Iranian President’s visit to Pakistan
March 29, 2016/
Javid Husain
During his
visit, President Hassan Rouhani held talks with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif,
President Mamnoon Hussain, and General Raheel Sharif besides addressing a
meeting of the Pakistan-Iran Joint Business Forum anda joint news conference
with the Prime Minister in Islamabad.
Hassan Rouhani’s
visit took place against the background of a slow but steady process of improvement
of Pakistan-Iran relations, which had been badly damaged during the 1990’s
because of the clash of their Afghanistan policies. It was natural that the
bitter memories of the two countries’ confrontation in Afghanistan and the
mutual mistrust caused by it would fade away only gradually. It goes to the
credit of the leaders on both sides to have realized that the security of
Pakistan and Iran is closely “intertwined and interdependent” as the Iranian
President put it in his press conference in Islamabad. There are also promising
opportunities for strengthening bilateral cooperation in economic, commercial,
technical, and cultural fields. The signing of the deal on Iran’s nuclear
program and the lifting of the nuclear-related sanctions by the UN Security
Council, the US and EU have paved the way for the development of closer
economic and commercial ties between Pakistan and Iran. The fact that a
60-member delegation of Iranian businessmen accompanied Hassan Rouhani during
his visit to Pakistan shows that Tehran would like both sides to take full
advantage of the new opportunities for closer economic cooperation.
The visit resulted in the signing
of six MOU’s on promoting bilateral cooperation in various fields. It was
decided to increase the annual bilateral trade to $ 5 billion within the next
five years. However, this goal is likely to remain a pipedream unless the two
governments take specific and well-considered steps to promote bilateral trade.
On the Iranian side, this would involve the removal of non-tariff barriers on
trade with Pakistan, particularly those involving Pakistani textiles, rice,
fruit and other agricultural products, and the lowering of tariffs.
Pakistan would have to make a
special effort to resume and increase the purchase of crude oil from Iran.
Hopefully, the discussion of the issue of enhancing the connectivity between
Gawadar and Chabahar ports through rail, road and shipping links during the
visit would also help in promoting trade between the two countries and enabling
the two ports to complement each other.
The completion and
operationalization of Pakistan-Iran gas pipeline would be the most important
step that the two countries can take for the development of their economic
ties. Hassan Rouhani pointed out that the pipeline was almost complete on the
Iranian side. It is now for the government of Pakistan to fulfill its part of
the deal so that the pipeline can be operationalized as soon as possible, thus,
going a long way towards meeting our fast growing requirements for natural gas.
We should go even further and link the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline with the
China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects, which might facilitate the
export of the Iranian gas to China through Pakistan and make Pakistan the hub
of the regional trade and energy corridors. Pakistan can also import
electricity from Iran to overcome its power shortage especially in Balochistan.
Hassan Rouhani offered to export up to 3000 mw of electricity to Pakistan which
is already importing about 100 mw of electricity from Iran for meeting the
requirements of its border areas.
The Iranian President also
exchanged views with PM Nawaz Sharif on the Afghan peace process during the
visit. The Iranian side agreed to the Pakistani proposal for trilateral talks
among Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan on the issue. This was an important
development considering the damage that the differences of their Afghanistan
policies had inflicted on Pakistan-Iran relations before 9/11. Further,
considering the long border that Iran has with Afghanistan and its deep
historical and cultural links with the latter, the coordination of the
Afghanistan policies of Pakistan and Iran is an indispensable condition for the
success of the Afghan peace process. The trilateral talks among Afghanistan,
Iran and Pakistan, therefore, must be a regular feature of the efforts for the
restoration of durable peace in Afghanistan.
The border security issue has also
occasionally been an irritant in Pakistan-Iran relations. Iran complained from
time to time in the past, about the terrorist activities in Iranian Balochistan
of some criminal gangs operating from Pakistani Balochistan. It has been
alleged by Iran that these gangs had the support of some non-regional
intelligence agencies. More recently, Pakistan has expressed its uneasiness
about the terrorist activities in Pakistani Balochistan and Karachi, inspired
and supported by RAW agents who were operating from the Iranian Balochistan.
Obviously, there are forces which in pursuit of their own nefarious designs
wish to damage friendly relations between Pakistan and Iran. The two
governments should not allow these efforts to succeed and should take all
possible steps to ensure the security of their common border in the interest of
promoting border trade and people-to-people contacts. It was, therefore,
reassuring that the two governments publicly declared their intention to take
necessary steps for strengthening the common border security.
The disturbing situation in the
Middle East, especially in Syria and Iraq, and the issues of extremism and
terrorism also came up for discussion during Hassan Rouhani’s visit to
Islamabad. One should welcome the agreement between Pakistan and Iran to
cooperate with each other in fighting extremism and terrorism. As for Saudi-Iranian
relations, in January this year Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif paid visits to
Riyadh and Tehran in an effort to defuse tensions between the two brotherly
countries and promote mutual understanding between them.
Considering the complexity of the
issues involved and the depth of the misunderstandings and sensitivities on the
part of both Iran and Saudi Arabia, Nawaz Sharif’s efforts did not achieve much
success. It remains to be seen whether the latest exchange of views between the
leaders of Pakistan and Iran would lead to the lessening of tensions between
Riyadh and Tehran which is in the best interest of the Muslim Ummah. Hassan
Rouhani rightly stressed that Muslim countries should resolve their problems
peacefully in the interest of peace, progress and prosperity.
Pakistan-Iran relations, which had
reached their nadir in 1990’s because of the differences of the two countries
on the Afghanistan issue, are on the mend. Earlier during his visit to Pakistan
in April 2001, Hassan Rouhani in his capacity as the Secretary General of the
Iranian Supreme National Security Council had played an extremely important
role in arresting the deterioration in this relationship in recognition of the
reality that Pakistan-Iran friendship is vital for the security and well-being
of the two countries. It is befitting that he should again play a constructive
role in taking Pakistan-Iran cooperation to new heights through his recent
visit. Hopefully, both sides would seize the opportunity provided by the
agreements signed and the understandings reached during the visit to provide a
new impetus to the development of Pakistan-Iran friendship and cooperation in
various fields.
The writer is a retired ambassador
and the president of the Lahore Council for World Affairs. Email: javid.husain@gmail.com
Low-arsenic rice grain from NBRI
TNN | Mar
29, 2016, 12.56 AM IST
Lucknow: After 10 years of research,
National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI) has developed a 'transgenic rice'
which will reduce arsenic accumulation and contamination in rice grains.Arsenic
contamination in rice gives rise to serious health risks like kidney disease,
cancer and skin problems. In Uttar Pradesh, Ballia is most prone to arsenic
contamination followed by Bahraich, Rae Bareli, Gorakhpur, Ghazipur, Meerut,
Chandoli and many more.
The technology is ready for field trials. Senior NBRI scientist Debasis Chakrabarty, who conducted the research recently, visited the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Philippine and discussed the possibilities of field trials. The institute in principal agreed to help in this regard.
"The institute invited us to become familiar with ongoing research work at NBRI and has agreed in principle to conduct field trials subjected to clearance by governments of both countries," said Chakrabarty, head of the eight-member team, which carried out research published recently in an international journal 'Metallomics' published by 'Royal Society of Chemistry'.
The scientists said the transgenic rice has 'arsenic methyl transferase', a gene isolated from a fungus that accumulates less arsenic and would be less toxic.He explained that arsenic present in groundwater percolates in soil during irrigation and contaminates rice with arsenic. Chronic arsenic exposure through groundwater contamination affects more than 150 million people worldwide and over 500 million people in Ganga, Meghna and Brahmputra areas.
Rice is the crop most susceptible to
absorbing arsenic during cultivation. Cultivating rice varieties that accumulate
less amount of arsenic can tackle the challenge of exposure to carcinogens
(cancer causing elements) that affect population in Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal,
Bihar, Jharkhand and Odisha.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/Low-arsenic-rice-grain-from-NBRI/articleshow/51591807.cms
Early planting of rice: some
considerations
What will Mid-South see in 2016 medium grain crop?
Mar 29, 2016 | Delta Farm Press
Prior to
rainclouds settling for a prolonged period over the Mid-South, a very warm
winter meant many producers were prepping fields and planting crops. The heavy
rains generated by the storms kept crews shop-bound for several weeks. By the
third week of March, though, farmland activity was swinging again.Among those
in the field were rice producers.“I heard some rice was planted around March
10, just before the huge rains hit the state,” says Jarrod Hardke, Arkansas
Extension rice specialist. “Then, around March 17 another couple of fields were
planted. That really kicked off rice planting in the state. By (March 21), a
bunch of growers were planting pretty hard.”
What about acreage expectations for
2016?
“At this point, we may be staring
at a minimum of 1.6 million acres of rice in Arkansas.
“How the crop ends up faring is
still up in the air, of course. But the ability of many growers to get their
rice in this early points to a high-acreage year. A record acreage of 1.8
million acres may be possible, if not likely; the sky is the limit at this
point. Though I hope market improvements in our other crops helps keep the
number down, it may happen soon enough to slow down our rice planting.”
“Now isn’t the time to put the
majority of the state’s rice into the ground. There’s a lot bad that could
happen before the rice emerges or when it’s small. The margins are very tight.
The last thing we want is to have to replant a lot of rice. Replanting a field,
or two, isn’t good but can be handled. How much risk are you willing to take?”
Despite his misgivings, Hardke
hasn’t “been inclined to discourage anyone wanting to plant so early. The current
conditions and forecast could be far worse than they are. I’d be a lot more
worried if the forecast was showing cooler nighttime temperatures. We’re just
in a weather pattern that looks to be the same a week or 10 days out, even well
into April.”
GCAP boosts commercial
rice farming in Northern Region
Posted Mar 29, 2016 at 10:09am
The Ghana Commercial Agricultural Project
(GCAP) is supporting nine investors to cultivate rice in the Nasia-Nabogu
valley in the Northern Region.The initiative aims at boosting commercial rice
farming in the area and contributes to reducing rice importation into the
country.
As part of the initiative GCAP will from next month undertake land preparation
for the nine investors.GCAP in collaboration with the Northern Regional
Directorate of the Lands Commission has also sensitized the Chiefs and people
of the Nasia traditional area to laws governing land acquisition in the
country.At a sensitization forum, the Zonal Coordinator of GCAP, Bloomfied
Attipoe, appealed to the Chiefs and people to support the project to create
jobs for the teeming youth in the area.He explained that, the sensitization
programme aims at preventing conflict between the investors and land owners.
http://m.gbcghana.com/1.8848157
Rice,
Fishery exports increase in first months: Ministry
Tuesday,
Mar 29, 2016, Posted at: 11:57(GMT+7)
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development said that
the volume of polished rice and fishery export increased in the first three
months. In the first quarter of 2016, total amount of polished rice export is
1.59 million tons worth US$692 million, an increase of 41.6 percent in the
volume and by 40.8 percent in the value compared to last year.The price of
polished rice export reaches US$433 per tons, down by 5.78 percent compared to
last year. Indonesia is becoming Vietnam’s biggest market for export of rice
with 31.42 percent, followed by China with 17.15 percent and the Phillipines
with 13.75 percent.
