Rice of the future?
Ankit Aga’s opinions about golden rice are problematic (“Golden
rice isn’t ready yet”, Aug.5). ‘Golden Rice 2’ (GR2) is now the preferred
variety as it contains 20 times more beta-carotene than ‘Golden Rice 1’. There
are multiple strains of GR2 even though it was developed by 2005. Mr. Aga’s
assertion that there is essentially no opposition to GR research whatsoever
seems to contradict reports of vandazlism against golden rice field trials in
the Philippines, as highlighted on the International Rice Research Institute’s
blog site.
This factor has contributed to the delay. The Chinese study cited
by the writer, although of a small sample size and retracted because of ethical
reasons, nevertheless demonstrated that bioavailability of beta-carotene from
golden rice is good in children, and is quite safe. His claim that poor people,
particularly in India, won’t be able to avail of enough fats in their diet to
absorb beta-carotene in GR is a red herring. Most poor people in India are able
to afford cooking oil, which is the primary source of dietary fat. Better
designed studies to further test golden rice do need to be conducted, but
continued opposition to genetically modified organisms, abetted by
organisations that are driven by misplaced ideology, has made it difficult to
do so.
S. Dutt, Kolkata
Prices of rice, beans, maize soar at Lagos market
The prices of commodities like imported rice,
maize , beans, palm oil, sorghum and others have continued to rise at the Mile
12 Market in Lagos.This is reflected in the commodity index update, prepared by
Novus Agro Nigeria Ltd, an agro-based firm, and made available to the News
Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Lagos.
According
to the index, a 50kg bag of imported rice currently selling at N16,857 was sold
for N14,800 last week, thus recording a whopping N2,057 increase.Miss Avaado Gaadi, Enumeration specialist at the firm, told NAN earlier that increase in the price of imported rice was as a result of restrictions on imported commodities.
Gaadi said that the restriction was to uphold the Federal Government’s drive to diversify the economy, through promoting consumption of locally-produced commodities.
Meanwhile, the paint bucket measurement of imported rice has also increased to N1,457 as against N1,333 sold last week.
Also, a 100kg bag of beans, which has been on a continuous increase since June, now attracts N25,714, as against N24,000 it attracted last week; while the paint bucket measurement remained stable at N900.
However, the 100kg bags of maize, sorghum, onions and 25-litre container of palm oil were on the increase at the market.
Maize attracted N12,829, as against N11,375 it was sold for last week, recording a difference of N1,454, while the paint bucket measurement increased slightly from N500 to N507.
Sorghum now selling for N11,571 was sold for N10,313 last week, thus attracting an increase of N1,258, while the paint bucket measurement increased from N500 to N507.
Also, onions increased slightly to N16,143 from N16,125, recording N18 increment, while the 2kg measurement remained unchanged at N500.
A 25-litre keg of palm oil increased to N7,286 from N7,063 it sold for last week, while the bottle measurement also increased from N250 last week to N280 this week.
While soya beans remained unchanged at N17,000 per 100kg bag, the 60kg and 100kg bags of garri and groundnut dropped in price.
Garri, which now goes for N12,614, was sold for N12,763 last week; while groundnut now sells for N25,000, as against the N25,500 it attracted last week.
However, the paint bucket measurement of both commodities remained unchanged at N600 and N950 respectively. (NAN
http://dailypost.ng/2016/08/05/economy-prices-rice-beans-maize-soar-lagos-market/
Indonesian wheat imports up on demand from feed mills
Indonesian feed mills continue to face difficulties meeting feed corn demand due to 2015-16 weather related production declines and the Indonesian government’s restriction on corn imports. In response to low local supplies and import barriers, feed mills are substituting corn with imported feed wheat. The Indonesian Flour Mills Association (APTINDO) said there are 22 feed mills importing feed wheat, resulting in a feed wheat import surge since September 2015. Global Trade Atlas and APTINDO data indicate that wheat imports from July 2015 to May 2016 have reached a total of 8.2 million tonnes, up from 6.7 million tonnes between July 2014 and May 2015, the report said.
The Indonesian government recognizes that the uptick in feed wheat imports poses a threat to the country’s corn self-sufficiency policies. In response, its Ministry of Agriculture stopped issuing import recommendations for feed wheat starting in June 2016. Indonesia’s Ministry of Agriculture shutdown of feed wheat imports, combined with weak exchange rates is expected to slow Indonesian wheat import growth from an average annual rate of 6% to7% to approximately 5%, the report said. At these levels, Indonesian wheat imports are expected to contract to 8.5 million tonnes in market year 2016-17.
In line with increasing feed wheat imports, the report revises the market year 2015-16 feed and residual wheat consumption estimate to approximately 1.3 million tonnes, compared to the previous estimate of 450,000 tonnes. But market year 2016-17 feed wheat consumption is expected to decline to 550,000 tonnes based on the discontinuation of feed wheat import recommendations. Market year 2015-16 food wheat consumption is estimated to increase by 4.2% to 7.5 million tonnes, compared to the previous estimate of 7.2 million tonnes. This increase reflects population growth, several new-to-market instant noodle brands, and the growth of the high-end retail bakery segment, the report said. Market year 2016-17 food wheat consumption is forecast to grow to 7.7 million tonnes.
