FCA may review Kharif crop output position by month-end
September 10, 2015
The next meeting of the Federal
Committee on Agriculture (FCA) is likely to be held by the end of this month to
review Kharif crop production position and fix Rabi crop targets. An official
of the Ministry of National Food Security and Research MNS&RS told this
correspondent that the FCA will review Kharif crop 2015-16 production position
of sugarcane, rice, maize, moong, mash and chillies as well as supply of inputs
for Rabi crops 2016-17 including seeds, fertilizer, irrigation water,
agriculture credit and plant protects.
Recent rains and floods have adversely affected Kharif crops, including cotton sown on 7.31 million acres, sugarcane sown on three million acres and paddy sown on 7.2 million acres due to which country is unlikely to achieve target of major Kharif crops. He said that in Punjab sugarcane was sown on area of 1.73 million acres, Sindh 0.8 million acres, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) 0.325 million acres and Balochistan 0.2 million acres. In Punjab paddy was sown on an area of 3.6 million acres, Sindh 1.98 million acres, KP 0.175 acres and in Balochistan paddy was sown on 0.450 million acres.
The official further revealed that maize was sown on 2.4 million acres across the country of which 1.25 million acres was sown in Punjab, 10,000 acres in Sindh, 1.25 million acres in KP and 10,000 acres in Balochistan. The official said that the FCA will discuss production plan for Rabi crops 2016-17 of wheat, gram, lentil, potatoes, onions, rapeseed, mustard and non-conventional oilseeds. The official said that the FCA would also set the targets for Rabi crops 2016-2017, including wheat, gram, lentil, potatoes and onion.
Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Sikandar Hayat Bosan will preside over the meeting. Provincial ministers for agriculture and secretaries, federal secretaries, representatives from federal and provincial agriculture departments, Indus River System Authority (IRSA), Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA), Pakistan Agriculture Storage and Services Corporation (PASSCO) and State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) will also attend the meeting
http://www.brecorder.com/agriculture-a-allied/183/1225681/
World
Rice Production
2015/2016
September 2015
This month the United States
Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimates that the World Rice Production 2015/2016 will be 475.76 million metric tons, around 2.9 million tons less
than the previous month's projection.Rice Production last year (*) was 478.56
million tons. This year's 475.76 estimated million tons could represent a
decrease of 2.81 million tons or a 0.59% in rice production around the globe.
Rice Production by Country
(Values in Metric Tons)
China: 145,500,000
India: 104,000,000
Others: 39,942,000
Indonesia: 36,300,000
Bangladesh: 35,000,000
Vietnam: 28,200,000
Thailand: 18,000,000
Burma: 12,200,000
Philippines: 12,000,000
Brazil: 8,000,000
Japan: 7,900,000
Pakistan: 6,900,000
United States: 6,017,000
Cambodia: 4,700,000
Korea, South: 4,000,000
Egypt: 4,000,000
Nepal: 3,100,000
Next Update will be October 09, 2015.
Secret unlocked to
underwater rice seed survival
Paula Bianca Ferrer | Sep 11, 2015
A team of scientists from the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and theUniversity
of California Riverside recently
published a study in Nature Plantsunlocking the secret to how rice seeds can
survive under water.
The cover of Nature Plants’
September issue, featuring Tobias Kretzschmar and co.’s study on rice seed
survival underwater.
The study, which appears in the leading scientific journal Nature Plants, identified a gene that controls the availability of sugar to a
growing seed, especially when under flooded conditions.“Basically, the gene
that we identified as AG1 (or OsTPP7) works opposite the one found inscuba rice, in which the SUB1 gene signals the plant to conserve
energy while underwater, allowing it to stay dormant until the floodwater
recedes,” said Dr.
Tobias Kretzschmar, one of the paper’s authors and
head of IRRI’s Genotyping Services Laboratory.
A surprising find
“The gene that we found creates an ‘all or nothing’ escape mechanism that tricks the seed into thinking that more sugar should be given to its shoot—the plant part that grows into stems and leaves—so that the seed under water is able to grow more quickly and reach the surface of the water,” he said.He explained that the mechanism works when the seed is submerged up to a water depth of 10 cm, and can get ‘activated’ as soon as the seed is sown.“This is the first time anyone has established that the AG1 gene is responsible for this specific type of mechanism because it comes from a family of genes—and rice has 13 members of this family of genes,” Kretzschmar said.“This mechanism is well known on the other end of plant development during grain filling, but this is the first time it’s been shown to be important during germination,” he stressed.
Surviving under water
Field experiments in the wet season
of 2013 showed promising results–IR64 rice containing the AG1 gene (third from right row inside
flooded plot) can grow even when submerged during germination.Rice survival under flooding is important when it comes to direct
seeding, in which seeds do not have to be pre-germinated and then
transplanted. With direct seeding, seeds can be directly sown or broadcast
into the field, requiring less time and energy from farmers.Moreover, one of
the major limiting factors to direct seeding is weeds, because these can
germinate well in air—although not under water without air. So, if rice can
germinate well under water while none of the weeds can, then rice will be able
to outcompete the weeds.
Mystery of the missing gene
“One thing that I’ve noticed is that Indica varieties, which are the ones mostly grown in the tropical parts of Asia, lack the trait or ability to grow under flooded conditions,” said Kretzschmar.“But in Japonica, varieties grown in the more temperate regions of Asia, Australia, and the United States, the trait is present,” he added. “That’s why these varieties have fewer problems with direct seeding.”He explained that the missing trait is a problem, especially with modern Indica varieties, as traditional ones have it.
Looking for an answer
Thanks to the AG1—or OsTPP7—gene (shown in blue), rice
seeds will be able to grow and survive when submerged in water up to 10 cm.
(Photo: Tobias Kretzschmar)
Fitting pieces together
“I guess it was just never needed as a trait because the varieties were transplanted almost every time so there was no pressure for it. If they were direct seeded, then that gene would have probably been retained from the very beginning,” explained Kretzschmar.“Now that direct seeding is becoming popular, we’ve realized that we need that gene in the breeding program. Through the marker-assisted backcrossing approach, which significantly reduces the breeding period, you can reintroduce the gene and then fix it within one-and-a-half to two-and-a-half years,” he added.
The way forward
With the unfolding of the ‘AG1 secret’, the work of rice scientists is far from done. AG1 works well in moderate stress conditions. In severe stress conditions, however, AG1 alone is not sufficient; additional quantitative trait loci (QTLs) or genes that complement the AG1 mechanism will be needed. IRRI and its partner universities are moving in that direction.
Paula Bianca Ferrer is a communication specialist at IRRI.
CCMB
scientists to collaborate to develop multi-resistant varieties of rice
HYDERABAD: A project to develop multi-resistant
varieties of rice is being undertaken by scientists here. The Centre for Cellular and Molecular
Biology (CCMB), Directorate of Rice Research (DRF) and Agri Biotech Foundation
singed an MoU to collaborate on the project titled "Molecular cross talks
between defense pathways in rice: antagonism to synergism". This project
is funded by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research to the extent of about
Rs. 1.4 crores.
It may be mentioned here that CCMB with DRR had developed a bacterial blight resistant Samba Mahsuri rice variety.
It may be mentioned here that CCMB with DRR had developed a bacterial blight resistant Samba Mahsuri rice variety.
