500 tonnes of Chinese hybrid rice seeds arrive Pakistan
ISLAMABAD: A total of 500 tonnes of
hybrid rice seeds from a seed company in east China's Jiangsu Province have
landed in Pakistan to help ensure the country's grain yield this year.
It is estimated that about 33333
hectares of land will be planted with those seeds, reports Gwadar Pro App on
Friday. Earlier this year, Jiangsu Hongqi Seed Industry Co., Ltd., an
enterprise engaged in wholesale and retail of crop seeds in China, reached an
agreement with Pakistani customers to ship hybrid rice seeds after the Spring
Festival.
However, affected by the
coronavirus epidemic, the seeds could not be processed and packaged as planned.
Thanks to the help of the customs of Taizhou city in China's Jiangsu Province,
which opened a green channel and streamlined the process, the seeds were
finally loaded on a ship and departed for Pakistan.
"If these seeds couldn't be
delivered to our customers in time, our business and reputation could be
damaged, while the local grain yield in Pakistan could also be affected,"
said Zha Lianqun, general manager of the company.
Since the end of last year,
Pakistan has struggled to combat locust plagues which have destroyed crops and
threatened the livelihoods of farmers.
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/646033-500-tonnes-of-chinese-hybrid-rice-seeds-arrive-pakistan
Chinese company
ships 500 tonnes of hybrid rice seeds to Pakistani customers
April 17, 2020
BEIJING, April 17 (APP):A total
of 500 tonnes of hybrid rice seeds from a seed company in east China’s Jiangsu
province have been transported to Pakistan to help ensure the country’s grain
yield this year. It is estimated that about 33,333 hectares of land will be
planted with those seeds.
Earlier this year, Jiangsu Hongqi
Seed Industry Co Ltd, an enterprise engaged in wholesale and retail of crop
seeds in China, reached an agreement with Pakistani customers to ship hybrid
rice seeds after the spring festival, China Economic Net reported on Friday.
However, affected by the
coronavirus epidemic, the seeds could not be processed and packaged as planned.
Thanks to the help of the customs
of Taizhou city in China’s Jiangsu province, which opened a green channel and
streamlined the process, the seeds were finally loaded on a ship and departed
for Pakistan.
“If these seeds couldn’t be
delivered to our customers in time, our business and reputation could be
damaged, while the local grain yield in Pakistan could also be affected,” said
Zha Lianqun, general manager of the company.
Since the end of last year,
Pakistan has made efforts to combat locust plagues which have destroyed crops
and threatened the livelihoods of farmers. “This batch of seeds aims to help
ensure the grain yield of Pakistan this year,” Zha said, adding that China will
provide more technical assistance as far as possible and work with Pakistan to
fight the locust disaster.
China and Pakistan have seen
closer cooperation in agriculture in recent years since the launch of
China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a flagship project under the Belt and Road
Initiative in 2015.
China’s seed products have become
very popular with Pakistani buyers for high resistance to temperature and
diseases, and low yield reduction rate.
The company obtained an order of
100 tonnes of hybrid rice seeds from Pakistan in 2017 and expects the export
volume will exceed 1,000 tonnes in 2021.
https://www.app.com.pk/chinese-company-ships-500-tonnes-of-hybrid-rice-seeds-to-pakistani-customers/
GIEWS
Country Brief: Pakistan 17-April-2020
17 Apr 2020
Originally
published
17 Apr 2020
Origin
Attachments
FOOD
SECURITY SNAPSHOT
·
Near‑average
2020 wheat crop expected
·
Cereal
production in 2019 reached record level
·
Cereal
exports in 2019/20 forecast close to average levels
·
Prices of
wheat and wheat flour near‑record levels in March
·
Food
insecurity persists in some localized areas
Near‑average
2020 wheat crop expected
Harvesting
of the 2020 “Rabi” (mostly irrigated) wheat crop started in March in the
southern province of Sindh, with the bulk to be gathered between April and mid‑June.
The 2020 wheat season started on time last October and progressed well until
February. During this period, favourable weather conditions, ample irrigation
water supplies and adequate availability of agricultural inputs, such as
fertilizers, chemicals and labour, allowed farmers to plant an above‑average
area and fostered expectations for bumper yields. In March/April, unseasonal
heavy rains and localized hail over areas of the main wheat‑producing province
of Punjab, delayed harvesting operations and caused localized damage to
standing crops. Above‑average rains raise concerns over the worsening of the
desert locust outbreak, which has been present in the county since the
beginning of 2019, and control measures managed to contain it so far. In fact,
the abundant rains in March/April improved vegetation conditions that, together
with warm temperatures in April, could support locust breeding, with an
increase in locust numbers that may damage late‑planted wheat crops still to be
harvested. Overall, 2020 wheat production is expected to remain close to the
five‑year average, but below previous expectations of a bumper output.
Cereal
production in 2019 estimated at record level
The 2019
cropping season finalized in November 2019 and the aggregate cereal output,
including wheat, paddy rice and maize, is estimated at a record level of 43.6
million tonnes.
Cereal
exports in 2019/20 forecast close to average levels
Cereal
exports consist mostly of rice and wheat. In calendar year 2020, rice exports
are forecast at 4.8 million tonnes, almost 20 percent above the five‑year average,
reflecting adequate availabilities from the 2019 record output. By contrast,
exports of wheat in the 2019/20 marketing year (May/April) are forecast at 200
000 tonnes, almost 75 percent less than the average, after the Government
banned wheat exports in September 2019 over concerns about tight domestic
availabilities following the below‑average outputs gathered in 2018 and 2019.
In addition, reports from the country indicate that the Government is planning
to import a total of 500 000 tonnes of wheat throughout 2020 in order to ensure
adequate market supplies.
Prices of
wheat grain and flour at near‑record levels in March
Prices of
wheat grain and flour, the country’s main staples, increased sharply between
November 2019 and January 2020, reaching record or near‑record highs in most
markets. The significant price increases was the result of tight market
availabilities, following the below‑average outputs in 2018 and 2019 as well as
higher transport costs, after the strong increases in domestic prices of
petroleum products. Successively, prices of wheat grain and flour decreased
slightly in February and the first two weeks of March, mostly in response to
measures undertaken by the Government to contain the price increases. Measures
include the distribution of wheat flour at subsidized prices throughout the
State-owned Utility Stores Corporation (USC) outlets and a major cut in prices
of petroleum products effective from 1 March 2020. However, prices resumed
their increasing trend from the second part of March, mostly supported by an
upsurge on demand and transport disruptions related to the COVID‑19 pandemic.
Harvest delays due to above‑average rains, provided further upward pressure on
prices. Overall, prices in March remained well above their year‑earlier levels
and at near‑record highs in some markets.
Food
insecurity persists in some localized areas
Overall,
food security conditions in the country are generally stable reflecting
adequate cereal supplies from the record 2019 production. However, concerns
about food insecurity persist in some parts of the country, particularly in
western and southwestern areas of Balochistan Province, in the arid
southeastern and western areas of Sindh Province and newly merged areas of
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Recurrent drought conditions in Sindh and Balochistan since
2014 have resulted in successive crop failures and significant livestock
losses, with severe consequences for the livelihoods of the local population.
In addition, localized crop losses were reported due to a winterized emergency
(heavy snow and rainfall) in several districts of Balochistan as well as in a
few areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan Administered Kashmir and
Gilgit-Baltistan, worsening the food security situation of the affected
households. Localized crop losses may also occur due to locust outbreaks in 35
districts of Pakistan.
Prolonged
conflict in the northwestern parts of the country along the border with
Afghanistan, triggered large‑scale internal displacement. According to UNHCR,
as of February 2020, close to 1.4 million Afghan refugees are sheltering in the
country. Most of these people are in need of humanitarian assistance and put
strain on the already limited resources of the host communities.
