to deal with it. If the pest affected damaged crop is left as it is then the BPH may die due to scarcity of food. But as farmers are burning their crops, the BPH are attaining winged form quickly and flying away to newer areas," said a senior scientist of NRRI.
"If the practice continues then the pest will spread to newer areas and affect others fields," added the scientist.
Scientists at NRRI have claimed that notorious brown planthopper (BPH) pest disperses easily and spreads to newer areas when farmer sets his standing crop on fire.
"The BPH is a very complex pest and when it faces adverse condition it develops wings to deal with it. If the pest affected damaged crop is left as it is then the BPH may die due to scarcity of food. But as farmers are burning their crops, the BPH are attaining winged form quickly and flying away to newer areas," said a senior scientist of NRRI.
"If the practice continues then the pest will spread to newer areas and affect others fields," added the scientist.
Recommended By Colombia
Even the director of NRRI, Himanshu Pathak, has advised farmers to refrain from burning their crops. "Due to torching of the crops, the quality and fertility of the soil is affected and it will automatically have an impact on productivity. Besides, it creates lot of pollution," said Pathak.
Meanwhile, NRRI after thoroughly examining the pest affected
areas have submitted a detail report to the state government and the Indian
Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) on it. A team of NRRI scientists had
visited pest affected paddy fields in Bargarh and other affected areas and have
submitted a report citing the reasons behind the problem. The team has also
made some recommendations to protect the crop from such pest attack in future.
However, the director refused to divulge anything on their findings.
Scientists of the institution have said that immediate measures should be taken to create awareness among farmers about the right usage of pesticide and proper technique of spraying the pesticides on crops.
Notably, farmers in Bargarh, Ganjam, and few other
districts in the state have set their crops on fire on acres of paddy fields
following pest attacks.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/cuttack/nrri-advises-farmers-against-torching-their-pest-affected-crops/articleshow/61632027.cms
How to Feed the Planet and Its Additional 1.5 Billion Persons
30 Years from Now
Paper Reviewed
Mariani, L. 2017. Carbon plants nutrition and global food security. The European Physical Journal Plus 132: 69.
Mariani, L. 2017. Carbon plants nutrition and global food security. The European Physical Journal Plus 132: 69.
One of the greatest issues of our time is that of global food
security -- more specifically, will the agricultural sector be able to
successfully rise to the challenge of producing enough food to feed an
increasing world population that is projected to reach 9 billion people just
three decades from now? This critical question has been asked by numerous
scientists and policy makers; and it has gathered more attention in recent
years in light of predictions that rising temperatures may negatively impact
future crop yields.
The latest researcher to weigh-in on the subject is Mariani
(2017), who utilized a physiological-process-based crop simulation model to
estimate the change in food production under five different temperature and CO2 scenarios
for four crops (wheat, maize, rice and soybean) that account for two-thirds of
total global human caloric consumption. The scenarios included Today,
Pre-Industrial, Glacial, Future_560 and Future_800, which correspond to
respective atmospheric CO2 concentrations of 400, 280, 180, 560 and 800
ppm, and temperatures that were -1 (Pre-Industrial), -6 (Glacial), +2
(Future_560) and +4 °C (Future_800) different from the Today scenario. And what
did the author's model reveal?
As illustrated in the figure below, Mariani notes that a
"return to a glacial period would reduce by 51% the global productivity
for thermal (low temperatures) and nutritional (low levels of CO2)
reasons," whereas a return to pre-industrial conditions would reduce
global production of the four keystone crops by 18 percent. Looking to the
future, however, Mariani notes that increases in both CO2 and temperature
would improve production, increasing the combined production
of wheat, maize, rice and soybean by 15 and 24 percent above today's values.
Commenting on his findings and looking to the past, Mariani
writes that "the return of temperature and CO2 to glacial or
pre-industrial values would give rise to serious disadvantages for food
security and should be as far as possible avoided, as also
highlighted by the results of Cage and Coleman (2001) and Araus et al.
(2003)" (emphasis added). And with an eye to the future,
Mariani says that "the agricultural sector is able to successfully meet
the challenge of global change and guarantee food security to levels higher
than the current ones for a world population that in 2050 will exceed 9 billion
people," to which we would add -- only if governments avoid implementing
CO2 emission reduction schemes, which schemes are appearing more and more
to be akin to genocide.
Figure 1. Percent change in the combined production of wheat, maize, rice and soybean under five different temperature and CO2 scenarios (as described in the text above). Source: Mariani (2017).
References
Araus, J.L., Slafer, G.A., Buxó, R. and Romagosa, R. 2003. Productivity in prehistoric agriculture: physiological models for the quantification of cereal yields as an alternative to traditional approaches. Journal of Archaeological Science 30: 681-693.
Araus, J.L., Slafer, G.A., Buxó, R. and Romagosa, R. 2003. Productivity in prehistoric agriculture: physiological models for the quantification of cereal yields as an alternative to traditional approaches. Journal of Archaeological Science 30: 681-693.
Sage, R.F. and Coleman, J.R. 2001. Effects of low atmospheric
CO2 on plants: more than a thing of the past. Trends
in Plant Science 6: 18-24.
http://www.co2science.org/articles/V20/nov/a8.php
Rice farmers need support
·
·
13
Nov 2017 at 04:20
·
NEWSPAPER
SECTION: NEWS
A large variety of alternative
rice is already available, each with its own health and ecological advantages
over traditional 'ordinary' and hom mali varieties. (Photos
provided)
The Rice Exporters Association went to Macau last week and
brought home a championship for Thailand. Judges at the Rice Trader World Rice
Conference 2017 awarded the title of World's Best Rice to a sample of Thai Hom
Mali, often called jasmine rice for its fragrance. At the risk of sounding like
sour grapes, the award had mixed blessings. It was arguably a missed
opportunity.
