Tuesday, October 16, 2018

16th October,2018 daily global regional local rice e-newsletter

Using puffed rice to simulate collapsing ice shelves and rockfill dams

October 15, 2018 by Bob Yirka, Phys.org report

The problem of partially soaked brittle porous media. Credit: Francois Guillard and Itai Einav

A pair of researchers at the University of Sydney has found that puffed rice and milk can serve as a stand-in to simulate collapsing ice shelves and rockfill dams. In their paper published in the journal Science Advances, Itai Einav and François Guillard discuss their experiments with rice and milk in their lab and what they believe it showed them about real-world collapse events.

Prior research has shown that ice shelves and rockfill dams have something in common—they both are prone to collapseevents. Collapse events occur as porous material at the bottom of a structure becomes saturated, making it weaker. At some point, the material just above the weakened material collapses down into the saturated material. With ice shelves, the collapse can be quite majestic—with rockfill dams, such a collapse can be catastrophic for those living downstream. For that reason, scientists would like to know more about how they work.

With ice shelves and rockfill dams, a collapse event can take a very long time and the material is quite large. Such characteristics make studying such events difficult. To get around both problems, Einav and Guillard came up with a suitable stand-in: puffed rice and milk.

To simulate what happens when a rockfill dam collapses, the researchers filled a hollow tube with puffed rice and then added pressure pushing down from the top—the bottom of the tube was sealed, preventing the rice puffs from being ejected. The researchers then added a small amount of milk, which seeped into the bottom of the tube.

Sketch of rockfill dam collapse under capillary action. Credit: Francois Guillard and Itai Einav

The researchers report that the milk was absorbed upward into the puffed rice until a certain point at which the pressure pushing down on the rice caused the dry puffed rice to collapse down into the softened wet puffed rice. As it did so, the dry puffed rice grains snapped, crackled and popped. The researchers dubbed the collapse event a "ricequake," and noted that they occurred repeatedly as milk continued to saturate each new bottom layer. They noted also that the time between collapse events grew longer.

Play

PlaySeek00:00Current time01:17Toggle MuteVolumeToggle Fullscreen

How to track time using cereal? This movie gives the answer. Credit: Francois Guillard and Itai Einav

Intrigued by their findings, the researchers created what they call a "crushing wave model," which they believe could prove useful for describing the behavior of much larger collapse events.

Schematic of the experiment. Credit: Francois Guillard and Itai Einav

Play

PlaySeek00:00Current time04:28Toggle MuteVolumeToggle Fullscreen

Video of milk injection into a puffed rice column under constant pressure, focusing on the region near the saturated/unsaturated interface (the video is 15 times faster than real time). Credit: Einav and Guillard, Sci. Adv. 2018;4: eaat6961

Read more at: https://phys.org/news/2018-10-puffed-rice-simulate-collapsing-ice.html#jCp

https://phys.org/news/2018-10-puffed-rice-simulate-collapsing-ice.html

15 OCTOBER 2018

Daily briefing: “I'm not denying climate change,” says Trump

“But I don't know that it's man made,” says the US President. Plus, delve into Stephen Hawking’s final paper and consider a call for a mass retraction of cardiac-stem cell studies.

Flora Graham

Hello Nature readers, welcome to your essential daily briefing of science news.

Rice is a staple food for almost half the world’s population.Credit: Erik De Castro/Reuters

Permanent funding for rice gene bank

The International Rice Research Institute gene bank in Los Baños, the Philippines, is celebrating the news that it will receive US$1.4 million a year “in perpetuity” from the Crop Trust, an organization that supports food security and crop diversity. The gene bank harbours some 136,000 types of rice and its wild relatives, which can be used to develop new varieties that are resilient to drought, flooding and other effects of climate change.

Nature | 1 min read

Trump: “I'm not denying climate change”

US President Donald Trump has reversed previous statements calling climate change a hoax, but shied away from agreeing with the scientific evidence that it is caused by human activity. “I don't think it's a hoax,” he said. “I think there's probably a difference. But I don't know that it's man made.” Trump also said that scientists who say that climate change is contributing to an increase in extreme-weather events “have a very big political agenda”.

The Telegraph | 5 min read

Watch more: US President Donald Trump interviewed on 60 Minutes (26 min video)

Asteroid touchdown delayed until January

The riskiest part of Hayabusa2’s mission — touching down on the asteroid Ryugu to collect a sample before returning to Earth — has been delayed. The asteroid’s surface is rougher than expected, so the mission team wants more time to plan the landing. The Japanese probe has already deployed three small landers, which have sent back images and data from the surface.

Nature | 3 min read

Institutions call for mass retractions

Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital have recommended that 31 papers from the lab of cardiac stem-cell researcher Piero Anversa be retracted from medical journals. The studies “included falsified and/or fabricated data”, the institutions told Retraction Watch and STAT. Last year, the hospital agreed to pay US$10 million to the US government to resolve allegations that Anversa’s lab used bad data to fraudulently obtain grant funding from the National Institutes of Health. Anversa and a colleague sued the hospital in 2014, charging that its investigation of the allegations had damaged their careers. That lawsuit was dismissed.

STAT | 6 min read

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“There are no stem cells in the heart. Quit trying to publish those results.”

Cardiovascular scientist Jeffery Molkentin welcomes the decline in the influence of Piero Anversa’s cardiac stem-cell research. (STAT)

FEATURES & OPINION

A global forecasting system for war

Artificial intelligence is poised to boost our ability to forecast war and terrorism, argue three researchers. They describe how to create a global data-driven system to predict conflict and promote peace.

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-018-07065-x

Rice gene bank gets huge funding boost to combat climate change

The International Rice Research Institute has secured indefinite funding to produce varieties that can resist high temperatures, droughts and floods

15 OCTOBER 2018 - 14:43 MICHAEL TAYLOR

Picture: ISTOCK

Kuala Lumpur — The world’s largest collection of rice varieties has secured indefinite funding in what officials say will be crucial for the development of seeds resilient to the effects of climate change.

The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) will sign an agreement with Bonn-based non-profit the Crop Trust on Tuesday in Singapore to secure $1.4m a year to fund IRRI’s rice gene bank in Los Baños, the Philippines.

“It is really important to the future of food security,” said Matthew Morell, director general at IRRI.

“Within those rice varieties are genetics that will allow us to preserve the ability to produce rice in the face of climate change,” he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

About 3-billion people — mostly in Asia — depend on rice as a staple. But as the world’s population increases, farmers are struggling to meet rising demand, while crops suffer from extreme weather conditions linked to climate change.

By 2050, annual global rice consumption is projected by IRRI to rise from 450-million tons to 525-million tons.

The Philippines-based IRRI was established in 1960 and one of its first activities was to collect rice varieties from around Southeast Asia and South Asia.

The IRRI conserves and shares 136,000 rice varieties with farmers, breeders and scientists, said Marie Haga, executive director of the Crop Trust.

The Crop Trust is building an endowment fund, currently at $300m, and hopes to eventually secure $850m to provide permanent funding for the IRRI’s rice bank, one of the most important agricultural gene banks in the world, Haga said.

Most of the Crop Trust’s funding comes from governments, and as the endowment fund grows, it will increase the number of crop collections it funds.

“The most important threat to food security is that the climate changes faster than plants are able to adapt,” Haga told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. “That’s why we need to help them and we can do that by natural breeding.”

Scientists at IRRI have used rice stored in the bank to develop varieties that can withstand drought and flooding, which are already threatening production in countries like India, China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Myanmar and Cambodia.

Morell said that a main focus was developing varieties that are more resistant to high temperatures, and more frequent droughts and floods from rain as well as the ocean.

“In Asia we have areas which grow rice along coastal zones, where typhoons bring sea water into the rice fields, so those genetics for salinity resistance is important,” he said.

