Wednesday, September 02, 2020

1st September 2020 Daily Global Regional Local Rice E-Newsletter

 

 

Rice production in Region 1 ups by 1.23% in the first half of 2020

Published August 31, 2020, 5:00 PM

by Freddie Lazaro

SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union – The Department of Agriculture, Regional Field Unit 1 (DA RFU1) has reported the increase of rice production by 1.23% in the first semester of 2020.

DA RFU 1 Planning Officer Irene Tactac confirmed the growth of rice production in the Ilocos region as per data gathered by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

Based on the PSA data, the volume of rice production in Region 1 had an increment of 6,033 metric tons from 488,855 metric tons production in 2019 to 494,887.85 metric tons production in 2020.

La Union recorded the highest growth at 19.83%, followed by Ilocos Sur at 2.42%, Ilocos Norte at 2.42%, and Pangasinan at 0.91%.

Pangasinan is the major producer of rice in the region contributing 69% to the regional aggregate.

As to yield, this year’s record of rice production per hectare is considered as the highest level in the region as compared to the more or less 3.50 metric tons per hectare production in the past years.

The province of Ilocos Sur registered the highest level yield per hectare at 5.30 metric tons, followed by Ilocos Norte at 5.21 metric tons, La Union at 4.92 metric tons, and Pangasinan at 4.74 metric tons.

As to area harvested, however, there was a slight decrease of 0.29% equivalent to 299.7 hectares. Only La Union and Ilocos Norte posted an increase of 7.78% and 0.61%, respectively.

According to Tactac, the increase in rice production in Region 1 was achieved through the implementation of key production and productivity-enhancing technology interventions such as the utilization of high-quality hybrid and inbred seeds coupled with favorable weather conditions.

Likewise, the region through the Rice Banner Program distributed various farm production and postharvest machinery, equipment, and facilities along with the construction of and rehabilitation of Small-Scale Irrigation Projects in the region.

She said the increase in rice yield was also attributed to the implementation of the rice resiliency project under the “Plant, Plant Plant Program” of the agency amid COVID-19 pandemic.

https://mb.com.ph/2020/08/31/rice-production-in-region-1-ups-by-1-23-in-the-first-half-of-2020/

 

Kim Jong-un inspects the damage as North Korea reels from floods and Typhoon Bavi

The reclusive regime is also struggling with the impact of sanctions and the global pandemic

28 August 2020 • 6:23am

Kim Jong-un has visited a province badly hit by a typhoon this week CREDIT: AFP

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has visited a rice-growing area devastated by a typhoon on Thursday, as the reclusive country reels from back-to-back natural and manmade catastrophes....

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https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/08/28/kim-jong-un-inspects-damage-north-korea-reels-floods-typhoon/

 

Laura’s wicked winds twist soybeans, flatten rice, scatter cotton bolls

August 31, 2020

 

DOWN — Flattened, or lodged, rice between Crockett’s Bluff and Arkansas Highway 1 in Arkansas County. Taken Aug. 28, 2020, the day after Tropical Storm Laura came through the state. (U of A System Division of Agriculture image by Phil Horton)

Little Rock, AR – After a gray day of gusts and heavy rain that steamrolled crops, Tropical Storm Laura seemed to save her worst for after sunset, with the nighttime hours punctuated by tornado warnings from Desha County north to Clay County.    

Bryce Baldridge, a Lawrence County extension staff chair for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, heard the warnings Thursday night. 

“They said a tornado was headed for Bono which is where I live,” he said on Friday. 

“My daughter got the dog and headed for the bathtub,” Baldridge said, adding that he was “listening for that train noise to come out of the black sky.”  

Fortunately, that sound never came.  

Assessing past damage, worried about the next storm  

As daylight came Friday, farmers and extension agents and agronomists were making the rounds, trying to get a preliminary damage assessment. Laura’s arrival came just as corn and rice harvest began. At this time of year, soybeans are standing tall in some fields and cotton bolls are forming.  

As these assessments continued through the day, agents and agronomists say they’re worried about another storm system expected to hit on Saturday. 

Rice 

Photos taken by extension personnel show swaths of flattened, or “lodged” plants in the heart of rice country. Jarrod Hardke, extension rice agronomist, said Friday that in an early round of assessments, it seems “rice damage is luckily minimal.” 

“The damage appears worse in the south and lessens as you move north,” he said. However, “the closer to harvest the field is, the worse the impact, but cultivar, seeding rate and fertility are all impacting factors.” 


With Saturday’s storms looming, Hardke said “lodging will worsen with time and rain.”  

Soybeans 

Matthew Davis, extension staff chair in Jackson County, said soybeans in his county seemed to have been the hardest hit.  

“Soybeans have a lean to them,” he said. “Some that were 4 feet tall are around 2 feet tall now.” 

Jeremy Ross, extension soybean agronomist, said “What I’ve seen are fields with tall soybean plants have a severe lean — they’re not completely flat.  

“These fields should stand back up, but not completely,” he said. “They will have a lean the rest of the year. There shouldn’t be any yield impact, but they will be impossible to scout.” 

ROUGH NIGHT — Corn damage in Ashley County, Arkansas. Ashley County extension staff chair Kevin Norton estimated that about 60 percent of corn acreage in the county had some degree of damage from Tropical Storm Laura, ranging from 5 to 95 percent, depending on the area. (Image courtesy Kevin Norton.)

In White County, Extension Agent Jan Yingling said she found roads covered with water and patches of fields leaning, but “my farmers have told me that most everything is still standing and they feel like they were spared.” 

In Ashley County, along the Arkansas-Louisiana border, extension county chair Kevin Norton said that about 90 percent of the county’s cotton and soybean acreage had “some degree of lodging.” 

“Cotton seems to be the hardest hit,” Norton said. “Corn is all over the board. I would estimate that 60 percent of corn acreage has some degree of lodging, ranging from 5 to 95 percent.” 

Other damage  

Cross County Extension Staff Chair Rick Wimberley, said rice and corn in his county was still standing for the most part, but soybeans were hit hard.  

“I saw a lot of fields laying down. Don’t know if they can stand back up or not,” he said.  

Wimberley, who is also a volunteer firefighter and a storm spotter, said “there was either a small tornado or straight line winds that broke tree limbs, uprooted trees, and blew down the city pavilion at Hickory Ridge.  

HANGAR, PLANE DAMAGED — Among Tropical Storm Laura’s victims, a hangar and an ag applicator plane that had been undergoing maintenance at the hanger in Hickory Ridge, Arkansas. Taken Aug. 28, 2020. (U of A System Division of Agriculture photo by Rick Wimberley)

“An airplane hangar was heavily damaged there, along with one aircraft that was undergoing maintenance,” he said. “The communications tower at the Hickory Ridge Fire Department was blown down along with a power pole. Many of the fields along a line from Hickory Ridge to approximately one mile east of Penrose are starting to flood. I expect floodwater to increase in the lower section of the county in this area the next couple of days because of poor drainage along a tributary know as Second Creek that flows into northern St. Francis County. This area has a history of flooding with heavy rains.”  

STORM DAMAGE — Damage to a farm shop near Biggers in Randolph County, Arkansas. Taken Aug. 28, 2020, the day after Tropical Storm Laura swept through Arkansas (U of A System Division of Agriculture photo by Mike Andrews)

In Randolph County, extension staff chair Mike Andrews said Laura destroyed a farm shop near Biggers, flattened half a field of soybeans and even flipped a few peanut vines out of the soil. Even so, Andrews said “I think we made it through way better than I thought the crops would.” 

Which way the wind blows 

Bill Robertson, extension cotton agronomist, said that “wind did push cotton over, especially the taller cotton, but I hope a lot of it will stand back up.” He also noted some plants simply becoming entangled with one another. 

The circular nature of Laura’s winds across the state left clues in the patterns of field damage; which was dependent upon how the rows were oriented.  

“Where the wind was blowing across the rows, there were more issues,” Robertson said. “In Lee County, the winds were more from south, so north-south rows fared better. In Lonoke County, winds were more from the east, so east-west rows looked better there.” 

“The big issue is forecast rain with upcoming weather fronts,” he said. “We need things to dry. If stays wet, it will rot a lot of crop.”  

Forestry 

Forestry was also affected by Laura. Calhoun County Extension Staff Chair Jaret Rushing was still trying to work even after the storm killed his power and damaged his home. 

“I was actually contacted by a forester this morning that needed a rain report because they were moving a logging crew on a tract of land down here on Moro Creek Bottoms,” Rushing said, amid the sound of generators running. “With the 5-plus inches of rain we received, that particular tract will probably be put off on harvesting until 2021.  

“Historically, when we get the first flooding rain here in late August or early September it will signify the beginning of the wet season,” he said.  

Laura’s lifecycle 

A Category 4 at landfall, powerful Laura approached Arkansas as a Category 1 hurricane, before weakening to a tropical storm just before crossing the border.  

“It’s kind of crazy, Laura was barreling up here like a freight train and holding together as the storm passed through Louisiana,” said Dan Koch, meteorologist for the National Weather Service in North Little Rock. As it got closer to Arkansas, “it kind of sheared apart. The top layer sheared to the east and the lower part came toward Arkansas. We did have some westerly winds aloft and that was enough to shear it apart and separate top from bottom.” 

Koch said the shear was something that would merit further investigation. 

First-time tropical storm warning  

Koch said Laura was the first time the Little Rock office had issued a tropical storm warning for Arkansas.  

“We had so many questions about this yesterday from all walks of life,” he said. He explained that “it’s not that we never had tropical storm force winds, but it was a National Weather Service policy that we never issue tropical storm warnings this far inland. This was the first time we had the chance to issue one of those.”  

https://www.stuttgartdailyleader.com/lauras-wicked-winds-twist-soybeans-flatten-rice-scatter-cotton-bolls/

 

AGRICULTURE ESCAPED SEVERE DESTRUCTION FROM HURRICANE

Sat, 08/29/2020 - 5:27pm

 

Wagons used for harvesting sugarcane sit on high ground surrounded by floodwaters from Hurricane Laura near New Iberia, Louisiana. (Photo by Bruce Schultz/LSU AgCenter)

BRUCE SCHULTZ

bschultz@agcenter.lsu.edu(link sends e-mail)

Although definitive results won’t be available for a few days, the effects on agriculture appear to be less destructive than most people feared before Hurricane Laura struck, but forests and residences sustained significant damage.
Blair Hebert, LSU AgCenter agent for sugarcane in the Bayou Teche area, said cane plants have been blown down, or lodged, throughout the area, and some plants were submerged in floodwater.
Much of the cane appeared to be laying in one direction, which could make harvest somewhat less difficult, he said.
Farmers had not completed cane planting, and that process will be even more difficult because of wet fields and downed cane that will be used for seed.
Sugarcane harvest is expected to begin in mid-September for some mills, and all mills are scheduled to begin by early October. “It’s going to take longer to harvest and cost more money,” Hebert said.
The surge wasn’t as bad as expected, so fields to the north won’t be as affected by flooding. “It’s not the best-case scenario, but it’s not the worst-case scenario,” he said.
Hebert is concerned that fields affected by flooding will also be littered with debris. He recalled that farmers had to deal with butane bottles that were washed into the fields after previous hurricanes.
Farmer Ricky Gonsoulin, of New Iberia, said he has about 2,500 acres of sugarcane flooded. The tops of the cane stalks are split “so it’s going to take sugar to repair itself,” he said.
The flood was about 3 feet lower than the flooding that accompanied Hurricane Rita in 2005, and it doesn’t have the salinity of the tidal surge from that storm, Gonsoulin said. It took five to seven years for fields flooded by Rita to recover from the salt level.
The water level didn’t rise until 4 p.m. after the storm had passed, he said.
Gonsoulin is concerned about his newly planted cane that’s completely submerged. “Once it goes over the levee, it’s like a bathtub, and we’ve got to let it out,” he said of the floodwater. He has made cuts in levees and has pumps working to drain the water, “but the tides are working in our favor,” he said.
Errol Domingue, a farmer near Erath, has 800 acres of sugarcane where water has to be pumped off. But because the water was still above the levee, he has to wait for it to recede.
The sugarcane plants have been pushed over, but the tops don’t appear to be broken. “It’s down all one way, and not mangled up,” Domingue said.
“There’s still a great crop out there,” Gonsoulin said, adding that harvest will be more of a problem in fields that also have debris.
Todd Fontenot, AgCenter agent in Evangeline Parish, said damage is scattered in his area. “Pretty decent-sized trees are knocked down,” he said.
Some rice that had not been harvested yet or was planted for crawfish showed little damage. “The rice around here seemed to have fared pretty well,” he said. Soybeans in the area didn’t appear to be damaged either.
“A lot of rice was cut over the weekend and up until Tuesday,” Fontenot said. One farmer, with help from neighbors, managed to harvest 350 acres of rice in one day.
Farmer Adlar Stelly, of Kaplan, evacuated his family and returned to his home south of Kaplan to discover everything was ok except for 190 acres out of 2,000 acres of rice that he is unable to harvest.
“I thought I was coming back to a flooded house and every acre of my farm underwater,” he said.
The rice was flooded by freshwater, and Stelly expects to start pumping off the floodwater in a day or two.
He will be making freezer space available to nearby residents who, unlike him, don’t have power.
More than 90 percent of the rice in Acadia Parish had been harvested before the storm, said Jeremy Hebert, AgCenter agent in Acadia Parish. What rice was left in the field was knocked down and is under water.
“We’ve got great farmers, and they banded together and teamed up to help get as much rice out of the field as they could the week before the storm,” Hebert said.
Hebert’s parents’ home is a total loss. This is the second time they lose a home to a hurricane.
Andrew Granger, AgCenter agent in Vermilion Parish, said most of the rice still in fields is not under water. He doesn’t think the water pushed many fences over because it rose so slowly.
The water only reached 5 feet above normal at Intracoastal City.
Shrimp processing facilities at Intracoastal City had flooded, said AgCenter and Louisiana Sea Grant aquaculture agent Mark Shirley. But water was receding, and the businesses were starting the cleanup process.
While agriculture damage wasn’t as significant as farmers feared, high winds uprooted trees, causing losses for forest landowners and residences.
Jimmy Meaux, AgCenter agent in Calcasieu and Jefferson Davis parishes, said residential damage is extensive, including to his own home.
After returning from Pineville, Meaux found trees had fallen on his house, and the roof was partially ripped off. “Everybody’s house is damaged,” he said. “The whole area in the LeBleu Settlement is like a war zone.”
Kyle LeBoeuf, cattle producer a cattle producer at Holmwood, had significant damage to his home. The roof on one side of his house was demolished and torn away, and a horse barn was destroyed.
His cattle behind his house were ok, but “I had some in Creole that got lost,” he said.
This is the second time LeBoeuf has had a house destroyed by a hurricane; the first was in Creole. “We lost everything” then, he said.
On Friday his family and friends were trying to get a water pump working and get an ice machine running.
LeBoeuf’s neighbor, Blake Trimeaux, said he rode out the storm in a nearby cinderblock building “where you could feel the cinderblocks breathing when the wind would blow. When the roof would go up, the doors would open, and you could feel the wall breathe,” he said.
Trimeaux said all his 25 cattle and home survived, but all his sheds are demolished.
AgCenter forestry agent Keith Hawkins in Beauregard Parish reported significant downed timber in the Deridder area. Many parish roads were inaccessible due to fallen trees, and some homes have been heavily damaged by downed trees.
Hurricane Laura had a major impact on forest landowners in southwest and central Louisiana said AgCenter forestry agent Robbie Hutchins, located in Alexandria.
“Trees have been uprooted and snapped off from the hurricane and associated tornadoes,” Hutchins said. Forest landowners are in the process of assessing the extent of the damage. In addition, tens of thousands of shade trees near homes and business have been downed or damaged.

https://www.eunicetoday.com/news-agriculture/agriculture-escaped-severe-destruction-hurricane

 

 

Iraq to fill rice supply gap with U.S. agreement: Trade Ministry

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq’s trade ministry will buy rice under an agreement with the United States to supply its rationing programme, it said on Saturday, and it will strike deals next week with local companies for sugar and vegetable oils.

