Think Rice Truck Keeps on
Truckin'
By Lesley Dixon
ARLINGTON, VA -- Michael Fruge
wasn't expecting the call when he and his wife, Sarah, were stuck in traffic in
Metairie, Louisiana. It was December 7,
the last day of the 2018 Outlook Conference, and they were on their way to
watch the Louisiana state high school football championship game in New Orleans
after leaving San Diego, the site of this year's conference, early.
When he realized it was A.J. Sabine
on the other end of the line, and that he was on speakerphone with an
auditorium full of his colleagues and friends in the rice industry, Fruge was
at a loss for words. "I think all I said was 'wow,'" Fruge said,
laughing as he remembered the moment he realized he had won the Ford F-150 in
the Think Rice truck raffle. "I
wish I'd had something better to say than I did. I was just shocked. It was exciting."
After a historic tour of the
continental United States and its debut at the Outlook Conference, the Think
Rice truck has finally made its way to its forever home in Louisiana, where
Fruge will keep it as his personal vehicle and, of course, put it to good use.
"The only vehicle I have right now is a Horizon Ag company truck, so I'm
going to hold on to the Think Rice truck and use it on the farm."
Fruge will remove the Think Rice
graphic wrap eventually, but for now he's happy to keep the truck as is. In the meantime, it's certainly a
conversation starter. "We had a big Christmas party at our house so I parked
it out in the yard, and when people drove up their response was: 'what the heck is that?'"
The Think Rice design will continue
to garner attention as the truck makes appearances at upcoming rice industry
events. It's slated to appear tomorrow
evening, Wednesday, January 9, at the Louisiana Rice Council and Louisiana Rice
Growers Association joint meeting in Jennings.
In addition to the truck, Fruge
received a suite of six rice cookers from Aroma as part of the raffle prize in
sizes from 3 to 20 cups, so he'll be well prepared to cook as much rice as he
can handle in the new year.
While the #RideWithRice crew will
miss the Think Rice truck they're thrilled that it's gone to such a good home
and excited to see it begin its civilian life.
It was an amazing experience to hand out 4,000 pounds of free rice and
3,000 rice cookers across the country, engage with the public at events, donate
to food banks, and spread the word about U.S.-grown rice in such a unique way. 
"It was really cool just having
the opportunity to participate in this raffle," said Fruge. "I really appreciate everything y'all do
for us as rice farmers." After getting the news that they won the truck,
Michael and Sarah brought their good luck to that football game, where Eunice
High School (Sarah's alma mater) won the championship, rounding out a day of
big wins for the Fruges.
|
|
Late-sown
wheat variety will help farmers get high yield: Scientists
Late-sown variety of wheat (DBW173)
Aakanksha N Bhardwaj
Tribune News Service
Jalandhar, January 7
The agrarian crisis has remained the most
unsolved issue in the country. Farmers say that nothing is left in farming now
as there is no income and they are only suffering losses. But the Indian
Institute of Wheat and Barley Research, working under the Indian Council for
Agricultural Research (ICAR), has come up with an idea to help farmers earn
more by sowing various crops.
Institute
experts said this during the five-day Indian Science Congress that concluded
here today.
The institute has recently developed a late-sown
variety of wheat (DBW173) which scientists claim that gives the highest yield
within a period of 120 days only and is also disease-resistant.
As per
information, the majority of the farmers complete the process of sowing of the
wheat till November 15 and they avoid late-sown varieties due to less yields.
But according to the institute experts, this variety would help them in sowing
other crops too and provide good yield.
Dr Mangal Singh,
Assistant Chief Technical Officer of the institute, said this variety had been
released by the institute last month only.
He said the
average yield of this variety was 47.2 quintal/ hectare and if grown in
favourable conditions, it could give up to 57 quintals per hectare which was
better than other varieties.
“Also, it gets
matured in 120 days. We have tested and tried this crop near areas near
Ludhiana,” said Singh.
As per
information received from agriculture experts, the other late-sown varieties,
which were recommended in the state, gives an average yield of around 36 quintals
per hectare.
The agricultural
experts said this variety would give enough space and time to the farmers and
would boost the cropping pattern too.
“If this
happens, then the farmers can sow any other crops after harvesting rice. Also,
there is usually less time left for farmers to manage the rice stubble as there
is a difference of only 15 days between the rice harvesting and sowing of the
wheat as incorporating stubble in the field is a tough task to complete in 15
days. If a good late-sown variety is available, farmers would have sufficient
time to manage the stubble and besides, they can take other short-duration
crops such as vegetables, potatoes, sarson and pulses in the mean time,” said
Naresh Gulati, agriculture officer.
DA expects to meet
2019 rice production goal
January 7, 2019 | 9:53 pm
PHILSTAR
THE Department of Agriculture
(DA) said that rice production target for 2019 is likely to be met as rice
farmers are expected to recover from the agricultural damage brought by
tropical depression Usman.
“The damage was to low-yielding
varieties, and we will try to make up for it with high-yielding varieties. So
whatever the target is, we might go higher,” DA Undersecretary Ariel T. Cayanan
told BusinessWorld after a news conference on Monday, when
asked about the expected output for rice this year.
Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol said
that damaged rice crops are at their vegetative stage, and that the DA was
quick to intervene by providing farmers high-yielding variety seed.
The DA reported a total of
P957.63 million agricultural damage from Usman, with 9,385 metric tons (MT) of
lost volume over 47,529 hectares. The department estimates that the storm
affected 42,683 farmers and fisherfolk.
Rice accounts for 88% of the
total storm damage, with the value of lost production at P840.40 million on
volume loss of 15,883 MT, affecting 41,143 hectares of land and 35,385 farmers.
Mr. Piñol said that he is
expecting that the damage to eventually breach P1 billion.
“Our stocks in Bicol will last
for about 40 days, that is the P27 National Food Authority (NFA) rice. Also,
there is a prepositioned 5,000 bags of rice seed. We lack another 5,000 but
we’ll be able to secure this hopefully this week,” Mr. Piñol said.
“I told the President during the
briefing that while there is a huge damage to the rice crop as quantified
today, that will not necessarily translate to losses because with the delivery
of seed, the farmers will be able to recover because their plants are just in
their vegetative stage. They will be able to replant,” Mr. Piñol added.
Mr. Piñol said that P175 million
has been committed by DA for loans to farmers.
Meanwhile, the NFA said that it
issued 13,730 bags of rice for Usman victims in Regions IV, V and VIII as of
Monday.
A total of 8,343 bags were
released to Region V which suffered the most.
“We will make sure that our
accredited rice retailers will continue to sell NFA rice at P27 and P32 per
kilogram in the areas affected by the typhoon. The availability of affordable
and quality NFA rice will be a great help to all those affected by the
calamity,” Tomas R. Escarez, NFA Officer-in-Charge Administrator, said in a
statement. — Reicelene Joy N. Ignacio
Breaking
the rules
·
"Legal eagles strongly
suspect something is amiss."
"Legal eagles strongly
suspect something is amiss."
What
do we have here?
Presidential
Anti-Corruption Commission Commissioner Greco Belgica must be trying to send a
strong message to the Office of the Ombudsman—the government’s anti-graft
body—that he can use his clout even without the latter’s imprimatur.
His
latest move was an entrapment operation against two ranking Bureau of Internal
Revenue officials based in Manila whom he accused of extortion/direct
bribery.
Belgica
claims that a taxpayer who refused to be identified told him that the BIR
officials were asking for a P2-million bribe for settlement of the taxpayer’s
tax liabilities.
Malacañang
Executive Order No. 43 which established PACC in 2017 defined the agency’s
jurisdiction and exercise of its powers upon complaint or motu proprio, and
concurrently with the Office of the Ombudsman.
The
Belgica-initiated operation left out the participation of the government’s
anti-graft court. Operatives from the Camp Crame-based Criminal Investigation
and Detection Group (CIDG) were tapped to carry out the entrapment, after which
the two suspects were booked and hauled for inquest at the City Prosecutor’s
Office of Manila.
Legal
eagles are likely to suspect something much amiss here since Belgica failed to
follow PACC-prescribed rules. Among these is that respondents to a verified
complaint should be provided formal summons, a copy of the complaint and
attached supporting documents, and that a legitimate complainant must be
identified rather than hidden under the cloak of anonymity. Belgica claims the
complainant refused to be identified.
The
PACC’s formal summons also asks the respondent to answer the complaint within
seven days and file six hard copies of the answer plus additional copies to the
complainant/s and co-respondents. Such rule of procedure would disallow a
complainant to remain incognito.
But
Belgica went full steam ahead, thus the Manila City Prosecutor’s Office during
inquest of the suspects virtually castigated the PACC commissioner for his
lapses in legally prescribed procedure, citing that:
a)
Belgica failed to swear and subscribe before an authorized administering
officer his complaint which is part of the record;
b)
Witnesses also failed to execute sworn statements that they indeed
participated in the entrapment operation; and
c)
“The arresting officers.. themselves did not actually see how the direct
bribery was consummated.”
The
City Prosecutor’s Office also noted that “there is no sufficient evidence
to substantiate that an agreement between the taxpayer and the two suspects had
to perform an act in connection with the performance of their official duties
in consideration of a gift of money.”
