Scientists
Successfully Inoculate, Grow Crops in Salt-Damaged Soil
High-salinity land now unable to
sustain plant life could once again be used
By Brigham Young
University | August 23, 2019
A photo illustration of an alfalfa
plant growing out of a container of salt.CREDIT:
BYU PHOTOA
group of researchers may have found a way to reverse falling crop yields caused
by increasingly salty farmlands throughout the world.
Led by Brent Nielsen, professor
of microbiology and molecular biology at Brigham Young University (BYU),
scientists have used bacteria found in the roots of salt-tolerant plants to
successfully inoculate alfalfa plants against overly salty soil.
"We take the roots of these
salt-tolerant plants (called halophytes), grind them up and grow the bacteria
in a petri dish in the lab," Nielsen said. "Doing this, we isolated
over 40 different bacteria isolates, some of which can tolerate ocean-level
salt content."
The team then applied the
bacteria isolates to alfalfa seeds through a solution and tested the alfalfa's
ability to grow in high-saline conditions. They saw significant growth of the
alfalfa both in their lab and in greenhouse experiments carried out by
collaborators at the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research in Virginia.
The study identifies two specific
bacteria isolates—Halomonas and Bacillus—that worked to stimulate plant growth
in the presence of one percent sodium chloride (salt), a level that
significantly inhibits growth of uninoculated plants. This discovery is
significant since soils throughout areas of China, Australia, and the Middle
East have grown increasingly salty, as well as major farmland in the southwest
United States.
"As an area of land is
repeatedly used for farming, the salinity rises; the irrigation water has salt
in it and when it evaporates or is taken up by the plants, the salt is left
behind," said student Caitlyn McNary, one of six BYU undergraduate
co-authors on the paper. "With what we've found, lands that are now unable
to sustain plant life due to high salinity could once again be used for
crops."
In addition to the work on
alfalfa, America's number four crop, the research team has already started to
conduct lab and greenhouse experiments on rice, green beans, and lettuce. The
next step is to carry out field trials on the inoculated crops.
The lab work for the
research, recently published online in Frontiers in Microbiology,
was carried out primarily by six BYU undergraduate students: McNary and fellow
first author Jennifer Kearl, Emily Colton, Steven Smith, Jason West, and
Michelle Hamson. BYU plant and wildlife professor Zachary Aanderud, and Scott
Lowman and Chuansheng Mei of the Plant Endophyte Research Center also served as
a study co-authors.
"We've long wondered if
increasingly salty land was just a losing battle or if there was something we
could do about it," Nielsen said. "Now we have shown there is something
we can do about it."
India Grain:
Spot wheat, maize prices fall on weak bulk demand
Friday, Aug 23
By Sampad Nandy
NEW DELHI – Prices of mill-quality wheat fell across key spot
markets today due to a decline in demand from bulk buyers and flour millers,
traders said. A decline in arrivals, however, limited the fall in prices, they
said.
"Demand was weak today as most bulk buyers remained away
from trade due to Janmashtami celebrations," Indore-based trader N. K.
Agarwal said.
Tracking the spot market, wheat futures on the National
Commodity and Derivatives Exchange also fell. The most-active September wheat
contract closed 0.9% lower at 2,076 rupees per 100 kg.
Prices of maize across spot markets fell today due to a decline
in demand at higher prices, traders said. A gradual decline in arrivals was
seen helping prices, they said.
"Demand weakened today as most bulk buyers are now
awaiting the new crop and do not want to purchase bulk stocks at higher
prices," Nizamabad-based trader Amrutlal Kataria said.
Maize futures on the NCDEX, too, fell tracking spot
markets, traders said. The most-active September maize contract ended down
0.7% at 2,185 rupees per 100 kg.
Maize prices are likely to rise in the coming
days as heavy rains and flood-like situation last week in Karnataka
and Maharashtra is seen delaying arrivals of the new crop. The
harvest is seen delayed as heavy rains might have led to higher moisture
content in the standing crop.
In the case of basmati paddy, prices of the Pusa 1121 variety
fell due to a decline in demand from rice millers, traders
said.
Pusa 1121 basmati paddy futures on Indian Commodity Exchange
fell today tracking spot cues. The September basmati contract today closed
at 3,555 rupees per 100 kg, down 3.8% from the previous close.
Following are today's prices for wheat, maize, and paddy, in
rupees per 100 kg, in key wholesale markets, and the change from the previous
day:
Commodity
|
Market
|
Price
|
Change
|
Wheat
|
Kota
|
2,010-2,030
|
(-)10-15
|
Wheat
|
Indore
|
2,020-2,030
|
(-)10-15
|
Maize
|
Nizamabad
|
2,430-2,450
|
(-)10-15
|
Maize
|
Purnea
|
2,360-2,350
|
(-)10-15
|
Pusa
1121 basmati
|
Amritsar
|
3,810-3,850
|
(-)10-20
|
End
Edited by Maheswaran Parameswaran
Cogencis Tel +91 (11) 4220-1000
Send comments to feedback@cogencis.com
This copy was first published on the Cogencis WorkStation
Brothers arrested for allegedly defrauding
rice seller with fake currency
August 23, 2019
By
Men of the Ogun State Police
Command Thursday arrested two brothers, Sunday Durosinmi Onikoyi, 29, and Felix
Durosinmi Onikoyi, 20, for allegedly defrauding unsuspecting members of the
public with fake currency.
