Tuesday, January 28, 2020

28th January,2020 Daily Global Regional Local Rice E-Newsletter


Basmati growers to be registered on portal
Will get advisory on fertiliser, pesticide use; exports to get boost Description: Basmati growers to be registered on portal Karnal, January 27 Concerned over complaints from the European Union and other countries, the Agriculture Department will register all basmati growers in the state on the Centre’s portal basmati.net with the help of Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) to maintain the quality of basmati.
 As per the authorities, this step will boost basmati exports by incorporating quality traceability in production and supply. At present, India exports rice worth Rs 53,990 crore, including basmati valued at Rs 32,804 crore. This information was disclosed by Vinita, DGM, APEDA, at a workshop on “online registration of farmers in basmati.net system for organising the supply chain of export of basmati rice”. The department would upload information, including names of farmers, mobile numbers, land records and details of quality and quantity of fertilisers and pesticides used. The farmers would get advisory about fertilisers and pesticides from APEDA, she said.

Thai rice rates soar on drought, demand shifts to India
Export prices for rice from Thailand jumped to their highest in more than two-and-a-half years as a drought threatened to sap supply, in turn boosting demand for a relatively cheaper variety from top exporter India. Prices of second largest exporter Thailand's benchmark 5% broken rice rose to their highest since June 2017 at $440-$460 per tonne, from $435-$445 the week before, with traders attributing the jump to concerns that the ongoing drought will squeeze supply. “The market is worried about the shortening of supply, so some mills are refusing to sell, pushing the price higher," a Bangkok-based trader said. A strong baht, which is trading close to an over six-year peak, is also another factor keeping Thai prices high despite the lack of fresh demand. “Things have been very quiet, there were some small deals with markets like Iraq but so far nothing big enough to impact price," a Bangkok-based trader said. The high Thai prices prompted some buyers to opt for rice from India, pushing rates for the Indian variety to their highest in nearly three months. India's 5% broken parboiled variety rose to around $366-$371 per tonne from last week's $364-$368, the highest since Oct. 31, further supported by higher demand from African countries. “Demand has been improving slowly. Since Thai prices are moving up quickly, some demand is getting diverted to India," said an exporter based at Kakinada in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh. In neighbouring Bangladesh, domestic rice prices have risen this week despite good crops and sufficient stocks, which consumers blamed on poor market monitoring. A senior commerce ministry official denied these claims, and said legal action will be taken if any traders try to stockpile rice to make windfall profits. Vietnam's markets, meanwhile, are closed from Jan. 23-29 for the Lunar New Year holiday.




Myanmar earns US$280 M from rice and broken rice export
Description: Rice bags are being uploaded to trucks in Wadan wharf (Photo-Zeya Nyein)
Rice bags are being uploaded to trucks in Wadan wharf (Photo-Zeya Nyein)
PUBLISHED 27 JANUARY 2020

ZEYA NYEIN
Myanmar earned over US$280 million from over 980,000 tons of rice and broken rice export from October 1 to January 10 this fiscal year, according to the Myanmar Rice Federation (MRF).
It earned over US$200 million from over 684,000 tons of rice export to 55 countries and over US$78 million from over 302,000 tons of broken rice export to 46 countries in this period.
Myanmar is exporting rice and broken rice to the EU market and African market via maritime trade routes and China through Muse border trade.
It earned over US$37 million from over 144,000 tons of rice and broken rice export from border trade route and it is over 14 per cent of total rice and broken rice export. It earned over US$245 million from over 842,000 tons of rice and broken rice export from maritime trade and it is over 85 per cent of total rice and broken rice export.
The MRF announced that Myanmar earned over US$709 million from over two million tons of rice and broken rice export in 2018-19 FY.
Myanmar exported about 3.6 million tons of rice and broken rice in 2017-18 FY and it broke the record in over 50-year history.
It is dealing with the issues caused by the low market price this year. It said that farmers are facing difficulties not having enough silos, paddy drying system and vehicles to carry rice, announced the MRF on May 18.
A total of 11 companies were officially exported rice to China previously and now more than 40 companies are chosen to export rice to China. If the companies’ list is sent to China, the rice export will resume, replied Aung Htoo, Deputy Minister for Commerce to farmers from Danubyu on June 28.
State and regional governments will supervise the buying of paddy in accord with a law to protect the rights of farmers and promote their interests and the state and regional governments need to submit about the union government.
The government is planning to buy paddy from Bago, Ayeyawady and Yangon regions using state fund and it planned Ks8 billion for Bago Region and Ks5 billion for Ayeyawady Region, said Aung Htoo in early November.
If the market price for paddy lowers more than the base price, the government planned Ks15 billion to buy out the paddies, said the deputy minister.

