Myanmar rice export hits record high in 60
years
Submitted by ttwin on
Fri, 02/16/2018 - 16:19
Writer: EMG
Myanmar's rice export this
financial year has reached a record high in over 60 years, said Sai Kyaw,
central executive committee member of Myanmar Rice Federation.Currently,
Myanmar exports rice to more than 50 countries and nearly 3 million tons have
been exported this fiscal year. In the previous years, a maximum of 1.8 million
tons of rice were exported.
"Regarding the rice export
in 2018 (this year), even small-scale merchants will earn good income. More
rice was exported in late 2017 and this year. In 2018, we can say that rice
trade will be much better. In neighobouring Thailand and Vietnam, rice prices
have increased more this year. In our country also, a bag of rice get K4,000
more this year," said Sai Kyaw.
From last April to the second week of this month in the current
2017-2018 fiscal year, nearly 3 million tons of rice was exported reaching a
record high in 60 years.
Rice Prices
as on : 14-02-2018 11:38:38 AM
Arrivals in tonnes;prices in
Rs/quintal in domestic market.
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Price
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Current
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%
change |
Season
cumulative |
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%change |
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Rice
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||||||
|
Durgapur(WB)
|
132.00
|
1.54
|
3427.00
|
2550
|
2550
|
-4.49
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Asansol(WB)
|
130.00
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NC
|
3543.00
|
2550
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2550
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-4.85
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Dibrugarh(ASM)
|
8.90
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11.25
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195.00
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2400
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2400
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6.67
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North Lakhimpur(ASM)
|
4.80
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-28.36
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193.60
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2600
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2600
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36.84
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Chhibramau(Kannuj)(UP)
|
4.00
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NC
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112.50
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2240
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2250
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0.45
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Published
on February
14, 2018
https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/rice-prices/article22749342.ece
Rats destroy Nigerian rice crops
|
Updated Feb 16, 2018 at 11:24am
Farmers
in north-west Nigeria fear for their future after rats invaded their farms and
destroyed rice crops. Damage to the farms in Kebbi State could lead to a
severe shortage of locally grown rice. The area is one of the biggest rice
producers in the country.The invasion is one of the worst since the boom
in rice farming in the state, and farmers are calling for quick intervention
from government.In addition to the rodents, the farmers are also faced
with the problem of birds which feed on the rice seeds before they mature.Deputy
Governor of the state, Samaila Yombe Dabai, says he has visited some of the affected
areas and explained that government would take the necessary measures to
dislodge the rodents.
SOURCE: BBC NEWShttp://www.gbcghana.com/1.11786504
There's a
5,000-percent search spike for 'rice water' for hair — but does it work?
It might be the
best thing that ever happened to your hair.
by Kristin Granero / / Source: TODAY
A search for similar terms on
YouTube yielded more than 100,000 results, with plenty of vlogger videos
discussing the apparent hair benefits of rice water — especially its supposed
growing powers.
According to Rita Hazan, a celebrity
colorist, salon owner and product developer, rice water can not only help with
hair growth, but also with shine and volume.
"Rice water contains rice
protein, which plumps up the hair cuticle," she said. "In the same
way rice expands when you cook it in water, it expands in your hair, making it
appear healthier and more voluminous."
And there are other benefits,
according to Julian
Guerrero, hairstylist and educator at Butterfly Studio Salon in New
York. “Fermented rice water is acidic, and when you rinse your hair with it, it
restores and balances the pH of your hair," he said. "We’ve been
seeing hair care brands bring the benefits of rice to hair products, from
cleansers to styling creams."
It
can also be used to fight frizz. "Rice water contains inositol, which is
(a) carbohydrate that helps strengthen elasticity and reduce surface
friction," said Guerrero.
All you need is a cup of rice —
brown long grain or white — to get started. "Add your choice to two cups
of water in a jar or bowl and let sit for 20-25 minutes," he said.
"Drain the water out and store it or use it directly after."
Once you've shampooed, he said,
apply the rice water from roots to ends while massaging it in. "Then
condition as normal with your regular conditioner," said Guerrero.
"Rice water could also be used as a conditioner if mixed with an oil and
applied from roots to ends, or just on hair ends, then rinsed and styled."
Don't have extra time on your
hands? Stash one — or all six — of these rice-infused hair products in your
shower to start achieving your hair goals.
TODAY has affiliate relationships, so we may get a small share
of the revenue from your purchases. Items are sold by the retailer, not by
TODAY. All prices are subject to change and items could sell out based on the
merchant’s inventory.
USA Rice Team
Effort Has Impact on Capitol Hill
By Lesley Dixon
WASHINGTON, DC -- This week, 100 members of USA Rice representing
all six rice-producing states gathered in the nation's capital to meet with
legislators and administration officials for the annual Government Affairs
Conference (GAC). For two days, USA Rice
members met with Congressional leaders to discuss the Farm Bill and other
priorities for the rice industry, breaking with tradition by including visits
to members of Congress outside of rice-producing areas.
This year, the conference had an ambitious goal of meeting with
every member of Congress who sits on the House and Senate Agriculture
Committees and leaders of committees addressing key trade issues.
By the time the conference was over on Thursday, USA Rice members
had visited close to 100 different offices to educate legislators and their
staff about farm policy and trade issues directly affecting the industry.
USA Rice Government Affairs Chairman Joe Mencer and Senator Debbie
Stabenow,
ranking member on the Senate
Ag Committee
"This was a unique opportunity for us to meet with members of
Congress who otherwise might not have much exposure to the rice industry,"
said Joe Mencer, chair of the USA Rice Government Affairs Committee. "It's important for them as members of
the House and Senate Ag Committees to hear our concerns and understand our
priorities, but also find common ground in their priorities like nutrition
policy."
