GMO
Biotechnology Categorized as “Biological Weapons of Mass Destruction”,
Pakistan, Russia
By Global Research News
Global Research, January 09, 2015
Chemical Concern
Region: Middle East & North Africa, Russia and FSU
Theme: Biotechnology and GMO
In July last year, Monsanto, Pioneer and Syngenta, multinational
companies and a number of national firms approached Pakistan’s Ministry of Food
Security seeking licences to raise genetically-modified (GM) food products in
Pakistan.
Imran Ali Teepu reported for Dawn that a senior federal government official, who did not
wish to be named, told Dawn that “a request in this regard has been received by
the Ministry of Food Security a few weeks back and is being reviewed”.The
director general of the Pakistan Environment Protection Agency, Asif Shuja,
said: “Research is still continuing internationally into whether the genetically-modified
products have an impact on human health.
Many of the local companies want
to import genetically-modified food products from China and we have not given
any approval in this regard”.Meanwhile, Dr Jawad Chishtie, a public health and
environment management specialist, said: “Genetically-modified products have
been rejected in Europe, and most recently in France, for damaging crops and
endangering human health.” He warned that effects of the genetically-engineered
organisms were not yet known but “they are suspected of causing dangerous
allergies and even cancer.”
He asked the government to
promote organic farming in Pakistan for which the country had a far better
environment.
In May this year Jamal Shahid reported that Lahore High Court
ordered the government to stop issuing licences for genetically-modified (GM)
varieties of cotton or corn until a legal framework is put into place to assess
new types of genetically modified organisms.
Shahid continues: “The Farmers
Association of Pakistan had been complaining about the sale of poor quality Bt
cotton seeds in the open market for quite some time. He quotes Chaudhry Gohar,
a progressive cotton farmer from Multan, who told Dawn that the use of
uncertified varieties of GM seeds increase input costs for farmers. The low
levels of pest resistance in these seeds have increased insects’ immunity,
necessitating the use of nearly double the normal amount of pesticides. Pakistan Agriculture
Research (NBC) also relaxed germination
levels for crops from 75% under Seed Act, 1976 to less than 50%.EPA DG Muhammad
Khurshid observed that the authority treats GMOs ‘very seriously’:
“The Foreign Office has also conveyed its
concern to the Climate Change Division that the subject of GMO seeds is a
matter of grave concerns for national security and trade. The Foreign Office
treats GMOs as potential “biological weapons of mass destruction”, which could
be used to destroy Pakistan’s major crops such as potato, wheat, rice, corn,
cotton and vegetables through modified viruses, bacteria and other
parasites.Russian lawmakers also want to address GMO-related activities that
may harm human health and impose criminal liability on producers, sellers and
transporters of genetically modified organisms, according to Izvestia.Itar-Tass reports that a bill to this effect was submitted to the Russian
State Duma – lower parliament house; under its terms criminal responsibility
would apply only to companies and government officials, but there is a move to
expand liability for GMO-inflicted harm to include state and local
self-government officials.
http://www.globalresearch.ca/gmo-biotechnology-as-biological-weapons-of-mass-destruction-pakistan-russia/5423645
2013-14 stocks: government urged to direct TCP to purchase 0.5 million
tons of Basmati rice
January 10, 2015
Growers Association (BGA) has urged the federal government to
direct Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) for purchasing 0.5 million tons of
Basmati rice from 2013-14 stocks at the rate of Rs 4000 per 40 kilograms and
export it to Iran. It also
suggested that the procurement should be made through outsourced
company/companies as the TCP lacks the capacity to make such purchases and
sales while the outsourced company/companies could perform the task on behalf
of the TCP with guarantees of performance and quality or any other such
assurance as TCP may deem appropriate. BGA
President Chaudhry Hamid Malhi has proposed this in a letter to the Federal
Minister of Commerce Khurram Dastgir Khan, copy of which also released to the
media on Friday. The letter said Basmati rice purchased could be exported to
Iran and some of the proceeds could be deducted by Iran as Rs 500 million of
outstanding electricity payments lying with the Pakistan government, while,
Pakistan government can pay these dues to exporters/farmers. In the meanwhile a waiver for trade
with Iran could be sought to enable the State Bank of Pakistan to open a
banking channel for export payment transfers.
This would also add 50 billion to the economy. A joint committee
of MoC, exporters, traders and growers could supervise the activity to make it
workable and suggest timely amends where necessary. "It is also important to note
that Iran imported 1.44 million tons of Basmati rice from India during 2013-14,
while our Basmati exports world-wide decreased to 0.733 million tons in the
same year," the letter added.
It said that in contrast to India, Pakistan could only export 6511
tons of Basmati rice to Iran in year 2013-14. The Basmati farmers were the
biggest losers this year. Paddy prices were down by 50 percent and with no
remedy in sight for the next year, Basmati production could be at risk in the
country, the letter mentioned. Letter
further stated that directives to expedite matters in the manner suggested
above, could improve the situation to the relief of the Basmati rice sector.
Chaudhry Hamid Malhi also regretted that the subsidy of Rs 5000 per acres
announced by the Punjab government to Basmati farmers is also in doldrums as
time passes. He said that rice farmers suffered heavy losses because of floods
and price crash and the government announced to compensate them and made lists
of farmers but growers are still awaiting any good news from the rulers.
RRI develops new varieties of drought-resistant paddy in OdishaOdisha Sun Times Bureau Bhubaneswar, Jan 12:
Scientists at the Central Rice Research Institute (CRRI) in
Odisha’s Cuttack city have developed four new varieties of drought-resistant
paddy and another variety that can be grown in less water conditions.The new
varieties named as Ankit, Sachala, Gopinath, Maudamani can meet the drought
condition while another variety, named Chakaakhi, can grow in less water and
survive flood conditions up to a week. Besides, it can also withstand high
winds.