Indonesia’s corn production for market year 2015-16 is estimated at 9.3 million tonnes, down from 9.4 million tonnes. The decrease is due to favorable weather that prompted farmers to grow paddy in the place of corn in rain-fed areas and feed mills’ preference for imported wheat.
The decline of corn and favorable weather increased Indonesia’s rice harvest area to 12 million hectares from 11.8 million hectares. As a result, the FAS said market year 2015-16 rice production will increase to 36.2 million tonnes from 35.6 million tonnes. Considering higher production estimates, the report expects market year 2015-16 Indonesian rice imports will decline to 1.8 million tonnes compared to the initial 2 million tonnes.
Source: WorldGrain
http://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/indonesian-wheat-imports-up-on-demand-from-feed-mills/
Fine rice prices witness surge
By V L Syamsundar | THE HANS INDIA | Aug 06,2016 , 04:10 AM IST
Amaravati: The prices of different rice
varieties which have been spiralling for past three months are expected to go
up further.
The decrease in domestic production coupled
with gradual decline in the exports from Punjab, Haryana, Odisha, Assam and
Bihar is responsible for the upward trend in the prices.
According to traders and rice millers, the
price of Kurnool Sona Masoori may soon touch Rs 60 per kg, while BPT rice may
hover around Rs 50 and Rs 52 per kg.
Similarly, Masuri and Sona Masuri (Sannalu)
varieties may become expensive at Rs 50 per kg. As on Friday, even common
varieties like Akkullu are being sold at Rs 42 per kg.
For the last three months, there has been a
continuing dip in the stocks being sent to AP from Punjab, Haryana, Odisha,
Assam and Bihar.
Besides, due to the non-availability of water,
there was no paddy crop in 11 lakh acres of Nagarjunasagar ayacut area in
Guntur and Prakasam districts in the last season. Regrettably, there has been
no change in the situation even in this kharif season.
Taking stock of the situation, the government
has directed the farmers to cultivate irrigated-dry crops instead of paddy,
contributing to the declining production of rice domestically.
"The prices of rice have been rising for
last three months. Since most of the costumers prefer Kurnool Sona Masuri, BPT
varieties, so the prices of these varieties are going up.
There may be an additional 10 to 15 per cent
rise in prices in coming three months,” a wholesale rice trader K Srinivasa Rao
predicted.
Echoing the same view that the prices are
expected to go up, Guntur District Rice Millers’ Association president K
Sambasiva Rao said:
“Unlike earlier, we are only receiving 30 per
cent of stocks from the other States currently. Besides, most of the buyers
prefer old stocks which further contribute to the spiralling prices.”
________________________________________
http://www.thehansindia.com/posts/index/Andhra-Pradesh/2016-08-06/Fine-rice-prices-witness-surge/246987
Basmati exports payment dispute: Ban on DA imposed
The practice often leads to disputes over settlement of payment
In a bid to curb the practice of documents against acceptance (DA), which often leads to disputes about settlement of payment between importers and exporters of basmati rice, the Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) has come out with a notification banning DA in the trade associated with shipment of long-grained aromatic rice.A DGFT notification said that from October 1, 2016 onwards, “Exports of basmati rice shall not be permitted on the basis of DA unless such export is covered by bank guarantee and Export Credit Guarantee Corporation (ECGC) guarantee.” As reported by FE last month, in the fiercely-competitive basmati rice exports trade, small players, in order to increase the volume of shipments, often send rice consignments to importers who use this unsecured credit to their advantage.
Exporters say that because of DA, basmati rice trade has become a buyers’ market. “Often, consignments are not lifted from the port by importers and thus, the price has to be renegotiated leading to lower realisation,” Vijay Setia, a leading exporter, said.
Trade sources said that because of the practice of DA mostly being carried out by small exporters, the country’s basmati rice shipment has seen a 29% fall to R22,714 crore in FY16, from a record R29,291 crore reported in FY14. However, the volume of basmati exports has risen from 3.7 million tone (mt) to more than 4 mt in the same period. According to an All India Rice Exporters Association (AIREA) official, other rice-exporting countries like Pakistan, Vietnam and Thailand do not allow DA transactions.
The bigger basmati rice exporters at present use the system of ‘letter of credit’, where the importers instruct their bank to pay exporters under the specified conditions mentioned in the original documentary credit.
Through the new notification, the DGFT has also asked exporters to ship basmati rice to the European Union (EU) and Russia only after pre-shipment quality inspection by eight designated labs, including Shri Ram Institute of Industrial Research (both Delhi and Benguluru branches) and Delhi Test House.
Trade sources said that often, consignments are rejected by importing countries in the EU because of higher pesticide-residue levels. The DGFT notification also stated that exports of empty printed gunny bags with marking indicating the product being ‘Indian basmati rice’ are not permitted except when exported along with the consignment of basmati rice.
Meanwhile, the export of basmati will now be permitted through land customs stations on the India-Bangladesh and India-Nepal borders subject to registration of quantity with the DGFT.
India has an around 85% share in global basmati exports while the rest is contributed by Pakistan. Countries such as Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UAE are the biggest destinations for the country’s aromatic and long-grain rice
Agricultural exports set to soar after 20% fall in 2015; here’s why
After a steep 20% decline last year, India’s farm and processed foods exports appear to look up. Export growth has been near flat in the first quarter of this year and according to analysts, a revival is under way in the current quarter, reports Sandip Das in New Delhi.