The groups of delegates this year were also mixed rather than
organized by state, as they had been in the past, giving members from different
areas a chance to work together and speak to congressional leaders about their
common priorities and unique challenges.
Members attended a session on pesticide regulations at the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and also met with USDA's Natural
Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to discuss conservation priorities and
the success of the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP).
USA Rice makes the case at FAS
Delegations met with staff from the U.S. Agency on International
Development (USAID) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to talk about USA
Rice's ongoing involvement in fortified rice for food aid and with the Foreign
Agriculture Service (FAS) where discussions centered around USA Rice's various
international promotion programs.
Additionally, a team focused on trade met with staff from the U.S.
Trade Representative and USDA to discuss market challenges, and the 2016 Rice
Leadership Development class visited with Colombian Ambassador Camilo Reyes to
discuss the vital trade between our two countries.
"This week opened many doors and laid a foundation for
strengthening relationships with key policy makers on Capitol Hill," said
USA Rice Vice President Government Affairs Ben Mosely. "With a Farm Bill on the horizon and
NAFTA on the block for renegotiations, these conversations came at a critical
point. Members definitely left a strong
impression and created new advocates in Congress."
USA Rice members get prepped for Hill meetings
A Libyan family prepares to eat a freshly cooked
traditional couscous dish, with lamb, onions, chickpeas and pumpkin, in Tripoli
on Feb. 6. | AFP-JIJI
Wild
crops could save chickpeas from being blitzed, scientists say
Unlike domestic crops, which receive dedicated care in the form
of fertilizers and pesticides, their wild relatives are able to adapt to
changing conditions, according to scientists. “It will take another five years
before it’s in the hands of a farmer in Ethiopia … but we are well on the road
to being there,” said Eric J.B. von Wettberg, a plant geneticist at the
University of Vermont.He said researchers were working with the International
Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, an India-based agricultural
research body, to ensure that the resilient seeds make it to market once they
are available.
About one in five people globally depend on legumes such as
chickpeas as their primary source of protein, Von Wettberg said.He called for
better protection for and conservation of wild varieties of crops, which could
have traits that would allow them to survive and thrive under climate
pressures.“They (wild crops) may be our most potent weapon against climate
change,” said Chikelu Mba, plant geneticist at the United Nations’ Food and
Agriculture Organization.
“They are irreplaceable,” he said by phone, adding that
chickpeas were vital for nutrition in many developing countries.Scientists are
also assessing wild rice varietals to combat climate change, with one species
growing in northern Australia’s crocodile-infested waters raising hope for a
more nutritious grain that is drought- and pest-resistant.
Indians Aren’t Happy With ‘Basmati
Blues’—Brie Larson’s New Old Movie
Brie Larson stars in 'Basmati
Blues.'
The movie is finally being released in the U.S. on
Friday, playing in select cinemas and available via video on demand. Critics
have not been kind. The L.A.
Times called it “a
big miss,” while the Village
Voice wondered how “this
thing got financed and finished.”In the film, Larson’s character, Dr. Linda
Watt, is sent to the southern state of Kerala in India. Gurgon, her greedy
corporate boss, played by the actor Donald Sutherland, wants her to convince
local farmers to switch to the new rice: “India: 500 million farmers, 1.1
billion rice eaters, all of them… potential customers,” Gurgon declares with
glee.
The problem is that the rice
she’s recommending could financially destroy the very people she means to help.
The rice is sterile. If farmers grew it, they’d need to spend a lot of money to
buy new seeds every year.
Along the way, she falls in love
with a farmer, who actually trained as a scientist but had to drop out of
university. Rajit, as he’s called, is played by American-born actor Utkarsh
Ambudkar, who’s appeared in the movies Pitch Perfect and on TV shows
like The Mindy Project.
The controversy around the film
started in November, after the international trailer was released. That’s where
the white horse made its appearance, which Linda rides while trying to halt a
train loaded with the super-rice.
“It plays to stereotypes of an
exotic but backward people just waiting for a white person to swoop in and save
them,” says Bengaluru-based cartoonist, Manoj Vijayan, in an interview with
NPR.That sentiment was shared by people across Twitter.
Following the backlash, director Dan Baron and his wife, Monique Caulfield, who
produced the film, issued an apology and withdrew the trailer. In a statement to the blog Refinery29 in November, they
said: “We deeply regret any offense caused by the Basmati Blues trailer. We have
heard a number of voices that have understandably reacted to a trailer that is
not representative of the film as a whole.”
In January, a
new trailer was introduced to the Basmati Blues website, with
the white horse scene deleted.The criticism on Twitter however, raged on.The film’s
white savior message isn’t the only issue that rankles. “The script seems to
have gone overboard with its lazy cliches, the lame jokes and the
stereotyping,” says Vijayan. “It’s a sadly missed opportunity to tell a story
with some nuance and ends up pandering to tired old preconceptions.”
In the scene where Larson first
meets Rajit, he greets her while hanging upside down from the roof of a train
while she’s seated at the window, as though hanging like possums on trains was
perfectly normal in India.In an interview with NPR, Jaya Padmanabhan, an immigration columnist for The San Francisco Examiner, shared
some advice for the filmmakers: “Someone should tell Baron and Jeff Dorchen
[who wrote the screenplay] to visit India without a camera obstructing their
worldview.”
Kamala Thiagarajan is a freelance
journalist based in Madurai, South India. Her work has appeared in The
International New York Times, BBC Travel and Forbes India. You can follow her
@kamal_t
http://www.npr.org/.
