“Hybrid rice has transformed
lives of the farming community in Sindh"
Rice is back in business:
Pakistan's rice exports have staged a phenomenal comeback, growing by over
one-fourth in first half of ongoing fiscal year. Basmati – pride of Pakistan's
paddy – is also regaining its lost sheen in the global market.
But are the long-term problems
faced by the exporting sector resolved? To find out this and more, BR Research
sat down with the chairman of Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP),
Shahjahan Malik, in Lahore.
Malik was an investment banker in
his past life but has since been associated with the Guard Group of Companies,
where he is the Senior Executive at Guard Agricultural Research & Service
(Pvt.) Limited.
As part of Guard family, he has
an in-depth understanding of the structural challenges endemic to the paddy
business. But as young blood, he also brings energy and appreciation for the
evolving face of agriculture in Pakistan.
Below are the edited excerpts of
the conversation:
BR Research (BRR): Official
estimates for 2019-20 kharif season suggest that crop yield has declined. Do you
agree?
Shahjahan Malik (SM): Yes. Many places saw pollination failure due to extreme heat.
This means that while the crop showed no obvious signs of defect, the rice
husks were empty.
Fortunately, underlying trends
may help ensure that total output does not decline. One, over the past several
years, growers in Sindh's traditional IRRI areas have been switching over to
higher yielding hybrid varieties. And two, acreage in Punjab has exceeded
expectations. Together, the two factors indicate that market outlook is stable.
BRR: But is it not correct that
Sindh saw successful introduction of Basmati varieties over the last decade?
SM: Yes, but basmati plantation in the province has been very
limited, averaging under hundred thousand hectares.
BRR: Does Sindh's basmati command
equal recognition globally as varieties from the traditional Gujranwala belt?
SM: Although the GI (geographical identification) law is yet to be
enforced – and it is one of the top priorities on REAP's agenda – some of
Sindh's basmati growing regions shall be included.
BRR: Does that not risk diluting
basmati's brand equity considering Sindh's basmati growing regions are not
contiguous with the traditional belt that begins from Haryana and Indian Punjab
all the way to basmati heartland of Hafizabad and Sialkot on this side of the
border?
SM: No, because India has followed a similar strategy. Beginning
from Jammu in the north-west to Uttar Pradesh, rice grown in seven states have
received GI tagging.
While it is correct that
historically basmati has been synonymous with Punjab, the reality is far more
nuanced. Over two hundred thousand tons of basmati is exported to EU annually,
which has very low aflatoxin tolerance levels. Because of Sindh's dry climatic
conditions, basmati grown in the province has negligible aflatoxin incidence,
and is thus best suited for EU market.
BRR: But how exactly will the
basmati area be defined under GI law to ensure that Sindh's basmati does not
face restricted market access?
SM: Contrary to popular perception, basmati growing regions need not
be contiguous with traditional belt to qualify under the proposed GI law. It
must fulfill technical criteria beyond just purity of seed variety (DNA) and
germplasm. These include irrigated land and photoperiod sensitivity; that is,
hot days and cold nights in summers/cultivation period.
Therefore, Super Basmati is a
registered DNA product in EU with duty-free market access. In contrast, while
other countries have tried growing basmati using pure seed variety, they have
had limited success due to lack of enabling climatic conditions. ‘Texmati' –
short for Texas basmati – is one such experiment, which has failed to gain
market traction.
BRR: Are all domestic rice
millers also members of REAP?
SM: For years ago, REAP's mandatory membership condition for rice
export was unvalidated. However, 95 percent of total exports are still made by
800+ active REAP members. In addition, domestic industry also includes close to
2,500 shellers – which serve as suppliers to millers.
BRR: Is there any information
available on installed rice milling capacity and average utilization levels in
the country?
SM: Capacity is not the issue for the industry; even if the output
were to grow by hundred percent, domestic mills will be able to process and export
most of it easily.
This is because industry dynamics
are unlike any other: one, rice processing machinery is not very expensive, and
there are no regulatory barriers to entry on setting up of a rice plant. Two,
Pakistan's primary rice exports are non-basmati varieties, which enjoy very
high market acceptance.
BRR: Ten years ago, a major chunk
of Pakistan's rice export earnings was accounted for by basmati. What changed?
SM: This transformation came about ten years ago as a result of
hybridization. Hybrid rice is a Chinese innovation – based on traditional
IRRI-6 varieties – which became very popular here upon introduction.
Domestically grown hybrid varieties are also very competitive in export market.
BRR: That the industry could
easily process twice the current output levels points to surplus installed
capacity. Do you believe the industry would do well if milling capacity were to
undergo consolidation? The country – for example – only has 80 sugar milling
units, yet many of these have been struggling to remain profitable due to low
utilization levels?
SM: The industry dynamics are not comparable. Setting up a rice
sheller plant requires no more than Rs 10-20 million investment, in addition to
five kanals of real estate. In contrast, sugar milling is a license-controlled
business that requires capital expenditure of anywhere between half to two
billion rupees.
BRR: Does the 80-20 rule hold viz
market share of major players?
SM: Yes, but I can only to the extent of export market. For example,
$200 million – or ten percent of total exports are accounted for by the largest
player – Garibsons. Similarly, several players such as Matco, Meskay &
Femtee, and Guard (among others) each contribute between $50 – $75 million
worth of exports.
BRR: Is the market share
segmented variety-wise?
SM: There is a bit of both. For example, the largest exporter is
mainly concentrated in IRRI – $190 million with remainder earnings from basmati
processing. There are also several pure basmati exporters.
BRR: What is the extent of advantage
in export markets enjoyed by rice millers of Sindh viz. proximity to seaport?
SM: Ninety-nine percent of the credit goes to the hybrid revolution.
Not only does it have twice the yield of traditional IRRI varieties, it is also
most suited for Sindh's agro-climatic conditions. The market is very price
competitive; few Punjab-based IRRI millers can manage to export the variety, as
they immediately get priced out because the margin is no more than $5 per ton,
which is not at all sufficient to cover transportation cost.
BRR: Between FY11 and FY17,
basmati export volumes declined to less than half, even as both area and
production of basmati grew by over 40 percent. Surely, basmati's decline in
export market cannot be attributed to success of hybrid rice.
SM: That's correct. Basmati export volumes over the past five years
have been struggling due to increasing competition from across the border.
Research and development in India is very high; ten years ago, it introduced a
variety called 1121, which today commands eighty percent share in international
basmati trade.
Global basmati market size is
close to four million tons per annum, of which 3.2 million tons is commanded by
India, while the remainder is exported from Pakistan. Of the total pie, three
million tons is 1121 variety, which did not even exist ten years ago.
Over the past four years,
Pakistani growers have been able to import this variety and plant it on a
commercial scale. But the country continues to lag on the curve. For example,
India has already managed to successfully commercialize new varieties such as
1401 and 1509. Pakistani growers are forced to smuggle varieties across the
fence, which is no way to survive in a competitive export market. Thus, R&D
is key.
BRR: In the case of other crops
such as cotton and maize, major resistance has been seen by regulators in
allowing immediate commercialization of imported varieties without national
trials. What is the status of varieties imported from India from irregular
channel?
SM: When 80 percent of export market is dominated by 1121, what
exactly can the regulator do stop commercialization? Specially, when the
failure to invest in R&D also lays with government research institutes that
have the carte blanche to license seed varieties. Of course, to save face, they
rename these varieties. But that's as far as they can go without further
hurting export growth prospects.
BRR: Does that mean the role of
government has been supportive, at least so far as retrospective approvals are
concerned?
SM: Not exactly. In the past thirty years, most of the R&D in
domestic rice varieties has come from private sector. Whether it is hybrid rice
or super basmati, most of the successful innovation have been made by REAP
members. Government research institutes – to put it kindly – have only made
modest progress. In fact, private sector R&D faces competition from
government research institutes, as hindrances are often created in approval of
new varieties in the race for credit.
BRR: But government seed
organizations champion the noble cause of distributing improved varieties to
growers.
SM: Yes. By distributing the low-yielding varieties
developed/patented by government backed research institutes. For example, the
Kala Shah Kaku Research Institutes sits on the board of Punjab Seed
Corporation, which in turn often refuses to give approval to varieties
developed by private sector.
BRR: Is lack of IP protection
holding back investment in R&D?
SM: The government has come up with Plant Breeders' Rights Act, but
ground realities are not very promising so far as successful enforcement is
concerned. In the case of hybrid rice, the problem takes care of itself;
growers cannot save the seeds and must buy fresh batch every year from the seed
company.
In the case of open-pollinated
varieties, the incentive is very low. Once the variety is successfully
commercialized, anyone can copy it. This was the case for Super basmati as
well.
BRR: As an environmentally-aware
entrepreneur, how would you comment on increasing acreage under rice in
water-scarce Sindh, especially the southern Sindh belt where salinity levels
are already high?
SM: The one-word answer is: hybrid rice. It marks a watershed moment
in transfer of crop-technology from China to Pakistan. The variety is drought-,
heat- and salinity-resistant; and has had a substantive impact not only in
terms of crop output but also as a force of socio-economic transformation for
poor farmers of Sindh. Overnight, it has increased farming incomes by a factor
of two and three times. In fact, we were awarded Sitara-e-Imtiaz for its
commercialization.
BRR: It has repeatedly been noted
that post-harvest losses are very high for domestic rice because non-customized
wheat harvesters are used for paddy as well. However, rice harvesters appear
uneconomical for a crop largely dependent on subsistence farming. Is there a
business case for commercialization of rice harvesters?
SM: Rice harvesters have been successful in countries which two to
three rice crops in a year, such as Vietnam, Thailand and Myanmar. Because
Pakistan's rice crop is primarily irrigation dependent, we cannot afford
intensive multi-season rice cropping.
REAP has made several
presentations to Advisor to PM on Commerce, arguing for an incentive program
for commercialization of rice harvesters. Our estimate suggests that at an
average 60-70 days harvest period, combine harvesters can add 365 thousand tons
of output that would translate into incremental exports of $130-$140 million
per annum.
Rice exporting sector has so far
fared well with limited government support or intervention. However, it must be
appreciated that any service-oriented firm in the rice harvester business
cannot survive with some level of initial support because rice harvesters are
capital intensive and will stand idle for the remainder three-hundred days of
the year. That will, in effect, increase cost of harvesting for the grower,
which will in turn hurt competitiveness of domestic rice in export market.
BRR: Pakistan's rice exports –
including basmati – are highly commoditized. Is there any value-proposition to
be found in investing in brand development, and whether the same can command a
higher unit price internationally?
SM: Traditional family-run business mindset has held back investment
in brand development, which hurts our ability to command a brand premium.
Subcontinent-based traders from Dubai and elsewhere are already doing this –
importing commoditized rice from Pakistan, repackaging and rebranding it, and
exporting onwards to EU and North America for a higher unit price.
There are no Pakistan-specific
challenges in creating brands; traditional domestic investors have a penchant
for instant returns, which means little attention has been paid to branding.
Commoditized trading also allows offloading huge volumes to major buyers such
as governments in Middle East, thus serves as an excuse.
I strongly believe that if
Pakistan's rice exporting sector invests in R&D and brand development – and
is provided enabling environment by the regulators for the same – our potential
to increase rice exports can be transformative.
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Continuing to boost rice exports
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Thursday,
2020-02-06 16:10:48
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 It is necessary to boost export of high quality rice to catch up with the world market. (Illustrative imange/baocantho)
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NDO
– Vietnam exported approximately 6.34 million tonnes of rice with a total
value of US$2.79 billion in 2019, up 3.9% in terms of quantity but down 9.7%
in terms of value compared to 2018. It’s been predicted that rice exports in
2020 will continue to face numerous difficulties regarding export quality and
markets.
