USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue Names New NRCS
Chief
By Frank
Leach
WASHINGTON,
DC -- Monday, USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue announced the appointment of Matthew
Lohr to serve as Chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Service
(NRCS).
Lohr comes to NRCS with an agriculture background, having served as the Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture from 2010 to 2013 and later working at Farm Credit of the Virginias. He currently owns and operates Valley Pike Farm in Broadway, Virginia, which includes poultry, beef cattle, row crops, and sweet corn.
"USA Rice looks forward to working with Mr. Lohr in his new role as Chief of the NRCS," said USA Rice Farmers Conservation Committee Chairman Leo LaGrande, a California rice farmer. "USA Rice has developed a strong relationship with NRCS over the past several years, and we look forward to educating Mr. Lohr on the innovative practices that rice farmers utilize to conserve natural resources on their farms."
Lohr comes to NRCS with an agriculture background, having served as the Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture from 2010 to 2013 and later working at Farm Credit of the Virginias. He currently owns and operates Valley Pike Farm in Broadway, Virginia, which includes poultry, beef cattle, row crops, and sweet corn.
"USA Rice looks forward to working with Mr. Lohr in his new role as Chief of the NRCS," said USA Rice Farmers Conservation Committee Chairman Leo LaGrande, a California rice farmer. "USA Rice has developed a strong relationship with NRCS over the past several years, and we look forward to educating Mr. Lohr on the innovative practices that rice farmers utilize to conserve natural resources on their farms."
USA Rice Daily
In a study that can help farmers, Indian scientist helps crops
grow safely in arsenic soil
File image of a barley crop | pixnio
An Indian scientist in UK
has conducted a pilot study growing Barley in arsenic contaminated
soil and is now looking at doing it in rice plants.
London: An Indian scientist in the UK is working on a way to grow
crops in arsenic contaminated soil, a study which is likely to have wide
ranging impact for farmers in north-eastern India.
Dr Mohan TC, from Dr Alex Jones
Laboratory at the School of Life Sciences at the University of Warwick,
conducted a pilot study in transgenic Barley and is now looking at doing it in
rice plants following funding from the Medical and Life Sciences Research Fund
(MLSRF), UK. The university made the announcement on Wednesday, to mark World
Soil Day on December 5.
“To stop the cancer-causing arsenic
entry into the food chain, it is essential to develop safe crops, through
restricting the translocation of arsenic to edible part,” he said.
“In our current project, we are
trying to manipulate cytokinin hormone in rice plants through genetic
engineering and we expect to increase the roots detoxification capacity of the
transgenic rice,” he said.
Warwick University said that
arsenic in soil is a worldwide problem. The chemical is carcinogenic and is
naturally found in water supplies and soil, particularly in parts of North-east
India and Bangladesh.
Arsenate is the most abundant form
of arsenic and is structurally similar to phosphate. Therefore, it is easily
incorporated in to plant cells through phosphate uptake pathway the process of
the roots absorbing nutrients.
However, when a plant absorbs
arsenic it can translocate it up to the edible part of the plant ultimately
arsenic enters food chain. Plants have an inherent capacity to cope with
arsenic stress by producing metal-chelating peptides called phyochelatins
(PCs).
PCs detoxify the arsenic and
restrict the movement of arsenic in the roots, which in turn helps to reduce
the root-to-shoot translocation of arsenic. Phyochelatins are therefore
essential in trapping the arsenic absorbed by the plant in the roots.
Scientists at the University of
Warwick wanted to make plants with more phytochelatins in the roots, to stop
any of the arsenic escaping and travelling up the shoot to the edible part of
the plant.
The university said this is being
done by making transgenic plants with reduced cytokinin hormone in the roots,
which means phytochelatin is boosted and can detoxify and hold more arsenic in
the root. – PTI
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The Hindi news channel editor who ‘thrives on provoking’ Hindu,
Muslim sentiments
Suresh Chavhanke | Facebook
In a widely shared tweet, Suresh
Chavhanke of Sudarshan News tried to link the Bulandshahr violence with a
Muslim congregation 40 km away.
New Delhi: Provocative assertions are nothing new for journalist Suresh
Chavhanke, who sought to connect Monday’s violence in Bulandshahr with a
Muslim congregation that took place 40 km away, in a tweet liked by over 3,100
people and retweeted by 1,300.
“In the unrest in Bulandshahr
Ijtema, children are stuck in schools and crying, people are in the forest,
they have shut the doors of their homes – locals say in conversation with
Sudarshan,” is the rough translation of what Chavhanke, the editor-in-chief of
the “nationalist” Hindi channel Sudarshan News, had written in the tweet.
The violence in Bulandshahr was
triggered by allegations of illegal cow slaughter, and led to the death of two
people, including a police inspector.
The congregation in question is the
‘Tablighi Istema’ — a three-day Muslim gathering.
The Uttar Pradesh Police, which
made four arrests Tuesday and suspects a local Bajrang Dal leader to be the
prime instigator of the violence, was quick to refute
Chavhanke’s tweet.
But the timing of Chavhanke’s tweet
lent a sinister spin to the episode with its potential to aggravate a delicate
situation already fraught with communal connotations. This was, however, hardly
new for his 175,000 Twitter followers.
Chavhanke is the same person who
made headlines last year with a job advertisement for Sudarshan News that said
Muslims can’t apply for the
positions. And a casual walk through his timeline is enough to prove
Chavhanke is a serial provocateur.
Meet Chavhanke
Chavhanke, 46, claims to have been
with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) since the age of three and has
worked with the pro-RSS newspaper Tarun Bharat.
He is accused of delivering
communally charged hate speeches, tweets and programmes, but he vociferously
defends them.
“Why is it wrong to practise
journalism with an ideology?” Chavhanke said, in conversation with ThePrint.
“If it is, then I am wrong, and so were Lokmanya Tilak, Bhagat Singh and the
others.
“Had it been so wrong, I would not
have been able to run a channel for 14 years,” he added.
His speeches and tweets teem with
popular causes espoused by the proponents of “Hindutva” — the ideology he
claims is the driving force of his journalism.
A fixed pattern
At a time when fake news has become
a global worry, the fear of law doesn’t deter Chavhanke from broadcasting
misleading information.
In fact, much of it follows a fixed
pattern, often coming amid situations of communal tensions.
Sample this: In July this year, he
put out this piece of “news” through a tweet: [Translation] “All we were afraid
of has started. A mosque has issued a decree to cut UP police into pieces.” The
tweet included a link to an accompanying report on the Sudarshan News website
(ThePrint tried to access the article but the link was broken).
Soon afterwards, police in Baghpat,
where it was alleged that the mosque was located, issued a clarification,
saying the threat had been issued by the father of a youth found dead in a
local sewer. But that did not push Chavhanke to either retract the article or
issue an apology.
Chavhanke, however, defended his
tweets.
“When did police start deciding
what is right or what is wrong?” he asked. “If we continue to depend on what
the police says, why are courts there? Is this the first time police have
denied a story?
“In case of the Bulandshahr
incident, we were speaking to residents who were indeed saying they were stuck
in schools. Why is it wrong to show that live?” he asked. Chavhanke, however,
didn’t say why he linked the Islamic congregation to Monday’s mob violence.
As for the Baghpat incident, he
claimed to have “substantial proof” to support the report.
In April last year, Chavhanke was arrested for
stoking communal passions in Sambhal, UP, through multiple programmes at a time
when the area was already tense for over two weeks.
He was booked under Sections 153
A(1), 295A and 505(1)B of the Indian Penal Code, which deal with promoting
hatred on religious grounds, committing an offence against the State, and
deliberately outraging religious feelings of a certain group, and under Section
16 of the Cable Television Network (Regulation) Act, 1955, for the
programmes Sambhal ko Kashmir Banane ki Saazish (The
conspiracy to convert Sambhal to Kashmir), Sambhal ka Raavan Raj (Ravan
rule in Sambhal), and Hari Mandir ka sach Jama Masjid ka jhooth (The
truth of Hari Mandir, the lie of Jama Masjid), among others.
He was released on bail, and his
attacks continued.
Earlier this year, when the rape
and murder of an eight-year-old Bakherwal girl in Kathua deepened the communal
fault lines in Jammu, he flagged off a ‘Bharat Bachao Rath yatra’ from the
heart of the city and made a speech targeting the Muslim community.
Addressing a big crowd gathered
under the banner of a fringe Hindu group called Rashtra Nirman Sangathan, he
sought to explain the importance of a jansankhya niyantran kanoon or
a law for population control.
“It is important to control
population, but it’s crucial to control the imbalance in population,” he had
said. “The imbalance is that despite giving out Pakistan on the basis of religion,
the increase of mini Pakistans in India is imbalance and should be stopped.”
The statement elicited applause and
chants of “Bharat
Mata ki Jai”.
“We must not be worried if there
are two or three riots anywhere in the country, since it is important to save
the country,” he had added, challenging the then Jammu & Kashmir chief
minister Mehbooba Mufti to stop him if she could.
Talking to ThePrint, Chavhanke said
his speech in Jammu was a retaliation to Jammu & Kashmir deputy grand mufti
Nasir-ul-Islam’s statement that
Muslims in India should demand a separate country and that India was “illegally
occupying” Kashmir. Chavhanke said he was an activist and there was nothing
wrong if he “fights for a cause”.
“If any political or social group
is not taking up the subject, why is it unconstitutional if I take it up?” he
added.
Talking about his call for a
population control law, he added, “In fact, many Muslims are also part of this
movement.”
In a programme aired 11 May, his
channel referred to locals of
Delhi’s Bawana area as Rohingya and Bangladeshis, following which
the Delhi Minorities Commission issued notice to the channel. Bawana has a
significant Muslim population.
Chavhanke has been at the centre of
other controversies too, having been booked for the alleged rape of a former
colleague in November 2016 in Noida. However, the case fell because police
could not substantiate the charges against him.
Chavhanke, however, remains
unfazed.
“If speaking the truth is bias,
then I’m biased,” he said
Dry dog food
brands recalled for potentially toxic levels of Vitamin D
Dec. 4 (UPI)
-- Several
brands of dry dog food are being recalled after FDA scientists found elevated
levels of Vitamin D, which can cause serious health problems in dogs.
The recall effects Ahold
Delhaize, ELM Pet Foods, Kroger, Lidl (Orlando brand), ANF, Sunshine Mills and
Natural Life Pet Products. That's in addition to the Nutrisca recall last
month for the same reason.
The recalled
foods were found to have as much as 70 times the intended amount of Vitamin D,
which can be toxic at that level. Symptoms to look out for include vomiting,
loss of appetite, increased urination, increased thirst, drooling and weight
loss. At toxic levels, Vitamin D can cause kidney failure and death.
Pet owners are
encouraged to discard any recalled dog food immediately or return it to the
store.
Here's a list
of the affected dog foods:
Nutrisca:
Chicken and Chickpea Dry Dog in the 4, 15 and 28 pound bags
Natural Life
Pet Products: Chicken & Potato Dry Dog Food in the 17.5 pound bag
Sunshine
Mills: Evolve Chicken & Rice Puppy Dry Dog Food in the 14 and 28 pound bags
Sunshine
Mills: Sportsman Pride Large Breed Puppy Dry Dog Food in the 40 pound bag
Triumph
Chicken & Rice Recipe Dry Dog Food in the 3.5, 16 and 30 pound bags
ANF Inc.: ANF
Lamb and Rice Dry Dog Food in the 3 and 7.5 kilogram bag
Lidl (Orlando
brand): Orlando Grain-Free Chicken & Chickpea Superfood Recipe Dog Food
Kroger: Abound
Chicken and Brown Rice Recipe Dog Food in the 4, 14 and 24 pound bags
ELM Pet Foods,
Inc.: ELM Chicken and Chickpea Recipe in the 3 and 28 pound bags
ELM Pet Foods,
Inc.: ELM K9 Naturals Chicken Recipe in the 40 pound bag
Ahold
Delhaize: Nature's Promise Chicken & Brown Rice Dog food in the 4, 14 and
28 pound bags
Ahold
Delhaize: Nature's Place Real Country Chicken and Brown Rice Dog Food in the 5
and 15 pound bags
Education may be key ingredient in CRISPR technology adoption
Researchers are making new discoveries involving the CRISPR and
Cas9 gene editing techniques in the medical and agriculture fields.
