Sindh Government and Rice Exporters Association of
Pakistan agree to undertake joint efforts to promote rice cultivation, enhance
capacity building of rice growers and increase rice export
Dec 4, 2014 Posted By Government Institutions Tagged Chief Minister House
Karachi, December 04, 2014 (PPI-OT): The Sindh Govt and
Management of Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) agreed to undertake
joint efforts to promote rice cultivation, enhance capacity building of rice
growers and increase the volume of rice export for their bilateral benefits.The
Chief Minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah formed committee headed by Sindh
Minister for Agriculture Ali Nawaz Khan Mahar with Secretary Agriculture and
representatives for reap as members and assigned them to work out schedule,
starting from educating the rice growers through seminars, literature and
mechanical exhibitions for their capacity building to increase par acre
production, avoid harvesting losses and introduce new but qualitative specially
late varieties which are suppose to be sown in the time when water is available
in rice canal.
The Chief Minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah presiding over
meeting with the 13 members delegation of Rice Export Association of Pakistan
(REAP) which called on him under the leadership of Mr. Rafique Suleman Chairman
(REAP) at CM House Karachi today, said that farmers / millers/ exporters were
the main organs for increasing the volume of rice export and earn foreign
exchange and the create the more demand of rice production, which ultimately
will be more beneficial for the growers.
The Chief Minister Sindh said that though export was the Federal
subject but he will talk to concerned ministries of Federal Govt to get the
rice exporters of Sindh facilitated accordingly he assured. However, the Chief
Minister Sindh directed the members of REAP also to attend the interests of the
rice growers while determining the price of rice.He said that Sindh was Agro
based province and more than 70% its population depend on Agro Products. He
said Sindh was rich in rice quality and added that the rice verities Basmati
and non
Basmati were very much popular in the world as such there is
need of opening new windows of exports in the other countries.He said that
whatever facilities fallen in the competency of Sindh Govt would be provided to
the exporters, to encourage rice exporters and growers. However he stressed
upon the exporters to try their best to project and export competitive rice
varies to grip the International market.While talking about the Law and Order
situation the Chief Minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah said that after targeted
operation against the heinous crimes and terrorism, more than 65% crime rate
has been decreased in Karachi and some crime like kidnapping for ransom was in
respite.
He said that now the volume of trade and Business and investment
was being increased in Karachi and rest of province, where situation was
peaceful. The Chief Minister welcomed the gesture demonstrated by REAP
delegation for undertaking joint efforts for capacity building of rice growers.The
Sindh Minister for Agriculture Ali Nawaz Khan Mahar asked the reap management
to have separate meeting with him along with his administration to sort out all
problems of REAP on the spot. He also assured that Sindh Agriculture Department
was ready for arranging joint seminars, workshops for the education of rice
growers and also to implement the recommendations passed by experts in the
Seminars.
The Chairman REAP Rafiq Suleman while talking in the meeting
said that they became exporters because of rice growers as such they intend to
enhance the volume of export with Govt facilities, create awareness and skill
development of rice growers to encourage and enabling them to meet the future
demand of rice production and earn more.He said that from July 2013 to Nov 2013
reap has exported 228.171 MT ton of Basmati rice and earns $ 224.674,164
million, whereas its export volume from July 2014 to Nov 2014 remained 5% more
with 238,450 MT ton against the foreign exchange of $280.789,966 million.Similarly
export volume of non
Basmati rice remained 877.817 MT ton against foreign exchange of
$ 355.769,988 million from July 2013 to Nov 2013 and 1.019,537 MT ton against
$411.911,517 million from July 2014 to Nov 2014 which according to him remained
16% higher than last year.However he said that they are experiencing some
problems in the way of their smooth business including shortage of power
especially at the Hawksbay area of Karachi which has badly affected their
business. He demanded that industrial areas must be exempted from load shading.