The existing agreement has seen Iraq in recent years invite companies to present offers for U.S. origin only rice.

The country needs around 1-1.25 million tonnes of rice a year to support the programme. In May, the ministry said Iraq had only 190,000 tonnes of rice available in its coffers and renewed pleas for a greater allocation of funds from the state budget.

Iraq’s food rationing programme, created in 1991 to combat U.N. economic sanctions, covers flour and rice as well as cooking oil and sugar.

Reporting by Moayad Kenany; Writing by Ahmed Aboulenein; Editing by Alex Richardson

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iraq-rice/iraq-to-fill-rice-supply-gap-with-u-s-agreement-trade-ministry-idUSKBN25P0I9#:~:text=BAGHDAD%20(Reuters)%20%2D%20Iraq's%20trade,for%20sugar%20and%20vegetable%20oils.

 

 

 

Golden rice season in northern Vietnam village Nam Hong

By Xu Kien   August 30, 2020 | 11:04 am GMT+7

When fall begins towards the end of September and start of October, Nam Hong Village in Ha Giang Province radiates the amber hue of autumn.

Its sensual curves of staircase rice terraces send visitors into a trance.

Rice terraced fields in Nam Hong Village. Photo by Xu Kien.

Propped against the mountain at an altitude of 800 m, Nam Hong Village encompasses 38 red Dao ethnic households. The village in Thong Nguyen Commune, Hoang Su Phi District is located 33 km from National Route 2 and 77 km from Ha Giang Town, capital of the eponymous province.

A few years ago, Nam Hong villagers relied mainly on agriculture, tea cultivation, and fish farming to survive. Today, the Nam Hong community-based tourism village has become a leading draw in Hoang Su Phi District.

The first evening was a memorable one, after a hearty dinner of northern highlands specialties like boar, junglefowl, vegetables, and fragrant corn wine, I participated in the Nam Hong mid-autumn festival.

In the glow of campfire, I was unable to tear my eyes away from the supple and graceful moves of red Dao dancers. After a spiritual ceremony, barefooted red Dao men danced on burning coal.

This is a red Dao ritual that traditionally takes place in the Lunar New Year festival to thank the Fire Deity for warmth, safety, prosperity, and a good harvest, and for chasing away ghosts, devils, and diseases. Nowadays, the dance is performed regularly for tourists. That night, I fell into a deep, rejuvenating sleep.

A barefooted red Dao man danced on burning coal. Photo by Xu Kien.

Typically, rice harvesting is divided into four parts: bailing out water and catching fish, reaping, stacking, and threshing. That morning, I woke up very early to follow my tour guide Kinh to the fields.

From Hoang Su Phi Bungalow, I tightly held onto a bucket whilst chasing after Kinh up vast terraced fields. The paddies were yellow and ripe with droopy panicles ready to be harvested.

Kinh led me to the top of Doi Mong Ngua (Horseshoe Hill), the most scenic location for photos in Nam Hong. From the hilltop, fluffy clusters of white clouds floated around like frothy foam in a cappuccino, covering parts of glistening verdant terraces that rose one after another to the sky.

The arresting landscape brought about a light and tranquil feeling. I deeply inhaled the Highlands’ crisp pure air. Here’s to a new day.

Kinh’s rice field lay near the Horseshoe Hill. After a short trek, we arrived at the paddies. Kinh and his wife first released and directed the water in their rice field to others nearby. With a skilled hand, Kinh detected and caught large and robust fish swiftly swimming around rice plant roots and placed them in a bucket.

Sunrise in Nam Hong Village. Photo by Xu Kien.

To ensure the fish are in the healthiest state when caught, locals release them into paddy fields after sowing at the end of April and beginning of May. In September and October when rice fields ripen, the fish reach full maturity. Locals then catch and bring them home.

Since the fish develop in a natural state, bred without fertilizer and around rice plants, they are organic and fresh. A gastronomical must-try when visiting Nam Hong is fish freshly caught from paddy fields paired with entirely clean, safe rice.

Dehydrated fish tend to stick around the plant roots and when I dipped my hand underwater to catch them, their slippery and slimy scales completely threw me off at first but I quickly adapted and found it fun.

I caught a carp that lay snugly inside my palm, its mouth wide open until I gently dropped it into the bucket. That little fish was going to be a part of our dinner that night.

Catching fish that stick around the rice plant roots. Photo by Xu Kien.

Foreign tourists visiting Nam Hong also excitedly rolled up their sleeves and waded through the field to hunt carp. Excitement and laughter resonated across the fields.

A week passed by since our fishing mission, with the fields now teeming with toiling Nam Hong locals. That morning, I woke early and with my sickle joined villagers for the harvest.

The way Nam Hong locals reap rice is very unique, severing half the rice stalk instead of cutting from the root, then placing those halves back onto reaped plants. Every harvest, locals form a ‘V’ shape with the plants to prevent panicles from dropping. Three days later, they head back out to the fields to harvest and thresh rice crops that have dried.

We worked from one side of the hill to another. I labored alongside villagers for a week. They exchanged many stories and bantered while reaping, filling the air with hearty laughter. Needless to say, it was a memorable week.

Among the villagers, an older lady energetically reaped whilst softly lulling a baby strapped onto her back to sleep. Seeing my fierce and rapid movements, a red Dao fellow turned to me and jokingly said: "You’re very strong, would you want to marry a red Dao lad and stay here?"

Right then and there, elation rushed through me as I felt like I belonged to this captivating ethnic community, participating in ordinary daily activities that perhaps I would never get a chance to enjoy again.

Locals here don’t thresh rice crops at paddies. After the crop has dried, they use a red fabric string to gather it into bouquets and piles for transport to a communal shanty. The climb from the fields down to the shanty is arduous since the ground is uneven and the bearer has to bow, maintain their balance, straighten their legs and manage a heavy pile of rice crops on their back. Beads of sweat quickly gathered on the farmers’ head as they firmly moved forward, the familiar look of perseverance flashing on their faces.

Farmers bring rice crops to the communal shanty. Photo by Xu Kien.

After successfully transporting the thresher to the communal house, they began the threshing process and collected the final product into sacks. That harvest Kinh’s family collected in total 20 hefty sacks of rice, bringing a huge delighted grin to everyone’s face.

The red Dao community has a tradition that whichever household harvests that day has to host the village for lunch and dinner. Thus, that evening all the villagers convened at the harvester’s place to feast and celebrate.

In the afternoon sunshine of the following days, I strolled around emptied paddy fields in my trusty honeycomb rubber sandals and watched red Dao locals revel in buffalo wrestling matches.

If possible, I fell even more deeply in love with the land and its people. When harvest season came to an end, it was also my time to conclude my northern highlands adventure and return to Ho Chi Minh City.

If one gets infatuated with a region, it must be due to the intense love and appreciation one harbors for its people, animals, and scenery.

Before traveling:

Transportation

Motorbike: Explore the magnificent landscapes of Nam Hong Village on the back of a motorbike for a hands-on, unrefined experience. To save time, you can buy a limousine bus ticket from Hanoi to the Tan Quang intersection in Ha Giang Province then rent a bike to complete the trip. It is important to note the route has many dangerous bends. In return, the glistening rice terraces lining the road compose a breathtaking view.

Limousine bus: Nam Hong is located in the west of Ha Giang. Since the route is less frequented, there are not many shuttle buses that run through the region. If departing from Hanoi, you can consult Ngoc Cuong, Cau Me, Quang Nghi, Quang Giang, or Dang Quang bus services for a ride to the Tan Quang intersection. From here, you can hop on a second ride to reach Nam Hong. This ride is offered by Thong Nguyen bus service that can be reached by this number: 0966 212 213.

Accomodation: Nam Hong has a variety of accommodation options. Hoang Su Phi Bungalo boasts seven high-end, cozy, and air-conditioned cabins. The nightly rates for a two-bedroom and a single room is VND1.15 million ($50) and VND980,000 ($42), respectively. In addition, you can also opt to stay at a traditional red Dao house, which can accommodate up to 50 people. Some recommended homestays: Kinh Homestay (0988 070 619), Dao Homestay (0948 052 889), Trieu Ta Quyen Homestay (038 286 6054), Son Pu Homestay, and Hao Thu Homestay. A night in a communal room costs VND100,000.

Motorbike renting: Motorbike renting is available at every homestay. A motorbike costs VND250,000 for a day. If you want someone to drive you, a full day costs VND500,000.

Food: In Nam Hong, you will have the chance to relish in red Dao specialties like wild boar, prairie chicken, unique vegetables, forest bamboo sprouts, paddy field carp, meat jerky, corn wine, and goat liquor.

Other attractions: In addition to the terraced fields, you can also visit other tourist attractions like Thong Nguyen marketplace, Giang Ha Waterfall, Thong Nguyen tea plantation, the 600-year-old tea tree in Nam Ty Village, other staircase rice fields in Nam Ty, Nam Dich, and Nam Khoa villages, or climb Chieu Lau Thi, part of the Tay Con Linh mountain range.

Ideal time to visit: The most ideal time to visit Nam Hong is during harvest season, which takes place towards the end of September, beginning of October when the rice terraced fields are golden and glimmering. From April to May is irrigation and sowing season, in preparation for the annual harvest, with a lot of interactive activities offered to tourists. Winter lasts from the end of December until January, which is not as recommended as the former since the weather gets brutal and foggy. However, it is also during this time that the majority of local red Dao festivals occur, if you want to get a taste of ethnic culture and colors.

Herbal bath service: The red Dao’s medicinal herbs consisting of over 40 herbal leaves including calamus, lemongrass, cinnamon, and anise harvested from tall mountains could be very effective in curing grave wounds, sprains, broken bones, and respiratory problems. Herbal concoctions are used in a popular bath that even post-partum mothers can enjoy. A herbal bath costs VND100,000.

Local festivals: The red Dao have many festivals like the coming-of-age celebration, traditional red Dao wedding, annual Pan Wang Festival, and light night abstinence ritual.

Souvenir gifts: Shan Tuyet Tea is the prime specialty of Nam Hong and makes for a thoughtful gift. Other souvenirs include but are not limited to tribal-print bags and clothing handmade by local red Dao.

Other notes: If you visit Nam Hong in winter, remember to bring adequate clothing for the cold weather since the temperature can drop pretty low in the mountains, hitting sub-zero at times.

All homestays offer food, local guides, and motorbike taxis and are more than willing to help you throughout your stay. For more information, please contact the local Nam Hong cooperative via its hotline 0373 541 936.

https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:pKCiehK0rWkJ:https://e.vnexpress.net/news/travel/places/golden-rice-season-in-northern-vietnam-village-nam-hong-4150218.html+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=pk

 

Global collaboration needed to regulate embryo and embryoid research, says Baker Institute paper

The world’s scientific community must engage with a broad range of stakeholders to develop guidelines on embryo and embryoid research, according to a new paper from Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy.

Human embryo and embryoid research has expanded in recent years due to technological advances. But inconsistent or ambiguous restrictions among the 22 leading research and development nations causes confusion about what is allowed, the authors argue.

“The views of the human embryo and embryoids as a research tool vary internationally from permissive to completely prohibitive,” wrote Kirstin Matthews, fellow in science and technology policy at the Baker Institute, and Daniel Morali, a research associate at the institute.

Among the top R&D-investing nations, Matthews and Morali found 12 countries have a 14-day limit on embryo research after fertilization, one has a seven-day limit, five have less restrictive prohibitions and four have no laws or guidelines at all.

The 14-day limit is a “boundary that prohibits scientists from culturing or conducting research on an in vitro human embryo beyond 14 days after fertilization or after the development of the primitive streak (a faint streak on the embryo that establishes bilateral symmetry and potential further development),” according to the paper.

When the 14-day limit was established for the United States in 1979 by its Department of Health, Education and Welfare, it was “technologically infeasible to culture human embryos beyond 14 days; thus, it imposed no limits on research,” according to the paper. Now the U.S. is one of four countries without a 14-day limit or other restrictions on human embryo research.

Two developments have encouraged global scholars to revisit embryo research polices.

First, two independent research groups in the U.S. and U.K. were able to culture human embryos in vitro “to understand early human development, including how embryo cells organize, differentiate and generate tissues to allow proper implantation,” according to the paper. The two groups did not expand their research beyond the 14-day limit out of respect to international norms (in the U.S.’s case) and laws (U.K.).

Second, scientists are now using organized pluripotent stem cell models – embryoids or artificial embryos – to study early human development. However, most national laws and guidelines are ambiguous about embryoid research, leaving what is and is not permitted unclear, according to the authors.

“Several countries limit research on cells with the potential to become a human embryo,” they wrote. “This affects researchers’ ability to conduct embryoid research when potential is not defined.”

Matthews and Morali argue that embryoid research will need its own set of guidelines, separate from human embryo research policies, since it addresses a different set of ethical and scientific issues.

To encourage research in these areas, “scientists will need to engage with invested and interested stakeholders, such as funders, religious leaders (concerned about the use of embryos in research), donors, patients and others who might gain from knowledge obtained from human embryo and embryoid research,” they wrote.

“Working with stakeholders to develop thoughtful and appropriate guidelines would acknowledge the sensitive nature of the work, provide an opportunity for public engagement and promote high-quality science,” they added. “Otherwise, scientists run the risk of losing public trust and seeing more restrictive regulations being instituted.”

/Public Release. The material in this public release comes from the originating organization and may be of a point-in-time nature, edited for clarity, style and length. View in full here.