The risk
posed by the COVID‑19 pandemic, both through the negative impacts associated
with a reduction in economic activities and the potential adverse effects on
the food supply chain is an additional concern for food security in the
country. Recent price increases of wheat grain and flour as well as other
important food items, such as chicken meat, milk and onions, are affecting
households' access to food.
COVID‑19 and
measures adopted by the Government
In response
to the COVID‑19 pandemic, the Government has imposed a partial lockdown
starting from 22 March 2020 until further notice in all provinces of the
country, with the exception of Sindh Province, where the lockdown is total due
to the high number of infected people. However, the restrictive measures were
partially applied to people working in the agriculture sector and the food
supply chain in order to guarantee adequate availability of food in the local
markets.
To mitigate
the negative effects of the virus, on 31 March 2020, the Government approved a
relief package of PKR 1 200 billion (USD 7.2 billion). Out of this amount, PKR
280 billion (USD 1.7 billion) were allocated for stocking of the wheat crop for
future needs and PKR 50 billion (USD 298 million) were assigned for the
distribution of food items at subsidized prices throughout the outlets of the
USC across the country. In addition, about 20.2 million people, particularly
low income households whose livelihood has been severely affected by the virus
outbreak, are expected to receive cash support of PKR 12 000 (USD 72) on a
monthly basis for a period of four months through the Ehsaas Kifalat Programme,
one of country’s main social protection systems.
In response
to the high prices of wheat grain and flour, the Government has increased wheat
supplies from official stocks to flour mills in an effort to supplement market
availabilities.
Weekly inflation
up 0.15pc
April 17, 2020
ISLAMABAD: The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI)-based weekly inflation for
the week ended April 16 witnessed a nominal increase of 0.15pc when compared
with the previous week, according to data released by the Pakistan Bureau of
Statistics (PBS).
The SPI inflation for the
combined consumption group was recorded at 125.16 points during the week under
review, as against 124.97 points registered in the previous week.
The weekly SPI, with base year
2015-16=100, covers 17 urban centres and 51 essential items for all expenditure
groups.
The SPI for the lowest
consumption group, up to Rs 17,732, witnessed a 0.01pc decrease, from 130.15
points in the last week to 130.14 points during the week under review.
Meanwhile, the SPI for the
consumption groups from Rs17,733-Rs22,888, Rs22,889-Rs29,517, Rs29,518-Rs44,175
and above Rs44,175 per month nominally increased by 0.04pc, 0.09pc, 0.15pc and
0.20pc, respectively.
During the week under review,
prices of eight items decreased, 16 items increased, while that of 27 items
remained unchanged.
The items that recorded a
decrease in their average prices included onions, garlic, eggs, LPG cylinder,
wheat flour, sugar, mustard oil and vegetable ghee.
On the other hand, the
commodities that recorded an increase in their average prices included pulse
(masoor, mash, moong, gram), chicken, potatoes, rice (irri 6/9), tomatoes, rice
(basmati broken), milk (fresh), firewood, bananas, beef, gur, curd and mutton.
Similarly, commodities that
observed no change in their prices included bread, milk (powdered), cooking
oil, salt, chillies, tea (packet), cooked beef, cooked daal, tea (prepared),
cigarettes, long cloth, shirting, lawn, georgette, gents sandal, gents sponge
chappal, ladies sandal, electricity charges, gas charges, energy saver, washing
soap, matchbox, petrol, diesel, telephone call and toilet soap.
Research: local
food has a large proportion of the impossibility – Dependence on imported food
increases the vulnerability of the corona of a pandemic-like crisis
17/04/2020
So the breakfast table is orange
juice and a sushi roll of rice, it means that we are dependent on other
countries and continents food production.
in fact, the six largest cereal
combines the whole earth. The world is not any area that would not be dependent
on someone else’s territory for food production in one way or another.
to Us in Finland it is largely
about the fact that we want to eat a certain way. In many other parts of the
world cause you are more evil than that of.
a Big part of the customers will
pick Järvenpää supermarket sushi, since they are used in Japan until imported
rice. Petteri Right / Yle
Only a fraction of the earth’s
population would be in the neighborhood of the available nutrition. This became
clear to Aalto university from the fresh study. It was modeled minimum distance
that the radius of the available crops people around the world would be able to
satisfy nutritional needs.
the Study is the first to go
through in the last decades exponentially increased global food trade and food
production and consumption revolution, which has intensified cultivation,
diversified with many diets and improved food availability.
It has also led to environmental
destruction and increased the country’s dependence on imported food.
– the Different regions and
between plants have great differences. For example, in Europe and North America
in the temperate zone crops, such as wheat, can be obtained for less than 500
miles, when the whole world average is about 3 800 kilometres, said the
research led to Aalto university doctoral student Pekka
Kinnunen .
– If policy is steered in that
direction, that the preference for local food, you have to be understanding
where it is even possible, says Aalto university professor Matti,
Born .
intensive agriculture means of
insecticides use of insecticides in the residential environment speakers used
by vegetation in the disposal.Jim pickerel in / AOPKorona emphasises food
production’s vulnerability
the Investigation has not been
applied for the absolute recommendation as to which would be better,
self-sufficiency or dependency.
Dependence on imported food,
however, increases the vulnerability of the corona of a pandemic such as a
global crisis.
the So-called food shocks are now
the corona during a pandemic taking concrete form. Previously, the shocks are
such that there is, for example, the great drought and the crop is lost. Such
has been able to make up by bringing the rest of the produced food.
Now the big shock happened
everywhere.
on the other Hand, if relying
only on local production, can become a local crisis, for example, hundreds of
losses.
the corona during a pandemic in
Finland has come across the fact that without the thousands of foreign the
seasonal work of the farm, you are in trouble.
Flexible food system, where there
is a possibility to use a wide variety of routes, is, according to the study
less vulnerable.
– Globally it will also save
resources, if the food is exported to where it is not. On the other hand, it
creates dependencies, Born said.
Farmers are planting rice in
Nuwakot village, Nepal. Last year, planting was hampered by enough rainfall
lack. Only 40% of the naturalized planting area of irrigation with the help
of.Narendra Shrestha / EPASuomessa should reduce the dependence
in Finland, about 40% of food is
imported. As part of the Finnish production of food again exported from finland
to the world market, food production self-sufficiency rate will settle
somewhere in the 70-80 percent range.
for Example, the Middle East and
Japan more than 90% of food is imported.
– Those countries which are
heavily dependent on food imports, are in a vulnerable position, Born said.
Finland should maintain at least
the current self-sufficiency level and significantly reduce the dependence on
animal feed protein, fertilizer and energy imports, the researchers say.
– corona epidemic to emphasize
the local production of the importance. A certain self-sufficiency is good.
Ostrobothnia grain fields.Esko
Jämsä / AOPAfrikassa food production, the chances are big you
in Africa are highly dependent on
other continents for future food.
in Africa, crop yields have
remained low, and at the same time, the population has exploded in a few
decades.
– for Example, in Zimbabwe,
european farmers have been driven out, and the situation has not been able to
handle this, Born says.
on the other Hand, for example,
in Ethiopia, much has been done in the drought season to get across. The country
has moved, inter alia, the large number of cattle in the drought of the way to
the other side of the country. Food production has been obtained in Ethiopia to
be better in their own hands.
the food production potential in
Africa is great. Grain yields per hectare are about one tenth as compared with
Europe. If a part of the european information skills and varieties exported to
Africa, the continent’s crop to be able to Mound that the easiest way to double
or triple up.
Effective care of the immediate
production increase the share of the reduction would probably as well as food
waste to greenhouse emissions. At the same time it could however lead to new
problems such as water pollution and water scarcity in very densely populated
areas, as well as a vulnerable being, for example, a bad harvest year, or the
great migration period.
Women handled the millet
Mokoadarin village in Niger last year. Millet is one of the Mokoadarin the
village of the most important cereal species.Francesco Bellina
a Study published in Nature-Food
-science journal on Friday. The research was conducted in cooperation with the
University of Columbia, University of California, Australian National
University, the University of Göttningenin and with NASA.
