Tuesday, August 11, 2020

11th August,2020 Daily Global Regional Local Rice E-Newsletter

 

Rice import decision after reviewing situation: Minister


11:24 PM, August 09, 2020 / LAST MODIFIED: 11:27 PM, August 09, 2020

UNB, Dhaka

Agriculture Minister Dr Abdur Razzaque today said the government will review the overall situation, including the flood's impact on Aush and Aman paddy, before importing rice.

"Currently, there's no fear of food shortage in the country," he said while speaking as the chief guest at an online seminar on "Food Security in Covid-19 Situation: Is Bangladesh Going to Face Rice Deficit?" organised by Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI).

Razzaque said the ongoing floods have caused a lot of damage to Aush and Aman paddy in many areas."A decision to import rice will be taken if the yield of Aman is not good and the floods are prolonged," he said, assuring that all sorts of activities are underway in agriculture to deal with the damage caused by the ongoing floods.

 https://www.thedailystar.net/country/news/rice-import-decision-after-reviewing-situation-minister-1942389

IMD says strength of monsoon westerlies waning

Strength of the monsoon westerlies over the southern parts of the Arabian Sea has reduced from Sunday and is likely to reduce further during the next five days, an India Meteorological Department (IMD) update said on Monday. Under this scenario, rainfall activity may reduce further over Kerala and Karnataka during this period.

During the 24 hours ending Monday morning, the monsoon came down heavily (rainfall in cm) over Balod-23; Dhamtari-20; Shirali-17; Chhota Udepur, Honavar and Gondia-15 each; Agumbe-14; Idukki, Vadodra and Baroda-12; Mount Abu, Kudulu and Cherrapunji-11each; Mangaluru, Cannur, Jaipur, Jabalpur and North Lakhimpur-10 each; Valprai, Karnal and Nizamabad-9 each; Anandpur Sahib, Rajgarh, Sawai Madhopur, Hanamkonda-8 each; and Kochi and Ambikapur-7 each.

Extremely heavy rainfall observed at isolated places over Chhattisgarh while it was heavy to very rainfall at isolated areas over Coastal Karnataka, Vidarbha and Gujarat region and heavy at isolated places over Rajasthan, Assam, Meghalaya, Kerala, EastMadhya Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Tamil Nadu and Telangana, the IMD said.

Fresh low-pressure area up

But a fresh low-pressure area (second in the current series) has formed over the North-West Bay, crossed coast, and moved into Chhattisgarh and later East Madhya Pradesh on Monday. The IMD said that the low may get a move to the North-West and merge with the larger monsoon trough lying along a North-West to South-East direction over the next two days.

The monsoon trough was in its near-normal position on Monday evening with the low-pressure area embedded in it. The East-West shear zone of monsoon turbulence in the upper level passes across Central India, having left the South Peninsula behind. The shear zone decides the area active of monsoon play embedded rain-generating system/s spearheading the proceedings.

Meanwhile, the IMD has said on Monday that another low-pressure area (third in the current series) may form over North-West Bay around August 13, with its short to medium model guidance not ruling out a fourth one following close on its heels. Thus August is playing true to form, when suddenly it prompts the Bay to wake up into activity,  sending monsoon to a peak.

More low’s may brew in Bay

The IMD sees reasonably widespread to widespread rainfall with heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places over major parts of North-West India for the next three days. The likely swathe of affected geography includes the hills of the North-West and adjoining plains of Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and East Rajasthan, some of which nurse a rain deficit.

Fairly widespread to widespread rainfall with heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places is also being forecast for parts of Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat region four days until August 14 with further enhancement of rainfall intensity likely over NorthGujarat and South-West Madhya Pradesh on August 13 and 14, the IMD outlook said. 

An extended outlook for August 15-17 says that fairly widespread to widespread rainfall/thundershowers may lash West, Central, East and North-East India and along the northern parts of West Coast. Isolated heavy to very heavy falls are forecast for East-CentralIndia, The North-Eastern States, northern parts of the West Coast, Gujarat state, Rajasthan and parts of Uttar Pradesh.

 

https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/heavy-rain-over-kerala-may-reduce-from-tuesday/article32314233.ece#

 

33% Farm Households In Punjab Experience Losses During Lockdowns: Asian Development Bank

 

 

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) survey revealed on Monday that about one-third (33.3 percent) of farm households in Punjab experienced losses in wages and non-farm earnings due to lockdown amid COVID-19

ISLAMABAD, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 10th Aug, 2020 ):The Asian Development Bank (ADB) survey revealed on Monday that about one-third (33.3 percent) of farm households in Punjab experienced losses in wages and non-farm earnings due to lockdown amid COVID-19.

Some 22.6 percent reported that at least one family member had returned home from urban and other areas, while 11.2 percent reported reduced nonfood expenditures, and 9.8 percent reported lower food consumption.

The survey "COVID-19, impact on farm households in Punjab" was conducted by the ADB team.

More than 400 farmers in Punjab province were surveyed on the impact of the nationwide lockdown in response to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and locust attacks.

The survey of farmers in Punjab revealed that wheat harvesting and marketing was spared the negative effects of the restricted movement of goods imposed because of COVID-19, except in the southern districts.

Most respondents (97.3 pc) reported having completed harvesting their wheat for the majority, the harvesting period started on the last week of April and ended on the second week of May.

Of those who had completed their harvest at the time of the survey, 74.6 percent reported that they were able to market their wheat without difficulty.

Most of those who did not sell wheat kept the produce for self-consumption. Only a few respondents had difficulty selling their wheat.

Restrictions on movement of goods upset the marketing of highly perishables, such as vegetables, fruits, and milk as they are difficult to store, unlike grains.

Unlike the wheat farmers, large proportions of vegetable and fruit farmers reported difficulties in marketing their produce. Around 24 percent of vegetable and fruit growers found the offered prices too low, 23.4 percent could not visit markets, and 8 percent could not find traders to sell their produce. Most of these respondents stated COVID-19 as the main reason for these problems.

Disruptions in the food supply chain result directly in income losses for producers and increased food prices, and therefore need to be kept at a minimum under the COVID-19-induced movement restrictions.

The rising input prices raise grave concerns about the forthcoming rice growing season.

Overall the farmers have lost cash earnings during the COVID-19 pandemic. Coupled with the higher input prices, farmers may not be able to buy the inputs they need for rice production.

Because rice is a major staple crop for domestic consumers and an important export product, increased input prices may cause significant problems for Pakistan's economy.

At the same time, locust swarms were reported in the two surveyed districts, with more severe cases observed in Balochistan and Sindh provinces than in Punjab.

The swarms have resulted in production losses for farmers who are already suffering the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Immediate prevention and mitigation measures are required, in addition to midterm measures to prevent a future resurgence.

https://www.urdupoint.com/en/business/33-farm-households-in-punjab-experience-loss-997375.html

Parvez Elahi stresses increased cooperation with Belarus

Staff Reporter

August 11, 2020

LAHORE - Honorary Consul General of Belarus Waleed Mushtaq called on Speaker Punjab Assembly Ch Parvez Elahi at his residence on Monday.  On this occasion, views were exchanged about bilateral political situation and matters of mutual interest. During the meeting, increasing people to people contact campaign particularly trade, agriculture and tourism between the two countries were deliberated.  Ch Parvez Elahi said that cooperation with Belarus in trade, education, health and agriculture sectors will have a positive impact on the economies of both the countries.  He said that pandemic of corona has adversely effected economic situation internationally, thanks to Almighty Allah circumstances are improving in whole Pakistan including Punjab but still the people will have to practice SOPs. Waleed Mushtaq said that Pakistan is viewed with great regards in Belarus, there is great demand for Pakistani rice there but difficulties are faced due to trade restrictions.  He said that during PML-Q regime, great progress and development was witnessed in the Punjab particularly in agriculture, education and health sectors and development works were launched in collaboration with the UNSF. 

NAB office clash: Police round up around 50 PML-N workers

Ch Parvez Elahi said that previous governments scrapped the development projects of PML-Q instead of carrying them onwards, if development were not stopped then the situation would have been different today. 

Afterwards, Ch Parvez Elahi was invited to visit Belarus. Ch Parvez Elahi also presented shield to the guest. 

https://nation.com.pk/11-Aug-2020/parvez-elahi-stresses-increased-cooperation-with-belarus

Are we ready?

Chris KayeUpdated 11 Aug 2020

TEN years ago, Pakistan suffered some of the worst floods in its history. Intense monsoon rains caused the Indus River and its tributaries to burst their banks, submerging one-fifth of the country from the north to the Arabian Sea, and devastating the lives of 20 million people.

The loss was immense. Almost 2,000 people perished, and 1.6m homes were des­troyed. Some 2m hectares of rice, cotton, wheat, and other crops were washed away, along with 40 per cent of the country’s farm livestock.

Also read: Recalling the horror of 2010 Swat floods

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) moved swiftly, against challenging conditions. Floodwaters cut off roads, power and telecommunications, making movement risky and often dangerous. National and provincial governments, as well as the military, donors and the humanitarian community were mobilised and able to act.

UN agencies — among them OCHA, WFP, Unicef, and FAO — undertook a rapid needs assessment with NDMA within days of the disaster. Soon after, with the help of the international community and NGOs, a massive relief effort was mobilised with distributions of food, shelter and life-saving medical, water and sanitation services reaching thousands of affected communities.

Those who suffered most were among the poorest members of society. Livelihoods were destroyed, and hunger loomed.

What have we learned from the 2010 flood response?

A decade on, Pakistan is faced with another unforgiving monsoon season. However, in 2020 the risks to potentially affected communities will be complicated by the impact of Covid-19 as well as by locust swarms already affecting areas in Sindh, Punjab and Balochistan. A further threat is the potential of glacial lake outburst floods from the north caused by rising average temperatures.

The question on every mind is: ‘what will happen should this year’s monsoon be a repeat of 2010?’

Unlike 2010, foreign aid will be in short supply. With the pandemic still progressing in many parts of the world, travel restrictions mean getting aid to where it is needed will take longer and with more logistical hurdles to overcome. Movement of humanitarian responders is already problematic and restricting support to communities in many countries including Pakistan.

Read: Pakistan’s new plan to embrace floods

The outlook is not entirely bleak. Much was learned from the experience of Pakistan’s floods of 2010, and not only in terms of humanitarian response. The government has absorbed the importance of preparedness, of the value of capacity building at provincial and district levels, and the need to reduce the risk to vulnerable communities before disasters strike.

Much has been achieved to integrate longer-term strategies to improve nutrition, adapt to climate change, and improve food security, community resilience, and agricultural practices.

The mechanics of aid have changed too. Ten years ago, the government of Pakistan and Nadra introduced the Watan Card — cash assistance to families hit hard by the floods, providing each with Rs20,000 (approximately $213) to help them survive. Further tranches were later provided with donor support to help them recover.

At that time, many stakeholders were sceptical about using cash as an aid instead of commodities. Over the years, this attitude has shifted. Provision of cash provides families with options to address multiple urgent needs in addition to food. With the growing use of biometrics and electronic banking, cash transfers are faster, cheaper, with fewer risks and help to increase financial inclusion.

The government of Pakistan’s Ehsaas Emergency Cash programme is clear evidence of this learning — it has provided cash assistance to 15 million families affected by Covid-19.

Furthermore, since 2010, Pakistan has also invested wisely in building technical capa­­city across all key disciplines. Commu­nities’ needs in terms of food, water, shelter, health and livelihood can be met more effectively in times of crisis.

Preparedness is key. To this end, NDMA has worked tirelessly with provincial teams to put in place comprehensive monsoon plans which ensure the participation of government, military, UN agencies, and the humanitarian community.

Much has also been invested since 2010 to build capacity across all disciplines to respond to food, shelter, health and livelihood needs. The establishment of standby capacities — both national and international — provides the assurance that government has the requisite capacity to scale up and be further supported on an as-needed basis with the support of UN agencies, NGOs, and civil society.

With this year’s monsoon rains having already devastated parts of Nepal, India and Bangladesh, there is growing concern that Pakistan may be similarly affected. A repeat of the 2010 floods, or flooding of any similar dimensions, is a possibility that cannot be ignored.

Over the coming weeks, a decade of investments and preparations are likely to be put to the test — and we are as ready as we can be.

 

The writer is representative and country director in Pakistan of the UN World Food Programme.

Published in Dawn, August 11th, 2020

 https://www.dawn.com/news/1573805/are-we-ready

 

Taking on China

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·         Posted: Aug 11, 2020 06:59 AM (IST)

As China is involved in a bitter economic and power struggle with the US, it does not tolerate India’s burgeoning strategic relations with the latter, and wants to run down New Delhi’s national interest (editorial ‘Taking China head-on’, Aug 7). The recent intrusions in Ladakh are symbolic of China’s long-term strategy of capturing the DBO-Karakoram pass and help Pakistan capture the Siachen glacier for the successful operation of its flagship CPEC project. India has boldly refused to move back its forces. Knowing that a stubborn China will negotiate hard and long, India should be cautious. It should counter China diplomatically, economically and militarily. For that, we should revamp our intelligence and border infrastructure, enhance military potential and protect against any possible cyber attacks.

DS Kang, Hoshiarpur


Defence manufacturing

Reference to ‘MoD trims import list, bans 101 items’ (Aug 10); this is a commendable step because the people of India will become fully self-reliant only when the government becomes self-sufficient. India will then move towards ‘atmanirbharta’. We used to depend on other countries for defence equipment and machines, but now we will manufacture it. It will help develop industrial skill, which will make India a source of defence equipment for other nations. It will also increase employment opportunities and save foreign exchange.