According to latest data from the Agricultural
and Processed Food Products and Export Development Authority (Apeda), exports
in Q1FY17 stood at R26,140 crore, a trifle lower than Q1 last year. (Reuters)
After a
steep 20% decline last year, India’s farm and processed foods exports appear to
look up. Export growth has been near flat in the first quarter of this year and
according to analysts, a revival is under way in the current quarter, reports
Sandip Das in New Delhi.According to latest data from the Agricultural and Processed Food Products and Export Development Authority (Apeda), exports in Q1FY17 stood at R26,140 crore, a trifle lower than Q1 last year. A steep 8.5% fall was witnessed in exports of Basmati rice, the single largest export item from the farm basket. Exports of fresh fruit and vegetables and guar gum also plunged steeply, by 9.1% and 37%, respectively. Non-Basmati rice shipment saw an increase of 7% to
R4,255
crore. Exports of guar gum, mostly to US-based oil exploration companies,
started falling from last fiscal. However, other major export items
like non-Basmati rice (7.4%) and fresh fruit and vegetables (9.1%) have
risen. India’s farm and processed foods exports had fallen to R1.05
lakh crore in FY16 against R1.31 lakh crore reported in FY15.Commerce minister
Nirmala Sitharaman said in Parliament recently that the primary reasons for the
decline in agricultural exports include low commodity prices in the
international market, shrinking global demand and high domestic prices,
compared with the international prices. The problem was compounded by
unfavourable currency rate movements compared with competing countries.
The real food-tech – Indian scientists develop a healthy ice cream
, 5 August 2016
We have
sent a satellite to Mars, made a Light
Combat Aircraft from scratch, and even found
affordable cures to diseases. Now, a healthy ice cream made from vegetarian
sources has also been turned into reality. In a recent development in food
technology, the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)
constituent Laboratory, CSIR-Central Food Technological Research Institute
(CSIR-CFTRI) Mysuru, in association with M/s Oleome Biosolutions, Bengaluru and
M/s Dairy Classic Ice Creams Pvt. Ltd., has developed ‘Nutrice’.Nutrice cream is an omega-3- and vitamin-E-enriched frozen nutritional dessert from vegetarian sources. Dietary supplementation of omega-3 (ω-3) fats, which are the Poly Unsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFA), have been reported to have beneficial health functions including brain development in children and good health in elderly population. According to the release by the Ministry of Science and Technology, this product will provide the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of omega-3 for children in one serving.
Largely, people’s food habits revolve around diverse food sources and preparations to address the different nutritional requirements.
Using the knowledge of traditional Indian food habits, CSIR-CFTRI has developed a diverse array of food products such as Nutri-chikki incorporated with spirulina, rice mix, high protein rusk, energy food, nutri-sprrinkle, sesame paste, and fortified mango bar etc., so as to address the varying nutritional requirements of people.
The products are analysed for their nutritional composition and other parameters such as sensory, shelf-life, packaging, microbial safety, etc.
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Rice exports: PM Office awaits input of finance ministry
Published: August 5, 2016
It was also mentioned in the proposal that the
rice growers must be given incentives - as provided by Thailand, Vietnam and
India - to its rice growers and exporters. PHOTO: FILE
ISLAMABAD: Finance ministry and provincial
governments have yet to give their inputs on a proposal prepared by Prime
Minister Secretariat in May this year to enhance rice export.The Prime Minister
Secretariat had sent a proposal to the Ministry of National Food Security and
Research (NFSR) with nine suggestions to increase the country’s rice exports
from the current $2 billion to $3 billion.
The NFSR ministry has sent letters to the
provincial governments and concerned ministries including the finance ministry
requesting their input.PM secretariat had asked the finance ministry to provide
subsidy to rice growers and NFSR ministry had sought their input accordingly.
However, sources in the ministry said that the finance division has yet to
submit its take on the proposals.In the proposal, the Trading Corporation of
Pakistan (TCP) was directed to purchase high quality rice to export to Europe,
US, Middle East and asked the commerce attachés in these countries to explore
new markets for Pakistani rice.It was also mentioned in the proposal that the
rice growers must be given incentives – as provided by Thailand, Vietnam and
India – to its rice growers and exporters.
Published in
The Express Tribune, August 5th, 2016.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/1155987/rice-exports-pm-office-awaits-input-finance-ministry/
SunRice growers warn of multi-million dollar hit from PNG quotas
Australian rice growers could lose thousands of tonnes in sales - equal to almost a third of their revenues - if a plan by the Papua New Guinea government to launch quotas aimed at fostering a local rice industry goes ahead.The Australian rice industry has built up a PNG business which accounts for $364 million of its $1.27 billion total revenue through a local unit, Trukai. Via SunRice, Australian rice growers own two thirds of Trukai, with the balance held by a PNG super fund.
Australian rice growers face a potential hit to
their business in PNG. Photo: Kate Geraghty
The PNG
government has for some time been considering ways to promote a local rice
industry, with SunRice itself working with farmers there to encourage rice
growing. Through Trukai, SunRice packages Australian rice for sale in
PNG and has earmarked as much as 30 million Kina ($12 million) to help
develop rice growing in the country.The threat to SunRice's large business in PNG has emerged as that country's weak economy has undermined the currency, the Kina, which has fallen around 20 per cent, squeezing margins and threatening to hurt group earnings.
