BRIEF: How
Rice Plants Grow Tall to Survive Floods
Scientists
identified the key gene that helps certain rice varieties keep their heads
above water.
ricechild.jpg
Child walks in deep-water field of wild rice species in
Bangladesh.
Image credits:
Rights information:
Thursday, July 12, 2018 - 14:00
(Inside Science) -- When monsoon floods inundate rice fields in
the lowlands of Southeast Asia, some varieties of the plant have a trick up
their sleeves: As the waters rise, the rice plants go through a sudden growth
spurt, keeping their leaves in the air and staying alive. Now a team of
researchers from the U.S. and Japan has identified the key gene that makes
these varieties, called deepwater rice, resilient to flood.
The gene is called SEMIDWARF1, or SD1 for short. According to a
paper publishedtoday in the journal Science, when rice plants are
submerged in water, the gaseous plant hormone ethylene starts to build up in
their tissue. For rice plants with the SD1 gene, the accumulation of ethylene
then triggers the production of the growth-promoting plant hormone known as
gibberellin, which helps the plants rise above the water.
According to the researchers, the SD1 gene can be found in
different variants of rice that humans have cultivated for higher yields in
areas prone to monsoon flooding, and modern day deepwater rice can trace its
ancestry back to wild rice from Bangladesh. A better understanding of genomic
characteristics in these plants may help scientists develop adaptive food crops
in the face of climate change
Video: Nobel Laureate Richard Roberts recruits young scientists
to counter Greenpeace misinformation about 'failure' of nutritionally enhanced
Golden Rice, GMOs
Richard Roberts | Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings | July 12, 2018
When Monsanto
first tried to introduce GMO seeds into Europe there was a backlash by the
Green parties and their political allies, who feared that American
agro-business was about to take over their food supply. Thus began a massive
campaign not against the true target, Monsanto and the large agro-businesses,
but rather against the surrogate target, GMOs. This has had disastrous
consequences for one of the most promising technologies ever developed for
improving food supplies.
...
I will use Golden Rice as
a clear example of the costs of these shortsighted policies. Millions of
children have died or suffered developmental impairment because of a lack of
Vitamin A in their diet. Golden Rice could reverse this, but has become a
target of the Green parties because it is a GMO. This is foolish and dangerous.
How many more children must die before this is considered a crime against
humanity?
[Editor's note: In 2016 Sir Richard Roberts spearheaded a
campaign of 133 Nobel Laureates to counter Greenpeace's inaccurate claims about
the nutritional benefits of golden rice, a genetically engineered crop
designed to treat vitamin A deficiency in southeast Asia. Greenpeace maintains
that there is no evidence to suggest that golden rice is a solution to fight
malnutrition. In the video below, Roberts presents his case in favor of golden
rice, and GMOs more broadly, to an audience of undergraduates, PhD students,
and post-doc researchers from all over the world at the 68th Lindau Nobel
Laureate Meetings in Germany.]
Read full, original article: SIR RICHARD J. ROBERTS (2018) Nobel
Laureate Campaign Supporting GMOs
The GLP
aggregated and excerpted this article to reflect the diversity of news,
opinion, and analysis. Click the link above to read the full, original article.
USA Rice and The Rice Foundation Elect New Leadership
By Deborah Willenborg
IRVING, TX -- New chairmen for USA Rice and The Rice
Foundation were elected by their respective Boards of Directors during annual
meetings here today.
USA Rice's new chairman, Charley Mathews, Jr., a rice farmer
from Marysville, California will assume the two-year post on August 1, taking
over for Brian King, a rice merchant, who has been chairman of the group since
2016.
"Charley is going to make a great chairman," King
said. "He is well versed in U.S.
rice industry issues going from the field to the board room having served in
leadership positions as chairman of both The Rice Foundation and the USA Rice
Council."
Mathews is a third generation rice farmer who has served on
numerous USA Rice committees, including Sustainability, International
Promotion, and the Crop Insurance Task Force.
Mathews is an alumni of the Rice Leadership Development Program, as is
King, and past chairman of the California Rice Commission.
"Brian King guided us through some challenging times
and presided over countless meetings, including some with Secretary of
Agriculture Sonny Perdue, and Senators and House Members from all over the
country, representing the U.S. rice industry," said Mathews. "He has made trips to major, and
potential major, markets including Colombia, Mexico, and China, and we
appreciate the time sacrifice he has made on behalf of U.S. rice."
"This is a difficult time for the American rice
industry as we navigate the current uncertainty around trade and stay on top of
the ongoing Farm Bill negotiations that are so crucial to our growers,"
said Betsy Ward, president and CEO of USA Rice.
"I look forward to working with Chairman-elect Mathews as we tackle
these issues on behalf of the entire U.S. industry."
Frank Carey (left) congratulates Mathews as he changes
chairmanship from Foundation to Federation
Frank Carey was elected chairman of The Rice
Foundation. Carey, with Valent LLC, a
crop protection firm, replaces Mathews, who served as chairman of The Rice
Foundation for two years.
"The breadth of work The Rice Foundation has been
responsible for is astounding," said Mathews. "Foundation-funded projects like a
multi-state water management study, a breeding project for jasmine-type
aromatic rice varieties in the U.S., and conservation work estimating
biological and economic contributions that rice habitats make to North American
waterfowl populations, have exceeded expectations. The Foundation and the industry are in good
hands with Frank, and I know he'll continue to identify more projects with
far-reaching industry benefits."
The Rice Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization, which
serves as the research and education program arm for the rice industry.
Dueling tariffs raise fears of long U.S.-China trade
battle
Thursday, July 05, 2018 9:38 p.m. CDT
A waiter delivers a lunch of lobster, that was imported from
Boston, U.S., at a sea food restaurant in Beijing, China July 5, 2018. Picture
By Michael Martina and David Lawder
BEIJING/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States and China
exchanged the first salvos in what could become a protracted trade war on
Friday, slapping tariffs on $34 billion worth of each others’ goods and giving
no sign of willingness to start talks aimed at a reaching a truce.
Duties on a range of Chinese goods imported into the United
States took effect on Friday and were immediately countered by measures from
China, with Beijing accusing the United States of triggering the
"largest-scale trade war".
The escalating fight between the world's two biggest economies
meant that it could "take economic and political pain to get these two
parties to the (negotiating) table", said Scott Kennedy, head of China
studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.
President Donald Trump is already threatening additional rounds
of tariffs, possibly targeting more than $500 billion worth of Chinese goods -
roughly the total amount of U.S. imports from China last year.
It will take weeks or months for the U.S. Trade Representative
to review and possibly activate any new rounds of punishment.
"The key questions during that time are what will happen to
financial markets, how will U.S. voters react and will China's economy start to
wobble," Kennedy said in a telephone interview.
Erin Ennis, senior vice president of the U.S. China Business
Council, said there was a danger the two sides will dig in on trade sanctions
without a clear strategy for resuming negotiations.
While U.S. companies doing business in China agree with Trump's
complaint about Chinese intellectual property practices, Ennis said they do not
see tariffs pushing China into submission.
China's commerce ministry said it was forced to retaliate,
meaning imported U.S. goods including cars, soybeans, and lobsters also faced
25 percent tariffs.
Some of Trump's fellow Republicans in the U.S. Congress lashed
out at his actions.
"Tariffs not only hurt our farmers, ranchers and airplane
manufacturers, but they also harm every American consumer. We should be working
with our allies to isolate China rather than escalate a trade war," said
Senator Jerry Moran, who represents the agriculture-heavy state of Kansas.
China's soymeal futures fell more than 2 percent on Friday
afternoon before recovering most of those losses amid initial market confusion
over whether Beijing had actually implemented the tariffs, which it later
confirmed it had.
Friday's long-expected China tariff volley fueled fear that a
prolonged and escalating battle would hurt global trade, investment and growth,
while also damaging U.S. farm exports and potentially driving up food prices in
China.
For example, U.S.-based audio company Sonos Inc noted in an
initial public offering on Friday its performance "may be materially
harmed" by trade restrictions.
To view a graphic on China trade with U.S., click: https://reut.rs/2HjTuSw
'NEVER A SOLUTION'
"Trade war is never a solution," Chinese Premier Li
Keqiang said at a news briefing with Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov in
Sofia before a summit with 16 central and easternEuropean countries.
"China would never start a trade war but if any party
resorts to an increase of tariffs, then China will take measures in response to
protect development interests," he said.
There was no sign of renewed negotiations between U.S. and
Chinese officials in the run-up to Friday, business sources in Washington and
Beijing said.
The dispute has roiled financial markets including stocks,
currencies and the global trade of commodities from soybeans to coal in recent
weeks.
China lodged a case with the World Trade Organization against
the United States, its commerce ministry said on Friday.
White House Council of Economic Advisers Chairman KevinHassett
said in an interview on Fox Business Network on Friday Trump is "going to
deliver better (trade) deals". He said that, for now, "he's called
the bluff of other countries that have basically been abusing" U.S.
companies and workers.
To view a graphic on Industry impact, click: https://reut.rs/2IVkPHd
PRICE WATCH
Importers of American retail goods hit by higher Chinese duties
were reluctant to pass the costs on to consumers for now.
An analysis of more than four dozen targeted U.S products showed
that prices were little changed on Friday afternoon from earlier in the week.
The products, sold on Chinese e-commerce platforms, ranged from pet food to
mixed nuts and whiskey.
Ford Motor Co said on Thursday that, for now, it will not
hike prices of imported Ford and higher-margin luxury Lincoln models in China.
However, German automaker BMW said it is unable to "completely
absorb" new Chinese tariff on imported U.S.-made models and will raise
prices.
U.S. stocks shook off the tariffs, which investors said had been
well-anticipated and priced in. The S&P 500 rose to a two-week high on
Friday, partly buoyed by strong U.S. jobs growth. However, investors said a
significant escalation intension would cause worries to set in.
Companies seeking product exclusions from tariffs on Chinese
goods imported into the United States will get 90 days to file such requests,
the U.S. Trade Representative's office said onFriday.
To view a graphic on the Tit-for-tat impact, click: https://tmsnrt.rs/2GXE9qr
'GANG OF HOODLUMS'
Chinese state media slammed Trump's trade policies and onFriday
likened his administration to a "gang of hoodlums".
China's commerce ministry called the U.S. actions "a
violation of world trade rules" and said it had "initiated the
largest-scale trade war in economic history".
Trump has railed against Beijing for intellectual property
theft, barriers to entry for U.S. businesses and a $375 billionU.S. trade
deficit with China.
A China central bank adviser said the planned U.S. import
tariffs on $50 billion worth of Chinese goods - $34 billion plus a planned
follow-on list worth $16 billion - would cut China's economic growth by 0.2
percentage points, the official Xinhua news agency reported on Friday.
China's tariff list is heavy on agricultural goods such as
soybeans, sorghum and cotton, threatening U.S. farmers in states that backed
Trump in the 2016 U.S. election, such as Texas and Iowa.
