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The Technical Centre for
Agricultural and Rural Co-operation (CTA), together with the Africa Rice Center
(AfricaRice) and the Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture, has
launched a new project that will foster youth entrepreneurship, strengthen
market ties, and enhance livelihoods in the rice sectors of Mali and Senegal.
In addition to 1,000 new jobs
targeted, the project aims to increase revenues for up to 2,500 smallholder
farmers in its two-year lifetime. More than 15,000 rural youth will be targeted
via ICT channels with information on opportunities for entrepreneurship in the
sector.
The project, titled EMPRICE
(Promoting youth entrepreneurship and job creation in the West African rice value
chain), was launched today in Bamako, Mali.
“The targeting of young
entrepreneurs and the institutions that support them is a strategic focus for
CTA. This new project is one example of where we are giving entrepreneurs
opportunities to leverage access to finance and markets; showcase best
practices and innovative business models; and create pathways to the creation
of job opportunities,” said Michael Hailu, CTA Director.
Youth employment remains a
critical concern and priority for West African governments. The project will
capitalise on a dynamic workforce to drive innovation and boost the rice sector
which constitutes the largest supplier of calories in the region.
According to Simon Winter,
Executive Director of the Syngenta Foundation, “The entrepreneurial dynamism of
young people is driving local level innovations to enhance the lives of
smallholder farmers. EMPRICE will support young innovators to design successful
business strategies and bring greater efficiencies to the critical rice value
chain.”
Increasing rice production and
upgrading the rice value chain will reduce reliance on imports, increase food
security, reduce urban migration and give more of the regions’ youth valuable
employment opportunities.
An example of the challenges
faced by small-scale farmers is in accessing seed of recently released,
high-yielding, climate-smart varieties, as well as agricultural machinery for
cultivation, harvest and post-harvest operations.
“The Rice Market is now becoming
a very important one in Africa. A project such as EMPRICE creates opportunities
for rural youths through ICTs and digitalization to exploit this lucrative and
attractive market for entrepreneurship creation and youth employment,” stated
Harold Roy-Macauley, AfricaRice Director General.
For more
information or to request an interview contact:
The Technical Centre for
Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA) is a joint international institution
of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States and the European
Union (EU). Its mission is to advance food security, resilience and inclusive
economic growth in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific through innovations in
sustainable agriculture. CTA operates under the framework of the Cotonou
Agreement and is funded by the EU. For more information on CTA, visit www.cta.int.
About AfricaRice
AfricaRice is a CGIAR Research
Center – part of a global research partnership for a food-secure future. It is
also an intergovernmental association of African member countries. It has been
mandated to support its member countries in developing the rice sector through
research, development and partnership activities. The Center was created in
1971 by 11 African countries. Today its membership comprises 26 countries,
covering West, Central, East and North African regions. AfricaRice headquarters
is based in Côte d’Ivoire. Staff members are located in Côte d’Ivoire as well
as in AfricaRice research stations in Benin, Liberia, Madagascar, Nigeria and
Senegal. For more information on AfricaRice, visit www.AfricaRice.org.
About Syngenta Foundation
The Syngenta Foundation focuses
on productivity and the inclusion of farmers in remunerative value chains. The
focus is on ‘pre-commercial’ farmers, often in semi-arid areas, who display
potential for agricultural growth. The aim is to help small farmers become more
professional growers. It is done by extending science-based know-how,
facilitating access to quality inputs, and linking smallholders to markets in
profitable ways The Foundation runs projects in Africa and Asia, and
contributes to the agricultural policy debate worldwide. It works with a wide
range of partners operationally and in thought leadership. The Foundation
engages, for example, the public sector, international organizations, think
tanks, the private sector, other foundations, social entrepreneurs, and non-governmental
organizations (NGOs). As well as establishing pilot projects, the Foundation
also puts major emphasis on successful scale-up. For more information on the
Syngenta Foundation, visit www.syngentafoundation.org.
[NEW DELHI]
Shifting away from white, polished rice to a diet that includes more wheat and
coarse grains can improve how Indians deal with micronutrient deficiencies, as well as
reduce greenhouse gas (GhG) emissionsassociated
with paddy cultivation, says a new study.
Published in the March edition of the academic journal Global Environmental
Change, the study is described by Narasimha Rao, study author and project
leader of ‘Decent Energy Living’ at the International Institute for Applied
Systems Analysis, Vienna, as a “hypothetical (ideal case) scenario
analysis”.
India grows a variety of coarse grains, including sorghum, pearl millet, maize,
barley, and finger millet, as well as many ‘small millets’ such as kodo millet,
little millet, foxtail millet, proso millet, and barnyard millet.
However, the lands devoted to cultivating millets has been steadily
shrinking. According to a 2014 agricultural ministry status paper, the area under coarse grains
shrank to 26.42 million hectares from 44.35 million hectares between the years
1966 and 2012.
The paper blamed India’s ‘green revolution’ in the mid-1960s, which focused on
wheat and rice to meet food security demands, for the decline of
the area of coarse cereals. While wheat and rice received research, extension and market support, on the
supply side, there was a marked shift away from coarse grains, with
consequences for dietary micronutrients.
“We have very
detailed results in our study for optimal diets by region, but the main outcome
for all regions is the need to shift away from rice”
Narasimha
Rao, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis
Devinder Sharma, leading agro-economist and chair of the Forum for
Biotechnology and Food Security, a New Delhi-based collective of agriculture
scientists, economists, biotechnologists, farmers and environmentalists,
says,“The result of policies that orphaned coarse grains, while favouring fine
grains and cash crops such as soybeans and cotton, is now painfully evident as
widespread micronutrient deficiencies.”
Relying on India’s National Sample Survey of
Consumption Expenditure (2011—12), Rao and his colleagues determined
that around 500 million people, or more than two-thirds of the Indian
population, are now affected by deficiencies in protein and micronutrients.
The worst of these life-threatening deficiencies is iron (90 per cent),
followed by Vitamin A (85 per cent) and protein (50 per cent). The study also
shows that micronutrient deficiency is worse in India’s urban areas than in the
rural hinterland.
Rao tells SciDev.Net that nutrient
deficiencies were found less in the wheat-eating northern and western areas of
the country than in the south and east, where rice is the staple food.
“We have very detailed results in our study for optimal diets by region, but
the main outcome for all regions is the need to shift away from rice,” Rao
says.
According to Rao, nutrient deficiency can be overcome within existing household
budgets by diversifying diets to include coarse cereals, pulses, and leafy
vegetables, and by reducing rice intake.
Additionally, if the suggested dietary changes are made, India’s agricultural
GhG emissions could be reduced by up to 25 per cent. Rice paddies are a man-made source
of methane, a GhG, but one that can be controlled. While methane is
produced by bacteria that digest straw ploughed back into fields in paddy
fields to enrich it, carbon dioxide, a major GhG, is released when
farmers resort to burning as a cheap way to get rid of agricultural residues.
However, current agricultural and food pricing policies may act as an impediment to
dietary shifts, Rao says.
Under the 2013 National Food Security Act, two-thirds of India’s population
became eligible to receive five kilogrammes of grains at subsidised prices.
However, the subsidies favour rice over wheat and wheat over coarse grains,
despite the lower nutritional content of the former.
“It may not be immediately possible to generate a viable support price
for coarse grains,” Rao surmises.
He also notes other difficulties in shifting from rice to coarse grains. “There
are a number of barriers, on the supply side — getting farmers to agree
to scale up the production of coarse grains and convincing consumers to eat
these grains,” Rao says.
According to Sharma, what is happening on the supply side is matched by a
demand in the urban areas for processed rice and wheat products because they
have shorter cooking times than coarse grains and therefore, suited to
the typical lifestyle of working couples.
“Nothing short of a complete overhaul of the agricultural system in the country
is required,” says Sharma.
This
piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Asia & Pacific desk.
Mar 28, 2018-Large cardamom
topped the export list of farm products in the first seven months of the fiscal
year, accounting for almost one-fourth of agro export revenues, the Trade and
Export Promotion Centre (TEPC) said.
Nepal shipped large cardamom
worth Rs3.3 billion during the period mid-July to mid-February, up from Rs2.2
billion year-on-year. The spice accounted for 23.75 percent of the export
earnings from farm products totalling Rs13.89 billion. An increase in
production along with improved quality helped cardamom exports to jump sharply.
Dil Bahadur Shrestha, technical
officer of the Ilam Cardamom Development Centre, said output increased
significantly this year as a disease outbreak was effectively controlled. “In
addition, intensive skill trainings offered to local farmers also helped
increase production,” Shrestha said.
Shrestha added that Nepal’s
cardamom crop fetched higher prices this year because of improved quality.
According to him, the average market price of large cardamom has gone up to
Rs1,000 per kg from Rs675-750 per kg last year.
“Previously, local farmers used
to dry their harvests in homemade furnaces. Adulteration and lack of processing
also prevented farmers from getting appropriate prices for their crops,”
Shrestha said. “Farmers have switched to modern dryers to process their
harvests.”
Nepal produces three types of
large cardamom, namely jumbo jet, standard and chalan chalti. The high-value
cash crop is produced mainly in the eastern hill region. Currently, large
cardamom cultivation has expanded to 46 districts of the country, with the
acreage totalling 14,875 hectares and annual production exceeding 6,000 tonnes,
according to the Ministry of Commerce.
Nearly 99 percent of the large
cardamom grown in Nepal is exported to India. From India, the spice is
re-exported to Bangladesh, Pakistan, the Gulf countries and other overseas
destinations.
Likewise, ginger exports surged
three-fold to Rs400.51 million during the review period. Tea export revenues
jumped 26.5 percent to Rs2.21 billion. Among Nepal’s top five exportable farm
products, earnings from juices plunged 18.7 percent to Rs2.28 billion while
lentil exports dropped 1.4 percent to Rs590.19 million, according to the TEPC.
Meanwhile, Nepal imported agro
goods worth Rs75.6 billion, accounting for 11.43 percent of total imports.