Tags:authorsBaker InstitutecommunitycultureDepartment of HealtheducationhealthreligiousresearchRice UniversityscienceScientistsstem celltechnologyUnited Statesuniversity

 

https://www.miragenews.com/global-collaboration-needed-to-regulate-embryo-and-embryoid-research-says-baker-institute-paper/

 

Japan seeks facilitation at ports to increase imports from Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Japanese government on Tuesday urged Pakistani authorities to improve facilitations at the ports to increase exports to Japan.

Japan’s Ambassador to Pakistan Kuninori Matsuda said Japan intends to extend business relations with Pakistan and wishes to import mangoes, rice, fish and textile products from Pakistan. He called for arrangements at the ports that could facilitate agriculture product exports.

“Japan will extend help to Pakistan in providing debt relief and after the preliminary work on the initiative an MOU (memorandum of understanding) will be formally signed with Pakistan,” Matsuda said during a meeting with the Adviser to Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue Hafeez Shaikh.

The ambassador assured all possible help and assistance to the government of Pakistan. “With the regional peace and stable political situation regional trade will flourish and offer better opportunities to Pakistan,” he said.

Pakistani government is trying to get permission from the Japanese government to export fruits and vegetables after getting clearance for its mangoes. Mango export to Japan was a complicated process due to the coronavirus outbreak. Japan is a high-value market of mangoes. Market shares in the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, Norway, Sweden, Italy, Belgium and Netherlands are rising steadily. Considering an expected reduction in exports this year, Japanese market should further be tapped, according to analysts.

Japanese traders are trying to import medical equipment and surgical instruments directly from Pakistan. In the past, these devices came to Japan via Germany. Shaikh said Japan is a time tested friend of Pakistan and has always supported the country.

“Pakistan’s relationship with Japan will continue to become stronger with every passing day,” he said in a statement.

The finance adviser apprised the ambassador on the state of the economy during the past year and how the government had made efforts to mitigate the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. Shaikh said Pakistani economy started to move in the right direction before Covid-19 pandemic. “We had been successful in increasing our tax revenues, controlling our current account deficit, have generated a primary surplus, controlled our expenditures, put a ban on borrowing from the central bank and had been successful in creating a conducive environment for exports,” he said. “I am very hopeful that Pakistan would regain stability and equilibrium as the number of active cases of Covid-19 is declining.”

https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/708713-japan-seeks-facilitation-at-ports-to-increase-imports-from-pakistan

Will Your Spouse Be a Good Parent? There’s a Test for That

A five-minute test that involves two wannabe parents and a bag of rice can make all the difference.

By Virginia Pelley

 

Sep 01 2020, 4:05 PM

As a nurse hands a faceless sack of rice to an expectant dad, researchers take detailed notes. Does he cradle it carefully and give one of their little hands a gentle squeeze? Does he smile and let loose in some high-pitched “baby talk”? How do he and his partner interact with the faceless sack? Do they argue about whether they might be cold, or hungry? Do they seem like they’re on the same page? Do they look at and coo into this “baby’s” face at the same time? That is, do they coo into where a face would be, if the baby was an actual infant and not some weird sack? 

All told, the note-taking session takes about five minutes. Months later, the researchers met with the same couples. This time, however, the faceless sack was gone, replaced by the couples’ new infant. As the now-parents interacted with their baby, the researchers spent another five minutes observing coos and couple dynamics and taking notes. While the sessions were extremely short, the researchers — who were from Ohio State University — concluded that, among other things, how dads behaved with the stand-in infant (the faceless sack) accurately predicted how they’d later behave with their real-life babies. 

The test in question was known as the Prenatal Lausanne Trilogue Play method (LTP), and was developed by University of Lausanne professors Joelle Darwiche, Elisabeth Fivaz-Depeursinge, and Antoinette Corboz-Warnery to assess the “family alliance” within the father-mother-baby triad. Schoppe’s research echoed what these researchers have previously noted in more than a decade of study — that parents’ interaction with a doll in this five-minute exercise is amazingly predictive of parenting quality once their children are born. 

The body of research exploring the magnitude of the transition to parenthood is growing, and particularly new is the research of what the transition is like for dads. The LTP work, in part, has helped researchers highlight an important discovery: the process of becoming parents actually begins during pregnancy. 

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In other words, parents are mentally building the scaffolding for how they’ll parent together long before the baby is born. Although behaviors described as “intuitive” sound pretty fixed and unchangeable, researchers are also learning that some of the indicators of positive parenting seen in these studies can, in fact, be learned or molded. The focus now, the researchers say, is to use data gleaned from the LTP to develop programs to make parents more confident and competent parents.

Parenting behavior is complex and hard to predict. Any single factor is at best only able to explain a small amount of the differences between parents in their behavior. Most attempts — by partners or experts alike — to predict what kind of parent an individual will be are based on a lot of guesswork. 

This is why Sarah Schoppe-Sullivan, a professor of psychology and director of the Children and Parents Lab at the Ohio State University and Regina Kuersten-Hogan, at Assumption University in Worcester, Massachusetts, are so interested in a test like LTP. Since the test is only five minutes, it’s easy to tack onto other research she and her colleagues were already conducting and to gain a more robust idea of what a parent will be like. 

“From my standpoint as a researcher, the five-minute aspect is notable or interesting just because it’s so short,” says study co-author Schloppe-Sullivan. “Like, wow, we can take this small amount of behavior with a doll and predict behavior regarding the interaction between a man and his kid a year later.” 

 

Parents need to work together. Their ability to do so — called “family alliance” by experts — leads to good things for their kid. The way two parents are or are not able to co-parent effectively is more important to children’s well-being than even the relationship between the parents. “Coordinating while interacting and conversing with children reduces confusion and promotes a sense of security,” says Leela R. Magavi, MD, psychiatrist and regional medical director of Community Psychiatry in Newport Beach, California.  She adds that it may also expedite children’s language development as it emphasizes certain sounds and phrases in addition to associated facial expressions. 

This isn’t all that surprising, but it is important to know — and hard to predict.

Joelle Darwiche’s more recent LTP studies, which combine two elements: parents’ prenatal intuitive behaviors, such as smiling at and talking directly to the baby and expressing concern for the baby’s well-being, aim to do just that. Studying first-time parents during their fifth month of pregnancy, Darwiche and her co-authors evaluated parents’ intuitive behaviors toward the doll while coordinating their interaction with each other, such as holding the doll together and both parents talking to the doll at the same time. 

“Previous research had seen parents-to-be using high-pitched and rhythmic voice while interacting with a doll or holding the puppet at dialogue distance in the LTP,” Darwiche says. “We wanted to see if and how they coordinated their behaviors toward one another to get involved with the doll, or ‘future baby.’”

There’s a lot of variation in what that might look like. Some parents showed positive prenatal parenting behaviors both interacting individually with the baby (such as talking softly to the baby) and with the other parent (such as looking at the baby together). Other parents did well on their own but were unable to coordinate with the other parent. Still other parents weren’t able to show positive parenting behaviors either individually or as a co-parent. 

The researchers also have seen evidence of gatekeeping — which can happen with any gender-identifying parent but is more common among mothers — in these experiments. Even if one parent is willing to engage with the baby and the other parent at the same time, the other parent might reject the effort, subconsciously or consciously, and shut out their partner. Some couples were critical of each other, with one partner, for instance, telling the other that they weren’t supporting the baby’s head properly.

There are plenty of individualistic characteristics that are just as important as how parents work together. When researchers talk about “high-quality” parenting behaviors, they mean generally positive and supportive stuff such as sensitivity and noticing and responding appropriately to babies’ signals. If babies notice something in the environment, for example, you follow their gaze, and maybe comment on it. Or if they look upset, you calm them down. 

“We noted ‘positive regard,’ which is basically warmth,” Schoppe-Sullivan says. “Is dad laughing, talking, and smiling with the child?”

They also like to see an absence of detachment. “Detachment is when dad is checked out, not responding to the child,” she says. “They’re not engaged, or maybe they’re playing and so focused on the task, such as putting shapes together, that they’re not really focused on the child.”

Of course, warmth and sensitivity are also important to kids’ development.

“When the infant is well held (in a seat or in the arms), he can use all his energy to pay attention and to communicate,” says France Frascarolo-Moutinot, the retired former head of research and professor of psychiatry at Lausanne University. “One learns to communicate by practicing communication, not only by observing people communicating. In this kind of dialogue with a baby, the adult is mirroring the baby’s facial expressions and emotions, which [teaches the baby how to regulate them].”

Schoppe-Sullivan and study lead author, doctoral student Lauren Altenburger, also looked at expectant fathers’ personality traits that were associated with lower-quality parenting behaviors. Dads who were low on “conscientiousness” and low on “openness to new experiences” tended to score lower on postpartum parenting evaluations as well. 

“Conscientious is the extent to which you’re goal oriented,” Schoppe-Sullivan says. “The idea is that, maybe you’re more in the mindset of what you need to do in order to be a good parent. Conscientiousness is associated with better adjustment in general. So it’s not entirely surprising.”

People who are open to experiences are essentially open-minded and tend to be inventive and imaginative. “So maybe you’re just open to parenthood, and have an easygoing attitude like, whatever happens, happens,” she says. 

 

At this point, the LTP is just a research tool and not a test parents can take at their OB-GYN’s office. But the researchers hope their findings could contribute to the development of prenatal parenting education programs to help moms and dads-to-be become more confident in their parenting ability and learn to work together more effectively. Prenatal parenting classes and even groups for new dads — in person or online — can help increase confidence about the basics as well as comfort with the loving behaviors that help babies thrive. 

“The prenatal stage is still a time when one can act calmly, whereas after the birth, there will be fatigue and stress, especially if it’s the birth of a first child,” Darwiche says.

Ideally, it would be helpful if men got more experience caring for or even being around young children and infants before they ever become parents, Schoppe-Sullivan adds.

“Anecdotally, some men are really hesitant to interact with babies, so some sort of more universal experience and guidance would go a long way,” she says. 

She suspects that for a lot of dads, it’s more a fear of doing something wrong than a lack of desire or motivation.

“Some moms pick up on that hesitation, and that leads them to wanting to take over,” she says. “Increasing that confidence would be great, for both parents.”

Notre Dame Researchers Launch COVID Registry

Tuesday, September 1st 2020, 3:33 PM EDT

Updated: 

Tuesday, September 1st 2020, 3:43 PM EDT

By Mary Willkom, Writer/Reporter

 

 

NOTRE DAME - Researchers at the University of Notre Dame are leveraging the university’s membership in the Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute and one of its key programs, "All IN for Health," to launch the Indiana COVID-19 Registry. Notre Dame says the registry is an effort to track the spread and impact of the coronavirus and better inform decision making at the state and local levels.

The university says the registry is built to work with state and county dashboards, and will measure economic and health impacts and anticipate healthcare needs. The registry will include an online dashboard with information about symptoms and testing, mental health impacts, and exposures, among others.

“Understanding how COVID-19 is affecting the health and well-being — physical, mental and economic — of Indiana residents is critical to our battle against this formidable foe,” said Marie Lynn Miranda, lead scientist on the registry and the Charles and Jill Fischer Provost at Notre Dame.

The registry, which is open to anyone 18 or older, also involves introductory and follow-up surveys. The introductory survey asks about background and medical history, mental health, hand-washing habits, and household size, among others. The university says follow-up surveys are shorter and will ask similar questions, which Notre Dame says allows the registry to track changes in impacts and behavior over time.

“The Indiana CTSI is in a unique position to connect with people across the state, which will help us get more perspective about this unprecedented pandemic,” said Dr. Sarah Wiehe, co-director of the Indiana CTSI. “By understanding the needs of our communities now, as well as over time, we will be better prepared to improve health through research in the future.”

The dashboard will be made public once adequate data are available.

Notre Dame says data from the registry will be stored in a highly-secure system built and maintained by the Center for Research Computing at Notre Dame. Results will be published and updated online, excluding confidential patient information.

The university says the registry is modeled on the COVID-19 Registry at Rice University, where Miranda served as professor of statistics from 2015 to 2020.

https://www.insideindianabusiness.com/story/42576417/notre-dame-researchers-launch-covid-registry

 

 

 

Big drop in rice exports

Sok Chan / Khmer Times 

Cambodia’s rice exports in August dropped drastically. KT/Chor Sokunthea

 

Cambodia’s rice exports to international markets in August dropped drastically to 22,130 tonnes, according to the National Phytosanitary database of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. Compared with August last year, they fell nearly 35 percent from 34, 032 tonnes.

However, in total Cambodia’s rice exports increased in the first eight months of the year saw a 31.05 percent rise in exports, reaching 448,203 tonnes from 342,045 tonnes in 2019.

Among the total rice exports, 352,802 tonnes were fragrant rice, white rice, 89,699 tonnes, parboiled rice 5,679 tonnes and the rest was 23 tonnes.

China is still the top market for Cambodian rice exports. Cambodia exported to China around 159,253 tonnes in the first eight months, followed by France at 56,964 tonnes. Among Asean countries, Malaysia imported about 23,201 tonnes from Cambodia, Vietnam 12,836 tonnes and  Brunei 10,500 tonnes.

Song Saran, president of the Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF), said floods and drought are now the major problems hitting farmers and affecting the Kingdom’s food security and exports after drought left much land in the northwest dry and cracked.

“September would likely drop 20 percent. It is because of climate change affecting our main fragrant rice export (Sen Kra Ob Jasmine rice). But our target of 800,000 tonnes in exports is still in place. We will strongly rebound in October if the harvest is good. The CRF will conduct another review on rice exports again by mid-September,” Saran said.

He added that generally the Sen Kro Ob variety was harvested in mid-July, but now fewer farmers are harvesting because their crops were damaged or some can be harvested but the quality and yield are lower.

He said that the harvest will be delayed for about two months because farmers now have to replant the paddy, so they will harvest it in October and November. “In August, our exports dropped around 30 percent and 20 percent in September,” he said. “We found flooding in September and October is also a major issue for farmers. It is a concern because we have a market but no paddy for processing to export,” he added.

Saran said that the lower reaches of the Mekong River are also a concern for the farmers along Tonle Sap Lake.

The CRF has also asked the Agriculture and Rural Development Bank (ARDB) to release more funds and requested an extension to the loan cycle repayments, blaming an adjustment in the harvest season.

“We are now facing climate change and that is making us miss the harvest seasonal target, so we need a longer loan cycle that will make it easier for rice millers to have time to collect rice paddy at a fair price,” Saran said.

Kao Thach, general director of the state-run ARDB, said the bank has yet to make a decision. “Because it is a government fund, we need to submit the request to the government for approval,” he said. Thach said previously the private sector that provided loans needed them paid back during May and June each year.

https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50759582/big-drop-in-rice-exports/

 

 

Agric Sector Is The Frontliner For Nana Addo’s Government - CARIG

01-Sep-2020

General NewsNews

 

 

The Center For Agricultural Research and Integration Ghana (CARIG) says the sterling performance in the agriculture under the current administration of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) could be a magic wand for the re-election of His Excellency,  Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo. 
 