(Reporting by Adam Jourdan in SHANGHAI, Michael
Martina,Christian Shepherd, Dominique Patton, Elias Glenn and JosephineMason in
BEIJING, David Lawder, Jeff Mason and Justin Mitchellin WASHINGTON, Meg Shen in
HONG KONG and Tsvetelia Tsolova inSOFIA; Writing by Tony Munroe and Richard
Cowan; Editing by Nick Macfie, Nick Zieminski and Eric Meijer)
Cambodia’s rice export drops 5.9
pct in H1
PHNOM PENH, July 10 (Xinhua)
-- Cambodia exported 271,500 tons of milled rice in the first six months of
2018, down 5.9 percent from 288,500 tons over the same period last year,
according to the latest report released on Tuesday. Sixty-eight companies have
brokered t
he country's rice for 56 countries and regions around the
world, said the report from the Secretariat of One Window Service for Rice
Export. China is the top buyer of Cambodian rice, followed by France, Poland,
the Netherlands and Britain, it said. The Southeast Asian nation shipped 62,100
tons of milled rice to China during the January-June period this year, down 34
percent compared to the same period last year. Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech
Techo Hun Sen said in May that the country produced 10.5 million tons of paddy
rice in 2017, up 5.7 percent year-on-year. With this amount, besides local
consumptions, the country would have about 5.5 million tons of unhusked rice,
or 3.5 million tons of milled rice, left over for exports this year, he said.
Last year, Cambodia exported 635,679 tons of milled rice, an increase of 17
percent compared to a year earlier.
|
|
Date: 11-Jul-2018
B34.5bn in rice aid measures approved
Date: 12-Jul-2018
Private sector to EU: Don’t punish
Cambodia
The
delegation from the European Union during their meeting Monday with
representatives of the local private sector. Ministry
of Land Management
Representatives of the
Kingdom’s private sector this week urged the European Union not to cancel the
Everything-but-arms (EBA) scheme in response to a perceived deterioration of
human rights and democracy in the country. An EU delegation, which includes the
EU Ambassador to Cambodia, is now in the Kingdom on a fact-finding mission to
assess the latest political developments in the country before deciding whether
or not to cancel or curtail a key trade scheme that grants the Kingdom
preferential access to the EU market. The mission has already met with civil
society organisations, private sector representatives, and government
officials. Kaing Monika, deputy secretary general at the Garment Manufacturers
Association in Cambodia (GMAC), told Khmer Times that representatives of the
private sector, including GMAC, met with the EU mission on Monday and expressed
their views on the need to maintain the current EBA treaty intact. He said the
Cambodian delegation told EU dignitaries that the local private sector respects
all EU requirements when it comes to labour and human rights, and that, in line
with requirements to maintain the EBA treaty, there have been significant
improvements in factory working conditions and workers’ rights. Mr Monika said
the EU responded by saying that they were not here to punish Cambodia but to
study the current political and economic situation and “encourage the country
to improve.” GMAC, which comprises 500 members employing more than 700,000
workers, were joined at the meeting by representatives of the Cambodian
Federation of Employers and Business Associations (Camfeba) and the Rice
Association. “As we know the economic impact of the EBA for Cambodia has been
tremendous. It has helped built Cambodian trade with the EU, particularly in
the garment, shoes and rice segments. “Of course, the EBA is conditional to
compliance with various conventions, especially those on human rights and
labour rights. “We shared our views with the EU on the contribution of the EBA
to Cambodia’s economic development, and the country’s adherence to all relevant
conventions,” he said. Mr Monika said the EU delegation acknowledged the hard
work and achievements of the garment and footwear sector in improving the lives
of workers. “Based on our performance, we are quite sure that we won’t be
wrongly punished. The EU market would continue to be one of our most important
markets in terms of textiles and shoes exports for many years to come,” added
Mr Monika. A source who wishes to remain anonymous but was privy to the meeting
told Khmer Times that the EU representatives questioned the Cambodian delegation
on the impact the EBA has had on Cambodia’s main sectors of economic activity,
including textiles and agriculture. They wanted to know the benefits it has
brought to farmers and whether or not it has played a role in attracting
investment. “We explained how the EBA has impacted the livelihoods of 3 million
farmers and 800,000 workers. At the same time, we defended our view that we
have observed all the conventions stated in the EBA,” he said. He added that
the EU delegation will meet with representatives of several other industries,
NGOs and unions in the next few days before sending their conclusions back to
Brussels. Like GMAC’s Mr Monika, the source believed that the EU will not annul
the EBA. EU Ambassador to Cambodia George Edgar said last night that the
delegation has met with a range of government officials. “The purpose has been
to learn more about the situation in Cambodia in terms of human rights and
labour rights, in the context of the EU’s enhanced engagement with Cambodia
under the Everything But Arms arrangement,” Mr Edgar said. “The information
gathered by the mission will feed into the decision making process in the
European Commission,” he added. In March, the EU reaffirmed its commitment to
strengthen economic ties with Cambodia and support further integration of the
country into regional supply chains. Last month, the Cambodian government sent
a delegation to Brussels headed by Sok Siphana, an economic adviser to the
government, to lobby EU lawmakers to keep Cambodia’s trade status. The delegation
was sent after the EU issued a report in April condemning the dissolution of
the CNRP last year and hinting at a possible annulment of the EBA treaty as a
punitive measure. According to data from the European Commission, the EU is
Cambodia’s biggest trading partner with a trade volume of 5.86 billion euro
($6.7 billion) in 2017.
Rice,
price and everything not-so-nice
Posted on 12 July 2018 - 09:09am
Tan Siok Choo
ONE top Malaysian leader prefers to eat quinoa – a complete
protein, it is gluten-free, rich in dietary fibre and has the capability of
lowering LDL or bad cholesterol – although allegedly 23 times more costly than
other grains. But for many Malaysians, rice is the preferred option.
On June 6 this year,
newly-minted Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Salahuddin Ayub
announced the Cabinet had agreed to end the monopoly to import rice given to
Padiberas Nasional Berhad (Bernas).
Will this new policy by the new
ruling Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition reduce the price of this food staple?
Will ending Bernas' monopoly help 400,000 rice growers in this country?
Comprising a reported 11.2% of Malaysia's registered voters, rice growers live
mainly in Kedah, Perlis and Perak.
Malaysia's rice bowl, Kedah is
a state where Harapan's control of the statehouse is as sturdy as a stalk of
rice. In the May 9 general election this year, PH won 18 state seats in Kedah,
the same number as the combined opposition – PAS secured 15 seats while the
Barisan Nasional, which previously ruled the state, obtained a meagre three
seats.
Lowering the price of rice
involves three parties – Bernas, consumers and rice growers – and the three
interlocking issues: The monopoly to import rice, the controlled price of white
rice in Malaysia and the financial viability of growing rice in this country.
In a recent newspaper interview, Bernas' chief executive officer Ismail Mohamed Yusoff made three points. First, about 60% of rice consumed in this country is produced by local farmers. Second, the price of locally-produced rice is fixed by the government. Third, imported rice, which accounts for 30% of Malaysia's consumption, cannot be sold at a price lower than the local variety.
In a recent newspaper interview, Bernas' chief executive officer Ismail Mohamed Yusoff made three points. First, about 60% of rice consumed in this country is produced by local farmers. Second, the price of locally-produced rice is fixed by the government. Third, imported rice, which accounts for 30% of Malaysia's consumption, cannot be sold at a price lower than the local variety.
Allowing other companies to
import rice won't reduce the local price of rice because the imported grain
must be sold at the same price or higher than the local variety. This suggests
the need to cut the controlled price of locally-grown rice. However, a lower
price could mean more financial hardship for local rice growers.
PH's decision to terminate
Bernas' monopoly may be a response to a memorandum submitted last October to
the then Najib administration by Padi Rescue, a non-governmental organisation
(NGO) representing farmers, rice millers and warehouse owners. Alleging
"unfair practices," the NGO proposed ending Bernas' role in
overseeing the supply of rice, including its monopoly on rice imports.
If the price of local rice
remains fixed while the international price of the grain fluctuates, this could
have two possible outcomes.
If the global price of rice
falls below that of the local variety, the importer makes windfall profits.
However, a higher international
price will either compel the importer to absorb the price differential or stop
importing rice. In the latter event, there could be a significant shortfall of
rice.
Bernas claims it uses its
profits from importing rice to pay annual subsidies to local farmers –
amounting to RM700 million to RM800 million – before being reimbursed by the
government.
Even if Bernas loses its monopoly
of importing rice, Malaysians will enjoy cheaper prices only if the controlled
price of local rice is either lowered or pegged to international prices.
Because Malaysia is a high-cost
producer of rice, to ensure a reasonable rate of return to local farmers, the
local price of rice must be priced above that prevailing in international
markets.
According to a Straits
Times article, Malaysia produces about two million tonnes of
rice annually – well below this country's estimated annual consumption of three
million tonnes.
To meet this shortfall, the
government spent US$377.4 million in 2016 to import 822,000 tonnes of rice.
To meet this gap in supply, Padi Rescue argues the government should push for higher output of local rice instead of resorting to imports.
To meet this gap in supply, Padi Rescue argues the government should push for higher output of local rice instead of resorting to imports.
Given the PH government's
priority in reining in government spending, should Putrajaya continue to
control the local price of rice to help local farmers? Should local farmers be
encouraged to increase the output of rice?
For decades, farmers in this country
have been encouraged to grow rice to ensure Malaysia's food security. Should
this objective be modified or abandoned?
Putrajaya should note
Malaysians' food preferences have changed. According to UNI Malaysia Labour
Centre president Datuk Seri Mohamed Shafie Mammal, Malaysians' intake of
wheat-based foods has jumped by 60% from 2008 to 2017 due to the growing
popularity of pasta, bread and confectionary.
During the same period, rice consumption in this country rose by a sedate 10%.
During the same period, rice consumption in this country rose by a sedate 10%.
Yet another issue is the
financial implications of terminating Bernas' monopoly of importing rice before
the scheduled 2021 date.
Despite Bernas' claims of
minimal profit margin – between 0.4% and 1.8% for the last three years –
unaudited accounts show a handsome pre-tax profit of RM133 million for the
financial year ending Dec 31, 2016.
Opinions expressed in this article are the personal views of the
writer and should not be attributed to any organisation she is connected with.
She can be contacted at siokchoo@thesundaily.com
Another OTS for
defaulting rice millers in Punjab
Chandigarh, Jul 12 (PTI) The Punjab government will
soon come out with another 'one-time settlement' (OTS) scheme for defaulting
rice millers to recover about Rs 2,000 crore on account of undelivered rice, a
minister said.
The department had been able to recover a minuscule amount of Rs 22 crore in the earlier OTS which was rolled out last year.
"We will soon come out with a new OTS scheme for defaulting rice millers," Punjab Food and Civil Supplies Minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu said here today.
"I have asked officials concerned to make their suggestions for the new OTS," he further said.
He warned if defaulting rice millers fail to take advantage of the new OTS, then action as per law will be taken against them.
In the last OTS, the defaulters had the option to pay the entire outstanding principal amount in one go, within a period of 45 days, without having to pay any interest, or to pay in three installments with 10 per cent interest.
It was also decided that where interest was paid, it should not be higher than the principal amount in any case. Those defaulters choosing to pay back the principal as a lump sum amount were entitled to go back to milling from the next season.
The minister said a new rice policy would also be rolled out wherein appropriate steps would be taken to prevent incident like paddy going missing in a mill in Amritsar this year.
Notably, the department had found over 2.50 lakh bags of paddy worth Rs 32 crore to be missing from a rice mill in Amritsar in April this year. PTI CHS MR
MR
The department had been able to recover a minuscule amount of Rs 22 crore in the earlier OTS which was rolled out last year.
"We will soon come out with a new OTS scheme for defaulting rice millers," Punjab Food and Civil Supplies Minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu said here today.
"I have asked officials concerned to make their suggestions for the new OTS," he further said.
He warned if defaulting rice millers fail to take advantage of the new OTS, then action as per law will be taken against them.
In the last OTS, the defaulters had the option to pay the entire outstanding principal amount in one go, within a period of 45 days, without having to pay any interest, or to pay in three installments with 10 per cent interest.
