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PTI government aims to eliminate hunger by 2030. — Photo/File
ISLAMABAD: The PTI government on
Tuesday pledged to make Pakistan a ‘zero hunger’ country, as self-sufficiency
in food has been achieved and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) have set
a target for a ‘zero hunger world’ by 2030.
At an event to observe World Food
Day at the National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC), Minister for National
Food Security and Research Sahibzada Mohammad Mehboob Sultan said he hoped that
zero hunger would be possible by 2030 with political will, public participation
and the right combination of policies and technical and financial support to
farming communities, to increase productivity, minimise losses and improve
smallholders’ well-being.
An integrated approach and the
transformation of food systems is needed to achieve the vision of a world free
from hunger, malnutrition and rural poverty, he said, and the government faces
enormous challenges to realise this. These five challenges are continued
population growth, degradation of natural resources - water being the most
important, climate change, resource conflicts and increasing urbanisation.
“Food is in our basket and we have
to make it available to all as per the theme of food day, which is ‘Our Actions
are Our Future - A Zero-Hunger World by 2030 is Possible’,” he said.
Mina Dowlatchahi, a representative
of the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), said at the
event that all stakeholders have to continue to play their roles to achieve
zero hunger in Pakistan. She added that it was encouraging to see Pakistan
taking steps in the right direction to reach this goal.
The first National Food Security
Policy and the water policy provide a framework for action, putting emphasis on
agriculture diversification and value addition, resilient climate smart
agriculture and water management, improved livelihoods of smallholder farmers
and tenants, safe drinking water and a national zero hunger programme.
When contacted, a senior food
security and research ministry official told Dawn the ministry is
finalising an action plan in coordination with the provinces to implement the
national food security policy approved by the last government.
National Food Security and Research
Secretary Hashim Popalzai said agriculture researchers should increase their
efforts to cope with the emerging challenges of our time, such as climate
change. Climate change adaptation and mitigation has significant importance for
poverty reduction.
World Food Programme Country
Director Finbarr Curran warned that despite improvements in many areas,
Pakistan still faces significant challenges. Between 2004 and 2016,
undernourishment fell from 23.3pc to 19.9pc, but in the same period the number
of undernourished people rose from 35.7 to 37.6 million.
One of the major challenges faced
by Pakistan is not the lack of food, but rather the lack of nutritious food.
Pakistan is a large producer of rice and wheat, but this alone cannot guarantee
a nutritious diet for citizens, he said.
University marks World Food Day
At a seminar held in connection
with World Food Day, speakers emphasised the production, equal distribution and
management of food by curtailing food waste.
They said Pakistan is
self-sufficient in food production, but efforts are required for equal
distribution and fair management.
The seminar was held at the Pir
Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi.
The university’s vice chancellor,
Prof Dr Sarwat N. Mirza, was invited as the chief guest. Other participants
included Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America Country Director Prof Dr
Javaid Aziz Awan, former Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research
member Dr Sakhawat Ali,National Institute of Food Science and Technology,
University of Agriculture, Faisalabad,Director General Prof Dr Tahir Zahoor,
District Food Controller Ejaz Sial, Rawalpindi Additional Deputy Commissioner
Saima Younas and deans, directors and students from the university.
Speakers said the per capita
availability of water has declined significantly since 1951, and would reach
860 cubic meters by 2025 if sound actions are not taken.This would take
Pakistan from a water stressed country to a water scarce one.
They also discussed various
interventions regarding the zero hunger theme for this year’s World Food Day
that would help save the lives of 3.1m children annually, increase the GDP of
developing countries by 16.4pc and build a safe and more prosperous world.
Dr Mirza said Pakistan is an
agricultural country producing enough food for the nation, but faces situations
such as hunger, water shortage and malnutrition.
`It takes just a matchstick’:
Punjab farmers take the cheaper way out to deal with paddy stubble
Mid-afternoon,
Upender is busy tossing paddy residue into the fire he started over an acre of
land. Huge, thick clouds of smoke rise into the air and engulf the neighbouring
fields before the wind blows them away.
The Punjab government
says around 25,000 machines of different kinds are being distributed to farmers
and cooperative societies this year for the management of paddy straw in the
fields itself. (IE)
Mid-afternoon, Upender is busy
tossing paddy residue into the fire he started over an acre of land. Huge,
thick clouds of smoke rise into the air and engulf the neighbouring fields
before the wind blows them away. After about 15 minutes, the fire is out,
leaving only the ash and a question – Have the efforts of the Punjab government
to check stubble burning failed? The administration is making serious
interventions to curb stubble burning, but the farmers in the state continue to
defy the ban on the practice amid a lack of financial incentives.
The state government is providing
50 to 80 per cent subsidy to farmers and cooperative societies to buy modern
farm equipment for in-situ management of paddy straw and running a massive
awareness campaign against stubble burning. It made stubble burning a
punishable offence in 2013 and continues to issue challans to erring farmers
under the 2015 order of the National Green Tribunal (NGT), says Karunesh Garg,
member secretary, Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB).
The Punjab government says around
25,000 machines of different kinds are being distributed to farmers and cooperative
societies this year for the management of paddy straw in the fields itself. The
Centre has sanctioned Rs 669 crore to the Punjab government — for 2018-19 and
2019-20 — for providing subsidy on agri-implements like straw management system
(S-SMS), happy seeder and straw chopper, according to the PPCB.
However, farmers claim it is
unimaginable for everyone to buy the expensive modern farm machinery to manage
stubble. They say they cannot afford to rent it as the rising diesel prices
have increased the input cost manifold. Sarabjeet Singh of Rola village in
Ludhiana district has hired a daily wager to set fire to paddy straw in his
fields for Rs 300 a day. He says farmers generally do this in the evening to
dodge NASA satellites and Punjab government officials tasked with reporting
incidents of stubble burning.
“This irresponsible government
has imposed sophisticated machinery on small farmers who cannot afford such
costly equipment,” Sarabjeet Singh claims. Asked if stubble burning in Punjab
affects Delhi’s air quality, he says, “Delhi’s air is already polluted. The
city government should close down the factories that lead to air pollution.”
Nearly 23 million tonne of straw
is produced in 30 lakh hectares under paddy cultivation in Punjab, says Manjeet
Singh, the head of the department of farm machinery and power engineering at
the Punjab Agriculture University. Most farmers in Punjab use combine
harvesters for paddy harvesting.
The state government has made it
mandatory for farmers to install the S-SMS on their combine harvesters to deal
with the stubble. “After the harvester reaps paddy, thick bunches of plants
with their roots deep in the soil and loose stubble remain. The S-SMS, which
costs Rs 1-1.15 lakh, chops and evenly spreads the loose stubble in the field.
Thereafter, the turbo happy seeder (THS), costing Rs 1.25 lakh, can be used to
directly sow wheat in the soil, from above the straw,” explains Subhash Sharma,
an agricultural scientist. Other option are the rotary drill and the mulcher
that incorporate the stubble into the soil.
“Small farmers, who own two to
three acres of land, have to spend Rs 4,000-5,000 per acre if they use the
machinery to prepare the field for wheat sowing, while it takes just a
matchstick to burn the stubble. We will continue to burn our paddy straw. We
are not bothered if the government registers cases against us,” Sarabjeet Singh
says.
“There are around 50 brick kilns
within a radius of four kilometres. Why are we being blamed for pollution?” he
asks. Karnal Singh (64), a resident of Jaspal Bangar village, says around 50-60
litres of diesel is needed to operate the combine harvester, the rotavator, and
the mulcher in an acre. At Rs 75 per litre, that is an expenditure of around Rs
3,750-4,500.
“It doesn’t cost a penny if we
set fire to stubble. Only Rs 1,000-1,200 is spent on around 15 litres of diesel
used for ploughing the field and a lot of time is saved,” he says. The Krishi
Vikas Kendras are also impressing upon the farmers to adopt early-ripening rice
varieties so that after its harvesting, they have enough time to prepare the
field for wheat sowing.
However, Karnal Singh says the
yield decreases if they use early-maturing rice varieties. An 80 per cent
subsidy on the machinery for cooperative societies isn’t helping either.
Jitendra Pal Singh (48) says there are 800 members in the village’s cooperative
society, which recently purchased three S-SMS, three happy seeders, two
rotavators and a mulcher.
“Not everyone can use the
machinery in the three-week window between rice harvesting and wheat sowing.
The farmers will burn the stubble if they do not get the equipment,” he says.
Karnal Singh says he didn’t burn the stubble for two years and used the
machinery to manage it, but he suffered losses. “I will restart burning stubble
if I keep accruing losses,” he says.
Karam Singh (45) from Sahnewal
Khurd village says, “Twenty-five to 30 quintal of rice is harvested in an acre
of land. If the government gives us Rs 200 per quintal, it will take care of
everything. The government can also give a subsidy on diesel. Ultimately,
everything boils down to cost.” Last year, 42,000 incidents of stubble burning
were reported from Punjab and fines totalling Rs 65 lakh were imposed on the
erring farmers.
ASIA
RICE-INDIA ACTIVITY MUTED, FALLING SUPPLY LIFTS VIETNAM PRICES
10/18/2018
*
Bangladesh's Aman crop seen at 14 million tonnes this year
* Thai exporters eye deals with
Philippines and Indonesia
By Eileen Soreng
BENGALURU, Oct 18 (Reuters) - Rice
export prices in India were unchanged this week, after declining for three
weeks in a row, as activity was muted ahead of the new crop, while waning
output due to floods pushed up rates in Vietnam.
Rates for top exporter India's 5
percent broken parboiled variety <RI-INBKN5-P1> were unchanged from last
week at $365-$370 per tonne.
"Right now, demand is
weak," said an exporter based in Kakinada in the southern state of Andhra
Pradesh.
"Traders are waiting for new
crop supplies before signing deals."
Supplies from summer-sown crops
will become available for export from November, dealers said.
Production of summer-sown rice is
estimated to grow 1.8 percent to 99.24 million tonnes, government data showed
last month.
India's rice exports between April
and August fell 4.3 percent from a year earlier to 5.03 million tonnes as
leading buyer and neighbour Bangladesh trimmed purchases due to a bumper local
harvest.
The rain-fed rice output or Aman
crop in Bangladesh is estimated to hit 14 million tonnes from 13.5 million
tonnes the previous year, helped by favourable weather, Mohammad Mohsin,
director general of Department of Agriculture Extension, told Reuters.
Aman crop, the second biggest rice
crop after the summer variety Boro, makes up about 38 percent of Bangladesh's
total rice production of around 35 million tonnes.
The south Asian country, which
emerged as a major importer in 2017 after floods damaged its crops, imposed 28
percent duty to support its farmers after local production revived this year.
In Vietnam, rates for the 5 percent
broken rice <RI-VNBKN5-P1> climbed to $405-$410 a tonne from $400-$405 a
week earlier.
"I think prices will rise
further as supplies are running low," a Ho Chi Minh City-based trader
said, adding the mini autumn-winter harvest is coming to an end with output
lower than the same crop last year due to flooding.
Floods from a burst dam in Laos
inundated thousands of hectares of paddy fields in Vietnam's rice-growing
Mekong Delta region.
"I don't know how much more
prices could rise, but we definitively cannot offer lower prices as there's not
much grain out there," the trader said.