In meetings with government representatives on Thursday, officials outlined plans to allocate as much as 80 per cent of its domestic rice market to a newly established entity, Naima Agro-Industry, which is linked to Djoko Tjandra, an Indonesian tycoon who fled Jakarta in 2009 facing fraud charges and who has no experience in the rice industry.
Trukai and other suppliers to PNG would be limited to a 20 per cent market share.
Advertisement
"If
the quota system were to be introduced it could have a substantial negative
impact on SunRice's financial performance, in the absence of mitigating
business strategies," the Australian company
warned on Friday."In FY2016, sales by Trukai in PNG contributed $364 million of the aggregate $1266 million of revenues received from external customers and made a substantial contribution to the net profit before tax reported by SunRice.
"SunRice is currently investigating and assessing the full extent to which the proposed quota system would impact on Trukai's business, including the options to challenge its implementation."
SunRice has been given commitments several times by PNG government officials, including by the prime minister, Peter O'Neill, that its PNG operations would not suffer as a result of the development of a domestic rice industry.
In a bid to improve margins, SunRice has been moving further into the branded and processed foods sector in recent years. In PNG, it has been working with local farmers to develop a domestic industry, although progress has been slow, partly due to the difficulty in clarifying land ownership in some areas.
Naima Agro-Industry is seeking to develop a rice industry in the PNG highlands, while SunRice has been active in coastal areas and also New Britain, the nation's largest island. SunRice's Trukai unit employees around 1000 people in PNG and has a packaging plant located in Lae, the country's second-largest city
http://www.smh.com.au/business/sunrice-growers-warn-of-multimillion-dollar-hit-from-png-quotas-20160805-gqloqu.html
Govt to buy up to Bt3.9 billion worth of rice to support price
PETCHANET PRATRUANGKRAI
THE NATION August 5, 2016 1:00 am
THE NATION August 5, 2016 1:00 am
THE GOVERNMENT is prepared to spend Bt3.9
billion to absorb rice during the harvest season from November to February.
"The measure is aimed at preventing the
rice price from falling," Chutima Bunyapraphasara, permanent secretary of
the Commerce Ministry, said yesterday.
"The price of rice in the domestic market
should average Bt8,000-Bt9,000 per tonne of paddy so that farmers will not get
hurt from falling prices when supplies are abundant in the market," she
said.
The budget can buy almost half of total rice
production, or 12.5 million tonnes from the 27.7 million tonnes of paddy
expected to be reaped during the 2016-17 harvest season.
The 2016-17 rice harvest is expected to drop by
12 per cent because of the reduction in planting areas. Of the 27.7 million
tonnes, 23.29 million tonnes will come from the main crop and 3.88 million
tonnes from the second crop.
The Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural
Cooperatives will use the Bt3.9 billion to support the rice-purchase scheme.
Two million tonnes of paddy rice are expected
to be pawned, mostly Hom Mali (jasmine) and sticky rice form the Northeast.
Farmers will receive Bt1,500 per tonne for
stocking their rice for two months after harvesting it.
The government will also provide a soft loan
for the direct purchase of 2.5 million tonnes of paddy.
The Commerce Ministry will ask millers to help
purchase about 8 million tonnes of paddy for holding two to six months so that
rice will not face an oversupply problem during the harvest from November to
February.http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/Govt-to-buy-up-to-Bt3-9-billion-worth-of-rice-to-s-30292166.html
Nigeria imports 90% of expired rice’
By Eugene Agha, Lagos | Publish Date: Aug 6
2016 5:00AM
From left: CBN’s Deputy Governor, Corporate
Services, Mr Adebayo Adelabu, Deputy Governor, Operations, Alhaji Suleiman
Barau, Chairman, House Committee on Banks & other Financial Institutions,
Chukwudi Jones Onyereri and Vice Chairman, Zakari Salisu Ninigi at a two-day
retreat for members of the committee in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State at the weekend
Photo: CBN
The Comptroller General of the Nigerian Customs
Service (NSC), Col. Hameed Ali (rtd) has said that over 90 percent of rice
imported into the country through land borders is expired commodity.Ali made
this known this in Lagos while responding to a request by the president of the
Beninoise Rice Millers’ Association, Alhaja Karamatou Ibironke for a review of
the law on rice imports.
He maintained that the federal government would
not review laws banning importation of rice into the country through its
numerous borders.
“We have not outrightly placed a ban on
importation of rice, what government did was to outlaw its importation through
the land borders because at the borders we do not have equipment to check if it
has expired or not. But at the seaports we have all the equipment needed to
carry out these checks,” the NSC boss said.
Wal-Mart Grant to Help Rice Sustainability Efforts
, DTN Staff Reporter
8/5/2016 | 9:46 AM CDT
The Wal-Mart Foundation has kicked in a $1
million grant to help rice growers in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley and along
the Gulf Coast improve profitability and sustainability in their operations, Ducks
Unlimited announced in a news release Friday.
The funding is to be used mostly for technical
assistance and training farmer owners, operators and workers. The funds will
bolster the USA Rice and Ducks Unlimited Rice Stewardship Partnership between
USA Rice and DU to conserve working rice lands, water and wetland wildlife.