It was also decided that where interest was paid, it should not be higher than the principal amount in any case. Those defaulters choosing to pay back the principal as a lump sum amount were entitled to go back to milling from the next season.
The minister said a new rice policy would also be rolled out wherein appropriate steps would be taken to prevent incident like paddy going missing in a mill in Amritsar this year.
Notably, the department had found over 2.50 lakh bags of paddy worth Rs 32 crore to be missing from a rice mill in Amritsar in April this year. PTI CHS MR
MR
ASIA RICE-WEAK DEMAND WEIGHS ON PRICES, INDIA RATES NEAR
14-MONTH LOW
7/12/2018
* Vietnam rates fall on summer-autumn harvest
* India's exports could ease from Oct as govt ups buying
prices
By Sethuraman N R
BENGALURU, July 12 (Reuters) - Weak demand and expectations
of fresh supplies weighed on export prices for rice across
most
Asian hubs this week, while rates from top exporter India
stayed
near their lowest level in 14 months amid a weaker rupee.
Rates for India's 5 percent broken parboiled variety
<RI-INBKN5-P1> were steady at $388-$392 per tonne,
unchanged
from last week.
"Bangladesh, Sri Lanka are not buying. African
countries are
making only small purchases," said an exporter based at
Kakinada
in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh.
The Indian rupee has lost more than 7 percent so
far in 2018, increasing exporters returns from overseas
sales.
India last week raised prices paid to local farmers for
paddy rice by 13 percent from a year ago to 1,750 rupees per
100
kg.
The hike could dent the country's exports from October by
making new season cargoes expensive compared to supply from
rival growers, industry officials said.
In Vietnam, prices of 5 percent broken rice fell to
$405-$420 a tonne from $425-$430 a tonne a week earlier.
"Prices are under downward pressure as the
summer-autumn
harvest is peaking and as Thai prices are lower," a Ho
chi Minh
City-based trader said.
Prices offered by Vietnam are under pressure to compete with
lower Thailand prices.
Vietnamese customs data released on Thursday showed rice
shipments from Vietnam in June fell 29.6 percent from May to
537,948 tonnes, down from a government forecast of 650,000
tonnes.
For the first half of this year, Vietnam's rice exports rose
21.6 percent from a year earlier to 3.48 million tonnes.
In Thailand, prices of the benchmark 5 percent broken
variety <RI-THBKN5-P1> were in the range of $378-$395
compared
with $385-$388 last week.
"Prices declined because the baht weakened and markets
were
quiet. Production continued to come in. Next week, it will
probably be this way because it has been quiet," one
trader
said.
Another trader said if the exchange rate is stable, prices
will continue to remain in the range seen this week.
(Reporting by Aukkarapon Niyomyat in Bangkok, Khanh Vu in
Hanoi, Rajendra Jadhav in Mumbai; editing by David Evans)
Philippine food agency to propose extra 500,000 T of rice
imports
Reuters Staff
JULY 12, 2018 / 9:34 AM
MANILA, July 12 (Reuters) - The Philippines’ food security
agency on Thursday said it would seek approval to import an extra 500,000
tonnes of rice this year to ensure healthy supply and stable prices in the
local market.
The cargoes should arrive in the country in December, the
National Food Authority (NFA) said.
The Philippines is one of the world’s biggest buyers of rice
and usually imports from its Southeast Asian neighbours Vietnam and Thailand.
Fresh demand could underpin rice export prices in those countries, which have
fallen amid increasing supply.
It has not been decided yet whether any additional purchase
would come via another government-to-government deal or through the private
sector, NFA Administrator Jason Aquino told reporters. Approval would come from
the NFA Council, a panel composed of the government’s economic managers.
For this year, the council has so far approved purchases
totalling 1.3 million tonnes, including the 500,000 tonnes the NFA has bought
under government-to-government deals with Vietnam and Thailand. Private traders
have been allowed to import up to 805,200 tonnes.
The Philippines recently rushed to import rice to stabilise
retail prices of the national staple that had steadily risen amid the absence
of low-priced NFA supply in the local market.
Higher rice prices have added pressure to Philippine
inflation, which accelerated in the first half of the year to the highest in at
least five years, hurting the economy to some extent and denting President
Rodrigo Duterte’s popularity.
Reporting by Enrico dela Cruz Editing by Joseph Radford
NFA rice stockpile still 99% lower than 2017 inventory
Philippine Daily Inquirer / 06:52 AM July 12, 2018
Despite
the arrival of the first shipment of imported rice last month, the government’s
own rice stockpile was still lower by 99 percent compared to its inventory in
the same period last year, data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA)
showed.
In its
latest rice inventory, the PSA said the National Food Authority (NFA)
inventory for June was 2,000 metric tons, down from 205,000 MT a year ago,
while rice in commercial warehouses also declined by 1.92 percent to 1.26
million MT from 1.28 million MT.
The
country’s total rice stocks from the two sectors declined by 8.24 percent
year-on-year to 2.36 million MT from 2.57 million MT.
Meanwhile,
household stocks increased by 1.47 percent to 1.09 million MT from 1.07 million
MT in the same period last year.
According to the NFA, the delivery of the
250,000 MT of rice from Thailand and Vietnam is now “almost complete.” —Karl R. Ocampo
Read more: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1009523/nfa-rice-stockpile-still-99-lower-than-2017-inventory#ixzz5L7y2kOC9
Follow us: @inquirerdotnet on Twitter | inquirerdotnet on Facebook
Bernas
unit urges govt to review rice delivery permits
July 13, 2018 10:40 am +08
This article first appeared in The Edge
Financial Daily, on July 13, 2018.
KUALA LUMPUR: Syarikat Faiza Sdn Bhd, a 51% subsidiary of the
country’s sole rice importer PadiBeras Nasional Bhd (Bernas), is asking the
government to review the issuance of permits to deliver rice products
interstate and intercity, claiming the current system is slowing down its
business.
“We are not talking about the approved permit (AP) as that comes
under Bernas. We are talking about the permit required to deliver products
among cities and states,” Syarikat Faiza managing director Faiza Bawumi Sayed
Ahmad told reporters after meeting with the Council of Eminent Persons
yesterday.
According to Faiza, the government introduced the permit system
for food security reasons during the colonial era, as rice is considered the
country’s staple food.
“Now that the communists are no longer in the country, the
government should consider reviewing the issuance of this particular permit.
“Perhaps this permit is still valid to curb rice smuggling, but
it is slowing down business. For our part, we are required to deliver to the
outlets in time and any delay caused by issues related to this delivery permit
will result in us being penalised,” she lamented.
Under the agriculture ministry, the government issues a licence
to qualified persons or entities to trade and sell rice products in a retail
market, starting with 10,000kg.
Faiza declined to comment on the government’s move to terminate
Bernas’ monopoly in the rice industry. “I have no comment on that, as that is
at Bernas’ level,” she said.
Shortly after his appointment as the agriculture and agro-based
industry minister, Salahuddin Ayub announced that the Cabinet had agreed to
terminate Bernas’ monopoly to protect the interests of local paddy farmers.
Rice basmati weakens on low demand
|
12
JULY 2018
|
12 JULY 2018 New Delhi, Jul 12 Rice
basmati prices moved down by Rs 100 per quintal at the wholesale grains market
today owing to slackened demand.
However,
bajra strengthened on rising demand from consuming industries.
Traders
said easing demand against adquate stocks position, mainly led to a decline in
rice basmati prices.
In
the national capital, rice basmati common and Pusa-1121 variety eased by Rs 100
each to Rs 7,500-7,600 and Rs 6,800-6,900 per quintal, respectively.
On
the other hand, bajra advanced by Rs 30 to Rs 1250-1255 per quintal.
Following
are today's quotations (in Rs per quintal):
Wheat
MP (desi) Rs 2,150-2,250, Wheat dara (for mills) Rs 1,860-1,865 Chakki atta
(delivery) Rs 1,870-1,875, Atta Rajdhani (10 kg) Rs 230-260, Shakti Bhog (10
kg) Rs 255-290, Roller flour mill Rs 1,000-1,020 (50 kg), Maida Rs 1030-1,040
(50 kg) and Sooji Rs 1,100-1,110 (50 kg).
Basmati
rice (Lal Quila) Rs 10,700, Shri Lal Mahal Rs 11,300, Super Basmati rice Rs
9,900, Basmati common new Rs 7,500-7,600, Rice Pusa (1121) Rs 6,800-6,900,
Permal raw Rs 2,425-2,450, Permal wand Rs 2,525-2,575, Sela Rs 3,050-3,150 and
rice IR-8 Rs 2,025-2,075, Bajra Rs 1,250-1,255, Jowar yellow Rs 1,700-1,750,
white Rs 2,850-2,950, Maize Rs 1,230-1,235, Barley Rs 1,500-1,510.
Monsoon
seeking fresh peaks with back-to-back 'low's in Bay of Bengal
The first
'low' is likely to show up over the North Bay over the next couple of days,
which could further rev up the rains over Central and adjoining North-West
India.
The first
'low' is likely to show up over the North Bay over the next couple of days,
which could further rev up the rains over Central and adjoining North-West
India.
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, JULY 12
The monsoon over
Central India, North-West India and West India would seek newer peaks with
India Met Department (IMD) forecasting formation of back-to-back low-pressure
areas in the Bay of Bengal.
The first
'low' is likely to show up over the North Bay over the next couple of days,
which could further rev up the rains over Central and adjoining North-West
India.
Strong
monsoon seen
A second 'low'
could spin up four to five days later over the same location, signalling the
strength of the monsoon flows, despite enhanced activity over the West Pacific
that shares the same flows.
Separately, an
ensemble model of the US National Centres for Environment Predictions says that
the Bay might remain in a hyperactive state right until the end of July,
normally the rainiest monsoon month.
The US model
sees westward or west-northwestward movement of rain-generating
'low's/depression from the Bay across Central and North-West India to either
Gujarat or Rajasthan.
IMD has
already put under watch the first 'low' for signs of intensification soon after
its genesis get officially declared either tomorrow or the day after.
Long-period
average
An updated
long-range forecast by IMD had said that July is likely to produce 101 per cent
of the long-period average of rainfall for the month, though it has started off
with a slight deficit. June had ended up with a deficit of just five per cent,
shrugging off prolonged lean patch between June 12 to 27.
The monsoon
has been in a revival mode since June 27. IMD said in bulletin this morning
that the ongoing rainfall activity over the South Peninsula and Central India
would continue for the next four to five days.
Rains
for North-West
Meanwhile,
organised rainfall would commence over North-West India from today, with the
monsoon trough falling into place well and truly, featuring embedded cyclonic
circulations. The activity would scale up in the run-up of formation of the
first 'low' over the North Bay. It would continue to anchor the monsoon until
the anticipated successor shows up.
An interesting
scenario to look forward to is whether the first one lets off steam after this,
since no two systems can prosper with the same vigour at a given time except
under rare conditions. But what must follow without doubt is the assured
intensity of rain activity over Central India, the Peninsula and North-West
India over the next four to five days, if not longer.
IMD has,
however, said that East and North-East India are likely to witness subdued
monsoon during the next three days since a bulk of the rains would happen to
either the South or West.
As for today,
it has forecast heavy to very heavy rain over Konkan, Goa, Himachal Pradesh,
Uttarakhand and Coastal Karnataka; East Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, West Uttar
Pradesh, East Rajasthan and Odisha. It would be heavy over Kerala, North
Telangana, Tamil Nadu, South Interior Karnataka, Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab,
East Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Andaman & Nicobar Islands,
Assam, Meghalaya and the North-Eastern States.