Senate
versus DA
Senator
Cynthia Villar has chided Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol for claiming
that the National Food Authority will not be able to sell cheap rice to the
public under the Rice Tariffication Bill, which has been passed by both
chambers of Congress.
Senate
Bill No. 1998 seeks to amend Republic Act No. 8178 or the Agricultural Tariffication
Act of 1996 and replace the quantitative restriction on rice imports. The bill
is among the measures pushed by the economic managers of the Duterte
administration to address high rice prices.
Villar,
the principal author of the Senate bill, told Piñol that “the NFA is not
allowed anymore to import rice under the new law but only to buy from local
farmers.” She pointed out that the lifting of the QR would also remove all
“unnecessary intervention” of the government in the rice market.
Villar,
chair of the committee on food and agriculture, also informed Piñol that the
NFA would not be abolished with the implementation of the law. She said that
only the regulatory and importation functions of the NFA will be removed, with
the agency focusing on buffer-stocking with its inventory acquired from
domestic farmers.
According
to the senator, the budget for the NFA should be pegged at around P7 billion,
strictly for the maintenance of a buffer stock to stabilize the rice supply and
allow it to sell subsidized rice to the poor and to release emergency supplies
during periods of calamity.
Contrary
to misconceptions, she said, the bill includes a package of support programs
that “will help farmers adjust to competition under a tariffied regime.”
The
proceeds from the tariff will be given to the farmers in the amount of P10
billion a year for the next six years to make them competitive through
mechanization, better seed production, cheaper credit from state-run banks, and
various extension services, including teaching them skills on modern rice
farming techniques.
For
his part, Senator Joel Villanueva, a co-author of the bill, said it could curb
rice smuggling, a long-standing problem in this country.
Under
the act, Filipino farmers will have a fighting chance against farmers from
neighboring ASEAN countries as cheaper rice will start flooding the market.
Earlier,
President Duterte said that even with rice tariffication and liberalization of
the rice industry, the NFA shall continue to provide the public, particularly
the less fortunate, with rice that is affordable and safe.
ernhil@yahoo.com
China inches towards allowing U.S. rice sales
China customs has announced it
will allow imports of U.S. rice and industry leaders are waiting for the first
orders. The move is part of the Sanitary and Phytosanitary Protocol signed
between the United States and China from July 2017.
USA Rice CEO and President Betsy
Ward told Talk Business & Politics the ongoing trade war has hampered
efforts to open the Chinese market after the agreement was reached. Industry
leaders hope that the Chinese will buy several hundred thousand metric tons of
U.S. rice, Ward said.
Officials have spent 10 years
working on a deal to sell rice in the world’s most populous country with China
consuming as much rice as Arkansas produces every 13 days, according to
estimates.
“We are fairly optimistic the Chinese
will allow rice imports,” she said. “This is potentially a huge market for us.”
China will now need to post the
list of approved U.S. export mills and facilities of milled rice developed in
consultation between the U.S. rice industry, United States Agriculture
Department’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and China’s
Agricultural Inspection Service, according to the Agriculture Council of
Arkansas. In 2017, USA Rice worked with U.S. and Chinese government officials
to facilitate Chinese inspections at 10 U.S. mills and facilities interested in
exporting rice to China to demonstrate their compliance with the complex
U.S.-China phytosanitary protocol.
“What is still not 100% clear is
whether China has published the complete list of all the U.S. facilities
approved to ship to China,” said Bobby Hanks, Chair of USA Rice’s International
Trade Policy Committee and a Louisiana miller. “We will be looking in the days
ahead to USDA and the U.S. Trade Representative for clarification to make sure
that all approved U.S. facilities are eligible. We of course are looking for
the first confirmed rice sale to China.”
China’s rice imports have grown
in recent years and are hovering near 5 million metric-tons.
China has been a member of the
World Trade Organization since 2001, but the U.S. has been barred from selling
rice there because it lacked the phytosanitary standards required by the
Chinese government. Seminars will be held in China and the U.S. to educate
consumers about the different kinds of American rice. Demand for export rice
will be highest in coastal areas, restaurants, hotels, and high income
consumers.
Arkansas farmers were projected
to grow 1.4 million rice acres during the 2018 season, an uptick from 2017 when
about 1.161 million acres were planted. It was 47.1% of all rice acres planted
in the U.S., according to the B.R. Wells Arkansas Rice Research study issued by
the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.
Those acres accounted for 82.6
million hundredweight of rice, and it represented 46.4% of the 178.2 million
hundredweight produced in the country. During the last three years, Arkansas
has accounted for more than 47% of the nation’s total rice production, the
report found. Per acre, farmers had a yield of 164.4 bushels per acre or 7,400
pounds. It was the third highest yield on record in the state and a 570 pound
per acre uptick from 2016.
Rice is grown in 40 of Arkansas’
75 counties and is predominately grown in the eastern section of the state. The
first rice crop was grown on a single acre in Lonoke County in 1902, although
there are reports of the crop in the state before the Civil War, according to
historians. Rice acres steadily grew from then and by 1955 the federal
government initiated a set of controls capping the number of rice acres at
500,000. Controls were lifted in the 1970s, and the number of rice acres
continued to grow. The state set its all-time rice acreage record in 2010 when
farmers planted 1.785 million acres.
Ayurvedic Foods to Add to Your Diet this Year,
According to Your Body Type
· By: Lia Ryerson
·
January
7, 2019
·
Follow
Lia at @liaryerson
Developed more than 5,000 years
ago in India, Ayurvedic medicine (often
just called “Ayurveda” for
short) is widely considered one of the world’s oldest wellness and healing
systems. In fact, its name literally translates to “the science of life” from
Sanskrit.
Perhaps the most fundamental
tenet of Ayurveda is that health and wellness are intricately linked to
balance: the balance of our minds, bodies and spirits. One of the ways that
individuals can cultivate this balance is through an Ayurvedic diet, which is
perhaps why a key Ayurvedic proverb is: “When diet is wrong, medicine is of no use; when diet is
correct, medicine is of no need.”
Here’s everything you need to
know about how to follow an Ayurvedic diet specific to your body type this
year.
FIND YOUR DOSHA
Ayurveda believes that every body
has its own unique blend of mental, physical, and spiritual characteristics,
and that the key to achieving the holistic Ayurvedic balance is to find out how
to make all of these characteristics work harmoniously together.
If you’re ready to plunge into an
Ayurvedic diet, the first step you’ll need to take is to determine your specific dosha.
Put simply, doshas are the three
primary life forces or energies that combine to make up your body and control
how you feel. The three doshas are:
·
Vata – air and ether/space
·
Pitta – fire and water
·
Kapha – water and earth
You can consult a certified
Ayurveda specialist to help you determine your dosha or take one of the many
different quizzes online, such as here and here,
to get a better understanding. Your dosha type will help illuminate your
dominant mind-body state.
Once you find your dominant dosha,
you can begin seeking out foods and lifestyle practices that will help keep all
three of your doshas in harmonious balance and you feeling healthy. The belief
is that when your doshas are imbalanced, you’re more likely to notice adverse
health effects, such as irritability, poor skin, poor digestion, insomnia,
anxiety and more.
KEY AYURVEDIC FOODS, DEPENDING ON YOUR DOSHA
Vata Dosha
Vata dosha types should avoid, in
general:
·
most dried fruits,
such as cranberries, raisins, prunes, dates, and figs
·
unripe fruits that are
too astringent
·
super color foods,
such as crisp salads with raw veggies
·
iced drinks.
Vata types should seek to
incorporate foods that have salty, sweet, or sour flavor profiles.
Additionally, because the Vata dosha is a cold and dry dosha, people with this
type should eat as many nourishing, warm and pleasing foods as possible to keep
their bodies in balance. Think a bowl of oatmeal with nut butter, herbal teas,
creamy soups, stick-to-your-ribs stew with chickpeas and well-ripened fruits
like papaya, coconut, avocados, and berries.
Pitta Dosha
Pitta dosha types should avoid,
in general:
·
super pungent veggies
and sour fruits, such as radish, garlic, chilies, and sour plums
·
alcoholic and
fermented foods, like pickles, coffee, and vinegar-based salad dressings
·
foods with extra dairy
or fat
Because the Pitta dosha is fiery,
the best foods for this dosha type are cool or warm—not too steaming hot—and
tend toward sweet, bitter, and astringent flavor profiles. Stick to
mostly plant-based foods, like Brussels sprouts, zucchini, broccoli,
bananas, figs, mangoes, oats, basmati rice, red lentils and tofu.
Kapha Dosha
Kapha dosha types should avoid,
in general:
·
super sweet veggies
and fruits, like sweet potatoes, melons, bananas, dates, and taro root
·
sweet and heavy carbs,
like pancakes and pasta
·
soy products, like
tofu and soy cheeses
·
most heavy, oily nuts
·
deep-fried foods
The best foods for the Kapha
dosha are warm, dry and light, to keep the grounded nature of the dosha in
balance. Veggies and fruits like asparagus, spinach, apricots and prunes are
great for Kapha types, as are grains, such as barley, millet, and buckwheat.
