News Headlines...
ü Rain deficit
slips back to 14% as monsoon resumes withdrawal
ü Attention to
rice sufficiency
ü Yingluck sues
attorney-general over rice case
ü Indonesia wants
to buy Thai, Vietnamese rice
ü Importing gram
daal
ü California
Resources Corp Now Covered by Johnson Rice (CRC)
ü Licences of
millers not using jute bags to be cancelled Inter-ministerial meeting decides
ü The eyes behind
the lensAsia-Pacific Analysis: Coping with big data in the digital age
ü The beleaguered
rice market: exports up, prices down
ü Rice farmers
react to low yields and Cuba trade
ü In Cuba,
Arkansas governor seeks to chip away at embargo
ü Japan could
concede 50,000 tons on rice to placate US
ü Final Worker
Protection Standards Rule a Litany of Overreach
ü CME
Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures
ü Japan considers
making new offer on U.S. rice in Atlanta TPP talks
ü Rice stocks ‘low
but enough’, says Jokowi
ü NFA’s 3rd
quarter rice distribution in Negros Occidental remains low
ü Vietnam Expects
45 Million Tonnes Of Rice This Year
ü Expert advice:
children should not to eat rice cakes due to risks of cancer
ü Buffalo meat
exports down by 30% on lower Chinese demand
ü Vietnam's Rice
Exports Face Difficulties
ü High local rice
prices draw in illegal Thai imports
ü Haryana to rope
in exporters as millers to boycott paddy purchase
ü APEDA Commodity
News from India
ü Eat to beat the
menopause: There's no need for a heart-sinking diet plan
News Detail...
Rain deficit slips back to 14% as monsoon
resumes withdrawal
VINSON KURIAN THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, SEPTEMBER 29:
With a day to go for the season, the rain deficit
during monsoon 2015 has slipped back to 14 per cent on Tuesday, two per cent
higher than estimated by the India Met Department.This emerged after a late
surge over Peninsular India and parts of North-West seems to have run out of
steam.
Also, the monsoon has resumed withdrawing from
north-west and adjoining Central India.
Exits
north-west
In one full swoop, it exited from entire Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, most of west Uttar Pradesh and parts of west Madhya Pradesh, east Gujarat and north Arabian Sea.The withdrawal line passed through Dharchula, Etawah, Guna, Ratlam, Ahmedabad and Dwarka on Tuesday, the Met said.
In one full swoop, it exited from entire Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, most of west Uttar Pradesh and parts of west Madhya Pradesh, east Gujarat and north Arabian Sea.The withdrawal line passed through Dharchula, Etawah, Guna, Ratlam, Ahmedabad and Dwarka on Tuesday, the Met said.
But
the monsoon held on its own over parts of the South, including in Tamil Nadu,
Puducherry and Andaman and Nicobar islands. This indicates that withdrawal from
the entire landmass will be delayed beyond September, in line with the trend observed
in the recent past.
‘Low’ forecast
Additionally,
a rain-generating low-pressure area is expected to be thrown up over the
Andaman Sea after a ‘monsoon pulse’ from across the seawaters meandered in and
has started evolving there.Model forecasts do not indicate the formation of a
major weather system depression/cyclone) but the ‘low’ may wander about in the
Central Bay of Bengal and trigger a surge of flows across southern
peninsula.The net result will be enhanced rain along the West Coast and the East
Coast and parts of interior peninsula for the next two weeks, a bulk of which
may fall beyond the scope of the southwest monsoon.The trigger is being
attributed to the evolving positive phase of the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) in
which the western part of the Indian Ocean warms up relative to the East, but
late for the current monsoon.
Beneficial impact
A positive phase of the IOD has traditionally had a
beneficial impact on the concurrent Indian monsoon.An Australian Bureau of
Meteorology update said that the positive IOD is evolving to be the strongest
one after the year 2006 event, first time in the history when it was replicated
in three successive years.Meanwhile, the late rains happening in the South may
get accounted for in the North-East monsoon that sets in normally in the
October 15-20 time band.Model forecasts show that the monsoon reverse might
reach fringes of South China Sea upstream by October 11.According to latest
forecasts by the US Centre for Climate Prediction, the West Coast, the East Coast
and parts of interior peninsula may stay wet right until mid-October.
(This article was published on September 29, 2015)
Attention to rice sufficiency
|
Published on: Tuesday, September 29, 2015
|
|
Kota Kinabalu: Various efforts have been carried
out by the Government to increase the level of self-sufficiency for the
country's rice production to meet the challenging demands of an increasing
population.Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman said the State had determined that
agriculture is an important sector that would spur the State's economic
development and progress."Our priority is to increase domestic food
production level in order to decrease our import bill which is already very
high and continues to rise."Therefore, rice production is an activity
which the State Government is paying very close attention to," he said at
the launching of the National Plantation Industry Conference and Exhibition,
Monday.His speech was read by Deputy Chief Minister cum Agriculture and Food
Industry Minister Datuk Seri Yahya Hussin.
Musa said the Government had agreed with the target of achieving
a self-sufficiency level of 60 per cent for the State's food security, taking
into account other factors such as economy, unpredictable weather and changes
in international trade policies."In 2014, Sabah had a total of 44,921
hectares of rice planted areas, producing 2.7 tonnes of rice per hectare. In
terms of infrastructure, since 2010, a total of RM42.9million had been spent in
Kota Belud for the upgrading of irrigation system so that harvesting can be
done twice a year with an estimated production of 55,090 metric tonnes per
year," he said.Musa said more attention should be given to research and
development activities based on technology and innovation which could
contribute to the increase of the nation's rice production as it moves towards
100 per cent self-sufficiency level.Meanwhile, Organising Executive Committee
Chairman Ahmad Fer-Rouse said Malaysia lies in 25th place in terms of rice production
in the world with China and India leading the pack, producing half of the
world's rice.
"However, Australia is the world's most efficient producer
of rice, producing an average of 8.7 tonnes of rice per hectare per year,
followed by Japan, and then China," he said.Ahmad added that Malaysia had
resolved to increase its rice production to meet the government's target for
full self-sufficiency in rice by 2015."The government's decision to
achieve 100 per cent self-sufficiency in rice could be due to the real threat
of world food crisis in 2008, where the country suddenly found itself unable to
guarantee sufficient rice for the nation in the three-months in
mid-2008."The food crisis in 2008 laid bare our persistent and perhaps
increasing food insecurity nightmare," he said.At the moment, Malaysia had
decreased its level of dependence on imported rice by 70 per cent.
During the next two days, Ahmad said the conference will be
hearing from expert speakers who would share their insights on whether rice
productivity had increased since then and what are the current
politico-socio-economic trends that affect Malaysians' lifestyle that in turn
influence their eating habit.The biennial conference, with this year's theme of
'Rice Industry Towards 100% Self-Sufficiency Level' will discuss and deliberate
on various issues concerning the rice industry by experts such as governance
and policies, investment opportunities, research and development as well as
human capital and talent management.
Yingluck sues attorney-general over rice
case
29 Sep 2015 at 13:18
WRITER: ONLINE
REPORTERS
Former
prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra and former prime minister Somchai Wongsuwan
arrive at the Criminal Court on Tuesday morning to file abuse of authority
charges against the attorney general and three prosecutors handling the rice
scheme corruption brought case against her. (Photo by Apchart Jinakul)
Former
prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra on Tuesday sued attorney-general Trakul
Winitnaiyaphak and three other prosecutors in the Criminal Court for alleged
abuse of power in handling the case against her in connection with her
government's controversial rice-pledging scheme.
In her
lawsuit, Ms Yingluck accused Mr Trakul, Chutichai Sakhakorn, Surasak
Treerattrakul and Kittinan Thatpramuk of violating Sections 83, 157 and
200 of the Criminal Code, causing damage to others in their handling of the
case against her in the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of
Political Positions.Ms Yingluck was accompanied by former prime minister
Somchai Wongsawat and lawyer Sommai Koosap when she arrived at the court
this morning.In the lawsuit, Ms Yingluck said there were three contentious
points in the case against her. These involved the rice-pledging
scheme, the alleged dereliction of duty, and the alleged corruption.
The
attorney-general had failed to further investigate these points as
required by the Criminal Procedures Code for holders of political positions,
thus putting her at a disadvantage. Instead, the attorney-general decided
to indict her in the Supreme Court only one hour before the National
Legislative Assembly voted to impeach her, Ms Yingluck said.She further stated
that in the indictment the prosecutors said she knew there were corrupt
practices in the scheme, and allowed them to continue. This accusation was
made by the prosecutors, in addition to what the NACC originally stated in its
investigation report, she said.
