Today Rice News Headlines...
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Pakistan-Iran relations: Latest setback
·
Diabetes: Researchers Have Identified a Low
Glycemic Index Rice Variety
·
Rice Prices
·
Supreme Court ruling on GMO use draws ‘concern’
from rice institute
·
Paddy power
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Biotech advocates seek reversal of SC decision
banning Bt talong field tests
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Climate Change Could Starve Island Nations
Before They’re FloodedPH needs to improve rice competitiveness
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12/11/2015 Farm Bureau Market Report
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SA Rice Outlook Conference - Day Two
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2015 Rice Award Winners Recognized at Annual
Awards Luncheon
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CME Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures
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Bulog to Get 700,000 tons Vietnamese Rice by
Year-end
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Review: Enjoy great Indian food at The Copper
Pot in Edmonds
News Detail...
Pakistan-Iran relations: Latest setback
12/10/2015
Merinews (India)
Merinews (India)
India, Dec. 10 -- Relations between Pakistan and
Iran are often jittery as well as dysfunctional. Pakistan, in the last of
November 2015, arbitrary and abruptly suspended 723 kilometer freight train
service between Quetta, Baluchistan and Zahedan, Iran, citing the security and
lack of trade activities between the two countries as main reasons for it.This
was a major decision on Pak-Iran relations, taken by the Pakistan government
after Lt. General (Retd) Nasser Khan Janjua's took over as National Security
Advisor (NSA) on October 23, 2015. Lt. General Janjua has replaced a senior
technocrat, diplomat and former Federal Minister Sartaj Aziz.
Before retirement, Gen. Janjua was Corps
Commander of Quetta based XII Corps and he claims to be fully conscious of
security issues of Baluchistan, which is Iran's bordering and troubled province
of Pakistan. He is, however, also known as a 'Butcher of Baluchistan' amongst
nationalist and separatists Baluchis.Freight train service between Pakistan and
Iran, which are two majority Sunni and Shia countries of the world, was earlier
suspended in 2010, and was resumed in January 2015 and the service remain
suspended since September 2015 due to law and order problem In Baluchistan and
security reasons.
The freight train used to take about 30 hours to
cover distance of about 700 km between Quetta and Zahedan. While Pakistan used
to export rice and other goods, Iran used to export oil, Sulfur, chemicals and charcoal to Pakistan
through the train.Incidentally, freight train service between Pakistan and Iran
(Quetta-Zahedan) was at peak in 2005-06 but was virtually abandoned in 2010 due
to certain technical problems, including poor infrastructure of railways from
Quetta to Taftan, which is the starting point of Iran border as well as law and
order problem in Baluchistan.Economically it was also not found viable to
maintain the freight train service between Pakistan and Iran as annual trade
through this mean between the two countries was eight thousand bogies per year
in 2004-05, which came down at only hundred bogies in the year 2010.Moreover,
Pakistan Railways, which has been facing annual deficit of over Pak Rs 26
billion annually, considered the running of freight train service between Pakistan
and Iran as "useless" until peace was established in the disturbed
province of Baluchistan.
Pakistan has negative trade balance with Iran.
Pakistan'sexports to Iran decreased from US$ 399 million in 2008-9
to US$ 161 million in 2010-11, indicating a decrease of 54 per cent. Meanwhile,
Pakistan's imports from Iran also decreased from US$ 921 million in
2008-9 to US$ 572 million in 2010-11.While Pakistan exports textile, rice, fresh fruits, meat, wood, cotton,
medicines, surgical equipments, it primarily importsoil, petroleum
products, plastics, iron and steel and chemicals from Iran. In March 2004,
Pakistan-Iran had also signed Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA), which was
implemented by Pakistan in September 2006 and by Iran in November 2006.Pakistan's
Baluchistan province has a 700 km long border with Iran.
Civil
unrest, militancy, attacks on Shias and critical law and order situation in
Baluchistan remained issues of major concern for Iran as there are about two
million Baloch ethnic people live Iran. Baluchistan is highly infested with
insurgency, sectarian violence, terrorism and subversive activities against
Pakistan's federal government.Rebel Bloch leaders have been demanding greater
autonomy since Pakistan's inception. Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), a militant
organization ,which has strength of over ten thousand activists is involved in
attacking Pakistani security personnel, civil and military establishments and
disrupting supply of gas from Baluchistan to other areas of Pakistan. BLA has
been designated as a terrorist organization by the Pakistan government. It is
also accused of being supported by India.
Use of Pakistani territory by some anti-Iranian
Sunni militant groups to carry out militant attacks in Iran is main reason of
tension between Iran and Pakistan. Some leading anti-Shia terrorist
organizations like Al-Qaeda, Tehrik-e-Taliban, Pakisan (TTP), Jundallah have
been targeting Shias in Baluchistan in regular intervals. Iran, being a Shia
state is concerned about attacks on Shias in Baluchistan.Ethnic Baloch living
in Iran feel discriminated at the hands of Shia majority government. Some Sunni
militant groups having affiliation with Al-Qaeda, particularly Jundallah have
been using Baluchistan's territory to carryout militant attacks in Iran for
equal rights of Sunnis. Such anti-Iranian groups have reportedly support of ISI
and Saudi Arabia.Jundallah, in a number of bomb attacks in Zahedan, between
2007-13, had killed hundreds of Iranian Shias. Likewise, Jaish-al-Adl also
known as Army of Justice and Harakat Ansar Iran, are other Sunni organizations
which are involved in militancy and have attacking on Iranian security men and
Shias mosques inside the Iranian territory.