Thai Hom Mali is well known by both gourmets and those who eat
rice all around the world. It has been well marketed, to the point where a
million tonnes is sold and consumed outside the country a year. This superior
product has been at or near the top of global favour for at least four decades.
It is probably the No.1 factor in boosting Thailand as the top rice seller in
the world.
As we are thrilled with the championship, Honorary President
Chookiat Ophaswongse and his group should also look at boosting the presence of
other varieties of rice in international markets. In just the past few years,
entrepreneurs, agricultural experts and visionary farmers have created an
exciting and dynamic set of choices for the Thai public. Dozens of new
varieties and mixes of rice are being grown under cleaner, environmentally
friendly conditions.
The Rice Exporters Association
should explore a chance to tell the Macau conference and the world about that.
Virtually every market and mall in Thailand has packets of the new rice
varieties. Rice is no longer that boring old white food staple. It comes in natural
colours -- green, black, red, brown, purple. Varieties are mixed together,
producing rice that actually blends with meals, and even a separate dish. For
example, the recent Masterchef Thailand TVseries' final challenge was for the chefs to
produce a dish using only eight new varieties of locally grown rice.
In short, Thai farmers have broken the stereotype of rice --
including fragrant, tasty jasmine -- as the most boring part of the meal. They
have done this using mostly organic farming methods. Most of the new rice
varieties are produced by methods that have drastically cut or eliminated
excessive use of chemical herbicides and pesticides. It's one of the greatest
agricultural developments in recent Thai history, and it is being tragically
ignored in important circles that matter.
Growing and selling rice is tough work, and it's fitting that
farmers are called the backbone of the nation. Successive governments and
exporters have both promoted and exploited rice growers. Thai rice in all its
popular forms is sold locally and worldwide -- ordinary "broken"
varieties, glutinous and fragrant hom mali. Americans alone consume more than
2.5 million kilogrammes of jasmine rice every day. And of course Thailand is
the biggest rice exporter in the world, despite great competition from India,
Vietnam and, ironically, the United States.
Government and rice exporters have built this market. But right
now, both groups are missing the chance to give the strongest backing possible
to the new breed of farmers and developers. Rice entrepreneurs selling new
varieties have added massive value to the product. This is supposedly what this
and previous governments wanted. Yet now that it actually has happened and is
ready to go before the world, rice promoters like Mr Chookiat's group should do
the farmers and, in fact, the country a service.
Congratulations for winning the title yet again. But it is time
to move with the times. The new breed of rice farmers deserves more support.
Rice is a mass product, and requires mass marketing. Thailand sells a million
tonnes a year of jasmine rice. The new brands, with their modern look and, yes,
fragrance, deserve better support
India, Philippines ink deals on defence, agriculture
Four agreements were signed
between the two countries, which covered areas of defence, agriculture, small
and medium enterprises and tie-up between think-tanks.
Written
by Shubhajit
Roy | Manila | Updated: November 14, 2017 6:19
am
Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the inauguration of the Narendra
Modi Resilient Rice Field Laboratory at the International Rice Research Institute
in Los Banos, Philippines, on Monday. PTI
Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday expressed his
desire to enhance “defence cooperation” with India, as he met Prime
Minister Narendra Modi and
the two sides signed a defence cooperation agreement. He was accompanied by
five Cabinet-rank ministers from the Philippines side.
He is also committed to improving the public health system and
wants Indian infrastructure companies to pitch in his flagship “build, build
and build programme”, Ministry of External Affairs’ Secretary (East) Preeti
Saran said on Monday.
Four agreements were signed between the two countries, which
covered areas of defence, agriculture, small and medium enterprises and tie-up
between think-tanks. She said that the idea is to have private and public
enterprises to cooperate in the defence sector, including on the off-shore
patrolling vessels.
“President Duterte and PM Modi had an excellent meeting,” Saran
said, adding that “Duterte said he would like to have very good relations with
India”.
Modi arrived in Manila on Sunday on a three-day visit to the
Philippines, during which he will attend the 15th India-Association of
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit and the 12th East Asia Summit tomorrow.
This is the first bilateral visit by an Indian PM to this
Southeast Asian nation in 36 years after the visit of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1981, though
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had
visited Philippines in 2007 for the ASEAN summit.
Earlier in the day, Modi contributed two Indian rice seed
varieties to the gene bank of the international rice research centre in the
Philippines which he said is working towards mitigating global poverty and
hunger by improving the cultivation of the key grain.
He also visited the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI)
in Los Banos, an urban locality around 65 km from Manila — the capital of the
Philippines — and interacted with several Indian scientists working there.
A number of scientists at IRRI briefed the PM on flood-tolerant
rice varieties which, they said, can withstand 14-18 days of submergence and
provide 1-3 tonnes more yield per hectare in flood-affected areas.
Modi said the flood-resistant rice varieties that can withstand
14-18 days of submergence would help farmers and enhance their income.
“Salinity tolerant rice varieties will help farmers where the soil is saline,
for example Kutch. I also saw a drought tolerant rice variety that can help
farmers in times of droughts,” Modi tweeted. Modi said he was also shown drones
that could be used in the agriculture sector and help farmers.
A ‘rice field laboratory’ named after PM Modi was also
inaugurated by him at the institute. He unveiled a plaque marking the
inauguration of the Narendra Modi Resilient Rice Field Laboratory. “A
contribution from India to IRRI… presented two Indian rice seed varieties to
the IRRI gene bank,” the PM tweeted.