Neha, Kharar


Basmati GI tag

Refer to ‘Rice exporters oppose MP basmati rice in GI tagging’ (Aug 8); the controversy on the legal status of the GI tag, granted to aromatic rice varieties grown in the sub-Himalayan region of India, Pakistan, Nepal etc is unwarranted. Basmati has been grown in the Indo-Gangetic plains since ages. India is the largest producer and exporter of rice in the world, with major exports to the Gulf countries accounting for over Rs 25,000 crore annually due to the international recognition of Indian basmati. India, as a member of the WTO, enacted the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration & Protection) Act, 1999, which came into force in 2003. In order to function as a GI, a sign must identify a product as originating in a given place. In addition, the qualities, characteristics or reputation of the product should be essentially due to the place of origin. Since the qualities depend on the geographical place of production, there is a clear link between the product and its original place of production. The proposed inclusion of aromatic rice varieties grown in non-GI region (MP, etc) will legally weaken the basmati GI status of India, which won the GI tag case in 2001 against the US patent of Texmati aromatic rice obtained by RiceTec company at the international level.

Virender Singh Lather, Karnal


Murder charge apt

Apropos of ‘Slap murder charge on accused, says CM’ (Aug 6), many innocent lives were lost due to the consumption of illicit liquor in the state. This clearly points towards the mentality of the violators behind this serious crime. They have no fear of law and couldn’t care less about the repercussions on human lives for their own selfish motive. The CM has announced stringent steps, including booking the accused under Section 302 (murder charge) under the IPC. At least there is a ray of hope for the family of the victims who are waiting for justice.

Harpreet Sandhu, Ludhiana


Illicit liquor trade

‘Desi tharra’ is a household word in Punjab. Illicit liquor is available in every nook and corner of the state. And the recent tragic death of a hundred people reveals that the administration has been caught on the wrong foot (‘Punjab govt in the dock’, Aug 3). Drug trade and booze are the biggest money spinners in Punjab. The police and bigwigs in the administration provide protection, and, in turn, get a share in the booty. Nothing can happen without the power cover. That is why both products are readily available. The government is a little worried about the widows and orphans who are left to fend for themselves after such hooch tragedies. If our government is sincere and dedicated, there is no reason why the illicit liquor trade can’t be rooted out in Punjab.

KARNAIL SINGH, Kharar


Heritage Street an eyesore

Refer to the deplorable condition of the inundated Heritage Street of Amritsar. This is a routine affair after a rainfall of just half an hour. This Rs 250-crore project, instead of providing a soothing effect, has become an eyesore for the people. Under the smart city scheme, a free Wi-Fi project is in the pipeline in this area. What is the use of having free Wi-Fi in an area where people can’t even walk easily? The same IAS officer is occupying the post of the MC Commissioner and CEO of the smart city project.

Naresh Johar, Amritsar

https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/letters/taking-on-china-124960

 

Fielding some tough questions from the Mekong Delta’s field crab

Nguyen Trong Binh   August 11, 2020 | 06:48 am GMT+7

Field crabs! I got excited thinking about them as I made plans for a homecoming trip to the Mekong Delta.

"There would be nothing better than a soup of field crabs cooked with katuk and luffa in this rainy season," I told my older brother on the phone when he asked what I would like as a treat on coming home.

My brother’s reply poured cold water on my excitement. "Field crabs are super rare these days," he said, with no hint that he would find some for the soup that I craved.

I call Vinh Long Province in the Mekong Delta home.

The day I arrived home last month, my brother had just got back from a "conference" at Thao’s place. She is a fertilizer and pesticide dealer who provides these products to all farmers in the hamlet.

Based on what my brother described, that gathering was called a "conference" just to make it sound significant. In fact, this is an event organized periodically after each rice crop for plant protection drug companies to send staff over and meet with farmers at Thao’s.

At the "conference," the staff advertised their company's products and each farmer attending it was given a T-shirt with the name and logo of the company printed on it. The farmers were also invited to stay for lunch, which was said to "express gratitude to farmers."

All this was happening at the expense of field crabs, though.

Once abundant, now a rarity

Field crabs were a significant part of my childhood.

I can never forget the summer afternoons when kids in the neighborhood, yours truly included, went to the rice field to pick crabs, a treat that nature gave us during the rainy season, which normally lasts from May to November in southern Vietnam. There were so many crabs those days, especially after the rain.

Whenever their holes filled with rainwater, the crabs would crawl out all over the field. All we had to do was pick them up and put them into our baskets. There was no skill or technique required. The crabs were easy pickings.

My mother used the crabs to make so many signature dishes, including crab soup and crab noodles. The field crabs were so abundant that some farming households even fed them to their ducks.

But in less than 20 years, the field crabs have become a rare specialty, so rare that my brother said it is prioritized for kids. Packed crabs sold in supermarkets these days are mostly farmed ones, and their meat is not so tight and sweet.

In 2017, the World Bank released a report named "an overview of agricultural pollution in Vietnam," saying many rice fields in the region have become dead land, with no indigenous species like snails, frogs, fish or rats to be found.

Why not?

The answer is both simple and complicated. Overkill with overuse of chemicals. The harder part of the answer is why this abuse takes place unchecked.

I can’t help but wonder: For decades, Vietnam has spared no effort to become one of the biggest rice exporters in the world and continued working hard to maintain that position. All this for what? So that the entire ecosystem of the Mekong Delta, which has fed the country for centuries, be laid waste?

And the most important point is that while the country is a major rice seller on the global market, poverty continues to stalk and haunt its farmers.

For more than 20 years, the policy of growing three instead of two rice crops a year to increase production for export has taxed the land constantly and given it no break – a highly unsustainable burden that has left it exhausted.

To make matters much worse, to save their crops and extract even more yield from the land, millions of farmers have sprayed plenty of chemicals all over their fields and irrigation canals. There has been no oversight on the use of chemicals, many of which contain substances proven harmful to the land and human beings. The result of this is that it is not just the field crab of my childhood, but many other species have disappeared in turns from the Mekong Delta’s ecosystem.

Porters pack ice for delivery in Long My District of Hau Giang Province in the Mekong Delta, March 2020. Photo by VnExpress/Nguyet Nhi.

My brother said after each harvest, plant protection firms would send staff to each hamlet and commune to organize "conferences."

These conferences are familiar to anyone who works on farms in the Mekong Delta and probably all over the country. This is just a way to advertise and promote the use of more and more products by exclusive distributors in the area, like Thao.

It is not that we don’t know this is a problem. For a long time, scientists have pointed out what will happen when plant protection drugs are abused, on the ecology and on human health.

But, on major e-commerce sites or on the social media, dealers are still publicly promoting and selling fertilizers and pesticides with paraquat or glyphosate in their formulas. These are banned substances.

Farmers memorize those products, originating from China, by the colors of their labels or their prices and not by their components or names. They spread the news around, advising others to use this drug and that drug to kill insects and weeds. There is no constraint – sanctions imposed on using banned substances in agriculture so far can be counted on the fingers of one hand.

In 2015, a study on environmental pollution caused by residues of plant protection chemicals, conducted by the Vietnam Environment Administration (VEA), an advisory body under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, found 1,562 residue hotspots.

Even by the ministry’s official thresholds of chemical use, the whole country teemed with polluted spots with "a high level of risk, seriously affecting the ecological environment and public health."

Those living in the delta are used to hearing advice that goes: "Don’t buy, don’t eat these fruits." They know that some agricultural produce being sold in the market have been sprayed with chemicals when they are still on the trees or plants or dipped into chemicals after they were harvested.

A friend of mine, who owns a durian farm, told me honestly that her family only eats the fruit from the one tree they have left free of chemicals.

What’s your priority?

Following the latest session of the National Assembly in June, I saw deputies making proposals on laws on transgender, criticism and self-criticism, and setting up a Ministry of Youth. It sounds like our legislators are getting increasingly progressive and aware of such social issues. Good. But are these the core issues that are so urgent for the nation?

Don’t our legislators and members of the executive ever wonder, ponder and discuss fundamental paradoxes in the country’s agriculture industry?

Why are farmers still poor despite all the rice and other agricultural and aquacultural exports that we proudly boast about each year? The most fertile land in the country, the Mekong Delta, the nation’s rice granary, is dying. We are killing it. Does this not merit serious, urgent discussion in the parliament? Is sustainable food security for the country not an important issue? We seem to be afraid of asking critical questions about the sustainability of an export-led growth strategy that is actually destroying our most precious resources.

If we cannot even discuss these issues seriously, how can we identify effective solutions? The very least that we should be doing in current circumstances is reviewing and making adjustments to existing regulations on land, environment and agriculture in particular, making them more coherent and consistent to tackle environment pollution and degradation.

If the situation is drastic, and it is, what is stopping us from fighting more aggressively against behavior that harms the environment?

When will it be an appropriate time to ask even basic questions like: Is it truly necessary to have three rice crops these days? What behaviors can be identified as going against nature's law and damaging the ecosystem? How can we limit or even stop the production and use of plant protection products that have become an environmental and public health hazard?

We have been paying mere lip service to "sustainable development" for a long time now, while continuing actions and behavior that drastically undermine sustainability.

The field crab in the Mekong Delta is asking us questions we can only ignore at our peril.

*Nguyen Trong Binh is a lecturer at the Mekong University in Vinh Long Province. The opinions expressed are his own.

https://e.vnexpress.net/news/perspectives/fielding-some-tough-questions-from-the-mekong-delta-s-field-crab-4136294

PHilMech sets bidding for P10-B farm equipment

August 10, 2020, 9:00 PM

by Madelaine B. Miraflor

Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PHilMech) is hurrying to finish the auction for P10-billion worth of farm equipment by the end of this year in fear of falling short anew in spending its annual Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) allocation.
PHilMech Executive Director Baldwin Jallorina Jr. said in a virtual media briefing that the agency is now in the process of distributing P2 billion worth of farm equipment under RCEF, while the auction and awarding is still on-going for another P5.5 billion worth of machineries.
But because the agency actually has P10-billion worth of RCEF money to spend this year, Jallorina hopes to be able to bid out another P2.5 billion worth of farm machinery before the year ends.
One of the requirements of Rice Tariffication Law (RTL), which allowed unlimited rice importation in the country, is for the government to help Filipino rice farmers become competitive by giving them access to free seeds and modern farm equipment to be funded by RCEF, the collection of tariffs from rice imports.
RCEF is supposed to be injected with P10 billion annually from 2019 to 2024. Of this, only P5 billion is allotted to mechanization but because PhilMech wasn’t able to spend its last year’s RCEF allocation, PhilMech has now P10 billion to spend this year.  
“PhilMech plans to conduct in the third quarter the pre-bidding and award of contracts for another P2.5 billion worth of farm machineries scheduled to be distributed early next year,” Jallorina told reporters.
“If we can at least award the contracts so we don’t have to return the money the better,” he added.
Jallorina may be referring to the provision of General Appropriations Act (GAA) where unspent funds should be returned to the government’s “General Fund” towards the end of the year.
However, the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of RTL specified that the utilized RCEF money, not like a regular budget allocation, shall not revert to the General Fund but shall continue to be used for the purpose for which it was set aside.
Meanwhile, Jallorina said Philmech targets to finish the distribution of the P7.5 billion worth of machineries under the first and second batch of bidding the agency conducted and is currently conducting all by the end of this year.
So far, the agency has already distributed 512 pieces of farm machines in six regions. The type of farm machines distributed so far are four-wheel tractors, hand tractors, floating Tillers, precision seeders, walk behind transplanter, reaper, and combine harvester.
Philmech Director for Applied Communications Division Aldrin Badua said all the companies that participated in the bidding are local companies but a lot of them will just be importing these machineries.

“A lot of the machinery that will be supplied to us are locally manufactured such as the tractors, floating tillers, rice miller, mechanical driers,” Badua said. 

 “There are also imported ones which will come from Thailand, India, and China, but we can assure you that these are good quality,” he added. 
When asked how PhilMech is adjusting when it comes to the significant increase in its annual budget, Jallorina said PhilMech had no problem absorbing billions of RCEF money 

“We don’t have a problem in terms of absorptive capacity. Now that we are handling billions, our capacity is still enough,” Jallorina said, adding that the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) approved the earlier request of the agency to hire additional 59 personnel.  
In March last year, PHilMech Deputy Director Raul Paz said while his agency is the most appropriate agency to handle the farm mechanization program of the government it is also a “very small agency” that is not prepared to handle billions of funds.

He said at that time that PhilMech only receives an average annual funding of around P200 million to P300 million.  

According to him, PhilMech needs to hire more people, get more vehicles for effective transportation, and expand its procurement unit before it can effectively utilize its P5-billion annual RCEF allocation.

https://mb.com.ph/2020/08/10/philmech-sets-bidding-for-p10-b-farm-equipment/

Farmer groups in NegOcc, other provinces in WV get P48M in machinery support

BAGO. Members of Newton-Camingawan-Para Farmers Association in Bago City, Negros Occidental receive farm machinery from Department of Agriculture – Western Visayas recently. (Contributed Photo)

-

ERWIN P. NICAVERA

August 10, 2020

RICE-BASED Farmer Cooperatives and Associations (FCAs) in Negros Occidental and other provinces in Western Visayas have received the initial batch of farm machinery amounting to P48 million through the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) program of the Department of Agriculture (DA).

Eight farmer groups in the province recently received eight units of riding-type transplanter worth P1.6 million each which form part of the 20 units distributed by the agency in the region.