In two first month of the year, Vietnam has export total
volume of 160.69 million tons of polished rice to the two markets collecting
US$ US$71.5 million tons, an increase of 39.3 percent in the volume and 53.6
percent in value compared to the last year.Meantime, the value of fishery
export in the first quarter reached US$1.36 billion, 1.7 percent higher than
over the same period last year. The US, Japan, China and South Korea are the
four biggest market for Vietnam’s fishery export. The tra fish (also known as
pangasius) and tiger shrimp prices in the Mekong delta increase because of
unfavorable weather influencing to farming.
http://www.saigon-gpdaily.com.vn/Business/Economy/2016/3/118199/
ONGRESSMAN HOPES
TRADE WITH CUBA WILL HELP PARISH FARMERS
Tue, 03/29/2016 - 14:24
Fifth District U.S. Rep. Ralph Abraham will be in Cuba
this week, trying to make sure Louisiana is first in line when trade with Cuba
is allowed again.Abraham is traveling to Cuba on an agricultural trade mission
April 6 with U.S. Rep. Rick Crawford of Jonesboro, Ark., and producers from
Louisiana and Arkansas.Currently Cuba imports 80 to 90 percent of its food but
only 10-12 percent comes from the U.S. The country imports most of its rice
from China and Vietnam, but it takes four to five weeks to arrive.“With New
Orleans only 36 hours from Cuba we are poised to be the main port for trade
with Cuba,” Abraham said, “not only for rice but for soybeans, corn and sugar
cane.”In addition to the shorter transport time, Abraham feels Louisiana would
be able to offer higher quality products than competitors.
“We have
some of the best farmers in the world right here in Richland Parish,” he said.Northeast
Louisiana Rice Growers Association Vice-President Scott Franklin said Abraham’s
trip could be the most important development in agriculture in his lifetime not
only Louisiana, but specifically our area of the state.Franklin pointed out the
average American eats about 25 pounds of milled rice per year, while the
average Cuban eats a whopping 180 pounds.“It is a necessity for their very
survival,” Franklin said. Cuba does farm a very large amount of rice, but
still must import between 600,000 and 800,000 metric tons of milled rice every
year.
Most of
that imported rice comes all the way from China, Vietnam and Thailand, which
can take up to two months for it to arrive in Cuba. Furthermore, those
countries do not allow the export of rough rice, so Cuban rice mills have no
benefit from those imports.“We could load much smaller barges right here in
Louisiana on the Mississippi River and the rice would make it to Cuba in five
to seven days,” Franklin said. “Additionally, we could ship rough rice (along
with milled rice too) to Cuba, resulting in many more milling jobs for the
Cuban people.” Prior to the embargo, Cuba was America’s number one rice
export market and America was the no one exporter of rice in the entire world. “Now,
we ship no rice to Cuba, and America has fallen to a distant fifth in global
exports of rice,” Franklin said. Louisiana citizens have to understand that
everyone will benefit from trade with Cuba. Every grain of rice, piece of
steel and ounce of beef (among many other products) that is sent to Cuba would
most likely have to go through a Louisiana port. All of us are feeling
the pain of increased taxes due to the state’s dire financial situation, and
this is a real prospect that can generate millions of dollars for the state
every year.
”Franklin
said he applauds Abraham’s efforts to work with the Cubans in setting up trade
with the United States.“The embargo has gone on for far too long,” Franklin
said. “Politicians must put politics aside to do the right thing for the
economy. This is the most important trade mission of my lifetime. I
am confident that Congressman Abraham and Senator Francis Thompson will do a
great job on this trade mission. They are very fluent with the issues and
have a genuine desire to make this happen for Northeast Louisiana. I wish
all of the Louisiana group great luck on this very important moment for American
agriculture and the entire state of Louisiana.”
Giant
snail poses danger to Louisiana rice farmers
Source: WBRZ
By:
BATON
ROUGE -Scientists fear the Giant Apple Snail could destroy rice crops in west
Louisiana. The snail is an invasive species from South America that is slowly
eating up aquatic plants across the southern part of the state."They're
considered one of the worst invasive species in the world," Jacoby Carter
with the US Geological Survey says. "They are in the top 100 list of
bad invasive species," he added.The snails live in fresh water and can
grow as large as a person's fist. Right now, they're primarily found
in eastern and coastal parishes but may eventually end up in western
waters where farmers grow rice.
Carter said they've been a problem in Asian rice paddies
but haven't had much affect in East Texan fields, probably because farmers
there keep the water levels much lower.
Louisiana rice farmers might not be so lucky because
many also raise crawfish in the fields so they keep the water level much
higher."It may force a management change or pose a problem for those
systems where they're managing for both rice and crawfish," Carter said.Scientists
have yet to discover a safe way to eradicate the snails without also destroying
other species.The snails lay clusters of bright pink eggs, up to 7000 at a
time. Carter said if you notice an egg cluster, take a picture and email him
with the eggs location at carterj@usgs.gov.
Association
Lauds Ban On Land Border Rice Imports
Posted by admin on Mar 30th, 2016 and filed under Business. You can follow any responses to this entry through
the RSS 2.0. Both
comments and pings are currently closed.
The Association of Rice
Investors (ARI) has lauded the Federal Government for banning the importation of rice through land borders.Speaking to newsmen in Lagos on Monday, the Association’s National President, Mr Tunji Owoeye, said that the policy would remove the major obstacles faced by local rice producers in the country.Owoeye said that the biggest challenge to rice farmers in the country had been removed by the government, adding that the Federal Government has listened to the voice of reason in taking such decision to protect local rice producers.He said that the decision was a clear demonstration that the Federal Government was ready for economic diversification by promoting local rice production through policy reversal and other intervention supports, adding that the initial lifting of the ban by the Comptroller General of Customs, Colonel Hammed Ali (rtd) had boosted smuggling of the grain from neigbouring countries, which enhanced the revenue generation of those countries which also imported the rice.
He said that the association had urged the Federal Government before now to ban the importation of rice through land borders, but the government according to him, had claimed that the Association should allow goods to move freely within ECOWAS countries into the country.He said that Nigeria’s land borders are porous and there was lact of capacity to track all the rice that enter the country through the land borders, but now that this decision had been taken the Federal Government needs to be decisive in policing the nation’s land borders for effective implementation of the policy.Owoye said that through the massive intervention supports from the government, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Bank of Agriculture, Bank of Industry (BoI) and other bodies, the insufficient gap in the rice production would be drastically reduced to the barest minimum in the country.
He said farmers especially rice farmers
have been benefitting from those funds such as rice farmers in Northern part of
the country who also enjoyed advantage of irrigation.He said that through the
intervention support, many moribund rice mills across the country have been
revived and were fully operational.
Big rice importers cancel rice imports from Vietnam
29.03.2016
Vietnam has lost rice export contracts as some of its major
markets including Indonesia and the Philippines have canceled their import
plans.The Vietnam Food Association (VFA) has confirmed the information, saying
that political factors in the first months of 2016 have affected import/export
activities.Dan Viet reported that Bulog, the Indonesian Bureau of Logistics?
has ceased rice transactions with four supply sources which have memorandum of
understanding (MOU) with the Indonesian government, namely Thailand, Pakistan,
Cambodia and Vietnam in the February plan.
The head of the country’s Ministry of Agriculture believes that Indonesia has sufficient rice for the domestic demand and no need to import rice. The official also attributed the fluctuations of the domestic market to speculation, affirming that this will be stopped.VFA has said that because of political issues, Indonesia would not import rice until the domestic price soars on the short supply. Import demand of the market will be clearer after Indonesia assesses the post-harvesting yield, slated for June.The Filipino National Food Authority (NFA) has also canceled the plan to import 400,000 tons of rice it announced earlier this year.The country is also awaiting the information about stocks, while it may allow private businesses to import 1 million tons of rice under the WTO’s minimum access volume (MAV) mechanism which includes 500,000 tons from special countries and the remaining 500,000 tons from other sources.
VFA said the Filipino import plan is also controlled by political factors. Some officials said the mechanism allowing businessmen to import under the WTO’s MAV has led to massive smuggling, thus badly affecting domestic production and the country’s food self-sufficiency policy.
A VFA official said the decisions by Indonesia and the Philippines, the two major export markets, have caused Vietnam lose big contracts. However, he does not think this would hurt Vietnam’s rice production and export.The rice price in the Vietnamese domestic market has been increasing rapidly as export companies now rush to collect rice to fulfill the export contracts they signed before. Meanwhile, the demand from China is very high.Phap Luat reported that farmers and merchants all try to store rice in anticipation of the price increase and short supply caused by the serious drought in Mekong River Delta.
The newspaper cited a source as reporting that the export
volume in February was 400,000 tons higher than planned, which was 5.44 percent
higher than the months before and 117 percent than last year in the same
period.“The rice price has increased by VND500 per kilo. The price increase is
seen in all provinces and cities in the region,” said Pham Thai Binh, director
of Trung An Company.
Fareway Dietitians Think Rice for "CentsAble"
Health
ARLINGTON, VA -- From February through April, USA Rice is
partnering with retail dietitians at Fareway, a Midwest grocery chain with more
than 100 stores in Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, and Nebraska, to inform shoppers
of the many benefits of U.S.-grown rice. The three month promotion
kicked-off in February with a U.S. rice feature in the store magazine and also
includes website and social media placements. Fareway's CentsAble Health magazine is
published every three months featuring recipes, nutrition news, and fun
activities for kids. The February - April issue highlights U.S.-grown
rice nutrition messaging and the "Think Rice" logo, along with USA
Rice's recipe for Mandarin Orange Rice and Shrimp Lettuce Wraps, as part of a
larger piece about nutrients to focus on for optimal exercise
performance. The magazine is distributed in all stores, reaching more
than 120,000 shoppers and is archived online at Fareway.com, reaching more than
66,000 unique visitors per month.
Fareway is also featuring three Facebook posts about U.S.
rice. February's post shared USA Rice's Wild & Brown Rice and
Massaged Kale Salad and reminded shoppers to think rice for a healthy heart,
while the March post highlights National Nutrition Month and promotes the
nutritional benefits of brown rice with USA Rice's recipe for Mandarin Orange
Rice & Shrimp Lettuce Wraps to boost whole grain intake. Both posts
garnered more than 67,000 likes."I'm so happy we could get positive
messages about U.S. rice out to consumers through our magazine, website, and
social media," said Whitney Packebush, Fareway's corporate
dietitian. "Promoting a nutritious, affordable option to Fareway
shoppers during this busy time was a huge success!
USA
Rice Daily, Tuesday, March 29, 2016
MEET THE REAL CO: REAL FOOD FROM
THE EARTH
ENJOY THE REAL CO - ON EARTH DAY AND EVERY DAY
WILMINGTON,
DELAWARE, UNITED STATES, March 29, 2016 /EINPresswire.com/ --
Wilmington, DE (March, 2016) – Every year The
Real Co celebrates
Earth Day, honoring the precious soil that keeps us alive. This year, The Real
Co is celebrating their natural roots, with the only 100% Single Origin foods
in the U.S. All through April, The Real Co is encouraging individuals to ramp
up their support of the environment, by purchasing and eating natural,
sustainable foods every day. The Real Co is offering some earth-friendly Earth
Day recipes, highlighting their certifiable, 100% Single Origin products,
including: Himalayan Pink Rock Salt, Organic Raw Cane Sugar, and organically
grown White Basmati
Rice.
From the very beginning The Real Co has been honoring the trust put into them by their customers with a fully transparent agenda—to provide the best tasting product directly from the original sources with the highest integrity. The Real Co promises its customers a clear understanding of the source of their food, the methods used for farming, and how it’s packaged and delivered. Honesty and trust are values they take very seriously and are extremely proud to achieve!
