Rice plants may
help clean wastewater from farms
09/12/2018
WASHINGTON, Dec 8:
Rice plants can be used to clean water draining from farms — which contain pesticides — before it gets into rivers, lakes, and streams, scientists suggest.
Researchers 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 Matt Moore, a scientist at the US Department of Agriculture.
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 per cent to 97 per cent, depending on which pesticide they measured.
Rice can do this through phytoremediation — using plants and their roots to clean up water.
In real life, this pesticide-cleaning ability of rice could be used in a few ways.
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.
Additional research is required to find whether the chemicals end up in the edible part of the rice plant — the rice grain — itself.
If it doesn’t, the 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. (AGENCIES)
Rice plants can be used to clean water draining from farms — which contain pesticides — before it gets into rivers, lakes, and streams, scientists suggest.
Researchers 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 Matt Moore, a scientist at the US Department of Agriculture.
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 per cent to 97 per cent, depending on which pesticide they measured.
Rice can do this through phytoremediation — using plants and their roots to clean up water.
In real life, this pesticide-cleaning ability of rice could be used in a few ways.
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.
Additional research is required to find whether the chemicals end up in the edible part of the rice plant — the rice grain — itself.
If it doesn’t, the 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. (AGENCIES)
With No Mandis, Farmers Go For
Distress Sale In Odisha
Bhubaneswar: After battling with
natural calamities and pest attack, paddy and cotton farmers of Bolangir,
Kalahandi and Sambalpur districts are now opting for distress sale due to undue
delay in setting up of mandis by the State government.
Farmers of Deogan in Bolangir
district are forced to stock paddy in their houses and nobody knows when the
mandis are going to open even though the concerned officials conducted meetings
after meetings to ensure smooth procurement.
“We can only sell our produce if
mandi opens. Though the concerned officials assured that the centre will open
by December 14, they are not ready to answer anything,” said Karuna Rohidas, a
farmer from Burda in Bolangir.
Similarly, the situation has
assumed serious proportions in Kalahandi district due to non-cooperation of
rice millers. Although the first mandi in Junagarh was opened on November 28
and tokens were issued to farmers, some issues over fair average quality (FAQ)
have now emerged as a bone of contention.
On the other hand, cotton farmers
at Anandpur village in Sonepur district are forced to stock their produce with
no mandi being procurement in the district. Farmers cultivated cotton in more
than 3000 hectare of land in Tarabha, Gulunda and Birmaharajpur blocks of the
district this year.
Although the government has fixed
the price of Rs 5,400 per quintal but due to delay in opening of mandis, the
farmers have started selling their produce at much cheaper rates.
“As the government agencies are not
buying our products, we are forced to sell to the local traders,” said a cotton
farmer, Jatin Panigrahi.
Meanwhile, the opposition parties
targeted the ruling BJD and accused State Government of ignoring the interest
of the farmers.
“The millers are not buying the
paddy. I doubt the government and the concerned minister are with the farmers
or the millers,” alleged Opposition chief whip and Congress leader, Taraprasad
Bahinipati.
“Last year, the mandis were opened
lately and the same situation has cropped up this year also. The Odisha
Government has no proper concept regarding paddy procurement,” said BJP State
vice-president Bhrigu Baxipatra.
“The Collectors are negotiating with the millers and the
procurement will soon start. Till date, more than 3.8 lakh tonnes of paddy have
been procured and the paddy procurement process has already started in eight
districts of the State,” informed Food Supplies and Cooperation Minister Surya
Narayan Patro.
Senate OKs proposed P122-B budget for DA
Published December 8, 2018, 7:48 PM
By Mario Casayuran
Before going on recess for the
weekend, the Senate approved Friday the proposed P122 billion budget for the
Department of Agriculture (DA).
Senator Cynthia A, Villar,
chairwoman of the Senate agriculture and food committee, said the DA’s budget
for the coming fiscal year is 3.34 percent of the proposed national budget
amounting to P3.757 trillion.
Senator Cynthia Villar
(Senate of the Philippines via Facebook / MANILA BULLETIN)
(Senate of the Philippines via Facebook / MANILA BULLETIN)
But with a scheduled briefing
Monday morning for senators on a request by the military for an extension of
the declaration of martial law in Mindanao and a probable joint Senate and
House of Representatives session on the martial law issue Wednesday, it is held
likely that the proposed 2019 P3.757 trillion national budget might not be
approved before both the two legislative chambers go on a month-long Christmas
recess starting December 15.