Why India Needs to Ditch its Rice Dependency
· By: Steve Williams
· July 12, 2018
· Follow Steve at @stevenbwriting
India
is one of world’s largest producers of
rice. While that has created a substantial economic growth, new research
highlights how it has also created significant hardships that India must now
tackle.
The research, conducted by an international team of
scientists including researchers from Columbia University’s Earth Institute,
delves into two key commitments made by the Indian government:
·
reducing undernourishment in India
·
promoting sustainable water use
As
the research notes, rice production on the scale currently seen across Asia,
and specifically in India, means these promises are still not being met.
“If
we continue to go the route of rice and wheat, with unsustainable resource use
and increasing climate variability, it’s unclear how long we could keep that
practice up,” says Kyle
Davis, lead author of the study. “That’s why we’re thinking of ways to better
align food security and environmental goals.”
The
researchers looked at India’s population and their current health issues.
India, like other nations on the Asian continent, has seen a significant
population boom. That can be good for a nation, so long as all its people are
getting their basic needs met.
Video: Nobel Laureate Richard Roberts recruits young scientists
to counter Greenpeace misinformation about 'failure' of nutritionally enhanced
Golden Rice, GMOs
Richard Roberts | Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings | July 12, 2018
Image Credit: Northeastern University
When Monsanto first tried to introduce GMO seeds into Europe
there was a backlash by the Green parties and their political allies, who
feared that American agro-business was about to take over their food supply.
Thus began a massive campaign not against the true target, Monsanto and the
large agro-businesses, but rather against the surrogate target, GMOs. This has
had disastrous consequences for one of the most promising technologies ever
developed for improving food supplies.
...
I
will use Golden Rice as
a clear example of the costs of these shortsighted policies. Millions of
children have died or suffered developmental impairment because of a lack of
Vitamin A in their diet. Golden Rice could reverse this, but has become a
target of the Green parties because it is a GMO. This is foolish and dangerous.
How m
any more children must die before this is considered a crime
against humanity?
[Editor's
note: In 2016 Sir Richard Roberts spearheaded a campaign of 133 Nobel
Laureates to counter Greenpeace's inaccurate claims about the nutritional
benefits of golden rice, a genetically engineered crop
designed to treat vitamin A deficiency in southeast Asia. Greenpeace maintains
that there is no evidence to suggest that golden rice is a solution to fight
malnutrition. In the video below, Roberts presents his case in favor of golden
rice, and GMOs more broadly, to an audience of undergraduates, PhD students,
and post-doc researchers from all over the world at the 68th Lindau Nobel
Laureate Meetings in Germany.]
Global Basmati Rice Market (2018 – 2023): Amira Nature
Foods, KRBL Limited, Best Foods and LT Foods
July 12, 2018
“Latest industry research report on Global
Basmati Rice Market includes a detailed analysis of the market.” The
report looks in detail at the techniques, destinations, strategies, diverts,
and challenges associated with this new research, and additionally, the report
gives a far-reaching investigation of Basmati Rice market which begins from an
examination of Porter’s five forces, and SWOT analysis. i.e., Strength,
Weakness, Opportunities, and Threat to the Basmati Rice industry.
Also examines the Basmati
Rice market opportunities, market risk, market driving force, and assessment of
market size, industry chain structure, and depicts industry condition, market
status and figure of Basmati Rice through product, location, and application.
Further, this report presents market rivalry situation by vendors and Basmati
Rice company profile, aside from, market price evaluation and value chain
features are covered in this report. This is a detailed global Basmati Rice
market research report including every single detail that you should have
before exploring this market.
Get
PDF Free Sample at: http://globalmarketfacts.us/global-basmati-rice-market/2582/#request-sample
The Basmati Rice report also
is made up of in detail info of the best players along with suppliers and
vendors. The report additionally focuses on the Basmati Rice geographical
division across the world with the evaluation carried out by our skilled
researchers. Furthermore, the report encompasses the main Basmati Rice product
type and segments Pakistani Basmati Rice and Indian Basmati Rice as well as the
sub-segments Deep Processing and Direct Edible of the global Basmati Rice
market.
Market
Segment by Manufacturers, this report covers:
Sungold, Amira Nature Foods,
Hanuman Rice Mills, Kohinoor Rice, Dunar Foods, Aeroplane Rice, Best Foods, LT
Foods, KRBL Limited, Tilda Basmati Rice, Adani Wilmar, Galaxy Rice Mill and
Amar Singh Chawal Wala
Global
Basmati Rice Market Segment by Type:
Pakistani
Basmati Rice and Indian Basmati Rice
Global
Basmati Rice Market Segment by Application:
Deep
Processing and Direct Edible
Mainly
the Basmati Rice regions which are evolving with a higher speed include:
Spain,
Italy, The United States, China, UAE, Japan, Mexico, Germany, UK, South Africa,
Australia, Benelux, Canada, Egypt, India, Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Russia,
Brazil, France, Turkey, South-East Asia, Chile and Colombia
Enquire
more of this report @ http://globalmarketfacts.us/global-basmati-rice-market/2582/#inquiry
Major
Key Points Covered:
➜ The
global Basmati Rice report delivers peer to peer investigation for upgrading
the economic aspects;
➜ It
offers an advanced observation from the market perspective on various Basmati
Rice driving factors and constraints;
➜ It
provides Basmati Rice forecast evaluated for over five years through which it
determines an expected productivity growth;
➜
Assists in comprehending the significant product segment and their projections;
➜
Global and Regional industry analysis and outlook on Basmati Rice Market;
➜
Driver and restraints of Basmati Rice industry that impacts the growth of the
market;
➜
Growth factors, opportunities, size, Basmati Rice industry share, segments and
market trends;
➜
Major market players with their business strategies, sales and revenue
generated;
➜
Historical and future data during the forecast period;
➜
Projected Basmati Rice growth rate, CAGR and competitive landscape;
➜ It
delivers an in-depth analysis of the Basmati Rice competitive market;
➜ It
helps decision maker to take an accurate decision by understanding the entire
market scenario along with their participation in various segments;
Finally, the Basmati Rice
market report gives detail insight of sales channel, distributors, traders and
dealers, direct marketing, indirect marketing, marketing channel, Basmati Rice
future trend, distributors, traders and dealers, research findings and
conclusion, appendix, methodology, analyst introduction, and data source.
In a word, the global
Basmati Rice market report provides significant statistics of the industry and
is a transcendent source of guidance and injunction for companies and
individuals interested in the Basmati Rice market.
FAO estimates North Korean rice output in 2018 at last year's
level
2018/07/13
10:22
Article
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SEOUL, July 13 (Yonhap) --
North Korea's rice production in the fall of 2018 is estimated to be similar to
last year's volume of about 1.6 million tons, an American broadcaster said
Friday, citing a report from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the
United Nations.
Voice of America said the FAO
also estimated the North's corn output to remain almost unchanged from last
year at about 2.4 million tons.
According to the FAO, North
Koreans are expected to consume 58.4 kilograms of rice and 81 kg of corn per
person this year, which means the per-capita daily consumption of rice and corn
amounts to just 380 grams, compared with the U.N. recommendation of 600 grams.
In June, the U.S. Department of
Agriculture issued a similar report, estimating the North's rice output this
fall at 1.6 million tons, up slightly from 1.55 million tons a year earlier.
The U.S. department, which uses
satellites and other research methods to monitor the North's crop cultivation,
forecast that Pyongyang's rice imports would reach 80,000 tons this year.
(END)
Scientists assess how continuous use of
fertilisers affects soil bacteria
Thursday 12 July 2018
Application
of Nitrogen Phosporus Potassium with farmyard manure increases the minerals'
availability in the soil as compared to other treatments
Soil supports life on earth, and is a
dynamic living system. The microorganisms living in it are part of nutrient
recycling especially carbon, nitrogen, sulphur and phosphorus. Bacteria are a
major class of microorganisms that maintain the health and fertility of the
soil. These microbes decompose soil, improve its structure which subsequently
increases water infiltration and water holding capacity of the soil, and thus
very essential for agriculture.
Rice farming is the largest single use of
land on earth, for producing food. Rice is also the basic food crop and a part
of national economy in India. Farmers often use chemical fertilisers to
increase the production capacity. But frequent use of chemical fertilisers
changes soil bacteria community structure and disturbs the ecosystem.
A team of scientists at ICAR-National Rice
Research Institute, Cuttack, led by Upendra Kumar, in collaboration with V V S
R Gupta, Principal Research Scientist at Commonwealth Scientific Industrial
Research Organization, Australia, have assessed changes that occur in soil
bacteria and resulting effects on rice production due to continuous use of
inorganic and organic fertilisers over a long period.
The experiment was initiated in 1969 with
two rice crops per year as a mono-crop in wet (July-November) and dry
(January–May) seasons, except the dry seasons of 1984-1993. Six types of
treatments were selected for the experiment - absolute control (no
fertilisers), only nitrogen, nitrogen and phosphorus, nitrogen and potassium,
nitrogen phosphorus potassium (NPK), farmyard manure, farmyard manure with
nitrogen, and farmyard manure with NPK. Soil samples were collected from
randomly chosen five places within the depth of 20 cm of each plot.
Researchers then analysed of total organic
carbon, total nitrogen, available nitrogen, available potassium, acid level and
electrical conductivity of the collected soil samples. The team further
conducted DNA extraction, sequencing, and data analysis of the samples.
The team observed highest rice grain yield
and straw biomass with farmyard manure mixed with NPK. However, grain yield and
straw biomass decreased with use of continuous application of nitrogen and
farmyard manure alone. The researchers report that application of NPK with
farmyard manure increased the nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium availability
in the soil as compared to other treatments.
“We find that higher abundance of
nitrogen-fixing bacteria in balanced fertilisers nitrogen, phosphorus and
potassium (NPK) may be one of the reasons for the increase in grain yield and
straw biomass, compared to treatment only with nitrogen,” Upendra Kumar
told India Science Wire.
The bacterial species evenness, which is
the relative abundance of different species, was found maximum in the soil
receiving a combination of organic and inorganic fertilisers - farmyard manure
with NPK. The species richness of bacteria was found more in control plot,
without application of fertilisers, whereas, the least was recorded in plot
treated with nitrogen alone. In the NPK-treated plot, the relative abundance of
beneficial bacteria like Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Cyanobacteria were
found more compared to other treatments.
Higher abundance of nitrogen-fixing
bacteria in balanced fertilisers NPK may be one of the reasons to the increase
in grain yield and straw biomass, compared to N-alone treatment, say the
scientists. Further, the team found the mineralization of carbon and nitrogen,
and the activities of soil enzyme were higher in the soil treated with farmyard
manure and NPK compared to others.
The researchers have concluded that
continuous application of NPK without addition of farmyard manure maintains
both bacterial community structure and yield particularly under eastern Indian
rice cultivation system. These findings can be useful to farmers and future
researchers for the improvement in rice cultivation to mitigate hunger and
poverty.
The research team included Upendra Kumar,
AmareshNayak, Mohammad Shahid, P Panneerselvam, Sangita Mohanty,Megha
Kaviraj,Anjani Kumar, Dibyendu Chatterjee, B Lala, P Gautam, Rahul Tripathi and
B B Panda (National Rice Research Institute); Vadakattu V S R Gupta,
Waite Campus, Adelaide). The study has been published in Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment. (India Science Wire)
Global Hybrid
Rice Seeds Market (2018 – 2023): Syngenta, Dupont Pioneer, Nath and Bayer
CropScience
July 12, 2018
Also examines the Hybrid
Rice Seeds market opportunities, market risk, market driving force, and
assessment of market size, industry chain structure, and depicts industry
condition, market status and figure of Hybrid Rice Seeds through product,
location, and application. Further, this report presents market rivalry
situation by vendors and Hybrid Rice Seeds company profile, aside from, market
price evaluation and value chain features are covered in this report. This is a
detailed global Hybrid Rice Seeds market research report including every single
detail that you should have before exploring this market.