USA Rice and DU received a $10 million grant
from the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service through the Regional
Conservation Partnership Program. According to a news release the majority of
the RCPP grant is dedicated to financial assistance for producers who implement
conservation practices on their lands through Farm Bill programs.
“DU will serve as the boots-on-the-ground
delivery mechanism to provide professional advice to interested landowners,” DU
Director of Conservation Innovation Scott Manley said in a news release.
“However, only 10% of the RCPP grant is
dedicated to this role, so we needed to seek additional funding to better
support rice growers interested in implementing conservation measures on their
farms.”
DU said in the news release, “There are also no
RCPP funds to promote conservation efforts to a broader, historically
underserved population or to scale conservation practices beyond those
currently funded by scarce federal dollars.”
Walmart Foundation funding will be used
primarily for technical assistance to and training for farm owners, operators
and workers. Conservation projects on rice lands are seen as a way to improve
rural economies by using locally sourced contractors and supplies, the group
said.
Rice agriculture provides managed wetland
resources for North America’s waterfowl and 32 other at-risk wildlife species.
“We are working together with the rice industry
and many others to conserve three critical natural resources in North America:
working rice lands, water and wetland wildlife. The support of groups like the
Walmart Foundation is critical to our ability to make this level of change
happen,” Manley said.
Rice Stewardship funders include NRCS, National
Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Wal-Mart Foundation, the Mosaic Company
Foundation, Chevron U.S.A., Freeport-McMoRan Foundation, Irene W. and C.B.
Pennington Foundation, RiceTec, BASF, American Rice, Inc. – Riviana Foods,
Inc., Wells Fargo, Farmers Rice Milling Company, Horizon Ag, Turner’s Creek &
Bombay Hook Farms and MacDon Industries.
According to the news release Ducks Unlimited
has conserved more than 13.6 million acres since 1937.
Read more about Ducks Unlimited’s conservation
efforts here:
https://www.dtnpf.com/agriculture/web/ag/perspectives/blogs/ag-policy-blog/blog-post/2016/08/05/wal-mart-grant-help-rice-efforts
The best family friendly restaurants in Manchester
- 10:07, 5 Aug 2016
- Updated 10:09, 5 Aug 2016
- By Emma Gill
We asked parents for their best family dining destinations - this is what they told us
Children can create their own pizza at Salvi's
When it
comes to eating out with the kids it can be somewhat of a challenge.That window of opportunity to enjoy happy family time before the little ones get bored, cranky or tired is a short one - and can easily be smashed to smithereens if you pick the wrong place.
We asked parents to recommend their favourite ‘family friendly’ places to eat out with the kids across Manchester. Here are some of your suggestions.
Jamie’s Italian (Manchester city centre)
Where is it?There are now more than 40 Jamie’s Italian restaurants, but the one closest to home is on King Street.in the city centre.
What’s on the menu?
The children’s menu offers two sizes for big or little kids and dishes come with fresh salad and a drink.
As you’d expect from the man who’s campaigned for heathier school meals for kids, it’s all decent grub - ranging from Jamie’s Proper Picnic Box (an organic Norfolk chicken wrap with rainbow vegetable crisps, seedless grapes, cherry tomatoes and a piece of seasonal fruit) to Happy Chicken Lollipops (freshly made lemony organic chicken fillet lollipops with baked hedgehog potatoes and crunchy nuts and seeds).
It might be an Italian but for kids and adults there’s a lot more than just pizza and pasta.
The offering includes Gennaro’s Famous Porchetta - slow-cooked pork belly filled with garlic, chilli and herbs, served with roasted root veg, spiced apple sauce and salsa verde; while Jamie’s Italian burger is a popular choice.
How much does it cost?
The Little Kids deal is £6.50 and for Big Kids it’s £6.95 - with the salad and drink included. Desserts are an extra £1.25. Jamie’s Super Lunch runs Monday to Friday 12pm to 6pm and costs £12.95 for two courses or £14.95 for three. The mains range from spiced aubergine for £9.95 to a 10oz dry-aged rib-eye steak for a meaty £22.50.
Anything else?
The restaurant offers gluten-free and vegetarian options and staff are able to advise on alternative dishes for people with allergies and intolerances. If it’s super food you’re after, it has its own menu section dedicated to such including salads (of course) and roasted squash and winter greens.
Jamie's Italian
All The
Shapes is on Warwick Street in Prestwich and is relatively new on the scene,
having opened last November.What’s on the menu?
You won’t find chicken nuggets on this children’s menu. It’s all pretty healthy - and tasty too - ranging from eggy bread or scrambled eggs on toast to mini houmous and pitta. For adults, brunch is served 9am to 4pm, with everything from a dry cured streaky bacon butty to Shapes Green Eggs which consists of griddled avocado, crispy fried egg, green salsa, greens and sourdough. Small plates and shares are served 4pm to 8.30pm with the dishes including potato wedges, beef and pork koftas and spinach pancake. Sunday dinner, served 2pm to 7pm, is also proving a hit.
How much does it cost?
There are no meal deal / early bird offers but this place is quickly drumming up a reputation for its reasonably priced high quality fodder. If it’s just a snack for the kids you’re after then you can’t go wrong with the eggs and toast for £3.30.
The adult brunch menu starts from £2.50 for sourdough toast with jam or marmalade, up to £6.50 for kedgeree - smoked poached haddock, yellow basmati rice, curry sauce and egg. The small plates and shares range from Israeli cous cous, honey and lemon dressing, chilli and herbs for £3 to the £10 Shapes board made up of beef, mixed leaves, goats cheese, cornichons, mustard and sourdough.