The approval of the DA budget
followed a sponsorship speech by Villar and a subsequent floor debate.
“We are hopeful, Mr. President
(Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III) that the proposed 2019 budget of DA
will realize our goal of lifting Filipino farmers and fisherfolks out of
poverty. Particularly, rice and coconut farmers, who make up for seven million
of the 12 million farmers in the country since under next year’s proposed
budget, we have realigned P20 billion to provide for standby appropriations for
the rice and coconut farmers,” Villar said in her sponsorship speech.
Of the total budget, P15.70
billion was earmarked for programs and P14.97 billion for projects.
The programs are as follows:
• National Rice Program, P7.41
billion
• National Livestock, P1.05 billion
• National Corn, P1.53 billion
• National High Value Crops, P1.48 billion
• National Organic Agriculture, P545.86 million
• Halal Food Industry Development, P44.63 million
• Other Regular Programs, P3.63 billion
• National Livestock, P1.05 billion
• National Corn, P1.53 billion
• National High Value Crops, P1.48 billion
• National Organic Agriculture, P545.86 million
• Halal Food Industry Development, P44.63 million
• Other Regular Programs, P3.63 billion
Villar also highlighted the
P10-billion Rice Fund, the most significant component of the rice tariffication
bill which would be spent to improve competitiveness and productivity of
farmers.
The Rice Fund will be allocated
as follows:
• Fifty percent will go to the
Philippine Center for Post Harvest Development and Modernization to provide
farmers with rice farm machineries and equipment;
• Thirty percent will be released to the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PRRI) to be used for the development, propagation and promotion of inbred rice seeds to rice farmers and the organization of rice farmers into seed growers associations engaged in seed production and trade;
• Ten percent will be made available in the form of credit facility with minimal interest rates and with minimum collateral requirements to rice farmers and cooperatives to be managed by the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) and the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP); and
• Ten percent will be set aside to fund extension services by PhilMech, Agricultural Training Institute (ATI), and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) for teaching skills on rice crop production, modern rice farming techniques, seed production, farm mechanization, and knowledge/ technology transfer through farm schools nationwide.
• Thirty percent will be released to the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PRRI) to be used for the development, propagation and promotion of inbred rice seeds to rice farmers and the organization of rice farmers into seed growers associations engaged in seed production and trade;
• Ten percent will be made available in the form of credit facility with minimal interest rates and with minimum collateral requirements to rice farmers and cooperatives to be managed by the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) and the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP); and
• Ten percent will be set aside to fund extension services by PhilMech, Agricultural Training Institute (ATI), and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) for teaching skills on rice crop production, modern rice farming techniques, seed production, farm mechanization, and knowledge/ technology transfer through farm schools nationwide.
Likewise, P10 billion has also
been earmarked for the Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Fund to
increase the income of coconut farmers and to support the developmental
activities of the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA). The P10 billion is
divided as follows:
• P2 billion or 20 percent for
infrastructure program,
• P2 billion or 20 percent for planting, replanting and establishment of hybrid coconut nurseries,
• P1.5 billion for 15 percent for shared facilities,
• P1 billion or 10 percent for intercropping,
• P1 billion or 10 percent for Research & Development (R&D), coconut disease prevention, control and eradication,
• P1 billion or 10 percent for credit through LBP and DBP.
• P500 million or 5 percent for fertilization,
• P500 million or 5 percent for new products and all derivatives of coconut oil and marketing.
• P500 million or 5 percent for training of farmers through TESDA.
• P2 billion or 20 percent for planting, replanting and establishment of hybrid coconut nurseries,
• P1.5 billion for 15 percent for shared facilities,
• P1 billion or 10 percent for intercropping,
• P1 billion or 10 percent for Research & Development (R&D), coconut disease prevention, control and eradication,
• P1 billion or 10 percent for credit through LBP and DBP.
• P500 million or 5 percent for fertilization,
• P500 million or 5 percent for new products and all derivatives of coconut oil and marketing.
• P500 million or 5 percent for training of farmers through TESDA.
