Rain brings drought relief in North Korea
June rainfall eases fears of
chronic food shortages although many areas remain extremely short of water,
says South Korea
A farmer stands in front of a
field in South Hwanghae province North Korea. In other parts of the country,
rains have eased the drought that has been called the worst for a century,
according to South Korean officials. Photograph: Wong Maye-E/AP
Friday 10 July
201515.20 BSTLast modified on Friday 10 July 201515.24 BST
North Korea received enough rain in
June to ease a drought that had been described by Pyongyang as the worst in a
century – although parts of the country remain acutely short of water, the
South Korean government said on Friday.The North’s official media said in
mid-June the country had been hit by the worst drought in 100 years. The lack of rain is believed to
have compounded chronic food shortages in North Korea, which has seen external
aid decline in recent years.“We believe the drought was eased considerably in
June,” said South Korea’s unification ministry spokesman Jeong Joon-hee.
“Rainfall in June rose to almost 90% of the average year.”
Jeong said rainfall in May had
been about half that of an average year, and that the drought continued in the
main rice farming regions of Hwanghae and some of the northern provinces.The
KCNA news agency said in June that paddies around the country, including in
Hwanghae and Phyongan provinces in the south, were drying up due to the lack of
rainfall.The shortage of rain in May prompted the UN resident coordinator for
North Korea, Ghulam Isaczai, to warn of a looming food crisis, especially after
rains in 2014 were the lowest in records going back 30 years.
The UN children’s fund,
Unicef, released a statement recently
calling for urgent action to prevent deaths. “The situation
is urgent,” said Unicef east Asia regional director Daniel Toole. “If we delay
until we are certain of crop failures it may well be too late to save the most
vulnerable children,” pointing to significant increases in cases of
diarrhoea.North Korea’s farm production periodically suffers from droughts and
floods in the summer, but experts said the state has updated farming methods
and allowed the emergence of markets and an unofficial economy to promote food
trade.
U.S.
Rice Industry United in Efforts to Open Chinese Market
Dow
Brantley
Brantley
wants a reasonable agreement
DALLAS,
TEXAS -- At a meeting here yesterday the USA Rice Producers' Group unanimously
passed a motion urging the conclusion of negotiations between the United States
and China to establish a phytosanitary agreement that would pave the way for
U.S. rice to be exported to China.The group, representing rice farmers in all
six rice states covering close to 90 percent of the U.S. rice crop, offered
guidance to U.S. negotiators to help them finalize a deal that would be
acceptable and manageable to the U.S. industry.The negotiations, between USDA's
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and their Chinese
counterparts (AQSIQ), have dragged on for years and hit snags recently when the
Chinese made demands the U.S. industry felt were not based on sound science.
"The Chinese are demanding our industry
set traps for insects that do not exist in the United States, and that we set a
totally unreasonable number of traps per square foot of storage space,"
said John Owen, a Louisiana rice farmer and chairman of the USA Rice Producers'
Group.The USA Rice Millers' Association, whose members would be responsible for
the trapping, agreed with the producers."We're not opposed to trapping,
but, any agreement needs to meet reasonable standards that are consistent with
international trade agreement precedents and be based on quantifiable,
scientific data consistent with previous USDA/APHIS procedures," said
Chris Crutchfield, a California miller and chairman of the USA Rice Millers'
Association.
Chinese negotiators are also demanding very
specific package labeling that is both unprecedented and many felt
unfeasible."The labeling requirements are not appropriate for inclusion in
a phytosanitary protocol at all," said Dick Ottis, chairman of the USA
Rice Merchants' Association.The three organizations came together under the
industry's national organization, USA Rice, to adopt the joint resolution.Dow
Brantley, an Arkansas rice farmer and chairman of USA Rice, was pleased with
the industry's unity and strong statement that both supports, and guides, U.S.
negotiators.
"There's no question we'd like to
participate in the Chinese market, but these ever-evolving demands being made
by the Chinese government were making it ever-less likely we were going to
actually gain access to the market," Brantley said. "We appreciate the efforts of the U.S.
negotiators on our behalf, and are happy to provide input as a united
industry."