They have been prepared specifically to deal with the changing
climate and pattern of rain in Odisha.As per the information provided by Sharat
Kumar Pradhan, chief scientists of CCRI, “Ankit (CR Paddy-101) can be harvested
in three and half months can be cultivated in high lands with less water
requirement.This medium thin variety can be harvested up to 40 quintal per
hectare in normal condition and up to 28 quintal per hectare under drought
condition. Besides, given its immunity to certain diseases and the ability to
be grown through sowing, farmers can save more time and money as it does not
require re-plantation. About 68 kgs of rice can be obtained by milling a
quintal of paddy of this variety, he said.
Apart from this, Sachala (CR Paddy-203) and Gopinath are also
immune to certain diseases and can be harvested in 110 days. The cultivation
and harvest are the same like the Ankit variety, he added.“Maudamani (CR-307),
which is a small, fatty and pest-resistant variety of paddy, can be cultivated
in the irrigated lands. About 50 quintals per hectare of this variety can be
harvested in normal conditions.” Pradhan said.Talking about the newly developed
Chakaakhi (CR-408), Pradhan informed that this fatty and longer variety can
withstand flood conditions and pest attack and grow up to 130 to 140
centimetres. The harvest period of this paddy is 160-165 days. It also makes it
easy for farmers to clean unwanted grass from the field due to its dark
coloured roots which is different from the colour of grass that grows around
paddy. This rice would be suitable for preparation of watered rice (Pakhala).
It may be noted that the State Variety Release Committee has
developed nine different varieties of paddy this year of which CRRI has
developed five.The CRRI scientists had invented three more varieties of paddy
in November last year to meet the climatic conditions of other states.However,
it may take another two years to provide adequate amount of these new varieties
of paddy to the farmers of the state,” Pradhan
Women seed entrepreneurs at community level
M.
G. Neogi
Women
seed entrepreneurs at community level
Rexonara
Khatun, a trained seed producer, storing her quality seeds in IRRI Super Bag at
their house at Triphol kathi village, Shyamnagar, Satkhira.
Seeds
are the most important input to increase crop production. They enhance food
security and alleviate poverty in the agro-based developing countries. It is
believed that good seeds alone can increase 20-25 per cent yield. If the seed
is capable of ensuring higher yield, then the use of other inputs like
fertilisers, irrigation, pesticides, etc. becomes fruitful. Otherwise, these
become futile. Therefore, the best techniques need to be followed to produce
and preserve good quality seeds.In Bangladesh, a large number of farmers
throughout the country use their self-produced and preserved seeds to cultivate
rice. The seeds comprise more than 50 per cent of the total rice seed
requirement of the country. Eighty-five per cent of self-preserved seeds are
used by the poor farm households.
Almost
hundred per cent of the seeds are processed at farm household-level by women,
and they are solely involved in drying, cleaning and storing these seeds. A
2011 survey report indicates that from 1999 to 2006, participation by men in
the agricultural labour force is declining, while female agricultural labourers
are increasing in the crop fields. The said report notes that as men move from
farming to the service industry and other non-agricultural sectors, women are
gaining more acceptance as paid farm workers and post-harvest processors. Women
are now working in crop fields along with men, a rare scene in the past. They
prepare seedbeds, transplant seedlings, engage in activities like weeding,
harvesting, and threshing of crops. Most importantly, almost hundred per cent
women farm households are solely involved in cleaning, sun-drying and storing
the crops and their seeds at their houses.
But
most of the women farm households are not capable enough to produce quality
seeds and they have very shallow knowledge on how to produce and process
quality rice seeds. Normally, farm households are cultivating rice for their
consumption and sale, and they save a portion of it as seed, which is never
maintained properly as seed. These seeds are usually inferior in quality with
mixtures of other varieties, and thus the farmers incur a huge loss, because of
poor yield-capability.
The
awareness and knowledge of women of farm households about quality seeds, their
importance and seed processing, as well as preservation techniques, are very
limited. They are not able to maintain quality storage facilities at household
level due to their poor housing condition. Although women are directly involved
with seed processing and preservation at their households, there is no
institutional linkages in order to improve their awareness and skills. A huge
number of women households in rural areas are involved with micro-credit
programmes, but they have very limited access to 'know-how' on quality seeds.
Effective storage equipment is also one of the most important components to
keep the seeds at quality level, as most of the women farm households store
their rice seeds in traditional containers, like jute bags, soil-made
containers, tin boxes, gunny bags, etc. which are not found to be satisfactory
in storing rice seeds and maintaining their quality.
With
the available production technologies, it is possible to produce around six
tonnes of crop on one hectare of land, but the average production is less than
three tonnes per hectare. Among the many constraints, awareness and knowledge
at women farm household level, quality seeds, post-harvest drying and storage
facilities are considered the major barriers to improved rice production
technologies. Therefore, there is the need for making the farmers aware and
train them, especially the women farm households, for quality seed production,
processing and preservation by using simple and affordable technologies.
It
is proved that the traditional methods of seed storage cause lower germination
and infestation of seeds by pests and diseases, which ultimately leads to lower
production. As the requirement of quality seed production and preservation is a
serious constraint for improved rice production, the International Rice
Research Institute (IRRI) strongly feels about an immediate need to equip
grassroots farmers with training through local seed producing associations for
quality seed promotion in rural areas. Through using quality seeds, yields can
be increased between 15 to 30 per cent. Farmers will get more food and have
more income for their families, if they use quality seeds.
Under
USAID and BMGF (Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation) support, IRRI works with
rural poor farm households, where NGOs, private local seed producers and the
government agricultural extension department (DAE) are the partners of this
project.
The
three major areas like roughing, drying and storing proved the most important
factors to improve seed quality. A polyethylene bag which has been developed by
IRRI named as IRRI Super Bag has also been proved to be unique and affordable
equipment for the farm households of rural areas to store rice seeds at
household level maintaining its quality. The IRRI has provided 25,000 IRRI
Super Bags to 8,500 households (mainly women), through the partner
organisations like the government extension agencies such as DAE, local NGOs
and local seed producers.
Seeds
preserved in the IRRI Super Bag as storage equipment maintain higher
germination, viability and vigour as well as disease-free plants, and thus
yield is comparatively much higher than from the seeds available from other
sources. Hence the seed production technology as well as seed processing and
preservation technology under this component is treated as a complete package
programme. The seeds production and preservation technology has been provided
to the poor community households enabling them to produce quality seeds at
community level. In the same way, seed processing and preservation training can
be provided to women of farm households to keep the seeds on right track as
post-harvest technology. Based on practical learning, women are now more aware
of moisture percentage in seeds and are interested to store them in storage
equipment (IRRI Super Bag) for airtight preservation.
