Eminent rice scientist now leads SEA centre for
agriculture
May 15, 2019
A DISTINGUISHED rice scientist
now heads the Philippine government-hosted Southeast Asian Regional Centre for
Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA).
Dr Glenn B Gregorio assumed the
top SEARCA post on May 1, 2019 for a three-year term.
For more than 50 years, SEARCA
has been strengthening capacities of institutions working in agriculture and
rural development in Southeast Asia, including Brunei Darussalam, through
graduate education and institutional development, research and development, and
knowledge management.
Dr Gregorio is also an
Academician at the National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) of the
Philippines and a professor at the Institute of Crop Science of the University
of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) College of Agriculture and Food Science.
He brings with him to SEARCA not
only his expertise in plant genetics and breeding, but also his international
experience in research and administration.
While serving the International
Rice Research Institute (IRRI) for almost 30 years, Dr Gregorio has bred more
than 15 rice varieties, most of which are salt-tolerant varieties that have
greatly helped farmers in Bangladesh, India, Nigeria, and the Philippines.
ABOVE AND BELOW: The new types of
rice released in 2013 include nine salt-tolerant varieties in the Philippines,
three flood-tolerant varieties in South Asia, and six in sub-Saharan Africa;
and Dr Glenn B Gregorio
He also led efforts to develop
micronutrient-dense rice varieties to address anaemia and malnutrition in
Bangladesh, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam.
Prior to joining SEARCA, he was
also the global lead of the East-West Seed Company’s sweet corn and waxy corn
breeding programmes for South and Southeast Asia, the Latin Americas, and
Sub-Saharan Africa.
Dr Gregorio has been the
recipient of numerous awards, including Outstanding Young Scientist Award (OYS
2004) and Outstanding Publication Award given by NAST; The Outstanding Young
Men (TOYM 2004) in the field of Agriculture-Plant Breeding and Genetics; the Ho
Chi Minh Medal Award for great contribution to the cause of agriculture and
rural development in Vietnam; Ten Outstanding Youth Scientists (TOYS 1981) of
the Philippines given by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) of the
Philippines; Honorary Scientist, Rural Development Administration (RDA), Korea;
and other awards for his outstanding research and research management
achievements.
He has authored and co-authored
at least 90 articles published in various scientific journals, chapters on rice
breeding in 14 books, and five scientific manuals and bulletins.
He mentored and supervised 20 PhD
and 27 MS graduate students and more than 40 BS students in plant breeding and
genetics at UPLB and other universities in Asia, Africa, Europe and North
America; and he continues to hone scientists and future scientists as a mentor
and teacher.
Dr Gregorio obtained his PhD in
Genetics, MS in Plant Breeding, and BS in Agriculture at UPLB. –
Text and Photos by Southeast Asian Regional Centre for Graduate Study and
Research in Agriculture (SEARCA)
Golden Rice, Part 1: The story of
a GMO crop that could save 2 billion lives
Adrian Dubock | Genetic
Literacy Project | May 15, 2019
Research was initiated in the early 1990s which led in 2000 to
the publication of the technology behind what came to be known as Golden
Rice. From the outset, the intention was to create a source of
vitamin A in the endosperm of rice, as an additional intervention for vitamin A
deficiency. Philanthropy and the public sector funded the
research. In 2001, the inventors, Professor Ingo Potrykus and Dr. (now
Professor) Peter Beyer, assigned their patents to Syngenta for commercial
exploitation as part of a transaction which obliged the company to assist the
inventors’ humanitarian
and altruistic objectives.
At the same time, the nutritional technology was donated
by its inventors for use in developing countries. The inventors
licensed a network of Asian government-owned rice research institutes to
deliver their objectives. Product development was initiated through the
International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and the network. The whole
network, including IRRI, worked to a common set of goals defined in licences
each institution signed with the inventors. The terms included that there would
be no charge for the nutritional technology and it would only be introduced to
publicly owned rice varieties.
This article is part one of a
four-part series on golden rice based on a book chapter Golden
Rice: To Combat Vitamin A Deficiency for Public Health. Part Two: To
Combat Vitamin A Deficiency for Public Health; Part Three: Are biofortified
crops safe for human consumption?; Part Four: Do biofortified crops make
economic sense?
Improvements were made
to the technology by Syngenta scientists. In 2005 and 2006,
pursuant to Syngenta’s legal obligations entered into with the inventors in
2001, Syngenta provided selected transformation events of the improvements to
the Golden Rice Humanitarian Board. The Humanitarian Board, via Syngenta and
IRRI, made these new versions available to the Golden Rice licensee network. In
2004 Syngenta ceased
its commercial interest in Golden Rice. From 2004 development
was again only funded by philanthropy and the public sector; the national
budgets of Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Philippines and Vietnam; as
well as the US National Institutes of Health together with the Rockefeller and
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundations and USAID. Golden Rice is a not-for-profit
project: no individual, nor organization involved with its development, has any
financial interest in the outcome.