Thomson Reuters Foundation

https://www.businesslive.co.za/bd/world/2018-10-15-rice-gene-bank-gets-huge-funding-boost-to-combat-climate-change/

136,000 Varieties of Rice Are Now Protected in Perpetuity

An annual $1.4 million funding grant will allow the International Rice Research Institute to help develop drought, heat- and flood-resistant rice varieties

image: https://thumbs-prod.si-cdn.com/iJYmddN3QzQ-6rlFEnjVpiYOtxQ=/800x600/filters:no_upscale()/https://public-media.smithsonianmag.com/filer/5b/3e/5b3eacda-21a3-4a6a-bbe9-25e2da365bc4/rice_field.jpg

Rice terraces in Yunnan, China. (Wikimedia Commons)

By Jason Daley

SMITHSONIAN.COM
OCTOBER 15, 2018 3:46PM

12201244

According to some estimates, half the world depends on rice as its staple food. But as the climate changes, rice cultivation is increasingly under threat by record-breaking temperatures, drought and flooding. That’s why, as Michael Taylor at Reuters reports, a group called the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) has collected and conserved 136,000 varieties of rice and recently received a commitment of $1.4 million in annual funding to maintain the collection.

Keeping an inventory of all those rice varieties isn’t just an academic exercise. While gene editing and synthetic biology get a lot of attention for their potential to develop more nutritious and resilient crops, the IRRI says the traits needed to survive a changing climate are already present in the seed bank. “It is really important to the future of food security,” Matthew Morell, IRRI’s director general tells Reuters. “Within those rice varieties are genetics that will allow us to preserve the ability to produce rice in the face of climate change.”

The new funding comes from an endowment fund set up by an organization called The Crop Trust, which was established in 2004 to provide ongoing support to the 11 genebanks of CGIAR, an international organization dedicated to food security and poverty reduction, which preserves 1 million varieties of food crops. “Today’s announcement validates 20 years of work and 50 years of thinking on how the international community can safeguard crops used for food and agriculture,” Marie Haga, executive director of the Crop Trust, says in a press release.

Researchers have already used rice held at the genebank to develop specialized varieties of the grain. One new variety, dubbed “scuba rice,” has food scientists particularly excited. Currently, about 49 million acres of rice fields in Asia are susceptible to flooding. If rice is flooded at the wrong time of year, however, it will not survive more than a few days. The new variety can withstand floodwaters for two weeks and is already being grown by 5 million farmers in Asia. A variety suited for Africa is currently under development.

Taylor at Reuters reports that researchers are also investigating the rice genebank to find varieties that can withstand salt water. “In Asia we have areas which grow rice along coastal zones, where typhoons bring sea water into the rice fields,” Morell says. “So those genetics for salinity resistance is important.”

Helen Briggs at the BBC reports that rice seeds can last for hundreds of years in storage, as long as they are properly packaged and stored at low temperatures. But maintaining those conditions takes resources and money. The funding for IRRI will begin will allow the seed bank to cover operating expenses and regenerate some of the rice varieties held in its collection as well as develop robotic techniques to manage and sort their huge collection.

Like this article? SIGN UP for our newsletter

About Jason Daley

Jason Daley is a Madison, Wisconsin-based writer specializing in natural history, science, travel, and the environment. His work has appeared in Discover, Popular Science, Outside, Men’s Journal, and other magazines.

World's largest rice science conference opens in Singapore, to discuss challenges facing rice production

1 of 3

Minister for National Development Lawrence Wong giving his opening address at the 5th International Rice Congress at Marina Bay Sands, on Oct 15, 2018.ST PHOTO: JONATHAN CHOO

PUBLISHED

OCT 15, 2018, 10:30 AM SGT

UPDATED

OCT 15, 2018, 9:03 PM

FACEBOOK TWITTEREMAIL

Jose Hong

SINGAPORE - The production of rice, one of the world’s most important crops, is facing major problems, such as slow growth and climate change, which could increase its price by more than 30 per cent by 2050.

“We need major changes to our rice and food production systems, to make them more resilient to weather disruptions, and also to reduce their emissions and their impact on the environment,” said Minister for National Development Lawrence Wong on Monday (Oct 15).

Speaking at the opening of the International Rice Congress, Mr Wong said that although Singapore is a rice consumer instead of a producer, the country has turned its limited land space to its advantage by experimenting with more productive farming methods.

“After all, necessity is the mother of invention,” said Mr Wong, who is also Second Minister for Finance, citing examples of urban farming that produce more rice with less land.

The congress, also called the “Olympics of Rice Science”, is the world’s largest scientific conference on rice. It is held every four years, and is in Singapore for the first time.

This year’s conference, organised by the International Rice Research Institute (Irri) and Agri-food and Veterinary Authority, brings together 1,500 participants from 40 countries including scientists, government officials and representatives from international organisations like the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

Among the announcements on Monday was a four-year partnership between Irri and Corteva Agriscience, the agricultural arm of chemical giant DowDuPont, which aims to improve global rice production and quality.

As Asians get rich and healthy, 'smart crops' replace rice on future menus

Worrying surge in rice prices: Inquirer

According to the two bodies, rice production needs to dramatically increase by 25 per cent over the next 25 years to meet the growing demands of the world’s population.

Both organisations will draw on each other’s scientific strengths to breed rice that will overcome looming challenges of climate change and decreased rice productivity.

Corteva, for instance, has access to seven million farmers throughout South and South-east Asia through its educational and outreach programmes, while Irri has expertise in rice genetics.

Mr Peter Ford, president of Corteva Agriscience (Asia-Pacific), said: “Our shared goal for this partnership is to help rice farmers to become more productive and sustainable.”

Irri director-general Matthew Morell said Singapore’s importance to international trade made it a natural choice for this year’s conference: “While agriculture plays a limited role in the economy of Singapore, the country is a significant logistics and shipping hub for rice trade. In addition, its robust financial market and reputation for regulatory rigour position it as an ideal location for a rice futures market that can help ensure the availability and affordability of rice worldwide.

“The International Rice Congress 2018 in Singapore provides a springboard for meaningful discussions on the policies, innovations and partnerships that can drive the growth of an equitable global rice sector.”

Ms Kundhavi Kadiresan, FAO assistant director-general and regional representative for Asia and the Pacific, said: “The world is changing rapidly, and the future world rice economy will look much different than it does today.

“Diets are changing towards fish, meat, fruits and vegetables, although rice will remain the foundation of Asian diets, especially for the poor.”

Mr Wong said that everyone needs to come together to overcome the vast challenges facing rice’s future.

“Agriculture can and must be part of the solution to tackling climate change. We must intensify our research, enterprise and collaboration efforts to transform rice and agricultural production methods,” he said.

The congress, held at Marina Bay Sands, runs until Wednesday.

TOPICS:

· FOOD AND BEVERAGE SECTOR

· SCIENCE

· LAWRENCE WONG

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/worlds-largest-rice-science-conference-opens-in-singapore-to-discuss-challenges-facing

Price and subsidies cast a shadow over rice policy

Economy October 16, 2018 01:00

By PHUWIT LIMVIPHUWAT
THE NATION, SINGAPORE

PRICE STABILITY and government subsidies are two key challenges facing international rice trade, experts say.

“On the issue of how much countries can rely on imports of rice alone to sustain their population, I would say that large countries like India need to achieve self-sufficiency,” said Ashok Gulati, former chairman of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Price, at the 5th International Rice Congress yesterday during a panel discussion.

The Congress is the biggest gathering of leaders, scientists, policymakers, agriculture experts and technology providers in the rice sector. It is organised by the International Rice Research Institute and the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore. It provides panel discussions and a venue for all players in the rice industry to meet, share and learn about the latest policies and technological innovations shaping the future of the world’s most important staple crop. The congress is held once every four years.

Despite continuous growth in the volume of international rice trade, reliance on rice imports is still questionable for large countries like India, Gulati said.

“There can be tectonic shifts in the price of rice, as seen from the 2007-8 crisis when the price of rice in India more than doubled. Despite these crises, India is still the largest exporter of rice in the world. Last year, India’s rice exports were valued at $7.7 billion,” he said.