Among the top five imports of farm products, rice imports surged 20.1 percent
to Rs17.23 billion. Corn, potatoes, apples and dried leguminous vegetables were
among Nepal’s major imports. Corn, which is imported mostly from Brazil and
Argentina, is mainly used to produce animal feed, TEPC Executive Director Sarad
Bickram Rana said.
Agrihttps://businessmirror.com.ph/on-pinols-idea-to-rise-with-rice-in-papua-new-guinea/culture
Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol’s proposal to “export” Filipino private
sector-led rice-farming systems to Papua New Guinea may have raised
condescending eyebrows from economists and agriculture experts, but his novel
strategy can perhaps open up vast potentials and unintended opportunities.
Thinking out of box? Piñol, a boxing aficionado early on in his career, even as a
former journalist, long before he joined politics, was thinking out of the box
when he proposed to bring high-end Filipino rice-farming systems to Papua New
Guinea.
Only over a week ago, Piñol went
to Papua New Guinea, a British Commonwealth Realm, and got its Prime Minister
Peter O’Neill to commit to come over to meet with President Duterte sometime in
May and possibly cement bilateral economic commitments, followed by a treaty
that can institutionalize any mutually beneficial arrangements.
However, top-notch economists and
agricultural planners led no less by former Socioeconomic Secretary Dr. Cielito
Habito and former Agriculture Secretary William Dar have criticized Piñol,
asking two valid questions: 1) Why focus on “rice self-sufficiency” when we
cannot compete against Thailand’s and Vietnam’s production costs of rice at P5
to P6 per kilo against P10 to P12 per kilo in the Philippines? Many economists
would therefore advise to give up the elusive goal of self-sufficiency, and
settle instead for food security while focusing on higher incomes from other
high-value cash crops and livelihood activities; and 2) Why go to Papua New
Guinea when we have more problems locally?
Can’t do away with rice
yet. Speaking on March 22 before the
2017 Philippine Agricultural Journalists Inc. and San Miguel Corp.’s BINHI
Agricultural Journalism Awards, Piñol argued we cannot simply abandon rice
self-sufficiency, unless Filipinos change their diets and reduce their rice
consumption.
For the poor, who survive on a
hand-to-mouth existence, 80 percent to 90 percent of their income is spent on
food, the bulk on rice to fill their hungry stomachs and less on real food. A
study by Professor Jeyakumar, a rice dietary expert and one-time fellow of the
International Rice Research Institute, noted that obesity of Westerners like
the Americans is caused by almost 40 percent in high-fat diets, compared to
Asians, whose average diets are composed of 67 percent carbohydrates, mostly
rice, and only 21 percent fats. For the dirt poor, rice may even share as much
as 90 percent of their diet.
As our traditional sources of
rice imports, Vietnam and Thailand are also vulnerable to climate change with
Thailand devastated by a tsunami years back, Piñol claims we must continue
aiming for rice self-sufficiency and developing alternative sources like Papua
New Guinea.
It’s no “Guinea pig,” it’s
real! Piñol argues the rice-farming
potentials in Papua New Guinea are real and tremendous based on actual pilot results.
This makes Piñol’s idea no longer a “guinea-pig experiment,” referring to how
scientists use rodents or laboratory rats, popularly called “guinea pigs.”
Actual rice-farming experiments
done in Papua New Guinea yielded 8.5 metric tons per hectare, even without
fertilizers, even double our national average yield of 4MT per hectare, he
revealed in conversations while seated at the BINHI awards.
The reasons for this are 1) Papua
New Guinea is blessed with good rainfall with its remaining lush forests and
watersheds as evidenced by its vast rivers as wide as a kilometer, and easily
diverted to feed irrigation canals; and 2) Papua New Guinea’s farm soils are
vastly virgin and rich, unlike Philippine rice lands that are already toxic
from four to five decades of chemical fertilizer and pesticide usage.
All the land to offer. Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister Peter O’Neil instantly offered
100,000 hectares for planting even starting tomorrow, but can develop easily 2
million hectares in government lands for rice farming with irrigation.
“PNG has only 8 million people
and over 46.28 million hectares of land, mostly forest and agricultural lands,
compared to our 105 million and 30 million hectares, respectively,” Piñol said.
Rice farming will mutually
benefit both countries. Rice farming will be done exclusively by the private
sector, but can tap Filipino workers. Any excess produce can be exported cheap
to the Philippines, and any excess exported worldwide. For Papua New Guinea,
producing its own rice is novel, as it had long been sourcing rice from former
surrogate colonizer, Australia, which allegedly imports cheap rice from
Vietnam, then sells it to Papua New Guinea by as much as P100 per kilo.
Pursuing the Papua New Guinea
option is logical for Piñol, as we have limited rice lands of 4.8 million
hectares. In fact, only 3.9 million hectares are planted to rice, of which only
1.2 million hectares have irrigation, the remaining 2.7 million hectares are
rain-fed areas producing only once a year at low yields.
New sites, new sights? As an island archipelago, we have fewer flat lands
suitable to rice producing thrice a year, but more sloping mountain areas with
mixed eco-systems, including adjacent marine and mangrove areas. Piñol added
traditional rice sites like Luzon and Bicol are ravaged yearly by 21 typhoons a
year.
We won’t abandon these areas, but
we need to develop new sites like Palawan, Samar, Agusan, Zamboanga, Davao,
Basilan and Soccsksargen and, of course, in Papua New Guinea.
Piñol declared earlier that even
former warzones in Mindanao and portions of military reservations like Fort
Magsaysay’s 46,000 hectares, can be converted to production areas. This will
realize the biblical phrase of “converting swords to ploughshares,” which we
can call transforming arms into farms.
While Piñol is confident of
hitting 100-percent rice self-sufficiency by 2020, he says the growing
population will overtake our capacity to produce. Thus, the need to develop
new sites,
and the urgency to keep our sights on new ideas, new
technologies and even achieve unintended opportunities, which, ironically, are
the very intended targets of our economists and experts. As we gain from new
sites, old sites may slowly shift to non-rice, but more profitable commodities
and other agro-processing ventures.
Coarse grains better than rice for health, environment
Copyright:
Panos
Speed read
·Rice is less nutritive than wheat, millet or other
coarse grains
·Rice paddies release large amounts of methane, a
greenhouse gas
·A dietary shift away from rice can improve nutrition
and reduce GHG emissions
[NEW DELHI] Shifting away from white, polished rice to
a diet that includes more wheat and coarse grains can improve how Indians deal
with micronutrient deficiencies,
as well as reduce greenhouse gas (GhG) emissions associated
with paddy cultivation, says a new study.
Published in the March edition of the academic journal Global Environmental
Change, the study is described by Narasimha Rao, study author and project
leader of ‘Decent Energy Living’ at the International Institute for Applied
Systems Analysis, Vienna, as a “hypothetical (ideal case) scenario
analysis”.
India grows a variety of coarse grains, including sorghum, pearl millet, maize,
barley, and finger millet, as well as many ‘small millets’ such as kodo millet,
little millet, foxtail millet, proso millet, and barnyard millet.
However, the lands devoted to cultivating millets has been steadily
shrinking. According to a 2014 agricultural ministry status paper, the area under coarse grains
shrank to 26.42 million hectares from 44.35 million hectares between the years
1966 and 2012.
The paper blamed India’s ‘green revolution’ in the mid-1960s, which focused on
wheat and rice to meet food security demands, for the decline of
the area of coarse cereals. While wheat and rice received research, extension and market support, on the
supply side, there was a marked shift away from coarse grains, with
consequences for dietary micronutrients.
“We have very detailed results in
our study for optimal diets by region, but the main outcome for all regions is
the need to shift away from rice”
Narasimha
Rao, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis
Devinder Sharma, leading
agro-economist and chair of the Forum for Biotechnology and Food Security, a
New Delhi-based collective of agriculture scientists, economists,
biotechnologists, farmers and environmentalists, says,“The result of policies
that orphaned coarse grains, while favouring fine grains and cash crops such as
soybeans and cotton, is now painfully evident as widespread micronutrient
deficiencies.”
Relying on India’s National Sample Survey of
Consumption Expenditure (2011—12), Rao and his colleagues determined
that around 500 million people, or more than two-thirds of the Indian
population, are now affected by deficiencies in protein and micronutrients.
The worst of these life-threatening deficiencies is iron (90 per cent),
followed by Vitamin A (85 per cent) and protein (50 per cent). The study also
shows that micronutrient deficiency is worse in India’s urban areas than in the
rural hinterland.
Rao tells SciDev.Net that nutrient
deficiencies were found less in the wheat-eating northern and western areas of
the country than in the south and east, where rice is the staple food.
“We have very detailed results in our study for optimal diets by region, but
the main outcome for all regions is the need to shift away from rice,” Rao
says.
According to Rao, nutrient deficiency can be overcome within existing household
budgets by diversifying diets to include coarse cereals, pulses, and leafy
vegetables, and by reducing rice intake.
Additionally, if the suggested dietary changes are made, India’s agricultural
GhG emissions could be reduced by up to 25 per cent. Rice paddies are a man-made source
of methane, a GhG, but one that can be controlled. While methane is produced
by bacteria that digest straw ploughed back into fields in paddy fields to
enrich it, carbon dioxide, a major GhG, is released when farmers resort
to burning as a cheap way to get rid of agricultural residues.
You might also like
However, current agricultural and food pricing policies may act as an impediment to
dietary shifts, Rao says.
Under the 2013 National Food Security Act, two-thirds of India’s population
became eligible to receive five kilogrammes of grains at subsidised prices.
However, the subsidies favour rice over wheat and wheat over coarse grains,
despite the lower nutritional content of the former.
“It may not be immediately possible to generate a viable support price
for coarse grains,” Rao surmises.
He also notes other difficulties in shifting from rice to coarse grains. “There
are a number of barriers, on the supply side — getting farmers to agree
to scale up the production of coarse grains and convincing consumers to eat
these grains,” Rao says.