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Fluctuations
in markets, prices
In
the first 11 months of 2019, the Philippines ranked first among Vietnam’s
export rice markets, accounting for 31.5% of the market share. The country
imported 1.97 million tonnes of rice from Vietnam worth US$813.3 million, an
increase of 2.55 times in volume and 2.34 times in value over the same period
in 2018.
Vietnam
also saw an increase in rice export value to othermarkets including Senegal,
Ivory Coast, Taiwan (China), Hong Kong (China), among others.
However,
Vietnam’s rice export revenue to China in the first 10 months of 2019
decreased sharply by 66.7% compared to the same period in 2018.
In
addition to market fluctuations, the export prices of rice in 2019 was also a
matter of great concern. The average export price of rice reached US$439 per
tonne in the first 11 months of 2019, down 12.7% over the same period in
2018.
The
price decline was due to the fierce competition from other rice exporting
countries including India, Thailand and Cambodia. Meanwhile, major and
establishedmarkets of Vietnam such as China, Indonesia, and Bangladesh all
reduced imports from Vietnam which was one of the many factors to drop down
the export prices of rice.
It’s
predicted that the Vietnam's rice production and processing industry will
continue to encounter difficulties due to strong fluctuations in production,
demand and prices. The demand for rice in the world market is decreasing as a
number of major importing countries have been restructuring their agriculture
to improve domestic self-sufficiency. In addition, many markets are setting
stricter requirements of traceability and food safety, requiring higher
quality of Vietnamese rice.
Improving
quality to build brands
A
representative from the Vietnam Food Association (VFA) said that it is
absolutely necessary to boost the export of high quality rice to catch up
with the world market while avoiding excessive dependence onestablished
markets in order to foster rice exports in 2020.
This
is also the direction for rice production in many localities. Most provinces
in the Mekong Delta region have increased the farming area of high quality
rice andsynchronously applied updated mechanisation in production, processing
and export of rice.
According
to the Agricultural Product Processing and Market Development Department, the
national brand of Vietnamese Rice was granted a certificate of ‘VietnamRice’
associated with the brand logo and the promulgationof a regulation on the use
of the national brand Vietnam Rice.
The
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is actively completing
international trademark registration under the Madrid system. Vietnam has
also builtgeographical indications for some types of rice includingHai Hau
rice in Nam Dinh province, Dien Bien rice in Dien Bien province, fragrant
Nang rice in An Giangprovince and Hong Dan rice in Bac Lieu province.
Many
local rice brands have been protected by collectivecertification such as Kinh
Mon sticky rice in Hai Duong province, Dong Trieu sticky rice in Quang Ninh
province, Soc Trang fragrant rice in Soc Trang province, amongothers. This is
an vital basis for Vietnamese rice to meet the requirements from importing
countries and to promoteVietnam's rice brand in the world market.
|
Putrajaya urged to ease Bernas’ grip on rice market
-
February 7, 2020 7:30 AM
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A
research fellow at Universiti Putra Malaysia’s Institute of Agricultural and
Food Policy Studies says 63.6% of the paddy and rice market is effectively
under Bernas’ control. (Bernama pic)
PETALING JAYA: An agriculture
expert has urged the government to liberalise the downstream paddy and rice
value chain so as to loosen Bernas’ grip on the market.
Fatimah Mohamed Arshad, a
research fellow at Universiti Putra Malaysia’s Institute of Agricultural and
Food Policy Studies, said 63.6% of the paddy and rice market was effectively
under Bernas’ control.
Speaking to FMT, she noted that Bernas and its associates
account for 48% of the total amount of paddy milled, which translates to 33.6%
of the rice demand in Malaysia, and it is the sole importer of 30% of the
country’s rice requirement.
Fatimah and her colleague Yeong Sheng Tey have written a research
paper on the subject of Bernas’ virtual monopoly.
She said Bernas, as the sole importer, could impose policies
such as short credit terms on companies relying on imported rice.
She also noted that Bernas also enjoyed a monopoly in rice
stockpiling, a task given to it by the government in the name of food security.
The stockpile it manages is distributed only during national emergencies.
Concerns have been raised by the Malaysian Vermicelli
Manufacturers Association that Bernas was also gaining a monopoly over broken
rice used in making fine noodles.
Fatimah noted that manufacturers under Bernas’ umbrella could
sell their vermicelli at prices that are significantly lower than the prices
charged by their competitors since they had the advantage of buying broken rice
at cheaper rates.
She said this had resulted in a rise in the vermicelli
production of Bernas and its associates and caused several unaffiliated
manufacturers to close shop.
“If the distorted competition continues, vermicelli would become
another Bernas monopoly market.”
Fatimah said Malaysia was not yet ready for total market
liberation, but she urged the government to start the ball rolling by allowing
competition in the import of rice.
She said this would minimise collusion between Bernas and its
associates, such as in the forging of joint ventures to strengthen its paddy
and rice procurement.
“This behaviour kills competition, strengthens Bernas’ market
power and increases the barriers to entry into the rice business. This is
proven by the non-existence of paddy-based and rice-based small and medium
enterprises.”
Fatimah said there was a huge wealth divide between paddy
farmers and Bernas, big millers and wholesalers. She noted that about 90% of
paddy farmers belong to the Bottom 40 income group.
She said farmers should be given support and incentives to
venture into value-added activities to improve their income and to deal a blow
to monopolies and collusive activities.
Economist Barjoyai Bardai of Universiti Tun Abdul Razak agreed
that the import of rice should be open to competition.
He also said the government should take over from Bernas such
social obligations as the stockpiling of rice and the purchase of paddy from
farmers at guaranteed prices because it was not feasible for the company to
continue doing so, now that it has become a private corporation
Putrajaya
urged to ease Bernas’ grip on rice market
-
February 7, 2020 7:30 AM
A
research fellow at Universiti Putra Malaysia’s Institute of Agricultural and
Food Policy Studies says 63.6% of the paddy and rice market is effectively
under Bernas’ control. (Bernama pic)
PETALING JAYA: An agriculture expert has urged the government to
liberalise the downstream paddy and rice value chain so as to loosen Bernas’
grip on the market.
Fatimah Mohamed Arshad, a research fellow at Universiti Putra
Malaysia’s Institute of Agricultural and Food Policy Studies, said 63.6% of the
paddy and rice market was effectively under Bernas’ control.
Speaking to FMT, she noted that Bernas and its associates
account for 48% of the total amount of paddy milled, which translates to 33.6%
of the rice demand in Malaysia, and it is the sole importer of 30% of the
country’s rice requirement.
Fatimah and her colleague Yeong Sheng Tey have written a
research paper on the subject of Bernas’ virtual monopoly.
She said Bernas, as the sole importer, could impose policies
such as short credit terms on companies relying on imported rice.
She also noted that Bernas also enjoyed a monopoly in rice
stockpiling, a task given to it by the government in the name of food security.
The stockpile it manages is distributed only during national emergencies.
Concerns have been raised by the Malaysian Vermicelli
Manufacturers Association that Bernas was also gaining a monopoly over broken
rice used in making fine noodles.
Fatimah noted that manufacturers under Bernas’ umbrella could
sell their vermicelli at prices that are significantly lower than the prices
charged by their competitors since they had the advantage of buying broken rice
at cheaper rates.
She said this had resulted in a rise in the vermicelli
production of Bernas and its associates and caused several unaffiliated manufacturers
to close shop.
“If the distorted competition continues, vermicelli would become
another Bernas monopoly market.”
Fatimah said Malaysia was not yet ready for total market
liberation, but she urged the government to start the ball rolling by allowing
competition in the import of rice.
She said this would minimise collusion between Bernas and its
associates, such as in the forging of joint ventures to strengthen its paddy
and rice procurement.
“This behaviour kills competition, strengthens Bernas’ market
power and increases the barriers to entry into the rice business. This is
proven by the non-existence of paddy-based and rice-based small and medium
enterprises.”
Fatimah said there was a huge wealth divide between paddy
farmers and Bernas, big millers and wholesalers. She noted that about 90% of
paddy farmers belong to the Bottom 40 income group.
She said farmers should be given support and incentives to
venture into value-added activities to improve their income and to deal a blow
to monopolies and collusive activities.
Economist Barjoyai Bardai of Universiti Tun Abdul Razak agreed
that the import of rice should be open to competition.
He also said the government should take over from Bernas such
social obligations as the stockpiling of rice and the purchase of paddy from
farmers at guaranteed prices because it was not feasible for the company to
continue doing so, now that it has become a private corporation
Vietnam sees rice export growth in January
Vietnam exported 560,000 tonnes of rice in January 2020, earning
270.3 million USD, an increase of 12 percent in volume and 39 percent in value
month-on-month, according to the General Department of Customs.
Friday, February 07, 2020 10:53
Vietnam posted strong growth in rice
exports in January (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - Vietnam exported 560,000 tonnes of rice in January 2020, earning 270.3 million USD, an increase of 12 percent in volume and 39 percent in value month-on-month, according to the General Department of Customs.
Exports rose by 28.1 percent in volume and 38.4 percent in value year-on-year.
Since the start of the winter-spring rice crop, domestic prices have remained stable while export volume has surged. Before the Tet festival, local businesses contracts to ship rice to the Philippines and Malaysia due to more competitive prices than other countries.
FOB (free on board) prices stand between 340 USD and 350 USD per tonne for five-per-cent-broken rice, falling 10-20 USD for 15-percent broken rice and 25-percent broken rice.
This year, the Philippines is expected to maintain its import volume, while the African market is forecast to purchase 1 million tonnes, followed by Malaysia at 500,000 tonnes.
The nation also exports from 300,000 to 400,000 tonnes to Cuba each year, while Iraq buys about 300,000 tonnes. China plans to buy 400,000 tonnes of local rice every year.
Bui Thi Thanh Tam, General Director of the Northern Food Corporation, said five years ago, China was the largest market for local rice but now Vietnam had expanded its export markets. This meant the coronavirus epidemic would not take a big hit on Vietnam's rice exports.
Do Ha Nam, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Food Association, said China would continue to tighten rice imports this year, so the rice import quota from Vietnam would stay the same as last year.
However, Vietnam has a chance to boost its rice exports to Japan this year because it wants to diversify its rice import sources by seeking other suppliers from countries that have signed the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), including Vietnam. At present, Japan depends on US rice supplies.
The Import-Export Department under the Ministry of Industry and Trade also said, besides allocating a quota of 20,000 tonnes of rice to all members of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) this year, the Republic of Korea had given a quota of 55,112 tonnes of rice for Vietnam, according to a multilateral agreement between the Republic of Korea and five WTO partners, including Australia, the US, China and Thailand.
To take this export opportunity, local exporters were looking for more information about the Korean market and the tariff quota mechanism to develop their production and business plans.
Nam said this year, Vietnam was forecast to export the same volume as 2019 or a slight increase.
However, drought and saline intrusion were likely to reduce rice output this year.
In addition, prices were also expected to decline due to lower demand on the world market, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. Many countries have been restructuring their agriculture sectors to move towards self-sufficiency.
Meanwhile, Vietnam now faces difficulties finding new rice markets.
Last year, Vietnam experienced a fall in rice export value of 10 percent to 2.76 billion USD but a surge of 3 percent in export volume to nearly 6.3 million tonnes. The main reason was falling global prices.
The Philippines was the largest export market for Vietnamese rice with a value of 885 million USD, a year-on-year rise of 92.58 percent, according to the General Department of Customs.
Markets with strong growth in rice export value included Senegal (98 percent), Ivory Coast (78.6 percent), Taiwan (31 percent), Hong Kong (28.3 percent) and Tanzania (26.6 percent).
Vietnam’s rice has been exported to 150 countries and territories around the world./.
