U.S. Ag to USTR: Defend U.S. Agriculture at WTO
Ministerial Meeting
By Bob Cummings
WASHINGTON, DC -- While the media's
trade attention is on the U.S.-China trade deficit or efforts to modernize the
North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the World Trade Organization (WTO)
is set to hold its 11th Ministerial Meeting next week in Buenos Aires,
Argentina. Ministerials happen every two years and are important because
they chart the course and work plan of the organization.
USA Rice and many U.S. commodity groups sent a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Lighthizer Thursday, urging a strong U.S. stand at the Ministerial in the areas of domestic agricultural support, public stockholding, and dispute settlement.
"We've seen a weakening in the past two Ministerials in the WTO's resolve to hold major agricultural producers to their domestic support obligations while rhetoric increases for more disciplines on the United States," said Bobby Hanks, of Supreme Rice Mill and chairman of the USA Rice International Trade Policy Committee. "In leading the U.S. delegation in Buenos Aires, we urge Ambassador Lighthizer to hold countries to their domestic support obligations and to oppose attempts to weaken disciplines on domestic price supports through public stockholding programs. It's also important that the United States support a dispute settlement mechanism in the WTO to hold accountable those who are not living up to their obligations."
Even though the WTO as a negotiating venue has come under increasing criticism because of its failure to complete the long-running Doha Round of trade negotiations, past market opening benefits of the organization have been substantial for U.S. agriculture and U.S. rice, and the WTO's dispute settlement system remains the only viable mechanism to enforce WTO rules.
The United States is currently challenging China's domestic support program for corn, wheat, and rice in the WTO, and victory would likely have significant positive effects on other heavy subsidizers like India and Thailand, which are U.S. export competitors.
USA Rice and many U.S. commodity groups sent a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Lighthizer Thursday, urging a strong U.S. stand at the Ministerial in the areas of domestic agricultural support, public stockholding, and dispute settlement.
"We've seen a weakening in the past two Ministerials in the WTO's resolve to hold major agricultural producers to their domestic support obligations while rhetoric increases for more disciplines on the United States," said Bobby Hanks, of Supreme Rice Mill and chairman of the USA Rice International Trade Policy Committee. "In leading the U.S. delegation in Buenos Aires, we urge Ambassador Lighthizer to hold countries to their domestic support obligations and to oppose attempts to weaken disciplines on domestic price supports through public stockholding programs. It's also important that the United States support a dispute settlement mechanism in the WTO to hold accountable those who are not living up to their obligations."
Even though the WTO as a negotiating venue has come under increasing criticism because of its failure to complete the long-running Doha Round of trade negotiations, past market opening benefits of the organization have been substantial for U.S. agriculture and U.S. rice, and the WTO's dispute settlement system remains the only viable mechanism to enforce WTO rules.
The United States is currently challenging China's domestic support program for corn, wheat, and rice in the WTO, and victory would likely have significant positive effects on other heavy subsidizers like India and Thailand, which are U.S. export competitors.
Arsenic in infant rice cereals compared with
lead exposure
To view a larger version of the graphic, please
click on the image.
Infant rice
cereals are popular with parents because they are affordable, easy to digest,
and unlikely to cause allergic reactions. Infants typically begin eating
cereals when they are between 4 and 6 months old.
But,
rice absorbs more arsenic from soil and water than other grains used for infant
cereals; about 10 times more. Consequently, the level of arsenic in infant
rice cereals is an ongoing concern among researchers and some public health
advocates. Some are comparing the danger from arsenic with
the dangers of children’s exposure to lead.
A new report by activist health researchers credits
cereal makers for limiting arsenic levels in infant rice cereals since the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration’s most recent study, which was for 2013-14.
Healthy
Babies Bright Futures (HBBF), an alliance of scientists, nonprofits and donors,
published the report. It found 85 ppb (parts per billion) of arsenic, on
average in rice cereals tested in 2016-17. That’s about a 21 percent
improvement over FDA’s 2013-14 average of 103 ppb.
But HBBF
says arsenic in nine favorite brands of infant rice cereal is still too high in
light of “growing science on arsenic’ toxicity at low levels…” Arsenic
toxicity, according to the new report, causes lung, bladder and skin cancer. It
also retards neurodevelopment of children exposed in utero or during the first
few years of life.