However, when the price of rice spikes, large countries will struggle to feed their populations if they rely only on rice imports. Hence, instead of relying heavily on rice imports, large countries also have to achieve self-sufficiency in rice production and strike a correct balance on the volume of buffer stocks they hold, he suggested.

The second challenge to international rice trade is government subsidies to local smallholdings farmers. Subsidies not only hinder international trade, but also discourage efficiency, leading to slower adoption of new agricultural technology, according to Gulati.

Instead of giving free subsidies, governments need to change their policy in order to incentivise farmers to use new technology and save energy. This is equivalent to rewarding farmers who adopt new agricultural technology to improve production efficiency, he says.

From January to August, Thailand exported a total of Bt115.71 billion worth of rice globally, growing by 5.05 per cent compared to the same period last year. Despite the growing export value, the growth rate has fallen.

From January to August 2017, the total value of rice exports from the Kingdom were worth Bt110.15 billion, up 14.15 per cent compared to the same period in 2016, according to the Information and Communication Technology Centre with cooperation from the Customs Department

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/Economy/30356484

World's largest rice science conference opens in Singapore, to discuss challenges facing rice production

1 of 3

Minister for National Development Lawrence Wong giving his opening address at the 5th International Rice Congress at Marina Bay Sands, on Oct 15, 2018.ST PHOTO: JONATHAN CHOO

PUBLISHED

OCT 15, 2018, 10:30 AM SGT

UPDATED

OCT 15, 2018, 9:03 PM

FACEBOOK TWITTEREMAIL

Jose Hong

“After all, necessity is the mother of invention,” said Mr Wong, who is also Second Minister for Finance, citing examples of urban farming that produce more rice with less land.

The congress, also called the “Olympics of Rice Science”, is the world’s largest scientific conference on rice. It is held every four years, and is in Singapore for the first time.

As Asians get rich and healthy, 'smart crops' replace rice on future menus

Worrying surge in rice prices: Inquirer

According to the two bodies, rice production needs to dramatically increase by 25 per cent over the next 25 years to meet the growing demands of the world’s population.

Both organisations will draw on each other’s scientific strengths to breed rice that will overcome looming challenges of climate change and decreased rice productivity.

Corteva, for instance, has access to seven million farmers throughout South and South-east Asia through its educational and outreach programmes, while Irri has expertise in rice genetics.

Mr Peter Ford, president of Corteva Agriscience (Asia-Pacific), said: “Our shared goal for this partnership is to help rice farmers to become more productive and sustainable.”

“Diets are changing towards fish, meat, fruits and vegetables, although rice will remain the foundation of Asian diets, especially for the poor.”

Mr Wong said that everyone needs to come together to overcome the vast challenges facing rice’s future.

The congress, held at Marina Bay Sands, runs until Wednesday.

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/worlds-largest-rice-science-conference-opens-in-singapore-to-discuss-challenges-facing

Malys Angkor crowned World’s best rice

Sok Chan / Khmer Times

Cambodian premium fragrant rice, Malys Angkor, won the World’s Best Rice award – the fourth achievement it earned for Cambodia, after landing second in the last three years.

The award ceremony took place in Hanoi, Vietnam during the 10th TRT World Rice Conference 2018 held on October 10 to 12.

Since participating in the annual World Best Rice contest, Cambodia’s rice has been crowned four times with best awards – in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2018.

Cambodia’s premium fragrant rice came ahead of Vietnam, Thailand and Italy which are the top four finalists.

Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF) released a statement on Friday saying the brand winning the award resulted from Cambodia’s strong effort to purify the seed, expand the rice and paddy quality, and bolster the standard of rice milling.

It added that Cambodia has a good paddy variety and the rice has the best taste. He said Cambodia’s environment is favorable for the agriculture sector, particularly for rice cultivation considering the fact that paddy is grown around the Tonle Sap Lake.

“The World Best Rice Award winning will boost the country’s image; add value to Cambodian rice, and the chance to promote the Malys Angkor brand, as well as other Cambodian rice to the international market.

“CRF has been cooperating with the relevant stakeholders to use the Cambodian Branding “Malys Angkor” to cover more and more Cambodian premium fragrant rice for supply to the local and international markets.”

Kann Kunthy, Amru Rice’s managing director, told Khmer Times there is no better time to win the World Best Rice Award again (4th time) given that EBA is hanging on a thread.

He said that it is good motivation for Cambodia to try even harder and smarter.

Mr Kunthy added that it shows Cambodia can be consistent in producing the best rice as its soil is of great quality.

https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50540271/malys-angkor-crowned-worlds-best-rice/

Vietnamese rice exports see constant growth

Monday, 2018-10-15 17:00:02

Font Size: | Print

The Vietnamese rice sector will attempt to increase the volume of fragrant rice, specialty rice and Japonica rice (Photo: NDO)

Font Size: |

NDO - The Vietnamese rice sector has made strides and achieved positive results over the past few years, with annual rice exports accounting for approximately 15% of the total volume of global rice exports. However, the brands of Vietnamese rice are not yet known by the majority of foreign consumers.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade held the 10th World Rice Conference in Hanoi on October 10-12, in a bid to raise the value of Vietnamese rice. The conference attracted a large number of international speakers, leading global rice companies and financial consultants in the field.

Vietnamese rice is present in 150 countries and territories worldwide

The production and export of rice have played a crucial role in the socio-economic development of Vietnam, particularly in recent years, said Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Do Thang Hai, at the opening ceremony of the World Rice Conference.

Statistics released at the conference showed that Vietnam's annual rice exports make up 15% of the total volume of global rice exports. The country exported over 4.89 million tonnes of rice in the first nine months of this year, with a total value of US$2.46 billion, an increase of 6.7% and 21.3% in terms of volume and value respectively, over the same period in 2017.

In particular, Vietnamese rice is now consumed in 150 countries and territories across the world including demanding markets. Vietnam remained the world’s third largest rice exporter in 2017 after India and Thailand.

Hai noted that progress in rice production along with appropriate farming methods have gradually enhanced the quality of Vietnamese rice.

"Remarkably, the Government issued Decree No.107/2018/NĐ-CP on August 15, 2018, to replace Decree No.109/NĐ-CP dated November 4, 2010, on the export of rice, which will create a favourable environment and promote the investment, trading and export of rice," Hai stated.

He said that the new decree alongside other mechanisms and the project on the restructuring of the rice sector will contribute to boosting the linkages between production and markets, while ensuring the quality of rice exports and affirming the reputation and brand name of Vietnamese rice.

Senior Vice President and Global Business Line Leader of Agriworld at Intertek, Rui Esteves, said that Vietnam has recorded impressive economic growth over the past 10 years. The country has also signed a number of trade agreements with European countries and other countries across the world which will facilitate the export of Vietnamese goods, Rui Esteves noted.

"Vietnam is one of the world’s largest rice and coffee exporters and there are many other types of goods that are expected to make huge contributions to the country's economic growth in the future," Rui Esteves added.

Brand name of Vietnamese rice remains unknown

Although Vietnamese rice is present in many countries around the world, Deputy Minister Hai admitted that the rice products of Vietnamese brands are not well-known by the majority of end consumers in other countries.

"Although Vietnamese rice has been available in most countries and territories around the world, including demanding markets, the capacity of rice traders in getting access to markets, signing contract, dealing with international trade disputes, and joining the global value chain remains limited. The brand name of Vietnamese rice is unpopular to a majority of consumers in foreign countries, "Deputy Minister Hai said.

Vietnam looks towards clean rice production

Hai also stated that Vietnamese rice is facing fiercer competition amid tightened policies from import and export countries in addition to impacts of climate change and new diseases.

Thus, the Vietnamese rice sector will move towards clean and organic rice production, while diversifying its products processed from rice. In addition, more specialised growing areas of high-quality rice will be built following standard procedures from the selection of seedling to cultivation, harvesting, processing and packaging.

The national rice sector will also attempt to develop its prestige and brand name in the international market through increasing the volume of fragrant rice, specialty rice and Japonica rice, while reducing the volume of low-grade rice.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade will also increase negotiations and open the rice market as well as organising more trade promotion and brand building activities for Vietnamese rice.