According to Sharma, what is happening on the supply side is matched by a
demand in the urban areas for processed rice and wheat products because they
have shorter cooking times than coarse grains and therefore, suited to
the typical lifestyle of working couples.
“Nothing short of a complete overhaul of the agricultural system in the country
is required,” says Sharma.
Coarse grains better than rice for health, environment
Copyright:
Panos
Speed read
·Rice is less nutritive than wheat, millet or other
coarse grains
·Rice paddies release large amounts of methane, a
greenhouse gas
·A dietary shift away from rice can improve nutrition
and reduce GHG emissions
[NEW DELHI] Shifting away from white, polished rice to
a diet that includes more wheat and coarse grains can improve how Indians deal
with micronutrient deficiencies,
as well as reduce greenhouse gas (GhG) emissions associated
with paddy cultivation, says a new study.
Published in the March edition of the academic journal Global Environmental
Change, the study is described by Narasimha Rao, study author and project
leader of ‘Decent Energy Living’ at the International Institute for Applied
Systems Analysis, Vienna, as a “hypothetical (ideal case) scenario
analysis”.
India grows a variety of coarse grains, including sorghum, pearl millet, maize,
barley, and finger millet, as well as many ‘small millets’ such as kodo millet,
little millet, foxtail millet, proso millet, and barnyard millet.
However, the lands devoted to cultivating millets has been steadily
shrinking. According to a 2014 agricultural ministry status paper, the area under coarse grains
shrank to 26.42 million hectares from 44.35 million hectares between the years
1966 and 2012.
The paper blamed India’s ‘green revolution’ in the mid-1960s, which focused on
wheat and rice to meet food security demands, for the decline of
the area of coarse cereals. While wheat and rice received research, extension and market support, on the
supply side, there was a marked shift away from coarse grains, with
consequences for dietary micronutrients.
“We have very detailed results in
our study for optimal diets by region, but the main outcome for all regions is
the need to shift away from rice”
Narasimha
Rao, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis
Devinder Sharma, leading
agro-economist and chair of the Forum for Biotechnology and Food Security, a
New Delhi-based collective of agriculture scientists, economists,
biotechnologists, farmers and environmentalists, says,“The result of policies
that orphaned coarse grains, while favouring fine grains and cash crops such as
soybeans and cotton, is now painfully evident as widespread micronutrient
deficiencies.”
Relying on India’s National Sample Survey of
Consumption Expenditure (2011—12), Rao and his colleagues determined
that around 500 million people, or more than two-thirds of the Indian
population, are now affected by deficiencies in protein and micronutrients.
The worst of these life-threatening deficiencies is iron (90 per cent),
followed by Vitamin A (85 per cent) and protein (50 per cent). The study also
shows that micronutrient deficiency is worse in India’s urban areas than in the
rural hinterland.
Rao tells SciDev.Net that nutrient
deficiencies were found less in the wheat-eating northern and western areas of
the country than in the south and east, where rice is the staple food.
“We have very detailed results in our study for optimal diets by region, but
the main outcome for all regions is the need to shift away from rice,” Rao
says.
According to Rao, nutrient deficiency can be overcome within existing household
budgets by diversifying diets to include coarse cereals, pulses, and leafy
vegetables, and by reducing rice intake.
Additionally, if the suggested dietary changes are made, India’s agricultural
GhG emissions could be reduced by up to 25 per cent. Rice paddies are a man-made source
of methane, a GhG, but one that can be controlled. While methane is
produced by bacteria that digest straw ploughed back into fields in paddy
fields to enrich it, carbon dioxide, a major GhG, is released when
farmers resort to burning as a cheap way to get rid of agricultural residues.
However, current agricultural and food pricing policies may act as an impediment to
dietary shifts, Rao says.
Under the 2013 National Food Security Act, two-thirds of India’s population
became eligible to receive five kilogrammes of grains at subsidised prices.
However, the subsidies favour rice over wheat and wheat over coarse grains,
despite the lower nutritional content of the former.
“It may not be immediately possible to generate a viable support price
for coarse grains,” Rao surmises.
He also notes other difficulties in shifting from rice to coarse grains. “There
are a number of barriers, on the supply side — getting farmers to agree
to scale up the production of coarse grains and convincing consumers to eat
these grains,” Rao says.
According to Sharma, what is happening on the supply side is matched by a
demand in the urban areas for processed rice and wheat products because they
have shorter cooking times than coarse grains and therefore, suited to
the typical lifestyle of working couples.
“Nothing short of a complete overhaul of the agricultural system in the country
is required,” says Sharma.
This
piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Asia & Pacific desk.
Related topics
Coarse grains better
than rice for health, environment Copyright: Panos Speed read Rice is less
nutritive than wheat, millet or other coarse grains Rice paddies release large
amounts of methane, a greenhouse gas A dietary shift away from rice can improve
nutrition and reduce GHG emissions By: Ranjit Devraj [NEW DELHI] Shifting away
from white, polished rice to a diet that includes more wheat and coarse grains
can improve how Indians deal with micronutrient deficiencies, as well as reduce
greenhouse gas (GhG) emissions associated with paddy cultivation, says a new
study. Published in the March edition of the academic journal Global
Environmental Change, the study is described by Narasimha Rao, study author and
project leader of ‘Decent Energy Living’ at the International Institute for
Applied Systems Analysis, Vienna, as a “hypothetical (ideal case) scenario
analysis”. India grows a variety of coarse grains, including sorghum,
pearl millet, maize, barley, and finger millet, as well as many ‘small millets’
such as kodo millet, little millet, foxtail millet, proso millet, and barnyard
millet. However, the lands devoted to cultivating millets has been
steadily shrinking. According to a 2014 agricultural ministry status paper, the
area under coarse grains shrank to 26.42 million hectares from 44.35 million
hectares between the years 1966 and 2012. The paper blamed India’s
‘green revolution’ in the mid-1960s, which focused on wheat and rice to meet
food security demands, for the decline of the area of coarse cereals. While
wheat and rice received research, extension and market support, on the supply
side, there was a marked shift away from coarse grains, with consequences for
dietary micronutrients. “We have very detailed results in our study for optimal
diets by region, but the main outcome for all regions is the need to shift away
from rice” Narasimha Rao, International Institute for Applied Systems
Analysis Devinder Sharma, leading agro-economist and chair of the Forum for
Biotechnology and Food Security, a New Delhi-based collective of agriculture
scientists, economists, biotechnologists, farmers and environmentalists,
says,“The result of policies that orphaned coarse grains, while favouring fine
grains and cash crops such as soybeans and cotton, is now painfully evident as
widespread micronutrient deficiencies.” Relying on India’s National
Sample Survey of Consumption Expenditure (2011—12), Rao and his colleagues
determined that around 500 million people, or more than two-thirds of the
Indian population, are now affected by deficiencies in protein and
micronutrients. The worst of these life-threatening deficiencies is iron
(90 per cent), followed by Vitamin A (85 per cent) and protein (50 per cent).
The study also shows that micronutrient deficiency is worse in India’s urban
areas than in the rural hinterland. Rao tells SciDev.Net that nutrient
deficiencies were found less in the wheat-eating northern and western areas of
the country than in the south and east, where rice is the staple food.
“We have very detailed results in our study for optimal diets by region, but
the main outcome for all regions is the need to shift away from rice,” Rao
says. According to Rao, nutrient deficiency can be overcome within
existing household budgets by diversifying diets to include coarse cereals,
pulses, and leafy vegetables, and by reducing rice intake. Additionally,
if the suggested dietary changes are made, India’s agricultural GhG emissions
could be reduced by up to 25 per cent. Rice paddies are a man-made source of
methane, a GhG, but one that can be controlled. While methane is produced by
bacteria that digest straw ploughed back into fields in paddy fields to enrich
it, carbon dioxide, a major GhG, is released when farmers resort to
burning as a cheap way to get rid of agricultural residues. You might also like
Methane from Indian livestock adds to global warming Sowing wheat earlier can
help beat warming in India Warming behind India’s depleting groundwater?
Experts push for sustainable standards on rice Major methane emitter identified
in Asian rice fields Better rice, less greenhouse gas However, current
agricultural and food pricing policies may act as an impediment to dietary
shifts, Rao says. Under the 2013 National Food Security Act,
two-thirds of India’s population became eligible to receive five kilogrammes of
grains at subsidised prices. However, the subsidies favour rice over wheat and
wheat over coarse grains, despite the lower nutritional content of the former.
“It may not be immediately possible to generate a viable support
price for coarse grains,” Rao surmises. He also notes other
difficulties in shifting from rice to coarse grains. “There are a number of
barriers, on the supply side — getting farmers to agree to scale up the
production of coarse grains and convincing consumers to eat these grains,” Rao
says. According to Sharma, what is happening on the supply side is
matched by a demand in the urban areas for processed rice and wheat products
because they have shorter cooking times than coarse grains and therefore,
suited to the typical lifestyle of working couples. “Nothing short
of a complete overhaul of the agricultural system in the country is required,”
says Sharma. This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Asia & Pacific
desk. Related topics
India grows a variety of
coarse grains, including sorghum, pearl millet, maize, barley, and finger
millet, as well as many ‘small millets’ such as kodo millet, little millet,
foxtail millet, proso millet, and barnyard millet. However, the lands
devoted to cultivating millets has been steadily shrinking. According to a 2014
agricultural ministry status paper, the area under coarse grains shrank to
26.42 million hectares from 44.35 million hectares between the years 1966 and
2012. The paper blamed India’s ‘green revolution’ in the mid-1960s,
which focused on wheat and rice to meet food security demands, for the decline
of the area of coarse cereals.
While wheat and rice received research, extension and market
support, on the supply side, there was a marked shift away from coarse grains,
with consequences for dietary micronutrients. “We have very detailed results in
our study for optimal diets by region, but the main outcome for all regions is
the need to shift away from rice” Narasimha Rao, International Institute
for Applied Systems Analysis Devinder Sharma, leading agro-economist and chair
of the Forum for Biotechnology and Food Security, a New Delhi-based collective
of agriculture scientists, economists, biotechnologists, farmers and
environmentalists, says,“The result of policies that orphaned coarse grains,
while favouring fine grains and cash crops such as soybeans and cotton, is now
painfully evident as widespread micronutrient deficiencies.”