DAILY POST reports that the two
brothers were residents of 30, Akala Street, Idi-Oro Mushin, Lagos State.
Their arrest, according to the
command, followed a distress call by one Mr Moses Nwese of Gas-line area of
Ijoko Ota, that the two men came to his shop to buy two bags of rice; giving
him the sum of N29,000 in one-thousand-naira denomination.
Nwese stated further that the two
brothers left his shop hurriedly and while counting the money, he discovered
that all the money notes were fake.
A statement signed by the spokesman
of the Ogun Police Command said, “upon the information, the DPO Sango Ota
Division, CSP Godwin Idehai, who was on routine patrol of the area with his men
hotly chased the suspects and got them arrested in an Honda Odyssey car with
registration number LSR 504 AZ.
“On searching them, N78,000 fake
one thousand naira notes were recovered from them. Also recovered from them
are; One unregistered Bajaj motorcycle and 10 bags of rice.”
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of
Police, CP Bashir Makama has ordered a full-scale investigation into the
activities of the two suspects; adding that they should be arraigned before a
court of competent jurisdiction as soon as investigation is concluded.
Nigeria to Slash Funds For
Essential Food Imports While Currency Crisis Looms
By
Global Information Network
Published
August 23, 2019
(GIN)
Hard
to imagine a steaming plate of Nigerian joll of rice without the rice. Or
without fish. Or wheat. Rice, fish and wheat are Nigeria’s top three food
imports but foreign exchange for these staple food imports is about to end by
order of President Muhammadu Buhari.
Presidential
spokesman Garba Shehu said Tuesday the move to end imports of these essential
foods is aimed at improving Nigeria’s agricultural production and attaining
food security.
“Don’t
give a cent to anybody to import food into the country,” Buhari was quoted by
his spokesman Shehu to say. “The foreign reserve will be conserved and utilized
strictly for diversification of the economy, and not for encouraging more
dependence on foreign food import bills,” he added.
Imported
milk and other dairy products will also be restricted from access to foreign
exchange in an effort to boost local production and investment in ranches.
Some
may have hoped these risky ideas would be forgotten in time. But a recently
decided lawsuit in the UK may have prompted the government to advance the
timetable.
The
lawsuit, decided this month, gives a company called Process and Industrial
Developments Ltd the right to pursue some $9 billion in assets from the
Nigerian government over an aborted gas project.
Currently
Nigeria spends US$22 billion on food imports annually. Rice, imported from
Thailand and India, accounts for about US$1.65 billion which could make Nigeria
the world’s second largest importer of rice after China in 2019.
Many
obstacles stand in the way of Nigeria becoming self-sufficient in food, some
experts say. These include climate change, weeds, pests and diseases,
farmers’ limited access to credit, training, rudimentary and time consuming
tools like hoes, slashers, sickles, axes and rakes.
Economic
analyst Tokunbo Afikuyomi says making it harder for businesses to import food
through official channels will push importers to find foreign exchange on the
Black market.
“Making
it harder for businesses to import food through official channels is likely to
lead to higher food prices as businesses use more expensive exchange rates or
expensive domestic alternatives,” Afikuyomi told CNN.
He
said Nigeria’s strategy should be to produce which foods it can grow cheaply
and import others that are more expensive to make.
“Nigeria
cannot produce all the food it eats — no country in the world is able to
achieve this. Banning food imports to save foreign exchange is not the way to
build a sustainable economy,” he added.
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National Rice
Month Scholarship Contest now open
Image By Brian A Jackson, Shutterstock
FOLLOW AGDAILY
The National Rice Month
Scholarship Contest is here! Students can create awareness and promote
U.S.-grown rice, National Rice Month, and the importance of rice in their state
via video — and earn scholarship money in the process.
It’s easy to participate. Make
an original video about rice production, healthy eating, sustainability, and so
much more! You can also conduct promotion activities in your community and
showcase your work in a video. High school graduating students from
rice-growing states — Arkansas, California, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri,
and Texas — are eligible.
Entries must be received by October
31, 2019. Winners will be notified by November 20, 2019.
Students can enter the contest by following these three steps:
- Create an original video about U.S. rice,
National Rice Month, and the importance of rice to your state (must be 3
minutes or less)
- Upload your video to Youtube or Vimeo
- Submit your entry on their website
Three scholarship prizes,
sponsored by Corteva AgriScience, totaling $8,500 will be awarded. The
grand-prize winner will receive a $4,000 scholarship and a trip with a
chaperone this December to the awards ceremony at the 2019 USA Rice Outlook
Conference in Little Rock, Arkansas. The second-place winner will receive a
$3,000 scholarship, and third-place $1,500.