Just in time to welcome Earth Day, The Real Co is offering a fun, easy-to-prepare, veggie-themed recipe that serve up a healthy kick. Every grain of salt, sugar and rice can be traced to its source, which is shared on every package of food that bears The Real Co name. Every food item has the Non-GMO Project Verified seal and is sourced from one single farm, mine or rice paddy. The Real Co products are also Vegan, Gluten Free, Organic and Kosher!
The Real Co Inc foods include:
§ Debuting Now - Stevia: the first 100% natural non-processed, no additives, zero calorie sweetener from Paraguay; Long grain white and brown rice from Argentina; Tri-color & sprouted Quinoa from Peru and Sea Salt from India.
§ The Real Co Himalayan Pink Rock Salt, handcrafted, at the Himalayan Mountains. This salt is 100% pure; 100% Single Origin; non-GMO; has 84 active minerals in every grain; is unrefined and mountain washed in Himalayan mountain water. The salt is available in a 20-ounce tub container for a suggested retail price of $6.99 or in a saltshaker container for a suggested retail price of $9.49.
§ The Real Co Organic Raw Cane Sugar, directly from Assukar Farms, Tayutic Valley in Costa Rica is 100% natural and organic; 100% Single Origin; raw and alive with natural vitamins and minerals; instantly dissolves in hot or cold liquids and is non-GMO. The sugar is available in 2 sizes: 8-ounce at a suggested retail price of $3.69 and 16-ounce at a suggested retail price of $4.49
§ The Real Co White Basmati Rice, directly from Gujrat Punjab from Farid Co-op Farm, is 100% natural and 100% Single Origin; low-GI and pre biotic; non-GMO and is gluten free. The rice is available in 2 sizes: 16-ounce at a suggested retail price of $3.99 and 32-ounce at a suggested retail price of $6.49.
UNFI, one of the largest distributors of natural foods in the U.S., is distributing the foods across the nation to supermarkets, specialty retailers and independent operators such as Kings, ShopRite Westerly, and Balducci Fairway Market. Consumers may also purchase products online on www.amazon.com or www.healthygoodness.com. Visit The Real Co website at http://TheReal.co
Here is a recipe to get you started:
The Real Co Earth Day Basmati Rice Pilaf
Ingredients:
1 cup of The Real Co White Basmati Rice
1 fresh zucchini, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 cup of chopped broccoli
1 cup of fresh kale, chopped
1 cup of fresh chopped parsley or cilantro
¼ cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 tablespoons of The Real Co Himalayan Pink Rock Salt
Cooking Directions:
Cook the rice: fill pot with 7 cups of water and bring to a boil. Add 1 cup of The Real Co White Basmati Rice (rinsed first). Lower to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Drain when ready to mix Pilaf.
While rice is cooking, steam all the veggies with the exception of the fresh kale. Add the steamed veggies to the rice, and add in the fresh kale and parsley or cilantro. Toss with 1/4 cup of Extra Virgin Olive oil and 2 tablespoons of The Real Co Himalaya Pink Rock Salt – and enjoy!
About The Real Co:
The Real Food Co was founded in 2013 in Valley Cottage, New York with a direct farm-to-market approach for the organic food industry. The new 100% Single Origin Foods concept supports farms at their source, cuts out the middleman, and delivers directly to the U.S. market, cutting costs of products compared to other manufacturers.
The Real Co offers transparency to the consumer, and is developing the first
Certification of 100% Single Origin Foods in the U.S. The Real Co pays fair wages and reinvests in both the land and the community that grows our products. The Real Co is available nationwide in numerous stores in every state, also at The Market in California, Natural Grocers (national), ShopRite, Fairway Market, Westerly Natural Market, Kings, Balducci, and Healthy Goodness. Also online atwww.vitacost.com<http://www.vitacost.com. For more information and for a full list state by state is available at www.TheReal.co
For more recipes, high resolution photos, and samples contact me at:
Diane Lilli
Diane.Lilli@BenderGrouppr.com
Office: 973.744.0707 Ext. 11
Spring Vegetable Pilau with Fennel and Asaragus
By MEERA SODHA Associated Press
The Associated Press
Spring vegetable pilau with fennel and
asparagus in Concord, N.H. The combination of rice packed with spiced fennel,
onions and garlic cooked slowly until soft and finished with still-crisp
asparagus and peas makes for a perfect spring dish. (AP Photo/J.M. Hirsch)
Use whichever spring vegetables you have available. Green beans and spring
cabbage or leeks make for a wonderful pilau, too.
Start to
finish: 35 minutes
Servings: 6
1 1/2 cups basmati
rice
3 cups
vegetable stock
2 tablespoons
unsalted butter
2 medium red
onions, thinly sliced
4 cloves
garlic, crushed
2 green
finger chilies, very thinly sliced
2 medium
bulbs fennel, trimmed and thinly sliced
2 bunches
asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
9 ounces
fresh or frozen peas or fresh fava beans (outer skins removed)
1 1/2
teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2
teaspoons garam masala
1 teaspoon
kosher salt
1/4 to 1/2
cup chopped fresh herbs, such as mint, dill or cilantro
1 lemon, cut
into wedges
Set the rice
in a mesh strainer and run under cool water until the water runs clear.
Transfer to a bowl, then add enough cool water to cover. Set aside for 20
minutes.
In a large
saucepan, bring the stock to a boil. Drain the rice, then add to the stock.
Return to a simmer, then cook until tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Use a mesh
strainer to strain the rice, then set aside, covered with a kitchen towel.
In a larger
skillet over medium, melt the butter. Add the onions and cook for 6 to 8
minutes, or until translucent and softened, but not browned. Add the garlic and
chilies, then cook for another 2 minutes. Add the fennel, stir to mix, then add
a couple tablespoons of water and cover. Cook for 8 minutes, or until soft. Add
the asparagus, peas or fava beans, cumin, garam masala and salt. Stir and
cover, then cook for another 5 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat.
Stir the
herbs and rice into the vegetable mixture; you might need to delicately break
up the clumps of rice using your hands. Transfer to a serving dish and serve
with wedges of lemon on the side.
Nutrition
information per serving: 330 calories; 40 calories from fat (12 percent of
total calories); 4.5 g fat (2.5 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 10 mg
cholesterol; 640 mg sodium; 62 g carbohydrate; 9 g fiber; 11 g sugar; 11 g
protein.
___
EDITOR'S
NOTE: Meera Sodha is an Indian foods expert and author of "Made in India:
Recipes from an Indian family kitchen." She lives in London, blogs at www.meerasodha.com and tweets at @meerasodha
http://www.timesonline.com/lifestyles/flavor/recipes/spring-vegetable-pilau-with-fennel-and-asaragus/article_7bdc2306-ebb0-11e5-8023-57d7a7cfd3ab.html
Low-arsenic rice grain from NBRI
TNN | Mar
29, 2016, 12.56 AM IST
Lucknow: After 10 years of research,
National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI) has developed a 'transgenic rice'
which will reduce arsenic accumulation and contamination in rice grains.Arsenic
contamination in rice gives rise to serious health risks like kidney disease,
cancer and skin problems. In Uttar Pradesh, Ballia is most prone to arsenic
contamination followed by Bahraich, Rae Bareli, Gorakhpur, Ghazipur, Meerut,
Chandoli and many more.
The technology is ready for field trials. Senior NBRI scientist Debasis Chakrabarty, who conducted the research recently, visited the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Philippine and discussed the possibilities of field trials. The institute in principal agreed to help in this regard."The institute invited us to become familiar with ongoing research work at NBRI and has agreed in principle to conduct field trials subjected to clearance by governments of both countries," said Chakrabarty, head of the eight-member team, which carried out research published recently in an international journal 'Metallomics' published by 'Royal Society of Chemistry'.
The scientists said the transgenic rice
has 'arsenic methyl transferase', a gene isolated from a fungus that
accumulates less arsenic and would be less toxic.He explained that arsenic
present in groundwater percolates in soil during irrigation and contaminates
rice with arsenic. Chronic arsenic exposure through groundwater contamination
affects more than 150 million people worldwide and over 500 million people in
Ganga, Meghna and Brahmputra areas.
Rice is the crop most susceptible to absorbing arsenic during cultivation. Cultivating rice varieties that accumulate less amount of arsenic can tackle the challenge of exposure to carcinogens (cancer causing elements) that affect population in Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand and Odisha
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/Low-arsenic-rice-grain-from-NBRI/articleshow/51591807.cms
Wild Rice Conference hits the end of the road this week
FARGO – Larry Holmstrom has been digging
through his archives recently in hopes of piecing together a written historical
account of the Wild Rice Conference, which is disbanding at the end of this
school year.Holmstrom, 64 of Wyndmere, N.D.,
has served as the secretary treasurer of the Wild Rice Conference for the past
23 years. Paging through old tournament programs has conjured up memories of
what are now known as the glory days of the conference."I have mixed
emotions about it," said Holmstrom, who is a retired teacher, coach and
official. "I understand things change, but I always thought the conference
has been a good thing for our area schools. It has been a big part of my
life."Tuesday, March 29, marks the last time the 11-school conference will
hold its annual banquet to honor all-conference teams from various sports. The
banquet is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at the Hankinson High School gymnasium.
The Wild Rice Conference members are:
Central Cass, Fairmount-Campbell-Tintah, Hankinson, Kindred, Milnor, North
Sargent, Fargo Oak Grove, Richland, Sargent Central, Wyndmere and
Lidgerwood—all of which compete in Class B.The final vote on whether to disband
the conference was 8-2 in favor of dissolving."At some point it was going
to come to an end," Holmstrom said. "A lot of different factors
entered into it. Part of it was financial. The banquet that we put on every
year was becoming more expensive and with the switch to a super region format
for Region 1, there were some schools thinking of getting out. There were some
undercurrent to how long it was going to continue."
This year was Region 1's first for holding
super region tournaments in volleyball and basketball. Prior to that, Region 1
was split into Districts 1 and 2, which had separate postseason tournaments to
qualify for region play. Holmstrom said he hopes some of the traditions of the
Wild Rice Conference continue on in the super region era."I think it was
time," Fargo Oak Grove boys basketball head coach Kyle Card said.
"When we had our district meetings, it was brought up and I think the
feeling was that it was getting repetitive in that athletes that were All-Wild
Rice Conference were also the same ones getting All-Region."
Holmstrom said before the conference
expanded from its initial membership it was made up of schools that were also
designated as District 1.The original seven schools that made up the Wild Rice
Conference according to Holmstrom's research were Fairmount, Milnor, Hankinson,
Havana, Lidgerwood, St. Francis (Hankinson) and Wyndmere.Holmstrom's research
of the conference goes back as far as 1960 though it may have been around longer
than that.Athletic conferences in North Dakota have gone by the wayside in
recent years, but in its heyday Holmstrom said the Wild Rice Conference was
known for highly competitive championship races in football and basketball."I
grew up in it and it was a big deal," said Card, a 1985 graduate of Oak
Grove. "When I played basketball at Oak Grove winning the Wild Rice was
always one of the goals we talked about every year."
Acadiana
Rice Farmers Set Eyes on Cuban Market
Posted: Mar 29, 2016 4:39 AM PSTUpdated: Mar 29, 2016 8:16 AM PST
Fewer restrictions on the Cuba embargo mean more export
opportunities for Acadiana farmers, and more exports mean more money in their
pockets.Mark Pousson is a rice producer in Welsh and the chairman of the South
Louisiana Rail Facility, a coalition that represents 160 rice farmers across
Acadiana."Right now times are tough for rice farming," said Pousson.Selling
to Cuba, he believes, is an opportunity to bounce back. Before the embargo,
Louisiana was one of Cuba's most important trading partners. It's a
relationship he hopes to build again."This would be a big shot in the
arm," said Pousson. "On the scale from 1-10 this would be a 10 plus.