Rice prices on the rise in Dhaka
·       Published at 11:27 pm November 18th, 2019
Description: web-rice-paddy
Varieties of rice Mehedi Hasan/Dhaka Tribune

Rice traders claimed that the prices went up as mill owners hiked the prices at mill gates
Prices of some varieties of rice have suddenly increased by around Tk3-8 a kilogram in Dhaka’s kitchen markets over the week. 
Rice traders claimed that the prices went up as mill owners hiked the prices at mill gates.
Visiting several kitchen markets in the capital including Rampura, Malibagh and Panthapath, coarse variety of Sawrna rice was found selling at Tk38-40 a kg while BR-28 at Tk42-45 which was Tk38 earlier.
Moreover, Miniket rice variety sold at Tk50 a kg, compared to its previous price of Tk40-45, Jirasail at Tk45 compared to Tk40 and Kalijira rice at Tk105 compared to Tk90-100.
Masud Rana, a local trader in Malibagh kitchen market, said: “I don’t know exactly what is causing the price hike but there is no supply shortage. Millers and wholesalers have increased the price. So we have increased it as well.”
Ahmed Sultan, a consumer from Panthapath area, said the kitchen market was already unstable due to the giddy high pieces of onion. "Since there is no effective market monitoring system in place, traders and millers are taking advantage of the situation and increasing rice prices also," he alleged.
However, Md Farhad Hussen, general secretary of Noagoan district rice mill owners' association, denied  such allegation. 
He said: “It is not the mill owners but the middlemen who are increasing the prices. Today, I sold Gguti Swarna rice at Tk27 a kg as wholesale price. The price increased by at least Tk3 a kg at all mills. Then it is not fair to retail this rice variety at Tk38-40.”
“We don’t have supply shortage. But the prices of Miniket and Swarna verities were lower before the government had fixed the prices and we adjusted accordingly.” he said.
The government has taken three initiatives to balance the rice market. The initiatives are imposing 55% duty on rice import, setting 2 lakh tons export limit and procuring 6 lakh of tons paddy at Tk26 a kg from farmers and 4 lakh tons of Sawarna rice at Tk35-36 a kg from millers, Farhad added.
However, he also hinted that the prices of rice might increase more since the government fixed the highest price this time.
KM Layek Ali, secretary general of Bangladesh Auto Major and Husking Mill Owners' Association, said: "Only the price of Miniket rice, which is derived from Jirashail paddy, has increased. Millers increased the price by Tk1.5-2 a kg. Now the price stood at Tk42-45 a kg. But why is it selling at more than Tk50 at retail market? The matter should be investigated."
He said a maund of paddy now cost Tk1020-1040 which was Tk700-800 earlier. The government fixed the price of thick grain paddy at Tk26 a kg. 
However, both Layek Ali and Farhad Hussein said they could not buy paddy from farmer directly. They have to buy through middlemen.