A
trained woman of a farm household, Rexonara Khatun, speaks about the usefulness
of this storage equipment. Rexonara and her husband Arafat Hossain live in
Aila-affected saline-prone village named Treefol Kathi of Ishwaripur union
under Shyamnagar upazila of Satkhira district. They have 60 decimals of land.
Before Aila, they cultivated rice and received a very good harvest. But due to
Aila, their land was affected by saline water and they failed to have any
reasonable harvests after the Aila storm. Through a group meeting with
Nakshikantha - a NGO, in 2012, she came to know that a newly-developed
salt-tolerant rice variety can grow in salt-affected land. She showed her
interest about the rice variety and received Binadhan-8 rice seeds as
salt-tolerant rice variety from Nakshikantha and cultivated that in their land
and got a good yield of around 3.8 tonne/ha. This was the first time after the
Aila, when they cultivated crop and harvested such an amount of rice. Rexonara
also received training on how to produce and process as well as store the rice
seeds. She got IRRI Super Bag during a training programme. She stored dry and
cleaned quality Binadhan-8 rice seeds in IRRI Super Bags in airtight condition.
Inspired
by the achievement of Rexonara, her neighbouring farm households are demanding
seeds of this variety. Rexonara decided to keep seeds in her IRRI Super Bags to
maintain their quality and sell them to her neighbours in the next season.
Hundreds
of trained women of farm households are now producing quality seeds at
household level and are getting higher yields. They also supply their surplus
seeds to their neighbours, relatives and other farmers.A number of trained
women of farm households have become seed entrepreneurs at community level
getting benefits and enjoying better livelihood.As the quality seed production
and preservation is a serious challenge for improved rice production, IRRI
strongly feels the immediate need for equipping grassroots farmers with
training through local seed producing associations. It also feels the urgency
for quality seed promotion in rural areas.
The
article is adapted from a paper Dr. M. G. Neogi, a consultant with the
International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), presented at the International
Rice Congress held at
Bangkok
in 2014.
UD’s research institute to develop low-cost fuel tanks
Published: January
9, 2015, 11:56 am
University
of Dayton. (WDTN Photo)
DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) – The
University of Dayton Research Institute says it will lead an Ohio-based
research team with the development of affordable natural-gas vehicle fuel
tanks.The initiative was announced by President Barack Obama in Tennessee where
the research will be led.The Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing
Innovation (IACMI) was selected by the U.S.
Department of Energy to develop
the technology.The group of founding partners, including UDRI, will work to
advance fiber-reinforced polymer composites that are lighter and stronger than
steel, with development taking place from laboratories to production
lines.These types of technologies are already used in the aircraft and military
vehicle industries as well as in luxury cars, but the materials are
expensive.UDRI will lead the initiative for the development of compressed-gas
storage vessels for the automotive and trucking industry.
“The demand for compressed
natural gas as a lower-cost, cleaner-burning alternative to diesel and gasoline
fuel for vehicles continues to grow,” said Brian Rice, Research Institute
director. “In order for natural gas fuel to be efficiently and safely used to
power vehicles, the transportation industry needs an affordable, lightweight
but high-strength compressed-gas fuel tank.”The group’s goal is to make the
materials low-cost and easy to produce.Ohio will commit $10-million of the
estimated $259-million project.
University rejects renaming ‘Hindu’ rice varieties
The Indira Gandhi Krishi
Vishwavidyalaya here was on Friday caught off guard following “rumours” that
the institution was initiating a move to replace names of Hindu deities given
to new rice varieties developed in the state.The rumour that there was a
serious move by the university to rechristen the new rice varieties developed
by the research units functioning under the institution has been making rounds
in the state for the past couple of days.As per the speculation, a plan is
afoot by the university to rename the popular varieties of rice such as
“Mahamaya”, “Durga”, “Vishnubhog”, “Samales-wari”, “Rajeswari”, “Dur-ga” and
“Danteswari”.
Incidentally, the rumours have
surfaced in the wake of the recent release of the controversial Hindi film PK,
which is facing opposition from the Hindutva brigade for, what they claim, is
the “improper projection” of Hindu deities.“We are absolutely taken aback by
the baseless rumours that we are planning to replace names of Hindu deities
given to the new varieties of rice developed by the university. I want to make
it clear that there is no such move. We are wondering where such a rumour has
been generated,” a senior officer of the university told this newspaper on
Friday.When contacted, university spokesman and professor (soil science
department) K.K. Sahu said, “I am not aware of any such move.
”Many new rice varieties
developed in the state have been christened after names of famed local deities
such as Danteswari of Bastar region and Mahamaya of the plains of
Chhattisgarh.The university is credited with conserving the second-largest
reserve of rice plasmas in the world after the International Rice Research
Institute in Manila, the Philippines.
Turning Waste from Rice, Parsley and
Other Foods into Biodegradable Plastic
Your chairs, synthetic rugs and plastic bags could one day be
made out of cocoa, rice and vegetable waste rather than petroleum, scientists
are now reporting.
Waste husks from rice (in the small vial) can be transformed
into bioplastic.A.
ABRUSCI – ISTITUTO ITALIANO DI TECNOLOGIAThe novel process they developed
and their results, which could help the world deal with its agricultural and
plastic waste problems, appear in theAmerican Chemical Society journal Macromolecules.Athanassia
Athanassiou, Ilker S. Bayer and colleagues at the Italian Institute of
Technology point out that plastic's popularity is constantly growing. In 2012,
its production reached 288 million tons worldwide, but its ubiquity comes at a
cost. Synthetic plastics persist for hundreds or thousands of years while
releasing toxic components with the potential to harm the environment and human
health. Also, plastics are made out of petroleum, which is a nonrenewable
source. The shift to more environmentally friendly bioplastics has been challenging
and expensive. Athanassiou's team wanted to find a simple, less costly way to
make the transition.