Brantley
said the market has great potential for the U.S. industry, and that his group
has been working for years to establish trade relationships and line up
customers for the day the phytosanitary deal is complete. However, he says if the final deal is based
on unreasonable, unscientific demands that can never be truly satisfied,
there's little point to agreeing."The notion that you can agree to
something with the Chinese government now and fix it later is very naïve,"
he said. "Once the ink dries on
that deal, the Chinese are going to hold us to it, so it needs to be a deal we
all can live with today and that actually allows us to start sending our rice
over there."
Contact: Michael Klein (703)
236-1458
USA Rice Federation News
WASDE Report Released
WASHINGTON,
DC --U.S. 2015/16 all rice supplies are lowered 11.0 million cwt to 278.4
million due to a production decrease. Supplies of long-grain rice are lowered
12.5 million, but medium- and short-grain rice supplies are raised 1.5 million.
All rice production is lowered 12.0 million cwt to 207.0 million due mostly to
a decrease in area with long-grain production reduced 9.5 million and medium-
and short-grain rice lowered 2.5 million. All rice planted area, as reported
inAcreage is estimated at 2.77 million acres, with long-grain at 2.07 million,
and medium- and short-grain area at 0.69 million. Beginning stocks for 2015/16
are raised 1.0 million cwt to 46.4 million due to revisions made to 2014/15 all
rice and rice-by-class supply and use. All rice average yield is estimated at
7,544 pounds per acre. All rice total use is lowered 1.0 million cwt to 240.0
million cwt, with domestic and residual use lowered 1.0 million cwt to 130.0
million, and exports unchanged at 110.0 million cwt. Ending stocks are
projected at 38.4 million cwt, down 10.0 million.
U.S.
2014/15 all rice exports are lowered 1.0 million cwt, raising ending stocks by
the same amount. Long-grain domestic and residual use and exports are raised;
ending stocks lowered; and the season-average price increased. Medium-and
short-grain domestic and residual use and exports lowered; ending stocks raised
and the average price unchanged. June 1 Rice Stocks implied shifts in the
rice-by-class domestic and residual use estimates. Rice-by-class export
estimates are based on U.S. Census Bureau trade data through May and the latest
export sales data.
U.S.
long-grain 2015/16 rice season-average price is projected at $10.90 to $11.90
per cwt, up 90 cents per cwt on each end of the range. Medium- and short-grain
price is unchanged at $17.80 to $18.80 per cwt. All rice price is projected at
$13.00 to $14.00 per cwt, up 70 cents on each end of the range. California
medium- and short-grain price range is raised 50 cents. Other States medium-and
short-grain price midpoint is lowered 20 cents per cwt.
Reduced
global 2015/16 rice production leads to lower ending stocks. World rice
production is projected at 480.3 million tons, still a record, down 1.4 million
from last month, but up 4.0 million from last year. Rice crops are lowered for
Australia, Madagascar, North Korea, Thailand, and the United States. Dry
conditions in principal rice growing areas of Thailand led to a 4-percent cut
in production to 19.0 million tons, still slightly above 2014/15. North Korea's
crop is lowered 6 percent to 1.6 million tons due to dry conditions in the main
rice producing region. Australia's rice crop is lowered due to falling
reservoir levels and a drop in expected planted area. Global consumption and
trade are lowered. Thailand's export projection is reduced 0.8 million tons to
10.2 million because of tighter supplies.
Conversely, export projections are raised for Burma, Pakistan, and
Vietnam. Global ending stocks are projected at 90.5 million tons, down 0.9
million, the lowest since 2007/08. The global stocks-to-use ratio at 18.5
percent is the lowest since 2006/07. Ending stocks are lowered for Pakistan,
Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, and the United States.
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CME
Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures
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Foodgrain imports rise to
four-year high
Farmers hurt by high imports
Sohel Parvez and Ahmed Humayun
Kabir Topu
Food grain imports surged to a
four-year high of 52.69 lakh tonnes in the just concluded fiscal year owing to
low prices of rice and wheat on the international market.In fiscal 2013-14,
cereal imports stood at 30.65 lakh tonnes, according to data from the food
ministry.Rice imports by private traders soared nearly four times last fiscal
year to 14.9 lakh tonnes, while wheat imports rose 40 percent year-on-year to
37.79 lakh tonnes.The private sector accounted for 91 percent of the wheat
imports, the data showed.