India’s rice exports fall sharply as sanctions delay payments from Iran


Description: https://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/rice-export.jpgReluctance among Indian traders to ship premium basmati rice to Iran as U.S. sanctions hobble its ability to pay has contributed to a sharp drop in overall exports from the world’s biggest supplier of the grain, trade and government sources said.
Rice shipments from India slipped by more than a quarter to 5.5 million tonnes between April and November 2019 — the first eight months of the fiscal year — from 7.5 million tonnes in the year-ago period, the sources said. In terms of value, exports dropped 19% to $3.8 billion from $4.7 billion.
The grain is India’s biggest foreign exchange earning farm commodity, with shipments worth $7.75 billion in the 2018/19 fiscal year.
Basmati rice exports to Iran, New Delhi’s top buyer of the aromatic grain, dropped to 600,000 tonnes in the eight months from 900,000 tonnes a year earlier, but traders, worried about delayed payments, have not signed any new contracts with Tehran in the past five days, the sources said.
Shipments are not expected to significantly pick up, with buyers in Iran owing a record 20 billion rupees ($281.41 million) to India as U.S.- imposed sanctions make it hard to pay for imported commodities, they added.
“We are in a precarious situation,” Nathi Ram Gupta, president of the All India Rice Exporters Association, told Reuters. “We have urged the Indian government to step in to ensure that our dues are cleared by Iran.”
Reuters was unable to contact traders in Iran for comment.
Iranian buyers paid some of the money they owed in November, the sources said, encouraging Indian traders to sign new contracts and ultimately pushing dues to an all-time high.
Of the 4.4 million tonnes of basmati rice shipped by India in the 2018/19 fiscal year, Iran accounted for 1.4 million tonnes.
“Our exports to Iran will definitely fall this year and that is going to drag down both the country’s basmati and non-basmati rice exports. We’re worried on two counts of India’s falling rice exports and our mounting dues,” said Vijay Setia, former president of the All India Rice Exporters Association.
Beside the drop in exports to Iran, non-basmati rice exports to Europe have also fallen, with trade and industry officials citing higher pesticide residues in shipments from India as a factor behind reduced purchases from the European Union.
Higher benchmark prices in Thailand, the world’s second-biggest rice exporter, have however prompted some buyers to opt for Indian rice, pushing rates for the Indian variety to their highest in nearly three months despite the fall in exports.
India’s 5% broken parboiled variety rose to around $366-$371 per tonne from last week’s $364-$368, the highest since Oct. 31.
Domestic prices have also risen on fresh orders from Africa, traders said.
Source: Reuters (Reporting by Mayank Bhardwaj and Neha Dasgupta; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)

VP seeks global cooperation for early detection of new viruses


Hyderabad, Jan 27 (PTI) Amid the new coronavirus scare across the globe,Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Monday underscored the need for global cooperation for early detection of new viruses and to contain any serious fallout from outbreak of epidemics.
Addressing scientists and researchers of CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) here, the Vice President, while referring to the newly-discovered strain of coronavirus, said it was spreading across the nations and causing a major concern to health authorities 'Period outbreak of epidemics and new viruses highlighted our vulnerability to diseases,' he said, according to an official release.
Referring to the vital role of the Indian Science and Technology Innovation System in achieving national goals as India aspires for sustainable and inclusive growth, Naidu appealed to the private sector to create a fund for financing innovative scientific projects that will address societal concerns.
Funding for basic research also has to be stepped up, the vice president said.
Stressing that the outcome of every scientific endeavour must improve the lives of people, he urged CCMB scientists and other scientific labs to find answers to the many challenges the world was facing today like poverty, effects of climate change, pollution and lack of clean drinking water.
Lauding CCMB for developing bacterial blight-resistant Sambah Mahsuri rice variety in collaboration with Indian Institute of Rice Research, Naidu asked scientists to find ways to develop more disease and pest-resistant crops and aid in increasing productivity to make agriculture viable and sustainable.
Touching upon the problem of growing anti-microbial resistance, the vice president said modern medicine was facing a serious threat on account of it and expressed the fear that many antibiotics might eventually become ineffective if the trend continued unchecked.
Calling for developing new antibiotics, apart from preventing drug resistance, he expressed happiness that the CCMB was working in that direction.
The vice president also urged CCMB to develop Rapid DNA Testing Kits for detection of some of the rare diseases and many other genetic disorders.
'It is important to predict and prevent genetic diseases as more than 70 million Indians are estimated to be suffering from genetic disorders, according to the Organization for Rare Diseases India (ORDI),' Naidu said.
He also advised institutions like CCMB to take up campaigns on a massive scale to create awareness among the people about the health risks associated with consanguineous marriages, particularly those relating to congenital disorders.
Naidu said young scientists should be allowed to take up challenging research assignments and come up with innovative ideas.PTI VVK BN BN
https://in.news.yahoo.com/vp-seeks-global-cooperation-early-130133349.html