All legumes and spices are advantageous for a Kapha dosha type.
Flavorful, scratch-made pot pies worth seeking out in Hayward
Pot pies and deli sides at Pot Pie Paradise. Photo:
Melati CitrawirejaPot Pie Paradise &
Deli 3522 Arden Rd., Hayward
It’s unlikely you’ll stumble upon
Pot Pie Paradise. The deli is nestled in a forgettable corporate parking lot
between a marsh and Highway 92 in Hayward. But those lucky enough to happen
upon this little gem often return. Inside, the diminutive Theresia Gunawan
serves pot pies made from scratch and filled with flavors from all corners of
the world. These are pies worth seeking out.
Gunawan’s pie oeuvre spans from
the classic chicken pot pie to ones filled with Hungarian beef goulash and
spicy Javanese tempeh.
Raised in Java, Indonesia,
Gunawan went on to cook her way through medical school in Munich, Germany.
After nearly two decades she moved to California in 1990, but her medical
credentials didn’t carry over with her, so she stayed in the kitchen.
“I closed the book and said no
more medical school. I loved cooking still,” she said.
Theresia Gunawan, owner and
chef of Pot Pie Paradise. Photo: Melati Citrawireja
One night, when Gunawan was
working as a chef at Mills College in Oakland, something unexpected came to her
that changed everything: a fever dream about making pies. She had these types
of dreams periodically, but this one felt like a premonition worth paying
attention to.
Not very familiar with pot pies,
Gunawan began researching and experimenting with the dish. In 2006, she offered
her first pot pies at the Temescal farmers market. They sold out on the first
day, so she came back the next weekend and the one after that, eventually
gaining enough momentum to open the brick-and-mortar restaurant in Hayward in
2007. The restaurant is only open on weekdays for lunch, mostly serving workers
at nearby businesses.
When not at the deli, you’ll
still find her at the Temescal farmers market on Sundays. She’s also at the
Castro Valley farmers market on Saturdays. That means Gunawan slings pies
seven days a week. She said she has customers from her early days who still come
to her every weekend.
The Classic Free Range Chicken pot pie. Photo: Melati
Citrawireja
Customers can choose from several
freshly baked pot pies to eat right away, or frozen ones to heat up for a quick
meal at home. The menu boasts 40 varieties, although Gunawan prepares a daily
selection of these pies for dine-in customers. Five-inch pies range between
$6.50 to $8 and 10-inch pies from $25 to $30.
There are several vegetarian and
vegan options, including Roasted Butternut Squash, with potatoes, soybeans and
roasted gouda; Piccata Mushroom, made with a medley of shiitake, oyster and
portobello mushrooms, capers, orzo and fresh herbs; and Lime Garden Curry,
that features vegetables, beans and coconut milk, as well as basmati rice.
Gunawan cuts into the Indo Lamb Curry pot pie. Photo:
Melati Citrawireja
Sweets lovers can try her popular
Bavarian Apple pie baked with sour cream, or the Rhubarb Strawberry Pie with
orange liqueur. And those who aren’t down for pie at all can opt for deli
sandwiches, wraps, soups and salads.
From prepping vegetables to
simmering bones for gravy to making pie dough, the process of making a pie from
start to finish takes four days, but Gunawan says the work isn’t monotonous
because she’s always playing with new recipes.
Gunawan came up with the idea of
opening Pot Pie Paradise in a dream. Photo: Melati Citrawireja
“The ideas never stop. It’s never
boring,” Gunawan said. “You listen to your customers’ suggestions and you say
‘Why not? This could be good to put in a pie.’”
Pot Pie Paradise & Deli is
open 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday. You can also find the Pot Pie
Paradise stand 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturdays at the Castro Valley farmers market and 9 a.m. to 1
p.m., Sundays at the Temescal farmers market in Oakland.
Feast
Your Eyes is a photo-driven introduction to an East Bay
restaurant that’s been open for at least one year. We hope these stories will
inspire you to check out these eateries for the first time, or remind you to
visit again. If you have a recommendation for a restaurant we should feature,
email us at nosh@berkeleyside.com.
https://www.berkeleyside.com/2019/01/07/flavorful-scratch-made-pot-pies-worth-seeking-out-in-hayward
A Different Kind of Comfort Food for an Italian Chef
Nina Clemente
cooks her own version of a hearty Indian dal — instead of pasta or pizza — when
she’s feeling run down.Chef Nina Clemente in her
Greenwich Village apartment.CreditPaul Quitoriano
Chef Nina Clemente in her Greenwich Village apartment.CreditCreditPaul Quitoriano
By Kari Molvar
·
Jan. 7, 2019
In
“One Good Meal,” we ask cooking-inclined creative people to
share the story behind a favorite dish they actually make and eat at home on a
regular basis — and not just when they’re trying to impress.
The chef Nina Clemente spent
much of her childhood in New York City and southern Italy, but some of her
earliest memories are of Chennai, India, a bustling city on the Bay of Bengal.
She and her family lived there for half a year while her father, the artist
Francesco Clemente, worked in the area. “I remember an insane monsoon season,”
says Clemente, who was 4 during their stay. “I woke up one night and my bed was
floating in the center of the living room, and all the stray cats we had taken
in were gone.”
This
journey to a different world heightened Clemente’s senses and stimulated her
palette. Her mother — the artist, actress and costume designer Alba Clemente —
would often experiment with local ingredients as she cooked a red lentil dal.
“To this day,” Clemente says, the traditional Indian dish “is one of my comfort
foods.”
For a comfort food fix, Clemente puts her own spin on a
traditional spiced red dal that her mother used to make for the family when
they were living in Chennai, India. Her modern version includes Spanish onion,
garlic, makrut lime leaves and goes “super heavy” on cumin and ginger.CreditPaul Quitoriano
For a comfort food fix, Clemente puts her own spin on a
traditional spiced red dal that her mother used to make for the family when
they were living in Chennai, India. Her modern version includes Spanish onion,
garlic, makrut lime leaves and goes “super heavy” on cumin and ginger.CreditPaul Quitoriano
It’s one
that Clemente, who runs her own catering business, turns to when she’s battling
a cold or just feeling run down. While her mother “made a mellow version,”
Clemente goes “super heavy on the fresh grated ginger and cumin” for an extra
kick. She also adds in makrut lime leaf, which lends an aromatic, floral
fragrance. She finishes it off with fresh cilantro and scallion, a dollop of
goat’s milk yogurt and a spoonful of mango pickle, a condiment “that I wish I
could claim I made myself,” she says, “but the bottled version is the same as
my childhood.”
Since
relocating from Los Angeles to New York City with her partner and their
five-year-old daughter in 2017, Clemente has been preparing the hearty dal
regularly. “I need energy for walking everywhere,” she explains. Every now and
then, she makes the dish for her father, whom she describes as the easiest
dinner guest — “I put greens in a bowl and he’s like, ‘This is the best salad
I’ve had in my entire life!’”
Clemente finishes off her dal with a dollop of goat’s milk yogurt,
mango pickle and cilantro.CreditPaul Quitoriano
Clemente finishes off her dal with a dollop of goat’s milk yogurt,
mango pickle and cilantro.CreditPaul Quitoriano
Nina Clemente’s Hearty Red Lentil Dal
Serves
4
∙ 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
∙ ½ Spanish onion, peeled and finely chopped
∙ 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
∙ 2-inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated
∙ 1 teaspoon cumin, toasted and ground
∙ ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
∙ 2 fresh makrut lime leaves
∙ 1 cup red lentils, rinsed and drained
∙ 3 cups water
∙ 1 cup basmati rice, cooked
Garnish:
∙ 1 scallion, thinly sliced and stored in ice
water; pat dry before using
∙ ¼ bunch cilantro
∙ ½ cup
goat’s milk yogurt
Editors’ Picks
∙ Mango pickle, such as Patak’s brand
1. Heat olive oil in a medium pot over low
heat.
2. Add onion, garlic, ginger, cumin and
turmeric; sweat aromatics until just translucent (do not brown).
3. Add lentils and stir to incorporate quickly,
then add water.
4. Bring to a boil, turn down flame to simmer.
5. Crack the makrut lime leaves in half, add to
the pot and cover.
6. Cook for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring
occasionally until tender.
7. Remove makrut lime leaf, season with salt to
taste. Top with cilantro, scallion and a dollop each of goat’s milk yogurt and
mango pickle.
8. Serve
with basmati rice.
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Kari Molvar is a freelance writer
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China inches towards allowing U.S. rice sales
by
China customs has announced it
will allow imports of U.S. rice and industry leaders are waiting for the first
orders. The move is part of the Sanitary and Phytosanitary Protocol signed
between the United States and China from July 2017.
USA Rice CEO and President Betsy
Ward told Talk Business & Politics the ongoing trade war has hampered
efforts to open the Chinese market after the agreement was reached. Industry
leaders hope that the Chinese will buy several hundred thousand metric tons of
U.S. rice, Ward said.
Officials have spent 10 years
working on a deal to sell rice in the world’s most populous country with China
consuming as much rice as Arkansas produces every 13 days, according to
estimates.