For FCAs in other provinces, the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMec) turned over two units to those in Aklan, also two units each in Antique, one unit in Capiz and seven in Iloilo.

These are on top of 10 units of precision seeders distributed to cooperatives and associations in Aklan with one, Capiz with two units, and Iloilo with seven units.

DA-PhilMec Visayas Cluster Head Engineer Romar Areno, in a statement, said the machines are used for rice production.

Areno said the precision seeder can plant pre-germinated seeds on a dry land preparation while the riding-type transplanter can plant young rice seedlings on a wetland preparation.

“Both can plant in a precise row spacing and distance between hills are adjustable depending on the desired space between 11 to 21 centimeters," he added.

The RCEF farm mechanization component seeks to benefit 38 FCAs from the 37 municipalities in Western Visayas under the 2019 budget.

To avail of the interventions, FCAs applied for the DA accreditation. Members of the eligible association should have at least 50 hectares of rice areas to qualify.

Also, the association must have a minimum rice area of 100 hectares within the peripheral barangays from the proposed location of the agricultural machinery and postharvest facilities.

"It is also important that FCAs can operate the machinery and equipment we provide," Areno said, citing that the operators underwent hands-on training before the turnover of the equipment.

The FCAs, for their part, had provided sheds for the machinery and were required to follow the suggested service fee.

To ensure the full utilization and sustainability of the intervention, the PhilMech also requires FCAs to handle the project using an integrated and systems approach of farm machinery operation and management.

DA-Western Visayas said the RCEF mechanization component seeks to increase farmers' productivity through efficient and cost-reducing rice mechanization interventions to eligible farmers groups.

The region has a P193.78 million allocation out of the P2 billion national budget for the first tranche implementation of the RCEF farm mechanization program, the agency added.

Other machinery and equipment such as the four-wheel-drive tractor, hand tractor, floating tiller and combine harvester are yet to be turned over within the year.

The PhilMech also has ongoing procurement for the remaining P3 billion national budget for RCEF mechanization support.

For her part, DA-Western Visayas Regional Director Remelyn Recoter said aside from mechanization, the program also aims to support the local rice farmers through the provision of quality seeds, access to credit, and rice extension service which are implemented by Philippine Rice Research Institute, Land Bank of the Philippines and Development Bank of the Philippines, and the Agricultural Training Institute and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, respectively.

"All these interventions are geared toward boosting the local production of rice and improving the competitiveness of rice farmers as the quantitative restrictions on rice importation were lifted in 2019 with the passage of RA (Republic Act) 11203 also known as the Rice Tariffication Law," she added. (With reports from DA-Western Visayas)

/www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1866542/Bacolod/Business/Farmer-groups-in-NegOcc-other-provinces-in-WV-get-P48M-in-machinery-support

 

Global Rice Production to Hit New Highs with US, India and Bangladesh Hoping for a Bumper Crop

August 11, 2020

Gayathri Arvind

The countries, India, Bangladesh and the US, have benefited from the favourable weather conditions. Therefore, they are all in good stead to achieve a bumper rice harvest this year.

Record US Rice Harvest Predicted

According to agricultural experts in the country, the rice crops from Mississippi and Louisiana seems to be looking good. Further, a rice specialist at LSU AgCenter, Mr Dustin Harrel says that halfway through the harvest it looks like the total product will tie the second-highest yield.

In the US, Arkansas has the highest amount of acres under rice (1.4 million acres), followed by California with 507,000 acres. The harvest this year looks in good shape across the US. Accordingly, Bobby Golden, rice expert from the Mississippi State University Extension Service confirmed that the crop in the state forecast promising result.

55 Lakh Tonnes Surplus Crop in Bangladesh

Bangladesh rice Research Institute (BRRI) reports that Bangladesh will have surplus rice amounting to 55 Lakh tonnes by November. BRRI Director General Md Shahjahan Kabir shared these findings in a webinar about Bangladesh’s chances of facing a rice shortage due to the pandemic. Further, he also mentioned that farmers were hoarding the crop in expectation of a rise in prices in the days ahead.

But, the current amount of rice stocks will exhaust soon. And, according to the Food Ministry, the target of paddy procurement might not be achieved by the end of August. However, Sadam Chandra Majumder, the Minister for Food, assures that paddy procurement would fill the deficit. Further, he mentions that the government has taken necessary steps to import the cereal in case of shortage. Additionally, it’ll ensure market stability. Also, the Food Secretary Mosammat Nasmanara Khanum agrees that is it necessary to stock up for the sake of customers.

Bumper Rice Harvest in India, Bangladesh, and the US Owing to Favourable Weather Conditions

Good Monsoon to Help Bumper Crop in India

India received an excess of 18% rainfall more than usual this season supporting cultivators in achieving bumper harvest. Further, many labourers have returned to their villages due to the pandemic lockdown. Thus, lowering the labour wages in rural areas, and the excess human resources are contributing a lot to agriculture. Furthermore, if good weather continues, rice production is likely to be up by at least 20%. Thereby, it’ll make India one of the largest exporters of rice.

Uttar Pradesh has not been doing well on the industrial front. But, paddy farmers in the state have benefited from good rainfall. Accordingly, the districts that are collectively known as the “rice bowl of UP” received above-average rainfall. Also, the area under the cultivation of paddy increased; thus, farmers finished sowing 80% of the crop before the third week of July. Further, agricultural SK Singh says that farmers have preferred more of indigenous seeds this year. Along with this, they have gone for fewer pesticides, and the prices are also looking better.

Trilochan Mohapatra, the Director-General of ICAR, told the Financial Express that they were expecting a higher output or at least the last years’ production to be levelled this year. Because the sowing of Kharif crops increased by 19% and also supported by favourable climatic conditions. But, a bumper production might not be good news for the farmers. Instead, it might result in depressed prices because of the lack of demand in the market. Further, the announcement regarding the minimum support price is not out. Thus, we must wait and see how the situation pans out.

In all, the favourable monsoon had a positive impact on rice crops. The US, India, and Bangladesh are all set to reach new highs with a bumper harvest. The effect of the bumper harvest on market demand is yet to unfold.

https://www.grainmart.in/news/global-rice-production-to-hit-new-highs-with-us-india-and-bangladesh-hoping-for-a-bumper-crop/

 

LOUISIANA RICE HARVEST REACHING HALF-WAY MARK

Mon, 08/10/2020 - 11:26am

Rice is moved from a grain cart to a trailer to be hauled to a rice dryer. Photo by Bruce Schultz/LSU AgCenter

BRUCE SCHULTZ, LSU AGCENTER

CROWLEY — The harvest for the 2020 rice crop in south Louisiana is nearing the halfway point, and the result is a big improvement over a string of bad to mediocre years.
“If these yields hold out, I believe it would tie the second-highest-yielding year, and it still has the potential to be a record if the high yields hold out,” said LSU AgCenter rice specialist Dustin Harrell. “Regardless if the current crop does not reach the record, it will definitely rank up there with one of our highest-yielding years.”
The record year for growing rice in Louisiana was in 2016 with an average of 7,300 pounds an acre, which equals 45 barrels or 162 bushels. Harrell estimates the current crop at 7,250 pounds — 44.7 barrels or 161 bushels — so far. That compares to 6,300 pounds — 39 barrels or 140 bushels — last year.
Varieties are yielding in the mid- to upper 40 barrels (or more than 144 bushels) an acre with some hitting 50 barrels (180 bushels), he said. Hybrids are reaching the upper 50- to low 60-barrel (216-bushel) range.
Unlike last year, when the crop was hurt by extreme weather, growing conditions were ideal this year. “Conditions were almost perfect for growing rice,” Harrell said.
Occasional rain interfered with the start of the harvest, but drier weather has allowed farmers to get into the fields.
Don Groth, resident coordinator of the AgCenter H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station, said this year’s weather has been much more favorable for growing a crop. “The environmental conditions are totally different than last year,” he said.
The disease incidence is also much lower. “We’re not seeing fall and kernel smuts that we saw last year,” he said.
Smuts are starting to show up on later-planted rice. “But nothing compared to what we had last year,” he said.
Groth, a plant pathologist, said sheath blight and blast disease pressure has also been light this year.
That has helped boost yields. A field of the variety CL153 at the Rice Research Station yielded 59 barrels or 212 bushels per acre. A nearby farmer who had a bad sheath blight problem on a field of CL153 still yielded 54 barrels an acre, Groth said.
Jeremy Hebert, AgCenter agent in Acadia Parish, said the harvest is in full swing in his area. “There’s a lot of rice that’s ready to come out now,” he said.
The 2020 crop is a big improvement from 2019. “It’s a big contrast from last year. Things actually worked out in farmers’ favor,” he said.
Unlike last year, the bad disease problems such as smuts that hurt the 2019 crop have not been a major factor this year. “They haven’t even seen it in fields adjacent that had smut real bad last year,” Hebert said.
Jimmy Meaux, AgCenter agent in Calcasieu and Jefferson Davis parishes, said the harvest in Calcasieu is close to half finished, and Jefferson Davis is 35% to 40% complete.
Afternoon showers have been less frequent in the past few days, allowing farmers to make good progress. Yields in Calcasieu Parish are in the mid-40 barrels, and Jefferson Davis yields are mirroring Acadia Parish.
“The crop looks better than last year so far,” Meaux said. “Not a lot of disease.”
In Vermilion Parish, AgCenter agent Andrew Granger said 75% of the crop is harvested. Yields are good but not great, with most varieties producing more than 40 barrels an acre and hybrids exceeding 50 barrels an acre.
The crop there was affected by excessive rainfall late in the season and high nighttime temperatures, Granger said.
Conditions are good for the 30% to 35% of the parish’s acreage that will be used to grow a second crop. The remaining acreage will be used for crawfish.
Farmers are also benefitting from a price increase over last year. “Even a dollar a barrel more makes a huge difference,” Granger said.
Todd Fontenot, AgCenter agent in Evangeline Parish, said a little more than a third of the acreage has been harvested there. “Just about everybody is in the fields now,” he said.
Yields are in the mid- to upper 40 barrels with hybrids in the mid-50 barrels.
Field conditions are causing combines and tractors to rut fields badly. “Things are pretty wet,” Fontenot said.
Evangeline Parish’s second-crop acreage will decrease because more crawfish is being produced.
In north Louisiana, AgCenter agent Keith Collins in Richland Parish said some early-planted fields have been drained, and harvest may begin soon.
“We will begin harvest earlier this year as we had rice planted in early to mid-April in some areas, Collins said. “Much of our rice was planted in May.”
Collins is optimistic for the north Louisiana crop. “I think the crop looks pretty good. I have concerns about rice that pollinated the last two weeks of July as we had frequent rain showers and cloudy days,” he said.

 

https://www.gueydantoday.com/news/louisiana-rice-harvest-reaching-half-way-markWhy panic buyers are finding calm but palay farmers are not

By: Karl R. Ocampo - Reporter / @kocampoINQ

Philippine Daily Inquirer / 04:04 AM August 11, 2020

Palay prices have gone down for the seventh consecutive week as farmers struggled to compete with the influx of imported rice amid lower demand from consumers and ebbing relief efforts.

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority’s (PSA) latest price monitoring report, the average farm-gate price of palay during the second week of July went down to P18.49 a kilo after peaking at P21 a kilo in June. This is the seventh week that prices at the farm gate registered a decline—an unusual trend going into the lean season for palay.

The lean months between July and September signal an arduous “waiting time” for farmers; it is the period that separates one harvest from the next. During lean months, palay prices usually pick up given the tight supply.

But the COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with the new rice tariffication law, is also changing price trends.

At the beginning of the lockdown, the government has aggressively imported rice amid panic buying from consumers. Demand, in recent weeks, has normalized to prepandemic levels, however, as buyers have begun adjusting to their consumption patterns while relief efforts have also died down.Federation of Free Farmers national chair Raul Montemayor said the dip in palay prices was something they were already worried about even before the lean season began as imported rice continued to arrive.As of Aug. 7, data from the Bureau of Plant Industry showed that about 1.49 million metric tons of rice entered the country beginning this year, almost half of which arrived two months before the start of the lean season in July.

The Department of Agriculture, upon the ceaseless prodding of industry groups, said they would only be releasing the bulk of rice imports during lean months to avoid unreasonable price spikes in the market and needless competition between local and imported rice.

However, rice prices recorded by the PSA showed minimal price cuts at the retail, reflecting the disconnect between farm-gate and retail rates, often disrupted by middlemen and resellers.

The rice tariffication law is meant to bring down the cost of producing palay to increase farmers’ profit while keeping consumers happy with cheap rice prices. It is a balancing act that has yet to be mastered by economic managers. INQ


https://business.inquirer.net/305034/why-panic-buyers-are-finding-calm-but-palay-farmers-are-not

 

Why panic buyers are finding calm but palay farmers are not

By: Karl R. Ocampo - Reporter / @kocampoINQ

Philippine Daily Inquirer / 04:04 AM August 11, 2020

Palay prices have gone down for the seventh consecutive week as farmers struggled to compete with the influx of imported rice amid lower demand from consumers and ebbing relief efforts.

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority’s (PSA) latest price monitoring report, the average farm-gate price of palay during the second week of July went down to P18.49 a kilo after peaking at P21 a kilo in June. This is the seventh week that prices at the farm gate registered a decline—an unusual trend going into the lean season for palay.

The lean months between July and September signal an arduous “waiting time” for farmers; it is the period that separates one harvest from the next. During lean months, palay prices usually pick up given the tight supply.

But the COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with the new rice tariffication law, is also changing price trends.