“We are confident, Mr. President,
that with the efficient utilization of the 2019 budget and implementation of
programs and projects of the department, we are on track in removing the
barriers that keep Filipino farmers and fisherfolks from being more competitive
and profitable,” Villar said
‘Rice tariffication won’t solve
Philippines’ inflation problem’
Photo via The STAR/Michael Varcas
By Ian Nicolas Cigaral/philstar.com – Lifting the more than two-decade-old caps on rice imports would
not solve the Philippines’ inflation problem, Deutsche Bank said, adding that
the country’s “overheating” economy must lose steam to “stably” tame stubbornly
high prices.
Households reeling from soaring
prices since the beginning of the year finally got their much-awaited reprieve
in November, which saw a four-month low inflation rate of 6 percent on the back
of slower price increments for food and tumbling oil prices.
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas and
the country’s economic managers have repeatedly stressed the importance of
replacing rice import limits with a system of tariffs to bring inflation back inside
the government’s 2-4 percent target band.
In a report sent to reporters on
Friday, Deutsche Bank, however, said liberalizing rice imports “will help, but
will not solve the Philippines’ inflation problem.”
Rice is a Filipino main staple and pivotal political
commodity in the Philippines. It is a heavy item in the basket of
goods and services used to compute inflation and accounts for 20
percent of the consumption of low-income households.
“At nearly 10 percent of the [consumer price index], such a decline
in retail prices could put the inflation rate back inside the central bank’s
target,” Deutsche Bank said.
“The problem with this simple logic, though, is that it might take
an infeasibly large volume of imports to drive rice prices down, especially since
the prospect of cheaper imports will drive out local producers,” it added.
Congress last month passed the Rice Tariffication bill, which
seeks to amend the Agricultural Tariffication Act of 1996.
Under the measure, individuals and businesses can import
additional volumes of the crop from Southeast Asian countries like Thailand and
Vietnam but will have to pay a 35-percent tariff. The collected tariffs will be
used to fund mass irrigation, warehousing and rice research.
Based on the central bank’s estimate, scrapping import caps on
rice could reduce annual inflation by 0.7 percentage points next year. In
the first 11 months of 2018, inflation averaged 5.2 percent, still
above the BSP’s target range.
Food prices moderated in November, showing signs that the Duterte
administration’s efforts to ease food supply bottlenecks are starting to
work.
‘Slow down’
In the same report, Deutsche Bank said headline inflation is
unlikely to fall below the upper end of the government’s target range until
2020, adding that the central bank should further raise key rates to douse the
“overheating” Philippine economy.
Overheating occurs when production in a fast-growing economy is
not able to keep up with rising demand, leading to sharp rise in prices.
“The central bank is pinning a lot of its hopes for declining
inflation on the rice tariffication scheme, another piece of delayed
legislation that might pass before year-end,” Deutsche Bank said.
“Ultimately, though, to get inflation stably back inside the
target band, the economy needs to slow down to below potential and stay there
for a few quarters. With a few more rate hikes, we think that will happen
although we don't see headline inflation below 4 percent until 2020,” it added.
“Slower external demand, the weaker currency and higher interest rates will
slow the economy down enough to put inflation on a downward trend.”
In a bid to fight inflation, the BSP has delivered back-to-back
interest rate hikes of 1.75 percentage points since May, among the most
forceful actions in Asia.
The central bank will meet to review rates on December 13
https://www.philstar.com/business/2018/12/08/1875316/rice-tariffication-wont-solve-philippines-inflation-problem#24Dlup8hwplZVX48.99
Imported rice not fit for consumption
-Prof. Iwu
A health expert and professor of
pharmacognosy, Professor Maurice Iwu has warned Nigerians to desist from the
consumption of imported rice, saying they contain heavy metals and toxins that
are harmful to the body.
Professor Iwu gave the advice at
the ceremony of the international conference on alternative sweeteners tagged:
“Harnessing of the economic potentials of Thaumatin (Thaumatococcus danielli)
in Africa,” held at Federal Institute of Industrial Research Oshodi (FIIRO)
last weekend in Lagos.
Iwu who is also a former Chairman
of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) disclosed that most of
the countries that Nigeria imports rice from are known to have heavily
contaminated soils that have been over planted over the years with a lot of
chemical fertilizers.
Such soil, he stated, contain
heavy metals and toxins that are not healthy to the human kidney and general
wellbeing, which are transferred into the rice grains that the country imports.
“This is not anything about
promoting Nigeria’s commodity, but I am talking from the scientific side of
view that it is in our interest to eat made-in-Nigeria food, not just only
rice, but particularly rice because of its nature. The rice grain absorbs
minerals from the soil, including these harmful metals and chemicals.