Download Yle.en-application space
Yle newsletters!
Research: local
food has a large proportion of the impossibility – Dependence on imported food
increases the vulnerability of the corona of a pandemic-like crisis
17/04/2020
So the breakfast table is orange
juice and a sushi roll of rice, it means that we are dependent on other
countries and continents food production.
in fact, the six largest cereal
combines the whole earth. The world is not any area that would not be dependent
on someone else’s territory for food production in one way or another.
to Us in Finland it is largely
about the fact that we want to eat a certain way. In many other parts of the
world cause you are more evil than that of.
a Big part of the customers will
pick Järvenpää supermarket sushi, since they are used in Japan until imported
rice. Petteri Right / Yle
Only a fraction of the earth’s
population would be in the neighborhood of the available nutrition. This became
clear to Aalto university from the fresh study. It was modeled minimum distance
that the radius of the available crops people around the world would be able to
satisfy nutritional needs.
the Study is the first to go
through in the last decades exponentially increased global food trade and food
production and consumption revolution, which has intensified cultivation,
diversified with many diets and improved food availability.
It has also led to environmental
destruction and increased the country’s dependence on imported food.
– the Different regions and
between plants have great differences. For example, in Europe and North America
in the temperate zone crops, such as wheat, can be obtained for less than 500
miles, when the whole world average is about 3 800 kilometres, said the
research led to Aalto university doctoral student Pekka
Kinnunen .
– If policy is steered in that
direction, that the preference for local food, you have to be understanding
where it is even possible, says Aalto university professor Matti,
Born .
intensive agriculture means of
insecticides use of insecticides in the residential environment speakers used
by vegetation in the disposal.Jim pickerel in / AOPKorona emphasises food
production’s vulnerability
the Investigation has not been
applied for the absolute recommendation as to which would be better,
self-sufficiency or dependency.
Dependence on imported food,
however, increases the vulnerability of the corona of a pandemic such as a
global crisis.
the So-called food shocks are now
the corona during a pandemic taking concrete form. Previously, the shocks are
such that there is, for example, the great drought and the crop is lost. Such
has been able to make up by bringing the rest of the produced food.
Now the big shock happened
everywhere.
on the other Hand, if relying
only on local production, can become a local crisis, for example, hundreds of
losses.
the corona during a pandemic in
Finland has come across the fact that without the thousands of foreign the
seasonal work of the farm, you are in trouble.
Flexible food system, where there
is a possibility to use a wide variety of routes, is, according to the study
less vulnerable.
– Globally it will also save
resources, if the food is exported to where it is not. On the other hand, it
creates dependencies, Born said.
Farmers are planting rice in
Nuwakot village, Nepal. Last year, planting was hampered by enough rainfall
lack. Only 40% of the naturalized planting area of irrigation with the help
of.Narendra Shrestha / EPASuomessa should reduce the dependence
in Finland, about 40% of food is
imported. As part of the Finnish production of food again exported from finland
to the world market, food production self-sufficiency rate will settle somewhere
in the 70-80 percent range.
for Example, the Middle East and
Japan more than 90% of food is imported.
– Those countries which are
heavily dependent on food imports, are in a vulnerable position, Born said.
Finland should maintain at least
the current self-sufficiency level and significantly reduce the dependence on
animal feed protein, fertilizer and energy imports, the researchers say.
– corona epidemic to emphasize
the local production of the importance. A certain self-sufficiency is good.
Ostrobothnia grain fields.Esko
Jämsä / AOPAfrikassa food production, the chances are big you
in Africa are highly dependent on
other continents for future food.
in Africa, crop yields have
remained low, and at the same time, the population has exploded in a few decades.
– for Example, in Zimbabwe,
european farmers have been driven out, and the situation has not been able to
handle this, Born says.
on the other Hand, for example,
in Ethiopia, much has been done in the drought season to get across. The
country has moved, inter alia, the large number of cattle in the drought of the
way to the other side of the country. Food production has been obtained in
Ethiopia to be better in their own hands.
the food production potential in
Africa is great. Grain yields per hectare are about one tenth as compared with
Europe. If a part of the european information skills and varieties exported to
Africa, the continent’s crop to be able to Mound that the easiest way to double
or triple up.
Effective care of the immediate
production increase the share of the reduction would probably as well as food
waste to greenhouse emissions. At the same time it could however lead to new
problems such as water pollution and water scarcity in very densely populated
areas, as well as a vulnerable being, for example, a bad harvest year, or the
great migration period.
Women handled the millet
Mokoadarin village in Niger last year. Millet is one of the Mokoadarin the
village of the most important cereal species.Francesco Bellina
a Study published in Nature-Food
-science journal on Friday. The research was conducted in cooperation with the
University of Columbia, University of California, Australian National
University, the University of Göttningenin and with NASA.
Ration
axe on food official
Agarwal
has been sent to compulsory waiting, during which he will have no assignment
By
Pranesh Sarkar in Calcutta
Published
17.04.20, 2:36 AM
Updated
17.04.20, 2:36 AM
Mamata
Banerjee covers her mouth with a piece of cloth during a press conference on
coronavirus at Nabanna.
Mamata
Banerjee covers her mouth with a piece of cloth during a press conference on
coronavirus at Nabanna. (PTI)
Mamata
Banerjee on Thursday announced the removal of the Bengal food and supplies
department secretary on the back of complaints that over 10 per cent of the
state’s 9 crore ration card-holders had not received the full month’s allotment
at one go to help them tide over the lockdown crisis.
Manoj
Agarwal, a 1990-batch IAS officer, was late in the evening replaced with P.A.
Siddiqui, who had been serving as the finance department secretary. Agarwal has
been sent to compulsory waiting, during which he will have no assignment.
“We
are appointing a new secretary for the food and supplies department because 10
per cent of the beneficiaries could not be given (even) half of their monthly
allotment despite repeated instructions,” the chief minister told a news conference
at Nabanna on Thursday.
Sources
said the immediate trigger behind the move was large-scale agitations at
Basirhat and Murshidabad since Wednesday over failure to get foodgrains from
ration shops.
At
the media conference, Mamata offered an explanation on why some people did not
get their monthly allotment of 5kg of rice despite the government’s
announcements.
“Nothing
was kept ready as nobody knew that Covid-19 would hit the country. In most
areas, the monthly allotment of 5kg of rice was given. But in some areas, rice
could not be stocked as per the requirement because of paucity of space,” the
chief minister said.
A
section of bureaucrats was unhappy with the move. They said the department was
facing a scarcity of rice for supply to the ration dealers for two reasons.
First, politicians, particularly from the ruling Trinamul Congress, had forced
the department to give rice to them for distribution after the lockdown.
Second, the food and supplies department did not get enough supply of rice from
the rice mills as they could not function properly during the lockdown.
DMs
transferred
West Burdwan DM Shashank Sethi
and Darjeeling DM Deepap Priya have been transferred. A few days ago, a
policeman had been injured in a clash between cops and villagers over setting
up a quarantine centre in West Burdwan.
1,000 Commodities Available On Cheap Rates At Utility Stores
More than 1,000 daily use items are
available on cheap rates under relief package at utility stores, said Javaid
Mushtaq, Zonal Manager Utility Stores Corporation (USC) Faisalabad Region
FAISALABAD, (APP - UrduPoint /
Pakistan Point News - 17th Apr, 2020 ) : More than 1,000 daily use items are
available on cheap rates under relief package at utility stores, said Javaid
Mushtaq, Zonal Manager Utility Stores Corporation (USC) Faisalabad Region.
Talking to APP here Friday, he said
that due to coronavirus pandemic, the government has announced relief package for general public. Therefore,
Utility Store has started provision of daily use items including wheat flour, sugar, ghee, cocking oil, pulses, rice, tea, milk powder, dates, gram powders, etc.
He said that preventive measures
have been ensured at all utility stores where the people could purchase commodities
of their choice by keeping social distance.