Will consumers accept the CRISPR
Cas9 gene editing technology and the wealth of new products and cropping
innovations it promises to usher in in coming years?
That’s the $64 billion or so
question as institutions like Texas A&M University gear up to make use of
Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats or CRISPR and the
CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9).
And it’s one being asked by
scientists such as Dr. Michael Thomson, professor in the Department of Soil and
Crop Sciences at Texas A&M and a presenter for the University of Arkansas System
Division of Agriculture Food and Agribusiness Webinar Series.
Thomson says researchers are
making new discoveries involving the CRISPR and Cas9 gene editing techniques in
the medical and agriculture fields. Federal agencies including USDA and the Food
and Drug Administration are also issuing new guidance and clarifying the
regulatory climate for the technology.
“But it is consumer acceptance
that will ultimately decide if it is worthwhilemoving forward with this new
technology,” he said during his presentation on “New technologies for rice
breeding with a focus on CRISPR gene editing.” (To view the presentation, click
on https://youtu.be/6IQTKu42Los.)
Educating the public
“Part of it is also educating the
public on the difference between a transgenic or GM crop and a CRISPR Cas9
product that — if done properly — is non-transgenic.”
What has become CRISPR technology
was first described in a paper in 1987. The potential for gene editing with
CRISPR Cas9 was unveiled in a landmark paper by Dr. Jennifer Doudna of the
University of California, Berkeley, and Dr. Emmanuelle Charpentier of France in
2012.
Since then scientists have been
working to refine the techniques and negotiating licensing agreements for the
technology in medical, agricultural and other fields. New entities have sprung
up to commercialize the innovations.
Texas A&M AgriLife Research
has set up a new Crop Genome Editing Lab for CRISPR-based genome editing in
crops, including rice, wheat, potatoes, cotton, sorghum, melon and turfgrass,
according to Thomson.
The CGEL lab will provide
research, service and training functions to “optimize protocols, set up a high
throughput gene editing pipeline and enable development of gene-edited
products,” Thomson said in the webinar presentation.
“We started with 15 internal seed
grant projects across a number of different crops,” he noted. “Essentially,
rice is our model for testing new approaches. It’s quite efficient in genome
editing, and it’s quite useful for exploring some of the ways that we can work
on the crop, while making sure that it is non-transgenic.”
Texas A&M recently awarded
the lab an “X grant” to investigate “CRISPR gene editing for healthier foods
and improved crop resilience. Thus, we do have support both from Texas A&M
AgriLife Research and the university to pursue this field for using gene
editing for crop improvement.”
Thomson said Texas A&M
researchers have put together several core facilities, including a Genomics and
Bioinformatics Service Lab. “It uses next generation sequencing, and that
information feeds into the crop genome editing lab to design the constructs and
the guide RNAs. We have a multi-crop transformation facility, as well. It’s
working to optimize plant tissue culture across species and genotypes for each
of the major crops.
“Thus, we have two types of
projects, the seed grants, which are practical applications, and the X grant is
really working on some of the future projects to make sure we have efficient
delivery systems, not only to do knock outs but also insertions and allele
replacements. What we're hoping then is to optimize a high-throughput pipeline
for plant breeding in the future.”
In the last 20 years, rice
researchers have used gene mapping to compile banks of information on beneficial
alleles that can provide improvements in rice yields, stress tolerance and the
nutrition improvement needed to move forward. (An allele is one of two or more
forms of a gene that arise by mutation and are found at the same place on a
chromosome.)
The mapping is providing a wealth
of genes for allele mining and knowledge on genes that can have a major effect
in rice. “In some cases, we could just continue to use marker-assisted
selection, but, in others, it’s more precise and more powerful to use gene editing
to make those modifications, not just in single genes but actually in multiplex
editing as well.”
Last March, Agriculture Secretary
Sonny Perdue issued a statement that USDA does not currently regulate or have
plans to regulate plans that could otherwise have been developed through
traditional breeding techniques as long as they are developed without the use
of a plant pest as the donor or vector and they are not themselves plant pests.
The USDA statement, coupled with similar guidance from the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration, is expected to help companies bring new products
to market without the regulatory hurdles that have added years to the approval
of transgenic products.
Scuba and Sea Rice: Sowing the
Seeds for Greater Food Security in Asia
5 DECEMBER 2018
Background
With traditional varieties of rice unable to withstand days of
being submerged under flood waters, there is often a high risk of total crop
loss for rice grown in rainfed and flood-affected areas. Serious flooding is
usually created by heavy rainfall, overflow from nearby rivers and canals, and,
in coastal areas, sometimes by tidal movements. Water is often prevented from
draining in rice-growing regions due to the topography of the land. Flooding
causes an annual paddy loss of 3.6 million tonnes; enough to feed 30 million
people. Such events affect not only farmers whose livelihoods depend on the
production of the crop, but also pose a wider threat to food supplies
throughout Asia.
Comment
For decades, scientists have been working towards the
development of so-called “scuba rice”; designed to withstand periods of
flooding for up to two weeks. It is now being grown by farmers in India,
Bangladesh, the Philippines and Indonesia. The average yield of most varieties
of scuba rice is around 4 to 5.8 tonnes per hectare. According to scientists at
the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), scuba rice will still yield
2.7 to 3.6 tonnes after it has been submerged in flood waters for two weeks.
In China, farmers in the Shandong province along the northern
coast, are successfully growing “sea rice”, a variety of rice that is able to
withstand high levels of alkalinity. The success of the sea rice means that
farmers may be able to grow sufficient rice on saline-alkaline soil to feed an
additional 80 million people. With China’s population expected to reach 1.45
billion by 2030, growth of the sea rice crop is an important development.
According to the IRRI, about 20 million hectares of Asian rice
paddies are prone to flooding. Most of the world’s rice is grown within this
region and some estimates suggest that more than half the world’s
population rely on rice as a staple food. With Asia’s population expected to
grow from 4.4 billion in 2018, to 5.2 billion people by 2050, their consumption
is expected to reach about 90 per cent of annual global rice production. The
development of scuba rice and sea rice is expected to help satisfy this demand
and benefit farmers tending to 20 million hectares of rice paddies throughout
Asia.
While the scuba and sea rice varieties offer the prospect of
increased food security and a higher income for farmers throughout Asia, there
are a handful of limitations to the crops. Firstly, stable rice harvesting may
mean that farmers experience a higher income in the short term. These economic
benefits may be short lived, however, as supply increases and the local and
international market prices for rice decrease. While it may be detrimental for
farmers, the increased supply is likely to increase affordability for millions
of the world’s poorest people.
The growth of scuba and sea rice must also be carefully managed,
to ensure that global rice production does not become overly dependent on these
varieties. The climate adaptive rice varieties offer security against flooding,
but farmers and food supply chains may become vulnerable if disease were to
wipe out a whole season’s crop. It is important that farmers throughout Asia do
not abandon the traditional varieties of rice altogether.
At a time when the effects of climate change are becoming
increasingly obvious, Asia is at a significant risk of further hunger and
famine. Further development of climate adaptive rice varieties is a positive
step towards long-term future food security throughout the region.
Any opinions or views expressed in this paper are those of the
individual author, unless stated to be those of Future Directions
International.
Published by Future Directions International Pty Ltd.
Suite 5, 202 Hampden Road, Nedlands WA 6009, Australia.
Tel:+61 8 6389 0211
Rice is a major source of arsenic exposure
Findings add
to growing concerns about health risks and diet. Natalie Parletta reports.
Rice absorbs arsenic present in water, raising serious health
concerns.
DAJ/GETTY IMAGES
Researchers have verified that
rice – grown and cooked in water – is a key food source of inorganic arsenic
Long-term oral exposure to
inorganic arsenic is a confirmed serious
health risk. And the likelihood of exposure to arsenic in this toxic
form through contaminated water is well established.
Kan Shao from Indiana University
Bloomington, in the US, says he and colleagues have recently conducted a systematic
review and meta-analysis of published papers, and concluded that “rice
consumption is a major arsenic exposure pathway in populations with relatively
high rice intake”.
His collaborator, Zheng Zhou,
recently presented the study’s findings at the Society
for Risk Analysis Conference in New Orleans, US. A full paper is currently
being finalised.
“Scientists suggest that
bioaccessibility of arsenic from drinking water is 100%,” Shao says.
However, he explains, arsenic in
rice can bind to other chemicals or proteins and undergoes digestion by the
body, so it’s not all necessarily ready to be absorbed.
“That’s why it’s important to
understand the bioaccessibility for arsenic in rice,” he adds, “so we can
better understand the amount that people are being exposed to.”
Bioaccessible
arsenic is the form which can be absorbed following digestion,
while the term “bioavailability” refers to the absorption process from the
digestive tract to the circulation.
In 2016, the Food and Drug
Administration in the US published a risk assessment report for inorganic arsenic in
rice, estimating the bioaccessibility as between 70% and 90%.
Shao and Zhou set out to improve
the assessment statistically by pooling all available data and applying a “beta
distribution”
The physics of
fried rice
“That provides a better
probabilistic estimate of the overall bioaccessibility,” explains Zhou.
With the analysis they found that
the median bioaccessibility of inorganic arsenic from rice was 90.4% – higher
than the FDA’s estimate – with a range from 72.2% to 98.4%.
Major reasons for the variation,
say the researchers, include differences in the type of rice, growing
conditions and individual digestive processes. For instance, in the US, long
grain rice contains higher levels of arsenic than short grain.
Brown rice contains the highest
levels because arsenic becomes concentrated in the outer layer of the grain.
Whether bioaccessibility is higher is not clear.
Digestive processes include
individual differences in people’s background diet and gut microbiome, says Zhou. But
this is not yet well understood, and he thinks it is an important avenue for
further research.
Another variation could arise
from pre-rinsing rice. Research suggests that cooking rice does not
decrease arsenic levels. However, pre-washing white, although not brown, rice
can lower the arsenic concentration by 17% to 29%.
Arsenic levels are also determined by the degree
of local contamination. The element is naturally present in the Earth’s crust,
and distributed through air, water and land.
Many countries have high levels
of inorganic arsenic naturally present in their groundwater, including China,
India, the US, and several South American nations.
Given that India and China are
two of the world’s major rice exporters, arsenic exposure poses a global
health issue, particularly for cultures that consume rice daily as a staple
food.
Human activities increase arsenic
levels, including several industrial processes. Pesticides, feed additives,
tobacco and pharmaceutical products can also contain arsenic.
Rice products, such as crackers,
baby cereal and milk, contain inorganic arsenic. In the UK and US, arsenic levels in rice milk were found to exceed
that of water drinking standards.
Inorganic arsenic has been
associated with lung and bladder cancer, skin lesions, diabetes,
heart disease and impaired cognitive development.
Despite this, changing people’s
behaviour poses a challenge. Shao readily admits to enjoying rice regularly –
but not the long grain version.
Millers okay rice, mealie meal
and flour price hikes
Tafadzwa
Musarara
By Alois Vinga
THE Grain Millers Association of
Zimbabwe (GMAZ) has given the green light to local traders to hike mealie-meal,
flour and rice prices within cost structures that are affordable to the general
public.
A price list released by the
association’s technical and committee on finance and costing says that 5 kgs of
mealie meal can now be sold at a retail price of $3.85 while 10 kgs will now be
sold at $7.16 with 20 kgs of the same product being sold at $13.96.
Similarly, 2 kgs of rice will now
be sold at $7.49.
In light of serious cost
pressures being experienced in flour production arising from non-wheat
expenditures, the price of bread flours has also been increased from $36.50 per
50 kgs to $39.65 which translates to an increase of 3 cents per loaf of bread.
“In an attempt to maximize
consumer purchase value this festive season, GMAZ at its meeting of Tuesday 27
November 2018, received, accepted and endorsed a report from its Technical
Committee on Finance and Costing. Indeed with effect from December 1 2018,
maximum prices of our staple products are hereby recommended as above,” said
GMAZ chair, Tafadzwa Musarara in a statement.
The association said that the
motive behind the price hikes was to protect innocent consumers who have been
affected by the speculative pricing pattern currently affecting the market.