The group says its research across the country has proven that not only has the agriculture sector witnessed massive revival over the past three and half years,  but also many more Ghanaians,  particularly farmers, have benefitted tremendously from the various flagship policies implemented by the Government. 
 
In a yet to release survey snippets of which have been made available to this news portal, the group rated Planting for Food and Jobs,  Planting for Export and Rural Development,  Rearing for Food and Jobs,  as well as the Greenhouse Villages programme,  as major interventions that have had direct immediate impacts on the lives of over 1.5m farmers and farming families in the country. 
 
"Whilst the research appreciates the fact that policies like Free SHS,  One District,  One Factory amongst others are very important to the long term economic transformation, policies like Planting for Food and Jobs has incredibly changed the economic dynamics of many households in the country " the report emphasised. 
 
The CARIG further pointed out "perhaps for the first time in our history as a country,  Agriculture will likely determine the political fortunes of the two major parties.
 
It said the three months research uncovered that the PFJ initiative has increased the ability of many Ghanaians "to create and store wealth".
 
The group explained that with the increase in production yields per acre,  farmers are now able to produce enough to feed their households, sell some for their upkeep and also store for future business. 
 
Background
 
Government in April 2017, launched its flagship Agricultural Policy, Planting for Food and Jobs at Goaso in the Ahafo Region. 
 
The programme,  according to the Ministry, involves the provision of highly subsidized inputs (seeds and fertilizers), technical services (extension services) as well as access to market for beneficiary farmers.
 
It began with a pilot of 200, 000 farmers across and currently about 1.5m farmers are enjoying from the initiative. 
 
The programme has five inbuilt modules; Planting for Food and Jobs- which focuses on major food crops such as maize,  rice, soybean,  sorghum,  cassava and a selection of vegetables.
 
There is also Planting for Export and Rural Development (PERD)- this module deals with six major cash/tree crops including Oil Palm,  Coconut, Coffee, Rubber, Cashew and Shea. 
 
The objective for the implementation of the PERD, according to the Ministry,  is to diversify Ghana's agricultural export commodities, which is currently limited to cocoa, to other tree crops whose economic values, are similar to cocoa.
 
The Minister for Food and Agriculture, Hon. Dr. Owusu Afriyie  Akoto is on record to have said that "the PERD programme could in the next seven years rake in as much as $16 Billion Dollars every year upon its successful implementation"
 
Already, Government, by Legislative Instrument, set up the Tree Crops Development Authority (TCDA), similar to COCOBOD, to regulate the production,  sales and marketing of the various crops under the PERD programme. 
 
The President, in a recent public address, hinted that the "Board of the TCDA would in the next days, be inaugurated to commence work. It is expected to be headquartered in Kumasi, the Ashanti Regional capital. 
 
The other modules under the PFJ programme are Rearing for Food and Jobs(RFJ),  Greenhouse Villages and Agriculture Mechanization. 
 
The RFJ programme is currently being piloted in the selected district across the country with the focus on sheep, goat, piggery and poultry. 
 
The aim is to boost local production of particularly poultry in order to reduce the huge importation and to also meet the nutritional needs of Ghanaians. 

Currently,  three Greenhouse Villages are in operation; Dawhenya in the Greater Accra Region,  Bawjiase in the Central Region and Akomadan in the Ashanti Region. 
 
The facilities are fitted with state-of-the-art training centres with hundreds of students being trained in modern vegetable production. 
 
On Mechanization,  Government, through agreements with Brazil, India and Czech Republic,  has taken delivery of ultra-modern farm equipment such as tractors, rice millers, planters amongst others,  to support farmers in the country.

Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana

 

https://www.peacefmonline.com/pages/local/news/202009/425742.php

 

 

Weed seed collection for herbicide resistance testing


UCANR: Safeguarding abundant and healthy food for all Californians

 

Author: Whitney Brim-DeForest

Published on: September 1, 2020

It's that time again! If you would like to submit seeds for herbicide resistance testing, many weed species will be maturing right about now.

The UCCE Rice Weeds Program tests grower submitted seed samples of potentially herbicide-resistant watergrass species, sprangletop, smallflower umbrella sedge and bulrush. However, we encourage you to submit ANY species that you suspect to be resistant. We keep individual grower information confidential and any reporting of results will not identify individual growers.

Please fill out the form (linked here) for each weed seed sample (each field and/or species). The following tips will ensure that you receive the best possible results:

  • The best timing of collection is when the seed easily falls off the seed head by gentle agitation in a paper bag (see video for demonstration):

o   For watergrass species, this should be close to rice harvest (seeds should be brownish in color)

o   For sprangletop, timing will be earlier, in August or September (seeds will appear greenish)

o   For the sedges, timing may be as early as July, all the way through early September

o   Smallflower umbrella sedge seed is yellow, with brown hulls (looks like dust)

o   Bulrush (roughseed) seeds are black and have small hairs

  • Seed should be collected from areas that you know have been sprayed with the suspected herbicide.
  • Collect seeds from multiple plants, and the amount should be at least a few handfuls of seed, to ensure sufficient quantity for testing.
  • Please do not collect seed from around field margins.
  • Allow seed to dry in the paper bag to prevent molding.

Bring the sample and form to your local UCCE Farm Advisor (WhitneyLuis, or Michelle) or send or drop off samples at the Rice Experiment Station (RES) in Biggs. If you need assistance in collection, please contact your Farm Advisor or PCA. Results should be emailed to you in March of 2021.

Public Value: UCANR: Safeguarding abundant and healthy food for all Californians

Focus Area Tags: Agriculture

Tags: herbicide resistance (5), rice (18), weeds (21), Weeds Affecting Plants (5)

Comments: 0

https://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=43536

 

Pesticide-Free Crop Protection Yields Up To US$20 Bln Per Year Benefits In Asia-Pacific

 

 September 1, 2020Eurasia Review  

By Eurasia Review

Description: Rice Buffalo Farmer Cultivating Agriculture AsiaScientists have estimated for the first time how nature-based solutions for agricultural pest control deliver US$ 14.6 to US$ 19.5 billion annually across 23 countries in the Asia-Pacific region.

The new research, published in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution, suggests that non-chemical crop protection (or biological control) delivers economic dividends that far surpass those attained through improved “Green Revolution” rice germplasm (estimated at US$ 4.3 billion a year).

The study, led by Dr Kris Wyckhuys and including contributions from CABI’s Dr Matthew Cock and Dr Frances Williams on the data collection, unveils the magnitude and macro-economic relevance of biodiversity-based contributions to productivity growth in non-rice crops over a 100-year period between 1918 and 2018.

Scientifically-guided biological control of 43 exotic invertebrate pests allowed for between 73% to 100% yield loss recovery in critical food, feed and fibre crops including banana, breadfruit, cassava and coconut.

Dr Wyckhuys said, “The Green Revolution is credited with alleviating famine, mitigating poverty and driving aggregate economic growth since the 1960s – enabled through a tripling of rice output. Cornerstone of the Green Revolution were the ‘packaged’ seed x agro-chemical technologies and biological innovations such as high-yielding, disease-resistant cereal varieties.

“Our research is the first to gauge the financial benefit of using biological control to fight crop pests in the Asia-Pacific region and demonstrates how these ecologically-based approaches promoted rural growth and prosperity in marginal, poorly-endowed, non-rice environments.

“By thus placing agro-ecological innovations on equal footing with input-intensive measures, our work provides lessons for future efforts to mitigate invasive species, restore ecological resilience and sustainably raise output of global agri-food systems.”

The scientists, who show how 75 different biological control agents mitigated 43 pests over a 100-year range, outline how biodiversity-driven ecosystem services underpin food systems and societal wellbeing in the face of environmental change.

Co-author Dr Michael Furlong added, “Biological control delivered durable pest control in myriad Asia-Pacific agriculture sectors, permitting yield-loss recoveries up to 73%, 81% and 100% in cassava, banana and coconut crops respectively.

“The ensuing economic dividends are substantial, as pest-induced losses up to US $6.8, $4.3 and $8.2 billion annually for the above crops were offset (at respective values of $5.4-6.8 billion, $1.4-2.2 billion and $3.8-5.5 billion/year, for a conservative to high impact scenario range). As many of the underlying programs were run on a shoestring, the rate of return on biological control science is extraordinary.

“Our work constitutes an empirical demonstration of how insect biological control helped solidify the agrarian foundation of several Asia-Pacific economies and – in doing so – places biological control on an equal footing with other biological innovations such as Green Revolution germplasm.

“Not only does it spotlight its transformative impacts – especially in light of increasing global reliance on chemical pesticides – but it also celebrates the century-long achievements of dedicated, yet often, unacclaimed insect explorers and biological control pioneers.”

Home » Pesticide-Free Crop Protection Yields Up To US$20 Bln Per Year Benefits In Asia-Pacific

https://www.eurasiareview.com/01092020-pesticide-free-crop-protection-yields-up-to-us20-bln-per-year-benefits-in-asia-pacific/

Scientists are one step closer to engineering flood-resistant crops

 

08-31-2020

By Chrissy Sexton

Earth.com staff writer

Description: Crops could be made more resistant to flooding by manipulating the enzymes that control their response to lower oxygen levels, according to a new study from the University of Sydney.Crops could be made more resistant to flooding by manipulating the enzymes that control their response to lower oxygen levels, according to a new study from the University of Sydney.

“Climate change is a major global issue, not least for its impact on food security. We hope these findings can help produce flood-tolerant crops to help mitigate the devastating social and economic impact of extreme weather events on food production,” said study co-author Dr. Mark White.

Climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of flooding events worldwide. As a result of rising sea levels and stronger tropical storms, floods in the United States that used to occur only once every 100 years could soon occur annually. 

Flooding can cause devastating crop losses and reduce food security. Staple crops such as rice, wheat, and barley have a built-in defense to survive temporary flooding, but prolonged periods of water inundation can fatally damage these plants.

In response to the low oxygen conditions in water, some plants can activate energy pathways that do not rely on air. These responses are controlled by oxygen-sensing enzymes –  plant cysteine oxidases (PCOs) – that use oxygen to regulate the stability of proteins that control gene activity.

The study authors explained that PCOs are a vital component of the plant oxygen signaling system, connecting environmental stimulus with cellular and physiological response.

The research, which was largely conducted at the University of Oxford, describes the molecular structures of PCOs for the first time. The experts have identified key structural features that are required for PCO activity.

“The results provide a platform for future efforts to manipulate the enzyme function in an attempt to create flood-resistant crops that can mitigate the impact of extreme weather events,” said Dr. White.

The study is published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

By Chrissy SextonEarth.com Staff Writer

https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-are-one-step-closer-to-engineering-flood-resistant-crops/

 

 

Cheers to 30 Years of National Rice Month 

 

By Deborah Willenborg

 

ARLINGTON, VA -- Today marks not only the start of National Rice Month (NRM), but the 30th anniversary of the month-long celebration of the U.S. rice industry!  Initiated by an act of Congress, Proclamation 6323 officially designated September as National Rice Month to raise awareness of U.S.-grown rice and recognize the contributions the U.S. rice industry makes to America's economy.  The proclamation was signed by President George H.W. Bush in 1990, and every September since, USA Rice has conducted activities centered around National Rice Month that promote consumption of U.S.-grown rice.  This year is no different.

"The 30th anniversary of National Rice Month gives us a lot to celebrate, especially in a unique year like 2020," said Cameron Jacobs, USA Rice domestic promotion director.  "Everyone in the U.S. rice industry deserves special recognition for working around the clock to keep Americans fed during the pandemic, and for ensuring the successful harvest of next year's crop."

NRM outreach starts with new editions of the school foodservice newsletter and the domestic promotion newsletter, both filled with recipes, tips, and industry profiles.  Several consumer recipe contests are planned, including one with FeedFeed, the largest digital & culinary online food community, reaching tens of thousands of home chefs every day.  USA Rice and rice cooker manufacturer, Zojirushi, are promoting NRM through a series of standalone giveaways and a segment by YouTube influencer Emmymade.  USA Rice also will host a separate NRM recipe contest for short and medium grain recipes.

"This month we're utilizing our existing network of influencers from Feedfeed and Registered Dietitians (RDs) to encourage consumption of U.S.-grown rice by having them share new recipes and health tips with their followers," said Jacobs.  "USA Rice has got our own dedicated social media campaign for the entire month, across all platforms, providing a daily dose of rice facts, farmer spotlights, and favorite recipes to celebrate the harvest of our great grain, and everything and everyone that makes it possible."

Of course, NRM would not be complete without the annual Scholarship Video Contest!  Thanks to the generosity of new scholarship sponsor American Commodity Company (ACC), this year's winners will be awarded bigger prizes totaling $10,000.  High school seniors from the six primary rice-growing states submit 3-minute videos that are judged on their creativity, quality, and effectiveness in telling a unique story about U.S.-grown rice.  The contest runs through October 31.

"This is our time to "rice and shine," and we're taking advantage of the opportunity to reach new consumers with U.S. rice messaging while driving organic social content and highlighting the contributions of the U.S rice industry to this country," concluded Jacobs.

 

Back to basics: How to make perfect rice

31 AUG 2020 - 11:05AM

 

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It should be easy, but it's not... (Digital Vision / Getty Images)

Who knew there were so many ways to cook rice? Most of them aren't correct, of course.

By 

Bron Maxabella

 

28 AUG 2020 - 9:50 AM  UPDATED 31 AUG 2020 - 11:05 AM

For such a humble ingredient, rice sure can stir the pot. There's a small cultural war happening across the socials and everyone's mum knows how to make it 'the right way'. 

It all started in the Facebook group Subtle Asian Traits, where someone shared a video of Hersha Patel of BBC Food showing how to cook rice. Cue social media pile-on, with one of the group members sharing the video with Malaysian comedian Nigel Ng, aka Uncle Roger. Ng's YouTube response, entitled "DISGUSTED by this Egg Fried Rice Video," quickly went viral. More than 10 million views kind of viral.

"There are so many different ways people swear by for cooking rice it should be obvious that it's actually a very easy thing to cook."

"What she doing? Oh my god. You're killing me, woman. Drain the - she's draining rice with a colander! How can you drain rice with a colander? This is not pasta!" he exclaimed. He then went on to list the many ways Patel was "ruining" the rice: she hadn't washed it before cooking, she boiled it, she overcooked it, she used a, gasp, colander.

Later, London-based Asian-American celebrity Jenny Yang jokingly called Patel's method "a hate crime".

Both Ng and Yang have since made friends with Patel (Ng and Patel are said to be working on a collaboration), but it's fair to say that people are very upset about rice.

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World's best: 10 rice dishes you need in your life

We've rounded up some of our favourite rice recipes from around the globe. #nopassportrequired

Ask the experts

To get to the bottom of things (preferably without ruining the pan), we talked to a few rice-cooking experts to finally decide the 'correct' method for cooking rice.