800/-, ghee at Rs.170/- per kg, sugar
at Rs.68/- per kg, cocking oil at Rs.196/- per kg, gram pulses at Rs.160/- per kg, white
grams at Rs.125/- per kg, lentil pulses at Rs.130/- per kg, Maash pulses at
Rs.255/- per kg, Saila rice at Rs.134/- per kg, basmati rice at Rs.135/- per
kg, broken rice at Rs.73/- per kg and gram powder at rs.140/- per kg.
Similarly, packet of 300 grams high-quality dates is available at
Rs.80/- while Lipton team can be purchased at Rs.893/- per kg, packet milk at
Rs.127/- per kg, 1500 ml bottle of Jam-e-Sheerin at Rs.395/- and 800 ml Jam
Sheerin bottle at Rs.220/-. The spices are also available at 10 per discount,
he added.
He said that there is no shortage of essential items rather its ample stock is available at
utility stores at cheaper rate
Sri Lanka
imposes import restrictions amidst foreign exchange crisis
Written
by Hassan Shazuli 19 Apr, 2020 | 9:37 AM
COLOMBO (News1st): Sri Lanka’s finance ministry has
imposed import restrictions on items such as rice, flour, sugar, liquor, and
apparel products as the country faces a foreign exchange crisis.
The Sri Lankan rupee dropping to a record low of Rs 200.46
against the US dollar last week, before appreciating to Rs 195.47 on Friday,
central bank data showed.
The finance ministry, in a gazette, said the customs
department and commercial banks are “obliged” to suspend facilitating imports
of 156 categories of products under certain payment methods.
Accordingly, products such as rice, flour, sugar, bakery
products, apparel products, ceramics, and furniture, cannot be imported under
Letters of Credits, Documents against Acceptance, Documents against Payment,
and Advance payments.
Commercial banks have also been instructed to permit
imports of 111 categories of items such as milk, dried vegetables, palm oil,
electrical appliances and construction materials, only on a credit basis.
These regulations are to be in effect from April 16 to
July 15.
On Sunday, the country’s excise department announced that
it would permit liquor stores to be kept open when the curfew is not in effect.
Recently, the government hiked the special commodity levy
on fruits for the next two months as the country’s economic woes worsened due
to the novel coronavirus.
The recent decision to increase the special commodity levy
on palm oil and coconut oil has, however, been suspended for three months.
On-farm COVID-19 safety measures available in
English, Spanish
·
·
Apr
18, 2020
While many businesses have closed
or moved employee interactions online, much of the world depends on farmers
remaining on the job—and in the field.
The University of Arkansas System
Division of Agriculture has released two videos explaining practical,
common-sense safety precautions for anyone working in an agricultural
production environment. One video is in English, the other in Spanish.
The precautions are specifically
aimed at helping farmers protect themselves and their coworkers from COVID-19,
and to slow the spread of the virus.
The English language video
features Jarrod Hardke, rice agronomist for the Division of Agriculture; the
Spanish language version features Eduardo Castaneda, a program associate with
the Division of Agriculture’s Rice Research and Extension Center in Stuttgart,
Arkansas.
Each video explains the
importance of social distancing during tailgate meetings, sanitizing equipment
before and after use and other safety behaviors in about three minutes.
The English version, “Staying
Safe on the Farm through COVID-19,” can be viewed at https://bit.ly/UAEX-COVID19-Farms-English.
The Spanish version, “Mantenerse
Seguro en la Granja a Través de COVID-19,” can be viewed at https://bit.ly/UAEX-COVID19-Farms-Español.
For information and resources on
COVID-19 for families, businesses and others, visit https://uaex.edu/covid-19.
China Ships 500 tonnes of Hybrid Rice
Seeds to Pakistan
500 tonnes of hybrid rice seeds have been shipped by China to
Pakistan from a seed company in east China’s Jiangsu province.
It is estimated that around 33,333 hectares of land will be
planted with those seeds, as per the details. It will help Pakistan to ensure
grain yield this year.
Earlier in 2020 a company engaged in wholesale and retail of
crop seeds in China Jiangsu Hongqi Seed Industry Co Ltd had an agreement with
Pakistani customers to ship hybrid rice seeds after the spring festival.
But due to the coronavirus pandemic, the seeds could not be
processed and packaged as was planned. The seeds were finally loaded and
shipped to Pakistan with the help of the customs of Taizhou city in China’s
Jiangsu province.
Zha Lianqun, general manager of the company said, “If these
seeds weren’t delivered to our customers on time, our business and reputation
could have been damaged, while the local grain yield in Pakistan could also be
affected.”
Pakistan has been fighting locust plagues since the end of 2019,
that has destroyed crops and affected the livelihood of farmers.
Zha said, “This batch of seeds aims to help ensure the grain
yield of Pakistan this year.”
Since the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a flagship project
under the Belt and Road Initiative in 2015, China and Pakistan have worked
closely in agriculture. Chinese seed products are quite popular amongst
Pakistani buyers as they are highly resistant to temperature and diseases.
Dangers and changes in journalism during COVID-19
Kamal Ahmed
Published: 18 April
2020, 16:53
Newspaper struggle for
survival during the COVID-19 crisis
The coronavirus pandemic has not
spared any community or country in the world. The media and journalism now face
new challenges. Like any other sector, the media is not functioning as normal.
Coronavirus has affected us more than anything else in our living memory.
People racked with innumerable questions while exploring ways to survive the
highly contagious disease and to tackle economic recession as well.
We invariably see an
increase in readership during the political crises and natural calamities. The
interest of readers and listeners during crises is called crisis reading and
listening. It is easily understandable that the demand of subscribers increases
to a height during a crisis.
Newspaper circulation has fallen as
the distribution of newspapers has been hampered due to the lockdown. But the
online readership has increased dramatically. Television viewers have also
risen. The people have started listening to the radio again. Journalism has now
become a most important tool as well as riskier than ever before, to meet the
demand of readers, viewers and listeners.
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We invariably see an increase in
readership during the political crises and natural calamities. The interest of
readers and listeners during crises is called crisis reading and listening. It
is easily understandable that the demand of subscribers increases to a height
during a crisis.
And the survival of the
organisations which fail to provide accurate information and analysis to their
readers, will be at stake. But the media faces unprecedented challenges to
fulfill these expectations. The challenges include various restrictions,
journalists’ health risk and the financial crisis.
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We have experience how the free
flow of information is hampered during restrictions. There is no end of
questions among the people about the coronavirus tests, detection of patients,
the number of hospitals, ICU and ventilators. People also raise questions on
the decisions of opening and closing garment factories. The social media is
rife with stories of countrywide rice pilferage, corruption, demonstrations by
helpless people, and also the misuse of power by public representatives who
were elected by voting on the night before the election.
The mainstream media is unable to
publish details of such news because of the Digital Security Act.
Self-censorship has become acute due to the misuse of the act regarding
publishing objective news and analysis of such incidents.
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A committee was formed to keep
watch on the media during the outbreak of the coronavirus. Later, it was
cancelled. As per the directives of the information ministry, on 12 April, the
private TV channel owners’ association asked journalists to refrain from
negative discussion during the crisis.
Journalists were assaulted for
publishing local news on corruption during the coronavirus outbreak several
days ago. Journalist Shafiqul Islam, who had disappeared, is yet to be traced.
Defamation cases and arrests continue for criticising the ruling party
politicians on Facebook.
In a publication on the human
rights situation during the coronavirus, ten researchers mentioned that cases
were brought against six journalists under the act.
The fear of such harassment is no
less than the health risk. This risk will not decrease rather increase further
in publishing objective news.
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The Committee to Protect
Journalists and International Press Institute, recently expressed concern,
fearing more risks in different countries during the coronavirus outbreak. On 6
April, Canada, Germany, Netherlands, Latvia, UK and United States in a joint
statement expressed concern about imposing restrictions on the freedom of
expression in some countries centering the coronavirus crisis.