Here are some suggested themes
and concepts to get the creative energy flowing!
·
Promote Local Rice:
spread the word about rice in your community
·
Healthy Eating: share
an original recipe featuring rice and other foods grown in your state,
visit MyPlate, MyState for
ideas
·
Conservation and the
Environment: highlight the sustainability story of U.S.-grown rice
·
Rice Production: tell
the world what rice farmers do, how they do it, and why it’s so important
Find more information at ThinkRice.com.
Contest entries will be judged on
creativity, quality, popularity, and effectiveness in promoting U.S.-grown
rice, NRM, and the importance of rice in the student’s state
FA opens rice
sale to retailers
By
-
August 23, 2019
53
A
worker at the National Food Authority (NFA) sweeps the rice grains at their
warehouse in FTI, Taguig City.
LINGAYEN, Pangasinan—The National
Food Authority’s (NFA) office in western Pangasinan has announced an open house
sale to allow even non-accredited retailers to purchase its rice.
“Marami tayong supply ngayon dahil sa local
procurement. Since nag-focus tayo sa
pagbili sa mga local farmers, mas marami tayong naiipon [We
have much supply because of the local procurement. Since we focused on buying
from the local farmers, our stocks have increased],” NFA-Western Pangasinan
Assistant Manager, Chona Maramba, said in an interview Thursday.
Maramba said 160,000 sacks of
rice were stored in their warehouse.
With the removal of exclusivity,
even rice mill owners may also procure NFA rice, she added.
Maramba noted that the NFA does
not see the sale of rice to non-accredited retailers as a threat, as rice sells
at a lower cost comparable to the price of NFA rice.
Regular-milled rice sells for
about P28 to P32 per kg.; well-milled rice for P33 to P40; premium milled rice
for P45; and NFA rice for P27.
Maramba assured the public of sufficient
supply of NFA rice despite the lean months.
“Kahit na nagbebenta po tayo sa
mga non-accredited
retailers, sapat na sapat po ang suplay natin ng bigas
para sa mga consumers at sa emergency [Even though
we sell to non-accredited retailers, our supply is more than enough for our
consumers and for emergency purposes],” she added.
Non-accredited retailers may
purchase NFA rice at P1,250 per cavan.
NFA procurement from farmers
continues, with a purchasing price of P17 to P22 per kilogram of palay.
08/23/2019, 13.25
CAMBODIA – EUROPEAN UNION
EU tariffs on Cambodian rice damage 500,000 farmers
To protect its producers, the EU
has imposed tariffs for three years on Cambodian and Myanmar rice. In just six
months, exports to Europe have been halved. For Cambodia, the measure penalises
producers of “jasmine and fragrant long grain rice” who “do not compete
directly with products grown in the EU”. China is ready to support Cambodia’s
economy and agriculture.
Phnom Penh (AsiaNews/Agencies) –
Some 500,000 farming families face serious economic disruption because of
tariffs imposed by the European Union (EU) on Cambodian rice, this according to
the Cambodian Rice Federation (CRF).
European tariffs and the
consequent decline in exports weigh heavily on Cambodian agriculture, already
penalised by a severe drought in the first
months of the year.
EU-Cambodian economic relations
could also be affected by changes to Cambodia’s privileged trading status.
The EU in January imposed tariffs
for three years on rice from Cambodia and Myanmar, in order to protect EU
producers following a surge in imports from the two Asian countries.
For the first six months of this year,
Cambodian rice exports to the EU fell by half compared with the same period
last year, to 93,000 tonnes, the CRF reports.
“This has been acutely felt by
most of the 500,000 families who eke out a living farming jasmine and fragrant
long grain rice, in spite of the fact that these varieties are geographically
specific and do not compete directly with products grown in the EU,” the CRF
said in a statement.
The EU in February also started
an 18-month process that could lead to the suspension of Cambodia’s
special Everything but Arms (EBA)
access, which gives almost developing 50 countries duty free access for all
exports to the EU, except arms.
That process is separate from the
rice tariffs and is due to European concerns over Cambodia’s human rights record.
The EU takes more than a third of Cambodia’s exports, including garments,
footwear and bicycles.
In April, Cambodian Prime
Minister Hun Sen said that China, his closest ally, would help Cambodia if the
EU withdrew the EBA. China had also agreed to import 400,000 tonnes of
Cambodian rice, according to a Hun Sen’s posting online.
Meanwhile, according to data from
the Secretariat of One Window Service for Rice Export Formality, a joint
private-government working group, rice exports to China have already risen 66
per cent in the first half of 2019 to 118,401 tonnes.
Kharif crops, rice sowing down this year; wholesale inflation up
for these grains
Published: August 23, 2019 6:05:12 PM
While the
monsoon has been normal in the past three months, the sowing of certain Kharif
crops such as bajra, rice, maize and jowar has been low compared to last year.
The wholesale inflation of products like jowar, bajra, maize and
tur has been high in July.