“We are fairly optimistic the
Chinese will allow rice imports,” she said. “This is potentially a huge market
for us.”
China will now need to post the
list of approved U.S. export mills and facilities of milled rice developed in
consultation between the U.S. rice industry, United States Agriculture
Department’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and China’s
Agricultural Inspection Service, according to the Agriculture Council of
Arkansas. In 2017, USA Rice worked with U.S. and Chinese government officials
to facilitate Chinese inspections at 10 U.S. mills and facilities interested in
exporting rice to China to demonstrate their compliance with the complex
U.S.-China phytosanitary protocol.
“What is still not 100% clear is
whether China has published the complete list of all the U.S. facilities approved
to ship to China,” said Bobby Hanks, Chair of USA Rice’s International Trade
Policy Committee and a Louisiana miller. “We will be looking in the days ahead
to USDA and the U.S. Trade Representative for clarification to make sure that
all approved U.S. facilities are eligible. We of course are looking for the
first confirmed rice sale to China.”
China’s rice imports have grown
in recent years and are hovering near 5 million metric-tons.
China has been a member of the
World Trade Organization since 2001, but the U.S. has been barred from selling
rice there because it lacked the phytosanitary standards required by the
Chinese government. Seminars will be held in China and the U.S. to educate
consumers about the different kinds of American rice. Demand for export rice
will be highest in coastal areas, restaurants, hotels, and high income
consumers.
Arkansas farmers were projected
to grow 1.4 million rice acres during the 2018 season, an uptick from 2017 when
about 1.161 million acres were planted. It was 47.1% of all rice acres planted
in the U.S., according to the B.R. Wells Arkansas Rice Research study issued by
the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.
Those acres accounted for 82.6
million hundredweight of rice, and it represented 46.4% of the 178.2 million
hundredweight produced in the country. During the last three years, Arkansas
has accounted for more than 47% of the nation’s total rice production, the
report found. Per acre, farmers had a yield of 164.4 bushels per acre or 7,400
pounds. It was the third highest yield on record in the state and a 570 pound
per acre uptick from 2016.
Rice is grown in 40 of Arkansas’
75 counties and is predominately grown in the eastern section of the state. The
first rice crop was grown on a single acre in Lonoke County in 1902, although
there are reports of the crop in the state before the Civil War, according to
historians. Rice acres steadily grew from then and by 1955 the federal
government initiated a set of controls capping the number of rice acres at 500,000.
Controls were lifted in the 1970s, and the number of rice acres continued to
grow. The state set its all-time rice acreage record in 2010 when farmers
planted 1.785 million acres.
In addressing climate change, rice production needs more attention
and urgent action
Rice is a
cornerstone of Asia’s food security, but simultaneously a huge emitter of
methane. How can the world produce rice sustainably?
A rice farmer in Thailand. The Sustainable Rice Platform, of
which Olam International is a founding member of, is the world's first
sustainable rice programme that is economically empowering farmers in Asia
through the production of a more environmentally-friendly rice crop.
Image: Nikodemus Karlsson, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Wednesday 9 January 2019
Between record-breaking heatwaves
across the northern hemisphere last summer and the close of the UN climate
talks in Poland, climate change is increasingly occupying the public
consciousness, with many now wanting it prioritised as a top political issue.
Our attention naturally turns to
the major contributors to global warming. For most of us, transport emissions,
electricity production, and increasingly livestock production immediately
spring to mind. But there is a lesser known player that should be added to this
line-up: rice production.
FOOD & AGRICULTURE
Experts push for sustainable standards on rice
Why? Because rice production is
one of the leading man-made contributors of methane, contributing 10 per cent
of total methane emissions, as vegetation rots in water-soaked paddy fields.
That is nearly as much as from landfills (11 per cent) and well ahead of coal
mining (6 per cent). Put another way, rice production—all 500 million metric
tonnes a year—emits as much carbon dioxide through methane emissions as
the whole of Germany. Furthermore, methane is 34 times more potent than carbon
dioxide as a greenhouse gas.
This is an uncomfortable reality
given that rice is the daily staple for over half of humanity, and the
financial backbone for millions of rice-farming families in Asia—the world’s
rice bowl. For many in the region, ‘rice is life’, as the Thai saying goes. So
entangled is rice in the culture that if you walk down a street in Thailand,
you will likely be greeted with “Kin khao reu yang” or “Have you
eaten rice yet?”, which incidentally, if you respond “no” to, doubles up as
accepting an invitation to dinner.
So there is a paradox where
rice is crucial to food security yet cultivated at such large volumes in a
way that contributes to the global climate crisis—we need to tip the
balance in favour of people and planet.
How? Not by stopping the growing
or consumption rice, but rather making its
production sustainable, and reducing emissions
without hurting the farmers and communities who depend on it for income and
sustenance.
Feeding the world and saving the planet have to become mutual
goals if we are to meet the demands of a billion extra people by 2030, while
keeping global warming below the 1.5°C critical risk threshold.
As one of the world’s largest
rice traders, Olam has been working with like-minded partners to re-imagine the
sustainable rice supply chain. We are a founding member of the first voluntary
sustainable standard for rice—the Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP), co-convened
by UN Environment and the International Rice Research Institute.
At the heart of the SRP framework
is implementing effective, easily applicable climate-smart practices—after all,
rice is grown under many disparate farming systems. Done right, SRP methods can
reduce methane emissions by up to 70 per cent and improve farmer livelihoods at
the same time.
Together with the Thai Rice
Department and German development agency, Deutsche Gesellschaft für
Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), we put the SRP standard to the test in
2015, piloting the world’s first fully verified sustainable rice programme with
farmers in Thailand’s Ubon Ratchathani.
For these farmers, implementing
SRP meant a combination of simple agronomy practices including land levelling,
better inputs—such as better quality seeds and tools—proper soil management and
fertiliser application, and biomass removal. Together with our partners, we
provided the farmers with training and advice on implementing the agronomic
practices, and guaranteed a market for the rice they produced.
Fast forward three years, and
1,500 farmers are receiving more income from higher yields, better cost
management of agri-inputs, and a quality crop that carries a lighter
environmental footprint. One such farmer is Kriengkrai Chanpeng from the Warin
Chamrap district, who has seen yields improve 55 per cent from his harvest this
year compared to last. In the neighbouring Khok Sawang district, Duangchan
Witchalin doubled her profit on this year’s grains compared to last.
Now that we have a definition and
proven model for sustainable rice in SRP, we need to catalyse change on a
greater scale. With our partners, Olam aims to reach 150,000 farmers by 2023 in
Asia and Africa, but the rice produced will need take-up. This is where
retailers, namely major supermarket chains, hold the power. By using SRP as a
procurement standard and engaging with stakeholders like banks and insurers to
incentivise farmers who produce rice sustainably, they can lead this change and
in turn, help meet this growing demand for sustainable rice.
Feeding the world and saving the
planet have to become mutual goals if we are to meet the demands of a billion
extra people by 2030, while keeping global warming below the 1.5°C critical
risk threshold. Opening up the market for sustainable rice would be a major
step towards achieving this.
Paul Nicholson is the Vice
President of Rice Research and Sustainability at Olam International. This
article was written exclusively for Eco-Business.
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120,000 Kano rice farmers to benefit from CBN’s
Anchor Borrower programme
Yesterday at 2:01 PM
The state Chairman of the Rice Farmers
Association of Nigeria (RIFAN), Alhaji Abubakar Aliyu disclosed this to News
Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in an interview in Kano on Tuesday.
120,000 rice farmers in Kano to benefit from CBN’s Anchor Borrower
programme
120,000 rice farmers in Kano to benefit from CBN’s Anchor Borrower
programme
No fewer than 120, 000 rice
farmers in Kano State would benefit from the Federal Government’s Anchor
Borrower programme for this year’s dry season farming.
The state Chairman of the Rice
Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN), Alhaji Abubakar Aliyu disclosed this to News
Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in an interview in Kano on Tuesday.
He said already the list of the registered farmers had been
forwarded to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for verification and processing
of the loan facility.
He disclosed that each farmer would receive a loan package of
not less than N220,000 comprising inputs and certain amount of money for
payment of labour.
“About 150, 000 rice farmers registered for the
programme but the number had to be reduced to 120,000 due issue of BVN.
“The list of the successful
farmers have been forwarded to the Central Bank of Nigeria for immediate
processing as the dry season farming activities for the commodity will soon
commence,“ he said.
He advised farmers who were not able to scale through due to the
issue of the BVN to exercise patience, assuring that they would be given
priority during the wet season programme.
Aliyu advised those selected to make best use of the loan
facility to boost rice production in the state and the country at large.
“This is an opportunity for our
members to improve their socio-economic status since the federal government is
committed to supporting the sector for massive food production in the country”.
He urged farmers across the country to embrace rice production
so as to end importation of the commodity.
NAN recalls that no fewer than 5, 000 hectares of rice farms
were destroyed by flood in 10 local government areas of the state in 2018, with
farmers under the programme said to have lost over N5 billion worth of the
commodity in the state.