Meanwhile, Iran has been erecting concrete wall
on the shared borders with Pakistan, covering an area of over 700 km to illegal
border crossing, smuggling of drugs into its territory from Pakistan and more importantly to stop militant and subversive activities by
anti-Iranian Sunni groups, operating between Pakistan and Iran.Although
Pakistan has no boundary dispute with Iran, but latter's close relations with
India are not viewed suspiciously by Pakistan. India has been assisting Iran in
developing Chabahar port and also involved in construction of some strategic
roads in Iran. Pakistan, has been accusing India of helping Baluch separatists
and providing arms to them and fears that India, through presence of Indians in
Iran, India may further create problems in Baluchistan.
Editorial NOTE: This article is categorized under
Opinion Section. The views expressed in this article are solely those of the
author and do not necessarily represent the views of merinews.com. In case you
have a opposing view, please click here to share the same in the comments
section.Published by HT Syndication with permission from Merinews. 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=2497915297
Diabetes: Researchers Have Identified a
Low Glycemic Index Rice Variety
Press Trust Of India, Modified:
He said that this new development is significant as rice is a staple diet for a big
population. People can't give it up in Chhattisgarh, which is popularly known
as a 'rice bowl', as well as in the entire country because food habits are an
entrenched cultural habit which is difficult to change, he said. But consumption
of white rice with GI more than permissible limits can be harmful for diabetic
patients. Keeping this in view, the research was taken up, he said."During
the research, data was collected by mouse feeding trial at Chhattisgarh Council
of Science and Technology. The mouse model data clearly demonstrated that the
effect of low GI rice on a diabetic mouse was similar to that on
another diabetic mouse who was injected with sugar control drug," he said."The
identified variety of rice has GI score of 55, which is considered as
diabetic-friendly.
Therefore, we are
planning to name it as 'Madhuraj-55' for commercial sale," Dr Chandel
said.This rice breaks down more slowly into glucose after consumption,
therefore ensuring that sugar is more slowly released in the blood, rather than
all at once, he said."For a nation like India which has more than 65
million diabetic patients, the discovery of low GI rice would prove to be great
tool to fight the epidemic," he expressed.Earlier also, the 'Chapati
Gurmatiya' variety of rice had a consumption pattern in the state and was
cultivated in large area, but it was mainly produced for the lower income
groups and labourers of big farmers and landlords. The newly
identified line of this race is high yielding and has low GI with no change in
its taste and palatability, Dr Chandel said.
The university has planned to release the seeds of this new variety of rice in January 2016 and then distribute
it to farmers for sowing in next kharif crop season."Its seeds will be
released by State Varietal Release Committee - the body meant for official
release of new variety of seeds - next month and its production is likely to
begin from next Kharif season," IGAU Vice Chancellor Dr S K Patil said.Along
with the farming of the low GI paddy, the university is also looking for
potential partners for its branding and marketing in the market, Dr Patil said.
http://food.ndtv.com/health/diabetes-researchers-have-identified-a-low-glycemic-index-rice-variety-1253698
Rice Prices
as on : 10-12-2015 08:10:48 PM
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Price
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%
change |
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cumulative |
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Prev.Yr
%change |
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Rice
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||||||
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Bangalore(Kar)
|
2331.00
|
-9.02
|
168369.00
|
4200
|
4200
|
NC
|
|
Bazpur(Utr)
|
2250.00
|
236.32
|
46564.51
|
1900
|
1570
|
-
|
|
Samsi(WB)
|
1000.00
|
100
|
28720.00
|
2800
|
2700
|
-9.68
|
|
Gadarpur(Utr)
|
820.00
|
-56.13
|
225546.00
|
2114
|
2010
|
8.97
|
|
Shahjahanpur(UP)
|
760.90
|
11.85
|
79722.10
|
2150
|
2150
|
7.23
|
|
Gorakhpur(UP)
|
372.00
|
-2.11
|
19426.80
|
2080
|
2080
|
2.97
|
|
Achalda(UP)
|
360.00
|
200
|
2885.00
|
2245
|
2255
|
2.75
|
|
Varanasi(Grain)(UP)
|
360.00
|
-12.2
|
116121.10
|
1970
|
1970
|
NC
|
|
Mathura(UP)
|
350.00
|
40
|
4440.00
|
2010
|
2000
|
-2.43
|
|
Ballia(UP)
|
250.00
|
13.64
|
19130.00
|
1980
|
2000
|
0.51
|
|
Allahabad(UP)
|
210.00
|
-4.55
|
16482.50
|
2100
|
2100
|
7.69
|
|
Azamgarh(UP)
|
210.00
|
3.19
|
5808.00
|
2070
|
2075
|
-
|
|
Devariya(UP)
|
200.00
|
33.33
|
8370.00
|
2075
|
2085
|
1.22
|
|
Bareilly(UP)
|
166.00
|
1.53
|
24157.00
|
2175
|
2180
|
6.62
|
|
Sitapur(UP)
|
140.00
|
1.45
|
5020.50
|
2200
|
2200
|
4.41
|
|
Lucknow(UP)
|
140.00
|
12
|
10706.50
|
2050
|
2060
|
-0.49
|
|
Muktsar(Pun)
|
120.00
|
-41.03
|
707.00
|
2450
|
2450
|
-9.76
|
|
Kalipur(WB)
|
112.00
|
3.7
|
6940.00
|
2150
|
2150
|
-4.44
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|
Bindki(UP)
|
110.00
|
22.22
|
5036.00
|
2245
|
2250
|
8.98
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Saharanpur(UP)
|
95.00
|
5.56
|
10195.50
|
2060
|
2050
|
-0.96
|
|
Gajol(WB)
|
87.50
|
0.57
|
4080.50
|
2700
|
2800
|
-1.82
|
|
Kalna(WB)
|
80.00
|
-5.88
|
2680.00
|
1840
|
1840
|
-7.77
|
|
Bishnupur(Bankura)(WB)
|
80.00
|
-15.79
|
3785.00
|
2000
|
1900
|
-11.11
|
|
P.O.
