Paddy growers demand increase in support price
OCTOBER
25, 2017
At a press conference, Sindh Abadgar Hari Ittehad leaders Irfan
Jatoi, Muhammad Ali Abro and others claimed that growers have suffered huge
financial losses and demanded fixation rate of Rs 1,000 per 40 kgs.
Simultaneously prices of sugarcane should also be fixed at Rs 200 per 40 kgs.
They maintained that Sindh High Court had ordered in 2015 to fix paddy rate at
Rs 900 per 40 kg but the order was not even implemented.
They alleged that since the last ten years no increase has been
made in support price whereas every year rates of fertiliser, seed and pesticides
increase, which showed that growers were being not only discouraged but they
were given discriminated treatment.
Commenting on the issue, Sindh Chamber of Agriculture President
Siraj Rashdi said that Rice Research Institute, Dokri director has determined
cost of production per acre of rice for average growers in Sindh for 2016-17.
According to which gross total of per acre cost of paddy comes Rs 44,563
whereas average yield per acre is about 45 maunds. In this way if paddy is sold
at rate of Rs 990.28 then the tillers will be able to meet expenses only
without making any profit. The cost include land preparation, seed sowing,
irrigation, farm yard manure and fertiliser, weeding and plant protection,
harvesting, thrashing, winnowing, transportation to market, management and
labour charges, government taxes, land rent and banks’ markup.
He said rice millers and exporters monopoly should be abolished
immediately for benefit of poor peasants and end users by establishing
government procurement centres in province and fixing rates otherwise
blackmailing of these businessmen would continue to harm the agriculture
sector. Rashdi said that presently paddy was being procured at the rate of Rs
600 per 40 kg which was not only unbearable but also it amounted to ruining the
entire agriculture sector which could not be accepted at all.
https://dailytimes.com.pk/129944/paddy-growers-demand-increase-support-price/
Pakistan’s
food exports increase 17.52%
By DND
October 23, 2017
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Pakistan exported food
commodities worth US$ 742.391 million during the period from July-September
2017-18, witnessing a 17.52 percent increase as compared to the corresponding period
of last year.Last year, Pakistan had exported US$ 631.731 million food
commodities during first quarter, according the latest data released by the
Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.
The data revealed that during the first three
months of current financial year, Pakistan’s rice exports grew by 31.91 percent
and reached at 621,094 metric tons as compared the exports of 482,445 metric
tons of the same period last year.During the period under review, rice worth
US$ 320.242 million was exported as compared the exports of US$ 242.694 million
of same period last year.
In first quarter of current financial year, the
Country earned US$ 90.931 million by exporting about 86,672 metric tons of rice
as compared to the exports of 88.772 million and 92,321 metric tons of same
period last year.Exports of basmati rice grew by 2.43 percent and reached at
86,672 tons valuing of US$ 90.31 million in last three months as against 92,321
metric tons worth US$ 88.772 million tons of same period last year, the data
said.
Meanwhile, about 534,442 metric tons of rice
other than basmati worth US$ 299.321 million was exported during the period
under review as against the exports of 390,124 metric tons valuing US$ 153,922
million of same period last year, showing an increase of 348.98 percent, it
added.
Exports of fish and fish preparations grew by
17.64 percent and about 28,488 metric tons of fish and fish products valuing
US$ 75.370 million were exported as compared to the exports of 21.959 metric
tons worth of US$ 64.06 million of same period last year, it added.
During the period under review, wheat exports
grew by 100 percent and about 1088 metric tons of wheat valuing US$ 344,000 was
exported whereas 91,916 metric tons of sugar worth of US$ 41.99 million was
exported which was also up by 100 percent as compared to the exports of same
period last year, the data further revealed.
https://dnd.com.pk/pakistans-food-exports-increase-17-52/134701
PFC to hold
its ninth mega exhibition ‘Interiors Pakistan’
By DND
-
October 23, 2017
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Pakistan Furniture Council
(PFC) on Monday announced to hold three-day mega ninth Interiors Pakistan
Expo-2017 to promote local furniture industry worldwide as well as enhancing
the exports of the sector.
The expo would be held on December 15 at Expo
Center in Islamabad where as many as 100 brands will exhibit their products.
The expo aimed at promoting and introducing
Pakistani interiors, furniture and accessories in and outside Pakistan, said
PFC Chief Executive Mian Kashif Ashfaq.
In past, PFC had successfully organized eight
mega exhibitions and got amazing response from the public and private sector
alike, he added.
China, Italy, United Kingdom, Turkey, Hong
Kong, Bulgaria, Denmark, Thailand and, Bangkok have been invited for participation
while delegations from other countries are too be expected, he added.
Members from diplomatic corps, leading
businessmen, stakeholders of the furniture industry and foreign delegation
would also attend the event, he maintained.
While more than 70 leading local companies and
interior designers will display their products and as per previous trend nearly
250,000 to 300,000 people are likely to visit this mega exhibition.
‘This exhibition has now opened new vistas and
venues to the amazing potential and caliber of Pakistani furniture, fixtures
and respective furnishing goods that we produce with high quality,” he said.
The essence of this mega furniture exhibition
is to promote the furniture and associated Pak made products at local and
international level.
Visitors on the lookout for buying furniture
will be able to enjoy special discount of up to 20 per cent on different items
at the exhibition which will also provide the younger designers and architects
to study the market trends and display their own work alongside that of more
established professionals.
Mian Kashif urged the government to establish
exclusive expo centres for furniture industry one each in Faisalabad,
Gujranwala, Sialkot, Peshawar and Quetta, especially for Lahore, Karachi and
Islamabad. Only 25 percent industrialists and traders of the country visit
Karachi fairs and after the establishment of new expo centres with greater
facilities more people would come to these cities to increase their trade with
foreigners and local investors,” he hoped.
PFC Secretary Hamid Mahmood on this occasion
said the objective of Interiors Pakistan was to give exposure to local
entrepreneurs to the major markets in Pakistan. “This activity aims at
uplifting socio-economic condition of the community and connect the
entrepreneurs with direct buyers”, he added.
He said with a little innovation, investment
and government support, furniture industry can generate even more employment
and income from sustainable economy.
He said textiles and rice were currently the
largest exports of Pakistan bringing in $14 billion and $2 billion of foreign
exchange, respectively. Furniture exports on the other hand stand at a meager
$51 million
https://dnd.com.pk/pfc-to-hold-its-ninth-mega-exhibition-interiors-pakistan/134708
Sri Lanka to urgently import rice to prevent
rice shortage
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-23 19:06:22|Editor: liuxin
COLOMBO, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka on Monday launched an
open international tender to import 200,000 metric tons of rice to prevent a severe
rice shortage in the island country.The Ministry of Commerce and Industry in a
statement said the tender was open to suppliers worldwide and would close on
Oct 30.
"We are making every effort to ensure that there will be no
shortage for our consumers," Commerce and Industry Minister Rishard
Bathiudeen said in the statement.
Sri Lanka has launched the tender under the International
Competitive Bidding Procedure, which means that any qualifying foreign
government or a foreign private sector supplier is able to bid.
Sri Lankan rice importers too are eligible to take part in the
latest bidding.
Of the 200,000 metric tons of rice called, Sri Lanka expects
100,000 metric tons to arrive in Colombo by the end of November while the
remaining 100,000 metric tons is expected to arrive by end of December.
"Based on a recent assessment in the world market, the
potential supply sources for the latest 200,000 metric tons of rice are
India, Pakistan, Thailand,
Cambodia, Myanmar and Vietnam, though other destinations too could
partner," the statement said.
Sri Lanka's domestic rice market failed to produce the necessary
volumes due to a poor harvest since 2016.
Due to a severe drought and flash floods in 2016 and 2017, the
production of rice in Sri Lanka fell by 50 percent, leading to the government
urgently calling for tenders to import rice from foreign countries.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2017-10/23/c_136700192.htm
Customs seize smuggled petrol, tyres, rice,
soap worth N15m
Published
on
October 24, 2017
By
The Nigeria Customs Service has seized goods estimated at N15m
from smugglers along the Gbao, Yekeme and pasha creeks of Lagos and Otta axis.
The seizure, which included 43,750 litres of Petrol were estimated
at N6.3m, 348 cartons and 25 sacks of assorted foreign soaps valued at N3.2m.
The seizure also included 438 used tyres valued at N2.1m and 300
bags of rice worth N2.1m
Speaking on Tuesday at a news conference in Lagos, Sarki Kebbi,
the Area Controller of Western Marine Command, said the command was apt in the
use of intelligence gathering.
“I have promised that under my watch as the CAC of the command,
smugglers will not have their way to perpetuate their evil business.
“My men are highly motivated and I have ordered for a 24-hour
patrol of the waterways and creeks and it is yielding positive result as you
are aware.
“The NCS, in trying to curtail the activities of smugglers, has
increased the manning of the high ways and some land border routes used for the
smuggling.
“To this effect, smugglers have tended to fall into the waters,
thinking that it will be easy for them. We are going to smoke them out of the
waters. I have advised them to change business, otherwise they will have
themselves to blame for their waterloo,’’ he said.
He said that the command’s operations would soon be boosted as the
Comptroller General of the NCS, retired Col. Hameed Ali, had assured of the
provision of two sea vessels.
He said that no suspect was arrested during the operation because
the smugglers had mastered the terrain and were able to escape through the
waters.
According to him, with the acquisition of the sea operational
vessels, the officers and men will be able to make arrests.
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http://dailypost.ng/2017/10/24/customs-seize-smuggled-petrol-tyres-rice-soap-worth-n15m/Sri Lanka floats
international tender for 200,000 MT of rice
24.10.2017
Sri Lanka has launched an open international tender to import a
fresh tranche of rice– a first call in recent times to be issued to suppliers
worldwide.
“We are making every effort to ensure that there will be no shortages for our consumers,” said Industry and Commerce Minister Rishad Bathiudeen.
“Under the directions of the government’s Cost of Living Committee (CoLC) we announced on October 13 that we will import 500,000 MT of rice. The aim of CoLC is to support our consumers with lowest prices and give steady supplies,” he added.
The 500,000 MT announced previously on October 13 was mostly on government to government rice procurement basis.
However, the latest tender for 200, 000MT, which too is a part of this 500,000 MT tranche, enlists a far wider supplier base and is under the international competitive bidding procedure, meaning any qualifying foreign government or even a foreign private sector supplier is able to bid.
The breakdown of the 200,000 MT is: 90,000MT of parboiled nadu rice, 60,000MT of samba (parboiled) rice, and 50,000 MT of white raw rice. Sri Lankan rice importers too are eligible to take part in the latest bidding.
Of the 200,000 MT rice called for, Sri Lanka expect 100,000 MT to arrive in Colombo by end November 2017 and the other 100,000 MT to arrive by end of December 2017.
“We are making every effort to ensure that there will be no shortages for our consumers,” said Industry and Commerce Minister Rishad Bathiudeen.
“Under the directions of the government’s Cost of Living Committee (CoLC) we announced on October 13 that we will import 500,000 MT of rice. The aim of CoLC is to support our consumers with lowest prices and give steady supplies,” he added.
The 500,000 MT announced previously on October 13 was mostly on government to government rice procurement basis.
However, the latest tender for 200, 000MT, which too is a part of this 500,000 MT tranche, enlists a far wider supplier base and is under the international competitive bidding procedure, meaning any qualifying foreign government or even a foreign private sector supplier is able to bid.
The breakdown of the 200,000 MT is: 90,000MT of parboiled nadu rice, 60,000MT of samba (parboiled) rice, and 50,000 MT of white raw rice. Sri Lankan rice importers too are eligible to take part in the latest bidding.