It would have a big impact on the rice industry... much needed."Pousson
believes that Louisiana's proximity to Cuba will make them natural trading
partners. Cuba is currently importing rice from Vietnam, a trip that takes over
30 days by boat.
Rice shipped from Louisiana would arrive in two days."They
would get higher quality rice," said Pousson, " Healthier.
Safer."Pousson hopes that exporting to Cuba will bring an economic boost
to struggling farmers. Cuba imports nearly 80% of its food, and three of its
largest imports are among Louisiana's largest exports -- soybeans, rice, and
poultry.In June, Pousson is travelling to Cuba with Engage Cuba, a coalition of
private businesses working to end the embargo. The purpose of the trip is to
build business relationships in Cuba and to position Louisiana as Cuba's major
exporter. Pousson doesn't know if the deals will work out, but he knows his
reasons for doing it."Surviving, for my family and for the boys to
continue farming... it ensures that."California, Florida, and Arkansas are
among the other states vying for trade deals
Low-arsenic rice grain from NBRI
Tue,29 Mar 2016
The technology is ready for field
trials. Cultivating rice varieties that accumulate less amount of arsenic can
tackle the challenge of exposure to carcinogens (cancer causing elements) that
affect population in Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand and Odisha.
The institute in principal agreed to help in this regard.Lucknow: After 10
years of research, National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI) has developed a
'transgenic rice' which will reduce arsenic accumulation and contamination in
rice grains.Arsenic contamination in rice gives rise to serious health risks
like kidney disease, cancer and skin problems. In Uttar Pradesh, Ballia is most
prone to arsenic contamination followed by Bahraich, Rae Bareli, Gorakhpur,
Ghazipur, Meerut, Chandoli and many more.
The technology is ready for field
trials. Senior NBRI scientist Debasis Chakrabarty, who conducted the research
recently, visited the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Philippine
and discussed the possibilities of field trials. The institute in principal agreed to
help in this regard."The institute invited us to become familiar with
ongoing research work at NBRI and has agreed in principle to conduct field
trials subjected to clearance by governments of both countries," said
Chakrabarty, head of the eight-member team, which carried out research
published recently in an international journal 'Metallomics' published by
'Royal Society of Chemistry'.The scientists said the transgenic rice has
'arsenic methyl transferase', a gene isolated from a fungus that accumulates
less arsenic and would be less toxic.
He explained that arsenic present
in groundwater percolates in soil during irrigation and contaminates rice with
arsenic. Chronic arsenic exposure through groundwater contamination affects
more than 150 million people worldwide and over 500 million people in Ganga,
Meghna and Brahmputra areas.Rice is the crop most susceptible to absorbing
arsenic during cultivation. Cultivating rice varieties that accumulate less
amount of arsenic can tackle the challenge of exposure to carcinogens (cancer
causing elements) that affect population in Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar,
Jharkhand and Odisha..
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/Low-arsenic-rice-grain-from-NBRI/articleshow/51591807.cms
Big rice importers cancel rice imports from Vietnam
VietNamNet
Bridge - Vietnam has lost rice export contracts as some of its major markets
including Indonesia and the Philippines have canceled their import plans.
The Vietnam Food Association (VFA) has confirmed the
information, saying that political factors in the first months of 2016 have
affected import/export activities.Dan Viet reported that Bulog, the Indonesian
Bureau of Logistics? has ceased rice transactions with four supply sources
which have memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Indonesian government,
namely Thailand, Pakistan, Cambodia and Vietnam in the February plan.The head
of the country’s Ministry of Agriculture believes that Indonesia has sufficient
rice for the domestic demand and no need to import rice. The official also
attributed the fluctuations of the domestic market to speculation, affirming
that this will be stopped.
Vietnam has lost rice
export contracts as some of its major markets including Indonesia and the
Philippines have canceled their import plans.
|
VFA has said that because of political issues, Indonesia
would not import rice until the domestic price soars on the short supply.
Import demand of the market will be clearer after Indonesia assesses the
post-harvesting yield, slated for June.The Filipino National Food Authority
(NFA) has also canceled the plan to import 400,000 tons of rice it announced
earlier this year.
The country is also awaiting the information about stocks, while it may allow private businesses to import 1 million tons of rice under the WTO’s minimum access volume (MAV) mechanism which includes 500,000 tons from special countries and the remaining 500,000 tons from other sources.VFA said the Filipino import plan is also controlled by political factors. Some officials said the mechanism allowing businessmen to import under the WTO’s MAV has led to massive smuggling, thus badly affecting domestic production and the country’s food self-sufficiency policy.
A VFA official said the decisions by Indonesia and the Philippines, the two major export markets, have caused Vietnam lose big contracts. However, he does not think this would hurt Vietnam’s rice production and export.The rice price in the Vietnamese domestic market has been increasing rapidly as export companies now rush to collect rice to fulfill the export contracts they signed before. Meanwhile, the demand from China is very high.Phap Luat reported that farmers and merchants all try to store rice in anticipation of the price increase and short supply caused by the serious drought in Mekong River Delta.
The newspaper cited a source as reporting that the export volume in February was 400,000 tons higher than planned, which was 5.44 percent higher than the months before and 117 percent than last year in the same period.“The rice price has increased by VND500 per kilo. The price increase is seen in all provinces and cities in the region,” said Pham Thai Binh, director of Trung An Company
http://english.vietnamnet.vn/fms/business/153004/big-rice-importers-cancel-rice-imports-from-vietnam.html
NFA:
Rice supply in Davao stable
Monday, March 28, 2016
DAVAO. Rice
prices in the city have remained stable as the National Food Authority assures
a sufficient supply that will last for a year amid the continuing occurrence of
the El Niño phenomenon. (Darryl S. Postrano)
Another 320,000
bags of rice imported from Thailand were also delivered by a vessel recently.
Apart from these, the private sector has a total of 75,000 bags as of March 23,
this year.For corn, NFA-Davao City has a total of 20,000 bags.For Davao City,
there are 206 accredited retailers operating in the city.NFA-Davao data for
2015 bared that a total of 1.1 million bags were imported both from Vietnam and
Thailand. “Food security is on top of our agenda. We assure everyone that there
will be supply and that there is no need to worry even with the presence of El
Nino. Our rice will remain affordable and stable as far as the price is
concerned,” he said.
Meanwhile, when
asked on the target of the Department of Agriculture for the country to be
self-sufficient for rice and other staple food, Alerta was quick to add that at
present we are still depending on importation.Davao Region’s rice producing
areas are Davao del Sur (12,000 hectares), Davao del Norte (10,000 hectares),
Compostela Valley (12,000 hectares) and Davao Oriental (8,000 hectares). One
hectare of rice planted area is capable of producing some 100 bags of rice.
Data from
DA-Davao showed damage to agricultural crops in Davao Region due to the
onslaught of El Nino phenomenon has reached P248.2 million as of December 11,
2015.A total of 38,506.64 metric tons (MT) of both rice and corn had been
damaged, covering a total of 12,532.15 hectares.Of the said figure, 1,035
hectares have been partially destroyed, while 12,854.16 has have been totally
damaged, affecting thousands of rice and corn farmers in the region.
Published in the Sun.Star
Davao newspaper on March 29, 2016
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/davao/business/2016/03/29/nfa-rice-supply-davao-stable-464828
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/davao/business/2016/03/29/nfa-rice-supply-davao-stable-464828
Early planting of rice: some
considerations
What will Mid-South see in 2016 medium grain crop?
Mar 29, 2016 | Delta Farm Press
Delta Farm Press
Prior to
rainclouds settling for a prolonged period over the Mid-South, a very warm
winter meant many producers were prepping fields and planting crops. The heavy
rains generated by the storms kept crews shop-bound for several weeks. By the
third week of March, though, farmland activity was swinging again.Among those
in the field were rice producers.“I heard some rice was planted around March
10, just before the huge rains hit the state,” says Jarrod Hardke, Arkansas
Extension rice specialist. “Then, around March 17 another couple of fields were
planted. That really kicked off rice planting in the state. By (March 21), a
bunch of growers were planting pretty hard.”
What about
acreage expectations for 2016?
“At this point,
we may be staring at a minimum of 1.6 million acres of rice in Arkansas.“How
the crop ends up faring is still up in the air, of course. But the ability of
many growers to get their rice in this early points to a high-acreage year. A
record acreage of 1.8 million acres may be possible, if not likely; the sky is
the limit at this point. Though I hope market improvements in our other crops
helps keep the number down, it may happen soon enough to slow down our rice
planting.”The early warm weather “has presented some very interesting
environmental setups for producers to make choices about putting rice in the
ground. The go-getters may be planting hard and heavy while their neighbors
haven’t even hooked up to a drill – and they don’t plan to for another week, or
two.
“Now isn’t the
time to put the majority of the state’s rice into the ground. There’s a lot bad
that could happen before the rice emerges or when it’s small. The margins are
very tight. The last thing we want is to have to replant a lot of rice.
Replanting a field, or two, isn’t good but can be handled. How much risk are
you willing to take?”Despite his misgivings, Hardke hasn’t “been inclined to
discourage anyone wanting to plant so early. The current conditions and
forecast could be far worse than they are. I’d be a lot more worried if the
forecast was showing cooler nighttime temperatures. We’re just in a weather
pattern that looks to be the same a week or 10 days out, even well into April.”
http://deltafarmpress.com/rice/early-planting-rice-some-considerations
osted: Mar 29, 2016 4:39 AM PST Updated: Mar 29, 2016
8:16 AM PST
Acadiana Rice Farmers
Set Eyes on Cuban Market
Rice Pousson in a rice producer in Acadiana
"This would
be a big shot in the arm," said Pousson. "On the scale from 1-10 this
would be a 10 plus. It would have a big impact on the rice industry... much
needed."Pousson believes that Louisiana's proximity to Cuba will make them
natural trading partners. Cuba is currently importing rice from Vietnam, a trip
that takes over 30 days by boat. Rice shipped from Louisiana would arrive in
two days."They would get higher quality rice," said Pousson, "
Healthier. Safer."Pousson hopes that exporting to Cuba will bring an
economic boost to struggling farmers. Cuba imports nearly 80% of its food, and
three of its largest imports are among Louisiana's largest exports -- soybeans,
rice, and poultry.In June, Pousson is travelling to Cuba with Engage Cuba, a
coalition of private businesses working to end the embargo.
The purpose of
the trip is to build business relationships in Cuba and to position Louisiana
as Cuba's major exporter. Pousson doesn't know if the deals will work out, but
he knows his reasons for doing it."Surviving, for my family and for the
boys to continue farming... it ensures that."
California,
Florida, and Arkansas are among the other states vying for trade deals.
More coverage:
Mixed reactions about Obama in Cuba from Acadiana residents - http://www.katc.com/story/31530792/mixed-reactions-about-obama-in-cuba-from-acadiana-resident
http://www.katc.com/story/31584028/acadiana-rice-farmers-set-eyes-on-cuban-market
Iranian President’s visit to Pakistan
March 29, 2016/
Javid Husain
During his
visit, President Hassan Rouhani held talks with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif,
President Mamnoon Hussain, and General Raheel Sharif besides addressing a
meeting of the Pakistan-Iran Joint Business Forum anda joint news conference
with the Prime Minister in Islamabad.