Relying on India’s National Sample Survey of Consumption
Expenditure (2011—12), Rao and his colleagues determined that around 500
million people, or more than two-thirds of the Indian population, are now
affected by deficiencies in protein and micronutrients. The worst of
these life-threatening deficiencies is iron (90 per cent), followed by Vitamin
A (85 per cent) and protein (50 per cent). The study also shows that
micronutrient deficiency is worse in India’s urban areas than in the rural
hinterland. Rao tells SciDev.Net that nutrient deficiencies were found
less in the wheat-eating northern and western areas of the country than in the
south and east, where rice is the staple food. “We have very detailed
results in our study for optimal diets by region, but the main outcome for all
regions is the need to shift away from rice,” Rao says. According to
Rao, nutrient deficiency can be overcome within existing household budgets by
diversifying diets to include coarse cereals, pulses, and leafy vegetables, and
by reducing rice intake.
Additionally, if the suggested dietary changes are made, India’s
agricultural GhG emissions could be reduced by up to 25 per cent. Rice paddies
are a man-made source of methane, a GhG, but one that can be controlled. While
methane is produced by bacteria that digest straw ploughed back into fields in
paddy fields to enrich it, carbon dioxide, a major GhG, is released when
farmers resort to burning as a cheap way to get rid of agricultural residues.
You might also like Methane from Indian livestock adds to global warming Sowing
wheat earlier can help beat warming in India Warming behind India’s depleting
groundwater? Experts push for sustainable standards on rice Major methane
emitter identified in Asian rice fields Better rice, less greenhouse gas
However, current agricultural and food pricing policies may act as an
impediment to dietary shifts, Rao says.
Under the 2013 National Food Security Act, two-thirds of
India’s population became eligible to receive five kilogrammes of grains at
subsidised prices. However, the subsidies favour rice over wheat and wheat over
coarse grains, despite the lower nutritional content of the former.
“It may not be immediately possible to generate a viable support price
for coarse grains,” Rao surmises. He also notes other
difficulties in shifting from rice to coarse grains. “There are a number of
barriers, on the supply side — getting farmers to agree to scale up the
production of coarse grains and convincing consumers to eat these grains,” Rao
says. According to Sharma, what is happening on the supply side is
matched by a demand in the urban areas for processed rice and wheat products
because they have shorter cooking times than coarse grains and therefore,
suited to the typical lifestyle of working couples. “Nothing short
of a complete overhaul of the agricultural system in the country is required,”
says Sharma. This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Asia & Pacific
desk. Related topics Nutrition Health Farming Food security Climate change
Terms of use Privacy policy
Cookies Accessibility Webfeeds Link to us Comments/Feedback Designed &
Built by Pixl8 Coarse grains better than rice for health, environment
Copyright: Panos Speed read Rice is less nutritive than wheat, millet or other
coarse grains Rice paddies release large amounts of methane, a greenhouse gas A
dietary shift away from rice can improve nutrition and reduce GHG emissions By:
Ranjit Devraj [NEW DELHI] Shifting away from white, polished rice to a diet
that includes more wheat and coarse grains can improve how Indians deal with
micronutrient deficiencies, as well as reduce greenhouse gas (GhG) emissions
associated with paddy cultivation, says a new study. Published in the
March edition of the academic journal Global Environmental Change, the study is
described by Narasimha Rao, study author and project leader of ‘Decent Energy
Living’ at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Vienna, as
a “hypothetical (ideal case) scenario analysis”.
India grows a
variety of coarse grains, including sorghum, pearl millet, maize, barley, and
finger millet, as well as many ‘small millets’ such as kodo millet, little
millet, foxtail millet, proso millet, and barnyard millet. However, the
lands devoted to cultivating millets has been steadily shrinking. According to
a 2014 agricultural ministry status paper, the area under coarse grains shrank
to 26.42 million hectares from 44.35 million hectares between the years 1966
and 2012. The paper blamed India’s ‘green revolution’ in the mid-1960s,
which focused on wheat and rice to meet food security demands, for the decline
of the area of coarse cereals. While wheat and rice received research, extension
and market support, on the supply side, there was a marked shift away from
coarse grains, with consequences for dietary micronutrients. “We have very
detailed results in our study for optimal diets by region, but the main outcome
for all regions is the need to shift away from rice” Narasimha
Rao, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis Devinder Sharma,
leading agro-economist and chair of the Forum for Biotechnology and Food
Security, a New Delhi-based collective of agriculture scientists, economists,
biotechnologists, farmers and environmentalists, says,“The result of policies
that orphaned coarse grains, while favouring fine grains and cash crops such as
soybeans and cotton, is now painfully evident as widespread micronutrient
deficiencies.”
Relying on India’s National Sample Survey of Consumption
Expenditure (2011—12), Rao and his colleagues determined that around 500
million people, or more than two-thirds of the Indian population, are now
affected by deficiencies in protein and micronutrients. The worst of
these life-threatening deficiencies is iron (90 per cent), followed by Vitamin
A (85 per cent) and protein (50 per cent). The study also shows that
micronutrient deficiency is worse in India’s urban areas than in the rural
hinterland. Rao tells SciDev.Net that nutrient deficiencies were found
less in the wheat-eating northern and western areas of the country than in the
south and east, where rice is the staple food.
“We have very detailed results in our study for optimal
diets by region, but the main outcome for all regions is the need to shift away
from rice,” Rao says. According to Rao, nutrient deficiency can be
overcome within existing household budgets by diversifying diets to include
coarse cereals, pulses, and leafy vegetables, and by reducing rice intake.
Additionally, if the suggested dietary changes are made, India’s
agricultural GhG emissions could be reduced by up to 25 per cent. Rice paddies
are a man-made source of methane, a GhG, but one that can be controlled. While
methane is produced by bacteria that digest straw ploughed back into fields in
paddy fields to enrich it, carbon dioxide, a major GhG, is released when
farmers resort to burning as a cheap way to get rid of agricultural residues.
You might also like Methane from Indian livestock adds to global warming Sowing
wheat earlier can help beat warming in India Warming behind India’s depleting
groundwater?
Experts push for
sustainable standards on rice Major methane emitter identified in Asian rice
fields Better rice, less greenhouse gas However, current agricultural and food
pricing policies may act as an impediment to dietary shifts, Rao says.
Under the 2013 National Food Security Act, two-thirds of India’s
population became eligible to receive five kilogrammes of grains at subsidised
prices. However, the subsidies favour rice over wheat and wheat over coarse
grains, despite the lower nutritional content of the former.
“It may not be
immediately possible to generate a viable support price for coarse grains,” Rao
surmises. He also notes other difficulties in shifting from
rice to coarse grains. “There are a number of barriers, on the supply side
— getting farmers to agree to scale up the production of coarse grains
and convincing consumers to eat these grains,” Rao says. According to
Sharma, what is happening on the supply side is matched by a demand in the
urban areas for processed rice and wheat products because they have shorter
cooking times than coarse grains and therefore, suited to the typical
lifestyle of working couples.
“Nothing short of a
complete overhaul of the agricultural system in the country is required,” says
Sharma. This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Asia & Pacific desk.
Related topics Coarse grains better than rice for health, environment
Copyright: Panos Speed read Rice is less nutritive than wheat, millet or other
coarse grains Rice paddies release large amounts of methane, a greenhouse gas A
dietary shift away from rice can improve nutrition and reduce GHG emissions By:
Ranjit Devraj [NEW DELHI] Shifting away from white, polished rice to a diet
that includes more wheat and coarse grains can improve how Indians deal with
micronutrient deficiencies, as well as reduce greenhouse gas (GhG) emissions
associated with paddy cultivation, says a new study.
Published in the March
edition of the academic journal Global Environmental Change, the study is
described by Narasimha Rao, study author and project leader of ‘Decent Energy
Living’ at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Vienna, as
a “hypothetical (ideal case) scenario analysis”. India grows a variety
of coarse grains, including sorghum, pearl millet, maize, barley, and finger
millet, as well as many ‘small millets’ such as kodo millet, little millet,
foxtail millet, proso millet, and barnyard millet. However, the lands
devoted to cultivating millets has been steadily shrinking. According to a 2014
agricultural ministry status paper, the area under coarse grains shrank to
26.42 million hectares from 44.35 million hectares between the years 1966 and
2012.
The paper blamed India’s
‘green revolution’ in the mid-1960s, which focused on wheat and rice to meet
food security demands, for the decline of the area of coarse cereals. While
wheat and rice received research, extension and market support, on the supply
side, there was a marked shift away from coarse grains, with consequences for
dietary micronutrients. “We have very detailed results in our study for optimal
diets by region, but the main outcome for all regions is the need to shift away
from rice” Narasimha Rao, International Institute for Applied Systems
Analysis Devinder Sharma, leading agro-economist and chair of the Forum for
Biotechnology and Food Security, a New Delhi-based collective of agriculture
scientists, economists, biotechnologists, farmers and environmentalists,
says,“The result of policies that orphaned coarse grains, while favouring fine
grains and cash crops such as soybeans and cotton, is now painfully evident as
widespread micronutrient deficiencies.”
Relying on India’s National
Sample Survey of Consumption Expenditure (2011—12), Rao and his colleagues
determined that around 500 million people, or more than two-thirds of the
Indian population, are now affected by deficiencies in protein and
micronutrients. The worst of these life-threatening deficiencies is iron
(90 per cent), followed by Vitamin A (85 per cent) and protein (50 per cent).
The study also shows that micronutrient deficiency is worse in India’s urban
areas than in the rural hinterland.
Rao tells SciDev.Net that
nutrient deficiencies were found less in the wheat-eating northern and western
areas of the country than in the south and east, where rice is the staple food.