To date the Golden Rice project
has principally engaged plant scientists. Activist opposition to Golden Rice
has been led principally by non-scientists, who have been very successful in
developing a narrative about Golden Rice and GMO crops which serves the
activist’s purpose but is fundamentally
inaccurate. Further background to the development of Golden Rice,
including the political dimensions, is detailed
elsewhere.
A few years ago, at Tufts University,
USA, I gave a presentation about Golden Rice. The symposium was organized by
the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy whose strategic
aims today include ‘Reduce nutrition-related health inequities’
and ‘Promote food systems that increase agricultural sustainability while
improving human health.’ I was dismayed to learn that the anti-GMO and
anti-Golden Rice activists’ narrative was widely accepted by the
participants—all of whom were studying or working in nutrition and well aware
of nutritional inequities in public health.
Without adoption, that is,
regular growth and consumption of Golden Rice by populations in countries where
rice is the staple and VAD is problematic, Golden Rice cannot deliver any
public health and welfare benefits. Adoption requires
cooperative working by different specialists, including
medical, nutritional and public health specialists. This chapter is designed to
answer anticipated questions from such specialists, to facilitate adoption of
Golden Rice as an additional intervention for vitamin A deficiency.
Rice, diet and deficiency
Rice is the most
important staple crop: more than half of the global population eats
it every day. In some countries, 70–80% of
an individual’s calorie intake is from consumption of rice.
For storage without becoming rancid, the husk and the aleurone
layer of rice have to be removed. What remains after polishing–white rice, the
endosperm–contains small amounts of fat and is an excellent source of
carbohydrate for energy but contains no micronutrients. Yet humans require both
macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, fats) and micronutrients (minerals and
vitamins) for a healthy life. Like all plants, rice obtains its minerals from
the soil. Vitamins are synthesized by plants and/or animals, including humans.
Human health is best served by a
‘balanced diet’ that is varied, containing both macronutrients and
micronutrients, including animal products and, as sources of provitamin A,
coloured fruits and vegetables. Micronutrient sources are insufficiently represented
in the diets of many people in countries where rice is the staple. The reasons
often include poverty: such dietary components are
expensive compared to the cost of rice. In countries where rice
is the staple, the average consumption is 75.20 kg/capita/year. Of those
countries where micronutrient deficiencies are common, consumption
increases to 150 kg/capita/year. In such populations
micronutrient deficiencies, like poverty itself, often occur as part of an
intergenerational cycle.
For the past 15 years, 800
million people—more than 10% of the global population—are hungry every day.
These chronically hungry individuals lack
sufficient calories in their daily diet; indeed over the past 3
years, the trend is upward. Even more alarming is that 2 billion people—almost
25% of global population—are micronutrient deficient; they suffer from ‘hidden
hunger,’ with important associated morbidity
and mortality and related economic impact. Figure
1 shows that over the 20-year period 1990–2010, the rate of
reduction of chronic hunger (that is, macronutrient—carbohydrate, proteins and
fats—dietary insufficiency) has been faster than the rate of reduction for
hidden hunger (that is, dietary insufficiency of minerals and vitamins).
Dr. Matin Qaim, member of the Golden Rice Humanitarian Board and
one of the authors of the paper from which Figure
1 is extracted, has commented: ‘In the future the hidden hunger
[e.g. micronutrient deficiency] burden will be larger, [than chronic hunger –
principally carbohydrate deficiency] unless targeted efforts to reduce
micronutrient malnutrition are implemented at larger scale.’
Interventions for micronutrient
deficiencies include supplementation (with pills, syrups or capsules
containing micronutrients) and fortification (adding
micronutrients to processed food). Both interventions require some level of
manufacturing and/or distribution infrastructure.
With the creation
of Golden Rice in 1999—the first purposefully created
biofortified crop—a new term was required: ‘biofortification.’ The word was first
used in 2002 and first
definedin 2004: “biofortification” is a word coined to refer to
increasing the bioavailable micronutrient content of food crops through genetic
selection via plant breeding.’ In 2003 ‘Harvest Plus’ a not-for-profit
public-sector programme started to biofortify staple crops by conventional
plant breeding, to benefit the poor, and progress with biofortification through
conventional plant breeding was rewarded by the World
Food Prize in 2016.
The intention of biofortification
is to deliver public health benefits to populations which are micronutrient
deficient, through consumption of the staple crop including the extra nutrition
within the edible part of the crop. In this way minimal cultural change is
required to food—production, processing or consumption—systems. For the most
marginal members of the population, this biofortification approach overcomes
the inherent access, cost and non-sustainability difficulties of
supplementation and fortification. In 2017 the World Bank recommended that
biofortified staple crops should be the norm rather than the exception:
‘conventionally’ bred biofortified crops and also genetically engineered
crops—gmo crops—were both
recommended with Golden Rice specifically mentioned.