While the monsoon has been normal in the past three months, the
sowing of certain Kharif crops such as bajra, rice, maize and jowar has been
low compared to last year. The situation is particularly bleak for rice as its
sowing was 10.9% lower at 30.1 million hectares, according to a Kotak
Institutional Equities report. Another report also highlighted the same and
said that even though the overall sowing patterns across key crops as of 16
August 2019 has seen an improvement, “concern remains around the sowing of rice
which has seen more than 30 lakh hectares contraction from normal and a year
ago, a report from CARE Ratings said.
Further, acreage for Oilseed was 0.8% lower at 16.4 million
hectares and sowing for pulses was down by 3.5% compared to last year. Even
sugarcane acreage was down by 0.3 million hectares to 5.2 million
hectares. However, the cotton acreage has surpassed last year’s record and 12.2
million hectares of land was sowed this year compared to 11.5 million hectares
last year.
Inflation in food prices
While excess rainfall in some regions is likely to destroy the
production of certain crops, a combination of excess rainfall and deficient
rainfall in almost 45% of all the subdivisions could result in higher food
inflation going ahead, CARE Ratings report said.
The wholesale inflation of products like jowar, bajra, maize and
tur has been high in July. “Also, at an aggregate level, wholesale inflation of
all food-grains stood at 10.4% in July 19,” CARE Ratings report said. Retail
inflation of jowar, bajra and tur also remained high.
Further, cereal prices also hiked by 2.7% while the price of
oils and fats also saw a marginal increase of 0.1% over last week in the week
ending August 19, Kotak Institutional Equities report said.
The Wholesale prices in India (WPI) was 1.08 per cent higher
on-year in July 2019, according to the data released by CSO last week. This is
a 25-month low and the wholesale inflation has eased from 2.02 per cent growth
rate in the previous month.
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Why a good monsoon may not bring good news for economy
Published: August 22, 2019 10:59:13 PM
Agriculture: A
better than average monsoon may not help the government to tide over the
economic slowdown.
A
better than average monsoon will not lead to higher production of food grains
in the country.
Monsoon: More than average rainfall for the last four weeks may not
be enough to tide over the economic slowdown the country is staring at. India’s
meteorological department Wednesday said the monsoon rains were above average
for the fourth straight week ending on August 21. However, it will not have an
immediate impact on the foodgrain production. Sowing for the Kharif season is
already over and wheat sowing is still a few months away. But the excess rains
will recharge the reservoirs that will be helpful in the next season as nearly
40% of Indian agriculture is dependent on the irrigation.
“It requires sustained rainfall for a period of 4-5 months to have
a positive impact on the foodgrain production. Our wheat and rice production
will be good in any case,” said Dr Chengal Reddy.
In the month of August, the country’s north-west region received
63% more rainfal than the average. Major rice and wheat producing states like
Punjab, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh have received excess rainfall but it is
unlikely to improve the foodgrain production in the country.
“Paddy sowing season is already over. As for as paddy is
concerned, there is only a marginal increase, over the last year’s sowing
area,” said Dr Ashok Vishandas, former chairman of the commission for
agricultural cost and prices.
“Excess rainfall doesn’t help,” he told Financial Express Online.
In fact, the excess rainfall and floods can damage the standing
crop.
India has seen large scale floods in several parts of the country
this month. States like Assam, Bihar, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh,
Karnataka and Kerala have been grappling with devastating floods.
“Floods are not going to help the farmers,” Dr Chengal Reddy told
Financial Express Online.
“Our wheat and rice production will be sufficient. However, it
will not help the production of pulses and oilseeds and there will be a
shorfall,” he said.
A good monsoon is crucial for the country’s economy as farming
sector accounts for more than 15% of the country’s GDP but nearly half of the
country’s workforce is dependent on the agriculture sector.
A betten than average monsoon may not have an immediate positive impact on the agriculture sector, however, farming agri experts believe that it will recharge the ground water that will support the farming in the next seaon.
A betten than average monsoon may not have an immediate positive impact on the agriculture sector, however, farming agri experts believe that it will recharge the ground water that will support the farming in the next seaon.
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AUGUST 21, 2019 / 1:39 PM / 3 DAYS AGO
Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open- August 21, 2019
6 MIN READ
* * * * * *
Nagpur Foodgrain Prices – APMC/Open Market-August 21, 2019 Nagpur,
Aug 21 (Reuters) – Gram and tuar prices reported higher in Nagpur Agriculture
Produce and Marketing Committee (APMC) on good festival season demand from
local millers amid tight supply from producing belts. Healthy rise in Madhya
Pradesh gram prices and reported demand from South-based millers also jacked up
prices. About 1,150 bags of gram and 150 bags of tuar reported for auction,
according to sources.
GRAM
* Desi gram prices recovered in open market on increased buying
support from local
traders.
TUAR
* Tuar Karnataka firmed up in open market here on renewed demand
from local traders.
* New rice varieties prices reported down in open market here on
poor demand
from local traders.
