MSSRF identifies 9 varieties of rice with higher zinc, iron
IANS
| Chennai July 19, 2016 Last Updated at 15:10 IST Consuming
rice may put infants at higher urinary arsenic risk Raunaq EPC International
secures project worth Rs 9.60 cr HZL Q4 Net up 8% to Rs 2,149 cr on higher
other income Supreme Court delays government plan to sell Hindustan Zinc stake
Families covered under PDS to get higher quantum of free rice
•
The
city-based agricultural research organisation MS Swaminathan Research
Foundation (MSSRF) has reached a major milestone towards the development of
iron and zinc biofortified rice, said a senior official.
"After
systematic and elaborate screening of the landraces, we have identified nine
varieties that have much higher composition of iron or zinc compared to
conventional rice," Rajalakshmi Swaminathan, Principal Coordinator for
Biotechnology, MSSRF, told IANS.
According
to her, the next step is to cross these varieties with 4-5 local high yielding
rice varieties. Post harvest, the rice will be checked for iron and zinc
content and also other agronomic characteristics, she added.
Biofortification
is a means of deliberately increasing the nutrient quality of crops during
growth for enhancing the nutrition and health of the population it serves.
This is
particularly important for micronutrient deficiencies (Vitamin A, iron and
zinc), estimated to affect over half the population in the world and is
significant in India with the largest number of stunted children in the world,
Swaminathan said.
Biofortification
addresses all three major dimensions of hunger -- calorific, protein and
vitamin/mineral deficiencies, and can be done through natural selection,
conventional breeding or biotechnology approaches.
Through
biofortification, communities can continue with their usual diet but receive
additional nutrients through consuming varieties that are much more nutritious.
They are protected from preventable conditions like anaemia, stunting and
infectious diseases.
"However,
selecting, analysing and facilitating these breeding approaches are long drawn
out and laborious processes that take several years to facilitate and make
available for cultivation and consumption. In this context, the nine varieties
of rice with higher iron and zinc content signals hope," Swaminathan said.
Under
the research project funded by the central government's Department of
Biotechnology, the team at MSSRF screened 160 rice varieties from Odisha,
Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh and zeroed in on nine varieties that have
high iron and zinc content.
"For
three rabi seasons since 2013 we have raised the nine varieties and found the
iron and zinc content on the higher side. The crops were raised in the fields
in Kalpakkam near here," Swaminathan said.
"The
crops showed promising results in terms of their potential to serve as a
significant tool against malnutrition. There is no genetic modification
involved," Swaminathan added.
She said
normal rice has iron concentration of about 6-8 ppm, some of the varieties
screened have a high as 21 ppm iron concentration.
Similarly
for zinc, normal rice has zinc concentration of about 14 ppm while some of the
identified varieties have concentration as high as 35 ppm.
According
to Swaminathan, the next phase will be in association with other public
research institutes.
"By
the end of the year we will proceed with the collaborative approach with the
Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU), Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu," she
added
http://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/mssrf-identifies-9-varieties-of-rice-with-higher-zinc-iron-116071900630_1.htmlLocal version of ‘Rice Doctor’ available soon
Philippine Daily Inquirer
01:30 AM July 20th, 2016
A Filipino version of a mobile application dubbed “Rice Doctor” is being readied to help identify and manage rice crop problems in Philippine rice farms.First developed by experts at the International Rice Research Institute, Philippine Rice Research Institute, the Indonesian Research Institute for Rice, and the Lucid team at the University of Queensland in Australia, the mobile app is still available only in English.
According to IRRI, the interactive Rice Doctor uses text and images to help extension workers, farmers, researchers and students diagnose more than 80 pests, diseases and other disorders affecting rice.
In a recent workshop held at IRRI in Laguna, specialists from PhilRice and development communication students from the University of the Philippines helped review, edit and finalize the Filipino translation of the brief descriptions of the signs, symptoms and management options.
“This activity is the second part of the Filipino translation workshop conducted through the project, Improving Technology Promotion and Delivery through Capability Enhancement of Next-Gen Rice Extension Professionals and Other Intermediaries, under the Food Staples Sufficiency Program,” IRRI said in a statement.
The first part of the workshop, which was held last year, focused on the terms and the translation of the diagnostic questions.
“The Filipino version of Rice Doctor, which will be available later this year, is the first effort to translate and localize the diagnostic tool for country-specific crop problems,” IRRI said. “Similar efforts are also being done in Bangladesh and India.” Ronnel W. Domingo
Rice Field Day in Stoneville
Draws a Crowd
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Dr. Bobby Golden presenting his
research
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STONEVILLE, MS - Today, the Delta
Research and Extension Center (DREC) held their annual Rice Producer Field Day
here to review this year's latest rice research, followed by the Mississippi
Farm Bureau's (MFBF) Summer Rice Meeting in the Capps Center.