Uparhali Guwahati(ASM)
|
72.00
|
2.13
|
5664.50
|
2100
|
2100
|
-19.23
|
|
Sainthia(WB)
|
66.00
|
4.76
|
13273.50
|
1840
|
1840
|
-21.70
|
|
Mainpuri(UP)
|
64.00
|
11.3
|
3154.00
|
2000
|
1955
|
-2.20
|
|
Ghaziabad(UP)
|
60.00
|
-25
|
5590.00
|
2070
|
2065
|
-2.82
|
|
Muzzafarnagar(UP)
|
55.00
|
83.33
|
1283.00
|
2050
|
2050
|
-
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Goalpara(ASM)
|
52.20
|
14.73
|
4658.60
|
3200
|
3200
|
NC
|
|
Partaval(UP)
|
50.00
|
25
|
2004.50
|
2025
|
2010
|
4.38
|
|
Nadia(WB)
|
50.00
|
NC
|
2350.00
|
2950
|
2950
|
-4.84
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Purulia(WB)
|
50.00
|
-16.67
|
4994.00
|
2320
|
2320
|
-5.31
|
|
Khatra(WB)
|
39.00
|
2.63
|
2411.00
|
2250
|
2150
|
-9.27
|
|
Kasganj(UP)
|
28.00
|
-12.5
|
1017.50
|
1870
|
1850
|
-9.22
|
|
Sirsa(UP)
|
27.50
|
-19.12
|
587.00
|
2050
|
2010
|
-0.97
|
|
Chakdah(WB)
|
27.00
|
-3.57
|
1270.00
|
2800
|
2800
|
-9.68
|
|
Dadri(UP)
|
26.00
|
-7.14
|
4178.00
|
2080
|
2070
|
-0.48
|
|
Jalpaiguri
Sadar(WB)
|
26.00
|
4
|
1481.00
|
2775
|
2775
|
-0.89
|
|
Ramgarh(Jha)
|
25.00
|
-21.88
|
578.50
|
2600
|
2600
|
4.00
|
|
Lohardaga(Jha)
|
25.00
|
25
|
1923.60
|
1750
|
1900
|
-9.09
|
|
Jasra(UP)
|
25.00
|
56.25
|
781.00
|
1985
|
2000
|
1.79
|
|
Haldibari(WB)
|
20.00
|
14.29
|
788.00
|
2450
|
2450
|
-7.55
|
|
Kalahandi(Dharamagarh)(Ori)
|
19.63
|
-53.2
|
1492.66
|
2100
|
2100
|
-4.55
|
|
Dhekiajuli(ASM)
|
18.00
|
-18.18
|
2422.00
|
1980
|
1980
|
-20.80
|
|
Baraut(UP)
|
18.00
|
-40
|
762.50
|
2060
|
2040
|
-1.67
|
|
Mekhliganj(WB)
|
17.00
|
-5.56
|
1812.00
|
1850
|
1850
|
-11.90
|
|
Holenarsipura(Kar)
|
16.00
|
-
|
32.00
|
1410
|
-
|
-18.50
|
|
Jajpur(Ori)
|
16.00
|
220
|
275.00
|
2200
|
2200
|
-18.52
|
|
Baberu(UP)
|
15.00
|
200
|
157.00
|
2100
|
2100
|
14.44
|
|
Lakhimpur(UP)
|
15.00
|
7.14
|
908.50
|
2100
|
2120
|
-
|
|
Divai(UP)
|
14.00
|
NC
|
561.90
|
2075
|
2060
|
2.72
|
|
Shikohabad(UP)
|
13.50
|
-10
|
1011.60
|
2070
|
2055
|
-4.61
|
|
Dibrugarh(ASM)
|
12.00
|
-
|
24.00
|
2550
|
-
|
2.00
|
|
Naugarh(UP)
|
12.00
|
-14.29
|
1124.00
|
2025
|
2025
|
4.11
|
|
Champadanga(WB)
|
12.00
|
-14.29
|
915.00
|
2450
|
2450
|
-10.91
|
|
Medinipur(West)(WB)
|
12.00
|
-14.29
|
1464.00
|
2350
|
2350
|
-7.84
|
|
Kannauj(UP)
|
11.80
|
2.61
|
417.70
|
2185
|
2175
|
0.23
|
|
Kalyani(WB)
|
10.50
|
200
|
179.00
|
3400
|
3400
|
NC
|
|
Khairagarh(UP)
|
10.00
|
-16.67
|
767.00
|
2040
|
2000
|
NC
|
|
Buland
Shahr(UP)
|
10.00
|
NC
|
1087.50
|
2040
|
2040
|
0.74
|
|
Kolaghat(WB)
|
10.00
|
NC
|
737.00
|
2300
|
2300
|
-
|
|
Siliguri(WB)
|
10.00
|
-
|
20.00
|
2300
|
-
|
-
|
|
Uluberia(WB)
|
10.00
|
-56.52
|
775.30
|
2500
|
2500
|
-19.35
|
|
Tamluk
(Medinipur E)(WB)
|
10.00
|
NC
|
803.00
|
2300
|
2300
|
-
|
|
Muradabad(UP)
|
9.00
|
-50
|
883.60
|
2240
|
2210
|
10.62
|
|
Raibareilly(UP)
|
9.00
|
20
|
481.50
|
2025
|
2020
|
3.85
|
|
Mirzapur(UP)
|
8.50
|
-5.56
|
1204.50
|
1975
|
1980
|
6.76
|
|
North
Lakhimpur(ASM)
|
7.90
|
-53.53
|
533.10
|
1900
|
1900
|
-
|
|
Chengannur(Ker)
|
7.00
|
-30
|
907.00
|
2500
|
2500
|
-13.79
|
|
Jhansi(UP)
|
7.00
|
40
|
508.50
|
2100
|
2100
|
13.51
|
|
Khair(UP)
|
7.00
|
40
|
100.00
|
2160
|
2160
|
9.64
|
|
Simdega(Jha)
|
6.00
|
-25
|
192.00
|
2100
|
2200
|
-
|
|
Dahod(Guj)
|
5.70
|
-89.89
|
3732.40
|
4000
|
3900
|
NC
|
|
Mohanpur(Tri)
|
5.00
|
NC
|
100.60
|
2800
|
2900
|
-
|
|
Jeypore(Kotpad)(Ori)
|
4.90
|
390
|
442.80
|
3250
|
3250
|
-9.72
|
|
Jeypore(Ori)
|
4.80
|
-60.33
|
174.50
|
325
|
325
|
-
|
|
Imphal(Man)
|
4.80
|
-2.04
|
223.50
|
2700
|
2700
|
-15.63
|
|
Thoubal(Man)
|
4.50
|
-2.17
|
89.10
|
2500
|
2500
|
-3.85
|
|
Bishenpur(Man)
|
4.10
|
2.5
|
66.30
|
2400
|
2400
|
-22.58
|
|
Islampur(WB)
|
4.00
|
33.33
|
365.70
|
2150
|
2150
|
-14.00
|
|
Silapathar(ASM)
|
3.00
|
-90
|
568.20
|
3000
|
3000
|
NC
|
|
Siyana(UP)
|
2.00
|
-20
|
149.70
|
2040
|
2050
|
-0.97
|
|
Balarampur(WB)
|
1.80