“We have very detailed results in our study for optimal diets by region,
but the main outcome for all regions is the need to shift away from rice,” Rao
says. According to Rao, nutrient deficiency can be overcome within
existing household budgets by diversifying diets to include coarse cereals, pulses,
and leafy vegetables, and by reducing rice intake.
Additionally, if the
suggested dietary changes are made, India’s agricultural GhG emissions could be
reduced by up to 25 per cent. Rice paddies are a man-made source of methane, a
GhG, but one that can be controlled. While methane is produced by bacteria that
digest straw ploughed back into fields in paddy fields to enrich it, carbon
dioxide, a major GhG, is released when farmers resort to burning as a
cheap way to get rid of agricultural residues. You might also like Methane from
Indian livestock adds to global warming Sowing wheat earlier can help beat
warming in India Warming behind India’s depleting groundwater?
Experts push for
sustainable standards on rice Major methane emitter identified in Asian rice
fields Better rice, less greenhouse gas However, current agricultural and food
pricing policies may act as an impediment to dietary shifts, Rao says.
Under the 2013 National Food Security Act, two-thirds of India’s
population became eligible to receive five kilogrammes of grains at subsidised
prices. However, the subsidies favour rice over wheat and wheat over coarse
grains, despite the lower nutritional content of the former. “It
may not be immediately possible to generate a viable support price for coarse
grains,” Rao surmises. He also notes other difficulties in
shifting from rice to coarse grains. “There are a number of barriers, on the
supply side — getting farmers to agree to scale up the production of
coarse grains and convincing consumers to eat these grains,” Rao says.
According to Sharma, what is happening on the supply side is
matched by a demand in the urban areas for processed rice and wheat products
because they have shorter cooking times than coarse grains and therefore,
suited to the typical lifestyle of working couples. “Nothing short
of a complete overhaul of the agricultural system in the country is required,”
says Sharma. This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Asia & Pacific
desk. Related topics
Parc develops new technology for rice-wheat cropping system
ISLAMABAD - Pakistan Agricultural Research
Council (PARC) Tuesday announced developing a new technology/machine which sows
wheat in rice residue -without disturbing the soil.
Handling of the combine harvested paddy residue
has been becoming a great concern to the farmers in rice-wheat cropping system.
The residue is either removed or spread in the field manually.
In general, farmers prefer to burn it as an
easy and cost-effective method of disposal. However, burning of residue not
only results in loss of precious crop nutrients but also poses a great threat
to the environment, human health and economy.
The smog restricts road and air traffic and
causes respiratory problems for human/ animal health.
New machine -PAK Seeder- sows wheat in rice
residue without disturbing the soil as well rice residue from field.
Officials claim that rice-wheat growers can
conserve their resources, time and money by adopting this technology, which
will not only improve soil biological and physical health as well as increases
wheat and rice crop yields.
"burning of rice residue is a big problem
for Pakistan as well South Asian countries and Pak Seeder is breakthrough for
rice-wheat growers of Pakistan, which will not only save the time and resources
but also enhance our crop production", official said.
Engr Shabbir Kalwar explained the technology in
detail. Dr Anjum Ali Butter explained the problems faced by farmers of
rice-wheat system due to burning of rice straw and created problem of SMOG
during the months of November and December.
He emphasized on importance of farmers' role
and their cooperation with machinery manufactures and researchers in further
development of PAK Seeder.
Innovations in
rice value chains offer increased job opportunities for rural youth
Press release
March 28, 2018
1
The Technical Centre for
Agricultural and Rural Co-operation (CTA), together with the Africa Rice Center
(AfricaRice) and the Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture, has
launched a new project that will foster youth entrepreneurship, strengthen
market ties, and enhance livelihoods in the rice sectors of Mali and Senegal.
In addition to 1,000 new jobs
targeted, the project aims to increase revenues for up to 2,500 smallholder
farmers in its two-year lifetime. More than 15,000 rural youth will be targeted
via ICT channels with information on opportunities for entrepreneurship in the
sector.
The project, titled EMPRICE
(Promoting youth entrepreneurship and job creation in the West African rice value
chain), was launched today in Bamako, Mali.
“The targeting of young
entrepreneurs and the institutions that support them is a strategic focus for
CTA. This new project is one example of where we are giving entrepreneurs
opportunities to leverage access to finance and markets; showcase best
practices and innovative business models; and create pathways to the creation
of job opportunities,” said Michael Hailu, CTA Director.
Youth employment remains a
critical concern and priority for West African governments. The project will
capitalise on a dynamic workforce to drive innovation and boost the rice sector
which constitutes the largest supplier of calories in the region.
According to Simon Winter,
Executive Director of the Syngenta Foundation, “The entrepreneurial dynamism of
young people is driving local level innovations to enhance the lives of
smallholder farmers. EMPRICE will support young innovators to design successful
business strategies and bring greater efficiencies to the critical rice value
chain.”
Increasing rice production and
upgrading the rice value chain will reduce reliance on imports, increase food
security, reduce urban migration and give more of the regions’ youth valuable
employment opportunities.
An example of the challenges
faced by small-scale farmers is in accessing seed of recently released,
high-yielding, climate-smart varieties, as well as agricultural machinery for
cultivation, harvest and post-harvest operations.
“The Rice Market is now becoming
a very important one in Africa. A project such as EMPRICE creates opportunities
for rural youths through ICTs and digitalization to exploit this lucrative and
attractive market for entrepreneurship creation and youth employment,” stated
Harold Roy-Macauley, AfricaRice Director General.
For more
information or to request an interview contact:
The Technical Centre for
Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA) is a joint international institution
of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States and the European
Union (EU). Its mission is to advance food security, resilience and inclusive
economic growth in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific through innovations in
sustainable agriculture. CTA operates under the framework of the Cotonou
Agreement and is funded by the EU. For more information on CTA, visit www.cta.int.
About AfricaRice
AfricaRice is a CGIAR Research
Center – part of a global research partnership for a food-secure future. It is
also an intergovernmental association of African member countries. It has been
mandated to support its member countries in developing the rice sector through
research, development and partnership activities. The Center was created in
1971 by 11 African countries. Today its membership comprises 26 countries,
covering West, Central, East and North African regions. AfricaRice headquarters
is based in Côte d’Ivoire. Staff members are located in Côte d’Ivoire as well
as in AfricaRice research stations in Benin, Liberia, Madagascar, Nigeria and
Senegal. For more information on AfricaRice, visit www.AfricaRice.org.
About Syngenta Foundation
The Syngenta Foundation focuses
on productivity and the inclusion of farmers in remunerative value chains. The
focus is on ‘pre-commercial’ farmers, often in semi-arid areas, who display
potential for agricultural growth. The aim is to help small farmers become more
professional growers. It is done by extending science-based know-how,
facilitating access to quality inputs, and linking smallholders to markets in
profitable ways The Foundation runs projects in Africa and Asia, and
contributes to the agricultural policy debate worldwide. It works with a wide
range of partners operationally and in thought leadership. The Foundation
engages, for example, the public sector, international organizations, think
tanks, the private sector, other foundations, social entrepreneurs, and non-governmental
organizations (NGOs). As well as establishing pilot projects, the Foundation
also puts major emphasis on successful scale-up. For more information on the
Syngenta Foundation, visit www.syngentafoundation.org.
Zoomlion – or ‘Zoomlion Heavy Industry Science and Technology
Co’ to refer to it by its full title – is a Chinese manufacturer of machinery
(mainly construction equipment).
It claims to be the world’s sixth
largest and China’s largest construction machinery company. In 2008, for
example, it acquired CIFA – then the world’s third largest concrete machinery
manufacturer. At the time, that was reputed to be the largest ever European
acquisition by a Chinese company.
Agricultural Machinery
Nowadays, Zoomlion operates in five sectors: construction
machinery; agricultural machinery; heavy trucks; environmental activities; and
financial services. It encompasses several brand-names, including the ‘Zoomlion‘ trade-mark.
The agricultural machinery division appears to be
growing; it manufactures not only tractors but also harvesters and implements.
At the smaller end of the tractor line-up is the likes of
the 30hp RD304. There are umpteen models charting a path up to the
existing 120hp RS1204.
In recent years, the company has
embarked on the manufacture of much larger tractors – as is evident from this
video footage (below). Alas, the narration is not in English!
Increasingly, the company is embracing more radical styling cues. The latest-generation
tractors are nothing if not eye-catching, as this picture (below) shows.
Image source:
AgriMacFan
Zoomlion also markets a variety
of harvesting machines. Its combine harvesters are typically smaller than
flagship machines produced here in Europe or, indeed, the US.
This video footage (below) shows
a fleet of machines busily toiling away. As well as combines for cereal crops,
Zoomlion also builds machines for harvesting sugarcane and rice.
The company even has a pair of self-propelled foragers in its
arsenal; the larger of the two (pictured below) is a somewhat imposing-looking
beast.
Founded in 1992, Zoomlion now
sells 49 different product lines – amounting to nearly 800 different products
(though construction equipment accounts for many of these).
It was China’s first construction
machinery company to be listed on both the Shenzhen and Hong Kong stock
exchanges.
It has 14 manufacturing sites
dotted about China, plus five “industrial and technological parks” abroad – in
Italy, Germany, India, Brazil and Belarus.
Will we see more of this
sprawling entity here in western Europe – and perhaps even Ireland – in future?
Only time well tell…
Plans farming of the rice variety on 300 kanal in Tanghdar
GKNN Srinagar, Publish Date: Mar 28 2018 12:39AM | Updated
Date: Mar 28 2018 12:39AM
GK
To revive traditional Kashmiri
rice variety ‘Zag Tumul’ (red rice), SKUAST-K is planning its mass production in
Tangdhar area of border district Kupwara. For the revival plan
Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Kashmir is
collaborating with Hyderabad based high profile IRRI (Indian Rice Research
Institute) for the research inputs, and NABARD for the funding.
In this connection, SKUAST-K held
a two-day promotional event on March 25-25 at Gomal Village of Tangdhar.