Hassan Rouhani’s
visit took place against the background of a slow but steady process of improvement
of Pakistan-Iran relations, which had been badly damaged during the 1990’s
because of the clash of their Afghanistan policies. It was natural that the
bitter memories of the two countries’ confrontation in Afghanistan and the
mutual mistrust caused by it would fade away only gradually. It goes to the
credit of the leaders on both sides to have realized that the security of
Pakistan and Iran is closely “intertwined and interdependent” as the Iranian
President put it in his press conference in Islamabad. There are also promising
opportunities for strengthening bilateral cooperation in economic, commercial,
technical, and cultural fields. The signing of the deal on Iran’s nuclear
program and the lifting of the nuclear-related sanctions by the UN Security
Council, the US and EU have paved the way for the development of closer
economic and commercial ties between Pakistan and Iran. The fact that a
60-member delegation of Iranian businessmen accompanied Hassan Rouhani during
his visit to Pakistan shows that Tehran would like both sides to take full
advantage of the new opportunities for closer economic cooperation.
The visit resulted in the signing
of six MOU’s on promoting bilateral cooperation in various fields. It was
decided to increase the annual bilateral trade to $ 5 billion within the next
five years. However, this goal is likely to remain a pipedream unless the two
governments take specific and well-considered steps to promote bilateral trade.
On the Iranian side, this would involve the removal of non-tariff barriers on
trade with Pakistan, particularly those involving Pakistani textiles, rice,
fruit and other agricultural products, and the lowering of tariffs.
Pakistan would have to make a
special effort to resume and increase the purchase of crude oil from Iran.
Hopefully, the discussion of the issue of enhancing the connectivity between
Gawadar and Chabahar ports through rail, road and shipping links during the
visit would also help in promoting trade between the two countries and enabling
the two ports to complement each other.
The completion and
operationalization of Pakistan-Iran gas pipeline would be the most important
step that the two countries can take for the development of their economic
ties. Hassan Rouhani pointed out that the pipeline was almost complete on the
Iranian side. It is now for the government of Pakistan to fulfill its part of
the deal so that the pipeline can be operationalized as soon as possible, thus,
going a long way towards meeting our fast growing requirements for natural gas.
We should go even further and link the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline with the
China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects, which might facilitate the
export of the Iranian gas to China through Pakistan and make Pakistan the hub
of the regional trade and energy corridors. Pakistan can also import
electricity from Iran to overcome its power shortage especially in Balochistan.
Hassan Rouhani offered to export up to 3000 mw of electricity to Pakistan which
is already importing about 100 mw of electricity from Iran for meeting the
requirements of its border areas.
The Iranian President also
exchanged views with PM Nawaz Sharif on the Afghan peace process during the
visit. The Iranian side agreed to the Pakistani proposal for trilateral talks
among Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan on the issue. This was an important
development considering the damage that the differences of their Afghanistan
policies had inflicted on Pakistan-Iran relations before 9/11. Further,
considering the long border that Iran has with Afghanistan and its deep
historical and cultural links with the latter, the coordination of the
Afghanistan policies of Pakistan and Iran is an indispensable condition for the
success of the Afghan peace process. The trilateral talks among Afghanistan,
Iran and Pakistan, therefore, must be a regular feature of the efforts for the
restoration of durable peace in Afghanistan.
The border security issue has also
occasionally been an irritant in Pakistan-Iran relations. Iran complained from
time to time in the past, about the terrorist activities in Iranian Balochistan
of some criminal gangs operating from Pakistani Balochistan. It has been
alleged by Iran that these gangs had the support of some non-regional
intelligence agencies. More recently, Pakistan has expressed its uneasiness
about the terrorist activities in Pakistani Balochistan and Karachi, inspired
and supported by RAW agents who were operating from the Iranian Balochistan.
Obviously, there are forces which in pursuit of their own nefarious designs
wish to damage friendly relations between Pakistan and Iran. The two
governments should not allow these efforts to succeed and should take all
possible steps to ensure the security of their common border in the interest of
promoting border trade and people-to-people contacts. It was, therefore,
reassuring that the two governments publicly declared their intention to take
necessary steps for strengthening the common border security.
The disturbing situation in the
Middle East, especially in Syria and Iraq, and the issues of extremism and
terrorism also came up for discussion during Hassan Rouhani’s visit to
Islamabad. One should welcome the agreement between Pakistan and Iran to
cooperate with each other in fighting extremism and terrorism. As for Saudi-Iranian
relations, in January this year Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif paid visits to
Riyadh and Tehran in an effort to defuse tensions between the two brotherly
countries and promote mutual understanding between them.
Considering the
complexity of the issues involved and the depth of the misunderstandings and
sensitivities on the part of both Iran and Saudi Arabia, Nawaz Sharif’s efforts
did not achieve much success. It remains to be seen whether the latest exchange
of views between the leaders of Pakistan and Iran would lead to the lessening
of tensions between Riyadh and Tehran which is in the best interest of the
Muslim Ummah. Hassan Rouhani rightly stressed that Muslim countries should
resolve their problems peacefully in the interest of peace, progress and prosperity.
Pakistan-Iran
relations, which had reached their nadir in 1990’s because of the differences
of the two countries on the Afghanistan issue, are on the mend. Earlier during
his visit to Pakistan in April 2001, Hassan Rouhani in his capacity as the Secretary
General of the Iranian Supreme National Security Council had played an
extremely important role in arresting the deterioration in this relationship in
recognition of the reality that Pakistan-Iran friendship is vital for the
security and well-being of the two countries. It is befitting that he should
again play a constructive role in taking Pakistan-Iran cooperation to new
heights through his recent visit. Hopefully, both sides would seize the
opportunity provided by the agreements signed and the understandings reached
during the visit to provide a new impetus to the development of Pakistan-Iran
friendship and cooperation in various fields.
The writer is a retired ambassador
and the president of the Lahore Council for World Affairs. Email: javid.husain@gmail.com
Low-arsenic rice grain from NBRI
TNN | Mar
29, 2016, 12.56 AM IST
Lucknow: After 10 years of research,
National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI) has developed a 'transgenic rice'
which will reduce arsenic accumulation and contamination in rice grains.Arsenic
contamination in rice gives rise to serious health risks like kidney disease,
cancer and skin problems. In Uttar Pradesh, Ballia is most prone to arsenic
contamination followed by Bahraich, Rae Bareli, Gorakhpur, Ghazipur, Meerut,
Chandoli and many more.
The technology is ready for field trials. Senior NBRI scientist Debasis Chakrabarty, who conducted the research recently, visited the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Philippine and discussed the possibilities of field trials. The institute in principal agreed to help in this regard.
"The institute invited us to become familiar with ongoing research work at NBRI and has agreed in principle to conduct field trials subjected to clearance by governments of both countries," said Chakrabarty, head of the eight-member team, which carried out research published recently in an international journal 'Metallomics' published by 'Royal Society of Chemistry'.
The scientists said the transgenic rice has 'arsenic methyl transferase', a gene isolated from a fungus that accumulates less arsenic and would be less toxic.He explained that arsenic present in groundwater percolates in soil during irrigation and contaminates rice with arsenic. Chronic arsenic exposure through groundwater contamination affects more than 150 million people worldwide and over 500 million people in Ganga, Meghna and Brahmputra areas.
Rice is the crop most susceptible to
absorbing arsenic during cultivation. Cultivating rice varieties that accumulate
less amount of arsenic can tackle the challenge of exposure to carcinogens
(cancer causing elements) that affect population in Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal,
Bihar, Jharkhand and Odisha.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/Low-arsenic-rice-grain-from-NBRI/articleshow/51591807.cms
Early planting of rice: some
considerations
What will Mid-South see in 2016 medium grain crop?
Mar 29, 2016 | Delta Farm Press
Prior to
rainclouds settling for a prolonged period over the Mid-South, a very warm
winter meant many producers were prepping fields and planting crops. The heavy
rains generated by the storms kept crews shop-bound for several weeks. By the
third week of March, though, farmland activity was swinging again.Among those
in the field were rice producers.“I heard some rice was planted around March
10, just before the huge rains hit the state,” says Jarrod Hardke, Arkansas
Extension rice specialist. “Then, around March 17 another couple of fields were
planted. That really kicked off rice planting in the state. By (March 21), a
bunch of growers were planting pretty hard.”
What about acreage expectations for
2016?
“At this point, we may be staring
at a minimum of 1.6 million acres of rice in Arkansas.
“How the crop ends up faring is
still up in the air, of course. But the ability of many growers to get their
rice in this early points to a high-acreage year. A record acreage of 1.8
million acres may be possible, if not likely; the sky is the limit at this
point. Though I hope market improvements in our other crops helps keep the
number down, it may happen soon enough to slow down our rice planting.”
“Now isn’t the time to put the
majority of the state’s rice into the ground. There’s a lot bad that could
happen before the rice emerges or when it’s small. The margins are very tight.
The last thing we want is to have to replant a lot of rice. Replanting a field,
or two, isn’t good but can be handled. How much risk are you willing to take?”
Despite his misgivings, Hardke
hasn’t “been inclined to discourage anyone wanting to plant so early. The current
conditions and forecast could be far worse than they are. I’d be a lot more
worried if the forecast was showing cooler nighttime temperatures. We’re just
in a weather pattern that looks to be the same a week or 10 days out, even well
into April.”
GCAP boosts commercial
rice farming in Northern Region
Posted Mar 29, 2016 at 10:09am
The Ghana Commercial Agricultural Project
(GCAP) is supporting nine investors to cultivate rice in the Nasia-Nabogu
valley in the Northern Region.The initiative aims at boosting commercial rice
farming in the area and contributes to reducing rice importation into the
country.
As part of the initiative GCAP will from next month undertake land preparation
for the nine investors.GCAP in collaboration with the Northern Regional
Directorate of the Lands Commission has also sensitized the Chiefs and people
of the Nasia traditional area to laws governing land acquisition in the
country.At a sensitization forum, the Zonal Coordinator of GCAP, Bloomfied
Attipoe, appealed to the Chiefs and people to support the project to create
jobs for the teeming youth in the area.He explained that, the sensitization
programme aims at preventing conflict between the investors and land owners.
http://m.gbcghana.com/1.8848157
Rice,
Fishery exports increase in first months: Ministry
Tuesday,
Mar 29, 2016, Posted at: 11:57(GMT+7)
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development said that
the volume of polished rice and fishery export increased in the first three
months. In the first quarter of 2016, total amount of polished rice export is
1.59 million tons worth US$692 million, an increase of 41.6 percent in the
volume and by 40.8 percent in the value compared to last year.The price of
polished rice export reaches US$433 per tons, down by 5.78 percent compared to
last year. Indonesia is becoming Vietnam’s biggest market for export of rice
with 31.42 percent, followed by China with 17.15 percent and the Phillipines
with 13.75 percent.