Get
PDF Free Sample at: http://globalmarketfacts.us/global-hybrid-rice-seeds-market/2600/#request-sample
The Hybrid Rice Seeds report
also is made up of in detail info of the best players along with suppliers and
vendors. The report additionally focuses on the Hybrid Rice Seeds geographical
division across the world with the evaluation carried out by our skilled
researchers. Furthermore, the report encompasses the main Hybrid Rice Seeds
product type and segments 2-line Breeding Systems and 3-line Breeding Systems
as well as the sub-segments Application 2 and Application 1 of the global
Hybrid Rice Seeds market.
Market
Segment by Manufacturers, this report covers:
Nirmal Seeds, SL Agritech,
China National Seed Group, RiceTec, Advanta, Hainan Shennong Gene, WIN-ALL
HI-TECH SEED, Hefei Fengle Seed, Syngenta, Dupont Pioneer, Zhongnongfa Seed,
Bayer CropScience, Nath and Longping High-tech
Global
Hybrid Rice Seeds Market Segment by Type:
2-line
Breeding Systems and 3-line Breeding Systems
Global
Hybrid Rice Seeds Market Segment by Application:
Application
2 and Application 1
Mainly
the Hybrid Rice Seeds regions which are evolving with a higher speed include:
Colombia,
India, South-East Asia, Italy, Benelux, China, Argentina, UK, Australia,
Russia, Brazil, France, Canada, Germany, Egypt, UAE, Turkey, Spain, The United
States, Japan, Mexico, Chile, Saudi Arabia and South Africa
Enquire
more of this report @ http://globalmarketfacts.us/global-hybrid-rice-seeds-market/2600/#inquiry
Major
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offers an advanced observation from the market perspective on various Hybrid
Rice Seeds driving factors and constraints;
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it determines an expected productivity growth;
➜
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➜
Global and Regional industry analysis and outlook on Hybrid Rice Seeds Market;
➜ Driver
and restraints of Hybrid Rice Seeds industry that impacts the growth of the
market;
➜
Growth factors, opportunities, size, Hybrid Rice Seeds industry share, segments
and market trends;
➜
Major market players with their business strategies, sales and revenue
generated;
➜
Historical and future data during the forecast period;
➜
Projected Hybrid Rice Seeds growth rate, CAGR and competitive landscape;
➜ It
delivers an in-depth analysis of the Hybrid Rice Seeds competitive market;
➜ It
helps decision maker to take an accurate decision by understanding the entire
market scenario along with their participation in various segments;
Finally, the Hybrid Rice
Seeds market report gives detail insight of sales channel, distributors,
traders and dealers, direct marketing, indirect marketing, marketing channel,
Hybrid Rice Seeds future trend, distributors, traders and dealers, research
findings and conclusion, appendix, methodology, analyst introduction, and data
source.
In a word, the global Hybrid
Rice Seeds market report provides significant statistics of the industry and is
a transcendent source of guidance and injunction for companies and individuals
interested in the Hybrid Rice Seeds market.
NFA administrator Jason
Aquino said they would propose to the interagency NFA Council the importation
of the 500,000 MT during the next Council meeting.
Edd Gumban
NFA mulls additional rice imports
MANILA, Philippines — State-run National
Food Authority (NFA) is considering importing another 500,000 metric tons (MT)
of rice due to the depletion of the agency’s stocks.
NFA administrator Jason Aquino said they
would propose to the interagency NFA Council the importation of the 500,000 MT
during the next Council meeting.
“We are planning [to submit proposal] as
soon as possible. We do not want a repeat of what happened [in the past
months],” said NFA administrator Jason Aquino during the launch of NFA Kontra
Abuso hotline on Thursday.
“Once approved, ideal arrival would
be October to December because during this time prices in the world market are
low. We can get the best deals from foreign suppliers - low price but
still good quality. It’s a win-win for us,” he added.
NFA’s proposal aims to boost its
buffer stock inventory which is currently at 2.5 days only or about 1.6 million
bags when it is supposed to have a 30-day buffer stock during the lean season.
Based on data from the NFA, total
consumption will reach 14.1 million MT this year but production is seen to
reach only 12.26 million MT. This means that the 1.8 million MT shortfall
will have to be imported.
“Unless they increase our buying price, we
would need to resort to importation. We are also proposing for the increase in
preparation for the lifting of the quantitative restriction,” Aquino said.
“Who else would buy the palay of local
farmers if the imported rice would be cheaper? We want to protect the farmers
as early as now,” he added.
The National Economic and Development
Authority (NEDA) has yet to submit its analysis on the agency’s latest proposal
to increase its buying price by P8 per kilogram.
NFA’s Kontra Abuso hotline serves as a
venue for the public to air their complaints and report violations including
rice diversion, rebagging, mixing and adulteration, harassment against grains
businessmen and illegal inspection.
The hotline will be managed by NFA’s Task
Force manned by its security services and investigation department on a 24/7
basis to protect good quality low-priced rice against illegal activities
Pangilinan hits NFA’s ‘graft-causing’ disclosures on rice
imports
Senator
Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan on Friday slammed the National Food Authority’s (NFA)
“premature” and “graft causing” disclosures on rice imports.
On Thursday,
the NFA announced that is was planning to import 500,000 metric tons of rice to
boost its low inventory.
In a
statement, Pangilinan asked, “On graft-causing NFA rice import announcement,
who benefits from a premature disclosure to import huge volumes of rice?”
“Rice
traders who make a killing in the sudden spike in rice prices as well as
corrupt government officials who receive kickbacks because of this artificial
price spike,” he said.
Pangilinan
argued that NFA’s announcement only allows international traders to “get
advance information regarding these plans,” which makes them “increase rice
prices in anticipation of our purchases.”
“This can
be seen as price manipulation,” the opposition senator added.
“The plan
to purchase or import rice should be a closely guarded secret and public
disclosure made only when the bidding process is to be undertaken,” said
Pangilinan.
He also
warned that this could put the country into debt since NFA rice purchases are
paid from borrowings of the government.
“The
announcement has already been made, what can be done? Reject high bids,” the
senator suggested. /vvp
Read more: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1010002/kiko-pangilinan-hits-nfas-graft-causing-disclosures-on-rice-imports#ixzz5L87zeCKP
Follow us: @inquirerdotnet on Twitter | inquirerdotnet on Facebook
Rice
Imports By Benin, Niger Republic Rises
Published
1 min ago on July 13, 2018 By YUSUF BABALOLA … As Nigeria slams restriction
Foreign rice imports by neighbouring Benin Republic, Niger and Cameroon from
Thailand has increased sporadically while import to Nigeria decreases,
LEADERSHIP investigation has shown. Analysts have argued that the sharp
increase was fuelled by the federal government’s policy on imported rice in
Nigeria which restricts rice importers from accessing the official foreign
exchange (forex) market. This policy implies that those who import items under
foreign exchange restriction can no longer buy foreign currency from the
official window to pay the overseas suppliers. Rather, they would have to
source forex from the parallel market or bureau de change (BDCs) to pay for
their imports. But, the policy has cut down rice imports into Nigeria
drastically that Nigeria had not received vessel of traded rice since 2017.
Also, the 10 per cent import duty with 60 per cent levy and Benin Republic
crashing its own tariff from 35 per cent to a paltry seven per cent, while
Cameroon introduced a zero per cent duty policy on the commodity, down from 10
per cent is fueling smuggling of parboiled rice into Nigeria. In the entire
West African region, only Nigerians eat parboiled rice. Benin Republic with a
population of 8.02 million and Togo’s 7.06 million people cannot consume the
massive rice imported to their countries. According to data from the Thai Rice
Exporters Association, rice imports from Thailand to Benin Republic rose from
805,765 MT in 2015, when Nigeria introduced the policy to 1,427,098 metric
tonnes (MT) in 2016. It further rose to 1,814,014MT in 2017, importation from
January to May 2018 has risen to 625,863 MT in first five months of the year.
Cameroon also experienced an upsurge in importation from 449,297 MT in 2015 to
502,254 MT in 2016, and 749,008 MT in 2017. The tiny central African country
bordering Nigeria has recorded 185,707 MT of imported rice from Thailand from
January to May 2018. On the other hand, the importation of foreign parboiled
rice by Togo increased from 54,086 MT in 2016 to 132,978MT in 2017 and
currently stood at 100,996 as at May 2018. Ironically, while the rice vessels
call to Nigerian ports have continue to decrease, neighbouring countries
continue to experience increase in vessels. Statistics showed that importation
of parboiled rice into Nigeria decreased from 1,239,810 MT in 2014 to 644,131
MT in 2015. It further decreased to 58,260 MT in 2016 to 23,192 MT in 2017, and
January to May statistics showed that Nigeria has imported a paltry 2,351MT in
2018. Corroborating the Thai Rice Exporters Association, the Nigeria Customs
Service (NCS) said since 2017, Nigeria has not received traded rice in Apapa
ports. Speaking when members of the Shipping Correspondents Association of
Nigeria (SCAN) paid him a courtesy visit at the command in Lagos recently, the
controller of the command, Comptroller Jubril Musa, disclosed that the CBN has
not issued Form M to any rice importer. The Customs CAC said no single vessel
of traded rice berthed in Apapa ports in the last two years. Consequently, the
command, he said, has not recorded any revenue on imported rice through the
ports within the reviewed period. He said, “Form M issuance is not within the
purview of the Nigeria Customs Service. It is a document that is sourced from
CBN. If we see any consignment that has form M, we treat. All goods imported
that are for commercial activities must have form M whether valid for foreign
exchange or not valid. CBN does that and we only treat when we see but
throughout last year to date, no importation of rice has passed through Apapa.
So we have not collected any duty on rice through the port.”
Read More at: https://leadership.ng/2018/07/13/rice-imports-by-benin-niger-republic-rises/
Read More at: https://leadership.ng/2018/07/13/rice-imports-by-benin-niger-republic-rises/
JULY 13, 2018 / 1:24 PM / UPDATED 2 HOURS AGO
Chinese officials inspecting Indian mills for imports of
non-basmati rice: Government source
Reuters Staff
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Chinese officials have been inspecting
Indian rice mills to import non-basmati rice, a senior Indian government
official told reporters on Friday.
Labourers unload sacks of rice from a handcart at a
wholesale market in Kolkata, India, December 14, 2015. REUTERS/Rupak De
Chowdhuri/File Photo/File Photo
Beijing is also examining India’s proposal to export raw
sugar to China, said the official who declined to be named because he was not
authorized to speak to the media.
China is a leading importer of rice and sugar, while India
is the world’s biggest exporter of rice.
NFA wants to import another 500,000 MT of rice to boost
inventory
Philippine Daily Inquirer / 05:28 AM July 13, 2018
The
National Food Authority (NFA) is planning to import another 500,000 metric tons
of rice to boost its record-low inventory.
In a press
conference, NFA Administrator Jason Aquino—who heads the management body of
NFA—said they would ask the NFA Council in a meeting next Tuesday (July 17) to
allow the importation of 500,000 MT of rice as early as possible.
If
approved, this would bring the agency’s imports for 2018 to 1 million MT. It
got clearance for two tranches of rice importation at 250,000 MT each tranche
earlier.