He said that the REAP was in the way to explore and increase
export opportunities specially in China Malaysia, Indonesia, Kenya , Iran ,
Iraq and other countries for which Govt support is needed. The Secretary
Agriculture Saqib Soomro briefed the meeting and said that over all total 4
million tons rice has been exported till date during 2014-2015 and added that
against this export $ 2 billion have been earned.
For more information, contact:
Mr. Allah Bachayo Memon
Press Secretary
Chief Minister House
Tel: +92-21-99202019
Cell: +92-300-3524057 (Ext: 336)
The post sindh
government and rice exporters association of pakistan agree to undertake joint
efforts to promote rice cultivation, enhance capacity building of rice growers
and increase rice export appeared
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NA offers solace on
farm inputs, remains divided on crop prices
Rice promotion event in Paris
Dated: 2014-12-05
Paris: The
Embassy of Pakistan in Paris organized an exhibition of rice. The purpose of
organizing the exhibition was to promote Pakistani rice in French market. The
exhibition which was held in the premises of the Embassy had colorful and
interesting features. A renowned French chef Alian STRIL presented three
different French dishes made of BASMATI rice. Traditional Pakistani rice dishes
like Biryani, Zarda and Kheer prepared by Pakistani cooks were also presented.
Different varieties of BASMATI and other rice
were also put on exhibition. A signer presented classical and folk songs for
the invitees. A number of French and Pakistani importers were invited to
participate and meet some Pakistani rice exporters who were invited to Paris
especially for this event. Earlier, the Embassy coordinated individual meetings
between the importers and exporters of rice to discuss business proposals.
The guests took keen interest in the exhibition
and were impressed by the quality, aroma and taste of rice. The import of rice
from Pakistan to France was worth $ 31.72 million during the period
January-September 2014, most of which was utilized by ethnic market. The
purpose of the exhibition was to increase the volume of rice export from
Pakistan to French market apart from ethnic one. It is expected that the
exhibition will help increase the export.
China, Pakistan likely to revise FTA
December 05, 2014
Pakistan and China are unlikely to
revise Free Trade Agreement (FTA) at least for another two years because both
sides have not finalised any mechanism for a tariff reduction in the second
phase, well informed sources told Business
Recorder. China proposes that tariff on 70 percent items be reduced to
zero, on 10 percent items to be phased out, on another 10 percent on margin
preference and 10 percent sensitive whereas Pakistan wants 35 percent at zero
rate, 35 percent margin of preference and 30 percent on sensitive. Margin preference implies a concession
of 10 to 50 percent on the existing tariff. For example, if tariff is 10
percent and margin is 50 percent then applied tariff would be 5 percent.
"Nothing has been done on the
revision of FTA so far because tariff reduction formula acceptable to both the
countries has yet to be worked out," the sources added. Both countries have an agreement to
reduce tariffs to zero on up to 90 percent of tariff lines in the second phase
of FTA. The sources said, Ministry of Industries and Production initiated a
consultative process and on the feedback of domestic industry it proposed to
Commerce Ministry to maintain the status quo for the next two to three years.
The plea is that the energy crisis
has already marred the competitiveness of the local industry and a further
tariff facilitation to Chinese imports would ruin local industry. According to sources, Pakistan could
not fully avail the opportunities under the Pak-China FTA and its exports
restricted to only 350 tariff lines which implies that FTA utilisation on the
part of Pakistan was only five percent whereas China utilised FTA up to 57
percent. "One of the main reasons for below target utilisation of FTA is
that duties levied on Pakistani products are still higher than those allowed to
other trading partners, making Pakistani products in China uncompetitive,"
the sources added. Commerce
Ministry, which is responsible to ensure a level-playing field for Pakistani
exporters, maintains that Pakistani exporters could utilise only 5 percent of
tariff lines due to a narrow export base and a lack of export surplus.
"There have been some success stories
that immensely benefited from the FTA which include two locally assembled
mobile phone brands like Q-Mobile and Voice," sources revealed. These are not only successfully in
catering to the needs of local market but they have also captured a sizable
market share in the mobile telephony generated after the introduction of 3G
regime. Likewise, motorcycle industry also benefited by providing low cost
motorcycles to the consumers. Deep freezers/refrigerators/air conditioners
segment has also been a success story which benefited from liberalisation of
trade with China. According to
Economic Survey 2012-13, FTA was signed on November 24, 2006 and
operationalized on July 1, 2007.