The best kind of rice for weight loss

MONDAY JANUARY 27 2020
    
Description: https://www.monitor.co.ug/image/view/-/5433636/highRes/2544709/-/maxw/600/-/y9ugkfz/-/health3pic.jpg

Usually, when you tell someone that you want to lose weight, they will advise you to stop eating rice. But does rice really hinder your weight loss success?

By Carolyne B. Atangaza
Nutritious, delicious and highly versatile are some of the words used to describe rice. Yet with all its attributes, rice has suffered constant onslaught from the healthy eating proponents. The first piece of advice one is given as they embark on a weight loss journey is to cut out rice. If like many rice lovers you are kept from enjoying your favourite dish for fear of wrecking your weight loss goals, you will be relieved to know that rice is not fattening or unhealthy.
Rice is made up of digestible starch and a special type of carbohydrate called resistant starch, which recent research suggests may be key for weight control. The body does not have the enzymes to digest resistant starch, so it bypasses the small intestine and is metabolised in the colon, where it is fermented into short-chain fatty acids that feed healthy colonies of gut bacteria. The more resistant starch a food has, the fewer calories from that starch our bodies will absorb.
Portion
Regina Nantege, a dietician, notes that rice just like any other food item affects your weight depending on how much you eat.
All types of rice have the same calorific value but different amounts of fibre. Experts recommend eating brown rice, red rice, unpolished rice and hand pounded rice because they have more fibre since they are not processed and retain the outer layer.
“If you are concerned about weight gain, then it is safe to eat brown, red and the other coloured variety that contain fibre, antioxidants and are more filling,” she advises.
The darker the colour of rice, the more antioxidants it has. If you want to lose weight, switch to the more coloured varieties of rice that are full of dietary fibre and boost your metabolism, both of which help in losing weight. For example, 100 grammes of brown rice contains 111 calories while one cup of red rice contains 216 calories.
Cooking method
White rice is the unhealthiest type of rice according to Dr David Okoth Dimo, because most of the minerals and nutrients are stripped off during industrial processing. It also has a high glycemic index meaning it will be quickly digested and causes a spike in your blood sugar levels. And because it is easily digested, it makes you hungry sooner thus increasing your calorie intake.
However, there is an easy and natural way to reduce calories in rice. According to research presented at the American Chemical Society’s national meeting, using coconut oil and a refrigerator can slash calories by as much as 60 per cent.
By testing out 38 different kinds of rice and simulating human digestion in a test tube, they devised a recipe for the least caloric way to cook rice: drop a teaspoon of coconut oil into boiling water, then add half a cup of non-fortified white rice and cook it for about 40 minutes. After cooking, put it in the fridge for 12 hours.
Rice cooked this way had at least 10 times the resistant starch as normally prepared rice and 10-15 per cent fewer calories. But researchers think that with certain kinds of rice, the method could cut calories by 50-60 per cent since the glucose units in hot cooked rice have a loose structure, but when it cools down, the molecules rearrange themselves into very tight bonds that are more resistant to digestion.
Making rice starch more resistant has other perks besides cutting calories. It will also feed your good bacteria.
How to make healthy rice
- When eating out, opt for plain boiled rice instead of fried rice.
- Rice does not contain protein so it should be eaten with an animal or plant-based protein.
- Soak rice before you cook it and wash it three to four times to remove starch. Boil rice with excess water to keep starch levels low.
- Add vegetables rich in fibre to your bowl of rice.
- To enhance the flavour of brown rice, cook it with coconut oil instead of just plain water.
Source: time.com