The first
tranche is currently being distributed to markets across the country while the
second tranche is expected to arrive in August.
As more
subsidized rice is distributed in the market, NFA spokesperson Rex Estoperez
said they expected prices to finally stabilize. Rice prices have been rising
for 25 weeks now, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority’s latest
monitoring report.
The NFA
Council, which is composed mainly of the country’s economic managers, will
decide on the NFA’s request. It will also determine the volume, mode of
procurement and schedule of arrival of the shipments.
Agriculture
Secretary Emmanuel Piñol made it clear that no rice imports would be allowed
for distribution during the harvest season, which happens in March to May and
October to November.
The NFA
management is targeting to have the imports arrive in the country by October,
but maintained that the agency would withhold distribution to give way to local
harvest.
Aquino
said the call for more rice imports was in line with the agency’s basic mandate
to ensure “food security stocks.”
As of
Wednesday, NFA has only two and a half days’ worth of milled rice in its
inventory—way below President Duterte’s latest directive to maintain a buffer
of at least 60 days’ worth of consumption at any given time.
Under the
law, NFA must at least maintain a 15-day buffer at any given time and a 30-day
buffer during the lean months, from July to September.
But
Estoperez clarified that while the government’s current inventory was low, the
nationwide rice stock was enough to feed the country for 73 days.
To recall,
the grains agency reported the depletion of its rice reserves in April—a first
since its establishment in 1972—as it awaited the clearance for importation
following its inability to procure palay locally.
Notwithstanding
Piñol’s forecast that the country would register a record-high rice output this
year, Aquino said the NFA’s low buying price for palay at P17 per kilogram (kg)
hinders the agency from buying from local farmers.
“Unless
there’s a hike in our buying price for palay, we will resort to importation,”
he said.
Since last
year, the NFA management has been proposing a hike of P5 in its palay buying
price to the NFA Council but this has been rejected for fear that it might lead
to a “relatively huge price inflation.”
For this
year, Aquino is proposing an even higher buying price of P25 a kilo, an P8
increase from its current buying price. The average buying price for palay in
the market is currently at P21 a kilo—the highest in nearly two years.
With the
administration’s impending shift to rice tariffication which would lift the
limit on import rice quotas, Aquino said that the hike was needed, more than
ever, to act as safeguard for local farmers.
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PH rice
stocks down in June
DESPITE
recent rice imports aimed at boosting domestic stocks, the country’s total rice
inventory stood at 2.36 million metric tons (MMT) in June, lower than the
volume recorded a year ago and in May, the Philippine Statistics Authority
(PSA) said.
In its
latest “Rice and Corn Stocks Inventory” report, the state-run statistics agency
said the figure was an 8.24-percent decrease from 2.57 MMT in June 2017 and an
18.85-percent decline from 2.9 MMT two months ago.
A little
more than half of this month’s stock—53.52 percent—came from commercial
warehouses; 43.39 percent, from households; and 0.09 percent, from National
Food Authority (NFA) depositories. The latter made up 62.48 percent of the
imported rice.
Stocks in
NFA depositories fell by 40.29 percent in June from the May figure; households,
21.2 percent; and commercial warehouses, 16.65 percent.
Compared
to June 2017 levels, household stocks rose by 1.47 percent, but those in NFA
depositories and commercial warehouses and NFA inventories fell by 98.99
percent and 1.92 percent, respectively.
The
report came as the government is relying on rice imports to replenish the
state-run food agency’s stocks.
According
to NFA Administrator Jason Aquino, 197,400 MT of the expected 250,000 MT of
rice from Thailand and Vietnam—secured through a government-to-government (G2G)
scheme—have arrived as of Tuesday.
The
country’s palay (unhusked rice) production may reach 8.67 MMT in the first half
of 2018, a 1.2-percent increase from 8.57 MMT in the same period last year.
Rice
output reached a record 19.26 MMT in 2017.
Data on
household stocks were taken from the Palay and Corn Stocks Survey, which covers
farming and non-farming households nationwide; commercial stocks, from
registered grains businessmen through the Commercial Stocks Survey; and NFA
stocks, from monitor reports from its warehouses and depositories.
B34.5bn in rice aid measures approved
- 12 Jul
2018 at 07:04 5
comments
- NEWSPAPER
SECTION: BUSINESS
| WRITER: CHATRUDEE
THEPARAT
- +
The National Rice Policy and Management Committee
Wednesday approved rice aid measures worth 34.5 billion baht for the 2018/2019
crop year starting in November.
Nuntawan Sakuntanaga, the commerce permanent secretary, said the rice
measures, mostly identical to those offered for production in the 2017/2018
crop year, cover three projects: a loan scheme for farmers who agree to delay
their paddy sales and a grant for harvesting and price-quality improvement
costs; a loan scheme for agricultural cooperatives to gather rice and add value
to the grain; and the 3% interest rate subsidy programme for rice traders who
agree to keep their stocks.These programmes will run from late October to March, except in the southern provinces because of their late supply. The programmes for the South will run until June and July of 2019.
The loan scheme for farmers who agree to delay their paddy
sales and the grant for harvesting and price-quality improvement costs will
cost an estimated 22 billion baht, and the loan scheme for farming institutes
to gather rice and add values to rice will cost 12.5 billion.
The subsidy programme for rice traders who agree to keep their stocks
is yet to be estimated.Those projects are expected to delay selling 9.5 million tonnes of rice -- higher than 6.4 million tonnes last year.
The measure aims to curb and delay a flood of rice supply onto the market, particularly during the main harvest season, said Mrs Nuntawan.
Under the loan scheme for farmers who agree to delay their paddy sales and the grant for harvesting and price-quality improvement costs, the government will give a grant of 1,500 baht per rai for harvesting and price-quality improvement costs, capped at 18,000 per family and not more than 12 rai.
That is up from 1,200 baht per rai, capped at 15,000 baht per family on not more than 10 rai per family in the previous season. Eligible farmers are small-scale ones who have registered with the Agriculture Extension Department.
Farmers are also entitled to earn 11,800 baht per tonne for hom mali rice, 10,200 a tonne for glutinous rice, 7,500 a tonne of white rice and 8900 per tonne for Pathum Thani fragrant rice, if they agree to hold their paddy at their rice barns under the so-called barn pledging scheme.
The committee also approved 250 million baht worth of lending for farmers from the state-owned Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives to build their own barns, with 150,000 each for individuals and 3 million for each agricultural cooperative, and an annual interest rate of 1%.
RELATED
Two rice millers sent to jail
Jul 11 2018 8:28PM
Bettiah, Jul 11 (UNI) Two rice millers were
arrested and sent to jail in connection
with their involvement in defalcation of crores of rupees.
Official sources said here that on the directive of District Magistrate, Chairman of
Primary Agriculture Cooperative Credit Society (PACS) of Gonauli and rice miller
Krishna Mohan Rai besides another rice miller Ashok Rai were arrested on charges
of their involvement in defalcation of crores of rupees.
Both were charged with gulping down crores of rupees, which they had to pay to
the government after their failure to return rice against paddy received by them for
processing, sources added.
Sources said that FIR in this connection was registered against Krishna Mohan
Rai and Ashok Rai on the basis of complaint lodged by District Cooperative
Officer who alleged that accused had not returned rice against paddy received by
them for processing.
Despite several reminders, they did not deposit the money to government exchequer,
leading to registration of FIR against them, sources added.
UNI KKS BM
with their involvement in defalcation of crores of rupees.
Official sources said here that on the directive of District Magistrate, Chairman of
Primary Agriculture Cooperative Credit Society (PACS) of Gonauli and rice miller
Krishna Mohan Rai besides another rice miller Ashok Rai were arrested on charges
of their involvement in defalcation of crores of rupees.
Both were charged with gulping down crores of rupees, which they had to pay to
the government after their failure to return rice against paddy received by them for
processing, sources added.
Sources said that FIR in this connection was registered against Krishna Mohan
Rai and Ashok Rai on the basis of complaint lodged by District Cooperative
Officer who alleged that accused had not returned rice against paddy received by
them for processing.
Despite several reminders, they did not deposit the money to government exchequer,
leading to registration of FIR against them, sources added.
UNI KKS BM
s/States/news/1285786.html
Rice
plants evolve to adapt to flooding
TOHOKU UNIVERSITY
IMAGE
IMAGE: TEMPORAL MORPHOLOGICAL
CHANGES OF RICE IN DEEPWATER CONDITIONS. view more
CREDIT: TAKESHI KUROHA, KEISUKE
NAGAI, AND MOTOYUKI ASHIKARI
Although water is essential for
plant growth, excessive amounts can waterlog and kill a plant. In South and
Southeast Asia, where periodic flooding occurs during the rainy season, the
water depth can reach several meters for many months.
Rice varieties known as
"deepwater rice" have developed a unique strategy to ensure their own
survival. Deepwater rice grows normally in shallow water but in heavy floods
increases its height in keeping with rising water levels, to enable the plants
to ride out lengthy floods.
A research team comprising Takeshi
Kuroha at Tohoku University, Motoyuki Ashikari at Nagoya University, Susan R.
McCouch at Cornell University and colleagues in Japan and the U.S.A., have
discovered a gene in rice that is critical to its survival in flood conditions.
They have also shed light on its molecular function and evolutionary history.
The research group identified the
SD1 (SEMIDWARF1), as a key gene responsible for the deepwater rice's response.
The SD1 encodes a biosynthesis enzyme of gibberellin - a plant hormone. The
gene orchestrates the deepwater rice response via a unique gain-of-function
allele. When submerged, rice accumulate ethylene, a gaseous plant hormone.
Deepwater rice amplify a signaling relay in which the SD1 gene is transcriptionally
activated by an ethylene-responsive transcription factor, OsEIL1a.
The resulting SD1 protein directs
increased synthesis of gibberellins, largely one of gibberellin species, GA4,
which promote vertical growth in the plant. Further analysis revealed that this
conditionally functional variation evolved first in a wild ancestor and was
then a target of selection during the domestication of cultivated rice adapted
to deepwater environments in Bangladesh.
The SD1 gene is well-known as the
Green Revolution gene in rice, where a loss-of-function allele of SD1 confers
short plant height, providing lodging resistance and increases the harvest
index, generating greater grain yields under high input agricultural systems
(Figure 3- left).
A transcriptional gain-of-function
allele of the same gene enables deepwater rice to adapt to flooding via the
opposite phenotypic response - an increase in plant height. The ability of SD1
to function in such diverse roles in cultivated rice highlights the inherent
plasticity of plant response to its environment.
"Extreme weather events
caused by climate change could affect food production worldwide," said
Kuroha. "Farmers will need to diversify their methods and the cryptic
genetic variation found in wild rice genes may offer adaptive solutions for
growing resilient crops."
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RESEARCH REPORT DURING 2018-2023
July 12, 2018 shekhar gajul Uncategorized Comments
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Why India Needs to Ditch its Rice Dependency
· By: Steve Williams
· July 12, 2018
· Follow Steve at @stevenbwriting
India is one of world’s largest
producers of rice. While that has created a substantial
economic growth, new research highlights how it has also created significant
hardships that India must now tackle.
The research,
conducted by an international team of scientists including researchers from
Columbia University’s Earth Institute, delves into two key commitments made by
the Indian government:
·
reducing
undernourishment in India
·
promoting sustainable
water use
As the research notes, rice
production on the scale currently seen across Asia, and specifically in India,
means these promises are still not being met.