Moreover,
during the court procedure, the prosecutors submitted an additional
60,000 pages of documents for inclusion in the case. These documents had
not been used in evidence during the investigation by the NACC and a
subsequent joint task force comprising the NACC and prosecutors, Ms
Yingluck. This was illegal, she alleged.After filing the case, Ms Yingluck
said she was exercising her right to defend herself.The NACC last year
petitioned the NLA to impeach Ms Yingluck, accusing her of dereliction of duty
while prime minister in failing to stop corruption and massive financial
losses in her government's rice-pledging scheme.On Jan 22, the NLA voted
to impeach Ms Yingluck. As a result, Ms Yingluck has been banned from political
office for five years.
On the
same day, before the NLA's impeachment vote, Mr Trakul, the attorney-general,
announced his decision to indict her in the Supreme Court's Criminal Division
for Holders of Political Positions over the rice-pledging scheme, as
requested by the NACC.The NACC concluded that the implementation of the rice
scheme from 2011 to 2014 resulted in a posted loss of 518 billion baht, meaning
about 200 billion baht per year, and the state would take about three decades
to repay the debts resulting from the loss incurred using the taxpayers' money.
Bangkok
Post
Indonesia wants to buy Thai, Vietnamese
rice
29 Sep 2015 at 11:57
WRITER: ONLINE
REPORTERS
A Thai farmer harvests rice by hand, using a
sickle.(Bangkok Post file photo by Panupong Changchai)
Indonesia
wants to import 1.5 million tonnes of rice from Thailand and Vietnam by next
January as the effect of the El Nino weather phenomenon has cut domestic
supply.Chookiat Ophaswongse, honourary president of the Thai Rice Exporters
Association, said the Indonesian government announced plans to buy rice through
government-to-government deals and its representatives would soon begin
negotiations.
Prices
could vary as Thai rice was better and more expensive than Vietnamese rice, Mr
Chookiat said.Indonesia might have to import from other sources too because
Thailand and Vietnam may not be able to fill the 1.5-million-tonne demand
within Indonesia's timeframe, he said.Indonesia wanted the
rice between November and January. Its own rice harvest season
would start in March, he said."The 1.5 million tonnes that Indonesia needs
is white rice 5% and 15% broken, and it must be new rice. It is good the
Thai rice harvest late this year has a market," he said.In the first nine
months of this year, Thailand exported nearly 7 million tonnes of rice and the
Commerce Ministry is confident the export target of 10 million tonnes will be
realised this year, Post Today reported.
Bangkok Post
Importing gram daal
Part – I
The news that Pakistan was going to import 50,000 tons
of daal channa drew my attention. We, an agricultural country with vast tracts
of uncultivated land and an abundance of water, importing daal?
But first the cowardly terrorist attack on the PAF Colony at Badaber, Peshawar. This barbarous attack has once again shown that terrorists can hardly be called human, let alone Muslims. Human life means nothing to them. Thanks to the bravery of air force and army personnel, an even bigger tragedy was averted. Still, 29 innocent people lost their lives, mostly in the mosque during prayers. May Allah Almighty shower His blessing on the departed souls – Ameen. The armed forces and the public should join hands in hunting down all terrorists once and for all. Imran Khan and Pervez Khattak should put their house in order instead of wasting all their time and energy on politics.Now back to daal. Pakistan is an agricultural country and it accounts for about 25 percent of our GDP.
About half of our labour force is engaged in this
important sector. Due to irregular rainfall, most agriculture is dependent on
water supplied through almost 40,000 miles of irrigation canals – the longest
in the world. Wheat is the main crop, followed by rice, millet, maize, pulses,
barley, fruits, vegetables, Basmati rice and cotton.
The agricultural sector plays an important part in the
economy, not only by providing food for the people, but also by earning almost
75 percent of the foreign exchange earned from exports. About half the working
population is employed in agriculture, thus providing livelihoods for the rural
population and raw materials for many industries. How ironic is it then that we
need to import channa daal. We have large tracts of so-called non-fertile,
sandy land, ideally suited for peanut and gram cultivation. The government
should encourage farmers and help them to utilise this unused land with the
available manpower. This can be done if the problem is tackled
seriously.Lebanon’s late famous philosopher/poet, Gibran Khalil Gibran, the
third-most best selling poet of all times (behind Shakespeare and Laozi),
portrayed people like us with these words:
“Pity the nation that is full of beliefs and empty of religion./Pity the nation that wears cloth it does not weave,/eats bread it does not harvest,/drinks wine that flows not from its own wine press.“Pity the nation that acclaims the bully as hero/that deems the glittering conqueror bountiful./Pity the nation that raises not its voice save when it wakes in a funeral,/boasts not except among its ruins/and will rebel not save when its neck is laid between the sword and the block.”If we read ‘curse’ instead of ‘pity’, ‘dictator’ for ‘bully’ and ‘medals and badges’ for ‘glittering conqueror’, we have a true picture of our country.The PM recently announced an attractive package for farmers. If honestly implemented, it can go a long way to help them. However, some critics are calling it a gimmick to cheat farmers in connection with the forthcoming local bodies elections.
“Pity the nation that is full of beliefs and empty of religion./Pity the nation that wears cloth it does not weave,/eats bread it does not harvest,/drinks wine that flows not from its own wine press.“Pity the nation that acclaims the bully as hero/that deems the glittering conqueror bountiful./Pity the nation that raises not its voice save when it wakes in a funeral,/boasts not except among its ruins/and will rebel not save when its neck is laid between the sword and the block.”If we read ‘curse’ instead of ‘pity’, ‘dictator’ for ‘bully’ and ‘medals and badges’ for ‘glittering conqueror’, we have a true picture of our country.The PM recently announced an attractive package for farmers. If honestly implemented, it can go a long way to help them. However, some critics are calling it a gimmick to cheat farmers in connection with the forthcoming local bodies elections.
Almost 80 percent of the world population is engaged in
agriculture. The developed countries have a very well-planned infrastructure
for the preparation and cultivation of crops, storage, use of proper
fertilizers to minimise dangerous side effects, etc. Even though fewer people
depend on agriculture in those countries, their expenditure on it is relatively
high. This is done to ensure good and clean food and water. We badly lack
initiative and infrastructure in this field. Our nation faces two serious
problems – a fast-growing population and the use of fertile land for housing
schemes, thus destroying millions of acres of arable land. We must tackle these
problems on a war footing or face dire consequences.
Being well aware of the corrupt and inefficient system
in vogue in the country, I had suggested that the army chief utilise his
efficient and organised manpower for the development of the country and the
welfare of its people. In this connection I would like to mention the large
tracts of land between Islamabad and Lahore that consist of unused, soft land
which has been rendered useless due to heavy rains and erosion.
If the government provided some heavy duty machinery to
the army and levelled the land in question without any cost to the owners, it
would immediately become ready for cultivation – beneficial both to farmers and
the government. We must be proactive, not reactive only. Foresight is the need
of the day – foresight to see what can be done rather than sitting by
helplessly. Didn’t Almighty Allah tell us that we get only what we strive for?
After the Indian nuclear explosion there was no doubt
in my mind that our very existence and sovereignty was in jeopardy. I did not
hesitate to offer my services and, by the end of 1975 we moved to Pakistan
without asking for any special favours.
There were many intrigues, but we stuck it out for the
sake of the country. It took six months before I received my first salary –
Rs3,000. Then, after giving it our all for 25 years and after my patriotic
colleagues and I had made this country into a formidable nuclear and missile
power, I retired with a monthly pension of Rs446. I did not ask for, or accept,
a single yard of land or any other favour. The technology I gave to Pakistan
free-of-cost was worth billions of dollars. Money was not the motivation,
patriotism was.
What I would like to emphasise here is that it is time
to act, not sit and daydream. Dreams alone achieve nothing. One needs foresight
and hard work to achieve goals. Dying for one’s country is the supreme
sacrifice but making one’s country strong so one can live honestly and
peacefully is a real service. Bragging and boasting about bravery is of no use
without practical and immediate action.
To be continued
To be continued
Email: dr.a.quadeer.khan@gmail.com
The News International
California Resources Corp Now Covered by
Johnson Rice (CRC)
Equities research analysts at Johnson Rice assumed coverage
on shares of California Resources Corp (NYSE:CRC) in a research note issued to investors on Friday, The
Fly reports. The firm set an “accumulate” rating on the stock.A
number of other analysts have also recently issued reports on the stock.