At the beginning of the lockdown, the government has aggressively imported rice amid panic buying from consumers. Demand, in recent weeks, has normalized to prepandemic levels, however, as buyers have begun adjusting to their consumption patterns while relief efforts have also died down.Federation of Free Farmers national chair Raul Montemayor said the dip in palay prices was something they were already worried about even before the lean season began as imported rice continued to arrive.As of Aug. 7, data from the Bureau of Plant Industry showed that about 1.49 million metric tons of rice entered the country beginning this year, almost half of which arrived two months before the start of the lean season in July.

The Department of Agriculture, upon the ceaseless prodding of industry groups, said they would only be releasing the bulk of rice imports during lean months to avoid unreasonable price spikes in the market and needless competition between local and imported rice.

However, rice prices recorded by the PSA showed minimal price cuts at the retail, reflecting the disconnect between farm-gate and retail rates, often disrupted by middlemen and resellers.

The rice tariffication law is meant to bring down the cost of producing palay to increase farmers’ profit while keeping consumers happy with cheap rice prices. It is a balancing act that has yet to be mastered by economic managers. INQ



https://business.inquirer.net/305034/why-panic-buyers-are-finding-calm-but-palay-farmers-are-not#ixzz6UndCZuIg

PHilMech sets bidding for P10-B farm equipment

Published August 10, 2020, 9:00 PM

by Madelaine B. Miraflor

Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PHilMech) is hurrying to finish the auction for P10-billion worth of farm equipment by the end of this year in fear of falling short anew in spending its annual Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) allocation.

PHilMech Executive Director Baldwin Jallorina Jr. said in a virtual media briefing that the agency is now in the process of distributing P2 billion worth of farm equipment under RCEF, while the auction and awarding is still on-going for another P5.5 billion worth of machineries.

But because the agency actually has P10-billion worth of RCEF money to spend this year, Jallorina hopes to be able to bid out another P2.5 billion worth of farm machinery before the year ends.

One of the requirements of Rice Tariffication Law (RTL), which allowed unlimited rice importation in the country, is for the government to help Filipino rice farmers become competitive by giving them access to free seeds and modern farm equipment to be funded by RCEF, the collection of tariffs from rice imports.

RCEF is supposed to be injected with P10 billion annually from 2019 to 2024. Of this, only P5 billion is allotted to mechanization but because PhilMech wasn’t able to spend its last year’s RCEF allocation, PhilMech has now P10 billion to spend this year.  

“PhilMech plans to conduct in the third quarter the pre-bidding and award of contracts for another P2.5 billion worth of farm machineries scheduled to be distributed early next year,” Jallorina told reporters.
“If we can at least award the contracts so we don’t have to return the money the better,” he added.

Jallorina may be referring to the provision of General Appropriations Act (GAA) where unspent funds should be returned to the government’s “General Fund” towards the end of the year.

However, the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of RTL specified that the utilized RCEF money, not like a regular budget allocation, shall not revert to the General Fund but shall continue to be used for the purpose for which it was set aside.

Meanwhile, Jallorina said Philmech targets to finish the distribution of the P7.5 billion worth of machineries under the first and second batch of bidding the agency conducted and is currently conducting all by the end of this year.

So far, the agency has already distributed 512 pieces of farm machines in six regions. The type of farm machines distributed so far are four-wheel tractors, hand tractors, floating Tillers, precision seeders, walk behind transplanter, reaper, and combine harvester.

Philmech Director for Applied Communications Division Aldrin Badua said all the companies that participated in the bidding are local companies but a lot of them will just be importing these machineries.

“A lot of the machinery that will be supplied to us are locally manufactured such as the tractors, floating tillers, rice miller, mechanical driers,” Badua said. 

 “There are also imported ones which will come from Thailand, India, and China, but we can assure you that these are good quality,” he added. 

When asked how PhilMech is adjusting when it comes to the significant increase in its annual budget, Jallorina said PhilMech had no problem absorbing billions of RCEF money 

“We don’t have a problem in terms of absorptive capacity. Now that we are handling billions, our capacity is still enough,” Jallorina said, adding that the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) approved the earlier request of the agency to hire additional 59 personnel.  

In March last year, PHilMech Deputy Director Raul Paz said while his agency is the most appropriate agency to handle the farm mechanization program of the government it is also a “very small agency” that is not prepared to handle billions of funds.

He said at that time that PhilMech only receives an average annual funding of around P200 million to P300 million.  

According to him, PhilMech needs to hire more people, get more vehicles for effective transportation, and expand its procurement unit before it can effectively utilize its P5-billion annual RCEF allocation.

https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:GeyP74FVAngJ:https://mb.com.ph/2020/08/10/philmech-sets-bidding-for-p10-b-farm-equipment/+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=pk

 

PHilMech sets bidding for P10-B farm equipment

Published August 10, 2020, 9:00 PM

by Madelaine B. Miraflor

Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PHilMech) is hurrying to finish the auction for P10-billion worth of farm equipment by the end of this year in fear of falling short anew in spending its annual Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) allocation.

PHilMech Executive Director Baldwin Jallorina Jr. said in a virtual media briefing that the agency is now in the process of distributing P2 billion worth of farm equipment under RCEF, while the auction and awarding is still on-going for another P5.5 billion worth of machineries.

But because the agency actually has P10-billion worth of RCEF money to spend this year, Jallorina hopes to be able to bid out another P2.5 billion worth of farm machinery before the year ends.

One of the requirements of Rice Tariffication Law (RTL), which allowed unlimited rice importation in the country, is for the government to help Filipino rice farmers become competitive by giving them access to free seeds and modern farm equipment to be funded by RCEF, the collection of tariffs from rice imports.

RCEF is supposed to be injected with P10 billion annually from 2019 to 2024. Of this, only P5 billion is allotted to mechanization but because PhilMech wasn’t able to spend its last year’s RCEF allocation, PhilMech has now P10 billion to spend this year.  

“PhilMech plans to conduct in the third quarter the pre-bidding and award of contracts for another P2.5 billion worth of farm machineries scheduled to be distributed early next year,” Jallorina told reporters.
“If we can at least award the contracts so we don’t have to return the money the better,” he added.

Jallorina may be referring to the provision of General Appropriations Act (GAA) where unspent funds should be returned to the government’s “General Fund” towards the end of the year.

However, the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of RTL specified that the utilized RCEF money, not like a regular budget allocation, shall not revert to the General Fund but shall continue to be used for the purpose for which it was set aside.

Meanwhile, Jallorina said Philmech targets to finish the distribution of the P7.5 billion worth of machineries under the first and second batch of bidding the agency conducted and is currently conducting all by the end of this year.

So far, the agency has already distributed 512 pieces of farm machines in six regions. The type of farm machines distributed so far are four-wheel tractors, hand tractors, floating Tillers, precision seeders, walk behind transplanter, reaper, and combine harvester.

Philmech Director for Applied Communications Division Aldrin Badua said all the companies that participated in the bidding are local companies but a lot of them will just be importing these machineries.

“A lot of the machinery that will be supplied to us are locally manufactured such as the tractors, floating tillers, rice miller, mechanical driers,” Badua said. 

 “There are also imported ones which will come from Thailand, India, and China, but we can assure you that these are good quality,” he added. 

When asked how PhilMech is adjusting when it comes to the significant increase in its annual budget, Jallorina said PhilMech had no problem absorbing billions of RCEF money 

“We don’t have a problem in terms of absorptive capacity. Now that we are handling billions, our capacity is still enough,” Jallorina said, adding that the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) approved the earlier request of the agency to hire additional 59 personnel.  

In March last year, PHilMech Deputy Director Raul Paz said while his agency is the most appropriate agency to handle the farm mechanization program of the government it is also a “very small agency” that is not prepared to handle billions of funds.

He said at that time that PhilMech only receives an average annual funding of around P200 million to P300 million.  

According to him, PhilMech needs to hire more people, get more vehicles for effective transportation, and expand its procurement unit before it can effectively utilize its P5-billion annual RCEF allocation.

https://mb.com.ph/2020/08/10/philmech-sets-bidding-for-p10-b-farm-equipment/

 

Study finds N95 respirator masks can be decontaminated using a rice cooker or Instant Pot

Shane McGlaun - Aug 10, 2020, 7:49 am CDT

A new study from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, has looked at a new method of sanitizing N95 respirator masks using common home appliances. The study found that placing an N95 respirator into a cooker, such as a rice cooker or Instant Pot, that produces dry heat for 50 minutes, will decontaminate the masks inside and out. At the same time, the sanitation method also preserves the filtration and fit of the masks.

The researchers say that this sanitation method could enable wearers to safely reuse limited supplies of the respirators that were originally meant to be one-time use items. N95 masks are highly prized during the coronavirus pandemic. Not only can it protect others from droplets, the wearer might expel but also protect the wearer by filtering out smaller particles that might carry the virus.

These respirators have been in very short supply since the pandemic started. The researchers say that there are many different ways to sterilize something but most methods destroy the filtration or fit of the N95 respirator. The team had hypothesized the dry heat might be a method that could decontaminate the masks while maintaining the filtration and fit without requiring special preparation or leaving a chemical residue.

Researchers also had a goal of finding a method that was widely accessible to people at home. Researchers verified that with one cycle of their test model’s rice-cooking preset sanitized the mask. The setting maintains the cooker’s contents at around 100-degrees Celsius was able to decontaminate the mask over 50 minutes inside and out. The Sanitation method is effective on four different virus classes, including the coronavirus, and was found to be more effective than ultraviolet light.

After sanitation, the team tested the respirators and found they maintain the filtration capacity of more than 95% and kept their fit. The masks were able to perform appropriately after 20 cycles of decontamination in the electric cooker.

https://www.slashgear.com/study-finds-n95-respirator-masks-can-be-decontaminated-using-a-rice-cooker-or-instant-pot-10632710/

 

The Acclaimed Soba Maker Who Champions Home Cooking

Working out of her California kitchen, Sonoko Sakai pays homage to Japanese culinary traditions through recipes, food activism and intimate classes.

Sonoko Sakai in the “soba room” of her studio in Highland Park, Los Angeles.Credit...Philip Cheung; Assistant: Kali Vineburg

By Mimi Vu

·         Aug. 10, 2020

Wandering among the artisanal shops of Kamakura, Japan, with her grandmother, a young Sonoko Sakai used to watch with fascination as tofu makers, tea roasters and rice millers crafted their products by hand. There was a fishmonger who delicately sliced and dried his fish on wire mesh screens, and a senbei (rice cracker) maker who sat on a tatami mat turning over each crisp, aromatic disc with chopsticks above a charcoal grill.

As the Queens-born daughter of an executive with Japan Airlines, Sakai, now a cookbook author, teacher and food activist, also spent plenty of time familiarizing herself with other traditions and other tastes. She grew up between Japan, the U.S. and Mexico, and during the years the family was in America, her mother would gamely devise meals using Japanese staples — miso, dried bonito, kombu — and frozen supermarket foods. (One of her specialties was a lasagna served with rice, and sometimes a little soy sauce.) “Traveling the world allowed us to dream and imagine,” said Sakai, “but I knew Japan would always be waiting for us.”

T PRESENTS: 15 CREATIVE WOMEN FOR OUR TIME |

Flour sifters, bannetons, serving baskets and strainers in the soba room.Credit...Philip Cheung

Glasses of umeshu, or plum wine, a liqueur made by steeping green ume fruits in shochu (a grain liquor) and rock sugar.Credit...Philip Cheung

As Sakai, now 65, wrote in her 2019 cookbook, “Japanese Home Cooking,” it’s her grandmother’s dedication to classicism, along with her mother’s fearless improvisation, that most inspires her work today as an educator, noodle maker and advocate of modern, craft-based home cooking. “Nurturing ourselves and our families through good food really starts there,” she said. For the past 10 years, she has taught classes in everything from umeboshi pickling and miso fermentation to curry-brick making from the culinary laboratory — brimming with flour sacks, fermentation vats and spice jars — that takes up most of her 1920s Spanish-style home in Highland Park, Los Angeles. She’s also conducted workshops at cooking schools across the States and created soba pop-ups and events at buzzed-about California restaurants such as Bar Tartine, MTN, Tsubaki, Porridge + Puffs and N/Naka.

Still, her career in food came about almost by accident. For two decades, Sakai worked as a film producer and international film buyer, while nurturing her culinary interests on the side. (She occasionally wrote about Japanese cooking for the Los Angeles Times, and published her first cookbook in 1986.) But in 2008, burned out and dispirited by the critical reception of a film she produced, she quit the business and, on a lark, took a noodle-making class in Japan. She immediately fell in love with the craft. Over the next few years, she continued learning from masters in Tokyo, including the famed soba shokunin (or artisan) Takashi Hosokawa and the buckwheat miller Yoshitomo Arakawa, who is known for his incomparably flavorful sobakoh (buckwheat flour). Back home in Los Angeles, Sakai soon began teaching Japanese cooking herself. Her reputation grew by word of mouth, and she became renowned in her own right as a maker of some of the most sublime soba in the country.