Daily Monitor

State set to buy rice from Nyando farmers

Description: https://images.hivisasa.com/1200/2YvrOgutsErice.jpg
Farmers planting rice at the irrigation scheme in Ahero, Kisumu. [Source/facebook/National Irrigation Authority]
Rice farmers in Nyando have expressed their joy and happiness after state promised to purchase their produce. 
Two weeks ago President Uhuru Kenyatta gave a directive that the government should buy rice from Ahero irrigation scheme farmers.
Reacting on the state’s order, the Ahero Irrigation Cooperative Scheme Chairman Stephen Athembo said the offer is good and will help to revive rice farming in Nyando. 
He said they have set up a price for the produce, adding that he has already ordered farmers to assemble their rice in stores.
“First I thank the president for the offer he gave us. Secondly, we have agreed that we are going to buy paddy rice at Sh40 per kilogram so all the farmers will bring their produce at the irrigation before we pay them as agreed,” said Athembo.
Speaking to the press on Monday at Ahero Irrigation Scheme’s office Julias Kungu said rice farmers have suffered a lot but at least they are going to have something in their pockets. Kungu who is the chairman for the Ahero Irrigation Scheme appealed to the state to support rice farming adding that it is the only surviving sector after collapse of sugar millers.
“We are glad that our president Uhuru Kenyatta has set aside some money to purchase our produce. We are now sure of kicking poverty out of our families, and enjoying good health and education,” Kungu noted.
His sentiments were echoed by West Kano Irrigation Scheme chairman who urged rice farmers to bring their produce to the irrigation center as there is a ready market.
Kabonyo Kanyagwal Ward Representative Oiko Pete and his counterpart from Ombeyi Ward Vitalis Otura warned cooperative societies against misusing rice famers’ hard earned money. The duo said misappropriation of money meant for the farmers will lead to dire consequences. 
Barely two months ago Hivisasa wrote a story about the plight of rice farmers in Nyando who were crying over their wasting rice due to lack of ready market.
Thank you for reading my article! You have contributed to my success as a writer. The articles you choose to read on Hivisasa help shape the content we offer.
-Collins Dudi

Vice-President calls for global cooperation to battle new viruses

Our Bureau  Hyderabad | Updated on January 27, 2020  Published on January 27, 2020
Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu on Monday underscored the need for global cooperation to contain any serious fallout from outbreak of epidemics.
Addressing scientists and researchers of CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) in Hyderabad, the Vice-President, while referring to the raging coronavirus outbreak in China, said as it spreads across the globe, it is had become a cause of major concern to health authorities.
He pointed out that periodic outbreak of epidemics and new viruses highlighted “our vulnerability to diseases”.
Referring to the vital role of the Indian Science and Technology Innovation (STI) System in achieving national goals, he appealed to the private sector to create a fund for financing innovative scientific projects that will address societal concerns.
Observing that investment in STI plays a major role in promoting research and development of cutting-edge technologies, Naidu said the funding for basic research also has to be stepped up.
Stressing that the outcome of every scientific endeavour must improve the lives of people, he urged scientists of CCMB and other labs to find answers to the many challenges the world was facing such as poverty, climate change, pollution, lack of clean drinking water, sanitation, and growing drug resistance.
Lauding CCMB for developing bacterial blight-resistant Samba Masuri rice variety in collaboration with Indian Institute of Rice Research (IIRR), Naidu urged scientists to find ways to develop more disease- and pest-resistant crops and aid in increasing productivity to make agriculture viable and sustainable. He stressed the need to protect farmers from the vagaries of nature.
Touching upon the problem of growing anti-microbial resistance, he said that modern medicine was facing a serious threat on this front and feared that many antibiotics will eventually become ineffective if the trend continued .
The Vice-President urged CCMB to develop Rapid DNA Testing Kits for detection of some of the rare diseases and genetic disorders. “It is important to predict and prevent genetic diseases as more than 70 million Indians are estimated to be suffering from genetic disorders, according to the Organization for Rare Diseases India (ORDI)”, he added.
Published on January 27, 2020