|
-10
|
102.90
|
2400
|
2140
|
-
|
|
Santir
Bazar(Tri)
|
1.60
|
33.33
|
12.80
|
2600
|
2550
|
-7.14
|
|
Ernakulam(Ker)
|
1.50
|
NC
|
54.30
|
3300
|
3400
|
1.54
|
|
Sardhana(UP)
|
1.50
|
-40
|
106.90
|
2050
|
2050
|
-0.97
|
|
Lamlong
Bazaar(Man)
|
1.50
|
-6.25
|
45.40
|
2700
|
2700
|
-15.63
|
|
Mawana(UP)
|
1.00
|
NC
|
92.60
|
2055
|
2050
|
0.24
|
|
Bonai(Bonai)(Ori)
|
0.70
|
16.67
|
3426.20
|
2200
|
2200
|
-15.38
|
RELATED
TOPICS
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/article7970078.ece
Supreme Court ruling on GMO use draws
‘concern’ from rice institute
THE LOS
BAÑOS-BASED International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) has expressed
“concern” after the Supreme Court (SC) suspended the use of genetically
modified organisms (GMO) on Tuesday.
In a statement sent to BusinessWorld, the IRRI expressed reservations about the ruling, concern it
said was based on “the best scientific knowledge and evidence.”Yet, in response
to BusinessWorld’s queries how it affects the development of better
rice varieties at the institute, the statement read: “We, of course, remain
committed to abiding by the laws and regulations of the Philippines and of
every country in which we do collaborative research.”As soon as the institute
obtains the full copy of the SC decision, it said it will read it carefully “to
take stock of all implications” on biotechnological research.
One of the products that may be affected by the SC’s
unanimous Tuesday ruling is Golden Rice, a genetically engineered variety
developed at the IRRI.The rice strain was designed to produce beta-carotene
(pro-vitamin A) and address vitamin A deficiency, which may lead to blindness
and thousands of deaths among children.“It is the poorest and most vulnerable
groups, especially women and children, whose health and well-being are most
negatively affected by the scourge of micronutrient deficiency,” the IRRI
noted.The SC en banc, voting unanimously on Tuesday, expanded the Court of
Appeals’ writ of kalikasan order that permanently stopped the field trials of
Bt talong, a GM eggplant engineered with a bacterium to deter
pest insects.
Besides
affirming the stopping of Bt talong testing, the SC halted the use, testing, propagation,
commercialization and importation of GMOs after it nullified the Department of
Agriculture’s regulating GMO use.It ordered the use of GMOs “temporarily”
stopped until the Agriculture department promulgates new rules that will more
sufficiently comply with the country’s biosafety framework and international
protocols.The SC in that decision cited the lack of scientific certainty in
stopping GMO use, saying that it had to rule in the benefit of the environment
amid the lack of safety guarantees.Greenpeace Philippines, which petitioned the
end to Bt talong trials, hailed the
decision as a “victory for the Filipino people” but did not issue a statement.
-- Vince Alvic Alexis F. Nonato
Image:A rice farmer prepares for planting. – AFP
http://www.bworldonline.com/content.php?section=Economy&title=Supreme-Court-ruling-on-GMO-use-draws-&145concern&8217-from-rice-institute&id=120004
Paddy power
Promote climate-smart varieties of seeds and
expand coverage of irrigation
Dec 11, 2015- We Nepalis love eating rice. Rice
is not only the staple food of the country but the cultivation of the crop is
also one of the major sources of livelihood. Agriculture contributes 33 percent
to the total Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country, out of which 22
percent is from rice farming, according to government’s Economic Survey 2014/15.
Yet the country cannot meet its rice demand. Once a net exporter, last year
alone, Nepal imported rice and paddy worth Rs 24.75 billion, a net increase of
44.3 percent from previous year.Paddy production in Nepal dropped by 10.22
percent over last year.