Adam Liaw - There's only one person who could possibly diffuse this ticking time bomb: the affable Adam Liaw.

"There are so many different ways people swear by for cooking rice it should be obvious that it's actually a very easy thing to cook," he tells SBS Food. We're ready for all that ease.

Description: Adam Liaw

Adam tucking into mapo tofu and, you guessed it, perfectly cooked rice in Chengdu.
Source: Adam Liaw

Winnie Chu - Chu is from Sha Tau Kok in Hong Kong and emigrated to Australia in 1975 at age 20. She got a job as a kitchen hand in a Chinese restaurant and within three months she became an oil wok cook, a role she kept for over 40 years, becoming one of the best in the Perth industry.

Debbie Tsang - Winne's daughter, owner of The Creative Laser and renowned home cook.

The SBS Food Facebook Group - barring the fact that many of the group mentioned using the microwave to cook their rice (hopefully Ng and Yang never hear about that), these guys had lots of great tips - read on!

First, wash your rice

This is a step that everyone agrees on: don't skip the rice rinse. Washing the rice before cooking removes any random particles that may have found their way into the rice bag during packing.

If you don't want your rice to clump together, don't miss the washing step.

Just as importantly, rinsing removes the surface starch on the rice grains. The more starch that remains on the rice, the gummier the rice remains during cooking and the less fluffy the end result will be.

Description: Rinse rice before cooking

True rice aficionados inspect every grain of rice individually before cooking. Allegedly.
Source: Digital Vision / Getty Images

 

So, if you don't want your rice to clump together, don't miss the washing step. Some people like group member Karen Yessaeian like to soak the rice for an hour or more, but most prefer to simply rinse.

Here's the method Tsang recommends for washing your rice:

·         Fully cover with cold water and use your hand to swish the rice grains around to loosen up starch.

·         Gently tip the bowl over until the milky water runs out, leaving the rice grains behind.

·         Repeat a minimum two washes until water is mostly clear - you're not aiming for completely clear, a little remaining starch is a good thing.

Next, add the water

"Using a rice cooker is easiest," Liaw says. "But basically cooking rice requires washed rice to be boiled over high heat, and then leftover low heat to allow the grains to absorb the water. The rice is then fluffed to allow excess water to evaporate."

So, not exactly rocket science, but still quite tricky to get right. The water-to-rice ratio is critical. 

"Even the tried and true "knuckle" method used by Asian families around the world provides only an approximate ratio of rice to water," explains Liaw. "The method is what makes it work." 

Description: Debbie Tsang and mother Winnie Chu

Debbie Tsang and Winnie Chu - expert rice cookers and subtle sledgers.
Source: Supplied

The "knuckle" method Liaw refers to is simply putting the amount of rice you want to cook into a saucepan, flattening it with your palm, then placing your index finger on top of the rice and filling with cold water up to the first knuckle. 

It's a simple method but beware. As Chu points out (possibly with humour, but possibly not), "if you are fat with fat hands, less water may be needed than your knuckle."

It might be safest to use Neil Shaba's tried-and-tested ratio. "Cover with boiling water which should be about 1.5 cm above the rice level," he shared in the SBS Food Facebook group. Incidentally, Shaba is the first person to mention boiling the water first, with everyone else starting from cold.

Throw out your colander 

Chu is also at great pains to point out that if there is leftover water after you've cooked your rice, you've cooked it wrong. 

"At NO point should a COLANDER be involved," she stressed, making sure that capital letters would be printed in this article for necessary emphasis. 

"At NO point should a COLANDER be involved."

Tsang remembers watching non-Asian friends' parents draining rice into a colander as a kid. "I wondered why they stopped the cooking process to essentially eat what we consider to be half-raw rice," she remembers. "It was a horrific thing to see, but I didn't say anything as it would have been rude."

"Over-cooked (or more likely over-wet rice, as it's very hard to "overcook" rice) can be turned into porridge," says Liaw. 

Description: https://www.sbs.com.au/food/sites/sbs.com.au.food/files/styles/thumb_small/public/congee_18.jpg?itok=DDkisHIz&mtime=1596159798

How to make congee while you sleep

Congee is a breakfast food and using a slow cooker to let it bubble away overnight is the perfect way to wake up to a meal without lifting a finger.

Description: https://www.sbs.com.au/food/sites/sbs.com.au.food/files/styles/thumb_small/public/breakfastbowl-larbcongeec.jpg?itok=KJI_Aeit&mtime=1560833423

Brown rice larb congee

A play on the traditional khao tom gung (rice congee), Thailand's beloved king of breakfasts. Instead of white rice, we've used brown, which does not break down completely, resulting in a satisfying congee with grunt.

Description: https://www.sbs.com.au/food/sites/sbs.com.au.food/files/styles/thumb_small/public/KC_Filipino-Arroz-Caldo.jpg?itok=3uHwKwyK&mtime=1497313790

Chicken congee (arroz caldo)

Filipino food is heavily influenced by Chinese cuisine, yet all Filos consider arroz caldo part of the national food culture. The cumquats in this version add a new dimension to a delicately flavoured dish.

Rice-water ratio

Depending on the type of rice you are cooking, you will need approximately 1:1.5 rice to water ratio. This isn't at all set in stone, however. It's closer to 1:1.5 for long-grain basmati rice and 1:6 for the softer long-grain jasmine or short-grain arborio rice. Short-grain japonica requires less water at 1:1.2 and brown rice of any variety will need more water, generally a ratio of 1:2 for brown basmati.

If that's not confusing enough, Chu swears that even the same type of rice grown in different parts of the world can be harder or softer and require more or less water in the cooking.

"I wondered why they stopped the cooking process to essentially eat what we consider to be half-raw rice."

"Thai rice is softer, Aussie rice much harder," she says.

Until you've experimented to find the right ratio for the quantity, type, and origin of the rice your want to cook, it's better to err on the side of too little water than too much.

"I’ve found that it’s better to start with less," says Tsang. "You can always add more water but if you add too much, it’s a nightmare."

Or, as Ng explains in his YouTube video: "If your rice is too wet, you f**ked up."

Description: https://www.sbs.com.au/food/sites/sbs.com.au.food/files/styles/thumb_small/public/gettyimages-959509932.jpg?itok=k1BMiKBb&mtime=1588731804

How to cook the perfect rice, according to science

It's texture not taste, that makes rice perfect.

Then, cook your rice

Bring the rice to the boil, lid on. Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer very gently for around 15 minutes.

"After about 15-20 minutes you’ll start to hear this crackling sound from the pot," says Tsang. "It means all the water is gone."

This is where you take the rice off the heat, then the lid off your pot and check your rice. It should be just a little moister than you want the finished product to be.

Description: A colander is never needed when cooking rice

What is that colander doing here? Make it stop!
Source: iStockphoto / Getty Images

 

If it looks too dry, says SBS Food Facebook group member Sarah Louise, add more water and simmer. If it looks just right, pop the lid back on and leave it to sit for around five-10 minutes before serving.

Tsang says that leaving the rice to sit not only finishes off the cooking, but it also starts the washing up for you. The steam generated by the closed pot ensures that every grain of rice comes away from the bottom of the pot.

Leaving the rice to sit not only finishes off the cooking, but it also starts the washing up for you. 

If you need some inspiration for what to turn your perfectly cooked rice into, Liaw says his favourite rice dish is Hainanese chicken rice. "My grandma always taught me that when making chicken rice you should make double the quantity of rice because it's so delicious people always eat a lot more than they usually do." Double the quantity? Um... how many knuckles of water to rice is that?

Description: Simplified Hainanese chicken rice

“It’s not just about a dish that I enjoy eating, it’s a part of my family history," Adam says of his favourite rice dish, Hainanese chicken rice.

Finally, buy a rice cooker

The stovetop method is definitely one to master, but it appears to be a truth universally acknowledged that if you truly love your rice, you'll want to get a rice cooker. 

"Don't mess with a saucepan like this lady here," Ng says in his roasting video. He later mentions in a follow-up Instagram video that "proper Asians use rice cooker".

Once you've got a rice cooker, it's all easy from there. Wash your rice as above, then use the knuckle method to measure your water, press 'play', then, as Ng says, "let the rice cooker handle the cooking".

It does seem to be the least controversial way and we know what we'll be doing come the weekend.

RICE AND PERFECT

Description: https://www.sbs.com.au/food/sites/sbs.com.au.food/files/styles/thumb_small/public/khichuri.jpg?itok=mnymrOxc&mtime=1595990753

Khichuri (rice and lentils)

The beauty of this dish is in the combination of the lentils and rice, which gives it a risotto-like consistency and buttery flavour!

Description: https://www.sbs.com.au/food/sites/sbs.com.au.food/files/styles/thumb_small/public/ham-hock-fried-rice-dkh.jpg?itok=2aPNw-UI&mtime=1585695640

Ultimate leftover fried rice

I love fried rice and you can really pump it up with healthy vegetables when you make it at home.  I've used leftover cooked ham in this version, but you can really add whatever you like to it. 

Description: https://www.sbs.com.au/food/sites/sbs.com.au.food/files/styles/thumb_small/public/rice-with-a-golden-crust.jpg?itok=5aZQAg6W&mtime=1575656124

Rice with a golden crust (chelow ba tah digh)

Rice with a golden crust (‘tah digh’) is one of the signature dishes of Persian cooking. It can have many different ingredients, but I love the simplicity of this dish with the crimson of the barberries against the gold of the crust, which makes any rice dish special. 

Description: https://www.sbs.com.au/food/sites/sbs.com.au.food/files/styles/thumb_small/public/rice-with-chicken.jpg?itok=mrFdGQ_y&mtime=1575679579

Rice with chicken and lentils (adas polow)

Fragrant and bursting with flavour, this polow is a great main meal and entertaining centrepiece.

Description: https://www.sbs.com.au/food/sites/sbs.com.au.food/files/styles/thumb_small/public/incredbake_deserts_ricecustard_245192.jpg?itok=ZEK8NeWF&mtime=1566454941

Baked kaffir lime & coconut rice pudding

To make this aromatic pudding extra special, you can ‘brûlée’ the top, just like the coconut and pandan version right here.

Description: https://www.sbs.com.au/food/sites/sbs.com.au.food/files/styles/thumb_small/public/owk_3075_spiced_rice_pudding_spiced_coffee_horizontal_4.jpg?itok=j-vqzQrO&mtime=1563284464

Spiced rice pudding

If you're a fan of mousses and silken puddings, you'll love this aromatic chilled dessert. It can be made ahead of time, which is handy for entertaining.

Description: https://www.sbs.com.au/food/sites/sbs.com.au.food/files/styles/thumb_small/public/owk_3063_lemongrass_pork_with_rice_paper_salad_horizontal_2.jpg?itok=boDlxWdc&mtime=1555903930

Lemongrass pork with rice paper salad

These sticky pork chops are super quick and easy - all you need is some steamed rice or noodles to complete the meal.

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Yangzhou fried rice

Yangzhou fried rice from Jiangsu Province is the most famous variety of fried rice in China. Known for the fine knifework in cutting the ingredients, it has been the model for “special fried rice” dishes found on Chinese restaurant menus in the West. Destination Flavour China 

Description: https://www.sbs.com.au/food/sites/sbs.com.au.food/files/styles/thumb_small/public/dfclowres-42.jpg?itok=CalY1j2x&mtime=1547767311

Stir-fried bamboo shoots and cured ham

Combined with Anhui’s famous bamboo shoots and a touch of wild garlic and chilli for colour, this kind of simple stir-fry is a staple dish around the region. Destination Flavour China 

Description: https://www.sbs.com.au/food/sites/sbs.com.au.food/files/styles/thumb_small/public/sbs_water-bobodecamarao.jpg?itok=0Mc697Gw&mtime=1541985917

Bobó de camarão (Brazilian prawn, cassava and rice)

Hailing from the Bahia region of northern Brazil, no celebration would be complete without this comforting dish of prawns, cassava, coconut and ghee. Food Safari Water

 

How Kenya can meet local demand for rice

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2020 2:45Description: Rice farmersRice farmers. FILE PHOTO | NMG 

Description: FacebookDescription: TwitterDescription: LinkedIn

Rice is the third most consumed staple in the country, yet we are not self-sufficient to meet our demand. With a growing population and increase in per capita rice consumption, the government and other policymakers have been left with only a few options to meet future demand for rice; through increased imports and increased productivity.

Our national rice consumption is estimated at 500,000 metric tonnes a year. Despite this being a clear indication of Kenyans uptake of rice as a principal food, our annual production of 100,000 metric tonnes pales in comparison.

According to the National Rice Development Strategy-2, 2019-2030, the annual consumption of rice in Kenya is increasing at a rate of over 12 percent owing to the progressive change in eating habits of Kenyans, especially in urban areas.

This, together with a annual projected population growth rate of 2.7 percent, will mean that the estimated annual national need for rice is expected to reach up to 1,290,000 tonnes by 2030.

Given that Food Security and Nutrition is one of the pillars of the Big Four Agenda which our President is steadfast to implement, increasing the productivity of rice shall form an important component in this pillar. In addition to enhancing food security, it should also alleviate poverty by raising farmer incomes and increase the prospects of creating new jobs in the whole value chain from farm to fork. Investment in the rice sector should therefore become a key priority in the agriculture sector.

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The largest rice irrigation scheme in the country is the Mwea Rice Scheme which was started in 1956 during the colonial times when a seed variety from India called the Basmati was planted in the scheme and hence the birth of what is famously known as the Kenya Pishori rice.

Over the years, the scheme has expanded to 30,000 acres. The other rice schemes across the country are the West Kano and Ahero (in Nyanza) and Bunyala. The much anticipated rice scheme in the Tana river under Tarda was a failure from its onset.

So the key question is what has been ailing this sector to scale up production?

The rice sector has always been overseen by the National Irrigation Board (NIB) which falls under the Ministry of Water. This is because of the provision of water under irrigation.

However, in essence the mandate of seed production, varietal development, good farming practice and market linkage should technically be the oversight of the Ministry of Agriculture.

This could possibly be one of the primary reasons why we lost focus on prioritising rice as a strategic food crop. The constant squabbles between the farmers and NIB in the late 1990s due to the political interference of rice marketing in the scheme also created a lethargy in the development of the sector.

To revive this sector, we need to take a multipronged approach which revolves around agronomy and infrastructure development, farmer financing and market linkages. Let us explore each one separately.

Research into new seed development shall remain crucial to ensure farmers get optimal productivity and quality.

The choice of variety is based on its agronomical performance and not economic reasons since varieties like the Pishori when grown in the West Kano and Ahero have proven to be failures due to its microclimate.

In addition, to ensure efficiency, farmers should work in co-operatives and find ways of aggregating their smaller pieces of land to farm commercially as large tracts which can enable mechanisation.