Of the 200,000 MT rice called for, Sri Lanka expect 100,000 MT to arrive in Colombo by end November 2017 and the other 100,000 MT to arrive by end of December 2017.
http://www.blackseagrain.net/novosti/sri-lanka-floats-international-tender-for-200-000-mt-of-rice
Feature: China helps Nepali farmers improve
rice production, tackle food deficit
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-25 01:26:06|Editor: yan
by Shristi Kafle
KATHMANDU, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- Rice crop, as one of the staple
foods in Nepal, spanned 1.553 million hectares of land in the Himalayan country
although production was limited to only 5.23 million metric tons in fiscal year
2016-2017.
Nearly 70 percent of the Nepali population work in the
agriculture sector which significantly contributes to national gross domestic
product.
However, Nepal still struggles to produce an adequate supply of
food, especially rice, hence imports from other South Asian countries are
vital.
To help Nepal cope with its low production, which has resulted
in a food deficit, the Chinese government has been helping Nepal to promote
production through Chinese hybrid rice since 2016.
The Chinese and the Nepali governments signed an agreement on
agricultural technical cooperation project in February 2016, which will last
for three years.
During the first phase, China has been providing economic and
technical assistance in the agricultural sector, especially for rice and maize
production.
Yuan Longping High-tech Agriculture Co. Ltd, a Chinese
implementing agency, is working in cooperation with the National Agricultural
Research Council (NARC) of Nepal.
"We have been carrying out various comparative trials and
high-yield demonstrations of Chinese hybrid rice in Nepal," Zhang Xiaohui,
agronomist and team leader of the agricultural technical cooperation project,
told Xinhua.
"We have already completed the trial of 67 varieties in
five different locations covering mid hills to southern plains," Zhang
said on Monday.
He explained that Chinese hybrid rice grows in a stable form
with strong resistance, has long panicles and has a higher yield than the local
varieties found in different parts of Nepal.
As part of the trial, Bhaktapur, which lies a few kilometers
away from central Kathmandu, was selected for the plantation of Chinese hybrid
rice this year.
Two varieties LPNBR 1628 and LPNBR 1632 were planted in around
10 ropanies of land, according to local measurement.
Fifty-year-old Bimala Shrestha has been producing a local
variety of rice and seasonal vegetables in her field for over two decades.
However, with the lowering yield, she always struggles to secure a decent
income.
But to everyone's surprise, Shrestha has produced more than
seven tons of rice this year, the highest yield in the last 18 years, thanks to
the Chinese hybrid rice. She said that she had never imagined that the
production would be this high.
"I cannot express how happy I am. Production is incredibly
high this time compared to previous years," Shrestha told Xinhua
"Since we are still harvesting, it's hard to calculate but
our estimation is between seven to nine tons per hectare. I am thankful to the
Chinese for their assistance," she said, while working in her field.
The mother of four explained that her income has increased
threefold compared to previous years, which will help her family to lead a more
comfortable if not luxurious life.
A farmer from the neighboring district of Kavre, Rewati Prasad
Timalsena, 59, was in attendance. Timalsena told Xinhua, "Production in my
field increased by four times this year, so has the income. The Chinese rice
variety has been a real boon."
According to government statistics, 38 out of 75 districts are
thought to suffer from a food deficit in Nepal, which means half of the country
is in a food crisis. Nepal usually imports rice from South Asian countries like
India and Bangladesh.
As the Chinese rice is gradually getting popular, the government
has been planning to register these rice varieties and self-produce the seed
within a couple of years.
Experts said that if Chinese varieties will continue to be
planted on a large scale, then the dependency of Nepal on other countries for
rice imports will soon end.
Ananda Kumar Gautam, director at the National Agricultural
Research Council, told Xinhua, "Under this project, we have been testing
the Chinese hybrid rice and we found that its production capacity is much
higher than our local variety. I think we can expand its plantation so that the
government can reduce rice imports."
The Chinese government has also been assisting Nepal in training
the manpower working in the agriculture sector.
They have also agreed to open a post-harvest support lab that
will boast high-end Chinese machinery.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2017-10/25/c_136703261.htm
VFA hikes rice export target on
strong demand
Update: October, 25/2017 -
09:00
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image:
http://image.vietnamnews.vn//uploadvnnews/Article/2017/10/24/rice92042717PM.jpg
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Loading rice for export at Sài Gòn Port in
HCM City. — VNA/VNS Photo Đình Huệ
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HÀ NỘI —
The Việt Nam Food Association (VFA) has decided to raise its rice
export target from 5.2 million tonnes to 5.6 million tones, following an
increase in rice contracts for the last months of the year.
Rice
exports have rebounded with an increase in rice contracts since May.
The country’s rice sector has already met 82 per cent of its target for the entire
year.
VFA’s statistics showed that in the first nine
months of the year, Việt Nam shipped around 4.57 million tonnes of
rice worth US$2.02 billion, up 20.8 per cent in quantity and over 18.6 per
cent in value from the same period last year. China was still the largest
importer of Vietnamese rice.
August saw the strongest growth for rice
exports this year so far with 70 per cent and 56.8 per cent increases in terms
of quantity and value respectively.
The number of contracts registered for exports
in August also rose to the record level of some 842,000 tonnes, increasing 207
per cent from the previous month and representing a 115 per cent year-on-year
increase.
Most of the contracts were with importers in
China, and Philippines and Africa.
The VFA attributed the boom to better export
performance in traditional markets including China, Malaysia, the Philippines
and Bangladesh.
Specifically, Vietnamese rice exporters shipped
150,000 tonnes of rice to Malaysia; 250,000 tonnes to Bangladesh and 175,000
tonnes to the Philippines. New export markets such as Australia and West Asia
also saw strong growth.
The association forecast that Việt Nam’s rice
exports would continue to increase in the future as Bangladesh solicited bids
from exporters for an order of 50,000 tonnes of non-basmati rice. If Việt Nam
wins the bid, its rice market’s already good year would become even better.
In May, the Việt Nam and Bangladesh governments
extended the memorandum of understanding on rice trading for five years,
covering the period from 2017-22.
Under the MoU, Việt Nam will supply some 1
million tonnes of rice a year for Bangladesh. After the MoU signing, Bangladesh
is expected to buy around 500,000 tonnes of Vietnamese rice till the end of
this year.
In addition, the Philippines also opened a
minimum access volume (MAV) mechanism in 2017-18. Accordingly, the country will
import 293,100 tonnes of rice from Việt Nam.
China is forecast to continue to maintain
strong imports of Vietnamese rice in the year-end months.
The Ministry of Industry and Trade recently
announced Strategy on Việt Nam Rice Export Market Development for 2017-20 calls
for gradually reducing rice export quantity but maintaining rice export value.
In addition, export and market structures will
be adjusted. — VNS
Read more at http://vietnamnews.vn/economy/416179/vfa-hikes-rice-export-target-on-strong-demand.html#A5b6L8OlyLc5YEUp.99
A rice farmer in Kandal province during last year’s harvest
season. Heng Chivoan
Millers start
to make use of $50M emergency rice fund
Wed, 25 October 2017
The government has already provided $9 million from its
emergency rice loan fund to the Kingdom’s rice millers since the harvest season
began in September, nearly triple the amount it provided when it first launched
the initiative last year when millers showed little appetite for state
financing.
Kao Thach, CEO of the state-owned Rural Development Bank (RDB),
said yesterday that the government had officially signed off on $9 million
worth of loans out of a fund which has reserved $50 million in total an amount
the government believes is sufficient to prop up the struggling rice sector.
“We already have given out $9 million to the rice millers and we
expect that more millers will come apply for funding,” he said, adding that the
RDB provides lower interest rates compared to commercial loans.
With an annual interest rate on loans set at 5 percent, the
government beefed up the emergency package in early August after millers
decried that they lacked the cash reserves to purchase unprocessed paddy from
farmers and that this shortage of capital would destabilise prices.
While the emergency fund in 2016 only managed to lend $3.5
million despite the rice sector facing two consecutive years of drought and a
vocal industry body claiming an imminent collapse, Vice President of the
Cambodia Rice Federation Hun Lak admitted millers were better prepared this
year to meet the state’s loan requirements.
“Our paddy rice market this year is good and stable and most of
the millers have a better understanding about the loans and the application
requirements and have better managed their own capital,” he said.
In addition to the emergency fund, the RDB has already provided
a $30 million package to three select millers to construct rice storage and
drying facilities in Kampong Thom, Prey Vang, Takeo and Battambang provinces
which are set to be completed in the coming months.
Lak said that the construction of rice storage facilities was a
much needed boost for millers who struggle to purchase rice from farmers as
stockpiles stack up.
“There is a lot of relief in the sector this year for both
farmers and millers, because when we lacked storage facilities we also lacked
funds for purchasing paddy rice,” he said.
However, he was still sceptical if the loan would be sufficient,
especially if overseas orders dramatically increase.
Song Saran, CEO of Amru Rice, who received $1.5 million from the
RDB by using approximately 5,000 tonnes of rice as collateral, said the
government should expand the programme beyond its current limitations which as
yet only allow fragrant rice to be used as collateral.
“The RDB has a good strategy to ensure the prices for paddy
rice, but it would be better if the government approved loans for all types of
rice varieties to promote exports,” he said
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/millers-start-make-use-50m-emergency-rice-fundChinese
scientists develop rice that can grow in seawater, potentially creating enough
food for 200 million people
Grains being grown in salty water produced
almost treble the expected amount of rice
·
19 hours ago
·
Click to follow
The Independent Online
The Independent Online
Scientists in China have developed several types of rice that
can be grown in seawater, potentially creating enough food for 200 million
people.
Researchers have been trying to grow the grain in salty water
for decades but have only now developed varieties that could be commercially
viable.
The rice was grown in a field near the Yellow Sea coastal city
of Qingdao in China’s eastern Shandong province. 200 different types of the
grain were planted to investigate which would grow best in salty
conditions.
Tourists plant
rice in famine stricken North Korea
Sea water was pumped into the fields, diluted and then
channelled into the rice paddies.
The scientists expected to produce 4.5 tonnes of rice per
hectare but the crops exceeded expectations, in one case delivering up to 9.3
tonnes per hectare.
"The test results greatly exceeded our expectations,"
Liu Shiping, a professor of agriculture at Yangzhou University who is involved
in the project, told Xinhua.
There are one million square kilometres of land in China where
crops do not grow because of high salinity. Scientists hope the development of
the new rice will allow some of these areas to be used for agriculture.
If even a tenth of these areas were planted with rice, they
could produce 50 million tonnes of food – enough to feed 200 million people and
boost China’s rice production by 20 per cent.
World news in pictures
·
The new type of rice was developed by a team led by 87-year-old
Yuan Longping, who has spent decades trying to breed rice to grow in different
conditions. The Chinese government has been investigating how to grow rice in
salty waters since the 1970s.
Mr Yuan said: "If a farmer tries to grow some types of
saline-tolerant rice now, they most likely will get 1,500 kilogrammes per
hectare. That is just not profitable and not even worth the effort.
READ
MORE
"Farmers will have an incentive to grow the rice if we can
double the yield.”
The saltwater rice is currently on sale for around 50 yuan (£6)
per kilogramme – around eight times more than ordinary rice. Despite the cost,
six tons of the grain have already been sold, with consumers praising its
flavour and texture.
The rice is also thought to have several health benefits,
including being high in calcium.
·
More about:
·
China
·
Rice
COMMENTS
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/rice-seawater-chinese-scientists-food-200-million-a8017971.htmlGSI team finds dangerous levels of lead in raw food items in
Kolkata markets
The team of
scientists pinpointed exhausts from vehicles running on diesel as the principal
source of lead.
HT Correspondent
Hindustan Times
Hindustan Times
Food items sold in open roadside markets in Kolkata contain lead
that cannot be removed even by washing them with water, GSI scientists have
found out.(HT Photo)
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Raw food items such as rice, red lentil, chicken, fish,
biscuits, spice sold in roadside markets of Kolkata contain high levels of
lead, prolonged consumption of which can permanently damage kidneys, liver and
the blood system, a recent study by Geological Survey of India (GSI) has found.