This amounts to 489,534 tonnes according to a
preliminary report of summer food grains by the Ministry of Agricultural
Development. The decrease in paddy production could lead to food deficit of
800,000 tonnes. Making matters worse, the report claims that this decrease in
production could reduce the GDP by 0.5 percent. The decrease in production
could increase food prices and have a severe impact on the poorest people who
spend about 70 percent of their income on food.Multiple factors have
contributed to the drop in paddy production. In the recent years, droughts,
floods and rising temperatures have posed serious challenges to agriculture in
the country. As agriculture in Nepal is highly dependent on rainfall, lack of
rain this year is the primary reason for reduced paddy production. Delayed
monsoon and poor rainfall left 60,000 hectares of paddy fields uncultivated.
Several parts of country, particularly in the Tarai experienced severe drought.
This was further compounded by the prolonged
blockade which made the availability of fertilisers scarce. But the climactic
events affecting food production is a global phenomenon.As a result, scientists
have developed multiple ‘climate-smart rice’ varieties. These rice seeds,
developed by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), are basically
drought and flood resistant and yield 40 percent more rice compared to
traditional varieties.
These new varieties have been successful in
many parts of the world including India, the Philippines and also in Nepal.
Closer to home, these seeds were recommended by the Nepal Agricultural Research
Council and IRRI back in 2011.But over the years, these seeds have been
distributed only to few farmers. So many farmers in Nepal are not even aware of
this variety. There is also resistance to using these seeds. The government
needs to collaborate with the IRRI to educate the farmers while making these
seeds widely available. The District Agriculture Development Offices can do
more to promote these seeds. Even so, drought-resistance seeds can only survive
up to one and half months without water. So the key here is round-the-year
irrigation systems.
Published: 11-12-2015 08:40
http://bit.ly/1Q5xdGv
http://kathmandupost.ekantipur.com/news/2015-12-11/paddy-power.html
Biotech
advocates seek reversal of SC decision banning Bt talong field tests
LOS BANOS, Laguna (MindaNews/11 December) — A network of
biotechnology advocates is set to launch a nationwide campaign to counter the
Supreme Court’s (SC) recent decision that permanently stopped the field testing
of the transgenic Bacillus thuringiensis eggplant or Bt talong and voided a key
government policy on biotechnology adoption.Reynaldo Cabanao, national
president of the Asian Farmers Network (ASFARNET)-Philippines, said Friday they
have started to mobilize their ranks for the massive signature drive urging for
the reversal of the SC decision.Cabanao, a farmer leader from Malaybalay City
said they will also hold a series of consultations and awareness campaigns
among their members and farmers at the grassroots level regarding the matter.
ASFARNET-Philippines is composed of farmers associations under the
regional agriculture and fisheries councils and regional farmers action
councils.The network has chapters in India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and
Vietnam.“We will also hold regional mobilizations and later at the SC to show
our strong opposition to its ruling,” Cabanao told reporters at the sidelines
of the National Agri-Biotechnology Congress at the University of the
Philippines Los Banos (UPLB) campus here.
The ASFARNET-Philippines board unanimously endorsed a resolution
on Thursday afternoon, expressing disappointment over the SC decision, which
came out last Tuesday, Dec. 8.The court upheld a ruling issued by the Court of
Appeals in May 2013 that stopped the field trials for the genetically modified
eggplant due to safety concerns.The SC also declared null and void the
Department of Agriculture’s Administrative Order No. 08, series of 2002.AO No.
8 provides for the “Rules and Regulations for the Importation and Release into
the Environment of Plants and Plant Products Derived from the Use of Modern
Technology.
”The SC ruling stopped applications for field testing, contained
use, propagation and importation of genetically modified organisms, pending the
promulgation of a new administrative order.Dr. Gil Saguiguit Jr., director of
the Los Banos-based Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and
Research in Agriculture, said the SC ruling is a big challenge to the country’s
biotechnology initiatives and the entire agriculture sector.He said it has held
back the advances made by scientific institutions and researchers working on
agricultural biotechnology.UPLB’s Institute of Plant Breeding is at the
forefront of the research on Bt talong while the International Rice Research
Institute is currently conducting advanced trials on the golden rice.
“If we stop the experiments what will happen to us now? Other
countries are currently using and experimenting biotechnology. o with this (SC
ruling), our agriculture sector will be left behind again,” he said.Saguiguit
refused to comment on the SC decision as they have yet to get a copy and study
it but noted that they are very much concerned about it.As to the controversy
regarding the safety of biotechnology crops or products, he said those claiming
that they are not should prove them properly.“If they say it’s not safe, then
they should prove it. Because when we say it’s safe, we can adequately prove
it,” he said.Saguguit said there are enough scientific evidences that have
proven the safety of biotechnology products to human health and the
environment, and its potentials in addressing the problems of a growing
population.
He said the ongoing experiments, which follow stringent processes,
are also meant to ensure that nothing will be comprised when it comes to
safety.“How can you prove that something is safe or not if you do not allow
experimentation? As a research and educational institution, our stand is for us
to always go back to evidences and scientific proofs,” he added.Field tests on
Bt talong were done in some areas of Mindanao. One of these was at the UP
Mindanao campus in Davao City which was ordered stopped by the city government
in response to protests by environment groups. (MindaNews)
Climate Change
Could Starve Island Nations Before They’re Flooded
Sea level rise may wipe some
small Pacific countries off the map, but that’s not the only problem residents
have to worry about.
Benjie Baldenero (right) and a
colleague prepare coconuts to be made into copra at his coconut farm in Hernani
town on the Philippine island of Samar, the gateway for many of East Asia's
deadliest storms. (Photo: Ted Aljibe/Getty Images)
DEC 11,
2015
Tove Danovich is a journalist
based in New York City.