GMAZ is the apex representative
body of the milling industry.
The announcement comes a month
after the association has blocked attempts by the sector to hike prices on the
basis that packaging materials had risen by over 500 percent.
They also made attempts to sell
their products in foreign currency as they cited that manufacturers of packaging
material were demanding payment in United States dollars.
Farmer-Miller Dispute Mars Paddy
Procurement In Odisha
Malkangiri/Bargarh/Sambalpur:
Farmers in various districts of Odisha are a worried lot with rice millers in
various districts demanding cuts/concessions for procuring paddy. Farmers
across Malkangiri, Sambalpur and Bargarh districts are now in a tiff with the
rice millers over such demands.
According to sources, the farmers
of Sambalpur have alleged that rice millers of Baraipali mandi are seeking
concession of around 7-8 kilograms of rice per quintal citing moisture in the
paddy. They even complained that rice millers are not paying requisite reimbursement
for transporting the paddy from the mandis to the rice mills.
Similarly, the farmers in Bargarh
have complained of being harassed during procurement process. The farmers in
Gudesira market yard in the district have alleged that rice millers are demanding
similar concessions on the actual weight of the paddy.
“The millers are reducing 7-8
kilograms of rice per quintal citing moisture as reason. They are using a
grader machine to cut the amount of rice,” said Sambalpur farmer, Bhairabh
Pradhan.
“The rice is being unloaded here
but there are no millers or officials of the administration to help us in
procurement,” said Bargarh farmer Mahendra Das.
“The millers said that they will
give receipts for 28 quintals while receiving 30 quintals of paddy. We feel it
as exploitation and have denied supplying paddy,” Trinath Bishoi, a Malkangiri
farmer said.
Assistant Supplies Officer of
Sambalpur, Dillip Kuamar Nayak said “There were about 80-90 vehicles loaded
with paddy for procurement, but there was some dispute between the millers and
farmers. We have arranged for a negotiation between them.”
Srikar Majhi, District Supplies
Officer, Bargarh said “We are expecting that the paddy lying in the mandi will
be lifted by the millers within the next 3-4 days.”
Kalucharan Pradhan, MD of Korukonda LAMPS (large area
multi-purpose cooperative societies) said “We have assured the farmers that
their paddy will be sold without any reductions. I have assured them that they
will be granted fair price at the government mandis.”
Rice exporters call for planning,
coordination
Sok Chan / Khmer Times :
Local rice exporters yesterday
call for better planning and communication between all industry actors to meet
China’s import quota.
Song Saran, CEO of rice exporter
Amru Rice, said Cambodia will likely fail to export all 300,000 tonnes of rice
allowed by China due, among other issues, to a lack of coordination among
relevant local actors.
He said monthly meetings must be
convened among relevant government agencies, members and representatives of the
Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF) and local firms to ensure that Cambodia is able
to fulfill the 300,000 tonnes quota that China has in place for Cambodian rice.
Mr Saran also called for the
establishment of a working group to organise and supervise the proposed
meetings.
“Some rice exporters and rice
millers have rice to process and export, but they are not allowed to ship to
China, while others can export, but have no rice.
“This is a big issue and may make
it difficult to meet the quota in 2018 and 2019,” Mr Saran said.
Last year, China increased its
import quota for Cambodian rice to 300,000 tonnes, from 200,000 tonnes in 2017
and 100,000 tonnes in 2016.
During the first nine months of
the year, Cambodia exported 96,714 tonnes of rice to the East Asian nation,
according to the Secretariat of One Window Service for Rice Export.
“My request is that all related
parties wake up and get to work. We need to focus and coordinate to make sure
we ship the 300,000 tonnes that we are allowed,” Mr Saran said.
“We hope to create a forum where
government, CRF officials, and key rice millers and exporters can come together
to find a solution,” he said.
Given that Cambodia has only two
rice growing seasons, China should plan its orders more carefully and notify
Cambodian exporters of its plans, Mr Saran added.
“Without proper planning, it is
difficult to supply them when they need our rice. Rice is not harvested every
month. We only have two seasons, so we need better planning,” he said.
Only 26 Cambodian firms are
allowed to ship to China, after having passed the first round of inspections
conducted by the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and
Quarantine of China (AQSIQ), according to Srey Vuthy, secretary-general at
Cambodia’s Ministry of Agriculture.
However, China has changed the
process of inspection for rice importation, which has delayed the export
process for the 40 local companies that are still waiting to be given the green
light by Beijing to begin exporting.
The list with the name of the 40
potential exporters was sent to Beijing last year, and if the Chinese
government does not review it soon, it will reflect badly on the Cambodian rice
industry, Mr Vuthy said.
“It will also mean that only the
26 companies so far included in the exporters’ list can ship to China,” Mr
Vuthy said.
“This is not enough to meet the
quota. We are waiting on China to review the list, but so far we haven’t heard
from them,” he said, explaining that if China does not react quickly, the rice
will go to other countries, particularly Thailand and Vietnam.
Chan Sokheang, chairman and CEO
of Signatures of Asia, told Khmer Times that Cambodia did not meet the Chinese
quota last year because local rice back then was more expensive than
Thailand’s.
Last year, the price of Thai rice
dropped to $780, while Cambodian rice sold for $850-$920 per ton. “This made it
hard to compete with Thailand to export rice to China,” he said.
Mr Sokheang was of the same mind
than Mr Saran regarding the need for better coordination in the sector. “We
should have a meeting to discuss the quota issue. We have to be more
organised,” Mr Sokheang said.
From January to September,
Cambodia exported over 389,000 tonnes of rice to more than 60 countries, which
represents a decrease of 8.4 percent compared to the same period last year.
China continues to be the top
buyer, followed by France and Poland.
Economic
managers vow more measures to ensure food security
December 5, 2018
MANILA — Economic managers on Wednesday cited the deceleration of
domestic inflation last November and committed to implement more measures that
would guarantee food security to help manage inflation.
In a statement issued after the
Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported the decline of inflation rate
last November to 6 percent, the slowest since last July’s 5.7 percent, economic
managers said the latest development suggests “the efficacy of
anti-inflationary measures taken by the government” and points “to continuing
reduction going forward.”
The anti-inflationary measures
referred to in the statement include the directive for the National Food
Authority (NFA) to immediately release rice stocks from its warehouses
nationwide and for other agencies to ensure that rice imports are safely
delivered from ports to warehouses and the markets.
This, as rice inflation, among
others, registered big upticks in the past months due to supply constraints.
These non-monetary measures were
made alongside the total of 175 basis points increase in the Bangko Sentral ng
Pilipinas (BSP) key policy rates this year alone.
The economic managers said, “it
is comforting for us that the slowdown will alleviate the struggles of poor
Filipinos, especially now that the holiday season is just around the corner.”
“This makes us even more
determined in curbing inflation and enforcing all measures to guarantee food
security,” the statement read.
The PSA attributed the slower
inflation rate last November to slower inflation of the food and non-alcoholic
beverages index at 8 percent, which, on the other hand, is still among the
inflation drivers in the 11th month this year.
Citing the PSA report, economic
managers said food inflation slowed to 7.7 percent from last November’s 9.2
percent.
“This was caused by the
improvement in the supply of key agricultural commodities such as rice, fish
and seafood, meat, vegetables, corn, and fruits,” the statement said.
The statement said the
deceleration “is a positive development in the government’s commitment to
manage inflation.”
However, the economic managers
stressed that “mitigating measures under various government issuances,
including those prescribed in Administrative Order 13, issued by the President
should be continuously implemented and strictly monitored.”
“Most importantly, we must ensure
the timely arrival of rice imports to compensate for the lost palay harvest in
the third quarter of the year,” the statement read.
Economic managers also expect
domestic rice prices to continue its decline following the recent passage of
the Rice Tariffication measure in Congress.
“This measure, which opens the
rice market to qualified players, should be coupled with the full
operationalization of the National Window System to allow seamless imports
processing and to avoid unwarranted delays,” the statement read. “The
government should invest in farm mechanization and adopt the latest technology
in crop management that includes the utilization of high-yielding and resilient
crops” to boost productivity of the agriculture sector.”
Amid all these measures, economic
managers urge the business sector “to avoid any unwarranted price increases as
experienced during the rollout of the first tranche of fuel excise tax
increase” in a bid to help manage inflation expectations.
“But we urge the public to be on
the lookout and report any profiteering activities. We assure everyone that we
will follow through with our efforts to maintain price stability and raise the
quality of life of every Filipino,” the statement read.
Can rice filter water from agricultural
fields?
Research
considers pesticide-cleansing properties of rice plants
Date:
December 5, 2018
Source:
American Society of Agronomy
Summary:
While
it's an important part of our diets, new research shows that rice plants can be
used in a different way, too: to clean runoff from farms before it gets into
rivers, lakes, and streams.
A delivery system applies a simulated storm runoff
containing pesticides and water to rice and control (bare) systems.
Credit: Matt Moore
Rice is a staple food crop of 20
percent of the world's population. It's also grown on every continent except
Antarctica.
While it's an important part of
our diets, new research shows that rice plants can be used in a different way,
too: to clean runoff from farms before it gets into rivers, lakes, and streams.
This idea came to Matt Moore, a
USDA research ecologist, because he, himself, comes from a family of farmers.
He was trying to figure out a way to address the unintended issue of runoff. As
water drains from agricultural fields, the pesticides used on those fields can
be carried along. Moore wanted to stop pesticides from getting into water
outside the farm in a way that was easy and cost-efficient for farmers.
"We wanted something that
was common, that could be applied in a lot of different places, but something
that's non-invasive," said Moore, who works in the USDA-Agricultural
Research Service's Water Ecology and Ecology Research Unit in Oxford, Mississippi.
The idea came to Moore while he
was driving to his family's farm in northeast Arkansas. "We're big rice
farmers. Cheesy as it sounds, I was driving around trying to look for some
inspiration and it just hit me: What about rice?"
So researchers planted four
fields, two with and two without rice. They then flooded those fields with a
mix of three kinds of pesticides plus water that together is a lot like runoff
during a storm. They did this for two years in a row.
They found that the levels of all
three pesticides were lower in fields where they'd planted rice. How much it
dropped ranged from 85 percent to 97 percent, depending on which pesticide they
measured.
Rice can do this through
phytoremediation -- using plants and their roots to clean up water (though they
can also clean soil and air). That's what researchers say happened here.
Instead of those chemicals being in the runoff water, they were captured in the
rice plants.
In real life, this
pesticide-cleaning ability of rice could be used in a few ways. To start,
farmers could plant rice in drainage ditches already on their farms, which
would "let rice clean off water that runs off into your field before it
runs into a river, lake, or stream," Moore said. "Dreaming big,
eventually we could get to the point where you could use rice fields as
constructed wetlands," diverting runoff into rice fields so they naturally
take those pesticides out of the water.
One big question Moore hopes
additional research can answer is whether or not those chemicals end up in the
edible part of the rice plant -- the rice grain -- itself. If it doesn't, rice
could be that natural water cleaner while also being a food source.
"It's potentially huge for
developing countries to be able to use this as a crop and water cleaning technology,"
he said.
For now, though, Moore is excited
about the potential of a humble, popular crop that even his own family has been
growing for generations.
"We're just trying to use
simple techniques that are easy for the farmer, that are economical, that are
still environmentally friendly," he said. "Farming seems like a
not-for-profit business these days, which I full-well understand. How can
farmers use the landscape that's already there? How can they maximize that
while helping the environment and their bottom line? Rice could be it."
Story Source:
Materials provided
by American Society of
Agronomy. Note: Content may be edited for style and
length.
Journal Reference:
1. Matthew T. Moore, Martin A. Locke, Robert F.
Cullum. Expanding Wetland Mitigation: Can Rice Fields
Remediate Pesticides in Agricultural Runoff? Journal
of Environment Quality, 2018; 47 (6): 1564 DOI: 10.2134/jeq2018.04.0154
Cite This Page:
American Society of Agronomy. "Can rice filter water from
agricultural fields? Research considers pesticide-cleansing properties of rice
plants." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 5 December 2018.
<www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/12/181205093704.htm>.