In Thailand, benchmark 5 percent
broken rice <RI-THBKN5-P1> was quoted at $405–$407 per tonne, free on
board (FOB) Bangkok, versus $398-$400 last week.
Traders attributed the price rise
to the strengthening of the baht, saying there was no fresh demand for Thai
rice overseas.
Thai exporters are expecting a
possible deal with markets such as the Philippines and Indonesia before the end
of the year, traders said. (Reporting by Panu Wongcha-um in Bangkok, Khanh Vu
in Hanoi and Rajendra Jadhav in Mumbai and Ruma Paul in Dhaka Editing by Arpan
Varghese in Bengaluru and David Evans)
Don’t fall for fake news, click here to check out The
Quint’s WebQoof stories.
“Starting
4 November 2018, India will send rice to Iran in the exchange of crude oil.
With this modern form of the old fashioned barter system, our dependence on the
American dollar will be less and our Indian rupee will get a new life. Modi
magic transforming India!”
This message has been posted by
Priti Gandhi, who describes herself on Twitter as ‘National In-charge of Social
Media- BJP Mahila Morcha’. Gandhi has a significant following of over 3,21,000
and is followed on the platform by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The fake news website PostcardNews published
an articleextolling this ‘masterstroke’ by PM Modi. It was also tweeted by
Mahesh Vikram Hegde, founder of the website.
The claim that this is a unique
initiative by the Modi government to circumvent currency-related restrictions
on trade has also been shared by several individual users on Facebook.
From 4 November, US sanctions on the Iranian oil sector will come into effect,
obstructing payment avenues to the oil-rich nation.
Relations between the US and Iran
have been on a downward spiral ever since US President Donald Trump reimposed
economic sanctions on Iran after his country withdrew from the nuclear deal
framework agreement reached in 2015. With the Indian government reportedly
mulling rupee-based trade with Iran, sympathisers of the ruling
party are on an overdrive to project this move as ‘Modi magic’.
An alternate payment system was
devised by Iran and India in the wake of previous sanctions on the West Asian
nation.
In an ingenious workaround, Iran
had agreed to accept payment for oil exports in rupees. The Indian currency
earned by Iran could be redeemed to import goods and commodities from India
including rice, textiles, tea, coffee and pharmaceutical products. It is
worthwhile to note here that the rice-for-oil trade between the two countries
is not barter in the literal sense.
Rupee-Based System Since 2012
The rupee-based trading system
devised for commercial exchange with Iran is not an initiative of the Modi government.
In fact, it was first introduced in 2012 when Iran had borne the brunt of
economic sanctions imposed by the Western nations over its nuclear programme.
News reports by Times of India, The Hindu andLive Mint had referred to the payment mechanism that
had been threshed out by the two countries. In a report of February 2012, Live Mint had quoted the then
Iranian ambassador to India who had stated that 45 percent of the payment will
be in Indian currency, which would be utilised by Iran to pay for imports from
India.
In March 2013, a report by Reuters had
highlighted how Iran’s oil revenue was helping Indian rice exporters regain
their business which had suffered due to imposition of sanctions.
UPDATE
4-Egypt's GASC announces first rice purchasing tender for 2018
(Adds
GASC also asking for medium grain rice)
DUBAI,
Oct 18 (Reuters) - Egypt’s state grain buyer, the General Authority for Supply
Commodities (GASC), said on Thursday it was seeking cargoes of 25,000 tonnes of
rice, plus or minus 5 percent, in an international purchasing tender.
GASC said it was seeking short or
medium grain milled white rice of any origin, with 10-12 percent broken parts.
The deadline for offers, to be
submitted on a cost, insurance and freight (CIF) basis, is Nov. 12 and the rice
is for arrival Jan. 1-31 and Feb. 1 to March 1.
“Every supplier should submit
four samples, each two kilograms, of their rice alongside their offer for
testing,” GASC Vice Chairman Ahmed Youssef said.
One of the samples will be sent
to the Ministry of Agriculture for a cooking test.
“We need to determine how
suitable the rice is for our consumers’ taste,” he said.
Results for the tender will not
be announced on the same day.
Further details on the rules and
specifications are available in a booklet from Thursday, Youssef said.
Traditionally a rice exporter, Egypt
is estimated to need around 500,000 tonnes of imported rice this season as it
reduces local production to conserve water.
Earlier this year, Cairo decreed
that only 724,000 feddans (750,000 acres) of rice could be planted with the
grain in 2018, which grain traders estimate is less than half of the 1.8
million feddans cultivated in 2017. (Reporting by Maha El Dahan Editing by
Emelia Sithole-Matarise and Edmund Blair)
UPDATE
1-Philippines plans another rice tender after most prices too high in latest
round
(Adds
official’s comment, bids)
MANILA, Oct 18
(Reuters) - The Philippines’ National Food Authority (NFA) will reopen a rice
import tender after accepting offers for only 47,000 tonnes at Thursday’s
tender, well below a planned purchase of 250,000 tonnes, because of high offer
prices.
President
Rodrigo Duterte on Oct. 9 scrapped 20-year-old import restrictions on rice to
curtail soaring prices of the Philippine diet staple by increasing supply.
Rising rice prices have contributed to surging inflation in the country.
Most of the offers
from 13 international suppliers exceeded the state-run NFA’s approved budget of
$428.18 per tonne, said Judy Carol Dansal, head of the NFA’s tender panel.
“We will
reopen the tender for the volume that was not taken,” Dansal told reporters.
Thai Capital
Crops Co Ltd won a bid to supply 18,000 tonnes at $426.30 a tonne. Vietnam’s
Vinafood 1 was awarded the supply of 14,000 tonnes at $427.50 and Vinafood 2
secured the supply of 15,000 tonnes for $427.68.
The
Philippines is on a rice buying spree this year, with import approvals by the
NFA hitting 2.4 million tonnes, just below the record 2.45 million tonnes
bought in 2010 when rising global food prices stoked shortage fears. (Reporting
by Enrico dela Cruz Writing by Manolo Serapio Jr.; Editing by Sunil Nair and
Christian Schmollinger)https://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFKCN1MT11I-OZATP
Is White Rice
Healthy or Bad for You?
Source:
healthline.com
Many health communities view
white rice as an unhealthy option.
It’s highly processed and missing
its hull (the hard protective coating), bran (outer layer) and germ
(nutrient-rich core). Meanwhile, brown rice only has the hull removed.
For this reason, white rice lacks
many vitamins and minerals that are present in brown rice.
However, there are some instances
where white rice is a better option than brown rice.
This article helps determine
whether white rice is healthy or bad for you.
Stripped
of Fiber and Nutrients
White and brown rice are the most
popular types of rice and have similar origins.
Brown rice is
simply the entire whole rice grain. It contains the fiber-rich bran, the
nutrient-packed germ and the carbohydrate-rich endosperm.
On the other hand, white rice is
stripped of its bran and germ, leaving just the endosperm. It’s then processed
to improve taste, extend shelf life and enhance cooking properties (1).
White rice is considered empty
carbs since it loses its main sources of nutrients.
However, in the US and many other
countries, white rice is typically enriched with added nutrients, including
iron and B vitamins like folic acid, niacin, thiamine and more (2, 3).
This table shows how 3.5 ounces
(100 grams) of the different types of rice compare nutritionally when cooked (4, 5, 6).
Nutrients
White rice,
unenriched
White rice,
enriched
Brown rice,
unenriched
Calories
123
123
111
Protein
2.9 grams
2.9 grams
2.6 grams
Carbs
30 grams
26 grams
23 grams
Fat
0.4 grams
0.4 grams
0.9 grams
Fiber
0.9 grams
0.9 grams
1.8 grams
Folate
1% of the RDI
20% of the
RDI
1% of the RDI
Manganese
18% of the
RDI
18% of the
RDI
45% of the
RDI
Thiamine
5% of the RDI
14% of the
RDI
6% of the RDI
Selenium
13% of the
RDI
13% of the
RDI
14% of the
RDI
Niacin
12% of the
RDI
12% of the
RDI
8% of the RDI
Iron
1% of the RDI
10% of the
RDI
2% of the RDI
Vitamin B6
8% of the RDI
8% of the RDI
7% of the RDI
Phosphorus
6% of the RDI
6% of the RDI
8% of the RDI
Copper
4% of the RDI
4% of the RDI
5% of the RDI
Magnesium
2% of the RDI
2% of the RDI
11% of the
RDI
Zinc
2% of the RDI
2% of the RDI
4% of the RDI
A 3.5-ounce (100-gram) serving of
brown rice has fewer calories and carbs than white rice and twice as much
fiber.
In general, brown rice also has
higher amounts of vitamins and minerals than white rice. However, enriched
white rice is higher in iron and folate.
What’s more, brown rice contains
more antioxidants and essential amino acids.
It’s also worth noting that
both white and brown rice are
naturally gluten-free, which makes them a great carb option for people with
celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity.
Summary Brown rice is
more nutritious than white rice, but most white rice in the US and other
countries is enriched to increase its nutritional value.
Higher
Glycemic Index Score May Be Linked to Increased Diabetes Risk
Glycemic index (GI) is a measure
of how fast your body converts carbs into sugars that can be absorbed into your
bloodstream.
The score ranges from 0 to 100
with the following labels:
·Low GI: 55 or less
·Medium GI: 56 to 69
·High GI: 70 to 100
Foods with a lower GI appear
to be better for people with type 2 diabetes, as they cause a slow but gradual
rise in blood sugars. Higher GI foods may cause rapid spikes (7, 8).
White rice has a GI of 64, while
brown rice has a GI of 55. As a result, carbs in white rice are turned into blood
sugar more rapidly than those in brown rice (9).
This may be one reason why white
rice has been associated with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes.
In a review of studies in over 350,000
people, researchers found that those who ate the most white rice had a higher
risk of type 2 diabetes than those who ate the least (10).
What’s more, each serving of rice
eaten per day raised the risk of type 2 diabetes by 11%.
Similarly, a US-based study
showed that higher intakes of white rice were linked to a higher risk of type 2
diabetes, whereas higher intakes of brown rice were linked to a significantly
lower risk (9).
Summary White rice has a
higher glycemic index, which means its carbs convert more quickly into blood
sugar than brown rice. Higher intakes of white rice may result in a higher risk
of type 2 diabetes.
May
Raise Your Risk of Metabolic Syndrome
Metabolic syndrome is the name
for a group of risk factors that may increase your risk of health conditions,
such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes and stroke.
Studies have shown that people
who regularly eat large amounts of white rice have a higher risk of metabolic
syndrome, especially Asian adults (11, 12, 13).
But while studies have noticed a
connection between white rice consumption and diabetes, the link between white
rice and heart disease is still unclear (13, 14).
Meanwhile, brown rice consumption
has been associated with a lower risk of heart disease.
For instance, adults that consume
the most amount of whole grains may have an up to 21% lower risk of heart
disease than adults eating the least amount (15).
Brown rice also contains lignans,
a plant compound that has been shown to help lower blood pressure, reduce the
amount of fat in your blood and reduce arterial stiffness (16).
Summary Higher intakes
of white rice may raise your risk of metabolic syndrome. However, its
connection to heart disease is still unclear.