For Golden Rice to deliver
benefits, it has to be grown and consumed within target countries where VAD
remains problematic despite significant progress with other interventions,
notably vitamin A capsules, which have undoubtedly saved millions of lives and
will save more, since they were introduced (accompanied
by controversy) in the 1990s. And success or failure with Golden
Rice will directly affect future adoption also of high zinc, high iron and high
folate rice and their impact on public health for hundreds of millions of
people. All these traits, introduced to the endosperm of rice, necessitated
using GMO techniques, and all cost no more than white rice to
the grower or consumer. Eventually, as the end point of product development, it
is planned to include all these nutritional traits together in
multi-micronutrient-Golden Rice.
Adoption of Golden Rice requires public health professionals as
well as agricultural and other professionals, to work together in each country.
Any skepticism created by the past 18 years of negative activist influence will
prevent success, if not positively addressed by all involved. For billions of
people, the stakes could not be higher.
Adrian
Dubock holds a PhD from Reading University in reproductive
physiology and ecology. He is the executive secretary of the Golden Rice Humanitarian Board
The GLP featured this article
to reflect the diversity of news, opinion and analysis. The viewpoint is the
author’s own. The GLP’s goal is to stimulate constructive discourse on
challenging science issues.
As
per WaterAid’s report , seven percent of the rural po"/>
ABDUL LATIF, POORVI GAUR, RISHABH JAIN, TAMANNA RAFIQUE |
15 MAY, 2019
Traveling across the barren lands of rural Rajasthan, India, and
Sindh, Pakistan
As per WaterAid’s
report , seven percent of the rural population living in India
have no access to clean water. A report by Pakistan
Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) reveals that 44 percent of the
total population in Pakistan is living without access to clean
drinking water. In rural areas, 90 percent of the total population lacks such
access.
Traveling across the barren lands of rural Rajasthan, India, and Sindh, Pakistan further, reveals the grim crisis at hand.
Traveling across the barren lands of rural Rajasthan, India, and Sindh, Pakistan further, reveals the grim crisis at hand.
(Left: Fish-Nurseries are dry; no water is available in the
coastal areas of Badin District, Pakistan for the fish farms, Right: The
semi-arid climate of places such as Omri village, Rajasthan with poor rainfall
makes it necessary for the villagers to conserve water.)
Badin district of Sindh province, Pakistan has a population of over 1.8 million and the Karauli district of Rajasthan has a population of 82,960. People in both these areas depend mostly on groundwater for the cultivation of crops - mainly rice.
The rural population of both India and Pakistan is highly vulnerable to the extreme effects of weather and climate change.
Badin district of Sindh province, Pakistan has a population of over 1.8 million and the Karauli district of Rajasthan has a population of 82,960. People in both these areas depend mostly on groundwater for the cultivation of crops - mainly rice.
The rural population of both India and Pakistan is highly vulnerable to the extreme effects of weather and climate change.
(Sanjha Gir in Omri village, Rajasthan is a community-owned
traditional harvested rainwater storage wetland used for effectively harnessing
water resources. The water collected in the Johad is a result of only one day
of rain. This water is used for irrigating the field, drinking water by
animals, and other domestic purposes. During the dry season, when the water in
these Johad starts decreasing, the Johad itself becomes a place for cultivating
crops.)
(The few man-made ponds of Talib Khaskeli in Badin, Pakistan are
used to store water. Similar to the case of Rajasthan, India even this water is
used for cattle husbandry and other household activities.)
(Left: Young children with their mothers wash their clothes near
water storage. The very fact that the villagers are satisfied with the unclean
water to carry out household activities shows how limited they are in terms of
water availability in Badin, Pakistan. Right: A young kid carries water from a
nearby hand pump to carry out household chores in Masalpur, Rajasthan).
(Women belonging to Masalpur, Rajasthan have to travel long
distances to fetch water from nearby hand pump. Due to the initiative of
organizations like Tarun Bharat Sangh, the water available in this area has
finally become fit for drinking. The villagers are still waiting for the
government to take initiative towards the problem of water).
( Villagers across Indo-Pak are still dependent on matkas to get
their water from far away ponds and wells. Location-Hallipura,Rajasthan and
Badin,Sindh)
(Chaman Singh in a Jal-Sanrakshan meet in Masalpur,Rajasthan)
(Chaman Singh from Tarun Bharat Sangh stands beside the newly
built pokhar(man-made pond) Location-Omri,Rajasthan)
(Naseema Bibi, 64, resident of Imamwah, Badin, fills her gallon
of water from government supplied water in Shahnawaz Chowk, Badin, Pakistan).
(Left: A young kid quenches his thirst from the government
supplied water in Kachi Mola, Badin, Pakistan Right: Tarun Bharat Sangh’s
initiative of building cemented water tanks has proved to be of great use for
the villagers in Halli Pura, Rajasthan, India).