“Secondly, the imported rice is
polished and preserved with additional chemicals before they get here. That is
why most of the imported rice look very clean and white, which is also a very
bad sign,” Iwu disclosed.
Meanwhile, the Federal Institute
of Industrial Research Oshodi (FIIRO) announced it has developed simple process
technologies for commercial extraction and optimisation of high grade Thaumatin
and Miraculin, a low calorie sweetener and flavour modifier.
Director General, FIIRO, Prof.
Gloria Elemo, stated that this breakthrough was apt considering the fact that
global worth of high intensity sweetener both natural and synthetic market was
on the rise estimated at close to $1.3 billion in 2008 and is expected to
quadruple by 2021.
Elemo who disclosed this at the
opening ceremony of the International conference on alternative sweeteners,
said that attention is now shifting to sourcing of alternative sweeteners
mainly non-nutritive phyto chemicals from plants in order to close the gap between
the production and consumption of sweeteners, sweetening and flavour enhancers.
According to her, there is
increasing large segment of the population with special dietary requirements
containing non-nutritive sugar, such as the diabetic patients, pointing out
that over the past few decades, non-nutritive sweeteners have been gaining
significance and are expected to develop into a major source of high potency
sweetener for the growing natural food and pharmaceutical markets.
She added that in Nigeria, there
is a huge gap between sugar production and consumption, saying this represents
a serious problem since an estimated amount and quantity of 2.5 million tonnes
will be imported to meet local demand.
Climate Change Impact On Rice Production in Pakistan: An ARDL-Bounds
Testing Approach to Cointegration
Version 1 : Received: 5 December 2018 / Approved: 7 December
2018 / Online: 7 December 2018 (17:26:03 CET)
How to cite: Chandio, A.A.; Jiang, Y.; Magsi, H. Climate Change Impact
On Rice Production in Pakistan: An ARDL-Bounds Testing Approach to
Cointegration. Preprints 2018,
2018120095 Chandio, A.A.; Jiang, Y.; Magsi, H.
Climate Change Impact On Rice Production in Pakistan: An ARDL-Bounds Testing
Approach to Cointegration. Preprints 2018, 2018120095Copy
Abstract
This research paper aims to examine the relationship between
CO2, temperature, area, fertilizers and rice production in Pakistan. This study
used Augmented Dickey Fuller (ADF) and Phillips Perron (PP) unit root tests to
check the order of integration of each variable. The cointegration analysis
with ARDL bounds testing approach is used to examine the impact of climate
change on rice production in Pakistan over time series data from the period
1968 to 2014. The parameter stability test of the model is also checked at the
end. The results of estimation show that the important variables of the study
are cointegrated demonstrating the presence of long-run association among them.
Furthermore, climate change factors, e.g. CO2 and temperature have a long-run
and short-run positive effect on the production of rice in Pakistan. This
present work is original and it is first time empirically tested the impact of
climate change on rice production in Pakistan. The annual time series data of
47 years enhances the validity of the empirical findings. The most fruitful
finding of this research is that rice production in Pakistan is positively
influenced by emission of carbon dioxide (CO2) at 5 percent significance level
in both long-run and short-run.
https://www.preprints.org/manuscript/201812.0095/v1
https://mediatrig.com/rice-transplanter-machines-sales-market-research-report/19973/
Scientists have
explained why the rice is harmful to health
By paradox
08.12.2018
This grass is able to absorb contamination from the soil.
Rice found toxic chemicals and
recommended to restrict its use.Scientists from New Orleans told about the
dangerous impact of rice on the health that enters international markets from
China, India and Thailand. The plant actively accumulates harmful substances.
During the study experts found that imported from the listed countries rice
contains high amounts of arsenic, lead and other hazardous elements.
Scientists attribute this to
pollution of groundwater in Asian countries. According to American experts,
regular consumption of this rice contributes to the development of incurable
diseases and, therefore, they recommend to strictly limit its quantity in the
diet.
After the publication by the
Western publications materials research experts from the US, users began to
actively discuss this topic. Some of them said that in China and India, people
often eat rice and the number of people in these countries are not reduced.
According to users, the results
of the study about the dangers of this product are greatly exaggerated in order
to expose the bad products of the Eastern countries.
BECAME AWARE OF THE DANGEROUS
IMPACT RICE HEALTH
Neil Strong | December
7, 2018 | Health | No Comments
In
the grass found toxic chemicals and recommended to restrict its use.