China has given tariff preferences
on 7550 tariff lines at 8-digit H.S. Code to items of Pakistan's export
interest. Market access granted
by China enabled Pakistan to maintain an overall growth trend in export
performance in the first five years of implementation of FTA. Pakistan-China
volume of trade, which stood at $4.1 billion in the year 2006-07, recorded an
increase of 116% as it exceeded $8.9 billion in 2011-12. Pakistan's exports
registered a 279 percent increase in 2011-12 as compared to 2006-07. Similarly,
China's exports to Pakistan also increased by 90 percent during this period.
Pakistan's exports of rice, raw cotton, all crude mineral, petroleum, chemical
elements, chemical material and product, leather, cotton yarn, cotton fabric,
article of apparel and medical and surgical instruments increased substantially
from 2007-08 to 2011-12.
Source with thanks : http://www.brecorder.com/top-stories/0/1248406/
Nuffield study investigates rice straw by-products for Australian
growers
Updated Thu 4 Dec 2014, 3:29pm
Is rice stubble just waste or is
it worth saving ?
Australia is one of the few major
rice growing countries that still burns the straw left behind after rice
harvest.
It's burnt because the straw
load, at an average 10.5 tonnes to the hectare, is too dense for seeders trying
to plant a winter cereal crop back into the moist paddocks.
But with more research, Nuffield
Scholar Antony Vagg says there are opportunities for growers to develop new
markets.
The farmer from Bunaloo, near the
New South Wales-Victorian border, has spent the last year visiting farms and
research facilities in the US, UK, France, Egypt, Turkey, India and the
Philippines.In India, the increase in biomass plants has turned rice hulls into
a highly sought after product.The industry uses furnaces to burn the straw at a
high temperature, which in turn boils the water solution to create steam.
He says converting rice hulls and
straw into bio-energy could have broader applications for Australian rice
processor SunRice.
"Rice hulls, was a big one.
"They were extracting silica
and hydra cellulose, that they could sell for a high price, which would then
justify having to do something with the straw to get rid of it."It's
happening and its only very new technology."But if you can turn what
people perceive as a low value straw into something, with a bit of extra
processing, into a high-value product then you're more likely to have people
adapt it."
Source with thanks: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-12-05/nuffield-research-rice-stubble-solutions/5945808
Rice
industry scholarships open
Dec. 5, 2014, 2:43
p.m.
The scholarships are named after two past leaders of the rice
industry, Greg Graham and Peter Connor. Greg Graham was president of the RGA
when he died suddenly on New Year’s Day in 1983. He was actively involved in
the irrigation and rice industry, as well as his local community of Deniliquin.Peter
Connor was a leading rice grower in the Coleambally area, and was vice president
of the RGA as well as a board member of the Ricegrowers’ Co-operative Limited.
The Greg Graham Memorial Scholarship provides $4000 to assist a
student with the costs of tertiary education. This award is sponsored by Rice
Research Australia Pty Ltd.The Peter Connor Book Award, awarded to the
runner-up of the Greg Graham Memorial Scholarship winner, consists of $1300 to
put towards the cost of books and course materials.
Last year’s winner of the Greg Graham Memorial Scholarship was
Luke O’Connor, Deniliquin, who is studying a Bachelor of Agricultural Business
Management.Luke said the scholarship significantly helped fund his university
studies and allowed him to comfortably afford the costs of living away from
home and achieve good results in all his subjects.“We are grateful for the
generous support of Rice Research Australia and very pleased to be able to
offer the scholarship in 2015. I would encourage university students who are
studying agriculture related courses to apply for the scholarship,” Mr Gordon
said.Applications close Friday January 16, 2015. Download forms from the
RGA website or call (02) 6953 0433.