* In Akola, Tuar New – 5,600-5,800, Tuar dal (clean) – 8,000-8,100,
Udid Mogar (clean)
– 7,200-7,800, Moong Mogar (clean) 8,000-8,900, Gram – 4,200-4,300,
Gram Super best
– 5,800-6,200 * Wheat, other varieties of 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 3,800-4,500 3,800-4,350
Gram Pink Auction n.a. 2,100-2,600
Tuar Auction 5,100-5,725 5,100-5,600
Moong Auction n.a. 3,950-4,200
Udid Auction n.a. 4,300-4,500
Masoor Auction n.a. 2,200-2,500
Wheat Lokwan Auction 2,000-2,106 2,000-2,115
Wheat Sharbati Auction n.a. 2,900-3,000
Gram Super Best Bold 6,200-6,500 6,200-6,500
Gram Super Best n.a. n.a.
Gram Medium Best 5,800-6,000 5,800-6,000
Gram Dal Medium n.a. n.a
Gram Mill Quality 4,500-4,600 4,500-4,600
Desi gram Raw 4,550-4,650 4,500-4,600
Gram Kabuli 8,300-10,000 8,300-10,000
Tuar Fataka Best-New 8,600-8,700 8,600-8,700
Tuar Fataka Medium-New 8,100-8,300 8,100-8,300
Tuar Dal Best Phod-New 7,800-8,000 7,800-8,000
Tuar Dal Medium phod-New 7,200-7,600 7,200-7,600
Tuar Gavarani New 6,100-6,200 5,100-6,200
Tuar Karnataka 6,450-6,650 6,400-6,600
Masoor dal best 5,600-5,700 5,600-5,700
Masoor dal medium 5,100-5,300 5,100-5,300
Masoor n.a. n.a.
Moong Mogar bold (New) 8,500-9,000 8,500-9,000
Moong Mogar Medium 7,200-7,800 7,200-7,800
Moong dal Chilka New 6,600-7,800 6,600-7,800
Moong Mill quality n.a. n.a.
Moong Chamki best 8,800-9,400 8,800-9,400
Udid Mogar best (100 INR/KG) (New) 7,000-7,800 7,000-7,800
Udid Mogar Medium (100 INR/KG) 5,500-6,200 5,500-6,200
Udid Dal Black (100 INR/KG) 4,300-4,700 4,300-4,700
Mot (100 INR/KG) 5,500-6,500 5,500-6,500
Lakhodi dal (100 INR/kg) 4,800-5,000 4,800-5,000
Watana Dal (100 INR/KG) 5,700-5,900 5,700-5,900
Watana Green Best (100 INR/KG) 7,500-8,000 7,500-8,000
Wheat 308 (100 INR/KG) 2,200-2,300 2,200-2,300
Wheat Mill quality (100 INR/KG) 2,100-2,200 2,100-2,200
Wheat Filter (100 INR/KG) 2,600-2,700 2,600-2,700
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) 3,200-4,000 3,200-4,000
MP Sharbati Medium (100 INR/KG) 2,700-3,000 2,700-3,000
Rice Parmal (100 INR/KG) 2,200-2,300 2,200-2,300
Rice BPT best (100 INR/KG) 3,200-3,800 3,200-3,800
Rice BPT medium (100 INR/KG) 2,800-3,200 2,900-3,200
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) 2,300-2,400 2,300-2,400
Rice Swarna new (100 INR/KG) 2,400-2,600 2,500-2,700
Rice HMT best (100 INR/KG) 3,800-4,400 3,800-4,400
Rice HMT medium (100 INR/KG) 3,400-3,600 3,400-3,600
Rice HMT new (100 INR/KG) 3,600-4,000 3,600-4,000
Rice Shriram best(100 INR/KG) 5,500-5,800 5,500-5,800
Rice Shriram med (100 INR/KG) 4,500-4,800 4,500-4,800
Rice Shriram new (100 INR/KG) 4,400-5,000 4,500-5,000
Rice Basmati best (100 INR/KG) 8,500-13,500 8,500-13,500
Rice Basmati Medium (100 INR/KG) 5,000-7,500 5,000-7,500
Rice Chinnor best 100 INR/KG) 6,500-7,200 6,500-7,200
Rice Chinnor medium (100 INR/KG) 6,200-6,400 6,200-6,400
Rice Chinnor new (100 INR/KG) 5,300-5,600 5,200-5,600
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. 32.5 degree Celsius, minimum temp. 24.3 degree Celsius Rainfall :
Nil FORECAST: Generally cloudy sky with a few spells of rains or
thunder-showers. Maximum and minimum temperature likely to be around 33 degree
Celsius and 24 degree Celsius respectively. Note: n.a.—not available (For oils,
transport costs are excluded from plant delivery prices, but included in market
prices)
Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Kharif crops, rice sowing down this year; wholesale inflation up
for these grains
Published: August 23, 2019 6:05:12 PM
While the
monsoon has been normal in the past three months, the sowing of certain Kharif
crops such as bajra, rice, maize and jowar has been low compared to last year.
The wholesale inflation of products like jowar, bajra, maize and
tur has been high in July.