During the field tour, research
presentations were given on topics including weed and insect control,
irrigation, rice breeding, etc. by: Dr. Bobby Golden, Dr. Jason Bond, Dr. Jeff
Gore, Dr. Tom Allen, Dr. Jason Krutz, and Dr. Ed Redona.
The MFBF's Rice Meeting had
presentations by: Patrick Swindoll, Chairman of the MFBF Rice Advisory
Committee; Mike McCormick, MFBF President; Kirk Satterfield, Vice Chairman of
MFBF Rice Advisory Committee; John Campbell, Deputy Commissioner for MS
Department of Agriculture and Commerce; Kay Whittington, Mississippi Department
of Environmental Quality; and Ben Mosely, Vice President of Government Affairs
for USA Rice.
Mosely's remarks centered on
legislative and regulatory updates from Washington along with a snapshot of the
USA Rice work exploring sustainability. "Our Sustainability Committee met
last week over the course of eight hours to help put together an industry-wide
sustainability plan. USA Rice is pursuing a robust sustainability platform that
is economically profitable, socially and environmentally responsible based on
sound science and we're looking forward to working with Mississippi as it
unfolds," he said.
In regards to advocacy on Capitol
Hill, Mosely added, "USA Rice has been tearing up the pavement in
Washington to gain significant access to markets for U.S.-grown rice. Our
efforts are starting to show through the recent increases in U.S. rice
programmed in international food aid, the rice-specific MOU signed by the U.S.
and Iraq, the MOU underway between USA Rice and Cuba, and with the opportunity
to normalize agricultural trade with Cuba closer than it's been in 50 years."
Kirk Satterfield, Mississippi rice
farmer and member of the USA Rice Farmers Board of Directors said, "I'm
really happy to have USA Rice as a regular part of our program here at our
Mississippi Farm Bureau's Rice Meeting, our hard work to become a member state
within the Federation has really paid off. We're looking forward to continuing
our work with both the USA Rice Farmers Board and the broader Federation and
represent Mississippi during policy debates and formulating our positions for
the upcoming Farm Bill negotiations."
USA Rice Celebrates Centennial of
the U.S. Warehouse Act
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Keith Glover
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WASHINGTON, DC - Last week, USA
Rice helped to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the U.S. Warehouse Act, a
piece of legislation that authorizes the critically important structure for
protecting and assuring producers and their lenders of proper crop production
storage.
The procedures required by the Act are administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Farm Service Agency's Commodity Operation Division. This Division licenses warehouses for the storage of U.S. agricultural commodities such as corn, cotton, dry peas, lentils, peanuts, rice, sorghum, soybeans, and wheat and also conducts annual examinations of the warehouses to ensure they are meeting these federal standards.
USA Rice sponsored a reception in
the House Committee on Agriculture's hearing room, also supported by: the
American Peanut Shellers Association, the Cotton Growers Warehouse Association,
the Cotton Warehouse Association of America, the National Cotton Council of
America, the National Grain and Feed Association, and the USA Dry Pea and
Lentil Council.
Keith Glover, CEO of Producers Rice
Mill based in Stuttgart, Arkansas said, "I operate a pretty significant
number of warehouses that are licensed under the U.S. Warehouse Act and I'm
pleased to know that our forefathers put together this smart way to protect
farmers that needed a reputable, safe place to store their grain an entire
century ago. The Act has obviously changed over time to account for innovations
like electronic warehouse receipts but ultimately it's stood the test of time
and remains relevant."
The Act was officially passed on
August 11, 1916 but the celebration was held earlier in anticipation of
Congress' August Recess.
07/19/2016 Farm Bureau Market Report
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Rice Comment
The rice market continues to track mostly
sideways. The WASDE report showed mostly offsetting changes, but 16-17 ending
stocks are projected at their highest level since 85-86 thanks to large
increases in California medium grain stocks. The all rice on farm average price
was lowered, again a result of lower prices in California. September has
bounced off support near $10.25, with the next upside target at last week’s
high of $10.94 ½
MPCA issues latest revisions to proposed wild rice standards
By STEVE KARNOWSKI
Associated Press
July 19, 2016 — 6:10pm
MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota regulators on Tuesday
unveiled the latest refinements to their proposal for revising the state's
water quality standards for protecting wild rice from sulfate pollution.The
draft document released Tuesday by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
builds on more than 600 comments submitted last fall about the agency's
original proposal.The state's existing standard limits sulfate discharges into
wild rice waters to a flat 10 parts per million. The 1970s-era rule went
largely unenforced until recently when the debate heated up over proposed
copper-nickel mining and pollution from existing iron mines. Mining interests
and their legislative allies then complained that the standard was too
restrictive. So the MPCA is developing a new approach, using a complicated
formula for setting limits for individual waters.
That approach is based on the interplay among
sulfates, sulfides, iron and organic carbon in sediments where wild rice grows.