Study: State’s drought most
severe in at least 1,200 years
FOR
USE AS DESIRED, YEAR END PHOTOS - FILE - Irrigation water runs along the
dried-up ditch between the rice farms to provide water for the rice fields on
Thursday, May 1, 2014, in Richvale, Calif. CaliforniaÃs drought-ravaged
reservoirs are running so low that state water deliveries to some metropolitan
areas have all but stopped, and cutbacks are forcing growers to fallow fields.
(AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)
By Paul Rogers, San Jose Mercury News, progers@mercurynews.com
POSTED: 12/04/14, 10:50 PM PST | UPDATED: 1 DAY AGO # COMMENTS
The
last three years of drought were the most severe that California has
experienced in at least 1,200 years, according to a new scientific study
published Thursday.The study provides the state with breathtaking new
historical context for its low reservoirs and sinking water tables, even as
California celebrated its first good soaking of the season.
Analyzing
tree rings that date back to 800 A.D. — a time when Vikings were marauding
Europe and the Chinese were inventing gunpowder — there is no three-year period
when California’s rainfall has been as low and its temperatures as hot as they
have been from 2012 to 2014, the researchers found.“We were really surprised.
We didn’t expect this,” said one of the study’s authors, Daniel Griffin, an
assistant professor in the University of Minnesota’s department of geography,
environment and society.
The
report, published in the journal of the American Geophysical Union, was written
by researchers at Massachusetts’ Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and the
University of Minnesota.The scientists measured tree rings from 278 blue oaks
in central and Southern California. Tree rings show the age of trees, and their
width shows how wet each year was because trees grow more during wet years.
The
researchers compared the information to a database of other tree ring records
from longer-living trees like giant sequoias and bristlecone pines, dating back
1,200 years.Meanwhile, the rain that California received this week provided a
promising start to a winter that water managers say needs to be relentless and
drenching to break the drought cycle.“It’s a good beginning,” said Art
Hinojosa, chief of hydrology at the state Department of Water Resources. “But
we need storm after storm after storm if we have any hope of getting out of the
drought this year.”
By
April, he said, California needs at least eight more major storm systems like
the one this week — as well as many smaller systems — to fill its dangerously
low reservoirs and break the drought. Rain and snow this winter needs to be at
least 150 percent of average for the reservoirs to fill, Hinojosa said.This
week’s storm was the biggest to hit California in roughly two years. Many parts
of the state received between 2 and 4 inches of rain, doubling or tripling
their totals since July.
More
important, several of the state’s large reservoirs began to receive moderate
amounts of runoff, as the parched ground became saturated. Lake Shasta gained
about 6,000 acre-feet through midnight Wednesday, and Oroville Reservoir in
Butte County added 17,000 acre-feet. But that new water boosted Shasta’s
storage by less than 1 percent, leaving it at only 23 percent full. It added 3
percent at Oroville, which is now 26 percent full, the lowest level in its
history for this time of year.
The
Sierra snowpack told a similar story. A week ago, it was at 24 percent of the
average for this time of year. Thursday, after a week of snow, it was at 39
percent — still far below normal.
But
more rain and snow is on the way.The Weather Service issued a report late
Thursday saying that because of storms brewing as far away as Hawaii,
projections out to Dec. 18 show that “wetter than normal conditions are
favored.”Experts emphasize that a three-year drought cannot be erased in a few
days. Not only are reservoirs low, but there are huge “rainfall deficits” built
up from the past three years.
Overall,
94 percent of California remains in “severe drought,” according to Thursday’s
edition of the Federal Drought Monitor, a weekly report from the U.S.
Department of Agriculture and other agencies.It was the tree-ring study showing
California suffering its worst drought in 1,200 years, however, that received
the most attention Thursday.The researchers took core samples, which don’t harm
the living trees, of oaks as old as 500 years and oak logs dating back more
than 700 years, the University of Minnesota’s Griffin said. And they sanded
down the wood with extremely fine-grain sandpaper, magnifying the rings 40
times under a microscope and measuring them to within one one-thousandth of a millimeter.
