Take steps to discourage rice imports
Parliamentary panel advises food ministry
Star Business Report
A parliamentary standing
committee yesterday advised the food ministry to take steps to discourage rice
imports to protect growers."We have sufficient domestic production now.
So, rice imports should be discouraged for the time being, to safeguard the
interests of farmers," Md Abdul Wadud Dara, chairman of the parliamentary
standing committee on food ministry, told The Daily Star by phone.The panel made
the recommendation at a meeting at the parliament building, citing media
reports on the rise in rice imports, particularly from India.
Food Minister Md Qamrul Islam,
members of the panel and top officials of the food ministry were present at the
meeting.Rice imports in just five and a half months of this fiscal year crossed
last year's total, as businessmen found foreign produce cheaper than local
output. Bangladesh's private importers brought in 4.45 lakh tonnes of rice from
July to December 17, exceeding last year's total import of 3.74 lakh tonnes,
according to food ministry data.Surging rice imports supported by an absence of
duty and the aman harvests, the year's second largest rice crop, have already
lowered prices in the domestic market, affecting both farmers and local
millers.
Retail prices of all types of
rice, irrespective of quality, have declined between one percent and 3.53
percent in Dhaka markets, according to data from state run Trading Corporation
of Bangladesh.In the face of spiralling imports, many millers are avoiding
milling of paddy, fearing stiff competition from imported rice, Md Abdur
Rashid, president of Bangladesh Auto, Major and Husking Mills Association, said
last week.He demanded the government impose duties rice imports so that farmers
do not feel discouraged to grow the staple in the upcoming boro season.The
government has kept a zero-duty facility on rice imports since fiscal 2006-07,
according to National Board of Revenue.
Dara said the parliamentary
committee discussed the issue following media reports and favoured taking
measures to discourage rice imports by consulting related ministries.Islam
however said rice imports are negligible considering overall demand and
production in the country.Production rose to 3.44 crore tonnes in fiscal
2013-14, from 3.38 crore tonnes a year ago, according to Bangladesh Bureau of
Statistics. Bangladesh requires nearly 1 lakh tonnes of rice a day, said
Islam."There is nothing to worry about.
However, we will discuss the
matter with the commerce ministry on whether duty benefits for rice import can
be withdrawn."Some imports are aromatic rice and some low quality rice is
also being imported as cattle feed, Islam said."I don't think such imports
can influence the market. But a section of people are trying to create
confusion when we are exporting rice abroad."
On the recent fall in rice
prices, he said prices usually go down during the peak harvesting period.
Hostels get fine rice, anganwadis left egg faced
December
20,2014, 10.31 PM IST | | THE HANS INDIA
One man’s gain is someone else’s loss. This
adage is getting pronounced by the Telangana State government much to the
disappointment of toddlers who may not know that they are likely to be denied
their staple dose of egg a day. If this comes as a huge letdown, there is
another section that seems to rejoice a decision taken by the government, also
meant for students.Enjoying a full meal comprising of
fine rice and vegetables is nothing short of a luxury for inmates of welfare
hostels spread over Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy districts. If things go according to revised proposals,
fine rice will be served to all 23,000 students staying in 244 hostels in the
two districts. And that is precisely where the catch lies. .
Kids
having a meal at an Anganwadi centre in the city (file photo)
Fine rice will come at the expense of meals for kids up to the
age of three. Government officials might dismiss it as a coincidence but NGOs
and student bodies are not buying such excuses. While the officials of the
welfare department are working round-the-clock to ensure that students living
in welfare hostels eat fine rice from the New Year, the Telangana government
has reduced the quantity of eggs supplied to anganwadis, which cook for
children below the age of three.
The supply of eggs has been cut
from one egg a day to once in two days, towards which a GO has also been
issued. The women and child welfare department officials state that the
decision was taken in consultation with nutrition specialists, who said that
yolk will increase the fat content among children. Meanwhile, the annual
budget for meeting the welfare scheme has been reduced to a little over Rs
24.28 lakh from the earlier Rs 45.13 lakh. Currently, welfare hostels in
the city are serving PDS rice that has more stones and worms than rise. “A team
of our officers are currently surveying the hostels in Hyderabad and Ranga
Reddy as part of the plan to introduce fine rice.
We aim to find out the number of
students living in the hostels and the quantity of rice they consume every
month,” informed an official from the welfare department. Currently, the
students from classes 3 to 7 are being served meals worth Rs 25 while eighth to
10 standard students get to taste meals worth Rs 28.Recently, rice millers have
agreed to the Telangana government’s plea to make available superfine quality
rice such as BPT and sona masuri to all welfare hostels from January 1.
By:Aditya Parankusam
Sunday, 21 December 2014 17:47
Posted by Imaduddin
ISLAMABAD: Rice exports from the country during first five months
of current financial year registered an increase of 8.32 percent as compared to
the same period of last year.During the period from July-November, 2014 about
1,303,644 metric tons of rice worth $738.602 million exported which witnessed
an increase of 8.32 percent as compared to the exports of corresponding period
of last year.According the data released by Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, rice
exports during the first five months of last financial year were recorded at
1,160,586 metric tons valuing $681.859 million.During the period under review,
exports of basmati rice grew by 6.01 percent and about 219,428 metric tons of
basmati rice worth $ 247.193 million exported as compared to the exports of
214,447 metric tons valuing $233.182 million of same period last year.
From July-November, 2014, exports of others rice also increased by
9.52 percent and reached at 1,084,216 metric tons valuing $491.409 million
which was recorded at 946,139 metric tons costing $448.677 million in same
period of last year.Meanwhile, the exports of fish and fish preparations
swelled by 0.67 percent as country earned $148.500 million by exporting 58,008
metric tons of fish and fish products. Fish and fish preparations exports
during the first five months of last financial year were recorded at 56,457
metric tons costing $147.514 million.
However, the data reveled that overall food exports from the
country during last five months remained on down track and decreased by 0.35
percent when it compared with the exports of same period last year.In first
five months of current financial year country managed to earn $1.611 billion by
exporting the different food staff which was stood at $ 1.66 billion during the
same period of last year.Meanwhile, the data reveled that on-month on month
basis, the food group exports remained on up track an swelled by 21.94 percent
in month of November as compared to the exports of the October current year.
Rice exports surged in 2014 setting a new record – FAO
Saturday, 20 December 2014, 12:30 pm
Bangkok, 18 December 2014 – Bumper crops and a surge in demand for rice, particularly in the
Far East, have resulted in 2014 recording the highest rice export figures ever,
the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reported today.While final
figures won’t be confirmed until early next year, FAO’s last quarterly report
for 2014, the Rice Market Monitor,
indicates much of the forecast growth in 2014 global trade in rice is likely to
be due to a surge in exports from Thailand, which again will claim title as the
world’s top rice exporter.
Indeed, a development dominating international rice trade this
year has been the resurgence of Thailand as a leading rice exporter, “an
advance made possible by key policy changes regarding government market
intervention, namely the suspension of the paddy pledging programme and public
stock sales,” the report states. “The ensuing restoration of its competitive
edge has permitted Thailand to recapture much of the market share lost to India
and Viet Nam over the past two years,” it adds.Increased exports of Thai rice
to other countries in the Far East and Africa is expected to propel Thai rice
exports to 10.2 million tonnes in 2014, which, if confirmed, would stand only
500 000 tonnes short of the 2011 record exports.
The RMM predicts that rice deliveries by India will fall by five
percent to 10.0 million tonnes in 2014, depressed by a combination of
heightened competition for markets and a reduction in demand in its major
Basmati outlets. The export outlook is also bleak for Viet Nam, the RMM states, where official
deliveries are now projected to remain close to the 2013 depressed level of 6.6
million tonnes, as the country is out-priced in Africa and rivalled by Thailand
in important Far Eastern markets, such as the Philippines, Indonesia and
Malaysia.
Production remains steady
Despite regional variations, overall, global rice production has
remained steady, down only slightly from the previous record-setting year.
Weather conditions contributed to a 0.5 percent decrease in Asia.At 744.7
million tonnes (496.6 million tonnes, milled basis), the resulting 2014 global production forecast is expected to be only slightly lower
this year compared with last year (down 0.2 percent or 1.6 million tonnes),
reflecting a 0.1 percent contraction of both plantings and yields to 162.9
million hectares and 4.57 tonnes per hectare, respectively, brought about by
unfavourable weather conditions.Overall global trade in rice is expected to
exceed 40 million tonnes in 2014 (40.2) and could reach 40.5 million tonnes in
the 2015 calendar year, the RMM states.
Import Demand
The anticipated growth in global rice trade in 2014 is forecast
to be sustained by a near 2.0 million tonne surge in shipments to Asian
countries to 18.9 million tonnes. At a country level, the increase would mostly
mirror a resurgence of demand from the Philippines, in the aftermath of damages
incurred as a result of typhoon Haiyan and depleted inventories. The country
may close the year with delivery of 1.8 million tonnes, up 1.1 million tonnes
year-on-year, part of which to reconstitute public rice reserves, the report
states.
Supply shortfalls and difficulties in meeting programmed local
purchases necessary to service welfare programs also induced the Government of
Indonesia to recur to international markets this year. The move is expected to
underpin a 500 000 tonnes rise in deliveries to the country to 1.2 million
tonnes. Traditionally a self-sufficient nation, Sri Lanka has been compelled to
rely on supplies from abroad to compensate for significant production
shortfalls, with 280 000 tonnes assessed to have been purchased by the country.
High domestic prices, particularly in the context of cheaper
offerings abroad, also underpinned a steep rise in consignments to both
Bangladesh and Turkey, now forecast at a higher level of 700 000 tonnes and 400
000 tonnes, respectively. Iraq, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea,
Malaysia, Nepal, Saudi Arabia and Qatar are all similarly envisaged to purchase
more in 2014, while official deliveries to China (Mainland) hold steady at
around 2.3 million tonnes, the report predicts.
Prices
International prices have eased further the RMM states.
“Particularly steep falls have been evident in the fragrant segment, where
quotations were weighed by prospects of large availabilities this season
coupled with reduced import demand. These factors resulted in a 30 percent
slump in the Aromatic rice sub-Index to seven year low of 190 points,
reflecting increasing market arrivals, amid thinning buying interest,” the
report said.