They turned to an organic acid that also occurs naturally and
can process cellulose, which is the main building component of plants and also
the most abundant polymer in nature. They mixed the acid with parsley and
spinach stems, and husks from rice and cocoa pods. Then, they poured the
resulting solutions into lab dishes. When tested, the films that formed showed
a promising range of traits from brittle and rigid to soft and stretchable —
similar to commercial plastics. "This opens up possibilities for replacing
some of the non-degrading polymers with the present bioplastics obtained from
agro-waste," the researchers conclude.
Santiago
launches hybrid rice center
By | Jan. 10, 2015 at 12:01am
SANTIAGO CITY, Isabela—Mayor
Joseph Tan on Friday launched an accelerated learning module on hybrid rice
here at the Agricultural Training and Seed Center.“We expect that the new
farming methods will raise harvest from 100 cavans per hectare of traditional
farming practice to 200 cavans per hectare,” he said. Tan
The facility in Barangay
Balintocatoc was established in partnerships with the Philippine Rice Center,
Department of Soil and Water Management, Cagayan Valley Rice Research Center
(CVRRC), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and the
city government.“We have come up with this endeavor to help and support the
displaced cabesillas or community service providers consisting of almost 14
percent of the farm labor force in the city,” Tan said.“But I believe that in
due time, these displaced farm laborers will soon be trained by the national
government through TESDA and become productive in their chosen field of
expertise in the operation the new farming technology.”
According to Tan, TESDA-Santiago
has trained 200 heavy equipment operators with special funding from the city
mayor’s office. We have also allocated P500,000 for farmers livelihood
programs to every barangay under our local poverty reduction action program,”
he said.Meanwhile, the city has alloted P42 million for cooperatives and groups
in acquiring reapers, tractors, mechanical transplanters for them to offer
services to small landowners who could not afford to buy mechanized farm
machineries.
CVRRC chief Rosemarie Aquino said
mechanization would enable planters to cope with the requirements of an
integrated market of South East Asian countries.“Our soil is so fertile that seeds
easily sprout and with the introduction of farm mechanization we will make our
products more competitive in Asia,” she said.Aquino said CVRRC has also created
a new technique in seedling propagation using carbonized water, rice bran and
garden soil from river banks.
Vietnam clinches one million tonnes of
rice deal in 2015
Friday, 09 January 2015 03:51
The volume is 200,000 tonnes higher than the same period last
year. (Image source: IRRI)
Member enterprises
of the Vietnam Food Association (VFA) have already clinched export contracts
for at least one million tonnes of rice with delivery scheduled for this year
According to VietnamNet,
most of the volume would be delivered to customers in 2015, based on the
contracts that VFA’s member enterprises signed with importers last year.
The volume is 200,000 tonnes higher than the same period last
year.Huynh The Nang, general director of Vietnam Southern Food Corporation
(Vinafood 2), however, said local rice exporters might face many more
difficulties this year.The rice demand of the Philippines, Indonesia and
Malaysia is forecast to jump, but Vietnam would have to compete with Thailand,
which wants to reduce its huge rice stockpiles, The Nang added.China, a major
importer of Vietnamese rice in recent years, has signed an MoU to purchase two
million tonnes of rice from Thailand in 2015.Concerns have also risen among
domestic rice exporters for tougher competition from India and Pakistan as
these two nations have cut prices of their low and medium-grade rice to compete
with similar products of Vietnam.
Currently, India and Pakistan sell five per cent broken rice at
US$385-395 per tonne and US$380-390 per tonne respectively, compared to
US$380-390 per tonne for Vietnam’s same type. Their 25 per cent broken rice is
priced at US$350-360 per tonne and US$335-345 per tonne compared to US$350-360
per tonne of Vietnam.According to VFA,
Vietnam had exported 5.96mn tons of rice from 1 January to 18 December 2014,
falling 11 per cent against the previous year. Up to 83 per cent was shipped to
Asian and African countries and the rest to America, Europe and Oceania.
In order to boost rice shipments this year, Vietnam’s Ministry of
Industry and Trade suggested rice exporters diversify markets and seek to make
full use of the opportunities from bilateral and multilateral trade agreements,
and follow updates on importing markets.
Last update 07:50 | 11/01/2015
Vietnam needs to develop a national rice brand
VietNamNet Bridge - Vietnam was the
world’s second-largest rice exporter in the world in 2014, but it is in urgent
need of investment to develop a national brand to increase the value of its
rice harvests.
In recent years, the Mekong Delta
region has spared no effort to attract investment in the field of rice
production. Numerous international organizations and foreign investors have
also been expanding the production model.However, to date these have only been
pilot programs and have had no real global impact on rice production in
Vietnam.Scientists and managers are now pondering alternative approaches to
improve rice growers’ living conditions, by building a national rice brand name
and creating added value for Vietnamese rice.
On a positive note, Vietnamese rice
was exported to 135 nations around the globe in 2014 including the demanding
markets of the US, EU, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Hong Kong and
Singapore.However, the Asian market accounts for the lion’s share, or 77%, of
exports. Despite huge export volume, the quality and competitive edge of
Vietnamese rice remain low, which is not appealing to foreign investors.Huynh
The Nang, Southern Food Corporation’s (Vinafood) general director, said
Vietnamese rice cannot penetrate into the high-end markets due to lack of
high-quality rice varieties, high post-harvest losses and poor regional
connectivity, as well as a lack of collaboration between the government,
scientists, businesses and farmers.
Associate Professor and Dr. Nguyen
Van Sanh, Director of the Mekong Delta Development Research Institute, said
rice growers remain poor as the price of rice is insufficient to offset rising
production costs, leading to low earnings.Sanh said that Vietnam should make
radical reforms to improve competitive capacity and reduce product costs for
its rice. He stressed the need to reform activities of cooperatives in the
Mekong River Delta to connect to businesses effectively.