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-philippines-ink-deals-on-defence-agriculture-pm-modi-duterte-asean-summit-4936341/
Accolade for
Odia agro scientist
By Hemant Kumar Rout | Express
News Service | Published: 14th November 2017 02:57
AM |
Last Updated: 14th November 2017 07:31
AM |
Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacting with
Kshirod Jena in Philippines | Express
BHUBANESWAR :
A new salinity tolerant paddy variety developed by an Odia agricultural
scientist at International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) caught the attention
of Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Los Banos in Philippines on
Monday. The Prime Minister is in the island country for the ASEAN
summit. The paddy variety that can survive in saline soil under 260 mM
concentration of salt at seedling stage and 180 mM concentration of salt at
reproductive stage has been developed by Principal Scientist of IRRI Kshirod
Jena. Jena used a brackish water wild rice Oryza coarctata (a halophyte) that
is found in Odisha and West Bengal coast.
Jena, a plant
breeder, has come up with the salt tolerant variety by transferring novel salt
tolerance genes from the wild rice for the first time in the world. The
breeding lines of the rice has been tested in sea water irrigated rice fields
at Ilo Ilo in Philippines. The plants are highly fertile under salt stress and
the yield is normal.“I have used innovative strategies and transferred genes
into rice. It can survive at two per cent NaCl and produce good yield under
salt stress. The variety has been field tested in Philippines and it will be
tested in Indian conditions next year,” Jena said in an e-mail conversation.
Since about 20
per cent of rice area (about seven million hectares) is affected by salinity
that covers coastal saline area as well as inland saline areas, the researchers
believe the salt tolerant variety can increase rice production six fold from
0.6 tonne per hectare to more than four tonne per hectare.
“Normal rice, which is a glycophyte, can survive only at 40 mM concentration of sodium chloride. I have used novel genomics tools and chromosome engineering to develop the rice variety. I transferred salt tolerance genes from this species into cultivated rice which is a first-of-its-kind research work,” Jena claimed.
Other salt
tolerant rice varieties developed by IRRI are from traditional salt tolerant
varieties - Pokkali and Nona Bokra - whose salt tolerance level is moderate.
These varieties can survive at 100 mM concentration of salt. But the salt
tolerant varieties would give better yield.A native of Nikirai village in Kendrapara
district, Jena has done MSc from Utkal University with specialisation in
Cytogenetics. “It was a great opportunity for me to explain the benefits of
salt tolerant rice and our ongoing researches to the Prime Minister,” he
added.
After his
visit to IRRI, Modi tweeted: “Salinity tolerant rice varieties will help
farmers where the soil is saline, for example Kutch. I also saw a drought
tolerant rice variety that can help farmers in times of droughts.”
http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/odisha/2017/nov/14/accolade-for-odia-agro-scientist-1700589.html
Food Science's Mukhopadhyay,
Siebenmorgen Win Second Cereal Chemists Award in Four Years
Nov. 14, 2017
Photo by Fred Miller
Sangeeta Mukhopadhyay, a Bumpers
College doctoral student, and Distinguished Professor of food science Terry
Siebenmorgen have conducted research that could be used to improve the process
of drying rice.
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Sangeeta Mukhopadhyay, a University of
Arkansas doctoral student in food science, was named winner of the student
paper competition at the American Association of Cereal Chemists International
annual meeting in San Diego, California, in October.
Mukhopadhyay won the 2017 Engineering and Processing Best
Student Paper Award for her entry, "Experimental Simulation of Cross-Flow
Rice Drying: Effect of Tempering Approaches on Milling Yields."
Terry Siebenmorgen, Distinguished Professor in the Dale Bumpers
College of Agricultural, Food and Life Science's Department of Food Science and
with the U of A System Division of Agriculture, is Mukhopadhyay's major adviser
and co-author of the research.
Mukhopadhyay's research focuses on experimental simulation of
cross-flow dryers, the most common rice dryers in the U.S. rice industry. For
the 2017 paper, she and Siebenmorgen simulated a cross-flow drying column with
the goal of understanding the effect of post-drying tempering approaches on
rice milling yields and the extent of fissure occurrence when rice from
different dryer cross-sections are tempered differently. They found the
tempering approach immediately after drying significantly affects head rice
yields (HRYs) of rice located at different dryer cross-sections during drying.
This effect was more prominent on rice located near the heated-air plenum
during drying. These results can be used to design better cross-flow rice
dryers and improve the drying process.
Mukhopadhyay, from Kolkata, India, earned her bachelor's degree
in food technology from West Bengal University of Technology in India in 2009
and her master's degree in food and agricultural engineering from Indian
Institute of Technology Kharagpur in 2012. She joined U of A's rice processing
program as a graduate assistant working with Siebenmorgen in 2012.
Mukhopadhyay, who has served as a teaching assistant in food
engineering, and Siebenmorgen have won the AACCI Engineering and Processing
Best Student Paper Award twice in four years. They won in 2014 for the entry
"Impact of Rapid Moisture Adsorption on Rice Milling Yields."
AAACI is a global, nonprofit association of more than 2,000
scientists and food industry professionals focused on advancing the
understanding and knowledge of cereal grain science and its product development
applications through research, leadership, education, technical service and
advocacy.
About the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life
Sciences: Bumpers College provides
life-changing opportunities to position and prepare graduates who will be
leaders in the businesses associated with foods, family, the environment,
agriculture, sustainability and human quality of life; and who will be
first-choice candidates of employers looking for leaders, innovators, policy
makers and entrepreneurs. The college is named for Dale Bumpers, former
Arkansas governor and longtime U.S. senator who made the state prominent in
national and international agriculture.
About the University of Arkansas: The University of Arkansas provides an internationally
competitive education for undergraduate and graduate students in more than 200
academic programs. The university contributes new knowledge, economic
development, basic and applied research, and creative activity while also providing
service to academic and professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation
classifies the University of Arkansas among only 2 percent of universities in
America that have the highest level of research activity. U.S.