Rice, grilled
meat, and low-flow appliances pose hidden health risks
12-04-2018LIFESTYLE
By Kay Vandette
Earth.com staff writer
Rice, barbecued
meat, low-flow toilets and drinking water may appear to be seemingly
harmless, everyday items. But as common and well-intentioned as some of these
necessities are, studies show that all can contain harmful toxins and an
increasing number of risks that the typical consumer is unaware of.For example, researchers have found that there are increasing levels of arsenic in rice, which is one of the most important cereal crops in the world, and heat-prepared meats, like those cooked on a grill, contain carcinogens.
Arsenic can be found in all types of rice, and the Federal Drug Administration’s 2016 Arsenic in Rice and Rice Products Risk Assessment Report found that 63-99 percent of the arsenic in rice can be absorbed through the gastrointestinal tract.
This is especially dangerous for people who have rice-based diets as regularly ingesting low levels of arsenic can increase the risk of cancer and heart disease.
And yet, many people don’t realize the risks associated with their rice consumption or that the majority of inorganic arsenic in rice is can be absorbed by humans.
Researchers from Indiana University conducted a study to examine public knowledge of bioaccessibility of arsenic in rice. The researchers found that people absorb 73 to 88 percent of inorganic arsenic in rice crops.
Barbecued and other heat-processed meat pose another unknown risks, as researchers from Denmark found that grilled meat can contain high concentrations of carcinogens which can drastically increase the risk of cancer.
Even household products meant to conserve energy and reduce negative impacts can carry unforeseen risks, as another study conducted by researchers from Michigan State found that plumbing systems are not keeping up with low-flow appliances.
The researchers discovered that while low-flow appliances like toilets are becoming increasingly popular, plumbing systems remain outdated which increases the risk of waterborne diseases and exposure to pathogens.
In another study, researchers found that many private well owners don’t test their own wells or understand the risks of lead exposure in drinking water.
All these studies were presented during a special session at the Society for Risk Analysis (SRA) Annual Meeting at the New Orleans this week.
BIOLOGISTS HAVE REVEALED A HIDDEN
DANGER OF RICE
| December 5, 2018 | Science |
Rice grain can accumulate the
toxins and arsenic, said American researchers at the conference Society for
risk analysis in New Orleans. According to them, such harmful substances grain
absorb from groundwater and tap water, reports RIA “Novosti”.
“We conducted the first
systematic assessment of how much arsenic contain a typical grain of rice, and
learned how much it gets into the body during the digestion of food,” said
Zheng Zhou from Indiana University (USA).
The researchers analyzed data
from 143 scientific papers on the metabolism of arsenic. As a rule, harmful
substances in the grain of rice from local groundwater. So, about 70-80% of
arsenic gets into the grain and, accordingly, enters the human body during the
digestion of food.
For example, in the Asian
countries growing the crops, experts have discovered high levels of toxins in
groundwater, which penetrate further in Fig. Thus, it negatively affects the
lives of local people. Biologists have explained that hazardous substances,
including arsenic, lead to the development of disorders in the human body.
Meanwhile, scientists have
stressed that rice varieties interact differently with arsenic. The researchers
urged the authorities in Asian countries to pay special attention to the
content of this harmful substance when testing cereals.
Previously, scientists talked
about the dangers of salt. According to experts, the
crystalline substance may cause hypertension.
Ghana to stop
importing rice soon – Agric Minister
The Agric Minister, Dr. Owusu
Afriyie Akoto, said the government is already working hard to ensure that rice
imports are reduced drastically.
·
Published: 05.12.2018
·
Emmanuel
Ayamga
The Ministry of Agriculture has
revealed plans to stop importing rice into the country within the next four to
five years.
Sector Minister, Dr. Owusu Afriyie
Akoto, said the government is already working hard to ensure that rice imports
are reduced drastically.
This comes as a huge boost to local
farmers, especially after the successes chalked in the production of maize this
year.
Between January and September this year, Ghana recorded an
increase in local maize production which ensured that no maize imports were
made.
Meanwhile, Ghana would save close to a billion dollars, should the
country put a stop to rice imports.
The Agric Ministry has indicated its readiness to support local
rice farmers in order to increase their yield.
By this, the government hopes to shift demand to the local rice,
with a target to totally stop importing rice within the next five years.
“We import about a billion dollars of rice into the country and we
are determined that within the next four to five years, that should come to an
end because we need that foreign exchange to develop our country by building
the roads, hospitals, schools among others and not to use it to import things
that our farmers are producing and giving jobs to foreign farmers,” Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto told Accra-based Citi FM.
“The two crops we are focusing on are rice an
The Agric Minister, Dr. Owusu
Afriyie Akoto, said the government is already working hard to ensure that rice
imports are reduced drastically.
·
Published: 05.12.2018
·
Emmanuel
Ayamga
Ghana to stop
importing rice soon – Agric Minister
The Ministry of Agriculture has
revealed plans to stop importing rice into the country within the next four to
five years.
Sector Minister, Dr. Owusu Afriyie
Akoto, said the government is already working hard to ensure that rice imports
are reduced drastically.
This comes as a huge boost to local
farmers, especially after the successes chalked in the production of maize this
year.
Between January and September this
year, Ghana recorded an increase in local maize production which ensured that
no maize imports were made.
Meanwhile, Ghana would save close
to a billion dollars, should the country put a stop to rice imports.
The Agric Ministry has indicated
its readiness to support local rice farmers in order to increase their yield.
By this, the government hopes to
shift demand to the local rice, with a target to totally stop importing rice
within the next five years.
“We import about a billion
dollars of rice into the country and we are determined that within the next
four to five years, that should come to an end because we need that foreign
exchange to develop our country by building the roads, hospitals, schools among
others and not to use it to import things that our farmers are producing and
giving jobs to foreign farmers,” Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto told Accra-based Citi FM.
“The two crops we are focusing
on are rice and soya; soya because of the poultry industry and rice because of
import substitution,” he added.
Ghana will soon stop importing rice, Agriculture Minister says
·
Published: 05.12.2018
·
Magdalene
Teiko Larnyoh
Ghana’s Agric Minister, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto said Ghana spends
about a billion dollars on rice imports. His outfit, therefore, plans to
support local rice farmers to increase their yields and gradually shift demand
to the local rice.
Ghana’s Agric
Minister, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto
Ghana’s Agric Minister, Dr Owusu
Afriyie Akoto has indicated that his Ministry is doing everything possible to
drastically reduce if not stop the import of rice in the next four to five
years.
His comment follows the country’s
non-importation of maize between January and September this year due to the
increase in maize production.
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The Minister said that Ghana spends
about a billion dollars on rice imports. He said that his outfit, therefore,
plans to support local rice farmers to increase their yields and gradually
shift demand to the local rice.
Speaking to Accra-based Citi FM,
Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto said “We import about a billion dollars of rice into
the country and we are determined that within the next four to five years, that
should come to an end because we need that foreign exchange to develop our
country by building the roads, hospitals, schools among others and not to use
it to import things that our farmers are producing and giving jobs to foreign
farmers.”
“The two crops we are focusing on
are rice and soya; soya because of the poultry industry and rice because of
import substitution,” he added.
He conceded that the government has
to play a significant role in order to meet the ambitious target.
Some of the things to be done by
the government include the supply of modern machinery for production at a
subsidised rate or for free, the drive to purchase local rice and the provision
of improved grains to increase yields of local rice farmers.
EU members fail
to agree on rice tax, EC to make final call
Sok Chan and Sangeetha Amarthalingam / Khmer Times Share:
The European Union has failed to
come to a consensus on the decision of imposing tariffs on Cambodian rice import
into the bloc after eight countries voted against slapping a regressive tax on
Jasmine fragrant rice and white rice, with seven countries choosing to abstain.
Of the 28 member states, 13
nations including Italy and Spain, the alleged source of contention over the
price imbalance and negative economic impact on its rice farmers that spurred
the proposal, however voted in favour of European Commission (EC)’s proposal to
activate the safeguard clause, enabling tariff imposition starting Jan 1, 2019.
Although unclear on the exact
result, the bloc said in light of the non-opinion, it is up to the
College of Commissioners to decide whether it will adopt the proposal of rice
tax imposition of 175 euros per tonne in the first year, 150 euros in the
second year, and 125 euros the following year.
“According to the
Directorate-General of Agriculture and Rural Development, today’s (yesterday)
vote may provoke some further discussion within the Commission but the
assumption should still be that this proposal will be adopted,” it said in a
statement.
The EC launched a safeguard
investigation in March to see if the volume with or without prices of imports
of semi-milled and milled Indica rice from Cambodia and Myanmar resulted in
serious difficulties to EU producers of similar or competing products.
Based on the member states that
voted on EC’s proposal to impose tariffs on Cambodian rice exports
yesterday, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Luxembourg,
Netherlands, Sweden, and United Kingdom opposed the move.
In contrast, Belgium, Bulgaria,
Cyprus, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Poland, Romania,
Slovakia and Spain opted to stay the proposal while Austria, Croatia, Germany,
Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta and Slovenia decided to remain neutral.
In the meantime, EC included a
“shipping clause” stating that imports already on the way to EU on the date of
entry into force of this regulation (Jan 1, 2019), provided that the
destination of such products cannot be changed, shall not be subject to the
duty specified in its law.
“The date of entry into force
will be the day after the publication of the regulation. The timing of
publication, for the time being, should be assumed to be as previously
indicated, namely early January,” it added.
EU is Cambodia’s major rice
importer with approximately 213,000 tonnes, followed by China at 127,000
tonnes, ASEAN member states (47,000 tonnes) and 48,000 tonnes to other
destinations. In the first nine months of 2018, Cambodia exported 389,264
tonnes of rice, a drop of 8.4 percent year-on-year.
When asked, one of the largest
rice exporters in the country, Amru Rice (Cambodia) Co Ltd chief executive
officer and president Song Saran told Khmer Times that the final decision is
now in the hands of the EC following the failure to gain a majority vote.
“This is exactly what we were
informed (would happen). However, the commission has made it clear that it will
decide in the event an uncertainty happens,” he said.
OTG’s Marathi Is Spicing Up Toronto Pearson’s Pre-Holiday Travel
For Three Weeks, Chef Paul George
Is Giving Diners His Own Personal Spice Blend to Take Home
TORONTO, Dec. 05, 2018 (GLOBE
NEWSWIRE) -- For three weeks starting on Monday, December 10th,
diners at OTG‘s Marathi can spice up their home life too. Paul George, the
Indian restaurant’s executive chef, will be giving away spice kits to
pre-flight diners, for a limited time while supplies last. The kits will also
contain a recipe for Chicken Biryani that they can try at home. Marathi is
based in Toronto Pearson International Airport’s Terminal 1. The Greater
Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) partners with OTG to bring the city’s diverse
cultures and tastes to the airport. Marathi offers well-known,
traditional dishes such as Butter Chicken, but also adds some contemporary
twists, like Naan Panini and Black Tiger Shrimp Vindaloo, as well as “street
food” favourites, sweets and inspired cocktails.
Chef Paul George was born in
Cochin, India. His family later moved from India to the United Kingdom where,
at 13 years old, he helped start a small coffee shop with his father.
From there he went on to study hotel management and food science.
Paul has since held a vast array of
cooking jobs in restaurants and hotels in Mumbai – as well as sailing the seas,
where he created the Indian-influenced menus aboard Princess Cruise Lines (and
was voted Best Employee three times). He has twice won the culinary
competition at Cambridge University.
Paul has been with OTG for five
years, developing and executing Marathi’s innovative menu. He is well known for
his spices and personally curates his own blends.
“Indian cooking has big flavours
but the secret is actually in the delicate balance of blending spices,” said
Chef George. “I love to visit spice markets all the time and it’s my own point
of pride to find the best, whether from India or our local community, to
customize my own personal blend for each dish we serve at Marathi. I’m really
excited to be sharing my spice blends with our diners so they can take Marathi
home and experiment with recreating some of our recipes for themselves.”
Chef Paul’s Biryani Masala spice
blend for the Chicken Biryani (recipe attached) incorporates a wide selection
of spices, including: Fennel seed, Shaijeera, Cumin, Cashmir chilies, Black
cardamom, Green cardamom, Cinnamon, Cloves, Javathri, Nutmeg, Bay leaf, Star
anise, Black peppercorn and Poppy seed.