ENDS
Source with thanks http://cartel.scoop.co.nz/contact.html
Vietnamese Rice Farmers Battle Vietnam Rat Infestation As
Snakes, Cats Become More Popular With Diners
Farmers harvest rice at a paddy
field in Dong Tri village, outside Hanoi, Oct. 8, 2014. Rats, long a menance to
the nation's robust rice farms, eat up to 20 percent of the annual grain crop,
according to some farmers. Reuters
Vietnam's mighty rice industry is battling an ancient foe: Rats.
The vermin, long a menace to the nation's robust rice farms, eat up to 20
percent of the annual grain crop and farmers have had enough. They are hiring
workers to catch the rats and then dispose of them -- sometimes by eating them.
Rice is king in Vietnam. The
communist country is the world's second-largest exporter of the grain and
is expected to reap 45 million ton of paddy, or unhusked rice, this year,
up 1.9 percent from 2013, according to Reuters. But in recent years the
rat population has imploded and threatened rice crops as snakes and cats have become
increasingly popular protein sources in Vietnam. That's a huge problem for rice
farmers. "Rats cause hundreds of millions of dollars of damage, before we
even mention the risk of communicable diseases," said Nguyen Manh Hung of
the Institute of Agricultural Sciences.
Part of the problem is that
government officials want farmers to protects rice crops without using
chemicals. But rats are difficult to catch. "We used to have to accept the
loss of large chunks of our paddies -- the rats destroyed it. It made us wonder
why we bothered working so hard," 46-year-old farmer Hoang Thi Tuyet told
News 24. "It's
hard to trap them, they're clever, they move fast and in Vietnam there are 43
different species of rat to contend with."In Thai Binh, near Hanoi,
government officials are encouraging farmers to kill rats by giving out cats to
people who turn in rat tails.
That means for some, rat killing
has become a lucrative trade. Tran Quang Thieu, who goes by the name
"Rat King," catches about 10 kilograms of rats in rice paddies near
Hanoi on a typical day. He uses a special rat trap he created himself that
relies on very strong springs. He said he has killed millions of rats.
"The agricultural losses caused by rats are enormous -- and these rodents
can cause fires and explosions by chewing electric cables in houses and
factories," he told News 24.Thieu said he gets requests from all over the
country from rice farmers asking him to catch their rats.
He said he has sold 30 millions of
his special traps to rice farmers in Vietnam and neighboring China and
Cambodia. Grant Singleton, a rodent expert at the International Rice
Research Institute, trains farmers in Vietnam on how to kill the rats before
they breed. More traditional methods include poisons, traps and electrocution,
according to
Radio Australia. Some
rat hunters then sell their kill to restaurants or farmers to feed their
livestock. Vietnam's total rice export volume for 2014 is expected to be
between 6.3 million and 6.5 million tons, excluding the grain sold to China,
according to the Vietnam Food Association.
Source with thanks :vietnamese-rice-farmers-battle-vietnam-rat-infestation-snakes-cats-become-more-1763419
Cuban trading could benefit local
farmers
By
Jazmin ThibodeauxPublished: December 18, 2014, 9:18 pm Updated: December 18, 2014, 10:32 pm
President Obama is now in talks with Cuba about working toward
resuming trade. Local farmers in Acadiana could reap the benefits. Owner of
Falcon Rice Mill, Robert Trahan, is anxiously awaiting the outcome.“A country
like that, that consumes that much rice is a really good market for us or
potential market for us,” said Trahan.Trahan said in the United State alone
half of their rice is exported.If Cuban trading resumes, it means more rice and
other goods going out.
This would be the first time in
more than 50 years.
“It’s a big deal and especially
in South Louisiana. We are so close. We have a good freight advantage to them.
It’s so close to them it’s easy to get rice to them,” said Trahan.Agriculture
Commissioner, Mike Strain said before the trade embargo, the Port of New
Orleans transported 65 percent of trading goods to and from Cuba.If trading
were to resume, Director of Rice Research, Steve Linscombe, said change should
would not be seen overnight.
“There’s a lot of hurdles to go
through. There’s a lot of financial hurdles that need to be overcome relative
to the banking end and assurances of payment and things like that,” said
Linscombe.Linscombe said just talks of trade between the two countries had been
long-awaited by farmers.“My entire career here at the Ag Center and I’ve been
working with rice the whole time. Our farmers have been looking and lobbying
for the Cuban market to open,” said Lincombe.LSU Ag Agent, Stanley Dutile, said
this could also open up a door for Cuba to export sugar.It’s too early to tell,
but he said while this could benefit some farmers, this have an adverse affect
on local sugar cane farming.
Sushil Kumar Modi for one-time
settlement of rice mills' dues
PATNA: Former deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi on Thursday batted for rice millers in
the state, saying the state government should go for one-time settlement (OTS)
of dues with them if the rice mills in the state don't have to face a bleak
future.Modi said the state government has been implicating them in
"false" cases alleging the rice millers failed to give to Bihar State
Food Corporation (BSFC) real account of rice milled and deposited to it.
Rice mills are the only
thriving industry in Bihar, he said and added these mills should be made
centres for procurement of paddy from farmers after fixing minimum support
price (MSP) for it.Modi said the state has 1,315 rice mills and added if false
certificate cases are lodged against them, even the rice mill industry would
collapse. He said CM Jitan Ram Manjhi has been attending their meetings and
functions and also addressing them, but he has not been listening to their
grievances.
Source with
thanks :http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/patna/SuMo-for-one-time-settlement-of-rice-mills-dues/articleshow/45567422.cms
Prime minister
admits 1 million tonne goal is unlikely for rice sector
Fri, 19 December 2014
Prime Minister Hun Sen yesterday admitted that the government
target of reaching 1 million tonnes of rice exports by 2015 is likely to fail
due to a lack of milling capacity and funding.Speaking at the graduation
ceremony for students at the National Institute of Education yesterday, Hun Sen
said this year’s rice export figure clearly proves that achieving the 1 million
tonne target next year is unlikely.“From January to November, Cambodia exported
only around 330,000 tonnes of rice, very far behind the 1 million tonnes we
planned to achieve,” he said.
The Cambodian government set the target in 2010.The PM blamed
the failure on a lack of investment in rice milling and paddy storage
facilities.“Our rice production has overtaken rice milling capacity. Most of
the rice millers do not have capital to buy paddy and then stock it for export,
which results in Cambodia losing value-added gains for the rice industry,” he
said.
“We cannot ban farmers from selling their paddy to traders as we
do not have the capital to buy paddy for stock,” he added.Citing a report from
the Council Development for Cambodia (CDC), which allegedly shows a number of
approved investments in rice milling facilities, the premier said he was
optimistic that Cambodia’s export capacity would improve in the coming years.Sok
Puthyvuth, president of the Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF), and also the
son-in-law of Hun Sen, agreed that Cambodia was unlikely to reach the 1 million
tonne target. He said the uncontrollable offloading of rice stock to buyers had
made it a tough year.“There have been problems in funding, which have left rice
millers and exporters unable to stock paddy in large amounts.
We could have achieved a higher export target for this year, but
our members are not confident in entering big deals because of the lack of
stock,” he said.Puthyvuth said the CRF is working to improve infrastructure in
the Kingdom’s rice sector, and is also considering taking out additional loans
to buy paddy to stock in large amounts for export.“With the plan and the loan,
we will hopefully be able to bring the export figure closer to the target next
year,” he added.
Last month, the Post reported that the Chinese government had
approved in-principal a $300 million to build a series of warehouses aimed at
assisting the Kingdom’s rice industry with its storage woes.The loan is to be
used to build more than 10 warehouses equipped with dryers capable of storing
at least 1 million tonnes of Cambodia’s paddy. The facilities will be located
along key rural production areas, urban markets and ports along the country’s
value chains.
Year 2014 termed the bleakest for
agricultural sector
December 21, 2014
Agriculturists and farmers' organisation representatives have
termed the year 2014 as the bleakest year for agricultural sector during which
growers suffered an accumulative loss of what they said around Rs 300 billion
because of flood damages and price crash for three main crops ie cotton, rice
and sugarcane. Basmati Growers
Association (BGA) President & Farmers Associates Pakistan (FAP) Director
Chaudhry Hamid Malhi and Punjab Water Council (PWC) Founder Convenor Farooq
Bajwa while talking to Business
Recorder here on Saturday
said that though the first half of current calendar year was not good for
agriculture but the last six months of the year played havoc with the
agriculture of the country.
BGA President Hamid Malhi said Basmati sector suffered yield
losses due to floods and crash of prices at harvest time when the market registered
price of Basmati paddy at nearly half of the last year rate of Rs2600 per 40kg. While the quantity of Basmati Rice's
exports and the average rate per ton received during 2013-14 has increased by
16 percent, even then the domestic traders/ millers & rice exporters are
not willing to pay a reasonable price for Basmati paddy. The burden of last
year's stocks, still lying unsold with the traders/millers and exporters, was
one big excuse which was being forwarded for those low Basmati paddy prices,
Malhi added. To stabilise the
market price and to facilitate marketing of the surplus stocks of Basmati Rice
lying unsold, a Minimum Export Price (MEP) of 1150 $/Ton should have been
enforced for all Basmati Rice exports to stabilise the market price above Rs 2200
per 40 Kg for paddy and to facilitate marketing of the surplus stocks of
Basmati Rice at above Rs 4000 per 40 kg.
He stressed the need for negotiating additional sales of one
million tons of Basmati Rice with Iran, Iraq or Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The
Basmati Rice Policy should also been announced immediately to benefit the
Basmati sector, Malhi observed. Coming
to wheat prices, he said those were kept constant at Rs 1200 per 40 Kg during
the last season. "This price was announced in November 2012. The cost of
production during this period soared due to inflation, GST on all agri inputs,
rising fuel and electricity rates, labour costs. The farmer was unable to
compete with international rates which were low because of subsidy regimes
world-wide. There was no market protection for his high cost of production.