“During these two days apart from
scientists-farmer-interaction, about 11 quintals of seed were distributed free
of cost among farmers for its popularisation over an area of 300 Kanals
involving more than 100 farmers,” spokesperson of the SKUAST said in a
statement. The farmers were also given on spot advisories for successful crop
production.
MY Zargar on the occasion highlighted
the nutritional importance of this Lal Chawal and its role in livelihood
security of the farmers of the area and advised them to follow the recommended
package for harvesting good returns, said the spokesperson. GA Parray,
Associate Director Research, Khudwani also highlighted the role played by the
university scientists towards rice research and food security.
This market research segments
the Jasmine Rice Market by
distribution channel, types, applications and by geography. It also
presents an analysis of the key drivers and challenges that influence market
growth.
Outlook of the Jasmine
Rice Market
In this report, the EMEA Jasmine
Rice market is valued at USD XX million in 2017 and is expected to reach
USD XX million by the end of 2025, growing at a CAGR of XX% between 2017 and
2025.
Jasmine Rice Market report
provides the up-to-date industry data and industry future trends, allowing you to
recognize the products and end users driving Revenue growth and profitability.
Jasmine Rice market report also delivers lists of the leading competitors
and provides the insights strategic industry Analysis of the key factors
influencing the Jasmine Rice market.
The report has been prepared
based on the synthesis, analysis, and interpretation of information about the
Jasmine Rice Market collected from specialized sources. The competitive
landscape section of the report provides a clear insight into the market share
analysis of key industry players.
Top manufacturers, with
production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer; the
top players including: COFCO, Fu Tai Long, Wilmar, Zhong
Lv Bai Chuan, Jing Chu Da Di, Tai Liang, Hu Bei Jing Chu Liang You, Jin Jian,
Wan Nian Gong
Product Type Coverage: White, Brown, Others
Segmentation by distribution
channel and analysis of this market: Supermarkets and Malls, Online Shopping Sites, Retail Stores,
Others
Market segment by
Regions/Countries, this report covers:
Europe: Germany, France, UK,
Russia, Italy and Benelux;
Middle East: Saudi Arabia, Israel, UAE and Iran;
Africa: South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt and Algeria.
Moving forward with TOC areas
covered in this market research report are:
·Jasmine
RiceMarket Overview.
·EMEA
Jasmine RiceMarket Competition by Manufacturers/Players/Suppliers, Region, Type
and Application
·Europe
Jasmine RiceMarket (Volume, Value and Sales Price), by Players, Countries, Type
and Application
·Middle
East Jasmine RiceMarket (Volume, Value and Sales Price), by Region, Type and
Application
·Africa
Jasmine RiceMarket (Volume, Value and Sales Price) by Players, Countries, Type
and Application
·EMEA
Jasmine RiceManufacturers/Players Profiles and Sales Data
·Jasmine
RiceManufacturing Cost Analysis
·Industrial
Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers
Overall the report gives an
entire study of the parent Jasmine Rice market, key techniques followed by
leading Market Key Players and upcoming segments. Former, current and forecast
Jasmine Rice market synthesis in terms of volume and value along with
research conclusions is a decisive part of Jasmine Rice study. So that
the report helps the fresh aspirants to inspect the upcoming opportunities
in the Jasmine Rice market.
About Us
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(ReportsMonitor.com) is a platform for companies looking to meet their market
research and business intelligence requirements. Our aim is to change the
dynamics of the Market Research industry by providing quality intelligence
backed by data. Your requirement for market forecasting is fulfilled by our
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data, Decision makers can now rely on our distinct data gathering methods to
get factual market forecasting and detailed analysis.
The recently announced research
study entitled “Rice Flourc“ Market Research
Report is expected to launch by xx% Approx from 2018 to 2023 with a CAGR value
of xx% Approx. Government across the world have taken considerable steps to
support rice flourc market over past few decades. Infrastructural developmental
and improving technologies have boosted demand and growth of the market.
Primary competitors of this
industry that have been contributed an ample of share in last few years. market
report includes all top industry manufacturers collectively with their
organization profile, rice flourc growth factors, possibilities and threats to
the market growth. Global rice flourc report lists the information associated
with demand and supply, consumption ratio, sales margin, manufacturing
capability, price analysis and factors affecting the growth of rice flourc
industry.
This record provides the rice
flourc industry evaluation from 2011-2018 after which affords forecast details
years ranging from 2018-2023. An up-to-date rice flourc industry details
associated with enterprise activities, import/export state of affairs, the
industry proportion is concealed in this record.
Key apportionment of the rice
flourc industry: Detailed analysis of major types of products and services
offered | Different products proposed by rice flourc industry.
Manufacturers from Rice
Flourc Market:
Burapa Prosper
Thai Flour Industry
Rose Brand
Cho Heng
Koda Farms
BIF
Lieng Tong
Bob’s Red Mill Natural Foods
Pornkamon Rice Flour Mills
Huangguo
Product Types from Rice
Flourc Market:
Rice Flour
Brown Rice Flour
Glutinous Rice Flour
Others
Applications from Rice
Flourc Market:
Rice Noodle and Rice Pasta
Sweets and Desserts
Snacks
Bread
Thickening Agent
Others
Detailed Analysis of Key
Geographical Regions:
Major geographical regions
competing in worldwide rice flourc industry includes: Asia-Pacific (South
Korea, China, India, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Japan and
Indonesia) rice flourc industry, Europe (Germany,
France, Russia, UK, and Italy), South
America (Brazil, and Argentina), North
America (Canada, Mexico, and the USA)rice flourc industry, The
Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, South Africa,
Nigeria, and Egypt).
Other regions can be added as per
readers and users convenience.
Overview Of Table Of Content:-
Chapter 1 Rice Flourc Market
Overview.
Chapter 2 Rice Flourc by Regions.
Chapter 3 Rice Flourc by Players.
Chapter 4 Rice Flourc by Consumer.
Chapter 5 Global Top Players Profile.
Chapter 6 Market Chain and Supply Chain.
Chapter 7 Global Rice Flourc Market Size (Sales and Revenue) Forecast Till
2023.
Chapter 8 Development Trend and Research Conclusion.
Chapter 9 Methodology and Data Source.
Detailed analysis of end-users,
consumers, and applications: Different applications covered in this research
study of rice flourc industry.
Major Advantageous of This
Research Study:
Historical, present and future
data of this market having a forecast period of 5 years in different regions
across the world. Market size, revenue, sales volume, and a distribution rate
of this industry by type, application, and region over a forecast period from
2018 to 2023. Further report rice flourc industry driving forces, developments,
industry trends, restraints, company profiles of each top manufacturers, import
statistics, key performance, strategic recommendations, and competitive
landscape of rice flourc industry.
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Global Hybrid Rice Seeds Market Report provides
important information related to the overall market and price forecast over a
five-year period, from 2017 to 2022. In this bit, the experts have offered
essential figures which relates to the production and consumption forecast for
the major regions that the market is categorized into, production forecast by
type, and consumption forecast by application.
Hybrid Rice Seeds Market report
presents the detail analysis of the parent market based on elite players,
present, past and futuristic data which will serve as a profitable guide for
all the Hybrid Rice Seeds industry competitors.
Top Key Players of Hybrid Rice
Seeds Market: Dupont Pioneer, Syngenta, Bayer CropScience, Nath, Advanta,
Nirmal Seeds, Longping High-tech, China National Seed Group, Hainan Shennong
Gene, WIN-ALL HI-TECH SEED, Hefei Fengle Seed, Zhongnongfa Seed, RiceTec, SL
Agritech.
Global Hybrid Rice Seeds market
is booming into the Agriculture sector at present era. The Hybrid Rice Seeds has covered rapid development in the
current and past years and is probably going to proceed with a continuing
development in the upcoming years.
With thorough market segment in
terms of different Countries, this report divides the market into a few key
countries, with sales (consumption), revenue, market share, and growth rate of
the market in these countries over the forecast period 2017-2022.
Major classifications are as
follows: 3-line Breeding Systems, 2-line Breeding Systems.
Major applications are as
follows: Application1, Application2, Application3. & more.
Geographical Segmentation of Hybrid Rice Seeds Market:Europe,
North America, China, Japan, Southeast Asia.
The Report features key market
flow of division. Various definitions and classification of the industry,
applications of the industry and chain structure are given. The present market
situation and prospects of the sector also have been examined. Additionally,
prime strategical activities in the market, which includes product developments,
mergers and acquisitions, partnerships, etc., are discussed.
Some TOC
points of Hybrid Rice Seeds Market Report:
·Market size &
shares
·Market trends and
dynamics
·Market Drivers and
Opportunities
·Competitive landscape
·Supply and demand
·Technological inventions
in Hybrid Rice Seeds industry
·Marketing Channel
Development Trend
·Hybrid Rice Seeds
Market Positioning
·Pricing Strategy
·Brand Strategy
·Target Client
Key Reasons to Purchase:
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landscape.
·Assess the Hybrid Rice
Seeds production processes, major issues, and solutions to
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most affecting driving and restraining forces in
the Hybrid Rice Seeds market and its impact in the global market.
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In conclusion, Hybrid Rice Seeds
market 2017 report presents the descriptive analysis of the parent market based
on elite players, present, past and futuristic data which will serve as a
profitable guide for all the Hybrid Rice Seeds industry competitors.
Building climate resilient, migrant-friendly cities
Saleemul Huq
World Bank estimates put
the number of climate migrants in South Asia to be 40 million by 2050. Of that,
around 10 million or more are likely to be in Bangladesh and these people would
most likely be moving inland from the low-lying coastal districts. Photo: AFP
A recent report from the World Bank has looked at the potential
number of people who will be displaced and become climate migrants due to the
adverse impacts of climate change around the world by 2050. The report
estimated the number to be around 140 million across Asia and Africa, with 40
million in South Asia.
Of them, a significant portion, around 10 million or more, are
likely to be in Bangladesh and these people would most likely be moving inland
from the low-lying coastal districts. Most of them are likely to end up in
Dhaka.