Continuing to boost rice exports
Thursday, 2020-02-06 16:10:48
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|
|
|
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It is necessary to boost export of high quality rice to catch up with the world market. (Illustrative imange/baocantho)
Font
Size: |
|
|
NDO
– Vietnam exported approximately 6.34 million tonnes of rice with a total
value of US$2.79 billion in 2019, up 3.9% in terms of quantity but down 9.7%
in terms of value compared to 2018. It’s been predicted that rice exports in
2020 will continue to face numerous difficulties regarding export quality and
markets.
|
|
Fluctuations
in markets, prices
In
the first 11 months of 2019, the Philippines ranked first among Vietnam’s
export rice markets, accounting for 31.5% of the market share. The country
imported 1.97 million tonnes of rice from Vietnam worth US$813.3 million, an
increase of 2.55 times in volume and 2.34 times in value over the same period
in 2018.
Vietnam
also saw an increase in rice export value to othermarkets including Senegal,
Ivory Coast, Taiwan (China), Hong Kong (China), among others.
However,
Vietnam’s rice export revenue to China in the first 10 months of 2019
decreased sharply by 66.7% compared to the same period in 2018.
In
addition to market fluctuations, the export prices of rice in 2019 was also a
matter of great concern. The average export price of rice reached US$439 per
tonne in the first 11 months of 2019, down 12.7% over the same period in
2018.
The
price decline was due to the fierce competition from other rice exporting
countries including India, Thailand and Cambodia. Meanwhile, major and
establishedmarkets of Vietnam such as China, Indonesia, and Bangladesh all
reduced imports from Vietnam which was one of the many factors to drop down
the export prices of rice.
It’s
predicted that the Vietnam's rice production and processing industry will
continue to encounter difficulties due to strong fluctuations in production,
demand and prices. The demand for rice in the world market is decreasing as a
number of major importing countries have been restructuring their agriculture
to improve domestic self-sufficiency. In addition, many markets are setting
stricter requirements of traceability and food safety, requiring higher
quality of Vietnamese rice.
Improving
quality to build brands
A
representative from the Vietnam Food Association (VFA) said that it is
absolutely necessary to boost the export of high quality rice to catch up
with the world market while avoiding excessive dependence onestablished
markets in order to foster rice exports in 2020.
This
is also the direction for rice production in many localities. Most provinces
in the Mekong Delta region have increased the farming area of high quality
rice andsynchronously applied updated mechanisation in production, processing
and export of rice.
According
to the Agricultural Product Processing and Market Development Department, the
national brand of Vietnamese Rice was granted a certificate of ‘VietnamRice’
associated with the brand logo and the promulgationof a regulation on the use
of the national brand Vietnam Rice.
The
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is actively completing
international trademark registration under the Madrid system. Vietnam has
also builtgeographical indications for some types of rice includingHai Hau
rice in Nam Dinh province, Dien Bien rice in Dien Bien province, fragrant
Nang rice in An Giangprovince and Hong Dan rice in Bac Lieu province.
Many
local rice brands have been protected by collectivecertification such as Kinh
Mon sticky rice in Hai Duong province, Dong Trieu sticky rice in Quang Ninh
province, Soc Trang fragrant rice in Soc Trang province, amongothers. This is
an vital basis for Vietnamese rice to meet the requirements from importing
countries and to promoteVietnam's rice brand in the world market.
|
The Cross River
rice example
February 06
23:172020
BY MUHAMMED YAHAYA
Have you met the Governor of Cross River State, Professor
(Senator) Ben Ayade? I have and nothing has made me more confident about the
future of Nigeria like my encounter with the helmsman of the Nation’s Paradise.
Compact, sturdy, and articulate, you see the wheels practically turning in his
head as he patiently listens to you. When he responds, you are suddenly aware
of his keen mind and the deep seated drive to get things done at all costs.
Thus, one of the areas of strength
of the ebullient Governor of Cross River State is his ability to deftly make
tough decisions and carry them out with tact. And no one ever sees him coming.
Although at the inception of his administration he promised to change the face
of Cross River’s politics and socio-economy in as thoroughgoing manner, he has
elected to play down his achievements in key areas of the state’s economy,
especially the massive gains recorded in agriculture.
Ayade is aware that Nigerians are
used to sloganeering. But he is also aware that slogans have never solved any
problem. In the past we had Operation Feed the Nation, Green Revolution, Farm
Settlement Scheme etc., but hunger is still top of the challenges holding the
nation from realizing its full potentials.
So, it is not suprising that Ayade decided to quietly pursue an ambitious quest to feed the entire West African sub-region and bolster exportation of the staple food item beyond West Africa.
So, it is not suprising that Ayade decided to quietly pursue an ambitious quest to feed the entire West African sub-region and bolster exportation of the staple food item beyond West Africa.
CrossRice, the state’s flagship
agricultural project is a multi-billion naira Commercial Agriculture Development
Project promoted by the Cross River State Rice Company Management Board, the
Central Bank of Nigeria and Sterling Bank.
Over 2000 Cross Riverians have
already been either directly or indirectly engaged in the scheme as part of an
ambitious employment generation move that targets 5000 people in the next one
year, making maximum use of commercial and mechanized farming methods.
The state government under
Professor Ayade is determined to increase rice production in the state from a
paltry 50,000 metric tonnes in 2015 to over 500,000 metric tonnes annually. In
2015 when Ayade took the reins of power, Nigeria spent N1bn daily on rice
importation from India and other countries of the far East, including Thailand.
Nigeria was the largest rice importer on the African continent, with imports amounting to over 2.5 million tons in 2012. Nigeria’s quest to increase local production led the President Muhammadu Buhari led Federal Government to ban the importation of rice which was followed by the closure of all land borders. The motive is to discourage importation and encourage local production.
Nigeria was the largest rice importer on the African continent, with imports amounting to over 2.5 million tons in 2012. Nigeria’s quest to increase local production led the President Muhammadu Buhari led Federal Government to ban the importation of rice which was followed by the closure of all land borders. The motive is to discourage importation and encourage local production.
The CrossRice Project which is
response to President Buhari’s call for diversification of the nation’s economy
from dependence on revenues from crude oil is conceived to help citizens seize
the opportunity and be part of the rice revolution in Cross River State by
becoming modern mechanized rice farmers facilitated by the Cross River State
Rice Company Management Board.
Under the scheme, farmers are
aggregated into cooperatives to cultivate cluster farms in various locations in
the state while the Cross River State Rice Company Management Board provides
land, funding, farm inputs, mechanization and serve as off-takers for the rice
paddy produced by the farmers.
CrossRice project will also improve
rice yield through the use of improved seeds and seedlings, employment of
mechanized farming, deployment of technology and innovation and expansion of
processing.
A little over a year after the ban on importation of rice and less than a year after the closure of land borders, Nigeria is increasingly relying on Cross River state’s rising rice cultivation profile to achieve this dream. While it is not in doubt that the state is now amongst the nation’s top rice producers, the state government is also not leaving any stone unturned in its quest to attract the right volume of investments in order to dwarf its current achievements.
Already, Governor Ayade’s administration is working closely with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), to maintain its place in the scheme of things in that sector.
A little over a year after the ban on importation of rice and less than a year after the closure of land borders, Nigeria is increasingly relying on Cross River state’s rising rice cultivation profile to achieve this dream. While it is not in doubt that the state is now amongst the nation’s top rice producers, the state government is also not leaving any stone unturned in its quest to attract the right volume of investments in order to dwarf its current achievements.
Already, Governor Ayade’s administration is working closely with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), to maintain its place in the scheme of things in that sector.
At an event in Calabar, the Cross
River capital, Managing Director of Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture
(CNFA), Adam Shaffer led a high-powered delegation to sign a memorandum of
understanding on the Feed the Future Project between the state government and
USAID. Shaffer said at the event that at the event that the state topped the
list of 36 states of the federation seeking to key into the Feed the Future
programme. He emphasized that Cross River was first considered because it has
distinguished itself in the areas of international best practice, transparency
and the willingness to align with the vision of USAID.
These initiatives were bolstered by
Ayade’s first-hand experience of Adam Shaffer’s Cultivating New Frontiers in
Agriculture (CNFA) intervention in the USA especially small holder farmers’
partnership with equipment leasing and manufacturing firms and decided to
replicate the American model to address the challenges confronting prospective
entrepreneurs in the state, nay the nation and the sub-region.
Some of the best practices, Ayade
has brought to bear include, setting up Agricultural Equipment Hiring Centres,
bolstering cooperatives and rice production clusters and encouraging private
sector participation. Already, several rice milling centres and “food banks”
have been established in all local governments in the state.
Not done, Governor Ayade of Cross
River has initiated an empowerment programme called G-Money meant to boost
agricultural activities in the state. G-money is an empowerment of young people
through agriculture, job creation through agriculture, establishing massive
equipment.
The state government is partnering
with an American agric equipment firm to provide end to end solutions to
Agro-mechanization across the rice value chain. The firm, John Deere will be
promoting “total value, total systems” solutions that will focus on development
across the value chain.
Ayade told journalists last week
after conferring with President Buhari that his state government procured the
equipment from John Deere of the United States, the biggest company in the
world for land clearing and land preparation for agriculture.
He noted that with the partnership
Cross River has with Tata, the local partner, “we have made order and taken
delivery of a large number of tractors, bulldozers, pay loaders, excavators,
the list is endless,” he said.
Already, a tour and assessment of Agro farm facilities at all major rice farm clusters have been concluded. The sites visited were proposed locations for Agricultural Equipment Hiring Centres.
Already, a tour and assessment of Agro farm facilities at all major rice farm clusters have been concluded. The sites visited were proposed locations for Agricultural Equipment Hiring Centres.
The governor expressed the hope
that the programme, when fully functional, would create jobs for over 2,000
young persons who would have at least 5,000 hectares of farmland for rice.
Additionally, the state government got 30,000 metric tonnes of fertilizers to
rural farmers to up the ante, while he has continued with his administration’s
policy of buying 100 tractors every year, a good number of which have been
evenly allocated for the purpose of rice production in the state.
That’s not all. The Ayade
administration has also tapped into the Prosper Africa programme initiated by
the American government with the funding of about USD60 billion set aside to
bring prosperity to Africa and reduce poverty and using Cross River as a
mediator is already growing in leaps and bounds translating into good news for
Cross River and indeed Nigeria.
It is a self-evident fact that
President Muhammadu Buhari now has a ready-made ally to drive his economic
diversification agenda beyond rhetoric and empty promises made during past
agricultural policies. Similarly, the Cross River Rice Example heralds a new
dawn for extension professionals anxious for the actualization of the extension
profession’s policy framework currently awaiting executive and legislative
action to empower practitioners to promote what is good and educate others
about best practices in other climes!
As a popularly saying in Yoruba
goes, “what we are looking for in Sokoto is in our ‘sokkotoo’. The emerging
development from Canaan city is good omen for Nigeria. Thus we don’t have to go
far, best examples are here for all to see!
With a robust rice value chain
programme and a world-class slaughterhouse that does 6000 birds per day, there
is no gainsaying the fact that Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State is
taking the lead in the sub-region for others to follow. Hence, the
actualization of his Superhighway and Deep Sea projects deserve FG support and
his giant strides worthy of emulation and support of all and sundry.
Yahaya is a professor of agricultural extension and development
communication at the University of Ibadan
President
Weah Issues Executive Order 98, Suspending Import Tariff on Rice
February 7, 2020
President George Manneh Weah has
with immediate effect suspended tariff on rice, Liberia’s staple food through
Executive Order No. 98.
The Executive Order suspends
import tariff on rice as classified under tariff nos. 1006.30.00 (packing of
more than 5kg or in bulk); 1006.30.00 (packing at least 5kg); and 1006.40.00
(broken rice) under the Revenue Code of Liberia Act 2000.