Anything else?
All The Shapes kitchen staff cook everything to order which means it’s fresh but you might have to be patient if it’s busy - tell that to the kids!
Croma is on the busy Wilbraham Road in Chorlton but there are also branches in Manchester’s Albert Square and in Prestwich and Didsbury. All of them are popular haunts for families.
What’s on the menu?
The place has its own Kids Pizzatini Menu. This includes dough balls or Pizzatini salad, pizza or pasta, ice cream or chocolate cake and a cromacinno.
For adults there is an Espresso Lunch Menu running Monday to Friday, 12pm to 2pm.
You can pick any pizza with either a glass of wine, peroni, soft drink or coffee.
An early bird menu also runs from 3pm to 7pm Sunday to Friday (10pm Mondays).
This includes garlic bread, dough balls or salad followed by any pizza or main course salad. A glass of house wine, Peroni, soft drink or coffee is included in the price with chocolate fudge cake, treacle tart or cheesecake costing an extra £3.
How much does it cost?
The Pizzatini menu costs £5.95 per child. Espresso Lunch Menu is £8.95 a head, while Early Bird is £11.95.
Anything else?
Kids get a colouring play pack to keep them busy at the table. There is no need to book for tables fewer than six. If you can’t face a sit down meal but also don’t fancy cooking, everything on the menu is available to take away. Pizzas can be made with gluten-free dough for an extra £1.50.
Croma in Chorlton
Giraffe
is on the first floor in The Orient and is close to the escalators to the
ground floor with plenty of room for buggies. The city centre also has a
branch, in Spinningfields.What’s on the menu?
The kids meal deal runs all day every day with mains including the Open Face Omelette (a flat open free-range egg omelette topped with tomato sauce and melting cheese), sausage and mash and salmon fillet and salad. For adults there are small plates and sharing dishes including halloumi skewers and crunchy shrimp, to an array of burgers or Global Mains which - as the name suggests - features foods from across the world. There’s burritos, enchiladas, carbonara, Thai duck stir fry and not forgetting the good old British beer battered cod.
How much does it cost?
The kids meal costs £5.65 and includes a main and a drink. Small plates and sharing dishes range from £2.95 for olives, £3.85 for those succulent sounding halloumi skewers, to £10.50 for the Mezze Platter including tabbouleh, hummus, tunisian ratatouille, baba ghanoush, tzatziki, falafels, grilled halloumi skewers and mini pitta breads. Burgers start from £9.95 for a classic, while the global mains vary from £8.25 for Penne Margherita to £15.50 for slow cooked BBQ Baby Back Ribs.
Mid-week, from noon until 5pm, there are four Global Mains for just £6.95 each. These are the Deli Burger, Goan Seafood Curry, the Falafel, Feta and Roasted Red Pepper Quesadilla and the Chipotle ‘Nacho’ Chicken Burger.
Anything else?
Giraffe prides itself on being family-friendly and is a regular venue for kids’ birthday parties.
Giraffe in the Trafford Centre
Where is
it?It’s on Barlow Moor Road in West Didsbury.
What’s on the menu?
The menu is divided into ‘little ones’, ‘bigger ones’, ‘pizzas’ and ‘afters’ - I like places that keep it simple. And they come with unlimited organic cordial - it gets better.
Dishes range from sweet potato rissoto for the little ‘uns, to mini pie and mash or little beef dinner (on Sundays) for the bigger ones who can handle something a bit meatier.
The pizzas come with thin cut chips.
For adults the pizzas start from £8 while there’s loads more to choose from in the mains including slow roasted duck and malayan chicken.
How much does it cost?
Little ones £5, bigger ones and pizzas £7. That includes the unlimited drink. ‘Afters’ of ice cream sundae, fresh fruit jumble or chocolate brownie bites are £1.50.There is a special lunchtime menu for adults of two courses for £11.95.
Anything else?
A Little Chefs option is also on the menu where they supply the base and the toppings and the kids get to build their very own pizza, for the same price as those made by the real chefs.
Albert's Didsbury
Carluccio’s (Spinningfields)
Where is it?Carluccio’s is in the heart of the main Spinningfields financial district, overlooking the open spaces of Hardman Square. There’s also a branch in The Trafford Centre.
What’s on the menu?
Kids have the choice to make their own pasta dish combining their favourite shape and sauce. They can have penne or spagehetti with a choice of either tomato, pesto, butter, meatballs, or ragu. If that doesn’t take their fancy there are other options including cheese and ham melt, chicken milanese and ravioli. Many of the main dishes are also available in smaller portions so you shouldn’t be stuck for something the kids will eat (and like).
There’s a good range of pasta and meat and fish dishes for the grown ups. The tempting sounding pappardelle con pollo features chicken and a mix of shitake, oyster and button mushrooms with crème fraiche, garlic, white wine and pine nuts tossed in egg pappardelle.
How much does it cost?
The kids’ menu is £6.60 per child which includes a drink and a dessert of either an ice cream or fruit salad. A set menu over weekends and evenings costs £13.99 for two courses and £16.99 for three.
Anything else?