In two first month of the year, Vietnam has export total
volume of 160.69 million tons of polished rice to the two markets collecting
US$ US$71.5 million tons, an increase of 39.3 percent in the volume and 53.6
percent in value compared to the last year.Meantime, the value of fishery
export in the first quarter reached US$1.36 billion, 1.7 percent higher than
over the same period last year. The US, Japan, China and South Korea are the
four biggest market for Vietnam’s fishery export. The tra fish (also known as
pangasius) and tiger shrimp prices in the Mekong delta increase because of
unfavorable weather influencing to farming.
http://www.saigon-gpdaily.com.vn/Business/Economy/2016/3/118199/
ONGRESSMAN HOPES
TRADE WITH CUBA WILL HELP PARISH FARMERS
Tue, 03/29/2016 - 14:24
Fifth District U.S. Rep. Ralph Abraham will be in Cuba
this week, trying to make sure Louisiana is first in line when trade with Cuba
is allowed again.Abraham is traveling to Cuba on an agricultural trade mission
April 6 with U.S. Rep. Rick Crawford of Jonesboro, Ark., and producers from
Louisiana and Arkansas.Currently Cuba imports 80 to 90 percent of its food but
only 10-12 percent comes from the U.S. The country imports most of its rice
from China and Vietnam, but it takes four to five weeks to arrive.“With New
Orleans only 36 hours from Cuba we are poised to be the main port for trade
with Cuba,” Abraham said, “not only for rice but for soybeans, corn and sugar
cane.”In addition to the shorter transport time, Abraham feels Louisiana would
be able to offer higher quality products than competitors.
“We have
some of the best farmers in the world right here in Richland Parish,” he said.Northeast
Louisiana Rice Growers Association Vice-President Scott Franklin said Abraham’s
trip could be the most important development in agriculture in his lifetime not
only Louisiana, but specifically our area of the state.Franklin pointed out the
average American eats about 25 pounds of milled rice per year, while the
average Cuban eats a whopping 180 pounds.“It is a necessity for their very
survival,” Franklin said. Cuba does farm a very large amount of rice, but
still must import between 600,000 and 800,000 metric tons of milled rice every
year.
Most of
that imported rice comes all the way from China, Vietnam and Thailand, which
can take up to two months for it to arrive in Cuba. Furthermore, those
countries do not allow the export of rough rice, so Cuban rice mills have no
benefit from those imports.“We could load much smaller barges right here in
Louisiana on the Mississippi River and the rice would make it to Cuba in five
to seven days,” Franklin said. “Additionally, we could ship rough rice (along
with milled rice too) to Cuba, resulting in many more milling jobs for the
Cuban people.” Prior to the embargo, Cuba was America’s number one rice
export market and America was the no one exporter of rice in the entire world. “Now,
we ship no rice to Cuba, and America has fallen to a distant fifth in global
exports of rice,” Franklin said. Louisiana citizens have to understand that
everyone will benefit from trade with Cuba. Every grain of rice, piece of
steel and ounce of beef (among many other products) that is sent to Cuba would
most likely have to go through a Louisiana port. All of us are feeling
the pain of increased taxes due to the state’s dire financial situation, and
this is a real prospect that can generate millions of dollars for the state
every year.
”Franklin
said he applauds Abraham’s efforts to work with the Cubans in setting up trade
with the United States.“The embargo has gone on for far too long,” Franklin
said. “Politicians must put politics aside to do the right thing for the
economy. This is the most important trade mission of my lifetime. I
am confident that Congressman Abraham and Senator Francis Thompson will do a
great job on this trade mission. They are very fluent with the issues and
have a genuine desire to make this happen for Northeast Louisiana. I wish
all of the Louisiana group great luck on this very important moment for American
agriculture and the entire state of Louisiana.”
Giant
snail poses danger to Louisiana rice farmers
Source: WBRZ
By:
BATON
ROUGE -Scientists fear the Giant Apple Snail could destroy rice crops in west
Louisiana. The snail is an invasive species from South America that is slowly
eating up aquatic plants across the southern part of the state."They're
considered one of the worst invasive species in the world," Jacoby Carter
with the US Geological Survey says. "They are in the top 100 list of
bad invasive species," he added.The snails live in fresh water and can
grow as large as a person's fist. Right now, they're primarily found
in eastern and coastal parishes but may eventually end up in western
waters where farmers grow rice.
Carter said they've been a problem in Asian rice paddies
but haven't had much affect in East Texan fields, probably because farmers
there keep the water levels much lower.
Louisiana rice farmers might not be so lucky because
many also raise crawfish in the fields so they keep the water level much
higher."It may force a management change or pose a problem for those
systems where they're managing for both rice and crawfish," Carter said.Scientists
have yet to discover a safe way to eradicate the snails without also destroying
other species.The snails lay clusters of bright pink eggs, up to 7000 at a
time. Carter said if you notice an egg cluster, take a picture and email him
with the eggs location at carterj@usgs.gov.
Association
Lauds Ban On Land Border Rice Imports
Posted by admin on Mar 30th, 2016 and filed under Business. You can follow any responses to this entry through
the RSS 2.0. Both
comments and pings are currently closed.
The Association of Rice
Investors (ARI) has lauded the Federal Government for banning the importation of rice through land borders.Speaking to newsmen in Lagos on Monday, the Association’s National President, Mr Tunji Owoeye, said that the policy would remove the major obstacles faced by local rice producers in the country.Owoeye said that the biggest challenge to rice farmers in the country had been removed by the government, adding that the Federal Government has listened to the voice of reason in taking such decision to protect local rice producers.He said that the decision was a clear demonstration that the Federal Government was ready for economic diversification by promoting local rice production through policy reversal and other intervention supports, adding that the initial lifting of the ban by the Comptroller General of Customs, Colonel Hammed Ali (rtd) had boosted smuggling of the grain from neigbouring countries, which enhanced the revenue generation of those countries which also imported the rice.
He said that the association had urged the Federal Government before now to ban the importation of rice through land borders, but the government according to him, had claimed that the Association should allow goods to move freely within ECOWAS countries into the country.He said that Nigeria’s land borders are porous and there was lact of capacity to track all the rice that enter the country through the land borders, but now that this decision had been taken the Federal Government needs to be decisive in policing the nation’s land borders for effective implementation of the policy.Owoye said that through the massive intervention supports from the government, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Bank of Agriculture, Bank of Industry (BoI) and other bodies, the insufficient gap in the rice production would be drastically reduced to the barest minimum in the country.
He said farmers especially rice farmers
have been benefitting from those funds such as rice farmers in Northern part of
the country who also enjoyed advantage of irrigation.He said that through the
intervention support, many moribund rice mills across the country have been
revived and were fully operational.
Big rice importers cancel rice imports from Vietnam
29.03.2016
Vietnam has lost rice export contracts as some of its major
markets including Indonesia and the Philippines have canceled their import
plans.The Vietnam Food Association (VFA) has confirmed the information, saying
that political factors in the first months of 2016 have affected import/export
activities.Dan Viet reported that Bulog, the Indonesian Bureau of Logistics?
has ceased rice transactions with four supply sources which have memorandum of
understanding (MOU) with the Indonesian government, namely Thailand, Pakistan,
Cambodia and Vietnam in the February plan.
The head of the country’s Ministry of Agriculture believes that Indonesia has sufficient rice for the domestic demand and no need to import rice. The official also attributed the fluctuations of the domestic market to speculation, affirming that this will be stopped.VFA has said that because of political issues, Indonesia would not import rice until the domestic price soars on the short supply. Import demand of the market will be clearer after Indonesia assesses the post-harvesting yield, slated for June.The Filipino National Food Authority (NFA) has also canceled the plan to import 400,000 tons of rice it announced earlier this year.The country is also awaiting the information about stocks, while it may allow private businesses to import 1 million tons of rice under the WTO’s minimum access volume (MAV) mechanism which includes 500,000 tons from special countries and the remaining 500,000 tons from other sources.
VFA said the Filipino import plan is also controlled by political factors. Some officials said the mechanism allowing businessmen to import under the WTO’s MAV has led to massive smuggling, thus badly affecting domestic production and the country’s food self-sufficiency policy.
A VFA official said the decisions by Indonesia and the Philippines, the two major export markets, have caused Vietnam lose big contracts. However, he does not think this would hurt Vietnam’s rice production and export.The rice price in the Vietnamese domestic market has been increasing rapidly as export companies now rush to collect rice to fulfill the export contracts they signed before. Meanwhile, the demand from China is very high.Phap Luat reported that farmers and merchants all try to store rice in anticipation of the price increase and short supply caused by the serious drought in Mekong River Delta.
The newspaper cited a source as reporting that the export
volume in February was 400,000 tons higher than planned, which was 5.44 percent
higher than the months before and 117 percent than last year in the same
period.“The rice price has increased by VND500 per kilo. The price increase is
seen in all provinces and cities in the region,” said Pham Thai Binh, director
of Trung An Company.
Fareway Dietitians Think Rice for "CentsAble"
Health
By Katie Maher
ARLINGTON, VA -- From February through April, USA Rice is
partnering with retail dietitians at Fareway, a Midwest grocery chain with more
than 100 stores in Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, and Nebraska, to inform shoppers
of the many benefits of U.S.-grown rice. The three month promotion
kicked-off in February with a U.S. rice feature in the store magazine and also
includes website and social media placements. Fareway's CentsAble Health magazine is
published every three months featuring recipes, nutrition news, and fun
activities for kids. The February - April issue highlights U.S.-grown
rice nutrition messaging and the "Think Rice" logo, along with USA
Rice's recipe for Mandarin Orange Rice and Shrimp Lettuce Wraps, as part of a
larger piece about nutrients to focus on for optimal exercise
performance. The magazine is distributed in all stores, reaching more
than 120,000 shoppers and is archived online at Fareway.com, reaching more than
66,000 unique visitors per month.
Fareway is also featuring three Facebook posts about U.S.
rice. February's post shared USA Rice's Wild & Brown Rice and
Massaged Kale Salad and reminded shoppers to think rice for a healthy heart,
while the March post highlights National Nutrition Month and promotes the
nutritional benefits of brown rice with USA Rice's recipe for Mandarin Orange
Rice & Shrimp Lettuce Wraps to boost whole grain intake. Both posts
garnered more than 67,000 likes."I'm so happy we could get positive
messages about U.S. rice out to consumers through our magazine, website, and
social media," said Whitney Packebush, Fareway's corporate
dietitian. "Promoting a nutritious, affordable option to Fareway
shoppers during this busy time was a huge success!
USA
Rice Daily, Tuesday, March 29, 2016
MEET THE REAL CO: REAL FOOD FROM
THE EARTH
ENJOY THE REAL CO - ON EARTH DAY AND EVERY DAY
WILMINGTON,
DELAWARE, UNITED STATES, March 29, 2016 /EINPresswire.com/ --
Wilmington, DE (March, 2016) – Every year The
Real Co celebrates
Earth Day, honoring the precious soil that keeps us alive. This year, The Real
Co is celebrating their natural roots, with the only 100% Single Origin foods
in the U.S. All through April, The Real Co is encouraging individuals to ramp
up their support of the environment, by purchasing and eating natural,
sustainable foods every day. The Real Co is offering some earth-friendly Earth
Day recipes, highlighting their certifiable, 100% Single Origin products,
including: Himalayan Pink Rock Salt, Organic Raw Cane Sugar, and organically
grown White Basmati
Rice.
From the very beginning The Real Co has been honoring the trust put into them by their customers with a fully transparent agenda—to provide the best tasting product directly from the original sources with the highest integrity. The Real Co promises its customers a clear understanding of the source of their food, the methods used for farming, and how it’s packaged and delivered. Honesty and trust are values they take very seriously and are extremely proud to achieve!
Just in time to welcome Earth Day, The Real Co is offering a fun, easy-to-prepare, veggie-themed recipe that serve up a healthy kick. Every grain of salt, sugar and rice can be traced to its source, which is shared on every package of food that bears The Real Co name. Every food item has the Non-GMO Project Verified seal and is sourced from one single farm, mine or rice paddy. The Real Co products are also Vegan, Gluten Free, Organic and Kosher!