/EIN News/ --
“Toronto Pearson aims to bring an authentic Toronto experience to our nearly 50
million annual passengers from around the world,” said Scott Collier, Vice
President, Customer and Terminal Services, GTAA. “Our partnership with OTG and
the creative Indian cuisine featured at Marathi are a true reflection of the
diverse tastes of our city and a great way to sample some of Toronto's best
food without leaving the airport.”
To complement Marathi’s rich spices
and bold flavors, OTG is launching new cocktails including the Jitney Julep
made with bourbon, orange bitters and fresh muddled coriander syrup.
Images of the spices & space
can be found here: http://bit.ly/MarathiSpiceMarket
About OTG
OTG is a hospitality group that is transforming the airport travel experience for millions of travelers every year. OTG combines world-class hospitality and award-winning cuisine with innovative design and state-of-the-art technology. OTG’s restaurant concepts are complemented by the company’s tablet experience, which was the first of its kind in the industry. Since 1996, OTG has been redefining the guest experience in airports, transforming the way passengers interact with the terminal. The company is currently one of the leading airport food and beverage operators in North America with more than 300 restaurants and retail locations across 10 airports. For more information, visit OTGexp.com.
OTG is a hospitality group that is transforming the airport travel experience for millions of travelers every year. OTG combines world-class hospitality and award-winning cuisine with innovative design and state-of-the-art technology. OTG’s restaurant concepts are complemented by the company’s tablet experience, which was the first of its kind in the industry. Since 1996, OTG has been redefining the guest experience in airports, transforming the way passengers interact with the terminal. The company is currently one of the leading airport food and beverage operators in North America with more than 300 restaurants and retail locations across 10 airports. For more information, visit OTGexp.com.
MARATHI’S CHICKEN BIRYANI RECIPE
INGREDIENTS:
1 kg chicken – cut into medium cubes
600 gm Onion, sliced
200 gm Tomato
2 Tbsp Ginger garlic paste
2 Tbsp Chicken Biryani Masala
¾ tsp Turmeric
4 Tbsp Oil
800 gm Basmati rice, cooked
2 Tbsp Yoghurt
1 Tbsp Chopped cilantro
To taste Salt
1 kg chicken – cut into medium cubes
600 gm Onion, sliced
200 gm Tomato
2 Tbsp Ginger garlic paste
2 Tbsp Chicken Biryani Masala
¾ tsp Turmeric
4 Tbsp Oil
800 gm Basmati rice, cooked
2 Tbsp Yoghurt
1 Tbsp Chopped cilantro
To taste Salt
METHOD:
1. Heat oil in a sauté pan
2. Cook sliced onion until translucent in colour
3. Add ginger garlic paste
4. Add the chicken, turmeric and biryani masala mix, toss until chicken is fully coated
5. Add sliced tomato and yogurt mix, stir well. Add salt to taste, ½ of the chopped cilantro
6. Put on simmer, Add half cooked rice on top. Cover and let cook 20 to 30 minutes.
Garnished with chopped cilantro
1. Heat oil in a sauté pan
2. Cook sliced onion until translucent in colour
3. Add ginger garlic paste
4. Add the chicken, turmeric and biryani masala mix, toss until chicken is fully coated
5. Add sliced tomato and yogurt mix, stir well. Add salt to taste, ½ of the chopped cilantro
6. Put on simmer, Add half cooked rice on top. Cover and let cook 20 to 30 minutes.
Garnished with chopped cilantro
Media Contacts:
Eric Brinker
Vice President of Experience, OTG
917-916-5504
eric@otgexp.com
Eric Brinker
Vice President of Experience, OTG
917-916-5504
eric@otgexp.com
Gareth Edmondson-Jones
GEJ, Ink
917-399-9355
gejink@gmail.com
GEJ, Ink
917-399-9355
gejink@gmail.com
Photos accompanying this
announcement are available at:
Rice exporters call
for planning, coordination
Local rice exporters yesterday call for better
planning and communication between all industry actors to meet China’s import
quota. Song Saran, CEO of rice exporter Amru Rice, said Cambodia will likely
fail to export all 300,000 tonnes of rice allowed by China due, among other
issues, to a lack of coordination among relevant local actors. He said monthly
meetings must be convened among relevant government agencies, members and
representatives of the Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF) and local firms to ensure
that Cambodia is able to fulfill the 300,000 tonnes quota that China has in
place for Cambodian rice.
Mr Saran also called for the
establishment of a working group to organise and supervise the proposed
meetings. “Some rice exporters and rice millers have rice to process and
export, but they are not allowed to ship to China, while others can export, but
have no rice. “This is a big issue and may make it difficult to meet the quota
in 2018 and 2019,” Mr Saran said. Last year, China increased its import quota
for Cambodian rice to 300,000 tonnes, from 200,000 tonnes in 2017 and 100,000
tonnes in 2016.
During the first nine months of the year,
Cambodia exported 96,714 tonnes of rice to the East Asian nation, according to
the Secretariat of One Window Service for Rice Export. “My request is that all
related parties wake up and get to work. We need to focus and coordinate to
make sure we ship the 300,000 tonnes that we are allowed,” Mr Saran said.
“We hope to create a forum where
government, CRF officials, and key rice millers and exporters can come together
to find a solution,” he said. Given that Cambodia has only two rice growing
seasons, China should plan its orders more carefully and notify Cambodian
exporters of its plans, Mr Saran added. “Without proper planning, it is
difficult to supply them when they need our rice. Rice is not harvested every
month. We only have two seasons, so we need better planning,” he said. Only 26
Cambodian firms are allowed to ship to China, after having passed the first
round of inspections conducted by the General Administration of Quality
Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of China (AQSIQ), according to Srey
Vuthy, secretary-general at Cambodia’s Ministry of Agriculture.
However, China has changed the
process of inspection for rice importation, which has delayed the export
process for the 40 local companies that are still waiting to be given the green
light by Beijing to begin exporting. The list with the name of the 40 potential
exporters was sent to Beijing last year, and if the Chinese government does not
review it soon, it will reflect badly on the Cambodian rice industry, Mr Vuthy
said. “It will also mean that only the 26 companies so far included in the
exporters’ list can ship to China,” Mr Vuthy said. “This is not enough to meet
the quota. We are waiting on China to review the list, but so far we haven’t
heard from them,” he said, explaining that if China does not react quickly, the
rice will go to other countries, particularly Thailand and Vietnam.
Chan Sokheang, chairman and CEO of Signatures
of Asia, told Khmer Times that Cambodia did not meet the Chinese quota last
year because local rice back then was more expensive than Thailand’s. Last
year, the price of Thai rice dropped to $780, while Cambodian rice sold for
$850-$920 per ton. “This made it hard to compete with Thailand to export rice
to China,” he said. Mr Sokheang was of the same mind than Mr Saran regarding
the need for better coordination in the sector. “We should have a meeting to
discuss the quota issue. We have to be more organised,” Mr Sokheang said. From
January to September, Cambodia exported over 389,000 tonnes of rice to more
than 60 countries, which represents a decrease of 8.4 percent compared to the
same period last year. China continues to be the top buyer, followed by France
and Poland.
REAP holds
awareness session for Basmati rice exporters
The
Rice Export Association of Pakistan (REAP) in collaboration with Eurofins
Global Control, an international inspection company offering supply chain
control solutions to achieve product quality and safety from the origin to the
consumer, on Tuesday arranged an awareness session for the Basmati Rice
exporters regarding changes being made in import inspection laws by the
European Union (EU).
Managing Director Eurofins Thomas Unger gave a
detailed briefing to the exports about upcoming changes in laws by the EU in
food sector with special emphasis on rice. He said rice was one of the biggest
components of EU imports from Pakistan. He said four main challenges being
faced by the rice exporters, from across the globe, i.e. presence of GMOs,
aflatoxin, pesticide residues and inorganic arsenic. However, he said that
Pakistani rice consignments have shown satisfactory results when tested for all
these challenges.
He said there was no GMO rice in Pakistan and
93 per cent of the samples tested for other factors came out satisfactory.
However, he urged that Pakistan should strengthen its agricultural research
institute to work for a more secured future for Basmati. Concluding his
remarks, he urged upon Pakistan to strengthen control of seed materials to
ensure there is no GMOs in export consignments, dry the paddy immediately after
harvesting, build awareness among farmers to use agro-chemicals rationally to
keep the pesticide residue under the prescribed level etc. Speaking on this
occasion, Punjab Additional Secretary Agriculture Ghazanfar Ali assured the
audience that there was no GMO present in Pakistani rice and if it had found in
any consignment, it was due to use of imported seed.
He
also said that there was no issue of inorganic arsenic in Pakistani rice while
aflatoxin and pesticide residue is also within the prescribed limits. He
assured that there was no research going on for GMO rice and all the research
institutes have been asked not to carry out any work on GMOs. He said the
federal department of plant protection as well as provincial departments was
keeping a strict check on this issue. He said Pakistan had only acquired first
generation GMO cotton and trying to get second generation cotton GMOs. He said
the provincial agriculture department was also discouraging the use of
pesticides and had taken pesticide companies on board not to sell chemicals in
rice zone.
He
said 21 laboratories under the department had been standardized and Kala Shah
Kaku Research Institute laboratory is also ISO certified. He also threw light
on steps taken by the government and the department for controlling the issue
of smog. The additional secretary agriculture also invited the rice exporters
to remain in touch with him for promotion of the rice exports. Senior Vice
Chairman REAP Ali Hussam Asghar, former chairman Sami Ullah Naeem, Pir Nazim
Hussain Shah, Shahjahan Malik and Kashif ur Rehman were also present on this
occasion.
Research considers pesticide-cleansing properties of rice plants
Rice is a staple food crop of 20 percent of the
world's population. It's also grown on every continent except Antarctica.While
it's an important part of our diets, new research shows that rice plants can be
used in a different way, too: to clean runoff from farms before it gets into
rivers, lakes, and streams.
This idea came to Matt Moore, a USDA research ecologist, because
he, himself, comes from a family of farmers. He was trying to figure out a way
to address the unintended issue of runoff. As water drains from agricultural
fields, the pesticides used on those fields can be carried along. Moore wanted
to stop pesticides from getting into water outside the farm in a way that was
easy and cost-efficient for farmers. "We wanted something that was common,
that could be applied in a lot of different places, but something that's
non-invasive," said Moore, who works in the USDA-Agricultural Research
Service's Water Ecology and Ecology Research Unit in Oxford, Mississippi. The
idea came to Moore while he was driving to his family's farm in northeast
Arkansas. "We're big rice farmers. Cheesy as it sounds, I was driving
around trying to look for some inspiration and it just hit me: What about
rice?" So researchers planted four fields, two with and two without rice.
They then flooded those fields with a mix of three kinds of pesticides plus
water that together is a lot like runoff during a storm. They did this for two
years in a row. They found that the levels of all three pesticides were lower
in fields where they'd planted rice. How much it dropped ranged from 85 percent
to 97 percent, depending on which pesticide they measured. Rice can do this
through phytoremediation -- using plants and their roots to clean up water
(though they can also clean soil and air). That's what researchers say happened
here. Instead of those chemicals being in the runoff water, they were captured
in the rice plants. In real life, this pesticide-cleaning ability of rice could
be used in a few ways. To start, farmers could plant rice in drainage ditches already
on their farms, which would "let rice clean off water that runs off into
your field before it runs into a river, lake, or stream," Moore said.
"Dreaming big, eventually we could get to the point where you could use
rice fields as constructed wetlands," diverting runoff into rice fields so
they naturally take those pesticides out of the water. One big question Moore
hopes additional research can answer is whether or not those chemicals end up
in the edible part of the rice plant -- the rice grain -- itself. If it
doesn't, rice could be that natural water cleaner while also being a food
source. "It's potentially huge for developing countries to be able to use
this as a crop and water cleaning technology," he said. For now, though,
Moore is excited about the potential of a humble, popular crop that even his
own family has been growing for generations. "We're just trying to use
simple techniques that are easy for the farmer, that are economical, that are
still environmentally friendly," he said. "Farming seems like a
not-for-profit business these days, which I full-well understand. How can
farmers use the landscape that's already there? How can they maximize that
while helping the environment and their bottom line? Rice could be it."