The
findings include an analysis by Abt Associates, an economic and toxicology
research group, that shows rice-based foods are resulting in a loss of 9.2
million IQ points among 0- to 6-year-old children. Lower IQs will
decrease lifetime wages for those children when they are adults,
costing the United States an estimated $12 billion to $18 billion annually, according
to the report.
The FDA
should have already taken high-arsenic cereals off store shelves, according to
HBBF.
“It
hasn’t happened,” the report says. “FDA is, in a word, stalled. More than a
year after issuing its 2016 draft guidance to cereal makers — the culmination
of four years of assessment — FDA is falling short of protecting infants.”
HBBF
says FDA has neither set a final limit for arsenic in rice cereal nor finalized
the cap proposed in the draft guidance.
Arsenic
levels in drinking water are strictly regulated, but there are no limits for
infant rice cereal.
The new
report is described as “parent-friendly” because it reviews 105 kinds of
infant cereal showing non-rice and multi-grain cereals that contain as much as
84 percent less arsenic than leading brands of infant rice cereals. It says
these alternatives are “reliable and affordable.”
Source:
Healthy Babies Bright Futures (HBBF)
While
calling upon FDA to “act immediately to set an enforceable, health-based limit
for arsenic in infant rice cereal and other rice-based foods, the report also
called upon cereal makers to implement changes.
“We
found no evidence to suggest that any brand has reduced arsenic levels in rice
cereal to amounts comparable to those found in other types of cereal, despite
at least five years of significant public attention to the issue that has
included widespread consumer alerts and proposed federal action level,”
according to the report.
The
study — funded by the Forsythia and Passport Foundations and The John Merck
Fund — warns parents to avoid rice-only infant cereals entirely. “Non-rice and
multi-grain alternatives have lower arsenic contamination, and are a healthier
choice,” the nonprofit organization recommends.
Additional information about arsenic is
available at FDA’s main arsenic page and at Arsenic in Rice and Rice Products.
“Rice
has higher levels of inorganic arsenic than other foods, in part because as
rice plants grow, the plant and grain tend to absorb arsenic more readily than
other food crops,” according to the FDA website.
“In
April 2016, the FDA proposed an action level, or limit, of 100 parts per
billion (ppb) for inorganic arsenic in infant rice cereal. This level, which is
based on the FDA’s assessment of a large body of scientific information, seeks
to reduce infant exposure to inorganic arsenic. The agency also has developed
advice on rice consumption for pregnant women and the caregivers of infants,”
according to the FDA website.
http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2017/12/arsenic-in-infant-rice-cereals-compared-with-lead-exposure/#.WiuvK1WWaM9
LT Foods looking to strengthen presence of Daawat in European
market
Saturday, 09 December, 2017, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
Our Bureau, New Delhi
LT Foods, an emerging global food company with a focus on Basmati
and other specialty rice, organic foods and convenience rice-based products and
a presence in over 65 countries, has extended their strategy for the critical
European market, including the United Kingdom, by launching the new avatar of
their leading brand, Daawat.
The company is extensively working on expanding its geographical
footprints and product portfolio in these markets, and plans to invest $20
million. It has targeted an increase in sales from the current 5,000 tonne to
30,000 tonne in the branded segment over the next four years.
Additionally, this move will benefit 5,000 farmer families in
India, as the raw material would be sourced from the country. Vijay Kumar
Arora, chairman, LT Foods, said, “This move is in line with the strategic
intent of the company to make Daawat a trusted and household name in the
European region using raw material from India.”
“We have a well-devised strategy in place to achieve this target.
Over the next two years, we are eyeing a market share of five per cent in the
branded segment of this region with distribution expansion and continuous brand
investments. This will help to take the growth to the next level and achieve
the aspired targets,” he added.
Additionally, all Daawat rice variants, including Quick Cooking
Brown Rice, Original Basmati Rice and Extra Long Basmati Rice, will sport a new
look and feel and be on the shelves from March 2018.
Driven by an internal study to understand the international
standard and customer desires, LT Foods decided to undertake this initiative,
which will help people to obtain more information on the brand’s customer
benefits.
LT Foods has been focusing on Europe as the next growth region, and
has recently opened a new plant in the Dutch city of Rotterdam to cater to both
Europe and the United Kingdom.
The occasion was graced by the Indian ambassador to the
Netherlands. Over 100 ethnic distributors attended the event.