Accoridng to CCMB director Dr. Ch. Mohan Rao,
during extensive interactions with farmers, their needs were understood. "One such need is protection from
other infections as well for the variety of rice developed. It is also possible
that over the time, resistance of the improved Samba Mahsuri rice may be
overcome by the bacteria. It is necessary to continue to investigate plant
pathogens and host defense systems," he said. The idea now is to incorporate
resistance to different infecting agents simultaneously. "However, if we
incorporate multiple genes, they may work in synergy or they may antagonize
each other.
Thus, it
is necessary to understand the molecular cross talks between defense pathways
to develop multi-resistant varieties," he said. Dr. Ramesh Sonti, Chief Scientist,
CCMB, Dr. J.S. Bentur, Subject Matter Specialist, Dr. G. Mallikarjuna,
Assistant professor, ABF, Dr. M. Srinivas Prasad, Dr. R. M. Sundaram, Dr.
A.P.Padma Kumari, and Dr. G.S. Laha, senior scientists from DRR, Hyderabad are
the collaborators from respective institutes.
The expected outcome of this project would be:
Identification of set of genes induced when rice plant is infested with either
BB or blast pathogens or gall midge, either solely, sequentially or
simultaneously, possible synergism of certain combination of genes in
conferring non-target pest resistance, possible antagonism of certain
combination of genes and to avoid use of such combinations and cross resistance
against non-target pests/pathogens conferred by gene pyramids.
Dr M R VishnuPriya, Head, PME and plant molecular
biologist, CCMB said that understanding such gene interactions are indeed
essential to develop effective multiple pest resistance in rice. CCMB director Mohan Rao said that such
collaborative efforts would greatly help developing more multiple pest
resistant rice varieties enhancing farmers' revenue. Such initiatives
contribute towards country's economy by the development of disease-resistant
rice varieties, he said.
4
reasons you must drink rice water or kanji every day
You probably have had kanji or rice water as a child or
when you were really sick. You might not have enjoyed the taste, but this
humble concoction has various health benefits.
1.
Is a good source of energy: Kanji or rice water is rich in carbohydrates, and hence, an
excellent source of energy. The body can easily derive energy by breaking down
carbohydrates. Drink a glass of rice water in the morning before heading out
and you will never feel dizzy or weak due to lack of energy.
2.
Prevents constipation: It is rich in fibre and facilitates smooth bowel movements. Also,
the starch stimulates the growth of useful bacteria in the stomach promoting
healthy bowel movement.
3.
Prevents dehydration: On a hot sunny day, rice water becomes your go-to-drink. In summer, the
body tends to lose water and salts through sweat and, rice water helps
replenish the lost nutrients and the water, reducing your chances of
dehydration.
4.
Home remedy for viral infections: Rice water is widely used as a remedy for fever as it prevents
water loss due to fever and vomiting during an infection. It helps replenish
the lost nutrients and speeds the recovery process [1].
5.
Can manage diarrhoea: Rice water
proves to be an excellent home remedy to treat diarrhoea [2], not only in
adults but also infants. Infants are more prone to diseases like diarrhoea and
if not treated at the right time, can lead to severe dehydration. A study found
that rice water was more effective in controlling diarrhoea by reducing the
volume and frequency of stool output in babies [3].
How to prepare Kanji
Cook a cup full of rice in three to four cups of water. Once the rice granules are half-cooked, strain the liquid. To this liquid, add some salt or sugar to taste. Drink while warm.
For more articles on
diseases & conditions, visit our diseases
& conditionssection. For daily free health tips, sign up for our newsletter. For health related
Q&A, click here!
References:
1.
Lum L, Ng C,
Khoo E. Managing dengue fever in primary care: A practical approach. Malaysian
Family Physician : the Official Journal of the Academy of Family Physicians of
Malaysia. 2014;9(2):2-10.
2.
National
Research Council (US) Working Group on the Effects of Child Survival and
General Health Programs on Mortality; Ewbank DC, Gribble JN, editors. Effects
Of Health Programs on Child Mortality in Sub-Saharan Africa. Washington (DC):
National Academies Press (US); 1993. 4, Other Interventions Targeted at Single
Diseases. Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK236388/
3.
Comparison of
rice water, rice electrolyte solution, and glucose electrolyte solution in the
management of infantile diarrhoea. Mehta, MeenakshiN. et al. The Lancet ,
Volume 327 , Issue 8485 , 843 – 845
Home
Remedies For Diarrhea
Diarrhea is very common now a days due to
polluted air and contaminated water, so its a sign that your body is trying to
rid itself. Avoid excessive use of counter medicines and instead try
these natural solutions for relief.
Here’s most effective
home remedies for Diarrhea. Have a look!
Bind yourself with rice
www.besthealthmag.ca/best
Joining hands, Cameroon’s
customs and marine prevent 1,000 bags of rice from being fraudulently exported
Friday, 11 September 2015 03:39
(Business in Cameroon) - On September 8, 2015, Cameroon’s
customs in collaboration with the marine arrested in the country’s Southwest,
five ships with onboard 1,000 bags of rice which were being exported to the
neighboring countries. Following the arrest, it was found that the ships’
occupants had no export permit for the rice.This catch is the first resulting
from the recent partnership between Cameroon’s customs and marine, to protect
the country’s commercial space. This collaboration also aims at decreasing,
considerably, fraud and contraband whose main starting point is Cameroon’s
coastline.
It should be recalled that since 2008, rice imports in Cameroon
are tax-free. A breach used by some unscrupulous importers who fraudulently
re-export shipments, officially destined for the Cameroonian market, to Nigeria
(with the complicity of Nigerian importers) where prices are higher, as a
consequence of the federal government’s decision to raise the tax on imported
rice to 110% in order to encourage local production.In 2014, the Seaport
Terminal Operators Association of Nigeria (STOAN) reported that, “around
600,000 tons of rice have been rerouted from neighboring ports such as Benin,
Cameroon, Ghana and Togo, because of this tax.” The shipments were later
re-imported to Nigeria through contraband, revealed the same report.
http://www.businessincameroon.com/public-management/1109-5620-joining-hands-cameroon-s-customs-and-marine-prevent-1-000-bags-of-rice-from-being-fraudulently-exported
Nagpur Foodgrain
Prices Open-Sep 11
Nagpur Foodgrain Prices - APMC & Open Market-September 11
Nagpur, Sept 11 Gram prices reported strong in Nagpur Agriculture Produce and
Marketing Committee (APMC) here on increased buying support from local millers amid weak supply
from producing regions. Fresh rise on NCDEX, upward trend in Madhya Pradesh gram prices and
reported demand from South-based millers also helped to jack up prices, according to sources.
* * * *
FOODGRAINS & PULSES
GRAM
* Desi gram raw recovered in open market on good Holi festival demand from local
traders amid thin arrival from producing belts.
TUAR
* Tuar varieties ruled steady here in open market on subdued demand from local traders
amid ample stock in ready segment.
* Wheat Lokwan varieties firmed up in open market on increased seasonal demand from
local traders amid tight supply from producing regions.
* In Akola, Tuar - 9,7900-10,300, Tuar dal - 14,100-14,500, Udid at 9,600-10,000,
Udid Mogar (clean) - 12,100-12,600, Moong - 7,600-7,800, Moong Mogar
(clean) 9,200-9,800, Gram - 4,900-5,050, Gram Super best bold - 6,400-6,600
for 100 kg.