Rice prices continue downtrend, but still above gov’t SRP
Rice prices in the market continued to decline for the seventh week
now but have yet to reflect the suggested retail price (SRP) three weeks since
it was imposed by the government. The weekly price monitoring report by the
Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed that as of the third week of
November, retail prices of regular-milled and well-milled rice were at P42.77
and P46.49 a kilogram, respectively. These are 1.59 percent and 0.98 percent
lower compared to prices a week ago, but still higher than the SRPs imposed by
the Departments of Trade and Agriculture during the last week of October—a
measure meant to keep prices of the staple in check after it skyrocketed to
record-levels. Based on the SRP, local regular-milled and well-milled rice
should be sold at no more than P39 and P44 a kilogram, respectively, while
imported variants would be limited to well-milled and premium rice and priced
not higher than P39 and P43 a kilo, respectively. Compared to year-ago levels,
prices were also higher by 11.31 percent. Earlier this week, Agriculture
Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said the agency had no plans to stop the measure given
its “effectiveness.” He noted the implementation of SRPs largely contributed to
the decline in rice prices, but for economic managers, it was a natural result
of the influx of imported rice in the market and the onset of the harvest
season.
\
Positive sign in EU rice tariff saga
The European Union yesterday failed to come to a consensus
on taxing Cambodia fragrant and white rice, giving leaders of the local rice
sector more time to plan the next step in their fight to stop the EU from
imposing tariffs. Yesterday’s vote, hailed as a positive sign for Cambodia,
failed to deliver a decision on the regressive rice tariff imposition that is
expected to start from Jan 1 next year, with 15 of 28 member states either
rejecting the proposal or abstaining from the vote.
13 nations voted in favour of the activation of the clause that
would enable the tariffs, including Spain and Italy, the countries that
allegedly prompted a revision of the rice trade with Cambodia when they
complained of price imbalances impacting their rice farmers.
The European Commission (EC)’s Directorate-General of Agriculture
and Rural Development noted that the vote might provoke some further discussion
within the Commission but “the assumption should still be that this proposal
will be adopted”. As a result, EC has been tasked with making a final decision
before the January deadline. The tax imposition amounts to 175 euros per tonne
in the first year, 150 euros in the second year, and 125 euros the following
year. But this uncertainty means that Cambodia gets more time to continue
lobbying the EU, said Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF) vice president Hun Lak.
“We will work with the
Ministry of Commerce and other relevant stakeholders to lobby our case because
it is not clear now,” he told Khmer Times over the telephone. “It was a
positive result as the vote to impose tariffs on Cambodia rice exports did not
win a majority, with some countries against the proposal. The countries that
rejected it obviously feel that there will be an impact on the livelihood of
the farmers. “It would also impact EU’s effort to alleviate poverty in least developed,
and developing countries. In addition, the tariffs would affect EU importers
and its own consumers,” he added. The EC launched a safeguard investigation in
March to see if the volume with or without prices of imports of semi-milled and
milled Indica rice from Cambodia and Myanmar resulted in serious difficulties
to EU producers of similar or competing products. Czech Republic, Denmark,
Estonia, Finland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Sweden and the United Kingdom voted
against the proposal.
In contrast, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, France, Greece,
Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Spain
supported it, while Austria, Croatia, Germany, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta and
Slovenia remained neutral. In the meantime, the EC has included a “shipping
clause,” stating that imports already on the way to the EU on the date the
regulation comes into effect (Jan 1, 2019) shall not be subject to duties
specified in the law, provided that the destination of such products cannot be
changed. “The date of entry into force will be the day after the publication of
the regulation. The timing of publication, for the time being, should be
assumed to be as previously indicated, namely early January,” it added. Mr Lak
opined that everything will continue as planned as CRF seeks support from the
EU Embassy in Cambodia to urge EC to refrain from imposing the rice tax.
“We have not done anything
wrong and we have enough evidence to show the impact that could be caused by
the tax,” he said. However, he added that if EC carries on with the tax, CRF
would begin the second phase of engagement: to negotiate the reduction of the
regime to 120 euros or less. Pen Sovicheat, director-general of the domestic
trade department at the Ministry of Commerce, told Khmer Times that Cambodia’s
stand against the proposal is based on the skills of the farmers and fair
competition, and that Cambodia’s rice does not affect Italy and Spain’s rice
farmers. “It is unfair to punish our farmers. We have explained in detail the
technical aspects of the issue to the EU. The ball is now in EC’s court as
yesterday’s vote due to the differing views among the member states. So, we
will wait and see what the next measures are,” he said. He added that the
government has expressed their views to countries like Germany and the UK, who
understand that Cambodian rice is different. “But if the EU still wants to tax
us we have the Chinese market and other markets that recognise our rice,” Mr
Sovicheat said. According to the Secretariat of One Window Service for Rice
Export, from January to September, nearly half of all Cambodian rice exports
went to the EU, 193,499 tonnes out of a total of 389,264.
NFA’s
purchases of local rice up 80 percent
December 5, 2018
NFA
Grains Operations Officer II Coralyn Punongbayan of Nueva Ecija checks the
quality of palay bought from farmers.
The National Food Authority (NFA)
said its purchases of unmilled rice from local farmers expanded by nearly 80
percent to 50,608 metric tons in January to November, from last year’s 28,278
MT.
The NFA said it has procured some
1.012 million 50-kilogram bags during the 11-month period, 92 percent of which
were bought in October and November.
In two months, the NFA said it
was able to purchase 926,854 bags due to the additional P3 per kilogram
buffer-stocking incentive (BSI) added to the government’s support price of P17
per kg.
“This means that given the right
price, the NFA will be able to buy more from our farmers,” NFA OIC
Administrator Tomas R. Escarez said on Tuesday.
“With the additional P3/kg
incentive, we were able to entice more farmers to sell their harvest to us. At
a time when private traders were buying at P20.28 or lower than the NFA buying
price, our farmers decided to sell to us instead,” Escarez added.
The NFA currently buys palay from
local farmers at P20.70 per kg, inclusive of the P0.70 per-kg delivery, drying
and cooperative incentives.
As the main harvest season
reached its peak in November, the NFA said it was able to purchase 630,934 bags
of palay.
The NFA said it was able to buy
palay from farmers in Occidental Mindoro, Mamburao, Batangas, Oriental Mindoro,
Bukidnon, Isabela, Capiz, Iloilo, North Cotabato and Camarines Sur.
The food agency attached to the
Department of Agriculture has targeted to procure 2.6 million bags, or 130,000
MT of palay. To hit this goal, the NFA must buy 1.6 million bags, or 80,000 MT
of palay.
Last year the NFA failed to
achieve its goal of procuring 3 million bags, as it managed to purchase only
588,820 bags, or 29,441 MT.
Since the approval of its P3
per-kg BSI, the NFA has become more optimistic in achieving its palay
procurement target for 2018.
The NFA is banking on local palay
procurement to continuously beef up its stockpile and avert the depletion of
state-subsidized rice sold in local markets.
Out-quota rice
The NFA also disclosed that 30
agricultural firms, traders and farmers cooperatives are seeking to import
about 274,476 MT of rice via its out-quota program.
Based on the initial list of
applicants published by the NFA on its web site, 30 private entities have
already applied for permits to import rice outside the minimum access volume
(MAV) since November 26.
Among the applicants include
Manila-based Pure Rice Milling and Processing Corp. that seeks to import
100,000 MT of white rice, 25-percent brokens from Thailand and Farm Mechanism
Resources and and Distribution Corp. that signified its intent to buy 20,000 MT
of white rice, 5-percent brokens, also from Thailand.
The 30 interested importers are
planning to purchase rice from Vietnam and Thailand.
Rice importers are allowed to
bring in rice with a quality of 25-percent brokens or even better.
The NFA issued the guidelines for
the out-quota rice importation on November 23 following its approval by the NFA
Council (NFAC) on November 21.
“The purpose of the importation
is to bring down the prices of rice,” Agriculture Secretary and NFAC Chairman
Emmanuel F. Piñol told reporters in an interview after the NFAC meeting on
November 21.
Rice imports within the MAV of
the World Trade Organization are slapped a tariff of 35 percent, while those
bought into the country outside of the quota are levied a tariff of 50 percent.
Piñol said the NFAC has decided
to allow out-quota importation to ensure that the retail price of rice would
remain affordable to Filipino consumers.
“Why would I wait for [the rice
tariffication]? What if it would take longer? Then consumers would complain
that rice prices are increasing,” he said.
According to Piñol, interested
traders need to meet only three requirements approved by the NFAC—show proof of
financial capacity, warehouse capability and retail capability.
“These will effectively weed out
fly-by-night importers who just apply for import permit and sell them afterward,”
he said.
Farmers
urged to support proposed rice tariffication
SAN FELIPE, ZAMBALES – Senator
Cynthia Villar urged Zambales farmers to embrace the proposed rice
tariffication law since P10 billion earned from the law will be used for the
local rice industry.
At the San Felipe Farmers
Association General Assembly last Friday, Villar told the stakeholders that the
bill would provide a Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) worth P10
billion. She added that part of the fund would be used in the mechanization of
rice farming.
Villar stressed that the
mechanization of rice farming is crucial in the development of the industry,
saying this will allow the agriculture sector, especially the rice industry, to
grow and become more competitive in view of the regional economic integration
under the ASEAN economic community.
She explained that half of the
P10-billion rice fund will be allotted to the Philippine Center for Post
Harvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech). The funds, he added, that
funds aim to provide groups of farmers with the machineries needed.
The bicameral committee approved on November 22 the allocation
of P10 billion to the RCEF that will be utilized for the improvement of farm
machineries and equipment. Villar, who is also the chair of the Senate
Committee on Agriculture and Food, said that this will authorize the NFA to buy
rice from local farmers. (Jonas Reyes)
SunRice expands offshore rice
milling as NSW crop dries up
5 Dec 2018, 7:30 a.m.
SunRice's big Deniliquin mill will cut production back to
one shift a day by mid next year.
Just weeks after finalising the
purchase of a rice mill in Vietnam, southern NSW-based SunRice is preparing to
mothball half its milling operations at Deniliquin and cut more processing
operations during 2019.
Drought and the prospect of the
second smallest Australian rice crop in 12 years have forced the national rice
marketer to flag almost 100 job cuts, plus reduced working hours at its
milling, packing and warehouse operations.
The company normally employs about
600 regular staff in the Riverina, plus up to 300 more at harvest.
While this summer’s Riverina rice
crop won’t be anywhere as tiny as the 19,000 tonnes harvested in 2008 during
the millennium drought, plantings have been restricted by limited irrigation
water allocations and high prices.
Chairman, Laurie Arthur, said
SunRice was staying commercially careful about releasing yield forecasts for
2019, but volumes would be well below this year’s 620,000t crop.
His own Murray Valley farm was
growing just 98 hectares this season.
To brace for the slump a staged
reconfiguration of milling operations began this week, while the company is
also cranking up its processing and supply chain activities overseas to cover
the Australian export shortfall.
Flexibility is something we all have to accept
The 24-hour running time at
Deniliquin’s Mill Two will drop to five days a week next month, and Mill One
will wind back to 16 hours, five days a week on January 31, then stop operating
in April.
Normally the big Deniliquin site,
the southern hemisphere’s biggest rice milling plant, handles up to 450,000t a
year.
By July it will likely be operating
just 40 hours a week, while SunRice’s 350,000t capacity Leeton Mill will cut
back production to five days a week in April.
Although carry-over grain stocks
from 2018 would maintain the reduced milling throughput next year, the
company’s big export operation would increasingly rely on rice grown and
processed in Vietnam, the US and other overseas production zones.
Last month SunRice took over a
260,000t (dry paddy) capacity rice mill in Vietnam’s Dong Thap Province,
where it already sources contract-grown medium and long grain crops to support
sales orders, particularly from the Pacific.
The company has not disclosed the
purchase price, but spent about a year considering several sites before signing
the deal.
It also has a 100,000t capacity
mill in Sacramento, California, and milling and packing plants in Jordan and
Papua New Guinea.
Vietnam has grown rapidly as a
source of grain in the past two years.SunRice is now an established player in
the Mekong Delta, handling more than five per cent of all Vietnamese rice exports.
More than half of Vietnam’s
Japonica style rice exports are grown under specific quality standards for
SunRice markets.