Research shows that sulfates in the water aren't directly toxic to wild rice,
but they become toxic when bacteria convert them to sulfides in the sediments
where the plants take root. Carbon in sediment provides food for the bacteria
and boosts sulfide production.
The MPCA is taking feedback through Sept. 6,
and citizens can formally comment on the updated proposal during the rulemaking
process next year."This isn't a decision yet. It's the next step in the
process," said Shannon Lotthammer, director of the MPCA's unit that
develops water quality standards.The revisions announced Tuesday fall into four
main areas, Lotthammer told reporters. They lower the original proposed limit
for sulfide concentrations in sediment. MPCA scientists also refined their
equation for determining how this happens. The agency also added more specifics
about how data will be collected from individual waters. The fourth area
affects how wild rice waters are defined.
Lotthammer acknowledged that the changes are
"very technical," but said that the MPCA wanted to be transparent and
"show our work" to people who are interested in wild rice. That
includes American Indian tribes that consider wild rice to be a sacred food
source and an integral part of their culture.The revisions drew criticism from
John Pastor, an expert on wild rice biology at the University of Minnesota
Duluth. He said his research undercuts the MPCA's theory that higher
concentrations of iron in water protect wild rice because they reduce sulfides.
He said he's found that much of the iron sulfide that precipitates out of the
water forms plaques on the roots of wild rice plants that hamper their ability
to produce seeds.
Pastor said the MPCA's data on the
relationships among sulfides, iron and organic matter don't completely match
what his researchers are seeing in their experiments. So he said it's premature
for the MPCA to conclude that its model for the role of iron is correct.
Established science shows that the existing 10 parts-per-million sulfate
standard protects wild rice, he said, so the safest course is to stick with
that.The federal Environmental Protection Agency must approve any change to the
standard. Paula Maccabee, an attorney for the environmental group WaterLegacy,
said she hopes the EPA's review will focus on science, not political pressures.
And she said the MPCA needs to take a closer look at Pastor's research.Lotthammer
said her agency is aware of Pastor's work. But she said the MPCA is confident
its approach is grounded in sound science.
Levi, an Ohio State University history professor, is taking a practice run at his upcoming cooking demonstration on the food of central Asia.
The food, he explained, is “from the 'stans” — Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan — countries that, for thousands of years, served as the crossing point along the Silk Road trading routes between the Far East and Middle East and beyond to Europe.
Despite the region’s historical significance, its culture remains largely unknown — a situation that Levi hopes to change.
For the second time since 2012, Levi has organized a summer institute, “Central Asia in World History,” which brings together 25 middle- and high-school teachers from throughout the country for three weeks of intensive study.
The institute, which runs through July 29, features lectures by some of the country’s leading experts on central Asia, and a few lighter moments — including Levi’s cooking demonstration, "Culinary Adventures Along the Silk Road," which will take place Saturday at the Ohio Union kitchen.
Levi, 47, an associate professor at Ohio State since 2008, will prepare a variety of recipes he has collected during his travels in the region.
“This food, in particular, is from Uzbekistan,” he explained.
The menu includes marinated lamb and chicken shish kebabs, dill-spiked yogurt sauce and a cool salad of cucumbers, radishes and herbs dressed with feta cheese and sour cream.
A main feature is a stew of lamb, carrots and basmati rice, known as plov.
Recipes: Lamb Plov | Lamb Kebabs Shashlik | Chicken Kebab Tovuk Shashlik |
Yogurt Sauce | White Cheese Salad (Suzmali Kujk Salat)
For the
dish, Levi browns cubed lamb in a Dutch oven, then adds onion; copious amounts
of toasted, ground cumin seed; paprika; turmeric; and 10 cloves of garlic.Julienned carrots are added to the sauce, which is then topped with water, and, finally, three cups of basmati or other short-grain rice.
A tight lid covers the dish, which simmers for about 30 minutes, the rice on top steaming from the boiling lamb mixture below and, from the turmeric, changing colors to vivid gold.
Central Asian cuisine, Levi said, is heavy with meat, particularly lamb and rendered lamb fat. It resembles Middle Eastern fare but also blends some elements of east Asian cuisine, including noodle dishes similar to lo mein.
The summer institute is supported this year, as it was in 2012, by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Levi's goal is to foster a greater understanding of how the region has historically “served as a crossroads of intercultural exchange.”
He includes the cooking demonstration to help bring the region alive in a real way — through smells and tastes.
“I love cooking, and it’s a great way to explore the culture,” Levi said.
Barbara Ashbrook, assistant director for the division of education programs of the National Endowment for the Humanities in Washington, was present for Levi’s cooking demonstration in 2012 and said the food helped to create a complete immersion in the culture.
“People bond around food,” she said. “You get a sense that food is global,”
The plov, Ashbrook recalled, was a delicious, hearty dish of varied spices.
“It was really a wonderful learning experience.”
Nathan Rosenstein, chairman of the OSU History Department, said the university takes pride in the institute's effort to spread the word nationally about central Asian history.