The Real Co Inc foods include:
§ Debuting Now - Stevia: the first 100% natural non-processed, no additives, zero calorie sweetener from Paraguay; Long grain white and brown rice from Argentina; Tri-color & sprouted Quinoa from Peru and Sea Salt from India.
§ The Real Co Himalayan Pink Rock Salt, handcrafted, at the Himalayan Mountains. This salt is 100% pure; 100% Single Origin; non-GMO; has 84 active minerals in every grain; is unrefined and mountain washed in Himalayan mountain water. The salt is available in a 20-ounce tub container for a suggested retail price of $6.99 or in a saltshaker container for a suggested retail price of $9.49.
§ The Real Co Organic Raw Cane Sugar, directly from Assukar Farms, Tayutic Valley in Costa Rica is 100% natural and organic; 100% Single Origin; raw and alive with natural vitamins and minerals; instantly dissolves in hot or cold liquids and is non-GMO. The sugar is available in 2 sizes: 8-ounce at a suggested retail price of $3.69 and 16-ounce at a suggested retail price of $4.49
§ The Real Co White Basmati Rice, directly from Gujrat Punjab from Farid Co-op Farm, is 100% natural and 100% Single Origin; low-GI and pre biotic; non-GMO and is gluten free. The rice is available in 2 sizes: 16-ounce at a suggested retail price of $3.99 and 32-ounce at a suggested retail price of $6.49.
UNFI, one of the largest distributors of natural foods in the U.S., is distributing the foods across the nation to supermarkets, specialty retailers and independent operators such as Kings, ShopRite Westerly, and Balducci Fairway Market. Consumers may also purchase products online on www.amazon.com or www.healthygoodness.com. Visit The Real Co website at http://TheReal.co
Here is a
recipe to get you started:
The Real Co Earth Day Basmati Rice Pilaf
Ingredients:
1 cup of The Real Co White Basmati Rice
1 fresh zucchini, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 cup of chopped broccoli
1 cup of fresh kale, chopped
1 cup of fresh chopped parsley or cilantro
¼ cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 tablespoons of The Real Co Himalayan Pink Rock Salt
Cooking Directions:
Cook the rice: fill pot with 7 cups of water and bring to a boil. Add 1 cup of The Real Co White Basmati Rice (rinsed first). Lower to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Drain when ready to mix Pilaf.
While rice is cooking, steam all the veggies with the exception of the fresh kale. Add the steamed veggies to the rice, and add in the fresh kale and parsley or cilantro. Toss with 1/4 cup of Extra Virgin Olive oil and 2 tablespoons of The Real Co Himalaya Pink Rock Salt – and enjoy!
About The Real Co:
The Real Food Co was founded in 2013 in Valley Cottage, New York with a direct farm-to-market approach for the organic food industry. The new 100% Single Origin Foods concept supports farms at their source, cuts out the middleman, and delivers directly to the U.S. market, cutting costs of products compared to other manufacturers.
The Real Co offers transparency to the consumer, and is developing the first
Certification of 100% Single Origin Foods in the U.S. The Real Co pays fair wages and reinvests in both the land and the community that grows our products. The Real Co is available nationwide in numerous stores in every state, also at The Market in California, Natural Grocers (national), ShopRite, Fairway Market, Westerly Natural Market, Kings, Balducci, and Healthy Goodness. Also online atwww.vitacost.com<http://www.vitacost.com. For more information and for a full list state by state is available at www.TheReal.co
For more recipes, high resolution photos, and samples contact me at:
Diane Lilli
Diane.Lilli@BenderGrouppr.com
Office: 973.744.0707 Ext. 11
Spring Vegetable Pilau with Fennel and Asaragus
By MEERA SODHA Associated Press
The Associated Press
Spring vegetable pilau with fennel and
asparagus in Concord, N.H. The combination of rice packed with spiced fennel,
onions and garlic cooked slowly until soft and finished with still-crisp
asparagus and peas makes for a perfect spring dish. (AP Photo/J.M. Hirsch)
Use whichever spring vegetables you have available. Green beans and spring
cabbage or leeks make for a wonderful pilau, too.
Start to
finish: 35 minutes
Servings: 6
1 1/2 cups basmati
rice
3 cups
vegetable stock
2 tablespoons
unsalted butter
2 medium red
onions, thinly sliced
4 cloves
garlic, crushed
2 green
finger chilies, very thinly sliced
2 medium
bulbs fennel, trimmed and thinly sliced
2 bunches
asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
9 ounces
fresh or frozen peas or fresh fava beans (outer skins removed)
1 1/2
teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2
teaspoons garam masala
1 teaspoon
kosher salt
1/4 to 1/2
cup chopped fresh herbs, such as mint, dill or cilantro
1 lemon, cut
into wedges
Set the rice
in a mesh strainer and run under cool water until the water runs clear.
Transfer to a bowl, then add enough cool water to cover. Set aside for 20
minutes.
In a large
saucepan, bring the stock to a boil. Drain the rice, then add to the stock.
Return to a simmer, then cook until tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Use a mesh
strainer to strain the rice, then set aside, covered with a kitchen towel.
In a larger
skillet over medium, melt the butter. Add the onions and cook for 6 to 8
minutes, or until translucent and softened, but not browned. Add the garlic and
chilies, then cook for another 2 minutes. Add the fennel, stir to mix, then add
a couple tablespoons of water and cover. Cook for 8 minutes, or until soft. Add
the asparagus, peas or fava beans, cumin, garam masala and salt. Stir and
cover, then cook for another 5 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat.
Stir the
herbs and rice into the vegetable mixture; you might need to delicately break
up the clumps of rice using your hands. Transfer to a serving dish and serve
with wedges of lemon on the side.
Nutrition
information per serving: 330 calories; 40 calories from fat (12 percent of
total calories); 4.5 g fat (2.5 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 10 mg
cholesterol; 640 mg sodium; 62 g carbohydrate; 9 g fiber; 11 g sugar; 11 g
protein.
___
EDITOR'S
NOTE: Meera Sodha is an Indian foods expert and author of "Made in India:
Recipes from an Indian family kitchen." She lives in London, blogs at www.meerasodha.com and tweets at @meerasodha
http://www.timesonline.com/lifestyles/flavor/recipes/spring-vegetable-pilau-with-fennel-and-asaragus/article_7bdc2306-ebb0-11e5-8023-57d7a7cfd3ab.html
Low-arsenic rice grain from NBRI
TNN | Mar
29, 2016, 12.56 AM IST
Lucknow: After 10 years of research,
National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI) has developed a 'transgenic rice'
which will reduce arsenic accumulation and contamination in rice grains.Arsenic
contamination in rice gives rise to serious health risks like kidney disease,
cancer and skin problems. In Uttar Pradesh, Ballia is most prone to arsenic
contamination followed by Bahraich, Rae Bareli, Gorakhpur, Ghazipur, Meerut,
Chandoli and many more.
The technology is ready for field trials. Senior NBRI scientist Debasis Chakrabarty, who conducted the research recently, visited the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Philippine and discussed the possibilities of field trials. The institute in principal agreed to help in this regard."The institute invited us to become familiar with ongoing research work at NBRI and has agreed in principle to conduct field trials subjected to clearance by governments of both countries," said Chakrabarty, head of the eight-member team, which carried out research published recently in an international journal 'Metallomics' published by 'Royal Society of Chemistry'.
The scientists said the transgenic rice
has 'arsenic methyl transferase', a gene isolated from a fungus that
accumulates less arsenic and would be less toxic.He explained that arsenic
present in groundwater percolates in soil during irrigation and contaminates
rice with arsenic. Chronic arsenic exposure through groundwater contamination
affects more than 150 million people worldwide and over 500 million people in
Ganga, Meghna and Brahmputra areas.
Rice is the crop most susceptible to absorbing arsenic during cultivation. Cultivating rice varieties that accumulate less amount of arsenic can tackle the challenge of exposure to carcinogens (cancer causing elements) that affect population in Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand and Odisha
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/Low-arsenic-rice-grain-from-NBRI/articleshow/51591807.cms
Wild Rice Conference hits the end of the road this week
FARGO – Larry Holmstrom has been digging
through his archives recently in hopes of piecing together a written historical
account of the Wild Rice Conference, which is disbanding at the end of this
school year.Holmstrom, 64 of Wyndmere, N.D.,
has served as the secretary treasurer of the Wild Rice Conference for the past
23 years. Paging through old tournament programs has conjured up memories of
what are now known as the glory days of the conference."I have mixed
emotions about it," said Holmstrom, who is a retired teacher, coach and
official. "I understand things change, but I always thought the conference
has been a good thing for our area schools. It has been a big part of my
life."Tuesday, March 29, marks the last time the 11-school conference will
hold its annual banquet to honor all-conference teams from various sports. The
banquet is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at the Hankinson High School gymnasium.
The Wild Rice Conference members are:
Central Cass, Fairmount-Campbell-Tintah, Hankinson, Kindred, Milnor, North
Sargent, Fargo Oak Grove, Richland, Sargent Central, Wyndmere and
Lidgerwood—all of which compete in Class B.The final vote on whether to disband
the conference was 8-2 in favor of dissolving."At some point it was going
to come to an end," Holmstrom said. "A lot of different factors
entered into it. Part of it was financial. The banquet that we put on every
year was becoming more expensive and with the switch to a super region format
for Region 1, there were some schools thinking of getting out. There were some
undercurrent to how long it was going to continue."
This year was Region 1's first for holding
super region tournaments in volleyball and basketball. Prior to that, Region 1
was split into Districts 1 and 2, which had separate postseason tournaments to
qualify for region play. Holmstrom said he hopes some of the traditions of the
Wild Rice Conference continue on in the super region era."I think it was
time," Fargo Oak Grove boys basketball head coach Kyle Card said.
"When we had our district meetings, it was brought up and I think the
feeling was that it was getting repetitive in that athletes that were All-Wild
Rice Conference were also the same ones getting All-Region."
Holmstrom said before the conference
expanded from its initial membership it was made up of schools that were also
designated as District 1.The original seven schools that made up the Wild Rice
Conference according to Holmstrom's research were Fairmount, Milnor, Hankinson,
Havana, Lidgerwood, St. Francis (Hankinson) and Wyndmere.Holmstrom's research
of the conference goes back as far as 1960 though it may have been around longer
than that.Athletic conferences in North Dakota have gone by the wayside in
recent years, but in its heyday Holmstrom said the Wild Rice Conference was
known for highly competitive championship races in football and basketball."I
grew up in it and it was a big deal," said Card, a 1985 graduate of Oak
Grove. "When I played basketball at Oak Grove winning the Wild Rice was
always one of the goals we talked about every year."
Acadiana
Rice Farmers Set Eyes on Cuban Market
Posted: Mar 29, 2016 4:39 AM PSTUpdated: Mar 29, 2016 8:16 AM PST
Fewer restrictions on the Cuba embargo mean more export
opportunities for Acadiana farmers, and more exports mean more money in their
pockets.Mark Pousson is a rice producer in Welsh and the chairman of the South
Louisiana Rail Facility, a coalition that represents 160 rice farmers across
Acadiana."Right now times are tough for rice farming," said Pousson.Selling
to Cuba, he believes, is an opportunity to bounce back. Before the embargo,
Louisiana was one of Cuba's most important trading partners. It's a
relationship he hopes to build again."This would be a big shot in the
arm," said Pousson. "On the scale from 1-10 this would be a 10 plus.