(Jagan Baai, 67, belonging to Masalpur, Rajasthan has to wait
for hours to fill her pots as the flow of the water is very less. “We have no
other option but to travel long distances to fetch water,” she says)
The problem of water scarcity looms large in rural areas of both India and Pakistan. Owing to the lack of government initiatives to address the problem, locals from various villages have had to take matters into their own hands and come up with innovative ways of conserving water.
This shows how even at the most local level, the residents are overcoming the problem of climate change and its impact on water resources.
The problem of water scarcity looms large in rural areas of both India and Pakistan. Owing to the lack of government initiatives to address the problem, locals from various villages have had to take matters into their own hands and come up with innovative ways of conserving water.
This shows how even at the most local level, the residents are overcoming the problem of climate change and its impact on water resources.
N.K.'s Food Situation Remains Serious Despite Reports On Rice
Prices
SEOUL, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - APP - 15th May, 2019 ) :South Korea believes
that food shortages
in North Korea remain
serious and the country needs outside assistance, despite media reports
that rice prices are
dropping there, the unification ministry said Wednesday.
Some media reports
have claimed that rice prices in North Korean markets have
been on the decline recently, suggesting that the country might not face as
serious food shortages as worried by U.N. food agencies.
"We recognize the assessment compiled by the World Food
Programme (WFP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization
(FAO) as official and objective indicators," Unification ministry
spokesperson Lee Sang-min told reporters during a regular press briefing.
"Given the nature of the North Korean regime, it is thought
that there are many limits to estimating the food situation there with (market) indicators
other than official prices or those provided by official organizations,"
he added.
"Our stance remains unchanged that it is necessary to provide
food from a
humanitarian and compatriots' perspective." Earlier this month, the WFP
and the FAO reported, based on a visit to North Korea, that
the country's crop output last year hit the lowest level since 2008, adding
that an estimated 10 million people,
or about 40 percent of its population, are in urgent need of food.
WFP Executive Director David Beasley
expressed grave concerns over North Korea's food
situation and urged more donations to help it during his trip to Seoul earlier
this week.
South Korea is drawing up plans to provide food possibly including
rice to North Korea in
the hope of helping alleviate the situation there and to help keep the stalled
negotiating process alive, despite the North's recent projectile launches.
No US visa
sanctions on Pakistan: FM
Qureshi says curbs due to immigrants
row put on only three officials Pakistan to watch its own interest in US-Iran
conflict
SHAFQAT ALI
ISLAMABAD
- Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi Tuesday said the United States had
imposed no visa sanctions on Pakistanis.
He,
however, added the US had banned visas for three high-level Pakistani
officials, including the joint secretary of the foreign ministry.
“The ban
was imposed for not taking back Pakistani immigrants who are illegally residing
in US,” he told the National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs committee.
The
meeting was held in Parliament House with Malik Mohammed Ehsan Ullah Tiwana in
the chair. The meeting was attended by Muhammad Ameer Sultan, Syed Fakhar Imam,
Makhdoom Zain Hussain Qureshi, Munaza Hassan, Fazal Muhammad Khan, Maleeka Ali
Bukhari, Dr Ramesh Kumar Vankwani, Ali Zahid, Mehnaz Akbar Aziz, Zahra Wadood
Fatemi, and officials of the Foreign Affairs ministry.
On the
US deporting Pakistanis, the foreign minister said that 70 illegal immigrants
will be returning to Pakistan. “The United States has arranged a special
chartered plane to send these immigrants back to Islamabad from Texas. The
individuals were detained and prosecuted for immigration violations, criminal
conduct and other serious charges,” he added.
Earlier,
Foreign Office had termed misleading the reports about a US Federal Registry
notification on introduction of new rules on consular matters.
The
Foreign Office said there were ongoing discussions between Pakistan and the
United States on consular matters including repatriation issues.
The
statement said: “We understand that the US government would continue the normal
consular operations at their Embassy in Islamabad and the ongoing discussions
would not affect issuance of visas to routine Pakistani applicants.”
Last
month, the US had imposed sanctions on Pakistan as Islamabad has refused to
take back its citizen deportees and visa over-stayers.
“Consular
operations in Pakistan remain unchanged. This is a bilateral issue of ongoing
discussion between the US and Pakistani governments and we are not going to get
into the specifics at the time,” a State Department spokesperson said.
According
to the State Department's federal register notification, dated April 22, “for
some countries sanctions begin by targeting officials who work in the
ministries responsible for accepting the return of that country's nationals
with escalation scenarios that target family members of those officials and
potentially officials of other ministries and then other categories of
applicants if initial sanctions do not prove effective at encouraging greater
cooperation on removals by the targeted government.”
Section
243 of the Immigration and Nationality Act provides for discontinuance of visa
issuance as a penalty for those countries that refuse or ‘unreasonably delay’
accepting the return of their deported nationals. The US has already introduced
visa restrictions on Ghana, Guyana, the Gambia, Cambodia, Eritrea, Guinea,
Sierra Leone, Myanmar and Laos.