Lead is a highly toxic element that is especially harmful to
children, who can even suffer reverses in brain growth on regular exposure to
lead.
The findings of this rare study are alarming. While the
acceptable levels of lead in blood are pegged at less than 0.05 mg/litre for
children and less than 0.25 mg/litre for adults, the presence of the element
varied from a minimum of 5 times (in fish) to 2,911 times (in vegetable) of
that limit.
File picture. The presence of lead in samples of fish was found
to vary approximately between 5 to 71 times higher than the permissible limits
in adults and 26 to 356 times the limit suitable for children. (HT Photo)
The GSI team identified diesel exhausts of the city traffic and
soil in the nearby areas where vegetable is grown as the major sources of
excessive lead. “The lead has come from diesel exhausts. This type of study is
rare in the world. A few have been conducted in the US and France. A new
machine has helped us to pinpoint diesel as the chief source of lead and there
is no ambiguity in the findings,” Dipayan Guha, director of geochronology and
isotope geology division of GSI told HT.
The outcome of the study, conducted by project director Dipayan
Guha and a team of six scientists, was published in Environmental Science and
Technology and Environmental Science and Pollution Research. The studies began
in 2014 and continued till March 2016.
In rice the presence of lead was a minimum of seven times (of
the limits for adults) to a maximum of 30 times. It implied a level that is 36
times to 149 times of the safe limits for children. The presence of the element
in chicken is as high as 38 times the permissible limit for adults and 191
times of that for kids.
Samples of rice were found to contain lead that was 58 times
more than the permissible limit for adults and 287 times of the ceiling for
children. (HT Photo)
“The maximum Pb concentration in rice was 14.39 mg/kg in the
Khidirpur sample from west Kolkata…. Vegetables sold in the sampled markets had
a Pb concentration ranged from a low of 3.28 mg/kg to a very high value of
145.47 mg/kg…,” read a GSI statement.
The GSI team collected samples of polished rice, red lentil
(masoor dal), chicken, fish (without scales), spinach, biscuits, spices (cumin
seeds) and tulsi from 12 roadside markets from north, south, east and west of
Kolkata.
“Even if one washes the items in water, one can get rid of 50%
of the lead,” said Guha.
The maximum concentration of lead was found in the soil at and
near Dhapa, the city’s principal dumping ground.
The GSI team also found the lead content in the street dust
alarming. “The mean concentration of Pb found in the 29 sites was 383.2 mg/kg
with a range from 23.82 mg/kg to a very high value of 2,697.24 mg/kg at Amherst
Street in north Kolkata,” a GSI release said.
The GSI spokesperson told HT that they chose samples from the
roadside markets since common people buy from these.
“Since much of the contamination is caused by exposure to air,
one can expect that packaged items sold in closed conditions will have less
lead,” said the spokesperson.
Kalyan Rudra, chairman of the state Pollution Control Board,
told HT there was no immediate relief in sight. “CNG is not available in
Kolkata and is only expected to reach here in 2020. Even after it reached the
city, it will take a lot of time for the commercial vehicles to switch from
diesel to CNG. The autorickshaws, however, have already to LPG,” said Rudra
http://www.hindustantimes.com/kolkata/gsi-team-finds-dangerous-levels-of-lead-in-raw-food-items-in-kolkata-markets/story-TWznIXaecFjj30YqVdGEhP.html
Climate expert to speak at Jack Kilby Science Day
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POSTED October 24, 2017 8:48 p.m.
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Photo courtesy of Barton
Community College
Climate expert to speak at Jack Kilby
Science Day
A high school student participates in a science activity
at last year’s Jack Kilby Science Day.
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An expert on climate change will
be the keynote speaker when Barton Community College hosts the 14th Annual
Jack Kilby Science Day from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Nov. 20.
High School juniors and seniors, students with appropriate Individual Educational Programs, high school science and technology instructors and appropriate administration are all invited to this free event. The day will kick off with a presentation by Dr. Charles Rice, professor of soil microbiology in the Department of Agronomy at Kansas State University. Dr. Rice is a University Distinguished Professor and holds the Vanier University Professorship at KSU. Internationally, he served on the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to author a report on Climate Change in 2007 and 2014 and was among scientists recognized when that work won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007. Dr. Rice’s keynote presentation is aptly titled “Climate Change: What it means for Kansas.” Once the presentation has concluded, high school participants will be offered the opportunity to meet and visit with each other and to learn about the day’s expanded and updated activities. Students will then choose from several hands-on mini-sessions, demonstrations, competitions and experiments in various areas of science and technology. The day will close with an academic carnival and a free lunch. To register and for more information visit www.jackkilbyscienceday.com. |
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Rice Webinar:
Thursday, October 26
Nestle Purina Joins Partnership to Ensure
Future of Working Ricelands
By Andi Cooper
Waiting on the call
MEMPHIS, TN -- Nestlé Purina PetCare Company, a global leader
in pet care, is the newest corporate sponsor of the USA Rice/Ducks Unlimited
(DU) Rice Stewardship Partnership.
Through a $2 million commitment over four years, Nestlé Purina's
investment will help keep working ricelands healthy, preserve wetlands, and
create habitat for waterfowl and other wildlife.
"Farmers, their dogs and waterfowl have
long been part of our conservation heritage," said Dale Hall, Ducks
Unlimited CEO. "Purina is already a
great partner of Ducks Unlimited, and we're proud that they are joining us in
our rice industry support and conservation mission."
This commitment is part of Purina's long-term
sustainability strategy to add value to the agricultural supply chain and
ensure food for people and high-quality ingredients for pets are available well
into the future.
"Supporting rice stewardship is consistent
with Nestlé Purina's purpose and values," said Joe Sivewright, Nestlé
Purina CEO. "We exist as a company
to create richer lives for pets and the people who love them, and this includes
stewarding natural resources for future generations."
In addition to rice being a critical dietary
staple upon which billions depend, working ricelands are also a critical
habitat for waterfowl and other wildlife.
Winter-flooded rice fields provide an average of 35 percent of the food
available to dabbling ducks, like mallards, pintails and teal, in key wintering
areas like the Gulf Coast, the Mississippi Alluvial Valley, and California's
Central Valley.
Purina's investment will help fund strategies
to protect working ricelands, including conservation planning, irrigation
efficiencies, nutrient management and education of decision-makers on water,
agriculture and wildlife and fisheries connections. The project will also help to improve air
quality, conserve energy, and support the rice producer's bottom line.
Purina's contribution will also support the
next generation of rice farmers.
Currently, less than 10 percent of rice farm operators are under the age
of 35.
"We know training and empowering the next
generation of rice farmers is critical. With support from Nestlé Purina, we can
take Rice Stewardship to a new, more impactful level with these young
farmers," said Scott Manley, DU's director of conservation programs.
Purina joins other committed financial sponsors
in support of the Rice Stewardship Program, including the USDA Natural
Resources Conservation Service, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Walmart
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., Delta Plastics, Wells Fargo, Farmers Rice
Milling Company, Horizon Ag, Turner's Creek & Bombay Hook Farms, MacDon
Industries, Dow AgroSciences, and DU major sponsors.
·
"At Purina we believe that a healthy
environment grows healthy ingredients for healthy pets," said Jack Scott,
Head of Sustainability, Nestlé Purina.
"Rice is a natural grain that helps fuel energy and supports
digestibility. It's one of the key
ingredients in a variety of our pet food recipes, so how it's grown is
important to us." T & WILDLIFE
·
COMMUNITY
·
OP-EDS
·
Floodplains
Adjacent to the Sacramento River Should Be Nature’s Pantry
Rivers need
to be reconnected with floodplains to provide essential nutrients for fish and
needed habitat for birds, which will require targeted flows, says Dale Hall of
Ducks Unlimited.
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WRITTEN BYDale Hall
|
PUBLISHED ONs Oct. 24, 2017
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READ TIMEApprox. 3 minutes
|
ACROSS THE
WORLD and throughout history, people
have settled next to rivers to take advantage of their water for
transportation, fish and wildlife productivity, and the naturally fertile soils
of adjacent floodplains.
Floodplains should be thought of
as nature’s pantry; they are among the most productive ecosystems in nature and
provide the supply of nutrients and food resources necessary to keep rivers,
and the many species dependent on them, healthy.
Changing with the seasons,
floodplains serve as “cooking pots” for the complex food chains that rivers
support. They hold concentrations of life that are found at no other time in
the hydrologic cycle and act as a food supply for rivers, which need floodplain
inputs to sustain the resident fish and wildlife populations until the cycle
can be repeated the following year. However, rivers must have access to
floodplains during the right times of year to receive these annual injections
of beneficial nutrients.
In California’s Central Valley,
the Sacramento River originally evolved with, and benefited from, annual
flooding. But that natural cycle no longer functions due to the manmade levees
and water-control structures that keep the river’s rising water from naturally
entering the floodplain. Today, it takes the combination of flooded
agricultural lands and managed wetlands to provide the food resources necessary
to support the millions of waterfowl, shorebirds and other waterbirds that call
California home for a significant portion of their life cycle. I was personally
involved with this complex management system during my time with the United
States Fish and Wildlife Service, and have seen how important these floodplain
inputs are for wildlife.
Now that natural flooding no
longer occurs and millions of acres of natural wetlands have been lost because
of development and other impacts, seasonally flooded rice fields have become a
critical resource for waterfowl and other wildlife species. The 300,000 acres
of winter-flooded rice in the Sacramento Valley during a “normal” winter are
needed to provide the food resources necessary to help support nearly 7 million
waterfowl (60 percent of all waterfowl in the Pacific Flyway) and 300,000 shorebirds.
The Nigiri Project, which is
a partnership of farmers and researchers, including California Trout, has shown
that flooded rice fields benefit fish populations. In the winter, the project
floods farmland used for crops during the summer, and creates a kind of
“surrogate” floodplain for juvenile salmon. Results from the project have shown
an increase in growth and health of salmon inside seasonally flooded rice
fields, which dramatically demonstrates the need for more connectivity between
the river and adjacent floodplains.
California’s Central Valley
contains approximately 206,000 acres of managed wetlands, covering just 5 percent
of the historic 4 million acres of wetlands that once existed in the region.
These remaining managed wetlands need water, for both summer irrigation and
winter flooding, to provide their maximum benefits to birds and
other wildlife.
The provision of this water and
the habitat values it provides is reliant upon the ability of Sacramento Valley
water districts and companies to divert and deliver surface water resources
year-round in accordance with their contracts and water rights.
Rice fields and wetlands provide
the basis for nutrients and the ensuing explosion of life that still occurs,
but these fields are largely disconnected from rivers and can’t currently
provide nursery habitat for salmon and smelt. This impacts the food available
for salmon and smelt, with the most concerning outcome being possible
starvation. And it’s not just fish that are at risk.
During normal years in which
wetlands are managed properly and typical rice acreage is winter-flooded, there
is enough food to maintain waterfowl populations throughout the winter months.
However, during times of drought, models predict that food resources may run
short in the middle of winter right when bird numbers are at their peak and
food demand is highest. This will likely result in substantial losses of birds
that rely upon this Pacific Flyway habitat.
Ducks Unlimited and
our partners are convinced this problem can be reversed and, if we desire to
have healthy populations of salmon, smelt, waterfowl and the remainder of
Sacramento River ecosystem constituents, it must be reversed. It is vitally
important that we allow the food produced in the floodplain, along with the
healthy growth of fish, to provide much-needed biological relief and support the
sustainability of our rivers.
This can only occur by having
water available for the floodplain and by encouraging water users and managers
involved with the Central Valley’s water to provide functional and targeted
flows that are directly tailored for specific purposes and benefits to
“nature’s pantry.” Continuing to develop voluntary agreements, consistent with
a functional flow approach, will ensure that this important work in the
Sacramento Valley will benefit fish and wildlife.