Goldman Sachs initiated coverage on shares of California Resources Corp in a
research report on Monday, June 8th. They set a “sell” rating for the company. Bank of America
lowered their price objective on
shares of California Resources Corp from $15.00 to $12.00 and set a “buy”
rating for the company in a research report on Monday, August 4th. Zacks raised shares of California
Resources Corp from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $6.25 target
price on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 1st.
Finally, Societe Generale
initiated coverage on shares of California Resources Corp in a research note on
Tuesday, July 14th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $7.00 price target on the stock. Two research
analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold
rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. The company
has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $9.19.Shares of
California Resources Corp (NYSE:CRC) traded up
5.13% during midday trading
on Friday, hitting $2.46. The stock had a trading volume
of 5,262,582 shares.
The stock’s 50-day moving average price is
$3.34 and its 200 day moving average price is $6.14. California Resources Corp
has a 52 week low of $2.28 and a 52 week high of $9.86. The company’s market
cap is $950.49 million. California Resources Corp
(NYSE:CRC) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The
company reported ($0.18) EPS for the quarter, meeting the Zacks’ consensus
estimate of ($0.18). The business had revenue of $634 million for the quarter,
compared to analysts’ expectations of $601.80 million. On average, equities
analysts forecast that California Resources Corp will post ($0.83) earnings per
share for the current year.The firm also recently announced a quarterly
dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 15th. Shareholders of record
on Thursday, September 10th will be given a dividend of $0.01 per share.
This represents a $0.04 dividend
on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.71%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 8th.In
related news, CEO Todd A. Stevens bought 10,000 shares of the stock in a
transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 11th. The stock was bought at an
average cost of $4.00 per share, for a total transaction of $40,000.00. The
purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed
through this link.California Resources Corporation (NYSE:CRC) is an independent
oil and natural gas exploration and production company, operating properties
exclusively within the State of California.
The Company has a mineral acreage
consisting of approximately 2.4 million net acres spanning the state’s four oil
and gas basins. The Company’s four oil
and gas basins include San Joaquin Basin, Los Angeles Basin, Ventura Basin and
Sacramento Basin. It operates an average of approximately 26 drilling rigs
across the state. It drilled approximately 1,048 development wells with
approximately 847 wells in the San Joaquin basin, approximately 177 in the Los
Angeles basin, approximately 21 in the Ventura basin and approximately 3 in the
Sacramento basin. It also drilled approximately 9 exploration wells in the San
Joaquin basin, approximately 4 in the Ventura basin and 1 in the Sacramento
basin.
http://www.financialwisdomworks.com/california-resources-corp-now-covered-by-johnson-rice-crc/54364/
Licences of millers not using
jute bags to be cancelled Inter-ministerial meeting decides
Arafat Ara
Posted : 29 Sep, 2015 00:00:00
"If
any rice miller violates the condition, his licence will be cancelled by the
authorities concerned," Mirza Azam told the FE. He said while giving fresh licences or
renewal of the same, the department of food will set a condition to the
applicants on compulsory use of jute sacks to pack their products. While
allocating loans to the traders and millers of selected products including
rice, paddy, maize, fertiliser, and sugar etc Bangladesh Bank also will set
condition for use of jute-made bags.Departments and organisations under
ministries of Agriculture and Industries will have to use jute bags to pack
their products.
Bangladesh
Jute Mills Corporation (BJMC) and Bangladesh Jute Mills Association (BJMA) will
supply jute bags according to the specification of the products.The meeting
also decided to continue mobile court drives against violators of the
'Mandatory Jute Packaging Act 2010'. The
state minister said they will go for tougher action against the non-compliers
of the act and continue raids at all places from the next month.While talking
about the outcome of earlier drives, the minister said due to political unrest
they could not be strict to the millers as their overall business was
dull."But now there is no scope to violate the law," he said adding
that anyhow the sale of jute bags has to be increased as the sector is facing
trouble because of lower demand of the products in international market.
If
the use of jute bags is not increased, jute millers will face a major setback,
the state minister added.BJMA chairman Shams-uz Zoha said they have a
production capacity of 600 million bags a year. "If the local demand
increases, they will be able to supply the same."BJMC chairman Humayun
Khaled said they presently supply bags according to the specification of sugar
and fertiliser industries.If the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution
(BSTI) gives specification, they will produce bags as per their requirement, he
added.
Jute secretary Farid Uddin Ahmed Chowdhury and director general of
Department of Jute Muazzem Hossain, among others, were present at the
meeting.Meanwhile, sector insiders have identified short supply of jute-made
bags, higher cost of the same compared with plastic-made ones and lax enforcement
of law as major factors behind their poor use.Around 400 mobile courts launched
drives since the mandatory jute packaging act was made effective on January 1,
2014, according to Department of Jute.Each violator will face imprisonment up
to one year or a penalty of Tk 50,000 or both the penalties will be imposed
considering the degree of non-compliance.
arafat_ara@hotmail.com
http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/2015/09/29/109648#sthash.AHt42UxS.dpuf
The eyes behind the lens
Alaric Santiaguel | Sep 29, 2015
When David Leprozo, Jr. took up photography as a hobby at 13, he
never thought it would lead him to a career of preserving the culture of the
Philippine Cordilleras through his photos. Now in his early 50s, Mr. Leprozo
has become an emissary of the geographic region, where he was born and raised,
showcasing its traditions around the world.
Let the viewing begin! OIC of the
Operations Division of the DA-Cordillera Administrative Region Virgie Tapat;
Honorable Congressman Teddy Baguilat, Jr.; IRRI Director General Robert
Zeigler; David Leprozo, Jr.; and IRRI Director for External Relations Corinta
Guerta officially open the photo exhibit. (Photo: I. Serrano)
The photo exhibit is a tribute to
the culture and ingenuity of the Cordilleran people according to Dr. Casiana
Vera-Cruz. (Photo: I. Serrano)
“We are really honoring the rice culture of the Cordilleras here,”
said IRRI scientist Casiana
Vera Cruz at the opening of the Rice Culture of the Cordilleras. “It underscores the importance of
the contribution of the indigenous people through their knowledge system in
conserving heirloom rice. This exhibit jives well with HRP’s objectives. It
reflects the slogan of the project, which is capturing value and preserving the
heritage of the Cordilleras.” HRP was one of the sponsors of Mr. Leprozo’s
exhibit at Riceworld Museum.Mr. Leprozo considers his photos as art, social
commentary, and documentation of the cultural identities that are starting to
merge with modernity.
The wandering son returns. In his
youth Teddy Baguilat, Jr. left Ifugao Province to seek higher education and
livelihood as most young people are wont to do. He returned in 1991 to serve
his fellow Cordillerans. (Photo: I. Serrano)
“There was a time when I believed that, for the rice terraces to
survive, the Ifugaos should stay in Ifugao. Now, I’ve become more pragmatic,”
he said. “My deal with the Cordillerans is that, at least one of their children
or one of their inheritors should stay behind to take care of our ancestral
heritage. Those who migrated and are now working in cities and overseas should
at least support those who stayed behind.”Mr. Leprozo’s work plays a role in
keeping the relationship between those who left and those who stayed vibrant
and strong. “Dave has donated a lot of his photos to our compatriots overseas,”
said Congressman Baguilat. “I hope that through David’s eyes, people can
get a glimpse of how important the rice terraces, heirloom rice, and the life
of the Cordillerans are.”
http://ricetoday.irri.org/the-eyes-behind-the-lens/
Asia-Pacific Analysis: Coping
with big data in the digital age
As we navigate the digital age, we are increasingly challenged
by information overload. We now have more data at our fingertips, but are we any wiser? How does society
handle so much knowledge? How can people use it?
This has given rise to the big data phenomenon, which refers
simply to a set of data that are too huge, so large and complex that traditional
data processing applications are inadequate. Big data has given rise to a new field of data
science and practitioners called data scientists. [1]
What these scientists
do is to make sense of the data. The work they do refers to the use of
predictive analytics or other certain advanced methods to extract value from
data and present them in understandable forms. Accurate data are needed for more
confident decision-making by governments, businesses, science institutions, and policymakers. And
better decisions mean greater efficiency, reduced cost, minimised risk and
positive results. But big data
cannot be grasped easily. It has to be packaged in small parcels in some
logical order and visualised. Enter the new field of data visualisation. This
refers to the techniques used to communicate big data by encoding it as visual
objects contained in graphics. The purpose is tocommunicate information
clearly and effectively.