It has already been clear that the
protection of media workers is complex as well as important. Their role is more
important during crises. Protection is necessary not only for media workers but
also their families. Unfortunately, many of them and their families have
already been infected.
Media can be viewed separately.
Even the government is not sincere about finding those who came in contact with
coronavirus patients and arranging their quarantine.
Awareness about the risks of
personal security and protection of journalists has been ignored in Bangladesh.
Work on the protection of journalists has started in different countries a few
days ago. An organisation named MRDI has published a guideline and provided
training.
It was beyond the concept that such
global pandemic can be so devastating. However, they published a guideline
after coronavirus reached Bangladesh. Unfortunately, we did not take the danger
into consideration. We took unnecessary risks thinking we will not be infected.
Most of the media outlets did not
take steps they should have taken to avoid the risks for media workers. It is
not clear whether many of them wanted to do that. As precautionary measures,
sitting arrangements of guests for TV talk-shows could be changed easily, but
that was not done by many. Except a few, most of the media outlets did not take
preparation to facilitate media workers to work from home. They needed some
investment for this. After all, not all media workers have laptops and
broadband facilities at home. There is a question of security for connecting to
the network of office. All the media houses have not considered PPE for those
who work outside. Above all, most of them have no insurance for risks.
Coronavirus has brought business
and trade to a standstill across the world, and has bad consequences on the
media. It is now a big question whether the media workers will be able to save
their professions if they are spared by coronavirus.
It is not just a crisis for
Bangladesh. The circulation of newspapers has collapsed worldwide due to
distribution problems. However, online readership has increased dramatically.
Normally, newspaper sales cannot meet expenditure. Their main source of income
is advertisement. Their income is nearly zero as the businesses have been
closed. Revenue has not increased although online readership has increased as
only few newspapers take money online. The prospect of online advertisement is
not bright either.
The big technology-based companies
are adopting new policies in publishing advertisements along with coronavirus
related news. They are doing this to stop propaganda on COVID-19. Tabloids and
many locals in the US, UK and Canada either shut their publications or have
kept these suspended.
It is unwarranted for
the role of the media to be overlooked or freedom curtailed during the crisis
period. The duty of the media is to make powerful quarters accountable. This is
more urgent during the crisis.
At least eight national dailies
published from Dhaka temporarily suspended publication of their print edition.
Many have become jobless. Television channels are getting negative signals.
They sought subsidy during a meeting with the information minister.
Obviously the government-sponsored
media is unable to fulfill the demand of objective journalism.
Under such circumstances, we can
look to the western countries as to what sort of support they are considering,
to tackle the financial crisis.
The politicians in those countries
are taking initiatives to protect independent journalism.
They are thinking about alternatives
instead of direct funds from the government. All western countries are planning
to increase the government expenditure on advertisements related to health. US
president Donald Trump has initiated to supply 2200 billion US dollars loans to
the economy. As industries, loans may be provided to the mass media.
The amount the citizens will spend
on newspapers can be written off from their taxes. Tax payers will be
encouraged to buy newspapers and it will have no impact on the independence of
newspapers. Scotland is planning to write off tax on the establishment of media
outlets for two years.
Such alternatives instead of
government grants can be considered in Bangladesh. The government of Bangladesh
has declared incentive packages for various sectors including industries.
It should be ensured that the media
industries get those incentives. The media industry should be included in the
funds declared to maintain daily expenditure. The media has to pay 35 per cent
corporate tax while the garment sector pays only 15 per cent. It is logical to
slash it.
There is a long-standing demand to
withdraw 15 per cent VAT on the import of newsprint and five per import duty. A
declaration for withdrawal should be made immediately in the interest of the
media industry. Private sector advertisers will feel relief if VAT on
advertisements is removed. Moreover, the undeclared restriction imposed on the
private companies including mobile companies to refrain from advertisement in
some newspapers should be withdrawn immediately.
It is unwarranted for the role of
the media to be overlooked or freedom curtailed during the crisis period. The
duty of the media is to make powerful quarters accountable. This is more urgent
during the crisis.
Kamal Ahmed is a senior journalist.
Sri Lanka imposes import restrictions
amidst foreign exchange crisis
Written by Hassan Shazuli
19 Apr, 2020 | 9:37 AM
COLOMBO
(News1st): Sri Lanka’s finance ministry has imposed import restrictions on
items such as rice, flour, sugar, liquor, and apparel products as the country
faces a foreign exchange crisis.
The Sri
Lankan rupee dropping to a record low of Rs 200.46 against the US dollar last
week, before appreciating to Rs 195.47 on Friday, central bank data showed.
The finance
ministry, in a gazette, said the customs department and commercial banks are
“obliged” to suspend facilitating imports of 156 categories of products under
certain payment methods.
Accordingly,
products such as rice, flour, sugar, bakery products, apparel products,
ceramics, and furniture, cannot be imported under Letters of Credits, Documents
against Acceptance, Documents against Payment, and Advance payments.
Commercial
banks have also been instructed to permit imports of 111 categories of items
such as milk, dried vegetables, palm oil, electrical appliances and
construction materials, only on a credit basis.
These
regulations are to be in effect from April 16 to July 15.
On Sunday,
the country’s excise department announced that it would permit liquor stores to
be kept open when the curfew is not in effect.
Recently, the
government hiked the special commodity levy on fruits for the next two months
as the country’s economic woes worsened due to the novel coronavirus.
The recent
decision to increase the special commodity levy on palm oil and coconut oil
has, however, been suspended for three months.
Conservation agriculture key to better income,
environment protection: Study
T.V. Jayan New
Delhi | Updated on April 17, 2020 Published
on April 17, 2020
The use of farm machinery in agriculture is languishing at
40-45% G_KARTHIKEYAN
Resorting to conservation
agriculture would not only increase crop yield, income and reduce the use of
natural resources, but would also confer climate change benefits, according to
a study by Indian agricultural scientists and others published in an
international journal on Thursday.
The study, published in the
journal Nature Sustainability, also showed
that conservation agriculture was key to meeting many of the UN’s Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs) such as no poverty, zero hunger, good health and
well-being, climate action and clean water. Conservation agriculture can offer
positive contributions to several SDGs, said M. L. Jat, a Principal Scientist
at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) and first
author of the study.
The analysis, which looked at the
benefits of conservation agriculture on a variety of cropping systems and
environments in South Asia, used data from 9,686 site-year comparisons from
across the sub-continent.
Apart from Jat’s colleagues at
CIMMYT, scientists from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR),
International Rice Research Institute, the University of California, Davis and
Cornell University, collaborated in the study.
The researchers looked at a
variety of agricultural, economic and environmental performance indicators —
including crop yields, water-use efficiency, economic return, greenhouse gas
emissions and global warming potential — and compared how they correlated with
conservation agriculture conditions in smallholder farms and field stations
across South Asia.
The study found that zero tillage
with residue retention, a conservation agricultural practice, for instance, offered
a mean yield advantage of around 6 per cent, provided farmers almost 25 per
cent more income, and increased water-use efficiency by about 13 per cent as
compared to conventional agricultural practices. More importantly, this
combination of practices was found to cut global warming potential of the field
by a third.
Agriculture
and climate vulnerability
This is also important because
agriculture in the subcontinent is known as a global “hotspot” for climate
vulnerability. Studies in the past have shown that climate change, with rising
temperatures and changing monsoon rainfall patterns, may cost India 2.8 per
cent of its GDP (gross domestic product).
“Smallholder farmers in South
Asia will be impacted most by climate change and natural resource degradation,”
said ICAR Director-General Trilochan Mohapatra. “Protecting our natural
resources for future generations, while producing enough quality food to feed
everyone, is our top priority,” said Mohapatra, adding that ICAR along with
other stakeholders, has been working to develop and deploy conservation
agriculture in India over the past decades.
With the region’s population
expected to rise to 2.4 billion, demand for cereals is expected to grow by
about 43 per cent between 2010 and 2050. This presents a major challenge for
food producers, who need to produce more while minimising greenhouse gas
emissions and damage to the environment, and other natural resources.