“This is an area that’s becoming increasingly important in world history, and something that our young people need to know about and understand that this is a rich history," he said. "And Ohio State is one of the few places they can learn about it."
Levi hopes that the teachers return to their classrooms with broader knowledge to share about central Asia’s role in shaping history. And he hopes that will, in turn, inspire students to pursue the topic in future study.
Levi said, “I’m trying to plant the seeds for a deeper understanding in the next generation."
labraham@dispatch.com
Sustainability, identity preservation keys to rice future
Jul 18, 2016 | Delta Farm Press
Sustainability
is a phrase that seems to have come back into vogue with marketers trying to
sell to millennials who seem to be more environmentally conscientious than
members of previous generations.But sustainability is more than just another marketing term for crop input providers such as Tim Walker, the general manager of Horizon Ag and a former agronomist and rice breeder with Mississippi State University.
“We talk a lot about sustainability in agriculture, especially in the rice industry,” says Dr. Walker. “One of the concerns of my company, and I think probably many others, is making sure that we maintain profitability because without profitability, sustainability becomes very difficult.”
Speaking at Horizon Ag’ Louisiana Field Day on the Christian Richard Farm in Kaplan, La., Dr. Walker said Horizon Ag is in the process of introducing multiple new rice varieties in 2016 and 2017 that it believes will help producers be more sustainable. Those will include CL 153 and CL 172 in 2017 and CL 163, which had a limited introduction in 2016
“These varieties have excellent yield potential, yield potential that is better than a lot of our industry standards are offering today,” he said. “They also have a much improved disease package.”
Dr. Walker said blast disease has become an increasing concern, “especially in areas like south Louisiana where the pressure is usually pretty extensive. These varieties will allow you to maintain yield potential without the threat of losing yield, which is often a substantial yield loss in the case of blast.”
Better sleep with resistance
The blast resistance offered by CL153 and CL172, and the overall stable, high yield potential of the three new Clearfield lines will help farmers “not only sleep well at night, but hopefully realize profits from every acre they grow,” said Walker.Markets are another component of sustainability, he said.
“Especially in the southern United States, more than 50 percent of our rice leaves the country, destined for export market,” he noted. “We’ve had declining export markets in recent years, and a lot of the reason for the decline is because of the quality of the rice we grow has become less over the years.
“We’re very fortunate to have new offerings that will raise the bar for quality back to the standard that was set some 20 to 30 years ago by the U.S. rice industry. We’ve been working with our export customers, we’ve been working with our domestic mills and end users to make sure these varieties are profitable for the growers but also profitable for the industry.”
That’s because there are markets that desire the kind of quality, he says, “All of these things go together to help strengthen our industry so that we can continue to be sustainable.”
Cooking quality is a characteristic that can be difficult to obtain objective measurements on, Dr. Walker said. “What we have done is taken advantage of opportunities to meet with people from other countries”
Cooking demonstrations
During the U.S. Rice Producers Association’s Rice Market and Technology Conference in Houston earlier this summer, Horizon Ag representatives were able to cook rice for attendees from Nicaragua.“The Nicaraguans used to be very important purchasers of our rice to the tune of 100,000 metric tons eight or 10 years ago,” he said. “Unfortunately, over the last few years, we have not moved nearly that much rice to the country. It actually dipped below 1,000 metric tons during that period.
“The rice we cooked for them, especially the Clearfield 172, was rice that really piqued their interest, and they believe it has potential to come back into their country. That’s very good news for the U.S. rice farmer.”
The Horizon Ag representatives did another cooking demonstration for a broader range of attendees, including those from Ecuador, Peru Costa Rica, Columbia, Nicaragua and the United States. Following the demonstration, many of the participants filled out evaluations of the varieties they cooked.
“We have that feedback, and we will use that to go back to our breeding partners and to potential exports, letting them know that here’s rice that people have graded favorably or they have indicated it’s not going to fit in their market.”
New technology needed
Now that Clearfield rice has been in the market for 12 to 14 years growers are beginning to see the need for a new weed control technology that can help them overcome the resistance problems that are beginning to occur in southern rice fields.“We’re very fortunate that BASF has partnered with LSU to develop and bring to market a new tool called Provisia rice,” Dr. Walker noted. “Because of the previous partnership we’ve had with BASF on Clearfield rice, we hope to have an opportunity to help bring Provisia to market. In the near-term that’s something we’re excited about.”
Dr. Walker said farmers need to begin treating rice as more than a commodity that’s sold in bulk to an anonymous buyer. “We do produce a food. Rice typically is not ground up, it’s not processed,” he said. “And it’s a small crop. We’re talking about a 7.5-million-acre crop in the South in a really good year. So we can’t treat it like a commodity. It is a food, and we have to treat it like that.