For his part, Dr Le Van Banh, head
of the Mekong Delta Rice Research Institute, underscored the need to study the
production value chain and seek solutions to improve the value chain in terms
of production, post-harvest treatment, quality, infrastructure and
distribution, and gradually develop brand names for Vietnamese rice.To ensure
national food security, the State should devise proper policies in the coming
time to help rice growers pay attention to their work. It is inevitable that
farmers will turn their back on rice if they cannot earn enough income, he
said.On a more positive note, in 2014 a pilot program in the Mekong Delta for
model paddy fields was successful in generating higher earnings for farmers and
creating higher value for Vietnamese rice, which could lead to production of
high-quality rice in vast quantities in the future.
VOV
Tags:national rice brand,
http://english.vietnamnet.vn/fms/business/120631/vietnam-needs-to-develop-a-national-rice-brand.html
View Point: Padang restaurants
can help or foil rice self-sufficiency goal
Endy M. Bayuni, Jakarta | Opinion | Sun, January 11
2015, 9:46 AM
A recent visit to a Padang
restaurant raised my doubts about the likelihood of Indonesia becoming
self-sufficient in rice, a goal that President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo wants to
achieve within the next three years. The popular eateries, run mostly by Minang
people from West Sumatra and found almost everywhere in Indonesia, have a habit
of giving generous servings of rice. For takeout, they even serve two large
scoops.
Tambuah ciek, meaning “one more
serving please”, is the most popular Minang expression, which patrons of all
ethnic groups shout out to the waiters, often before they even cleared the rice
on their plate.
You can’t eat delicious and spicy
Padang dishes like gulai, rendang and dendeng balado without rice. The spicier
the dish, the more rice you need. Padang restaurants may have a lot to do
with why Indonesians are the exception to the rule among Asian countries where
rising prosperity means eating less rice. As Indonesia joins the rank of
middle-income countries, we eat more rice.
This is bad news for Jokowi’s
goal to make Indonesia self-sufficient in rice, the staple diet of the nation’s
250 million people, by 2017. The president is pumping out a lot of money,
repairing and building reservoirs and irrigation networks, clearing land for new
rice cultivation outside Java and giving assistance to farmers. He seems
adamant he can achieve this, for he has made it clear that he would fire
Agriculture Minister Amran Sulaiman if the goal is not met.The more pertinent
question however is whether rice self-sufficiency is sustainable. In the 1980s, President Soeharto went
all out to turn Indonesia, which for years had been the biggest buyer in the
world rice market, to become self-sufficient.
1985, he collected a prestigious
UN award for this achievement. A few years later, however, the nation returned
regularly to the rice market to make up for its output gap, until today.In the
absence of any change in eating habits, Indonesia’s rising population means
that the country must produce more rice to keep up with demand. Rising income has also meant higher
per-capita rice consumption, unlike in Japan, Korea and China, where they
managed to diversify their dietary habits. In 2004, the average Indonesian ate
124 kilograms of rice, in 2009 that figure rose to 127 kg, according to the
Manila-based International Rice Research Institute (IRRI).Excluding poorer
Southeast Asian countries like Myanmar and Cambodia, Indonesia’s rice
consumption ranks among the highest in Asia. The average Malaysian, Japanese,
Korean and Chinese, ate 74, 54, 81 and 76 kg respectively in 2009.
Only the Thais and Vietnamese eat
more rice than Indonesians, with per capita consumption of 133 and 141 kg in
2009. But then they are large exporters, and Indonesia usually buys from
them.With the volume of rice traded in the world market thin, supplied by a few
exporters, relying on imports makes Indonesia susceptible to price volatility.
As more African nations eat and import rice, Indonesia faces a serious food
security challenge. Jokowi was right in gunning for self sufficiency in rice,
as well as in corn and soybeans.
Part of the solution to Jokowi’s
rice self-sufficiency challenge must come from changing the dietary habits of
the burgeoning middle class, many of whom continue to eat as much rice, if not
more, than before even as their income improves.How can you resist nasi goreng
for breakfast? How can you keep away from the various rice-based snacks like
lemper and arem-arem?
And how can you say no to that
extra rice serving at Padang restaurants?
It is not uncommon to hear the new middle-class Indonesians hitting rice at home after a heavy meal like steak or burgers at Western restaurants. “If I haven’t eaten rice, I don’t feel like I have eaten at all,” is their classic excuse. Yes, it’s all in the mind rather than in the stomach.It is no wonder why today we find more and more Indonesian men, both young and middle age, with bulging stomach. Those are rice guts rather than beer guts. They have more carbohydrate intake than their body can burn, thanks largely to all the rice they eat.Jokowi doesn’t look like most middle-class Indonesian men.
He often self-deprecates about
his thin figure as orang ndeso, someone who comes straight from a village. His figure makes him the perfect role
model or icon for a government campaign to change the nation’s dietary habits
to eat less rice, targeting in particular the rising middle class, many of whom
continue to eat rice three times a day.
What’s the President’s secret to
stay slim anyway? Perhaps he cares to share it with the nation. No doubt many
would even follow suit. After all, we have a president who has already set a
few life style trends, including on how to lead a simple life.What about
replacing rice with more fish, now that Jokowi has stopped fishermen from
neighboring countries from stealing in our waters? Would that not also befit
the maritime nation that we aspire to be? Replacing carbs with protein in our
daily diet would be a perfect and healthy way of diversifying away from rice.
Where does this leave the Padang restaurants?
They can and must be part of the solution. For one, they can start serving smaller rice portions. One scoop for takeouts, rather than two. They can create a greater variety of fish dishes. And they can make their food less spicy and stop us from shouting tambuah ciek (one more).
The writer is senior editor at The Jakarta Post.
Outstanding
global Filipino returns
By | Jan. 10, 2015 at 10:20pm
Former Agriculture secretary William Dar has recently returned
from a 15-year stint in India, where he made his mark as a Filipino technocrat
heading a global non-profit organization that seeks ways to improve farm
production in continents and countries with dry lands.Dar, who served as
secretary of the Agriculture Department from July 1998 to May 1999, became the
only Filipino heading a global agricultural research and development facility.