Relying on 'local food' is a distant dream for most of the world
CREDIT: AALTO UNIVERSITY
Globalisation has revolutionised
food production and consumption in recent decades and cultivation has become
more efficient As a result, diets have diversified and food availability has
increased in various parts of the globe. However, it has also led to a
situation where the majority of the world population live in countries that are
dependent on, at least partially, imported food. This can intensify
vulnerabilities during any kind of global crisis, such as the current COVID-19
pandemic, as global food supply chains are disrupted.
Aalto University dissertation
researcher, Pekka Kinnunen, says 'There are big differences between different
areas and the local foliage. For example, in Europe and North America,
temperate crops, such as wheat, can be obtained mostly within a radius of 500
kilometres. In comparison, the global average is about 3,800 kilometres'.
The recent study, published
in Nature
Food and led by Kinnunen, modelled the minimum distance
between crop production and consumption that humans around the world would need
to be able to meet their food demand. The study was conducted in collaboration
with the University of Columbia, the University of California, the Australian
National University and the University of Göttningen. The study factored in six
key crop groups for humans: temperate cereals (wheat, barley, rye), rice, corn,
tropical grains (millet, sorghum), tropical roots (cassava) and pulses. The
researchers modelled globally the distances between production and the consumer
for both normal production conditions and scenarios where production chains
become more efficient due to reduced food waste and improved farming methods.
It was shown that 27% of the
world's population could get their temperate cereal grains within a radius of
fewer than 100 kilometres. The share was 22% for tropical cereals, 28% for rice
and 27% for pulses. In the case of maize and tropical roots, the proportion was
only 11-16%, which Kinnunen says displays the difficulty of relying solely on
local resources.
Foodsheds as areas of
self-sufficiency
'We defined foodsheds as areas
within which food production could be self-sufficient. In addition to food
production and demand, food fences describe the impact of transport
infrastructure on where food could be obtained', Kinnunen explains.
The study also showed that
foodsheds are mostly relatively compact areas for individual crops. When crops
are looked at as a whole, foodsheds formed larger areas, spanning the globe.
This indicates that the diversity of our current diets creates global, complex
dependencies.
According to Associate professor
Matti Kummu, who was also involved in the study, the results clearly show that
local production alone cannot meet the demand for food; at least not with
current production methods and consumption habits. Increasing the share of
effectively managed domestic production would probably reduce both food waste
and greenhouse gas emissions. However, at the same time, it could lead to new
problems such as water pollution and water scarcity in very densely populated
areas, as well as vulnerabilities during such occurrences as poor harvests or
large-scale migration.
'The ongoing COVID-19 epidemic
emphasises the importance of self-sufficiency and local food production. It
would be important also to assess the risks that dependence on imported
agricultural inputs such as animal feed proteins, fertilisers and energy, might
cause', says Kummu.
###
Kummu and Kinnunen work in Water
and Development Research Group at Aalto School of Engineering. The group
focuses on the sustainability of water resources, especially in the context of
water used in food production. Read more: https://wdrg.aalto.fi
Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy
of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the
use of any information through the EurekAlert system.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-04/au-ro041620.php
Assam seeks 1 lakh metric tonnes of Food Corporation of India rice
·
| Friday | 17th April, 2020
STAFF REPORTERGUWAHATI: Assam has sought 1 lakh metric tonnes of
rice from the Centre through FCI (Food Corporation of India) in view of the
present lockdown scenario in the State. State Food & Civil Supplies
Minister Phani Bhusan Choudhury conveyed this message to Union Consumer
Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Minister Ram Bilas Paswan at a recent
meeting through video conference. Choudhury said the additional requirement of
rice is aimed to meet the demand of those not covered by the National Food
Security Act (NFSA). Also read: Release 'Declared Foreigners' in 7 days,
Gauhati High Court to Assam PoliceAlso Watch: Hagrama
Your support to NYOOOZ will help us to continue create and
publish news for and from smaller cities, which also need equal voice as much
as citizens living in bigger cities have through mainstream media
organizations.
Stay-At-Home
Survival Guide: Takeout Options In Irvine
Here
is a list of restaurants in Irvine offering family-style meals, signature
dishes, discounts, grocery staples, and more.
April 17, 2020
Vegan
ramen from HiroNori Craft Ramen; Photograph by Emily J. Davis
Adya
– Curbside pickup, carry-out, delivery
– Of note: Family-style meals with a vegetarian option
4213 Campus Drive, 949-679-2299, adya-irvine.square.site/#yTekAn
– Curbside pickup, carry-out, delivery
– Of note: Family-style meals with a vegetarian option
4213 Campus Drive, 949-679-2299, adya-irvine.square.site/#yTekAn
Andrei’s Conscious Cuisine &
Cocktails
– Curbside pickup, carry-out, delivery
– 15 percent off orders, 25 percent off bottles of wine
– Of note: Order family packages serving up to 8. For every meal purchased, two meals will be donated to those in need.
2607 Main St., 949-387-8887, andreisrestaurant.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/andreismenu_4_14_20.pdf
– Curbside pickup, carry-out, delivery
– 15 percent off orders, 25 percent off bottles of wine
– Of note: Order family packages serving up to 8. For every meal purchased, two meals will be donated to those in need.
2607 Main St., 949-387-8887, andreisrestaurant.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/andreismenu_4_14_20.pdf
Angelina’s Pizzeria Napoletana
– Carry-out and delivery
– 10 percent off orders with promo code “10OFF,” Up to 60 percent off wine
– Of note: Wood-fired Neapolitan-style pizzas, homemade egg pasta, noodles, and sauces
8573 Irvine Center Drive, 949-536-5200, angelinaspizzeria.com/online-ordering/angelinas-pizzeria-napoletana/menu
Clay Oven
– Carry-out, curbside pickup, and delivery
– Of note: Vegetarian options, handmade naan, pantry staples such as long grain basmati rice and all-purpose flour, signature drinks to go
15435 Jeffrey Road, 949-552-2851, clayovenirvine.com/menus
– Carry-out and delivery
– 10 percent off orders with promo code “10OFF,” Up to 60 percent off wine
– Of note: Wood-fired Neapolitan-style pizzas, homemade egg pasta, noodles, and sauces
8573 Irvine Center Drive, 949-536-5200, angelinaspizzeria.com/online-ordering/angelinas-pizzeria-napoletana/menu
Clay Oven
– Carry-out, curbside pickup, and delivery
– Of note: Vegetarian options, handmade naan, pantry staples such as long grain basmati rice and all-purpose flour, signature drinks to go
15435 Jeffrey Road, 949-552-2851, clayovenirvine.com/menus
Curry Up Now
– Carry-out and delivery
– Of note: Daily specials and deals, family-style meals
Irvine Spectrum Center, 922 Spectrum Center Drive, 949-932-0153, order.curryupnow.com/menu/curry-up-now-irvine
– Carry-out and delivery
– Of note: Daily specials and deals, family-style meals
Irvine Spectrum Center, 922 Spectrum Center Drive, 949-932-0153, order.curryupnow.com/menu/curry-up-now-irvine
Everyday Eatery
– Carry-out, curbside pickup, and delivery
– Of note: Family meals, brunch favorites, smoothies, juice, and lattes
6634 Irvine Center Drive, 949-418-7172, everydayeatery.square.site
– Carry-out, curbside pickup, and delivery
– Of note: Family meals, brunch favorites, smoothies, juice, and lattes
6634 Irvine Center Drive, 949-418-7172, everydayeatery.square.site
Falasophy
– Carry-out, curbside pickup, delivery
– 15 percent off all first-time orders
– Of note: Family platters, heat and serve family meals
Irvine Spectrum Center, 920 Spectrum Center Drive, 949-536-5008, falasophy.com
– Carry-out, curbside pickup, delivery
– 15 percent off all first-time orders
– Of note: Family platters, heat and serve family meals
Irvine Spectrum Center, 920 Spectrum Center Drive, 949-536-5008, falasophy.com
Furai Chicken
– Carry-out
– Of note: Signature Korean-style fried chicken
Zion Market, 4800 Irvine Blvd., 714,508-3988
– Carry-out
– Of note: Signature Korean-style fried chicken
Zion Market, 4800 Irvine Blvd., 714,508-3988
HiroNori Craft Ramen
– Carry-out and delivery
– Of note: Comforting bowls of ramen and hearty rice bowls
2222 Michelson Drive, 949-536-5800, hironori.com/locations
– Carry-out and delivery
– Of note: Comforting bowls of ramen and hearty rice bowls
2222 Michelson Drive, 949-536-5800, hironori.com/locations
Meizhou Dongpo
– Carry-out and delivery
– Of note: Whole and half orders of roasted Peking duck ($39 to $68)
15363 Culver Drive, 949-433-5686, meizhoudongpoca.com/
– Carry-out and delivery
– Of note: Whole and half orders of roasted Peking duck ($39 to $68)
15363 Culver Drive, 949-433-5686, meizhoudongpoca.com/
Ja Jiaozi
– Curbside pickup, carry-out, delivery
– Of note: Get handmade dumplings including the signature multi-colored steamed jiaozi combo.