The company has signed memoranda of
understanding with two Mekong Delta provincial governments to source
sustainably grown rice tailored for Australian end market requirements, with
farmers eventually growing patented rice varieties bred specifically for
SunRice.
Mr Arthur said new equipment was
being installed to increase polishing capacity and expand the mill and packing
lines.
Laurie Arthur
Testing drought experiences of last
decade had forced the Australian rice industry to be more savvy and flexible
about maintaining supplies and consistent quality to its mostly high value
customer-base.
The US SunFoods division,
established by SunRice during the last drought, would again be contributing
supplies to maintain valued customer ties.
As global food markets evolved
SunRice would need more sustainable supply chains overseas to respond to rising
demand for its products, particularly if the Riverina experienced more low
production years.
At home the company was urging
local growers to think strategically and plan more than a season ahead for
their water needs, while adding more grain carry-over flexibility into its own
processing capacity.
“Flexibility is something we all
have to accept,” Mr Arthur said.
Production from North Queensland
was also on a long-term rise as varietal and production research provided
increasing opportunities for farmers to grow rice instead of relying on sugar
cane.
SunRice remained firmly committed
to the Riverina region as a source of premium quality rice, but had been forced
to implement its latest operation cuts after an extensive review of the
production outlook.
“This season is very dry, but based
on bigger picture trends I don’t expect conditions to stay dry for long,” he
said.
“When I started growing rice our
biggest concern was flooding.”
SunRice was concerned about losing
valuable skills and staff when forced to scale back its operations and was
therefore exploring all available options with employees and unions to retain
as many people as possible, including re-locating staff and job sharing.
Meanwhile, in the wake of SunRice’s
restructuring move an angry Rice Growers Association of Australia (RGA) has
reiterated its criticism of the government imposed recovery of an
extra 450 gigalitres of water, further restricting productive irrigation
activity in the Murrumbidgee and Murray valleys.
It noted the Murray-Darling Basin
water reform agenda was not supposed to destroy industries and communities
relying on irrigated crops.
President, Jeremy Morton, said
while the drought was a significant factor, the Basin Plan was undoubtedly
responsible for some of these SunRice staff losing their jobs.
Murray Darling Basin Ministerial
Council (MinCo) of State and Federal Water Ministers was meeting next week to
decide on future water recovery throughout the Basin Plan.
“A decision at MinCo to further
reduce the amount of water available for producing food and fibre means more
people without a job, fewer jobs across our entire community and the nation,”
he said.
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EU members fail to agree on rice
tax, EC to make final call
Sok Chan and Sangeetha Amarthalingam / Khmer Times Share:
The European Union has failed to
come to a consensus on the decision of imposing tariffs on Cambodian rice
import into the bloc after eight countries voted against slapping a regressive
tax on Jasmine fragrant rice and white rice, with seven countries choosing to
abstain.
Of the 28 member states, 13
nations including Italy and Spain, the alleged source of contention over the
price imbalance and negative economic impact on its rice farmers that spurred
the proposal, however voted in favour of European Commission (EC)’s proposal to
activate the safeguard clause, enabling tariff imposition starting Jan 1, 2019.
Although unclear on the exact
result, the bloc said in light of the non-opinion, it is up to the
College of Commissioners to decide whether it will adopt the proposal of rice
tax imposition of 175 euros per tonne in the first year, 150 euros in the
second year, and 125 euros the following year.
“According to the
Directorate-General of Agriculture and Rural Development, today’s (yesterday)
vote may provoke some further discussion within the Commission but the
assumption should still be that this proposal will be adopted,” it said in a
statement.
The EC launched a safeguard
investigation in March to see if the volume with or without prices of imports
of semi-milled and milled Indica rice from Cambodia and Myanmar resulted in
serious difficulties to EU producers of similar or competing products.
Based on the member states that
voted on EC’s proposal to impose tariffs on Cambodian rice exports
yesterday, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Luxembourg,
Netherlands, Sweden, and United Kingdom opposed the move.
In contrast, Belgium, Bulgaria,
Cyprus, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Poland, Romania,
Slovakia and Spain opted to stay the proposal while Austria, Croatia, Germany,
Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta and Slovenia decided to remain neutral.
In the meantime, EC included a
“shipping clause” stating that imports already on the way to EU on the date of
entry into force of this regulation (Jan 1, 2019), provided that the
destination of such products cannot be changed, shall not be subject to the
duty specified in its law.
“The date of entry into force
will be the day after the publication of the regulation. The timing of
publication, for the time being, should be assumed to be as previously
indicated, namely early January,” it added.
EU is Cambodia’s major rice
importer with approximately 213,000 tonnes, followed by China at 127,000
tonnes, ASEAN member states (47,000 tonnes) and 48,000 tonnes to other
destinations. In the first nine months of 2018, Cambodia exported 389,264
tonnes of rice, a drop of 8.4 percent year-on-year.
When asked, one of the largest
rice exporters in the country, Amru Rice (Cambodia) Co Ltd chief executive
officer and president Song Saran told Khmer Times that the final decision is
now in the hands of the EC following the failure to gain a majority vote.
“This is exactly what we were
informed (would happen). However, the commission has made it clear that it will
decide in the event an uncertainty happens,” he said.
Can rice filter water from ag fields?
December 5,
2018, American Society of Agronomy
A delivery system
applies a simulated storm runoff containing pesticides and water to rice and
control (bare) systems. Credit: Matt Moore
Rice is a staple food crop of 20
percent of the world's population. It's also grown on every continent except
Antarctica.
While it's an important part of our
diets, new research shows that rice plants can be used in a different way, too:
to clean runoff from farms before it gets into rivers, lakes, and streams.
This idea came to Matt Moore, a
USDA research ecologist, because he, himself, comes from a family of farmers.
He was trying to figure out a way to address the unintended issue of runoff.
As water drains
from agricultural fields, the pesticides used on those
fields can be carried along. Moore wanted to stop pesticides from getting into
water outside the farm in a way that was easy and cost-efficient for farmers.
"We wanted something that was
common, that could be applied in a lot of different places, but something
that's non-invasive," said Moore, who works in the USDA-Agricultural
Research Service's Water Ecology and Ecology Research Unit in Oxford,
Mississippi.
The idea came to Moore while he was
driving to his family's farm in northeast Arkansas. "We're big rice
farmers. Cheesy as it sounds, I was driving around trying to look for some
inspiration and it just hit me: What about rice?"
So researchers planted four fields,
two with and two without rice. They then flooded those fields with a mix of
three kinds of pesticides plus water that together is a lot like runoff during
a storm. They did this for two years in a row.
As runoff exits an experimental system planted with rice, it is
collected and stored in a catchment basin for further analysis. Photo credit
Matt Moore. Credit: Matt Moore
They found that the levels of all
three pesticides were lower in fields where they'd planted rice. How much it
dropped ranged from 85 percent to 97 percent, depending on which pesticide they
measured.
Rice can do this through
phytoremediation—using plants and their roots to clean up water (though they
can also clean soil and air). That's what researchers say happened here.
Instead of those chemicals being in the runoff water, they were captured in
the rice
plants.
In real life, this
pesticide-cleaning ability of rice could be used in a few ways. To start,
farmers could plant rice in drainage
ditches already on their farms, which would "let rice clean
off water that runs off into your field before it runs into a river, lake, or
stream," Moore said. "Dreaming big, eventually we could get to the
point where you could use rice fields as constructed wetlands," diverting
runoff into rice fields so they naturally take those pesticides out of the
water.
One big question Moore hopes
additional research can answer is whether or not those chemicals end up in the
edible part of the rice plant—the rice grain—itself. If it doesn't, rice could
be that natural water cleaner while also being a food source.
"It's potentially huge for
developing countries to be able to use this as a crop and water cleaning
technology," he said.
For now, though, Moore is excited
about the potential of a humble, popular crop that even his own family has been
growing for generations.
"We're just trying to use
simple techniques that are easy for the farmer, that are
economical, that are still environmentally friendly," he said.
"Farming seems like a not-for-profit business these days, which I
full-well understand. How can farmers use the landscape that's already there?
How can they maximize that while helping the environment and their bottom line?
Rice could be it."
Explore further: Make nice with rice to boost your diet
More information: Matthew T. Moore et al, Expanding Wetland Mitigation: Can
Rice Fields Remediate Pesticides in Agricultural Runoff?, Journal of
Environment Quality (2018). DOI: 10.2134/jeq2018.04.0154
Read more at: https://phys.org/news/2018-12-rice-filter-ag-fields.html#jCp https://phys.org/news/2018-12-rice-filter-ag-fields.html
Kellogg’s factory worker admits
peeing on Rice Krispies conveyor belt Jimmy McCloskey
Wednesday 5 Dec 2018 2:31 pm Share
this article via facebookShare this article via twitterShare this article via
messenger 169 SHARES A former Kellogg’s worker is set to be jailed after
admitting urinating on a Rice Krispies conveyor belt. Gregory Stanton, 49,
admitted tampering with consumer products in November after a vile video
emerged showing him peeing on the machinery used to carry the puffed rice
cereal. He filmed himself defiling the equipment in 2014, then shared it online
two years later. Disgusting video shows man urinating on cereal conveyer belt
Play Video Loaded: 0% 0:00Progress: 0% PlayMute Current Time 0:00 / Duration
Time 0:30 Fullscreen Cereal traces clearly visible on the floor underneath
during the stomach-churning clip, which was quickly flagged up to police.
That sparked a Food and Drugs
Administration investigation into Stanton’s behavior at the plant in Memphis,
Tennessee. It is unclear why the worker peed on the cereal, or shared a clip of
it, although WREG reported that a workers union at the plant was involved in a
‘nasty labor dispute’ around the same time. Kellogg’s sought for Stanton to be
prosecuted to the full extent of the law, although company bosses were unable
to comment on whether contaminated products would have been put on sale.
Stanton will be sentenced at a later date, and has been warned to expect up to
three years in jail.
https://metro.co.uk/2018/12/05/kelloggs-factory-worker-admits-peeing-rice-krispies-conveyor-belt-8212130/?ito=cbshare
Why Are Scientists So Upset
About the First Crispr Babies?
Only because
a rogue researcher defied myriad scientific and ethical norms and guidelines.
We break it down.
A microplate containing embryos in the lab of He Jiankui,
in Shenzhen, China. Dr. He says he edited genes in the embryos, resulting in
the world's first gene-edited babies.
By Gina Kolata and Pam Belluck
·
A Chinese scientist recently claimed he had
produced the world’s first gene-edited babies, setting off a global firestorm.
If true — the scientist has not yet published data that would confirm it — his
actions would be a sensational breach of international scientific conventions.
Although gene editing holds promise to potentially correct dangerous
disease-causing mutations and treat some medical conditions, there are many
safety and ethical concerns about editing human embryos.
Here are
answers to some of the numerous questions swirling around this development.
What happened?
The
scientist, He Jiankui, said he used Crispr, a gene-editing technique, to alter
a gene in human embryos — and then implanted the embryos in the womb of a
woman, who gave birth to twin girls in November.
That is
illegal in many countries, including the United States. China has halted Dr.
He’s research and is investigating whether he broke any laws there. Among the
concerns are whether the couples involved in Dr. He’s research were adequately
informed about the embryo editing and the potential risks involved.
Dr. He says he has submitted his research to a
scientific journal. But nothing has been published yet, and he announced the
births of the twins before his research could be peer-reviewed by fellow
scientists. He also appears to have taken other secretive steps that defy
scientific standards.
Which
gene did he edit and why?
The gene is called CCR₅. It
creates a protein that makes it possible for H.I.V., the virus that causes
AIDS, to infect people’s cells. Dr. He said that with the help of an
H.I.V./AIDS advocacy organization in China, he recruited couples in which the
man had H.I.V. and the woman did not. He used the Crispr-Cas9 editing technique
to try to disable the CCR₅ gene in their embryos, with a goal, he said,
of creating babies who would be resistant to H.I.V. infection.
What is Dr. He’s background?
Dr. He,
34, first worked with the Crispr gene-editing technology while obtaining a
doctorate in biophysics from Rice University in Houston. He did postdoctoral
research at Stanford and returned to his native China in 2012 under a program
designed to draw Western-trained Chinese researchers back home. There, he
founded two genetic-testing companies, and became affiliated with the Southern
University of Science and Technology in Shenzhen.