According to a release, the order
came into effect after an assessment and evaluation conducted on the causes of
the increase in the price of “strategic” commodities which includes rice. The
President’s move, according to the release, serves as one of many measures
meant to improve the situation.
“The President’s action, which is
contained in Executive Order No.98 issued February 4, 2020, manifests his
Government’s commitment to reducing the prices of essentials, including rice,
as to make them available and affordable on the local market,” the release
said.
Nigerian
Growing Local Rice Production At The Verge
February 7, 2020
By
From being the world’s second
largest rice importer years back, the narrative appears to have changed as the
Nigeria has continued to take steps to ramp domestic production.
According to a recent report,
Nigeria has overtaken Egypt as the largest rice producer in Africa. The
Director-General, Africa Rice Center, Benin Republic, Dr Harold Roy-Macauley,
who disclosed this, said Nigeria is now the largest rice producer at four
million tons a year. Egypt was producing 4.3 tons annually but the country’s
production had reduced by almost 40 per cent last year. Africa produces an
average of 14.6 million tons of rice annually, he explained.
Indeed, the remarkable achievement
recorded by the country in the area of rice production, as disclosed by
Roy-Macauley, was the outcome of robust collaboration between the Central Bank
of Nigeria (CBN) and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, that focused on areas
in the agriculture sector where the country has comparative advantage, in their
quest to drastically reduce the nation’s huge import bill.
However, the recent influx of
foreign rice in Nigerian markets through the land border not checked will
fustrate the growing local rice production which experts believe is at the
verge of collapse. With the success recorded so far in the Agricultural
sub sector amid CBN, Ministry of Agriculture and Nigeria Customs
service contribution towards making sure Nigeria becomes self-sufficient
in rice production in the world, it is important to note that if left
unattended to, this sabotage will affect rice production in this coming farming
season and we will not get it right again because many investors, both local
and foreign, will be discouraged from investing in the fastest-growing and most
improved Agricultural sub sector in Nigeria.
As part of efforts to reach
different markets across the six geopolitical zones of the country, we spread
our dragnet to Utako Market Abuja, Terminus Market Jos, Mile 3 Market
Port-Harcourt, Ochanja Market Onitsha; Ogbete Market in Enugu, G-Cappa/
Mile 2 Market Lagos, Jimeta Main Market Yola , Central Market kaduna and Singer
Market Kano where we sadly discovered that foreign rice is coming back
‘geometrically’ and Nigerians are going back to it even though it is not
healthy but because of cost comparison and finishing. Nigeria’s biggest city,
supermarket shelves remain stocked with a surplus of imported rice brands. In
the markets, where most Nigerians buy their food, sacks of rice are piled
high, both Nigerian and imported rice. The question that needs an answer is
‘where is it coming from’.
The Way Out
As we are all aware, the
Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Col. Hameed Ali (retd) a
strong-willed man, who is determined to carry out border closure policy to the
later cannot be at all the land borders and as a result, the bad elements among
his officers and men are seen aiding smuggling. Continuous confiscation
of imported rice in the markets by customs agents will reduce the level of
foreign rice influx into Nigerian local markets. The strengthening of imported
rice tax force involving all stakeholders such as Nigeria Customs Service
(NCS), Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN), Rice Millers
Association of Nigeria (RIMAN) , Rice Processors Association of Nigeria (RIPAN)
, Rice dealers association of Nigeria , Nigerian Police and Agriculture or
Agribusiness correspondents will produce unprecedented results. If this is not
done and done very fast, the growing local rice production industry in Nigeria
will collapse especially now that farming season is fast approaching, investors
will lose money and there will be lost of jobs that has been created along the
value chains.
Finally, any country that cannot
produce what its citizens consume cannot be said to be developing. This
administration has been making efforts and inputs in terms of subsidies both in
cash and materials to all sectors that have to do with agriculture and food
production in the country. It is, therefore, very sad that same government
agencies are aiding importation of food at the same time through
smuggling at the land border.
May I announce that the Nigerian
Farmers Forum (NFF) would soon be unveiled.
https://leadership.ng/2020/02/07/nigerian-growing-local-rice-production-at-the-verge-of-collapse/
India rice rates hit four-month high;
traders wary as coronavirus spreads
By Shreyansi Singh
ReutersFebruary 7, 2020
FILE PHOTO: A worker carries boiled rice for drying at a rice mill
on the outskirts of Kolkata
By Shreyansi Singh
BENGALURU (Reuters) - Rice export
prices in India edged up to the highest level in more than four months this
week, helped by healthy demand from African countries, while markets in
Thailand and Vietnam grapple with the new coronavirus outbreak.
India's 5 percent broken
parboiled variety was quoted around $370-$375 per tonne this week, the
highest since the last week of September.
Export prices were up from
$369-$373 quoted in the previous week, also supported by an appreciation in
rupee.
"Demand is good for the new
season crop. Prices are also competitive," said an exporter based at
Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh.
The uptick in demand came after
rice exports in 2019 fell 18.1% from a year ago to their lowest in eight years,
government data showed.
Thailand's benchmark 5 percent
broken rice prices eased to $425-$439 a tonne from $432-$453 last week, hurt by
a weak local currency.
The Thai baht plunged to a
seven-month low on Jan. 30, weighed down by the spread of the coronavirus that
threatened the country's tourism sector, a key driver of growth.
Traders expect export prices to
drop further on the outbreak that has killed 563 people in mainland China.
China was Thailand's
second-largest export market last year. Chinese tourists also account for more
than a quarter of total tourist arrivals in the Southeast Asian country each
year.
Domestic rice prices in Thailand
remained high as a persistent drought undermined new supply, according to a
Bangkok-based trader.
"The ongoing coronavirus
epidemic in China has also caused disruption to deliveries of Vietnamese farm
produce to China, including rice," a trader based in Ho Chi Minh City said.
The impact on shipments was
however limited since China had been cutting down on rice imports from Vietnam
for over a year, the trader said.
Rates for 5% broken rice in
Vietnam rose to $355-$360 per tonne from $345 a tonne a week ago.
"Demand for 5% broken rice
remains strong but the growing area in Vietnam is shrinking, partly due to
salinity," the trader said.
Farmers in the Mekong Delta have
harvested around 30% of the winter-spring crop, traders said.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh has offered
traders a cash subsidy worth 15% of rice exports in a bid to compete with
rivals and protect farmers struggling with low prices, Agriculture Minister
Abdur Razzak said on Wednesday.
"We wanted at least a 20%
cash subsidy. It'll still be difficult to fight our competitors," a trader
told Reuters.
(Reporting by Rajendra Jadhav in
Mumbai, Ruma Paul in Dhaka, Khanh Vu in Hanoi and Patpicha Tanakasempipat in
Bangkok; additional reporting by Swati Verma; editing by David Evans)
Mr. President,
farmers today, consumers tomorrow
Philippine Daily Inquirer / 05:24 AM February 07, 2020
Because of
the low rice tariff (35 percent) imposed last year, farmers are suffering very
much today. If this tariff continues this year as announced by some government
officials, President Duterte should know that consumers will suffer tomorrow.
The
information in the table (above right) is from the Philippine Statistics
Authority ( PSA). Since the PSA does not provide wet palay prices, the P3
average difference between wet and dry prices provided by the Department of
Agriculture in 2019 was used.
Using a
production cost of P12 per kilo for an average 4 tons per hectare, farmers who
sell dry palay decreased their per hectare incomes by 50 percent from P31,240
to P 15,480. However, since the great majority of farmers get the wet palay
price because they do not have drying facilities, their incomes decreased by 81
percent from P19,240 to P3,560.
No wonder.
Mr. Duterte said on two separate occasions that he would ban rice importation.
This is because the imported rice has become very cheap at a tariff of 35
percent and has forced the farmers to cut their farm gate prices significantly.
Both Mr. Duterte announcements were not implemented because our laws and the
World Trade Organization (WTO) agreements do not allow this.
Unfortunately,
the President may not have been informed that there is a way to achieve practically
the same objective of being fair. This is to equate the trade protection where
the imported rice price is made equal to the domestic rice price, favoring
neither the importer nor the farmer. This should be done by following our law
and WTO through temporary additional safeguard duties. These should soon be
removed when government support mechanisms are in place. If other countries do
this, why not us? Because farmers are not treated well, unlike cement
manufacturers who recently got safeguard measures.
As long as
these measures are not given, many rice farmers will refuse continuing losses
and stop planting altogether. We will then have to import more rice. That is
when consumers will suffer, because of higher prices.
We used to
rely primarily on Vietnam and Thailand for cheaper rice imports. But these will
no longer arrive at low prices, if they arrive at all. Mr. Duterte and the
government must address this inconvenient truth. Our consumers will likely have
insufficient imported rice at prices higher than our own.
Consider
this. VietnamnetGlobal reports: “The volume of Vietnam rice in 2020 will be
around 41.5 million tons, down 67 percent year on year.” That is 2.8 million
tons less, but we usually need to import at least 1.5 million tons. This year,
with less Filipino farmers planting because of the low 35 percent tariff , we
will need many more imports to feed our people. Vietnam will no longer be a
convenient import source.
The Thailand
situation is even worse. On Nov. 8, 2019, the Bangkok Post reported:
“Alternating drought conditions and flooding in northeastern Thailand are
expected to cut paddy production by 488,000 tons.” On Jan. 13 the Asia News
Network stated: “ The off-season rice production would be nearly half damaged,
or will yield only 3.5 million tons to 4 million tons of paddy, from the usual
8 million tons—a 50 percent decrease.”
So we better
produce more, not less, rice; stop the unfair suffering of our farmers today;
and prevent the hardship of our consumers tomorrow because of inadequate rice
at high prices. For the sake of our farmers and consumers, Mr. Duterte and our
government should immediately implement the safeguard of additional duties. It
is then that our farmers can plant again with reasonable returns. This is even
recommended by our law and WTO. So what is holding us back? Unfortunately, I
believe it is a lack of understanding of our dire situation.
ASIA
RICE-INDIA RATES HIT 4-MONTH HIGH; TRADERS WARY AS CORONAVIRUS SPREADS
2/6/2020
* Thai rice prices fall due to a weak baht, coronavirus
* Deliveries of Vietnamese farm produce hurt by virus-trader
* Bangladesh offers traders cash subsidy worth 15% of rice exports
* India's 2019 rice exports slide to 8-year low - govt data
By Shreyansi Singh
BENGALURU, Feb 6 (Reuters) - Rice export prices in India edged up
to the highest level in more than four months this week, helped by healthy
demand from African countries, while markets in Thailand and Vietnam grapple
with the new coronavirus outbreak.
India's 5 percent broken parboiled variety <RI-INBKN5-P1>
was quoted around $370-$375 per tonne this week, the highest since the last
week of September.
Export prices were up from $369-$373 quoted in the previous week,
also supported by an appreciation in rupee.
"Demand is good for the new season crop. Prices are also
competitive," said an exporter based at Kakinada in the southern state of
Andhra Pradesh.
The uptick in demand came after rice exports in 2019 fell 18.1%
from a year ago to their lowest in eight years, government data showed.
Thailand's benchmark 5 percent broken rice <RI-THBKN5-P1>
prices eased to $425-$439 a tonne from $432-$453 last week, hurt by a weak
local currency.
The Thai baht plunged to a seven-month low on Jan. 30, weighed
down by the spread of the coronavirus that threatened the country's tourism
sector, a key driver of growth.
Traders expect export prices to drop further on the outbreak that
has killed 563 people in mainland China.
China was Thailand's second-largest export market last year.
Chinese tourists also account for more than a quarter of total tourist arrivals
in the Southeast Asian country each year.
Domestic rice prices in Thailand remained high as a persistent
drought undermined new supply, according to a Bangkok-based trader.
"The ongoing coronavirus epidemic in China has also caused
disruption to deliveries of Vietnamese farm produce to China, including
rice," a trader based in Ho Chi Minh City said.