The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do
not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Water Deeply.
https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/community/2017/10/24/floodplains-adjacent-to-the-sacramento-river-should-be-natures-pantry
M ekong Delta: Adapt to saltwater intrusion by using aquaculture
VietNamNet Bridge - Instead of
trying to prevent saltwater invasion and desalinizing, it would be better to
adapt to the new circumstances and think of developing aquaculture in Mekong
Delta, scientists say.
In the Mekong Delta, one of the largest key agriculture production zones in the country, alkaline soil accounts for 18.6 percent of total area, located along the East Coast belt and the Gulf of Thailand. In the context of climate change, desalinizing is an impossible mission, or will be too costly.
Meanwhile, alum land accounts for 40 percent of the zone’s total area, mostly located in depression areas, where it is very difficult to clear alum. Scientists have warned that saline intrusion would reach more deeply into the mainland in the future as a result of climate change.
Le Quoc Anh, head of the team carrying out research on turning challenges in Mekong Delta into opportunities for development, pointed out that saline intrusion cannot be prevented, so the best solution is accelerating the salinization process to serve aquaculture.
He emphasized that adjusting to environmental conditions is the most important aspect in agricultural production which helps improve productivity and ensures sustainable development.
|
Saline intrusion cannot be
prevented, so the best solution is accelerating the salinization process to
serve aquaculture.
|
In fact, farmers also prefer
hatching shrimp to growing rice because shrimp brings higher profits.
Therefore, despite the ban by local authorities, farmers still deliberately let
their fields get salty to farm shrimp in the fields.
A local newspaper reported that farmers have even sprayed salt into their fields and ponds to make the water salty for hatching shrimp.
However, Anh stressed that it still needs thorough consideration before accelerating the saltwater intrusion process and shifting the land use purpose from rice to shrimp farming.
In the alum infected land, it would be better to have one crop of rice and one crop of shrimp. Meanwhile, in the areas where alluvium soil accounts for 29.7 percent and grey soil amounts to 3.4 percent of total area, it would be necessary to preserve the land for rice and fruit farming to ensure food security.
In other words, Anh said, it is necessary to apply comprehensive measures to mitigate the influences of climate change and select best solutions specifically for different areas.
There is a problem that in the saltwater-stricken areas which have just shifted to aquaculture, the conditions are not favorable enough to farm shrimp. In the areas, the current is usually low and farmers still don’t have experience.
Therefore, if not applying reasonable scientific solutions, the water in shrimp ponds will get stuck and shrimp will lack oxygen, while the food leftover and waste will harm farming, thus causing losses to farmers.
A local newspaper reported that farmers have even sprayed salt into their fields and ponds to make the water salty for hatching shrimp.
However, Anh stressed that it still needs thorough consideration before accelerating the saltwater intrusion process and shifting the land use purpose from rice to shrimp farming.
In the alum infected land, it would be better to have one crop of rice and one crop of shrimp. Meanwhile, in the areas where alluvium soil accounts for 29.7 percent and grey soil amounts to 3.4 percent of total area, it would be necessary to preserve the land for rice and fruit farming to ensure food security.
In other words, Anh said, it is necessary to apply comprehensive measures to mitigate the influences of climate change and select best solutions specifically for different areas.
There is a problem that in the saltwater-stricken areas which have just shifted to aquaculture, the conditions are not favorable enough to farm shrimp. In the areas, the current is usually low and farmers still don’t have experience.
Therefore, if not applying reasonable scientific solutions, the water in shrimp ponds will get stuck and shrimp will lack oxygen, while the food leftover and waste will harm farming, thus causing losses to farmers.
http://english.vietnamnet.vn/fms/environment/188817/mekong-delta--adapt-to-saltwater-intrusion-by-using-aquaculture.html
Sri Lanka
floats international tender for 200,000 MT of rice
2017-10-24 00:40:58
0
249
Sri Lanka has launched an open international tender to import a
fresh tranche of rice– a first call in recent times to be issued to suppliers
worldwide.
“We are making every effort to ensure that there will be no shortages for our consumers,” said Industry and Commerce Minister Rishad Bathiudeen.
“Under the directions of the government’s Cost of Living Committee (CoLC) we announced on October 13 that we will import 500,000 MT of rice. The aim of CoLC is to support our consumers with lowest prices and give steady supplies,” he added.
The 500,000 MT announced previously on October 13 was mostly on government to government rice procurement basis.
However, the latest tender for 200, 000MT, which too is a part of this 500,000 MT tranche, enlists a far wider supplier base and is under the international competitive bidding procedure, meaning any qualifying foreign government or even a foreign private sector supplier is able to bid.
The breakdown of the 200,000 MT is: 90,000MT of parboiled nadu rice, 60,000MT of samba (parboiled) rice, and 50,000 MT of white raw rice. Sri Lankan rice importers too are eligible to take part in the latest bidding.
Of the 200,000 MT rice called for, Sri Lanka expect
100,000 MT to arrive in Colombo by end November 2017 and the other 100,000 MT
to arrive by end of December 2017.
The tender will close on October 30
http://www.dailymirror.lk/article/Sri-Lanka-floats-international-tender-for-MT-of-rice-139047.html
Bangladesh approves purchase of 100,000t rice from India
23.10.2017
Bangladesh has approved the purchase of 100,000 tonnes of
parboiled rice from India in a state-to-state deal at $455 a tonne, officials
said on Sunday, as the government races to shore up depleted stocks and combat
high prices.
Traditionally the world’s fourth-biggest rice producer, Bangladesh’s rice imports are set to hit their highest levels in a decade after floods hit its crops.
The price includes shipping, insurance and discharge costs.
The rice is to be shipped within 60 days after signing the deal, which will take place soon, a food ministry official said.
The approval followed the government’s approval of the purchase of 100,000 tonnes of white rice at $442 a tonne from Myanmar, putting aside worsening relations over the Rohingya refugee crisis.
Bangladesh is also set to import 150,000 tonnes of rice from Thailand at $465 per tonne. It has already secured deals with Vietnam and Cambodia as it looks to import a total of 1.5 million tonnes of rice in the year to June.
High prices of rice, a staple food for Bangladesh’s 160 million people, helped send the annual inflation rate in September to its highest level since October 2015, posing a problem for the government which faces an election next year.
Strong demand from Bangladesh could further lift Asian rice prices, which hit multi-year highs in recent months after Bangladesh and other countries in South Asia saw their worst monsoon floods in years.
Bangladesh imported more than 1 million tonnes of rice in the July-October period, food ministry data showed.
Despite bulk imports, domestic prices have not budged, with officials and traders expecting more imports of the staple grain in the coming months.
In August, the government cut a duty on rice imports for the second time in two months. The lower import duty has prompted purchases by private dealers, with most of the deals being struck with neighbouring India.
Bangladesh produces around 34 million tonnes of rice annually but uses almost all its production to feed its people. It often requires imports to cope with shortages caused by floods or droughts.
Traditionally the world’s fourth-biggest rice producer, Bangladesh’s rice imports are set to hit their highest levels in a decade after floods hit its crops.
The price includes shipping, insurance and discharge costs.
The rice is to be shipped within 60 days after signing the deal, which will take place soon, a food ministry official said.
The approval followed the government’s approval of the purchase of 100,000 tonnes of white rice at $442 a tonne from Myanmar, putting aside worsening relations over the Rohingya refugee crisis.
Bangladesh is also set to import 150,000 tonnes of rice from Thailand at $465 per tonne. It has already secured deals with Vietnam and Cambodia as it looks to import a total of 1.5 million tonnes of rice in the year to June.
High prices of rice, a staple food for Bangladesh’s 160 million people, helped send the annual inflation rate in September to its highest level since October 2015, posing a problem for the government which faces an election next year.
Strong demand from Bangladesh could further lift Asian rice prices, which hit multi-year highs in recent months after Bangladesh and other countries in South Asia saw their worst monsoon floods in years.
Bangladesh imported more than 1 million tonnes of rice in the July-October period, food ministry data showed.
Despite bulk imports, domestic prices have not budged, with officials and traders expecting more imports of the staple grain in the coming months.
In August, the government cut a duty on rice imports for the second time in two months. The lower import duty has prompted purchases by private dealers, with most of the deals being struck with neighbouring India.
Bangladesh produces around 34 million tonnes of rice annually but uses almost all its production to feed its people. It often requires imports to cope with shortages caused by floods or droughts.
http://www.blackseagrain.net/novosti/bangladesh-approves-purchase-of-100-000t-rice-from-india
China grows rice in salt water to feed 200 million people
Published time: 24 Oct, 2017 13:28
Published time: 24 Oct, 2017 13:28
© SIPA Asia / Global Look Press
2K
Chinese scientists are claiming to have achieved a crucial
agricultural breakthrough, growing high-yield rice in salt water.
The new strain has been previously tried and tested, but
scientists from the Qingdao Saline-Alkali Tolerant Rice Research and
Development Center reportedly managed to nearly triple yields, to 4.5 metric
tons per hectare, making it ready for commercialization.
#China step
closer to creating world's biggest agrochemical firm https://on.rt.com/8as3
Saltwater cultivation may boost China’s
rice production by nearly 20 percent and will be able to feed more than 200
million people, according to the research leader Yuan Longping, known as
China’s ‘father of hybrid rice.’
The new type of hybrid rice has been grown among 200 varieties of
rice in Qingdao, a coastal city in eastern China’s Shandong Province. The
researchers pumped and diluted seawater from the Yellow Sea, and then channeled
it into the rice paddy fields.
‘Guinea pig’ Canadians offered ‘world’s
first’ #GMO salmon https://on.rt.com/8jz4
‘Guinea pig’ Canadians offered ‘world’s first’ GMO salmon
— RT America
Diluted seawater rice has already gone on sale. However, at 50
yuan ($7.50) a kilo the new variety is eight times more expensive than
traditional rice.
An online shop selling the rice was started in August by Yuan Ce
Biological Technology, a Qingdao-based start-up and business partner of Yuan
Longping’s research team.
The platform is selling rice harvested last year with this year's
crop to enter the stores in November.
EPA joins FDA to approve 3 types of
genetically modified potatoes https://on.rt.com/84eu
A thousand customers placed orders last month, and nearly six tons
of the new variety have been sold since August, according to a sales manager.
The firm expects to reach sales revenue of 10 million yuan ($1.5 million) by
the end of the year.
The variety cannot be officially called sea rice, as it was grown
in an area where fresh water mixes with sea water, according to the director of
the Yunnan Institute of Ecological Agriculture Na Zhongyuan.
https://www.rt.com/business/407629-china-rice-grow-salt-water/
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Oct. 26 webinar addresses
implications of decline in U.S. rice supplies
Webinar focuses on rice supplies, prices. Features Nathan Childs
of USDA Economic Research Services
The U.S rice crop is expected to
be the smallest since 1996-97, according to the latest World Agricultural
Supply and Demand Estimates report. The “why’s” and implications of that
decline will be the topic of the Oct. 26 webinar being offered by the
University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.
The webinar will feature Nathan
Childs, agricultural economist with the U.S. Agriculture Department’s Economic
Research Service. The webinar is scheduled for 3 p.m. Central and there’s no
cost to attend. To register, visit: http://bit.ly/uaex-rice-outlook-Oct26.
“Nathan will discuss the reasons
behind and implications of the expected decline in U.S. rice supplies in
2017-18 on prices, trade, and use,” said Bobby Coats, professor-Extension
economist for the Division of Agriculture. “He will also touch on major factors
driving the global rice market and recent global price movements will be
analyzed.”
Childs’ presentation will be
based on updated forecasts from the Oct. 12 WASDE report (See: https://www.usda.gov/oce/commodity/wasde/latest.pdf),
which said the rice ending stocks would be the lowest in 14 years.
The event is part of the ongoing Food & Agribusiness Webinar
Series. Visit https://www.uaex.edu/farm-ranch/economics-marketing/food-agribusiness-webinars/ to
learn more.