Scientists
from New Orleans told about the dangerous impact of rice on the health that
enters international markets from China, India and Thailand. The plant actively
accumulates harmful substances. During the study experts found that imported
from the listed countries rice contains high amounts of arsenic, lead and other
hazardous elements. Scientists attribute this to pollution of groundwater in
Asian countries. According to American experts, regular consumption of this
rice contributes to the development of incurable diseases and, therefore, they
recommend to strictly limit its quantity in the diet.
After the publication by the
Western publications materials research experts from the US, users began to
actively discuss this topic. Some of them said that in China and India, people
often eat rice and the number of people in these countries are not reduced.
According to users, the results of the study about the dangers of this product
are greatly exaggerated in order to expose the bad products of the Eastern
countries
Academic shines
light on structural problems in padi industry
December 8, 2018 8:50 AM
PETALING JAYA: Padi farmers are
still one of the most marginalised groups where poverty rate is among the
highest in Malaysia, despite large investments in subsidies and training
provided by the government.
Fatimah Kari, an economist from
Universiti Malaya and a senior fellow at the Institute of Democracy and
Economic Affairs, partly attributed this to the unfair market structures within
the padi industry’s supply chain.
“From the calculations that I
made, the rent-seeking index in the industry was very high and came to about
1.8, almost 2,” she told FMT during an exclusive interview after the launch of
her report.
She said this meant that for
every RM1 a farmer makes, large corporations such as Padiberas Nasional Bhd
(Bernas), distributors and retailers will make the same amount, without having
to face the same risk factors, bear the same cost, or put in the same amount of
labour that farmers would have to endure.
“Whatever the farmer makes is
equally created in distribution centres or big corporations in the supply chain
who face a different, more favourable risk profile,” she added.
Her paper reflected the burden
that farmers continue to face in a time of technological advancements and
development, and economic uncertainty.
Her other findings included
government subsidies often missing the mark, and farmers remaining as mere
producers instead of expanding into major players in the market.
Speaking about Bernas in
particular she said, “The rent-seeking index means that Bernas is getting 100%
of the farmers’ capital.
“Worse still, with Bernas, you
are talking about their rent-seeking behaviour not only in terms of control of
imports but also control of inputs.”
Bernas is the major importer of
rice in Malaysia. It also produces over 30% of all padi production in the
country, equivalent to 800,000 metric tonnes of rice.
It also operates private
wholesalers, distributors and rice mills.
It even owns a share of the
“input market” to the padi industry, which refers to the market selling
fertilisers, seeds and other farming necessities to the farmers, she said.
She argued that calculating
Bernas’ rent-seeking index would include all its profits from both importing
and producing rice.
“That is their rent-seeking value
because you must understand that they do not take similar risks as the
farmers,” she said, adding that farmers were the ones who would have to farm
the land, pay the labour, and use their own resources.
However, Bernas CEO Ismail
Mohamed Yusoff, who believed that there was a need for some monopoly, said
during a press conference in July this year that Bernas was not attempting to
make “monopolistic profits”.
“Contrary to popular belief,
Bernas does not make monopolistic profits,” he said.
Citing data, Ismail said Bernas’
profit margins were minimal – between 0.4% and 1.8% over the past three years.
He added that Bernas’ return on
equity (ROE), or its net assets or assets minus liabilities, stood at 4.9% in
2017.
“This in comparison with
fast-moving consumer goods companies such as Dutch Lady Milk Industries Bhd or
Nestle (M) Bhd, whose ROE were above 100% that year.”
Break up the monopoly
It was announced by the Pakatan
Harapan government that there would be a revision of Bernas’ control over its
licence to import rice.
But “despite the government’s
formal announcement, the corporation’s ownership has continued to be controlled
by dominant personalities”, Fatimah’s report stated.
In October, The Edge reported
Agriculture Minister Salahuddin Ayub as saying that the government would take
over the function of Bernas after its concession terminates in 2021.
Fatimah said efforts were needed
to break up the monopoly to ensure open competition with other players –
importers, major wholesalers and millers – who are just as good and
knowledgeable about the market.
She said these “other players”
must also comprise of the farmers themselves.
“The farmers themselves must be
part of the market chain, otherwise that monopoly will distort the whole
market.”
She said they could be under a
cooperative or an umbrella of small traders or small millers, who could control
a part of the market.