Google Assistant Can Now Cook Rice With Instant Pot Support
By Daniel FullerJanuary 08, 2019, 3:32am
The days of being embarrassed of barking orders at every
electronic object in your immediate vicinity seem to be long past, if the fact
that the Instant Pot Wi-Fi Smart Pressure Cooker has picked up support for Google Assistant is
any indication. The Instant Pot was already one of the most versatile and
user-friendly pressure cookers out there, and now it's even more user-friendly.
The big reveal came at CES 2019, where Instant Pot took to the showroom floor
to announce that owners of the Wi-Fi ready model, which can already be
controlled with a mobile app, can now use Google Assistant to operate the
appliance without having to wash the raw potroast or sticky rice from their
hands first.
Background: Instant Pot's capabilities
are vast already, and everything that it can do, including telling you the
status of the pot and some limited information about the meal inside it, can be
controlled through a companion mobile app, as well as a control panel on the
front of the device. With this new integration, all of those capabilities can
be accessed through Google Assistant on any enabled device that's on the same
Wi-Fi network. Whether you've got a Google Home with its ears open in the next
room, a Home Hub or Home Mini in the kitchen for some music while you cook, or
you've trained your phone to recognize the Hey Google and OK Google hotwords,
you now have hands-free control of the Instant Pot. Commands take a
pass-through form, where you first specify to Assistant that the command is
meant for the Instant Pot, then say what that command is, similar to Skills in
Amazon's Alexa ecosystem. For example, you could say, "Hey Google, have Instant
Pot cook rice", and the program would automatically adjust to the preset
for rice, then run the routine. All you would have to do is put the uncooked
food into the Instant Pot, then say the word.
Impact: Add cooking to the long list of
tasks being made easier by voice assistants and the AI that powers them. Home automation seems to be a big area of
conquest for Google Assistant and its ilk this year, so smart home enthusiasts
will have a lot to look forward to. While this particular piece of news only
focuses on automating a single, small part of the cooking process, it's still a
bit quicker and easier than doing things any other possible way. On top of
that, it's a step in the direction of those cartoonish depictions of a
voice-driven future where you can simply pick your groceries and pay online,
then have them stocked and cooked for you on command. Between delivery services
like Google Fresh and developments like the smart fridge, we're already most of
the way there. The same can be said of a number of other household tasks and
everyday chores, including cleaning the floor. The fully automated systems seen
in The Jetsons and the subservient human androids seen in Detroit: Becoming
Human are both extremely far off, but as home automation tech takes shape, it
looks like we're more likely to get the former option first, if the latter ever
actually comes.
Nagpur Foodgrain
Prices Open- JAN 09, 2019
January 9,2019
Nagpur Foodgrain Prices –
APMC/Open Market-January 9, 2019 Nagpur, Jan 9 (Reuters) – Gram and tuar prices
recovered in Nagpur Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) on increased
demand from local millers amid thin supply from producing regions. Good rise on
NCDEX in gram, upward trend in Madhya Pradesh gram prices and reported demand
South-based millers also jacked up prices. About 200 bags of gram and 300 bags
of tuar reported for auctions in Nagpur APMC, according to sources.
GRAM
* Gram varieties ruled steady in
open market here but demand was poor.
TUAR
* Tuar gavarani firmed up again
in open market on increased seasonal demand from
local traders.
* Moong dal Chilka reported
higher in open market here on good demand from local
traders amid weak arrival from
producing belts.
* In Akola, Tuar New – 4,500-4,700,
Tuar dal (clean) – 7,000-7,200, Udid Mogar (clean)
– 6,500-7,500, Moong Mogar
(clean) 7,700-8,200, Gram – 4,300-4,400, Gram Super best
– 6,600-6,800 * Wheat, rice and
other foodgrain items moved in a narrow range in
scattered deals and settled at
last levels in thin trading activity.
Nagpur foodgrains APMC
auction/open-market prices in rupees for 100 kg
FOODGRAINS Available prices
Previous close
Gram Auction 3,800-4,375
3,800-4,300
Gram Pink Auction n.a.
2,100-2,600
Tuar Auction 4,300-4,800
4,200-4,800
Moong Auction n.a. 3,950-4,200
Udid Auction n.a. 4,300-4,500
Masoor Auction n.a. 2,600-2,800
Wheat Mill quality Auction
1,950-2,062 1,950-2,062
Gram Super Best Bold 6,700-7,000
6,700-7,000
Gram Super Best n.a. n.a.
Gram Medium Best 6,000-6,200
6,000-6,200
Gram Dal Medium n.a. n.a
Gram Mill Quality 4,400-4,500
4,400-4,500
Desi gram Raw 4,400-4,500
4,400-4,500
Gram Kabuli 8,300-10,000
8,300-10,000
Tuar Fataka Best-New 7,300-7,500
7,300-7,500
Tuar Fataka Medium-New
7,100-7,200 7,100-7,200
Tuar Dal Best Phod-New
6,600-6,800 6,600-6,800
Tuar Dal Medium phod-New
5,900-6,200 5,900-6,200
Tuar Gavarani New 4,950-5,050
4,900-5,000
Tuar Karnataka 5,100-5,200
5,100-5,200
Masoor dal best 5,200-5,400
5,200-5,400
Masoor dal medium 4,700-4,900
4,700-4,900
Masoor n.a. n.a.
Moong Mogar bold (New)
8,000-8,500 8,000-8,500
Moong Mogar Medium 6,000-7,000
6,000-7,000
Moong dal Chilka New 6,550-7,550
6,500-7,500
Moong Mill quality n.a. n.a.
Moong Chamki best 7,500-8,500
7,500-8,500
Udid Mogar best (100 INR/KG)
(New) 7,000-8,000 7,000-8,000
Udid Mogar Medium (100 INR/KG)
5,500-6,500 5,500-6,500
Udid Dal Black (100 INR/KG)
3,800-4,200 3,800-4,200
Batri dal (100 INR/KG)
5,550-5,650 5,500-5,600
Lakhodi dal (100 INR/kg)
4,900-5,000 4,900-5,000
Watana Dal (100 INR/KG)
5,600-5,700 5,400-5,500
Watana Green Best (100 INR/KG)
6,600-6,800 6,600-6,800
Wheat 308 (100 INR/KG)
2,200-2,300 2,200-2,300
Wheat Mill quality (100 INR/KG)
2,050-2,150 2,050-2,150
Wheat Filter (100 INR/KG)
2,500-2,600 2,500-2,600
Wheat Lokwan best (100 INR/KG)
2,500-2,650 2,500-2,650
Wheat Lokwan medium (100 INR/KG)
2,300-2,400 2,300-2,400
Lokwan Hath Binar (100 INR/KG)
n.a. n.a.
MP Sharbati Best (100 INR/KG)
3,600-4,000 3,600-4,000
MP Sharbati Medium (100 INR/KG)
2,600-3,000 2,600-3,000
Rice Parmal (100 INR/KG)
2,100-2,200 2,100-2,200
Rice BPT best (100 INR/KG)
3,200-3,800 3,200-3,800
Rice BPT medium (100 INR/KG)
2,600-3,000 2,600-3,000
Rice Luchai (100 INR/KG)
2,900-3,000 2,900-3,000
Rice Swarna best (100 INR/KG)
2,600-2,750 2,600-2,750
Rice Swarna medium (100 INR/KG)
2,500-2,600 2,500-2,600
Rice HMT best (100 INR/KG)
4,000-4,400 4,000-4,400
Rice HMT medium (100 INR/KG)
3,500-3,900 3,500-3,900
Rice Shriram best(100 INR/KG)
5,200-5,500 5,200-5,500
Rice Shriram med (100 INR/KG)
4,800-5,000 4,800-5,000
Rice Basmati best (100 INR/KG)
9,500-14,000 9,500-14,000
Rice Basmati Medium (100 INR/KG)
4,800-7,000 4,800-7,000
Rice Chinnor best 100 INR/KG)
6,600-7,000 6,800-7,300
Rice Chinnor medium (100 INR/KG)
6,200-6,500 6,500-6,700
Jowar Gavarani (100 INR/KG)
2,350-2,550 2,350-2,550
Jowar CH-5 (100 INR/KG)
2,050-2,250 2,050-2,250 WEATHER (NAGPUR) Maximum temp. 26.7 degree Celsius,
minimum temp. 7.1 degree Celsius Rainfall : Nil FORECAST: Mainly clear sky.
Maximum and minimum temperature likely to be around 27 degree Celsius and 8
degree Celsius. Note: n.a.—not available (For oils, transport costs are
excluded from plant delivery prices, but included in market prices)
120,000 Kano rice farmers to benefit from CBN’s
Anchor Borrower programme
Yesterday at 2:01 PM
The state Chairman of the Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN),
Alhaji Abubakar Aliyu disclosed this to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in an
interview in Kano on Tuesday.
120,000 rice farmers in Kano to benefit from CBN’s Anchor Borrower
programme
120,000 rice farmers in Kano to benefit from CBN’s Anchor Borrower
programme
No fewer than 120, 000 rice
farmers in Kano State would benefit from the Federal Government’s Anchor
Borrower programme for this year’s dry season farming.
The state Chairman of the Rice
Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN), Alhaji Abubakar Aliyu disclosed this to News
Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in an interview in Kano on Tuesday.