* Other varieties of wheat, rice and other commodities remained steady in open market
in thin trading activity, according to sources.
Nagpur foodgrains APMC auction/open-market prices in rupees for 100 kg
FOODGRAINS Available prices Previous close
Gram Auction 3,850-4,900 3,850-4,760
Gram Pink Auction n.a. 2,100-2,600
Tuar Auction n.a. 8,000-9,375
Moong Auction n.a. 6,000-6,400
Udid Auction n.a. 4,300-4,500
Masoor Auction n.a. 2,600-2,800
Gram Super Best Bold 6,500-6,800 6,500-6,800
Gram Super Best n.a.
Gram Medium Best 5,900-6,100 5,900-6,100
Gram Dal Medium n.a. n.a.
Gram Mill Quality 5,800-5,900 5,800-5,900
Desi gram Raw 5,200-5,250 5,150-5,200
Gram Filter new 6,200-6,400 6,200-6,400
Gram Kabuli 6,400-7,500 6,400-7,500
Gram Pink 6,800-7,000 6,800-7,000
Tuar Fataka Best 14,500-14,800 14,500-14,800
Tuar Fataka Medium 13,300-13,900 13,300-13,900
Tuar Dal Best Phod 12,900-13,100 12,900-13,100
Tuar Dal Medium phod 12,300-12,800 12,300-12,800
Tuar Gavarani New 10,300-10,500 10,300-10,500
Tuar Karnataka 10,400-10,800 10,400-10,800
Tuar Black 12,100-12,300 12,100-12,300
Masoor dal best 8,500-8,700 8,500-8,700
Masoor dal medium 8,200-8,400 8,200-8,400
Masoor n.a. n.a.
Moong Mogar bold 9,900-10,300 9,900-10,300
Moong Mogar Medium best 8,800-9,500 8,800-9,500
Moong dal Chilka 8,700-8,900 8,700-8,900
Moong Mill quality n.a. n.a.
Moong Chamki best 8,400-9,200 8,400-9,200
Udid Mogar Super best (100 INR/KG) 12,500-13,700 12,500-13,700
Udid Mogar Medium (100 INR/KG) 11,500-12,000 11,500-12,000
Udid Dal Black (100 INR/KG) 10,200-10,400 10,200-10,400
Batri dal (100 INR/KG) 5,200-5,600 5,200-5,600
Lakhodi dal (100 INR/kg) 4,000-4,200 4,000-4,200
Watana Dal (100 INR/KG) 3,200-3,450 3,200-3,450
Watana White (100 INR/KG) 3,000-3,200 3,000-3,200
Watana Green Best (100 INR/KG) 3,300-3,600 3,300-3,600
Wheat 308 (100 INR/KG) 1,400-1,500 1,400-1,500
Wheat Mill quality(100 INR/KG) 1,650-1,750 1,650-1,750
Wheat Filter (100 INR/KG) 1,350-1,550 1,350-1,550
Wheat Lokwan best (100 INR/KG) 2,300-2,400 2,250-2,400
Wheat Lokwan medium (100 INR/KG) 2,000-2,200 1,950-2,100
Lokwan Hath Binar (100 INR/KG) n.a. n.a.
MP Sharbati Best (100 INR/KG) 3,400-3,700 3,400-3,700
MP Sharbati Medium (100 INR/KG) 2,750-2,800 2,750-2,800
Rice BPT best(100 INR/KG) 3,100-3,300 3,100-3,300
Rice BPT medium(100 INR/KG) 2,800-3,000 2,800-3,000
Rice Parmal (100 INR/KG) 1,700-1,900 1,700-1,900
Rice Swarna best (100 INR/KG) 2,000-2,300 2,000-2,300
Rice Swarna medium (100 INR/KG) 1,900-2,000 1,900-2,000
Rice HMT best(100 INR/KG) 3,500-3,900 3,500-3,900
Rice HMT medium(100 INR/KG) 3,200-3,300 3,200-3,300
Rice HMT Shriram best(100 INR/KG) 4,800-5,100 4,800-5,100
Rice HMT Shriram med.(100 INR/KG) 4,000-4,500 4,000-4,500
Rice Basmati best (100 INR/KG) 8,000-10,000 8,000-10,000
Rice Basmati Medium (100 INR/KG) 7,000-7,500 7,000-7,500
Rice Chinnor best (100 INR/KG) 5,200-5,400 4,900-5,100
Rice Chinnor medium (100 INR/KG) 4,700-5,000 4,400-4,800
Jowar Gavarani (100 INR/KG) 2,100-2,350 2,100-2,350
Jowar CH-5 (100 INR/KG) 2,400-2,500 2,400-2,500
WEATHER (NAGPUR)
Maximum temp. 34.3 degree Celsius (93.7 degree Fahrenheit), minimum temp.
23.4 degree Celsius (74.1 degree Fahrenheit)
Humidity: Highest - n.a., lowest - n.a.
Rainfall : nil
FORECAST: Partly cloudy sky. Maximum and minimum temperature would be around and 35 and 23 degree Celsius respectively.
Note: n.a.--not available
(For oils, transport costs are excluded from plant delivery prices, but included in market prices.)
http://in.reuters.com/article/2015/09/11/nagpur-foodgrain-idINL4N11H32F20150911
Drought improves in B’bang; concerns remain
Fri,
11 September 2015
Despite improving drought-like conditions in Battambang
province, farmers and rice millers alike are still concerned about yield and
quality levels of rice in one of the country's leading rice-producing
regions.In last month’s report on the drought situation from the Agriculture
Ministry, Battambang, along with Banteay Meanchey, accounted for around
two-thirds of drought-affected areas, totalling 124,300 hectares out of 182,870
hectares of affected rice plants.However, Chhim Vichra, director of the Provincial
Agriculture Department in Battambang, said the province had seen some rain in
the last few days and that the situation was improving.
“If the rain continues for the next few months, I think it will
be better. It’s difficult to help the areas that are far from the main source
of water if there is no rain.”The impacted area dropped from 56,780 hectares in
Battambang last month to 37,420 hectares as of Tuesday, according to Vichra,
who added that some areas were still not seeing much rain.Kann Kunthy, CEO of
rice miller Brico in Battambang, said a drought-like situation could affect the
quality of the rice being produced, and that shortages will lead to higher
prices – an issue Cambodia is already having to deal with in the international
market.“The higher price doesn’t mean the farmer gets more benefits, because
they get less income as they are spending more on water pumps and pesticides,”
Kunthy said.
“Millers also get impacted by low-quality rice because it is
difficult to sell.”Phan Saing, a 54-year-old farmer in Battambang province’s
Borel district, said that his 10-hectare rice field did not have water for a
month and 50 per cent of his rice field was damaged, given that his farm is
away from any irrigation system.“We do not have any water system, even a canal
or pond,” he said This year’s figures mark a sharp uptick from the 116,129
hectares hurt by a lack of rain during the 2014 wet season.In Pursat – the
third worst affected province – Lay Viseth, director of Pursat’s Agriculture
Department, said the province was still facing issues of drought.“We have two
irrigation systems. It helps some areas but they cannot reach so much because
we lack the source of water,” Viseth said.The Ministry of Agriculture said
yesterday that while the drought situation hasn’t changed much from the last
report, released on August 26, an updated national report on the current
situation is yet to be released.