“If we continue to go the route
of rice and wheat, with unsustainable resource use and increasing climate
variability, it’s unclear how long we could keep that practice up,” says Kyle
Davis, lead author of the study. “That’s why we’re thinking of ways to better
align food security and environmental goals.”
The researchers looked at
India’s population and their current health issues. India, like other nations
on the Asian continent, has seen a significant population boom. That can be
good for a nation, so long as all its people are getting their basic needs met.
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Unfortunately, India’s reliance
on water-intensive cereal
crops–like rice and wheat–means that many Indians are undernourished.
To put a figure on it, UNICEF estimates that 20
percent of India’s children under age five suffer from wasting due to
acute undernutrition. One key problem is anemia, while another is a
severe shortage of water, something that is being made even
worse as the population grows and the climate changes.
The researchers in
this latest study say that India’s reliance on rice and wheat may actually
be deepening that problem. To understand why, the researchers looked at the six
major grains grown in India and compared their yields, water use and
nutritional value.
The researchers found that,
despite rice being a staple product for India, it is actually the least
water-efficient, if we look at it in terms of its nutritional content. Growing
rice requires irrigation to flood the fields. Wheat, while requiring far less
water than rice, also throws up issues relating to irrigation and management.
WHICH CEREAL GRAIN OFFERED A BETTER OUTLOOK?
Which grain was
ideal depended on which region the researchers looked at and whether the
crops could be grown where there was dependable rainfall. However, in broad
terms, the researchers believe that if India replaced rice with maize, finger millet or
a few other similar grains, they could reduce water demand by a third.
What’s more, they could boost
iron and zinc content in food by 27 percent and 13 percent respectively, which
would be a significant plus for a region currently battling undernourishment.
There were trade-offs with
this. Rice is a calorie-dense food, so cutting back on rice could reduce
calorie yield per unit of land. In the West, calories are often seen as the
enemy, but they are the basic blocks of our energy and for nations where food
security is lacking, this would need to be looked at carefully.
The scientists note that it
might mean more land will need to be used for crop growth, but so long as that
land is not being flooded, that doesn’t have to be such an issue, providing it
is managed carefully and efficiently. Also, scientists could provide ways to
make other grains develop higher yields, which would largely eliminate this
problem.
There are some factors that
this analysis has not taken into account and, before they make any firm policy
recommendations, the researchers are keen to explore this topic to ensure that
they are on the right track. Such factors include:
·
individual grains’
impact on the climate
·
how much CO2 is produced
We know that rice paddies
produce a comparatively high
level of methane, which is known as a super
insulating gas, so there could be further gains made by swapping
rice for other cereals where possible. The research will have to explore which
would be the right fit to suit all of India’s needs.
Some Indian states have started
to diversify their crops precisely because of water shortages and other
factors, so this news is unlikely to be a surprise. What the researchers
believe will be key is strong leadership from the Indian government to back
grains like millet and other more efficient crops.
Photo
credit: Thinkstock.
Jul 13 2018
Developing
future rice industry leaders
Six
people from the local area are now more equipped to support and guide the next
generation of rice growers and the future of the industry after completing a
Rice Leadership Program.
Kellie
Crossley, Adam Dellwo, Suzie Falls, Steve and Linda Fawns and Tessa McPhee —
all from the Deniliquin and district rice industry — completed the Ricegrowers’
Association of Australia course, which finished with three days in Leeton last
week. This followed a five day session in Deniliquin earlier in the year.
Ms
Falls, who is project manager at Rice Research Australia, said participating in
the program allowed her to explore a passion to grow the local rice industry.
1m 59s
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unless they meet a target of removing terrorist content from the internet
within two hours of it appearing.
Mrs
Crossley, who farms with her husband Andrew at Deniliquin, said the other
benefit of the leadership course was to enhance networking opportunities within
the local rice industry and other growing areas.
‘‘We
are ricegrowers and we like to contribute back to the industry,’’ Mrs Crossley
said.
‘‘We
also want the chance to be able to network with others who are already doing
that.
‘‘The
course also helped me to increase my self awareness and to realise we have a
lot of talent within the industry.
‘‘It’s
essential that we help nurture these younger growers so they too can be future
industry leaders.’’
RGA
leadership coordinator Ainsley Massina said 19 people participated in the
Foundations of Leadership course, which is run in partnership with the
Australian Rural Leadership Foundation.
She
said the program is open to ricegrowers and those associated with the industry.
‘‘The
course has a focus on core leadership values and development of self and is one
of three offered under the Rice Leadership Program,’’ Mrs Massina said.
‘‘We
also have Introduction to the Rice Industry and Established Leaders courses.
‘‘Ricegrowers’
Association is looking to develop our next generation of leaders, and these courses
give them confidence to take the next steps in their industry and their
communities.
‘‘We
hope that each of the participants take what they have learned back to their
communities and the industry.’’
Updated DD50 program improves
accessibility, accuracy for rice management
By Fred Miller
U of A System Division
of Agriculture
Improvements and
updates to the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s DD50
rice management program provide more accurate reports and easier access,
especially on mobile devices.
The Arkansas Rice
Research and Promotion Board provided funding for the upgrade, said Jarrod
Hardke, extension rice agronomist. Aristotle, Inc., a Little Rock-based web
design company, was contracted to redesign the DD50 website.
Amy Cole, digital
media program director for the Cooperative Extension Service’s office of
information technology, said the program has been completely overhauled for
2018. All new computer coding has replaced the outdated program, making it faster
and more user friendly.
Cole said the program
features a new interface, is more usable on multiple web browsers, and is
optimized for use on smart phones and tablets. “Functionality is improved and
the interface makes more sense,” she said.
Cole said 249 Arkansas
rice producers are enrolled in the program now, representing 2,711 fields
totaling more than 215,000 acres.
DD50 provides
information and help with timing on more than 25 management decisions based on
constantly updated weather conditions, Hardke said. Among them, the program
helps farmers time applications for nitrogen fertilizer and insect and disease
pest control, and herbicide cutoff dates.
“DD50 can help rice
producers stay very much on track with data-driven management decisisions,”
Hardke said.
The program uses
30-year average high and low temperatures for each day in localized areas of
Arkansas’ rice-growing land, Hardke said. The temperature data is constantly
updated by daily readings from NOAA weather stations located throughout the state.
That temperature data is used by the program to calculate heat units, called
DD50 units.
The new DD50 program
has access to many more of those stations than it did before the upgrade,
Hardke said, making it considerably more accurate for more farms in more
places.
Decades of Division of
Agriculture rice research has demonstrated how those heat units affect plant
development. “The program uses the accumulation of DD50 units to track growth
and progression of the plants,” Hardke said. “That information helps growers
time key actions that help ensure optimum rice yields and quality.”
Hardke said two
options are available for farmers or crop consultants who want to participate
in the DD50 rice management program The first option is for producers or
consultants to log onto the Cooperative Extension Service website and enter
their fields directly at http://DD50.uaex.edu/.
The second option is
for producers to submit the cultivar, acreage and emergence date information for
each rice field to their local county Extension Office. Extension agents will
enter the information into the program and send the report to the producer.
Hardke said the
preferred option is for producers and consultants set up an account and enter
their own fields so they can check the program for updates as the season
progresses.
An online DD50 User’s
Guide is available to individuals who access the program through the internet.
“We encourage growers
to check the program frequently, especially in a hot year like this one,”
Hardke said. “The faster accumulation of DD50 (heat) units means the plants are
progressing more quickly and timing of management actions becomes more
critical.”
Hardke and Cole plan
to keep looking for ways to make the DD50 program more useful. Hardke said a
possible upgrade for next year could include an option to receive text or email
alerts. Those alerts could be to give a heads up when five or six of the most
critical management actions are coming up or when a significant development in
DD50 units causes a change of two days or more in one of those actions.
“The point would be to
make sure growers don’t miss specific timings that are critical for a
successful crop,” Hardke said
Rice plants evolve to
adapt to flooding
CREDIT:
TAKESHI KUROHA, KEISUKE NAGAI, AND MOTOYUKI ASHIKARI
Rice
varieties known as "deepwater rice" have developed a unique strategy
to ensure their own survival. Deepwater rice grows normally in shallow water but
in heavy floods increases its height in keeping with rising water levels, to
enable the plants to ride out lengthy floods.
A
research team comprising Takeshi Kuroha at Tohoku University, Motoyuki Ashikari
at Nagoya University, Susan R. McCouch at Cornell University and colleagues in
Japan and the U.S.A., have discovered a gene in rice that is critical to its
survival in flood conditions. They have also shed light on its molecular
function and evolutionary history.
The
research group identified the SD1 (SEMIDWARF1), as a key gene responsible for
the deepwater rice's response. The SD1 encodes a biosynthesis enzyme of
gibberellin - a plant hormone. The gene orchestrates the deepwater rice
response via a unique gain-of-function allele. When submerged, rice accumulate
ethylene, a gaseous plant hormone. Deepwater rice amplify a signaling relay in
which the SD1 gene is transcriptionally activated by an ethylene-responsive
transcription factor, OsEIL1a.
The
resulting SD1 protein directs increased synthesis of gibberellins, largely one
of gibberellin species, GA4, which promote vertical growth in the plant.
Further analysis revealed that this conditionally functional variation evolved
first in a wild ancestor and was then a target of selection during the domestication
of cultivated rice adapted to deepwater environments in Bangladesh.
The
SD1 gene is well-known as the Green Revolution gene in rice, where a
loss-of-function allele of SD1 confers short plant height, providing lodging
resistance and increases the harvest index, generating greater grain yields
under high input agricultural systems (Figure 3- left).
A
transcriptional gain-of-function allele of the same gene enables deepwater rice
to adapt to flooding via the opposite phenotypic response - an increase in plant
height. The ability of SD1 to function in such diverse roles in cultivated rice
highlights the inherent plasticity of plant response to its environment.
"Extreme
weather events caused by climate change could affect food production
worldwide," said Kuroha. "Farmers will need to diversify their
methods and the cryptic genetic variation found in wild rice genes may offer
adaptive solutions for growing resilient crops."
Straight from D.C.: Agricultural Perspectives
RSS By: Stephanie Mercier,
Farm Journal Foundation
This blog will present the author’s perspective on a wide range
of timely agricultural policy topics, touching on both domestic and
international issues.
China's Agricultural Research System
Jul 12, 2018
According to data on public spending on agricultural research
and development collected by Dr. Phil Pardey and his INSTePP colleagues at
the University of Minnesota, spending in this category by the government of
China exceeded funding distributed by the U.S. federal and state governments in
2009. The country’s agricultural production gains over the decades
reflects the investment made in agricultural research. According to FAO
data, total corn and rice production, the main staple crops in China, increased
from 74.25 million tons in 1961 to 442.93 million tons in 2016, a nearly 500
percent increase over 55 years, achieved on only a 60 percent increase in total
hectares harvested of the two crops.
China’s Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) was established
in 1957, eight years after the Chinese Communists ousted the Kuomintang
government and took over the country. In 1979, the Academy established a
stand-alone Graduate School, which became one of the country’s earliest
graduate degree conferring institutions. The GCAAS has a long-term
partnership relationship with Ohio State University and the University of Pisa
in Italy.
The structure of the agricultural research system in China is
very different from that of the United States. As of 2008, about 84
percent of all public funding went to scientists working at one of the more
than 1,100 research institutes operated directly by the Chinese government, 592
entities at the prefectural level, 454 entities by the 34 provincial
governments, and 59 institutions by the national government, administered by
the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture (43 under the direction of the CAAS).