“Big data can be a boon or a bane. We can let the statistics
overwhelm us, or we can visualise and use them to improve our life.”
By Crispin Maslog
Data visualisation tools are not just the usual charts and graphs used in Excel spreadsheets. They display data in more sophisticated ways such as infographics, dials and gauges, geographic maps, spark lines, heat maps, and detailed bars, pie and fever charts. The images may also be interactive, allowing users to manipulate them for querying and analysis. Most software vendors embed data visualisation tools into their products.
Big data on fish and rice
An early example of big data is FishBase, the largest and most
extensively accessed online database on adult finfish on the web. The site is
owned and managed by a consortium of universities, fishery centres and museums, as well as the FAO (UN Food and
Agriculture Organization). FishBase
provides comprehensive species data, including information on taxonomy,
geographical distribution, biometrics and morphology, behaviour and habitats,
ecology and population dynamics as well as reproductive, metabolic and genetic
data. It has links to information in other databases. [2]
Official FishBase information sheet indicated that
their database included descriptions of 33,000 freshwater and marine species
and subspecies with information on 304,500 common names in some 300 languages,
distribution ecology, taxonomy, population dynamics (growth life, length-width,
etc.) and actual photos, and references to 51,600 works in the scientific
literature. The site has about 800,000 unique visitors per month. Such an impressive database can be
useful in research and teaching, decision-making and management of aquatic
biodiversity, and in monitoring how climate change affects species richness.
Data is provided by over 2,000 collaborators all over the world. In fact,
because of demand for database covering other aquatic lifeforms other than
fish, a spinoff was created in 2006 called SeaLifeBase.
Another more recent example of big data is the 3,000
Rice Genomes Project (3K RGP) launched this September by three rice research
institutions — the Philippine-based International Rice Research Institute
(IRRI), the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences and the Beijing Genomics
Institute. The program has sequenced 3,024 rice varieties from 89 countries. “This massive dataset is a powerful
resource for understanding natural genetic variation in rice as well as for
large-scale discovery of new genes associated with economically important
traits,” says Kenneth McNally, senior scientist at IRRI’s T.T. Chang Genetic
Resources Center. [2]
McNally adds: “The 3K RGP will speed up tremendously the pace of
developing improved rice varieties to feed a growing population, estimated to
reach more than 9.6 billion by 2050, with half of humanity eating rice.” [2]
At the launching of the genome project, IRRI bioinformatics specialist Nickolai
Alexandrov explained that data on 3,000 rice genomes can help scientists
discover new locus-trait associations, find causative genome variations and
introduce new varieties to breeding programs. The
IRRI-based international rice gene bank stores more than 127,000 rice varieties
and accessions from all over the world. Up
to this point, Alexandrov tells SciDev.Net,
access to the wealth of information about the hundred thousand plus rice
varieties had been inadequate because in the old system, running “SNP-calling
pipeline at IRRI’s server took about six hours for one genome, and 18,000 hours
(750 days) for 3,000 genomes”. The
new 3K RGP data analysis set is massive at 120 terabytes, which is well beyond
the computing capacities of most research institutions.
Big data visualisation
The 3K RGP will thus make this gold mine of rice varieties
easily accessible to scientists from all over the world. Rice breeders will now
be able to mine the big data at IRRI for rice traits that include higher
nutritional quality, tolerance of pests, diseases, environmental stresses such
as flood and drought, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions. “The great thing about the release of
this dataset is that it is immediately useable,” says McNally. “It comes with
tools to help researchers visualise and analyse genetic information.” The
dataset is now available online, as an Amazon Web Services public data set.
Accessing the data is free.
Big data can be a boon or a bane. We can let the statistics
overwhelm us, or we can visualise and use them to improve our life — inform our
policies, plan our cities, improve our yields from the earth and seas, conquer
sickness, mitigate disasters and predict the future. Crispin Maslog is a former journalist and
science journalism professor at the University of the Philippines Los Baños and
director of the Silliman School of Journalism, Philippines. He is a consultant
of the Asian Institute of Journalism and Communication and board chairperson of
the Asian Media Information and Communication Centre, both based in Manila.
This article has been produced by
SciDev.Net's South-East Asia & Pacific desk.
References
[1] Wikipedia Big data
[2] International Rice Research Institute Big data on 3,000 rice genomes available on the AWS Cloud (IRRI, accessed 22 Sept. 2015)
[2] International Rice Research Institute Big data on 3,000 rice genomes available on the AWS Cloud (IRRI, accessed 22 Sept. 2015)
http://www.scidev.net/asia-pacific/data/analysis-blog/asia-pacific-analysis-coping-with-big-data-in-the-digital-a 29/09/2015
The beleaguered rice market:
exports up, prices down
VietNamNet Bridge - The bulk rice exports to the
Philippines under the government-to-government market have not helped raise
rice prices.
The rice price in the Mekong River Delta did not move
up in the last week despite the news about Vietnam’s attending the bid to
provide 750,000 tons of rice to the Philippines later this year and early next
year. The price even at times decreased slightly.
In the past, the price would go up at least by VND100 per kilo right after the news about the bidding.Nong Nghiep Viet Nam quoted rice suppliers as saying that merchants and exporters have not put high hopes on the bidding; therefore, merchants did not speed up the rice collection from farmers.
In the past, the price would go up at least by VND100 per kilo right after the news about the bidding.Nong Nghiep Viet Nam quoted rice suppliers as saying that merchants and exporters have not put high hopes on the bidding; therefore, merchants did not speed up the rice collection from farmers.
They also lacked information, and Vietnam’s rice price
has fallen sharply in the world market as well. A rice exporter said
though Vietnam’s 5 percent broken rice now sells at $330 per ton only,
the sale has been going
very slowly. Meanwhile, Vietnam exported only 4 million tons of rice by
the end of August, leaving a big inventory.Vietnamese rice exporters have had
to struggle to win every rice export contract this year. Major export items – 5
percent, 15 percent and 25 percent broken rice – all have been selling very
slowly. Only broken rice products have been selling well because the
Chinese government, while restricting rice imports from Vietnam with a quota
scheme, allowed Chinese importers to import broken rice without licenses.A
branch of the Northern Food Corporation (Vinafood 1) reportedly exported 40,000
tons of broken rice this year thanks to high demand from China.
The rice exporter complained that Vietnamese businesses
were meeting big difficulties in negotiating with importers because of
‘spies’.Some rice survey firms, which try to keep good relations with foreign
rice importers as they hope to be chosen as rice inspection service providers
for the importers, have been regularly providing information to them about rice
prices in Vietnam. The importers use the information they get from their
partners – survey firms – in negotiating with Vietnamese rice exporters and
then try to force the prices down.
In
many cases, rice importers have forced Vietnamese exporters to lower the
selling prices the two sides had agreed to before, because they had heard about
the domestic price decrease.In the latest news, Manila Bulletin has reported
that Vietnam won the right to provide 450,000 tons of rice to the Philippines
in a bid invited by the Filipino National Food Agency (NFA) at $426.6 per ton,
lower than the ceiling price set by NFA at $426.83 per ton.
“Really a typical weather from both extremely hot at times to
extremely cold windows really threw farmers for a loop as far as their ultimate
yield goals at the end,” said Jarrod Hardke of the University of Arkansas Dept.
of Agriculture.Lower yields equals less money. If crops yield 10 percent less,
that's an impact of more than $84 million dollars across the state.“A 5 to 10
percent production yield and a decline in prices can take away 100 percent of
your profits,” said Coker.
Hutchinson is holding a phone conference Tuesday on the status of
his visit. He returns to Arkansas on Wednesday.
Watch video on
http://www.katv.com/story/30135781/rice-farmers-react-to-low-yields-and-cuba-trade
In Cuba, Arkansas governor seeks to chip
away at embargo
HAVANA |
Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Monday urged
the U.S. Congress to allow food companies to sell to Cuba on credit, favoring
it as a first step in a gradual repeal of sanctions against the Communist-led
island.Hutchinson, a Republican, is the first U.S. governor to visit Cuba since
Washington and Havana restored diplomatic relations in July after a 54-year
break.He leads an Arkansas trade delegation, seeking an edge as states jockey
to take advantage of the U.S. opening to Cuba. Democratic New York Gov. Andrew
Cuomo led a similar delegation in April.U.S. President Barack Obama has used
executive authority to relax parts of the comprehensive trade embargo of Cuba
and has asked Congress to lift it completely.Hutchinson, a former member of
Congress and senior official in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, called
the extension of credit "the logical next step.