The latest import figure was one of
the highest in the last three decades. Such high imports were recorded earlier
in fiscal 2010-11 and 1998-99, when 53.13 lakh tonnes and 54.91 lakh tonnes
were brought in.Wheat imports went up due to lower prices on the international
market, said Abul Bashar Chowdhury, chairman of BSM Group, a Chittagong-based
commodity importer.The demand for wheat flour rises when its prices are lower
than that of rice, he said.Both the surging imports and higher domestic production
have increased the supply of rice and wheat in the market, leading to a drop in
prices -- a situation that benefits consumers but hurt growers.
Rice and wheat are now trading
below last year's prices, according to traders and market price data compiled
by government agencies.The domestic glut of rice crops and high imports created
a surplus in the market, so the demand remained lukewarm, said Md Layek Ali,
general secretary of Bangladesh Auto, Major and Husking Mills
Association.Subsequently, paddy sold at prices much lower than the farmers'
cost of production, he added.Farmers bagged higher paddy in the immediate aman
and boro crops, which accounted for over 90 percent of total annual rice
production. Additionally, imports rose.“Regular rice imports keep the demand
for locally produced rice low. Most of the small millers are not buying paddy,”
said Ali.
Though prices rose after the
government imposed duty on rice imports, it could not discourage imports to a
great extent, he added.Depending on quality, paddy is trading between Tk 510
and Tk 730 each maund now, said Md Sajjad Ali, a farmer as well as a paddy
trader at Naogaon, a rice-producing district in the northwest.
The current prices are lower than
the prices of last year, he said.To ensure fair prices for farmers, the
government buys rice at Tk 32 per kilogram from millers and at Tk 22 per
kilogram of paddy.But the ongoing purchase of boro rice could not support
farmers to recover their paddy production cost of Tk 20 per kilogram, according
to farmers.“Millers are not buying. Instead, many millers are supplying rice to
the government warehouses by milling previously bought and stocked paddy.”Apart
from rice, wheat growers also suffer for falling prices due to soaring imports
and higher domestic production in the immediate season.
The wheat production estimate is
yet to be finalised, but the Department of Agricultural Extension forecasts
that farmers harvested 14.83 lakh tonnes of the grain this year, up from last
year's 13.02 lakh tonnes.The private sector has stocked a huge amount of
imported wheat due to lower prices in the international markets and that has
affected prices, said SK Wazed Ali, owner of Lakhya Flour Industry.Wheat is now
trading at Tk 700-900 each maund, he said, adding that wheat prices were higher
last year.Though the quality of locally grown wheat is good, its overall prices
have decreased because of increased imports, he said.Each maund of locally
grown wheat is selling between Tk 800 and Tk 850 at wholesale level, down from
Tk 950 and Tk 1,150 last year, said Md Shohel Hossain, a wheat trader from
Pabna, a northwest district.The prices may fall after the end of the
government's wheat procurement drive, he said.“The supply of wheat is more than
the demand due to the bumper production of the crop. So the prospect of price
recovery in the near-term seems gloomy.”
http://www.thedailystar.net/business/foodgrain-imports-rise-four-year-high-110206
Philippines' rice production under pressure from El Niño
The Philippines is suffering the worst from the effects of the
El Niño dry spell and driving up demand for milled rice imports, according to
the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)...
See detail…
http://www.hoteldealsphuket.com/phukettravelnews/news/philippines-rice-production-under-pressure-from-el-nino#sthash.7lQvH6o9.dpuf
Move Over Golden Rice: Scientists
Claim to Have Invented New Rice “To Feed the World”
For
more CE articles regarding GMOs please click HERE.
Biotech
scientists claim to have created the holy-grail once again after mutating genes
of rice to “have longer, hardier grains that cook faster and taste better.”