Effects on Weight Loss Are Conflicting
White rice is classified as a
refined grain because it’s stripped of its bran and germ.
While many studies have connected
diets high in refined grains to obesity and weight gain, the research is inconsistent when it comes to white rice.
For instance, some studies have
associated diets high in refined grains like white rice to weight gain, belly
fat and obesity, while other studies have found no correlation (17, 18, 19, 20).
Plus, diets centered around white
rice have been shown to promote weight loss, especially in countries where it’s
an everyday food (21, 22, 23).
In short, white rice appears to
be neither detrimental nor favorable for weight loss.
However, eating diets high in
whole grains like brown rice have more consistently been shown to aid weight
loss and help maintain a healthy body weight (24, 25, 26).
Brown rice is thus the favorable
choice for weight loss, as it’s more nutritious, contains more fiber and
provides a healthy dose of disease-fighting antioxidants.
Summary White rice does
not appear to affect weight loss very much. However, studies show that brown
rice can promote both weight loss and maintenance.
Easy
to Digest
Doctors may prescribe a low-fiber
diet if you have digestive problems.
A low-fiber diet can lessen the
workload of the digestive tract, allowing it to rest.
These diets are temporary and may
ease uncomfortable symptoms that result from Crohn's disease, ulcerative
colitis, inflammatory bowel disease and other digestive disorders.
Adults dealing with heartburn, nausea and
vomiting or those recovering from medical procedures that affect the digestive
system may also find a low fiber diet beneficial.
White rice is often recommended
in these cases, as it’s low in fiber, bland and easy to digest.
Summary White rice is
bland, low in fiber and easy to digest, making it a good option for people with
digestive problems, nausea or heartburn.
Should You Eat White Rice?
White rice is often unfairly
criticized and can serve as a better alternative to brown rice in some
situations.
For instance, women going through
pregnancy may benefit from the extra folate found in enriched white rice.
Additionally, people on a low-fiber
diet and adults experiencing nausea or heartburn may find that white rice is
easier to digest and does not trigger uncomfortable symptoms.
However, brown rice is still the
better option for most. It contains a wider variety of vitamins,
minerals, essential amino acids and
plant-based compounds.
It also has a lower glycemic
index, which means its carbs are more slowly converted into blood sugar, making
it more ideal for people with diabetes or prediabetes.
That said, it’s perfectly fine to
enjoy white rice in moderation without feeling guilty.
Summary Brown rice is
the healthier option for most people, but it’s fine to enjoy white rice from
time to time.
The Bottom Line
Though white rice is more
processed, it’s not necessarily bad.
Most white rice in the US is
enriched with vitamins like folate to improve its nutritional value.
Additionally, its low fiber content may help with digestive issues.
However, brown rice is ultimately
healthier and more nutritious. Not to mention, studies have shown that brown
rice is better for diabetes, heart disease and weight maintenance.
Bago Rice
Millers Ask Govt to Clamp Down on Chinese Traders
Famers dry rice paddy in Zayyarthiri Township, Naypyitaw. /
The Irrawaddy
By KAUNG MYAT MIN 19 October 2018
Bago Region — Rice millers in
Bago Region have filed a complaint with the regional government alleging that
Chinese merchants are buying paddy illegally.
U Hla Oo, secretary of western
Bago’s rice millers association, told The Irrawaddy that Chinese merchants were
buying up paddy from local farmers at prices above the local market rate.
“We complained about it with the
Bago government in mid-September, but they didn’t take any action. So earlier
this month we filed a complaint directly to the Bago Region Parliament
speaker,” he said.
In the local market 100 baskets
of rice, equal to 4,091 kg, currently fetch about 580,000 kyats ($367). Chinese
merchants are reportedly paying more than 600,000 kyats for the same amount.
It is not the first time Chinese
merchants have paid above-market prices for local paddy, said U Hla Oo. But he
said this time the practice was leaving supplies for domestic consumption
dangerously depleted.
“This year, western Bago has had
the earliest harvest in the whole country, so [Chinese] buyers came to buy. The
worst thing is that, since we’ve exported about 4 million tons of rice, stocks
for domestic consumption are running low,” he said.
“Rice prices have increased
because of Chinese buyers and the market prices are fluctuating,” he added.
The Myanmar government bans the
export of paddy rice and restricts its sale to the domestic market.
But rice millers say the
government is losing out on tax revenue from an illegal rice trade and that
rising rice prices also inflate prices for meat and fish. Business sources said
the prices for paddy byproducts used to make snacks and animal feed, including
broken kernels and husk, are much higher this year as well.
“Chinese buyers don’t come in
person; they sent middlemen. Some farmers get good prices. The price they offer
is not bad because labor is scarce and [renting] a harvester costs about 45,000
kyats per acre,” U Khin Maung Zin, a farmer in Zigon Township, told The
Irrawaddy.
On Oct. 12, the local legislature
sent a letter to the regional planning and finance minister asking him to take
the necessary action.
Oct 19, 2018, 1:19 AM; last updated: Oct 19, 2018,
1:19 AM (IST)
Fazilka, October 18
The state
government has allowed rice millers from other districts to buy the “permal”
variety of paddy from Fazilka district for custom-milling to overcome the
problem of glut.
Official sources said the Food and Supplies
Department had issued release orders to 11 rice millers from Bathinda and
Barnala districts allowing them to buy about 20,000 metric tonnes of paddy.
Deputy
Commissioner Manpreet Singh said here on Thursday that about 15.5 lakh bags
(each bag weighing 37.5 kg) were expected to arrive in the Abohar market and
purchase centres, but the three rice mills set up there had the capacity of
milling only 4 lakh bags. Hence, the remaining paddy would be procured by the
other rice millers to clear the glut as soon as possible, said the Deputy
Commissioner.
In light of October being the Breast Cancer Awareness month, the
Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Medical University (SMBBMU) and its constituent
Chandka Medical College (CMC) on Wednesday organised a a Pink Ribbon Walk to
raise awareness, early detection and treatment as well as palliative care of
the deadly disease and promote donations for breast cancer research.
In this regard, millions of passionate people around the world
annually make effective efforts to sensitise more people about breast cancer
and raise money in the way that they can.
Reportedly, senior doctors, paramedical staff, students and
members of civil society marched from the Shahnawaz Bhutto Memorial Library to
the CMC where a seminar on “Breast Cancer: its prevention and early detection
in females” was organised.
Meanwhile, Gynecology and Obstetrics department Dean Prof Dr
Rafia Baloch, CMC Principal Prof K Das, Prof Dr Ghulam Murtaza Pathan, Dr Sara
Fatima and others addressed participants.
Prof Rafia Baloch apprised participants that following
Rawalpindi, Larkana was the only city where ‘Tumor Boards’ were being held
regularly including bone cancer, gynecology cancer, urology cancer and surgery
cancer.
“Major causes of cancer are fast food, soft drinks, lack of
exercise and unhygienic food consumption,” she said, adding that nowadays women
have been avoiding breastfeeding which could also be a cause of breast cancer.
She asserted that in foreign countries, working mothers have
been keeping their breast milk in freezers for children before leaving for
their jobs.
Dr Sara Fatima said that according to a latest research, cancer
could be treated, but ‘prevention is better than cure.’
She revealed that aged unmarried women (having no children) were
more likely to be affected by breast cancer.
She stated that one percent men were also infected by breast
cancer.
She said rural women used to visit hospitals at their last stage
of cancer due to lack of awareness.
She advised women that if they were between 35-54 years old,
they should get mammograms.
The speakers further asserted that about 40,000 patients have
been dying annually due to breast cancer in Pakistan, and one out of every nine
women is at the risk of breast cancer, the prevalence of which is the highest
amongst all cancers in Pakistan.
Female medical students attended the seminar while wearing pink
scarfs.
Rice growers dissatisfied over paddy crops’ rate amid rupee
devaluation
Despite of shocking increases in the prices of basic commodities
and following a record devaluation of the rupee against the dollar, rice
growers in Sindh have not been compensated and were forced to accept the last
year’s rate for the fresh paddy crops.
In this regard, Sindh Chamber of Agriculture representative Syed
Siraj Rashdi and growers including Hanif Kertyo, Ghulam Sarwar Mangnejo, Ali
Muhammad Abro and others told the media on Wednesday that the 45-day delay in
release of irrigation water in water channels had severely affected about 50
percent of the total paddy crops in Sindh.
“Therefore, rice production has been reduced to nearly half as compared
to previous year,”
They expressed profound concerns over the crippling financial
situation in the country, and said that rupee devaluation has caused prices of
diesel and petrol to increase while farmers were being offered the last year’s
rate between Rs 800-900 per 40 kilos for wet paddy, and Rs 1,000-1,100 per 40
kilos for dry.
“Rice millers and traders are killing us economically,” they
said, adding that 60 to 70 Maund of paddy crop was yielded per acre while the
price of the production was calculated Rs 60,000- 70,000.
“If expenditure of sowing paddy saplings is calculated
accurately including fertilizer, urea, seed etc, and is compared to the rate
being offered to us, then it can be observed that one-fourth of rice production
is being paid to farmers,” they said.
They said that if the current state of affairs was continued,
then peasants and their families would soon be facing situation alike
drought-hit areas of Tharparkar and Kacho.
They alleged that the government has increased rates of rice to
benefit traders while neglecting poor peasants for many years.
They appealed to the government to fix rates of rice between Rs
1,300 to 1,500 per 40 kilos or otherwise, they would be ruined economically.
They further alleged that price of about two to four kilos from
every 40 kilos of rice was being deducted by rice millers, and demanded the
government to restrict them.
In Photo: This October 2, 2010, file photo shows
children jostling each other to get free porridge at the Baseco Compound in Port
Area, Manila.
THE country’s tropical climate
makes the Philippines an ideal location for growing a number of food crops.
This is why many of the country’s farms are planted with rice, vegetables and
fruits.
Despite the suitability of
Philippine farms for food crops, millions of Filipinos suffer from hunger and
are malnourished. According to the World Hunger Report 2018, there are still
some 14.2 million undernourished Filipinos and 13.3 million food-insecure
Filipinos. Taken together, these account for nearly a third of the country’s
population.
Food wasted and food lost due to
postharvest handling could reduce the number of the hungry and malnourished in
the Philippines based on government data. But minimizing waste and postharvest
losses remains a huge challenge for policymakers and citizens, making the
achievement of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) an
uphill battle.
Ending hunger is SDG Goal 2, and
the first target of the UN is to ensure access by all people, in particular the
poor and people in vulnerable situations including infants, to safe, nutritious
and sufficient food all year round. This is being monitored by the government.
This is not the case for SDG Goal
12 on sustainable consumption, which intends to halve per capita global food
waste at the retail and consumer levels and reduce food losses along production
and supply chains, including postharvest losses by 2030. However, this is not
part of the country’s local SDG monitoring.
Food loss, or food waste, refers
to the “decrease of food in subsequent stages of the food supply chain intended
for human consumption,“ according to the Food and Agriculture Organization
(FAO), which also coauthored the World Hunger Report.
“Food is lost or wasted
throughout the supply chain, from initial production down to final household
consumption,“ a briefer from the National Economic and Development Authority
(Neda) explained.