Arkansas
Pesticide Committee considers cotton, rice herbicides
Specter
of dicamba drift still looms large
In late November, the Arkansas
Plant Board Pesticide Committee held a hearing on two Dow herbicides. On a
three-to-one vote, Enlist One, to be used with 2,4-D-tolerant cotton, was
recommended out of committee for use in 2018. Following concerns from
applicators regarding a portion of the federal label, a recommendation for
Loyant, a rice herbicide, was not offered pending potential further action by
the EPA.
“Enlist One contains the same
2,4-D choline salt that’s in Dow’s Enlist Duo. It just doesn’t have the
glyphosate component as a pre-mix,” says Tom Barber, University of Arkansas
weed scientist. “So, it’s the single product — 2,4-D Choline — only.”
The board members, says Barber,
were concerned with volatility of the 2,4-D product and wanted to make sure
university weed scientists have studied Enlist One. “And we have. They’d
already cleared Enlist Duo, and it was available for use last year.”
Scrutiny
Following the mass
of dicamba drift complaints, the committee’s cautious approach regarding
Enlist One is understandable. Indeed, as a basis for scrutiny the lone no vote
cited the desire not to see a repeat of the 950-plus dicamba complaints this
year.
“2,4-D has the ability to take
out crops in short order,” says Barber. “It’s a shame, but in talking about new
herbicide products you can’t put aside what’s happened with dicamba. Everyone
is a little shell-shocked and, since cotton is so sensitive to 2,4-D, you can
see why there wasn’t a unanimous vote.
“And there are still folks who
remember back in 2006 when cotton was drifted on from miles away. 2,4-D was
reportedly sprayed into an inversion, and it was carried that far.”
Such events should not be a
problem because “the 2,4-D/choline product shows significantly less volatility
than the older salt formulations.”
This year, “there were some
discussions about 2,4-D damage complaints on cotton with some Enlist Duo
applications,” says Barber. “But none of them that were discussed at the
meeting had come into the Plant Board but to Dow. The Dow representative went
through those physical drift claims up to 300 feet, but the farmer had sprayed
when the wind was blowing towards the neighbor. That’s a label violation
because it says you can’t spray if (a sensitive crop) is downwind in an
adjacent field.”
“We’ve conducted volatility
testing on Enlist One using low tunnel experiments and everything appears to
look good thus far,” says Jason Norsworthy, University of Arkansas weed
scientist. “We did observe slight symptoms on cotton, but the extent of the
symptoms were less than the degree of damage to soybean seen from the
volatility of Xtendimax and Engenia in the same trial.
Physical drift
“I’d caution against saying
anything has zero risk, but based on the work we’ve done, physical drift would
seem to be more of a concern than volatility for Enlist One.
“We do know that cotton is
extremely sensitive to 2,4-D, and the 2,4-D choline in Enlist One is still
2,4-D and will cause considerable damage to non-Enlist cotton if drifted onto
the crop.”
Queried about the Enlist One
label, Norsworthy says it is “as I understand it, very similar to the Enlist
Duo, with a few exceptions.”
A “positive attribute” Norsworthy
notes about Enlist One over Enlist Duo “is the ability to tank-mix with Liberty
or other generic glufosinate products (Cheetah, Interline, etc.), allowing two
effective modes of action to be applied simultaneously for control of
glyphosate-resistant pigweed. Enlist Duo cannot be tank-mixed with
glufosinate.”
How much Enlist One might be used
in 2018?
“You never really know what will
happen with a new product until it goes out on a lot of acres,” says Barber.
“Of course, there will be considerably more interest in Enlist soybeans once
they receive Chinese import approval. According to company forecast estimates
approximately 18 percent of cotton acres could be planted to Enlist cotton in
2018.”
Loyant
The committee also considered
Dow’s Loyant, a new rice herbicide. A problem with the label — brought up by
Dennie Stokes, an east Arkansas aerial applicator — meant no action was taken.
“As an applicator, I have to
worry about what could happen outside the target field,” says Stokes, who also
represents state aerial applicators on the Plant Board. “Aerial applicators
need to be able to do the job we’re hired and trained to do.
“Let me say this: Loyant is a
fine product, and we need it. What we don’t need are any problems right off the
bat.”
There were two or three things
Stokes wanted the board to address with Loyant. The proposed state label
obviously has to follow the federal guidelines, although states can be more
restrictive.