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/drought-improves-bbang-concerns-remain
FAO pegs
2015 global milled Rice production at 500.6 mn tons
Sep 11, 2015 05:13 PM
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has estimated
2015 global milled rice production at 500.6 million tons, advanced 0.7% from
497 million tons in 2014-15 and slightly above its previous estimate of 499.3
million tons.The rise in production is attributed to India, where plantings are
progressing in line with last season in spite of the prevailing El Nino, FAO
said.The UN agency estimates 2015-16 global rice utilizations at around 509.7
million tons (basis milled), up about 8.4 million tons from last year. It
expects the rice consumption is around 422 million tons, up about 1.7% from
last year.FAO estimates 2015-16 global rice stocks at 169.6 million tons, down
about 5% from last year due to offloading of inventories in the five major
exporting countries
http://www.commodityonline.com/fundamentals/fao-pegs-2015-global-milled-rice-production-at-5006-mn-tons/5221/
Rain effect: Rabi
output, not Kharif harvest, will be hurt, says India Ratings
NEW DELHI, SEPTEMBER
10:
The
deficient monsoon can hurt the Rabi crop even if overall Kharif crop production
is unlikely to be affected and will be higher than the previous fiscal, said a
report published by India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra) on Thursday.The report
– titled ‘Monsoon Gazing Ends’ – comes a day after the India Meteorological
Department (IMD) reported a 15 per cent deficiency in rainfall across the
country.“In view of the total area sown under Kharif crops reaching 99.87
million hectares (mh) on September 4, 2015, which is 1.93 mh higher than last
year’s, Ind-Ra expects the overall Kharif output this fiscal to be still better
than in the last fiscal,” the report said.The inference deviates from a mid-August
study done by Crisil Research which highlighted the pressure on profitability
of farm output and identified 5 crops – jowar, soyabean, tur dal, maize and
cotton – as particularly at risk.
Water storage levels
Kharif
output, according to Ind-Ra, was likely to be higher due to increased acreage
and better water storage levels (as on September 2) than last year in major
foodgrain producing States such as Punjab, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Gujarat and
Madhya Pradesh.Reservoir levels in southern India, which recorded a 17 per cent
deficit in rainfall as of September 9, had fallen to 33.2 per cent, it noted.
According to the Central Water Commission, total storage levels are pegged at
92.92 billion cubic metres (bcm), 59 per cent of capacity, as of September
3.Devendra Kumar Pant, Chief Economist and Senior Director of Public Finance at
Ind-Ra, said that States which had received sufficient rainfall will make up
any shortfall in output from other States.
“Karnataka,
as a whole, has recorded deficient rainfall and coarse cereals’ production is
likely to be lower. But Rajasthan has received excess rain, particularly in the
western part. So total output should be the same if not more,” he said.
Pulses inflation
While the impact of the sub-par monsoon is likely to
be muted in terms of rural spending due to the rising share of non-agricultural
income in rural earnings, food inflation needed to be monitored.“Wholesale
pulses inflation in July 2015 was 35.8 per cent. Although higher acreage under
pulses this fiscal would help in containing inflation, weakening of the rupee
will make import of pulses costlier,” the report said.On an average, India
imports between three and four million tonnes (mt) of pulses every year to
augment domestic production of 18-19 mt.
(This
article was published on September 10, 2015)
Vietnam is
losing its rice market
VietNamNet Bridge - Vietnam's agricultural sector still
has an opportunity to change in order to compete with foreign rivals when
Vietnam participates in Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), said experts at a forum
on strengthening the competitiveness of the rice and animal husbandry market of
Vietnam, held in HCM City on September 8.
He added that information about the cost price of feed
enterprises are not accessible and proposed to fix the ceiling profit for
animal feed.Vietnamese animal feed businesses said they could not fix the
prices themselves, but have to base the prices of foreign-invested feed firms
and this makes the price for feed high.To help Vietnamese livestock products
compete with foreign imports, Lich said the government should have preferential
credit for agriculture and livestock in particular because the interest rate
for agriculture is currently at 7%, which is still high in comparison with 5%
in China and 3% in Thailand.
Lich also suggested raising technical barriers to
protect domestic producers.Another problem is cumbersome administrative
procedures. Some feed companies said to import one ton of feed, they had to get
the approval of the Department of Livestock, and then the technical council,
and the Ministry of Agriculture. This process lasts for six months to 1
year.For Vietnamese rice, the situation is not better. Nguyen Duc Thanh,
Director of the Institute for the Vietnam Economic Research and Policy (VERP),
said the rice market of Vietnam is increasingly dependent on China.Vietnam is
losing its traditional markets. Meanwhile, Thailand is diversifying the market
with quality products so it takes footsteps in every market, from picky ones
like the US, Japan, Europe, and China to less choosy markets like Africa.
"The problems of the Vietnamese rice market are:
difficulty seeking markets for high quality rice; unable to build rice brands
for Vietnam; rice price in the domestic market dependent on export prices; and
lack of cooperation among local rice traders and exporters,” Thanh
said.Professor Vo Tong Xuan, a senior expert in agriculture, said that while
Vietnam’s rice exports fell in both volume and value, Cambodia's rice exports
in the last eight months of 2015 increased by 50% compared to the same period
of 2014. Cambodian rice is exported to picky markets like China, France and
some European countries.To promote its rice, Cambodia launched a large-scale
marketing program. It participated in all international rice fairs held in
Thailand while Vietnam was absent.
They not only brought rice samples for customers to see
and taste but also offered a price and signed contracts on the spot.Nguyen Duc
Thanh, from VERP, said that to enhance the competitiveness of Vietnamese rice,
it is a must to have transparency of export market information, to remove the
floor price for rice exports and to ease conditions to become rice exporters.
Compiled
by Nam Nguyen
http://english.vietnamnet.vn/fms/business/141144/vietnam-is-losing-its-rice-market.html
Rival on the rise
Sat, 12 September 2015
Sat,
12 September 2015
Structural reform in ASEAN neighbour means more competition for
Cambodia’s key export industries
While Cambodia’s economic development is often compared to that
of neighbouring Vietnam and Thailand’s, industry insiders say the Kingdom needs
to keep a close eye on the steady progress being made in Myanmar, which is
predicted to eat into Cambodia’s exports in the long term.After decades of
isolation, Myanmar has in the last four years seen structural reforms.An
improved business environment propelled its gross domestic product growth to
7.7 per cent in 2014, and it is expected to reach 8.3 per cent for 2015,
according to the Asian Development Bank.While Myanmar may not pose an immediate
threat to Cambodia, Jayant Menon, lead economist at the Asian Development
Bank’s office of regional economic integration, said the Kingdom will need to
improve its productivity and increase its pool of skilled labour.Trade costs in
Myanmar are still high, given the dearth of investment and infrastructure
development, but as economic reforms begin to kick in, the country will
increasingly grow its presence on the ASEAN stage, Menon added.