They
then compared the findings to the North American Drought Atlas, a detailed
collection of other tree-ring data that goes back 1,200 years and includes
measurements from ancient trees such as giant sequoias and bristlecone pines.
The atlas calculates temperature and rainfall for those years by comparing the
tree rings with tree rings from the past 100 years, when modern records were
kept.
Although
there are 37 times over the past 1,200 years when there were three-year dry
periods in California, no period had as little rainfall and as hot of
temperatures as 2012-14, the scientists concluded.With climate change already
warming the earth, the last three years in California could become a more
recurring event, they said.
“This kind of drought is what we expect to see more
of in the future,” said Griffin. “Maybe the future is now.”Mercury News staff writer David E.
Early contributed to this report. FOR USE
AS DESIRED, YEAR END PHOTOS - FILE - Irrigation water runs along the dried-up
ditch between the rice farms to provide water for the rice fields on Thursday,
May 1, 2014, in Richvale, Calif. CaliforniaÃs drought-ravaged reservoirs are
running so low that state water deliveries to some metropolitan areas have all
but stopped, and cutbacks are forcing growers to fallow fields. (AP Photo/Jae
C. Hong, File)
Thai suspension of
rice sales to bring benefits to Vietnam
VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnam hopes
the rice price in the world market will increase as Thailand has asked its
farmers to stop selling rice in anticipation of a price hike.
The Thai government recently issued
$1.5 billion worth of bonds to raise money to pay debts related to the rice
price subsidy programs. It had reportedly incurred a loss of 680 billion baht,
or $21 billion from the rice subsidy program which has been implemented since
2004.In an effort to raise the rice price, the government has called on Thai
farmers to store 2 million tons of rice, promising to pay 1,000 baht per ton,
or $77, to farmers to ensure the good quality of rice in stock.The policymakers
hope that the absence of Thai rice in the world market will increase the price
in the world market by 8,500 baht per ton, or $263.An official of the Vietnam
Food Association (VFA) commented that the support from the Thai government to
its farmers would benefits other rice exporters, including Vietnam, India and
Pakistan, as well.
The official said there would be
two scenarios to occur when Thailand stores rice. First, the move would not
only help push up Thai rice prices, but also make other exporters’ rice more
valuable.Second, once Thailand keeps its rice in stocks, this would encourage
other rice production countries like Vietnam, India and Pakistan to increase
rice production as rice exports can sell at good prices.
This scenario has been happening
over the last few years. When Thailand did not market its rice, Vietnam
successfully raised its export price. If this occurs in 2015, Vietnam would
continue benefiting from the Thai policy.However, VFA still can see risks,
saying that the situation would be worse if the Thai government stops
subsidizing farmers and launches stored rice into the market.The official also
noted that Vietnam’s rice price will also be determined by many other factors
in 2015, including demand from China and the Philippines.
According to Oryza.com, the
Filipino government plans to import 600,000 tons of rice in 2015 to satisfy
domestic demand. The country is negotiating with Bangladesh about next year’s
contracts.According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development
(MARD), Vietnam exported over 6 million tons of rice in the first 11 months of
the year, with turnover of $2.8 billion. The figures represented a 3 percent
decrease in the export amount, but a 2 percent increase in value if compared
with the same period in 2013.
TBKTSG
Source with thanks: http://english.vietnamnet.vn/fms/business/118055/thai-suspension-of-rice-sales-to-bring-benefits-to-vietnam.html
Commerce Ministry to
step up measures to boost prices of agricultural products
Date : 5 ธันวาคม 2557
BANGKOK, 5 Dec 2014 (NNT) - The Commerce Ministry is drafting a
plan to ensure stable and better prices of rice in the next 3 months when new
output comes into the market. It is also drawing up the 2015 roadmap to improve
prices of agricultural products, promote exports and look after the cost of
living.
Minister of Commerce General Chatchai Sarikalya has ordered an
advance plan be drawn up in preparation for the new rice harvest to enter the
market in March 2015. He said a working group has been established to work
closely with the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry and the Bank for
Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives, to make sure new grains will fetch
the highest price possible when they enter the market in the next three months.