UofA to Host
Webinar on Rice Market
Details and registration link
below:
Topic: U.S. Rice Market Faces Tighter Supplies and Higher Prices
in 2017/18
Description: Nathan Childs will explain the reasons behind and
implications of the expected decline in U.S. rice supplies in 2017/18 on
prices, trade, and use. In addition, major factors driving the global rice
market and recent global price movements will be analyzed. The presentation
will be based on updated forecasts from the October 12 World Agricultural
Supply and Demand Estimates report.
Presenter: Nathan Childs, Agricultural
Economist with USDA’s Economic Research Service.
Time: Oct 26, 2017 3:00 PM in Central Standard Time (US and
Canada)
http://agcouncil.net/2017/10/uofa-to-host-webinar-on-rice-market/
Welcome to Rice News Today
25 October,2017
Boro harvest drops 5pc to 1.8cr tonnes
OCTOBER 23, 2017 / 7:45 PM / 2 DAYS AGO
Egypt says wheat reserves sufficient for 4 months
·
·
CAIRO, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Egypt’s supply minister said on Monday
the country has wheat reserves sufficient for four months and sugar reserves
for 5.2 months.
Egypt also has vegetable oils for the next 3.2 months and its
rice reserves are sufficient for one month’s consumption, Supply Minister Ali
Meselhi told a press conference on Monday.
The minister added that the two Romanian and French wheat
cargoes that were held over containing poppy seeds have been released and will
be added to strategic stocks. (Reporting by Moemen Abdelkhalek; Writing by Arwa
Gaballa, editing by David Evans)
https://af.reuters.com/article/egyptNews/idAFL4N1MY4O4
WSU researchers genetically
alter rice plants
Affected plants could produce more food, potentially addressing
world hunger problems
Surya Prakosa | Unsplash
By 2050, global food production will need to double to feed 9.1
billion people. Today, rice fields around the world such as this one in Lombok,
Indonesia, produce rice that help feed half of the current population.
October 24, 2017
WSU researchers are participating in international research to
improve photosynthetic efficiency in rice to help reduce world hunger.
Cousins Lab, one of 12 institutions working on the C4 Rice Project
funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, is conducting the research.
Eight countries around the world are collaborating using innovative scientific
techniques to enhance rice crop yields.
“The objective is to supercharge photosynthesis in rice,” said
Asaph Cousins, associate professor in the School of Biological Sciences at WSU.
The world’s population will reach 9.1 billion by the year 2050,
the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations predicted. Nearly
all of this population growth will occur in developing countries.
Rice feeds almost half of humanity. Global food production will
need to increase by 50 percent to feed 2 billion more mouths, according to a
report from the FAO.
Competition for land is a problem in regions like Asia because
urbanization is decreasing available land for agriculture, said Rita Giuliani,
post-doctoral scientist on the project.
Cousins said his aim is for developing countries to have higher
crop yields without more land usage.
Introduction of the C4 photosynthetic pathway is predicted to increase
rice crop yields by 50 percent and majorly decrease water usage. Rice farmers
can have higher crop yields without needing more land while conserving water.
“It’s basically a triple hit,” said Jane Langdale, the current
coordinator of the C4 Rice Project.
Rice is traditionally a C3 plant, along with wheat. Transition
from a C3 photosynthetic pathway to C4 requires altering certain genes. Corn
naturally has a C4 pathway that Cousins Lab is trying to mimic and introduce to
rice. Using corn as a template, the hope is to make rice’s metabolic process
extremely efficient.
“It’s very ambitious work, trying to change what nature did over
the course of thousands of years in just 25,” Giuliani said.
Photosynthesis is a metabolic process through which plants convert
energy from sunlight, CO2 and water into needed nutrients. C3 and C4 are two
different photosynthetic pathways available in plants.
For example, there are two ways to pick grapes: Picking each
individual grape versus the whole bunch. Picking the whole bunch is more
efficient than picking individual grapes. C3 and C4 plants act in a similar way
— C4 photosynthesis is more efficient than C3.
Labs across the nation send seed samples, with genetic
alterations, to Cousins Lab for testing, Asaph said. Once the seed has grown
and produces leaves, testing begins. The leaves are tested to see if the
genetic alterations made earlier have worked or not.
Cousins acknowledged the ethical questions brought up when
researchers genetically engineer plants. He said some parts of the public had
responded to the project with skepticism and other researchers were doubtful
that the team could accomplish such a large task. He also said they were
excited by the possibilities it could create.
This would be a huge step for the science field if this project is
successful, Cousins said.
https://dailyevergreen.com/19463/news/wsu-researchers-genetically-alter-rice-plants/
Country expects to export 5.6
million tons of rice in 2017
With positive signs like rice export contracts significantly increasing
in the closing months of 2017, the Vietnam Food Association (VFA) raised its
rice export target to 5.6 million tons instead of 5.2 million tons as set
earlier.
Photo for illustration
Unlike the somber picture in 2016 and the first few months of
2017, from May to now, rice exports began to recover as the number of rice
contracts rose significantly.
According to VFA, in the first nine months of the year, Vietnam
shipped about 4.57 million tons of rice abroad, up 20.8% in volume and 18.6% in
value (equivalent to USD2.02 billion) over a year earlier. China continued as
the biggest importer of Vietnamese rice.
Specifically, August saw the strongest momentum with a 70% rise in
volume and a 56.8% increase in FOB (Free on Board) value. The volume of rice
contracts also witnessed a record growth with nearly 842,000 tons, up 207%
compared to July 2017 and up nearly 115% compared to the same period last year.
Most of the contracts registered for shipping glutinous rice,
white rice, fragrant rice and broken rice to China; 25% broken rice to the
Philippines; fragrant rice to Africa and Japonica rice to Oceania.
VFA said that rice exports enjoyed increases in both volume and
value in comparison to the same period of 2016 because of export growth in
traditional markets such as China, Malaysia, the Philippines and Bangladesh. In
addition, exports to potential markets like Australia and some markets in
Western Asia also saw rapid growth.
Rice export turnover is expected to increase in the near future as
Bangladesh’s Ministry of Food announced an invitation of tenders for purchasing
non-basmati parboiled rice. If Vietnam wins the tenders, the country’s rice
market will be improved.
Together with Bangladesh, the Philippines also opened its rice
import quota under the MAV (Minimum Access Volume) mechanism in 2017-2018.
Accordingly, the amount of rice imported from Vietnam under the mechanism is
293,100 tons, equivalent to that of Thailand.
China is also expected to continue importing rice from Vietnam in
the last months of the year, with glutinous rice, white rice, fragrant rice,
and broken rice to meet the demand in the period./.
http://en.dangcongsan.vn/economics/country-expects-to-export-5-6-million-tons-of-rice-in-2017-459066.html
Paddy growers demand increase in
support price
Farmers fear
mobilization due to poor harvest
Kang Mi Jin | 2017-10-24 12:26
·
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
|
Residents weeding the fields near Hoeryong, North Hamgyong Province. Image: Daily NK |
Some of North Korea’s farmers are reportedly stating their
intention to refuse assistance in anticipation of future mobilization of
citizens by the government. Although the authorities have yet to hand down any
mobilization directives this year, many rural villagers believe they cannot
accommodate the needs of the additional workers.
A source in Ryanggang Province informed Daily NK on October 18
that "in a good harvest year, now would be the height of mobilization, but
this year farmers are refusing to accept such help. They are afraid that
there’s not enough food for all of the mobilized workers, especially
considering the poor harvest."
Another source in Jagang Province confirmed this trend, stating,
"Farmers are not as busy now compared to previous years, so the
circumstances do not merit a need for more assistance."
"Many are relieved that they will not have to receive
mobilized workers this year, but they are not openly saying this. They are all
busy dealing with how to secure enough food for the coming year. Last year you
could even see fallen stalks of rice discarded on the roadside or people
picking over the fields following the harvest for remnants, but this year
people are being much more careful with their inventory," the
Jangang-based source explained.
International sanctions are reportedly taking their toll as
well. The source stated that people in both the cities and the countryside are
experiencing instability in market prices as a result, forcing some merchants
to leave the cities in search of better opportunities.
"These days we are seeing a large number of city-based
merchants setting up shop in the countryside. It used to be that the rural
villages were quite hospitable, but current conditions dictate a more cautious
reception this year," the Ryanggang source said.
She explained that limited yields also mean that people must
forego special seasonal dishes, instead saving every last grain of rice just to
survive. "People are accustomed to eating traditional dishes in the fall
like tteok (rice cakes), bread, and potato noodle soup. But people will be much
more frugal this year, preparing only the bare minimum, even on special
occasions," she said.
"Focusing purely on calories, people are opting for simpler
and cheaper foods. They are slaughtering their livestock in order to sell the meat
and use the profits to purchase greater amounts of rice, corn, and other grains
to store for the coming season."
Govt to buy 250,000 tonnes of
rice from Thailand, local traders
The Food will submit two proposals
in this regard to the Cabinet Committee on Public Purchase today
The government is set to purchase
250,000 tonnes of parboiled rice from Thailand and local traders at a cost of
Tk1017.14 crore in order to shore up Bangladesh’s depleted stock of the
staple. The Food will submit two proposals in this regard to the Cabinet
Committee on Public Purchase today. Speaking to the Dhaka Tribune, an official
of the ministry said negotiations between Bangladesh and Thailand came to an
end, with the Thai government agreeing to sell rice at $465 per tonne. They
earlier demanded $516 per tonne under a G2G (government to government) deal.
According to the ministry’s proposals, 150,000 tonnes of rice will be imported
from Thailand at a cost of TK578.92 crore, while the remaining 100,000 tonnes
will be supplied at Tk438.22 crore by local traders who import rice from India,
Thailand, Pakistan and Vietnam. Earlier, the Prime Minister’s Office directed
the ministry to import 1.15 million tonnes of rice under G2G agreements and
also through international as well as domestic tenders within the next month.
Last week, the Cabinet Committee on Public Purchase approved another proposal
of the ministry to purchase 100,000 tonnes of rice from India at Tk377.65
crore, each tonne costing $455 (Tk37, 487). The rice will be imported under on
a G2G basis. As of October 18, Bangladesh had 499,000 tonnes of grains in its
stock, including 396,000 tonnes of rice.
Author Name: http://www.dhakatribune.com/business/commerce/2017/10/25/govt-buy-250000-tonnes-rice-thailand-local-traders/
Why farmers remain uninformed about pesticides and their use
While applying pesticides, farmers
do not use protective clothing such as face masks or gloves
The Central Insecticides Board and
Registration Committee (CIBRC), under the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers
Welfare, provides information on approved uses of pesticides, dosages and
waiting period of pesticides on its website. But a quick search shows that this
list is not being followed. Even the National Institute of Plant Health
Management (NIPHM), under the same ministry, does not adhere to CIBRC’s list of
approved uses.