"Decree No.107/2018 /NĐ-CP effective on October 1, 2018, has helped to perfect the legal framework on rice exports, facilitating the export of organic rice and rice with micronutrients, while enhancing the quality of Vietnamese rice exports," Hai said

http://en.nhandan.org.vn/business/item/6722402-vietnamese-rice-exports-see-constant-growth.html

IRRI, Corteva ink agreement on rice research as firm launches in Asia Pacific

Tarra Quismundo, ABS-CBN News

Posted at Oct 15 2018 08:32 PM

· Save

· Facebook

· Twitter

· GPlus

· LinkedIn

Officials of IRRI and Corteva sign an agreement for a 4-year collaboration on rice breeding research on the sidelines of the 5th International Rice Congress in Singapore, October 15, 2018. Handout

SINGAPORE - The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and agricultural firm Corteva Agriscience on Monday signed an agreement that would support rice breeding research to bring innovation from laboratory to farm faster as part of efforts to ensure food security amid population growth and climate change.

This as Corteva, the agriculture division of US firm DowDuPont, launched its Asia-Pacific operations at the 5th International Rice Congress here, touching base with agriculture experts, officials from government and international non-profit organizations, and representatives from the academe, among others.

Under a four-year agreement with an undisclosed price tag, IRRI, based in Los Baños, Laguna, and Corteva will exchange technologies on rice breeding, including the development of resilient rice varieties.

“We would like to get what we call impact acceleration, meaning the capacity to translate innovations developed by IRRI into products that are useful to rice farmers,” said IRRI Tech Transfer head Remy Bitoun in a press conference Monday afternoon.

Peter Ford, Corteva’s Asia Pacific head, said the partnership aims to “develop new and better solutions for farmers,” including technology geared towards improving farming productivity and profitability.

The pact leverages Corteva’s core business- a line of recognized seed brands and crop protection products- with IRRI’s rice development research for the benefit of farmers.

“Rice is a natural priority crop for us. We’re absolutely committed to the Asia-Pacific region and to continuing our innovation and our leadership in rice,” said Ford.

The pact will also give Corteva a “non-exclusive research license” to elite genetic material being developed by IRRI, said Bitoun.

In introducing Corteva at the conference, its Vice President for External Affairs and Chief Sustainability Officer Krysta Harden explained how the origin of the company’s name- 'cor’ for ‘heart’ and ‘teva’ for 'nature'- captures what the company is.

“The heart of nature. Some say earth- that is the meaning, the oomph of who we are as a company,” said Harden.

Corteva Agriscience’s for External Affairs and Chief Sustainability Officer Krysta Harden delivers a keynote address at the 5th International Rice Congress in Singapore, October 15, 2018. Handout

She said the firm aims to educate farmers “so they can be more profitable, so they can produce the food we need.” She noted how, by estimates, food production must increase by 70 percent by 2050, when global population is expected to hit 10 billion.

Harden, who comes from a family of peanut growers in the US, cited the impact of climate change on farming: “It’s hard to know what kind of impact you have when your business partner is mother nature.”

Given this, the company makes sure to be grounded on land- that is, business strategies are based on inputs from farmers themselves.

“It’s making sure we’re working with farmers, we’re listening to farmers. We don’t just make decisions in boardrooms around the world, we do it in the farm… We go out, we listen, we talk to them, we understand the partnerships we need, we make sure we do this right,” she said.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/10/15/18/irri-corteva-ink-agreement-on-rice-research-as-firm-launches-in-asia-pacific

NFA plans to keep rice supply balanced even with more imports

October 15, 2018 | 12:04 am

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn

Font Size

· A A A

A worker carrying rice at NFA warehouse in Quezon City. -- PHILIPPINE STAR/MICHAEL VARCAS

THE National Food Authority (NFA) said President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s order to freely import rice will not disadvantage farmers as the government will remain responsible for keeping the overall rice supply in equilibrium.

In a phone interview, NFA Spokesperson Angel G. Imperial said: “Rice supply needs to be balanced — there cannot be an undersupply or oversupply… The balance should always be maintained. There should be equilibrium.”

“The government is responsible for balancing the market based on the data available from the Philippine Statistics Authority,” Mr. Imperial said, suggesting that imports will be calibrated to match the degree to which domestic production cannot supply the market.

According to Mr. Imperial, Mr. Duterte’s directive only means removing administrative impediments and non-tariff barriers and not unrestricted rice imports.

“What he meant was unimpeded importation processes… to be removed are the administrative impediments and non-tariff barriers to ease the entry of agricultural products, particularly rice,” Mr. Imperial said.

“Does that mean anyone can import? In the absence of a document or written instruction, we will still follow the law, which sets a Minimum Access Volume (MAV) for imports,” Mr. Imperial said.

The MAV of rice for the Philippines is set at 805,200 metric tons. MAV is the volume of a specific agricultural good allowed to be imported with a lower tariff as committed by the Philippines to the World Trade Organization (WTO).

The Federation of Free Farmers (FFF) has said that it was alarmed by the prospect of imported rice flooding the market, to the detriment of farmers.

“We have been run over by TRAIN. Now we will be swept by a flood of imports,” FFF President Ruben D. Presilda said, referring to the tax reform law that has been blamed for rising prices.

FFF national policy board chairman and former Agriculture Secretary Leonardo Q. Montemayor also expressed concern over the Senate version of the rice tariffication bill, which would allow rice to be more imported freely while charging tariffs on shipments.

“Almost all countries, including those in ASEAN, and even advanced countries like Japan and South Korea, require all rice importers to obtain licenses so that imports can be monitored and kept within bounds,” Mr. Montemayor said.

Mr. Imperial, however said that the NFA disagrees with the bill’s proposal to remove the import-licensing powers of the agency.

“The licensing power should be there because one function of the NFA is to regulate,” Mr. Imperial said.

He said no one wants oversupply, which would mean no profits for everyone. It has to be acceptable to all,” Mr. Imperial added. — Reicelene Joy N. Ignacio

Duterte never approved ‘unimpeded’ rice imports — Piñol

SHARES

Updated October 16, 2018, 12:27 AM

By Argyll Cyrus Geducos

Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol said President Duterte never ordered the unimpeded rice importation as it would be a disservice and an injustice to Filipinos, particularly the local farmers.

Department of Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Pinol
(AP Photo/Bullit Marquez / MANILA BULLETIN)

Piñol made the statement a week after former Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said that Duterte gave the green light to unimpeded rice imports to bring down the price of the food staple in markets.

In a press briefing in Malacañang, Piñol said that Duterte never uttered such words during their last Cabinet meeting.

“The President never used the word ‘unimpeded importation’. Indeed, he said let’s flood the market with rice. But to say that importation will be unimpeded, would mean like throwing away all of the rules in the book and just allowing just everybody to load rice in the boat and bring it to the Philippines,” he said Monday.

“The President never used the word ‘unimpeded importation’ because that would be a disservice and injustice to the Filipino people,” he added.

According to Piñol, Duterte’s order was to fill up warehouses with rice even if they exceed the facility’s volume.

“He directed us to make sure that there will be sufficient rice supply. Sinabi niya, ‘di baleng umapaw sa bodega, ‘di baleng sumobra, ‘wag lang kumulang (He said that it doesn’t matter if the supply goes through the roof of the warehouse, as long as there is no shortage). Those were the statements of the President,” he said.

The Agriculture Secretary then said that farmers are getting nervous about such statement as it may mean an end to their livelihood.

“Kinakabahan ‘yung ating mga farmers eh. Kasi pag sinabi mong (Our farmers are getting nervous because when you say) unimpeded importation, you throw away all the rules and guidelines to the wastebasket and just bring in rice,” Piñol said.

Piñol said that they will implement guidelines and follow the law on rice importation. He also said that the National Food Authority (NFA) will continue to have a role in this process.

“We will come up with the guidelines as directed by the President but this will be based on what is legal and what is prescribed in the law,” he said.