According to recent research from theInternational Food Policy
Research Institute, climate change scenarios in the Philippines show
that an additional 1.4 million people will be at risk of hunger by 2030—and the
number will be 2.5 million by 2050. Similarly low-lying island nations aren’t
much better off.“The impacts vary, but particularly in tropical and developing
countries, the impact of climate change on the agriculture sector is negative,”
said Mark Rosegrant, director of the environment and production technology
division at IFPRI. “In addition, climate change drives up world prices.” People
in developing countries throughout the world will have a harder time affording
food. This phenomenon will be magnified for island nations, which tend to have
higher food prices to begin with because of their remote locations and lack of
enough farmland to feed the population. (Many countries also have import taxes or
other trade barriers that further increase prices.) Agriculture has become such
an international business that food security is no longer impacted just by what
grows in the backyard, but what grows halfway around the world too.
But the Philippines are in a much better
position than other island nations, according to Rosegrant. “The Pacific
Islands will be hit very hard because they’re heavily dependent on imported
food, and prices tend to be higher because they’re quite remote,” he explained.
“Then they’ll get hit again because of climate change.”Take Tuvalu, for
example: The low-lying Pacific nation has been described as the “canary” of
climate change, as the island has already started losing land to rising sea
levels and could be among the first nations to disappear entirely. In the last
10 years, 15 percent of the population has already moved
elsewhere, while 70 percent of those left said they too would leave if “climate
stressors worsened in the years ahead.
” The immediate future of the island
itself, not just its agriculture, is at stake.The government of the Philippines
is already taking steps to preempt the worst of climate change. The IFPRI has
recommended it get rid of its “rice self-sufficiency policy,” which is meant to
protect domestic rice farmers from imports. “A lot of countries have a version
of this policy, and it restricts trade by keeping prices higher than they should
be,” Rosegrant explained. “The theory is that they’re helping farmers, but
consumers tend to get hit hard.” Evidentially, the global problem of climate
change really does demand global solutions—even when it comes to increasing
food security through unrestricted trade.However, there’s little hope for
future trade without crops that can tolerate the increased instances of drought
and higher temperatures that climate models predict. While countries like the
United States can easily fund research into drought-tolerant corn, lettuce, and
other crops, this is not always the case for developing nations.
Luckily, Rosegrant noted, there is a
“substantial group of international breeding centers and international
agricultural research” dedicated to creating solutions for farmers with various
climate and soil conditions. “The international rice research institute is
based in the Philippines,” Rosegrant said, “so there’s significant transfer
from those institutions.”While stopping climate change may still be a political
battle, agricultural research groups seem to be treating it as a given. That’s
the good news. On a more somber note, even the best seeds in the world won’t be
much help to islands whose surface area shrinks significantly enough to chase
away the population or that are so beleaguered by storms that harvests are
regularly destroyed.
http://www.takepart.com/article/2015/12/11/islands-climate-change-food-security
PH needs
to improve rice competitiveness
December
11, 2015 9:26 pm
The Philippines is a signatory to the Asean Free Trade
Agreement, which took full effect this year. The agreement aims to bring down
to zero (except rice) the duties on products coming from Asean countries.Rice
is a commodity that has direct linkages to food security, livelihood security
and rural development needs of millions in developing countries like the
Philippines. At present, rice is the only commodity in the Philippines that
enjoys special treatment in the World Trade Organization, which excluded the
same from the agriculture liberalization.Unlike other agricultural products,
rice — the basic staple grain of the Philippines — was not tariffied. Instead,
rice farmers were protected through the imposition of a quantitative
restriction (QR), which allows only a limited volume of the grains to enter the
country.
At present, Manila limits to 805,000 metric tons the amount of
rice allowed to enter the country through the so-called minimum access volume
or MAV. Shipments outside MAV pay higher rates of 50 percent and would
need the approval of the National Food Authority.But with the government no
longer able to control the volume of imported grains once the QRs are lifted by
2017, PhilRice said that cheaper rice would compete in the local market as long
as it is subject to 35 percent tariff.The IRRI-PhilRice study provided inputs
that allow analysis of factors critical to understanding basic competitiveness,
namely the various production cost factors and practices, levels of subsidy,
farming systems, and marketing practices in the rice industry of other
countries.
Alcala said that areas of irrigation, credit and insurance are
factors which the Philippine rice sector can improve on, as well as the need to
address the increasing cost of farm labor through mechanization.He said that
the Philippines must harmonize its standards – such as on phytosanitary
measures and good agricultural practices — with the regional benchmarks to
build competitive advantage in the Asean market.“The Philippines needs to fully
align our domestic product and production standards with that of Asean’s—not
only to be competitive but also to empower the agriculture industry,” Alcala
said.
http://www.manilatimes.net/ph-needs-to-improve-rice-competitiveness/233956/
12/11/2015
Farm Bureau Market Report
Rice
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High
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Low
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Long
Grain Cash Bids
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- - -
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- - -
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Long
Grain New Crop
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- - -
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- - -
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Futures:
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Rice
Comment
Rice futures may be attempting to stabilize
after the recent downturn which took over $1.50 off the market in a matter of a
few short days. January is attempting to establish support at $11. The domestic
cash market is quiet and export demand is slow as well, which is typically the
case around the holidays. The monthly supply/demand report showed little
change, with only a 1 million cwt decrease in imports into the U.S. and use
unchanged.
Exports were pegged at 98 million cwt, and
ending stocks were cut to 38.8 million cwt. The average on farm price for long
grain remained $11.50 to $12.50. Global rice stocks are forecast to decrease
for the third year in a row as consumption is expected to outpace production.
Production was lowered to 469.3 million metric tons, down approximately 8.9
million tons from the preceding year.