Consequences of unregulated use of
pesticide have come to light recently, with 18 farmers reportedly dying due to
pesticide poisoning in Maharashtra. The NIPHM, on its website, gives examples
of Kisan Call Centre’s responses to questions regarding the pesticides to be
used on particular crops to control particular pests. For instance, there is a
recommendation to use Acephate for fruit borer on chilli, even though this is
not a CIBRC-approved use; another one to use Acephate 75 SP and DDVP 76 EC for
midge fly in chilli, whereas, according to CIBRC, Acephate 75 SP is approved
only for cotton, safflower and rice; and Dichlorvos 76% EC is approved only for
use on paddy, wheat, soybean, castor, groundnut, mustard, sunflower, cucurbit
and cashew. There seems to be no scientific or governmental consensus at the
national and state level on approved uses of pesticides. Misuse on the
ground A study of pesticide use by 25 farmers and labourers in
Ranchi’s Bero block, Jharkhand’s major vegetable growing belt, was undertaken
in August-September 2017 by the Society for Promotion of Wastelands Development
(SPWD), as part of a larger study being conducted in several Indian states by
Pesticide Action Network (PAN) India. Bero has the longest experience of
chemical-input farming in the state. The study’s findings indicate that farmers
know little to nothing about the pesticides they use. They are solely reliant
on information from input dealers. While preparing and applying pesticides on
their crops, none of the farmers or labourers use protective clothing such as
face masks or gloves. Several farmers and labourers said that they mix
pesticides and water with their bare hands. Some also sustained injuries in the
process. The 25 sampled farmers were found to have used 42 insecticides, eight
herbicides and seven fungicides. Of these, 38 insecticides, 5 herbicides
and 6 fungicides are being wrongly applied on crops, which means, their use
was not approved by the CIBRC. Though cotton is not grown in Bero, insecticides
approved for use only on cotton are sold to farmers by input dealers. Of the 38
insecticides illegally used, six are approved for use on cotton only:
1.
Acephate 50% + Imidacloprid 1.8% SP, sold under the trade name Lancer
Gold by United Phosphorus Limited (UPL), has been applied to chilli in Bero
block by one of the farmers.
2.
Alphacypermethrin 10% EC, sold as Alpha Plus by Anu
Products Ltd, has been used by two of the farmers on bodi (long
beans), bottle gourd, chilli and mango trees.
3.
Chlorpyrifos 16% +
Alphacypermethrin 1% EC manufactured by Ichiban Crop Science Ltd (trade name Dangal),
and by Krishi Rasayan Exports Pvt. Ltd (Anth Super), was used by four of the
farmers on cucumber, tomato, peas, capsicum, potato, cauliflower, paddy,
brinjal and beans.
4.
Emamectin Benzoate 1.9% EC, manufactured under the trade
name Billo by Crystal Crop Protection Ltd, was applied to
brinjal by one farmer.
5.
Ethion 40% + Cypermethrin 5% EC, sold under the trade names Spider
and Ananda, has been applied to lady’s finger, brinjal, tomato and cauliflower
by two of the surveyed farmers.
6.
Profenofos 40% + Cypermethrin 4% EC was found at the homes of
three of the 25 farmers. Sold under brand names License 99, Minister, Panther,
Terror Super and Maxcron Super, it has been used by farmers on cabbage,
cauliflower, beans and paddy.
The remaining 32 wrongly
(illegally) applied insecticides include:
1.
Monocrotophos 36% SL, banned for use on vegetables,[1] but used by two farmers on chilli,
capsicum and cucumber (classified as highly hazardous, class 1b, banned in 60
countries)[2]
2.
Betacyfluthrin 8.5% + Imidacloprid
21%, applied by one farmer to a non-approved crop (Betacyfluthrin
is a highly hazardous pesticide, class 1b)
3.
Methyl Parathion 2% DP, applied to a non-approved crop by
one farmer (an extremely hazardous pesticide, class 1a, to be banned in 2018)
4.
Triazophos 40% EC, approved for use only on cotton,
paddy and soybean, is being used on brinjal and other vegetables by four of the
sampled farmers. Triazophos, classified a highly hazardous pesticide, class 1b,
is set to be banned in India in 2021, though it is already banned in 40
countries.
According to the
Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), Monocrotophos, Acephate and Profenofos are
believed to be responsible for the deaths and hospitalisation of farmers in
Maharashtra. All three are being misused by farmers in Jharkhand. Farmers
uninformed The five input dealers interviewed during the study were
all unaware (or feigned ignorance) of the approved uses and waiting periods of
the various pesticides. One of the dealers has a diploma in Agricultural
Extension Services for Input Dealers (DAESI)[3], yet he continued giving the wrong advice
to farmers. The block’s agriculture extension officer was unaware of the
sale of certain popular pesticides. None of the interviewed farmers were
trained or advised on pesticide use by the government. This year, block offices
have distributed pesticides without giving any information on their approved
uses to farmers. For instance, Bandra block office in Lohardaga distributed
Azadirachtin 1% EC (with neem) approved for use on tea, and Mahuatanr block
office in Latehar distributed Azadirachtin 0.15% W/W (with neem) approved for
use on cotton and rice. Pesticide manufacturers are not acting
responsibly Approved uses, correct doses and waiting periods are not
mentioned on the labels of pesticides bottles or packets. The labels state that
the leaflet given along with the pesticide must be consulted before use,
however, the product is sold without it. Most of the manufacturers do not
provide this vital information on their websites either. How to prevent
misuse?
1.
The distribution and sale of
insecticides approved for use on cotton only should be banned in states like
Jharkhand where cotton is not grown.
2.
Licenses should only be issued to
pesticide manufacturers by state governments if complete information (like
approved use of pesticide, dose to be applied, waiting period) is given on the
labels of bottles or packets in Hindi, English (and the regional language as
appropriate).
3.
Proper coordination is required
between the concerned agencies of state governments, including agricultural
scientists, to ensure regulation of pesticide sale and use.
4.
All concerned officials at the
state, district, block and village level should be informed about the dangerous
and illegal misuse of pesticides.
5.
State governments should provide
written information to all input dealers regarding approved uses, doses to be
applied and waiting periods for all pesticides.
6.
State governments should supply
good quality masks and gloves to input dealers, who should issue these to
farmers for free on the sale of any pesticide.
7.
The DAESI course should cover
pesticides extensively, and sensitise dealers about the illegality of
non-approved pesticides sales.
8.
Information regarding the dangers
and negative health effects of pesticides need to be provided to farmers. This
can be disseminated by panchayat offices as well as input dealers.
Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open- October 24, 2017
Reuters Staff
6 MIN READ
Nagpur Foodgrain Prices – APMC/Open
Market-October 24
Nagpur, Oct 24 (Reuters) – Tuar and gram
varieties recovered in Nagpur Agriculture Produce
Marketing Committee (APMC) on increased demand
from local millers amid tight supply from
producing regions. Fresh rise in Madhya Pradesh
gram prices and reported demand from South-based
millers also helped to push up prices,
according to sources.
FOODGRAINS & PULSES
GRAM
* Gram
varieties ruled steady in open market here but demand was poor.
TUAR
* Tuar
gavarani declined further in open market here in absence of buyers amid good
stock position.
*
Batri dal reported higher in open market on renewed seasonal demand from local
traders.
* In
Akola, Tuar New – 3,900-4,000, Tuar dal (clean) – 5,700-6,000, Udid Mogar
(clean)
–
7,800-8,500, Moong Mogar (clean) 6,900-7,200, Gram – 5,000-5,025, Gram Super
best
–
7,100-7,300
*
Wheat, rice and other foodgrain items moved in a narrow range in
scattered deals and settled at last levels in weak deals.
Nagpur
foodgrains APMC auction/open-market prices in rupees for 100 kg
FOODGRAINS
Available prices Previous
close
Gram
Auction 4,300-4,930 4,300-4,900
Gram
Pink Auction n.a. 2,100-2,600
Tuar
Auction 3,600-3,950 3,500-3,900
Moong
Auction n.a. 3,900-4,200
Udid
Auction n.a. 4,300-4,500
Masoor Auction
n.a. 2,600-2,800
Wheat Mill quality Auction
1,592-1,782 1,586-1,664
Gram Super Best Bold 7,000-7,500 7,000-7,500
Gram
Super Best n.a. n.a.
Gram
Medium Best 6,400-6,800 6,400-6,800
Gram
Dal Medium n.a. n.a
Gram
Mill Quality 5,100-5,200 5,100-5,200
Desi
gram Raw 4,950-5,050 4,950-5,050
Gram
Kabuli 12,500-13,200 12,500-13,200
Tuar
Fataka Best-New
6,000-6,200 6,000-6,200
Tuar
Fataka Medium-New 5,600-5,900 5,600-5,900
Tuar
Dal Best Phod-New 5,300-5,600 5,300-5,600
Tuar
Dal Medium phod-New
4,800-5,200 4,800-5,200
Tuar
Gavarani New 3,850-3,950 4,000-4,100
Tuar
Karnataka 4,200-4,500 4,200-4,500
Masoor dal best
4,800-5,200 4,800-5,200
Masoor dal medium
4,400-4,800 4,400-4,800
Masoor
n.a. n.a.
Moong Mogar bold (New)
6,800-7,200 6,800-7,200
Moong Mogar Medium
6,200-6,600 6,200-6,600
Moong dal Chilka
5,400-5,800 5,400-5,800
Moong Mill quality
n.a. n.a.
Moong Chamki best
6,900-7,400 6,900-7,400
Udid
Mogar best (100 INR/KG) (New) 8,000-8,500
8,000-8,500
Udid
Mogar Medium (100 INR/KG)
6,200-7,200
6,200-7,200
Udid
Dal Black (100 INR/KG)
5,200-6,200 5,200-6,200
Batri dal (100 INR/KG)
5,200-5,450 5,000-5,300
Lakhodi dal (100 INR/kg)
2,800-3,000 2,800-3,000
Watana Dal (100 INR/KG)
2,900-3,100 2,900-3,100
Watana Green Best (100 INR/KG)
3,800-4,400
3,800-4,400
Wheat 308 (100 INR/KG)
1,900-2,000 1,900-2,000
Wheat Mill quality (100 INR/KG)
1,700-1,850
1,700-1,850
Wheat Filter (100 INR/KG)
2,100-2,300
2,100-2,300
Wheat Lokwan best (100 INR/KG)
2,200-2,400
2,200-2,400
Wheat Lokwan medium (100 INR/KG)
1,900-2,100 1,900-2,100
Lokwan Hath Binar (100 INR/KG)
n.a. n.a.
MP
Sharbati Best (100 INR/KG) 3,100-3,600 3,100-3,600
MP
Sharbati Medium (100 INR/KG)
2,200-2,700
2,200-2,700
Rice
BPT best (100 INR/KG)
3,000-3,500
3,000-3,500
Rice
BPT medium (100 INR/KG)
2,800-2,900 2,800-2,900
Rice
Luchai (100 INR/KG)
2,200-2,400
2,200-2,400
Rice
Swarna best (100 INR/KG)
2,500-2,600
2,500-2,600
Rice
Swarna medium (100 INR/KG)
2,300-2,400
2,300-2,400
Rice
HMT best (100 INR/KG)
3,600-4,000
3,600-4,000
Rice
HMT medium (100 INR/KG)
3,250-3,600
3,250-3,600
Rice
Shriram best(100 INR/KG)
4,600-5,000 4,600-5,000
Rice
Shriram med (100 INR/KG)
4,200-4,500 4,200-4,400
Rice
Basmati best (100 INR/KG)
10,000-14,000
10,000-14,000
Rice
Basmati Medium (100 INR/KG)
5,000-7,500
5,000-7,500
Rice
Chinnor best 100 INR/KG)
4,700-4,900
4,700-4,900
Rice
Chinnor medium (100 INR/KG)
4,400-4,600
4,400-4,600
Jowar Gavarani (100 INR/KG)
2,000-2,100
2,000-2,100
Jowar CH-5 (100 INR/KG)
1,700-2,000 1,700-2,000
WEATHER (NAGPUR)
Maximum temp. 34.6 degree Celsius, minimum
temp. 15.8 degree Celsius
Rainfall : Nil
FORECAST: Partly cloudy sky. Maximum and
minimum temperature would be around and 34 and 15
degree Celsius respectively.
Note: n.a.--not available
(For oils, transport costs are excluded from
plant delivery prices, but
included in market prices)
https://in.reuters.com/article/nagpur-foodgrain/nagpur-foodgrain-prices-open-october-24-2017-idINL4N1MZ3CW
Ministry promises to reduce business barriers for rice exporters
VietNamNet Bridge - The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT) had
promised to reduce business preconditions to pave the way for more companies to
export rice. However, businesses have complained that barriers to their market
entry still exist.