“In the longer term, Cambodia may have to lift its productivity
if it is to compete with the well-educated workforce available at relatively
low cost in Myanmar.”On the rice export front, Cambodia is already facing steep
competition from Myanmar. Rice shipments leaving the Kingdom last year totalled
a little more than 387,000 tonnes, compared to Myanmar’s 1.7 million tonnes – a
large amount of it going to China.Cambodia may currently have the edge in
exporting higher-quality fragrant rice, said Song Saran, CEO of leading rice
exporter Amru Rice, but Myanmar is fast catching up and moving beyond its
export of lower quality broken rice and parboiled rice.“In the long term,
Myanmar will be a big threat to Cambodia, because they have started to improve
their facilities,” Saran said. “And in the next 4 to 5 years there will be more
stress for Cambodian rice in the European market.”
Cambodia’s
rice industry benefits from favourable trade agreements that may soon be
revoked. Vireak Mai
Saran said that when Cambodia graduates to a low-middle income
economy and loses its European Union-granted Everything But Arms (EBA) status –
giving least developed countries duty free exports to the economic bloc –
Myanmar, which also enjoys the preferential treatment, could extend its
advantage given that its exports will be cheaper than the Kingdom’s.“When EBA
is off, we are going to have more hardship and the possibility of losing market
share to Myanmar,” he said.“But with jasmine rice, I am still optimistic that
we can maintain our market share even if EBA is off.”On the economic front,
both countries are using similar sectors, including rice and garments to fuel
growth.However, Myanmar also has to deal with the “overhang of the elections”
in November, as well as ethnic and religious tensions, said Grant Knuckey, CEO
of ANZ Royal Bank, who is also the head of Myanmar operations for ANZ.
“Despite that, Myanmar is a genuine threat based on both
potential and clear intent,” Knuckey said, referring to economic reforms that
are focused on increasing commodity exports.Infrastructure and logistical
capacities are two key issues holding back both nations, but, according to
Knuckey, investments made in deep sea ports and a better special economic zone
policy can help Myanmar leapfrog the progress made by Cambodia in the past few
years.“Myanmar will soon have a real edge, with deep sea capacity at both
Thilawa and later Dawei,” he said.“Myanmar has also moved very aggressively on
the SEZ framework, where Thilawa is more of a special administrative zone than
an industrial park, which is the current Cambodia model.
”Srey Chanthy, an independent economist, said that as Myanmar
grapples with the same “pitfalls” that Cambodia has had to address, such as low
productivity, it will have to make good use of its young and well-educated
population to accelerate its ascent up the ASEAN pecking order.“If the Myanmar
government can significantly improve the domestic business-enabling environment
to attract direct foreign investment, these things can be done in the short to
medium terms, they need not wait for the long term.”
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/post-weekend/rival-rise
PH set for rice import negotiations with suppliers
September
11, 2015 9:40 pm
But upon recommendation by the El Nino Task Force, the
interagency body raised the amount by a further 500,000 MT to meet the
projected deficit in production at the start of 2016.Drought due to El Niño is
expected to intensify beginning October this year and last until May 2016.
DOST-PAGASA in its forecast likened the severe impact of the current drought to
what happened in 1997-1998, when it caused a 24 percent drop in the country’s
local palay production.According to the forecasts, the country’s traditional
rice granaries such as Isabela, Mindoro, Quezon, Albay, Aklan, Antique, Iloilo,
South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Zamboanga are among the provinces that will be
hardest hit by El Niño.The NFA chief said deliveries of the grains will be done
on a staggered basis. For the 250,000 MT standby authority, shipment will be
split into 125,000 MT by end of November and 125,000 MT by end of December this
year.
Meanwhile, shipment of the 500,000 MT intended as part of the
country’s rice supply for 2016, will be scheduled as follows: 175,000 MT by end
of January, 175,000 MT by end of February and 150,000 MT by end of March next
year.Dalisay said invitations to bid have been sent to Thailand, Vietnam and
Cambodia for the supply of 250,000 MT well-milled rice intended for this year
and 500,000 MT well-milled rice for 2016 under a government-to-government
procurement scheme.For this year, the FSC and the NFA have arranged for the
importation of 1.8 million MT – including 500,000 MT contracted in February;
150,000 MT and 100,000 MT contracted in June; 187,000 MT MAV-Omnibus Origin
private import and the 600,000 MT allocated volume for the MAV-Country Specific
Quota opened in July; and the 250,000 MT to be contracted this month.
Dalisay said the total volume of rice import is within the
estimated deficit in the country’s palay production of 18.86 MMT, or 12.26 MMT
rice equivalent, and the country’s consumption requirement with 30-day mandated
buffer stock at the start of the lean month season.The Philippines, the former
world’s biggest rice importer, allowed importation of a record 2.4 million MT
of rice in 2010. The order was reduced to 860,000 MT in 2011, and trimmed further
to 500,000 MT in 2012.In 2013, Manila approved 205,700 MT of rice imports under
the omnibus minimum access volume for rice, plus 500,000 MT of rice from
Vietnam. Last year, the Philippines imported more than 1.7 million MT of rice.
For this year, the government has approved a total of 1.8
million MT of rice imports, including the 500,000 MT rice awarded to Thailand
and Vietnam in February; 500,000 MT approved for the lean season and reserve
volume; and 805,200 MT private sector imports under the so-called minimum
access volume. It was also the biggest under the Aquino Administration, and
roughly the same level as 1.8 million MT rice imported in 2009.The NFA Council
is chaired by Secretary Francis Pangilinan of the Office of the Presidential
Assistant for Food Security and Agricultural Modernization (OPAFSAM).Members
include the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), Development Bank of the
Philippines (DBP), Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP), Department of Finance
(DOF), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), National Economic Development
Authority (NEDA), National Food Authority (NFA) and a farmers’ representative.
http://www.manilatimes.net/ph-set-for-rice-import-negotiations-with-suppliers/218243/
Philippines' rice
stocks fall for 3rd straight month in August
Reuters
Posted at 09/11/2015 11:49 AM
MANILA - Rice stocks in the Philippines, one of the world's top
importers, shrank for a third straight month in August, government data showed
on Friday, following a decline in the domestic harvest due to El Nino-induced
dry weather.Total stocks as of Aug. 1 stood at 2.24 million tonnes, down 12.6
percent from the July inventory and this year's peak of about 3.2 million
tonnes in May, despite the arrival of imports from Vietnam and Thailand.The
latest inventory, which includes stocks held by the state food security agency,
National Food Authority (NFA), was still up 30 percent on the same time last
year and is sufficient to cover 66 days of the country's total requirement, the
Philippine Statistics Authority said in a report.
The Southeast Asian country has suffered crop losses in recent
months due to below normal rainfall and is set to miss its 2015 target for rice
output because of an El Nino dry weather pattern that is forecast to be among
the strongest since 1950.The staple food, which led a contraction in crop
output in the second quarter, has a nearly 10 percent weighting in the
Philippines' consumer price index.On Wednesday, the NFA said it would import an
additional 750,000 tonnes of the grain to boost buffer stocks, seeking delivery
of the first 250,000 tonnes between November and December.Import approvals by
the NFA for delivery this year have reached nearly 1.8 million tonnes,
including 937,000 tonnes already shipped in by the agency and purchases by private
traders totalling 600,000 tonnes. That compares with last year's purchases of
about 1.7 million tonnes.The NFA has sought supply offers from Thailand,
Vietnam and Cambodia for the 750,000-tonne volume, with the balance of 500,000
tonnes to be shipped in within the first quarter of next year.