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USA Rice Holds Third Foodservice Seminar in Ghana 
By Eszter Somogyi
 TAKORADI, GHANA -- Earlier this month, USA Rice conducted a foodservice seminar for artisanal rice cookers and vendors in Takoradi, the capital of the western region of Ghana, following successful seminars in Accra and Kumasi late last year.   In this city of almost a half million people, the seminar brought together more than two hundred and fifty participants drawn from 12 foodservice associations in both the central and western regions of the country.
The seminar provided an in-depth look at the U.S. rice industry, featured a Q&A session with local brand owners, and afforded attendees an opportunity to examine samples from two importers, Crown Commodities and Tradepass Ltd.

"Our objective here is to educate foodservice professionals, who are heavy rice users, about the positive attributes of U.S. rice and our superior product," said Sarah Moran, USA Rice vice president international.  "We are seeing awareness and sales increase among the target audience as a result of these seminars which is impressive since we are competing with rice from other origins that has a price advantage.   We make the case for our quality, reputation, and reliability."

The president of the Western Regional Associations, Madam Rebecca Essandoh, summed up the feeling of the participants, when in brief remarks, she declared that the foodservice people can attest to the quality U.S. origin rice.  She mentioned major U.S. brands that had helped in their trade over the years, and said "...as for American rice, it is still fresh in our minds."

Essandoh continued to appeal to importers to help bring down the cost per bag, so they can continue to patronize their businesses.  Her statement received thunderous applause from the packed hall.
 A post-event survey of participants confirmed that the seminar had been "an eye-opener," and that attendees appreciated the opportunity to learn from their peers who had longstanding, positive relationships with U.S.-grown rice.
The event concluded with a dance competition among the various associations.  Everyone danced to good music and had a hot lunch of U.S. rice jollof and chicken.

Put your hands together for U.S.-grown rice

Japanese Farmers Plant Specific Strains of Rice to Grow Colorfully Illustrated Fields

By Emma Taggart on September 27, 2017
Description: Japanese Rice Paddy Art

As part of a revitalization effort in the early 90s, the village of Inakadate, Japan, decided on a novel way to boost tourism in their town: large-scale rice paddy art. Now, using seven different kinds of rice as their color palette, over a thousand local volunteers come together each year to help with the planting process. Over time, the designs have evolved in complexity and now draw in hundreds of thousands of tourists every year.
Every April, a conference is held to decide on the design for the next year. When the theme is set, the village officials make a basic digital mockups, which is then refined by local art teachers into intricate concept drawings. Markers are then placed, mapping out each drawing before the planting begins. This process can take up to three months.
Each 15,000-square-meter mural often celebrates local heritage and folklore, such as this year’s designs, which depict the legend of Yamata no Orochi (the eight-forked serpent) facing off against the Shinto god of sea and storms, Susanno.

This Japanese village creates world famous rice paddy art which often celebrate local folklore.

Description: Japanese Rice Paddy ArtDescription: Japanese Rice Paddy Art Description: Japanese Rice Paddy Art

WTO upholds S. Korea's 513 pct rice tariff on imported rice

11:00 January 28, 2020
  

  

SEOUL, Jan. 28 (Yonhap) -- The World Trade Organization (WTO) has approved South Korea's current 513 percent tariff rate on imported rice, Seoul's agriculture ministry said Tuesday.
The WTO has issued a certificate two months after Seoul reached deals with five rice exporters -- the United States, China, Australia, Thailand and Vietnam -- over South Korea's high tariff on imported rice, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.
The five countries, which had taken issue with South Korea's high tariff in 2014, have sent letters to the global trade body to inform it that the issue has been resolved.
South Korea has been imposing the high tariff on imported rice since 2015.
Under the measure, South Korea will be able to keep the tariff on imported rice for quantities exceeding the quota of 408,700 tons of annual rice imports.
China accounts for 157,195 tons of the quota, followed by the U.S. with 132,304 tons, Vietnam with 55,112 tons, Thailand with 28,494 tons and Australia with 15,595 tons.
Rice is a key staple food for Koreans, but its consumption has been on a steady decline in recent decades due mainly to changes in diet and eating habits, making it especially important for South Korea to protect the segment.
colin@yna.co.kr