Video

Clockwise from top left: Soba in a chilled dashi broth garnished with thinly sliced young Meyer lemons and Mexican limes from Sakai’s garden. A salad of tomatoes and red shiso leaf and a green salad with squash and cucumber. Zaru soba (or cold soba) with an accompanying dipping sauce.CreditCredit...By Philip Cheung

While she still humbly refers to herself as “just a home cook,” the scope of her vision is broad. When she first began to make noodles, in 2009, she found commercially available buckwheat flours in America to be so dry and bland that she started seeking out higher-quality sources — and ended up befriending experts in heritage grains, including Glenn Roberts, the founder of the famed Anson Mills in South Carolina (who later introduced her to Stephen Jones, the director of the Bread Lab, a grain-breeding research center at Washington State University and another collaborator). Eight years ago, Roberts and Sakai began encouraging Southern California farmers to revive then little-grown varieties such as Sonora, Red Fife and einkorn wheats and Abruzzi rye. Today the project, which Sakai calls a heritage grain restoration movement, is thriving, stretching from Tehachapi, Calif. (where Sakai and her husband, the artist Katsuhisa Sakai, own a ranch), to Tennessee and Vermont. “The quality of the flour that we’re seeing, that we’re tasting, is so amazing that it’s something I would like to support for the rest of my life,” she said.

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Soba dough is cut into thin strands with the help of a komaita, or cedar cutting guide.CreditCredit...By Philip Cheung

At the same time, she’s committed to developing her repertoire — in “Japanese Home Cooking,” you’ll find a recipe for crispy mochi waffles with tatsuta-style (marinated and fried) chicken and a fragrant, spicy-sweet maple yuzu kosho (yuzu chili paste), alongside those for more classic dishes — and sharing her sensibility and know-how via intimate exchanges. Before the pandemic hit, one of her workshops would typically begin in her small tiered hillside garden, where she grows a vast array of produce: deep amber-colored persimmons, tart and astringent yuzu, ruby red Santa Rosa plums, eggplant, zucchini, shiso leaves, mitsuba and lemongrass. Once students have picked what they need for the class, they head inside for a tour of the studio, which is filled with handcrafted maple-wood butcher tables and large abstract wood sculptures made by her husband. There’s an obligatory visit to the fermentation room, which used to double as a guest bedroom until it got so funky that friends who stay over now opt for the living room sofa. Here, students can sample things like miso and shio koji (koji salt). Then they get down to work, and afterward enjoy the results of their labor, whether it’s a bowl of chewy ramen noodles or a plate of delicate tempura.

Video

One of Sakai’s favorite rituals as a child was harvesting ume plums from an old tree in her grandmother’s garden to make umeboshi (pickled ume fruits) and umeshu. “I believe umeshu and umeboshi had something to do with my grandmother’s longevity,” says Sakai. “She lived to 102. The tree was probably as old as she was.”CreditCredit...By Philip Cheung

Now that her live classes are temporarily on hold, Sakai has shifted online by offering webinars and creating kits with impeccably sourced ingredients — buckwheat flour milled by Arakawa, kombu from Yagicho Honten in Tokyo, turmeric and chiles from Diaspora Co. — for students to use in their own kitchens, while following along with her tutorials. And this month, she is introducing a handcrafted curry powder, the first product in a forthcoming pantry line. The lockdown, and the accompanying surge in interest in home cooking, has only expanded her reach, allowing her to teach people as far away as Hawaii and Indonesia — and to forge a wider community bolstered by the comforting, connective power of food, something that, in this time of crisis, feels more valuable than ever. “Every cook has an opportunity to express themselves through food,” she said. “It is a form of art, and it’s such a beautiful thing.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/10/t-magazine/sonoko-sakai-chef-cooking-soba.html\

Sonoko Sakai chef cooking soba

Chinese scientists find new evidence of ancient domestication of plants

 

2020-08-10 14:20:45XinhuaEditor : Gu Liping

Chinese paleontologists have found new evidence of how ancient humans domesticated wild plants, according to the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).

The discovery was made at the Yahuai Cave site, in South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, where plant remains dating back 30,000 years have been examined by researchers from the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology under the CAS, the Institute of Archaeology under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and several other institutes.

Researchers at the site examined phytoliths -- microscopic silica bodies that persist long after the plants have decayed -- and found that ancient humans living at the site used and domesticated different plants during different periods. These included elm trees, bamboo, palm trees and Oryza -- a genus within the grass family that includes rice.

The 16,000-year-old Oryza phytoliths provided key evidence for the domestication of wild rice by ancient humans.

The stoneware discovered at the site showed that the region, due to its mild climate at that time, was a refuge for people from the north seeking to survive extreme climate events.

The study was published in the journal Science China Earth Sciences.

http://www.ecns.cn/news/2020-08-10/detail-ifzyxfhw7470212.shtml

 

Robbins named executive director of the Arkansas Rice Federation

by Mark Gregory | August 10, 2020 at 4:00 a.m.

Description: story.lead_photo.captionKelly Robbins - Submitted photo

The Arkansas Rice Federation Board recently announced that Hot Springs native Kelly Robbins has been selected as its new executive director.

Most recently, Robbins served as executive director for the Arka

 

 

nsas Petroleum Council. He has previously served as executive vice president for three trade groups, including the Associated General Contractors of Arkansas, Arkansas Independent Producers and Royalty Owners Association and the Arkansas Forestry Association.

"It's an honor to join a well-established team of hardworking producers, millers, and merchants, who make our state's rice industry the finest in the land," Robbins said in a news release. "With their ongoing input and guidance, Arkansas Rice will continue its successful efforts representing our important community to the public, consumers and officials at all levels."

"Kelly's extensive history in association management and lobbying make him a good fit to represent our industry well," Arkansas Rice Federation Chairman David Gairhan said in the release. "His many years of experience and skill set make him an asset for our team."

Robbins will oversee all trade association activities and manage contract work for the federation. Campbell Ward will continue to conduct all marketing and public relations activities. Campbell Ward partners include previous Arkansas Rice Executive Director Lauren Waldrip and Becky Campbell.

The Arkansas Rice Federation represents all aspects of the rice industry including the Arkansas Rice Council, Arkansas Rice Farmers, Arkansas Rice Merchants and Arkansas Rice Millers.

https://www.hotsr.com/news/2020/aug/10/robbins-named-executive-director-of-the-arkansas/

 

Record setting rice crop predicted for this year

Could tie for second biggest yield

ASSOCIATED PRESS

AUGUST 09, 2020 - 5:53 AM

Getty_Images_Alekyjas

 (AP) — Agriculture experts in Louisiana and Mississippi say the rice crop is looking good. Dustin Harrell is a rice specialist at the LSU AgCenter.

He says Louisiana is about halfway through its harvest, and the pounds of rice per acre could at least tie the second highest yield.

Mississippi's harvest is about to begin. Mississippi State University Extension Service rice expert Bobby Golden says the state's estimated 150,000 acres of rice look very good.

U.S. Agriculture Department statistics show Louisiana planted about 430,000 acres.

Arkansas, with 1.4 million acres, leads the nation and California is second at 507,000 acres.

Missouri farmers planted 219,000 acres, and those in Texas 184,000.

https://wwl.radio.com/articles/ap-news/record-setting-rice-crop-predicted-for-this-year

 

H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station

·           8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

·          337-788-7531

·           337-788-7553

·           1373 Caffey Road Rayne , LA 70578

 

Since 1908, the Rice Research Station has been conducting research and developing new rice varieties that benefit the rice industry in Louisiana and help put rice on the table for families around the world. Rice farmers themselves help support the station’s efforts through a check-off fee, which creates a fund distributed by the Louisiana Rice Research Board. The station covers about 1,000 acres near Crowley, La., and includes more than 30 acres devoted to research on crawfish. Some rice varieties are developed for crawfish forage for those farmers who double-crop.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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https://www.lsuagcenter.com/portals/our_offices/research_stations/rice

 

 

Rice looking good in Louisiana and Mississippi

NEWS

Posted: Aug 9, 2020 / 01:45 PM CDT Updated: Aug 9, 2020 / 01:45 PM CDT

CROWLEY, La. (AP) — Agriculture experts in Louisiana and Mississippi say the rice crop is looking good.

“It’s a big contrast from last year,” Jeremy Hebert, AgCenter agent in Acadia Parish, said in a news release Friday from the Louisiana State University AgCenter. “Things actually worked out in farmers’ favor.”

Louisiana is about halfway through its harvest, and its yield — the amount per acre — could at least tie for second-highest ever, said Dustin Harrell a rice specialist at the AgCenter.

Mississippi’s harvest is about to begin and the state’s estimated 150,000 acres (about 60,700 hectares) of rice look very good, said Mississippi State University Extension Service rice expert Bobby Golden.

U.S. Agriculture Department statistics show Louisiana planted about 430,000 acres of rice this year. Arkansas, with 1.4 million acres, leads the nation and California is second at 507,000 acres. Missouri farmers planted 219,000 acres, and those in Texas 184,000.

“Conditions were almost perfect for growing rice” this year — unlike last year, when bad weather left Louisiana farmers only about 6,300 pounds of rice per acre, Harrell said in a news release Friday.

He estimated the current crop at 7,250 pounds per acre, just 50 pounds an acre below the record set in 2016.

There also is far less disease, said plant pathologist Don Groth.

Golden, based at the Delta Research and Extension Center in Stoneville, said the first Mississippi farmers to plant rice may be able to start draining their fields the second week of August.

“There is some extremely good-looking rice out there, but it’s too early to tell where our yields will be,” Golden said in a news release Friday.

Louisiana only planted about 5,000 more acres of rice this year than last. Mississippi State extension row-crop economist Will Maple noted that the total was up more than 30% in Mississippi and 15% nationally.

That likely will hurt prices, he said.

“The national average farm price for long-grain rice is projected down this year at $11.60 per hundredweight from $12 last year,” Maples said.

By: Associated Press

Copyright 2020 Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

https://www.brproud.com/news/rice-looking-good-in-louisiana-and-mississippi/

Rice harvest looms, fields look good

By SPECIAL TO THE PRESS REGISTER,

 

Fri, 08/07/2020 - 12:15pm

STONEVILLE, Miss. -- Rice harvest is approaching in the Mississippi Delta, and early signs point to good yields in 2020.

Bobby Golden, rice specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service and an assistant professor with the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, said the condition of the state’s estimated 150,000 acres of rice looks “very good” as growers prepare to fill their combines. With 221 rice-producing farms, Mississippi was No. 5 among U.S. states in rice production with a total value of $91 million last year.

“The first fields that were planted may start draining as soon as the second week of August. Outside of some of the early rice that flowered in high heat, the majority of the state’s rice crop will flower in good heat conditions,” said Golden, who is based at the Delta Research and Extension Center in Stoneville. “There is some extremely good-looking rice out there, but it’s too early to tell where our yields will be.”

Rain chances forecasted in the Delta through mid-August are marginal, and rainfall or high wind shouldn’t affect pollination in 2020 as it did in previous years. Insect and disease problems this year has also been limited so far.

“We may escape a lot of the issues we have had in the past with paraquat drift on a portion of the crop because the soybeans are slightly behind the rice this year,” Golden said. “I expect stink bugs will pick up in the next week. We have not had a blast issue this year like years past, and sheath blight has been minimal compared to normal.”

Planted rice acreage -- about 2.9 million acres -- is up 30% over last year statewide and 15% over 2019 nationally. Extension row-crop economist Will Maples said this increased production will cause a stagnation in market prices.

“While domestic rice consumption is projected to remain strong in the 2020–21 marketing year, the increase in production is limiting any upward price movement, as we will see an increase of rice stocks,” Maples said. “The national average farm price for long-grain rice is projected down this year at $11.60 per hundredweight from $12 last year.”

Rice fields in Mississippi feature a mix of conventional, hybrid and nonhybrid rice varieties, about half of which are tolerant to imidazolinone herbicide. One conventional variety planted in about 15% of the state’s rice fields was developed at MSU. This variety is often referred to as Rex.

September marks the 30th annual celebration of Mississippi Rice Month. Established in 1991 by the U.S. Congress, National Rice Month celebrates the nation’s rice industry.

MSU Extension and Delta Rice Promotions Inc. partner each year to host an annual rice tasting luncheon in support of Mississippi Rice Month. This year’s installment has been canceled due to COVID-19.

https://www.pressregister.com/front-page-slideshow/rice-harvest-looms-fields-look-good

 

Vietnam exports 3.9 million tonnes of rice in seven months

VNASaturday, August 08, 2020 10:36

Vietnam exported 3.9 million tonnes of rice, earning US$1.9 billion, in the first seven months of this year, according to the Department of Agro Processing and Market Development under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Description: Vietnam exports 3.9 million tonnes of rice in seven months

Export volume fell 1.4 percent but increased by 10.9 percent in value over the same period last year.

The department also said that in the first half of this year, the Philippines ranked first in Vietnam's rice export market with nearly 37 percent of total rice exports.

Vietnam exported 1.4 million tonnes of rice to the Philippines, raking in US$635 million , up 13.3 percent and 30.5 percent, respectively, over the same period last year.

Other markets with strong growth in rice exports included Senegal (up 19.6 times), Indonesia (2.8 times) and China (nearly 90 percent).

Vietnam’s average rice export price in the first six months hit $487.6  per tonne, 13 percent higher than the same period in 2019.

https://sggpnews.org.vn/business/vietnam-exports-39-million-tonnes-of-rice-in-seven-months-87901.html

Vietnam sees hike in rice exports to Africa

Description: Vietnam sees hike in rice exports to Africa

In 2019, Vietnam exports rice to 35 out of 55 African countries. (Photo: VNA)

NDO – Vietnam’s exports of rice to the African market increased sharply in the first half of 2020 and are expected to keep rising over the following months and even into next year, according to Vietnamese Trade Counsellor to Algeria Hoang Duc Nhuan, who is also in charge of trade affairs in Mali, Niger, Senegal and Gambia.