“You cannot just say that the NFA will have no more role in the importation because that would effectively throw away the mandate of the NFA into the wastebasket. Luluwagan namin ‘yung importation pero meron pa ring mga prosesong susundin (We will just make it easy but there will still be a process to follow),” he added.

Last week, Roque said Duterte approved removing restrictions in the importation of rice to the country in an attempt to lower rice prices.

Consumer prices rose to 6.7 percent for the ninth straight month in September, from 6.4 percent in August. At 6.7 percent, September inflation was the fastest since February 2009.

https://news.mb.com.ph/2018/10/15/duterte-never-approved-unimpeded-rice-imports-pinol/

image: http://media.philstar.com/images/articles/gen5-meat-products-market-interaksyon_2018-10-14_22-33-58.jpg

In the latest report of the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), the Philippines is seen importing 300,000 metric tons of pork in 2019, which is 11 percent higher than this year’s expected 270,000 MT.

File

More pork, chicken imports set

307SHARES21621

Louise Maureen Simeon (The Philippine Star) - October 15, 2018 - 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines will continue to rely on imported agricultural products to meet the increasing demand as the country is expected to buy more pork and chicken meat from outside, according to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Domestic consumption will inch up three percent to 1.93 million MT from 1.87 million MT this year, it said.

Local pork production for 2019 will increase by only 1.8 percent to 1.63 million MT.

The Philippines will also hike its chicken meat imports next year by 10 percent to 340,000 MT from this year’s 310,000 MT.

“Shipments by major traders are fueled largely by rising consumption in developing markets, such as the Philippines, Angola, Cuba and Ghana,” the USDA said.

“Robust Asian demand, particularly from Hong Kong, Japan and the Philippines will benefit numerous shippers. Consumption in developing markets continues to be resilient, also fueling trade,” it added.

President Duterte recently issued Administrative Order 13 seeking to streamline procedures for accrediting importers of various agriculture products as prices of basic goods and commodities continue to soar.

AO 13 stated there is an urgent need to tame the price spikes of basic agricultural commodities by adopting measures that remove non-tariff barriers and streamline administrative procedures to allow importation.

In issuing AO 13, the administration said it seeks to address the shortfall in supply and ensure stable prices of agricultural products in the domestic market.

On the other hand, the USDA said global production will increase one percent to 114.6 million MT and worldwide consumption will likely rise by almost the same level.

The agency added that global pork exports next year could reach 8.79 million MT from the 8.54 million MT to be traded this year.

“The European Union will remain the top exporter, buoyed by higher demand in Asia, especially China. Brazil’s exports will rebound as growth to China and Hong Kong offset the loss of previous top market Russia. Import demand will also strengthen in Latin America, as favorable prices and changing preferences boost per-capita pork consumption,” USDA said.

As for chicken meat, global production will increase two percent to 97.8 million MT and worldwide consumption will also rise in the same pace.

USDA said global chicken exports next year could reach 11.62 million MT from the 11.15 million MT to be traded this year.

Meanwhile, a ranking administration lawmaker lauded the decision of the Philippine Department of Agriculture (DA) to increase the buying price of clean and dry palay by as much as P3 per kilo.

“It is a welcome relief for farmers who are worried about the effects of the government’s decision to lift the quantitative restriction for the importation of rice,” Davao City Rep. Karlo Nograles said.

Nograles, chairman of the appropriations committee of the House of Representatives, hailed President Duterte for placing the National Food Authority (NFA) under the DA.

Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol’s first directive was to increase the NFA’s buying price of clean and dry palay from local farmers, he said.

At the same time, Nograles urged the NFA now to “exclusively buy locally produced rice for its buffer stocks in order to prevent the economic dislocation of tens of thousands of Filipino rice farmers.”

Nograles noticed the last time the NFA had increased its buying price of palay from local farmers was in 2008, or 10 years ago. Since then, the NFA has given preference to rice importation to fill up its buffer stocks.

“Now at least, the NFA’s mandate is finally in sync with the mandate of the DA which is to provide support for our farmers to increase agricultural productivity,” Nograles said.

He added the nationwide adjustment of the buying price of palay would cover 37 provinces. Last week, Piñol signed the Memorandum Circular implementing the Buffer Stock Incentive, which increases the NFA’s buying of clean and dry palay to P20.70 per kilo from its previous rate of P17.70 per kilo. – With Delon Porcalla

Read more at https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2018/10/15/1860170/more-pork-chicken-imports-set#rSIslpZPwIZhIHWi.99 https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2018/10/15/1860170/more-pork-chicken-imports-set

· ATION

· SPORTS

· BUSINESS

· EDITORIAL

· LETTERS

· PNG REGIONS

· FEATURES

· CONTACT US

Solar-powered machines make light work on the farm

October 15, 2018The NationalBusiness

Article Views: 88

A SECOND rollout of solar-powered rice milling machinery took place on Saturday at Wampit village, Huon Gulf in Morobe.
Markham received its equipment on Thursday,
This was made possible through the Australian Incentive Fund.
National Agriculture Research Institute (Nari) director Dr Sergie Bang said the project was about encouraging the community to work together in the area of food security.
He said it also enabled the community to earn an income through agriculture.
“The project we are rolling out is funded by the Australian government and people of Australia through the incentive fund,” Bang said.
“Nari is the lead implementer in partnership with Trukai Industries Ltd, Project Support Services, the Morobe division of agriculture and livestock, and PNG Women in Agriculture.
“We are all working together to put this project into operation.”
He said 70 solar-powered rice milling machines would be delivered to rural communities in the nine districts of Morobe.
Nari will train farmers to operate the machinery. Bang said the project promoted gender equality.
“Annually, PNG spends over K300 million to import rice,” he said. “The quantity is at 250,000 tonnes.
“This project encourages farming of rice in the communities.
“When the mill is around, it helps reduce the labour of removing rice husks which is an obstacle that causes people not to involve themselves in rice farming. We are giving out rice-milling machinery to each community and encouraging them to grow rice.”
Meanwhile, machinery worth K192,000 was delivered to 12 farming groups in Markham on Thursday under the same programme.
The farming groups that received the solar-powered rice-milling machinery were Antir, Ragiampum, Zunagurun, Wafibampun, Antiragin, Biring, Umi Manzarang, Orori, Takom, Back Street Intoap, Itsir Atupan and Lavai (backstreet).
The handover of the machinery to rice growers in Mutzing is part of a pilot project that targets 30 rice-growing communities in Morobe.

https://www.thenational.com.pg/solar-powered-machines-make-light-work-on-the-farm/

Agriculture is backbone of the country, says former Morobe MP

October 15, 2018The NationalBusiness

Article Views: 44

Agriculture is the backbone of the country, says former Markham MP Andrew Baing.
Speaking on Thursday, he said he was impressed that National Agriculture Research Institute (Nari) and Trukai were partnering partner with the Australia government to put in the solar-powered rice milling machinery pilot project.
“Twenty-one years ago, I launched Nari at Travelodge in Port Moresby,” Baing said.
“The policy of the Government at that time was self-reliance. Agriculture is the backbone of PNG.
“I thank the Australian government for being our partners for over 43 years.”
Baing told the people that they should be proud that the pilot project was taking place in Markham. “The solar-powered rice-milling machinery will help us,” he said.
“I want to encourage you to be self-reliant and have food security at heart to be able to feed your family. You must make sure that you have food on the table for your family.
“Marafri (banana) in Markham is affected by diseases so we must look into new food such as rice.
“Markham has produced rice in my village Ragiampum which is called Hamamas Rice.”

https://www.thenational.com.pg/agriculture-is-backbone-of-the-country-says-former-morobe-mp/

Indonesia asked to set up JVs for palm oil production in Pakistan

Share:

Google+

NNI

October 14, 2018

READ MORE: Yemen president sacks prime minister amid economic woes

ISLAMABAD : Pakistan was a major importer of palm oil to meet its domestic needs while Indonesia was the world’s largest producer of palm oil and its investors should set up joint ventures in Pakistan for production and processing of palm oil that would help in reducing import bill. This was observed by Ahmed Hassan Moughal, president Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry, while exchanging views with Wisnu Suryo Hutomo, Head of Economic & Commercial Department, Embassy of Indonesia, during his visit to Chamber House. ICCI president said that Pakistan’s palm oil import witnessed 23 percent increase during the first half of 2017-18 and stressed that Indonesia should cooperate with Pakistan in enhancing local production of this commodity. Ahmed Hassan Moughal said that Pakistan and Indonesia should focus on promoting bilateral trade as the current volume of trade of around $2.5 billion was not reflective of their true potential.