During
the NA foreign affairs committee meeting, Qureshi briefed the committee members
on multiple issues. Speaking about peace talks between Afghanistan and the US,
he said that Pakistan played an important role in the peace talks.
He added
that whenever there was no breakthrough in the peace talks between US and
Afghanistan, Pakistan is made the scapegoat.
The FM
said that he had called an all embassies meeting on June 27. The meeting will
discuss the promotion of economic diplomacy.
Qureshi
claimed India had been selling Pakistani basmati rice in the international
market. To control this illegal activity, he suggested imposing a ban on
sending Pakistani basmati rice to Qatar.
The FM
told the Committee that he will pay two-day visit to Kuwait on May 18 and will
have meetings with the Kuwaiti leadership. The minister said he will also take
a letter from Prime Minister Imran Khan to the Emir of Kuwait on visa issue.
He said
enhancement of bilateral trade will be discussed in the meetings. He said the
Emir of Qatar was also expected to visit Pakistan in near future.
Later,
speaking to journalists, the Foreign Minister expressed concern over tension
between Iran and the United States, saying it would impact the region. He said
Pakistan is closely observing the situation and will formulate a strategy
keeping in view the national interest.
The FM
said Pakistan wanted to make progress on multi-billion dollar Iran-Pakistan Gas
Pipeline project but there was third party hurdle in the form of sanctions
against Iran. “We are discussing this issue with Iran,” he added.
The
Foreign Minister said Pakistan and China were reviewing the matter of human
smuggling and an effective policy will be framed in this regard. He said some
forces wanted to affect Pakistan-China relations.
The
Committee directed that Foreign Affairs ministry may timely clear the
misconceptions to avoid embarrassment among the public so that people could
know about the ground realities of international issues.
The
Committee directed that Foreign Affairs ministry may develop proper liaison
with ministry of Commerce to enhance Pakistani exports as it had been observed
that Pakistani Basmati Rice was being sold on Indian tag in international
markets.
The
Committee further directed that Pakistani Ambassadors may also evaluate the
performance of commercial attachés in collaboration with ministry of Commerce
to achieve the targets set by the government.
The
Committee directed that Foreign Affairs ministry may take stringent measures
for early release of 2107 Pakistani prisoners detained in Saudi Jails as
promised by Saudi Crown Prince and provide them full assistance to remove
procedural complications.
Review: Ishtar does it the ‘the
Iraqi way’ in Sterling Heights
click
to enlarge
to enlarge
Chicken tikka.
Ishtar
3625 15 Mile Rd., Sterling Heights
586-698-2585
ishtar-restaurant.com
Handicap accessible
11 a.m. to midnight daily
Appetizers and salads $6-16, entrées $12-$27
586-698-2585
ishtar-restaurant.com
Handicap accessible
11 a.m. to midnight daily
Appetizers and salads $6-16, entrées $12-$27
In Detroit,
Middle Eastern food is often equated with Lebanese or "Mediterranean"
fare. But the region's cuisine is not a monolithic block. Think of the type of
food you might find in Arizona compared with what's in Maine. It's all
"American," but there are no lobsters in the desert.
In fact, it's
not difficult to find the nuances of Middle Eastern cuisine in Detroit. There's
excellent Aleppian food at Dearborn's Al-Chabab, Yemeni restaurants throughout
Hamtramck and Southwest Detroit, Egyptian dishes in Hamtramck and and at Troy's
LoLo Potluck, Persian food at Rumi, Syrian fare at Exotic Syrian Deli in Ann
Arbor, and much more.
There's also
Sterling Heights' Ishtar, which is billed as a Mediterranean restaurant, but is
really Iraqi. It's one of the few in Detroit representing that nation (the
awesome Sullaf on Seven Mile is another), which is a little surprising given
the area's relatively large Chaldean population.
One of the
first things one notices in Ishtar — aside from the incredible turquoise,
bronze, and gold murals and reproductions of ancient artwork on the walls
— are the gargantuan shawarma spits twirling in one part of its kitchen.
Ishtar claims its shawarma is "famous," and if the volume it's
shaving requires spits of this magnitude, then it's doing something right. But
chicken and lamb shawarma also makes its way into a lot of the restaurant's
dishes.
For example,
the shawarma tashreeb is a humongous bowl lined with tanour bread that holds
acidic tomato sauce and vegetables under a thick blanket of moist and flavorful
lamb shawarma shavings, served aside a bowl of basmati rice. The word
"tashreeb" translates into "to soak," and it's not hard to
see why the dish is named such as it approaches stew territory. Sham quzi is a
nearly bowling ball-sized package of soft, slightly chewy dough encasing shreds
of chicken and lamb shawarma, basmati rice, raisins, carrots, onions, and peas.
The package also holds heavy whiffs of cardamom and cinnamon, and could be
thought of as an Iraqi calzone — it's a fine comfort food for this year's
endless cold and damp weather.