This is the latest GM ‘discovery’ being hailed as a way to feed the world.Rice
is a staple food in many countries and has been for thousands of years. That’s
also another reason it is a Blue Ribbon prize for biotech. If they can create a
genetically modified version of rice and force it into markets as they have
already done with soy and corn, they will have monopolized not only the US
market, but international markets as well.Somehow biotech thinks that their
version of genetically manipulated rice will be better than the over 40,000
varieties that currently exist. The US produces only two percent of the world’s
rice, but is the world’s fourth largest rice exporter. They are also quite
possibly the only country which has allowed biotech to absolutely dominate
their farmland, governmental regulatory agencies, and even universities.
Rice
is also the staple food of most low and lower-middle income countries, with
Asia consuming 90 percent of all rice grown, and Africa coming second, making
it a very attractive option indeed for the biotech industry. You know the
saying, beggars can’t be choosers.Entire continents like Africa have even
refused donated food though, and in the article titled “Better Dead than GM
Fed?” the Economistdetails how Zambia and other countries have refused
deliveries of GM corn and soya from the UN World Food Programme, though they
face some of the largest populations of the poverty-stricken, arguably, in the
entire world.
Golden
Rice, involving standard first generation gene technology funded by the
Rockefeller Foundation, was also developed to “feed hungry and poor” countries,
as well as to eliminate blindness by being genetically modified to have higher
levels of Vitamin A, but after 70 patents were filed on the GM genes and
constructs used in making the golden rice to protect its creation, this rice
failed to feed the poor or reverse blindness.Indeed, the new GM rice could feed
“half the entire population,” as some mainstream news headlines suggest, but so
could the already existing strains of rice that are currently being
grown.Furthermore, the “we need GM to feed the world” propaganda has been
exposed for what it truly is. We already produce 17% more food than we did 30
years ago, and food distribution is more at the heart of the problem than food
creation. We also throw away tons of the stuff. Americans waste more than $165
billion worth, annually. Power keeps people hungry, not the lack of food –
especially not the genetically modified creations of Big Biotech. We simply
don’t need them.
http://www.collective-evolution.com/2015/07/10/move-over-golden-rice-scientists-claim-to-have-invented-new-rice-to-feed-the-world/
Senate Tasks CBN To Recover N30bn
Rice Import Waiver
The Senate has tasked the
Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to return N30bn given by the federal government
for rice waiver.The Senate president, Bukola
Saraki, has asked the CBN to recover the N30 billion import waiver, especially on rice, given to them by the federal
government.This was disclosed on Wednesday, July 8, when the CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele, was invited to the Senate to brief the
principal officers on the country’s economic status.
Saraki said that the large amount of money given as waivers is
the primary reason for the low progress of the rice industries in the
country. He also stressed the need for alteration of the economy asides
oil as its primary source.“It has been brought to our notice some of the
waivers on duties especially on rice. Over N30bn were given to certain
comp
http://www.naij.com/484193-senate-tasks-cbn-to-recover-n30bn-rice-import-waiver.html
Venezuela
to stop buying rice from Guyana amid dispute
By
BERT WILKINSON - Associated Press - Thursday, July 9, 2015
GEORGETOWN, Guyana (AP) - Venezuela
has decided to stop buying much of Guyana’s rice crop amid an escalating border
dispute between the South American neighbors, the Guyanese finance minister
said Thursday.Finance Minister Winston Jordan said Venezuelan officials
informed him during a visit to Caracas that they will be acquiring rice from
other suppliers, including Suriname, by the end of the year.
Venezuela has in the past four
years purchased about 40 percent of Guyana’s rice production, or about 200,000
tons, paying for it with oil that amounts to about half of Guyana’s daily
supply needs. “It will be a significant blow to us,” said Peter DeGroot,
president of the Rice Millers Association.The exchange of rice for oil was done
under the Petrocaribe program, a Venezuelan initiative that provides fuel at
generous financial terms to Caribbean and Central American countries. Guyana
remains a member of Petrocaribe and will continue toBUY OIL
from Venezuela, Jordan said.
Jordan said Venezuela did not
disclose the reason for its decision, but the long-running border dispute has
been heating up following the recent disclosure of a major oil discovery off
Guyana in waters that Venezuela also claims. Venezuelan President Nicolas
Maduro announced Monday that he was recalling his ambassador in Guyana for
consultations and would review relations between the countries.Venezuela has
long refused to recognize a boundary drawn in 1899 and it claims about
two-thirds of Guyana’s territory as its own. Venezuela published a new map in
May that expanded its maritime territory to essentially leave Guyana
landlocked.