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/business/09/11/15/philippines-rice-stocks-fall-3rd-straight-month-august
Rice exports to
resume, says minister
Frontier
Myanmar 11 Sep 2015
The government has given the
green light for the resumption of rice exports, six weeks after they were
suspended following price rises on the domestic market amid concern over
shortages caused by widespread flooding.
By Ko Ko Aung
A rice shop in downtown Yangon, Myanmar. Photo by Ann Wang
The decision to resume exports was announced by Commerce
Minister U Win Myint at the annual meeting of the Union of Myanmar Federation
of Chambers and Industry in Yangon’s National Theatre on September 9.The
decision to resume exports had followed an evaluation of the recovery from
flood damage in growing areas, said U Win Myint, who stressed the importance of
rice as a strategic crop.“Rice has been re-planted in some areas and after we
calculated the effect of the flooding, we decided to re-open the market to
exports,” he said.The deputy director of the ministry’s Department of Trade
Promotion, U Aung Soe, said the decision to permit the resumption of exports in
mid-September had taken into consideration the need to avoid price volatility
on the domestic market.
Exports were halted in early August amid concern about domestic
shortages leading to increases in the cost of the nation’s most important
staple.The temporary suspension of exports and the
impact of the floods would mean
that the amount sold abroad this year would be down by more than 400,000 tons
on 2014-2015, said Dr Soe Tun, the vice chairman of the Myanmar Rice
Federation.The federation says figures for the fiscal year beginning on April 1
show that more than 400,000 tons had been exported to August and applications
have been made for export licences involving 600,000 tons.Before the flood
crisis began, the federation had been expecting exports of nearly two million
tons, up from more than 1.7 million tons that Commerce Ministry figures show
was exported in 2014-2014.
http://www.frontiermyanmar.net/rice-exports-to-resume-says-minister/
Rice Stocktaking
Underway In Thailand
BANGKOK, Sept 11 (Bernama) -- Thai Prime Minister
Prayut Chan-o-cha Thursday ordered a nationwide rice inventory compiled within
30 days, reports Vietnam News Agency (VNA).
Under the 2011-2014 subsidy scheme, 13.5 million tonnes of rice had been purchased and reserved across 1,800 warehouses across the country's 51 provinces.The new order means that local authorities need to present the exact quantity of good and decayed produce, helping set a more suitable price for rice biding.
Under the 2011-2014 subsidy scheme, 13.5 million tonnes of rice had been purchased and reserved across 1,800 warehouses across the country's 51 provinces.The new order means that local authorities need to present the exact quantity of good and decayed produce, helping set a more suitable price for rice biding.
Currently, 14 units won the bid to buy 246,793 tonnes
of in-stock rice at 9,460 THB (US$266.50) per tonne.According to Chookiat
Ophaswongse, Honorary President of the Thai Rice Exporters Association, the
rice sale allows the government to collect under 10 THB (US$0.27) per
kilogramme while the production cost, excluding preservation fees, is estimated
at 24 THB (US$0.66).Despite Thai rice becoming less competitive in the global
market, the weaker national currency helped rice export volume reach 6 million
tonnes in the past eight months.
http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v8/wn/newsworld.php?id=1170294
NFA
allows private sector to import 602,560 MT of rice
THE National Food Authority (NFA) said on Friday that it has
approved the private sector’s importation of as much as 602,560 metric tons
(MT) of rice under the minimum access volume (MAV) scheme to beef up the
country’s rice stocks.Based on the list of final rice import allocation
released by the NFA, the food agency has approved the application of 95
farmers’ groups and companies to import 439,300 MT. These applicants, the NFA
said, have already accomplished all the requirements set by its prequalification
team.The NFA said another 31 applicants—with a total allocation of 163,260
MT—are still awaiting the agency’s final approval since they have not yet
received their authentication certification from the Bureau of Internal
Revenue.The bulk of imported rice, or 343,100 MT, will come from Thailand.
Vietnam—another major supplier of the Philippines—accounts for
258,900 MT. Some farmers’ groups and companies will import 500 MT of rice from
India and 60 MT from China.Under the 2015 MAV rice importation program, all
rice imported shall be levied a 35-percent tariff to be paid to the Land
Bank of the Philippines.NFA Administrator Renan B. Dalisay told the
BusinessMirror the food agency is already releasing the import permits to all
the eligible applicants.The importers will ship well-milled rice with a quality
not lower than 25-percent brokens and any special rice variety. All shipments
should arrive in the Philippines on or before November 30.The government has
earlier approved the importation of 750,000 MT of rice to ensure that the
country will have enough rice despite the onslaught of El Niño, which is
expected to persist until 2016.
The NFA said the purchase of imported rice will be done under a
government-to-government scheme. Of the total volume, 250,000 MT will be
delivered in the last quarter of the year. The remaining 500,000 MT will arrive
in the Philippines in the first quarter of 2016.Dalisay said the NFA has
already contracted 1.787 million metric tons (MMT) of rice for 2015, of which
937,000 MT has already entered the country.El Niño, which is expected to
intensify next month and last until May next year, could slash local paddy rice
output. The data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed that the
country’s total palay production for 2015 may decline by 0.6 percent to 18.86
MMT from last year’s 18.97 MMT due to the dry spell.
http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/nfa-allows-private-sector-to-import-602560-mt-of-rice/
Sowing of Kharif crops rise 1.8
percent, pulses the most
New
Delhi, Sep 11 (IANS): A surge of 1.8 percent was recorded in sowing of Kharif
crops which stood at 1,012.01 lakh hectares as on September 11, an official
said on Friday.An area of 994.49 lakh hectares was sown for the Kharif crops,
grown during the rainy season, during the same time last year."The total
area sown under Kharif crops as on September 11 has reached to 1,012.01 lakh
hectares," the agriculture ministry said in a statement.The maximum growth
of 11 percent was witnessed in sowing of pulses, whose shortage the country is
facing of, to 110.08 lakh hectares.
It
was followed by coarse cereals (5.7 percent) and oil seeds (3.2 percent).Rice,
widely consumed in India, was sown on 368.41 lakh hectares this season as
compared to 366.51 lakh hectares during 2014-15.Coarse cereals and oil seeds
were sown on 180.95 lakh hectares and 181.19 lakh hectares, respectively,
during the monsoon this year, the statement said.The sowing of sugarcane
remained almost flat at 48.84 lakh hectares.However, crops like 'jute and
mesta' and cotton registered declines in sowing area.Jute and mesta crop,
together known as raw jute, was sown on 7.80 lakh hectares this season against
8.13 lakh hectares during the previous monsoon.Cotton was sown on 114.75 lakh
hectares in 2015-16 as compared to 125.29 lakh hectares in 2014-15.
http://www.daijiworld.com/news/news_disp.asp?n_id=352952
Is Australia the home
of rice? Study finds domesticated rice varieties have ancestry links to Cape
York
Updated
A team of plant biologists believes that common rice varieties,
domesticated over thousands of years and now grown around the world, may have
their ancestry in northern Australia.
Media player: "Space" to play, "M" to mute,
"left" and "right" to seek.
00:00
00:00
The findings have been published in the journalScientific
Reports, in an article titled 'Relationships of wild and domesticated rices (Oryza AA genome
species) based upon whole chloroplast genome sequences'.