“The decrease may be accidental,
or intentional, but ultimately leads to less food available for all. Food that
gets spilled or spoilt before it reaches its final product or retail stage is
called food loss,” it added.
Data on food waste is available
from the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization
(PhilMech), Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI), and the Philippine
Statistics Authority (PSA).
Limited data
However, they are all limited in
scope. The PhilMech data focuses only on the waste that results from the
harvest to the storage of rice; the FNRI data, food consumption loss per plate—includes
rice and other commodities; while the PSA’s Food Demand Survey (FDS) focuses on
rice wasted.
Based on PhilMech data, the
BusinessMirror estimated that postharvest losses in palay reach 16.4 percent a
year. This is composed of losses in harvesting at 2.03 percent; piling, 0.08
percent; threshing, 2.18 percent; drying, 5.86 percent; milling, 5.52 percent;
and storage, 0.8 percent.
Last year, total palay lost
reached 3.173 million metric tons (MMT) valued at P57.476 billion, based on the
computation of the BusinessMirror. This could have fed nearly 19 million
Filipinos.
Food waste
The FNRI defines “food wastage“
as any cooked and raw food items that an individual or family failed to
consume, or utilize, due possibly to spoilage, cooking preparation, plate waste
and those fed to pets and animals.
Based on the FNRI’s 2015 survey,
a Filipino household wastes 43 grams of rice daily. At 22.975 million Filipino
households, according to the latest PSA data, the country wastes around 987,952
kg of rice daily.
Based on the computation of the
BusinessMirror, the country wastes some P41 million worth of rice daily using
the price of the well-milled variety at P42 per kg. Annually, Filipinos waste
360.602 million kg of rice valued at some P15.145 billion, according to the
BusinessMirror’s estimates. This could have fed at least 3.281 million
Filipinos.
The PSA, the country’s
statistical agency, defines wastage as “losses, decrease or destruction of
something by use.”
Based on latest PSA data, a
Filipino household wastes 1.676 kg of rice annually, translating to a total
country loss of 38.507 million kg, valued at P1.617 billion. The figures are
significantly lower than the estimates using FNRI’s data.
The FNRI data also showed that
Filipinos wasted a total of 8 grams of other food items such as fish, meat,
poultry and vegetables. Plate waste for fish and fish products was at 6 grams,
while meat and meat products and poultry accounted for 1 gram each.
As for vegetables, Filipinos
waste some 5 grams per plate. FNRI data showed green, leafy and yellow
vegetables recorded a plate waste of 2 grams per plate, while “other
vegetables” was at 3 grams per plate.
Postharvest
losses
Caling Balingbing, International
Rice Research Institute’s Senior Associate Scientist for Mechanization and
Postharvest, said the country’s palay postharvest losses have been declining
since the 1970s as more Filipinos gained access to farm equipment.
“The trend shows that since 1974,
the postharvest loss has been declining given the introduction of machines. In
1974 postharvest loss was around 23.5 percent,” Balingbing told the
BusinessMirror
“We now have mechanical dryers
from PhilRice. PhilMech is disseminating mechanical dryers. PhilRice has
flat-bed dryers, which are really good and efficient as they are less
laborious,” he added.
Balingbing noted, however, that
farmers’ use of modern equipment will not guarantee “absolute elimination” of
postharvest losses. This is because, according to Balingbing, some farm machine
operators do not use machines at an “optimal level,” resulting in production
losses.
“Because of the eagerness to earn
more from providing service to other farmers, the operators tend to fast-track
the machine work. The operators of combined harvesters are paid in terms of
hours per hectare, so they tend to hasten their work,” he said.
“If you work so fast the tendency
is that you will not be able to harvest all the crops or some would be wasted
along the way,” he added.
‘Bukbok’
Balingbing said the use of
ordinary sacks by farmers to store their rice also expands losses. He added
that the use of ordinary sacks makes stored crops vulnerable to pests and
weather-related problems.
“The Philippines is a tropical
country. Crops are exposed to high humidity. Once crops absorb moisture it
could lead to issues such as the bukbok [weevil],” he said.
“Rice stored in ordinary sacks attracts moisture and insects.”
Balingbing recommended the use of
air-tight, hermetic storage that would protect crops against weather-related
issues, pests and insects.
“This kind of storage does not
anymore require the use of chemicals or pesticides to address pests. Pests die
of natural death due to depletion of oxygen,” Balingbing said.
Cutting losses
Dr. Arnold S. Juliano, head of
the Philippine Rice Research Institute Rice’s Engineering and Mechanization
Division, said the government is targeting to reduce postharvest losses by at
least 2 percent to a maximum of 14 percent.
Juliano told the BusinessMirror
that palay farmers could lose as much as 20 percent of their harvest during the
wet season. “Most likely, the use of combined harvesters has reduced the
postharvest losses by 2 percent just in the harvesting stage alone.”
Another significant challenge to
cutting postharvest losses is farmers’ practice of sun drying rice along road
pavements, according to Juliano.
“In fact, that is being banned.
But because farmers do not have an area where they can dry their palay, they
keep going back to the roadside,” he said.
“There are really huge losses
during the wet season. For example, while palay is being sun dried, it would
suddenly rain. This would wash off some of the unmilled rice,” Juliano said.
“That is actually the challenge
for [the government], how to reduce the postharvest losses. Losses in the
drying stage during wet season go up to 9 percent of the total production,” he
added.
Juliano said with the
introduction of PhilRice-crafted mechanical dryers, they seek to cut losses
incurred by farmers by half of the current 5.86-percent average.
Juliano explained that the drying
stage of palay is “crucial” as rice is vulnerable to foreign materials and
breakage. The drying method used is responsible for the so-called “brokens” in
rice varieties. He said PhilRice is currently undertaking a study on the
current postharvest losses at the harvesting stage. The agency will also embark
on another study on updates on losses at the drying stage of palay.
Alternatives
Juliano said one measure that
could help cut the country’s rice waste and losses is promoting the consumption
of brown rice. The average milling recovery rate (MRR) for brown rice is higher
at 75 percent, 10 percentage points over the 65.4-percent average MRR of white
rice. However, the PhilRice official acknowledged that brown rice is more
expensive compared to white rice. “Brown rice is supposed to be cheaper because
it only underwent dehulling.”
“I think what makes it expensive
is the packaging and the lack of market. Brown rice is vacuum packed to prolong
its shelf life, which adds to the cost,” he added.
Juliano said that brown rice
could be sold at about P40 per kg, fairly comparable to and even cheaper than
the current prevailing price of well-milled rice. Expanding the market for
brown rice could bring down its price.
“In fact, rice millers would earn
more as their production cost would be reduced. At the same time the rice husk
could be used for power generation,” he said, adding that rice husks are being
bought at P2 per kg.
Issues
Agriculture economists noted that
the Philippines continues to struggle with the lack of mechanization. In some
countries like Malaysia, University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P) Center
for Food and Agri Business Executive Director Rolando T. Dy said the processes
of harvesting, piling and threshing were done mechanically. Losses in handling and
transporting palay are avoided.
Dy added that many of the farm
machines available today, such as those being used for milling, are new and can
easily remove the husk from every grain of palay.
The UA&P economist also said
planting one rice variety per locale will make it easier for farmers to
maximize milling facilities. While this can be done by the Department of
Agriculture (DA) since it is concerned with food production, Dy said this
initiative should be implemented by local government units (LGUs). He said LGUs
will have a better grasp of the topography, the soil type, and the most
suitable variety for their area.
“Planting various rice varieties
could result in brokens. Medium, short and long,” Dy said. “In Pidig [Nueva
Ecija], milling recovery rate is high because farmers are told what variety
they should plant.”
He also cited a need to upgrade
facilities. New facilities, particularly for milling, can increase recovery
rate to around 71 to 73 percent. But the recovery rate in the country is only
around 60 percent.
Senen U. Reyes, UA&P Senior
Management Specialist, also said many farmers do not have their own drying
facilities. While the government and private sector provide flatbed dryers and
drying pavements, the use of these facilities entails costs.
Reyes said with the government
buying palay from farmers at only P17 per kg, there is no incentive for them to
use these facilities. This is why many farmers would rather dry their palay on
roads, even if they are aware of the risks of doing so.
Incentives, he said, should not
only be related to the buying price of the National Food Authority (NFA). These
perks, Reyes said, should encourage farmers to produce quality grains.
As farmers sell their palay on
the basis of weight, Reyes said they no longer care about producing full heads
of rice. This allows them to justify their practice of drying palay on roads.
“They do not realize that if rice
is dried on the highway, they will incur losses and the grains would break,
which could impact on the milling efficiency,” he said.
“Highways are not drying
pavements. It’s for the use of vehicles and motorists, not farmers. Farmers may
use the roads for transporting their goods,” Reyes added.
The practice of drying palay on
roads can be addressed by LGUs. Reyes acknowledged, however, that politicians
may be wary of restricting this practice as they may lose votes.
Organizing farmers, Dy said,
would help improve the volume and quality of palay produced.
Farmer-cooperatives have a better chance of accessing quality mills because of
economies of scale.
“Interventions in the value chain
at the farming level, the DA can only do so much. Local governments should take
the lead because they are the ones responsible for agricultural extension
services,” Dy said.
In terms of rice consumption, Dy
said data limitations make it difficult to get a more accurate picture. This,
he said, is largely due to limitations in data collection related to food
consumed outside of the house.
‘Unli-rice’
The UA&P economist said
changes in food consumption could ease the pressure on the country’s food
output. Initiatives to cut rice consumption have been tried in the past. But
efforts to discourage people from wasting other food items have yet to be
introduced.
Last year, the chairman of the
Senate Committee on Food and Agriculture, Sen. Cynthia A. Villar, advocated the
ban on offering unli-rice meals. It sought to encourage Filipinos to exercise
prudence, but netizens were not receptive to the senator’s recommendation.
In 2013 PhilRice also launched
the “Be Riceponsible” campaign, which encourages consumers to stop wasting rice
and to eat brown rice, or rice mixed with corn. It also encouraged farmers to
plant rice and adopt technologies that would increase yield and income.
The “Be Riceponsible” campaign
urged policymakers to “institutionalize the availability and default serving of
half cup of rice to prevent wastage and give consumers more options.”
However, despite data showing
evidence that households continue to waste other food items, such as meat, fish
and vegetables, government efforts related to cutting food waste continued to
focus on rice.
Road to zero
While improving the milling
recovery rate of rice by a few percentage points will increase the supply of
the staple, Reyes said this does not mean that it would be affordable and
accessible. This is because farmers sell their crop to traders and millers even
before it is harvested.
Food security, according to FAO,
is a “multidimensional” concept that can be described by four pillars:
accessibility, availability, utilization and stability. FAO said “food security
refers to the availability of food, whereas famine and hunger are the
consequence of the nonavailability of food, in other words, the results of food
insecurity.”
“We can have a buffer stock but
it won’t be in the hands of the government. That is the real issue recently. We
had stocks but these are not in state warehouses and the buffer wasn’t cheap.
The stocks were mostly with the traders,” Reyes said.
Eliminating food waste would not
automatically lead to zero hunger, according to Dy. He said hunger has an
income component. For a person to avoid hunger, he must be able to have access
to affordable food.