Guyana Prime Minister Moses
Nagamootoo said the timing of the rice announcement made it at least appear
that it is connected to the border fight.“It will have to be considered whether
Venezuela’s position of the non-renewal of the Petrocaribe barter agreement is
indeed an act of economic sanction against Guyana,” he said in a
statement.President David Granger told Parliament on Thursday that Guyana does
not have the military capacity to challenge Venezuela and his government would
seek an international judicial settlement over the border issue.
“Guyana has never used aggression
against any state,” said Granger, a retired army general. “In as much as we are
a peace loving state we will not allow our territorial integrity to be violated
and threatened.”The finance minister said Venezuela did not rule out future
purchases of rice. He also said that Venezuela had previously informed Guyanese
officials of the plans to discontinue the bulk purchase of rice but the
government of President Donald Ramotar, which lost May elections, did not
disclose the information.
UP scientist clarifies she didn't say eat 'fake' rice
ABS-CBNnews.com
Posted at 07/11/2015 10:54 AM
MANILA - A University of the Philippines (UP) food scientist
clarified that she did not say that the people should eat the alleged
"fake" rice recently discovered in Davao.Ma. Concepcion Lizada, a
professor emeritus of Food Science in UP Diliman, said she does not know the
nature of the fake rice being sold in Davao.She advised the public not to
consume it, and recommended that it be confiscated so that authorities can
determine its sources."I did not say we should eat 'fake rice,'"
Lizada said in a statement."If it is extruded grain, it should have gone
through FDA (Food and Drug Administration) and DTI (Department of Trade and
Industry), and its quality and safety checked. If it is from another country,
it must have gone through these agencies, and the DA (Department of
Agriculture) as well.""At this point, we don't know what it's made of
and if it's safe. And I would advise that we don't consume it, that it be
confiscated and the source determined," she added.She stressed that any
food product sold in Philippine markets should have gone through proper
documentation and certification processes required by the FDA.
"If it has plasticizers, I would hope these are not
intentionally added. There is also the possibility that these contaminants may
have leached out of the packaging materials, especially if the packaged product
has been exposed to high temperatures during storage, shipment or
handling," she noted.According to Lizada, she was referring to
"extruded grains" when she talked during an open forum at the two-day
37th Annual Scientific Meeting of the National Academy of Science and
Technology at theMANILA HOTEL."I discussed the
possibility of processing different starches (from broken rice, corn, cassava
or sweet potato) and shape them like grains. The process is extrusion, which
has been around for some time and is the same process for producing snacks,
breakfast cereals, etc. The more precise term to use would be 'extruded grains.'
Corn rice is locally manufactured and I presume this is extruded corn. Perhaps
we should not call it corn rice, but use a more appropriate name to reflect the
fact that it is not made from rice," she said.She said the Bureau of
Agricultural Research of the DA supported the network of food science,
postharvest and nutrition in the early 2000's. Among the projects supported was
iron-fortified rice implemented by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute.
."I discussed the
possibility of processing different starches (from broken rice, corn, cassava
or sweet potato) and shape them like grains. The process is extrusion, which
has been around for some time and is the same process for producing snacks,
breakfast cereals, etc. The more precise term to use would be 'extruded grains.'
Corn rice is locally manufactured and I presume this is extruded corn. Perhaps
we should not call it corn rice, but use a more appropriate name to reflect the
fact that it is not made from rice," she said.She said the Bureau of
Agricultural Research of the DA supported the network of food science,
postharvest and nutrition in the early 2000's. Among the projects supported was
iron-fortified rice implemented by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute.
The iron was mixed with pulverized rice starch and extruded to
produce rice grains. The grains were then mixed with polished rice, she said,
adding that was even marketed by the National Food Authority (NFA)."The
extrusion process provides the opportunity to produce rice with nutrients that
are otherwise absent or found in low levels in rice. This allows us to address
the issue of nutrient deficiency. Grains made from high fiber sources, e.g.
sweet potato, cassava, would have a lower glycemic index so that blood sugar
does not go up as much after eating the grains, compared to polished rice. In
terms of health benefits, brown rice is superior to extruded grains. However,
it takes longer to cook," said Lizada.