“First, I didn’t want the
applicators to have the label put us in a box,” says Stokes. “The label as
proposed was a bit too restrictive. They had a boom pressure setting that was
too low at 30 psi. We want the best droplet size to do the most efficient job,
not drift and clean up weeds. Again, that’s our job as aerial applicators, and
that’s what we’ve been trained to do.”
To their credit, says Stokes, the
regulators and Dow “were agreeable to our points. They understood what the
concerns were, and they’re now in the process of making those changes.”
Adds Norsworthy: “There seems to
be a question regarding the maximum pressure of 30 psi on the current label.
The Pesticide Committee was told droplet studies in the wind tunnel that were
sent to the EPA and tank-mix studies of Loyant with Command conducted in
Arkansas were at 40 psi. It is my understanding that this is a situation that
Dow AgroSciences will try and resolve with the EPA through a possible
modification to the label.”
Arsenic in
baby food: Study finds high levels in popular name-brand cereals
By Eric
Ting, SFGATE
Published 10:20 am, Friday,
December 8, 2017
Rice
cereals contain six times more arsenic than cereals made from other grains,
such as barley, corn or wheat.
Infant rice cereals have been known to contain high arsenic
levels, and a new study reveals that little has been done to reduce the amount
of arsenic found in these products.
The study, conducted by an an alliance of scientists,
non-profits and donors called Healthy Babies Bright Futures (HBBF), finds
that rice cereals contain six times more arsenic than cereals made from other
grains, such as barley, corn or wheat.
MAJOR BRANDS
Beech-Nut, Gerber, BioKinetics, Earth's Best, Nestle and Little
Duck Organics were among nine major brands found to sell rice cereals with high
arsenic content.
According to the study, rice absorbs 10 times more arsenic from
soil and water than other grains do, and as a result, rice cereals contain an
average arsenic level of 85 parts per billion. This number is actually down
from an average of 103 parts per billion in 2014, but HBBF believes that more
needs to be done to reduce arsenic levels. For reference, the EPA's arsenic
standard for drinking water is 10 parts per billion.
Now Playing: Baby Food Products Test Positive For Arsenic
Including 80% of baby formulas.
Media:
Fortune
"Widespread concern and public pressure – combined with
growing science on arsenic's toxicity at low doses – should have spurred the
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the cereal industry to take
high-arsenic cereals off store shelves," the study states. "It hasn't
happened."
The study continues: "[The] FDA is, in a word, stalled.
More than a year after issuing its 2016 draft guidance to cereal makers – the
culmination of four years of assessment – FDA is falling short of protecting
infants. It has not set a final limit for arsenic in rice cereal."
Rice cereals are a popular choice because of their
affordability, digestibility, and unlikelihood of causing allergic reactions.
"Arsenic is strictly regulated in drinking water, but is
legal in any amount in infant rice cereal," the study states. "It is
a potent human carcinogen and a neurotoxin shown to permanently reduce
children's IQ."
A spokesperson for Gerber, one of the brands mentioned in the
study, told SFGATE in a statement that their rice cereals are safe to eat.
"We want to reassure parents that Gerber rice cereals are
safe," the statement says. "Every ingredient we use in our baby
foods—rice included—must meet our rigorous standards, which align with the best
available government guidance. We also have our own standards for safety and
quality that go beyond government requirements."
The full results of the study can be found here.
http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/arsenic-levels-baby-food-rice-cereal-infant-12416600.php
Damage to rice mill hurts Morelos growers
Earthquake
struck at beginning of the harvest, dashing export plans
Mexico News Daily | Thursday, December 7, 2017
The rice industry is one of the most emblematic of the small
state of Morelos but it too was a victim of the powerful September 19
earthquake that devastated parts of central Mexico.
The San José rice mill, the only one of its kind in the
municipality of Jojutla, was badly damaged in the 7.1-magnitude quake. As a
result, about 300 producers who process their grain at the mill are in danger
of losing their livelihoods.
Two and a half months after the earthquake, evidence of the
mill’s destruction is still plain to see: broken pillars, collapsed walls,
machinery rendered useless and storerooms full of rice that is unsellable
because it is contaminated by dust and rubble.
A local rice farmer and the
president of the rice growers’ association in the south of the state told the
newspaper Milenio that
losses from the quake had risen to an estimated 30 million pesos (US $1.6
million).