We are confirming that these Australian populations are
important relatives of domesticated rice. It is quite possible that these have
an ancestral relationship."The analysis we are doing shows that the rice
populations in northern Australia are very diverse genetically, with much more
variation than those we find further north in Asia."This suggests that
maybe the origins are in northern Australia, it's a centre of diversity and a
possibly also the centre of origin of these important species."
Mr Henry said his team analysed the evolutionary relationships
of rice to reach the conclusion.
"The complication we have is that rice has been grown in
Asia for thousands of years and the wild and domesticated populations have
inbred, but it's only in northern Australia that is likely to be uncontaminated
by the impact of human domestication," he said."We believe the
populations of rice in the north represent what rice might have looked like
before human intervention 7,000 years ago when rice was first domesticated."
These represent the gene pools from which we can breed the rices
of the future. It is how we access the diversity we need to adapt rice products
to climate change and new diseases in future
Dr Robert Henry, QAAFI
Researchers hope that understanding the genetic history of rice,
and its ancestral links to Australian wild rice, can help to boost world rice
production to feed a growing global population.
"We don't have the increases in rice productivity that we
need to keep pace with the projected demand out to the middle of the
century," Mr Henry said."So this resource will help us fill that gap
in terms of the productivity we need in rice globally."Mr Henry said the
breeding qualities inherent in native rice from Cape York were
invaluable."These represent the gene pools from which we can breed the
rices of the future, it's how we access the diversity we need to adapt rice
product to climate change and new diseases in future," he said.
"Knowing where to find the genetic variation is very
important if we are to have food security and be able to access the diversity
we need to continue to produce rice into the future."These wild
populations have characteristics that are important for rice. They are
inter-fertile with domesticated rice, so we can readily cross breed them."We
can introduce pest and disease resistances from Australian material that will
provide for greater food security anywhere in the world."
Wild rice could help unlock the secret to building large rice
industries in northern Australia
Despite vast supplies of water and an ideal climate, northern
Australia has struggled to establish itself as a rice growing region.Attempts
to build a rice industry on the Adelaide River at Humpty Doo, near Darwin in
the Northern Territory, failed in the 1950s.The Burdekin, south of Townsville,
is now making the slow transition from cane to aerobic rice, but quantities
grown there are in the thousands of tonnes, compared to the millions grown in
the southern Riverina region.Global rice producer SunRice recently completed a
takeover of a local Burdekin mill, owned by Blue Ribbon Rice, and is
encouraging cane farmers to try planting rice instead.
Professor Robert Henry said the emerging industry could be given
a boost by wild rice, which is naturally suited to local conditions."We
have had a small amount of rice production in northern Australia, but wild rice
emphasises the potential of this area because it is a native plant," he
said."I think it indicates there is a real potential to explore producing
rice varieties that are very specifically adapted to production in northern
Australia, and they could provide an opportunity to do that quickly."
Mr Henry said rice types being grown in the Burdekin at the
moment had not been bred with wild rice, but he said there was the potential
for that to happen in the not too distant future."Commercial production in
the north is using material from conventional sources, rices originally bred
for production in southern Australia or elsewhere," he said."We have
not begun to introduce local genetic resources into the varieties being
grown."Rather than cross breeding, Dr Henry said another option for the
Burdekin was to begin growing commercial quantities of wild rice, and marketing
it as a purely local and native Australian rice.
We could produce novel rices that could be regarded as an
indigenous product, something originating from northern Australia which would
have particular appeal to consumers
Dr Robert Henry, QAAFI
"We could produce novel rices that could be regarded as an
Indigenous product, something originating from northern Australia which would
have particular appeal to consumers," he said.
"It is a distinct and additional possibility to using wild
rice as a source of breeding material to assist mainstream or conventional
rices."Native rice could be a potential gold mine, with the rare commodity
capable of fetching as high as $120 per kilogram.Mr Henry said breeding elements of wild rice into existing
varieties, as well as starting up a native rice industry, was possible within a
decade.
"I don't believe it will be difficult to work with this
[wild rice] material, it seems to be close genetically to domesticated
rice," he said."These things could happen in a relatively short
period of time, relative to the timescale we normally see for these sorts of
innovations in agriculture."Certainly within five to 10 years we could see
both of these things happening. "QAAFI is a partnership between the
Queensland Government and the University of Queensland, with a focus on
developing sustainable and competitive tropical and sub-tropical food, fibre
and agribusiness industries.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-09-11/wild-rice-australia-linked-to-main-varities-developed-in-asia/6764924
APEDA Commodity
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Registration
for the 2015 USA Rice Outlook Conference Now Open
Mike Lee
Rep. Ralph Abraham
Contact: Colleen Klemczewski
(703) 236-1446
September
Proclaimed Rice Month in Louisiana; Rice Industry's Food Bank Donation Honors Hunger
Action Month
Kevin
Berken announces donation of 15K pounds of rice to help feed hungry
BATON ROUGE, LA -- Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry
Commissioner Dr. Mike Strain, rice industry leaders, and representatives of the
Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank (GBRFB) gathered at the Capitol Park Museum in
view of the state capitol yesterday to proclaim September as Louisiana Rice
Month and Louisiana Hunger Action Month and to make the annual rice donation to
the GBRFB.Dr. Strain presented Gov. Bobby Jindal's official proclamations
declaring September as Louisiana Rice Month and Hunger Action Month.In making
the donation to the GBRFB, Louisiana Rice Promotion Board Chairman Kevin Berken
stressed the industry's strong record of support for the needy, noting that
this year's donation of more than 15,000 pounds will provide more than 180,000
servings of rice to neighbors in need.Louisiana Rice Mill and Falcon Rice Mill
of Crowley, Planters Rice Mill of Abbeville, and Farmers Rice Mill of Lake Charles
provided rice for the donation. Blue
Runner Foods of Gonzales, Louisiana joined the effort to feed the hungry by
donating twelve cases of their signature dry beans.
Contact: Randy Jemison (337)
738-7009
Pack
to school: What do professional chefs pack for their kids?
Restaurant chefs are like every other parent when it comes to
wanting to give their children specially prepared, tasty and healthy school-box
lunches. But they have an advantage because of their professional background
and access to a variety of foods, and can almost pull off anything when it
comes to pleasing their child’s palate.Here’s how they think outside the box
for the back-to-school days.
SONJA FINN
Sonja Finn, chef and owner of Dinette in Pittsburgh’s East
Liberty, does not favor sugared foods for her 3-year-old son, Miles, but
insists on some sort of fruit.What she packs: A pasta with walnut-basil pesto.
Sometimes she would pack baked spinach rice, which she makes with basmati rice,
onion, spinach and vegetable or chicken stock; or a roasted chicken breast; or
some version of a peanut butter sandwich made with no-sugar peanut butter and
low-sugar wheat bread. A banana is a must, and so is some sort of a cut-fruit
like watermelon, strawberries or apricots.
Miles’ favorite is matzo
balls made by his nana.Her prep technique: “I make pesto ahead of time and keep
it in the freezer. On Sunday night, I cook a pound of pasta and then add the
frozen pesto to the hot pasta. I keep stirring until the pesto melts
completely, coating the pasta and at the same time cooling it. That way I don’t
need to wait for it to cool to pack it away (waiting isn’t an option anyway
since it’s already midnight by the time I get around to making the school
lunch). I can immediately pack it into individually covered containers and put
it in the fridge, and I’m set for the week.” Frozen walnuts will ensure that
the pesto will be green, she says.What she won’t pack: “No juice boxes and no
yogurt shooters.