News & World Report ranks the University of Arkansas among
its top American public research universities. Founded in 1871, the University
of Arkansas comprises 10 colleges and schools and maintains a low
student-to-faculty ratio that promotes personal attention and close mentoring.
Robby Edwards, director of communications
Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences
479-575-4625, robbye@uark.edu
Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences
479-575-4625, robbye@uark.edu
Food Science's Mukhopadhyay,
Siebenmorgen Win Second Cereal Chemists Award in Four Years
Nov. 14, 2017
Photo by Fred Miller
Sangeeta Mukhopadhyay, a Bumpers
College doctoral student, and Distinguished Professor of food science Terry
Siebenmorgen have conducted research that could be used to improve the process
of drying rice.
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Sangeeta Mukhopadhyay, a University of
Arkansas doctoral student in food science, was named winner of the student
paper competition at the American Association of Cereal Chemists International
annual meeting in San Diego, California, in October.
Mukhopadhyay won the 2017 Engineering and Processing Best
Student Paper Award for her entry, "Experimental Simulation of Cross-Flow
Rice Drying: Effect of Tempering Approaches on Milling Yields."
Terry Siebenmorgen, Distinguished Professor in the Dale Bumpers
College of Agricultural, Food and Life Science's Department of Food Science and
with the U of A System Division of Agriculture, is Mukhopadhyay's major adviser
and co-author of the research.
Mukhopadhyay's research focuses on experimental simulation of
cross-flow dryers, the most common rice dryers in the U.S. rice industry. For
the 2017 paper, she and Siebenmorgen simulated a cross-flow drying column with
the goal of understanding the effect of post-drying tempering approaches on
rice milling yields and the extent of fissure occurrence when rice from
different dryer cross-sections are tempered differently. They found the
tempering approach immediately after drying significantly affects head rice
yields (HRYs) of rice located at different dryer cross-sections during drying.
This effect was more prominent on rice located near the heated-air plenum
during drying. These results can be used to design better cross-flow rice
dryers and improve the drying process.
Mukhopadhyay, from Kolkata, India, earned her bachelor's degree
in food technology from West Bengal University of Technology in India in 2009
and her master's degree in food and agricultural engineering from Indian
Institute of Technology Kharagpur in 2012. She joined U of A's rice processing
program as a graduate assistant working with Siebenmorgen in 2012.
Mukhopadhyay, who has served as a teaching assistant in food
engineering, and Siebenmorgen have won the AACCI Engineering and Processing
Best Student Paper Award twice in four years. They won in 2014 for the entry
"Impact of Rapid Moisture Adsorption on Rice Milling Yields."
AAACI is a global, nonprofit association of more than 2,000
scientists and food industry professionals focused on advancing the
understanding and knowledge of cereal grain science and its product development
applications through research, leadership, education, technical service and
advocacy.
About the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food
and Life Sciences: Bumpers College provides
life-changing opportunities to position and prepare graduates who will be
leaders in the businesses associated with foods, family, the environment,
agriculture, sustainability and human quality of life; and who will be
first-choice candidates of employers looking for leaders, innovators, policy
makers and entrepreneurs. The college is named for Dale Bumpers, former
Arkansas governor and longtime U.S. senator who made the state prominent in
national and international agriculture.
About the University of Arkansas: The University of Arkansas provides an internationally
competitive education for undergraduate and graduate students in more than 200
academic programs. The university contributes new knowledge, economic
development, basic and applied research, and creative activity while also
providing service to academic and professional disciplines. The Carnegie
Foundation classifies the University of Arkansas among only 2 percent of
universities in America that have the highest level of research activity. U.S.
News & World Report ranks the University of Arkansas among
its top American public research universities. Founded in 1871, the University
of Arkansas comprises 10 colleges and schools and maintains a low
student-to-faculty ratio that promotes personal attention and close mentoring.
CONTACTS
Robby Edwards, director of communications
Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences
479-575-4625, robbye@uark.edu
Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences
479-575-4625, robbye@uark.edu
Visiting Rice Research Institute In
Philippines, PM Modi Donates 2 Indian Seed Varieties To Gene Bank
PM Modi visited the International
Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in Los Banos, an urban locality situated at a
distance of around 65 kms from Manila -- the capital of Philippines -- and
interacted with a large number of Indian scientists working there.
All India | Press Trust of India | Updated:
November 14, 2017 03:28 IST
PM Modi inspects flood-tolerant
varieties of rice at Philippines' International Rice Research Institute
LOS BANOS: Prime Minister Narendra Modi contributed two Indian rice
seed varieties to the gene bank of the international rice research centre in
the Philippines which he said is working towards mitigating global poverty and
hunger by improving the cultivation of the key grain.
The Prime Minister on Monday visited the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in Los Banos, an urban locality situated at a distance of around 65 kms from Manila -- the capital of Philippines -- and interacted with a large number of Indian scientists working there.
A number of scientists at the IRRI briefed PM Modi on flood-tolerant rice varieties which they said can withstand 14-18 days of submergence and can provide 1-3 tonnes more yield per hectare in flood affected areas.
The Prime Minister on Monday visited the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in Los Banos, an urban locality situated at a distance of around 65 kms from Manila -- the capital of Philippines -- and interacted with a large number of Indian scientists working there.
A number of scientists at the IRRI briefed PM Modi on flood-tolerant rice varieties which they said can withstand 14-18 days of submergence and can provide 1-3 tonnes more yield per hectare in flood affected areas.
PM Modi said the flood resistant rice varieties would help
farmers and enhance their income.
"Salinity tolerant rice varieties will help farmers where the soil is saline, for example Kutch. I also saw a drought tolerant rice variety that can help farmers in times of droughts," PM Modi tweeted.