""That doesn't require the full
lifting of the embargo," Hutchinson said in an interview. "Once that
is done, then let's see commerce be extended and increase. Hopefully the rules
of the Cuban government will be more relaxed as well. And then ... Congress
will take additional steps down the road."The Senate appropriations
committee in July passed a measure sponsored by Sen. John Boozman of Arkansas
to allow credit sales, but Republican leaders in the Senate and House have yet
to show they would allow it to come to a floor vote."They have to hear
from the American people," Hutchinson said of Republicans in Congress.
"I don't think big business should drive this decision."The United
States authorized cash-only agricultural exports to Cuba in 2000, creating up
to $30 million a year in sales from Arkansas, the leading rice-producing state
and home to meat giant Tyson Foods Inc.
Those once-booming sales have faltered because
Cuba prefers to buy on credit.If credit were extended, "We would seen an
immediate surge of business all across the board," said Jaime Saide,
Tyson's director of sales for Latin America and the Caribbean.Hutchinson said
such a first step would build confidence between the two sides and possibly
lead Cuba to embrace more free-market reforms, citing China and Vietnam as
Communist countries that have accommodated foreign investors."So it's got
to be not only steps by the United States, but appropriate responses by the
Cuban government," Hutchinson said.
Japan could concede 50,000
tons on rice to placate US
TOKYO
-- Japan may use a system set in a previous trade agreement to add up to 50,000
tons of tariff-free U.S. rice imports to the pot as the two nations seek to
close the gap on rice in Trans-Pacific Partnership talks.
Japan has
proposed a duty-free import quota of 70,000 tons of U.S. rice per year, with
the current tariff of 341 yen ($2.81) per kilogram applied to imports over that
amount. The U.S. is holding firm to demands for a quota of 175,000 tons. While Japan is set against raising the TPP
quota itself, the government is considering allocating 50,000 more tons of an
existing 770,000-ton duty-free rice quota to medium-grain and other varieties
of rice that the U.S. agricultural sector produces particularly well. The quota
was established at the Uruguay Round of the General Agreement on Tariffs and
Trade, and accounts for total rice imports from all countries worldwide.
The additional 50,000 tons would not, in theory, go exclusively to
the U.S. But the country would likely account for the majority of the rice
imported under the system. No alteration would be made to the 770,000-ton limit
overall, effectively reducing other countries' shares in favor of the U.S.
The two countries have already effectively agreed that Japan will
cut the tariff on U.S. beef from 38.5% to 9% over 15 years. But the period over
which the U.S. will remove the tariff on Japanese autos is not yet decided. The
U.S. wants to maintain a tariff for as long as possible, while Japan wants the
tax removed in short order.
http://asia.nikkei.com/Politics-Economy/International-Relations/Japan-could-concede-50-000-tons-on-rice-to-placate-US
|
Final Worker Protection
Standards Rule a Litany of Overreach
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
McCarthy said the rule is allied with Environmental
Justice concerns to protect minority farmworkers.
According to McCarthy, these and other requirements
will cost farm owners about $400 per year. McCarthy then thanked
federal partners the U.S. Department of Agriculture, who worked on the rule,
and the Department of Justice which EPA will collaborate with in the
future. USA Rice submitted 10 pages of comments early in the process
that focused on contradictory statements in the rule, issues of apparent
privacy violations, a lack of understanding of rural areas, and availability
of immediate healthcare facilities, and grossly understated costs of the rule
to farm owners.
In her only nod to public comments, McCarthy stated
that pesticide warning signs were not being changed as proposed, thanks to
comments from farmworker advocacy groups who liked the current signs.
Department of Labor (DOL) Secretary Thomas Perez
echoed the work with EPA and other federal partners on "this law
enforcement" issue, citing the need for a safe working environment,
justice, and good housing for farm workers and stated that DOL will play an
aggressive role in this process with the agricultural community. He
noted the rule also contains a robust anti-retaliation program that aligns
with OSHA requirements.
Perez handed the call off to Arturo Rodriguez,
president of the United Farm Workers who cited their past work in protecting
farm workers from pesticides and lauded the whistleblower protections in the
new rule.
The rule is not yet published in the Federal Register
but will go into effect 60 days after publication. Deadline for
compliance with the rule will be sometime in the winter of 2016-17. USA
Rice staff will continue to analyze the rule for its impact on rice.
Contact: Michael Klein (703) 236-1458
|
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|
CME Group/Closing Rough Rice
Futures
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|
CME Group (Prelim): Closing Rough Rice Futures
for September 29
|
Japan considers making new
offer on U.S. rice in Atlanta TPP talks
KYODO
SEP
29, 2015
ATLANTA – Japan is considering sweetening the pot for U.S. rice
farmers in a bid to reach agreement on the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a source
close to the matter said Monday.As talks resumed on Saturday between the United
States, Japan and 10 other countries negotiating the bloc in Atlanta,
Washington and Tokyo remained at odds over rice imports, a heavily protected
staple in Japan.Tokyo earlier proposed a 70,000-ton tariff-free annual import
quota for U.S. rice under the trade pact talks, but that was far short of the
175,000 tons demanded by U.S. officials.
Tokyo
is now looking at a proposal where it will allocate 50,000 tons for medium-grain
rice within an existing 770,000-ton quota for all rice imports set under an
earlier multilateral trade agreement, the source said. The allocation would
benefit U.S. farmers.
Japan
currently imposes 778 percent tariffs on rice to protect local farmers. But
following the Uruguay Round of global trade talks under the General Agreement
on Tariffs and Trade framework through 1994, it created a 770,000-ton
tariff-free “minimum access” rice import quota. U.S. rice accounted for some
360,000 tons of the 770,000 tons in fiscal 2014.U.S. farmers are likely to make
up most of the 50,000 tons that would be allotted to medium-grain rice,
boosting American rice imports to Japan while squeezing allocations from other
countries such as Thailand, China and Australia.The idea was taken under
consideration as the Japanese minister in charge of TPP negotiations prepared
to attend ministerial talks from Wednesday in Atlanta.
Economic and Fiscal Policy Minister Akira Amari, who is in charge
of TPP discussions for Japan, told reporters ahead of his departure that
agreement must be reached at the meeting to keep negotiations from dragging on
without progress, as they have for months. He said they might otherwise take
years to conclude.Some countries believe a deal must be struck ahead of the
general election in Canada next month and before the national focus in the
United States shifts later this year to the 2016 presidential election.
Such political events will make it hard for politicians in those
countries to concentrate on TPP issues, analysts said.Major sticking points
such as intellectual property protection and automotive trade prevented
ministers from wrapping up negotiations in the previous round in Hawaii in
July.The TPP negotiations were launched in 2010 and involve the United States,
Australia, Brunei, Chile, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam. Malaysia,
Mexico, Canada and Japan joined the talks at a later date.
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/09/29/business/japan-considers-making-new-offer-u-s-rice-atlanta-tpp-talks/#.Vgu_HvlVikp
Rice
stocks ‘low but enough’, says Jokowi
Ina Parlina, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Headlines | Tue,
September 29 2015, 6:06 PM
Rice tip: President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo (third right) hosts a luncheon with rice businesspeople at his office in
Jakarta on Monday. Jokowi, whose administration has been struggling to rein in
prices of basic commodities, called on his guests to put public good above
profits.(Presidential Secretariat/Laily Rachev)
While acknowledging that Indonesia’s
rice stocks of 1.7 million tons are among the lowest in Asia, President Joko
“Jokowi” Widodo has insisted they are enough to see out the year.“Our [rice]
stocks are very low if compared with other countries’. Do you know the volume
of China’s rice stocks? 40 million tons. The Philippines has how much? 2.5
million tons, even though their population is only 90 million,” Jokowi said
during a lunch gathering with a number of rice millers and traders at the State
Palace on Monday.The President, who recently said Indonesia would not need to
import rice despite the low stocks and a possible decline in production brought
about by an extended dry season, said Indonesia’s rice stocks would ideally
exceed 10 million tons.
The Vice President also pledged
not to repeat the mistake made by then president Soeharto in 1997 when he
failed to respond to drought-induced shortages in rice production, leading to
soaring rice prices and social unrest.Bulog claimed to be optimistic that the
current stock of 1.7 million tons of rice would be sufficient until December,
although the agency also described the supply level of below 2 million tons as
“alarming”. “Of course it’s alarming, but it is up to the government to
decide the next step,” Bulog corporate secretary Djoni Nur Ashari told The Jakarta Post. He denied that the agency lacked
enough rice to carry out “market operations”, in which the agency balances rice
prices by selling its reserves cheaply.