The impact on shipments was however limited since China had been
cutting down on rice imports from Vietnam for over a year, the trader said.
Rates for 5% broken rice <RI-VNBKN5-P1> in Vietnam rose to
$355-$360 per tonne from $345 a tonne a week ago.
"Demand for 5% broken rice remains strong but the growing
area in Vietnam is shrinking, partly due to salinity," the trader said.
Farmers in the Mekong Delta have harvested around 30% of the
winter-spring crop, traders said.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh has offered traders a cash subsidy worth 15%
of rice exports in a bid to compete with rivals and protect farmers struggling
with low prices, Agriculture Minister Abdur Razzak said on Wednesday.
"We wanted at least a 20% cash subsidy. It'll still be
difficult to fight our competitors," a trader told Reuters. (Reporting by
Rajendra Jadhav in Mumbai, Ruma Paul in Dhaka, Khanh Vu in Hanoi and Panu
Wongcha-um in Bangkok; additional reporting by Swati Verma; editing by David
Evans)
ICRISAT
unearths State’s agriculture heritage
HYDERABAD, FEBRUARY
06, 2020 00:27 IST
Researchers are trying to understand the impact of soil scooped
from tank beds and used as topsoil in fields as part of Mission Kakatiya.
Prior to the Kakatiyas, tanks
were built by elites and kings: Cambridge University researcher
Archaeologists from Cambridge
University and scientists from the International Crops Research Institute for
Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) have teamed up to discover the archaeological
heritage of agriculture in Telangana and Punjab.
The study is part of a larger
project (TIGR2ESS) Transforming India’s Green Revolution by Research and
Empowerment for Sustainable Food Supplies. “We are looking at the
archaeological and historical evidence over a 5000-year period to understand
water use in the region and diversity of crops and cropping patterns,” informs
Cameron A. Petrie of Cambridge University.
“We have discovered that the tank
irrigation system predates the Kakatiya rule. Prior to the Kakatiyas, tanks
were built by elites and kings in the region. The Kakatiyas just scaled up the
enterprise,” says Adam Green, another researcher for the project, who uses
historical cartography and GIS information for the research.
The study is an important facet
of food security as mono-cropping of water intensive crops like wheat and rice
are being blamed for extreme water depletion in most parts of India. “The
research will help us understand aspects of the archaeological and agronomy
evidence over the historical period to a more modern period. Wheat, barley,
millets and pulses were cultivated earlier but now there is a reduction in crop
diversity,” says Mr. Petrie.
The researchers discovered that
the control and management of tanks was left to the community though the water
bodies were commissioned by the rulers. “We have noticed a huge reduction in
the number of tanks and water bodies over the past 100 years. We are trying to
find maps and archaeological evidence to find out the location of those water
bodies. Late 19th century maps have information about including maximum tank
size and minimum tank size,” says Mr. Green. “We are trying to create a
systematic map of all the tanks, different types, sizes, chronology and
locations. We want to put a number to how many tanks might have been lost. We
want to understand the scope of rejuvenation of these tanks which is the goal
of Mission Kakatiya,” he adds.
The researchers are also trying
to understand impact of soil scooped from the tank beds and used as topsoil in
agricultural fields as part of Mission Kakatiya. “Though we are getting reports
about positive impact on agricultural output, we are carrying out soil or silt
analysis to find a scientific explanation for rise in productivity,” say the
researchers at ICRISAT.
https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Hyderabad/icrisat-unearths-states-agriculture-heritage/article30745819.ece
Scientists sequence the genome of
basmati rice
Credit:
CC0 Public Domain
Using an innovative genome
sequencing technology, researchers assembled the complete genetic blueprint of
two basmati rice varieties, including one that is drought-tolerant and
resistant to bacterial disease. The findings, published in Genome
Biology, also show that basmati rice is a hybrid of two other rice groups.
Basmati—derived from the Hindi
word for "fragrant"—is a type of aromatic long-grain rice grown in southern Asia. Despite the economic and cultural
importance of basmati and related aromatic rice varieties, their evolutionary
history is not fully understood.
"Rice is one of the most
important staple crops worldwide, and the varieties in the basmati group are
some of the most iconic and prized rice varieties. However, until recently, a
high-quality reference genome for basmati rice did not exist," said Jae
Young Choi, a postdoctoral scholar at NYU and the Genome Biology study's
lead author.
Whole-genome sequencing—which
determines an organism's complete DNA sequence—is an important tool for
studying plants and improving crop varieties. Prior research assembled the
genome for basmati rice using short-read sequencing—in which DNA is broken into
tiny fragments and then reassembled—but there were missing sequences and gaps
in the data.
The researchers in NYU's Center
for Genomics and Systems Biology sequenced the genome of two members of the
basmati rice group using nanopore sequencing technology. Developed by Oxford Nanopore Technologies, a
collaborator on this project, nanopore sequencing is a third-generation
sequencing technology that allows long single molecules of DNA to be sequenced
quickly, improving on the completeness and efficiency of earlier genome sequencing.
The researchers focused on two
basmati rice varieties: Basmati 334 from Pakistan, known to be drought tolerant
and resistant to rice-killing bacterial blight, and Dom Sufid from Iran, an
aromatic long-grain rice that is one of the most expensive on the market. Using
long reads from nanopore sequencing, the researchers assembled high-quality,
complete genomes of the two basmati rice varieties that were a significant
improvement over earlier genome sequences assembled using short reads.
The sequencing also confirmed
that basmati rice is a hybrid of two other rice groups. Most genetic material
in basmati comes from japonica (a rice group found in East Asia), followed by
the rice group aus (found in Bangladesh).
Now that the genome sequences of basmati rice have been established, the
researchers aim to work with the scientific and rice breeding communities to
identify important genes, see what makes the basmati group unique, and even
develop molecular markers to help breed new varieties.
"By having the sequence of
rice varieties like Basmati 334, which can withstand drought conditions and resist bacterial blight, we can start to identify
genes that give rise to these valuable traits," said Michael Purugganan,
the Silver Professor of Biology at NYU and the study's senior author.
"Drought tolerance is something we are particularly interested in, given
the challenges we face due to climate change and the implications for food
security worldwide."
Millions of bags of
certified seeds distributed to farmers
The
Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) has distributed, as of Jan. 31,
1.24 million bags of certified seeds as assistance to farmers under the Rice
Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) planting an estimated area of 609,000
ha for this dry season.
Data also
show that more than 480,000 farmers in major rice-producing areas nationwide
have already benefited from the RCEF seeds program, the RCEF- Program
Management Office (PMO) reported during its recent Review and Assessment
Workshop.
“PhilRice
commits to continue reaching out to more farmers to provide them certified
seeds as an intervention to help increase yield and reduce cost amid the
implementation of Rice Tariffication Law (RTL),” Dr. Flordeliza Bordey, deputy
executive director for special concerns, said.
Bordey said
seed distribution also supports the Department of Agriculture’s endeavor toward
“Masaganang Ani at Mataas na Kita.”
Despite the
challenges with recent roll-out of RCEF, the distribution of the remaining
seeds continues as RCEF-PMO lays down plans for 2020 wet season and 2021 dry
season.
“For the 2020 wet season, we have allotted
2.514 million bags of seeds and 1.676 million bags for 2021 dry season
distribution,” Bordey said during the gathering of the national, regional, and
provincial coordinators.
Meanwhile,
to augment the RCEF Extension Service Program amid the limited budget and
personnel, RCEF eyes to develop farmer-trainers.
“Farmer-trainers,
will be a critical group of farmers who will disseminate information,” Dr. Karen
Eloisa T. Barroga, deputy executive director for development, said with
emphasis on strengthening farmer groups.
Additionally,
youth engagement will be prioritized this year.
“There are
many opportunities available for the youth, specifically for those who have
interest in AgriBusiness through Tech-Voc,” Barroga said.
The PhilRice
RCEF-PMO assures farmers for an improved delivery of services to continue
providing them the assistance they need amid the drop of rice prices after the
RTL.
IRRI India, South Asia &
Partners Deliberate on Transforming Food Systems through Sustainable Value
Chains
The International Rice Research
Institute (IRRI) South Asia Office in India, convened a multi-sectoral panel
discussion on - “Creating Sustainable Value Chains for Transforming Food Systems” on 4 Feb 2020, at the National Agricultural Science Complex
in Delhi. Senior representatives from agriculture, nutrition, environment,
R&D, and policy, speaking on the panel, deliberated on how to bring forth
convergent action for operationalizing a food system transformation in India
and the region. The multi-disciplinary perspectives brought focus on a new
paradigm of food systems transformation that is emerging in the context of
‘planetary boundaries’, and is defining the ‘safe operating space’ for
imparting stability to earth systems and human health. Citing demand and supply side challenges in the $ 550 billion food sector in India, Mr. Pawan Agarwal, CEO of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) in his keynote address emphasized on the existing challenges for ensuring good standards and safety of food that is being produced and consumed. “Access, affordability, quality, robust agricultural systems supported by robust supply chain and informed buyers is imperative for transforming food systems” he said. Thanking IRRI for organizing this timely and pertinent discussion, he said FSSAI’s ‘Eat Right India’ movement launched in 2018, similarly encouraged a ‘holistic societal approach’ for bringing about a food systems transformation.
Achieving SDG 2 of ‘Ending Hunger’ will be challenging said Dr Nafees Meah, Regional Representative for IRRI in South Asia, unless multiple stakeholders from pertinent areas of expertise converged to tackle issues like poor diet, land degradation, climate change, policy on agriculture, health and nutrition, in the already complex context of rising populations and economic inequality. “For convergent action on food systems transformation, to move from being ‘food secure’ to ‘nutrition secure’, we need to bring together gastronomy & food science”, he said.
Giving the policy perspective, from the planning commission of India, the Niti Aayog, was Ms. Supreet Kaur, Senior Technical Expert on Nutrition. “37 of 1000 babies in India don’t complete one year of their lives, and each year there are 167 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births.
Despite some improvements over the last decade, the pace of decline hasn't kept up with our growth trajectory she said. “Using a ‘lifecycle approach’, starting from the very early growth stages for a to-be-mother and her child, can help tackle malnutrition in all its forms. “The POSHAN Abhiyaan under the purview of the Ministry of Women and Child Development and Niti Aayog, is thus focusing on encouraging cross-sectoral convergence, apt interventions in the first 1000 days of life, and community mobilization for behavior change.
One of the key recommendations that emerged was the pressing need for developing and strengthening robust and sustainable value chains with appropriate cropping and mixed livestock/fish systems tailored for specific agro-ecologies in India and South Asia. In the interim, the fortification and/or biofortification of staple crops with iron, zinc, and beta-carotene, and low glycemic index, can help address poor nutrition among vulnerable consumers, especially women and children, in India.
Over the past decades, agricultural policies in India have focused on increasing food production. The eminent panel discussed how this policy focus needs to include also, consideration for the negative externalities on nutrition, natural capital, and biodiversity.
While significant steps have been taken to address the challenges arising in the agri-nutrition sphere, IRRI recommends a holistic approach by ensuring that existing food systems promote the following: 1) access to affordable nutritious and healthy food for all; 2) sustainable food production, processing, trade and retailing; 3) mitigating and adapting to climate change, and 4) improved smallholder farmer livelihoods and resilience by enhancing the prosperity of farming and rural communities.
Gracing the occasion were other eminent speakers, lending a holistic perspective to the discussion; Mr. Basanta Kar, Transform Nutrition Champion and Nutrition Leadership Awardee 2019 ; Dr. Purnima Menon, Senior Research Fellow, International Food Policy Research (IFPRI); Dr. Arabinda Padhee, Director, Country Relations and Business Affairs; Dr Shariqua Yunus; Dr. A K Singh , Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Deputy Director General (Agricultural Extension) ; Dr. Alok Sikka, International Water Management Institute (IWMI), India Representative ; Dr Sheetal Sharma, Nutrient Management Specialist for IRRI South Asia ; and Dr. Dinesh Kumar Scientists ‘G’ from National Institute of Nutrition.