“We’re going to have to do more identity preservation, especially for these markets that are specific in what they’re looking for. I think that will be a huge part of us going forward and us being successful is being able to demonstrate to the world that we can produce what our customers want and produce it in a way that allow our growers to be profitable.”
http://deltafarmpress.com/rice/sustainability-identity-preservation-keys-rice-future
Good markets, weather needed to help finish Louisiana rice harvest
Jul 19, 2016 | Delta Farm Press
The 2016
rice crop got off to a wet start for Christian Richard and his fellow growers
around Kaplan, La. But the crop was looking good when Richard was interviewed
during the Horizon Ag Field Day at his farm in late June. The rice markets
could provide some help along with good weather for harvest and the ratoon or
second crop rice as Richard finishes the 2016 crop season.
http://deltafarmpress.com/rice/good-markets-weather-needed-help-finish-louisiana-rice-harvest
Vietnam’s
rice export in 2016 forecast to drop
Vietnam’s rice export is estimated to drop to
5.65 million tonnes in 2016, down 14 percent against the previous year and
800,000 tonnes lower than initial forecast.
According to the Vietnam Food Association
(VFA), this is the first time since 2009 Vietnam’s rice export may fall below 6
million tonnes.
At present, Vietnam’s big rice importers like
the Philippines and Indonesia are showing no intention of buying more rice.
Meanwhile, the purchasing power of China, which
accounts for nearly 35 percent of Vietnam’s export volume, is declining.
In addition, the export of Vietnamese rice is facing
difficulties caused by fluctuations in exchange rates. The depreciation of euro
is expected to affect exports to Africa, while the weak yuan also discourages
Vietnamese businesses from shipping more rice to China.
A decrease in prices of Thai rice is also
putting pressure on Vietnamese rice exporters.
VFA statistics showed that Vietnam shipped
abroad 2.65 million tonnes of rice in the first half of this year, earning 1.14
billion USD.
China remained Vietnam’s largest rice importer,
accounting for 35 percent of the market share, followed by Africa and
Indonesia.
The European Union and United States markets
still accounted for small proportions in Vietnam’s rice export.
Therefore, Vietnam should try to increase its
rice export to these markets, noted the VFA.
As of late 2016, there are about 1.27 million
tonnes of rice in stock.
However, the rice output of the summer-autumn
crop is predicted to decrease due to long-lasting drought and saline intrusion.
http://english.vietnamnet.vn/fms/business/160665/vietnam-s-rice-export-in-2016-forecast-to-drop.html
Minister to lead Thai rice promotion in Singapore
PETCHANET PRATRUANGKRAI
THE NATION July 19, 2016 1:00 am
THE Commerce Ministry will cooperate with
exporters to promote the sale of Thai rice in Singapore, focusing on Hom Mali
(jasmine) rice, speciality rice grains, and products made from rice.
Commerce Minister Apiradi Tantraporn will lead
rice exporters to Singapore from July 26-28, as that market has high purchasing
power and could be a springboard for export of Thai rice to other countries.
"In an attempt to increase the value of
rice export, the government will set up a strategy to promote rice in various
markets. Singapore is one of the targeted markets for increasing sales of Thai
rice as it is a main staple [there], while its consumers have high purchasing
power," she said.
During the mission, Apiradi will meet with rice
importers in Singapore and survey modern traders and restaurants in the country
on the feasibility of getting them to sell Thai rice.
Besides Hom Mali rice, the ministry will
promote other speciality grains such as Riceberry, Sung Yod rice (which is a
geographical-indication product) and organic rice.
Products made from rice will also be promoted,
such as cooked rice for senior people, vitamin-added rice for children,
cosmetics, snacks and supplements, aiming to increase value-added for rice
exports.
Singapore is a major importer of rice from
Thailand, and favours Hom Mali rice.
In 2014, Thailand exported 162,977 tonnes of
rice to Singapore worth Bt4.3 billion. The volume dropped to 128,941 tonnes
worth Bt3.63 billion last year. In the first five months of this year, export
volume dropped 7.9 per cent to 51,194 tonnes, while value dropped 11 per cent
to Bt1.34 billion.
Apiradi said producers should focus more on
adding value to agricultural products including rice. The government will also
support innovation in the rice industry by setting up the country's first rice
institute for commercial operations.
Rice can be developed as a value-added
"super food" in the form of various products. The commercial rice
institute would contribute to adding value to rice so that farmers would
receive more income.
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/Minister-to-lead-Thai-rice-promotion-in-Singapore-30290868.html
Thailand clearance sale puts Vietnam rice
exports on hold
Thanh Nien News
HO CHI MINH CITY -
Tuesday, July 19, 2016 10:14
Rice export from Vietnam has been dropping
since April. Photo: Diep Duc Minh/Thanh Nien
Vietnam has reduced its rice export target for
the year since demand is falling as many buyers await cheap supply from
Thailand’s stock clearance sale.The Vietnam Food Association (VFA) said it has
reduced the export target from 6.5 million tons to 5.65 million tons, Tien
Phong newspaper reported.The country exported nearly 6.6 million tons of rice
last year, up from more than 6.37 million in 2014.