Meanwhile, agricultural experts
advised the government to obtain more valid data on the country’s price
production so that it could act appropriately to anticipate a possible shortage
of supply.ustanul Arifin of the Institute for Development of Economics and
Finance (Indef) economic think tank urged the government to be more open about
the real situation and not to consider imports a disgrace. “In an emergency
situation like this, imports don’t mean failure. Openness would support their
policy credibility,” Bustanul said.“Don’t leave people guessing, questioning —
there will be severe consequences. The government will lose its credibility if
it insists it won’t import rice, then suddenly does,” he added.
The government, he suggested,
would do no harm by offsetting a potential rice shortage with imports, preventing
price increases between November and January. Bogor Agricultural Institute
(IPB) professor Dwi Andreas Santosa said that data accuracy was vital to proper
policy-making.He voiced concern over the accuracy of rice-production
estimations, with a surplus of 10.5 million tons predicted by the Agriculture
Ministry, without taking account into harvest failures brought about by
drought. “Any policy formulated has to be based on accurate data,” Dwi
said.He urged the government to organize data collection free from vested
interests in view of the potentially disastrous consequences of
miscalculations. (fsu)
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/09/29/rice-stocks-low-enough-says-ejokowi.html#sthash.QFEugoNe.dpuf
NFA’s 3rd quarter rice
distribution in Negros Occidental remains low
Tuesday, September 29, 2015
THE National Food Authority (NFA) in Negros Occidental still has
low rice distribution for the third quarter just like in the second quarter
following much higher distribution rates from January to March this year.NFA
Negros Occidental records showed that of the target 125,000 bags of rice in
July, only 16, 900 bags or about 14 percent were distributed while in August,
only 14,017 bags or 14 percent of the targeted 100,000 bags.This September, of
the target 80,000 bags, only 9,645 bags or about 12 percent were distributed.In
the first quarter of 2015, NFA has recorded relatively higher distributions –
99 percent in January with 20,000 bags target; 95 percent of 20,000 bags in
February; and in March, 60 percent of the targeted 30,000 bags.
The rice distribution continued to shrink by second quarter,
records further showed.The NFA has only 35 percent distribution of the target
50,000 bags in April; 11 percent of the 85,000 bags in May; and 14 percent, or
14, 536 bags of the target 100,000 bags in June.Jovy Chua, assistant provincial
manager of NFA Negros Occidental, said the low rice distribution is brought
about by ample supply of commercial rice with prices that are competitive with
the P27 and P32 per kilo of NFA rice.In terms of quality, the province has high
supply of newly-milled rice thus, the buying public prefers it over NFA rice,
Chua said, adding that the lean period has not really affected the selling and
buying of NFA rice in the province.
Meanwhile, the low distribution according to NFA implies that
the rice supply in the province is stable and at comfortable level.Based on the
provincial NFA rice inventory as of second week of September, the province’s
rice supply for both NFA and commercial rice is enough for the next 81 days.If
the daily rice consumption requirement of Negros Occidental is 22, 220 bags,
Chua said there is currently about 1.81 million bags of available rice stored
among retailers and wholesalers, including households stocks.NFA alone can
supply the daily consumption requirement of the province within the next 25
days, he added.
Published in the Sun.Star Bacolod newspaper on September 30,
2015.
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/bacolod/business/2015/09/29/nfas-3rd-quarter-rice-distribution-negros-occidental-remains-low-433124
Vietnam Expects 45 Million Tonnes Of Rice
This Year
HANOI, Sept 29 (Bernama) -- Vietnam's total rice output
this year is estimated at 45.1 million tonnes, a 0.3 per cent increase from
2014, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.Vietnam
News Agency (VNA) reported that about 91.2 per cent of the total area under
summer-autumn rice crop was harvested in southern Vietnam by mid-September with
an estimated yield of 5.4 tonnes per hectares, up 80kg compared to the same
period last year despite reduced rice growing areas.The increase is due to
favourable weather conditions, enabling both a healthy crop and higher rice
prices.
The Mekong Delta region has planted more than 612,000
hectares of autumn-winter rice crops this year, up 4 per cent annually. Around
20 per cent of the area has been harvested, producing 5.43 tonnes per
hectare.However, northern Vietnam is forecast to see its rice output drop 1
percent due to a 1.3 percent decline in growing areas.Currently, Vietnam boasts
around 4.1 million hectares of rice paddies, 53 per cent of which are
concentrated across the Mekong Delta. In 2014, the country exported 6.3 million
tonnes of the 45 million tonnes of rice
http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v8/wn/newsworld.php?id=1174943
Expert advice:
children should not to eat rice cakes due to risks of cancer
BY XINHUA
Updated
Tuesday, September 29th 2015 at 17:18 GMT +3
STOCKHOLM: Sweden's National Food Agency has
changed its recommendations on rice products, stating that many products
contain dangerously high levels of carcinogenic arsenic and should be consumed
in moderation.Children should not eat rice or rice products more than four
times a week and children under the age of six should stay away from rice cakes
altogether, the National Food Agency advised, after investigating 102 rice
products sold in Sweden and concluding that the arsenic levels were too high in
some cases."We already knew there was arsenic in rice. That is why we have
now concluded that some products that are on the market contain quite high
levels," Emma Halldin Ankarberg, a toxicologist at Sweden's National Food
Agency, told Swedish Television.
The rice product market for young children, which includes
crackers, cereals and puddings, is booming. Gluten intolerant children tend to
eat particularly high quantities of rice products.While adults can eat more
rice than children, they should also try to cut down, the agency says. Eating
rice a couple of times a week is fine, though, Halldin Ankarberg suggested. The National Food Agency has also
established that organic rice contains just as high levels of arsenic as
non-organic rice, with raw rice containing more arsenic than basmati and
jasmine rice."If one eats products containing arsenic during several
years, then the risk of getting different forms of cancer -- lung cancer and
bladder cancer -- increases," said Halldin Ankarberg.
Arsenic is a natural element that is ubiquitous in the
environment and can be found in rocks, soil, water and air, as well as in
plants and animals. For most people, food is the largest source of arsenic,
although much of this is likely to be in the less dangerous, organic form. The
highest levels of arsenic in foods can be found in rice products, mushrooms and
poultry.
http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/health/
Buffalo meat exports down by 30% on lower
Chinese demand
Buffalo meat has traditionally been
India's top agri-export commodity generating over $4 billion a per year
Namrata Acharya |
Kolkata September 29, 2015 Last Updated at 17:42 IST
India looks to Russia to increase
buffalo meat exportsMaharashtra BJP climbs down on meat banBring a nation-wide
ban on cow and buffalo slaughter: Maneka GandhiMumbai meat ban latest step in
state-sponsored intoleranceFour-day meat ban imposed on Mumbai during Jain
festival.
"The exports to China is
slowly picking up. However, over the past few months the market was totally
closed. As a result, buffalo meat exports have come down by at least 30% in the
last three months. We believe, there have been some issues with the customs
clearance at China, which has been reluctant to buy buffalo meat that has been
indirectly exported to their country via Vietnam," said D B Sabharwal,
secretary of All India Meat and Livestock Exporters' Association.
According to Mohammed Ather
(Chairman & Managing Director), Azan Group, his company's monthly exports
to China via Vietnam has come down from close to 160 containers (each container
29 metric tonne) about six months back, to less than 50 containers per month at
present. China accounts of nearly 80% of total exports of the Azan Group.
In the financial year 2014-15,
Vietnam accounted for nearly 42% of the total buffalo meat exports from India
to China. In terms of valuation, Vietnam accounts for about 45% of the total
realization from buffalo exports from India. Last year, India exported about
14.75 quintal of buffalo meat worth $4781 million. Of this the share of Vietnam
was about 6.3 quintal worth $ 2153 million.In 2014-15, buffalo meat was India's
largest agri-export commodity, surpassing Basmati rice, which had been
traditionally occupied the first position."While ahead of the Spring
Festival, China has recently opened its market for buffalo meat, the supply has
been lower by at least 30%. This is significantly hurting exports," said
Ather.