He said that with serious efforts from both sides, the two-way trade could be increased up to $8 billion.

He said that after comprehensive review of the Preferential Trade Agreement between Pakistan and Indonesia, Indonesia had granted additional tariff lines to Pakistan and stressed that it should expedite the process of ratification of the additional tariff lines that would help in improving bilateral trade. He said that during the visit of President of Indonesia Joko Widodo to Pakistan in January this year along with a business delegation, both sides had signed several important agreements of cooperation and emphasized that practical steps should be taken for the implementation of those agreements in order to realize their actual benefits.

Rafat Farid, senior vice president, and Iftikhar Anwar Sethi, vice president, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry, said that Pakistan and Indonesia should enhance cooperation in agriculture field for achieving mutually beneficial outcomes. They said that both sides should promote partnerships between their private sectors to achieve win-win results. They assured that ICCI would like to work with Indonesian Embassy to promote business linkages between the business enterprises of both countries in order to explore all untapped areas of potential cooperation.

READ MORE: Govt to develop maritime sector on modern lines: President

Speaking at the occasion, Wisnu Suryo Hutomo, Minister Cousenlor of Indonesian Embassy, said that Indonesia was ready to cooperate with Pakistan in cultivation of high-yielding palm plants in addition to establishing palm oil refineries in Pakistan for meeting its domestic needs. He said that his country was also willing to set up joint ventures in the production and processing of palm oil along with manufacturing of high-value palm oil products in Pakistan.

He said that Pakistan was exporting rice while there was a huge demand of Pakistani kinnow and mangoes in Indonesia which should be exploited. He said both countries should focus on regular exchange of trade delegations to further strengthen bilateral trade relations.

https://nation.com.pk/14-Oct-2018/indonesia-asked-to-set-up-jvs-for-palm-oil-production-in-pakistan

IRRI to get permanent funding; international rice conference kicks off

Tarra Quismundo, ABS-CBN News

Posted at Oct 15 2018 11:26 AM | Updated as of Oct 15 2018 04:23 PM

· Save

· Facebook

· Twitter

· GPlus

· LinkedIn

SINGAPORE - The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), the world’s premier rice science organization, is set to receive permanent funding to support its initiatives towards ending world hunger.

IRRI, based in Los Baños, Laguna, is set to sign an agreement with Germany-based non-profit the Crop Trust for a guaranteed annual funding of $1.4 million on Tuesday, World Food Day, also the second day of the 5th International Rice Congress (IRC) here.

Watch more in iWantv or TFC.tv

“This is fantastic news for the future of rice research,” said IRRI Director General Matthew Morell in a statement.

“The Crop Trust funding enables IRRI to focus on using its large and diverse rice collection to benefit the world,” he said.

The funding will come from Crop Trust’s endowment fund, established in 2004 “to provide sustainable, long-term financial support to the world’s most important food and agriculture gene banks.”

“This is a landmark moment for IRRI and for the Crop Trust. At a time when many donors have increasingly complex demands on their resources, it’s important that the world’s crop collections are safe, secure and the gene banks functioning effectively,” said Marie Haga, Crop Trust Executive Director.

The funding will initially cover “essential” IRRI gene bank operations from 2019 to 2023, “including conservation, regeneration and distribution of its cultivated and wild seed collections” IRRI said.

Under the agreement, IRRI will also “provide expert advice to five national gene banks to help their crop conservation efforts.”

The pact will be renewed every five years “into the future,” IRRI said.

The Crop Trust is hoping that IRRI will be just the first of many significant global gene banks to receive perpetual funding from the organization.

IRRI has the world’s largest rice collection, with 136,000 varieties of the staple consumed by more than 3 billion people around the world. It has been at the forefront of rice research, including the development of high-yielding and climate-resilient varieties such as “scuba rice,” which can withstand submergence in floods for up to two weeks.

At the opening of the IRC here Monday, officials from global agriculture and research organizations, as well as host Singapore, reaffirmed their commitment to ending world hunger in symbolic rites where they pressed the “sustainability button.”

ABS-CBN News

✔@ABSCBNNews

Replying to @ABSCBNNews

Representatives from IRRI, FAO, IFAO, and host Singapore push “sustainability button” to renew commitment to end global hunger at Int’l Rice Congress opening | via @TarraQuismundo

6:25 AM - Oct 15, 2018

See ABS-CBN News's other Tweets

Twitter Ads info and privacy

Some 1,500 participants, including public and private sector representatives from 40 countries, turned up for what is considered “the Olympics of rice science,” where participants will engage in three days of discussions on innovations in rice production and trade, and other developments in agriculture.

In opening the conference, Morell emphasized the need for governments, the academe, research institutions, and the public and private sectors to work together towards addressing the threat of climate change to food security.

He cited the need to “recognize that transformation of the rice sector cannot be accomplished by any one rice research organization or the public or private sector alone.”

Morell added that IRRI continues to engage in “catalytic” activities that could lead to the “discovery, validation and implementation” of rice innovation to benefit farmers and consumers, as population increase continues to strain the world’s food resources.

In his speech, Gilbert Houngbo, president of the International Fund for Agricultural Development, called for investment in rural transformation as a means to address the risk of extreme hunger in impoverished parts of the world.

He cited the threat of droughts, floods and pest diseases to crops, further aggravated by climate change.

“Climate change is now magnifying these risks. The impact on small farmers, who often have no resources with which to cope, could be severe unless they are able to adapt,” he said.

He said it was “essential” to help small farmers double their agriculture production and, hence, their income by 2030, as envisioned under the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“If we are to achieve SDGs, if we are to end poverty and double small holders’ production and income by 2030, we need not only to innovate but for our ideas to be implemented and to be scaled up,” he said.

“To feed the world sustainably, we need rural areas to become places where new ideas are incubated and grown. Only the new and innovative approach with small holders at the center can deliver the rural transformation we are looking for,” he said.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/focus/10/15/18/irri-to-get-permanent-funding-international-rice-conference-kicks-off

Cambodia morning news for October 15

By Sreypov Men on October 15, 2018

Cambodia’s Hun Sen Slammed For ‘Extravagant’ Travel by Chartered Jet
Cambodian prime minister Hun Sen’s use of a privately chartered jet to fly himself and an entourage of 40 to a meeting of the U.N. General Assembly in September has sparked outrage on Cambodian social media, with many in the still-developing Southeast Asian country angrily questioning how the money was spent.
— Radio Free Asia

Cambodia resumes search effort with US for Vietnam War remains
Cambodia has agreed to resume a search effort with the United States for the remains of Americans killed in the Vietnam War, the Foreign Ministry said on Sunday (Oct 14), after suspending the programme a year ago as tension rose between the two countries.
— Straits Times

Cementing Cambodia’s future, but at what cost?
As the Kingdom’s construction boom continues, the local production of cement has evolved alongside it. But potential environmental issues may prove costly. The $262m state-of-the-art Chip Mong Insee Cement production plant stretches across 110ha of land in Cambodia’s Kampot province, glorious rolling hills of plant-covered limestone serving as its backdrop. The factory site is practically spotless, not what one might expect from a production facility with the capacity to pump out 5,000 tonnes of cement a day.
— Southeast Asia Globe

Malys Angkor crowned World’s best rice
Cambodian premium fragrant rice, Malys Angkor, won the World’s Best Rice award – the fourth achievement it earned for Cambodia, after landing second in the last three years. The award ceremony took place in Hanoi, Vietnam during the 10th TRT World Rice Conference 2018 held on October 10 to 12.
— Khmer Times