Import of wheat is allowed duty free, this has kept prices low
although the quality is questionable and its gluten content is also low, making
it difficult to make a 'roti'. The price has been increased to Rs1250 per 40 Kg
for the next crop to encourage increase in area of wheat." "It is unfair for agriculture, in
the face of a ban on wheat exports. Wheat policy of the government has always
been consumer centric, forcing the farmers to subsidise wheat to the
consumer," he added. Similarly,
he said cotton production was going to miss its target for the fifth
consecutive year this season. "Production estimates have been revised
downwards from 13.2 million bales to 12 million bales, while the Pakistan
Cotton Ginning Association (PCGA) has estimated production this year at 11.7
million bales," Malhi claimed.
"Major reasons were attack of the cotton curl leaf virus
(CLCV), absence of a virus resistant variety, pesticides adulteration and
uncertified seeds. The government yet not approved a BT cotton variety nor is
there a law to check these fakes. The approved 16 traditional varieties are
sown only on 20 percent of the total 3.2 million hectares. Cotton production is
at great risk in light of the low prices and lack of subsidy to the effected
farmers." Punjab Water
Council (PWC) Founding Convenor Farooq Bajwa said growers suffered a loss of
around Rs 120 billion because of price crash and flood damages to the cotton
crop during the year under review. Similarly, he said rice suffered over Rs 70
billion loss during 2014 because of price crash and floods. He said another blow which growers of
the province of Punjab suffered due to the floods was becoming 500,000 acres of
land unproductive.
He said expense for
reclamation of land needed Rs 30,000 to 50,000 per acre so the growers had to
incur those expenses which would add to the losses they suffered during the
year. Similarly, he said livestock in the province also suffered loss because
of fodder shortage and on other accounts.
Source with thanks: business
recorder Pakistan
Basmati
exports set to decline
December 18, 2014 Last Updated at 22:33 IST
This year,
earnings from
the export of
basmati rice are
expected to fall 15-20 per cent, owing to Iran banning the import of the
commodity from India.Iran purchases about 40 per cent of the basmati rice sold
in the international market by Indian exporters. Through the past few years,
Iran has been charging an import duty on rice (basmati and non-basmati) to
safeguard the interests of farmers in that country. This was lifted once the
local crop was consumed. Last year, the import duty was raised from 22.5 per
cent to 40 per cent in July; the move was rolled back in December.
This year, however, Iran banned such imports.Mohinder Pal Jindal,
president of the All India Rice Exporters' Association, told Business Standard
though exporters had purchased about 80 per cent of the estimated export
demand, there was no clarity on the demand from buyers in Iran.
Besides Iran, Europe and Saudi Arabia are the major buyers of Indian basmati
rice.
Though demand from these regions is stable, given the bumper crop
in India, exporters are bracing up for low prices.Last year, the average
realisation was $1,400 a tonne; as of now, the price stands at about $900 a
tonne. It is expected if the import restrictions in Iran aren't lifted, the
price will fall further.
Enthused by the high demand and remuneration last year, farmers in
Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh have diversified from non-basmati to basmati
this year. However, due to a fall in import demand and oversupply in the
domestic market, prices have crashed from Rs 3,500-4,000 a quintal last year to
Rs 2,200-2,800 a quintal this year.
A senior
official in the Agriculture and Processed Food ProductsExports Development Authority said the slowdown in
demand had resulted from the ban by Iran. He added in the past few years,
basmati exporters had booked huge profits, as Iranian importers had bought
aggressively.
Last year, Iran had imported 1,450,000 tonnes of
rice from India; this year, that country's rice imports from India will stand
at 900,000 tonnes.Annual consumption of rice in Iran is about three million
tonnes and production this year is reported at about two million tonnes.The
official added a price correction for basmati was expected, as prices had
become unrealistic. High production of food grain across the globe had led to a
fall in the prices of various commodities and rice exporters couldn't remain
insulated from this trend, he said.
Gang uses ‘rice pulling’ con to cheat Tumkur politician of Rs 6
cr
By Shyam Prasad S, Bangalore Mirror Bureau | Dec 19, 2014, 04.00 AM IST
The lightning-charged metal is supposed to attract all
sorts of objects
Unable to come out in the open about humiliation, he finally
complains to cops
The seemingly silly scam of 'rice pulling' has snared a politician. An assembly
election contestant from Bengaluru hailing from Koratagere in Tumkur and
residing in Peenya, he has lost all of Rs 6 crore of his own and his relatives'
money. Unable to come out in the open due to the humiliating fraud he suffered,
he finally mustered courage to file a written complaint in the office of the
DG&IG on Wednesday. The letter says, "I have been suffering a lot
since the last six months. I have seen people being cheated like this style in
TV and media. I was unable to tell this matter in open and I have faced a lot
of pain and suffering and am putting it up before you today."
The letter by the politician mentions 10 people who allegedly
cheated him, and gives their mobile phone numbers. M S Shyam Sundar, the
advocate for the politician, said, "It is not just my client but many
other people who have fallen prey to this scam.
It is real and there are many people out there cheating people.
It is in the best interest of everyone that they are nabbed at the
earliest." It all happened
when some people approached the politician about a strange element that pulled
rice towards it. It was claimed that the element falls to earth during
lightning strikes (especially if lightning strikes a vessel) and after hundreds
of years, has the power to pull things towards it. Simple magic tricks are used
to show that rice grains scattered around a vessel, which is said to have been
drawn by the power of the material. The gang claimed that the item was in
possession of another person (obviously a gang member) from whom it had to be
purchased.
The 'rice puller,' the gang claimed, was to be used in satellites and nuclear
weapons and that NASA and ISRO would buy it for thousands of crore of rupees.
Falling for these ridiculous claims, the politician said he ended up paying Rs
6 crore over six months. More money was taken from him when visiting
'scientists' came to 'test' the rice puller. The
complaint says that scientists and a foreign company representative came with
eight to ten police personnel as security to check the rice puller. Having
fallen for such a silly trick, the politician is in no mood to reveal himself
for now, but the police, sources said, are already on the look out for the
culprits and to find out how many others they have been cheated in a similar
fashion.
Acreage under pokkali cultivation
dips
‘Shrimp lobby
behind flooding of sown fields’
Vagaries of the weather, rapid infrastructure and property
developments and expanding shrimp farming have reduced acreage under pokkali
cultivation in the State. According to available data, acreage under the rice
variety, unique to the coastal areas of the State lying roughly between
Kuthiathode in Alappuzha district and Kodungalloor in Thrissur district, has
shrunk to about 1,800 hectares.Of these, data for 2013 season showed that only
about 1,700 hectares came under sowing. Scientists engaged in research on
pokkali rice estimate that the State may have had about 26,400 hectares at the
turn of the century.
A host of problems have plagued
pokkali farming in the State. Though shortage of hands was the key issue more
than a decade ago, it has now turned out that vast tracts of the fields have
come under shrimp farming throughout the year despite the State’s declared
policy of “one rice and one fish” cycle in a calendar year.Information from
some of the agricultural offices in the district showed that pokkali cultivation
has had a reasonably good season this year. About 120 hectares came under
sowing in Varappuzha panchayat. Kumbalanghi had about 38 hectares; Chellanam 40
hectares; Pallippuram 52 hectares and Edavanakkad 25 hectares.
A scientist at the Vyttila Rice
Research Station said the most recent blow to pokkali cultivation was the
flooding of the fields in 2013 when unprecedented rain inundated large areas in
Alappuzha and Ernakulam districts.The flooding resulted
in substantial loss in terms of seed production. About 1,700 hectares came
under sowing during the 2013 season. However, most of the fields were
inundated.A spokesman for Pokkali Samrakshana Samithi, a voluntary group
engaged in propagating pokkali cultivation, said pokkali fields came under constant
pressure from shrimp farming. He alleged shrimp lobby was behind the flooding
of sown fields with salt water ahead of the harvest this season.Scientists also
pointed out that large areas under pokkali had been taken over for
developmental activities in Ernakulam district.
Ex-president Kufuor in big rice
business
For every business magnate, US$400 million
(GHC1.28 billion) is money that cannot be put into a competitor’s pocket. In
the world of a president, that is an amount of money that can put up several
classroom blocks, supply water, or even purchase enough fuel to deal with
‘dum-so.’What about an ex-president? It is difficult to tell, but the answer
may not be far if you read the mind of former President John Agyekum Kufuor.That
Ghana spends US$400 million on importation of rice is a headache to the former
president. That amount is 147 short of the $547 million Millennium Challenge
Account first compact which the United States awarded his administration to
construct the N1 (George Bush) Highway, the Mallam interchange and other road
networks, especially in the Afram Plains area of the Eastern Region.
It is also about $112 million less than the
amount of money the current administration received on oil exports over January
to December 2014.Now, the former president, who was awarded the World Food
Prize in 2011 along with Brazilian Lula da Silva, has put the machinery of the
John A. Kufuor (JAK) Foundation, which he chairs, into motion to advocate in
favour of domestic production of rice.By this act, he is seeking to beat down
the amount of money spent on rice imports and help to channel a chunk, if not
all, of the amount into the hands of local rice farmers to produce the staple,
which has now become the first choice meal for majority of Ghanaian households.“All
we want to do is to ensure that appropriate policy environment is created for
the production through processing and marketing of local rice,” Professor
Baffour Agyemang-Duah, Chief Executive Officer of the JAK Foundation, spoke of
the former president’s intentions.
He was speaking on Tuesday in Accra where the
JAK Foundation, in collaboration with the Ghana Rice Inter-professional Body,
GRIB, outdoored a Public-Private National Dialogue Council on Rice, a vehicle
that will facilitate the sharing of ideas by private sector actors and public
sector institutions on policy and regulatory improvements for the rice industry
in Ghana.According to Prof. Agyemang-Duah, the Public-Private National Dialogue
Council on Rice (or Rice Council) is “an effort, in collaboration with other
partners, to revive the Ghanaian spirit especially in the area of Ghanaian rice
production.“We want to today, constitute a council and inaugurate it…so that
the public sector, which is normally controlled by government, and the private
sector where individuals, independent people and companies are operating can
come together, have a common platform to dialogue on the best, appropriate
policies for our rice industry to meet local demand,” he intimated.
In real terms, the value of the rice industry
per annum is worth more than the US$400 giving that local rice production is
calculated to be in the region of 30 percent of national need.The JAK
Foundation has, therefore, taken a strategic initiative to ensure that if the
local production is not propped, in the least, the existing quota for local
farmers can be preserved.Looking three to four decades back, however, one gets
a picture of massive retrogression. Here, Prof. Agyemang-Duah recalled: “…we
know that in the early 70s this country started exporting rice.