Pertinent issues the panel discussed included; the nutritional status in India, Farming systems diversification to improve incomes and diets, Implementing POSHAN Abhiyan ; Biofortification of staples; Agri-nutrition education & awareness; Policies and institutional infrastructure; Sustainable food value chains; Food safety and standards across food value chains, and Environmental impact of production of staple crops.
The discussions here from has set in motion the drafting of a policy brief, with key convergent recommendations, that seek to bring forth a more nutrition-sensitive agriculture in India and the region, in the interest of farmers and consumers.
Containment of
emotions after the death of loved ones is injurious to health
Scientists from rice University
believe containment of emotions associated with the loss of their harmful to
health. The suppression of feelings in the blood sharply rising rates,
indicating inflammation.
Dr. Christopher Fagundes said his
team conducted a study involving 99 people recently buried their spouses. The
volunteers were asked to complete questionnaires about their behavior in a
stressful situation and blood tests. The face that hides emotions, had health
problems related to a malfunction of the immune system and heart disease. In
their blood had high levels of the proteins interleukin, immunoglobulin, tumor
necrosis α and interferon-γ. The discovery emphasizes the importance of
emotional discharge.
“Physical inflammation is
associated with many negative health conditions, including serious
cardiovascular problems such as stroke and heart attack. Our work has shown
that not all life history strategy is useful, especially when it comes to the
loss of loved ones,” said Dr. Richard Lopez.
In earlier work, scientists have found a link between the regulation of emotions and health after the breakup of a romantic relationship. In this case, the distraction from thinking about your ex a beneficial effect on the mental and physical condition of volunteers.
In earlier work, scientists have found a link between the regulation of emotions and health after the breakup of a romantic relationship. In this case, the distraction from thinking about your ex a beneficial effect on the mental and physical condition of volunteers.
THESE 5 WHITE MEALS IMPROVE YOUR WEIGHT, THESE WELL BEING ENHANCERS WILL
CUT BACK
Knowingly
or unknowingly, such white issues are consumed within the eating regimen, which
isn’t good for well being. These white issues are refined, processed and lack
vitamins.
Removing processed white meals from the eating regimen may help
cut back weight and management blood sugar. Most white coloured meals are
unhealthy, as they’re extremely processed and comprise extra carbs and fewer
vitamins than coloured meals. Learn right here 5 such white meals that must be
prevented and know what meals will likely be more healthy as a substitute for
them.
White Bread: Eating issues made with refined flour must be prevented.
<! –
->
When wheat flour is refined, fiber, nutritional vitamins, minerals and good fats are separated from wheat on this course of. Dr. Medhavi Agarwal, the physician related to it, has stated that diabetes sufferers ought to keep away from consuming pastries, muffins. Carbs are excessive on this and vitamins like fiber, protein are missing. Research has additionally revealed that consuming extra white bread will increase weight, as a result of its dietary worth is lowered. Instead, eat entire grain bread. This bread has extra nutritious worth. Apart from this, there is no such thing as a risk of gaining weight by consuming entire grain bread, which is because of consuming white bread.
When wheat flour is refined, fiber, nutritional vitamins, minerals and good fats are separated from wheat on this course of. Dr. Medhavi Agarwal, the physician related to it, has stated that diabetes sufferers ought to keep away from consuming pastries, muffins. Carbs are excessive on this and vitamins like fiber, protein are missing. Research has additionally revealed that consuming extra white bread will increase weight, as a result of its dietary worth is lowered. Instead, eat entire grain bread. This bread has extra nutritious worth. Apart from this, there is no such thing as a risk of gaining weight by consuming entire grain bread, which is because of consuming white bread.
White Pasta: White pasta is just like white bread, it’s made from refined
flour, which has fewer vitamins. However, white pasta, like white bread,
doesn’t have the tendency to achieve weight, supplied it’s eaten together with
different nutritious meals. So to extend vitamin, select pasta made with entire
grains. Whole grain pasta often incorporates extra fiber, which may make you
are feeling fuller and extra happy. In addition, fiber may assist decelerate
the digestion of carbs in your physique, supporting blood sugar management.
White rice : Like white bread and pasta, white rice falls into the class of
refined grains. White rice is just not a naturally ineffective or unhealthy
meals, but it surely doesn’t embody vitamin along with energy and carbs.
Absence of fiber and protein additionally causes weight achieve or imbalance of
blood sugar. The best choice is brown rice. It is wealthy in fiber, nutritional
vitamins and minerals in comparison with white rice. Research has proven that
brown rice impacts blood sugar to a a lot lesser extent than white rice.
White sugar : Sugar is a carbohydrate, which has similarities to glucose
fructose and glactose. It doesn’t comprise nutritional vitamins or minerals.
Rather, those that eat extra sugar improve their probabilities of getting
coronary heart ailments and most cancers. If there may be additionally candy
meals, then for a extra nutritious choice, select meals that naturally comprise
sugar corresponding to fruits. Fruits have simple sugars which can be just like
chemically added sugars. However, they’re wealthy in nutritional vitamins,
minerals, fiber and antioxidants.
White Salt: Without salt, there is no such thing as a style in any
meals and it’s important for well being, however there’s a risk of extreme
consumption of it. White salt like sugar may cause hurt. According to Dr.
Lakshmidatta Shukla, related to www.myupchar.com, if you happen to eat extra
processed meals or eat an excessive amount of then the quantity of salt and
energy within the physique will increase. Using extra nutrient-rich herbs and
spices is a good way to chop down on salt with out compromising the style of
meals.
Fostering interest
in halal research
TAPAI, or fermented sticky rice,
is a traditional dessert served during weddings and festivities. The process of
making tapai includes sprinkling a special yeast on top of the sticky rice to
ferment it. After the fermentation process is complete, the tapai will release
a distinctive smell and liquid.
“The liquid formed from the
fermentation process contains a very low alcohol level after a few days.
However, if the process is prolonged, the alcohol content will increase.
Before you know it, what is halal
(permissible) for Muslims to
consume, becomes haram (prohibited),” said Kolej Genius Insan Form Four student
Wan Nur Alya Nabihah Mazli.
“In Islam, Muslims are not
allowed to consume alcoholic food and drinks. Since tapai is a popular dish in
our society, especially among Malays and Muslims, it is important for us to be
equipped with this kind of knowledge and not blindly consume food that is
prohibited ,” she added.
This bit of insight was among the
many Wan Nur Alya had received as participant of the National Halal Action for
Young Scientist Camp held at Kolej Genius Insan in Nilai, Negri Sembilan.
The camp, which marries science
and technology with Islamic knowledge, was organised by Kolej Genius Insan in
collaboration with the Institute of Halal Research and Management (IHRAM),
Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia.
It aimed to foster students’
interest in the field of halal research through the rapid development of the
halal food industry worldwide.
Wan Nur Alya Nabihah Mazli (standing, third from left), Dr
Nurdalila A’wani Abd Aziz (standing, eighth from left) and Muhammad Adzriel
Azief Abdul Shukor (front row, fifth from left) with other participants of the
National Halal Action for Young Scientist camp.
Twenty-five participants aged 13
to 16 from different schools took part in activities such as halal
slaughtering, DNA identification, self-exploration, scientific visits,
research, and project assignments during the three-day camp.
Joining the camp made Wan Nur
Alya realise the importance of observing the things Muslims consume and their
practices in everyday lives.
“For food products especially,
halal is more than just labels. Requirements such as the ingredients listed and
manufacturing process must comply with Islamic guidelines for the food to be
permissible.
We, as Muslims, must be mindful
of what we eat, whether the food is store-bought or street food,” she said.
Another participant, Muhammad
Adzriel Azief Abdul Shukor of Sekolah Menengah Agama Persekutuan in Seremban,
described the camp as one of a kind.
“It is unlike the other
programmes that I have joined. The camp enables me to learn science and
integrate Islamic knowledge into it. At the same time, I am able to reflect on
myself as a Muslim.”
He added that the concept of
halal did not only apply to food, but also the way Muslims do things.
“People tend to overlook this,
but in order for raw meat to be permissible for Muslims, the animals must be
slaughtered in a certain manner.
"According to Islamic law,
halal slaughter includes a few special requirements and steps. For example, the
animals must be alive and healthy and they have to be slaughtered using a sharp
knife.
“We were lucky to be given the
chance to do our own chicken slaughtering during this camp. This is my first
time demonstrating a slaughter, with step-by-step guidance from the committee
members.
Muhammad Adzriel Azief Abdul Shukor getting ready to do halal
slaughtering as one of the activities at the camp.
"Later that night, we threw
a barbecue dinner, followed by a stargazing session. It is an experience I will
always treasure since I can perform my own slaughtering in the future,” he
said.
“Another activity that I found
interesting was identifying and verifying halal or haram meat through its DNA.
"For this task, we were
given two types of sausages, made from pork and beef respectively.
Then, the sausages were ground
and put into a quantitative polymerase chain reaction machine to determine which
sausage contained porcine and which contained beef DNA.
“We were guided by facilitators,
who are former students of Kolej Genius Insan in this experiment. They were
helpful in explaining the process and results of the experiment to the
participants.
"I was so excited to learn
about the use of these laboratory apparatus and machines. We were able to
handle all the equipment firsthand ourselves,” said Muhammad Adzriel.
Kolej Genius Insan, which is
located in Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia, is an institution under the
Ministry of Education's GENIUS division. It offers advanced education to gifted
and talented Form One to Five students, with emphasis on the integration of
Science and Technology with the Quran and Sunnah.
Its students are tasked to carry
out research while learning additional modules, such as self development and
Quran memorisation.
Wan Nur Alya added that joining
the camp had sharpened her teamwork, communication and public speaking skills.
“At one of the sessions, we were
divided into groups where we needed to brainstorm.
"We came out with a new
product as an environmental solution. In order to reduce paper usage, we
thought of using waffles as a substitute for cupcake paper cups.
"Later, we were required to
present our idea in front of the other participants.
“Although we had only known each
other for a short time, we still managed to have a meaningful discussion,” she
said.
Programme coordinator Dr
Nurdalila A’wani Abd Aziz said that the camp provided students with the
opportunity to learn different things outside of the school environment.
“We want to expose the
participants with as much hands-on activities as possible. The camp also
focuses on cultivating students’ interest in research.
“Apart from that, personal
development of students through the application of critical and creative
thinking, communication, social and leadership skills are also stressed."
She added: “Most of the
participants say they aspire to be doctors. I can see why they are enthusiastic
about putting on their white lab coats when using the DNA extraction kit.
"I am glad that participants
from other schools had the opportunity to conduct experiments using the
facilities and advanced laboratory apparatus provided by Kolej Genius Insan.
“As for our future plans, we hope to continue our efforts by
gathering more participants.”
Eight local
industries to enjoy tax holiday: FM
Published: February
06, 2020 20:22:51 | Updated: February 07, 2020 09:43:01
Finance
Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal on Thursday said the government has decided to give
100 to 20 per cent tax holiday to eight local industries for their development.
“The eight new
local industries will enjoy tax holiday at a reduced rate from 100 to 20 per
cent under the new finance act,” he said while responding to a starred question
made by M Mamunur Rashid Kiron of Noakhali-3 in the parliament, reports BSS.
Under the
initiative, he said, the eight new local industries which would be setup
completely within the period between July 2019 and June 2024, would get the
tax-holiday privilege.
The new eight
local industries are agriculture machineries, furniture, home appliances
(blender, rice cooker, microwave oven, electric oven, washing machine,
induction cooker and water filter), leather and leather goods, LED TV, mobile
phone, plastic recycling and toy manufacturing.