Carluccio’s prides itself on its quality of pasta - using only the finest dried pasta from family-run producers in Italy who use traditional bronze dies to create a rough surface for the homemade sauces to cling to. So there you go. It’s also a place where ‘little things matter a lot’ so your mini diners should get a warm welcome.
Carluccio's, Spinningfields
Where is
it?The original Tampopo is in Manchester city centre’s Albert Sqaure but there are also branches in the Trafford Centre and the newly renovated Corn Exchange.
What’s on the menu?
The menu is made up of street food and signature dishes from across East Asia. Most kids like noodles and here they get special chopsticks to practice with.
There are three different menu options for children of all ages - mini explorer for under fives, junior explorer for kids aged three to eight and adventurous explorer for kids seven and above.
The noodles with chicken, vegetables and sweet soy sauce would be a winner with most juniors while the adventurous ones get to pick a child’s portion from the main menu. For grown ups the street food ranges from Thai curry noodles (yellow noodles in a red curry sauce with chicken, ginger, garlic, fresh lime and red onion) to the new Malaysian satay chicken and rice with red onion, cucumber, rice and and a peanut sauce. There’s also loads of soups, stir fries and curries to choose from, as well as small plates, salads and greens to pick two or three from, or share lots with friends.
How much does it cost?
The kids’ menu is £3.95 for minis, £4.25 for juniors and £5.50 for the adventurous explorers.
Drinks are an extra pound, as are desserts (either ice cream or sorbet).
For adults small plates start from around £4 up to £13.95 for the Asian sharing platter (for two) of spring rolls, BBQ chicken, pork dumplings, coconut prawns, satay chicken and Thai corn fritters.
Main street food dishes start from around £8 and curries from £10.50.
Anything else?
If you’re really in a rush and need to grab a meal to take home the restaurant also offers a take out service. You can order over the phone, online or just turn up.
Until the end of February the restaurant is offering a £5 mains deal to eat in or take away. Ask what’s on offer in each venue.
Tampopo
Salvi’s (Manchester city centre)
Where is it?Savi’s newest restaurant is at the Corn Exchange but there are other branches in John Dalton Street and at the Airkix Indoor Skydiving centre at Trafford Quays Leisure Village.
What’s on the menu?
As an Italian there’s obviously pizzas and pasta aplenty but the Corn Exchange branch has a mozzarella bar with deli products imported from Italy every week.
As they do in Italy, kids here eat smaller portions off the main menu but the restaurant has just launched its first ever dedicated children’s pizza.
A group of children from Oldham were asked to invent it and named their creation the Pepper Pig pizza. It features peppers, Italian sausage, tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese.
How much does it cost?
The children’s Pepper Pig pizza costs £5.95 including a drink, with 50p of that going directly to the Forever Manchester charity which helps fund family activities.
Adult pasta dishes range from £9.95 to £12.95 and pizzas start at £7. Other mains start from £12.95 including Salsiccia Italiana - grilled Italian sausage with caponata. Kids can have half portions for half the price.
Anything else?
The Pepper Pizza event was planned to help launch Salvi’s special kids’ pizza making experiences to ensure little diners feel like VIPs when they visit.
Kids ordering any pizza from the menu will get the chance to help create it themselves - (not available on Friday or Saturday nights and must be mentioned when booking).
Salvi's, Corn Exchange
Food for thought from agricultural conference
As soon as I crossed the Mississippi River from Memphis into Arkansas I encountered field crops that I didn’t recognize. It didn’t take too long to deduce that it was rice. This part of Arkansas is referred to as the delta region. There was a lot of corn and soybeans just like here in Coshocton County, but there were just as many rice fields. Arkansas produces 49 percent of all rice in the United States.
The last day of our conference always involves a tour day. This year I was able to tour an Ozark Mountain Poultry processing plant. They process about 1 million chickens there every day. The automation was very impressive as well as the cleanliness of the facility. According to the USDA we Americans eat nearly 60 pounds of chicken per person. Since 1970, the US chicken availability per person has more than doubled. And it was just in the last two decades that chicken surpassed pork consumption. In just the last three years more chicken is consumed than beef.
It seems to me that food has been headlining the agricultural news more than ever in the past few weeks. Obviously food is agriculture. Agriculture involves the entire food chain- from soil health to planting and raising livestock, from harvesting to processing, from distribution to preparation and our dinner plate.
The latest email and newspaper headlines are about food insecurity, GMO labelling and most recently, food waste. Last September the EPA, USDA along with a variety of private sector and other organizations announced a joint effort to reduce food waste in the United States. The statistics about food waste are staggering and downright disappointing. Food loss and waste accounts for 133 billion pounds, or more than 30 percent of our overall food supply. It is food waste that is the single largest component of disposed US municipal solid waste.
A recent study at Ohio State focused on the attitudes of Americans about food waste, and the results are pretty eye-opening. One of the survey results found that a majority of respondents believe that throwing away food after the package date has passed reduces the chance of foodborne illness. But the reason for that date almost always relates to diminishing product quality, not food safety. Rather than tossing out a food as soon as it reaches the sell by or use by date, you can use your eyes, nose and tongue to determine if unopened packaged food is still good to eat. Most importantly, make sure you are storing foods at the proper temperature. And it’s a good idea to put meat in the freezer if you are not going to use it within a day or two of the sell by date.