I was a young man, and I saw it myself under
the government of General (Ignatius Kutu) Acheampong. Through a very, very
vigorous policy of operation feed yourself, we produced so much rice we started
exporting rice to our neighbouring countries.”Sprint into 2014, and you will
find that Ghana is a pale shadow of its former self. Prof. Agyemang-Duah
acknowledges that “We’ve been told many times by governments that we spend a
chunk of our scarce resources on importing rice. And I understand that
currently we spend about 400 million dollars a year on rice importation. The
assumption is that if we can produce our own rice then we will be saving
ourselves that much.”His lamentation is that “the whole idea of relying on
imported rice is the problem just as we relying on so many goods imported for
our livelihoods is a problem.” He expatiates that “Now we know we are importing
not only rice, we are also importing tomatoes, some vegetables, plantain;
things that in our very youthful days we will just walk behind the backyard and
just get them free of charge to our homes for our meals.
”According to the Ministry of Trade, a minimum
US$500 million is spent on rice imports and even that is modest because many
importers engage in under-invoicing or under declaration of actual value of
their imports in order to avoid tax.Evans Sackey, Executive Secretary at GRIB,
supplies that current rice consumption is at 1.6 million metric tonnes, up almost
three-fold from the 2008 figure of 600,000 metric tonnes. Per the statistics,
not more than 500,000 metric tonnes, or 31 percent, is supplied by local
producers.The inauguration of the Rice Council is, therefore, meant to address
challenges to local production, which are mainly policy-related so that an
enabling environment can be created for local production to thrive.“The
expectation is that after this council is inaugurated, it will look at the rice
strategy and validate the priorities therein. We will not end there.
We are also hoping that zonal councils will
also be launched in the regions where priorities of stakeholders will also be
discussed. Then the findings at both the local and national levels will serve
as the basis for the public-private dialogue on the rice industry,” said Prof.
Agyemang-Duah.He added, “So, this is just the beginning. We are building the
national architecture, to be followed by the regional group.”Beyond the short
term, “we envisage that in the near future, this council will link to the rice
councils in other neighbouring countries, for instance in Nigeria and Burkina
Faso, to constitute a West African rice council.
And if we succeed in that, we can link that to
other sub-regional councils as, for instance, we have in East Africa,” the CEO
said.Meanwhile, the JAK foundation is a partner to a major rice initiative –
Competitive African Rice Initiative, CARI. In partnership with TechnoServe and
Kilimo Trust of Tanzania, the project is designed to maximize rice production
in Burkina Faso, Ghana, Nigeria and Tanzania.
This
five-year project empowers small-scale rice farmers in these Sub-Saharan Africa
countries and is sponsored by the German Cooperation, Bill & Melinda Gates
Foundation and managed by the German Development Corporation, GIZ.“The JAK
Foundation is a partner handling mainly the advocacy and policy aspects of
the rice industry in Africa,” Prof. Agyemang-Duah stated. “Through these four
countries, we hope to create these councils that will, hopefully, cascade into
an African kind of rice council so that in the future, all Africa can be
self-reliant.”
Source with thanks :http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/artikel.php?ID=339643
Not enough rice in Central
Visayas: DA
By Jeandie O. Galolo
Friday, December 19, 2014
THERE IS not enough rice in Central Visayas to
feed its seven million - and still growing - population. Rice self-sufficiency
in the region is only at 32 percent, according to government data.The report
came from the Department of Agriculture 7 Director Angel Enriquez in a recent
interview. She said yield per hectare is only at three metric tons, which is
below the average target of 3.9 metric tons of yield per hectare.In a year,
Enriquez said every person consumes 80 to 90 kilos of rice.Among the four
provinces in the region, only Bohol can feed itself independently, even leaving
surplus for others to consume, she said. Some farmers in Bohol have a yield of
seven metric tons per hectare.
Nationwide figures, meanwhile, show the country
at 96 percent self-sufficient.The figures, according to DA 7 chief for
agribusiness and marketing assistance division Gerry Avila, could have reached
100 percent in 2013 if not for typhoons Santi and Yolanda, which caused massive
destruction to the country’s top rice producers in Central Luzon and Eastern
Visayas, respectively.Enriquez explained that the main factor for the low rice
production in Central Visayas is the “limited” land resources of the region in
contrast with those in Luzon and Mindanao.Data from the Bureau of Agricultural
Statistics showed that rice production in Central Visayas has been declining.
In the first quarter of 2014, palay production was at 93.371 metric tons, Q2
was at 57.074 metric tons, and Q3 was at 20,294 metric tons.
Capitol investment
But the productivity of Bohol is another story.
Enriquez said what it is experiencing now are returns of the provincial
government’s investments in agriculture, particularly in funding farming
machineries.In the first semester of this year, Bohol’s production was at
118,042 metric tons while Cebu recorded only 7,523 metric tons.Instead of the
farmers shouldering the cost of the machine, it is the province that pays for
it, Enriquez said.Under DA’s production support program, Avila said DA
shoulders 85 percent of the cost of the machinery which is then awarded to
farming communities. The remaining 15 percent will be shouldered by the farmers
or the local government unit.Like Bohol, Enriquez said DA wants to achieve rice
self-sufficiency in the entire region with the help of the local government
units, especially the chief executives.
She urged mayors to revisit and enhance their
Agriculture Development Plan and know for themselves how much their towns are
producing per hectare.In Cebu, rice fields are mainly concentrated in Carcar,
Argao, Balamban and Toledo, said Avila.Carcar City administrator and
agriculture office OIC Edgardo Oca in a phone interview said it has increased
its rice production to five metric tons this year, an increase from their
average 3.2 metric tons production.
Oca attributed this to the city’s assistance to
their farmers by supplying them with rice inputs like hybrid, registered, and
certified seedlings and fertilizers.Actual cultivated land area in Carcar is
220 hectares.In a separate interview, National Economic Development Authority
(Neda) 7 Director Efren Carreon said the agency, together with DA, will be
pursuing the preparation and implementation of Agri-Fishery Development Plans
at the LGU level.
On a decline
Part of the plan is to upgrade the Municipal
Agriculture Office with at least five personnel and fast track the
implementation of the Philippine Rural Development Program (PRDP).According to
Carreon, agriculture’s performance in Central Visayas in the past three years
is declining and “needs much help.”Of the three sectors (agriculture, industry,
and services) identified in the Gross Regional Domestic Product, agriculture
has the lowest contribution at 6.7 percent in 2013. The two others are at 35.7
percent and 57.6 percent, respectively.Carreon attributed the slow down to the
vulnerability of the agriculture sector to disasters and effects of climate
change.
OSHA cites Basic Grain Products
after 2 workers injured at Coldwater rice-cake plant
Last updated: December 19.
2014 12:53PM
COLDWATER — In response to a complaint of an
electrical shock injury, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and
Health Administration found that a 20-year employee was injured while he
performed service work on an electrical panel at a Coldwater rice-cake
manufacturer, according to a news release this week. Following the investigation,
OSHA has cited Basic Grain Products Inc. for two repeated and five serious
safety violations.The employee missed two days of work due to the electrical
shock injury which occurred Aug. 18.
OSHA also learned that another employee missed
20 workdays and was on restricted duty for an additional 22 days after part of
his ring finger was amputated on June 19 as he adjusted a machine used to make
rice cakes.“Basic Grain Products must ensure that its workers are not exposed
to dangerous machinery and are never expected to conduct maintenance without
shutting down electrical and energy sources,” said Kim Nelson, OSHA’s area
director in Toledo. “Those actions can prevent severe injuries like those
suffered by these workers.”OSHA’s investigation determined that the employee
who suffered the amputation injury while servicing the rice-cake machine was
exposed to the operating parts of the machinery because it had not been
properly powered down before maintenance.
The investigation also found Basic Grain Products
failed to implement electrical safety-related work practices, which included no
use of personal protective equipment; untrained workers; and inadequate
clearance in front of electrical panels. These violations resulted in five
serious safety citations. A serious violation occurs when there is substantial
probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard
about which the employer knew or should have known.OSHA also cited the company
for exposing workers to unguarded rice-cake machines that had been improperly
powered down to prevent them from starting up during maintenance. These
violations exposed workers to amputation and laceration hazards. Similar
violations were found at the company in 2013. OSHA issues repeated citations
when a company has been cited previously for the same or a similar violation at
any facility within federal enforcement states in the past five years.
Based in Coldwater with about 130 employees,
Basic Grain Products is one of the largest private-label manufacturers and
suppliers of rice cakes and other healthy snacks to supermarkets nationwide.
The company faces proposed penalties of $58,410.The company has 15 business
days from receipt of its citations and penalties to comply, request an informal
conference with OSHA’s area director, or contest the findings before the
independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
Source with thanks :http://www.sidneydailynews.com/news/business/150948480/Coldwater-plant-cited-after-injuries
Louisiana rice farmers could benefit from normalized Cuba
relations
Advocate staff photo by BRYAN TUCK -- Rice farmer Allen McLain,
left, watches his son, Allen McLain Jr., load rice into a truck at their drying
station Wednesday in Abbeville in this December 2013 Advocate file photo.
Cuts in subsidies, other programs
have hampered industry
BY BILL DECKER| SPECIAL TO THE
ADVOCATE
Dec. 21,
2014
The prospect for normalized relations with Cuba
could be good news for Louisiana rice farmers, who have fought to reopen what
had been a lucrative market before the 1962 embargo and again as recently as a
decade ago.“That would be a very big deal for the rice industry,” said Dustin
Harrell, who is set to become the
LSU AgCenter’s new state rice specialist in
January.Experts say the benefits of normalizing diplomatic and trade relations
would accrue gradually, and would come at a time when the rice industry is
learning to cope with cuts in subsidies and other support programs brought on
by the
2014 farm bill.
Michael Salassi, a production economics
specialist for the AgCenter, said any benefits in terms of increased rice
exports from Louisiana wouldn’t happen overnight but rather would slowly phase
in over a period of years as any potentially new trading arrangements were
formalized.“Should the U.S. be successful in normalizing diplomatic relations
with Cuba, this certainly would have great potential for Louisiana rice exports
to Cuba,” he wrote in an email response to questions about the impact of
normalized relations.