13776 Jamboree Road, Irvine, 714-786-8999, jajiaoziirvine.com
– Curbside pickup, carry-out, delivery
– Of note: Get handmade dumplings including the signature multi-colored steamed jiaozi combo.
13776 Jamboree Road, Irvine, 714-786-8999, jajiaoziirvine.com
Left Coast
– Pickup and delivery
– Of note: Beer and cocktail crowlers, spirits, bulk orders of brisket and chicken sliders
6652 Irvine Center Drive, 949-387-5170, leftcoastbrewing.com
– Pickup and delivery
– Of note: Beer and cocktail crowlers, spirits, bulk orders of brisket and chicken sliders
6652 Irvine Center Drive, 949-387-5170, leftcoastbrewing.com
Piadina
– Curbside pickup, carry-out and delivery
– $5 off first order using the Piadina mobile app
– Of note: Italian-style sandwiches with a modern, California twist
3850 Barranca Parkway, 949-988-7474, order.hazlnut.com/index.html?b=piadina&catering=0&ntwkid=257
– Curbside pickup, carry-out and delivery
– $5 off first order using the Piadina mobile app
– Of note: Italian-style sandwiches with a modern, California twist
3850 Barranca Parkway, 949-988-7474, order.hazlnut.com/index.html?b=piadina&catering=0&ntwkid=257
Pho Ba Co
– Carry-out and delivery
– Of note: Over 28 varieties of pho
4250 Barranca Parkway, 949-857-8808, phobacoirvine.com
– Carry-out and delivery
– Of note: Over 28 varieties of pho
4250 Barranca Parkway, 949-857-8808, phobacoirvine.com
Sam Woo Restaurant
– Carry-out and delivery
– Of note: Get a whole Peking duck for $26.
15333 Culver Drive, 949-262-0688, yelp.com/biz/sam-woo-restaurant-and-bbq-express-irvine
Sessions
– Curbside pickup, carry-out, delivery
– Of note: Get beer, wine, hard kombucha, and coffee and cold brew to go.
4736 Barranca Parkway, 949-333-3949, sessionswcd.com/order-online
– Carry-out and delivery
– Of note: Get a whole Peking duck for $26.
15333 Culver Drive, 949-262-0688, yelp.com/biz/sam-woo-restaurant-and-bbq-express-irvine
Sessions
– Curbside pickup, carry-out, delivery
– Of note: Get beer, wine, hard kombucha, and coffee and cold brew to go.
4736 Barranca Parkway, 949-333-3949, sessionswcd.com/order-online
Stacks Pancake House
– Carry-out and delivery
– Of note: Signature macadamia nut and banana pancakes
14421 Culver Drive, 949-679-1233, yelp.com/biz/stacks-pancake-house-irvine-2
– Carry-out and delivery
– Of note: Signature macadamia nut and banana pancakes
14421 Culver Drive, 949-679-1233, yelp.com/biz/stacks-pancake-house-irvine-2
Taquiero Taco Patio
– Carry-out and delivery
– Taco Tuesday everyday special ($2.50 per taco)
– Of note: Alcoholic drinks available to go
4517 Campus Drive, 949-333-1671, taquierotaco.com/
– Carry-out and delivery
– Taco Tuesday everyday special ($2.50 per taco)
– Of note: Alcoholic drinks available to go
4517 Campus Drive, 949-333-1671, taquierotaco.com/
The Cut
– Carry-out, curbside pickup, and delivery
– Keep an eye out for BOGO deals
– Of note: Bulk grocery items, signature burgers, brunch menu items, and cocktails to go
3831 Alton Parkway, 949-333-3434, yelp.com/biz/the-cut-irvine-10
– Carry-out, curbside pickup, and delivery
– Keep an eye out for BOGO deals
– Of note: Bulk grocery items, signature burgers, brunch menu items, and cocktails to go
3831 Alton Parkway, 949-333-3434, yelp.com/biz/the-cut-irvine-10
Tim Ho Wan
– Carry-out and delivery
– Of note: Signature baked pork BBQ buns
19530 Jamboree Road, 949-852-2828, yelp.com/biz/tim-ho-wan-irvine
– Carry-out and delivery
– Of note: Signature baked pork BBQ buns
19530 Jamboree Road, 949-852-2828, yelp.com/biz/tim-ho-wan-irvine
Twenty Eight Restaurant and Bar
– Carry-out, curbside pickup, and delivery
– 15 percent off orders, 50 percent off beer, wine, and whiskey
– Of note: Get charcuterie plates, steak dinners for two, a la carte entrees, and cocktails to go.
19530 Jamboree Road, 949-852-2828, twentyeightoc.com
Urban Seoul
– Pickup and delivery
– Limited free delivery, 20 percent off using promo code “URBON20”
– Of note: Packaged braised pork belly and beef shank
2750 Alton Parkway, 949- 553-0188, urbandelivery.smartonlineorder.com/
– Carry-out, curbside pickup, and delivery
– 15 percent off orders, 50 percent off beer, wine, and whiskey
– Of note: Get charcuterie plates, steak dinners for two, a la carte entrees, and cocktails to go.
19530 Jamboree Road, 949-852-2828, twentyeightoc.com
Urban Seoul
– Pickup and delivery
– Limited free delivery, 20 percent off using promo code “URBON20”
– Of note: Packaged braised pork belly and beef shank
2750 Alton Parkway, 949- 553-0188, urbandelivery.smartonlineorder.com/
Weekly SPI inflation up 0.15 percent
KARACHI: The sensitive price indicator (SPI) for the week ended
April 16 increased 0.15 percent over the previous week, whereas it went up 7.69
percent over the previous year mainly due to the rise in prices of food items,
official data showed on Friday.
Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) data showed that SPI for the
week under review in the combined income group was recorded at 125.16 points
against 124.97 points registered in the previous week.
The weekly SPI with base year 2015-16=100 covers 17 urban centres
and 51 essential items for all expenditure groups.
The only nominal decline in SPI of 0.01 percent was witnessed by the
lowest consumption group earning up to Rs17,732/month.
Meanwhile, SPI for those earning Rs17,733 to Rs22,888 inched up
0.04 percent. The quintile earning Rs22,889 to Rs29,517 witnessed a rise of
0.09 percent. For the income groups earning Rs29,518 to Rs44,175 and above, it
increased 0.15 percent, and 0.20 percent, respectively.
During the week, prices of 16 items registered an increase, eight
items decreased, while prices of 27 items remained unchanged.
Commodities, which recorded highest increase in their average price
included masoor pulse (up 8.01 percent), chicken (4.90 percent), mash pulse
(4.45 percent), potatoes (4.39 percent), rice Irri 6/9 (3.31 percent), moong
pulse (1.22 percent), tomatoes (1.01 percent), and broken Basmati rice (0.99
percent). Nominal increase in prices was registered by fresh milk, firewood,
gram pulse, bananas, beef, gur, curd and mutton.