Apart from this,
the similar tax holiday advantage has also been imposed to more local
industries which had been established within the period between July 2011 to
June 2024.
These local
industries are active pharmaceuticals ingredient and radio pharmaceuticals,
automatic bricks, automobile, barrier contraceptive and rubber latex, basic
components of electronics (resistor, capacitor, transistor, integrated circuit,
multilayer PCB etc), bi-cycle including parts thereof, bio-fertilizer,
biotechnology based agro products, boiler including parts and equipment
thereof, compressor including parts thereof, computer hardware, insecticides or
pesticides, locally produced fruits and vegetables processing, petro-chemicals,
pharmaceuticals, textile machinery , tissue grafting and tyre
manufacturing.
Even the
government has also increased the timeframe of tax-rebate for the local
industries which are engaging for producing rice bran oil, he added.
Besides, all
the industries under the Information technology sector will get the total tax
holiday.
Under the new
act, the minister concluded that the tax free income for the SME sector’s
annual turnover was up to Tk 3.6 million and now it has been revised to Tk 5.0
million for the same sector.
https://thefinancialexpress.com.bd/economy/eight-local-industries-to-enjoy-tax-holiday-fm-1580998971
Genetics
researchers target cadmium reduction in cacao
-
February 6, 2020
Valley News - Health
The 28th annual International Conference on the Status of Plant
and Animal Genome Research took place Jan. 11-15, in San Diego, and the Jan. 12
cacao genomics workshop included a presentation on the attempt to reduce the
cadmium content of the bean used for chocolate.
Jim Dunwell of the University of Reading in the United Kingdom
addressed the situation including potential solutions in “Molecular Genetic
Approaches to Reducing Cadmium Accumulation in Cocoa.” Dunwell said that the
European Union recently implemented a cadmium limit which took effect in
January 2019.
“During the processing of chocolate, we’re trying to get rid of
cadmium,” Dunwell said.
Chocolate is one of the major products with high cadmium levels,
and rice grown in China also has high levels of cadmium.
“It’s something which is not good for anybody,” Dunwell said.
“It accumulates in your body over your life.”
The source of cadmium could be natural such as volcanic soils,
and the use of phosphate fertilizers, mining activity or industrial pollution
can also create cadmium in the soil.
“There are hot spots geographically where cacao grown in those
areas produce beans that exceed the limit,” Dunwell said.
The four nations with the greatest cacao production are in
western Africa, where the cadmium levels in the soil are the lowest. Although
those four nations account for approximately 72% of the world’s chocolate
production, some of the highest-quality chocolate is from South American cacao
and many of those areas have cadmium levels which exceed the European Union
limit. The initial maximum levels allow for a higher cadmium concentration in
darker chocolate but no more than 0.00008%; the lowest maximum level is
0.00001% and the limit for cocoa powder is 0.00006%.
“Africa and Asia the range is not too bad, but if you look at
the Latin American, South American region the rate is much more,” Dunwell said.
“It’s a threat to the livelihoods of particularly sensitive areas of challenged
parts of South America.”
Efforts have been made to track the source of cadmium in those
areas.
“Some of them are natural geological sources,” Dunwell said.
Other sources are due to fertilizers.
“Agriculture in many areas depends on the use of fertilizers,”
Dunwell said. “Certain phosphate fertilizers in parts of the world have high
levels of cadmium in them.”
The cadmium level in phosphate fertilizers varies depending on
the source of the phosphate. Russian phosphate has lower cadmium levels, which
creates the political risk that Russia will use that advantage as a bargaining
tool.
“European agriculture doesn’t want to be dependent on Russian
fertilizers,” Dunwell said.
Some of the research involves adjustment of cadmium levels in
the soil.
“If you can stop the cadmium from getting into the plant that’s
probably the best way to start,” Dunwell said. “Plants don’t need cadmium at
all.”
Biochar binding of the soil is one potential solution.
“There is lots of agronomic interest and agronomic activity, but
so far it hasn’t been proven,” Dunwell said.
Adjusting the pH level of soil is complicated by the different
levels throughout the world.
“There’s a very narrow pH window which you have to calculate,”
Dunwell said.
A focus on cacao plant rejection of cadmium through the root
stock or through transporter genes is part of the research.
“If we can do that in the long term, we can put that into a
breeding program,” Dunwell said. “Cadmium comes in as a kind of hitchhiker.
There is no cadmium-specific transporter.”
Most of the genetic work that has been done in the past uses
rice as a model system.
“The idea was to identify the region looking at other species,”
Dunwell said. “Rice is the precedent in terms of gene editing.”
Cadmium is believed to be transported into the plant through the
Natural Resistance-Associated Macrophage Protein transcriptome. Cacao has five
NRAMP genes.
“It’s at one gene that does one thing,” Dunwell said.
A mutagenesis process in the
research utilizes downregulation of Heavy Metal ATPase genes, and when the HMA
gene NtHMA4 is downregulated a reduction of more than thirtyfold is achieved.
“Mutagenesis has been used conventionally,” Dunwell said.
The NRAMP and HMA genes from were isolated in several accessions
which differ in cadmium update.
“We looked at variations between the different accessions that
we have,” Dunwell said.
Variants of different transcriptome length were then spliced.
The researchers also used the NRAMP5 gene to transport cadmium from cacao into
yeast.
“You can test these variants from different cacao accessions,”
Dunwell said.
“The cadmium will have an inhibitory effect on the yeast,”
Dunwell said. “It stops yeast growing, but it allows the uptake of cadmium into
yeast.”
The purpose of that was for comparison rather than for adding
cadmium to yeast, and the experiment confirmed that NRAMP5 encodes a protein
capable of cadmium transport.
“We know they’re in the right part of the yeast cell,” Dunwell
said. “We’re also interested in cadmium isotope variation. Plants can
discriminate between these isotopes.”
Cadmium in nature has eight isotopes.
“We should consider cadmium not as one element but as a series
of elements with different isotopes,” Dunwell said.
Joe Naiman can be reached by email at jnaiman@reedermedia.com.
Manila Water
foundation honors engineers for social good
(L-R) Mr. Rene D. Almendras, Manila Water Foundation
Chairman; Prize Awardees Dr. Michael A. Gragasin, Engr. Alexis T. Belonio, Dr.
Ruel M. Mojica, Dr. Francis Aldrine A. Uy; Usec. Brenda L. Nazareth-Manzano,
Regional Operations, Department of Science and Technology; and Engr. Federico
Monsada, President of Philippine Technological Council
QUEZON CITY, Feb. 6 -- Manila Water
Foundation (MWF) honored four Filipino engineers who made significant social
impact at the MWF Prize for Engineering Excellence Awarding Ceremony on
February 3 at Seda Hotel Vertis North in Quezon City.
The Manila Water Foundation Prize
for Engineering Excellence (The Prize) is the only recognizing body in the
Philippines that honors engineers who made notable contributions in solving
development problems in the areas of water, sanitation, environment, and
sustainability.
In partnership with the Department
of Science and Technology (DOST) and the Philippine Technological Council
(PTC), the umbrella organization of the thirteen professional engineering
organizations in the Philippines, The Prize honored four awardees this year --
Engr. Alexis T. Belonio, Dr. Michael A. Gragasin, Dr. Ruel M. Mojica, and Dr.
Francis Aldrine A. Uy.
Engr. Belonio, an agricultural
engineer, is the man behind the rice husk gasifier stove. His technology allows
people to have a more affordable alternative to LPG by using rice husk, a
common biowaste from rice production, as its main source of fuel. Through this
invention, more Filipino families can now allot additional budget for food and
other important items as each sack of rice husk can be purchased for only P10
and is already sufficient for one-week use. For the same invention, Engr.
Belonio has received the Rolex Award for Enterprise for turning his technology
into open source, making its fabrication cost more affordable.
Also an agricultural engineer, Dr.
Gragasin worked on making milling machines more accessible to farmers. Through
his inventions, the compact corn mill and impeller rice mill, farmers can now
process their own crops and won’t need to rely on commercial millers or sell
their produce at a low price to traders. With these machines and the
capacity-building activities Dr. Gragasin spearheads, farmers can now increase
their income from PhP5 per kilo to around P14 to P25 per kilo. Production costs
for corn and rice, which are staple food in the country, are also maintained at
a low cost making these grains more affordable for each Filipino.
Dr. Mojica, another agricultural
engineer, has a vision to empower low-income coffee farmers to increase their
financial viability by involving them in value-adding activities such as
roasting. To make this happen, he invented the Bravura Coffee Roasting Machine
and has partnered with a local manufacturer to help him fabricate the machine
at the lowest possible cost. Compared to imported and commercially available
roasters, his machine is at least 50 percent cheaper and offers local support
to farmers such as trainings on coffee science, business operation, and
marketing. Now, more coffee farmers reap the benefits of being able to turn
their green coffee into roasted coffee beans as their profit increases by at
least 50 percent.
Lastly, Dr. Uy, a civil engineer,
commits to make our communities less vulnerable to the adverse effects of
earthquakes. Taking his profession to heart, he invented the Universal
Structural Health Evaluation and Recording (USHER) System, a device which can
be used to continuously gather data and monitor the structural health and
integrity of buildings and other structures. The data gathered from his
invention will allow structural engineers to have better basis for assessment
if it is safe to go back in a building after an earthquake which can prevent
injuries and possible loss of lives.
Now on in its third run, MWF, PTC,
and DOST conduct a biennial nationwide search for extraordinary Filipino
engineers to recognize their contributions, help them achieve a wider reach and
help promote their technologies to contribute to national progress.
Manila Water Foundation Chairman
Rene Almendras shared, “I hope that we will be able to continue this
partnership not only to recognize the greatness of Filipino engineers, but more
importantly, to help promote positive change for marginalized communities
through the innovations our engineers make.” (MWF)
Paddy scam: 450
mills don’t reply to notices
Over Rs
30 cr to be recovered
Posted: Feb 07, 2020 07:34 AM (IST)
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, February 6
After diversion of paddy worth Rs
90 crore from 1,207 rice mills coming to light, the Food, Civil Supplies and
Consumer Affairs Department is yet to recover the cost of missing paddy from
450 owners.
“The rice mills have not replied
to notices issued over diversion of paddy till January 15. The department has
fixed February 5 as the deadline to pay the cost of missing paddy,” said PK
Das, Additional Chief Secretary.
“An amount of between Rs 30 crore
and Rs 35 crore is to be recovered. We will tell their guarantors to pay by
Monday. Property documents are available. If guarantors do not pay, we will
invoke these documents,” he said.
In case of 757 rice mills which replied
to notices for paddy diversion, the department was going through their
justifications.
“Further action in their regard
will be taken in the next 15 days. We have three options — cost recovery,
blacklisting and registration of FIRs,” said Das.
“It is a case of
misappropriation. The justification being given that 1 per cent shortfall in
paddy stock is allowed is wrong,” he said.
The scam involved bogus
procurement of paddy in collusion between rice millers, procurement agencies,
arhtiyas and marketing board officials. Congress leaders demanded a CBI inquiry
into the scam.
An interview with Shahjahan Malik,
chairman Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP)
New Canadian Contractor Brings New Promotion Opportunities
TORONTO,
CANADA -- Today USA Rice met with Harbinger, a cutting edge marketing firm here
with a global reach and a client list that includes Dove, Dole, and Taste
USA. As the new contractor for Canada promotions, Harbinger is getting
familiar with the USA Rice Canada portfolio in meetings with Maria Arbulu of
the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) Canada
and members of the trade to explore joint promotion opportunities in the
market.
Included in the Harbinger presentation was a first-hand view of the most popular U.S.-origin rice promotions currently on shelves in Canada, including Gourmet and Go prepared meals, and Air Canada in-flight meals.