One can also
take the chicken shawarma straight up on the chicken shawarma plate, which
arrives with big, moist, wood chip-sized shavings and a bit of rice. Like most
dishes at Ishtar, the portion is big enough for two. Quzi is considered a
national dish, and Ishtar's version is a jumble of lamb bones, cooked "the
Iraqi way," which I take to mean "slow-cooked," given how the
tender meat falls from the bone.
Arguably the
most incredible bites of my visits belong to the Iraqi chicken tikka, also done
"the Iraqi way." It's a cousin to shish tawook, but there are some
variations. Ishtar serves big pieces of moist bird that are slightly charred
from a stay on the grill. Each piece is marinated in lemon and garlic and
slightly orange from a coating of what I suspect is turmeric and other spices.
The generous portion arrives on a platter with slightly charred, sumac-dusted
white onion, sprigs of fresh basil, grilled jalapeño, grilled and charred
tomatoes, and other veggies. The only slight disappointment was the shawarma
pizza. It wasn't particularly bad, but could've used more toppings and better
cheese.
Ishtar's tanour
bread is a foundation of many of its plates. The flatbread is common in Iraq
and Syria, and is prepared in a clay, vertical tanour oven. It's slightly thick
for a "flatbread," but still perfect for dipping, wrapping, and
grabbing.
Ishtar's sides
are standard, though the "cabbage salad" is actually coleslaw like
you'll find at Denny's. However, the restaurant prepares a solid Iraqi salad,
fattoush, and other familiar plates. Each entree comes with a bowl of soup, and
there are few lemon chicken rice recipes in metro Detroit that can stand next
to Ishtar's. The sour, yellow soup is thick and super flavorful.
Ishtar doesn't
serve alcohol, but the beverage menu offers a large selection of fresh
smoothies. If your party is celebrating a birthday, then you'll want to inform
the waitstaff, as the Iraqi EDM birthday song that Ishtar cranks and the fireworks
coming out of the dessert are a wonderful birthday surprise.
So many
restaurants, so little time. Sign up for our weekly food
newsletter delivered every Friday morning for the latest Detroit dining news.
BASF Launches Fungicide for Rice
in Thailand
BASF
has launched Seltima, an innovative fungicide that supports the efficient
production of high-quality rice, for farmers in Thailand. The special
encapsulation technology contained in Seltima ensures a controlled release of
its powerful active ingredient directly on the plant leaf surface. This allows
farmers to benefit from strong, long-lasting control of rice blast disease and
improved plant health, while preserving the health of the aquatic environment.
Petrus Ng (left), Managing
Director, BASF Group Thailand, Martin Wolf (center), ASEAN Business Director,
BASF Agricultural Solutions, and Jerico Gascon (right), Thailand Country
Manager, BASF Agricultural Solutions – celebrate the launch of Seltima
fungicide for rice for growers in Thailand.
Seltima
is part of BASF’s AgCelence brand, a portfolio of premium products that
delivers benefits that go above and beyond crop protection. In the case of
Seltima, these benefits include improved crop appearance, increased plant
vitality and stress tolerance, and enhanced nitrogen efficiency. This
translates into higher marketable yield and grain quality for farmers who use
Seltima. More than 200 key business partners and farmers attended today’s
launching ceremony. “We know that farmers have the biggest job on earth – to
grow more safe, healthy, nutritious food to meet the needs of the world’s
growing population,” said Petrus Ng, BASF Managing Director of Thailand,
Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar. “BASF is committed to helping farmers in
Thailand and across Asia Pacific. Solutions like Seltima offer farmers better
outcomes for their crop, which ultimately helps to improve their quality of
life. Today, farmers in Thailand join growers in China, India, Indonesia and
Vietnam, who are benefitting from this innovative technology.” BASF aims to
provide innovations that can help boost Thai farmers’ income. Seltima fungicide
is the company’s latest addition to its growing portfolio of solutions for Thai
rice growers – which already includes Tetris herbicide for weed grasses, Basta
herbicide for control of weedy rice, and LeSAK 3G Insecticide – for stemborer,
thrips and leaf folder.
Author
Name: https://www.agribusinessglobal.com/agrichemicals/basf-launches-fungicide-for-rice-in-thailand/
Dat
Bangladesh
import duty hike hits an already tottering Bengal rice market
Last year, Bangladesh imposed a 28 per cent
import duty on rice from India, against two per cent earlier
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The rice economy of West Bengal, already stifled by lack of demand,
is now facing further threat from loss of import market in Bangladesh.
Last year, Bangladesh imposed a 28 per cent import duty on rice
from India, against two per cent earlier. This led to massive fall of
non-basmati rice exports from India to Bangladesh, by about Rs 3,278 crore in
value. Data from APEDA (Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export
Development Authority) shows that non-basmati exports from India to Bangladesh
fell from about 1.7 million tonnes worth Rs 4,463 crore, in April-February
2017-18 to 420,000 tonnes (Rs 1,186 crore) in the same period this financial
year.