He said he was also shown drones that could be used in the agriculture sector and help farmers.
"Salinity tolerant rice varieties will help farmers where the soil is saline, for example Kutch. I also saw a drought tolerant rice variety that can help farmers in times of droughts," PM Modi tweeted.
He said he was also shown drones that could be used in the agriculture sector and help farmers.
A 'rice field laboratory' named after Prime Minister Modi was also inaugurated by him at the institute.
He unveiled a plaque marking the inauguration of the Shri Narendra Modi Resilient Rice Field Laboratory.
PM Modi interacted with a large
number of Indian scientists at IRRI in Philippines
"A contribution from India to IRRI...presented two Indian
rice seed varieties to the IRRI gene bank," the Prime Minister tweeted.
PM Modi also undertook a symbolic groundbreaking for a new plot for submergence tolerant rice varieties.
He said he saw a detailed exhibition on rice varieties and the impressive work done by IRRI with women farming cooperatives.
"My visit to IRRI was a great learning experience. Saw the exceptional work IRRI is doing towards mitigating poverty and hunger by improving rice cultivation. Their work benefits many farmers and consumers, particularly in Asia and Africa," he said.
PM Modi said India is also involved in helping IRRI in strategic planning, helping decide key goals and working to overcome hunger as well as poverty.
The Indian Government is also setting up a regional centre of the IRRI in Varanasi, the Prime Minister's constituency, to develop high-yielding rice varieties.
The IRRI, which has offices in 17 countries, is known for its work in developing rice varieties that contributed to the Green Revolution in 1960s.
"The Varanasi Centre would help increase farmers' income by enhancing and supporting rice productivity, reducing cost of production, value addition, diversification and enhancement of farmers' skills," the Prime Minister's Office tweeted.
Spokesperson in the external affairs ministry Raveesh Kumar said the IRRI has successfully collaborated with Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) to introduce drought-tolerant, flood-tolerant and salt-tolerant varieties of rice in India.
PM Modi also undertook a symbolic groundbreaking for a new plot for submergence tolerant rice varieties.
He said he saw a detailed exhibition on rice varieties and the impressive work done by IRRI with women farming cooperatives.
"My visit to IRRI was a great learning experience. Saw the exceptional work IRRI is doing towards mitigating poverty and hunger by improving rice cultivation. Their work benefits many farmers and consumers, particularly in Asia and Africa," he said.
PM Modi said India is also involved in helping IRRI in strategic planning, helping decide key goals and working to overcome hunger as well as poverty.
The Indian Government is also setting up a regional centre of the IRRI in Varanasi, the Prime Minister's constituency, to develop high-yielding rice varieties.
The IRRI, which has offices in 17 countries, is known for its work in developing rice varieties that contributed to the Green Revolution in 1960s.
"The Varanasi Centre would help increase farmers' income by enhancing and supporting rice productivity, reducing cost of production, value addition, diversification and enhancement of farmers' skills," the Prime Minister's Office tweeted.
Spokesperson in the external affairs ministry Raveesh Kumar said the IRRI has successfully collaborated with Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) to introduce drought-tolerant, flood-tolerant and salt-tolerant varieties of rice in India.
PM Modi said India is involved in
helping IRRI in working to overcome hunger as well as poverty.
"Interacted with Indian scientists, students, researchers
working at IRRI. India's ICAR and IRRI have been cooperating for four decades.
India is also involved in helping IRRI in strategic planning, helping decide
key goals and working to overcome hunger as well as poverty," PM Modi
said.
Mr Kumar said the IRRI and its partners have provided assistance to 2,00,000 women farmers in Odisha which included providing capacity building programmes, and improved agriculture technology.
The IRRI centre in Varanasi will help in utilising the rich biodiversity of India to develop special rice varieties.
PM Modi arrived in Philippines on Sunday on a three-day visit to attend the ASEAN-India and the East Asia summits.
Mr Kumar said the IRRI and its partners have provided assistance to 2,00,000 women farmers in Odisha which included providing capacity building programmes, and improved agriculture technology.
The IRRI centre in Varanasi will help in utilising the rich biodiversity of India to develop special rice varieties.
PM Modi arrived in Philippines on Sunday on a three-day visit to attend the ASEAN-India and the East Asia summits.
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/visiting-rice-research-institute-in-philippines-pm-modi-donates-2-indian-seed-varieties-to-gene-bank-1775037
Bangladesh scraps rice deal with Cambodia
A woman cleans rice for sale at a
shop in Phnom Penh on Aug 2, 2017. (Reuters photo)
DHAKA: Bangladesh has cancelled its first-ever deal with
Cambodia to import 250,000 tonnes of white rice over a delay in shipments,
officials at the state grains buyer said on Tuesday.
The deal was signed in August at $453.00 a tonne as the
Bangladesh government raced to shore up depleted stocks and combat record
domestic prices of the staple grain after floods hit its crop.
"We had to terminate the deal as they failed to supply the
rice on time," Badrul Hasan, the head of Bangladesh's state grain buyer,
told Reuters.
Despite deals with several rice-exporting countries including
Vietnam, Thailand and Myanmar, Bangladesh is battling to build its reserves,
with rice imports set to hit their highest levels in a decade.
"We don't think this will have an impact on our efforts to
build stocks," he said, adding the state grains buyer was in talks with an
Indian agency.
"Tomorrow we are holding talks with India's National
Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation (NAFED). We hope we will succeed
in finalising a deal with them."
Traditionally the world's fourth-biggest rice producer,
Bangladesh has emerged as a major importer of the grain this year and helped
pushed Asian rice prices to multi-year highs in June.
Rice is a staple food for Bangladesh's 160 million people and
high prices pose a problem for the government, which faces a national election
next year.