“Only then will you have a level
playing field. Otherwise, now we are seeing a structure that is not working at
all.
“The other reason why breaking a
monopoly like Bernas may be beneficial to the industry is you cannot have one
corporation controlling almost everything in the supply chain.
“It wouldn’t make sense for
Bernas to help farmers because if farmers become major producers, it would
affect their market share of the padi industry that they get from their rice
imports,” she said.
Fatimah acknowledged Bernas’
existing model which aims to help farmers, but said it was ineffective.
“After a few years of having this
model, its just not working. The farmers are still struggling.”
She recommended that Bernas be
revamped to reflect the reality of farmers on the ground, adding that they
remained just as poor as they were 20 or 30 years ago.
Food crisis
In 2008 when Malaysia had a food
crisis, she said Bernas automatically made the decision that it would not
increase its rice imports.
Back in 2007 to 2008, rice prices
surged due to export restrictions by key rice exporting countries such as India
and Vietnam, in tandem with panic buying from rice importing countries such as
the Philippines.
This resulted in an increase in
world rice prices by 117% to 149% in the first quarter of 2008.
Fatimah said Bernas having such
autonomy and decision-making power in these matters made for a very vulnerable
market structure.
She added that this threatened
food security and national self-sufficiency, which refers to a country’s
capability to produce its own food.
Fatimah’s report cited a 2018
Khazanah Research Institute paper, which argued that there was growing concern
related to food security and Malaysia’s capability to be self-sufficient in its
rice production due to high rice production costs, limited production capacity
and reliance on imports.
Sikh temple could build bridge between India and Pakistan
Sikh children shout slogans in front of the Kartarpur Gurdwara Sahib after a groundbreaking ceremony for the Kartarpur Corridor on Nov. 28, 2018. (Arif Ali/AFP/Getty Images)
KARTARPUR, Pakistan — Rising above a placid stretch of rice paddies and wheat
fields in southern Punjab province is a graceful white-domed temple. To
followers of the Sikh religion, 21 million of whom live in next-door
India, it is a sacred site where Guru Nanak Devji, a founder of Sikhism, spent
the last decade of his life and passed away, nearly 550 years ago.
For the past 70 years, though, the site has
remained either closed or mostly empty — captive to the historic enmity
stemming from Partition, the process that violently sundered India in 1947 and
created Pakistan as a Muslim homeland.
The temple sits just three miles from the
border with India, but the psychological distance is much greater. This border
is one of the tensest, most militarized boundaries in the world, with thousands
of troops guarding both sides of razor-wire fences. The countries have fought
two wars, and shootings often erupt across the “line of control” that divides
the disputed Himalayan territory of Kashmir.
Indian Sikh pilgrims who want to visit the
temple on special occasions, such as anniversaries of Guru Nanak’s death, must
obtain Pakistani visas, walk across the only official border opening, 75 miles
away, and travel two hours by bus to reach the isolated temple. Others find it
easier to visit a designated spot on their side of the border, where they can
view the temple through binoculars.
But now,
the Pakistani government has announced plans toopen a border crossing
directly across from the temple and build a connecting road, which it plans to
open in November 2019. It is a modest but high-profile gesture that officials
say they hope will help improve relations with Pakistan’s Hindu-led,
nuclear-armed adversary next door.
The idea
sprang from a conversation between Pakistan’s army chief, Gen. Qamar Javed
Bajwa, and an Indian Sikh politician and former cricket star, Navjot Singh Sidhu, at
the inauguration of Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan in August. On
Nov. 28, both officials joined Khan at a groundbreaking ceremony outside
the temple, along with foreign ambassadors and Indian journalists.
Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan addresses the groundbreaking ceremony for the Kartarpur Corridor. (Arif Ali/AFP/Getty Images)
Making
an emotional plea for rapprochement, Khan told the crowd that Pakistan’s
government, army and political parties “are all on one page. We want to move
forward.” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a
strong Hindu nationalist, reciprocated in kind. “Did anyone ever think that the
Berlin Wall would fall?” Modi said in a statement. “Maybe with the
blessings of Guru Nanak Devji, this corridor . . . will act as a bridge between
the peoples of the two countries.”
But years of deep-seated animosity soon
intruded on the hopeful moment. India’s foreign minister declined to attend the
ceremony, citing “prior commitments” and sent two lower-ranking officials who
are Sikhs. The Hindu and Sikh religions have common roots in India, but Sikhs
believe in a single deity, while Hindus worship a variety of gods.