He said already the list of the registered farmers had been
forwarded to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for verification and processing
of the loan facility.
He disclosed that each farmer would receive a loan package of
not less than N220,000 comprising inputs and certain amount of money for
payment of labour.
“About 150, 000 rice farmers registered for the
programme but the number had to be reduced to 120,000 due issue of BVN.
“The list of the successful
farmers have been forwarded to the Central Bank of Nigeria for immediate
processing as the dry season farming activities for the commodity will soon
commence,“ he said.
He advised farmers who were not able to scale through due to the
issue of the BVN to exercise patience, assuring that they would be given
priority during the wet season programme.
Aliyu advised those selected to make best use of the loan
facility to boost rice production in the state and the country at large.
“This is an opportunity for our
members to improve their socio-economic status since the federal government is
committed to supporting the sector for massive food production in the country”.
He urged farmers across the country to embrace rice production
so as to end importation of the commodity.
NAN recalls that no fewer than 5, 000 hectares of rice farms
were destroyed by flood in 10 local government areas of the state in 2018, with
farmers under the programme said to have lost over N5 billion worth of the
commodity in the state.
Haiti - Taiwan : $22 million for
increased rice seed production 
08/01/2019 09:44:51
On Monday Jobert C. Angrand the
Minister of Agriculture, Bocchit Edmond, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and
Ambassador Tsai-Chiu Hwang of Taiwan (Republic of China) signed a cooperation
agreement for the execution of two projects aimed at increased supply of rice
seeds in the Artibonite Valley and in the rice plains of the North and
North-East departments.
This agreement, worthing more than
22 million US dollars (22,825,000), provides each department with a modern Rice
Seed Treatment Center. The goal is to produce 20,000 tons of rice seed to
increase this production in the country. The agreement stipulates that Taiwan
will provide the Government of Haiti with technical assistance for the
production of quality seeds, the management of the Quality Control Laboratory,
the purchase of equipment and the construction and maintenance of these
infrastructures. These two projects will increase the supply of quality seeds
in the Artibonite Valley and in the North and Northeast Rice Plains over a
three-year period starting this month.According to Minister Angrand,
conditioning facilities are already under construction at Ferrier, Estère and
Torbeck.
Huawei
denies rumors of cooperation on rice business
2019-01-09
09:08:09Global TimesEditor : Li Yan
Huawei Technologies Co on Tuesday
denied media reports that the telecom giant had reached an agreement with a top
scientist in China to develop "sea rice," saying it has never had any
plans to grow rice.Huawei is "focused on developing [information and
communications technologies] capabilities to enable clients to undertake
digital transformation and won't enter into sectors which it's not good at and
is not experienced in," the company said in a statement sent to the Global
Times.
Earlier media reports had reported that
Huawei had reached an agreement with renowned agriculturalist Yuan Longping,
China's father of hybrid rice, to develop "sea rice" that can grow on
saline-alkali soil.
A report on news website ifeng.com
claimed that Huawei's technology is expected to help transform 1.5 billion mu
(100 million hectares) of China's saline land into 100 million mu of arable
farmland. The transformation could yield as much as 30 billion more kilograms
of grains every year, it said.
The core technology of "sea
rice" involves breeding new varieties of rice and adjusting soil and
crops, Huawei's rotating chairman Ken Hu said, according to the report. The
technology is based on a system of "internet of Things for elements"
and is achieved through "digitalizing lands," the report said.
But Huawei said in its Tuesday
statement that it has never released any information regarding such a deal, but
it noted that it has contributed to "smart agriculture" using its
technologies.
"Sea rice," which is
developed by Yuan, refers to saline-alkali tolerant rice which can grow in
saltwater and is also resistant to diseases and pests.
Soon all Kisan Mandis to have machine to dry up moisture from rice
remove dust
Kolkata:
State Agriculture and Food and Supplies department have decided to install an
advanced machine at all the Kisan Mandis run by the state government to dry up
moisture in rice and remove the dust particles from the grains to save farmers
from being hoodwinked by the rice mill owners. State Agriculture minister Asish
Banerjee and Food and Supplies minister Jyotipriya Mallick will hold a
high-level meeting with senior officials of their departments at Khadya Bhawan
on January 10 to lay out a comprehensive strategy and roadmap to ensure that
the paddy farmers get the price as fixed by the state government. It has been
alleged that the go-down owners or Arotdars often force the farmers to believe
that huge amounts of moisture and dust particles are found in the grains. This
happens only because there is no proper machine that can dry up the moisture
and separate the dust from rice and other food grains. This practice often
leads to a huge loss for the cultivators. Keeping this in view, the Agriculture
and Food and Supplies departments have come up with an idea of installing
machines at Kisan Mandis so that the farmers get proper price for their
produce.
The new machines will be installed at the
Kisan Mandis where the farmers can separate the moisture of rice, isolate the
dust from grains and get adequate price for their produce. The machine will
also help them to weigh their produce before selling them. It may be mentioned
that both the departments have started distributing cheques among the farmers
in all the districts and there has been a huge response so far.
Following
the instructions of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, both the departments have
already started a crackdown on the middlemen who have been causing difficulties
in the procurement of paddy from the farmers. Banerjee expressed her concern
over the middlemen menace during her recent meeting at Nabanna in December and
issued necessary instructions in this regard. Both the Agriculture and Food and
Supplies Department have started a massive crackdown on the middlemen in all
the districts to iron out the earlier practice that had been prevailing in the
state so far. The Chief Minister also reiterated the position of her government
saying that they wanted to procure directly from the farmers thereby increasing
the target of the overall paddy procurement in the state.
Crop Protection in Africa: BASF Investing in Emerging Markets
BASF
is implementing an ambitious strategy in Africa, driven by local presence as it
pursues growth in the continent.Apart from Tanzania, BASF has also opened
offices in Zambia and Ivory Coast and also has a local presence in Ethiopia and
Kenya.The latest moves have been the opening of a new office in Tanzania, a
development that came just a few months after BASF commissioned a production
plant in the country. Until recently the company that began doing business in
Africa about 90 years ago — focusing on the key industries of construction,
textiles, automotive, agriculture, plastics, and healthcare — had largely
relied on local partners. “At BASF we have a strong belief in local presence.
Our
investment in Tanzania is a clear signal that BASF is taking the East African
region as a potential growth area,” Mats Idvall, BASF Tanzania’s Managing
Director, says. He adds that BASF’s growth strategy in Africa will succeed
through investment in local production and use of locally available resources
to ensure sustainable growth. For BASF the decision to pursue a local presence
strategy as opposed to regional clusters is strategic. With a portfolio that
ranges from chemicals, plastics, performance products, and crop protection
solutions to oil and gas, the company believes local presence will enable it to
reach more customers.
Although
Africa’s influence in the company’s overall performance is rather small, the
continent forms an important component in its emerging market growth strategy,
taking into account that emerging markets are expected to account for around
65% of global chemical production by 2025. “We aim to benefit from the
above-average growth in these regions, which is why we have invested more than
a quarter of our capital expenditures there in the past five years,” the
company stated in its 2017 financial report.
Considering that most African countries have
put in place policies to accelerate growth of key sectors, such as agriculture,
manufacturing, building, and construction, while in some countries oil, gas,
and mining are emerging as a critical sector, BASF is investing in increasing
its presence on the continent to serve its customers more efficiently and
effectively. In Tanzania, BASF is already active in the agrichemicals and
construction chemicals divisions. In the construction chemicals division it
operates admixtures for a concrete plant, which is run through a tolling
agreement with a local partner. The company intends to explore opportunities in
areas like mining, industrial, and domestic cleaning, food fortification,
insulation, human and animal nutrition, and fuel and lubricants. “The opening
of an office in Tanzania is a clear signal that BASF understands that, to have
long-term success, there is need for collaboration with
Tanzanians,”
Idvall says.
One area that BASF will be seeking to deepen
collaboration is in agriculture, one of the strongest pillars of Tanzania’s
economy. Currently, the company is engaged in the supply of agrichemicals
products for farmers in the maize, cereals, soybean, rice, bean, and coffee
sub-sectors through appointed distributors. In order to reach more farmers,
BASF works with non-governmental organizations like Nafaka through their
agro-dealer programs and also trains farmers on the safe use of pesticides. For
instance, the company has participated in the spray service provider programs
in which trained sprayer teams are engaged by farmers to do farm spraying on
behalf of small holder farmers. Through these initiatives, that company wants
to push growth of its crop protection solutions in a country where use of agrichemicals
by farmers is among the lowest.
Although
the agricultural sector in Tanzania accounts for about 30% of the gross
domestic product, the majority of small-scale farmers are stuck in organic
farming, which has limited the potential of the sector, which accounts for
about 80% of export revenue. This is evident considering that in 2016 Tanzania
tallied $640 million from horticulture exports compared to $990 million that
Kenya generated. “BASF will continue to work with the various governments and
industry stakeholders to enable us to respond to industry challenges,” Idvall
says. He adds the company believes in partnerships that will help meet local
demand and make customers more successful while it grows its business.