Today I’ll leave you with this quote from Annie Leonard: “There is no such thing as ‘away’. When we throw anything away it must go somewhere.”
Emily Adams is the OSU Extension educator for Coshocton County. She can be reached at 740-622-2265 or adams.661@osu.edu
08/05/2016 Farm Bureau Market Report
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Rice Comment
Rice prices closed lower again today, as prices
have lost more than 60-cents on the week. Softening global rice prices,
combined with weaker exports continue to weigh on rice prices. Rice needs to
see demand develop to help ease pressure from the large crop that will be
harvested in just a few weeks
Have a Rice Day Y'all
KAPLAN, LA -- Chef and cookbook
author Virginia Willis visited the Christian Richard family farm Thursday to conduct a photo shoot for her next cookbook, a
companion piece to her upcoming PBS TV series, "Secrets of the Southern
Table: A Food Lover's Tour of the Global South."
Willis is a popular Southern chef,
whose last cookbook, Lighten Up, Y'all: Classic Southern Recipes Made
Healthy and Wholesome received a 2016 James Beard Foundation Award of
Excellence in the Focus on Health category. She is also a contributing
editor for Southern Living, writes a food blog, and receives rave
reviews for her recipes and stories celebrating her Southern heritage and
classic French training.
Willis and photographer Angie
Mosier spent a full day touring the Richard's farm, seeing rice harvest and
drying operations, all while receiving a lesson in Rice Farming 101 from
Christian and his wife, Julie.
"It's very impressive to see
the process of rice harvest and to learn directly from the farmer how his rice
comes to my kitchen and the consumer table," said Willis.
"Julie and I appreciate and
take every opportunity to share the U.S. rice story," said Richard.
"Virginia's project is a great example of how spending a day with a
well-known and trusted chef can ultimately build awareness of our industry and
the product we produce with consumers across the country and beyond."
Richard is a graduate of the Rice
Leadership Development Program and a member of the Louisiana Rice Promotion
Board.
Arkansas Horizon Ag Field Day Emphasizes
Quality
By Chuck Wilson
JONESBORO, AR -- Horizon Ag welcomed more than
100 attendees to its annual Field Day held yesterday at Mark Wimpy Farms. The event included a look at current and new
Clearfield varieties as well as an update on the harvest in Louisiana and
Texas."Today was an opportunity to show the focus Horizon Ag has on
providing valuable agronomic information to help rice farmers maximize
production and profits and to show we have heard the message loud and clear for
the need to improve quality," said Tim Walker, Horizon Ag general manager.
"Not only are we committed to improving
production on U.S. rice farms, we are also focused on improving the overall
quality of U.S.-grown rice to meet the needs of our export partners,"
Walker said. "Our industry was once
the unmatched leader in producing high-quality rice grain, but today, there is
more competition for that title. We can separate ourselves again by focusing
breeding and development on varieties that bring value at the buyer level and
improved production at the farm level."
Walker also reminded everyone about The Rice
Foundation's Rice Leadership Development Program, of which he is an alumni, and
encouraged anyone between the age of 25 to 45 who is a rice producer or a
related industry employee who derives their primary livelihood from the rice
industry to apply. Applications are
available on the USA Rice website
Provincial rice security book launched
Posted on Aug - 5 - 2016
A book assessing the country’s provincial rice security
was launched during the 38th National Academy of Science and
Technology’s (NAST) annual scientific meeting at the Manila Hotel, July 13,
2016.Titled Rice self-sufficiency under the lens of provincial analysis: A new way of looking at the national rice security, the book analyzes the provincial data on rice production, harvested area, and yield from 2000 to 2013 to assess provincial rice security status.
The authors are PhilRice’s Deputy Executive Director for Development Dr. Flordeliza H. Bordey; National Scientist, Gelia T. Castillo; former senior research manager of IRRI, Piedad F. Moya; and NAST President, William G. Padolina.
“The main message of this analysis is that provincial rice self-sufficiency depends not only on natural resource endowments, production, productivity, and harvested area but also on population size. The intended readers of this book are policy makers, gov’t planners from DA and its regional offices, and provincial planners,” Bordey said.
She added that the planners should consider provincial variability in planning for intervention to achieve sufficiency. Provinces with big rice areas and production should have different interventions from provinces that have smaller areas. This also applies to rice surplus and deficit provinces.
“In the national rice scenario, rice self-sufficiency depends not only on these factors but also on urbanization and the ability of rice-producing provinces to produce enough surpluses to cover the deficits of marginal and low rice-producing provinces but most of all, to meet the basic rice requirements of zero rice producing cities and urban centers,” Bordey explained.
For instance, the 17 non-rice producing cities in NCR with a combined population of roughly 13 M require about 1.2 M tons additional milled rice (about 1.8 M tons of palay). This exerts further pressure on surplus provinces to produce more.
The authors also advised the elected officials in the provinces to identify, nurture, and engage rice champions in their locality.
“Make it possible for everyone involved in this process from policy to planting rice to have the opportunity to deepen their knowledge and understanding of what it takes to grow a great crop of rice. Billions of persons alone are not likely to do the job. Money does not grow rice. People do,” the authors concluded.
The book is funded by NAST publications. Founded in 1976, NAST is the country’s highest advisory body to the government and the science community on matters related to science and technology
http://www.philrice.gov.ph/provincial-rice-security-book-launched/#sthash.