The VFA envisions poor business this year as
exports dropped off after April, dragging down first half shipments by nearly 2
percent year-on-year to less than 2.7 million tons.
Rice prices in several Mekong Delta provinces
have gone down in recent weeks, yet there have been few transactions.According
to the VFA, Vietnam’s regular customers in Southeast Asia such as Indonesia and
the Philippines are not going to buy more rice from the country any time soon.Purchases
by the biggest buyer, China, which accounted for nearly 35 percent of Vietnam’s
exports in the first six months, are also dropping.
Rice customers in the region are all waiting
for cheap rice from Thailand, which is going to release 3.7 million tons later
this month to reduce its national storage. Around 60 percent will be sold to
exporters.Africa remains a bright spot for Vietnamese exporters, with sales
rising nearly 11 percent in the first half.But traders said revenues would be
affected by the weaker euro
http://www.thanhniennews.com/business/thailand-clearance-sale-puts-vietnam-rice-exports-on-hold-64345.html
More Rice Name Confusion
The seeds of confusion in the rice industry
have been sown further. After endorsing the Phka Romduol and Phka Chansensor
varieties to be the Kingdom’s own umbrella brands for fragrant and premium rice
last week, the National Standards Council (NSC) said yesterday it did not rule
out adding “Angkor Malis” as another brand name.
Hean Vanhan, deputy chairman of the NSC, said
that there will be more rice varieties to be standardized as brands in the near
future.
“Now we have chosen two rice varieties to be
standard umbrella brands but more rice varieties will be standardized soon,”
said Mr. Vanhan.
“Standardizing rice varieties [as umbrella
brands] is to help raise awareness among importers and local consumers,” he
added.
Mr. Vanhan, who is also deputy director of the
General Department of Agriculture, said: “We standardize brands for rice. Every
commodity has to have their standards.”
Last week the NSC endorsed the Phka Romduol and
Phka Chansensor varieties to be Cambodia’s umbrella brands for fragrant and
premium rice, rejecting the Cambodian Rice Federation’s “Angkor Malis” brand
name.
“The name Angkor Malis is not suitable.
Thailand already has a Malis brand name and we could have a copyright issue
with them if we go ahead and use the name. So we have to carefully consider
it,” said Mr. Vanhan.
Hun Lak, a board member of the CRF, said adding
many standard rice brand names would only make importers and consumers confused
as to the true origins of the Cambodian grain.
“It is good for ministries to make standards
for rice and for others to recognize our standard brand names. But if there are
too many standard rice varieties and too many standard brand names, everyone
would just get very confused,” said Mr. Hun Lak.
Mr. Hun Lak called for a joint technical
discussion on the issue with the government and CRF to solve the controversy.Kan
Kunthy, CEO of Battambang Rice Investment, said that the process of
standardizing rice should be a joint decision between the government and all
relevant stakeholders in the industry.“We want all voices to be heard and a
joint decision to be made that is acceptable to all,” he said.
“Rice traders, too, are concerned and they want
to be involved in having a say in the standardization of rice brand names,”
added Mr. Kunthy.
However, Mr. Vanhan said that standardizing
rice or other products came under the purview of the Ministry of Industry and
Handicraft.
Mr. Cham Prasidh, the minister of industry and
handicraft, said the specifications for Romduol and Chansensor national
umbrella brands were developed by his ministry and submitted to the NSC.
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/27410/more-rice-name-confusion/
Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open-19 July,2016
Nagpur, July 19 Gram and tuar prices in open market here suffered heavily on lack of
demand from local traders amid increased supply from producing regions. Revival of monsoon inthe region, good overseas supply and fresh fall in Madhya Pradesh pulses also affected these
commodities, according to sources.
* * * *
FOODGRAINS & PULSES
* Batri dal and watana varieties reported higher in open market on renewed buying
support from local traders amid weak supply from producing regions.
* Rice HMT firmed up in open market here on good increased festival season demand from
local traders amid tight supply from producing belts like Madhya Pradesh and
Chhattisgarh.
* In Akola, Tuar New - 8,500-8,700, Tuar dal New - 12,800-13,100, Udid -
12,500-13,000, Udid Mogar (clean) - 16,200-17,100, Moong -
8,200-8,400, Moong Mogar (clean) 9,200-9,500, Gram - 7,700-8,000,
Gram Super best bold - 9,500-9,900 for 100 kg.
* Wheat, other varieties of rice and other commodities moved in a narrow range in
scattered deals, settled at last levels.
Nagpur foodgrains APMC auction/open-market prices in rupees for 100 kg
FOODGRAINS Available prices Previous close
Gram Auction 8,030-8,890 7,900-8,800
Gram Pink Auction n.a. 2,100-2,600
Tuar Auction n.a. 7,800-8,800
Moong Auction n.a. 6,400-6,600
Udid Auction n.a. 4,300-4,500
Masoor Auction n.a. 2,600-2,800
Gram Super Best Bold 10,000-10,300 10,100-10,500
Gram Super Best n.a. n.a.