Provision of farm extension services to educate farmers on best farming practices including the appropriate use of farm inputs such as fertiliser and pesticides shall also play a crucial role in productivity.

Finally, there should be a security of source of water for this irrigated crop to perform well. This means that there should be adequate water source from dams and one should not rely on just the river source which frequently get affected by rainfall patterns.

A case in point is how the delay in building the Thiba dam which would serve the Mwea Rice Scheme has greatly affected the growth of this scheme.

Provision of affordable finance is very crucial for the security of the farmer income. Due to the lack of access to this finance, farmers have the tendency of borrowing from shylocks whose exorbitant finance costs makes it prohibitive for farmers to earn anything for their hard work.

Abject poverty

Many farmers also find it more attractive to lease out their pieces of land rather than farm for the same low income expectation.

In addition to finance, well-structured crop insurance can also protect the farmer from the vagaries of weather and disease leading to crop failures which wipes out the farmer’s income and sets them back into abject poverty.

There’s need to work in co-operatives which will also improve the bargaining of farmers to purchase farm inputs as well as obtaining finance from banks.

The adoption of the warehouse receipting programme also ensures farmers obtain finance for their produce once harvested in a formalised structure and have the flexibility of trading in their produce at their free will when the timing and pricing is right.

The third component is market linkages. Without a market for their produce at the right price, it is an exercise in futility for the farmer.

https://www.businessdailyafrica.com/analysis/ideas/How-Kenya-can-meet-local-demand-for-rice/4259414-5617126-nn2ur2/index.html

 

https://thedailychronicle.in/news/538097/calrose-rice-market-size-and-forecasts-with-impact-analysis-of-covid-19-california-family-foods-american-commodity-company-farmers-rice-cooperative/

 

Climate change could increase rice yields

Description: Climate change could increase rice yieldsMany people around the globe rely on rice as a source of nutrition. Credit: Rachel Schutte

Rice is the most consumed staple food in the world. It is especially common in Asia, where hunger concerns are prevalent.

Rice is classified as an annual plant, which means it completes its life cycle within one growing season then dies. However, in some tropical areas, rice can continue to grow year after year when taken care of properly.

Just as grass grows back in a lawn after it is mowed, rice can be cut after it is harvested, and the plant will regrow. The farming practice of cutting the rice above ground and allowing it to regrow is called ratooning.

Although Rice ratooning allows farmers to harvest more rice from the same fields, it requires a longer growing season compared to traditional single-harvest rice farming.

In many areas of the world where rice is grown, a long growing season isn't a problem due to the tropical climates. But in Japan, cooler weather means rice ratooning has been a rare farming practice.

Hiroshi Nakano and a research team set out to learn more about the potential of ratooning to help Japanese rice farmers. Nakano is a researcher at the National Agriculture and Food Research Organization.

Average temperatures in Japan have been higher in recent years. As climate change continues to affect the region, rice farmers may have a longer window for growing rice. "Rice seedlings will be able to be transplanted earlier in the spring, and farmers can harvest rice later into the year," explains Nakano.

Description: Climate change could increase rice yieldsRice seeds are arranged on the plant in groups, called spikelets. This field of rice is ready for harvest. Credit: Hiroshi Nakano

"The goal of our research is to determine the effects of harvest time and cutting height of the first harvest on the yield of the first and second rice crops," says Nakano. "Ultimately, we want to propose new farming strategies to increase yield as farmers in southwestern Japan adjust to climate change."

During the study on rice ratooning, researchers compared two harvest times and two cutting heights of the first crop. After the first harvest, they collected the seeds from the cut off portions of the rice plants. Researchers measured the yield by counting and weighing the seeds. The second harvest of rice was done by hand and the yield was determined in the same way.

The total grain yield and the yields from the first and second crops were different depending on the harvest times and cutting heights. This wasn't too surprising, since the team already knew harvest time and height affected yield.

Rice plants harvested at the normal time for the first crop yielded more seed than the rice plants harvested earlier. "That's because the plants had more time to fill their spikelets with seed," explains Nakano.

Description: Climate change could increase rice yieldsComparison of the two cut heights of rice five days after harvesting the first crop. Credit: Chiemi Nagamatsu

"At both harvest times, rice harvested at the high cutting height had a higher yield than the low cutting height," says Nakano. That's because the plants cut at a higher height had access to more energy and nutrients stored in their leaves and stems.

"Our results suggest that combining the normal harvest time with the high cutting height is important for increasing yield in rice ratooning in southwestern Japan and similar climate regions," says Nakano. "This technology will likely increase rice grain yield in new environments that arise through global climate change."


https://phys.org/news/2020-08-climate-rice-yields.html

Scientists unlock crops' power to resist floods

Tweaking proteins in staple foods could help feed a warming world

UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY

    

Description: IMAGE

 

IMAGE: CRYSTAL STRUCTURE OF PCO4, HIGHLIGHTING KEY AMINO ACID RESIDUES, THE IMPORTANCE OF WHICH WERE VERIFIED IN THE MODEL PLANT ARABIDOPSIS. (WT = WILD TYPE, IE: PLANT IN WILD). view more 

CREDIT: UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD/PNAS

Enzymes that control a plant's response to lower oxygen levels could be manipulated to make vital crops resistant to the impacts of flooding triggered by climate change, new research shows.

Co-author Dr Mark White in the School of Chemistry at the University of Sydney said: "Climate change is a major global issue, not least for its impact on food security. We hope these findings can help produce flood-tolerant crops to help mitigate the devasting social and economic impact of extreme weather events on food production."

The research, largely done at the University of Oxford, is published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.

Climate change has increased the number and intensity of global flooding events, threatening food security through significant crop loss. Plants, including staple crops such as rice, wheat and barley, can survive temporary periods of flooding by activating energy pathways that don't rely on air in response to the low oxygen conditions in water.

These responses are controlled by oxygen-sensing enzymes called the Plant Cysteine Oxidases (PCOs), which use oxygen to regulate the stability of proteins that control gene activity.

The research describes the molecular structures of the PCOs for the first time, identifying chemical features that are required for enzyme activity.

"The results provide a platform for future efforts to manipulate the enzyme function in an attempt to create flood-resistant crops that can mitigate the impact of extreme weather events," Dr White said.

###

Dr White joined the University of Sydney last year as an Australian Research Council Discovery Early Career Research Award recipient. He was previously a postdoctoral researcher at Novo Nordisk, Denmark, and worked at the University of Oxford's Chemistry Research Laboratory with Dr Emily Flashman, lead researcher on the Plant Cysteine Oxidases paper published today.

DOWNLOAD images of the research and a photo of Dr White at this link.

RESEARCH available upon request.

INTERVIEWS

Dr Mark White
ARC DECRA Research Fellow, School of Chemistry
The University of Sydney
mark.white@sydney.edu.au

MEDIA ENQUIRIES

Marcus Strom | marcus.strom@sydney.edu.au | +61 423 982 485

DECLARATION

This work was supported by the UK Biotechnology and Biological Research Council New Investigator Grant, the European Research Council and the Italian Ministry of Education University and Research.

Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-08/uos-suc082720.php

 

 

Builsa South: 250 Farmers Forced To Abandon 750-acre Rice Farms In Fumbisi Over Lack Of Chemicals

Description: Builsa South: 250 Farmers Forced To Abandon 750-acre Rice Farms In Fumbisi Over Lack Of Chemicals

 LISTEN   AUG 31, 2020

About 300 hectares (750 acres) of rice farms belonging to 250 farmers in the Fumbisi rice valley in the Builsa South District of the Upper East Region have been abandoned for lack chemicals to fight infection by weeds known as “wild rice”.

The few farmers still in the valley are using traditional methods of farming to uproot the wild rice tillers which is time-consuming and capital intensive to hire labourers to undertake the exercise.

Many of the farmers, who expressed their frustrations to the Ghanaian Times during a field visit to the rice farms on Tuesday, stated that the government promised to provide them with farm inputs in the farming season, which encouraged most of them to expand their farms.

One of the farmers, Mr Moses Agontu, who stated that the government had not done much to honour that pledge, added that the weedicides for spraying the weeds that had attacked the rice were very expensive and also difficult to come by.

Mr. Emmanuel Afoko, another farmer who told the Ghanaian Times that the weeds had the potential of reducing yields, appealed to the government to, as a matter of urgency, support the farmers to deal with the infection to avoid food insecurity.

The Builsa South District Director of Agriculture, Mr. Sylvan Dauda Danaa, reiterated the need for the government and researchers to intervene with a lasting antidote to deal with the wild rice infection in order for rice farmers to have the motivation to grow more rice.

The Upper East Regional Director of Agriculture, Mr. Francis Ennor, said the wild rice infection is causing a lot of anxiety among rice farmers in the area and so assured farmers in general of better agricultural interventions which would help increase crop and animal production in the region.

There are rice fields totalling 850 hectares (2125 acres) fully developed in nine valleys in the Builsa South District and each year, between 5.5 and 5.8 metric tons of rice is cultivated in the valleys by 894 rice farmers, including out-growers, and their effort is above the national rice cultivation.

It would be recollected that last year there was huge rice glut in the rice valleys due to lack of ready market.

Other challenges confronting rice farmers at the valleys are lack of motorable roads to the rice fields and inadequate inputs such as fertilizers and seeds.

 

 

https://www.modernghana.com/news/1026460/builsa-south-250-farmers-forced-to-abandon-750.html

 

 

KKR to Sell its Epicor Software to Clayton, Dubilier & Rice for $4.7 Billion; Target Price $40

CONTRIBUTOR

PUBLISHED

AUG 31, 2020 8:52AM EDT

 

KKR & Co Inc, an American global investment company that manages multiple alternative asset classes, said it will sell its software business Epicor Software Corporation to Clayton, Dubilier & Rice in a $4.7 billion deal announced on Monday.

CD&R Operating Partner Jeff Hawn will serve as Chairman of the Epicor Board upon close of the transaction, expected later this year, the company said.

UBS Investment Bank is acting as financial advisor and Debevoise & Plimpton LLP as legal advisor to CD&R. Barclays is acting as lead financial advisor, BofA Securities and Jefferies LLC as financial advisors, and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP as legal advisor to KKR and Epicor.

KKR shares closed 0.32% higher at $34.93 on Friday, the stock is up about 20% so far this year.

Executive comments

“Four years ago, we embarked on an ambitious product modernization journey together with Epicor and are incredibly proud of the successes that the company has achieved to date, particularly with its recent cloud releases,” remarked John Park, Chairman of the Epicor Board and Head of Americas Technology Private Equity at KKR.

“We are confident that CD&R will provide valuable support as the company continues these product- and customer- centric investments to accelerate growth in the cloud.”

KKR stock forecast

Twelve analysts forecast the average price in 12 months at $39.96 with a high forecast of $47.50 and a low forecast of $36.00. The average price target represents a 14.40% increase from the last price of $34.93. From those 12 analysts, nine rated “Buy”, three rated “Hold” and none rated “Sell”, according to Tipranks.

Morgan Stanley gave a target price of $37 with a high of $63 under a bull-case scenario and $16 under the worst-case scenario. KKR & Co Inc had its price objective boosted by stock analysts at Credit Suisse Group to $38 from $34. The firm currently has a “neutral” rating on the asset manager’s stock.

Other equity analysts also recently updated their stock outlook. Oppenheimer lowered the price target to $39 from $40, BMO raised their price objective to $46 from $44, Citigroup upped their price forecast to $47.5 from $40, Wells Fargo increased their stock price target to $43 from $40 and KBW raised it to $43 from $41. Bank of America upped their target price to $40 from $36 and gave the stock a “buy” rating. At last, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their target price to $41 from $34.

We think it is good to buy at the current level and target $40 as 50-day Moving Average and 100-200-day MACD Oscillator signals a strong buying opportunity.

Analyst view

“While we see an attractive organic asset growth trajectory, we also see a recessionary backdrop that raises the risk to KKR’s fee-related earnings growth story if fundraising slows, transaction fees stall, and costs don’t flex as performance fees and investment income decline,” said Michael Cyprys, equity analyst at Morgan Stanley.

“Recessionary backdrop raises the risk of balance sheet marks and limited book value growth that could dampen prior ROE generation of mid-teens to 20%+. C-corp structure (as of July 1, 2018 ) with no K-1s should help expand the investor base over time,” he added.

Upside and Downside risks

Upside: 1) Faster deployment with greater opportunity set. 2) Accelerated portfolio exit activity. 3) Stronger fundraising boosted by seeding of new strategies. 4) Better balance sheet marks than feared – highlighted Morgan Stanley.

Downside: 1) Deeper recession that leads to weaker investment returns, balance sheet markdowns and delays harvesting of investments pressuring earnings. 2) Increased political and regulatory scrutiny of PE business model.

This article was originally posted on FX Empire

More From FXEMPIRE:

The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

TRENDING TOPICS

https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/kkr-to-sell-its-epicor-software-to-clayton-dubilier-rice-for-%244.7-billion-target-price-%2440

 

 

Pakistan, China have potential to boost agri sector cooperation: expert

Description: Pakistan, China varsities sign agreement on textile cooperationSino-Pak agricultural cooperation is still in the initial stage, with plenty of potential in technology, product processing, trade and infrastructure construction, says a study by Zhang Wenli and Zhai Xueling from Research Center, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China.

The Chinese study published by Gwadar Pro on Monday stated that Agriculture is the largest sector of Pakistan’s economy in terms of labor participation. Pakistan has a trade surplus with China in agricultural products. The volume of bilateral trade in this area has been growing strongly in recent years. From $181 million in the year of 2010 to $476 million in 2019, China’s imports of agricultural products from Pakistan had increased by 163.1%, with an average annual growth rate of 11.3%. However, facing the challenges due to climate change, pest attacks, water shortage, etc., Pakistan’s agriculture calls for increased productivity.

According to the study, the natural resource endowments between Pakistan and China are mutually complementary, which lays a solid basis for expanding cooperation as well as driving Pakistan’s agricultural progress through adopting advanced technologies in the future. China has strengths in agricultural science and technology, mechanization, water conservancy engineering, etc. In 2019, the contribution rate of science and technology to China’s agricultural growth recorded 59.2%, and the mechanization level of crop cultivation and harvest in China exceeded 70%. Simultaneously, the innovation of seed industry has been continuously promoted, and the coverage rate of improved seed varieties has been greatly improved.

Pakistan is rich in many agricultural production essentials like land and manpower. The per capita cultivated land area in Pakistan is twice that of China. Furthermore, Pakistan has a larger percentage of people in younger age groups than China. Moreover, Pakistan’s increasingly improved investment environment, regulations and laws are also appreciated.

Currently, the yields of major crops in Pakistan such as wheat and rice are only about 50% of those in China. Therefore, the two countries can improve trade on each other’s high-quality seed, and strengthen joint research on seed variety improvement of wheat, rice, oilseed, sugarcane, etc. Carrying out technical exchanges on planting, pest control, livestock breeding management, drought and flood disaster response is also necessary for lifting Pakistani agriculture’s overall level of technology and management.