”From Dinette’s menu: Dinette doesn’t have a lunch menu, and so
sometimes Miles gets a slice of cheese pizza that was made the night before. “A
lot of Miles’ lunches are prepared at Dinette.”Her school lunch: “I didn’t take
lunch from home. I did school lunch the whole time.”Changes in lunch-box fare:
“The convenience foods and prepackaged foods have gotten worse. There is more
sugar, more salt and the sizes have gotten bigger.”
BILL FULLER
”His school lunch: “We rarely packed lunches but when we did it
was a sandwich, chips/snack, fruit. We usually ate school lunch because my
grandmother cooked in the cafeteria. In those days, they actually cooked, so it
was my grandmother cooking for us every day in grade school. Also, we got free
or reduced lunches throughout school too, and that was hard to pass up.”His
lunch box: I had an “Adam-12” box when I was a little kid. Also a Spider-Man
one, I think. I remember the “Adam-12” one best because I hit Eddie Krauch in
the face with it once and got in trouble. We were friends, mostly, but got in a
fight that day.Changes in the lunch-box fare: Not much in my world. I guess I
can afford fresh fruit and my mother couldn’t. A lot of kids bring pre-packaged
stuff. My older kid likes to take Ramen noodles occasionally since the middle
school cafeteria has a microwave. We never had a microwave!
LING ROBINSON
Ling Robinson, executive chef and owner of Asiatique Thai Bistro
in Larimer’s Bakery Square, who has four children and two grandchildren, says
it’s important to prepare a different lunch everyday for children as they will
remember it. “It’s a gift from childhood that creates special memories of how
much their mother or father loved them,” she says.What she will pack: Fresh,
healthy, non-processed food.” I always include a protein, fruit and vegetable.
I grill chicken or beef or salmon, steam vegetables, thinly slice apples, cut
up some carrots, and put it all together in one container with a light dressing
using olive oil.
For my older boys, who require more calories, I would make a
sandwich containing salmon, beef or chicken.”What she won’t pack: “Chips, soft
drinks or prepackaged meats.”From Asiatique’s menu: “I would pack foods such as
our Summer Roll, which is quick and easy to make, and contains fresh leaf
lettuce, cilantro, mint, avocado, tomato and tapioca skin.” She wraps it with
chicken or salmon and rice noodles.Her school lunch: “Growing up in Thailand, I
would take rice with mixed vegetables and seafood.” She says she was fortunate
because her parents insisted on those foods along with fruit. “All kinds of
fruits.
”Her lunch box: “My lunch box was a vertical stack of containers —
the bottom one had rice, the middle one had steamed vegetables and the top held
fresh fruit. I also carried one metal spoon — no plastic spoons. If you had
brothers and sisters at the same school, you also carried their lunches in your
lunch box. You just added more containers to your stack. It was usually the
older child who had to carry it to school.”Changes in the lunch-box fare: “Back
then, our lunch boxes featured these three different compartments for three
food groups. It was easy to open and was safe and secure. Today, everything is
taken in Ziploc bags, which are sometimes not so easy for the children to open
without spilling on themselves. Also, it’s all about processed fruits and
puddings in plastic containers. I do use the safe plastic box containers that
are easier to open. My boys and grandchildren would have a hard time carrying
the stacked lunch boxes today, so it’s the next best thing.”
SIMPLE PESTO
Any pasta will work for this pesto, but the more fanciful the
shape, the better. I recommend having the child pick it out.
·
1
1/2 ounces grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
·
2
medium cloves garlic
·
2
1/2 ounces frozen walnuts
·
6
ounces basil leaves
·
3/4
teaspoon salt
·
1/2
cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
·
1
pound pasta, cooked
In a food processor, pulse cheese, garlic, walnuts, basil, salt
and 1/4 cup olive oil until a little chunky. Scrape down sides.
Then running the processor, drizzle in the rest of the oil.
If making ahead of time, pack into a plastic bag or container and
freeze.
Add pesto to cooked pasta.
Makes approximately 1 cup.
— Sonja Finn
FRESH RICOTTA
CAVATELLI WITH ITALIAN SAUSAGE, RAPINI AND TOMATO
You could freeze the Ricotta Cavatelli before adding the sausage
and tomatoes.
·
2
Ricotta Cavatelli (see recipe below)
·
1/4
cup olive oil, plus oil for pasta water
·
2
loose Italian sausages (spicy or mild)
·
4
cloves garlic, sliced thinly
·
1/2
bunch rapini, thinly sliced
·
1-2
teaspoons red pepper flakes (optional)
·
3
cups whole Italian canned plum tomatoes with juice
·
1
tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped
·
Salt
and pepper to taste
·
1
1/2 cups fresh ricotta (room temperature)
·
Make
Ricotta Cavatelli.
In a 4-quart pot, add salt and oil to water. Bring water to boil
before cooking sausage.
Heat a large skillet and add olive oil. Crumble sausage into oil
and let it brown, breaking up large chunks with a spatula.
When sausage is browned, add garlic and rapini. Add red pepper
flakes, if desired. Stir until rapini is tender.
Roughly crush tomatoes with your hands and add with juice to
rapini-sausage mixture.
Put cavatelli in boiling water. Let cook until it floats and then
just a minute more.
Strain pasta and add to sausage mixture. Add fresh oregano and
toss together. Add seasonings.
Place in a large, shallow pasta bowl. Arrange dabs of ricotta
across the surface.
Serve immediately.
For Ricotta Cavatelli
·
1
pound Lamagna ricotta
·
3
eggs
·
4
cups all-purpose flour
Combine ricotta and eggs in mixer fitted with dough hook. Mix
well.
Add flour; mix for about 5 minutes. If dough is sticky, add a
little more flour and mix again.
Place dough onto counter. Wrap in plastic and allow to rest at
least 30 minutes.
Roll dough out to 1/2-inch thick. Then cut into 3/4-inch strips.
Roll through cavatelli maker onto lightly floured tray. Freeze
extra pasta.
— Bill Fuller
CHICKEN SUMMER
ROLLIt is quick and easy to make.
·
1
to 2 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breast
·
1/2
ounce olive oil
·
1
tapioca skin
·
1
ounce baby spinach
·
1
ounce brown rice
·
2
sprigs cilantro
·
1
ounce shredded carrots
·
2
slices of cucumber
Thinly slice meat. Wash in salt water; thoroughly rinse.
Pour olive oil in nonstick pan and sauté chicken on both sides
until done. Let cool; side slice the meat and keep ready for use in summer
roll.
Wet tapioca skin and lay flat on clean surface.
Spread spinach on top of tapioca skin. Then top with brown rice,
cilantro, carrots, cucumber and sliced chicken.
Tightly roll up tapioca skin.
Slice roll to desired thickness.
Makes approximately 5 pieces.
— Ling Robinson
Tags: Restaurants,
Chefs, Cooking, Food And Drink, Lifestyle, Agriculture, Industries, Business
Image: Steve Mellon,A summer roll by chef Ling Robinson. (Steve
Mellon/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette/TNS)
http://www.post-gazette.com/life/food/2015/08/19/Pack-to-school/stories/201508190007
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