Gram Medium Best 9,500-9,800 9,600-9,900
Gram Dal Medium n.a. n.a
Gram Mill Quality 8,500-8,700 8,700-8,900
Desi gram Raw 8,000-8,300 8,200-8,500
Gram Yellow 9,500-9,700 9,600-9,800
Gram Kabuli 8,900-10,900 8,900-10,900
Gram Pink 9,300-9,600 9,500-9,800
Tuar Fataka Best-New 13,100-13,500 13,300-13,700
Tuar Fataka Medium-New 12,500-12,800 12,700-13,000
Tuar Dal Best Phod-New 12,200-12,500 12,200-12,700
Tuar Dal Medium phod-New 11,300-11,800 11,500-12,000
Tuar Gavarani New 8,700-8,900 8,900-9,100
Tuar Karnataka 8,800-9,200 9,000-9,400
Tuar Black 12,400-13,100 12,600-13,300
Masoor dal best 7,500-7,700 7,500-7,700
Masoor dal medium 6,600-7,100 6,600-7,2100
Masoor n.a. n.a.
Moong Mogar bold (New) 8,500-9,000 8,500-9,000
Moong Mogar Med 8,000-8,400 8,000-8,400
Moong dal Chilka 6,800-7,200 6,800-7,200
Moong Mill quality n.a. n.a.
Moong Chamki best 8,100-8,500 8,100-8,500
Udid Mogar best (100 INR/KG) (New) 16,000-17,000 16,000-17,000
Udid Mogar Medium (100 INR/KG) 13,500-15,000 13,500-15,000
Udid Dal Black (100 INR/KG) 9,000-9,200 9,000-9,200
Batri dal (100 INR/KG) 6,400-6,800 6,300-6,600
Lakhodi dal (100 INR/kg) 5,500-5,800 5,500-5,800
Watana Dal (100 INR/KG) 4,100-4,200 4,000-4,100
Watana White (100 INR/KG) 3,800-4,000 3,700-3,800
Watana Green Best (100 INR/KG) 4,300-4,800 4,200-4,800
Wheat 308 (100 INR/KG) 1,850-1,950 1,850-1,950
Wheat Mill quality (100 INR/KG) 2,000-2,100 2,000-2,100
Wheat Filter (100 INR/KG) 1,750-1,950 1,750-1,950
Wheat Lokwan best (100 INR/KG) 2,250-2,400 2,250-2,400
Wheat Lokwan medium (100 INR/KG) 2,000-2,150 2,000-2,150
Lokwan Hath Binar (100 INR/KG) n.a. n.a.
MP Sharbati Best (100 INR/KG) 3,200-3,800 3,200-3,800
MP Sharbati Medium (100 INR/KG) 2,700-3,000 2,900-3,000
Rice BPT best New(100 INR/KG) 3,000-3,500 3,000-3,500
Rice BPT medium (100 INR/KG) 2,600-2,900 2,600-2,900
Rice Parmal (100 INR/KG) 1,900-2,100 1,900-2,100
Rice Swarna best (100 INR/KG) 2,250-2,500 2,250-2,400
Rice Swarna medium (100 INR/KG) 1,900-2,100 1,900-2,100
Rice HMT best New (100 INR/KG) 3,700-4,000 3,600-3,850
Rice HMT medium (100 INR/KG) 3,000-3,300 2,900-3,200
Rice Shriram best New(100 INR/KG) 4,700-5,000 4,700-5,000
Rice Shriram med New(100 INR/KG) 4,300-4,600 4,300-4,600
Rice Basmati best (100 INR/KG) 9,500-14,000 9,700-14,000
Rice Basmati Medium (100 INR/KG) 7,000-8,000 7,000-8,000
Rice Chinnor best New(100 INR/KG) 5,500-5,800 5,500-5,800
Rice Chinnor med. New (100 INR/KG) 5,200-5,400 5,200-5,400
Jowar Gavarani (100 INR/KG) 1,900-2,100 1,900-2,100
Jowar CH-5 (100 INR/KG) 1,700-1,850 1,700-1,850
WEATHER (NAGPUR)
Maximum temp. 34.4 degree Celsius (93.9 degree Fahrenheit), minimum temp.
23.6 degree Celsius (74.5 degree Fahrenheit)
Humidity: Highest - n.a., lowest - n.a.
Rainfall : 14.8 mm
FORECAST: Generally cloudy sky. Rains or thunders-showers very likely to occur. Maximum andminimum temperature would be around and 34 and 24 degree Celsius respectively.
Note: n.a.--not available
(For oils, transport costs are excluded from plant delivery prices, butincluded in market prices.)