While the monsoon has been normal in the past three months, the
sowing of certain Kharif crops such as bajra, rice, maize and jowar has been
low compared to last year. The situation is particularly bleak for rice as its
sowing was 10.9% lower at 30.1 million hectares, according to a Kotak
Institutional Equities report. Another report also highlighted the same and
said that even though the overall sowing patterns across key crops as of 16
August 2019 has seen an improvement, “concern remains around the sowing of rice
which has seen more than 30 lakh hectares contraction from normal and a year
ago, a report from CARE Ratings said.
Further, acreage for Oilseed was 0.8% lower at 16.4 million
hectares and sowing for pulses was down by 3.5% compared to last year. Even
sugarcane acreage was down by 0.3 million hectares to 5.2 million
hectares. However, the cotton acreage has surpassed last year’s record and 12.2
million hectares of land was sowed this year compared to 11.5 million hectares
last year.
Inflation in food prices
While excess rainfall in some regions is likely to destroy the
production of certain crops, a combination of excess rainfall and deficient
rainfall in almost 45% of all the subdivisions could result in higher food
inflation going ahead, CARE Ratings report said.
The wholesale inflation of products like jowar, bajra, maize and
tur has been high in July. “Also, at an aggregate level, wholesale inflation of
all food-grains stood at 10.4% in July 19,” CARE Ratings report said. Retail
inflation of jowar, bajra and tur also remained high.
Further, cereal prices also hiked by 2.7% while the price of
oils and fats also saw a marginal increase of 0.1% over last week in the week
ending August 19, Kotak Institutional Equities report said.
The Wholesale prices in India (WPI) was 1.08 per cent higher
on-year in July 2019, according to the data released by CSO last week. This is
a 25-month low and the wholesale inflation has eased from 2.02 per cent growth
rate in the previous month.
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Ghana to stop importing rice by
2023.
Business News of Friday, 23 August
2019
The government has assured that Ghana by 2023 would stop
importing rice from other countries, the deputy minister of Food and
Agriculture in charge of tree Crops Hon. George Boahen Oduro alluded.According to him Ghana cannot be described as Agrarian country whilst she continues to import everything from other countries to feed her people. ‘How can you tell me Ghana is agrarian country and we continue to import nine hundred thousand metric tons of rice annually at the tune of five hundred to seven hundred million dollars ($500 – 700m) per annum’, he quizzed.
The government is assiduously working to increase the yields of rice for commercialisation and insofar exportation purposes. As part of its bid to achieve a bumper harvest, one thousand seven hundred (1,700) and seven thousand (7,000) tonnes of rice seeds were made available last and this year respectively.
Suffice it to say, there has been a drastic reduction in the price of rice seed’s; one kilogram of rice that was sold at thirty-five (Gh35.00) is now sold at a subsidised price two cedis (his 2.00). Having to reduce the price has enabled farmers to afford the seeds and thus, there has been an improvement which has escalated the engagement of rice farmers in the distribution.
The fertilizers also have been subsidized for the farmers making it affordable for the farmers to patronize.
Hon. Oduro articulated to those in Agribusiness to be precise in the rice sector to get ready to produce more rice hence to feed the country.
At the verge of closing his speech he urged all Ghanaians to develop a strong taste for the local manufacturing products especially rice in order to make the agenda achievable.
Basmati rice
exporters to visit Saudia Arabia seek relaxation on quality norms
The Saudi Food and Drug
Authority has effective September 1 sought test reports on minimum residue
levels along with Certificate of Conformity from Indian exporters.
Aug 22,
2019, 11.36 AM IST
BCCL
Saudi Arabia accounts for 20% share of India's annual basmati rice exports
of 4-4.5 million tonnes
NEW DELHI: India’s
basmati-rice exporters and government officials are set to visit Saudi Arabia to lobby
for permission to export rice
without any new restrictions, beyond the target date of September 1. The Saudi
Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) has effective September 1 sought test reports on
minimum residue levels (MRL) along with Certificate of Conformity from Indian
exporters. It has also asked them to source rice from good agriculture
practices (GAP) certified farms approved by SFDA. Apart from this, it has asked for DNA test to prove the
authenticity of basmati
rice.
To address these concerns Indian rice exporters are expected to visit Saudi Arabia next week in a government cum trade delegation along with Agricultural & Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) officials to discuss the issue with SFDA.
Saudi Arabia accounts for 20% share of India's annual basmati rice exports of 4-4.5 million tonnes
“The trade has slowed down since Saudi Arabia announced certain requirements for compliance by Indian exporters in July this year. The trade is apprehensive about making further shipments in view of unclear situation. They will now wait for the outcome of the trade talks before shipping new consignments,” said Vijay Setia, president of The All India Rice Exporters Association.
Exporters said that they was no clarity on whether the SFDA proposes to apply the new regulation on export consignments which will be shipped from September onwards or even those which will be arriving in Saudi Arabia on September 1.
“There is also confusion about which pesticides are to be tested. Details of these are also required,” said an exporter who added that 70,000-90,000 tonne of rice was being exported in a month to Saudi Arabia.