In 2019, Vietnam exported rice to 35 out of 55 African countries, with a combined turnover of approximately US$630 million, of which the Ivory Coast, Ghana, Senegal, Mozambique, Cameroon, Gabon, Tanzania and Egypt were among the major importers.

For the markets covered by the Vietnamese trade mission in Algeria, the revenue from Senegal was US$32.6 million, while the value was US$6.3 million for the Algerian market.

This year, the outbreak of locust swarms and the COVID-19 pandemic, together with high population growth and competitive rice prices in the international market, have caused governments and people of African nations to increase their storage of foods and foodstuffs, including rice.

According to the US Department of Agriculture, Africa’s rice demand in 2020 is estimated at 15.7 million tonnes, with Senegal expecting to import 1.25 million tonnes, up 13.6% year-on-year, and Mali aiming to buy 350,000 tonnes, up 16.6%. It is forecast that the region’s rice imports will continue to rise next year.

In the first six months of 2020, Vietnam exported 41,149 tonnes of rice to Senegal, raking in US$14.58 million, a 28.5-fold increase in volume and a 19.5-fold rise in value over the same period last year.

Performing the assigned functions and tasks, the Vietnamese trade mission in Algeria has been monitoring changes in trade policies and updating the demand for rice imports and relevant regulations in the countries that it is in charge, especially regarding the aspect of payment in the context of COVID-19, in order to promptly provide information on the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT)’s website, as well as to introduce Vietnamese companies to the business opportunities and the list of rice importers in the African nations.

So far this year, the Asia-Africa Market Department under the MOIT has coordinated with Vietnam’s regional trade missions to organise virtual seminars to advertise the potential of the African-Middle East market, attracting the participation of hundreds of Vietnamese enterprises.

Since mid-July, African countries, including Mali, Niger and Senegal, have reopened their land and air borders after bringing the pandemic under control. These are the positive signals that help these nations to restore trade and investment exchanges with foreign partners, including Vietnam.

https://vietreader.com/business/10328-vietnam-sees-hike-in-rice-exports-to-africa.html

Opportunities for Vietnamese rice

VietReader

Description: Opportunities for Vietnamese rice

Large-scale rice field in the Mekong Delta. (Photo: SGGP)


In early August this year, the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) officially took effect. This is a door that opens up many opportunities for Vietnamese enterprises to export to the EU market. Accordingly, Vietnam’s rice products will be exempt from export tariffs to the EU, of which, 80,000 tons of rice will enjoy tax incentives. In the Mekong Delta, Trung An Company in Can Tho City is one of the exporters in the fragrant and high-quality rice segment to fastidious markets.

The EVFTA is a rare opportunity for Vietnamese rice exporters. In the past many years, the company has associated with farmers to cultivate around 7,000 hectares of rice or around 150,000 tons of rice under safe procedures, meeting choosy markets, said Mr. Pham Thai Binh, Director of Trung An Company.

This year, the company will strive to reach an export of 80,000 tons of high-quality fragrant rice. The current export price of fragrant rice of Trung An is the dream of many enterprises when reaching an average price of US$700-$900 per ton, of which, the price of rice exported to Germany, France, Switzerland, and the US is the highest, up to $1,500 per ton.

Currently, the paddy prices in the Mekong Delta are stable at a high level, with regular paddy fetching over VND5,000 per kilogram and high-quality paddy over VND6,000 per kilogram. However, the price of rice in the country has increased sharply in recent weeks because traders are hoarding their goods. In the first seven months of this year, Vietnam exported nearly 3.9 million tons of rice, worth $1.9 billion, up 10.9 percent in value over the same period last year. It is forecasted that Vietnam will outdo Thailand to rise to the position of the top rice exporter in the world right in this year.

According to Mr. Pham Thai Binh, Trung An Company is making every effort to implement the rice production chain following advanced food safety procedures to meet the demand from demanding markets. The company does not need preferential policies, but only needs a mechanism for enterprises to access bank loans and expand the production scale from 7,000 hectares at present to about 20,000 hectares in the next few years.

Besides traditional markets, Vietnamese rice is having an opportunity to access more widely the EU market when the EVFTA came into effect. However, according to some enterprises, Vietnamese rice is rarely available in supermarkets in the EU. Thai and Cambodian rice products are still dominant in this market. Vietnam’s rice quality has now been improved. However, according to a rice exporter in the Mekong Delta, the main weaknesses of Vietnamese rice are poor brand promotion, unstable production process, and an unstable supply of high-quality rice.

According to Mr. Ho Quang Cua, who has the merit of breeding the ST rice varieties, since ST25 rice won the world’s best rice award, the trend of using branded rice in Vietnam has increased, and the possibility of exporting safe rice to the US market has become easier. Currently, ST24 and ST25 rice varieties have had a suitable transformation to cope with saltwater intrusion. ST24 and ST25 rice varieties are currently the wise choices of thousands of farmers in the Ca Mau peninsula. Mr. Truong Van Chet, a farmer in Nga Nam Town in Soc Trang Province, planted 1 hectare of ST24 rice variety under organic farming standards. Besides reducing costs by VND2.5 million – VND3.6 million per hectare, depending on the season, organic farming helps the soil to be improved well and the rice seeds to be bright, firm, and full. Especially, the consumption of rice is stable as enterprises are consuming the output after harvest.

In the domestic market, the prices of ST25 and ST24 rice varieties are at VND30,000 per kilogram, equivalent to over $1,300 per ton. The quality of ST24 and ST25 rice has been confirmed. This will be a turning point for the Vietnamese rice brand to solidify itself in the world market if the raw material areas can be built, attached to safe production processes. Mr. Ho Quang Cua proposed that they need to build an ST fragrant rice cultivation area in the rice-shrimp farming area of the entire Ca Mau peninsula. This will be a famous area on the world rice production map. The basis of this is the ability to easily export safe rice to the US and European markets. They proposed the safe production of fragrant rice in this rice-shrimp area and the rice production programs here, they will try to limit the use of chemicals.

Many opportunities are opening up to Vietnamese rice, the problem is that local authorities need to have policies to support the connection between enterprises and farmers, creating a “well-known rice region on the world map”, like the desire of Mr. Ho Quang Cua.

By Cao Phong – Translated by Thanh Nha

https://vietreader.com/business/10388-opportunities-for-vietnamese-rice.html

Bac Son rice fields turn yellow amid harvest season

Chia sẻ 

 

Each year the arrival of the ripening rice season in Bac Son Valley in Lang Son province sees the area boast a romantic beauty with yellow being the prominent colour visitors can enjoy.

Description: bac son rice fields turn yellow amid harvest season hinh 1

Rice fields sit within the immense Bac Son Valley, serving to create poetic and peaceful scenery.

Description: bac son rice fields turn yellow amid harvest season hinh 2

The site has developed into an ideal destination used by travelers to escape from the chaos of daily modern life.

Description: bac son rice fields turn yellow amid harvest season hinh 3

A view of the picturesque scenery throughout Bac Son Valley during the ripening rice season

Description: bac son rice fields turn yellow amid harvest season hinh 4

The field appears like a yellow carpet with the sun shining on it.

Description: bac son rice fields turn yellow amid harvest season hinh 5

From the peak of the mountain, tourists are able to admire panoramic views of the stunning and vast paddy fields.

Description: bac son rice fields turn yellow amid harvest season hinh 6

An image of Bac Son Valley captured as the sun sets

Description: bac son rice fields turn yellow amid harvest season hinh 7

Description: bac son rice fields turn yellow amid harvest season hinh 8

For most guests, sunrise and sunset can be considered the best times in which to admire the ripening paddy fields of Bac Son.

Description: bac son rice fields turn yellow amid harvest season hinh 9

Description: bac son rice fields turn yellow amid harvest season hinh 10

During the evening, dusk descends on the valley.

Description: bac son rice fields turn yellow amid harvest season hinh 11

The sight of dawn in Bac Son Valley offers visitors a wonderful experience. Indeed, climbing to the peak of Na Lay mountain to witness the clouds is a memorable moment for visitors to enjoy.

Description: bac son rice fields turn yellow amid harvest season hinh 12

The magnificent scenery as viewed early in the morning.

Description: bac son rice fields turn yellow amid harvest season hinh 13

 Cloud hunting is also an unmissable experience for travelers to Bac Son district in Lang Son province to take part in.

Description: bac son rice fields turn yellow amid harvest season hinh 14

The homes of local ethnic Tay people make the paddy fields appear even more charming.

Description: bac son rice fields turn yellow amid harvest season hinh 15

Description: bac son rice fields turn yellow amid harvest season hinh 16

A small river impresses visitors as it meanders through a nice natural landscape.

Description: bac son rice fields turn yellow amid harvest season hinh 17

Images of rice fields, lotus flowers, farmers, and banyan trees are typical of a peaceful Vietnamese countryside.

Description: bac son rice fields turn yellow amid harvest season hinh 18

Beautiful scenery throughout Bac Son Valley remains intact.

Description: bac son rice fields turn yellow amid harvest season hinh 19

https://vietnamnet.vn/en/travel/bac-son-rice-fields-turn-yellow-amid-harvest-season-665236.html

PHL rice inventory falls 7.8% in June

August 10, 2020 | 12:03 am

Description: https://www.bworldonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/NFA-rice-warehouse-102219.jpgPHILIPPINE STAR/MICHAEL VARCAS

THE NATIONAL rice inventory fell 7.8% year on year to 2.40 million metric tons (MT) in June, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said.

In its Rice and Corn stocks inventory report, the PSA said the year-earlier inventory level was 2.60 million MT. May total 2.80 million MT.

In June, the PSA said rice stocks held by households rose 19.8% year on year to 1.26 million MT while inventory held by commercial warehouses fell 10.7% to 891.40 thousand MT.

Meanwhile, the National Food Authority (NFA) inventories fell 54.9% to 248.33 thousand MT.

Compared to the previous month, the PSA said the national rice inventory fell 14.3%, with household stocks down 17.4%, commercial warehouse holdings falling 6.8%, and NFA depositories declining 22%.

“Of the month’s total rice stocks, 52.4% were in the households, 37.2% were in commercial warehouses, and 10.4% in NFA depositories,” the PSA said.

Meanwhile, corn stocks in June rose 5.3% year on year to 905.52 thousand MT.

Corn stocks held by households rose 20% to 96 thousand MT while the inventories of commercial warehouses rose 3.8% to 809.53 thousand MT.

NFA held no corn stocks for the month.

Month on month, the country’s corn stocks in households fell 38.9% while holdings of commercial warehouses rose 18.5%.

“About 89.4% of this month’s inventory were in commercial warehouses and the remaining 10.6% were in the households,” the PSA said. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave

https://www.bworldonline.com/phl-rice-inventory-falls-7-8-in-june/

 

Japanese Food Fair Promotion Features U.S. Rice 

 

By Sarah Moran

 

HONG KONG -- Every summer, AEON Department Store partners with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Trade Office to host the American Food Fair, and USA Rice joined the promotion this year for the second time.

"There were seven different U.S.-origin rice products on display during the food fair; that's two more than last year," said Jim Guinn, USA Rice director of Asia Promotion Programs.  "Five brands actually were featured on end-caps, prime shelf locations that are coveted placements because of their prominent position in stores."   

AEON is a Japanese-owned supermarket chain frequented by more affluent consumers in Hong Kong that carries household goods and food products, everything from fresh ingredients to staple groceries, both local and imported from around the world.  AEON operates 12 stores in neighborhoods throughout Hong Kong.
Description: C:\Users\abc\Downloads\unnamed.jpg

"Although the current relationship between the U.S. and China is strained, there's still substantial interest in U.S. food products here," said Guinn.  "Political tensions should not negatively impact the duty-free access of the many U.S. agricultural products, including rice, entering Hong Kong."

 

 

 

 

 

Rice looking good in Louisiana and Mississippi

 

 

 

CROWLEY, La. -- Agriculture experts in Louisiana and Mississippi say the rice crop is looking good.

 

"It's a big contrast from last year," Jeremy Hebert, AgCenter agent in Acadia Parish, said in a news release Friday from the Louisiana State University AgCenter. "Things actually worked out in farmers' favor."

 

Louisiana is about halfway through its harvest, and its yield -- the amount per acre -- could at least tie for second-highest ever, said Dustin Harrell a rice specialist at the AgCenter.

 

 

Mississippi's harvest is about to begin, and the state's estimated 150,000 acres of rice look very good, said Mississippi State University Extension Service rice expert Bobby Golden.

 

U.S. Agriculture Department statistics show Louisiana planted about 430,000 acres of rice this year. Arkansas, with 1.4 million acres, leads the nation and California is second at 507,000 acres. Missouri farmers planted 219,000 acres, and those in Texas 184,000.

 

"Conditions were almost perfect for growing rice" this year -- unlike last year, when bad weather left Louisiana farmers only about 6,300 pounds of rice per acre, Harrell said in a news release Friday.

 

He estimated the current crop at 7,250 pounds per acre, just 50 pounds an acre below the record set in 2016.

 

There also is far less disease, said plant pathologist Don Groth.

 

Golden, based at the Delta Research and Extension Center in Stoneville, said the first Mississippi farmers to plant rice may be able to start draining their fields the second week of August.

 

"There is some extremely good-looking rice out there, but it's too early to tell where our yields will be," Golden said in a news release Friday.

 

Louisiana only planted about 5,000 more acres of rice this year than last. Mississippi State extension row-crop economist Will Maple noted that the total was up more than 30 percent in Mississippi and 15 percent nationally.

 

That likely will hurt prices, he said.