Pakistan’s foreign minister accused India of
playing politics with the issue. Modi faulted the Indian opposition Congress
party for “letting Kartarpur go” in 1947 and cutting off the temple from India.
Khan complained that the Indian news media had disparaged his gesture as a
stunt.
Despite the high-level wrangling, many
Pakistanis expressed strong support for the border opening, saying they hoped
it could ease the long-standing tensions that have kept two neighboring armies
on alert and the specter of nuclear war hanging over the region.
Members of Pakistan’s small Sikh community,
which numbered several million before Partition but has dwindled to about
30,000, were especially excited. Many said they visit the temple at least once
a year, explaining that it holds a strong place in their emotions and beliefs.
Sarbir Singh, 41, who owns a bridal shop, said a visit to the Sikh temple at Kartarpur “takes me to another world.” (Pamela Constable/The Washington Post)
“It takes me to another world. I feel a
calmness there like nowhere else,” said Sarbir Singh, 41, who owns a bridal
shop at a crowded bazaar in Rawalpindi city. “All of us want both countries to
be at peace and their people to mingle,” he said. “This is a first step, and,
God willing, it will lead to more.”
The lane to the temple in Kartarpur, off a
bumpy farm road, is marked with a sign in English, Urdu and Hindi Sanskrit. The
grounds are surrounded by sugar cane fields, and the border is just over the
horizon, with bulldozers at work to build the new road.
On Wednesday, a small stream of visitors
arrived to tour the site, a walled compound that was built in 1921. Inside are
neatly tended gardens, pristine tiled pavilions, and a carved white building
containing vividly decorated chambers for praying and reading from Sikhism’s
holy book, the Guru Granth Sahib.
Most of the visitors were Pakistani Muslims,
some of whom said they had come partly out of curiosity and partly to pay their
respects. Saima Afzal, 34, drove from Lahore in a minivan with her children and
other relatives.
“We have heard since childhood about this guru,
that he was a great thinker who cared about humanity,” Afzal said. “We are
Muslims, but we respect him. We want to see more trade with India, and more
understanding. When people meet, they start to know each other.”
The temple is managed by a Pakistani Sikh,
Govind Singh. A fountain of information on Sikh history, he has lived in the
temple compound since 2000, when the site was reopened after being closed since
1947.
Singh said that all previous Pakistani
governments had respected the Sikh religion and that Pakistanis had never shown
to Sikhs the ill-will that historically marred their relations with Hindus. But
even since the temple reopened, he said, only about 15,000 Sikhs a year have
managed to come from abroad, including about 4,000 from India, because reaching
the site was so difficult.
Now, Singh said, “Sikhs all over the world are
full of happiness. We pray that the bridge to Kartarpur will bring them all
here.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/sikh-temple-could-build-bridge-between-india-and-pakistan/2018/12/07/52b01754-f98a-11e8-8642-c9718a256cbd_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.864addcb68ba
Uninterrupted power supply to rice mills
·
December 8, 2018
151
This
Press Release is issued by Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP). REAP
strongly urges provincial and federal authorities to take up the issue of non
availability of electricity in rice growing belt of Sindh and Balochistan,
where upto 15 hours without electricity means hurting rice export supply chain
badly. The concerned Heads of QESCO in Balochistan and HESCO & SEPCO in
Sindh be requested to attend this matter on priority basis. REAP fully endorses
the request made by the General Secretary, Sindh Balochistan Rice Millers and
Traders Association (SBRMTA) in this regard. REAP requests Janab Syed Murad Ali
Shah, Hon. Chief Minister of Sindh and Janab Jam Kamal, Hon.
Chief Minister of Balochistan to personally
attend this matter of National interest on priority basis. In this regard, REAP
requests urgently to all concerned quarters to take notice to supply
uninterrupted supply of electricity to Dera Murad Jamali, Osta Muhammad and other
surrounding rice growing areas of Balochistan & Sindh province. Further,
our country is facing huge trade deficit and rice export trade is one of the
important FOREX earner and this is the peak season of rice export and therefore
concerned authorities should take necessary measure to resolve the power supply
issue on Top priority basis.