The Minister indicated that his ministry is also in the process of
drafting a roadmap for next year which would focus on improving prices of
agricultural products, promoting exports and taking care of the living
expenses. He expected that the roadmap would be finished this month.
Source with thanks http://thainews.prd.go.th/centerweb/newsen/NewsDetail?NT01_NewsID=WNECO5712050010002#sthash.3uxBCtju.dpuf
USA Rice Family
Grows
Contact: Sarah Moran (703) 236-1457
Source: US Rice Federation
USA Rice
Congratulates Winners of "Healthy Brown Rice on the Menu Contest"
|
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ARLINGTON, VA -- The USA Rice
Federation has announced the winners of its annual "Healthy Brown Rice
on the Menu Contest" for K-12 school menu planners. Participants
in the contest were asked to prepare a healthy, flavorful brown rice dish
from three recipe categories-rice bowl, breakfast, and lunch.
This week, a press release announcing the winners was
distributed to top media outlets consistently read by more than 130,000 K-12
operations. These award-winning entries showcase the versatility of
brown rice and demonstrate how schools are using brown rice to create meals
that meet nutrition standards.
Each winner will receive a 50 pound donation of whole grain rice
thanks to USA Rice sponsors: InHarvest, Producers Rice Mill, Riceland
Foods, Mahatma Rice, SunWest Foods, and Uncle Ben's. Grand prize
winners receive paid 2015 School Nutrition Association Annual Conference
registration, a commercial size rice cooker for their school, and a consumer
size rice cooker for their home kitchen donated by Aroma Housewares.
These grand prize dishes combined nutrition with sensational
flavors:
Breakfast: Roxanne Szalejko, Food
Service Director for Northwood Academy Charter School in Philadelphia, PA; Coconut Cream Breakfast Brown Rice includes U.S. brown rice, coconut, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and
raisins.
Lunch: Kay Briles, Head Cook/Manager for
Greenfield Elementary School in Baldwin, WI; Turkey Brown Rice Casserole features U.S. brown rice, ground turkey, red onion, red peppers,
frozen peas, cream of chicken soup, and slivered almonds.
Rice Bowl: Angie Gaszak, Nutrition
Coordinator for Saint Paul Public Schools in St. Paul, MN; Chicken Sofrito Rice Bowl combines U.S. brown rice, chicken stock, diced tomatoes, thyme,
garlic jalapeño peppers, onion, and chili powder, finished with red pepper
strips and lime juice.
"Healthy brown rice meals can now be found in every part of
the country, as more schools see how easy it is to help students achieve
their whole grain servings," said Katie Maher, USA Rice domestic
promotion manager. "There are so many innovative ways to use U.S.
brown rice to create menu items that deliver nutrition and flavor as well as
happy kids and empty plates."
For more information and recipe ideas featuring U.S.-grown rice,
visitwww.MenuRice.com.
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CME Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures
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CME Group (Prelim): Closing Rough Rice Futures for December 5
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2014 USA Rice Outlook Conference
December 7 - 9, 2014
VENUE
Statehouse Convention Center
One Statehouse Plaza
Little Rock, AR 722201
Statehouse Convention Center
One Statehouse Plaza
Little Rock, AR 722201
HOTEL
Little Rock Marriott
Three Statehouse Plaza
Little Rock, AR 72201
Phone: 501-906-4000
Little Rock Marriott
Three Statehouse Plaza
Little Rock, AR 72201
Phone: 501-906-4000
Thursday,
04 December 2014 21:47
KARACHI:
Sindh Government and Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) on Thursday
agreed to undertake joint efforts for promoting rice cultivation, capacity
building of rice growers and
increase the volume of rice export for their bilateral
benefits.
Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Qaim Ali Shah formed committee headed
by Sindh Minister for Agriculture Sardar Ali Nawaz Khan Mahar with Secretary
Agriculture and representatives of REAP as members, said an official statement.The
committee was assigned to work out schedule starting from educating the rice
growers through seminars, literature and mechanical exhibitions for their
capacity building to increase per acre production, avoid harvesting losses and
introduce new but qualitative specially late varieties which are supposed to be
sown in the time when water is available in rice canal.