Former Agriculture secretary William Dar (center) leads the
launching of hissecond book ‘Greening the Grey: Expanding the Green
Revolution,’ at the Bureau of Agricultural Research in Quezon City. With him
are (from left)UPLB Chancellor Fernando Sanchez Jr., PCAARRD executive
directorPatricio Faylon, BAR director Nicomedes Eleazar and Sta. Maria, Ilocos
Sur Mayor Edgar Florendo.He
concluded an unprecedented 15-year term on Dec. 31, 2014 as director-general of
the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics in India.
ICRISAT is among the 15 global research centers under the CGIAR Consortium that
also includes the International Rice Research Institute in Los Baños, Laguna.
CGIAR, which used to be known as
the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research, groups nearly
10,000 scientists, researchers, technicians and staff working to create a
better future for the world’s poor.At ICRISAT, Dar leaves behind a legacy
benefitting millions of farmers in India, Africa and other dry land countries
in the world including the Philippines. He served an unprecedented three
five-year terms at ICRISAT, which is headquartered in Patancheru near
Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India. The global institute has two regional
hubs and five country offices in sub-Saharan Africa.
ICRISAT is a non-profit,
non-political organization that conducts agricultural research for development
in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Covering 6.5 million square kilometers of land
in 55 countries, the semi-arid tropics have over 2 billion people, of whom 644
million are the poorest of the poor.ICRISAT innovations help the dry land poor
move from poverty to prosperity by harnessing markets while managing risks
through a strategy called Inclusive Market-Oriented development. ICRISAT
is a member of CGIAR, a global agriculture research partnership for a food
secure future.“We have turned around ICRISAT into a financially-stable, and a
leading global research institute, receiving several awards particularly from
the CGIAR,” said Dar.
With the innovative
research-for-development programs that Dar introduced, ICRISAT continues to
attract R&D investments into the development of modern, climate-smart and
sustainable crop cultivars and technologies of its five major commodities
(pearl millet, chickpea, cowpea, groundnut and sorghum) that are farmed by millions
of smallholder farm families in semi-arid countries.Among the top donors to
ICRISAT is the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, contributing about $18
million a year, which is allotted to the conduct of ICRISAT’s major research
and development initiatives.
Two projects being funded by the
foundation are the HOPE project, which stands for Harnessing Opportunities for
Productivity Enhancement of Sorghum and Millets, and the Tropical Legumes II
project.The HOPE project seeks to increase by 30 percent the productivity of
sorghum and millets in 200,000 farmers’ fields in sub-Saharan Africa and South
Asia, while TL-II aims to enhance productivity of six legume crops (groundnut,
cowpea, common bean, chickpea, pigeonpea and soybean) by at least 20 percent
through improved cultivars and management practices and the development of
markets and value chains.
At ICRISAT, Dar oversaw the
formulation of a new, more dynamic institutional strategy known as Inclusive
Market-Oriented Development, which shifted ICRISAT’s focus towards enabling
poor farmers to harness markets for poverty escape.The institute also
established centers of scientific excellence for genomics, transgenic and
climate change research, and information and communications technology
innovations for agriculture.
ICRISAT adopted an inclusive and
technology-based entrepreneurship and agribusiness program through
public-private partnerships to bring science-based technologies and products to
the market for the benefit of smallholder farmers.Dar was among the 32 overseas
Filipinos who received from President Benigno Aquino III the Pamana ng Pilipino
Award on Dec. 5, 2014.A native of Sta. Maria, Ilocos Sur, the 61-year-old
scientist was cited for “his exemplary leadership in successfully extending the
frontiers of science and technology to ensure food security for all, and for
his staunch advocacy of the important role of professional horticulturists in
this endeavor.
”“It is a humbling experience,
and I dedicate the Pamana Award to all Filipino farmers. I look forward to
serving them again,” said Dar.Dar has transformed ICRISAT into one of the best
agricultural research institutes in the world in terms of innovative research
programs, impact to clienteles and financial stability. Under his leadership
and governance, the income and investments in ICRISAT has quadrupled since Dar
took over, from $21 million in 2000 to $85 million in 2014.In the Philippines,
ICRISAT teamed up with the Bureau of Agricultural Research and shared modern
sustainable farming technologies and cultivars of sweet sorghum, peanut, cowpea
(garbanzos) and chickpea (kadyos) to farmers in Cagayan Valley, Ilocos,
Southern Luzon and Southern Mindanao.
Dar vowed upon his return this
year to share management and technical experience with Filipino farmers to
transform barren rain-fed and dry lands into productive, sustainable and
climate-smart farms through the so-called Inang Lupa social movement.The
movement aims to enhance the country’s food, nutrition and energy security,
increase the productivity and incomes of small farmers through soil
rejuvenation, sustainable and integrated natural resource management, use of
improved cultivars and hybrids, and advocating for relevant policies and
reforms in agriculture.Dar, in a speech during the 2nd National Congress of the
Philippine Association of Agriculturist Inc. in Tagaytay City in November last
year, cited the need to make Philippine agriculture competitive.
He said the agriculture sector
should be inclusive, science-based, resilient and market-oriented to cushion
the impact of the upcoming Asean economic integration. The Asean Economic
Community envisions a single market and production base, a highly competitive
economic region and equitable economic development by the end of 2015.“Any strategy
to make Philippine agriculture competitive should balance between ensuring food
security and well-planned crop diversification to enhance income levels of
farming households by increased exports,” Dar said.
“This calls for achieving
self-sufficiency in rice production along with diversifying into high-value
crops in which the country has a comparative advantage,” he said.Dar said that
the government should also help small farmers gain access to markets and ensure
that good agricultural practices are met.He cited the role of science in
improving farm production and meeting the sanitary and phytosanitary measures
imposed by other countries.“Agricultural and food exporters will have to
grapple with many of the EU’s food safety requirements.
These include standards
pertaining to maximum residual levels for pesticides and other chemical inputs
used in food production, the general food law which requires traceability of
food across the supply chain and the food and feed controls regulations, among
others,” Dar said.Dar said that public investment in the agriculture should be
increased to attract more private sector participation. “This will ensure
sustainable economic growth by increased volumes of trade with the integration
of the country into the AEC,” he said.“Increased public investments will
eventually result in more flow of private capital for investment and ultimately
result in economic growth with development,” Dar said.