An ‘agricultural’
Pakistan — a necessity
Published: December 7, 2018
The writer is the chair for
UNCTAD — Commonwealth Entrepreneurship Project in Pakistan & CIO of
Superior Group
Since its inception,
Pakistan has always primarily been an agriculture-reliant economy. With the
Green Revolution of the 60s being a growth impetus, the sector contributes
around 18% to the GDP, employs 42% of the total labour force, and constitutes
75% of total exports revenue.
To picture
its significance in a better way, let’s see how it affects people at a
micro-level. Income of over 12 million households is directly linked to how
well a seasonal crop does. Another 4 million households are involved in
livestock farming. Any fluctuation means their livelihood and access to basic
needs get compromised. And this does not account for informal labour, the work
performed by women during harvest season. In simple terms, Pakistan’s rural
population, which is 64% of the total, is affiliated with the agriculture
sector. This is what makes the industry so important.
The
agriculture sector experienced a growth of 3.8% in the last financial year. The
yield per hectare of major crops, however, has been on a decline over the
years. For example, Pakistan’s wheat yield is only 38% of what France produces,
rice crop is merely 29% of yield per hectare of the US and cotton produce is
just 52% of what China grows per hectare. There are multiple reasons for this —
soil fertility, seed quality and limited financing being just some of them.
Countries
such as China, Israel and Brazil have experienced exponential growth in the
agriculture sector. Pakistan can learn from their policy experiences and
interventions to strengthen its own agriculture sector.
Brazil’s
agricultural production grew by more than 400% over the past two decades. This
growth has been despite challenges of infrastructure and transportation
logistics the country still faces. What it did right was to invest in research.
Thereby, introducing new methods of operation such as ‘no till’ agriculture,
genetic modification of seeds, and increasing arable land through chemicals. To
complement this, the private sector jumped in with investments in
infrastructure and logistics, even if with a motive of market profitability.
Israel,
despite its land area as small as the state of New Jersey, has increased
agricultural output substantially. Smart irrigation methods, including
micro-irrigation that utilises drip technology, have been instrumental in this
growth. In addition, Israel treats almost 80% of domestic wastewater, recycling
it for agricultural use. This constitutes nearly 50% of the total water used
for agriculture; hence, overcoming the challenge of water shortage.
If Pakistan
is to reposition the agriculture sector as globally competitive and as a tool
to impact millions of lives, it is important that a dynamic long-term strategy
be devised — a multi-dimensional policy that works to improve the total sector
output like Brazil did, increase per unit productivity as China did and enhance
efficiency by introducing technology as Israel has. In doing so, the potential
role of different stakeholders, including entrepreneurs and investors, must be
explored and acknowledged. This will encourage them to take policy ownership
and work to make it a success.
Entrepreneurs
are natural problem-solvers. They can develop products and propose local
solutions to a set of common agricultural problems. In turn, they have a
scalable market ready to be accessed. Use of drone technology to monitor crop
growth is one such solution. However, any such entrepreneurial solution needs
to be backed on a large scale for ground-level implementation.
Agriculture
and ancillary sectors can be utilised for poverty alleviation as was practised
in China. Programmes facilitating small landholders by providing access to
micro credit, subsidised graded seeds and shared advanced technology can
improve their livelihood, thereby pulling them out of poverty.
In
Bangladesh, for example, and other developing countries of Latin America and
Africa, small-scale poultry and livestock businesses have been supported as a
means of poverty alleviation. It promoted women entrepreneurship, financial
inclusion and strengthened the local livestock industry as well. Subsequently,
livelihood of those directly involved improved and so did food supply.
Structured
support of the sector will help in striking a better balance in the labour
market, thereby releasing the ‘push’ factor of urban migration. Government-assisted
vocational trainings and academic degrees, for example, will create an
incentive to pursue sector-based knowledge. It will add some prestige to
agriculture as a career field and encourage youth from rural backgrounds to
adopt it as an option.
Pakistan’s economy is facing enormous
challenges. It is exactly in such testing times that bold decisions are taken —
decisions that have the power to convert challenges into opportunities. It is
the right time to create a supportive policy environment for the agriculture
sector and improve the livelihood of over 12 million households. Rather than
mocking the Prime Minister’s simplistic rhetoric on kattas, murghis
& desi andas, it’ll be more valuable for us, as a nation, to
realise the importance we need to give to promoting the agriculture sector of
Pakistan. Yes, his priorities seem spot-on. Let’s stay positive and support our
government in making agricultural reforms a prime agenda item.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 7th,
2018.