However, he urged REAP members to also take care of the interests
of the rice growers while fixing the price of rice.He said that Sindh was
agro-based province and more than 70 per cent of its population depends on agro
products. He said Sindh was rich in rice quality. The rice verities basmati and
non-basmati were very much popular in the world. There is need for opening new
windows of exports in the other countries.He assured Sindh Government would
support to the rice exporters to its capacity to encourage rice exporters and
growers.He emphasized on the exporters to try their best to project and export
competitive rice varieties to grip the international market.
About the law and order situation, the Chief Minister said that
after targeted operation against the heinous crimes and terrorism, crime rate
has decreased by more than 65 per cent decreased in Karachi. Sindh Minister for
Agriculture, Sardar Ali Nawaz Khan Mahar advised the REAP members to have a
separate meeting with him along with his administration to sort out all
problems of REAP on the spot.He also assured that Sindh Agriculture Department
was ready for arranging joint seminars, workshops for the education of rice
growers and also to implement the recommendations passed by experts in the
seminars.The Chairman REAP Rafiq Suleman said that they became exporters
because of rice growers as such they intend to enhance the volume of export
with Government facilities, create awareness and skill development of rice
growers to encourage and enabling them to meet the future demand of rice
production and earn more.
He demanded that industrial areas must be exempted from load
shading.He said that the REAP was in the way to explore and increase export
opportunities specially in China, Malaysia , Indonesia, Kenya, Iran , Iraq and
other countries for which Government support is needed. Sindh Secretary
Agriculture Saqib Soomro briefed the meeting and said that over all total 4
million tons rice has been exported till date during 2014-2015 and earned $ 2
billion.
Source with thanks: http://www.brecorder.com/pakistan/business-a-economy/208844-cm-assures-all-support-to-increase-rice-export.html
Lesser paddy purchase in Punjab, Haryana as basmati acreage rises
By PTI | 5 Dec, 2014, 08.10PM IST
"Paddy
procurement in Punjab is likely to remain more or less what has been purchased
so far as crop arrivals have now been negligible in grain markets,"
official said.ET SPECIAL:
CHANDIGARH: With paddy crop arrival almost coming to an end, crop
procurement in Punjab and Haryana is likely to remain at about 147 lakh tonnes,
almost 16 per cent lesser than what was targeted before the start of purchase
during Kharif marketing season 2014-15.
Punjab and Haryana had targeted to procure 175 lakh tonnes of paddy for the
central pool. "Paddy procurement will be lesser than the target because of
rise in basmati acreage," an official of Food Corporation of India (FCI)
told here. So far, paddy procurement in Punjab has reached 117.62 lakh tonnes
as against initial target of 140 lakh tonnes.
"Paddy procurement in Punjab is likely to
remain more or less what has been purchased so far as crop arrivals have now
been negligible in grain markets," official said. In Haryana also, paddy
purchase is unlikely to touch the targeted figure of 35 lakh tonnes with crop
lifting reaching 29.72 lakh tonnes so far.
"Farmers are now bringing lesser quantity
of paddy crop in grain markets," said an official of Haryana Food and
Supplies department. Lesser paddy procurement means lesser contribution of rice from Punjab and Haryana to the central pool.
Punjab and Haryana had seen paddy procurement at 127 lakh tonnes and 35.87 lakh
tonnes respectively during the last season. Area under basmati crop this season
in Punjab went up by 55 per cent to 8.62 lakh hectares this year, with around
30 per cent of total paddy being under basmati. The output was expected to
reach 34 lakh tonne as against 22.65 lakh tonne recorded last season, creating
a "glut like" situation.
In
neighbouring Haryana, 40 per cent of total area under paddy which is 11.38 lakh
hectares is under basmati crop Total area under paddy in Punjab and Haryana was
pegged at 28.20 lakh hectares and 11.50 lakh hectares respectively in kharif
season.