Attn : Soyabean and foodgrain auctions of Nagpur APMC remained closed today on the occasion ofGuru Purnima.
http://in.reuters.com/article/nagpur-foodgrain-idINL4N1A52IX
Stuttgart research center receives visitors
TuesdayPost,ed Jul 19, 2016 at 1:57 PM
The visitors heard several speakers on topics
such as gas emissions studies in rice, greenhouse gases, climate change, rice
irrigation studies and genetic improvement of stress tolerance. The group also
toured the Isbell Farm in Humnoke along with other farms owned by Scott Meins,
Steven Hoskyn and Jonathan and Ryan Hillman.
By Dawn
TeerStuttgart Daily Leader
During the summer there are, in fact, quite a few visitors to the
Dale Bumpers National Rice Research Center (DBNRRC ) just east of Stuttgart.
Just this past week members of the Paddy Rice Research Group (PRRG)-Global
Research Alliance held their third annual meeting at the center. There were
representatives from Uruguay, Chile, Argentina, Colombia, Japan, New Zealand,
Brazil, Spain, as well as several from the United States. The coordinators of
this event were Dr. David Gealy, with DBNRRC, Gonzalo Zorilla, of Uruguay, and
Kazuyuki Yagi, of Japan.
The visitors heard several speakers on topics such as gas emissions studies in
rice, greenhouse gases, climate change, rice irrigation studies and genetic
improvement of stress tolerance. The group also toured the Isbell Farm in
Humnoke along with other farms owned by Scott Meins, Steven Hoskyn and Jonathan
and Ryan Hillman.
Recently students with an outreach project funded by the National
Science Foundation and awarded to Dr. Venkatesan Sundaresan at the University
of California at Davis, who partnered with Dr. Bihar Huang, of the University
of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB), for the outreach project. The purpose of that
visit was to learn about rice production systems and research issues.
Demitris Anderson said, “My major is regulatory science with a
concentration in environmental biology. I'm a rising senior at UAPB and the
DBNRRC was simply amazing. During my week's span of visiting there, I acquired
so much knowledge about rice and all it involves. I truly loved how excited
each representative was about sharing this knowledge with us.
Every session included some jaw-dropping factor and it was nonstop
fun. Coming in, there were only a handful of things that were known but leaving
was an entire different story. I'm now able to drive down a highway, see some
crop production taking place, and know exactly what all it takes to complete
such a task. Let alone the research itself is absolutely phenomenal. I loved
every single moment, but one main thing that stuck with me immediately was the
Federal Grain Inspection Service tour in Stuttgart. That tour was directly tied
into my major of interest and every part of the tour was breathtaking.”
"I attend one of the only two all-female Historically Black
College or University (HBCU) in the nation. I am also an Adair scholar
sponsored by the Dale Bumpers College of Agriculture and Life Sciences,"
Olivia Leaven, a senior biology major, global studies minor from Greensboro,
North Carolina, said. "My ultimate goal is to create and manage a social
enterprise that promotes the holistic livelihood of underrepresented and
marginalized communities through sustainable and organic heirloom and
specialty-crop agriculture.
This summer, as an Adair scholar, I have the opportunity to work
with Dr. Yeshi Wamishe, plant pathologist at the extension. My research focuses
on finding organic methods to suppress the common rice diseases that affect
Arkansas farmers such as sheath blight and bacterial panicle blight. I am
currently doing a study on the efficacy of compost on disease suppression.
During the first week of the internship, I participated in the rice workshop
hosted by the USDA and the RREC. My first thoughts were how expansive the rice
industry truly is. My favorite part of the tours was being able to spend a week
covering all aspects of the rice industry from farm to fork.
In the near future, I plan to pursue a dual masters degree in
agricultural systems and food science and nutrition, leading to
interdisciplinary PhD in agricultural sciences and community sustainability. My
husband and I are seriously contemplating returning to Arkansas to settle and
get my PhD after I complete my Masters degree(s). We want to continue the
growth of our social enterprise (food hub) and eventually own and manage our
own heirloom farm, in addition to opening a school for marginalized groups that
focuses on local food, agricultural systems, sustainable resource management,
and nutrition.”
Summer Buckley said, “I attend the University of Arkansas at Pine
Bluff and am majoring in biology pre-medicine. I enjoyed it (the visit) so much.This was out of my realm of
study, but it opened so many doors in the world of science. I learned so much
about rice in such a short amount of time and I really do thank Dr. McClung for
putting it all together. I had a lot of favorite parts of the tour but I
enjoyed the hands on labs and talking with the doctors (scientists) about their
specialities of study. Going to the field was fun too, even though I had a hole
in my boots! Overall, it was a great experience and hopefully next summer I
will be working with Dr, Yulin Jia because his area of study sparked my
interest the most.
http://www.stuttgartdailyleader.com/news/20160719/stuttgart-research-center-receives-visitors
MPCA issues latest revisions to proposed wild rice standards
By STEVE KARNOWSKI
Associated Press
July 19, 2016 — 6:10pm