Based on the country’s rebased
2012 Consumer Price Index (CPI), food has a weight of around 38 percent.
However, Dy said this only accounts for household food consumption. In reality,
food consumption could easily take up 46 percent of the budget of Filipino
families because food eaten outside accounts for about 8 percent. In this sense,
he said the definition of the PSA is not consistent with international
standards.
If the country will meet the aim
of zero hunger, Reyes said the government needs to implement the “right
interventions” and start implementing these measures today. He noted that the
aim of attaining the SDGs by 2030 is only 12 years away.
Changing farm policies is a vital
measure that would allow the Philippines its commitment to the UN to eliminate
hunger, according to Neda officials.
Neda Agriculture, Natural
Resources and Environment Staff (Anres) Assistant Director Lenard Martin P.
Guevarra said the government’s fixation with rice has discouraged the
production of affordable and nutritious fruits and vegetables.
“For example, we do not have a
comparative advantage in rice but this has been our policy for the longest
time. The bulk of the budget is going there so you create an artificial
attractiveness to it, that is why farmers prefer rice,” Guevarra told the
BusinessMirror.
“But if you look at the per
capita consumption of the Philippines in terms of vegetables and fruits, we are
actually below the international requirement. It shows that we need to
diversify,” he added.
Citing the experience of South
Korea and Japan, Guevarra said countries tend to shift their support from
cereals to high-value crops to meet the demand of their population.
Guevarra noted that consumers usually move away from cereals to high-value
crops and other commodities as their incomes improve.
“If we pour the bulk of our
investments into commodities in which we do not have comparative advantage just
to eliminate imports, it would be costly. It will help reduce imports and
achieve sufficiency for a year, but it is hard to maintain and sustain as the
Philippines is vulnerable to disasters,” he said.
“The question now is, will the
use of public funds on these commodities benefit the public?” he added.
Some Southeast Asian countries
such as Malaysia attempted to be self-sufficient in rice following the food
crisis of 2008, but eventually abandoned the initiative, according to Guevarra.
Diversifying to high-value crops, he said, would benefit farmers more as it
could improve their income.
What is more important, Neda
Anres Director Nieva T. Natural said, is for the Philippines to become “food
secure” and not “food sufficient.”
In a major relief to agri co-operative NACOF, the High Court of
Jharkhand quashed the order of the state govt which blacklisted it from the job
of paddy procurement in the state. After hearing two sides the High Court
ruled” “Under the aforesaid circumstance, the impugned order dated 29.06.2017
passed by the respondent no. 2(govt) is hereby quashed”.
It bears recall that NACOF was debarred on the charges of
delayed payment to the farmers. Despite NACOF informing the govt that the
payment of farmers of 12 districts of the state to the tune of Rs. 65 crores
against the paddy which reached the rice mills, has been made, the govt
blacklisted it.
In its letter to the govt NACOF asked the govt to
send the remaining paddy to the rice mills so that the balance amount can also
be settled off by the petitioner but instead the state govt the impugned order
dated 29.06.2017 blacklisting it, argued its Counsel in the court.
The govt side argued that several complaints were received by
the authorities that NACOF did not pay the price of paddy to the farmers.
Repeated directions were issued to it for making payment to the farmers by
video conferencing, departmental meetings and issuing letters, however, the
same were not complied.
FCI also argued in the court and said that NACOF has wrongly
contended that the FCI did not co-operate with it. It also said that the
quality check was the responsibility of the procuring agencies.
NACOF argued that it had informed the authorities that the paddy
was not being picked up from the godowns of PACS/LAMPS in time and if at all
picked up, the millers failed to deliver the CMR to the FCI within time. Since
the paddy was not being lifted from the PACS/LAMPS godown timely, such delay on
the part of PACS/LAMPS and rice mills directly affected the petitioner’s
payment process as the petitioner was supposed to release payment only when the
standard quality of paddy was determined by the FCI.
“It has further been contended that there was difference between
actual quantity of paddy lifted by the rice mills and the quantity reported by
PACS/LAMPS, thus making payment for the paddy which had not been delivered,
would have been in violation of Section 9 of the Jharkhand Custom Milled Rice
(Liability and Control) Order, 2016 dated 01.12.2016”, NACOF argued in the High
Court.
Listening both the sides, the High Court ruled that the fact
that the petitioner has been blacklisted for an indefinite period is contrary
to the law laid down by the Hon’ble Supreme Court rendered in the case of “M/s
Kulja Industries Limited Vs. Chief Gen. Manager, Western Telecom Project Bharat
Sanchar Nigam Limited & Ors.”
“In the aforesaid case, it has been specifically held that the
debarment can never be permanent. In the present case also, the petitioner has
been blacklisted without specifying the period which is contrary to the ratio
laid down in the aforesaid judgment. Otherwise also, Clause 17 of the agreement
specifies that if the petitioner makes any violation of terms and conditions of
the contract, penal action will be taken against him under the relevant
provision. Neither in the show cause nor in the impugned order, the respondent
no. 2 (govt) has mentioned the provision under which the said authority has
proceeded against the petitioner to blacklist” the HC observed.
“So far as the other reliefs sought in the present writ petition
are concerned, the same are governed by the terms and conditions of the
agreement and if the petitioner is aggrieved by any of the actions of the
respondents, it may seek appropriate remedy as provided under law”, the
judgement read.
“Under the aforesaid circumstance, the impugned order dated
29.06.2017 passed by the respondent no. 2(govt) is hereby quashed”, the court
ruled.
100,000 Varieties Of Rice Gene Conserved In Gene
Bank In Philippines
BY EILEEN NOONKESTER ON OCTOBER 18, 2018
Agricultural scientists have announced that more than 100 thousand
varieties of rice have been safeguarded for the future. Samples have been
conserved in the largest gene bank for rice at Philippines that could be used
in future to develop rice cultivations that can survive natural calamities like
drought and flooding. The International Rice Research Institute which is also a
gene bank functions on permanent funding from Crop Trust. According to Marie
Haga the Executive director of Crop Trust, these seeds are miracles that will
conserve natural diversity as they have all traits that one can find in rice
and are part of international efforts to conserve food grains in gene banks.
She said that rice is a relatively
easy item to store and survive in low temperatures for hundreds of years. Some
of these rice varieties have gene diversity which can be used to create new
rice breeds that can with stand natural threats like pests, disease, floods and
even droughts. Rice is an essential part of 20 percent of world’s calorie
consumption and around 90 percent of rice is produced and consumed within Asia
by nations like China, India, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Vietnam and Japan that
consume around 80 percent of total.
According to estimates by 2050 the
consumption of rise annually is likely to rise to 525 million tons. According
to IRRI located in Los Banos, Philippines there is a strain of rice called
“Scuba Rice” which can survive in areas hit by flooding. Evolutionary biologist
Ruaraidh Sackville-Hamilton of IRRI gene bank stated that rice conservation
efforts have set a track record of bringing benefits to the world. With these
conserved varieties biologists can continue to develop improved rice strains
that can be used by farmers to manage natural challenges in rice production and
adapt to changing consumer tastes and preferences.
Researchers from the University of
Vermont found another reason due to which global warming can be dangerous to
the planet – hungry insects. According to scientists, the temperature increase
will stimulate the appetite of the insect and speeds up their reproduction,
resulting in key food crops such as wheat, corn and rice, which are food for
billions of people, can suffer from low yields. Since these three crops account
for 42% of the daily caloric needs of the world population, any deficiency can
lead to decreased food security and conflicts, especially in poor areas of the
globe.
When the temperature increases,
the metabolism of insects is increasing – as a result, the insects start to eat
more crops. During the study experts came to the conclusion that global yield
losses of grain crops will increase from 10% to 25% with each rise in global
temperature by 1 degree. So, in Europe, which is currently the main producer of
wheat in the world, the annual crop losses from pests can reach 16 million
tons. In the United States, the world’s largest producer of corn, yield losses
caused by insects may amount to about 20 tons of corn per year. In China, where
one third of the world rice production, could experience losses size of 27
million tons of rice a year.
Why Scientists Are Studying ‘Ricequakes’ in
a Tube of Rice Krispies
Science can happen in a bowl of cereal. AMY/CC BY 2.0
IN YOUR AVERAGE
LAB, POURING a bowl of cereal may be a
violation of protocol. But at the University of Sydney, researchers Itai Einav
and François Guillard have found good reason to bring breakfast fare to the lab bench.
Studying or simulating natural phenomena from within a
laboratory can be difficult. “We don’t have room for a 100-meter dam in our
laboratories,” says Dr. Einav, a professor of geomechanics. Instead, the
researchers use puffed rice cereal as a surrogate material for
naturally-occurring dry snow and rocks—all of which fall under the category of
brittle, porous media.
“That’s the scientific name,” says Dr. Einav, “but I call it
crunchy material.” Puffed rice is a good stand-in, since, like snow and rock, cereal
breaks under pressure and degrades in fluid.
This isn’t the scientists’ first rodeo with Rice Krispies,
which, if you didn’t know, are called Rice Bubbles in Australia. (During a
previous study, Dr. Einav tells me, he referred to his American colleague as
Mr. Rice Krispies, who reciprocated by calling him Mr. Rice Bubbles.) But until
this point, the researchers had worked primarily with dry cereal, which is
helpful when it comes to modeling dry snow or rock crumbling under pressure.
But some collapse events involve water—such as those that occur in ice shelves,
sinkholes, and rockfill dams when they’re exposed to large amounts of liquid
and high pressure. Studying these is challenging, because they happen
incredibly slowly and at such large scale.
That’s where the milk comes in. Adding it to cereal, the
researchers found, could simulate these collapses in a sped-up, scaled-down
way.
To create the collapse, the researchers poured the cereal into a
vertical tube perched atop a granular filter. They applied a constant amount of
pressure at the top of the tube, and added milk to the bottom. What happened
next was a series of snaps, crackles, and collapses, which the researchers
charmingly dubbed “ricequakes.”
During each milk-and-pressure induced reaction, the researchers
witnessed several quakes, with the delay before each one growing longer over
time. They also noted that each tiny quake was accompanied by an audible
popping noise, which, according to Dr. Einav, aurally resembles “a slowing
metronome.”
According to Dr. Einav, what’s happening can be explained quite
simply. He compares the Krispies apparatus to a train, situated vertically,
that comes into contact with liquid at the bottom. The first car that hits the
liquid degrades quickly, and crashes. Once it does, the liquid rises upward,
weakening the next train car or cereal layer, eventually causing it to collapse
under the pressure at the top (albeit more slowly than the first). Eventually,
Dr. Einav says, many trains sitting above the liquid base will crash—with each
collapse taking progressively longer.
From this simulation, the scientists have been able to create a
mathematical equation that can explain when, and why, the ricequakes happen.
Though Dr. Einav is quick to say that using models to make real-world
predictions is risky, he’s speculated that it might (at least partially)
explain some natural phenomena, such as the recurring tidal icequakes of
Antarctica. “There are about two daily, each with a magnitude of 7.0, but
they’ve slowed down over the years,” he says. “People have explained this in
many other ways, many of them likely correct, but they look a lot like the
ricequake phenomenon.”
“The way I see it, we now understand the physics. Now other
people can use it.”