This
will be achieved by replicating the Kenyan model launched in January in which
BASF targeted more farmers with the opening of a new warehouse in Nairobi and
the appointment of more distributors. The model, dubbed “Angaza,” which means
“to light up” in Swahili, ensures that farmers have access to sustainable
solutions for optimum yields as it enables BASF to expand its reach to even
more small holder farmers and respond effectively to market demands at various
touch points.
Gov’t Shutdown Delays USDA Crop Reports
TOMon Gov’t Shutdown Delays USDA Crop Reports
Statewide Iowa — Iowa farmers will NOT be
seeing some USDA crop reports that would normally be released at this time of
year.
USDA Chief Economist Rob Johansson says the reports that were
set to be released on January 11th will be delayed because of the partial
government shutdown.
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The delayed documents include the monthly World Agricultural
Supply and Demand Estimates, or WASDE, crop production reports, grain stocks,
and rice stocks. According to Johansson, it will take about a week to release
the reports once funding resumes.
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Soc Trang: Organic
rice cultivation yields good results
Farmers get higher profit when switching to
organic rice cultivation. (Photo: VNA)Soc Trang (VNA) – Farmers in the Mekong Delta province of Soc Trang have got higher profits since they switched to organic rice cultivation.
Lucrative ST24, one of the world’s top three varieties, has been chosen to be planted in a total area of 90 hectares in My Xuyen and Tran De districts and Nga Nam town.
Among farmers growing the organic rice variety in the locality, Nguyen Ngoc Trieu, in Ward 1, Nga Nam town, said that he grew two ST24 crops each year, and followed strict requirements of organic agriculture, including no use of chemicals, compound fertiliser and genetically modified breeding, careful tracking of the farming, and having organic cultivation certificate, among others.
His 1.5-hectare rice field yielded up to 5 tonnes per hectare, and Trieu pocketed more than 30 million VND (1,300 USD) each crop, doubling the amount he got when cultivating rice with traditional method.
Ho Quang Tri, a local entrepreneur, has developed an ST24 rice production area on more than 40 hectares in My Xuyen and Thanh Tri districts and Nga Nam town. Particularly, his farms are certified to meet US and European standards, and this is an important move for the province to form and branch out organic agriculture.
In 2018, Soc Trang province grew 351,800 hectares of rice, including 177,500 hectares of specialty rice, with an output of 1.05 million tonnes.In the context of global integration, organic rice production is an inevitable trend as food safety and hygiene is among the overriding priorities. Besides, organic cultivation helps promote sustainable agriculture while affirming the quality of Soc Trang rice in both domestic and foreign markets.-VNA
2018:
Vietnam’s agriculture growth hits record high in seven years
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Vietnam earns approximately US$40.02 billion from agro-forestry
and fishery exports in 2018.
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NDO – The expanded export
market, the export revenues hitting record high with US$40.02 billion, and
the promotion of domestic consumption are the bright spots of Vietnam’s
agricultural sector throughout 2018, which also witnessed the highest
agricultural growth rate over the past seven years.
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GDP of agriculture, forestry
and fishery highest in seven years
According to a report by the
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), the major aggregate
targets of the agricultural sector in 2018 exceeded the whole-year plan and
were higher than that of the previous year. Specifically, the gross domestic
product (GDP) of agriculture, forestry and fishery expanded by 3.76% to reach
the highest level in the last seven years, while the production value
increased by 3.86%. Forest coverage hit 41.65%. The export revenues of the
sector stood at US$40.02 billion, resulting in a trade surplus of US$8.72
billion. The 10 commodity groups with export turnover of over US$1 billion
continued to be maintained, of which five items posted a revenue of more than
US$3 billion, including wood and wood products (US$8.86 billion), shrimp
(US$3.59 billion), fruit and vegetable (US$3.81 billion), coffee (US$3.46
billion) and cashew nuts (US$3.43 billion).
The production structure
continued to be adjusted in a more appropriate and effectively fashion, in
association with the market demand. There appeared many models of vegetable,
flower and fruit production applying high technology and organic
technologies, bringing about an income five times higher than rice
production. The value of crop production increased by 2.52%, higher than the
set target (2.5%).
In the field of animal
husbandry, some livestock products were initially exported, such as frozen
pork to Myanmar through official channels, and chicken meat to Japan. The
livestock production value surged by 3.98%, higher than the set target
(2.1%).
The fisheries sector reaped
continuous success in 2018, with the total output reaching 7.74 million
tonnes, up 6.1%, of which the proportion of high value products increased
sharply, with shrimp hitting approx. 800,000 tonnes, up 7.1%, and tra fish
(pangasius) at around 1.426 million tonnes, up 11.1%.
The forestry sector has cleared
the international market for the exports of timber and forest products, as
Vietnam and the European Union (EU) officially signed the Voluntary
Partnership Agreement on Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade
(VPA/FLEGT). The value of forestry production expanded by 6.1%.
The capabilities of the
agriculture-forestry-fishery processing industry continued to be strengthened
towards intensive processing. In 2018, there were 16 modern vegetable, pork,
and poultry processing factories put into operation across the country with a
total investment of about VND8.7 trillion (US$374.1 million).
The consumption market for
agricultural products was expanded, with the exports reaching a new record
and the domestic consumption boosted. The sector paid due attention to
removing difficulties and obstacles in terms of the market, especially the in
major markets and regarding the products such as beef and milk into Malaysia;
pork, chicken and eggs into Singapore; pork, milk, seafood and rice into
China; chicken meat into Japan; frozen pork into Myanmar; star apple into the
United States; rambutan into New Zealand; and lemons into the EU.
Difficulties remain
Addressing a recent conference
to review the sector’s performance in 2018 and deploy tasks for 2019, MARD
Minister Nguyen Xuan Cuong stated that despite multiple bright spots in last
year’s agriculture picture, there remain numerous challenges to Vietnam’s
agricultural and rural area development. Specifically, the consumption market
is increasingly fluctuating with potential risks, while the capabilities of
forecasting supply and demand are still limited, with the “rescue” of pork
being a profound lesson. The issue of removing the European Commission’s
“yellow card” against Vietnam’s fishing has yet to be definitively addressed,
alongside the other issues, including the adverse prices of industrial crops,
the potential outbreak of epidemics on plants and animals, and food safety
management.
Proposing some directions for
the new year 2019, Cuong said that the agricultural sector will strive to
build smart agriculture with international integration and climate change
adaptation, in addition to increasing the added value and facilitating
sustainable development, associated with building prosperous and civilised
new-style rural areas.
Specifically, in 2019, the
whole sector strives to achieve a GDP growth rate of over 3%, an increase of
over 3.11% in the production value, an export turnover of about US$42-43
billion, and a forest coverage rate of over 41.85%.
In order to achieve the set
goals, MARD will continue to restructure the sector and boost production and
processing, develop the consumption market for farm produce, and promote
sustainable growth. Accordingly, the field of cultivation strives to achieve a
production value growth of 1.75-1.78% and a minimal export revenue of US$20.5
billion. The livestock area strives to attain a production value increase of
3.95-4.15%. The fishery sector targets a 4.25-4.69% surge in production value
and an export turnover of US$10.5 billion. The forestry sector targets forest
coverage of over 41.85%, alongside a production value rise of more than 6%
and an export turnover of US$10.5 billion.
Furthermore, the ministry will
develop the consumption market across the country as well as the export
markets, actively implement trade promotion, effectively tap into the
opportunities of free trade agreements (FTAs), improve the quality of market
analysis and forecast, especially the key markets, and focus on negotiating
and removing barriers to the exports of agricultural products. Efforts will
also be made to boost consumption in the domestic market, while forecasting
and developing plans to support the timely consumption of farm produce for
the people.
Agricultural sector must evoke
national aspirations
Speaking at the conference,
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc highly appreciated the efforts made by the
entire agricultural sector. He asked the sector to evoke the aspirations of
the nation and strive to enter the group of 15 largest agricultural nations
in the world in ten years’ time. Vietnam must become a wood processing centre
of the world and one of the top shrimp producers globally, he said, insisting
that the agricultural growth in 2019 must reach at least 3%, while agricultural
exports hit approximately US$43 billion.
The Government leader asked for
more drastic agricultural restructuring, including the national flagship
products and local specialties, in addition to analysing and researching new
markets, and building the Vietnamese brand from rice, shrimp, and fish.
He also urged for strengthening
the application of science and technology, artificial intelligence and Big
Data in agricultural development, the processing industry and farm produce
preservation, while carrying on with the building of new-style rural areas,
with an emphasis put on the criteria of income and improving people’s lives.
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Record rice procurement on the cards
Jan 09, 2019, 08.43 AM IST
After a
sluggish beginning, paddy procurement picked up in UP in the last few
week.Chandigarh: Record procurement
of rice is on the cards in
India for the federal food
security this season as arrivals have jumped in states where
Assembly polls were held recently. While procurement has marginally trailed
this year in traditional states like Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, the pre-poll
announcement of bonus has bolstered arrival of paddy in Chhattisgarh and Telangana. Rice procurement this season crossed 263 lakh tonnes as of Friday compared to 254 lakh tonnes in the last year till January 2018.
“Rice procurement is higher than last year so far and it may turn out to be a record high if the trend reflects in Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal where procurement lasts till June,” SP Kar, adviser, Food Corporation of India told ET.