 

"The national average farm price for long-grain rice is projected down this year at $11.60 per hundredweight from $12 last year," Maples said.

 

 

https://www.cdispatch.com/news/article.asp?aid=82852

How the French Make Rice

By Bill Buford

August 7, 2020

France consumes much less rice than other European countries. Lyon, however, is a curiously baffling exception.Photograph from Shutterstock

 

 

The starches that you might find on a plate of food in France are many and varied, and include potatoes (there are a hundred ways of preparing them), turnips (an ancient accompaniment to duck), and beans (essential to wintry dishes like a cassoulet). But you rarely see rice. France grows it (in the Camargue, in the south), and has done so since the sixteenth century. But today almost every country in Europe eats not only more rice than the French but much more. Lyon, however, is a curiously baffling exception. There, rice—imported rice—is at the heart of many of the city’s otherwise very local dishes.

Why Lyon? Rice—a grain indigenous to China, and among humankind’s first domesticated crops—reached different parts of Europe at different moments. It came to Spain around the tenth century (brought by the Moors), and by the fourteenth century it had turned up in Italy, where an early published rice recipe appears in the anonymous Venetian cookbook “Libro per Cuoco.” Subsequently, rice arrived in France via the country’s international trade fairs, which in Lyon were called the foires. These started in the fifteenth century, and became the portals through which the world’s silk, spices, food, and so on were brought to the Gauls. Many foods were introduced through the foires. Rice happened to be the one that the Lyonnais decided to make their own.

Their preparation is often called a “pilaf,” and is made with onions, butter, and chicken stock. Many cultures have their own variations on pilaf (whose name is derived from a Persian word describing the grain cooked in broth). In Lyon, it is something like a version of Italian risotto, except that it involves a long-grain rice (basmati or jasmine, for example), instead of sticky, short-grain arborio. Also, unlike risotto, a pilaf is neither stirred nor simmered on the stove top; it is cooked in the oven, covered by a circle of parchment paper, and achieves a surprisingly delicate puffy texture, as if it has been gently but moistly roasted.

Bill Buford makes French rice pilaf.

“It is perfect with a sauce,” the chef Daniel Boulud told me recently. “Lyonnais dishes always have a sauce.”

Like potatoes and gravy, I thought. Long rice is good with sauces because of its texture. The grains are firm and have body, and a sauce seems to cling to them more effectively than it does to, say, a risotto preparation, which can easily tend toward mush. In Lyon, the most iconic local dish is chicken, especially the famous breed from the nearby town of Bresse, and, however it might be made (and the Lyonnais have many preparations), it is always served with some kind of sauce. I lived in Lyon for five years and never once saw a plate of chicken that was just, well, chicken.

Boulud was born just outside the city. “There were many Italian foods in Lyon,” he told me. In the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, Italians were so numerous there that Florence declared them to be members of an official colony, governed by the laws of the northern-Italian city. The Lyonnais even briefly fell in love with Parmigiano—they called it “fromage de Milan”—as if the approximately two thousand cheeses made in France were insufficient. But fromage de Milan would turn out to be a sixteenth-century fad. Not so for rice. Boulud recalled cooking a meal recently for the chef Jacques Pépin, another native of Lyon. “I wanted to make something that said ‘home,’ ” Boulud said. “So I made a poulet au vinaigre”—chicken with a vinegar sauce, a bouchon and bistro favorite—“with plenty of rice. It took us both right back to our childhoods.”

Boulud’s pilaf is, I was pleased to discover, a little different from the orthodox preparation. When asked, he admitted that he uses shallots, not onions. “So do I!” I declared. Shallots, to my mind, seem more French than Italian, and they have a bright, sharp complexity that you don’t get from an onion, which can be sweet almost to the point of seeming fruity. Boulud also admitted (whispering, as if someone nearby might overhear) to adding a glass of white wine.

“So do I!” I said, feeling delightfully conspiratorial. (French cooking can be so rule-governed. There is one way, and no other, and you learn it, and you don’t deviate from it.) Sometimes, I volunteered, I also add a splash of vinegar!

“Really?” Boulud asked.

“Is that bad?” I said.

“No, no, of course not.”

But was it? I made the rice the other night, and my son George, ever the table’s food critic, observed that it was “different.” He then made a face. “Vinegar, probably,” I offered. “Yes, that’s it. I don’t like it,” he said. But, for me, the dish’s abundant fat—some Americans call it “stick-of-butter rice”—seems to call out for some biting acidity.

The rice is initially prepared in a pot with a lid, but when it goes into the oven the lid is replaced by the circular piece of parchment paper. This floats floppily on the brothy rice as it cooks, and is essential to achieving that wonderful puffiness. If you keep the lid on, it creates a mini oven inside the pot and dries out the rice, whereas the paper condenses the evaporating liquid and has the effect of rehydrating the dehydrating grain. The rice then swells with the flavors of the cooking liquid.

Boulud revealed a couple of his tricks. First, he pokes a small hole in the paper. (“It releases some of the steam.”) Second, he butters the parchment’s underside. The butter then slowly melts during the cooking. The rice is not just rehydrated; it is enriched unctuously.

“Genius,” I said. Who else butters their paper?

When the preparation is almost ready, you remove the parchment, fluff the kernels gently with a fork (you want to separate, not break, them), and add a little more butter, which not only melts instantly in the still-hot rice but also seems to diffuse throughout it. You don’t need to stir.

Lyonnais Rice Pilaf

Serves 4–6

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups long-grain rice, such as basmati or jasmine
  • 3 cups chicken stock
  • 2 shallots, or 1 medium onion finely diced
  • 2–4 Tbsp. white-wine vinegar (optional, and according to taste)
  • 3–4 oz. white wine
  • 3 oz. butter
  • Salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Bring chicken stock to a boil and keep warm.

3. Prepare parchment paper: trace a circle around the rim of the lid of a medium-sized pot, then cut. (Or you can try the arts-and-crafts folding trick beloved by show-offy pastry chefs.) Butter one side.

4. Heat a medium-sized pot over a medium flame. Add an ounce of the butter. Once it melts, add shallot, reduce heat to low, and cook for a minute or two, stirring continuously. The objective is to soften the shallots, never to brown them. They should look creamy.

5. Add rice to the pot and stir. If there is not enough butter to coat the rice (even if only just), add a little more. Add white vinegar, if using, and slowly reduce, until almost all of the liquid has evaporated. Then add the white wine and reduce again.

6. Add chicken stock, and salt according to taste. Turn up the heat to high. When stock starts to boil, stir once, then cover pot with lid and reduce heat to its lowest setting. Cook for 2 minutes.

7. Remove pot from heat. Replace the lid with circle of parchment paper and put pot into oven.

8. After 15 minutes, taste a kernel of rice to insure that it is cooked through—it should be tender but with a little resistance in the bite. If needed, cook for another 3 to 5 minutes.

9. Remove pot from oven, and fluff up rice gently with a fork, to insure that it is not too compressed. Add butter. Leave to cool with parchment paper on top.

Serve with chicken.

Bill Buford, a former fiction editor at The New Yorker, is the author of “Among the Thugs,” “Heat,” and “Dirt.”

More:RecipesCookingRiceFrance

Béarnaise, the French Sauce That Makes Ordinary Food Spectacular

 

With its vivid acidity, sauce béarnaise—made of a vinegar infusion, egg yolks, and clarified butter—is at the heart of the French kitchen.

Video

The Secret to Rice Pilaf is in Your Kitchen Drawer

 

With the help of his twin sons, Bill Buford demonstrates how using parchment paper will allow you to perfect a Lyonnaise staple.

https://www.newyorker.com/culture/kitchen-notes/how-the-french-make-rice

 

NFA rice inventory stands at only 7 million bags

Louise Maureen Simeon (The Philippine Star

) - August 10, 2020 - 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — The current rice inventory of the National Food Authority (NFA) stands at only seven million bags due to huge demand from local governments units and relief agencies amid the coronavirus lockdown.

Despite the thin inventory, NFA administrator Judy Dansal said there is no reason to worry even as the lean season has already started.

“Our current buffer stock, which if NFA will feed the 109 million Filipinos daily will only last for seven days. But, that is not the situation,” Dansal told The STAR.

“We only share a maximum of five percent market participation and this time, only two percent of the 33,000 metric tons daily consumption requirement,” she said.

The private sector holds the bulk of the country’s inventory, especially since the Philippines opened its door to more imports last year.

Even Agriculture Secretary William Dar emphasized that there is enough rice inventory this month and thereafter.

“No cause for alarm. We have enough rice supply in the country today,” Dar said in a separate exchange.

Dansal explained that the low inventory of NFA was caused by the unusual behavior of local government units, relief agencies, and even legislators when the government imposed the community quarantine on March 16.

NFA has so far sold more than five million bags since the quarantine began.

“Another reason is the declaration of stoppage of export by Thailand and Vietnam, and the high price of imported rice from exporting countries which resulted in a decline of importation by the private sector,” Dansal said.

“As a consequence, private traders bought unhusked rice or palay from the domestic produce at a price higher than the government’s palay support price of P19 per kilogram,” she said.

Under the Rice Tariffication Law, NFA was stripped of its import powers and was limited to buffer stocking through local procurement.

“We are not in a bad situation. We continue to procure stocks now, it is not in big volumes yet because the main harvest will start by September or three weeks from now,” Dansal said.

Further, NFA sales to LGUs and other government relief agencies have been reduced from 10 percent to two percent.

“Our stocks are now being pre-positioned to our warehouses in the different parts of the country and are sufficient to address any forthcoming emergency or calamity,” Dansal said.

Despite the assurance from the government, some groups said this is still alarming as the next big harvest is still in October.

The Nagkakaisang Grupo Laban sa RTL said that it pays to be prepared, especially with the pandemic still hovering in the picture.

“Since we are not out of the woods yet in this COVID-19, plus the threat of disasters is highest during this semester, our past experiences should have already given us enough lessons more or less on the definition of what a ‘sufficient buffer-stocks’ should be during rainy days,” the group said.

www.philstar.com/business/2020/08/10/2034067/nfa-rice-inventory-stands-only-7-million-bags

 

Come November, there will be more than 55 lakh tonnes of surplus rice

12:00 AM, August 10, 2020 / LAST MODIFIED: 02:01 AM, August 10, 2020

Still food ministry taking preparations to import grains to build up stock

Description: https://assetsds.cdnedge.bluemix.net/sites/default/files/styles/very_big_1/public/feature/images/rice_27.jpg?itok=riKrhRnl

Star Business Report

Bangladesh will have more than 55 lakh tonnes of surplus rice after meeting the domestic demand at the end of November, according to a study by the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) unveiled yesterday.

The state agency sees no shortage of rice in the near future as aus harvest is ongoing and aman will hit the market in November-December. As the production of rice has increased, the country had two crore tonnes of rice in stock until June, the BRRI said.

The findings were shared by BRRI Director General Md Shahjahan Kabir at a webinar on whether Bangladesh was going to face any rice shortage in the short run amid the pandemic.

The BRRI said farmers have reaped benefits of the increased prices of paddy.

A tendency is growing among farmers to hoard paddy this year because of the fear of food shortages and expectations of higher prices in the days ahead, Kabir said.

The BRRI expects that aus rice production would not be less than 30 lakh tonnes though floods have damaged crops on 30,000 hectares.

The findings come at the time when the food ministry is preparing to import the staple to keep the public stock intact.

The present stock of 12.5 lakh tonnes of rice and wheat is set to exhaust by December owing to the government's food distribution and other social safety net programmes.

The food ministry is mulling over importing the grain amid sluggish progress in the procurement of rice and paddy due to a lack of interest among millers and farmers to supply the cereal to public warehouses.

Until now, the government's food office could meet 20 per cent of its paddy procurement target of eight lakh tonnes and 45 per cent of its rice procurement target of 11.5 lakh tonnes. And by the looks of things, it is assumed that the target of paddy procurement is unlikely to be achieved within the deadline of 31 August.

So, there will be a shortage of rice that is expected to be met through paddy procurement, said Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder at the event.

"We have taken preparations to import to maintain an adequate stock such that the market remains stable," he said, adding that businesses might hike the prices of the grain if public food stock depletes. Some traders are waiting in the wings to increase the prices but the government will not let it happen.

"We have taken all the preparations to stay clear of a crisis like the acute shortage of onion that the nation endured last year," he added.

Prolonged floods damaged transplanted aman seedlings along with a portion of standing aus crop, said Agriculture Minister Muhammad Abdur Razzaque.

Uncertainty about the amount of aus production, fear centring a low yield of aman and a spike in prices have created concerns among people, the minister said.

"We will import rice in a small quantity if aman cultivation suffers," he said, adding that the agriculture ministry took measures to increase the production of aman and support flood-affected farmers so that they can grow rice and other crops.

Razzaque said an adequate stock of food grains should be maintained to keep the market stable and ensure food security during the times of pandemic.

"We will need to distribute more rice under the social safety net schemes if the coronavirus situation lingers," he said.

Shamsul Alam, member of the General Economics Division under the planning ministry, cited the incidence of rice price spiral after the harvest of boro paddy and raised questions about the accuracy of production estimates.

"We should follow market signals. We must make preparations for import if prices of rice do not decline," he added.

The food office might be able to purchase an additional five lakh tonnes of the grain in the rest of the period of the procurement programme, said Food Secretary Mosammat Nazmanara Khanum.

"The requirement of food distribution could be met until December by the present stock. We need to build up stock for the subsequent period for the sake of consumers," she added.