In part, those other people will be geologists or engineers, who
may develop technologies that can, for instance, predict dam collapses. But the
other people who can use this research, Dr. Einav points out, could be anyone.
This incredibly complex mathematical modeling was mapped out through a
five-dollar experiment (excluding the cost of the optic microscope, which,
according to Dr. Einav, is among the most expensive microscopes in the world).
“We should be giving this to kids to replicate at home,” he says.
Sure, physics can be obscure at times. But Dr. Einav and Dr.
Guillard remind us that it can also be extremely accessible. Perhaps all it
takes is good, crunchy material to make something like the physics behind
icequakes—and ricequakes—a little easier to digest.
Loss of a microRNA molecule boosts rice production
Loss of a microRNA molecule has
striking effects on several yield-related traits in indica rice
AMERICAN
SOCIETY OF PLANT BIOLOGISTS
The wild rice consumed by our Neolithic ancestors was very
different from the domesticated rice eaten today. Although it is unclear when
humans first started farming rice, the oldest paddy fields--in the lower Yangzi
River Valley--date back to 4000 BC. During its long history of cultivation,
rice plants with traits that reduce yield or impede harvest (e.g., grain
shattering) were weeded out, whereas those with traits that increase yield
(e.g., highly branched flowering structures) were selected and propagated.
Although the resulting rice plants are super-producers that feed much of the
world's population, they rely on human assistance and cannot withstand harsh
environmental conditions.
Scientists can examine the genetic basis for some of the changes
that took place during rice domestication by comparing genes in cultivated rice
plants with those in their wild rice relatives. Using this approach, several
key genes that were altered during domestication, such as those affecting grain
shattering, have been identified and studied. Most of these genes encode
transcription factors that bind to other genes and regulate their activity.
A team of researchers from the National Centre for Biological
Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in India led by Dr. P.V.
Shivaprasad wondered whether another type of molecular regulator, named
microRNAs, also contributed to the domestication of rice. MicroRNAs regulate
specific target genes by binding to RNA copies of the gene and, together with
other molecules, blocking their activity or chopping them into tiny fragments.
In special cases, the resulting RNA fragments trigger a silencing cascade,
shutting down the activity of genes that are similar to the initial target gene.
The researchers compared the microRNA populations of
high-yielding indica rice lines with those of wild rice and several traditional
rice varieties. One microRNA species stood out: miR397 accumulated to high
levels in the flag leaves of wild rice, but was barely detectable in the other
plants analyzed. The scientists showed that miR397 silenced several members of
the laccase gene family via a silencing cascade. Laccase genes, of which there
are 30 in the rice genome, encode proteins that promote woody tissue formation,
thereby providing mechanical strength. By silencing a subset of these genes,
miR397 greatly reduced the formation of woody tissue. Furthermore, when the
scientists transgenically expressed the gene encoding miR397 in domesticated
rice, the resulting plants were more similar to wild rice plants than to
domesticated ones, with long, spindly stems; narrow, short leaves; few
flowering structures; and hardly any rice grains. In effect, the team partially
de-domesticated rice by increasing the levels of a single microRNA species.
These findings raise intriguing questions. If silencing several
laccase genes by increasing miR397 levels negatively affects yield, would
upregulating the expression of this same set of laccase genes boost grain
production? In addition, would reducing the levels of miR397 in wild rice
plants, and thereby lifting the repression of the laccase genes, improve
yields, while retaining the traits that allow wild plants to thrive in harsh
environments? "miR397 and laccase genes overlap with unknown genomic
regions predicted to be involved in rice yield. Modifying their expression in
wild species and cultivated rice would be useful in improving yield and other
beneficial characters. We hope that our finding promotes future research to
identify other changes associated with domestication of plants, spearheading
further improvement in crops for the future," states Dr. Shivaprasad.
DUBAI: Egypt’s state grain buyer, the General Authority for Supply Commodities (GASC) said on Thursday it was seeking cargoes of 25,000 tonnes of rice in an international purchasing tender.
GASC said it was seeking short grain milled white rice of any origin, with 10-12 percent broken parts.
The deadline for offers, to be submitted on a cost, insurance and freight (CIF) basis, is Nov. 12 and the rice is for arrival Jan. 1-31.
“Every supplier should submit four samples, each two kilograms, of their rice alongside their offer for testing,” Ahmed Youssef, vice chairman of GASC, said.
“We need to determine how suitable the rice is for our consumers’ taste,” he said.
Results for the tender will not be announced on the same day.
Further details on the rules and specifications are available in a booklet as of Thursday, Youssef said.
Traditionally a rice exporter, Egypt is estimated to need around 500,000 tonnes of rice imports this season as it cuts down on its local production to save on water.
Earlier this year, Cairo decreed that only 724,000 feddans (750,000 acres) of rice could be planted with the grain in 2018, which grain traders estimate is less than half of the 1.8 million feddans actually cultivated in 2017.
Rice Production Forecast To Fall 2.4 Pct In 2018: Data
South Korea's rice output is expected to fall slightly in 2018
from the previous year due to bad weather conditions during the harvest season
and a decline in rice paddies, government data showed Wednesday.
SEJONG, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point
News - 17th Oct, 2018 ) :South Korea's rice output is expected to fall slightly
in 2018from the previous year due to bad weather conditions during the harvest season and a
decline in rice paddies, government data showed Wednesday.
The country's rice production is
forecast to reach some 3.87 million tons this year, down 2.
4 percent from a year earlier, according to the data
compiled by Statistics Korea.
The 2018 estimate is well below the five-year average
of some 4.2 million tons.
A total of 738,000 hectares of rice
paddies were used to grow the staple grain this year, down 2.2 percent from last year.
The estimate is a bit higher than
the market demand for new rice, which stands at
3.78 million tons this year.
Brazil’s
next big grain? Researchers propose pearl millet as an alternative to rice and
maize
By Adi Menayang
- Last updated on GMT
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Getty Images / mirzamlk
Brazilian
researchers found that pearl millet has higher protein and fiber than rice, and
isolated bacterial strains from the fermented bran may have probiotic
potential.
Researchers from the Department
of Food Science and Technology at the Federal Rural University of Rio de
Janeiro in Brazil argued that pearl millet has “great potential as food” and “non-dairy
probiotic drinks.”
They explored the nutritive properties
of pearl millet, one of the basic cereals of several African and Asian
countries. Although it has been cultivated in Brazil for at least 50 years, it
has mostly been used as cover crop and animal feed, the authors wrote. “Climate
change can cause an increase in arid soils, warmer weather, and reduce water availability,
which in turn can directly affect food security. This increases food prices and
reduces the availability of food,” they wrote in their report, published in Food
Research International this summer. “Therefore,
knowledge concerning the nutritional and technological potential of
non-traditional crops and their resistance to heat and drought is very
interesting.” The researchers looked at published
studies surrounding pearl millet’s nutritive characteristics and use as a human
food. “Pearl
millet grains can be considered a possible alternative for food diversification
because they have the fibers, minerals, proteins and antioxidants with similar
or even higher levels than those found in traditional grains such as rice and
maize,” they
wrote, citing studies published in 2003 and 2016. Average carbohydrate content of pearl
millet is 72.2% compared to rice’s 84.9% and maize’s 78.1%. Additionally, it
has higher average protein content at 11.8% compared to maize at 9.2% and rice
at 8.6%.
A
2013 study published in Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research found
that, on a petri dish, pearl millet grains imparted a prebiotic effect, which
means it ‘fed’ and stimulated the growth of known probiotic cultures such
as Lactobacillus
rhamnosus and Bifidobacterium bifidus.
When fermented, bacterial strains isolated
from pearl millet were linked to probiotic effects. They cited a 2015 study, in
which researchers “reported that Lactobacillus fermentum strains
isolated from fermented pearl millet grains presented antimicrobial activity
against Listeria monocytogenes and Staphylococcus aureus.” “This
cereal has significant relevance for food safety as well as being a viable
alternative for consumers seeking low priced, nutritious and sustainable food
products,” they
added. Source: Food Research International
A
man arranges sacks of NFA rice at the agency’s warehouse in Quezon City in this
file photo.
The National Food Authority (NFA) will hold another tender for
the supply of the remaining 203,000 metric tons (MT) of rice as the majority of
the offers during Thursday’s bidding was above the agency’s price ceiling.
The NFA said only 47,000 MT out of the 250,000 MT was approved
for supply by foreign traders, as most offers were higher by $29.20 to $50.30
per MT than the agency’s reference price of $428.18 per MT.
“We have to report to the council to address this. We need rice,
and we need to act immediately,” NFA Deputy Administrator Judy Carol Dansal
said in an interview with reporters after the open tender.
“We will have to rebid for the remaining volume. It is not a
failed bidding. It is just that not all the volume were taken,” Dansal added.
Dansal did not disclose more details as to when and where the
next tender would be held. She said the NFA Council would decide on the matter.
The NFAC is the grains agency’s highest policy-making body that oversees the
guidelines for rice importation undertaken by the government.
Thai Capital Crops Co. Ltd. made the lowest offer for Lot 3 in
Batangas with a volume of 18,000 MT at $426.30 per MT.
Government-run Vietnam Southern Food Corp. is set to supply lot
4 in Tabaco port with 15,000 MT after it offered $427.68 per MT.
Vietnam Northern Food Corp. was also declared as the lowest
bidder for the supply of 14,000 MT in Iloilo and Bacolod at $427.50 per MT.
The NFA allotted P5.833 billion for the importation of the
250,000 MT of 25-percent brokens, well-milled long grain white rice.
Winning bidders should deliver rice not later than November 30
as stipulated under the terms of reference approved by the NFAC.
The NFAC approved on September 25 the purchase of an additional
500,000 MT of imported rice, on top of the 250,000 MT it greenlighted on
September 4.
Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol, chairman of the NFAC,
said the 500,000 MT will arrive in the Philippines before the end of the year.
The additional volume would bring the total imports of the NFA in the fourth
quarter to 750,000 MT.
Manila is racing to fill state warehouses with imported rice to
cut the retail price of the staple and discourage unscrupulous traders from
hoarding their stocks.
Piñol said the NFAC has also approved a standby import authority
of 1 million metric tons for next year
Officials of the Bureau of Plant Industry
along with the National Food Authority conduct sampling on the sacks of
imported rice from Thailand inside MV Emperor 1 docked at the Tabaco City port
in August 2018. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / MICHAEL B. JAUCIAN / INQUIRER SOUTHERN
LUZON
Consumers are now starting to feel relief
as prices of rice in the market began to decline with the arrival of rice
imports and the beginning of the harvest season.
Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said
on his Facebook page that reports coming in from different regions across the
country showed reduction in the prices of commercial rice by as much as P5 a
kilogram –- the biggest decline since rice prices began to rise by the
beginning of the year.
The depletion of the government’s rice
inventory led for rice prices to shoot up to record levels, and were aggravated
by the delayed distribution of the subsidized staple in the market.
In Cabanatuan and La Union, prices of
commercial rice have gone down by P5 a kilo and P4 a kilo, respectively, while
prices in Metro Manila decreased by P1 a kilo on average.
The secretary added that they are expecting
prices to dip even lower by the last week of the month once the government
implements a suggested retail price (SRP) on four rice varieties.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) together
with the Department of Trade and Industry are looking to sell imported rice at
P38 a kilo, regular local rice at P39 a kilo, well-milled rice at P42 a kilo
and whole grain rice at P44 a kilo. The SRP will be reviewed every two weeks.