After a sluggish beginning, paddy procurement picked up in UP in the last few weeks as the state relaxed procurement norms. The state allowed up to 35 per cent of hybrid paddy in overall procurement.
“Procurement has picked as Uttar Pradesh government has announced various relaxations including 3 per cent higher Out Turn Ratio for hybrid paddy,” a senior official of Uttar Pradesh food and supplies department said.
Agencies could slap Official Secrets Act on Michel for leaking
classified information
Jan 07, 2019, 07.32 AM IST
The agencies
are also looking into the alleged involvement of the son of a senior Congress
leader in “arranging” the flow of kickbacks for the chopper deal, ET has
learnt.The agencies probing the VVIP helicopter scam are likely to slap charges
under the Official
Secrets Act (OSA) on the alleged middleman in the deal, Christian Michel, people
with direct knowledge of the matter told ET. The Central Bureau of
Investigation and the Enforcement
Directorate (ED) have gathered details of classified information
that Michel had allegedly shared with executives of AgustaWestland and other
foreign entities, to swing the deal in favour of the British helicopter
manufacturer, they said. Michel, a UK national, has been in the custody of CBI
and ED since he was brought to India from Dubai on December 4, until Saturday
when he was remanded in judicial custody. During questioning, he was confronted
with several hundreds of despatches allegedly by him to the then chief
executive of AgustaWestland, Giuseppe Orsi, and others giving highly confidential
information pertaining to internal Cabinet discussions, meetings of the Cabinet
Committee on Security (CCS) and the movement of files related to the deal. Michel has not disputed the authenticity of most of the despatches, the people told ET. However, in a bid to distance himself from the documents, on certain instances Michel claimed that he “merely authored” the posts and that the classified information was provided to him by a “team” employed by Agusta-Westland. He also tried to pin the blame on Guido Ralph Haschke, another alleged middleman and accomplice of Michel. However, the agencies have punctured the claims by confronting him with documents and details of the meetings he held with other co-accused to arrange kickbacks and fix the deal, the people added.
Having quizzed Michel for 28 days, CBI and Enforcement Directorate are finalising a list of “suspects” to be examined on the basis of his testimonies. Michel is claimed to have acknowledged the receipt of money from AgustaWestland by his two companies.
Also, Michel has admitted to “distributing” the money to several influential individuals to win the chopper deal in favour of Agusta-Westland, said the people.
However, Michel has not given details of all the beneficiaries who the agencies allege were given kickbacks to secure the deal. His lawyer had refused to comment on the case.
In what may spell further trouble for Michel, agencies claim to have detected inflow of large amounts of money into his companies located abroad. These were paid allegedly to fix other transactions — CBI and ED suspect that he acted as an agent for defence deals other than the VVIP chopper contract.
The agencies are also looking into the alleged involvement of the son of a senior Congress leader in “arranging” the flow of kickbacks for the chopper deal, ET has learnt.
During questioning, Michel was made to write his answers in his own handwriting with a footnote that he was making the statement without any duress. The list of his “contact persons” in India — allegedly passed on to him by his father Wolfgang in 1996, and which included the name ‘Mrs Gandhi’ — is written in Michel’s handwriting, said people cited above.
Alleged links of a basmati rice exporting company, KRBL, to the helicopter deal are also being pursued by the probe agencies. The company had denied the allegation.
A co-accused in the case, advocate Gautam Khaitan, was an independent director of the company from 2007 to 2013. As per ED, “proceeds of crime” were laundered through a former KRBL subsidiary, Rawasi Al Khaleej General Trading.
ED in its chargesheet, filed last June, said top executives of KRBL, discussed “the dealings of Gautam Khaitan with M/s KRBL” and disclosed “his offer for commission amounting to .`15 crore without providing any services”. Denying any wrongdoing, KRBL had said it had nothing to do with the chopper deal. The company, last June, said neither proceeds of crime were received by it nor were it laundered any money.
Rice exports hit target last year
- 8 Jan 2019 at 13:07
- WRITER: ONLINE
REPORTERS
Thailand exported 11.13 million tonnes of rice
worth US$5.62 billion in 2018, but exports will drop this year, according to
the Foreign Trade Department.
Director-general
Adul Chotinisakorn said on Tuesday that last year's rice exports were worth
180.41 billion baht, met the target and helped raise local paddy prices and
farm incomes.He expected exports would drop slightly this year. The department would try to increase the export value and encourage farmers to grow quality rice and high-demand rice.
The global economic slowdown could affect purchasing power and rice from other countries was cheaper than Thai rice, Mr Adul said. However, he believed that the quality of Thai rice and its price remained competitive in global markets.
This year, the department would launch marketing campaigns in major buying countries in Asia, particularly Hong Kong, Singapore, China, the Philippines and Indonesia, he said.
Wholesale prices of Oils, Sugar, Commodities in APMC
Bengaluru, Jan 7 (UNI) Following were the
wholesale prices in the Bengaluru APMC
here on Monday.
OIL (per 10 kg) :
Groundnut 1250-1350
Coconut 3300-3500
Gingely 1500-1800
Castor 1100-1300
Sunflower 1250-1350
Butter 4500-5500
Ghee 4400-4800
SUGAR: (per quintal) Rs 3500-3800
COMMODITIES: (per quintal)
Rice Basumati 7300-14600
Sona Fine 5000-5600
Medium (Old) 4100-4500
(New) 3300-3400
Coarse 2400-2800
Ragi Fine 2800-3000
Medium 2300-2600
Jower 2200-2600
Wheat Bansi 2200-2600
Jower (Bijapur) 3400-4300
Wheat Atta 2100-2400
Maida 2250-2750
Soji (W) 2800-3000
Soji Bansi 2700-3000
Jaggery 4100-4200
Corriander 6500-12500
Chilly (Byadgi) 15000-18000
Guntur 10000-11500
Potato 1300-2000
Onion 800-1400
Tamarind 8500-12000
Garlic 2000-3200
Coconut (1000) 10000-25000
Horse Gram 3600-4000
Green Gram 6400-7600
Green Peas 6800-7000
Wheat 2400-3100
Turmeric 8400-13300
Soyabeans 4500-4700
Jeera 19000-24000
Poppy Seeds 42000-44000
Maize (Popcorn) 3500-4500
Ginger 3000-5500
Bengal Gram 5800-6400
Avare 4000-5000
Tur Dhal 6300-7800
Green Gram Dhal 7300-7700
Black Gram Dhal 5800-10000
Avare Dhal 5200-6000
Bengal Gram Dhal 5800-6500
Mustard 5200-5800
Gingly (White) 12000-15000
Gingly (Black) 10500-12500
Groundnut 5100-5200
Maize 1600-2000
Bajra 2000-2400
Groundnut Seed 9500-10000
Copra 15500-17000
Cowpea 4500-5000
Soapnut 4300-5500
Paddy 2700-2900
Cashewnut 80000-92000
Pepper 37000-42000
Areknut 35000-37000
Black Gram 5800-7200.
here on Monday.
OIL (per 10 kg) :
Groundnut 1250-1350
Coconut 3300-3500
Gingely 1500-1800
Castor 1100-1300
Sunflower 1250-1350
Butter 4500-5500
Ghee 4400-4800
SUGAR: (per quintal) Rs 3500-3800
COMMODITIES: (per quintal)
Rice Basumati 7300-14600
Sona Fine 5000-5600
Medium (Old) 4100-4500
(New) 3300-3400
Coarse 2400-2800
Ragi Fine 2800-3000
Medium 2300-2600
Jower 2200-2600
Wheat Bansi 2200-2600
Jower (Bijapur) 3400-4300
Wheat Atta 2100-2400
Maida 2250-2750
Soji (W) 2800-3000
Soji Bansi 2700-3000
Jaggery 4100-4200
Corriander 6500-12500
Chilly (Byadgi) 15000-18000
Guntur 10000-11500
Potato 1300-2000
Onion 800-1400
Tamarind 8500-12000
Garlic 2000-3200
Coconut (1000) 10000-25000
Horse Gram 3600-4000
Green Gram 6400-7600
Green Peas 6800-7000
Wheat 2400-3100
Turmeric 8400-13300
Soyabeans 4500-4700
Jeera 19000-24000
Poppy Seeds 42000-44000
Maize (Popcorn) 3500-4500
Ginger 3000-5500
Bengal Gram 5800-6400
Avare 4000-5000
Tur Dhal 6300-7800
Green Gram Dhal 7300-7700
Black Gram Dhal 5800-10000
Avare Dhal 5200-6000
Bengal Gram Dhal 5800-6500
Mustard 5200-5800
Gingly (White) 12000-15000
Gingly (Black) 10500-12500
Groundnut 5100-5200
Maize 1600-2000
Bajra 2000-2400
Groundnut Seed 9500-10000
Copra 15500-17000
Cowpea 4500-5000
Soapnut 4300-5500
Paddy 2700-2900
Cashewnut 80000-92000
Pepper 37000-42000
Areknut 35000-37000
Black Gram 5800-7200.
http://www.uniindia.com/wholesale-prices-of-oils-sugar-commodities-in-apmc/business-economy/news/1460341.html
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