Items, which recorded decrease in their average price included
onions, garlic, eggs, LPG cylinder, wheat flour, sugar, mustard oil and
vegetable ghee.
Similarly, the prices of the commodities that observed no change in
their price during the week under review included bread, powdered milk, cooking
oil, vegetable ghee, salt, chillies, tea (packet), cooked beef cooked daal, tea
(prepared), cigarettes, long cloth, shirting, lawn, georgette, gents sandal,
gents sponge chappal, ladies sandal, electricity charges, gas charges, energy
saver, washing soap, match box, petrol, diesel, telephone call and toilet soap.
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/645820-weekly-spi-inflation-up-0-15-percent
Lockdown takeaway food review: Blue
Ginger has delightful food at good prices
Food critic Andy Richardson urges those who can to support local
restaurants offering takeaways.
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claypot chicken with basmati rice
In the grand scheme of things,
trying to find a restaurant that’s offering takeaways features pretty low on
the list. It’s somewhere below than learning a new language, deep-cleaning the
loft and filing your tax return six months early. Which is to say – entirely
unimportant.
And yet if you can safely afford a
home-delivery, or a click-and-collect, without breaching social distancing
guidelines, it can have a positive effect.
The region’s dining scene is on its
knees. A significant number of restaurants operate hand-to-mouth and many will
fold during the present crisis.
In normal times, a bad week creates
heightened anxiety for owners. The prospect of a month – or, if we’re being
realistic, several months – without trading is a reason to put up the shutters.
The Blue Ginger
Staff have already been furloughed
by many, or laid off, while the costs of re-opening will also be significant as
venues have to buy in ingredients, re-employ staff and make preparations that
have substantial costs.
In some cases, the small amount of
cash flow that takeaways generate is the difference between them staying in
business and feeding their families or going bust.
And so if you can support your
local restaurants by ordering a takeaway you can literally help to keep them
open for the long term. The maxim ‘use them or lose them’ has never been more
real.
Not that it’s easy to find out
who’s open and who’s closed. Websites are no longer being updated, some who say
they are providing services no longer are, others that request emailed orders
do not reply, those who made a big hoo-har about providing services have given
up the game. It’s a ghost town out there with few still trading.
blue ginger interior
But making the effort can pay
dividends for there are a number of high quality venues offering great food at
bargain prices. Like Blue Ginger, in Bridgnorth’s Low Town, where tasty food
and pleasant service are keeping people interested.
Blue Ginger has an inauspicious
location on a large car park near to a traffic island. It looks like a
bungalow, devoid of charm or inspiration, but get past the front door and
gastronomic thrills await.
Among locals, it’s rated one of the
best in the small market town beside the River Severn and a midweek visit
provided high quality food at an affordable price.
Hygiene rules were being
scrupulously observed when I collected two starters and two mains. The guy
behind the counter was wearing both a face mask and surgical gloves while he
and I stood a safe distance apart when collection was made.
blue ginger bar
The perils of takeaway became
apparent, however, when I called in.
One of the dishes I’d ordered was
off the menu and he had no means of contacting me in the intervening 30 minutes
to ask what I’d like by way of substitute. No matter, when I arrived, a revised
order was placed and within 10 minutes the order was ready.
Sizzling chicken was fabulous,
though the sizzle was noticeable by its absence by the time it had reached
home. The batter was no longer crunchy but the flavours were great.
Onions, peppers, lemon grass and
spring onions combined to create a dish that might just as easily been found in
a Chinese takeaway as an Indian.
sizzling chicken
Delightfully different and a change
from the normal, it was packed with flavour and made for interesting eating.
Malai chicken tikka was simple and
enjoyable. Marinated in yoghurt, cream and nut paste, the small pieces of
fillet were tender and delicately spiced. It was mild and pleasing.
The mains were impressive. A malai
chicken jalfrezi featured chicken fillets that had been cooked in yoghurt,
cream and green chillies with onion, capsicum and curry leaves.
Seasoned with fresh herbs, it was a
hot and spicy dish that sashayed onto the cat walk like a high-kicking dancer.
Punching above its weight and delivering flavour in spades, the jalfrezi was
updated, modernised and provided excitement on a plate.
The other main, clay pot chicken,
was arguably the best dish of the evening. Tender chicken had been roasted in a
clay oven before being spiced with fenugreek and coriander in the chef’s bhuna
sauce.
Malai chicken tikka
Rich with onion and tomato and
delivering big, ballsy flavours, it made for delicious eating.
The dishes were served with an
interesting basmati rice and a naan that was a little too dry and lacked the
soft-as-a-pillow fluffiness that I might have expected.
Nonetheless, the clay pot chicken
and sizzling chicken had made the food stand out while the service at the door
had also been good.
Restaurants are making ends meet by
offering takeaways at the end of the week, with many typically opening from
Thursday to Saturday.
The Blue Ginger is doing an
excellent job amid the most trying of circumstances and it deserves support.
We cannot be sure when the
Government will ease restrictions on social distancing and restaurants face the
most challenging time that they have ever known.
malai chicken jalfrazi with basmati rice
With no customers, no cash helping
to pay fixed costs and no way of meeting overheads, things could not be more
difficult.
And yet the small number who are
open are doing a pretty good job and Blue Ginger is setting the standards for
others to follow.
Our dining scene will be
unrecognisable later this year and a sector that contributes so much to the
local economy faces hardship and challenge. The majority will survive and Blue
Ginger will clearly be among them.
Safely and responsibly ordering a
takeway provides a significant boost to morale while also providing a tiny
injection of all-important cash.
Blue Ginger provided delightful
food, competitive pricing and friendly service.
Sample menu
Starters
Sizzling chicken, £4.95
Onion bhaji, £2.95
King prawn puri, £5.45
Mains
Garlic chilli lamb, £7.45
Chicken tikka masala, £7.45
Clay put chicken, £7.45
Sides
Lemon chilli fried rice, £3.45
Naan, £2.45
Saag bhaki, £3.25
Contact
information
Blue Ginger
12, Mill Street, Bridgnorth
WV15 4AL
01746 762111/ 0174676577
Rice research institute
pitches in covid-19 response
Department of Agriculture (DA)
Research Centers in the Science City of Muñoz, Nueva joined hands to send
necessary laboratory consumables to DOH-RITM.
As the country starts massive testing to detect
coronavirus disease cases, Philippine Rice Research Institute (DA-PhilRice)
loaned few of its laboratory equipment to a major screening center, and
continues to send out donations to its nearby communities.
Dr. Roel R. Suralta, head of DA-Crop Biotech Center
based at PhilRice, said real time qRT-PCRs (quarantine reverse transcription
polymerase chain reaction) were provided to the Research Institute for Tropical
Medicine (RITM) of the Department of Health.
Recognized as one of the most accurate ways to detect,
tract, and study coronavirus by International Atomic Energy Agency and the Food
and Agriculture Organization, real time qRT-PCRs can deliver reliable diagnosis
in three hours.
“Critical devices needed in processing swab samples
such as plates, microfuge tube, and sealing films were also given to RITM,” he
said.
About 2,000 kg of rice were also distributed to
affected families in Brgy, Maligaya, where the central experiment station is
located, and to medical frontliners.
Moreover, PhilRice chemists and experts produced 70%
isopropyl alcohol using available resources from the Institute, and distributed
the hygiene material including hand sanitizers and surgical and N95 masks to
its nearby communities and to the medical frontliners.
In addition, the Institute partnered with barangay
officials and other private individuals to help eight construction workers
mostly from Visayas and Mindanao who were stranded at PhilRice due to Luzon
lockdown.
As of April 15, more than 5,200 covid-19 cases are reported
in the country. Central Luzon recorded 275 confirmed cases, 12 recoveries, and
25 deaths.
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