Notably, because of "deficient" rains
this year, farmers of both Punjab and Haryana had to spend Rs 6,000 to Rs 7,000
per acre extra money on diesel and deepening of tubewells for irrigating paddy.
Governments of Punjab and Haryana had sought financial assistance of over Rs
2,300 crore and Rs 850 crore, respectively, from the Centre to deal with
delayed monsoon and prolonged dry spell conditions.
Source with thanks: The Economic
Times India
Rice could make cholera
treatment more effective
Rice could make cholera
treatment more effective
posted by
news on december 4, 2014 - 7:30pm
Cholera is
caused when the bacterium Vibrio cholerae infects the small intestine, resulting
in severe diarrhea and vomiting, which can result in dehydration and death. The
main treatment involves oral rehydration therapy, where the patient drinks
water mixed with salts and glucose. But although proven to be enormously
effective, there are concerns that the glucose content might actually worsen
the disease. EPFL scientists have now shown that this is indeed the case, as
glucose increases the toxicity of the cholera bacterium, whereas replacing
glucose with starch can reduce its toxicity by almost 75%. Their work is
published in PLOS Neglected Tropical
Diseases.
Cholera
Treatment: Effective, but Could Be Improved
The usual
treatment for cholera comes in the form of "oral rehydration
therapy" packs. Essentially, it involves feeding the patient water mixed
with electrolyte salts and glucose. The idea is to replace the patient's lost
fluids and essential salts, while the glucose acts as a source of carbon and
helps the intestine to absorb the salts more efficiently. The patient continues
the therapy until the infection has ran its course.
Up to half
of cholera patients would die without treatment, but oral
rehydration therapy has been shown to lower the deaths to around 1%. However,
there are concerns that using glucose in the rehydration mixture can actually
exacerbate the disease. The problem is that the infecting bacterium also
consumes glucose, and that increases the expression of its genes that make it
toxic. On the other hand, some field studies have shown that using more complex
carbon sources, like starch from rice powder, might be more effective. Despite
this, there has never been a decisive study linking oral rehydration recipes
with their effect on how the disease spreads.
The
cholera bacterium, Vibrio
cholerae, infects humans by releasing a protein called the "cholera
toxin". Consequently, regulating the genes that produce the cholera toxin
can either increase or decrease the bacterium's capacity to spread disease.
Alternatives
to Glucose
Melanie
Blokesch and Andrea Rinaldo at EPFL have now correlated data from a recent
cholera outbreak in Haiti with the effectiveness of
oral rehydration therapy. Blokesch's lab grew the cholera bacterium with
different sugars (e.g. glucose, sucrose) and starch from potatoes and rice to
see how each would affect the cholera toxin genes.
The
scientists found that both the activity of the genes, as well as the production
of the cholera toxin itself were increased when the bacterium was fed with
glucose, but they were considerably decreased when it was fed with starch from
rice. Although the explanation for this is complicated, one of the reasons is
that the type of sugar available (e.g. glucose, starch etc.) to the bacterium
affects the mechanisms that regulate the activity of its toxin-producing genes.
Ultimately, this effect influences the bacterium's ability to infect humans.
The team
of Andrea Rinaldo focused on matching this data to the actual cholera epidemics
in Haiti. Using data from the outbreak of cholera that started in 2010 in the
region, they developed a mathematical model of the disease's epidemiology. They
then modified the model to include oral rehydration therapy based on rice
starch instead of glucose. The results showed that using this alternative
approach could have a 30% reduction of cholera cases (375'000 instead of 520'000
cases) on the island within the first 14 months of the epidemics.
The
results feed into the current discussion of cholera treatment, and strongly
suggest a review of current approaches. "Of course, we're not saying 'stop
doing oral rehydration therapy with glucose right away' because it works so
well," says Melanie Blokesch. "But still, the data suggests that the
regimen can be significantly improved, and that the community needs to start
discussing this possibility again - especially in areas endemic to
cholera."