Monthly sales for Gourmet and Go prepared meals, available nationwide at Shoppers Drug stores, are strong and have been increasing steadily this year.
The collaboration with Air Canada is a boon for the U.S. rice industry as U.S.-origin rice is now identified with custom bilingual stickers on in-flight meals. This promotion began in July 2019 and to date more than 1,000 pounds of long grain white rice has been incorporated into various offerings on the airline's menu.
"Canadian consumers consider U.S.-origin rice the closest option to a homegrown grain," said Asiha Grigsby, USA Rice manager of international promotion who attended the marketing meetings this week. "Canada is our third largest market for milled rice. The opportunity to partner with strong Canadian brands speaks to the versatility and quality of our product, and, with Harbinger leading the way, we intend to seek more collaborations in the Canadian market."
Included in the Harbinger presentation was a first-hand view of the most popular U.S.-origin rice promotions currently on shelves in Canada, including Gourmet and Go prepared meals, and Air Canada in-flight meals.
Monthly sales for Gourmet and Go prepared meals, available nationwide at Shoppers Drug stores, are strong and have been increasing steadily this year.
The collaboration with Air Canada is a boon for the U.S. rice industry as U.S.-origin rice is now identified with custom bilingual stickers on in-flight meals. This promotion began in July 2019 and to date more than 1,000 pounds of long grain white rice has been incorporated into various offerings on the airline's menu.
"Canadian consumers consider U.S.-origin rice the closest option to a homegrown grain," said Asiha Grigsby, USA Rice manager of international promotion who attended the marketing meetings this week. "Canada is our third largest market for milled rice. The opportunity to partner with strong Canadian brands speaks to the versatility and quality of our product, and, with Harbinger leading the way, we intend to seek more collaborations in the Canadian market."
USA Rice Daily
BASMATI RICE GENOME COULD PINPOINT VALUABLE TRAITS
Researchers have assembled the complete genome of two varieties
of basmati rice, one of which is drought-tolerant and resistant to bacterial
disease.
The findings, published in Genome Biology, show
that basmati rice is a hybrid of two other rice groups.
Basmati—derived from the Hindi word for
“fragrant”—is a type of aromatic long-grain rice grown in southern Asia.
Despite the economic and cultural importance of it and other aromatic rice varieties,
their evolutionary history is not fully understood.
“Rice is one of the most important staple crops
worldwide, and the varieties in the basmati group are some of the most iconic
and prized rice varieties. However, until recently, a high-quality reference
genome for basmati rice did not exist,” says Jae Young Choi, a postdoctoral
scholar at New York University and lead author of the study.
Whole-genome sequencing—which determines an
organism’s complete DNA sequence—is an important tool for studying plants and
improving crop varieties. Prior research assembled the genome for the rice
using short-read sequencing—in which DNA is broken into tiny fragments and then
reassembled—but there were missing sequences and gaps in the data.
The researchers in NYU’s Center for Genomics
and Systems Biology sequenced the genome of two members of the basmati rice
group using nanopore sequencing technology. Developed by Oxford Nanopore
Technologies, a collaborator on this project, nanopore sequencing is a
third-generation sequencing technology that allows long single molecules of DNA
to be sequenced quickly, improving on the completeness and efficiency of
earlier genome sequencing.
The researchers focused on two basmati rice
varieties: Basmati 334 from Pakistan, known to be drought tolerant and
resistant to rice-killing bacterial blight, and Dom Sufid from Iran, an
aromatic long-grain rice that is one of the most expensive on the market. Using
long reads from nanopore sequencing, the researchers assembled high-quality, complete
genomes of the two basmati rice varieties that were a significant improvement
over earlier genome sequences assembled using short reads.
The sequencing also confirmed that basmati rice
is a hybrid of two other rice groups. Most genetic material in basmati comes
from japonica (a rice group found in East Asia), followed by the rice group aus
(found in Bangladesh).
Having established the genome sequences of
basmati rice, the researchers aim to work with the scientific and rice breeding
communities to identify important genes, see what makes the basmati group
unique, and even develop molecular markers to help breed new varieties.
“By having the sequence of rice varieties like
Basmati 334, which can withstand drought conditions and resist bacterial blight, we can start
to identify genes that give rise to these valuable traits,” says Michael
Purugganan, professor of biology at NYU and the study’s senior author. “Drought
tolerance is something we are particularly interested in, given the challenges
we face due to climate change and the implications for food security
worldwide.”
Additional coauthors are from NYU, Oxford
Nanopore Technologies, and the New York Genome Center. Support for the work
came from the Zegar Family Foundation, the National Science Foundation Plant
Genome Research Program, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and NYU Abu
Dhabi Research Institute.
India's
rice exports likely to dip by 18-20 per cent in FY20: Report
The report
further noted that rice being a kharif crop (August - November) shows a
clear seasonal pattern in exports as well.
Published: 06th
February 2020 04:30 PM | Last Updated: 06th
February 2020 04:30 PM |
Labourers
arrange rice bags at a godown. (Photo | EPS)
MUMBAI: India's
rice exports is expected to witness around 20 per cent decline this fiscal, due
to heightened geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and tighter trade norms,
a report said on Thursday.
According to a
report by the US-based trade finance company Drip Capital, export of rice has
witnessed a significant decline across the world owing to heightened
geopolitical tensions in the Middle East -- one of the biggest export market.
Following
this, India's rice exports is likely to go down by 18-20 per cent in 2019-20,
the report said. "Exports so far are looking bleak with Iran, the biggest
export market, seeing a 22 per cent fall in shipments.
Other export
markets like the UAE (33 per cent), Nepal (23 per cent), Yemen (2 per cent),
Senegal (90 per cent) and Bangladesh (94 per cent) have also seen a fall in
rice shipments from India," Drip Capital co-founder and co-CEO Pushkar
Mukewar said.
On the other
hand, exports to certain nations defied the broader trend and registered an
increase.
Saudi Arabia
witnessed a 4 per cent rise, while for Iraq it was 10 per cent, Benin (8 per
cent) and the USA (4 per cent), he added.
Meanwhile, the
report revealed that Haryana is the top basmati rice exporting state in the
country with an annual growth of 3 per cent between FY16 to FY19.
The state has
shipped USD 2,410 million in FY19 alone. Gujarat is second biggest
exporting state with shipments of USD 1,106 million in FY19.
Other major
contributing states are Delhi, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh, the report said.
The report
further noted that rice being a kharif crop (August - November) shows a
clear seasonal pattern in exports as well.
The four
months post-harvest (December - March) see over 40 per cent of annual exports
compared to the rest of the year, it said.
US-Iran tensions,
coronavirus to pull down rice exports by 20%: Report
Export of rice
especially basmati, to Iran, valued at $1.5 billion in 2018-19 financial year,
continue to weather uncertainty following US sanctions on its crude oil last
year
Virendra Singh Rawat | Lucknow Last Updated at February 6,
2020 23:58 IST
6
The US-Iran standoff and the recent coronavirus outbreak in China
are among factors which, it is thought, could pull down Indian rice exports by
about a fifth this year.
Export of rice, especially basmati, to Iran was valued at $1.5
billion (about Rs 10,500 crore) in 2018-19. It accounts for 25-30 per cent of
annual Indian rice shipment. Indian rice export had a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of nearly 14 per cent
between 2010 and 2019. We account for a fourth of global rice export; it
contributes two per cent to the overall Indian export basket.
However, goes a report by US-based trade finance company Drip
Capital, rice export this year has fallen across the globe, with a major dip emerging
from West Asia, due to geopolitical tensions. The report is based on analysis
of proprietary data and on-ground conversation with exporters.
“YTD (year to date) export is so far looking bleak, with Iran, the
biggest export market, seeing a 22 per cent fall in shipment,” said Drip
Capital co-founder and co-chief executive, Pushkar Mukewar.
Devendra Vora, a Mumbai-based rice trader and exporter, said
shipment to Iran had been tepid since October 2019 due to the US-Iran crisis,
with no respite in sight.
“Annual rice export to Iran is to the tune of more than 10 million tonnes (mt). There
is a strong possibility of these falling by almost 2 million tonnes,” he told
Business Standard, adding traders holding stocks were staring at a loss.
Kohinoor Foods joint managing director Gurnam Arora said since
Iran was the major destination for Indian rice export, the siaution would
certainly reflect in lower shipment, staitng: “I see a
20 per cent dip this year, given the adverse global market sentiments,
accentuated now by the coronavirus outbreak and reflecting in slowing
international trade.” Many other international markets for Indian rice, he added,
had been down over several months.
Haryana is India’s top basmati rice
exporting state, with a CAGR of three per cent during 2016-19, shipping $2.4
billion in FY19. Gujarat was second in FY19, with $1.1 billion and a CAGR of 47
per cent during 2016-19. Other major contributors are Delhi, West Bengal and
Andhra.
Arora suggests the central
government discuss rice export with Brazil. “If it pushes the matter properly,
there is a possibility of almost 1 million tonnes of rice shipment; Brazil is a
big consumer of food grain, including rice and wheat,” he said.
Around 40 per cent of the export
takes place in the four months from December to March. The UAE, Nepal, Yemen,
Senegal and Bangladesh are other major destinations for Indian rice but have
showed a dip in shipment this financial year. Export to some countries has seen
some growth — Saudi Arabia (4 per cent), Iraq (10 per cent), Benin (8 per cent)
and America (4 per cent).
India’s
rice exports may fall by 18-20% in FY2020
Commodity Online |
February 06 2020
UPDATED 14:50:46 IST
UPDATED 14:50:46 IST
• India is the world’s largest rice exporter with over 25% share
in global markets
• Rice contributes to over 2% of overall exports within the Indian export basket
• Rice exports have grown at a CAGR of nearly 14% between FY10-19
• Rice exports for FY20 expected to fall due to geo-political situations, tighter trade norms and higher MSP on the commodity by government
• Rice contributes to over 2% of overall exports within the Indian export basket
• Rice exports have grown at a CAGR of nearly 14% between FY10-19
• Rice exports for FY20 expected to fall due to geo-political situations, tighter trade norms and higher MSP on the commodity by government
5th February 2020, Mumbai: US-based trade finance company Drip
Capital has released a report detailing the state of India’s rice exports.
Chalking out detailed insights from proprietary data and on-ground
conversations with exporters, the report analyses the country’s rice shipments,
with Basmati rice occupying a major share.
Within the Indian export basket, rice contributes to over 2% of overall exports. The sector reported a CAGR of 14% between FY2010 to FY2019. However, rice exports this year have seen a decline across the globe with a major dip coming from the Middle East due to heightened geopolitical tensions. A resulting fall in prices has further aggravated the sector’s woes.
Haryana is the top Basmati rice exporting state in the country with a CAGR of 3% between FY16-19, shipping US$2,410 million in FY19 alone. Gujarat is second with shipments of US$1,106 million in FY19; however, Gujarat has posted an impressive CAGR of 47% over FY16-19. Other major contributing states are Delhi, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh.
Rice being a Kharif crop (August – November) shows a clear seasonal pattern in exports as well. The four months post-harvest (December – March) see over 40% of annual exports as compared to the rest of the year. The current year's (FY19-20) rice exports have also been trending much below previous years’ performance.
Pushkar Mukewar, Co-Founder and Co-CEO, Drip Capital said, “YTD
exports so far are looking bleak with Iran, the biggest export market, seeing a
22% fall in shipments. Other export markets like the UAE (33%), Nepal (23%),
Yemen (2%), Senegal (90%) and Bangladesh (94%) have also seen a fall in rice
shipments from India. On the other hand, exports to certain nations broke from
the trend to post growth, such as Saudi Arabia (4%), Iraq (10%), Benin (8%) and
the USA (4%).”
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