Louisiana rice farming is concentrated in a
belt that runs diagonally from the southwest into the northeast. Rice was worth
about $494 million to Louisiana farmers in 2013, according to AgCenter figures.
Value-added enterprises such as milling added another $164 million.In all,
1,023 farmers grew rice on about 410,000 Louisiana acres in what was considered
a good crop year.Rice farmers got a taste of what an open Cuban market could do
for prices after an easing of the Kennedy-era embargo in 2000 allowed food and
medicine exports to Cuba.
U.S. rice exports grew to nearly 177,000 metric
tons, worth about $68 million, by 2004, according to the U.S. Department of
Agriculture. The price of rice rose from $164 per metric ton in 2000 to just
more than a $1,000 per metric ton in 2007.But the Bush administration toughened
trade policy with Cuba in 2004, requiring cash in advance for food shipments.
Rice exports to Cuba declined sharply and dropped to nothing in 2009.“An
agreement between the two countries to facilitate commerce and banking
activities would go a long way toward facilitating agricultural trade,” Salassi
said.
“Should this occur, the Louisiana rice
production sector would be in a prime position to supply a large portion of any
rice exports to Cuba.”Published sources estimate total Cuban rice imports from
all sources at 600,000 to 770,000 metric tons each year.In the agriculture
policy portion of her website, U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., cites an
estimate that Cuba could buy 480,000 metric tons of U.S. rice if trade
relations are normalized.Exports at that level would have made Cuba the
second-biggest importer of U.S. rice in 2012-13. Mexico was the top importer of
U.S. rice that year with 856,000 metric tons, according to the U.S. epartment
of Agriculture Economic Research Service. Haiti was next with 366,000 metric
tons.
Donald Sagrera is a former rice farmer whose
family still works about 600 acres south of Abbeville.He said he’s heard that
opening exports to Cuba could raise the price of a barrel of rice by about $2.
Rice is currently selling at $23-$24 a barrel, according to the AgCenter.“I
don’t know how much difference it will make,” Harrell said. “It would create a
lot more demand, and that should help prices.”Rice prices have swung wildly
over the last five years. The peak price was $615 a metric ton in August 2011.
The low point was in May 2014, when the price dropped to $403.Farmers also have
had to cope with high fuel costs and hurricanes Rita and Ike, which pushed salt
water into fields as far north as La. 335 in Vermilion Parish, AgCenter rice
specialist Johnny Saichuk said.
Before the hurricanes, Vermilion accounted for
roughly one-fifth of Louisiana’s rice acreage, according to the AgCenter. But
rice is sensitive to saltwater intrusion.The new farm bill’s effects could be
another blow to rice farmers.Louisiana rice producers received nearly $2
billion in rice subsidies between 1995 and 2012, according to calculations by
the Environmental Working Group. That ranks third among states.The new farm
bill eliminates direct payments and requires farmers to choose between
protection based on price or revenue and whether those values fall below
government-established levels.“We’re getting ready to find out if we can make
it or not,” Saichuk said.
Temasek Foundation's Aceh rice project
yielding results
Residents
in Indonesia's northern province of Aceh may soon have more varieties of rice
to choose from. By 2017, there may be six more rice varieties - the result of
an S$800,000 research project funded by Temasek Foundation.
Acehnese
rice farmers. (Photo: AFP/Files)
BANDA
ACEH, INDONESIA: Residents in Indonesia's northern province of Aceh may soon
have more varieties of rice to choose from. By 2017, there may be six more rice
varieties - the result of an S$800,000 research project funded by Temasek
Foundation.Large areas of rice fields in the province became unsuitable for
farming for many years after being flooded by salt water from the Indian Ocean
tsunami 10 years ago. The project hopes to develop new rice types and increase
rice production in Aceh.
Six out of 10 Acehnese are farmers. For Nasir,
it's a means of living that has been passed down for generations. The
50-year-old is not well-educated but understands the value of science and how
it can improve traditional farming methods.He agreed to participate in the rice
project by setting aside a small plot of land for field trials in July. Results
have been encouraging, and even attracted the attention of neighbouring
farmers. Nasir said: "Many have asked for the seeds from me, they also
want to try. I told them, 'not yet, be patient, it's not time yet'."On
December 26, 2004, a massive earthquake triggered a tsunami. Giant waves
crashed into coastal communities more than five kilometres inland, destroying
about 20,000 hectares of farmland.
In 2008, Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory
partnered Syiah Kuala University to build capabilities in rice research. Under
the four-year collaboration, researchers developed new and improved rice
varieties.
Two Acehnese rice - Siputih and Cantik Manis -
were used in the project. The local rice have good quality grain, but low
yields and are susceptible to diseases. Through the project, researchers
improved the rice varieties using marker-assisted selection (MAS).The process
selects rice genes which have desired traits, for example, genes that can
control higher yields and are more tolerant of diseases. These genes are then
combined with those from the local rice varieties, and the outcome is a new
rice variety that is superior in all areas.Dr Zhongchao Yin, Senior Principal
Investigator at Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, said: "One of the local
Acehnese rice lines, called Siputih, the grain quantity is quite good, as good
as Thai fragrant rice but the yield is very low - about two tons per hectare.
But our improved line, through the field trials, can achieve six to seven tons
per hectare.
"The variety I mentioned - Siputih - when
you grow it in the hilly area, it takes about seven months to harvest but for
the improved line we can harvest it around four to 4.5 months."The new
rice lines are then sown at one location as part of field trials and the
results monitored. In the next phase, they will be tested in several locations.
The multiple location field trials have to be conducted in at least three
provinces across Indonesia. The Aceh rice project researchers are looking at
North Sumatra, Riau and Central Java. These provinces are the rice producing
areas in the country.
As part of the partnership, lead scientists
from the Syiah Kuala University received training on rice breeding technologies
in Singapore. They said the training and funding have been useful.Dr Sabaruddin
Zakaria from Syiah Kuala University's Department of Agrotechnology, said:
"The Indonesian government gives great attention to improve the field of
molecular biology, but Indonesia also has a very big area, and we have almost
more than 100 national universities. So, it's not easy for the government to
provide equipment. We have received grants two times - in 2009 and 2010 - but
not complete yet, so we cannot run the equipment properly yet."
Indonesia is among the top five rice-producing countries in the world. Nearly
70 million tons are expected to be produced this year. However, Aceh is not a
major rice-producing province, contributing close to only two million tons.From
the fields, the rice is then brought to factories to be processed. After the
rice is packed, it is loaded onto trucks and distributed to cities like Medan
in North Sumatra. Ridwan Daud, a distributor from PT Bina Usaha Pratama, said:
"Aceh has excess to even export rice. Aceh feeds the people in North
Sumatra. They depend on rice from Aceh."
When the rice finally reaches the local
markets, consumers are spoilt for choice as there are many types available. The
popularity of any new rice variety depends on several factors, especially
price. Muhammad Yusuf, owner of Meuraxa Jaya, said: "The price will depend
on the quality, its packaging and marketing. But, our traditional community
here would choose cheaper rice."
It has been six years since the research
collaboration started. The training phase and single location field trials are
over. Researchers will now focus on the multi-location field trials, expected
to be completed in 2017. The results of the trials will then be submitted to
the Indonesian Agency for Agricultural Research and Development. Once the new
rice varieties are approved, the seeds can then be distributed to farmers for
mass production.Peter Chia, Chief Operating Officer of Temasek Life Sciences
Laboratory, said: "With agriculture becoming more knowledge-based, more
knowledge-intensive, suddenly it opens a new area for us to partner with
people, to work with companies and countries to see how we could improve our
lives as a community, as a region.
"So, in the case where technology is a
resource enhancer, if we are able to produce a lot more with less natural
resources, not only are we able to become more sustainable in our activities,
we are also able to reduce our ecological footprint, and you can see the
benefits translating across to everybody."The Aceh rice project is just
the start of many more collaborations Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory has with
other countries in the region. It has established partners in Laos, Myanmar,
Cambodia and Vietnam on other rice projects, using technology to enhance
productivity.
Technology is again a game changer in food
production where rice is a staple to feed a majority of the population in Asia.
Results have been positive, and researchers are quietly confident the new rice
varieties will be ready for mass production in the next few years.But more than
that, they hope the new capabilities can sow the seeds for greater research for
Aceh to harvest its potential as a major rice-producing province in Indonesia.
Researchers even have a name for the new rice variety - SIKUTEM - the acronym
for Syiah Kuala and Temasek.
- CNA/ir
Source with thanks : http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/temasek-foundation-s-aceh/1542086.html
Bihar minister says govt sincere
on paddy procurement
Press Trust of India | Patna
December 19, 2014 Last Updated at 17:11 IST
Bihar Food and Consumer Protection minister
Shyam Rajak today said the state government is "more sincere" than BJPon paddy procurement and condition of rice millers. "As per central government
notification, Bihar has extended the procurement period till December 31, 2014
to obtain Custom Milled Rice (CMR) from the millers for the year 2012-14. We
will take strong action against millers who are unable to provide CMR,"
Rajak said. The minister said the
problems with rice millers would be solved soon, but BJP leader Sushil Kumar
Modi should not give wrong statements on the issue.
"Modi should
give suggestion on how to deal with millers who have paddy or rice worth Rs
1,961 crore pending with them. They have not returned it and we need to extract
it from them," Rajak added. The
minister said according to central government standards, paddy is purchased
only when the moisture content in it is less than 17 per cent. At several
places, paddy is not reaching at the procurement centres due to this reason,
impeding the procurement process. Rajak
also said procurement centres have been opened at all designated places and
officials have been deputed for the purpose.
Source with
thanks: http://www.business-standard.com/home-page
Persian, Somali food in short supply in Winnipeg, so this duo is
a great discovery
Posted: 12/18/2014 3:00 Last Modified: 12/18/2014 8:49
AM |
Several years ago we had a few Persian
restaurants and, in the more recent past, the occasional Somali restaurant.
With the temporary closing (several months now) of Kabob Palace, and the
permanent closing of Sa'aadal Kheyr, we lost our only sources of Persian and
Somali food. Recently, though, I found a new source for each of those cuisines
-- limited in both cases and definitely not run-of-the-mill.It seems almost
axiomatic that the more difficult the communication, the better the chances of
good food; at least that's how it was in today's two subjects.