China is yet to open its door for
direct import of buffalo meat from India. In 2013, India and China signed a
pact for direct export of buffalo meat but it is yet to be implemented.In
tandem with the huge fall in demand from China, the average prices of buffalo
meat has also come down by more than 25% in the last six months. At present,
the average price of buffalo meat in the international market is between
$3000-4000 per metric tonne.Amidst an economic slowdown, China had been
curtailing imports from Vietnam. China is the biggest trading partner of
Vietnam. Soon after Chinese devaluation of yuan by nearly 2% on August 11,
Vietnam had devalued its currency, dong, by close to 1%, third time in a year.
This apart, strained relationship over South China Sea had also been a cause of
tension between between the two countries.
Business
standard.com
Vietnam's Rice Exports Face Difficulties
CAN THO (Vietnam), Sept 28 (Bernama) -- Vietnam is
encountering difficulties in exporting rice in the face of fierce competition
from Thailand, India and Myanmar, reports Vietnam News Agency (VNA). The
statement was made by Vo Hung Dung, Director of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce
and Industry - Can Tho branch, at a workshop in the Mekong Delta city on Sept
25 to seek solutions for rice producers and exporters.Statistics from the
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development showed that in the first eight
months of 2015, Vietnam shipped 4.1 million tonnes of rice abroad and earned US$1.76
billion, down 8.6 per cent in volume and over 13 per cent in value compared to
the same period last year.
Notably, China, which remains Vietnam's largest rice
importer with 32 per cent of the country's total market shares, is decreasing
its imports from Vietnam.In 2012-2013, around 65 per cent of China's imported
rice came from Vietnam but the figure reduced to 53 per cent in 2014 and 47 per
cent in the first four months of this year.In addition, Vietnam's two other
major importers, the Philippines and Indonesia, which account for 12 and five
per cent of the market shares, respectively, are striving to boost production
towards self-sufficiency.At the workshop, Chairman of the Vietnam Food
Association Huynh The Nang introduced several measures to help businesses
improve their competitiveness.
According to Huynh, the long-term solution to
effectively stabilising production and exports is to provide loans for export
businesses' rice stockpiles.He also suggested reducing risks in harvesting,
stocking and distributing rice while striving to build trademarks for the
Vietnamese product.The Ho Chi Minh City Development Bank (HDBank) also took the
occasion to introduce its programme to support rice exporters.
BERNAMA
http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v8/wn/newsworld.php?id=1174588
High local
rice prices draw in illegal Thai imports
Imported
rice at Wardan Jetty, Yangon. (Photo – Aung Kyaw Htet)
Due to the high price of locally produced rice,
illegal imports of rice from Thailand have spiked.“Rice from Thailand began
entering the local market ten days ago. It has been seen for sale in retail
shops,” said Lu Maw Myint Maung, Co-Secretary of the Myanmar Rice Federation
(MRF). Although Myanmar officially allocated 80 per cent of its total rice
exports to China, China illegally buys more, raising the price of Myanmar-grown
rice.“If we export rice [to China] via Muse, that export is official.
But China side buys unofficially. When they unofficially buy our
rice, they don’t need to pay tax in their country, so they can buy more Myanmar
rice with the money they save. Since tax doesn’t need to be paid for rice
bought from our country, both the EU and China buy rice from us. As a result,
the price of local rice is higher than in other Asean countries. Then they take
advantage of it and enter our local market,” said Lu Maw Myint Maung.Rice from
Thailand is sold in the market in 50 kilogram bags, which are about Ks 2000 to
Ks 3000 cheaper than the best local rice on the market.
“The Asean Free Trade Area (AFTA) and Asean Economic Community
(AEC) have been intriduced recently. We should prepare our country’s economic
data and policies to gauge the effects of AFTA and AEC. Regarding AFTA, we
can’t protect the goods entering in accordance with free market and free trade
principles. When they enter, our country’s competitive advantage, support and
basic infrastructures need to be fulfilled, and the markets, which can compete
with international prices, should be implemented. The Myanmar rice market will
develop in long term only in these ways,” said Nay Lin Zin, Co-Secretary of
Myanmar Rice Federation (MRF).
http://elevenmyanmar.com/business/high-local-rice-prices-draw-illegal-thai-imports
Haryana to rope in exporters as millers to boycott paddy purchase
9/29/2015
Hindustan Times
Hindustan Times
Karnal, Sept. 29 -- As the Haryana Rice Millers
and Dealers Association (HRMDA) toughened its stand on Monday against milling
of rice for government agencies, the Haryana government is contemplating to
rope in exportersand a breakaway
faction of the association for the task.Additional chief secretary, food and
civil supplies, SS Prasad said rice exporters had extended their support for rice milling.
"The Haryana government has assured the HRDMA of redressal of their
grievances, but a faction of the association seems unwilling to cooperate.
However, the government has chalked out a strategy to ensure smooth procurement
of paddy and its subsequent milling.
Today, I convened a meeting with some of the
leading riceexporters who are ready to work with the government,"
said Prasad.Since Sunday, the millers have refused to buy non-basmati varieties
of rice. However, a few millers at Nissing, Taraori, Karnal and other places of
the paddygrowing districts reportedly purchased paddy.The association is demanding
rollback of the central sales tax (CST) imposed on paddy and its recovery by
the excise and taxation department. The demand to decrease yield for milling
from 67% to 65% was another key issue raised by the association.The association
is also demanding relaxation in the milling norms due to high moisture content
in paddy following recent rain.Food and civil supplies officials led by SS
Prasad had convened a meeting with the HRDMA representatives here but a faction
of the association remained adamant on its demand.
Prasad admitted ambiguity in the CST and assured
action at the earliest.He said the damage to the crop had already been raised
with the Food Corporation of India (FCI).Prasad told reporters that chief
minister Manohar Lal Khattar had recently met the association members and
assured them of removing discrepancies in the milling policies.However, a
faction of the association showed disagreement with the HRMDA and said it
should have trusted the officials and the CM.A delegate from Kaithal apprised
Prasad and association office-bearers that rice millers had already started
buying paddy as per the state government directions and they would not boycott
the milling.Published by HT Syndication with permission from Hindustan Times.
For any query with respect to this article or any other content requirement,
please contact Editor athtsyndication@hindustantimes.com.
http://www.world-grain.com/news/news%20home/LexisNexisArticle.aspx?articleid=2451900106
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Eat to beat the menopause: There's no
need for a heart-sinking diet plan.
You can boost your hormones with a few simple steps - and still
enjoy tasty treats
Are you plagued by menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes?
Read on for the second part of this compelling series
We reveal how easy it is to transform your life with help of
bio-identicals
Are you plagued by menopausal
symptoms? In the second part of this compelling series, we
reveal how easy it is to transform your life.Whatever the hormonal problem - whether it's acne, premenstrual
syndrome or menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes and dramatic mood swings -
I am a great believer in the healing power of bio-identicals.These natural
hormones are made from plants and have the same chemical structure as the
hormones our bodies produce - they are a wonderful, gentle way of tackling
hormonal imbalances.
+7
Bio-identicals are
natural hormones made from plants with the same chemical structure as bodily
hormones
Forget the food pyramid, with its emphasis on eating mainly carbs,
and throw away your diet books - those low-calorie meals will rob you of
energy, deplete your body of the very hormones it needs to function and, besides
making you feel miserable, won't necessarily help you lose weight.(Or, if you
do lose weight, it will come back as soon as you stop dieting.)
+Dr Erika Schawrtz reveals how easy it is to transform
your life with help of bio-identicals
The most important thing to know is how food affects your hormone
balance and how you feel.
You will be changing your eating habits just enough to balance
your hormones and keep you functioning at your best.In a nutshell, this means a
diet that's rich in protein (meat, eggs, fish, beans, soy, nuts, seeds and
dairy products such as yoghurt), healthy fats (avocado, coconut oil and olive
oil) and fibre (vegetables, nuts, fruit in small portions, oats, bran), and
lighter in sugar (including starches such as rice, pasta and potatoes) and
saturated fat.
But note that I don't completely ban fats or sugar - we're only
humans after all, and we live in an increasingly stressful world. I'm the first
to admit it's not easy to give up bad habits.However, there is no doubt that as
we get older our bodies have to pay for every packet of crisps and glass of
wine. Where, at the age of 20, two days of being good would be enough to get
you back on track after a big night out, your recovery at 50 might be longer
and all too often incomplete.Following my simple rules, the aim is to do the
best you can in a natural, realistic way, to stay healthy and to keep your
hormones balanced so you feel great.