Decree 109 on rice export management has been facing opposition
from the business circle since the day it took effect six years ago. The
legal document is described as setting too many barriers that prevent
businesses from exporting rice. The requirements on having storehouses
with a minimum capacity of 5,000 tons and having at least one husking workshop
with the capacity of 10 tons per hour at minimum cannot be satisfied by many
enterprises, especially small-scale ones with limited financial capability.
MOIT, which is drafting a decree to replace Decree 109, has promised that it
will remove the barriers by easing requirements on storehouse capacity and
setting no requirements on the minimum capacity of husking workshops.
|
The requirements on having storehouses with a
minimum capacity of 5,000 tons and having at least one husking workshop with
the capacity of 10 tons per hour at minimum cannot be satisfied by many
enterprises, especially small-scale ones with limited financial capability.
|
Meanwhile, businesses will have the right to export special types
of rice without having to meet business conditions and get certificates. MOIT
believes that with the new regulations, more businesses will be able to join
rice exporters, thus helping boost rice exports and push up rice consumption.
The number of rice exporters is estimated to increase by 60-70 percent. The
lower required rice amount for compulsory reserves (5 percent instead of 10
percent as currently applied) would help ease pressure on capital and reduce
storage costs. Enterprises will no longer have to copy 6,000-8,000 export
contracts (each contains 10-15 pages). Pham Thai Binh, director of Trung
An Hi-tech Agriculture JSC, noted that a number of barriers have been included
in the draft decree, while the power of the Vietnam Food Association has been
weakened. “One of the issues which needs to be clarified and put under strict
management is the development of material growing areas. But the provisions in
the draft decree are not clear,” he said. “Remember that this has been the weak
point of state-owned enterprises for a long time and this is also why
Vietnamese rice is not branded,” he added. Meanwhile, the director of a rice
company, which is not eligible for exporting rice under Decree 109, said that
he cannot see any major changes in the rice export management policy. He also
noted that the annual rice export value is not high enough to import
soybeans. The draft decree does not mention the policies to be applied to
investments in post-rice production.
LOGOUT
China just invented a rice
that can grow in salt water and could feed millions
o UPVOTE
o
o
o
Picture: GETTY IMAGES/ISTOCKPHOTO
Scientists
in China have managed to grow a yield of unique rice that could potentially
feed over 200 million people.
The
research was conducted at the Saline-Alkali Tolerant Rice Research and
Development Centre in Qingdao, Shandong, where 6.5 to 9.3 tonnes of the food
was grown in saltwater.
These
results are better than expected as scientist initially only hoped to
produce around 4.5 tonnes of the rice per hectare.
The rice,
which has been named "Yuan Mi," was grown using seawater from The
Yellow Sea, in north east China. This water was diluted and pumped
into paddy's on a beach, rather than a field.
China has
around one million square kilometres of waste land that is high in salinity and
alkalinity levels.
This
breakthrough means the country could potentially use this waste land
and produce 50 million tonnes of rice - which could feed 200 million
people.
That stat
comes from Yuan Longping, an Agricultural scientist who has earned the nickname
"China's father of hybrid rice."
He
believes that if a tenth of the areas with a similar type of soil were
planted with this type of rice then China could increase its rice production by
20 per cent.
It
even tastes good!
Ning Meng
was presented with a bag of "Yuan Mi" by her boyfriend and told South China Morning Post:
I could
tell one grain from the other in my mouth.
My
boyfriend said it was like the braised rice he had back in his village. It is
very good.
The rice
could be rich in calcium and other micronutrients, which are common in saline
water.
While the
salt within its makeup could also indicate an ability to propel pathogenic
bacteria.
This means
sea water rice would be less exposed to bugs which in turn would discourage
farmers from using pesticides.
There is a
catch though. "Yuan Mi" comes with the hefty price tag of 50 yuan
(£5.72) per kg, which is eight times the cost of regular rice and is sold in
packs weighing 1kg, 2kg, 5kg and 10kg.
That
hasn't completely deterred shoppers though as nearly 1,000 people ordered the
rice just last month, with six tonnes being sold in August.
A sales
manager from Yuan Ce, a startup working closely with Longping's team said:
Our sales
revenue target is 10 million yuan by the end of this year.
https://www.indy100.com/article/china-invented-rice-grows-salt-water-feed-millions-science-research-yuan-mi-qingdao-8016946
New Super
Strain of Rice Grown in Seawater Could Feed 200 Million People
- TUESDAY
OCTOBER 24, 2017
Senior Editor
The new rice is a result of decades of
research. Image: South China Morning Post
In the early ’70s, a guy named Yuan Longping developed a
few different strains of hybrid rice and changed how the entire planet
eats. You’ve probably never heard of him because rice
isn’t exactly a hot-button topic, but Longping, fearing that the population of
China was going to explode (how right he was!) and they’d face a food-shortage
of epic proportions, decided he’d do something about it. He developed rice that
grew faster and bigger, and now, according to IFLScience, something like 20
percent of the world’s rice is a species that he created. Well, he might’ve
changed the way we eat rice again–and this time, on a much larger scale. Yuan
Longping made rice that can grow in saltwater that could feed over 200 million
people.
It’s called “sea-rice, and Longping (along with a team of
scientists, of course), created it at the Qingdao Saline-Alkali Tolerant Rice
Research And Development Center. Yes, there’s a center for that. Saline
tolerant rice species are already around, but they sort of suck. “If a
farmer tries to grow some types of saline-tolerant rice now, he or she most
likely will get 1,500 kilograms per hectare,” Yuan said. “That is just not
profitable and not even worth the effort.” While regular rice is grown in paddies
with fresh water, this rice was grown on a salty beach the Yellow Sea.
The rice was grown on a salty beach in the
Yellow Sea. Image: South China Morning Post
Yuan’s new rice doubles the previous strains of
saline-tolerant rice, which surprised everyone–even Yuan. After they’d finished
their small-scale trials–and the years and years of cross-breeding–researchers
completed full-scale trials just a few months ago. Using diluted seawater from
the Yellow Sea, they found that their newly developed rice strain was happy as
a pig in shit. “The seawater rice developed by Yuan and other research teams is
not irrigated by pure seawater,” the South China Morning Post explained,
“but mixes it with fresh water to reduce the salt content to 6 grams per liter.
The average liter of seawater contains five times as much salt.”
As it stands right now, vast tracts of land in China
aren’t usable for growing most crops because the water supply is too saline.
Another benefit? Since insects have a much harder time living in high-saline
environments, the rice won’t need nearly as many pesticides. “China has one
million square kilometers of wasteland, an area the size of Ethiopia, where
plants struggle to grow because of high salinity or alkalinity levels in the
soil,” wrote the South China Morning Post. “The seawater
rice was grown on virgin land where no crops had been planted before.
http://www.theinertia.com/environment/new-super-strain-of-rice-grown-in-seawater-could-feed-200-million-people/
Rice worth US$ 320.242mn exported in first quarter
·
VIEWS: 52
ISLAMABAD: Rice exports from the country during first three
months of current financial year grew by 31.91 percent as compared the exports
of the corresponding period of last year.
During the period from July-September, 2017-18 around 621,094
metric tons rice exported as compared the exports of 482,445 metric tons
of the same period last year, according the data of Pakistan Bureau of
Statistics.
During the period under review, rice worth US$ 320.242 million
exported as compared the exports of US$ 242.694 million of same period last
year.
Meanwhile, exports of “Basmati” rice grew by 2.43 percent and
reached at 86,672 tons valuing of US$ 90.31 million in last three months as
against 92,321 metric tons worth US$ 88.772 million tons of same period last
year, it added.
In first quarter of current financial year, about 534,442 metric
tons of rice other then basmati worth US$ 299.321 million exported as against
the exports of 390,124 metric tons valuing US$ 153,922 million of same period
last year,
During the period under review, seafood exports from the
country registered an increase of 17.64 percent as about 28,488
metric tons of fish and fish products valuing US$ 75.370 million exported as
compared the exports of 21,959 metric tons worth of US$ 64.06 million of same
period last year.
However, the exports of fruit, vegetable reduced by 24.37
percent and 0.99 percent respectively during the period under review, where as
no quantity of pulses exported in first quarter of current financial year, the
data reveled.
It may be recalled that food group exports from the country
during first quarter of current financial year increased by 17.52 percent as
compared the exports of the corresponding period of last year.
Food commodities worth US$ 742.391 million were exported during
the period from July-September, 2017-18 as compared the exports US$ 631.731
million of same period of last year.
Wheat exports grew by 100 percent and about 1088 metric tons of
wheat valuing US$ 344,000 exported, where as 91,916 metric tons of sugar worth
of US$ 41.99 million exported which was also up by 100 percent as compared the
exports of same period last year, it added.
During the period under review, all other food commodities worth
US$ 140.299 million exported as against the exports of US$ 132.216 million of
same period last year, hence showing an increase of 16.11 percent.
Wednesday, 25
October 2017 01:13
GMT
Sri Lanka launches international tender to import 200,000 MT
of rice
10/23/2017 6:36:47
AM
·
·
·
(MENAFN - NewsIn.Asia) Colombo, Oct 23
(newsin.asia) - Sri Lanka, on Monday launched an open international tender
to import 200,000 metric tonnes of rice to prevent a severe rice shortage in
the island country.
The Ministry of Commerce and Industry,
in a statement said the tender was open to suppliers worldwide and would close
on Oct 30.
"We are making every effort to
ensure that there will be no shortage for our consumers," Commerce and
Industry Minister, Rishard Bathiudeen said in the statement.
Sri Lanka has launched the tender under
the International Competitive Bidding Procedure, which means that any
qualifying foreign government or a foreign private sector supplier is able to
bid.
Sri Lankan rice importers too are
eligible to take part in the latest bidding.
Of the 200,000 metric tonnes of rice
called, Sri Lanka expects 100,000 metric tonnes to arrive in Colombo by the end
of November while the remaining 100,000 metric tonnes is expected to arrive by
end of December.
"Based on a recent assessment in
the world market, the potential supply sources for the latest 200,000 metric
tonnes of rice are India, Pakistan, Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar and Vietnam,
though other destinations too could partner," the statement said.
Sri Lanka's domestic rice market failed
to produce the necessary volumes due to a poor harvest since 2016.
Due to a severe drought and flash floods
in 2016 and 2017, the production of rice in Sri Lanka fell by 50 percent
leading to the government urgently calling for tenders to import rice from
foreign countries.
MENAFN2310201701910000ID1095976515
http://menafn.com/1095976515/Sri-Lanka-launches-international-tender-to-import-200000-MT-of-rice
1.173 million Pakistanis deported from Gulf states in six
months: Senate informed
The Senate was informed on
Tuesday that during the last six months, as many as 1.173 million Pakistanis
were repatriated/deported from Gulf states, including 1.113 million from Saudi
Arabia. Besides, Saudi Arabia, 2,840 were deported from United Arab Emirates,
1,088 from Oman, 83 from Kuwait, 75 from Qatar and 60 from Bahrain.
Sadaruddin Shah Rashidi, Federal Minister for Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development stated this while responding to a question asked by Senator Kalsoom Perveen of ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). He said that the reasons for repatriation and deportation include overstay, expiry of iqama, absconder cases, border cases, illegal entrance and stay, absence of valid residence permit, deportation after completion of jail sentence, and change of employer without permission.
To another question by Senator Karim Ahmad Khawaja of PPP, he said that from 1971 to September 2017, 10.133 million Pakistanis had proceeded abroad for employment while during the last five years stood at 4.1871 million.
Minister for National Food Security and Research Sikandar Hayat Bosan said that 26.38 million tons of wheat was produced in 2016-17 and 6.85 million tons of rice while per annum domestic consumption of what was 26.19 million tons and 3 million tons of rice. Minister for National Health Services, regulations and Coordination Saira Afzal Tarar confirmed that there was a proposal to build 46 hospitals across Pakistan. She said that PC-II to conduct the feasibility study for the project - have already been undertaken and approved by CDWP on March 9.