Ordering
may be difficult, but what George's and Palm Tree have in common is the smiling
welcome and warmth of the owners who, despite the difficulties in communication
-- or possibly because of it -- are exceptionally eager to please those who
show an interest in their cuisines.Today's source of Persian food is a
surprising one. Certainly a name like George's Inn & Submarine offers no
clues, and, in fact, they still turn out good burgers, thick subs and fresh-cut
fries. But they weren't the reason I'd sought out this little place, and the
only clue to that reason is one small sign in the window with what I assume is
Iranian script.The relatively new owners (as of seven months ago) speak very
little English, but in this case, ordering is easy, since there are only three
Persian dishes.
And,
fortunately, those three are absolutely delicious. They are listed on the
wall-board menu, all of them kabobs, but served off the skewers (from $6.89 to
$14.89, combos from $13.89 to $23.89). Chicken of course, we all understand,
and I happened to know that koubbideh meant ground beef. But what, I wondered,
was barg? Fortunately a bilingual Iranian customer was there to tell me that
barg meant small pieces of beef.All the meats had been marinated, were redolent
of lemon juice, hints of onion, possibly garlic and sumac, and bursting with
exquisite flavours.
They come with a platter of saffron-streaked
basmati rice, with a roasted tomato on the side, the use of which the owner
demonstrated for us -- slipping the skin off, spooning it onto the rice, adding
a pat of butter, sprinkling it with salt, pepper and sumac (from the table
shaker), and mixing it all up. And yes, the rice was as wonderful as the
kabobs. A nice little touch was the complimentary little saucer of
pimento-stuffed olives and chunks of raw onions, and the delicious Persian tea
was a perfect finish.
It's a simple place, with moulded,
bolted-to-the-floor plastic booths, but bright, spotless and cheerful, with big
pots of geraniums lining the window sills, and one entire wall adorned with a
rendition of sidewalk cafes. Yes, communication can be a problem, but there are
only the three Persian specialties and all of them are musts. So do as I did,
and order all three. You'll be as delighted as I was, and wish, as I did, that
there were more Persian dishes to sample.The walls are lemon yellow and when
they're at full power the lights are very bright, but the colourful tablecloths
and placemats add cheerful notes in the Palm Tree. Since there are more choices
than at George's the ordering may pose more problems, but most of the results
are also delicious.
Before we'd even chosen anything, steaming
bowls of soup turned up -- a flavourful broth that tasted of beef and bean
liquid (with an underlying nip). A Somali custom, apparently, and a lovely one,
since it staved off hunger while we tried to decipher the menu. It wasn't easy.
Some items are listed under Breakfast (including a Somali omelette, chicken or
beef burgers and oatmeal), and some under Lunch and Dinner (with entrées from
$6.99 to $13.99). Some items aren't listed at all -- the crisp sambusas, for
instance, filled with slightly spicy beef and potato.There were no helpful
descriptions, so I resorted to my customary plea in such situations -- could we
have a little of everything? Well, of course we didn't get everything, but we
did get a decent variety, starting with a huge platter of delicious basmati
rice pilaf, accompanied by another platter with small portions of a number of
items.
Most
were good, two were outstanding, and whatever else you may have here, don't
miss the kalaankal dry (i.e. sauceless) beef stew -- cubes of beef with onions
and peppers -- and the chicken stew of cubed white meat chicken, also with
onions and peppers, but with a different flavour and slightly saucier. The
seasoning in both was subtle, but both were so beautifully flavoured we
actually asked for more. In fact, the spicing in everything we tried was
relatively mild -- milder, possibly, than it might be for the Somali clientele
Also on the platter were a roasted chicken leg
-- juicy and tender, with a pale orange glaze on the skin -- a slice of grilled
kingfish (slightly dry, with no notable seasoning, but decent); and chunks of
goat on the bone. Before we'd ordered the goat, our server kept mentioning the
bones, but I didn't get the hint -- these were huge and unwieldy, with
cartilage attached. The meat was delicately flavoured, though, and if I had it
to do over, I'd take the hint and order the goat boneless, in a stew.
Also included were big, floppy chapatis
(unleavened flatbread) and a tasty relish of sautéed onions with beans, raisins
and a few chunks of potato.We finished with Somali chai, spiced with (among
other things) hints of cardamom. It was wonderful but a tad too sweet, and it's
probably a good idea to add the sugar yourself.
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print
edition December 18, 2014 C5
Source with thanks: Winnipeg Free Press.
Adelaide’s international chefs
add cultural touches to their Australian Christmas tables
DECEMBER 21, 2014 7:14PM
DANISH TREAT: A Hereford
Beefstouw chef Maja Rahbek with her adopted Australian family Carol and James
Sumner of Belair, at their home in Belair with Danish roast pork, apple with
red current jelly and potatoes. Picture: STEPHEN LAFFER Source: News Corp Australia
BRANDY and
coke with a wedge of lemon, Indian chutneys, cured and smoked fish, prawns
simmered in coconut, sour stews and poached apples stuffed with berries ...
that’s a whole new picture of Christmas cooking Down Under.It’s a different kind of
delicious on the menu at the homes of some of Adelaide’s favourite chefs who
bring their rich cultural food histories to their festive tables.
Here, they share Christmas plans
and hints for a cultural twist to your December 25 feast.RAGINI DEY
Indian chef/owner
Dhaba at The Spice Kitchen
“The religious aspect is very important to us,” says Ragini Dey.
“The day starts with the kids joining us for a family prayer.“By 7am the
fragrance of a richly spiced lamb stock – for a festive lamb and basmati rice,
yakhni pulao – wafts through the house.“Later we simmer prawns in fresh
coconut, which also smells wonderful.
“The phone goes mad with
international and interstate calls late into the night and the next day.“Amid
all this, traditionally we dress in new clothes with plenty of bling, but many
years ago we learned the hard way that Australian is much more casual. We were
invited to lunch elsewhere, and wore our Christmas best only to find everyone
else in bathers!”HINT OF INDIA: For Ragi’s Christmas Chutney, “great with
prawns, ham, turkey, salmon and cheese”, Pit, peel, dice 2 limes, 2 green
mangoes, 1 small pawpaw, 1 cup cherries, ½ a pineapple, 4 each peaches,
nectarines, apricots and plums.
“If any fruit is unavailable simply increase
others”. Heat 1 tbsp. mustard oil in a heavy based pan until it smokes. Add 1
tsp five-spice, 1 tbsp. ginger, then the fruit and ½ tsp salt. Cook on low heat
6 minutes. Add 2 cups sugar. Stir until it melts. Remove from heat, cool and
serve. Store in fridge up to two weeks. Serves 10.
JUDYTA SLUPNICKI
Polish head chef
Auge (Italian)
“I will be working, so will spend
the day with my sister and our good Ukrainian friends, who will no doubt lay
out all the trimmings,” says Judyta, who will be working during Wigilia
(Christmas Eve), the biggest celebration of the year in Poland.Normally, no
meat is eaten for religious reasons
“Once, it was 12 courses, but
nowadays its only three to four.
“We start with ‘oplatek’, a thin
wafer (like at communion), then my favourite is barszcz – beetroot soup with
tiny mushroom ‘ravioli’.“Then pierogi (dumplings), herrings in sour cream,
sauerkraut with mushrooms, gherkins, and salads with mayonnaise.“The main dish
is carp or pike in Poland, but here snapper, trevally or barramundi. I’m hoping
to prepare the fish (which will be) baked whole, stuffed with thinly sliced
pickling onions, garlic, fresh horseradish, dill, bay leaves, lemon and
peppercorns.“Our pudding (kutia) is made from wheat grains, honey, poppy seeds
and cream. Also, dried fruit compote and poppy seed rolls.
HINT OF POLAND: For a Sos
Wisniowy (cherry sauce), place 500g cherries, 1 cinnamon bark and 1 cup water
in a medium size pan, over medium heat, and cook 20-25 minutes, until cherries
are tender. Force through a sieve, return to pot and add 8 tbsp. sugar and 1 cup
sweet or dry red wine and simmer for a further 15-20 minutes, until sauce has
thickened. Serve with pudding or vanilla ice cream. Serves 4-8.
DUNCAN WELGEMOED
South African chef/owner
Africola
“South Africa is also hot so we
spend a lot of Christmas outside,” says Duncan who grew up in Johannesburg, and
still enjoys the national drink, brandy and coke, with a wedge of lemon.
Duncan and wife Catherine, who
also is a chef, have two children. When it’s his turn to cook Duncan prefers to
his barbecue outside. For Christmas he has a fish recipe that is a family must.
“Every year I do whole snoek
(snook) entree. It’s delicious, cheap – and good to eat straight off the
barbecue. I beer-baste it, add apricot jam and hot-smoke it.
“In South Africa, a funny thing
we tend to do is watch Leon Schuster movies (the South African version of
National Lampoon).”HINT OF SOUTH AFRICA: For Duncan’s Christmas Snook: Sprinkle
1 side of snook with 50g salt, 50g sugar and zest of two lemons and leave to
cure for 4 hours. Then wipe the fish clean with a damp tea towel. Wait until
the barbecue coals are completely ashed over. Let heat die down. Mix 1 stubbie
dark beer with 100g apricot jam and juice of two lemons, and baste the fish.
Wrap in foil and place on barbecue away from coals. Cover the barbecue, gently
cook until the flesh is just set. Serves 4-6 as entree.
DENNIS LESLIE
Filipino executive sous chef
Hill of Grace, Adelaide Oval
With a Filipina mother and
Australian father, Christmas is usually quite a cultural mix, and this year,
Dennis’s girlfriend, Eve Linne, and her Filipino family will join the Leslie
celebrations at Glenelg.“We don’t have a lot of Christmas traditions, so we
make it about special-occasion foods,” says Dennis.“We’ll have the staples of
adobo (vegetables marinated in vinegar, soy sauce and garlic, browned in oil,
and simmered in the marinade) and sinigang (sour, savory soup or stew, often
with tamarind). We will also spend more time on special dishes such as kare
kare (stewed oxtail) and palabok (noodles with shrimp sauce), and lechon
(rolled pork) which we love for its nice shiny, crispy skin.