Rice
farmers concerned over Guyanese rice soon to be on Belizean shelves
By BMG Staff : The Belize Agro-Productive Sector Group (BASG), a private
business whose main goal is to facilitate the development of the sugar, citrus,
banana, shrimp agro-productive sectors, issued a
statement Friday afternoon expressing grave concern over Guyanese
rice soon expected to be retailed in Belizean grocery stores for less than the
$1.29 local producers charge for the same pound.BASG expressed concerned over radio
ads announcing Guyanese rice which will be retailed for 69 cents per pound
saying though the price may initially sound appealing, it may have direct
financial consequences.
How many Belizean farms, farmers,
farmhands, millers and distribution workers will join the unemployment
line as another agricultural product, Belizean rice, is removed from the
products we produce here in Belize?” BASG pondered.“Currently the Belize rice
industry supports almost 100 local rice farmers, 5 milling companies, more
than 2000 field workers, employees, distributors, and their families. This does
not include a host of gas stations, fertilizer and agro chemical stores,
restaurants and mechanic shops to name a few businesses that depend on our
rice production. On the other hand, Guyanese rice will support ONE
importer and a handful of distribution workers,” the BASG release said.
The importer BASG is referring to
is business-man Jitendra Chaula, better knowns as Jack Charles. Several months
ago Chaula has applied for a permit to import Guyanese rice but hadn’t been
granted permission by the Belize Agricultural Health Authority (BAHA).Chaula
initially complained to the media that he wasn’t being given a fair opportunity
to be granted a permit then the situation went under the radar for months.
In that time, apparently,
Chaula’s permit was granted and he was commenced importation of rice from
Guyana offering the rice at a cost local farmers cannot compete with.BASG
refuted Chaula’s previous claims that local producers have gouged the price to
maximize profits.“It’s a fact that our cost of production for rice is higher
than most countries. But our retail price on the shelf is definitely on
the lower end of the scale when compared to retail prices in
Central American and CARICOM countries,” BASG said.
The company claims that millions
of dollars in revenue to the government will be lost if the rice is imported
adding that the 69 cent per pound pricing is unsustainable for the long-term.“This
low price is a ploy to have Guyanese rice enter the Belizean market. When
our already stressed local rice industry becomes extinct, imported rice
will then become more expensive with little to no benefit to Belizeans
except to the importer!” the company warned.According to BASG, rice
farmers want lower rice prices on the shelves too and have been
lobbying GOB for some of the same subsidies that are available to Guyanese
rice growers and other big companies such as ASR/ BSI and Green
Tropics/ SANTANDER; subsidies such as cheaper fuel, duty exemptions, tax
breaks and other incentives.
http://www.breakingbelizenews.com/2015/12/11/rice-farmers-concerned-guyanese-rice-belizean-shelves/
SA Rice
Outlook Conference - Day Two
From left:
Trade Minister Arrieta, Bill Reed, and Chuck Wilson
NEW ORLEANS, LA -- Today's general session
program opened with a conversation between Louisiana rice farmer John Owen and
his neighbor, Representative Ralph Abraham. Because the Congressman was
detained by business in Washington, DC, the conversation took place via phone
and film. Abraham represents Louisiana's
5th district, the largest row crop district in the nation, and is a fierce
supporter of the agriculture community.
He spoke about the opportunity he has as a member of the House Ag
Committee to push for legislation and programs that really work for farmers,
and being a farmer himself, Abraham knows what it takes to grow a crop.
Finally, Reubén Ramos Arrieta, Minister
Counselor in the economic and trade office of the embassy of the Republic of
Cuba, offered his perspective on U.S.-Cuba relations and the potential for
renewed U.S. rice exports to Cuba. He
talked about how encouraged people in his country are by the dramatic changes the
U.S. has made recently to normalize relations with Cuba, but also reminded the
audience of the challenges that remain before real trade can begin.
Contact:
Deborah Willenborg (703) 236-1444
2015 Rice
Award Winners Recognized at Annual Awards Luncheon
Tim Walker, Horizon Ag; Jerry Hoskyn; and USA
Rice Chairman Dow Brantley. NEW ORLEANS, LA -- Winners of the 2015 Rice Awards
were announced today at a luncheon in their honor. Awards are presented in the categories of
farmer, industry, and lifetime achievement.
This year's winners are Jerry Hoskyn, farmer of the year, Keith
Fontenot, rice industry award winner, and Jimmy Hoppe, rice lifetime achievement
award winner.
Jerry Hoskyn grew up on a farm in Stuttgart,
Arkansas, and left home for college with no plan to return to the farming
life. However, his roots in the Arkansas
Grand Prairie ran deep and it wasn't long before he was back on the farm and 48
years later, he's still at it. Hoskyn is
known as an innovative producer who embraces technology and, while considered a
mentor by many, he is always willing to learn something new. Hoskyn serves on several USA Rice committees
and says, "I serve on a lot of committees but I think I learn a lot more
from them then I ever give. There are
just so many sharp people in the rice industry."
Jimmy Hoppe is a well deserving recipient of
the Rice Lifetime Achievement award having been a rice farmer since he was in
the eighth grade! He says he has spent
his whole life on his farm in southwest Louisiana, doing what he loves with a
strong commitment to sustainability and conservation practices to enhance the
environmental benefits of rice production.
Accepting the award, Hoppe said, "It's overwhelming and humbling to
have been chosen, and it's been a pleasure to serve in this industry."The
Rice Awards are sponsored by Rice Farming magazine, Horizon Ag, and USA Rice.
Contact:
Deborah Willenborg (703) 236-1444
CME
Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures
|
Bulog to Get 700,000 tons
Vietnamese Rice by Year-end
FRIDAY, 11 DECEMBER, 2015 |
15:20 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Perum Bulog is targeting to
receive 700,000 tons of Vietnamese rice by the end of this year. As of today,
350,000 tons have been imported."We want everything—no less," Bulog
president director Djarot Kusumayakti said in Jakarta, Thursday, December 10,
2015.Djarot said that as Indonesia has entered the rainy season, there is
threat of not meeting that target. If rain intensity is very high, rice
shipment will have to be delayed, because the Panamex boat used to deliver the
rice has semi-open deck.