But along with the other growers, Jesús Solís is determined
to keep working and honor the brand name of the rice they produce: La
Perseverancia de Jojutla or, in English, The Perseverance of Jojutla.
“In Jojutla, rice is our pride and our identity,” he explained.
“Where we are going to get the resources from, I don’t know, but
we’ll rebuild the mill,” he declared.
Fortunately, the Morelos government has made an offer to buy new
machinery and fund the conversion of an old mill into a rice museum to generate
extra revenue.
In the meantime, the producers themselves are working to repair
the damaged mill while continuing with their usual rice production as best they
can.
It wasn’t just the mill, however, that was affected by the
earthquake but the growers’ dreams of exporting their product as well.
The quake struck at the beginning of the annual harvest, just
when growers were reaping their crops in preparation to enter the European
market.
“We started having contact with Switzerland and there was a plan
to go there to offer tastings. They wanted to buy 30 tonnes a month from us,”
Solís explained.
That plan is on the back burner now but given the state’s yield
potential and the quality of the internationally-renowned rice it produces,
hopes are high that it won’t be long before they get another chance.
“Morelos stands out for being the main producer of rice in
Mexico by hectare. The national average is four tonnes, we get 10 tonnes,”
state Agricultural Development Secretary Roberto Ruiz said.
The affected growers are also being supported by a citizens’
group in Mexico City, which has started selling their rice on Sundays
outside a church in the Coyoacán borough to help raise funds to rebuild the
mill.
“There are lines of people that arrive and buy 25 or 50
kilograms. The help is continuing but we can’t let it cool down,” said Denhi
Rivera, one of the group’s members.
Jojutla, located about 50
kilometers south of the state capital Cuernavaca, was the worst-affected
municipality in Morelos, where 75 people lost their lives in
the earthquake
Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open- December 8, 2017
Reuters | Dec 8, 2017,
14:10 IST
Asia Rice:
India Prices Rise as Demand From Bangladesh Offsets High Supply
Farmers plant rice saplings in a field in Shamli, in the
northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh July 19, 2014. (Reuters Photo/Anindito
Mukherjee)
India's 5 percent broken
parboiled rice prices rose by $4 per tonne to $406-$409.
"Bangladeshi demand has
improved sentiment. That is nullifying the impact of higher supplies from the
new crop," an exporter based in Kakinada in the southern state of Andhra
Pradesh said.
Bangladesh, which has emerged as a major importer this year
after floods hit its crops, will import 150,000 tonnes of rice from India in a
state deal priced at $440 a tonne, two food ministry officials said on
Wednesday (06/12).
India's state-run National
Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation (NAFED) will supply the rice within
60 days after signing the deal, which will take place soon, the officials said.
Bangladesh has tried to secure
supplies through India's state-run trading houses, which have floated tenders
in the local market for procurement, the Kakinada-based exporter said.
The country had already sealed a
deal with another state agency in India, PEC, to import 100,000 tonnes at $455
a tonne.
Meanwhile, Thailand's benchmark 5
percent broken rice was quoted at $401-405 a tonne, free-on-board (FOB)
Bangkok, up from $395-$400 last week.
Demand remained relatively quiet
in the world's second-biggest rice exporter as supply remains more or less
constant despite some losses due to floods, traders said.
"I don't think prices of
rice will rise any more substantially before the end of the year. Next year,
however, we might see some government intervention," said a Bangkok-based
trader.
The Ministry of Commerce has a
target to export 11 million tonnes by the end of the year, and traders are
optimistic the target could be reached within a plus-minus five percent range.
Thailand's Ministry of
Agriculture and Cooperatives and other agencies will hold the Thai Rice
Festival 2017 in Bangkok from Dec. 15-20. Traders expect this to have a
positive effect on demand.
In Vietnam, the rice market
continued to be quiet even as stocks remained low.
The country's 5 percent broken
rice traded at $395 a tonne, free-on-board (FOB) Saigon, mostly unchanged from
last week's $395-$398 range.
"We sold (5 percent broken
rice) at $395 a tonne in a new private contract," a trader in Ho Chi Minh
city said, but did not specify the buyer.
Traders were unsure when there
would be new government-to-government deals, but the delivery of previous state
contracts brought Vietnam's rice shipments closer to the target of 5.6 million
tonnes in 2017.