University research team makes rechargeable batteries out of rice husks

Update: January, 28/2020 - 10:00
Gia Lộc
HCM CITY — A team of researchers and students at the HCM City University of Science - Việt Nam National University - Ho Chi Minh City have succeeded at making a prototype lithium-ion rechargeable battery from rice husks, a common agricultural waste in Việt Nam, especially in the Mekong Delta.
Leader of the team, Vũ Tấn Phát, said: “Rice husks are rich with silica (silicon dioxide: SiO2). In order to develop low cost anode materials and good properties (less than $10 per kilogramme) for Li-ion rechargeable batteries, our research aims to use rice husks from Long An Province in the Delta and carry out a treatment process to create useful anode electrode materials.”
Unlike the costly process to create pure silicon, rice husks as the raw material source could be promising for low-cost and functional SiO2 , which has a high energy efficiency, is environmentally safe, and can be easy to scale up for synthesis, Phát said.
The process only takes two to three days for treatment of rice husks to make battery prototypes. 
Description: http://image.vietnamnews.vn/uploadvnnews/Article/2020/1/24/64059_pin.JPG
Vũ Tấn Phát, the leader of the team, makes battery prototypes from rice husks at the HCM City University of Science’s standard applied physical chemistry laboratory. —  VNS Photo Gia Lộc

Associate Professor Trần Văn Mẫn, head of the division of science and technology at the University of Science, said: “Silicon materials in recent years have been used because of the ability to provide far higher capacity than commercial carbon graphite used for lithium-ion rechargeable battery anodes.”
However, the synthesis of silicon materials requires high costs and is a complex process, he said.
The university team's synthesis from silica materials derived from rice husks, however, is simple and cost-effective, and provides a capacity comparable to silicon.
This is a promising direction for the development of Li-ion rechargeable battery factories in Việt Nam. Rechargeable batteries are an important energy storage device, and the demand for charging devices such as mobile phones and laptops, especially electronic vehicles, is very high.
The team's research has high potential for practical applications in the future, he added.
The rechargeable batteries made from materials from rice husks, however, is only a prototype. It could be mass-produced if it receives the attention of the state and investors, he said.
The cost for making the battery is low, so the price for selling it on the market is US$20-25 per unit, but for existing batteries it is only $38.
“Eighty per cent of the $38 are for costs for imported items,” he added.
Assembling batteries. — VNS Photo Gia Lộc
Dương Văn Minh, a student participating in this project, called the research "very important" and that environmentally friendly batteries could be useful not only in Việt Nam but around the world. 
When electrode materials become available in Việt Nam, then a Li-ion rechargeable battery production line can be set up and batteries will no longer need to be imported from other countries, or the number of imports will be reduced substantially.
 “As a student, I learned new knowledge through taking part in research,” Minh said.
Phát added that the next step is registration for intellectual property and call on investment to commercialize their research.
The research in December won first prize at the Việt Nam Social Innovation Challenge, a competition to support and provide assistance in incubating outstanding ideas, technologies, products, services and methods to address urgent social and environmental issues.
The team will take part in the Mekong Challenge Finals, which is open to all university students and recent graduates in the Mekong Region plus Bhutan. It will be held in Myanmar on February 14 and 15.
The winning team will travel to the US to compete in the International Business Model Competition in May 2020. — VNS

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Nigeria on course to export rice in 2 years – Agric Minister