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/regions/07/11/15/scientist-clarifies-she-didnt-say-eat-fake-rice
Rice farmers learn global
advantages at annual "Field Day"
Posted: Jul 10, 2015 7:23 AM PST
Rice farmers are constantly searching for a cheaper and more
effective ways of harvesting their crops, while staying ahead of the
"agricultural curve".50 percent of the rice grown in the U.S. is
exported, which is why local rice farmers, like Alan Gaulding of Gaulding
Farms, comes to the annual "Field Day" program to help get a leg up
on agricultural trends and information.Gaulding Farms, located off I-10 near
Taylor's Bayou, has been loyal participants of the Texas A&M Agrilife
Research Center's "Field Day" research program for generations, which
is where they gain a fraction of their information on rice farming trends.Field
Day began in 1947 as a way for the Texas A&M Agrilife Research Center to
share its scientific research, and assist in rice production.Dr. Ted Wilson,
director of the Agrilife program, said that the point of the program is to give
rice farmers a broader view of the market, production, and trends.
"We give them a full picture
of the different aspects of rice production management research that we have
going on the in the state of Texas," Wilson said.Wilson brings rice
farming experts, like Dwight Roberts, president of the U.S. Rice Producers
Association, to the area to provide a global perspective on the
market."We're fortunate to have our next door neighbor as our biggest
buyer," Roberts said. "The U.S. ships 800,000 tons a year to
Mexico."Researchers credit American farmers for separating the "types
of rice" more effectively than farmers in other nations across the world,
which is a demand expected to grow.
"As global growth occur,
particularly in areas that have a higher population growth rate than ours,
we're going to see demand by these countries," Wilson said.Information on
the possibility of more demand for products keeps both Roberts and Alan
Gaulding, of Gaulding Farms, smiling."Hopefully the future of agriculture
is long term profitable and we get to continue to do what we love to due."
UP scientist clarifies fake rice
comments
By Rainier Allan Ronda (The Philippine Star) | Updated July 11, 2015 - 12:00am
Video grab from ANC shows the styrofoam-like appearance of the
synthetic rice, which is reportedly made from potatoes, sweet potatoes and
resin.
MANILA, Philippines - A food
scientist at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City
clarified reports yesterday that she recommended the consumption of “fake rice”
that has surfaced in Davao.Ma. Concepcion Lizada, professor emeritus of UP Food
Science, stressed that she was not familiar with the nature of the “fake rice”
being sold in Davao City that has caused a health or nutrition scare.“I did not
say we should eat fake rice,” Lizada said in a statement to The STAR,
commenting on an article that came out on July 9.The article quoted statements
she made on the fake rice scare, giving fabricated rice produced from extrusion
technology a bad reputation.
Lizada made the comment at an open
forum on the first day of the two-day 37th Annual Scientific Meeting of the
National Academy of Science and Technology at the Manila Hotel, where she gave
a presentation on “Agriculture-Health Convergence: Synergy in Managing
Non-Communicable Diseases.”She stressed that she did not know the nature of the
“fake rice” being sold in Davao, if that was what she referred to as fabricated
rice produced using extrusion technology.
“It is extruded grain. It
should have gone through Food and Drug Administration and the Department of
Trade and Industry, and its quality and safety checked,” she said.“If it is
from another country, it must have gone through these agencies, and the DA as
well.“At this point, we don’t know what it’s made of and if it’s safe. I would
advise that we don’t consume it, that it be confiscated and the source
investigated,” Lizada said.She explained that any food product being sold in
the market should go through proper documentation and certification processes
required by the FDA.“If it has plasticizers, these might have leached out of
the packaging materials, especially if it has been exposed to high temperatures
during storage, shipment or handling,” Lizada said.