Wind power in Cambodia is possible, says regional power producer
As the world increasingly opens up to renewable energy, Southeast Asia Globe speaks to Olivier Duguet, CEO and co-founder of the Blue Circle, a renewable independent power producer based in Southeast Asia, to find out more about the region’s future energy path. The company has already begun work on a wind farm in Ninh Thuan province in South Vietnam – one of the largest in the region – and has its sights set on creating a similar farm in Cambodia
— Southeast Asia Globe

Tourism Ministry Records 1,388 Transactions from Top 10 Promotion Destinations in Laos, Cambodia
Ministry of Tourism managed to sell 10 leading tourist destinations in Laos and Cambodia with a potential of 1,388 transactions worth US$719,907. This was stated in the Ministry’s data quoted by Antara on Sunday (10/14/2018).
— Netral News

Enviromental NGOs call for EU not to sign timber deal with Vietnam
A group of environmental NGOs has called on the European Union to postpone the signing of a trade deal on tropical timber with Vietnam until Vietnam declares a moratorium on illegal timber import from Cambodia’s natural forests. Seven non-governmental organizations issued a joint statement on Wednesday, saying that there are serious flaws in the agreement because of continuous flow of illegal timber into Vietnamese market from neighboring countries, especially from Cambodia.
— Khmer Times

Kantha bopha hospital receives USD8,000 from learning jungle cambodia
Learning Jungle International School donated USD8,000 to Kantha Bopha Children’s Hospital on October 11. The school’s chairman, Mr Ly Virak, personally handed the amount to H.E. Chan Narith, head of secretariat of Kantha Bopha Foundation in Cambodia. The money, taken from the ticket sales during the kindergarten graduation and student performances in June, will be used to aid underprivileged children who are in need of medical care.
— Khmer Times

Cambodia, Asean need China’s ODA
Cambodia is not alone in looking to China for assistance in her economic development as other nations within the Asean sphere of influence and beyond is also looking at Beijing to provide global leadership to help steer their economic future.
— Khmer Times

Three traffic cops to be punished
The Preah Sihanouk Provincial Police will punish three traffic cops for taking a bribe from a Chinese motorist.
— Khmer Times

ANZ boss says bank will consider compensating Cambodians forced off farms for sugar plantation
ANZ will consider whether to compensate hundreds of Cambodian families who were forcibly evicted from their farms to make way for a sugar plantation and refinery partially financed by the bank, chief executive Shayne Elliott has told a parliamentary committee.
— The Cambodia Daily

‘CRASH SITE’ CLUES MH370 sleuth claims team of soldiers drafted in to search Cambodian jungle after plane wreckage spotted
AN MH370 sleuth claims he is teaming up with an elite squad of jungle troops in a bid to track down the wreckage of the doomed flight. Brit Ian Wilson will reportedly join forces with Cambodian soldiers on a mission through mountains to the north west of Phnom Penh.
— The Sun

Club fire kills one, injures two
A fire ripped through a nightclub under construction in Kandal province’s Ponhea Leu district on Saturday, killing one repairman and seriously injuring two of his colleagues. District police chief Captain Duong Teng, Ponhea Leu said the fire was caused by sparks from welding that fell onto a sofa as the three workers installed air conditioners.
— Khmer Times

Feature photo Asian Development Bank

This week’s Cambodia morning news feature photo acknowledges International Day of Rural Woman, October 15.

Find our previous morning news feature photos in the AEC News Today Morning News Feature Photos gallery where you will find a pictorial display of daily life throughout the Asean Economic Community (AEC).

Cambodia morning news by AEC News Today is your one stop source for Cambodia news on matters of governance and policies affecting Asean business communities. It is published M-F by AEC News Today: Governance, not government; policies not politics.

https://aecnewstoday.com/2018/cambodia-morning-news-for-october-15/

USA Rice Road Trip Heads to the Pacific Northwest

By Michael Klein

ARLINGTON, VA -- To encourage people to eat more U.S.-grown rice, last month the USA Rice Domestic Promotion team partnered with Aroma Housewares and embarked on a classic American road trip in a brand-new colorful and fun Ford F-150 festooned with food images that encourages everyone who lays eyes on the truck to "Get Creative - Start with Rice!" To help consumers do just that, everyone leaves the truck with an Aroma rice cooker and a one or two pound bag of U.S.-grown rice, recipes, tips, and more.

The team put the 2,000+ mile Midwest leg in the books and has now traded fertile ag land for lush landscapes of the Pacific Northwest. The leg began Sunday with stops at City Hall in Arlington, Washington, and farmers markets in and around Seattle. Over the next several days the #RideWithRice truck will be at multiple locations in Seattle, including the Seattle Pinball Museum, Occidental Park, and neighborhood hot spots.

Later this week the team moves on to state capitol Olympia and then to Portland and Salem in Oregon where stops will include farmers markets in Hillsboro and Oregon City, Willamette University, the Sake One Distillery, and more.

Consumers all along the route have been excited to see the truck, and of course snag their very own rice cooker. While filling up at a gas station in Woodinville, Washington, late Saturday night, the team was approached by a woman who demanded to know what the truck was all about. "I'm so glad I saw you, my son is afraid to cook rice because he always burns it!" Not anymore, ma'am. Not anymore.

Maybe changing our slogan to 'Jump Start with Rice'

More nutrition in wheat, rice: Is Modi govt up to bio-fortification to move from food to nutritional security?

Grain production plummeted from 89.4 million metric tonnes (MMT) in 1964-65 to 72.4 MMT in 1965-66. India became heavily dependent on PL 480 food aid from US and underwent a ‘ship-to-mouth’ crisis.

By: Ashok Gulati | New Delhi | Updated: October 15, 2018 1:27 AM

107

· SHARE

More nutrition in wheat

October 16 is celebrated as ‘World Food Day’ to mark the creation of United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in 1945. It envisions zero world hunger by 2030. Perhaps the occasion is incomplete without remembering Nobel Peace laureate Norman E Borlaug, whose ‘miracle seeds’ of wheat saved over a billion lives from starvation, and who also instituted the ‘World Food Prize’ in 1986, somewhat akin to a Nobel Prize in agriculture. Peeping into the past is important to realise the role of science and technology that paved the way for the ‘Green Revolution’, ensuring food security. Similar innovations in bio-technologies today hold promise to give nutritional security.

Rewind history and recollect that the Bengal Famine (1943) is said to have claimed 1.5 million to 3 million lives due to sheer starvation. India got independence in 1947 with a challenge to feed 330 million people. Situation became grim when India was hit by back to back droughts during the mid-1960s. Grain production plummeted from 89.4 million metric tonnes (MMT) in 1964-65 to 72.4 MMT in 1965-66. India became heavily dependent on PL 480 food aid from US and underwent a ‘ship-to-mouth’ crisis. No wonder, then, that self-sufficiency in food grains became top priority. India imported 18,000 tonnes of semi-dwarf high yielding (HY) wheat—Lerma Rojo and Sonora 64, developed by Borlaug and his team at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Mexico, that ushered in the Green Revolution in India. Adaptation of imported germplasm to innovate indigenous varieties—like Kalyan, by DS Athwal and Sona by MS Swaminathan—aided the spread of this revolution. Around the same time, HY miracle rice—IR8—developed by Peter Jennings and Henry M Beachell of International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) was imported.

About a decade later, improved variety IR36 by Gurdev Khush from IRRI also made inroads into Indian fields. In-house crash breeding programme under All India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) produced Padma and Jaya, the first indigenous HY rice varieties that formed the backbone of India’s revolution in rice. Later on, breakthrough in basmati rice came through Pusa Basmati 1121 and 1509 in 2005 through 2013, developed by teams led by VP Singh, AK Singh and KV Prabhu at Indian Agricultural Research Institute. This gave Indian rice more value with less water and 50% higher yields compared to traditional basmati. Singh et al. 2018, estimate the cumulative earnings through exports of Pusa Basmati 1121 and its share of the domestic market to be about $20.8 billion between 2008-2016.