However climate migrants do not necessarily need to be considered
as a problem to be coped with but can also be transformed into a solution with
the right kind of planning and investments. I will describe below how that can
be done in the context of Bangladesh.
There are three important dimensions of the phenomenon that need to
be taken into account and each needs different solutions.
The first dimension is dealing with the climate change impacts
that are already being felt in the low-lying coastal districts of the country
such as Khulna, Satkhira, Barisal, Patuakhali, Noakhali, Barguna and others
where the effects of saline intrusion in surface and groundwater are already
being felt. The government, NGOs and the research community are already
developing adaptation strategies, such as rain water harvesting for drinking
and saline tolerant varieties of rice and other crops, to help the people. The
Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI), for example, has already developed a
number of saline tolerant rice varieties which have been widely adopted already
all along the coast.
However, we also need to recognise that the problem of sea level
rise causing salinity intrusion will be faster than our ability to adapt, and
hence, more and more people will eventually have to relocate inland from the
coast.
This brings us to the second dimension of the issue: time. The
problem of sea level rise and salinity intrusion leading to inevitable
migration from coastal Bangladesh will not happen overnight but quite gradually
over several decades. This allows us to have a two-track adaptation strategy
with the first (short-term) track being helping people in the coastal areas to
cope with the salinity issue. The second (long-term) track is to educate and
empower the young girls and boys in those areas to enable them not to become
farmers and fishers like their parents but to be able to move to towns (and
even go abroad) and get better paying jobs there. Once these boys and girls get
jobs they can then take their parents to join them and the entire family will
be better off than they were before.
In the jargon of climate change science these two tracks are
called “adaptation in situ” where we help the people adapt where they are,
while the second track is called “transformative adaptation” through which the
youth are able to transform their lives altogether.
One point to make about investment in education and skills
development is that it will need to focus on quality rather than quantity.
Investing in girls is a higher priority than boys since the social returns on
such investments are much better.
This brings us to the third dimension of the issue, which is that
if nothing is done to divert the migrants, they will almost all end up in
Dhaka, which is already the fastest growing mega-city in the world. Dhaka would
have great difficulty absorbing another ten million climate migrants.
Hence the solution to Dhaka's growing population problem is to
invest in other towns and attract migrants to those towns (as they cannot be
forced to do so).
This brings us to the strategy of identifying about a dozen
secondary towns away from the coast such as Pabna, Bogra, Jessore, Natore,
Mymensingh, Comilla, Faridpur, Sylhet, Noapara, Dinajpur and others which could
attract and absorb about a million migrants each.
These towns would be made into “climate resilient and migrant-friendly”
towns through investing in both their physical and human infrastructure. The
“climate resilient” part is already underway in many of them, with the initial
climate vulnerability assessments done. Now climate resilient physical
infrastructure is being designed by the government.
However the “migrant-friendly” part still needs to overcome
prejudice against migrants by the host population. This requires much more
social investment in people's education and behavioural change in order to get
them to welcome migrants to these towns.
The most important factor in attracting migrants is the provision
of jobs, followed by housing, schooling and healthcare. Hence each of these
towns needs to build on their comparative economic advantage to invest in
manufacturing or services that will generate employment to attract migrants. As
most of these jobs will have to be generated by the private sector, the
government will need to work closely with private entrepreneurs to enable them
to expand their businesses.
In conclusion, I would like to say that while Bangladesh needs to
think about how to cope with the millions of climate migrants that it will
inevitably have, we can indeed turn the problem into a solution to show the
world that facilitated and planned migration can be a successful, and indeed a
transformative, adaptation for millions of climate migrants.
This will however require all sectors of society to contribute in
a holistic approach as the government cannot be expected to do it alone.
Saleemul Huq is the Director of
International Centre for Climate Change and Development at the Independent
University, Bangladesh.
Hybrid chickadees
found deficient at learning and memory
BY
BRINKWIRE
MARCH
27, 2018 Scientists estimate that as much as 10% of animals—and 25% of
plants—engage in hybridization in nature. Genetic data has even shed light on
modern-day humans’ hybrid ancestry, with most Europeans and Asians thought to
have approximately 2 percent Neanderthal DNA.
Sterility
is common in hybrids and is thought to be a key factor in keeping two
hybridizing species distinct. This is true for a particular hybrid chickadee
population in the U.S., the result of mating between the northern Black-capped
Chickadee and a southern species called the Carolina Chickadee. A lower
percentage of the hybrid chickadees’ eggs hatch compared to their pure-species
parents—a key selective disadvantage.
The results
of a new behavioral study out of Lehigh University and Franklin & Marshall
College add a wrinkle to this paradigm: scientists found that hybrid chickadees
have marked deficiencies in learning and memory compared to their pure species
parents, which may be another selective disadvantage.
This
discovery is the first time that learning and memory deficiencies have been
identified in any hybrid of any species, opening up a new area of inquiry for
understanding hybrids’ selective disadvantage. The study results appear in the
journal Evolution in an article that appears online today by Michael A.
McQuillan, Amber M. Rice and Alex V. Huynh of Lehigh University and Timothy C.
Roth II of Franklin & Marshall College called: “Hybrid Chickadees are
Deficient in Learning and Memory.”
“These
birds are like squirrels: they store food throughout the fall,” says Rice,
assistant professor of biological sciences at Lehigh. “To survive winter, they
have to be able to go back and find the food. The fact that these hybrids are
worse at learning and remembering could really be bad for them, especially
during harsh winters.”
Animals
who store food in this manner are known as scatter-hoarders. According to
McQuillan, a Ph.D. candidate in evolutionary biology at Lehigh and lead author
of the study, the northern Black-capped Chickadee is a model species for
studying spatial memory and learning, traits that are key to scatter-hoarders’
survival. McQuillan says there is evidence to suggest that the Black-capped
Chickadees’ spatial memory is a heritable trait—a trait passed down to their
offspring.
“If
hybrid chickadees are less innovative, less able to adjust to their
environments, they might be less likely to survive,” says McQuillan. “That
might be a factor in keeping the two species separate—or reproductively isolated—despite
the fact that they are hybridizing.”
Perhaps
even more importantly, the team’s findings suggest that learning and memory may
contribute to the selective disadvantage of hybrids of other species as well.
According
to Maria R. Servedio, a professor of biology at the University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill whose research areas include speciation and the
evolution of premating isolation, these results are exciting because there has
been speculation about behaviors essential to survival and reproduction being
disrupted in hybrids, but very few well-established examples.
“This
study is really interesting because it provides a completely new mechanism by
which hybrids can have low fitness,” says Servedio. “When hybrids have low
fitness this in turn can provide selection for parents to become more selective
in choosing mates, which is an important mechanism in keeping species apart—so
it can have cascading effects.”
“They
would try and then give up”.Lehigh University is located within the “hybrid
zone,” a narrow band from northern New Jersey to Kansas where this population
of hybridized chickadees reside, which presents a unique opportunity to study
them.
The
team caught hybrids and pure species birds keeping them in enclosures located
on Lehigh’s Bethlehem, Pennsylvania campus. After establishing ancestry through
genetic testing, McQuillan and his colleagues conducted two behavioral tests
designed to determine learning and memory capacity.
To
test the birds’ spatial memory, he constructed a wall containing 60 identical
rubber pockets the contents of which were concealed with a white craft pom pom.
One of the pockets contained a wax worm, a highly-desired food item.
The
birds were introduced to the wall of pockets in the same manner once a day for
7 days. This offered an opportunity to observe how well the birds remembered
the location of the worm, which was always concealed in the same pocket.
“The
first day it’s random chance,” says Rice. “Each subsequent day, the birds
should get better and better at locating the pocket with the worm in it.”The
hybrids performed worse across the testing period than either pure species.
“On
average the hybrids took longer, requiring more inspections to locate the
worm,” says MacQuillan. “The hybrids made more errors and simply didn’t
remember as well.”There was no significant difference in performance between
the two pure-species groups.
To
test their learning skills, McQuillan presented the birds with a novel problem
to solve. A worm was placed into a small well drilled into a block that was
attached to an aviary wall. The team trained the birds to feed from the well by
regularly placing worms in it. During the test, McQuillan placed a circular
washer with a transparent coating over the well. The birds could see the worm
through the washer, but would have to figure out how to move the washer in
order to access the worm.
The
hybrids were significantly less likely to solve this problem than the
pure-species birds.
“The
hybrids would try and then give up,” says McQuillan. “If they didn’t get it
within the first few minutes, they weren’t going to get it all. That trend
became clear.”New area of inquiry for hybrids’ selective disadvantage
The
cognitive abilities of natural hybrids is an unexplored area of research. These
results offer new avenues of inquiry to better understand this population of
hybridizing chickadees, as well other hybrid systems. It also opens up new
areas of study regarding speciation more generally.
“Evolutionary
biologists tend to focus on the physiological deficits that plague hybrids as a
phenomenon that maintains chickadee species’ boundaries,” says Roth, an
assistant professor of psychology at Franklin & Marshall. “However, our
research suggests that declines in the cognitive abilities of hybrids may also
play an important role in maintaining species.”
The
next steps of the hybrid chickadee project involve delving deeper into what
might be behind the learning and memory deficiencies they found, including
exploring possible genetic and physiological causes.
“We’re
planning to follow up with additional behavioral tests to look at whether
controlling the chickadees’ experiences and environments has an impact on the
results,” says Rice. “Understanding the underlying neuroanatomy could be the
next steps in exploring what explains their cognitive deficiencies. For
example, are specific regions of their brains smaller? Do they have fewer
neurons, or less neurogenesis than their pure species parents?”
Roth,
whose research is focused on understanding the processes by which natural
selection influences the use of space in animals, is taking the lead on
studying the chickadees’ neuroanatomy.“We are currently in the process of
identifying differences in gene expression and neuroanatomy in these birds to
better understand the neural mechanisms of these cognitive deficits,” says
Roth.