“I would rather not call it fabricated rice. It’s giving
fabricated rice a very bad reputation,” Lizada told her fellow scientists,
academicians and researchers at the forum.She cited a commercial product called
corn rice that is now widely available in the market.“In fact, there was a
media blitz about the corn rice. It’s good. I tasted it myself,” Lizada
said.Lizada said the fabricated rice or corn rice was a product of food
extrusion technology, which she discussed in her presentation as being tapped
to fortify food staples.“It’s available. It’s a good technology. The issue is
just why did it go through the backdoor rather than it being sold as grains
made from different starch sources,” Lizada said in the open forum.In her
clarification letter, Lizada recalled that she discussed the possibility of
processing different starches from broken rice, corn, cassava or sweet potato
and shaping them like grain.
“The process is extrusion, which is the same process for producing
snacks, breakfast cereals, etc. The more precise term to use would be ‘extruded
grains’,” Lizada said.“Corn rice is locally manufactured and I presume this is
extruded corn. Perhaps we should not call it corn rice, but use a more
appropriate name to reflect the fact that it is not made from rice,” she
said.She reportedly complained of cyber bullying over the story. (The STAR
apologizes for the misunderstanding over her remarks.)
http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2015/07/11/1475594/scientist-clarifies-fake-rice-comments
Probiotics,
Now For Plants
Television
commercials assure us that probiotic products are good for our health, with
claims ranging from improved digestion to managing allergies and colds,
If so, why wouldn't plants also benefit from certain microbes?
If so, why wouldn't plants also benefit from certain microbes?
In plants, beneficial bacteria
and fungi are endophytes. Scientists have known for decades that plants like
legumes (peas, beans, and lentils) have beneficial bacteria in nodules attached
to their roots. These bacteria "fix" vital nitrogen, turning it into
a form the plant can easily use. However, researchers have recently found some
nitrogen-fixing bacteria actually live inside plant tissue--in the leaves,
stems, and roots--with impressive results. Sharon Doty, an associate professor
at the University of Washington, was one of the first to discover these
bacteria, and their successful transfer between plants.
A comparison of rice plants grown
without the endophyte (E-) and with the endophyte (E+). Photo by Hyungmin
Doty and her team isolated
endophytes from poplar and willow trees. These trees thrived despite a rocky,
forbidding surround. "All I have to do is look at these trees in their
native habitat to see that we are clearly on the right path; simple nitrogen
use efficiency cannot explain the continued biomass accumulation of these
amazing trees," Doty says.
Doty then transferred the
endophytes to rice plants. The result? Larger and taller plants with fuller
root systems--despite limited nitrogen conditions in the greenhouse.
This endophyte-plant relationship
is partly a matter of speed in adaptation. "Plants have a limited ability
to genetically adapt to rapid environmental changes (heat, drought, toxins, or
limited nutrients) and so they may use microbes that do have this capacity to
rapidly evolve due to their vastly shorter life cycles," she explained.
"By having the right microbes for the conditions, the plants are
healthier. That is how it is similar to humans taking probiotics to improve
their health."
And the environmental payoff?
Thanks to these bacteria fixing nitrogen for the plant, farmers could use less
chemical fertilizers to give plants the nitrogen they need. Because runoff from
these fertilizers can be harmful to surrounding ecosystems, being able to use
less is great news and can even decrease greenhouse gas emissions, added Doty.
"This research offers the potential alternative for chemical fertilizers
in crop production, thus aiding sustainable agriculture with minimum impacts on
the environment."
This benefit is not limited to
rice. "Research on endophytic nitrogen-fixation has enormous potential
benefits since endophytes have a very broad host range," she said.
"Unlike root nodules that are limited to [just a few plants], endophytic
nitrogen-fixation could be used for any plant species."
The endophytes of poplar and
willow can also provide growth benefits for such diverse species as corn, rice,
ryegrasses, tomato, pepper, squash, Douglas fir, and western red cedar.
"This suggests that the plant-microbe communication is ancient," Doty
noted.
The way these bacteria get inside
the plant and then live there is still being studied. It most likely differs by
the type of bacteria, Doty said. Some may transfer through seeds and others
through the environment. Once inside a plant, the bacteria can migrate
throughout -- unlike those found in root nodules -- and are often found in the
spaces between plant cells and in areas that transport water or sugars.