Meanwhile, farmers are now starting to
complain with the sudden fall in the farm-gate price of palay. From a high of
P25 a kilo, the crop is now being sold at P16 a kilo, according to DA.
The agency, along with the National Food
Authority, has started its rice procurement program with a buying price of
P20.70 a kilo. Aside from the additional P3 incentive, the NFA has included
incentives like farm machinery and equipment to those local farmers who would
sell their harvest to the government. /jpv
Only four companies were able to qualify in
the National Food Authority’s (NFA) bidding process yesterday for the purchase
of 250,000 metric tons (MT) of rice as most companies were not able to meet the
agency’s reference price.
Traders who talked to the Inquirer after
the bidding said they found the floor price of $428.18 a ton set by the grains
agency “too low.” Hence, the disqualification of most bidders.
Prices offered by most companies ranged
between $450 and $480 a ton. Of the 14 companies that participated, only four
were able to meet the reference price.
While the NFA did not consider Thursday’s
bidding as a failure, its deputy administrator for marketing operations, Judy
Carol Dansal, said they had to rebid the remaining volume immediately.
Of the 250,000 MT of rice, only 47,000 MT
were bid out. Companies that passed the bidding included Thai Capital Crops Co.
Ltd., Vietnam Southern Food Corp. (Vinafood) I and II, and Khiem Thanh
Agricultural High Technology Joint Stock Co.
The rice to be imported were divided into
nine lots. Of those, Thai Capital offered $426.23 a ton for the purchase of
18,000 MT of rice for Lot 3 while Vinafood II offered $427 a ton for the
purchase of 14,000 MT of rice for Lot 4.
The government has yet to decide on who
will win the shipments for Lot 5 between Vinafood I and Khiem Thanh, which
offered $427.50 and $428 a ton, respectively, for the purchase of 14,000 tons
of rice.
The remaining 203,000 MT of rice will have
to be rebid, although the NFA has yet to decide when.
Asked whether the agency would consider
raising its reference price to accommodate more players, Dansal said this would
be up to the NFA Council. Earlier this year, NFA adjusted its floor price after
a failed bidding.
The current volume is part of the
government’s additional rice imports under the NFA. It has already purchased
500,000 MT of the staple during the first semester, while an additional 750,000
tons of rice are expected to arrive before the year ends.
Retail prices of rice have been on an
uptrend since the start of the year. As of last month, prices of the staple
continued to increase despite the slight reduction in wholesale prices in the
last three weeks of September, thus leading to the further acceleration of the
inflation rate.
Based on the end-September data of the
Philippine Statistics Authority, wholesale rice prices started to decline in
the latter part of September, but the reduction has not yet been reflected in
the retail market.
The average wholesale price of
regular-milled and well-milled rice declined by 11 centavos and 25 centavos a
kilo, respectively, from early September. However, retail prices still rose by
29 centavos and 23 centavos, respectively.
Compared to last year, average retail
prices of both varieties increased by P7 and P8.03 a kilo, respectively.
PSA data showed that rice was the No. 1
contributor to inflation in September 2018, while food items in the consumption
basket accounted for more than half of the inflation rate in the same month.
The rice crisis that manifested itself
recently in the rapid spike in the prices of the staple, and the long lines of
people waiting their turn to buy a few kilos, would be a recurring problem if
the government does not implement both short- and long-term solutions.
As early as July, the National Food
Coalition and more than a dozen farmers organizations and cause-oriented groups
had called on legislators and policymakers to handle “carefully and prudently”
one proposed solution: the removal of quantitative restrictions (QRs) on rice
imports. This call for caution was in consideration of the lack of
competitiveness of many farmers against cheap imported rice. The groups also
warned about the dangers of excessive reliance on imports for the country’s
food self-sufficiency.
“Lifting the QRs on rice imports is not the
panacea to inflation or high rice prices, as some economic planners have
persistently claimed,” said the groups’ statement. “Making sustained
investments in our rice industry so that our rice farmers have a decent income
and livelihood and can compete with producers in other countries, in a way that
preserves the productivity of our farms, is the only sustainable solution. It
is the solution that should have been done many years ago, but has now become
even more urgent as we liberalize our rice market.”
The Philippines is not yet ready for a more
liberalized rice sector. Rice importation as a trade tool should only serve as
a temporary arrangement, in the same way that rice tariffication should not
serve as a permanent policy for food self-sufficiency.
The looming unregulated rice importations
will further exacerbate the hunger and impoverishment of many of our
countrymen. Small rice farmers will be beaten in the unfair competition with
cheaper imported rice; that could force them to abandon rice farming altogether
and result in the demise of small rice farm holdings.
Rice production sufficiency should be one
of our policy goals, to move the country toward achieving the right to adequate
food for all Filipinos. Importation will not provide a sustainable solution to
hunger, malnutrition and impoverishment.
To address
these pressing problems, legislators, especially senators, should pass the Zero
Hunger Bill, or the“Framework
Act on the Right to Adequate Food,” which has been submitted for deliberation
by Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, its main author in the Senate.
Senate Bill No. 111 stipulates that the
right to adequate food shall be realized progressively. This measure shall be
implemented and supervised by a commission on the right to adequate food. Among
the commission’s responsibilities is to harmonize laws, policies and programs
to create a national food policy that fleshes out the right to adequate food.
It targets achieving zero hunger in 10
years by developing and implementing a national food program that will entitle
all Filipinos to a minimum amount of food, and by increasing the area devoted
to food production to 50 percent of all prime agricultural lands in every
region. Domestic production shall be the chief means to solve the rice/food
crisis. A rice roadmap will focus on making rice farmers and Philippine rice
production more competitive.
Without adequate and nutritious food, large
numbers of Filipinos will be malnourished — underweight, stunted and wasted —
with little capacity or energy to think and act for themselves or their
country, leading to an impoverished and largely incapacitated nation.
Over the decades, the development goals of
the government have considered food more of a need rather than a right. Such a
perspective must be changed, because it subjects food to the usual technocratic
priorities and resource constraints, which, in the end, will only make food
undeliverable in timely and sufficient amounts.
The right to adequate food is no less than
the right to life. Thus, this law must be passed to make food a sustained
priority and a legal right, not an object of charity.
Congressional leaders must take appropriate
steps to pass the bill immediately. President Duterte should certify the bill
as urgent and make it his legacy.
Hunger can be eliminated in our lifetime,
by making sure that “ang pagkain ay sapat dapat!”
* * *
Aurea Miclat-Teves, president of FoodFirst
Information and Action Network Philippines, is a convener of the National Food
Coalition.
UF/IFAS-led Study May Lead to More
Heat-Tolerant Rice
OCTOBER 17, 2018
Rice, the most widely consumed food crop in the world, takes a
beating in hot weather. To combat the high temperatures, a global group of
scientists, led by a University of Florida researcher, has found the genetic
basis to breed a more heat-tolerant rice cultivar.
HORTICULTURE PROFESSOR BALASUBRAMANIAN
RATHINASABAPATHI (SABA). EXPERIMENTS, BEAKER, LABORATORY. UF/IFAS PHOTO BY TYLER JONES
“The productivity of rice, one of the three major cereal grains
feeding the world, is often affected by temperature extremes, especially
higher-than-optimal temperatures,” said Bala Rathinasabapathi, a professor of
horticultural sciences at the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.
Temperatures above 32 degrees Celsius, or just under 90 degrees
Fahrenheit, can damage rice, according to multiple studies performed in
rice-growing regions of the world.
Nearly 90 percent of the world’s rice is produced and consumed
in Asia, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United
Nations. In the U.S., rice grows mainly in Arkansas, California, Louisiana,
Missouri and Texas. Some rice also grows in Florida.
Rathinasabapathi led a recent study in which researchers
discovered DNA markers associated with heat tolerance that may lead to a more
heat-tolerant rice variety. He explained the use of DNA markers like this: Just
as police can identify people by their fingerprints, scientists identify genes
they’re interested in by DNA variations that are closely associated with the
genes.
Scientists usually find DNA markers very close to the genes of
interest. They call these “candidate genes,” Rathinasabapathi said. Thus, plant
breeders can select plants containing the desired combination of DNA markers to
efficiently identify plants with desirable genes and characteristics controlled
by those genes.
That’s the process scientists used in the new study. They
studied a population of rice plants derived by crossing a variety from India
called ‘Nagina 22’ with another line called ‘IR64,’ a variety developed by the
Philippines-based International Rice Research Institute, using conventional
breeding methods.
‘Nagina 22’ grows better and thus produces more rice than other
varieties, even under extreme heat, Rathinasabapathi said. But the quality of
the rice is not as high as some varieties, including ‘IR64,’ he said.
A future research goal would be to use the DNA markers generated
in this study to select for ‘Nagina 22’ candidate genes for heat tolerance,
combined with other traits from ‘IR64’ into one variety, he said.
Newton Kilasi, a former UF/IFAS doctoral student, Eduardo
Vallejos, a UF/IFAS associate professor and Jugpreet Singh, a former UF/IFAS
post-doctoral researcher – all in horticultural sciences — were among the
scientists who helped Rathinasabapathi with the new study. The research is
published in the journal Frontiers in Plant Science.
A popular breakfast choice has provided insight
into the collapse of rockfill dams, sinkholes and ice shelves. A team from the
University of Sydney, Australia, added milk to puffed rice in a tube under
pressure to simulate the crumbling of brittle porous materials in contact with
fluids.
Once the puffed rice in the milk at the bottom
of the tube was fully soaked and turned to mush, the grains above sank
downwards in a series of jerks that the team dubbed ricequakes. A clicking
noise accompanied each quake and the time between them increased roughly
linearly over time. Researchers Itai Einav and François Guillard described the
sounds as like the clicking beats of a slowing metronome.
Each jerk occurs when a micropore within the
puffed rice collapses because partial saturation with milk has reduced its
crushing strength, Einav and Guillard believe. This leads to a sudden, brief
drop in stress. Even though they may not be visibly wet from the outside,
puffed rice grains immediately above the level of the milk are likely to
contain liquid due to capillary action through their micropores.
Between each jerk, the puffed rice deformed by
creep. Puffed rice is very porous, brittle and soft so it’s handy for demos in
the lab – it’s easy to compact within a small space and short timescale.
According to the team’s “crushing wave model”
of puffed rice failure, the time between consecutive quakes scales with the
square of the micropore size. In geological materials such as soft coastal
carbonates or ice sheets, the micropores are much smaller than the typical 0.6
mm of puffed rice and the delays between quakes would be hardly
distinguishable.
The
gradual collapse of micropores could still influence the creep rate of these
materials, however. “The time signatures of the instabilities in our
experiments are reminiscent of observations of tidal icequakes from the
Whillans Ice Stream, Antarctica, which exhibit an astonishingly similar pattern
of incremental displacements,” write Einav and Guillard in Science Advances. The
slowdown in the waiting time between icequakes happens over many years and is
thus much milder than the slowdown of ricequakes, they add.
A scaled-up version of the model, the
researchers believe, could be relevant to geological pressures and durations in
crustal rocks and ice sheets. But first they’d like to test a wider range of
brittle porous solids and chemically active fluids in the lab, as well as trying
out different gravity conditions.