Where does India stand today in terms of wheat and rice? While India’s population has grown by more than four times, from 330 million in 1947 to 1.35 billion in 2018, our wheat production increased by over 15 times (from about 6.5 MMT in 1950-51 to 99.7 MMT in 2017-18). India contributes about 13% to the world wheat production, next only to China with about 17% share. Rice production shot up by about 5.5 times (from 20.6 MMT in 1950-51 to 112.9 MMT in 2017-18), accounting for about 23% share in world rice production, next only to China with about 29% share. India is also the largest exporter of rice in the world with about 12.7 MMT (where Basmati is 4.06 MMT and Non-Basmati is 8.65 MMT), valued at $7.7 billion.

Notwithstanding foodgrain surpluses, India faces a complex challenge of nutritional security. FAO’s recent publication, The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2018, estimates that about 15% of the Indian population is undernourished. Further, ironically, 38.4% of Indian children aged below five years are stunted, while 21% suffer from wasting. That is, one in every four children is malnourished. Several factors ranging from poor diets, unsafe drinking water, poor hygiene and sanitation, low levels of immunisation and education, especially that of women, contribute to this dismal situation. But latest innovations in bio-technologies towards bio-fortification of major staples with micro nutrients like vitamin A, zinc, iron, etc. can be game changers.

Globally, the HarvestPlus program of Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) is already doing lot of work in that direction. In India, they have released iron rich pearl millet. But Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), independently, has released zinc and iron rich wheat (WB 02 and HPWB 01), rice (DRR Dhan 45), pearl millet (HHB 299 and AHB 1200), etc. in 2016-17. This could possibly lead to the next breakthrough in staples, making them more nutritious. Recently, a research team, led by Monika Garg, at National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI), Mohalia, pushed frontiers and innovated bio-fortified coloured wheat (black, blue, purple) through crosses between HY Indian cultivars (PBW550, PBW621, HD2967) and coloured wheat from Japan and America, rich in anthocyanins (antioxidants found in, say, blueberries) and zinc (40 ppm compared to 5 ppm in white wheat). For multiplying its production and evaluating its impact on health and nutrition, farmers of Borlaug Farmers Association from Punjab and Haryana have been roped in. This seems to be only the beginning of a new journey, from food security to nutritional security, and the best is yet to come.

But innovations in bio-fortified foods can alleviate malnutrition only when they are scaled up with supporting policies. This would require augmented expenditure on agri-R&D and incentivising farmers by linking their produce to lucrative markets. Can the Modi government do it? Only time will tell.

https://www.financialexpress.com/opinion/more-nutrition-in-wheat-rice-is-modi-govt-up-to-bio-fortification-to-move-from-food-to-nutritional-security/1349198/

From food security to nutrition security

Biotechnology can be a game-changer in the battle against malnutrition in much the same way that the Green Revolution was in ensuring self sufficiency.

246

· SHARE

Written by Ashok Gulati , Ritika Juneja | Updated: October 15, 2018 5:39:57 am

Innovations in biofortified food can alleviate malnutrition only when they are scaled up with supporting policies. (Illustration: Suvajit Dey)

October 16 is observed as the World Food Day to mark the creation of the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in 1945. The world body envisions a “zero hunger world” by 2030. Perhaps, the occasion is incomplete without remembering Nobel Peace laureate Norman E Borlaug, whose “miracle seeds” of wheat saved over a billion people from starvation. Borlaug also instituted the World Food Prize in 1986, which is sometimes described as the Nobel Prize in agriculture. It’s important to understand the role of science and technology in ushering the Green Revolution, which ensured food security in India. Today, similar innovations in biotechnology hold the promise to provide nutrition security.

In 1943, the Bengal Famine claimed 1.5 to 3 million lives. After independence, India faced the challenge of feeding 330 million people. The situation became grim when the country was hit by back-to-back droughts in the mid-1960s. Grain production plummeted from 89.4 million metric tonnes (MMT) in 1964-65 to 72.4 MMT in 1965-66. India became heavily dependent on the PL 480 food aid from the US. Self-sufficiency in foodgrains became the country’s top policy priority.

In the early 1960s, India imported 18,000 tonnes of the semi-dwarf high yielding (HY) wheat variety, Lerma Rojo and Sonora 64. Developed by Borlaug and his team at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Mexico, these wheat varieties proved to be the harbinger of the Green Revolution. Indian scientists adapted the imported germplasm to create indigenous varieties: Kalyan developed by D S Athwal and Sona created by M S Swaminathan. Around the same time, the HY miracle rice, IR8 — developed by Peter Jennings and Henry M Beachell of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) — was imported. About a decade later, an improved variety, IR36 — developed by IRRI’s Gurdev Khush — made its presence felt in the country’s fields. The breeding programme under the All India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) produced Padma and Jaya, the first indigenous HY rice varieties. These became the centrepiece of India’s rice revolution.

Breakthroughs in Basmati rice came with the development of Pusa Basmati 1121 and 1509 from 2005 to 2013. These rice varieties were developed by teams led by V P Singh, A K Singh and K V Prabhu at the Indian Agriculture Research Institute. Pusa Basmati gave Indian rice more value with less water and 50 per cent higher yields compared to the traditional basmati. V Singh et al estimate that the cumulative earnings through exports of Pusa Basmati 1121 between 2008 and 2016 and the sale of the rice variety in the domestic market in the same period to be about $20.8 billion.

Where does India stand today in terms of wheat and rice? While the country’s population has grown by more than four times, from 330 million in 1947 to 1.35 billion in 2018, India’s wheat production has increased by over 15 times in roughly the same period — from about 6.5 MMT in 1950-51 to 99.7 MMT in 2017-18. India contributes about 13 per cent of the world wheat production, next only to China whose share is about 17 per cent. Rice production has shot up by about 5.5 times — from 20.6 MMT in 1950-51 to 112.9 MMT in 2017-18. India has a 23 per cent share in world rice production, next only to China whose share is about 29 per cent. India is also the largest exporter of rice in the world with about 12.7 MMT, valued at $7.7 billion (Basmati at $4.17 billion and Non-Basmati at $3.56 billion) during 2017-18.

Source: Agricultural Statistics at a Glance, Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare, Government of India, Agricultural Processing and Export Development Authority (APEDA), Government of India.

Notwithstanding its foodgrain surpluses, the country faces a complex challenge of nutritional security. FAO’s recent publication, The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World, 2018 estimates that about 15 per cent of the Indian population is undernourished. More than 38 per cent of Indian children aged below five years are stunted and 21 per cent suffer from wasting. Several factors ranging from poor diet, unsafe drinking water, poor hygiene and sanitation, low levels of immunisation and education, especially that of women, contribute to this dismal situation. But latest innovations in biotechnology that fortify major staples with micro nutrients like vitamin A, zinc and iron can be game changers.

Globally, the HarvestPlus programme of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) is doing lot of work in this direction. In India, the group has released the iron-rich pearl millet. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research has independently released zinc and iron rich wheat (WB 02 and HPWB 01), rice (DRR Dhan 45), and pearl millet (HHB 299 and AHB 1200) in 2016-17. This could possibly lead to the next breakthrough in staples, making them more nutritious. A research team led by Monika Garg at the National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute in Mohali has innovated biofortified coloured wheat (black, blue, purple) through crosses between HY Indian cultivars (PBW550, PBW621, HD2967) and coloured wheat from Japan and America. These are rich in anthocyanins (antioxidants such those found in blueberries) and zinc (40 ppm compared to 5 ppm in white wheat). Farmers of the Borlaug Farmers Association from Punjab and Haryana have been roped in to multiply production of this wheat variety. This seems to be the beginning of a new journey, from food security to nutritional security. The best is yet to come. But innovations in biofortified food can alleviate malnutrition only when they are scaled up with supporting policies. This would require increasing expenditure on agri-R&D and incentivising farmers by linking their produce to lucrative markets. Can the Modi government do it? Only time can tell.

https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/from-food-security-to-nutrition-security-5401826/

NFA plans to keep rice supply balanced even with more imports