Nevertheless, Djarot is confident that the rice import could
cover for Indonesia's lack of stock due to a harvest season that is projected
to be one month late.As of November 2015, Bulog's rice stock in its warehouse
reached 1.3 million tons.The government also plans to import 800,000 tons of
rice from Thailand. By March next year, rice from Thailand is expected to start
entering Bulog's warehouse in stages.Bulog ensures that the abundant supply of
imported rice will not ruin the market price of local rice, because the rice
stock will be distributed slowly and gradually, depending on the conditions of
local rice stocks.
http://en.tempo.co/read/news/2015/12/11/056726954/Bulog-to-Get-700000-tons-Vietnamese-Rice-by-Year-end
Review: Enjoy great Indian food at The
Copper Pot in Edmonds
Published: Friday, December 11, 2015, 12:01 a.m.
Aaron Swaney / The Herald
The Copper Pot's Mumbai martini is
made with Bombay Saphire gin, vermouth, cadamom pods, curry leaves, ginger and
sweet and sour. The Copper Pot’s goa mojito is made with vodka, light rum, triple
sec, cranberry juice, mint and lime juice, and comes with a beautiful lime
star.The
building is wedged into a sort of Bermuda triangle on the Edmonds waterfront,
stuck in the middle of flowing ferry traffic that alternates north and south as
ferries come and goThe restaurant also doesn't look like much. It's a former
Skippers and the exterior still gives off that vibe.on't let any of that deter
you from going to The Copper Pot.
The outside may be a little confusing — the
nautical theme is completed with portholes — but inside is comfortable and has
plenty of seating. Another Indian restaurant was in the space before The Copper
Pot and it's obvious they opened up the dining room to make it more formal than
fast food.With three kids ages 2 to 8 in tow, we're not the easiest group to
accommodate. But the staff at The Copper Pot was great. We arrived earlier than
our reservation, but the table was ready and the staff was pouring water before
we could sit down.College football was on the few TVs around the restaurant,
but as soon as we sat down the staff changed the TV near us to a cartoon for
the kids. I'm not big on letting the little ones watch TV when we're out, but
it was a very nice gesture.
The staff took our drink orders and dropped off
a small gratis appetizer of papadums. The housemade lentil chips came with two
dipping sauces, herbed mint and tamarind, and were simple and tasty, gearing us
up for the taste explosion to come.Everybody loves naan, the Indian-style
leavened white bread, so I'll spend as little time as possible here. Not
because The Copper Pot's isn't great, it is, but there's more to see here.There
are six different kinds of naan to order — we tried four — but the best was the
paneer naan, which is stuffed with housemade cheese and nuts.One of the best
things about Indian food is the ability to eat family style, so we did.We
started with a gaggle of appetizers, which range in price from $3.99 to $8.99.
The Copper Pot's appetizer menu is dominated by
pakoras and samosas, but don't stop there. We tried the paneer pakora, which is
housemade cheese pieces deep fried in chickpea flour, calamari and fried
chicken. The calamari was so-so, but the fried chicken, boneless pieces
marinated overnight in lemon and cumin and topped with chaat masala, and the
pakora were amazing.When it comes to dinner dishes it can be a bit
overwhelming. There are the classics, curries and masalas that range in price
from $13.99 to $16.99 depending on the meat your order, sizzlers from the tandoori
clay oven ($14.99 to $22.99) and plenty of vegan and vegetarian options ($9.99
to $11.99).All dishes are served with basmati rice, but we also ordered
kashmiri pulao, which is basmati rice with fruit, nuts and fresh kashmiri
pineapple.Sharing between three small children and four adults, here's what we
ordered (ranked in order of how fast they were finished):
Malai chicken: This dish from the tandoori clay
oven is a boneless chicken breast marinated in ginger, garlic, yogurt, butter,
cream and Indian spices. It was tender and all of the flavors swirled together
beautifully.Lamb korma: We wanted to get something with lamb and the korma
seemed like a great fit. It was cooked in the traditional cashew cream sauce
and was a good match with the mint naan.Mango coconut shrimp: Sauteed with
onions and a blend of Indian spices and then simmered with a tangy mango sauce,
this complemented the rice really well. Goat masala: I had to try the goat. It
was a bit gamey, but still good, and the tikka masala sauce was a good match.For
dessert, The Copper Pot has the usual suspects like rice pudding and mango ice
cream, but we went with more authentic dishes.
We tried rasmalai, a dish of housemade soft
cheese patties drenched in sweet milk and topped with grated pistachios, and
gulab jamar, which is cheese balls pan fried in butter and finished with a
flavorful syrup.Both were a bit strange to my Northwest palate, but the
rasmalai, which had a hint of rose water and was served chilled, was a nice cap
to the dinner. For most of us, the gulab jamar was too much of a step out of
our comfort zone.As for drinks, I had a bottle of Stella Artois, which was a nice
counteract to the heat and flavors of the food. My wife preferred the subtle
spices of the Mumbai martini (gin, vermouth, cardamom pods, curry leaves,
ginger, sweet and sour) to the Goa mojito (vodka, light rum, triple sec,
cranberry juice, mint, lime juice), and the kids and my parents enjoyed mango
lassis all night.The Copper Pot prides itself on making most of its ingredients
in house and that care comes through in the food. Don't let the outside fool
you.
The Copper Pot
102 Main St., Edmonds, 425-697-6363,
edmondscopperpot.com
Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily
Alcohol: Full bar