Bangladesh has also issued a series of tenders as it looks to
import a total of 1.5 million tonnes of rice in the year to June.
Rice at government warehouses stood at 411,000 tonnes, well below
the normal level of around 1 million tonnes.
In August, Bangladesh cut a duty on rice imports for the second
time in two months. The lower import duty has prompted purchases by private
dealers, with most of the deals being struck with neighbouring India.
Bangladesh produces around 34 million tonnes of rice annually
but uses almost all its production to feed its population. It often requires
imports to cope with shortages caused by floods or droughts.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/news/world/1360391/bangladesh-scraps-rice-deal-with-cambodia
Scraps Rice Deal With Cambodia Over
Shipment Delay
Dhaka. Bangladesh has cancelled its first-ever deal with Cambodia to
import 250,000 tonnes of white rice over a delay in shipments, officials at the
state grains buyer said on Tuesday (14/11).
The deal was signed in August at
$453.00 a tonne as the Bangladesh government raced to shore up depleted stocks
and combat record domestic prices of the staple grain after floods hit its
crop.
"We had to terminate the
deal as they failed to supply the rice on time," Badrul Hasan, the head of
Bangladesh's state grain buyer, told Reuters.
Despite deals with several rice exporting countries including
Vietnam, Thailand and Myanmar, Bangladesh is still battling to build its
reserves, with rice imports are set to hit their highest levels in a decade.
"We don't think this will
have an impact on our efforts to build stocks," he said, adding the state
grains buyer was in talks with an Indian agency.
"Tomorrow we are holding
talks with India's National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation
(NAFED). We hope we will succeed to finalize a deal with them."
Traditionally the world's
fourth-biggest rice producer, Bangladesh has emerged as a major importer of the
grain this year and helped pushed Asian rice prices to multi-year highs in
June.
Rice is a staple food for
Bangladesh's 160 million people and high prices pose a problem for the
government, which faces a national election next year.Bangladesh has also
issued a series of tenders as it looks to import a total of 1.5 million tonnes
of rice in the year to June.
Rice at government warehouses
stood at 411,000 tonnes, well below the normal level of around 1 million
tonnes.
In August, Bangladesh cut a duty
on rice imports for the second time in two months. The lower import duty has
prompted purchases by private dealers, with most of the deals being struck with
neighboring India.
Bangladesh produces around 34
million tonnes of rice annually but uses almost all its production to feed its
population. It often requires imports to cope with shortages caused by floods
or droughts
http://jakartaglobe.id/international/bangladesh-scraps-rice-deal-cambodia-shipment-delay/
India's LT Foods buys facility in Texas for rice product
processing
By Andy
Coyne | 14 November 2017
|
LT
Foods - rice speciialist is expanding production in the US.
|
LT Foods, the
Indian company behind the Daawat and Royal brands of basmati rice, has
purchased a building in the Houston suburb of Missouri City.
The company will use the new
facility to manufacture ready-to-eat products.
It was revealed last month in
a filing with the Bombay Stock Exchange LT announced its intention to expand
its operations in Houston for this purpose.
The "rationale for setting the
facility is to diversify and take {the} lead in this growing segment", the
filing said.
To this end it has acquired a
49,778 sq ft, Class A industrial building in Lakeview Business Park in Missouri
City. It is adjacent to a facility which LT Foods already owns.
Jarret Venghaus of property agent
JLL, which did the deal on the new building, said: "This offering
presented a great opportunity for LT Foods to expand their business without
interrupting their operations.
"This location continues to
serve them well and now they have the space they need to grow."
The firm mills, processes and
markets branded and non-branded basmati rice, as well as manufactures
rice-based products, in its domestic market and for overseas.
Its US subsidiary, LT Foods
Americas, located in Cypress, California, was established in 1992 and imports
basmati rice along with Thai Hom Mali Jasmine rice from Thailand, grape seed
oil from Spain, and tea from Sri Lanka.
https://www.just-food.com/news/indias-lt-foods-buys-facility-in-texas-for-rice-product-processing_id138164.aspx
A heart-saving
medical device the size of a grain of rice was just backed by a $60 million
investment led by two Australian VC firms
IMAGE:
HTTPS://SECURE.GRAVATAR.COM/AVATAR/1297F290E355664D675FB4D28714BF5D?S=32&D=MM&R=G
NOV
15, 2017, 3:38 PM
A new medical tech device the size of “a large grain of rice” that
keeps heart failure patients alive has completed a $60 million capital raising
round led by two Australian investment firms.
Conventional CRT devices require
wires to transmit pulses to the heart, but this means it cannot get inside the
left ventricle due to the risk of clots that that can cause heart attacks and
strokes. Californian medical technology startup EBR Systems claims its small
WiSE-CRT implanted device gets those signals inside the left ventricle without
wires.
Sydney venture capital firms
Brandon Capital and MH Carnegie & Co led the capital raising round.
“I’m convinced that wireless pacing
represents the future of cardiac pacing and that EBR Systems is at the
forefront of this technological advancement,” said MH Carnegie & Co partner
Trevor Moody.
“As a former pacemaker engineer and
long-time medical device investor, I am excited to back EBR Systems and its
WiSE Technology for wireless endocardial stimulation.”
The new money will be used to
perform a 350-patient clinical trial for the WiSE-CRT device in Australia, US
and Europe. The trial results are hoped to lead to an approval from the US Food
and Drug Administration, which is a mandatory hurdle before commercialisation
in that country.
EBR Systems’ device. (Source: supplied)
Brandon Capital managing director
Dr Chris Nave, who is also the chief executive of the company’s Medical
Research Commercialisation Funds (MRCF), said the difference in quality of life
for heart failure patients that have had successful CRT treatment and those
that have not are “like night and day”.