In addition, water-use efficiency in Pakistan is relatively low. The two sides should enhance bilateral cooperation on water conservancy system, and drip irrigation technology and equipment. It’s mentioned in the study that Pakistan’s prospect for developing labor-intensive agricultural products processing industry is bright. In this respect, future cooperation can mainly focus on the primary processing of agricultural products such as grain, livestock products and vegetables to make diversified supply of products.

The study also points out several barriers hindering Pak-Sino agricultural cooperation. The researchers suggest infrastructure of electricity, water and transportation be transformed or constructed. As China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) develops, infrastructure and logistics in Pakistan will be significantly improved, which will give a new impetus to the bilateral trade in agriculture sector.

 

https://dailytimes.com.pk/661383/pakistan-china-have-potential-to-boost-agri-sector-cooperation-expert/

 

 

 

Flood: Kebbi Governor visits more rice farms submerged by water in 4 LGAs

31st August 2020

 

Description: Flood: Kebbi Governor visits more rice farms submerged by water in 4 LGAs

 

 

The Kebbi State Governor, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu for a second day on visitation to towns and villages affected by flood, visited Suru, Bunza, Kalgo and Birnin Kebbi local government areas to ascertain the level of damaged.

Governor Bagudu who visited the areas, was accompanied by the Chairmen of the affected of Local Governments.

A rice farmer, Suleiman Bashir in Makera farm land, who stood helplessly and watched his rice farmland submerged in water begged the state and federal government to come to their aid to reduce their suffering.

According to him, ” I don’t know even what to do, I have two large rice farms completely submerged by the flood.
We are begging the state and federal governments to assist us , I am sure God will not let our prayers go in vain”.

Governor Bagudu who assured the farmers government prompt intervention, said: ” things like this happen, we are not unique in the world , it is regrettable. We have seen in the hurricane laura and other hurricanes similar and other worst problems.

” We are responding to disasters and supporting each other, and i believe the Federal Government of Nigeria, the CBN and other associations will respond to this effectively and timely too.”

Earlier , Governor Bagudu made a stop over at Government Girls Secondary School, Bunza and Command Science Secondary Girls School, Goru in Birnin Kebbi local Government area to see the ongoing construction of building infrastructure in the schools.

At GGSS Bunza , Governor Bagudu inspected a building damaged by the rainstorm in the school and advised the final year students to remain focussed, read their books and also pray for their parents.

He also demanded to know from the students if they were being well fed which they all acknowledged in a large voice.

The Principal of the school, Hajiya Kulu Yusuf expressed gratitude to the governor for the visit.

https://www.sunnewsonline.com/flood-kebbi-governor-visits-more-rice-farms-submerged-by-water-in-4-lgas/

 

 

 

U.S. Rice is a "Star" in Turkey  

 

By Sarah Moran

 

KUTAHYA, TURKEY -- Local U.S. rice brand, Star, has been the focus of several USA Rice promotional activities here this month, letting consumers know where to find U.S.-origin rice on store shelves in the area.

"U.S. rice sales to Turkey suffered in the past two years because of the 25 percent retaliatory tariff imposed on all types of U.S. rice in June 2018," said Eszter Somogyi, USA Rice director for Europe, Middle East, and Africa.  "However, that changed dramatically in May 2020 with a shipment of 26,000 MT of U.S. rough rice, purchased by the Turkish Grain Board (TMO) following a successful reverse trade mission organized by USA Rice (see 
USA Rice Daily, May 19, 2020)."

The TMO released about 13,000 MT of this shipment in early June for purchase by mills and traders.  One local company, Kübas, was already on board to buy and pack U.S. rice after visiting the USA Rice booth at the World Food Fair in Istanbul last year.  And, now that U.S. rice is readily available, Kübas has begun marketing Star, their identified U.S. rice brand, at the 43 Sultan Supermarkets they own throughout the country.

"Kübas contributed 30 percent of the promotional costs to produce branded shopping bags and rice cups attached to rice bags as giveaways during in-store promotions in four different supermarkets this month," said Somogyi.

Mehmet Faik Mete, the Kübas purchasing and marketing manager, reported that Star rice sold out during the promotion, with total overall sales of 15 MT.  Encouraged by this success, Kübas plans to continue to purchase and pack U.S.-origin rice and will begin selling Star rice on Turkey's popular online shopping platforms including N11, Hepsiburada, and Trendyol.

USA Rice plans to conduct similar promotional activities with several other packers in Turkey to strengthen demand for identified U.S. rice here. 

 

 

Pesticide-free crop protection yields up to US$ 20 billion/year benefits in Asia-Pacific

 

 

Description: https://media.eurekalert.org/multimedia_prod/pub/web/241535_web.jpg

IMAGE: The total number of country-level introductions and first regional deployments of a given biological control agent is depicted for successive decades, over a 1918-2018 window. For instance, BIOCAT contained two...

Image: 

Nature Ecology & Evolution

Scientists have estimated for the first time how nature-based solutions for agricultural pest control deliver US$ 14.6 to US$ 19.5 billion annually across 23 countries in the Asia-Pacific region.

The new research, published in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution, suggests that non-chemical crop protection (or biological control) delivers economic dividends that far surpass those attained through improved "Green Revolution" rice germplasm (estimated at US$ 4.3 billion a year).

The study, led by Dr Kris Wyckhuys and including contributions from CABI's Dr Matthew Cock and Dr Frances Williams on the data collection, unveils the magnitude and macro-economic relevance of biodiversity-based contributions to productivity growth in non-rice crops over a 100-year period between 1918 and 2018.

Scientifically-guided biological control of 43 exotic invertebrate pests allowed for between 73% to 100% yield loss recovery in critical food, feed and fibre crops including banana, breadfruit, cassava and coconut.

Dr Wyckhuys said, "The Green Revolution is credited with alleviating famine, mitigating poverty and driving aggregate economic growth since the 1960s - enabled through a tripling of rice output. Cornerstone of the Green Revolution were the 'packaged' seed x agro-chemical technologies and biological innovations such as high-yielding, disease-resistant cereal varieties.

"Our research is the first to gauge the financial benefit of using biological control to fight crop pests in the Asia-Pacific region and demonstrates how these ecologically-based approaches promoted rural growth and prosperity in marginal, poorly-endowed, non-rice environments.

"By thus placing agro-ecological innovations on equal footing with input-intensive measures, our work provides lessons for future efforts to mitigate invasive species, restore ecological resilience and sustainably raise output of global agri-food systems."

The scientists, who show how 75 different biological control agents mitigated 43 pests over a 100-year range, outline how biodiversity-driven ecosystem services underpin food systems and societal wellbeing in the face of environmental change.

Co-author Dr Michael Furlong added, "Biological control delivered durable pest control in myriad Asia-Pacific agriculture sectors, permitting yield-loss recoveries up to 73%, 81% and 100% in cassava, banana and coconut crops respectively.

"The ensuing economic dividends are substantial, as pest-induced losses up to US $6.8, $4.3 and $8.2 billion annually for the above crops were offset (at respective
values of $5.4-6.8 billion, $1.4-2.2 billion and $3.8-5.5 billion/year, for a conservative to high impact scenario range). As many of the underlying programs were run on a shoestring, the rate of return on biological control science is extraordinary.

"Our work constitutes an empirical demonstration of how insect biological control helped solidify the agrarian foundation of several Asia-Pacific economies and - in doing so - places biological control on an equal footing with other biological innovations such as Green Revolution germplasm.

"Not only does it spotlight its transformative impacts - especially in light of increasing global reliance on chemical pesticides - but it also celebrates the century-long achievements of dedicated, yet often, unacclaimed insect explorers and biological control pioneers."

CABI

https://www.sciencecodex.com/pesticide-free-crop-protection-yields-us-20-billionyear-benefits-asia-pacific-655427

 

 

18500 Mt Cmr Rice Outstanding On Seven Rice Mills

BY ABIGALE LORMEN ON SEPTEMBER 1, 2020

 


* Yearly subscription for simply 249 + Free Coupon value 200

Rice millers haven’t been capable of return your complete CMR rice to the Food and Civil Supplies Department even within the postponement. Seven rice mills of Karnal are left with 18500 metric tonnes of rice until the final day on Monday. Now the division is getting ready to register an FIR in opposition to the operator and guarantor of two rice millers for embezzlement. Also, the method of auctioning the property of the opposite 5 rice mills will likely be hooked up and began. However, the Rice Millers are hopeful that the division will give them some extra time for the third time.
313 rice mills in Karnal district, by means of the Government of Haryana, took the paddy of the Central Government, which needed to return 67 p.c of the rice by 30 June. Due to the Corona disaster, rice millers of Karnal got time until July 15 however by July 15, 108 rice mills had 116580 metric tonnes of rice excellent. On this, the division began taking motion by verification, then on the request of the Food and Civil Supplies Department, the central authorities gave rice millers until 31 August for the second time. About 98.50 p.c of the rice was provided throughout this era, however until the final day, 18500 metric tonnes of rice is left on seven rice millers. Of this, 6332 metric tonnes of paddy was given to Modiram and Sons of Karnal, 67 per cent of which was to provide 4242 metric tonnes of rice, out of which the mill has given solely 2821 metric tonnes of rice until 31 August, with 1421 metric tonnes of rice excellent now. The division has ready to register an FIR in opposition to the proprietor of the mill, Saphattar Singh Rana, his brother Puran Singh, guarantor Shakti Singh Rana. Similarly, 509 MT rice has been given to Bharat Rice Mill of Kunjpura, whereas 889 MT rice is left on them. It has companions Sanjay Gupta, Gaurav, Arvind Kumar and Vijay Kumar, sons of Subhash Chandra Gupta. There can be a plan to file an FIR in opposition to them. In addition, three rice mills of Gharauda have excellent CMR rice. Of this, 46980 quintals on Jai Hanuman Rice and General Mills, 49450 quintals on SSG Foods, 14500 quintals of rice are left excellent on the junction business. Apart from this, 27750 quintals on Shanti Agro Foods in two rice mills of Neelokheri, 10150 quintals of rice are excellent on Evergreen Overseas. The property of those 5 rice mills have already been hooked up by the division. In which the division can take motion by auctioning the hooked up property to recuperate the value of excellent rice. This has brought about panic within the rice millers.
Till the 31 August restrict, 18.50 thousand metric tons of CMR rice has remained excellent on seven rice mills. In this, an FIR will likely be lodged in opposition to Modiram & Sons of Karnal and Bharat Rice Mill of Kunjpura. The worth of rice will even be recovered. Apart from this, the property of three rice mills of Gharauda and two rice mills of Neelokheri is already hooked up with the division, the public sale will likely be began quickly to recuperate the value of rice.
Nishant Rathi, District Food and Civil Supplies Controller, Karnal.
The meals and provides division can be understanding the issues of rice millers, has given a lot of the rice. There are some dues on some rice mills. For this, efforts are being made that the federal government give some extra time. The division has additionally really helpful the central authorities for this. Hopefully, the central authorities will get some extra time. As time goes on, rice mills which can be unable to ship rice is not going to be processed and the federal government will even get rice.
Vinod Goyal, Senior Deputy Head – Haryana Rice Millers Association.

Rice millers haven’t been capable of return your complete CMR rice to the Food and Civil Supplies Department even within the postponement. Seven rice mills of Karnal are left with 18500 metric tonnes of rice until the final day on Monday. Now the division is getting ready to register an FIR in opposition to the operator and guarantor of two rice millers for embezzlement. Also, the method of auctioning the property of the opposite 5 rice mills will likely be hooked up and began. However, the Rice Millers are hopeful that the division will give them some extra time for the third time.

313 rice mills in Karnal district, by means of the Government of Haryana, took the paddy of the Central Government, which needed to return 67 p.c of the rice by 30 June. Due to the Corona disaster, rice millers of Karnal got time until July 15 however by July 15, 108 rice mills had 116580 metric tonnes of rice excellent. On this, the division began taking motion by verification, then on the request of the Food and Civil Supplies Department, the central authorities gave rice millers until 31 August for the second time. About 98.50 p.c of the rice was provided throughout this era, however until the final day, 18500 metric tonnes of rice is left on seven rice millers. Of this, 6332 metric tonnes of paddy was given to Modiram and Sons of Karnal, 67 per cent of which was to provide 4242 metric tonnes of rice, out of which the mill has given solely 2821 metric tonnes of rice until 31 August, with 1421 metric tonnes of rice excellent now. The division has ready to register an FIR in opposition to the proprietor of the mill, Saphattar Singh Rana, his brother Puran Singh, guarantor Shakti Singh Rana. Similarly, 509 MT rice has been given to Bharat Rice Mill of Kunjpura, whereas 889 MT rice is left on them. It has companions Sanjay Gupta, Gaurav, Arvind Kumar and Vijay Kumar, sons of Subhash Chandra Gupta. There can be a plan to register an FIR in opposition to them. In addition, three rice mills of Gharauda have excellent CMR rice. Of this, 46980 quintals on Jai Hanuman Rice and General Mills, 49450 quintals on SSG Foods, 14500 quintals of rice are left excellent on the junction business. Apart from this, 27750 quintals on Shanti Agro Foods in two rice mills of Neelokheri, 10150 quintals of rice are excellent on Evergreen Overseas. The properties of those 5 rice mills have already been hooked up by the division. In which the division can take motion by auctioning the hooked up property to recuperate the value of excellent rice. This has brought about panic within the rice millers.

Till the 31 August restrict, 18.50 thousand metric tons of CMR rice has remained excellent on seven rice mills. In this, an FIR will likely be lodged in opposition to Modiram & Sons of Karnal and Bharat Rice Mill of Kunjpura. The worth of rice will even be recovered. Apart from this, the property of three rice mills of Gharauda and two rice mills of Neelokheri is already hooked up with the division, the public sale will likely be began quickly to recuperate the value of rice. Nishant Rathi, District Food and Civil Supplies Controller, Karnal.
The meals and provides division can be understanding the issues of rice millers, has given a lot of the rice. There are some dues on some rice mills. For this, efforts are being made that the federal government give some extra time. The division has additionally really helpful the central authorities for this. Hopefully, the central authorities will get some extra time. As time goes on, rice mills which can be unable to supply rice is not going to be processed and the federal government will even get rice.
Vinod Goyal, Senior Deputy Head – Haryana Rice Millers Association.

https://ourbitcoinnews.com/18500-mt-cmr-rice-outstanding-on-seven-rice-mills/


 

 

 

 

 

Pak Army continues relief and rescue efforts in flood hit areas of Karachi

  Published On 30 August,2020 11:56 pm

Description: https://img.dunyanews.tv/news/2020/August/08-30-20/news_big_images/561514_82596824.jpg

Army mobile recovery vehicles have been deployed at various points to shift vehicles stuck in flood

KARACHI (Dunya News) – Pakistan Army and Pakistan Navy are continuing relief and rescue efforts in flood hit areas of Karachi.