Rice prices may rise further as
Aman harvest fails to tame market
Faisal Atik, Staff Correspondent
Published: 2017-12-09 12:30:25.0 BdST Updated: 2017-12-09
12:30:25.0 BdST
Despite
assurances that rice prices would fall after the Aman rice harvest, traders in
Dhaka say the price of rice has gone up.
Though farmers are happy with the higher price, others worry
that it may lead to a further price hike.
New rice retailed at about Tk 32-34 per kg last year,
Mirpur-based rice trader Mohammad Mohiuddin Harun told bdnews24.com on
Thursday. This year, the price is Tk 40-41 per kg.
Prices of a 50kg sack of coarse rice have risen to Tk
2,050-2,070 from Tk 2,000 in a week, he said.
“Accordingly, the prices of other types of rice have risen by
around Tk 50 per sack in the past week,” he said. “Compared to last year, a
50kg sack has risen in price by Tk 400.”
Biplob Hossain, the manager of Badda’s Satarkul Rice Agency,
said prices may continue to rise.
“For the past few months, we believed rice prices would fall
with the Aman harvest, as they have every year. But this hasn’t happened.”
“From experience we can say that there is a hike in the price of
rice at the end of the season. Though farmers have gotten a good price this
season, the market price has not fallen. We think the price may rise further at
the end of the season.”
On Sept 19, the retail price of fine grain rice fell to Tk 60
and coarse rice fell to Tk 40 after the government reached a deal with millers
and traders on lowering the import tariff on rice. Traders had said they
expected rice prices to fall after the Aman harvests.
But, on Nov 30, after the government announced that it would buy
300,000 tonnes of rice from the domestic market at Tk 40 per kg, the price of
rice at the mill gates rose to Tk 41 per kg.
Millers say that, prior to the announcement of the government’s
purchase, the price of new rice was Tk 700-750 per maund, which was the price
last season. The price of rice rose to Tk 900-1,000 per maund afterwards.
“Rice prices this year are good,” said Belayat Hossain, a farmer
from Norail. “We can make a bit of profit.”
Rice production is low due to the high price, say farmers and agriculture
officials. The harvest was also affected by floods in several districts and
pests.
The Aman harvest began in the first week of November. According
to the Department of Agricultural Extension, 80 percent of the crops have been
harvested as of the first week of December.
In fiscal 2015-16, Aman rice was harvested on 5.59 million
hectares of land across the country. The total harvest was 13.483 tonnes of
rice, according to Khondker Mohammad Rashed of DAE’s Field Services Wing.
Bangladesh produced 13.656 tonnes of rice on 5.58 million hectares in fiscal
2016-17.
Though Aman rice was planted on 5.77 million hectares this year,
the total amount harvested has not been calculated yet due to flood damage. The
information will be available at the end of December.
Md Layek Ali, a Joypurhat-based miller, said that 90 percent of
the rice in his district has been harvested and is arriving in the market. But
the price of rice is nearly Tk 200 per maund higher than last year.
He called the increased price ‘positive’ and said the yield had
been lower.
“Farmers can make a profit by selling the rice at Tk 24 per kg.
But as the government has set the price at Tk 39, the minimum market price is
Tk 25.”
The Trading Corporation of Bangladesh estimates the price of
rice to be 12 percent higher than last year.
Rice mill owners and rice traders say Aman rice prices are 23
percent higher than last year.
Growth
and Water Use Benefits for Rice Under Enhanced CO2 Conditions
Paper Reviewed
Kumar, U., Quick, W.P., Barrios, M., Sta Cruz, P.C. and Dingkuhn, M. 2017. Atmospheric CO2 concentration effects on rice water use and biomass production. PLoS ONE 12: e0169706.
Kumar, U., Quick, W.P., Barrios, M., Sta Cruz, P.C. and Dingkuhn, M. 2017. Atmospheric CO2 concentration effects on rice water use and biomass production. PLoS ONE 12: e0169706.
In citing the rationale for their
study, Kumar et al. (2017) note that "the current and anticipated impact of
climate change and the associated increase of atmospheric CO2 concentration on rice
production are of great economic and social importance," especially in the
tropics where rice is a key staple crop. Thus, they set out to investigate the
effects of both sub- and supra-ambient CO2 on the dry matter production
and water use of this important agricultural crop species.