The rules
·
Aim
to eat small amounts of food every three to four hours. This helps to balance
your sugar levels and prevents your insulin levels spiking - if this happens,
it can raise levels of the stress hormone, cortisol, which quickly puts other
hormones, including the sex hormones oestrogen and progesterone, out of
balance.
·
Make
your evening meal small so you can digest it easily, and eat before 8.30pm.
This will help you get a full night's restful sleep (essential for the healthy
manufacture and balance of hormones).
·
Eat
natural - there's no need to go all-out organic, but do cut right back on processed
food. Our tastebuds might have been corrupted by the preservatives in
processed foods, but our cells can't deal with the chemicals pumped into
them. Our enzymes are designed to digest natural foods - so stay away from
junk food as much as you can.
·
Eat
plenty of vegetables. The fibre in them is a hormone saviour, protecting us
from ageing by reducing the blood-sugar peaks and troughs that send insulin
levels crazy. Because it is indigestible, fibre prevents other foods being
rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream so slows their transformation into
blood-sugar. Fibre also reduces inflammation - the harbinger of ageing. Eat as
much fibre as you can as often as possible and ensure vegetables make their way
into every meal.
·
Step
off the sugar rollercoaster. Refined sugars, in the form of cakes, biscuits,
ice cream or even white pasta and rice, are our worst enemies in the fight to
maintain hormone balance because of their effect on insulin, which then affects
other hormones. For teenagers, that can mean spots; for menopausal women,
it can mean hot flushes, migraines or aching joints, and an ever-expanding
middle; and for middle-aged men, it can be enough to herald an evening of
grumpy lethargy. Instead, choose vegetables, wholegrain breads, seeds,
beans and fruits low in sugar (berries rather than bananas).
·
Pack
in the protein: it is critical to the production of hormones and the
maintenance of a happy hormone balance. It also helps us build muscles and stay
strong - and youthful - as we age. Chicken, fish, beans, nuts, seeds and
tofu are all good sources of protein - but keep meat and dairy foods such as
cheese to once a week.
·
Stick
to one cup of caffeinated coffee a day, or switch to tea (which has less
caffeine). Quite apart from its stimulatory effects on the nervous system
and hormones in women, caffeine also increases breast tenderness and has been
linked to osteoporosis.
+7Eat plenty of vegetables. The fibre in them is a hormone saviour,
protecting us from ageing by reducing the blood-sugar peaks and troughs that
send insulin levels crazy
What to eat when you're out
The best and worst choices
Italian
Hormone friendly: Minestrone or seafood soup, mussels marinara,
pasta with marinara or primavera sauce, breadsticks (no butter), veal piccata or
Marsala, seafood dishes (not fried), steamed veg.
Hormone unfriendly: Antipasto, focaccia and other breads,
fettuccine alfredo (parmesan and butter sauce), parmigiana dishes, meat sauces,
lasagne, cannelloni, desserts.
Indian
Hormone friendly: Dahl, mango chutney, sweet and sour cabbage,
vegetable curries, naan bread, basmati rice with vegetables, tandoori chicken
and fish, biryanis.
Hormone unfriendly: Puri (fried bread), curry sauces with coconut
milk, samosas, Mughlai.
+7
Hormone friendly: Dahl, mango chutney, sweet and sour
cabbage, vegetable curries, naan bread, basmati rice with vegetables, tandoori
chicken and fish, biryanis
Mexican
Hormone friendly: Black bean soup, gazpacho, ceviche (marinated
fish), nopalitos (cactus salad), salsa, grilled chicken or prawns, stewed
seafood dishes, fajitas (without the sour cream), tortillas, guacamole.Hormone
unfriendly: Nachos, tacos, tortilla chips, refried beans, chimichangas, sour
cream, enchiladas, fried tortillas.
Japanese
Hormone friendly: Miso soup, sushi, sashimi, teriyaki, oshinko
(pickled vegetables), yakitori (boiled chicken), yakimono (boiled fish or
chicken), maki rolls, steamed tofu, shabu-shabu (boiled meat, seafood,
vegetables).Hormone unfriendly: Tempura, tonkatsu (fried pork), torikatsu (fried
chicken), fried tofu.
Will herbal remedies help?
I don't often recommend herbal remedies.While most vitamin and
mineral supplements are chemically very similar to substances manufactured by
our bodies, herbal remedies are foreign. And unless the herb has undergone
rigid pharmaceutical processing - including purification and standardisation
(ensuring each dose contains the same amount of the herb) - I don't feel
confident about prescribing it to my patients or taking it myself.Herbal
remedies, like most drugs, have potential side-effects, and some are
sufficiently powerful for there to be real concerns, so tell your GP or
pharmacist what you're taking so they can check for possible overlaps or
contraindications.
'While most vitamin and mineral supplements are
chemically very similar to substances manufactured by our bodies, herbal
remedies are foreign'
Only choose products marked with a 'THR' symbol (Traditional
Herbal Registration), which have been backed up by safety studies.Popular
remedies for menopausal symptoms include black cohosh, isoflavones,
ipriflavone, genistein, soy derivatives (such as soya milk), agnus castus and
dong quai.These contain phytoestrogens, which are plant forms of oestrogen;
their chemical make-up resembles human oestrogen molecules closely enough for
the body to misread them. For this reason they can alleviate some of the
symptoms of oestrogen deficiency.However, they are not identical to human
hormones, unlike the bio-identical treatments I prescribe (and which I wrote
about in yesterday's Mail). They are not oestrogens, and there is no research
data to show that they offer oestrogen-like benefits for the heart, bones or
brain.
And until we have definite proof of soy's benefit to women, I do
not recommend soy-derived supplements to my patients, and I emphatically advise
against remedies based on soy, such as isoflavones, ipriflavone and genistein.However,
this does not mean you should stay away from soya milk, edamame, tofu or other
soya products. Soy - in its natural form and in moderation - is an excellent
source of protein.
+7Dr Erika recommend a
selection of vitamin and mineral supplements to her patients
What about other supplements?
Vitamins and mineral supplements are a way of correcting the
imbalances that our bad foods and eating habits have created, and I do
recommend a selection to my patients.When used correctly, the following (shown
in daily doses) can enhance hormone balance and keep us all energetic and
healthy.Choose a good brand - in the right preparations they are bio-available
(able to enter the body's circulation) and they do work.Vitamin E: 400
international units (IU). This may protect against cancer, reduce the risk of
heart disease and stroke and improve memory.Vitamin C: 1000 mg. Stimulates
immune function, protects against recurrent urinary tract infections, reduces
the risk of atherosclerosis (furring of the arteries) and stroke.Vitamin D:
2000 IU. Boosts calcium absorption and strengthens bones, it may also help
maintain healthy brain function, improve sense of wellbeing and mood and
protect against cancer.Folic acid: 800 mcg-1 mg. Relieves PMS and reduces risk
of colon cancer.
Vitamin B6: 100 mg, and Vitamin B1: 100 mcg. They help to reduce
hot flushes, PMS, mood swings and muscle cramps.Calcium: 1000 mg. Helps build
bones and reduces risk of colon cancer, stroke and blood pressure; may also
help relieve PMS.Magnesium: 400 mg (take with calcium). Helps relieve PMS and
fatigue, and aids building bones. It also reduces angina, palpitations and blood
pressure, relaxes the muscles and keeps us regular.Zinc: 25 mg (take with
calcium). Protects against dementia and depression - it's also a great immune
booster.Coenzyme Q10: 10-120 mg. Revitalises the heart, stimulates energy
production at cellular level and delays brain ageing.
L-glutamine: 500 mg before meals if you have sugar cravings. Helps
stabilise blood-sugar levels so you're more likely to make healthy food choices
and not succumb to sugary treats.Omega-3 fish oils (DHA and EPA): 1000 mg. Support
brain and immune function, keep skin and hair youthful.Probiotics: Beneficial
bacteria improve digestion, reduce bloating, help boost immune function and
protect us from viruses and infections.turmeric: Cook with this to reduce
inflammation and joint pain.
Adapted by Louise Atkinson from The
30-Day Natural Hormone Plan by Dr Erika Schwartz. For more information, go to
drerika.com.
Choose 'good' fats - the unsaturated fats found
in olive oil, avocados, nuts, flaxseed and fatty fish
Trick
yourself thinner
Imagine a beautifully ornate plate
in a great restaurant and decide how much food you should pile on it.If you
want to lose weight, make it half of what you would ordinarily be served. If
you want to maintain weight, make it three-quarters.But you should never serve
yourself, or eat, a full plate.
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