She explained that a company was formed and Rs 131 million approved for the conduct of feasibility study while the government had already allocated Rs 8000 million for this mega project. She said there were some issues in a few provinces which included allocation of land for the proposed hospitals. She was responding to a question by PPP Senator Ahmed Hassan.
To a question by PTI's Azam Swati, the house was told that only one post of education attaché (BS-18/19) was available and recruitment was under process while the one in Birmingham was closed on the decision of the Foreign Office, which was created politically to appoint Malala Yousafzai's father - Ziauddin Yousafzai - as education attaché - who was not a government officer.
To a question by Senator Mian Ateeq Sheikh of MQM, Minister for Federal Education and Professional Training Muhammad Balighur Rehman said that a total of 37 (21 public and 16 private sector) universities and degree-awarding institutes were conducting research and development activities in areas of Internet of Things (IOT) and Software Defined Network (SDN) in Pakistan. He added 718 public and private sector students were involved in these research activities.
The minister noted that Rs 57.98 million stipend and grants had been provided to these students, universities and institutes for conducting the research work.
Replying to a question by MQM's Syed Tahir Hussain Mashhadi, Minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination Riaz Hussain Pirzada informed the House that since Pakistan Football Federation had not been implementing national Sports Policy-2005 and SRO (1) 2014, June 11, 2014, due to which the government was not in a position to take any step for promotion and development of football in Pakistan. He added funds were not released to the federation since 2012 because it was non-compliant.
At the start of the question hour, the minister concerned was not present in the House, when the very first question was taken up regarding overseas Pakistanis. Chairman Senate Raza Rabbani regretted that there were 50 ministers while one minister had made this House hostage due to his absence. He hinted at adjourning the proceedings if the minister was not coming. However, by that time, minister of state Abdul Rehman Kanju stepped in.
Javed Hashmi, a disgruntled PML-N who had quit the party and joined PTI, which he also quit, witnessed house proceedings from the visitors' gallery. The chairman Senate welcomed him, and said Hashmi had fought a long battle against the military dictators.
Sadaruddin Shah Rashidi, Federal Minister for Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development stated this while responding to a question asked by Senator Kalsoom Perveen of ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). He said that the reasons for repatriation and deportation include overstay, expiry of iqama, absconder cases, border cases, illegal entrance and stay, absence of valid residence permit, deportation after completion of jail sentence, and change of employer without permission.
To another question by Senator Karim Ahmad Khawaja of PPP, he said that from 1971 to September 2017, 10.133 million Pakistanis had proceeded abroad for employment while during the last five years stood at 4.1871 million.
Minister for National Food Security and Research Sikandar Hayat Bosan said that 26.38 million tons of wheat was produced in 2016-17 and 6.85 million tons of rice while per annum domestic consumption of what was 26.19 million tons and 3 million tons of rice. Minister for National Health Services, regulations and Coordination Saira Afzal Tarar confirmed that there was a proposal to build 46 hospitals across Pakistan. She said that PC-II to conduct the feasibility study for the project - have already been undertaken and approved by CDWP on March 9.
She explained that a company was formed and Rs 131 million approved for the conduct of feasibility study while the government had already allocated Rs 8000 million for this mega project. She said there were some issues in a few provinces which included allocation of land for the proposed hospitals. She was responding to a question by PPP Senator Ahmed Hassan.
To a question by PTI's Azam Swati, the house was told that only one post of education attaché (BS-18/19) was available and recruitment was under process while the one in Birmingham was closed on the decision of the Foreign Office, which was created politically to appoint Malala Yousafzai's father - Ziauddin Yousafzai - as education attaché - who was not a government officer.
To a question by Senator Mian Ateeq Sheikh of MQM, Minister for Federal Education and Professional Training Muhammad Balighur Rehman said that a total of 37 (21 public and 16 private sector) universities and degree-awarding institutes were conducting research and development activities in areas of Internet of Things (IOT) and Software Defined Network (SDN) in Pakistan. He added 718 public and private sector students were involved in these research activities.
The minister noted that Rs 57.98 million stipend and grants had been provided to these students, universities and institutes for conducting the research work.
Replying to a question by MQM's Syed Tahir Hussain Mashhadi, Minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination Riaz Hussain Pirzada informed the House that since Pakistan Football Federation had not been implementing national Sports Policy-2005 and SRO (1) 2014, June 11, 2014, due to which the government was not in a position to take any step for promotion and development of football in Pakistan. He added funds were not released to the federation since 2012 because it was non-compliant.
At the start of the question hour, the minister concerned was not present in the House, when the very first question was taken up regarding overseas Pakistanis. Chairman Senate Raza Rabbani regretted that there were 50 ministers while one minister had made this House hostage due to his absence. He hinted at adjourning the proceedings if the minister was not coming. However, by that time, minister of state Abdul Rehman Kanju stepped in.
Javed Hashmi, a disgruntled PML-N who had quit the party and joined PTI, which he also quit, witnessed house proceedings from the visitors' gallery. The chairman Senate welcomed him, and said Hashmi had fought a long battle against the military dictators.
https://fp.brecorder.com/2017/10/20171025229294/
Rice Transplanter
Machines Sales Market Demand and Supply, Forecasts to 2022
By
-
29
Global
Rice Transplanter Machines Sales Market Research Report 2017 to 2022presents
an in-depth assessment of the Rice Transplanter Machines Sales including
enabling technologies, key trends, market drivers, challenges, standardization,
regulatory landscape, deployment models, operator case studies, opportunities,
future roadmap, value chain, ecosystem player profiles and strategies. The
report also presents forecasts for Rice Transplanter Machines Sales investments
from 2017 till 2022.
This
study answers several questions for stakeholders, primarily which market
segments they should focus upon during the next five years to prioritize their
efforts and investments. These stakeholders include Yanmar,
Iseki, Kubota, TYM, Jiangsu World Agriculture Machinery, CLAAS, Shandong Fuerwo
Agricultural Equipment, Mitsubishi Mahindra Agricultural Machinery, Dongfeng
Agricultural Machinery, Changfa Agricultural Equipment.
Primary
sources are mainly industry experts from core and related industries, and
suppliers, manufacturers, distributors, service providers, and organizations
related to all segments of the industry’s supply chain. The bottom-up approach
was used to estimate the global market size of Rice Transplanter Machines Sales
based on end-use industry and region, in terms of value. With the data
triangulation procedure and validation of data through primary interviews, the
exact values of the overall parent market, and individual market sizes were
determined and confirmed in this study.
Sample/Inquire at:https://www.marketinsightsreports.com/reports/102415763/global-rice-transplanter-machines-sales-market-report-2017/inquiry
Global Rice Transplanter Machines Sales (K Units) and
Revenue (Million USD) Market Split by Product Type
|
Market Segment by
Type
|
2016
|
2017
|
2018
|
2019
|
2020
|
2021
|
2022
|
|
Mechanical
|
xx
|
xx
|
xx
|
xx
|
xx
|
xx
|
xx
|
|
-Change (%)
|
xx%
|
xx%
|
xx%
|
xx%
|
xx%
|
xx%
|
xx%
|
|
Manual
|
xx
|
xx
|
xx
|
xx
|
xx
|
xx
|
xx
|
|
-Change (%)
|
xx%
|
xx%
|
xx%
|
xx%
|
xx%
|
xx%
|
xx%
|
|
Total
|
xx
|
xx
|
xx
|
xx
|
xx
|
xx
|
xx
|
|
-Change (%)
|
xx%
|
xx%
|
xx%
|
xx%
|
xx%
|
xx%
|
xx%
|
Global Rice Transplanter Machines Sales (K Units) by Application
(2016-2022)
|
Market Segment by Application
|
2012
|
2016
|
2022
|
Market Share (%)2022
|
CGAR (%)(2016-2022)
|
|
Commercial
|
xx
|
xx
|
xx
|
xx%
|
xx%
|
|
Household
|
xx
|
xx
|
xx
|
xx%
|
xx%
|
|
Total
|
xx
|
xx
|
xx
|
100%
|
xx%
|
Browse Full Report athttps://www.marketinsightsreports.com/reports/102415763/global-rice-transplanter-machines-sales-market-report-2017
This
independent 106 page report guarantees you will remain better informed than
your competition. With over 170 tables and figures examining the Rice
Transplanter Machines Sales market, the report gives you a visual, one-stop
breakdown of the leading products, submarkets and market leader’s market
revenue forecasts as well as analysis to 2022.
Geographically, this report is segmented
into several key Regions, with production, consumption, revenue (million USD),
and market share and growth rate of Immunotherapy Drugs in these regions, from
2012 to 2022 (forecast), covering The United States, China, Europe, Japan,
Southeast Asia, India.
The
report provides a basic overview of the Rice Transplanter Machines Sales
industry including definitions, classifications, applications and industry
chain structure. And development policies and plans are discussed as well as
manufacturing processes and cost structures. Then, the report focuses on global
major leading industry players with information such as company profiles,
product picture and specifications, sales, market share and contact
information. What’s more, the Rice Transplanter Machines Sales industry
development trends and marketing channels are analyzed.
The
research includes historic data from 2012 to 2016 and forecasts until 2022
which makes the reports an invaluable resource for industry executives,
marketing, sales and product managers, consultants, analysts, and other people
looking for key industry data in readily accessible documents with clearly
presented tables and graphs. The report will make detailed analysis mainly on
above questions and in-depth research on the development environment, market
size, development trend, operation situation and future development trend of
Rice Transplanter Machines Sales on the basis of stating current situation of
the industry in 2017 so as to make comprehensive organization and judgment on
the competition situation and development trend of Rice Transplanter Machines
Sales Market and assist manufacturers and investment organization to better
grasp the development course of Rice Transplanter Machines Sales Market.
There are 9 Chapters to deeply display the global Rice
Transplanter Machines Sales market.
Chapter
1, to describe Rice Transplanter Machines Sales Introduction, product scope,
market overview, market opportunities, market risk, market driving force;
Chapter
2, to analyze the Industry Chain Structure of Rice Transplanter Machines Sales
2016 and 2017;
Chapter
3, Environmental Analysis, Policy, Economic, Technology, Market Entry 2016 and
2017;
Chapter
4, 5, and 6, Market Segmentation by Types, Application and by Regions from
2011, 2017 to 2022;
Chapter
7, and 8, to analyze the Major Vendor, with sales, Business Performance,
revenue and market share by key countries in these regions;
Chapter
9, to describe Rice Transplanter Machines Sales Research Findings and
Conclusion, appendix and data source;
Rice Transplanter Machines Sales Market Report includes detailed
Overview of:
·
Rice Transplanter
Machines Sales Market Overview, Specifications, Segment
·
Global Rice
Transplanter Machines Sales Market Industry Chain Structure
·
Global Rice
Transplanter Machines Sales Environmental Analysis, Policy, Economic
·
Global Rice
Transplanter Machines Sales Segmentation, Size, Application
·
Global Rice
Transplanter Machines Sales Segmentation by Application, by Region (2017 –
2022)
·
Global Rice
Transplanter Machines Sales Market Competitive, Price & Factors
·
Global Rice
Transplanter Machines Sales Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis, Business
Performance
·
Research Findings and
Conclusion Appendix – Methodology/Research Approach, Market Size Estimation,
Data Source, Secondary Sources, Primary Sources and Disclaimer.
About Us:-
MarketInsightsReports
provides syndicated market research reports to industries, organizations or
even individuals with an aim of helping them in their decision making process.
These reports include in-depth market research studies i.e. market share
analysis, industry analysis, information on products, countries, market size,
trends, business research details and much more. MarketInsightsReports provides
global and regional market intelligence coverage, a 360-degree market view
which includes statistical forecasts, competitive landscape, detailed
segmentation, key trends, and strategic recommendations.
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