To accomplish their objective, the
five researchers grew rice in naturally sunlit and irrigated (flooded)
controlled-environment chambers at the International Rice Research Institute in
Los Baños, Philippines for two dry and two wet seasons (which differed in the
amount of solar radiation received). CO2 treatments in the chambers
included 195, 390, 780 and 1560 ppm and were maintained at these levels for 22
hours a day (the chambers were flushed of air for one hour before dawn and 1
hour after dusk to flush out trace gasses).
In describing their findings,
Kumar et al. report that "the current level of 390 ppmv [CO2] was distinctly sub-optimal for
rice biomass production." This fact is evident in the figure below, which
illustrates the aboveground biomass at each CO2 concentration in each of the
four growing seasons. As noted by the authors, the mean aboveground dry weight
across all seasons was 1744 g m-2 at the current or ambient CO2 level (390 ppm), which value
"decreased by 43% at 195 ppmv (0.5 x ambient), increased by 29% at 780
ppmv (2 x ambient) and increased by 42% at 1560 ppmv (4 x ambient)."
With respect to water use,
Kumar et al. report that whole-season crop water use under sub-ambient and
current CO2conditions was 564 and 719 mm, rising to 928 and 803 mm at 780 and
1560 ppmv CO2, respectively. And although more water was used at the higher CO2 concentrations, the amount of
biomass produced per mm of water also increased (1.76, 2.43, 2.43 and 3.08 g m-2 mm-1 at 195, 390, 780 and 1560 ppm
CO2, respectively). Thus, in the future, not only will the biomass of
this rice cultivar increase as the air's CO2 concentration rises, it will
produce more biomass per unit of water
applied, which enhanced growth and water
savings are a win-win for the agriculture sector.
Figure 1. Final above ground dry weight of rice grown under four concentrations of atmospheric CO2 for two dry seasons (DS) and two wet seasons (WS), differing in solar radiation levels. Adapted from Kumar et al. (2017).
Yuletide: FG
meets importers over smuggled rice, other items
ON DECEMBER 9, 20179:30 AMIN NEWSCOMMENTS
….as over 1m metric tonnes
rice waits to hit Nigeria from Benin Republic By Gabriel Ewepu ABUJA- AS
preparation for Christmas gathers momentum, the Federal Government yesterday,
met with importers over smuggled rice and other food items including frozen
poultry products and fish through land borders into the country. Rice seizure
by Western Marine Command The meeting was hosted by the Minister of State for
Agriculture and Rural Development, Sen Heineken Lokpobiri, at the Ministry’s
headquarter in Abuja, where which was to engage stakeholders from farmers,
processors, importers, exporters, and regulators. According to him the essence
of the meeting was to proffer solution to the problem of smuggling of food
items with a sustainable strategy.
He said: “Today we have a problem and it is only we that are sited
here that can solve that and it has to do with the activities of smuggling,
particularly as it relates to rice, poultry products and fish. In the last few
weeks the Vice President has been meeting with the ministers of Foreign
Affairs, Agriculture, Interior, including customs and some other government
agencies with the view of finding a solution to this problem. “I guess all of
you here the dangers of the consumption of these frozen products, imported rice
and fish by the Nigerian population. All of you are aware that there are many
strange diseases that are now affecting little children; some at the age of five
they are already down these diseases. “The reason is because instead of us to
patronize our local poultry industry, locally produced fish, and for the fish
because of the huge gap in order to ensure quality control decided to give some
fish quota to those who have applied to import fish, and that fish is only
acceptable to Nigeria if it is brought through the seaport.
“We also know some criminal
activities are going on through the land borders particularly the Benin
Republic border, where people are bringing in frozen fish, poultry products,
which are not healthy for human consumption. “These smuggled poultry products
contain what they use to preserve dead bodies called formalin, and it is
important for Nigerians to know that it is very dangerous to eat any frozen
product that is smuggled into the country. If big hotels in the country
patronize locally produced rice, poultry products and fish, they will save a
lot of lives and create more jobs. ” However, the Minister also disclosed that
over 1 million metric tonnes of rice waiting to hit Nigerian markets from Benin
Republic, which he urged hotels, eateries, super markets, and others to
patronize Nigerian agricultural products.