Only 16 percent of funding went to research conducted by academics with
positions within China’s higher education system. By contrast, 73 percent
of U.S. public funding for agricultural research went to land-grant
universities and affiliated institutions as of 2013, and only 27 percent to
laboratories operated directly by USDA research agencies such as the
Agricultural Research Service (ARS).
China’s research system, both for agricultural sciences and other
scientific endeavors, made little progress during the political and economic
upheaval between the late 1950’s and mid-1970’s, marked by the Great Leap
Forward between 1958-60 and the Cultural Revolution, which started in 1966 and
some related activities continued until the death of Mao Tse-tung in 1976.
Massive infrastructure projects such as building reservoirs and irrigation
channels were undertaken during the Great Leap Forward, diverting labor from
farming, which led to grain production shortfalls in the short-term but
contributed to improved grain yields over the long term.
During the Cultural Revolution, the Red Guard decimated the
ranks of government bureaucrats at the urging of Communist Party newspapers and
officials, killing some and forcing others into suicide, imprisoning thousands
and exiling millions to the countryside for ‘re-education’. Not
surprisingly, most agricultural research conducted at these institutions ground
to a halt during this period. Work resumed at these institutions in 1976,
while changes in Chinese agricultural policy gave individual farmers more
incentive to seek out higher yielding crop varieties and adopt new
complementary agricultural practices, such as expanded use of fertilizer and
irrigation, which were advanced under the Green Revolution.
However, the level of public spending on agricultural research
in China stagnated in the 1980’s and 1990’s until it took off early in this
century. Total public investment in agricultural R&D doubled from
2001 to 2008, reaching 14.0 billion yuan or $4 billion (in constant PPP
dollars, 100=2005).
China’s private sector has also increased its investment in
agricultural research in the last few decades. From 1995 to 2006, private
investment rose from an estimated 3 percent of total agricultural research
expenditure to 16 percent, primarily from domestic enterprises and not
multinationals, although many of the businesses involved are at least partially
state-owned.
In 2013, the CAAS initiated the Agricultural Science and Technology
Innovation Program, or ASTIP. The four central objectives of this 13-year
program are to promote interdisciplinary research and expand research
infrastructure, while building the talent pool and fostering greater
international research cooperation and collaboration.
During the high level Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC)
in 2016, Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged US $60 billion in ‘funding
support’ to African countries. In his announcement, agricultural modernization
was identified as one of ten ‘priority areas’. This support will come through a
variety of channels including implementing direct development projects at the
village level, conducting collaborative research and exchanges, and supporting
Chinese agribusiness investments. There are currently 21 groups of
Chinese researchers, many of them agronomists, working in 23 countries in
Africa in agricultural technology demonstration centers.
In recent years, Chinese agribusinesses have acquired major U.S.
or European companies in part to gain access to improved production practices
and research expertise embedded in those companies. In 2013, the WH Group
acquired Smithfield Foods, a major U.S. pork integrator. In 2016,
state-owned ChemChina announced its intention to purchase Syngenta, a
Swiss-based agricultural chemical and biotech seed company, a deal which was
completed in the spring of 2017. As I described in a blog in November
2016, China has not yet licensed GM crops other than BT cotton for production,
although Chinese companies are in the process of developing GM corn and soybean
seed varieties for release. The acquisition of Syngenta should help to
speed that process.
Rice
exports post healthy growth in Fiscal Year 2018
·
KARACHI
Rice exports from
Pakistan posted a healthy growth of 28 percent to reach two billion dollar mark
in the last fiscal year (FY18). According to Rice Exporters Association of
Pakistan (REAP), Pakistan has exported total 4.023 million metric tons of rice
amounting to $ 2 billion during FY18 compared to some 3.44 million metric tons
rice amounting to $ 1.6 billion exported in FY17, showing a significant growth
of 27.7 percent in terms values and 17 percent in terms of quantity.
Rafique Suleman Senior Vice Chairman has said that this growth was also become possible due to the recent two tenders of Indonesian authority BULOG for total 200,000 metric tons of Pakistani rice, which fetched a remarkable foreign exchange for our country. Although last year REAP has achieved a milestone but this fiscal year exported may face multiple challenges, he added.
He informed that Kenya has been the largest buyer of Pakistani non basmati rice and Pakistan has exported 439,000 metric tons of rice amounting to $ 171 million during the last fiscal year. "Previously, there was a preferential duty in Kenya for Pakistani rice but Kenya has imposed import duty of 35 percent OR $200 (whichever is higher) of which rice exports to Kenya is declining. He requested Ministry of Commerce, to coordinate Kenyan Government for imposition of preferential duty, so that trade balance between both countries should be stable.
China used to be the 2nd largest buyer of non basmati rice; however exports to china are also on decline. Pakistan has exported 272,000 metric tons of rice during FY18 compared to 589,000 metric tons of rice in FY17. "In the context of CPEC, there are billion dollars investment opportunities and there is need that government of Pakistan must initiate talks with China to include Pakistan in the duty regime like ASEAN countries, so that rice exports to China may again increase", he demanded.
Rafique has also shown serious concerns on the recent reports of shortage of water. He said that other countries like Thailand, Vietnam, China etc. avails 2-3 rice crops in a year and their annual rice production is approximately 100 million tons, whereas our annual rice production is hardly 7 million tons, that is why our rice export is stagnant to some 4 million tons since last many years. He said that after the construction of New Dams, Pakistan can preserve the water like other countries and can also get more than one crop of rice per years which will make revolution in our agricultural industry. "We may generate huge quantity of very low cost electricity which will be useful to cover the shortfall of energy crisis of our country. Every province of the country will be able to get additional millions of acre feet water after the construction of new dams", he added.
He was of the view that it's the need of hour that government of Pakistan should allow rice sowing in more lands, so that we can get more rice to export more rice to get more foreign exchange.
He has shown his concern that there is no Research and Development work has been made in rice trade. "Our Research Departments are really sleeping and Pakistani rice exporters are importing hybrid rice seeds from China on self-made basis to get better yield. We are doing the job, which have to be done by the concerned government departments", he added.
Rafique said that Pakistani rice exporters are putting their extra ordinary efforts for fetching valuable foreign exchange for the growth of economy of our beloved country and making huge investment for installing world's latest rice machinery and most modern technology for value addition in rice. REAP has already requested State Bank of Pakistan for allowing Islamic Financing facility for storage of Agricultural produce.
He informed that REAP is continuously sending trade delegation to various countries for the forceful marketing of Pakistani rice. In this regard, a delegation is planned to visit Brazil, Argentine and Chili. Rafique emphasized that few years back exports of basmati rice were one million tons, whereas in last fiscal year Pakistan has only exported half a million tons basmati rice. One of the largest buyers of Basmati rice was Iran, but due to the non availability of banking channel, Pakistani rice exporters could not export basmati rice to Iran, he mentioned. He also requested the government for appointment of educated and efficient Commercial Secretaries/ Counselors in Pakistani Missions abroad in important rice buying countries. As due to the negligence of some Commercial sections of our missions, Pakistani rice exporters are facing severe hardships in those countries, he added.
On domestic side, these are also multiple challenges. For example, he said, in some cases, exporters have to call back their rice containers return to Pakistan. Unfortunately, Custom department demands overall tax of some 7.5 percent for release of returned commodity container. This is not justified as exporters have already observed huge losses in terms of ports and shipping charges. He appealed the government to waive this huge tax to rice exporters, as despite the 2nd largest export trade this sector has been neglected.
Rafique Suleman Senior Vice Chairman has said that the $2 billion milestone has been achieved by the consistent efforts of Chaudhary Samee Chairman REAP, Hamdullah Khan Tareen Vice Chairman REAP under the leadership and guidance of Abdul Rahim Janoo Former Chairman REAP.
Rafique Suleman Senior Vice Chairman has said that this growth was also become possible due to the recent two tenders of Indonesian authority BULOG for total 200,000 metric tons of Pakistani rice, which fetched a remarkable foreign exchange for our country. Although last year REAP has achieved a milestone but this fiscal year exported may face multiple challenges, he added.
He informed that Kenya has been the largest buyer of Pakistani non basmati rice and Pakistan has exported 439,000 metric tons of rice amounting to $ 171 million during the last fiscal year. "Previously, there was a preferential duty in Kenya for Pakistani rice but Kenya has imposed import duty of 35 percent OR $200 (whichever is higher) of which rice exports to Kenya is declining. He requested Ministry of Commerce, to coordinate Kenyan Government for imposition of preferential duty, so that trade balance between both countries should be stable.
China used to be the 2nd largest buyer of non basmati rice; however exports to china are also on decline. Pakistan has exported 272,000 metric tons of rice during FY18 compared to 589,000 metric tons of rice in FY17. "In the context of CPEC, there are billion dollars investment opportunities and there is need that government of Pakistan must initiate talks with China to include Pakistan in the duty regime like ASEAN countries, so that rice exports to China may again increase", he demanded.
Rafique has also shown serious concerns on the recent reports of shortage of water. He said that other countries like Thailand, Vietnam, China etc. avails 2-3 rice crops in a year and their annual rice production is approximately 100 million tons, whereas our annual rice production is hardly 7 million tons, that is why our rice export is stagnant to some 4 million tons since last many years. He said that after the construction of New Dams, Pakistan can preserve the water like other countries and can also get more than one crop of rice per years which will make revolution in our agricultural industry. "We may generate huge quantity of very low cost electricity which will be useful to cover the shortfall of energy crisis of our country. Every province of the country will be able to get additional millions of acre feet water after the construction of new dams", he added.
He was of the view that it's the need of hour that government of Pakistan should allow rice sowing in more lands, so that we can get more rice to export more rice to get more foreign exchange.
He has shown his concern that there is no Research and Development work has been made in rice trade. "Our Research Departments are really sleeping and Pakistani rice exporters are importing hybrid rice seeds from China on self-made basis to get better yield. We are doing the job, which have to be done by the concerned government departments", he added.
Rafique said that Pakistani rice exporters are putting their extra ordinary efforts for fetching valuable foreign exchange for the growth of economy of our beloved country and making huge investment for installing world's latest rice machinery and most modern technology for value addition in rice. REAP has already requested State Bank of Pakistan for allowing Islamic Financing facility for storage of Agricultural produce.
He informed that REAP is continuously sending trade delegation to various countries for the forceful marketing of Pakistani rice. In this regard, a delegation is planned to visit Brazil, Argentine and Chili. Rafique emphasized that few years back exports of basmati rice were one million tons, whereas in last fiscal year Pakistan has only exported half a million tons basmati rice. One of the largest buyers of Basmati rice was Iran, but due to the non availability of banking channel, Pakistani rice exporters could not export basmati rice to Iran, he mentioned. He also requested the government for appointment of educated and efficient Commercial Secretaries/ Counselors in Pakistani Missions abroad in important rice buying countries. As due to the negligence of some Commercial sections of our missions, Pakistani rice exporters are facing severe hardships in those countries, he added.
On domestic side, these are also multiple challenges. For example, he said, in some cases, exporters have to call back their rice containers return to Pakistan. Unfortunately, Custom department demands overall tax of some 7.5 percent for release of returned commodity container. This is not justified as exporters have already observed huge losses in terms of ports and shipping charges. He appealed the government to waive this huge tax to rice exporters, as despite the 2nd largest export trade this sector has been neglected.
Rafique Suleman Senior Vice Chairman has said that the $2 billion milestone has been achieved by the consistent efforts of Chaudhary Samee Chairman REAP, Hamdullah Khan Tareen Vice Chairman REAP under the leadership and guidance of Abdul Rahim Janoo Former Chairman REAP.
https://fp.brecorder.com/2018/07/20180712390151/
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