HINT OF PHILIPPINES: To make
lechon, lay out a 2-3kg pork loin (including rind and flap). Top with shallots,
black pepper, lemongrass and fresh bay leaves. Roll it up and tie. Steam 20
minutes, then roast at 220C for 20 minutes. Lower heat to 140C and cook for 1½
hours. Baste with a mix of oil, vinegar and soy sauce. Serves 8-10.
MAJA RAHBEK
Danish head chef
A Hereford Beefstouw
In Denmark it would be family
time, and a small but special dinner on Christmas Eve.
“I am spending my first real
Christmas Day with my adopted Australian family,” says Maja.
A long lunch is planned at the
Belair home Maja shares with Carol and James Sumner, as well as new-found
friends.
She will add some Danish-style
dishes to the menu including slow-cooked pork loin flavoured with bay leaves
tucked under the skin, sided by poached apples and berries, as well pickled red
cabbage, “which is great with any meats, but especially baked pork or duck”.
Then Maja’s risalamande, a festive Danish rice pudding, “mixed with whipped
cream, vanilla, and chopped almonds, served hot or cold with kirsebaersauce
(cherry sauce)”.HINT OF DENMARK: For the poached apples, scoop out the middle
of four peeled apples and poach gently in water, sugar, lemon juice and
vanilla. Cool, then fill the centre with red currant jelly. Serves 8 as side to
pork.
Winter comfort with a gourmet
twist
Renowned chefs reinvent traditional age old recipes for your
palate
December 20, 2014 Last Updated at 00:25 IST
Winter brings to mind trees hidden by fog,
cosy blankets, evenings spent by the heater and, of course, warm foods.
Gajar ka
halwa, chicken broth,
khichdi,
bisques, stews, fiery-hot
rasam and
sarson
ka saag are just some
of the staples that have been made in homes across the country during these
chilly days. But, here’s your chance to reinvent the traditional recipes with a
gourmet twist,
as suggested to
Avantika Bhuyan by leading chefs. These dishes are
loaded with nuts, warm oils, delicate seafood, fresh seasonal produce and have
all the drama of presentation that you need to impress guests at home.
Warm
foods to beat the chill
“When we think of comfort food during the biting cold, we think of pakoras, parathas and hot cups of chai. But we need to
think beyond that,” says Anita Jatana, chief dietician, Indraprastha Apollo
Hospital, New Delhi. She suggests livening up the winter spread with whole
grains such as bajra and jowar.
These contain complex carbohydrates that take time to break down and generate
warmth. They are also great sources of B Complex vitamins.
Though winter brings with it festive cheer, it is also sometimes accompanied by
ailments such as cough, cold and dehydration. “People take less water and more
tea and coffee which leaches the body of essential fluids,” says Sunita Roy
Chaudhary, chief dietician, BLK Super Speciality Hospital. “One must keep
having liquids such as fresh orange and sweet lime juices or thick, rich soups.”
One way to make your tea sparkle is by adding cinnamon, cloves or a pinch of garam masala to it. “The heat-inducing spices can
keep cough away and make your tea tastier,” says Jatana. Some people also keep
cinnamon-infused water on the dining table — not only does the shimmering,
golden liquid look delicious but tastes great too.
One must-have during winter is seafood. “It has calcium, Vitamin E and
essential oils that are needed in this season,” says Chaudhary. It is no wonder
then that winter menus in restaurants are dominated by sea fish and
crustaceans. This is also the time when mushrooms and morels grow in abundance.
“They are great source of protein for vegetarians,” points out Chaudhary. And
those who want to add vivacity to their desserts and salads can do so by adding
heaps of sesame seeds and nuts. “A combination of nuts and seeds is ideal as
they are a great source of Omega 3 fatty acids,” says Jatana.
Manish Mehrotra
KASHMIRI MORELS MUSALLAM,
CRUSHED ROASTED WALNUTS, PARMESAN PAPAD
Manish Mehrotra
Corporate chef, the Indian Accent,
New Delhi
Chef
speak: “During winter, we get such good fresh produce
that we simply have to incorporate these in our menu. So, this year, I am doing
items like bajra and parmesan khichdi, polenta crusted malai corn, sarson ka saag, makki flat bread, gajar murabba tart and Indian celery soup with garam masala. We are also planning
a custard apple cream. These are twists on some traditional dishes that are
made at home.”
Ingredients:
5 morel mushrooms, 50 gm button mushrooms, 50 gm oyster mushrooms, 50 gm ceps
mushroom, 15 ml refined oil, 5 gm chopped garlic, 2 gm chilli flakes, 5 gm garam masala, salt to taste, 10 gm
grated mozzarella, 20 gm roasted walnuts, 20 ml cooking cream, 5 gm chopped
ginger, 2 gm chopped garlic, 2 gm chopped green chillies, 5 gm chopped
coriander and 10 gm grated parmesan
Kashmiri Morel Mussalum
Method:
Thoroughly wash morel mushrooms in running water and soak. Change
the water at least three to four times. Finely chop the rest of the mushrooms.
In a heavy bottom pan, heat oil and saute garlic. Add the grated mushrooms and
cook till water evaporates. Cool the mixture, add grated mozzarella,garam
masala, chopped coriander, chilli flakes and salt. Clean and trim
the morels into equal sizes, stuff them with the mushroom mixture, toss them in
cream. Roast the walnuts and crush them to a coarse consistency. Sprinkle this
on the morels
For the
cream sauce: Saute
the chopped ginger, green chillies and garlic. Add cream and adjust seasoning.
For the
parmesan papad: Spread
grated parmesan cheese on a silpat and bake at 160 C till golden.
Plating: Slit the morels from top, spoon some
sauce on the plate, place the morels, garnish with parmesan papad.
Abhijit Saha
PRAWN BISQUE, PRAWN TIMBALE AND
BRANDY FLAMBÉ
Abhijit Saha
Chef-entrepreneur, Caperberry,
Bengaluru
Chef speak: “It is that time of the year when people crave rich food for its
spiciness and warmth. Olive oil is ideal for this season as it adds a fat
component to the dish. One item on our menu that is a hot favourite is the
chicken, walnut and celery soup, which is a heart-warming winter dish made with
chicken stock, fresh puree of chicken and walnut. The crunchiness in the
velvety soup comes from small dices of celery and toasted walnuts that are
added as garnish. Seafood is also a popular winter food and hence the bisque
recipe but with a dramatic flambé.”
Ingredients:
For the
bisque: 300 gm
prawn head and shells, 60 ml white wine, 4 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp chopped
garlic, 1 roughly chopped onion, 1 roughly chopped carrot, 1 chopped leek, 2
diced ripe red tomatoes, 100 ml tomato puree, 2 tbsp rice (washed and soaked),
2 tbsp softened butter, salt and crushed black pepper to taste, 30 ml
brandy/cognac
For the timbale: 100 gm diced shrimps, 2 tbsp chopped onions, 2 tbsp chopped
carrots, 1 chopped leek, 2 tbsp chopped green and yellow zucchini, 50 gm
butter, 4 tbsp cream, 0.5 tsp chopped dill, salt and pepper to taste
Garnish: 4 prawns (medium, tail on, peeled and
deveined), 4 dill sprigs, extra virgin olive oil
Prawn Bisque
Method:
Bisque: Wash and clean the shells and the head under running cold water.
Place them in a saucepan with olive oil and cook for three to four minutes,
stirring occasionally over medium heat. Pour in the white wine and allow the
alcohol to evaporate for a couple of minutes. Add garlic, onion, carrots,
leeks, tomatoes and tomato puree. Continue to cook for five to seven minutes or
until the vegetables turn light brown in colour. Pour one-and-a-half litres of
water in the saucepan and bring to a boil. Add rice, reduce heat to simmer and
cook for 45 minutes. Remove from heat, allow it to cool. Fish out the shells
and head. Make a smooth puree of the rest in a food processor, pass it through
a kitchen strainer and transfer back to the saucepan. Set it aside.
Timbale: Heat butter in a pan, add onions and
saute for a minute or so without browning. Add leeks and carrots, cook for
another minute. Add the zucchini, cook for a minute and add the prawn dices.
Toss for a couple of minutes, add cream and dill and season with salt and
pepper.
To serve: Bring the bisque to a boil, slip in the prawns, cook for three to
four minutes over medium heat. Adjust the seasoning, reduce heat to a simmer
and stir in the softened butter. In a separate pan, heat the brandy and allow
it to ignite. On each soup plate, place a ring 2 inches in diameter and put
some of the prawn timbale mixture. Press with a spoon and add a piece of prawn.
Pour in the soup, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and garnish with dill
sprig.
Nayna Nanji
WILD MUSHROOM KHICHDI
Nayna Nanji
Chef, Ziya kitchen at The Oberoi,
Mumbai
Chef speak: “This year, we have taken ingredients that can be paired well with
different spirits. One of the signature dishes is a lovely lobster flambeed
with whiskey and served with beetroot galouti.
We are known for our vegetarian galoutis.Another
of our trademark items ideal for winter is the lifafa paneer and wild mushroom khichdi. It is an
Indian dish but presented in an evolved way. We use shiitake and porcini
mushrooms, add truffle oil to that and on the side, serve a nice puff of paneer
topped with makhni sauce.” [Note: We are sharing the
recipe of the wild mushroom khichdi sauce. The entire recipe with the lifafa paneer is available onwww.business-standard.com]
Ingredients:
20 ml olive oil, 10 gm whole jeera, 15 gm ginger, 60 gm large onion, 400 gm
basmati rice, 75 gm button mushrooms, 75 gm ceps mushrooms, 40 gm shiitake
mushrooms, 80 gm unsalted butter, 30 ml truffle oil, 100 ml cream, salt to
taste
Wild mushroom khichdee
Method:
Wash the rice and soak for half an hour. Soak the ceps and shiitake mushrooms
separately. In a pan, heat oil, add chopped ginger, chopped onions. Add the
soaked rice and stir well. Add the water in which the mushrooms had been
soaked. Cook till half done. Add salt. Add the chopped mushrooms and water,
cover and cook. Pour in cream, butter and truffle oil to finish.