UC Davis scientists work to ID
food crops that can survive global warming
By Pat Bailey
UC Davis News Service
Created: 01/10/2015
04:37:38 PM PST0
Scientists are working on ways to make corn and maize adaptable to
climate change.
Sometimes it pays to have wild and quirky relatives. That's
certainly the case for staple crops that help feed the world. It also helps —
both the plants and the people who depend on them — to have leading geneticists
searching for family traits that could ensure those crops thrive in a warmer,
drier world.Researchers at UC Davis and around the world are scrambling to
develop new varieties of food and fiber crops that will produce abundant yields
despite drought and other effects of climate change. They're also exploring
more water-efficient ways to grow existing crops.
It's
estimated that 38 percent of the world and 70 percent of its agricultural
output are already impacted by drought — numbers that will likely rise as
climate change intensifies. To make matters worse, global population is
spiraling upward, expected to soar past 9 billion by the year 2050.In short,
we're headed toward a future that will have billions of more mouths to feed
with much less water, higher temperatures and no room to expand the global
farm.
To
be sure, there is no "silver bullet" to take down the twin beasts of
drought and climate change. Here's why:
•It's not just about developing less-thirsty crops. With reduced
rain and irrigation water, you also get higher salt concentrations in the soil,
meaning that many crops of the future will need to be salt-tolerant.
•And to dodge the warming
temperatures, some crops now grown during the summer months will, in certain
regions, become winter-season crops — meaning they'll also have to get by on
the shorter stretches of daylight that accompany winter.Juggling, heat, light,
salt and scarce moisture is a tall order, but scientists are already finding
such multifaceted solutions in the genes of both domesticated plants and their
ancestors.
With some plants, they're searching for genetic "markers"
that will identify the genes responsible for various stress-tolerance traits,
speeding up conventional breeding. In other cases, they expect to insert genes
from the wild relatives into existing crop varieties, better equipping them to
adapt to climate change.Here are snapshots of four crops and the scientists
studying them:
•To make rice around the world more tolerant of drought conditions,
plant scientist Eduardo Blumwald and his lab colleagues are investigating rice
genes that will delay "leaf senescence" — that normal phase when the
older leaves begin to decline and the plant, like an aging factory, begins to
shut down.Blumwald and team hope to develop rice varieties that don't rush
quickly into senescence during drought conditions, but rather continue the
leaf-based photosynthetic process that yields the nutrients necessary to make
the rice grains.
•The wheat genome contains 16 billion base pairs — the molecules
that make up DNA — and is five times the size of the human genome.Plant
geneticists Jorge Dubcovsky, Jan Dvorak and colleagues are mapping, isolating
and cloning genes from the massive wheat genome, investigating the critical
stages of the development cycle, including genes that impact a plant's drought
tolerance.For example, genes that allow wheat to flower a few days early —
saving precious irrigation water — could be used to develop new
climate-flexible wheat varieties. Dubcovsky's laboratory also has recently
identified a region of a rye chromosome that, when introduced into wheat,
increases yield and improves the water status of the plant under limited
irrigation. Dvorak's lab is working to develop salt-tolerant wheat that could
be irrigated with poor-quality water, saving the better water for other uses.
•The commercially grown modern peanut emerged thousands of years
ago from a natural hybrid fusion between two wild peanut ancestors, meaning
that scientists find themselves studying something of a double genome.Research
scientist Lutz Froenicke in Professor Richard Michelmore's laboratory at the UC
Davis Genome Center developed "ultra-high density" genetic maps for
the two peanut ancestor genomes.
These maps serve as frameworks for sorting the pieces of the
legume's genomic puzzle and then putting them back together at the chromosome
scale, better equipping the world to make sure that peanuts keep producing as
the climate changes.•Maize spans global cultures and eons of time, having been
domesticated some 9,000 years ago from wild tiosente grasses in Mexico and
elsewhere in Central America.Plant geneticist Jeffrey Ross-Ibarra is studying
the genetic diversity and domestication of maize, as well as maize breeding.
He's particularly interested in how maize adapted from its origin
in the lowlands of Mexico to growing in the high altitudes of Central and South
America.Genes for those adaptive traits might also prove invaluable in
developing corn or maize varieties that can adjust to climate change.•For
millions of the world's poorest people, who are the most vulnerable to famine,
Simon Chan's research offers hope for more resilient staple crops.Until
recently, ensuring a plant inherited its parents' most valuable traits — such
as drought tolerance or pest resistance — required generations of inbreeding.
Chan's "breeding true" discovery bypassed the laborious
process.With support from some of the most prestigious grants in science, Chan
was working to apply his discoveries to staple foods of the world's most
impoverished regions. Just months after he received tenure in UC Davis' plant
biology department, however, he died from a rare autoimmune disease at the age
of 38. Inspired by his commitment to mentoring students and his impact on
modern agriculture, his colleagues launched the Simon Chan Memorial Endowment —
with a gift from an anonymous donor — in order to realize the global potential
of his work.
Basmati rice rates drop by nearly 40%
Pune: Premium rice variety Basmati seems to have
become affordable for the common man. The rates dropped nearly 40% over the
last season as retail prices hovered around Rs 80-90 per kg. The fall in prices could be attributed
to higher production and a ban on import of rice by the Iran government,
traders said on Saturday. Angshu
Mallick, chief operating officer of Adani Wilmar Ltd, which entered the rice
business this year, told mediapersons that the new crop is now available for
yearly stocking at a very attractive price.
India exports 38 lakh tonne of Basmati rice every
year with Iran buying about 40% of it. The home market for Basmati is 12 lakh
tonne, with Maharashtra ranking highest in consumption. Though the selling
price has come down, growers will not face losses as high volume will make up
for the set back caused by lower purchase price, Mallick said. Rajesh Shah of Jairaj & Company
said that Basmati is now available for a price ranging from Rs 23 per kg to Rs
80 per kg for the full-long grain variety. "There are two varieties which
people commonly purchase for annual stocking: the Pusa 1121 and the traditional
one with the latter accounting for most of the sales," Shah said, adding
that last year's stock of Basmati is available for a price of about Rs 110 per
kg.