Rice mills in West Bengal are already suffering heavy losses due to
the drastic fall in exports to Bangladesh, which was one of the major markets
for the state.
West Bengal produces 15 million tonnes of non-basmati rice
(parboiled rice) every year.
Of this, the state government procures about 3.5 million tonnes
through the levy mechanism. Earlier, West Bengal used to export about three to
four million tonnes of rice to Bangladesh every year.
According to Sushil Kumar Choudhury President, Bengal Rice Mills
Association, about 90 per cent of rice mills in West Bengal are not
economically viable. The association has also made a written plea to the
government, seeking reduction of import duty imposed by Bangladesh.
“Rice millers are bearing a loss of about Rs 220 a quintal for
milling paddy procured through government levy mechanism, as the cost of
milling and transportation exceeds the money paid by the government. Further,
the export market has been wiped out due to massive import duty hike by
Bangladesh,” Choudhury said.
More than 100 rice mills have shut down in the last few years, he
said.
West Bengal mainly produces parboiled rice, but its consumption has
declined substantially over the years, as rising incomes have led a demand
shift towards better quality rice.
In the rural areas, the key market for parboiled rice, demand from
open market has shrunk because of wide availability of rice at Rs 2 per kg
under government subsidy schemes.
Data from the NSSO survey on household consumption suggests between
2004-05 and 2011-12, the monthly per capita consumption of rice in urban areas
shrank from 6.77 kg to 6.24 kg.
Non Basmati Rice export from India to Bangladesh
- Amount (MT) Value (Rs cr)
2018-19 (April-February) 421986.84 1185.19
2017-18 (April-February) 17,01,709.28 4,463.08
Source: APEDA
First Published: Wed, May 15 2019. 17:16 IST
Rice
blast fungus study sheds new light on virulence mechanisms of plant pathogenic
fungi
Date:
May 14, 2019
Source:
American Phytopathological
Society
Summary:
Researchers examined the fungal
cell biology of rice blast fungus pathogenesis and recently published the first
systematic and comprehensive report on the molecular mechanism of the
actin-binding protein (MoAbp1) that plays a crucial role in the pathogenicity
of the fungus.
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FULL
STORY
Rice
blast fungus (Magnaporthe oryzae) is a global food security threat due
to its destruction of cultivated rice, the most widely consumed staple food in
the world. Disease containment efforts using traditional breeding or chemical
approaches have been unsuccessful as the fungus can rapidly adapt and mutate to
develop resistance. Because of this, it is necessary to understand fungal
infection-related development to formulate new, effective methods of blast
control.
A
group of scientists at Nanjing Agricultural University and Louisiana State
University Health Sciences Center examined the fungal cell biology of rice
blast fungus pathogenesis and recently published the first systematic and
comprehensive report on the molecular mechanism of the actin-binding protein
(MoAbp1) that plays a crucial role in the pathogenicity of the fungus.
Through
ongoing research, these scientists found that rice blast fungus forms a
specialized infection structure that applies mechanical force to rupture the
rice leaf cuticle. Once inside the host, the infection proliferates by living
off the plant's nutrients. These two processes are enabled by the actin-binding
protein (MoABp1) that links an actin-regulating kinase (MoArk1) and a
cyclase-associated protein (MoCap1) to an actin protein (MoAct1). These
processes are necessary for the growth and perseverance of the fungus.
On
a large scale, these findings shed a new light on the eukaryotic cell biology
and virulence mechanisms of plant pathogenic fungi. On a smaller scale, these
findings could reveal novel approaches or targets for anti-blast fungus
management.
Story
Source:
Materials provided by American Phytopathological Society. Note:
Content may be edited for style and length.
Journal
Reference:
1.
Lianwei Li, Shengpei Zhang, Xinyu
Liu, Rui Yu, Xinrui Li, Muxing Liu, Haifeng Zhang, Xiaobo Zheng, Ping Wang,
Zhengguang Zhang. Magnaporthe oryzae Abp1, a MoArk1 Kinase-Interacting
Actin Binding Protein, Links Actin Cytoskeleton Regulation to Growth, Endocytosis,
and Pathogenesis. Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions, 2019;
32 (4): 437 DOI: 10.1094/MPMI-10-18-0281-R
Cite
This Page:
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MLA
·
APA
·
Chicago
American
Phytopathological Society. "Rice blast fungus study sheds new light on
virulence mechanisms of plant pathogenic fungi." ScienceDaily.
ScienceDaily, 14 May 2019.
<www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/05/190514162210.htm>.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/05/190514162210.htm05/15/2019, 09.52
KOREA
Seoul in aid of food-starved
North
The South Korean government takes
up UN agencies appeal The Unification Ministry: "Food aid is an
obligation, both from a humanitarian perspective and as a compatriot".