Indian rice exports have been hurt by various non-tariff barriers, mainly over MRLs in the past few years. Indian companies have been working with farmers to reduce the use of pesticides.
To address these concerns Indian rice exporters are expected to visit Saudi Arabia next week in a government cum trade delegation along with Agricultural & Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) officials to discuss the issue with SFDA.
Saudi Arabia accounts for 20% share of India's annual basmati rice exports of 4-4.5 million tonnes
“The trade has slowed down since Saudi Arabia announced certain requirements for compliance by Indian exporters in July this year. The trade is apprehensive about making further shipments in view of unclear situation. They will now wait for the outcome of the trade talks before shipping new consignments,” said Vijay Setia, president of The All India Rice Exporters Association.
Exporters said that they was no clarity on whether the SFDA proposes to apply the new regulation on export consignments which will be shipped from September onwards or even those which will be arriving in Saudi Arabia on September 1.
“There is also confusion about which pesticides are to be tested. Details of these are also required,” said an exporter who added that 70,000-90,000 tonne of rice was being exported in a month to Saudi Arabia.
Indian rice exports have been hurt by various non-tariff barriers, mainly over MRLs in the past few years. Indian companies have been working with farmers to reduce the use of pesticides.
Kolkata’s vegetables, rice and
flour high on arsenic, says top university
Since
produce sold in Kolkata doesn’t originate only from areas known to be afflicted
with arsenic in the soil, like some Bengal districts and neighbouring states
like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, the finding may hold alarming nation-wide
implications.
INDIA Updated: Jul 28, 2019 17:52 IST
A variety of vegetables being sold in Kolkata have
tested positive for arsenic levels dangerously above permissible limits,
according to a research by Jadavpur University.(Shutterstock)
Rice grain, wheat flour and a
variety of vegetables being sold in Kolkata have tested positive for arsenic
levels dangerously above permissible limits, warns a research by Jadavpur
University’s School of Environmental Sciences (SOES).
What’s more and since produce sold
in Kolkata doesn’t originate only from areas known to be afflicted with arsenic
in the soil, like some Bengal districts and neighbouring states like Bihar and
Uttar Pradesh, the finding may hold alarming nation-wide implications.
“All these food items are
transported to states across the country, so a study in other metros will yield
similar results,” said environmental scientist, Prof Tarit Roychowdhury, chief
researcher of the year-long study during which he and his seven-man team
collected 232 samples of staples and vegetables from 30 households in Kolkata
suburbs and nine markets across Kolkata. The research paper was published on
May 27.
In 2011, the World Health
Organisation (WHO) announced that maximum permissible level of arsenic in
drinking water is 0.01 milligram per litre or 10 µg /litre (microgram per
litre). According to the Indian Standards for Drinking Water, the permissible
level in absence of alternative source of water is 0.05 mg/litre (50 µg
/litre). The WHO also withdrew the earlier provisional tolerable daily intake
(PTDI) of inorganic arsenic found in food of 2.1 µg per kg of total bodyweight
per day (µg/ kg bodyweight/day), as it was no longer found to protect health.
“The arsenic content found in the
samples we surveyed, ranged from 24 to 324 µg /kilo (microgram per kilo).
Inorganic arsenic (arsenite and arsenate) is toxic and carcinogenic and exposes
people to the risk of cancer,” said Prof Roychowdhury.
The finding was worrisome for
another reason. Doctors who studied the findings told HT that finding arsenic
in produce from states and districts with no history of ground water
contamination indicated that the grains and vegetables may have been poisoned
by arsenic in pesticides or other sources.
West Bengal figures among seven
states, including Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand that are known for a high
concentration of arsenic in ground water at several places.
This is the first research by any
reputable institution that has come up with definitive figures on arsenic
contamination in farm-grown food consumed by millions in Kolkata. In March
2019, Jadavpur University came sixth among the top 10 universities in the
country in the Union human resource development ministry’s National
Institutional Ranking Framework.
Set up in 1989 by environmental
scientist Prof Dipankar Chakraborty, who died last year, SOES has done
pioneering research on arsenic contamination in Bengal and the Gangetic basin.
Kolkata’s deputy mayor Atin Ghosh,
who is also in charge of the health department of Kolkata Municipal
Corporation, said, “It is extremely difficult for a civic body to check every
food item entering a metro. We do not have that infrastructure. Since chemical
contamination has become a worldwide problem we are setting up a modern
laboratory. It will be operational in another year. We are giving equal
importance to public awareness.”
Prominent doctors reacted to SOES’s
findings.
“Though there may be no specific
symptoms in the initial stage, arsenic contamination in food can cause the
malfunction of multiple organs, hepatitis, lung infection, etc. Even problems
relating to physical and mental growth of a child can be related to toxins in
food,” said Dr Mahua Bhattacharya, a specialist in internal medicine at a
renowned private hospital in south Kolkata. Though the physician has sent some
of her patients for arsenic tests, she warns that there is no clear methodology
to identify arsenic as the root cause of a given disease.