It would have a big impact on the rice industry... much needed."Pousson
believes that Louisiana's proximity to Cuba will make them natural trading
partners. Cuba is currently importing rice from Vietnam, a trip that takes over
30 days by boat.
Rice shipped from Louisiana would arrive in two days."They
would get higher quality rice," said Pousson, " Healthier.
Safer."Pousson hopes that exporting to Cuba will bring an economic boost
to struggling farmers. Cuba imports nearly 80% of its food, and three of its
largest imports are among Louisiana's largest exports -- soybeans, rice, and
poultry.In June, Pousson is travelling to Cuba with Engage Cuba, a coalition of
private businesses working to end the embargo. The purpose of the trip is to
build business relationships in Cuba and to position Louisiana as Cuba's major
exporter. Pousson doesn't know if the deals will work out, but he knows his
reasons for doing it."Surviving, for my family and for the boys to
continue farming... it ensures that."California, Florida, and Arkansas are
among the other states vying for trade deals
Low-arsenic rice grain from NBRI
Tue,29 Mar 2016
Summary: Lucknow: After 10 years of
research, National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI) has developed a
'transgenic rice' which will reduce arsenic accumulation and contamination in
rice grains.Arsenic contamination in rice gives rise to serious health risks
like kidney disease, cancer and skin problems. Senior NBRI scientist Debasis
Chakrabarty, who conducted the research recently, visited the International
Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Philippine and discussed the possibilities of
field trials. In Uttar Pradesh, Ballia is most prone to arsenic contamination
followed by Bahraich, Rae Bareli, Gorakhpur, Ghazipur, Meerut, Chandoli and
many more.
The technology is ready for field
trials. Cultivating rice varieties that accumulate less amount of arsenic can
tackle the challenge of exposure to carcinogens (cancer causing elements) that
affect population in Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand and Odisha.
The institute in principal agreed to help in this regard.Lucknow: After 10
years of research, National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI) has developed a
'transgenic rice' which will reduce arsenic accumulation and contamination in
rice grains.Arsenic contamination in rice gives rise to serious health risks
like kidney disease, cancer and skin problems. In Uttar Pradesh, Ballia is most
prone to arsenic contamination followed by Bahraich, Rae Bareli, Gorakhpur,
Ghazipur, Meerut, Chandoli and many more.
The technology is ready for field
trials. Senior NBRI scientist Debasis Chakrabarty, who conducted the research
recently, visited the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Philippine
and discussed the possibilities of field trials. The institute in principal agreed to
help in this regard."The institute invited us to become familiar with
ongoing research work at NBRI and has agreed in principle to conduct field
trials subjected to clearance by governments of both countries," said
Chakrabarty, head of the eight-member team, which carried out research
published recently in an international journal 'Metallomics' published by
'Royal Society of Chemistry'.The scientists said the transgenic rice has
'arsenic methyl transferase', a gene isolated from a fungus that accumulates
less arsenic and would be less toxic.
He explained that arsenic present
in groundwater percolates in soil during irrigation and contaminates rice with
arsenic. Chronic arsenic exposure through groundwater contamination affects
more than 150 million people worldwide and over 500 million people in Ganga,
Meghna and Brahmputra areas.Rice is the crop most susceptible to absorbing
arsenic during cultivation. Cultivating rice varieties that accumulate less
amount of arsenic can tackle the challenge of exposure to carcinogens (cancer
causing elements) that affect population in Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar,
Jharkhand and Odisha..
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/Low-arsenic-rice-grain-from-NBRI/articleshow/51591807.cms
Big rice importers cancel rice imports from Vietnam
VietNamNet
Bridge - Vietnam has lost rice export contracts as some of its major markets
including Indonesia and the Philippines have canceled their import plans.
The Vietnam Food Association (VFA) has confirmed the
information, saying that political factors in the first months of 2016 have
affected import/export activities.Dan Viet reported that Bulog, the Indonesian
Bureau of Logistics? has ceased rice transactions with four supply sources
which have memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Indonesian government,
namely Thailand, Pakistan, Cambodia and Vietnam in the February plan.The head
of the country’s Ministry of Agriculture believes that Indonesia has sufficient
rice for the domestic demand and no need to import rice. The official also
attributed the fluctuations of the domestic market to speculation, affirming
that this will be stopped.
Vietnam has lost rice
export contracts as some of its major markets including Indonesia and the
Philippines have canceled their import plans.
|
VFA has said that because of political issues, Indonesia
would not import rice until the domestic price soars on the short supply.
Import demand of the market will be clearer after Indonesia assesses the
post-harvesting yield, slated for June.The Filipino National Food Authority
(NFA) has also canceled the plan to import 400,000 tons of rice it announced
earlier this year.
The country is also awaiting the information about stocks, while it may allow private businesses to import 1 million tons of rice under the WTO’s minimum access volume (MAV) mechanism which includes 500,000 tons from special countries and the remaining 500,000 tons from other sources.VFA said the Filipino import plan is also controlled by political factors. Some officials said the mechanism allowing businessmen to import under the WTO’s MAV has led to massive smuggling, thus badly affecting domestic production and the country’s food self-sufficiency policy.
A VFA official said the decisions by Indonesia and the Philippines, the two major export markets, have caused Vietnam lose big contracts. However, he does not think this would hurt Vietnam’s rice production and export.The rice price in the Vietnamese domestic market has been increasing rapidly as export companies now rush to collect rice to fulfill the export contracts they signed before. Meanwhile, the demand from China is very high.Phap Luat reported that farmers and merchants all try to store rice in anticipation of the price increase and short supply caused by the serious drought in Mekong River Delta.
The newspaper cited a source as reporting that the export volume in February was 400,000 tons higher than planned, which was 5.44 percent higher than the months before and 117 percent than last year in the same period.“The rice price has increased by VND500 per kilo. The price increase is seen in all provinces and cities in the region,” said Pham Thai Binh, director of Trung An Company
http://english.vietnamnet.vn/fms/business/153004/big-rice-importers-cancel-rice-imports-from-vietnam.html
NFA:
Rice supply in Davao stable
Monday, March 28, 2016
DAVAO. Rice
prices in the city have remained stable as the National Food Authority assures
a sufficient supply that will last for a year amid the continuing occurrence of
the El Niño phenomenon. (Darryl S. Postrano)
Another 320,000
bags of rice imported from Thailand were also delivered by a vessel recently.
Apart from these, the private sector has a total of 75,000 bags as of March 23,
this year.For corn, NFA-Davao City has a total of 20,000 bags.For Davao City,
there are 206 accredited retailers operating in the city.NFA-Davao data for
2015 bared that a total of 1.1 million bags were imported both from Vietnam and
Thailand. “Food security is on top of our agenda. We assure everyone that there
will be supply and that there is no need to worry even with the presence of El
Nino. Our rice will remain affordable and stable as far as the price is
concerned,” he said.
Meanwhile, when
asked on the target of the Department of Agriculture for the country to be
self-sufficient for rice and other staple food, Alerta was quick to add that at
present we are still depending on importation.Davao Region’s rice producing
areas are Davao del Sur (12,000 hectares), Davao del Norte (10,000 hectares),
Compostela Valley (12,000 hectares) and Davao Oriental (8,000 hectares). One
hectare of rice planted area is capable of producing some 100 bags of rice.
Data from
DA-Davao showed damage to agricultural crops in Davao Region due to the
onslaught of El Nino phenomenon has reached P248.2 million as of December 11,
2015.A total of 38,506.64 metric tons (MT) of both rice and corn had been
damaged, covering a total of 12,532.15 hectares.Of the said figure, 1,035
hectares have been partially destroyed, while 12,854.16 has have been totally
damaged, affecting thousands of rice and corn farmers in the region.
Published in the Sun.Star
Davao newspaper on March 29, 2016
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/davao/business/2016/03/29/nfa-rice-supply-davao-stable-464828
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/davao/business/2016/03/29/nfa-rice-supply-davao-stable-464828
Early planting of rice: some
considerations
What will Mid-South see in 2016 medium grain crop?
Mar 29, 2016 | Delta Farm Press
Delta Farm Press
Prior to
rainclouds settling for a prolonged period over the Mid-South, a very warm
winter meant many producers were prepping fields and planting crops. The heavy
rains generated by the storms kept crews shop-bound for several weeks. By the
third week of March, though, farmland activity was swinging again.Among those
in the field were rice producers.“I heard some rice was planted around March
10, just before the huge rains hit the state,” says Jarrod Hardke, Arkansas
Extension rice specialist. “Then, around March 17 another couple of fields were
planted. That really kicked off rice planting in the state. By (March 21), a
bunch of growers were planting pretty hard.”
What about
acreage expectations for 2016?
“At this point,
we may be staring at a minimum of 1.6 million acres of rice in Arkansas.“How
the crop ends up faring is still up in the air, of course. But the ability of
many growers to get their rice in this early points to a high-acreage year. A
record acreage of 1.8 million acres may be possible, if not likely; the sky is
the limit at this point. Though I hope market improvements in our other crops
helps keep the number down, it may happen soon enough to slow down our rice
planting.”The early warm weather “has presented some very interesting
environmental setups for producers to make choices about putting rice in the
ground. The go-getters may be planting hard and heavy while their neighbors
haven’t even hooked up to a drill – and they don’t plan to for another week, or
two.
“Now isn’t the
time to put the majority of the state’s rice into the ground. There’s a lot bad
that could happen before the rice emerges or when it’s small. The margins are
very tight. The last thing we want is to have to replant a lot of rice.
Replanting a field, or two, isn’t good but can be handled. How much risk are
you willing to take?”Despite his misgivings, Hardke hasn’t “been inclined to
discourage anyone wanting to plant so early. The current conditions and
forecast could be far worse than they are. I’d be a lot more worried if the
forecast was showing cooler nighttime temperatures. We’re just in a weather
pattern that looks to be the same a week or 10 days out, even well into April.”
http://deltafarmpress.com/rice/early-planting-rice-some-considerations
osted: Mar 29, 2016 4:39 AM PST Updated: Mar 29, 2016
8:16 AM PST
Acadiana Rice Farmers
Set Eyes on Cuban Market
Rice Pousson in a rice producer in Acadiana
"This would
be a big shot in the arm," said Pousson. "On the scale from 1-10 this
would be a 10 plus. It would have a big impact on the rice industry... much
needed."Pousson believes that Louisiana's proximity to Cuba will make them
natural trading partners. Cuba is currently importing rice from Vietnam, a trip
that takes over 30 days by boat. Rice shipped from Louisiana would arrive in
two days."They would get higher quality rice," said Pousson, "
Healthier. Safer."Pousson hopes that exporting to Cuba will bring an
economic boost to struggling farmers. Cuba imports nearly 80% of its food, and
three of its largest imports are among Louisiana's largest exports -- soybeans,
rice, and poultry.In June, Pousson is travelling to Cuba with Engage Cuba, a
coalition of private businesses working to end the embargo.
The purpose of
the trip is to build business relationships in Cuba and to position Louisiana
as Cuba's major exporter. Pousson doesn't know if the deals will work out, but
he knows his reasons for doing it."Surviving, for my family and for the
boys to continue farming... it ensures that."
California,
Florida, and Arkansas are among the other states vying for trade deals.
More coverage:
Mixed reactions about Obama in Cuba from Acadiana residents - http://www.katc.com/story/31530792/mixed-reactions-about-obama-in-cuba-from-acadiana-resident
http://www.katc.com/story/31584028/acadiana-rice-farmers-set-eyes-on-cuban-market