“Those that don’t respond to
treatment can be so short of breath that they have difficulty completing even
the most simple of daily tasks. Given the highly encouraging clinical data the
company has generated to date across a range of patient studies, including
those patients that have previously failed to respond to conventional,
wire-based CRT therapy, we believe EBR’s WiSE CRT system offers real hope to
these patients.”
Australia will provide 100 patients
to the clinical trial, which will be conducted in 10 hospitals around the
country. Six of those hospitals are research members of the MRCF, which
Brandon’s contribution came from.
Professor of Cardiology at the
Royal Adelaide Hospital, Dr Prash Sanders, will lead the trial in Australia,
and will also sit on the steering committee for the global program.
Dr Nave said that Australia’s
participation is a testimony to the nation’s reputation in medical research.
“Australia is extremely attractive
for clinical trials because of its excellent research infrastructure, top-tier
hospitals and leading clinicians,” he said.
“Government initiatives such as the
R&D Tax Rebate, add significantly to Australia’s attractiveness as a
destination for developing products like the WiSE Technology; creating jobs,
growing our local industry and ultimately improving patients’ lives.”
Brandon Capital’s MRCF has $480
million under management and is claimed to be the largest “life science
investment fund” in Australia and New Zealand. The fund has involvement from
superannuation funds, Australia and New Zealand governments, state governments
and more than 50 medical organisations.
MH Carnegie & Co is a private
equity and venture capital firm based in Paddington in eastern Sydney, with
more than $500 million under management to focus on “medical device
opportunities”.
Read more at
https://www.businessinsider.com.au/australian-vc-firms-led-60-million-capital-raising-for-medical-tech-heart-attack-startup-2017-11#Aey4h5O230zC4iqx.99 https://www.businessinsider.com.au/australian-vc-firms-led-60-million-capital-raising-for-medical-tech-heart-attack-startup-2017-11
Rice production in South Korea hits 37-year low in
2017
Source:
Xinhua| 2017-11-14 14:22:46|Editor: Zhou Xin
SEOUL,
Nov. 14 (Xinhua) -- Rice production in South Korea hit the lowest in 37 years
this year on a continued fall in rice growing area, a government report showed
Tuesday.
Rice
production stood at 3,972,000 tons this year, down 5.3 percent from the
previous year, according to Statistics Korea. It was the lowest since 3.55
million tons of rice was produced in 1980.
It
was attributable to the continued decline in the rice cultivation area, which
fell from 778,734 hectares in 2016 to 754,713 hectares in 2017.
The
government also encouraged farmers to cultivate a proper amount of rice to help
farmers sell rice at a proper price.
The
amount of rice, which was raised in 10 hectares of land, shed to 527 kg this
year from 539 kg last year.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2017-11/14/c_136751336.htm
S. Korea’s Rice Production Drops
to Lowest Level in Nearly 40 yrs
SEJONG, Nov. 14 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s rice output fell
to the lowest level in nearly 40 years in 2017 amid the government’s efforts to
tackle the yearslong oversupply of the staple grain, data showed Tuesday.
The country’s rice production reached 3.97 million tons this year,
down 5.3 percent from 4.2 million tons produced in 2016, according to the data
compiled by Statistics Korea.
It marked the smallest amount since 1980 when it hit 3.55 million
tons.
A total of 754,713 hectares of rice paddies was cultivated this
year, down 3.1 percent from last year.
The South Korean government has been pushing to control rice
production in order to deal with a chronic glut of the grain as people’s taste
becomes increasingly westernized.
Some 3.7 million tons of rice is expected to be consumed this
year, with rice production exceeding demand for nearly 300,000 tons.
Earlier, the South Korean government said it will purchase 720,000
tons of rice harvested this year to stabilize domestic market prices.
(Yonhap)
http://koreabizwire.com/s-koreas-rice-production-drops-to-lowest-level-in-nearly-40-yrs
China partnership to strengthen
rice sector
Sok Chan / Khmer Times Share:
The new
agreements aim to tackle some of the biggest hurdles in the local rice sector. KT/Mai Vireak
The government
yesterday signed two memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with Chinese companies
to bolster local rice production, build up storage infrastructure and increase
exports.An MoU on upgrading rice production was signed with the Export-Import
Bank of China, which is also known as Exim Bank of China.
A second agreement – focusing on
the technical aspects of increasing rice production, such as the development,
maintenance and operation of sector-related infrastructure, was signed with
CITIC Group Cooperation.
The agreements aim to solve structural
challenges that limit the potential of the Cambodian rice sector, with an
emphasis on sustainability, according to a statement released by the
government.
The new partnership will result
in the development of 15 warehouse and silos across 11 provinces. The
envisioned warehouse and silo network will have the potential to process up to
19,500 tonnes of rice per day and store nearly one million tonnes.
The MoUs also specify the size of
loans that will be taken to finance the project.
According to the official
statement, farmers can use their own rice output as collateral to take out a
loan.
As per the MoUs, the Chinese
companies will provide technical assistance and guidance to help the kingdom
boost its rice exports to the Chinese market.
Kao Thach, the CEO of Rural Development Bank, told Khmer Times
the new agreements are part of a $300 million loan programme from China.
“It is a big project that the
government has considered for a long time.
“The loans will help stabilise the price of the commodity across
the country and reduce rice surpluses,” Mr Thach said.
Song Saran, Amru Rice’s CEO, told
Khmer Times yesterday that the private sector was satisfied with the new
agreements, adding that they will help reach the goal of exporting one million
tonnes of rice.
“We support the use of government
warehouses and silos to store and process rice for export. We will work with
the Ministry of Economy and Finance to implement the project,” he said.
“We will still invest in our own
warehouses and silos to help farmers that do not have access to rice milling
facilities in their area.”