He
presented early phases of his Crispr research to American scientists at
conferences in the United States, but disclosed to very few people that he was
planning to actually create pregnancies by implanting edited embryos in women.
Why are scientists up in arms?
Changing the genes in an embryo means changing
genes in every cell. If the method succeeds, the baby will have alterations
that will be inherited by all of the child’s progeny. And that, scientists
agree, is a serious undertaking that must be done with great deliberation and
only to treat a serious disease for which there are no other options — if it is
to be done at all.
Instead,
Dr. He went ahead and disabled a perfectly normal gene, CCR₅. While
people who are born with both copies of CCR₅
disabled are resistant to H.I.V., they are more susceptible to West Nile virus
and Japanese encephalitis. And there are simpler and safer ways to prevent
H.I.V. infection.
More
worrying, Crispr often inadvertently alters genes other than the one being
targeted, and there are also circumstances, called mosaicism, where some cells
contain the edited gene and others do not. Dr. He claimed in a video that
Crispr did not affect other genes in the twins and that the babies were “born
normally and healthy,” but there is no way to know if that is true.
In fact,
some of the data Dr. He presented at a conference in Hong Kong, after he
announced the birth of the twins, is concerning, several scientists said. For
one thing, it indicates that he was able to disable both copies of the CCR₅ gene in
only one of the twins, whom Dr. He identified as “Nana.” In the
other twin, “Lulu,” only one copy of CCR₅ was
disabled, providing limited, if any, protection against H.I.V., but Dr. He
implanted the embryo anyway. He said he informed the parents and they wanted
both embryos implanted.
Some
scientists said the data Dr. He presented also suggested several potential
issues resulting from the editing process.
Most
importantly, said Dr. Kiran Musunuru, a geneticist at the University of
Pennsylvania who reviewed the data, “there’s clear evidence of mosaicism” in
the edited embryos of both twins. “I was so furious,” Dr. Musunuru said. “This
would have been disturbing anyway — gene-edited babies. It made it a hundred
times worse knowing that he had totally mosaic embryos. It’s as if you took the
embryos and dipped them in acid and said ‘You know what, I’m just going to go
ahead with the implantation anyway.’ It’s not that much different.”
While it
is unclear if the babies themselves ended up with a mosaic patchwork of cells,
Dr. Musunuru said the data shows that Lulu’s placenta was mosaic, which is not
a good sign.
Finally, it is not known if his study subjects
knew what they were agreeing to. The consent they signed was for an AIDS
vaccine development project, and it did not mention all the risks of disabling
CCR₅. It said that if Crispr altered other genes, “the
project team is not responsible for the risk.”
We’ll bring you stories that
capture the wonders of the human body, nature and the cosmos.
What are the potential implications?
Many
scientists are concerned that Dr. He’s experiment could have a chilling effect
on support for legitimate and valuable gene-editing research.
“Should
such epic scientific misadventures proceed, a technology with enormous promise
for prevention and treatment of disease will be overshadowed by justifiable public outrage, fear, and
disgust,” said Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of
Health.
What are the safeguards against this?
In the United States, Congress has barred the
Food and Drug Administration from even considering clinical trials involving
human embryo editing. The National Institutes of Health is prohibited from
funding such research. The National Academies of Science, Engineering, and
Medicine issued a report in 2017 concluding that editing the genes of human
embryos should only be acceptable in the narrowest of circumstances. It would
have to be used to correct a serious genetic disorder that causes disease or
disability; there would have to be no other alternatives; there would have to
be good evidence that the benefits would outweigh the risks; and there would
have to be a plan in place to follow the gene-edited children.
What are the ethical concerns?
Some
worry that this is the first step toward using gene editing to create people
with extreme intelligence, beauty or athletic ability. But that, for now, is
not possible. Such traits are thought to be affected by possibly hundreds of
genes acting in concert, and affected in turn by the environment.
The
biggest ethical concerns for now are with rogue scientists enticing couples who
do not realize the risks to babies that might result from the experiments. And
when those children grow up, the altered genes will be passed on to their
children, and to their children’s children, for generations to come.
What do we still not know?
Until Dr. He publishes the results of his work
in a peer-reviewed medical journal, we will not know the detailed results
of the embryo editing, or even whether the twins were actually born.
And, of course, we do not know if other
scientists will be emboldened to try their own experiments editing the genes of
human embryos.
Pam Belluck is a health and science writer. She was one of seven
Times staffers awarded the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting for
coverage of the Ebola epidemic. She is the author of “Island Practice,” about a
colorful and contrarian doctor on Nantucket. @PamBelluck
Conservation of Sarangani’s indigenous rice varieties
pushed
December
6, 2018, 6:38 pm
GENERAL
SANTOS CITY --
The provincial government of Sarangani and the Philippine Rice Research
Institute (PhilRice) are pushing for the conservation of various traditional
rice varieties that that have thrived for centuries in the province’s upland
areas.
Celito Terando, program manager of Sarangani’s Sulong Tribu program, said Thursday the local government has launched a joint research with PhilRice to properly document over a hundred upland rice varieties that were grown by the area’s indigenous tribes.
Terando said PhilRice personnel are currently visiting parts of the province’s seven municipalities to specifically conduct an inventory through scientific means of the area’s existing traditional rice varieties.
Dubbed “Conservation of Sarangani Traditional Rice Germplasm,” Terando said the initiative focuses on the “identification, collection and preservation” of the province’s traditional rice varieties.
“Our goal is to set aside seed samples, especially of the premium or special varieties, and eventually reproduce them to ensure that they will be preserved for our future generations,” he said in an interview.
Terando said at least 107 upland rice varieties were listed to have been cultivated by the province’s tribal communities.
Among the popular upland rice varieties in the area are Malgas, Lagfisan, Moradu, Masipag, Dinorado and Sampang.
Terando said the scientific research is needed as there are still a number of varieties that are not included in the list.
They also need to establish the areas where the rice varieties have grown well and whether they were cultivated by the Blaans, Tbolis, Tagakaulos or other minority groups, he said.
As part of the conservation process, Terando said the collected seed samples will be placed in a seed bank that will be established later on by the provincial government.“There are actually some varieties that are starting to vanish, and we want to save them,” he added. (PNA)
Celito Terando, program manager of Sarangani’s Sulong Tribu program, said Thursday the local government has launched a joint research with PhilRice to properly document over a hundred upland rice varieties that were grown by the area’s indigenous tribes.
Terando said PhilRice personnel are currently visiting parts of the province’s seven municipalities to specifically conduct an inventory through scientific means of the area’s existing traditional rice varieties.
Dubbed “Conservation of Sarangani Traditional Rice Germplasm,” Terando said the initiative focuses on the “identification, collection and preservation” of the province’s traditional rice varieties.
“Our goal is to set aside seed samples, especially of the premium or special varieties, and eventually reproduce them to ensure that they will be preserved for our future generations,” he said in an interview.
Terando said at least 107 upland rice varieties were listed to have been cultivated by the province’s tribal communities.
Among the popular upland rice varieties in the area are Malgas, Lagfisan, Moradu, Masipag, Dinorado and Sampang.
Terando said the scientific research is needed as there are still a number of varieties that are not included in the list.
They also need to establish the areas where the rice varieties have grown well and whether they were cultivated by the Blaans, Tbolis, Tagakaulos or other minority groups, he said.
As part of the conservation process, Terando said the collected seed samples will be placed in a seed bank that will be established later on by the provincial government.“There are actually some varieties that are starting to vanish, and we want to save them,” he added. (PNA)
REAP holds awareness session for Basmati rice exporters
RECORDER REPORT
The Rice Export Association of Pakistan (REAP) in collaboration
with Eurofins Global Control, an international inspection company offering
supply chain control solutions to achieve product quality and safety from the
origin to the consumer, on Tuesday arranged an awareness session for the
Basmati Rice exporters regarding changes being made in import inspection laws
by the European Union (EU).
Managing Director Eurofins Thomas Unger gave a detailed briefing to the exports about upcoming changes in laws by the EU in food sector with special emphasis on rice. He said rice was one of the biggest components of EU imports from Pakistan.
He said four main challenges being faced by the rice exporters, from across the globe, i.e. presence of GMOs, aflatoxin, pesticide residues and inorganic arsenic. However, he said that Pakistani rice consignments have shown satisfactory results when tested for all these challenges. He said there was no GMO rice in Pakistan and 93 per cent of the samples tested for other factors came out satisfactory.
However, he urged that Pakistan should strengthen its agricultural research institute to work for a more secured future for Basmati. Concluding his remarks, he urged upon Pakistan to strengthen control of seed materials to ensure there is no GMOs in export consignments, dry the paddy immediately after harvesting, build awareness among farmers to use agro-chemicals rationally to keep the pesticide residue under the prescribed level etc.
Speaking on this occasion, Punjab Additional Secretary Agriculture Ghazanfar Ali assured the audience that there was no GMO present in Pakistani rice and if it had found in any consignment, it was due to use of imported seed.
He also said that there was no issue of inorganic arsenic in Pakistani rice while aflatoxin and pesticide residue is also within the prescribed limits. He assured that there was no research going on for GMO rice and all the research institutes have been asked not to carry out any work on GMOs.
He said the federal department of plant protection as well as provincial departments was keeping a strict check on this issue. He said Pakistan had only acquired first generation GMO cotton and trying to get second generation cotton GMOs.
He said the provincial agriculture department was also discouraging the use of pesticides and had taken pesticide companies on board not to sell chemicals in rice zone. He said 21 laboratories under the department had been standardized and Kala Shah Kaku Research Institute laboratory is also ISO certified. He also threw light on steps taken by the government and the department for controlling the issue of smog.
The additional secretary agriculture also invited the rice exporters to remain in touch with him for promotion of the rice exports. Senior Vice Chairman REAP Ali Hussam Asghar, former chairman Sami Ullah Naeem, Pir Nazim Hussain Shah, Shahjahan Malik and Kashif ur Rehman were also present on this occasion.
Managing Director Eurofins Thomas Unger gave a detailed briefing to the exports about upcoming changes in laws by the EU in food sector with special emphasis on rice. He said rice was one of the biggest components of EU imports from Pakistan.
He said four main challenges being faced by the rice exporters, from across the globe, i.e. presence of GMOs, aflatoxin, pesticide residues and inorganic arsenic. However, he said that Pakistani rice consignments have shown satisfactory results when tested for all these challenges. He said there was no GMO rice in Pakistan and 93 per cent of the samples tested for other factors came out satisfactory.
However, he urged that Pakistan should strengthen its agricultural research institute to work for a more secured future for Basmati. Concluding his remarks, he urged upon Pakistan to strengthen control of seed materials to ensure there is no GMOs in export consignments, dry the paddy immediately after harvesting, build awareness among farmers to use agro-chemicals rationally to keep the pesticide residue under the prescribed level etc.
Speaking on this occasion, Punjab Additional Secretary Agriculture Ghazanfar Ali assured the audience that there was no GMO present in Pakistani rice and if it had found in any consignment, it was due to use of imported seed.
He also said that there was no issue of inorganic arsenic in Pakistani rice while aflatoxin and pesticide residue is also within the prescribed limits. He assured that there was no research going on for GMO rice and all the research institutes have been asked not to carry out any work on GMOs.
He said the federal department of plant protection as well as provincial departments was keeping a strict check on this issue. He said Pakistan had only acquired first generation GMO cotton and trying to get second generation cotton GMOs.
He said the provincial agriculture department was also discouraging the use of pesticides and had taken pesticide companies on board not to sell chemicals in rice zone. He said 21 laboratories under the department had been standardized and Kala Shah Kaku Research Institute laboratory is also ISO certified. He also threw light on steps taken by the government and the department for controlling the issue of smog.
The additional secretary agriculture also invited the rice exporters to remain in touch with him for promotion of the rice exports. Senior Vice Chairman REAP Ali Hussam Asghar, former chairman Sami Ullah Naeem, Pir Nazim Hussain Shah, Shahjahan Malik and Kashif ur Rehman were also present on this occasion.
https://fp.brecorder.com/2018/12/20181205428654/
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