This is not the first time that researchers
have replicated rock deformation with a foodstuff; dry cornstarch is useful for
modelling brittle crustal rock whilst puffed rice has also revealed compaction
patterns in dry snow.
All for high-quality
seeds. PhilRice Bicol urged seed growers
and farmers to plant newly released and promising rice varieties during the
Rice Seed System Field day in Camarines Norte, Oct. 2. The project, Strengthening
the Seed Production and Distribution Pathways in Bicol and Eastern Visayas
Region (The Rice Seed Systems Project) showcased the following
varieties to farmers: NSIC Rc 25 (upland), NSIC Rc 346 (rainfed), NSIC Rc
440, NSIC RC 400, NSIC Rc 402, and NSIC Rc 360. Through a farmers’ votation,
the event identified NSIC Rc 360 as the best performing variety. Varities NSIC
Rc 25 and NSIC Rc 346 were also seen as promising varieties for the area as
they perform well even in times of water shortage. This varietal demo also
serves as the province’s seed source as the seeds were registered by the
partner-seed grower to NSQCS for seed production. Participants also identified
the best adapted rice varieties through a participatory varietal selection
called “Farm Walk.”
WATERED DOWN Medieval Angkor suffered a
big blow when the city’s water system reacted badly to a fluctuating climate, a
study suggests. Angkor Wat temple — a popular tourist destination — was once
part of Greater Angkor.
At the medieval city of Angkor, flooding after decades of scant
rainfall triggered a devastating breakdown of the largest water system in the
preindustrial world, new evidence suggests.
Intense monsoon rains bracketed by decades of drought in the 1400s
set off a chain reaction of failures in Angkor’s interconnected water network,
computer simulations indicate. The climate-induced crumbling of the system —
used for irrigation, drinking water and flood control — hastened Angkor’s demise, scientists conclude online October 17 in Science
Advances.
“Angkor’s critical [water] infrastructure acted to accelerate the
impact of climatic disruption,” says study coauthor and geoscientist Dan Penny
of the University of Sydney.
Complex infrastructure systems, from Angkor’s water network to
modern electrical grids, consist of many interacting parts. Troubles in one
part of a system can lead to the failure of other components.
Penny and colleagues devised a computer model of how a rapid shift
to periods of intense rainfall affected Angkor’s water system at the peak of
its complexity in the 1300s. A series of simulations indicated that, above a
critical volume of water flow, earthen channels carrying water into the system
began to erode and widen. Water was then unevenly shunted through junctions in
the network, gushing into some connected channels and trickling into others.
Meanwhile, accumulating sediment further decreased the volume of
water that newly parched channels could carry, intensifying the uneven flow of
water through the system. A breakdown of the entire water network would soon
have followed, the researchers say.
By the 1200s, Angkor, in what’s now Cambodia, was the world’s most
extensive city, covering about 1,000 square kilometers (SN: 5/14/16, p. 22). The city had
spent the previous several hundred years building and expanding a network of
canals, embankments, reservoirs, moats and other structures devoted to water
management.
But in the 1400s, Angkor’s king and many commoners mysteriously
abandoned the city. Some researchers have attributed Angkor’s demise to war
with a neighboring kingdom in present-day Thailand and possibly the tumultuous
replacement of Hinduism by Buddhism in the region.
But the new research paints a convincing picture of
climate-induced infrastructure collapse at Angkor, says archaeologist Charles
Higham of the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand, who was not involved
in the study.
Angkor, for example, depended on consistent irrigation for rice
fields. A breakdown of the water system would have undermined not only rice
harvests but also weakened public beliefs that the king held supernatural
powers justifying his rule, Higham suspects.
Climate change will make beer prices soar with temperatures, study
says
Beer
drinkers who may think that hotter summers provide an excuse for an extra
cooling tipple or two may be in for a nasty surprise.
Climate
change threatens to cause global prices to soar along with global temperatures,
as droughts and extreme heat result in shrunken yields of barley, according to
a new scientific report.
It says
the effect could be felt keenest in some of Europe’s most popular beer-drinking
countries such as Ireland, Belgium, Poland and the Czech Republic.
The
report’s authors stress that the effect of climate change on alcohol pales in
comparison to the life-threatening impact in parts of the world more concerned
with storms, drought, and food and water supplies.
But they
argue that the impact on daily lives in developed countries can prompt more
action to be taken.
Less barley, less beer
Barley
is one of the main ingredients used to make beer, and about a sixth of global
harvests go towards beer production. Emergency reserves are not generally
stockpiled in the same way as they are with food crops such as corn, rice and
wheat. The study – by scientists based in China,
the US and UK and published in the journal Nature Plants – forecasts that
depending on the extent to which conditions change, yields of barley may fall
by between 3% and 17%.
Researchers
used a series of climate and economic models to predict the effect on barley
crops of extreme weather produced by climate change. Similar methods have been
used for many studies on staple foods such as wheat and rice, as well as wine –
but not previously for beer.
Less beer, higher prices
Under a
worst-case scenario, prices would double on average and global consumption
would fall by 16%, the report finds. A best-case scenario would see drinking
fall by 4% and a 15% price rise.
It’s
thought the price of a 50-centilitre bottle in Ireland could soar to nearly $5
US (4.30€), while the Czech Republic and Poland – where beer is cheaper – would
see huge relative increases.
Crop
yields might actually increase in temperate areas such as northern China and
the United States, according to the research. But it predicts that domestic
beer consumption will still fall as more barley would be exported.
A global
decrease in production might hit beer disproportionately as most barley is fed
to livestock, which would be prioritised should there be a squeeze on supply.
How to safeguard the pint of the future
The
scientists say that consumers in developed countries who want to avoid
shortages would be wise to support policies reducing emissions of gases blamed
for warming the planet.
The
world’s biggest brewer, Anheuser-Busch InBev (ABI.BR), said this year it will
cut its greenhouse gas emissions by a quarter by 2025.
The
company has said it is also experimenting with developing drought-resistant
barley and is working with farmers to encourage water-saving initiatives.
The
report concludes by saying there is “something fundamental in the
cross-cultural appreciation of beer”, which for “many millennia… has been an
important component of social gatherings and human celebration” – even though
it is relatively unimportant compared to other life-threatening impacts of
climate change.
“Although
it may be argued that consuming less beer is not disastrous – and may even have
health benefits – there is little doubt that for millions of people around the
world, the climate impacts on beer consumption will add insult to injury.
WASHINGTON -- Food industry leaders
and innovators gathered last week to discuss consumer trends, public health,
and technological developments in agriculture and farming at the Food Forward
summit. The event was hosted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation and
presented a range of speakers who discussed the future of the food industry and
how it can adapt to changing consumer needs.
Panelists and attendees discussed how consumer
demands have diversified in the last 25 years. Once upon a time, it was enough
for a food product to simply be tasty, affordable, and convenient, whereas
today the modern consumer is concerned about a variety of other factors, like
sustainability, health, safety, and ethical practices. "This value
equation has exploded into a whole litany of different kinds of questions that
we're asking ourselves," said Leslie Sarasin, president and CEO of the
Food Marketing Institute. "This empowerment and engagement from consumers
is leading to what we call 'radical personalization.'"
But this increased and diversified consumer
demand for accountability and transparency from food sources isn't necessarily
a bad thing for food producers or retailers, according to Sarasin. Rather, it
is a challenge that the industry can rise to. "Meeting that need requires
information, a close connection, and for the retailer to have that understanding
of what's going on in their customer's minds. That's how the retailer is able
to meet those needs as we move forward in this industry." In a market that increasingly values
sustainability, local farm-to-table practices, and health and safety, U.S. rice
is in a prime position to tell our story and adapt to shifting consumer tastes.
"One thing younger generations tell us they want when it comes to food is
to understand where their food comes from, and we in the U.S. rice industry
welcome the opportunity to tell them that when it comes to rice, the answer is: right
here," said USA Rice Domestic Promotions Committee Chair Paul Galvani.
"You don't have to travel very far to eat rice when it's grown in your
backyard."
Nicole Davis, senior innovation manager for
Kroger's Our Brands, added that millennial consumers are also prioritizing
international foods more than ever before. "Our younger generations are
traveling internationally at more than twice the rate of their predecessors.
This gives them insight into new flavors and new foods, and they want to be
able to cook those things at home."
As a staple of much of the world's diverse
culinary traditions, U.S.-grown rice could benefit from this millennial hunger
for international dishes. "40 percent of millennials are preparing a dish
from another culture at least once a week," Davis pointed out. From
biryani to paella to curry, there seems to be a big opportunity for rice to
take advantage of this trend among young people. Their tastes may be global,
but their conscience is local, and that's a niche that U.S. rice is uniquely
qualified to occupy.
USA Rice daily
Rice Production Forecast To Fall 2.4 Pct In 2018: Data
South Korea's rice output is expected to fall slightly in 2018
from the previous year due to bad weather conditions during the harvest season
and a decline in rice paddies, government data showed Wednesday.
SEJONG, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point
News - 17th Oct, 2018 ) :South Korea's rice output is expected to fall slightly
in 2018from the previous year due to bad weather conditions during the harvest season and a
decline in rice paddies, government data showed Wednesday.
The country's rice production is
forecast to reach some 3.87 million tons this year, down 2.
4 percent from a year earlier, according to the data
compiled by Statistics Korea.
The 2018 estimate is well below the five-year average
of some 4.2 million tons.
A total of 738,000 hectares of rice
paddies were used to grow the staple grain this year, down 2.2 percent from last year.
The estimate is a bit higher than
the market demand for new rice, which stands at
3.78 million tons this year.
They explored
the nutritive properties of pearl millet, one of the basic cereals of several
African and Asian countries. Although it has been cultivated in Brazil for at
least 50 years, it has mostly been used as cover crop and animal feed, the
authors wrote. “Climate
change can cause an increase in arid soils, warmer weather, and reduce water availability,
which in turn can directly affect food security. This increases food prices and
reduces the availability of food,” they wrote in their report, published in Food
Research International this summer. “Therefore,
knowledge concerning the nutritional and technological potential of
non-traditional crops and their resistance to heat and drought is very
interesting.” The
researchers looked at published studies surrounding pearl millet’s nutritive
characteristics and use as a human food. “Pearl millet
grains can be considered a possible alternative for food diversification
because they have the fibers, minerals, proteins and antioxidants with similar
or even higher levels than those found in traditional grains such as rice and
maize,” they wrote,
citing studies published in 2003 and 2016. Average
carbohydrate content of pearl millet is 72.2% compared to rice’s 84.9% and
maize’s 78.1%. Additionally, it has higher average protein content at 11.8%
compared to maize at 9.2% and rice at 8.6%.
When
fermented, bacterial strains isolated from pearl millet were linked to
probiotic effects. They cited a 2015 study, in which researchers “reported
that Lactobacillus fermentum strains isolated from fermented pearl millet
grains presented antimicrobial activity against Listeria monocytogenes and
Staphylococcus aureus.” “This cereal
has significant relevance for food safety as well as being a viable alternative
for consumers seeking low priced, nutritious and sustainable food products,” they added. Source: Food Research International
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