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/5090325/china-partnership-strengthen-rice-sector/
Achieving rice self-sufficiency
by 2018
One of the promises of this
administration which many Nigerians have held on to was that of making Nigeria
self-sufficient in the local production of rice by the year 2018.
The government, which was worried
that Nigeria was fast becoming a dumping ground for different types of rice
from various parts of the globe, was determined to change the tide.
The Minister of Agriculture and
Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh in March, said “Nigerians have discovered
that Nigerian rice is better than rice from Thailand and Vietnam, which are the
largest producers of rice in the world.
“We are in a rivalry with the two
countries for now and we will soon overtake them in rice production and take
over the market from them.
“People in Thailand do not eat
parboiled rice but white rice. So, all the parboiled rice they produce is
exported to Nigeria. Nigeria is the biggest consumer of imported rice in the
world.” he added
The government then introduced
various measures to encourage and boost local rice production while efforts
were also made to check influx of foreign rice importation into the country.
Apart from hoping to save foreign
exchange for such rice importation, the government also planned to create jobs
opportunities for Nigerian youth through such rice cultivation, packaging,
storage, distribution and sales.
The government, through the
processes, specifically aimed to crash the price per bag of rice in the
country.
But few months to the 2018 target
year for rice self-sufficiency in Nigeria, many factors are still working
against its realization.
Despite the fact that many
Nigerians have gone back to farming including rice production, stopping rice
smuggling into the country has remained a major challenge.
While the product still easily
find its way to the Nigerian market through the country’s porous borders, the
price of the product has remained relatively high in the last two years.
Ogbeh last Wednesday hinted that
new measures will be taken to check influx of foreign rice into the country in
order to achieve government target in rice production.
He said “The other issue was the
question of smuggling. In Mr. President’s speech to the National Assembly
yesterday, he gave very strong warning about smugglers who bring in
unauthorized commodities through the unauthorized borders into the country.
“We have to deal with that
because, while we are making a great deal of progress in our grains
productions, smugglers are busy compromising the success we have achieved.
“Between September 2015 and now,
rice importation through the ports has dropped from 644,131, tones to 20,000
tones in September, this year.
“This means that by the early
part of next year, we can literally say, that we are closed to total
self-sufficiency in rice.
“On the other hand, to the west
of Nigeria, rice importation has increased to 1.33 million tones. At the
Republic of Benin, they don’t eat parboiled rice but the white rice. So, every
grain of rice landing there is heading for Nigeria through illegal smuggling.
“Some of it also come in through
Niger Republic. These are issues we have to deal with because we are creating
jobs through our local rice production. There are 12.2 million rice farmers in
the country now.” he added
On specific measures to tackle
smuggling, he said “There is an MoU between Nigeria and Republic of Benin,
entered into, when former President Obasanjo was in office, that we would work
together not to compromise each other,s interest.
“That MoU has not been
implemented fully, so we are going to take it up. Already, the Vice President
has been working with the Committee which he heads and he is working with the
Minister of Finance, Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service and also
the Ministry of Agriculture.”
Speaking on the price of locally
produced rice, he said “I was in the largest mill in the country in Kano two
days ago, they were selling rice for N15,000 for 50kg.
“You know your country very well,
there are middlemen who do all kinds of things and I told the millers to
increase the number of their distributors because there is no point saying it
is N15,000 in their factory when out there, somebody is hoarding.
“The same thing happened to
maize. Some people filled their warehouses with maize and shut the place so
that the prices were so high that poultry farmers could not get access to maize
in the market.
“So, people went to import, crash
the prices and they started complaining. There is no where rice is selling for
N20,000.” he said
It is hoped that the new moves
will be successful as many Nigerians are anxiously waiting to experience and
benefit from Nigeria’s self-sufficiency in rice production.
They also want to see crashing of
the prices of the various kilograms sacks of rice and more employment
opportunities generated in the agricultural sector.
Also, they want same treatment
extended to other agricultural produce in the country in order to make
living more bearable.
To many of them, that is the
actual signal that will show that Nigeria has truly exited economic recession.
For now, many are confused and
found it difficult to reconcile how Nigeria could be out of economic recession
with prices of goods and services still very high.
Buhari and 2018
Budget presentation
Not a few Nigerians were thrilled
by the presentation of the 2018 Budget proposal by President Muhammadu Buhari
to the joint session of the National Assembly last Tuesday.
They were mainly thrilled by two
things concerning the 2018 Budget proposal presentation.
The first issue was how President
Buhari stood at a stretch for about one hour and seventeen minutes reading the
budget speech. For the President to have spent a better part of half of
the year on medical vacation in London and the various reports on the social
media on his ill health, it beat the imagination of some Nigerians who were
shocked that a ‘sick’ man could stand for long.
After standing for that long
during the budget presentation, those in doubts concerning the President’s
health before last Tuesday must have come to terms with the reality of the
President’s fitness.
While the President was receiving
standing ovation from the lawmakers at the end of the budget presentation in
the chamber, his supporters outside were glorifying God for His miracle in the
President’s life.
Others also could not help but
attribute the President’s fitness as exhibited last Tuesday to his military
training and background.
The second issue that marvelled
some Nigerians about the budget proposal presentation was the effort to return
the budget cycle to January – December.
Even though some Nigerians
believed that the focus of the government should be on full implementation of
the 2017 Budget as the year runs out, the government for the first time
ensured that the 2018 Budget proposal was ready for presentation to the
National Assembly by October 2017.
In the past, budget proposal
presentations were often done in December while they were usually passed by the
National Assembly between February and May the following year thereby making
full budget implementation between January and December difficult to attain.
http://thenationonlineng.net/achieving-rice-self-sufficiency-2018/
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