Besides the two main
varieties of Basmati — Pusa 1121 and the traditional variety — Pusa 1509, a new
variety, is making inroads into the markets. Scientists who developed the
variety are confident of the new rice's success because of its high yield. The Basmati market in India is worth
Rs 50,000 crore (2013-14) with exports accounting for nearly 75% of the
consumption. Saudi Arabia and Iraq are among the importers. Punjab and Haryana
are the major Basmati-growing states. The variety is also grown in Madhya
Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal and parts of Rajasthan.
Nigeria
Set to Achieve Self-sufficiency in Rice Production, Say Investors
11 Jan 2015
Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina
By Adebiyi Adedapo in Abuja
The Nigerian Rice Investors’ Group has said that the rice import
quota policy of the federal government would ensure self-sufficiency in rice
production in the country. The group also stated that the import quota
allocation given to rice investors went to importers with verifiable local
investments in rice production, contrary to claims that it was wrongly
allocated.National President of the Nigerian Rice Investors group, Mr. Tunde
Owoeye, in a joint press briefing weekend in Abuja, noted that the rice policy
of the present administration is feasible and visible. According to him, the
import quota was being allocated to the right people with verifiable
investments in rice production in the country.
“We have seen some of our members who were pure traders make
huge investment in local rice production. We also have seen serious increase in
employment and value creation in the rice sector,” he said.Owoeye added that
the federal government provided rice investors with improved seedlings, for
which reason rice production is getting better. “If you travel through Zamfara,
Niger, Benue, Sokoto and many other states in the country, you will see vast
plantations of rice in the last two years,” he said.
Also at the briefing, Secretary of Rice Processors Association
of Nigeria (RIPAN) and former Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) Mr.
Michael Aondoakaa (SAN) stated that the rice quota allocations were directed to
wrong hands prior to the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan.“The
truth is that many have wished the old system where some highly connected
people influence rice quota allocation, this administration made sure it went
to rice farmers with visible investments,” he said.
Meanwhile, the National President, Rice Millers, Importers and
Distributors’ Association of Nigeria (RMIDAN), Abubakar Mohammed, observed that
there was only one processing mill in the whole of Nigeria in the last five
years, and the number has increased to 24 mills by 2014.“We process 800,000
tonnes of paddy rice annually and the government is putting measures in place
to produce additional 360,000 tonnes. All these happened by the help of
President Goodluck Jonathan and the minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwunmi
Adesina,” Abubakar stated.
Minister Dr. Damodar Rout says MSME
sector in Odisha has huge scope for development and growth
Saturday, January 10, 2015
Report by Odisha Diary bureau, Bhubaneswar: The
State Government is organizing the 3rd MSME Trade Fair 2015 from 8th January to
14th January at Bhubaneswar. As a part of MSME Trade Fair, several workshops
and seminars are being held every day on different topics. 
Today, a workshop on Promotion & Development of MSMEs
through Cluster Approach was held. Dr. Damodar Rout, Hon'ble Minister
Cooperation & Excise, Govt. of Odisha formally inaugurated the workshop.
Today, a workshop on Promotion & Development of MSMEs
through Cluster Approach was held. Dr. Damodar Rout, Hon'ble Minister
Cooperation & Excise, Govt. of Odisha formally inaugurated the workshop.
In his inaugural address he appreciated the
effort towards MSME development and promotion by the state Government in recent
years. Adding that MSME sector in Odisha has huge scope for development and
growth, he stated that if the sector is properly developed, then Odisha won’t
have poverty.Sri Panchanan Dash, Secretary MSME, Govt. of Odisha participating
in the workshop explained in details about various cluster development
initiatives of the State Government. He focused on how the cluster development
approach will help the MSMEs to compete in the global market as well as with
big industries. He requested for quick approval of several Cluster development
proposals submitted by the state Government but still pending with the
Government of India.
Sri Samarendra Sahu, Add'l Development
Commissioner (MSME), Govt. of India gave the assurance to try for quick
approval of the cluster development proposals of the state Government while
adding that he would initiate steps to provide all support towards MSME
development in Odisha. Sri Nityanand Palai, Director of Industries briefed the
participants on cluster development programme.Sri Mukesh Gulati, Ex-Country
Head, UNIDO and presently Executive Director of Foundation of MSME Clusters
made presentation on successful Models of MSME clusters across the country and
globe.
Representative
from National Productivity Council and CTTC, Bhubaneswar explained the details
on Lean Manufacturing and Design Clinic respectively. Overview on financial
appraisal of PPP projects in cluster mode was briefed by representative from
SIDBI. Invitees from Ahmadabad based Entrepreneurship Development Institute of
India and Indian Institute of Packaging, Kolkata made presentation on
successful PPP projects in cluster mode across the countries, packaging options
and how MSME products can be well packaged.
Sri B.K. Dash, Additional Director of Industries
extended vote of thanks to the participants.Around 300 entrepreneurs
participated in the workshop. Sri Rohit Singhal of M/s Bargarh Rice Millers
Consortium Private Limited shared his experience in establishment of Solvent
Extraction Plant in Rice Milling Cluster at Bargarh. A case study on Material
Flow Cost Accountancy was presented by Sri S. Maiti, NPC, Kolkata.
30,000 visitors visited the trade fair and total
business to the tune of Rs. 57.16 lakh was achieved with 1945 numbers of
enquiries for generation of business amounting to Rs. 741.20 lakhs
approximately so far.
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China, a major importer of Vietnamese rice in recent years, has
signed an MoU to purchase two million tonnes of rice from Thailand in 2015.Concerns
have also risen among domestic rice exporters for tougher competition from
India and Pakistan as these two nations have cut prices of their low and
medium-grade rice to compete with similar products of Vietnam.Currently, India
and Pakistan sell five per cent broken rice at US$385-395 per tonne and
US$380-390 per tonne respectively, compared to US$380-390 per tonne for
Vietnam’s same type. Their 25 per cent broken rice is priced at US$350-360 per
tonne and US$335-345 per tonne compared to US$350-360 per tonne of Vietnam.According
to