More
information:
Michael
A. McQuillan et al, Hybrid chickadees are deficient in learning and memory,
Evolution (2018). DOI: 10.1111/evo.13470
Shivraj Singh Chouhan vows
to continue fight for basmati GI tag, slams Pakistan for ‘posing hurdles’
The coveted GI tag is a name or sign
that corresponds to specific geographical locations. Usage of such a
certification on a product would indicate that it possesses certain qualities
exclusive to its land of origin.
Madhya Pradesh chief minister
Shivraj Singh Chouhan has vowed to continue fighting to acquire the GI tag for
basmati rice grown in the state.Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh
Chouhan has vowed to continue fighting to acquire the GI tag for basmati rice
grown in the state.(PTI File Photo)
Undeterred
by a recent legal setback at the Geographical Indications (GI) registry in
Chennai, Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has vowed to
continue fighting to acquire the GI tag for basmati rice grown in the state
despite “hurdles posed by Pakistan”. The coveted GI tag is a name or sign that
corresponds to specific geographical locations. Usage of such a certification
on a product would indicate that it possesses certain qualities exclusive to
its land of origin.
“The
chief minister said state farmers have been producing basmati since 1908. As
much as 50% of the rice exported to Canada and America comes from Madhya
Pradesh. A few exporters, particularly those from Pakistan, do not want basmati
rice produced here to acquire a global identity certification,” a state
government spokesperson quoted Chouhan as saying in a television news programme
on Sunday evening.
“We
will fight for our basmati-producing farmers and emerge victorious in the end.”
Chinnaraja G Naidu, assistant registrar of the GI registry, had stated on March
15 that while the evidence filed by entities in Madhya Pradesh depicts the
importance and special characteristics of rice grown in the state, it does not
do the same for basmati in traditional cultivation areas. “The opponent has,
therefore, failed to satisfy the fundamental requirements of popular public
perception of Basmati cultivation in Madhya Pradesh as mentioned by the
honourable Intellectual Property Appellate Board (IPAB) in Chennai… A mere plea
without the backing of any corroborative evidence has no gravity in the eyes of
the law,” he added.
While the respondent or applicant in this case
was the Agricultural & Processed Food Products Export Development Authority
(APEDA), the opponents comprised the Madhya Kshetra Basmati Growers Association
Samiti, Raisen; Narmada Cereals Private Limited, Mandideep, Raisen; SSA
International Limited, Mandideep, Raisen; Madhya Kshetra Basmati Exporters
Association, Udaipura, Raisen; the additional director of agriculture,
department of farmer welfare and agriculture development, government of Madhya
Pradesh; and Daawat Foods Limited, New Delhi. A senior official of the state
agriculture department said they were studying the order in detail. “As there
is an option to appeal against the order before IPAB within three months, we
are seeking legal opinions on how best to do it,” he said on the condition of
anonymity. It has been nearly a decade since Madhya Pradesh began fighting its
battle for inclusion into an Agriculture and Processed Food Products Export
Development Authority (APEDA) list of basmati-growing states. It had even won a
legal battle before the GI registry in 2013, but IPAB rejected the claim three
years later on an appeal filed by APEDA. Madhya Pradesh claims that it has been
growing basmati rice since 1908.
The
Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Sokoto Command comprising Zamfara, Sokoto and
Kebbi States, has intercepted 585 bags of foreign rice hidden in a petrol
tanker with a duty paid value of N11 million.Addressing journalists in
Sokoto on Monday, the Customs Area Controller of
the command, Mr. Nasir Ahmad, said the contraband was intercepted last week
along Koko-Yawuri road in Kebbi State.
According
to him, the vehicle was heading to Suleja in Niger State when it was
intercepted by Customs officers following a tip-off in Kebbi State.
He
explained that the tanker, which was supposed to be carrying petrol, was loaded
with the 585 bags of rice and as such posed serious risk to the health of the
citizens.
Ahmad
disclosed that four people were arrested in connection with the contraband
while the owner had already disappeared.
“We
have already arrested four suspects and they are currently in our custody while
we are on the trail of the major owner of the contraband. We will soon get him
to face justice,” he said.
LAHORE - High yielding hybrid rice area is
going to cross 50 per cent in three years from present 25 to 30 per cent paddy
coverage, yielding additional two million tons output, said Shahzad Ali Malik,
Chief Executive Officer of Guard Rice Research & Services Pvt Ltd at a function.All
efforts of introducing hybrid rice seed in Pakistan is being commanded by
national seed companies mainly in collaboration of Chinese leader in research
& development with 'Guard Agri' having the lion's share. Several
multinational seed companies like, Monsanto, Pioneer, Syngenta and Bayer did
try to introduce hybrid rice seed but failed to outperform national seed
companies.
Their varieties were less rewarding for farmers
due to lack of jump in production while seed cost was also high if compared
with what local seed companies were offering, Shahzad Ali Malik said.
Malik, who is founding president of Seed
Association of Pakistan (SAP) and ex-presidents of Rice Exporters Association
of Pakistan (REAP) and LCCI, said that with untiring efforts of local scientists,
the role of private sector in seed research and development is increasing day
by day.
With doubling of hybrid rice seed coverage from
present 25-30 per cent to over 50 per cent in next three years, national rice
production is potentially expected to be increased by hefty two million tons.
At present yield is 6.9 million ton from 2.79 million hactares. By doubling the
area from 25 per cent to 50 per cent, the expected increase in yield will be
around 2 million tons and total yield will be around 9 million tons, he
explained.
In total rice hybridization, around 90 per cent
area of long-grain paddy is in Sindh province while 10 per cent in South
Punjab. As aromatic basmati rice is first choice for farmers in Punjab, coarse
varieties area is still low.However, with production of hybrid rice seed in
central Punjab, paddy area in Punjab is likely to increase significantly in
coming years, he observed.
The major factor behind success of national
seed companies in large-scale acceptance of rice hybrid seed has been
development of heat-resistance and drought-tolerant varieties, he said and
adding multinational seed companies had varieties that could not perform well
in harsh summer weather of Sindh and Southern Punjab.
Hence, Malik said, the long grain hybrid rice
that substituted IRRI-6 in coastal belt and central Sindh is a major success as
its export market is rapidly evolving in the favour of farmers and exporters.
The higher yield and lower production give a
premium to farmers, considerably changing their socio economic conditions.
Consequently, our long grain rice is gaining
grounds globally with much ease by competing major producers and exporters
countries of the world like Vietnam and Thailand. It is pertinent to mention
here that Shahzad Ali Malik is one of the most prominent entrepreneurs who
spearhead private sector research and development (R&D) in agriculture.
His company has emerged as a leader in
demand-driven research in agriculture, challenging the monopoly of public
sector institutions and multinationals.
With great passion to increase productivity of
farming sector, Shahzad Ali Malik is actively striving to achieve food security
in his untiring efforts spanning over past 25 years. He successfully pioneered
the introduction of hybrid rice seed in Pakistan with collaboration of Chinese
scientists.
The Madhya Pradesh government has filed a petition in the Madras
High Court challenging an order passed by the Assistant Registrar of
Geographical Indications here on March 15 excluding the state from being
granted the GI tag for basmati rice. The Madhya Kshetra Basmati Growers
Association Samiti has also filed a similar plea. Admitting the pleas recently,
Justice M Duraiswamy ordered notice to the GI registry, Agricultural, Processed
Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) and others returnable
byApril 23. Madhya Pradesh contended that the order was liable to be set aside
since it "relies on an extraneous and non-statutory metric such as popular
perception to dismiss the case for GI tag".
Besides the registrar order has treated Indo-Gangetic plains as the
sole area of basmati production without offering reasons for the same in the
judgment, the petitioner claimed. In May 2010, GI status was given to basmati
grown only in Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and parts
of western Uttar Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. Madhya Pradesh moved a
statutory opposition demanding that its 13 districts be recognized as
traditional basmati growing regions. The state claimed that 13 of its districts
had been growing basmati for several decades and they were located in the
Indo-Gangetic plains having climatic condition favourable for cultivation of
basmati. Non-inclusion of the state in the basmati growing areas would have an
adverse effect on the lives of over 80,000 farmers who mainly depend upon
basmati cultivation, it added.
ISLAMABAD, Mar 27 (APP):The export
of rice from the country surged by 22.14 percent during first eight months
(July-February) of current fiscal year as compared to same period of last year.
According to details, the rice
export jumped to $1.262 billion in July-February (2017-18) as against the
export worth $1.003 billion in same period of the preceding year.
In terms of quantity, the rice
export increased to 2.67 million metric ton from 2.334 million MT in
July-February (2016-17), showing an increase of 11.48 percent, according to a
latest data released by Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).
On yearly basis, the rice export
also increased by 24.24 percent as it rose to $194.342 million in February 2018
from $156.43 million in same month of the year 2017.
On month-on-month basis, the exports
however witnessed a decrease of 10.8 percent as the exports during January,
2018 were recorded at $217.9 million.
The overall food group export also
witnessed an increase of 21.7 percent during July-February (2017-18) as
compared to same period of last year.
During the period under review, the
food exports jumped to $2.84 billion as compared to the exports of $2.334
billion in same period of last year.
The export of
rice from the country surged by 22.14 percent during first eight months
(July-February) of current fiscal year as compared to same period of last year.According
to details, the rice export jumped to $1.262 billion in July-February (2017-18)
as against the export worth $1.003 billion in same period of the preceding
year.
In terms of
quantity, the rice export increased to 2.67 million metric ton from 2.334
million MT in July-February (2016-17), showing an increase of 11.48 percent,
according to a latest data released by Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).On
yearly basis, the rice export also increased by 24.24 percent as it rose to
$194.342 million in February 2018 from $156.43 million in same month of the
year 2017.
On
month-on-month basis, the exports however witnessed a decrease of 10.8 percent
as the exports during January, 2018 were recorded at $217.9 million.
The overall food
group export also witnessed an increase of 21.7 percent during July-February
(2017-18) as compared to same period of last year.
During the
period under review, the food exports jumped to $2.84 billion as compared to
the exports of $2.334 billion in same period of last year .