 

https://www.thedailystar.net/business/news/come-november-there-will-be-more-55-lakh-tonnes-surplus-rice-1942525

Rice Prices

as on : 11-08-2020 03:29:40 PM

Arrivals in tonnes;prices in Rs/quintal in domestic market.

Arrivals

Price

Current

%
change

Season
cumulative

Modal

Prev.
Modal

Prev.Yr
%change

Rice

Manjeri(Ker)

290.00

NC

12180.00

3500

3500

NC

Sultanpur(UP)

200.00

11.11

8087.00

2400

2350

-12.73

Shahjahanpur(UP)

150.00

-21.05

7991.00

2600

2605

-0.57

Gondal(UP)

108.00

-6.9

8825.00

2400

2420

-2.04

Sindhanur(Kar)

100.00

900

132.00

2400

3000

-

Azamgarh(UP)

90.00

-5.26

5979.20

2570

2565

5.33

Barabanki(UP)

84.00

-1.18

1003.00

2435

2470

0.21

Dadri(UP)

80.00

-36

2370.00

5950

5950

-

Hardoi(UP)

70.00

16.67

8957.80

2430

2450

-2.80

Bindki(UP)

70.00

-12.5

6140.00

2500

2500

5.04

Barhaj(UP)

70.00

-30

10765.00

2580

2580

7.50

Gorakhpur(UP)

65.00

22.64

1404.70

2565

2550

-

Birbhum(WB)

58.00

-3.33

489.00

2540

2530

5.83

Manvi(Kar)

50.00

-50

1121.00

1700

1700

-

Ghaziabad(UP)

50.00

25

2925.00

2840

2850

-2.74

Maur(UP)

46.00

-22.03

779.00

2575

2570

4.89

Sehjanwa(UP)

45.00

-10

2723.50

2565

2560

18.75

Khalilabad(UP)

40.00

-20

2000.00

2550

2550

13.33

Lakhimpur(UP)

40.00

NC

2981.00

2420

2440

2.11

Saharanpur(UP)

37.00

-22.92

2919.50

2740

2720

-6.80

Aligarh(UP)

35.00

-12.5

4662.00

2540

2550

-0.39

Meerut(UP)

31.50

10.53

1081.50

2830

2830

-4.71

Shamli(UP)

31.00

-11.43

1429.90

2785

2775

0.91

Basti(UP)

30.00

-14.29

1862.00

2570

2570

5.54

Muradabad(UP)

30.00

-14.29

1867.00

2630

2620

3.14

Soharatgarh(UP)

30.00

150

1591.70

2560

2570

4.92

Asansol(WB)

30.00

-6.25

1309.01

3100

3100

9.15

Guskara(Burdwan)(WB)

29.00

11.54

509.00

2500

2500

-

Lalitpur(UP)

28.00

-12.5

1776.50

2460

2450

-8.21

Mathura(UP)

28.00

3.7

3223.50

2550

2550

-0.78

Choubepur(UP)

28.00

-27.27

2539.85

2500

2500

-6.54

Katwa(WB)

27.50

1.85

456.30

2500

2500

-

Chorichora(UP)

27.00

17.39

1578.50

2550

2560

6.92

Balrampur(UP)

26.00

36.84

1170.00

2425

2420

5.43

Pukhrayan(UP)

25.00

150

680.00

2450

2470

4.26

Shahganj(UP)

25.00

56.25

151.00

2610

2650

11.54

Mainpuri(UP)

24.00

-4

4224.00

2665

2610

1.33

Egra/contai(WB)

22.00

4.76

618.00

2600

2600

13.04

Partaval(UP)

21.50

-28.33

854.50

2550

2550

11.60

Muzzafarnagar(UP)

21.00

5

4664.00

2785

2780

-5.75

Rampur(UP)

21.00

5

785.50

2620

2620

2.34

Vilaspur(UP)

21.00

5

1767.20

2630

2630

4.78

Chintamani(Kar)

20.00

100

585.00

2500

2500

11.11

Agra(UP)

20.00

NC

3612.00

2650

2620

-0.38

Madhoganj(UP)

20.00

-42.86

3803.50

2430

2430

8.00

Durgapur(WB)

20.00

-16.67

1248.25

2860

2850

8.75

Kayamganj(UP)

18.00

20

2070.00

2500

2490

-6.02

Utraula(UP)

17.50

-2.78

676.70

2430

2430

-

Sirsaganj(UP)

16.50

-2.94

1246.50

2610

2600

-3.15

Gazipur(UP)

15.50

10.71

2243.00

3250

3250

0.62

Etawah(UP)

15.00

50

2672.50

2525

2535

-2.88

Sahiyapur(UP)

15.00

25

2721.00

2560

2560

5.57

Paliakala(UP)

15.00

-34.78

817.50

2400

2420

5.96

Bahraich(UP)

14.00

-46.15

1187.90

2400

2400

-1.23

Jangipura(UP)

14.00

27.27

716.00

2650

2660

13.25

Robertsganj(UP)

12.50

38.89

344.10

2475

2500

5.32

Bharthna(UP)

12.50

13.64

2404.50

2550

2550

-3.41

Rasda(UP)

12.50

4.17

592.50

2570

2575

1068.18

Farukhabad(UP)

12.00

9.09

1282.00

2460

2460

-7.17

Pratapgarh(UP)

11.00

-29.03

517.00

2425

2415

8.50

Raath(UP)

9.00

32.35

300.90

2350

2350

-

Jafarganj(UP)

9.00

-35.71

1169.00

2380

2420

1.28

Karvi(UP)

8.50

-15

696.00

2440

2430

3.17

Badayoun(UP)

8.00

-20

1120.50

2650

2625

5.16

Etah(UP)

8.00

-11.11

494.50

2620

2600

2.34

Unnao(UP)

8.00

2.56

262.40

2450

2450

-1.01

Devariya(UP)

8.00

6.67

1121.50

2570

2585

6.20

Ajuha(UP)

8.00

14.29

454.00

2480

2500

1.22

Banda(UP)

7.00

-6.67

396.50

2440

2435

4.27

Mohamadabad(UP)

7.00

-12.5

910.80

2470

2480

-

Mirzapur(UP)

6.00

20

329.50

2685

2680

11.18

Fatehpur(UP)

5.60

21.74

2334.30

2495

2500

6.17

Bareilly(UP)

5.50

-54.17

2033.00

2580

2590

1.98

Atarra(UP)

5.00

-16.67

890.50

2425

2450

2.75

Kasganj(UP)

5.00

-16.67

528.50

2610

2600

1.56

Mawana(UP)

5.00

-50

349.20

2800

2780

-

Raibareilly(UP)

5.00

-28.57

1696.50

2475

2470

10.00

Jhijhank(UP)

5.00

-50

456.50

2500

2520

-

Kannauj(UP)

4.50

12.5

480.10

2500

2520

-5.30

Lucknow(UP)

4.20

23.53

4990.30

2440

2430

-12.07

Jahangirabad(UP)

4.00

NC

280.00

2660

2640

-0.75

Kosikalan(UP)

3.60

20

267.80

2560

2540

1.99

Auraiya(UP)

3.50

75

275.10

2530

2540

-3.44

Fatehpur Sikri(UP)

3.50

9.38

164.70

2580

2590

0.39

Chitwadagaon(UP)

3.50

16.67

493.80

2600

2590

23.81

Tundla(UP)

3.50

NC

318.50

2630

2620

1.94

Jayas(UP)

3.40

-2.86

737.40

2300

2300

12.20

Naanpara(UP)

3.40

-15

697.70

2390

2390

1.27

Mahoba(UP)

3.30

NC

480.20

2460

2460

8.61

Chhibramau(Kannuj)(UP)

3.30

-2.94

634.50

2470

2460

-5.00

Tulsipur(UP)

3.00

50

109.10

2420

2420

-

Charra(UP)

2.80

40

134.50

2560

2550

0.39

Bishnupur(Bankura)(WB)

2.00

-4.76

210.10

2600

2600

NC

Jhansi(UP)

1.80

28.57

156.20

2470

2485

4.00

Baberu(UP)

1.60

-11.11

98.70

2430

2420

9.21

Muskara(UP)

1.60

6.67

90.90

2400

2400

2.13

Melaghar(Tri)

1.50

50

72.30

2700

2700

NC

Lalganj(UP)

1.50

50

283.00

2350

2350

-

Shikohabad(UP)

1.50

50

278.00

2610

2600

-11.53

Akbarpur(UP)

1.50

-6.25

419.80

2410

2410

-0.82

Panichowki(Kumarghat)(Tri)

1.40

-6.67

66.40

2850

2900

-

Maudaha(UP)

1.30

62.5

36.60

2355

2350

0.64

Alibagh(Mah)

1.00

NC

98.00

2200

2200

NC

Murud(Mah)

1.00

NC

97.00

2200

2200

NC

Tanda Urmur(UP)

1.00

NC

14.30

2415

2440

-

Anandnagar(UP)

1.00

-16.67

224.10

2540

2545

10.43

Bharuasumerpur(UP)

1.00

-33.33

35.80

2500

2500

28.21

Khair(UP)

1.00

-33.33

83.80

2590

2590

-0.38

Balarampur(WB)

1.00

-33.33

30.03

2600

2600

0.78

Khatra(WB)

0.90

-10

110.40

2600

2600

NC

Atrauli(UP)

0.70

16.67

10.50

2560

2560

-

Dahod(Guj)

0.60

-71.43

1048.00

4200

4200

5.00

https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/rice-prices/article32325203.ece

Rice import decision after reviewing situation: Minister


11:24 PM, August 09, 2020 / LAST MODIFIED: 11:27 PM, August 09, 2020

 

Description: https://assetsds.cdnedge.bluemix.net/sites/default/files/styles/big_2/public/feature/images/rice_26.jpg?itok=ThO_ZgM2&c=424f4139363416cdcf294ee524a4c158

UNB, Dhaka

Agriculture Minister Dr Abdur Razzaque today said the government will review the overall situation, including the flood's impact on Aush and Aman paddy, before importing rice.

"Currently, there's no fear of food shortage in the country," he said while speaking as the chief guest at an online seminar on "Food Security in Covid-19 Situation: Is Bangladesh Going to Face Rice Deficit?" organised by Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI).

Razzaque said the ongoing floods have caused a lot of damage to Aush and Aman paddy in many areas.

"A decision to import rice will be taken if the yield of Aman is not good and the floods are prolonged," he said, assuring that all sorts of activities are underway in agriculture to deal with the damage caused by the ongoing floods.

 

https://www.thedailystar.net/country/news/rice-import-decision-after-reviewing-situation-minister-1942389

IMD says strength of monsoon westerlies waning

Strength of the monsoon westerlies over the southern parts of the Arabian Sea has reduced from Sunday and is likely to reduce further during the next five days, an India Meteorological Department (IMD) update said on Monday. Under this scenario, rainfall activity may reduce further over Kerala and Karnataka during this period.

During the 24 hours ending Monday morning, the monsoon came down heavily (rainfall in cm) over Balod-23; Dhamtari-20; Shirali-17; Chhota Udepur, Honavar and Gondia-15 each; Agumbe-14; Idukki, Vadodra and Baroda-12; Mount Abu, Kudulu and Cherrapunji-11each; Mangaluru, Cannur, Jaipur, Jabalpur and North Lakhimpur-10 each; Valprai, Karnal and Nizamabad-9 each; Anandpur Sahib, Rajgarh, Sawai Madhopur, Hanamkonda-8 each; and Kochi and Ambikapur-7 each.

Extremely heavy rainfall observed at isolated places over Chhattisgarh while it was heavy to very rainfall at isolated areas over Coastal Karnataka, Vidarbha and Gujarat region and heavy at isolated places over Rajasthan, Assam, Meghalaya, Kerala, EastMadhya Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Tamil Nadu and Telangana, the IMD said.

Fresh low-pressure area up

But a fresh low-pressure area (second in the current series) has formed over the North-West Bay, crossed coast, and moved into Chhattisgarh and later East Madhya Pradesh on Monday. The IMD said that the low may get a move to the North-West and merge with the larger monsoon trough lying along a North-West to South-East direction over the next two days.

The monsoon trough was in its near-normal position on Monday evening with the low-pressure area embedded in it. The East-West shear zone of monsoon turbulence in the upper level passes across Central India, having left the South Peninsula behind. The shear zone decides the area active of monsoon play embedded rain-generating system/s spearheading the proceedings.

Meanwhile, the IMD has said on Monday that another low-pressure area (third in the current series) may form over North-West Bay around August 13, with its short to medium model guidance not ruling out a fourth one following close on its heels. Thus August is playing true to form, when suddenly it prompts the Bay to wake up into activity,  sending monsoon to a peak.

More low’s may brew in Bay

The IMD sees reasonably widespread to widespread rainfall with heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places over major parts of North-West India for the next three days. The likely swathe of affected geography includes the hills of the North-West and adjoining plains of Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and East Rajasthan, some of which nurse a rain deficit.

Fairly widespread to widespread rainfall with heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places is also being forecast for parts of Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat region four days until August 14 with further enhancement of rainfall intensity likely over NorthGujarat and South-West Madhya Pradesh on August 13 and 14, the IMD outlook said. 

An extended outlook for August 15-17 says that fairly widespread to widespread rainfall/thundershowers may lash West, Central, East and North-East India and along the northern parts of West Coast. Isolated heavy to very heavy falls are forecast for East-CentralIndia, The North-Eastern States, northern parts of the West Coast, Gujarat state, Rajasthan and parts of Uttar Pradesh.

https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/heavy-rain-over-kerala-may-reduce-from-tuesday/article32314233.ece#

 

 

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