Tomato and sesame chutney
Ingredients: 60 ml ghee, 1400 gms tomato, 2 gms bay leaf, 9 gms chilli green,
25 gms sesame seed, 3 gms cardamom powder, 10 gms honey, 5 gms fennel seeds,
salt to taste
Method: Blanch tomatoes. Chop and keep aside.
In a pan, heat ghee, add bay leaf, slit green chillies, fennel seeds and the
tomatoes. Cook till the tomatoes leave water, then add in the salt and honey.
Cook till tomatoes soften. Finish with green cardamom powder and sesame seeds.
Makhni
Sauce
Ingredients: 20 ml ghee, 10 gms ginger paste, 10 gms garlic paste, 10 gms jeera
powder, 200 gms table butter, 10 gms coriander powder, 10 gms deghi mirch
powder, 600 gms tomato paste, 600 gms tomato pellati, 15 gms kasoori methi
powder, 15 gms sugar grains, 200 gms cream, 2 gms cardamom powder, salt to
taste
Method: Heat ghee in a pan, add ginger-garlic paste. Now add jeera powder,
coriander powder, tomato paste and saute well. Now put in the tomato pellati
and cook thoroughly. Add butter and cream. Finish with kasoori methi and
cardamom powder.
Lifafa
paneer
Ingredients: For the filling: 575 gms paneer malai, 10 gms deghi mirch powder,
1 gm ajwain seeds, 150 gms hung curd, 15 gms red chilli paste, 10 gms
ginger-garlic paste, 100 ml oil, 150 gms spinach, 200 gms onions, 200 gms
tomato, 15 gms coriander powder, 15 gms jeera powder, 5 gms turmeric powder, 5
gms salt, 3 gms garam masala powder, 5 gms whole jeera
Method: Marinate paneer with chilli paste,
ginger-garlic paste, ajwain seeds and hung curd. Cook in an oven, cut in small
cubes and keep aside. Heat oil in a pan. Add whole jeera, cumin powder,
coriander powder, turmeric powder, chopped onions and ginger-garlic paste. Cook
well. Add chopped tomatoes. Cook till they soften. Cook well till the mixture
becomes dry. Add salt, fresh coriander and garam masala powder. Now cut the
puff dough in A4 paper size. Layer the centre with fresh spinach leaves. Fold
it over one overlapping the other like an envelope. Turn around. Make a slit on
the top. Bake at 220C for 15 to 20 minutes
Christophe Gillino
SEAFOOD BRODETTO
Christophe Gillino
Executive chef, The Leela Palace New Delhi.
Chef Speak: “Usually, one hears of seafood stews during winters, but I have
created a seafood vol-au-vent which is made live in front of the guests. It’s a
seafood stew with cream, winter mushrooms, white sauce, prawns, scallops,
shrimp, clams and mussels. It is served as a tiny portion. I also mix a lot of
fish with meat juices and forest herbs. So, you will find a roasted salmon with
heavy wine sauce, chicken jus and rosemary. It is our yearly bestseller. Also,
one of our signature dishes is the seafood brodetto which is a tomato broth
with fennel and shrimp. It is a rich, warming dish.”
Ingredients: 1000 ml fish stock, 2000 gms tomatoes, 100 ml tomato sauce, 5 gms
dry fennel, 30 gms fresh fennel, 5 gms star anise, 50 ml white wine, 10 ml
pernod, 100 gms onion, 50 gms carrots, 25 gms celery, 20 gms leeks, 5 gms bay
leaf, 5 gms peppercorns, 50 gms lemon, 100 gms snapper, 100 gms prawns, 100 gms
scallops, 100 gms halibut, 50 gms garlic, 50 ml olive oil, 50 gms basil
Seafood brodetto
Method: Prepare a fish stock with fish
bones. Cover the bones with water, add some carrot, cubed onions and bay leaf.
Boil for 20 minutes, not more. Strain it and reserve it. Peel and clean the
fresh tomato, reserve it. Pan fry the chopped onions, chopped garlic and fresh
tomato with olive oil. Cook for 30 minutes very slowly and then add fish stock,
celery, leek, carrot and onions, dry and fresh fennel and star anise. Cook it
slowly till you get the desired consistency for the soup. Don’t strain it, but
take out the dry fennel and star anise. Cut small pieces of snapper, get one
prawn, one scallop and a small piece of halibut per person. Pan fry the fish
for a minute on each side and the prawns for two minutes per side. Then add
this to the soup with some lemon zest, olive oil and chopped basil. Finish it
in the oven (for two to three minutes). Serve in a deep plate.
Source with thanks: http://www.business-standard.com/article/specials/winter-comfort-with-a-gourmet-twist-114121900591_1.html
The weekend cook: Thomasina
Miers’ seafood recipes for the run-up to Christmas
When time’s short in the kitchen,
fish and shellfish are a real life-saver: they’re healthy, tasty and damned
quick to cook
Turn to seafood when time is
short. Food styling: Katie Giovanni Photograph: Johanna
Parkin/Guardian
Before the fishermen go on holiday and Christmas turns the world
upside down, I tend to eat a lot of fish. I don’t have much spare time to spend
cooking in the lead-up to Christmas – there are too many stocking fillers to
buy, presents to be wrapped, last-minute errands to run – so I turn to fast,
enticing dishes, redolent with spices, to warm us up and ward off bugs. You can
get fresh turmeric and curry leaves at larger supermarkets and Asian food
shops; if you can’t find them, use ground turmeric instead of fresh and coriander
instead of curry leaves.
A simple bowl of curried mussels
The sauce is so lip-smacking that
I’ve been known to it eat as it is, scattered with cubes of paneer or feta.
Over mussels – a terrific and cheap fast food – it becomes an extraordinarily
comforting bowl of rich goodness. Serves four.
4 tbsp vegetable (or rapeseed)
oil
1½ medium onions, peeled and
finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and
finely sliced
5cm piece fresh ginger, peeled
and finely grated
5cm piece fresh turmeric, finely
grated (or ½ tsp dried)
1 tsp cumin seeds, freshly ground
1 tsp coriander seeds, freshly
ground
2 400g tins plum tomatoes
½ tsp sugar
Salt and freshly ground black
pepper
2kg live mussels
20 curry leaves (or a handful of
roughly chopped coriander leaves)
1 tsp black mustard seeds
Pop a large saucepan on a medium
heat. When hot, add two tablespoons of oil and the onion, and sweat, stirring,
for five minutes, until soft and translucent. Stir in the garlic, ginger,
turmeric, cumin and coriander, cook for five minutes, then add the tomatoes
(break them up in the pan with a wooden spoon) and sugar. Season generously,
bring to a simmer and leave to bubble gently for 15-20 minutes.
Meanwhile, scrub clean the mussels and tug off their beards;
discard any mussels with broken shells or that do not shut when tapped firmly
on the side of the counter. (If you prepare the mussels in advance, put them in
a bowl and keep in the fridge, but not in water.)
Put a large casserole pan with a
lid over the highest heat. When smoking hot, add the remaining oil, then the
curry leaves (if using) and mustard seeds. Once the seeds start to pop, tip in
the mussels with a few tablespoons of water, clap on the lid and cook for about
five minutes, or until all the mussels have opened (discard any that do not).
Pour the sauce on top; if you are using coriander instead of curry leaves, add
it now. Bring back to a simmer, and serve at once.
A proper kedgeree
Thomasina Miers’ proper kedgeree:
‘The perfect way to kick off the festivities.’Photograph: Johanna Parkin for
the Guardian. Food styling: Katie Giovanni
Kedgeree is my favourite
Christmas Eve dish: buttery, fluffy rice scented with subtle spicing and
seasoned with flakes of poached haddock is the perfect way to kick off the
festivities. Serves four to six.
275g basmati rice
600g undyed smoked haddock
60g butter
1 medium onion, peeled and finely
sliced
2 tsp cardamom pods, freshly
ground
2 tsp coriander seeds, freshly
ground
1½ tsp cumin seeds, freshly
ground
5cm piece fresh turmeric, finely
grated (or ½ tsp dried)
Salt and freshly ground black
pepper
250g frozen peas
3 free-range eggs, soft-boiled
Several large handfuls flat-leaf
parsley, leaves finely chopped
Lemon wedges, to serve
Rinse the rice in cold water a
few times, then cover in water and leave to soak for 10-15 minutes. Put the
haddock in a pan over a medium heat, cover with boiling water, and leave to
simmer for a few minutes, until barely cooked. Turn off the heat and let the
fish cool in its bath.Put a casserole on a medium heat and add three-quarters
of the butter. When sizzling, add the onions and spices, season generously with
pepper and a little salt, and cook for about 10 minutes, until the onion is
soft and translucent. Drain the rice and stir into the onion pot, making sure
to coat all the grains in the fat. Pour in 500ml of the fish poaching liquid,
bring to a simmer, and leave to bubble gently for 15 minutes. Stir in the peas,
adjust the seasoning to taste, and leave on the heat.
Meanwhile, pull the skin off the
haddock, and allow the fish to fall into a bowl in nice, big chunks. After the
rice has been cooking for five minutes longer, turn the heat to its lowest
possible setting (or heat the oven to low) and lay the fish gently on top of
the rice. Cover the pan with a lid and leave for 10 minutes (or until the rice
is tender): this allows the rice to finish cooking in its steam. Meanwhile,
boil the eggs in gently simmering water for six minutes, drain and cool under
cold, running water.
When you are ready to eat, shell
the eggs and cut into quarters. Gently stir the parsley and remaining butter
through the rice and spoon into a serving dish. Top with the quartered eggs,
squeeze over half a lemon and bring to the table with warm plates and more
lemon wedges for squeezing.
And for the rest of the week…
Leftover kedgeree is the
breakfast of kings: gently reheat in a pan with a splash of water and more
butter and parsley. And buy a slightly bigger piece of haddock than you need
and use the excess in fishcakes, gratins, croquetas and the like. Leftover
mussels are also a treasure: shell and put them in the fridge with any
remaining sauce, and use in a silky mussel sauce for spaghetti by pureeing them
with a little cream and topping with chopped coriander. Fresh curry leaves
usually come in large bags, so freeze any left over: they keep brilliantly,
make almost any curry taste better and can be used straight from frozen.
Source with
thanks: The Guardian News