Last year, North Korean agricultural production reached its lowest level since
2008. 40% of the population is in urgent need of food.
Seoul (AsiaNews / Agencies) -
South Korea believes that food shortages in
North Korea are serious and that Pyongyang
needs external assistance, despite media reports that rice prices are falling,
says Lee Sang-min, spokesman for the Unification Ministry in Seoul.
Some media reports say that in
recent times the cost of cereal in North Korean markets is dropping, suggesting
that the country could avoid the food crisis feared by United Nations (UN) agencies.
But Seoul denies the rumors. "We recognize the assessment made by the
World Food Program (WFP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) as
official indicators and targets," says Lee Sang-min.
""Given the nature of
the North Korean regime, it is thought that there are many limits to estimating
the food situation there with (market) indicators other than official prices or
those provided by official organizations," he added. "Our stance
remains unchanged that it is necessary to provide food from a humanitarian and
compatriots’ perspective”.
Based on a visit to North Korea
earlier this month, the WFP and FAO reported that last year's agricultural
production in the country reached its lowest level since 2008, adding that
around 10 million people , accounting for around 40% of the population, are in
urgent need of food. Earlier this week, WFP executive director David Beasley
expressed serious concerns about North Korea's food situation and urged Seoul
to make additional donations.
Rice Prices in N.Korea Plummet Despite Food Shortage
Claims
· By
Kim Myong-song
May 15, 2019 09:43
Food prices have been on the decline in North
Korea for nearly six months, despite claims of an alarming food shortage there.
Rice prices have dropped about 1,000 North
Korean won per kg in big cities like Pyongyang over the past six months. There
is speculation that either the food shortage is not as severe as the North
claims or the regime is controlling prices to quell potential unrest.
In Pyongyang, rice prices have been dropping
since last November, when a kilogram cost 5,000 won, ending up at 4,000 won as
of April 30, according to the Daily NK. Overall rice prices fell around 1,000
won throughout the North.
On Tuesday Bareun Future Party lawmaker Lee
Hye-hoon said the food situation in the North "doesn't seem that serious
and is not in an urgent need for humanitarian aid for starving people."
But a source said the regime is releasing
military stockpiles into markets, though food supply has also increased thanks
to recent arrivals of aid from China and Russia.
Ordinary people can buy food in the market with
their own money, but the regime is "short of food for rations for the
elite and military," another source said.
North Korean farmers plant seeds at a
collective farm in South Pyongan Province in this grab from [North] Korean
Central Television on Saturday.
Earlier, the World Food Programme forecast a
grain shortage of 1.36 million tons in the North this year, while estimating
last year's total grain production at 4.9 million tons, a record low since
2009.
But pundits speculate that the actual shortage
might not be serious thanks to food reserves and imports from overseas. A
researcher at a government-funded think tank here said, "In the past, bad
crops resulted directly in a food shortage, but now people better prepared
because markets are thriving."
There is also speculation that rice prices have
dropped because people have turned to other, less expensive grains.
Yet the South Korean government is adamant that
it wants to send food aid to the North as quickly as possible. A Unification
Ministry spokesman on Tuesday said Seoul could send food aid to the North
between May and September, when the need is greatest. "The WFP's report
points out that an opportune time for food aid to the North is the
May-September period before the next harvest arrives," he said.
In an apparent bid for support, Unification
Minister Kim Yeon-chul met with representatives from seven religious groups
that play a leading role in delivering humanitarian assistance to the North.
Some American experts have called for thorough
on-the-spot inspections of food delivery so they are not diverted to military,
as happened often in the past. Roberta Cohen, a former U.S. State Department
official, on Sunday said that foreign aid should not subsidize the regime's
irresponsibility.
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Iraq buys 60,000 T rice from United States
and Uruguay- trade
The board gave no further details.
Traders said separately some 30,000 tonnes of
rice was purchased from the United States at around $655 a tonne c&f free
out.
About 30,000 tonnes from Uruguay was purchased
at an unknown price. Unconfirmed trade talk was the Uruguay rice was purchased
at $568.75 a tonne c&f free out.
Rice from Thailand had been offered at the
lowest price in the tender of $499.50 a tonne c&f free out. Iraq does not
always accept the lowest offers in its tenders.
Iraq in June banned farmers from planting rice
and other water-intensive crops because of drought and shrinking river flows,
increasing its import requirement.
In its last reported rice tender on May 11,
Iraq purchased around 60,000 tonnes to be sourced from Argentina and
Paraguay.
Iraq on Thursday also purchased a total 300,000
tonnes of wheat from the United States in directly negotiated deals without
international tenders being issued.
(Reporting by Maha El Dahan and Michael Hogan, additional reporting by Moayad
Kenany in Baghdad, editing by David Evans) ((michael.j.hogan@thomsonreuters.com;
+49 40 419 03 4275; Reuters Messaging:
michael.hogan.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))