Okwe Obi, Abuja
The Federal Government says that Nigeria would commence exportation of locally produced rice in the next two years.
Description: Nigeria on course to export rice in 2 years - Agric MinisterMinister of Agriculture and Rural Development Sabo Nanono made the declaration at a press conference after a working visit of the Nestle Nigeria office in Lagos.Nanono noted that the developement was necessitated by the closure of the country’s land borders, a measure which has resulted in increased outputs by many domestic rice mills which were operating below capacity before the closure.
In a statement released by the Ministry, the Minister pointed out that with the improved production rate, Nigeria rice will soon be exporting rice.
“Before the closure of our land border, most of these rice milling plants were partially operating; but now, they not only operate in full capacity but are also expanding. And if we maintain the momentum, in the next two years we may export rice to other countries.”
He disclosed that: “I was worried in terms of the production of rice, but what I have found out is that most rice producers have stocked rice for the next six months. This means that before the stock is finished, dry season rice will be harvested, and before that finishes, rainy season will come back.”
He stressed that only in three months, rice is not being grown in our country, saying, “we cultivate rice in a nine-month cycle; probably as we move on the cycle will widen. So we do not have a problem with rice processing.
He added that there has been expansion of the local rice value chain as well as the creation of more jobs due to an increase in rice production.
“As at today, we have 11 rice milling plants with the capacity to produce 180 tonnes to 350 tonnes of rice per day. In a few months, another mill with a capacity to produce 400 tonnes of rice per day is going to be opened, with another upcoming 34 smaller mills; then, we have clusters in different areas.”
Earlier, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Nestle Nigeria, Mauricio Alarcon, thanked the Minister and his delegation for the visit and called for stronger and robust working relationship with the Ministry.
Alarcon revealed that, “we source 80% of our products locally, we source 100% of maize for Golden Morn locally; soya, millet, sugar, salt and cocoa are locally- sourced.”

Nigeria to begin rice exportation in 2022 – Minister

By Dennis Erezi
28 January 2020   |   9:59 am
Nigeria’s agriculture and rural development minister Muhammad Sabo Nanono said the country will begin exportation of its locally produced rice in 2022.
Nanono made this disclosure during a press conference after a working visit of the Nestle Nigeria Public Limited Company (PLC) Office in Lagos on Tuesday.
“If we maintain the momentum in the next two years, we may export rice to other countries,” Nanono said.
“I was worried in terms of the production of rice, but what I have found out is that most rice producers have stocked rice for the next six months.
“This means that before the stock is finished, dry season rice will be harvested, and before that finishes, rainy season will come back.”
Nanono noted that Nigeria’s current land border closure had resulted in increased outputs by many rice milling plants that were operating below capacities before the closure.
He stated that despite the annual three months- November to January when rice is not planted, the nine-month cycle is enough for Nigeria to process sufficient rice for local consumption and exportation.
“As at today, we have 11 rice milling plants with the capacity to produce from 180 tonnes to 350 tonnes of rice per day,” Nanono said.
“In a few months, another mill with a capacity to produce 400 tonnes of rice per day is going to be opened, with another upcoming 34 smaller mills; then, we have clusters in different areas.”
He added that the local rice farmers were fully engaged and used between 200 farmlands and 300 farmlands directly.
https://guardian.ng/news/nigeria-to-begin-rice-exportation-in-2022-minister/

McDonald's Japan to offer rice burgers for first time

KYODO

McDonald’s Japan said Tuesday it will start offering its first series of rice burgers next week to cater to people who prefer rice over bread for dinner.
The burgers, available from Feb. 5 through the middle of May, will be the latest addition to the fast food giant’s special nighttime menu that becomes available at 5 p.m.
The lineup will see the regular buns of three popular burgers replaced by buns made from 100 percent domestic rice seasoned with soy sauce.
The Gohan Teriyaki burger will go for ¥390 while the Gohan Bacon Lettuce burger and the Gohan McChicken will each cost ¥410.
Gohan” can mean both “cooked rice” and “meal.”
“I want people to enjoy McDonald’s for dinner,” McDonald’s Japan Vice President Atsuo Shimodaira said at a news conference in Tokyo

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