Surgical oncologist Dr Sujoy Bala,
too, said that though skin cancer is a known outcome of arsenic contamination,
it is tough to draw a direct correlation between arsenic and cancer because of
the rampant use in India of pesticides which also contains arsenic, and
nitrogen compounds.
“Arsenic can even alter our genetic
structure and affect our offspring. Prevention, and not treatment, should be
the government’s priority,” Bala said.
A 2018 report of WHO noted that
inorganic arsenic is naturally present at high levels in the groundwater of a
number of countries, including Argentina, Bangladesh, Chile, China, India,
Mexico and the United States of America. According to the study, drinking
water, crops irrigated with contaminated water and food prepared with
contaminated water are the sources of exposure.
Fish, shellfish, meat, poultry,
dairy products and cereals can also be dietary sources of arsenic, although
exposure from these foods is generally much lower compared to that through
groundwater.
“It is now recognized that at least
140 million people in 50 countries have been drinking water containing arsenic
at levels above the WHO provisional guideline value,” warns the study, which
outlines the use of arsenic as an industrial alloying agent in the processing
industry as well as in the hide tanning process.
A Chinese researcher runs tests on two strains of genetically
modified rice which were approved for open-field experiments, at a laboratory
in Wuhan, China, on June 11, 2011. (STR/AFP/Getty Images)
FBI Criminal
Probe of Kansas University Started Over Chinese Stealing Rice
BY
August 23, 2019 Updated: August 23, 2019
The FBI criminal fraud probe of Kansas University’s Life
Sciences Labs follows a 2018 conviction of Chinese-born nationals for stealing
$75 million of genetically-modified rice.
The FBI began focusing on China’s attempts to
steal high-value intellectual property in Kansas after U.S. Customs
and Border Enforcement Agents checking bags for the return flight of a Chinese
agricultural delegation visiting Kansas, discovered a third of a cup of
genetically-modified rice that cost Ventria Biosciences $75 million to develop.
The Kansas City Star reported that Weiqiang Zhang, a Chinese national
and former genetic rice researcher at Kansas State University with lawful
permanent residence, was sentenced to prison for intellectual property theft
and for conspiring with China-born Wengui Yan, a naturalized U.S. citizen who
worked as a USDA geneticist at the Dale Bumpers National Rice Research Center in
Stuttgart, Arkansas.
Zhang and Yan
traveled in 2012 to a China crop research institute where Zhang once worked.
The conspirators then used Yan’s connections to send official U.S. Department
of Agriculture letterhead to invite a delegation from the Chinese institute to
visit Kansas.
Zhang was a rice researcher at Kansas State
University and received a doctorate in rice genetics from Louisiana State
University. He began working for venture capital funded Ventria in 2008, where he was in charge of
biopharmaceutical company’s plant breeding and nursery operations.
Ventria utilizes its patented ExpressTec to genetically program recombinant DNA
proteins from rice for biotechnology and medicines. Its production process can
express “multi-subunit molecules, monoclonal antibodies, fusion proteins, and
enzymes” that are free of contamination from any by-products of animal, human,
or microbial origin.
As one of six
employees with access to Ventria’s climate-controlled seed banks at its
Junction City storage facility, Zhang was able to steal hundreds of modified
rice seeds developed to treat health issues such as antibiotic-associated
diarrhea, hepatic disease, gastrointestinal disease, osteoporosis and
inflammatory bowel syndrome.
Zhang hid the
rice seeds at his family’s home in Manhattan, KS, until passing 79 grams of
seeds to the Chinese delegation before they returned home. Ventria became
suspicious when Zhang asked to leave work when the Chinese delegation arrived.
When later asked by his supervisor his reason for leaving, Zhang reportedly
turned red.
After Border
Control agents discovered the seeds in checked bags, a U.S. Department of
Agriculture expert identified the specialized rice as coming from Ventria
Biosciences. Lab tests subsequently confirmed the genetically-modified seeds
came from Ventria.
What appeared
to be a state-sponsored intellectual property theft scheme was referred to the
FBI, which obtained a search warrant for Zhang’s home. Despite finding seeds in
Zhang’s kitchen freezer and master bedroom, he claimed no knowledge of their
origin.
A jury
convicted Weiqiang Zhang of conspiracy to steal trade secrets, conspiracy to
commit interstate transit of stolen property, and interstate transit of stolen
goods. Zhang was sentenced to 121 months in federal prison, without possibility
of parole.
The U.S. Justice Department announced Wengui Yan pleaded guilty to making
false statements to investigators and agreed to cooperate in the investigation.
Yan received a lighter sentence of up to 20 months in federal prison.
Justice Department’s Criminal Division
Attorney General John P. Cronan issued an April 2018 news release stating that federal prosecutors and
law enforcement partners “will continue to work closely with companies like
Ventria to protect American intellectual property—which is essential to our
economy and way of life—against all threats both foreign and domestic.”
Chriss Street is an expert in macroeconomics,
technology, and national security. He has served as CEO of several companies
and is an active writer with more than 1,500 publications. He also regularly
provides strategy lectures to graduate students at top Southern California
universities.
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