Doty's work is also a study in
long-term commitment. "When I began as an assistant professor in 2003, I
always had side projects on nitrogen-fixation but it was impossible to get
funding to study it since [this idea] goes against the established dogma that
symbiotic nitrogen-fixation can only occur in root nodules," she said.
"I continue to fight that battle even now, over a dozen years later."
Other researchers may study how
the endophytes interact with the soil, but Doty's research centers on the
internal interactions. This, in turn, has external results. "Many of the
endophytes produce plant hormones that (help them grow more roots), so they are
impacting how the plants interact with soil in that way as well," she
added. "It is essential to find environmentally sustainable crop
production methods that reduce the demand for nitrogen fertilizers in
cultivation."
The next steps in this work have
practical applications. Doty's lab is collaborating with an agricultural
company to take advantage of these bacteria on a large scale. This could
include seed coating or spraying.Doty's research was funded by the United
States Department of Agriculture (NIFA grant # 2012-00931) and published
in Crop Science.
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Forbidden
Rice Spring Rolls
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By Christine
Waltermyer
Ingredients
2- 2.8 Ounce packages Organic Lotus Foods
Forbidden Rice Ramen Noodles
1 cup grated carrots
1 thinly sliced avocado
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1/3 cup fresh mint leaves
8 8-inch, spring roll rice paper wrappers
Preparation:
1.
Cook ramen noodles according to
package. Drain and rinse ramen in cold water. Leave ramen to drain in a fine
mesh drainer until you roll the spring rolls.
2.
To roll the spring rolls:
Immerse the rice paper in a shallow bowl of warm water, one at a time, to
soften. Flip the rice paper in the bowl of water after a few seconds and then
when it is soft and firm on both sides, spread it out gently on a dry dish
towel. In the middle of the rice paper, add some carrots leaving about an
inch on the right and left sides. Then sprinkle on the herbs, a few slices of
avocado, and then some noodles. Tuck in the right and left sides to wrap
around the noodles. Then roll up the spring rolls (away from you). Repeat
with the rest of the carrots, noodles, herbs and avocado. Serve immediately
with peanut sauce and/or tamari
APEDA
India News
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Indian
businessman’s worry: Sanctions-free Iran
Jul
10, 2015 | Reuters | New Delhi
Indian
businessman Pankaj Bansal is losing sleep. He says that any nuclear deal under
which global powers lift sanctions against Iran could wipe him out.“I have been
forced to take sleeping pills now to avoid nightmares as my business with Iran
has drastically come down,” said Mr Bansal, 43, from his base in a teeming
commercial district of South Delhi.Mr Bansal’s trading firm, TMA International,
has expanded from metals into motors, auto parts and chemicals as rivals were
shut out of Iran by Western sanctions aimed at forcing Tehran into a nuclear
compromise.Talks to finalise a deal have run deep into overtime but may wrap up
on Friday. He is one of thousands of exporters who enjoyed a three-year run
because India did not back the sanctions.
In
that time, India’s exports to Iran doubled to $5 billion, helping to halve its
bilateral trade deficit.Now, they could be forced aside by European and US
competitors just as Asia’s third-largest economy reels from a 20 per cent
export slump prompted by a global slowdown in trade. The revival of India’s
historic friendship with Iran, shared with Russia and Venezuela, does hold the
promise of long-term trade gains. Yet short-term pain looms for oil buyers and
banks that benefited from sanctions-related payment delays.A delegation of
Indian exporters met finance minister Arun Jaitley last week to lobby for
support to help them cope with a revival of competition for the Iranian market.
They came away empty handed.
“The lifting of Western sanctions on Iran would have an adverse
impact, particularly on non-agricultural commodities,” said S.C. Ralhan,
president of the Federation of Indian Export Organisations. Yet, millions of
farmers too would face a hit from the easing of sanctions on Iran, a buyer of
basmati rice, soymeal, sugar, barley and meat.Under sanctions, Iran paid a
premium of up to 20 per cent over global prices to buy from India.“Iran is
shifting to other suppliers like South American countries. They are supplying
at much lower prices compared to India. We cannot compete," said B.V.
Mehta, ED, Solvent Extractors’ Association of India.