“Over 1 million metric tonnes of rice waiting to hit Nigeria from
Benin Republic, and the rice is not meant for Benin Republic because people of
Benin Republic don’t eat parboiled rice”, he stated. Speaking on how to
approach the problem, one of the stakeholders, Nigeria Association of
Agricultural Product Dealers, NAAPD, whose Secretary General, Hon Kingsley
Chikezie, said with the documents that authorised them to collaborate with the
governors and police to reduce multiple taxation, same could be applied to
reduce smuggling across the land borders. On its suggestion, the National Orientation
Agency, NOA, promised to step up awareness creation on the issue and to
orientate Nigerians more on patronising, consuming and depending on locally
produced poultry products, fish and rice instead of the smuggled ones despite
the affordability. Also the President of Poultry Association of Nigeria,
Ezekiel Mam, called on Nigerians to discard imported poultry products due to
the damage caused by the preservatives, and should patronize the local poultry
products.
After
Rosogolla, Bengal plans GI tags for Kalonunia, Randhunipagal rice
By
,
Dec 08, 2017, 04.24 PM IST
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on the heels of getting GI ( geographical indication) for Rosogolla, West
Bengal government is all geared up to apply for tags for Kalonunia
and Randhunipagal varieties of rice. These two are indigenous varieties of
aromatic fine rice available in the state. While Kalonunia is grown in the
northern region of the state, Randhunipagal is grown in the western part.
Kalonunia is cultivated in the districts of Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar, Alipurduar and Darjeeling (plains regions of the district). Randhunipagal is cultivated in the districts of Birbhum, Pruba Bardhaman, Paschim Bardhaman, Bankura and Hooghly.
Gobindobhog and Tulapanji, two other aromatic rice varieties, have already received the GI status, and the term 'Bengal Aromatic Rice' has been included in official documentation registered with the patent office. Kalonunia and Randhunipagal would fall under the same label.
Gobindobhog and Tulapanji are primarily grown in the Damodar river basin and in the districts of north Bengal, respectively.
Getting a GI tag helps a product to be marketed as exclusively from the geographical region it hails from, be it a food product, a beverage, a fruit, a handicraft, a handloom product or any other regionally exclusive entity. The Bengal Government has been actively patenting various products in order to market them internationally too.
The demand would naturally also help in saving these indigenous varieties of rice, which are nutritionally rich, but many of which are facing extinction as a result of the cultivation of only the commercially viable varieties. In fact, the state government is carrying on research work with 41 such rice varieties.
Kalonunia, a medium-sized blackish grain, is produced at the rate of 2.2 to 2.4 tonnes per hectare of cultivated paddy, while the small-sized Randhunipagal is produced at the rate of 2.3 to 2.5 tonnes per hectare of cultivated paddy. These are eaten as plain rice or as an alternative to Basmati (in the case of Kalonunia) and as the principal component of payesh, pithe and khichuri bhog for pujas.
According to officials of the state's science and technology department, preparation of the documentation to be presented by the state to the patenting authority is almost complete.
Kalonunia is cultivated in the districts of Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar, Alipurduar and Darjeeling (plains regions of the district). Randhunipagal is cultivated in the districts of Birbhum, Pruba Bardhaman, Paschim Bardhaman, Bankura and Hooghly.
Gobindobhog and Tulapanji, two other aromatic rice varieties, have already received the GI status, and the term 'Bengal Aromatic Rice' has been included in official documentation registered with the patent office. Kalonunia and Randhunipagal would fall under the same label.
Gobindobhog and Tulapanji are primarily grown in the Damodar river basin and in the districts of north Bengal, respectively.
Getting a GI tag helps a product to be marketed as exclusively from the geographical region it hails from, be it a food product, a beverage, a fruit, a handicraft, a handloom product or any other regionally exclusive entity. The Bengal Government has been actively patenting various products in order to market them internationally too.
The demand would naturally also help in saving these indigenous varieties of rice, which are nutritionally rich, but many of which are facing extinction as a result of the cultivation of only the commercially viable varieties. In fact, the state government is carrying on research work with 41 such rice varieties.
Kalonunia, a medium-sized blackish grain, is produced at the rate of 2.2 to 2.4 tonnes per hectare of cultivated paddy, while the small-sized Randhunipagal is produced at the rate of 2.3 to 2.5 tonnes per hectare of cultivated paddy. These are eaten as plain rice or as an alternative to Basmati (in the case of Kalonunia) and as the principal component of payesh, pithe and khichuri bhog for pujas.
According to officials of the state's science and technology department, preparation of the documentation to be presented by the state to the patenting authority is almost complete.
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