Pakistan Army engineers today cleared Karachi Port Trust, Civic Centre, Mohsin Bhopali and Golimar underpass for traffic, while work on Gizri underpass is in progress.

Besides, dewatering at multiple locations is continuing to ensure availability of civic facilities in the flood hit areas of the city.

Army mobile recovery vehicles have been deployed at various points to shift vehicles stuck in flood to ensure flow of traffic.


PAF distributes ration


Meanwhile, keeping the tradition of serving the nation during natural calamities, Pakistan Air Force (PAF) came to the succor of rain affected families of Karachi.

On the special instructions of Air Chief Marshal Mujahid Anwar Khan, Chief of the Air Staff, Pakistan Air Force, PAF Bases situated in Karachi are actively participating in relief operations in the rain affected areas, said the statement released here on Sunday.

Pakistan Air Force besides actively participating in relief efforts in flood like situation in some parts of the city, is also reaching out to the needy families whose houses have been inundated in the natural calamity.

As a humanitarian gesture, ration packs carrying basic food items and commodities such as flour, rice, sugar, oil, pulses etc. were distributed amongst over 1000 needy families of the worst hit areas in the recent torrential rains.

In the first phase ration packs were delivered in various low lying areas in the vicinity of PAF Base Faisal and PAF Base Masroor, including Grex, Masroor Colony, Budhni Goth, Haji Muhammad Goth, Musharraf Colony, Bilal Colony, Shah Faisal Colony and Al-Falah Society, it further said.


Medical camps


On Friday, the Pakistan Army is carrying out relief activities throughout the city. It has set up 32 medical camps at various points along with the civil administration.

Besides 56 relief camps for the affected people, three Army mobile hospitals have been set up in Surjani Town, Qayyumabad and Saadi Town.

Drainage work has been done at 9 different places in Karachi and Army troops are evacuating the victims to safety. A 50-bed hospital has also been set up in Surjani Town to provide medical aid to those affected by the rains. Moreover, Pakistan Army relief operations are also underway in Hyderabad, Badin and Dadu.

Meanwhile, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) is engaged in relief work in rain-affected areas in Karachi. According to the NDMA spokesperson, the Pakistan Army is carrying out drainage and rehabilitation operations in collaboration with the civil administration.

He said that food, drinking water and other necessities were being provided to the people affected by the rains while 56 welfare centers have been set up in this regard.

The spokesman said that NDMA has handed over 3,000 tents to the Sindh government for the rehabilitation of rain-affected people.


Roads situation in Karachi


The flow of traffic on main roads in Karachi have been badly affected by the recent spell of the rain as long queues can be witnessed on Jam Sadiq Bridge, Korangi Industrial Area and KPT Interchange due to closure of Causeway. 


Protest against K-Electric


The local administration has failed to repair the K-Electric system, creating problems for the residents who blocked main road of Clifton 8 and demanded to immediately restore the power. 

The authorities told that underground wires in Defence Housing Authority (DHA) and Clifton are still wet.


 Urban flooding 


Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) issued urban flooding alert as seventh spell of monsoon rains hit the already inundated Sindh.

In a press release, the Met office informed that another monsoon rain-bearing system has entered the province which could aggravate existing urban flooding and waterlogging in lower Sindh.

Rain/wind-thundershowers, with isolated heavy to very heavy falls, are expected in Karachi, Hyderabad, Thatta, Badin, Shaheed Benazirabad, Dadu, Tharparker, Nagarparker, Mirpurkhas, Islam Kot, Umar Kot, Sanghar, Sukkur and Larkana.

Rain-thundershowers with isolated heavy falls are also predicted in Lasbella, Khuzdar, Awaran, Barkhan, Zhob, Musa Khel, Loralai, Kohlu and Sibbi during Sunday and Monday. The downpours are also expected in Bahawalpur, Rahim Yar Khan, Khanpur, Rajanpur, Dera Ghazi Khan, Multan, Khanewal and Sahiwal during the period.

On the other hand, heavy to very heavy falls are also expected in Rawalpindi, Attock, Chakwal, Jhelum, Mandi Bahauddin, Hafizabad, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Narowal, Lahore, Kasur, Okara, Faisalabad, Jhang, Sargodha, Mianwali, Khushab, Toba Tek Singh from Monday to Wednesday. Heavy falls may also likely in Rajanpur, Dera Ghazi Khan, Multan, Bahawalpur, Khanewal, Zhob and Barkhan.

The downpours are also predicted in Dir, Swat, Buner, Shangla, Kohistan, Haripur, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Peshawar, Charsadda, Swabi, Mardan, Kohat and Kurram from Monday to Wednesday.

https://dunyanews.tv/en/Pakistan/561514-Pak-Army-continue-relief-and-rescue-efforts-in-flood-hit-areas-Karachi

 

 

 

This coconut rice with salmon and cilantro sauce deserves a spot in your regular recipe rotation

By Ann Maloney

Description: https://www.washingtonpost.com/resizer/yAFxThroW-CI5t-yu8Q6FsF7kHI=/1x1/www.washingtonpost.com/pb/resources/img/spacer.gif

Ann Maloney

Food reporter and editor focusing on quick and easy home cooking

Bio Follow

August 26


(Tom McCorkle for The Washington Post; food styling by Lisa Cherkasky for The Washington Post)

Coconut Rice With Salmon and Cilantro Sauce

Total: 40 mins

Servings: 4

Reviews ()

Print

Overview

One of the most gratifying experiences I can have as a food writer occurs when readers send an email to tell me that a dish I’ve shared in Dinner in Minutes is now part of their regular recipe rotation. I do a little happy dance in my desk chair.

Inevitably, that recipe already is on repeat in my own kitchen because it comes together quickly and is delicious, but also has that little something extra — a surprisingly bold flavor, a touch of elegance or a sauce or component that I find myself carrying over to other dishes.

People who love to cook inevitably talk about food — a lot. If we make something delicious, we have to tell someone about it, to bring them a taste or at least share the recipe.

So, it wasn’t surprising that right after I started at The Post in December, my new colleague Olga Massov shared a recipe with me that she frequently served to her family: Coconut Rice With Salmon and Cilantro Sauce from “The Kitchen Shelf” by Rosie Reynolds and Eve O’Sullivan (Phaidon, 2016).

Scale and get a printer-friendly version of the recipe here.

Olga lent me the cookbook, and as I read through the recipe, I thought this little number checks all the boxes. Yes, it has three parts: the rice, the fish and the sauce, but each of those parts is easily executed.

The cookbook’s full title includes this phrase: “Take a few pantry essentials, add two ingredients and make everyday eating extraordinary.” The idea is that you use common pantry ingredients with just a couple of fresh additions — in this case cilantro and fish — and you can put a scrumptious meal on the table.

Although it was written four years ago, the cookbook fits in perfectly with the way we are cooking during the pandemic — from our pantries, with minimal extra shopping.

The cookbook authors offer time-saving tips. For example, in this recipe, they suggest two ways to cook the salmon. The faster and easier way is to steam the fillets atop the rice as it cooks. If, however, you prefer a crispy salmon skin, you can allow the rice to cook on its own and pan-fry your salmon.

For me, however, the salmon is the least interesting thing here.

The rice cooked with softened onion, garlic and a pinch of sugar in full-fat coconut milk is creamy and divine on its own. The cilantro sauce — a whole bunch of the herb leaves whirred in a food processor with a syrup made of water, sugar and crushed red pepper flakes — goes over the rice, but I could just eat that up with a spoon.

When I realized that I have now made this dish several times and have made the rice and cilantro sauce to go with other kinds of fish, broiled shrimp and pan-fried skirt steak, I knew it was time to share it with you, too.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/voraciously/wp/2020/09/01/this-coconut-rice-with-salmon-and-cilantro-sauce-deserves-a-spot-in-your-regular-recipe-rotation/

 

 

 

 

 

 

Great Potential Lies In Pak-China Agri Cooperation: Study

 

Description: Great potential lies in Pak-China agri cooperation: Study

A latest study done by Zhang Wenli and Zhai Xueling from Research Center for Rural Economy, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China, says that Pak-China agricultural cooperation is still in the initial stage, with plenty of potential in technology, product processing, trade and infrastructure construction

BEIJING, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 31st Aug, 2020 ) :A latest study done by Zhang Wenli and Zhai Xueling from Research Center for Rural Economy, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China, says that Pak-China agricultural cooperation is still in the initial stage, with plenty of potential in technology, product processing, trade and infrastructure construction.

Agriculture is the largest sector of Pakistan's economy in terms of labor participation, according to a report published by China Economic Net (CEN) on Monday.

Meanwhile, Pakistan has a trade surplus with China in agricultural products. The volume of bilateral trade in this area has been growing strongly in recent years. From US $ 181 million in the year of 2010 to US $ 476 million in 2019China's imports of agricultural products from Pakistan had increased by 163.1 per cent, with an average annual growth rate of 11.3 per cent.

However, facing challenges due to climate change, pest attacks, water shortage, etc., Pakistan's agriculture calls for increased productivity.

According to the study, the natural resource endowments between Pakistan and China are mutually complementary, which lays a solid basis for expanding cooperation as well as driving Pakistan's agricultural progress through adopting advanced technologies in the future.

China has strengths in agricultural science and technology, mechanization, water conservancy engineering, etc.

In 2019, the contribution rate of science and technology to China's agricultural growth recorded as 59.2 per cent, and the mechanization level of crop cultivation and harvest in China exceeded 70 per cent.

Simultaneously, the innovation of seed industry has been continuously promoted, and the coverage rate of improved seed varieties has been greatly improved.

Pakistan is rich in many agricultural production essentials like land and manpower. The per capita cultivated land area in Pakistan is twice that of China.

Furthermore, Pakistan has a larger percentage of people in younger age groups than China. Moreover, Pakistan's increasingly improved investment environment, regulations and laws are also appreciated.

Currently, the yields of major crops in Pakistan such as wheat and rice are only about 50 per cent of those in China. Therefore, the two countries can improve trade on each other's high-quality seed, and strengthen joint research on seed variety improvement of wheat, rice, oilseed, sugarcane, etc.

Carrying out technical exchanges on planting, pest control, livestock breeding management, drought and flood disaster response is also necessary for lifting Pakistani agriculture's overall level of technology and management.

In addition, water-use efficiency in Pakistan is relatively low. The two sides should enhance bilateral cooperation on water conservancy system, and drip irrigation technology and equipment.

It's mentioned in the study that Pakistan's prospect for developing labor-intensive agricultural products processing industry is bright. In this respect, future cooperation can mainly focus on the Primary processing of agricultural products such as grain, livestock products and vegetables to make diversified supply of products.

The study also points out several barriers hindering Pak-Sino agricultural cooperation. The researchers suggest infrastructure of electricitywater and transportation be transformed or constructed.

As China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) develops, infrastructure and logistics in Pakistan will be significantly improved, which will give a new impetus to the bilateral trade in agriculture sector.

Recent COVID-19 pandemic poses extraordinary challenges for almost all sectors of the economy of Pakistan.

Need for maintaining food security and livelihoods has also gained more importance. Pakistan and China are all-weather strategic cooperative partners with time-honored friendship.

By deepening agricultural cooperation with China, productivity of major crops in Pakistan will be lifted to safeguard domestic food supply, and the whole sector will make steady progress fueled by high-techs.

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REAP seeks zero-rated status for rice exports

Minister for food security urges private sector to provide quality agricultural inputs


Our CorrespondentSeptember 02, 2020

Description: PHOTO: REUTERS

PHOTO: REUTERS


LAHORE:

Around one million small-scale farmers will adopt climate-smart sustainable agricultural practices across the globe by the year 2023, said Sustainable Rice Platform Executive Director Wyn Ellis.

Speaking at a webinar organised by the Pakistan Basmati Heritage Foundation, Ellis highlighted the impact and gave details of the adoption rate of sustainable rice production standards.

Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Fakhar Imam, who was present on the occasion, called upon the private sector to come forward to provide quality agricultural inputs and promote mechanisation through the service provider model.

“We need to focus on human resources, capital and the quality of equipment,” he emphasised.

According to the minister, crop yield was the biggest challenge being faced by Pakistan and the country needed to enhance productivity as well as evaluate and assess how its research institutions were working at national, provincial, district and field levels.

He called for building an inherent seed system and adopting technological advancements through digitally integrated mechanised farming.

The minister informed the webinar participants that efforts were under way to ensure the supply of quality seeds, especially hybrid seeds in collaboration with China.

Citing an example of the impact of collaboration, he pointed to the production of green super rice. He also underlined the importance of organic farming and its trends in global markets.

Imam assured the participants of capacity building of the seed regulating bodies and the plant breeder rights registry for strengthening the seed sector.

Sustainable Development Policy Institute Executive Director Abid Qaiyum Suleri highlighted the work of stakeholders related to warehouses. His arguments focused on agro-climatic zoning, allocation of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor’s Special Economic Zones for agriculture and digitisation.

Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) Chairman Dr Azeem Khan revealed that although rice yield had increased 30% in the past 40 years, still the gap between actual and potential yield was more than 50%.

Khan shared details of the productivity enhancement project introduced under the prime minister’s emergency scheme worth Rs15.8 billion.

Pakistan Basmati Heritage Foundation Convener Shahid Tarer talked about the goal of his organisation to promote sustainable rice production and preserve Basmati heritage by taking major stakeholders onboard.

Former PARC chairman Dr Yousaf Zafar called for strengthening the indigenous research and development work on rice and better utilisation of the Export Development Fund (EDF).

“We need to strengthen domestic research and development of rice (Basmati, non-aromatic long grain and non-basmati) for fundamental and primary contribution to progress,” he added.

Zafar underlined the need for producing more food including rice, water and agrochemicals in the midst of a challenging scenario where resources were scarce along with climate change and other risk factors.

Agri Extension and Adaptive Research Director-General Dr Anjum Ali Buttar gave details of the National Programme for Enhancing Profitability through Increasing Productivity of Rice, which was being undertaken in 15 rice-producing districts of Punjab.

He stressed the need for providing subsidy on fertiliser, rice transplanters, certified seeds and specialised rice harvesters along with interest-free loans.

Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) Chairman Shahjahan Malik requested the government to grant rice exporters the zero-rated status in a bid to help them achieve the export target of $5 billion by 2025.

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2262093/reap-seeks-zero-rated-status-for-rice-exports

 

 

 

 

Rice Prices

as on : 01-09-2020 01:50:00 PM

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

Arrivals

Price

Current

%
change

Season
cumulative

Modal

Prev.
Modal

Prev.Yr
%change

Rice

Mandya(Kar)

262.00

-68.4

8025.00

2400

2300

 

:https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/rice-prices/article32494456.ece+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=pk

 

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