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By Wang Xiaoyu | China Daily |
Updated: 2019-05-10 09:01
Researchers from
Huazhong Agricultural University showcase genetically modified rice at a
scientific activity in Yichang, Hubei province. [Photo by LIU JUNFENG/FOR CHINA
DAILY]
Scientists say China should follow other countries in removing
market barriers
Agricultural scientists in China have called for a regulatory
shift to classify crops and plants developed through gene editing technology as
traditionally bred varieties.
The current regulatory framework subjects gene-edited
agricultural products to a high level of scrutiny, they said. The shift would
streamline the examination and evaluation process, thus stimulating scientific
research while accelerating commercial cultivation of gene-edited plants.
Research to develop new varieties of plants with desirable
traits through gene editing has grown exponentially in recent years because the
process is simpler and less expensive than genetic modification techniques that
introduce foreign DNA into the plant, according to Zhu Jiankang, director of
the Shanghai Center for Plant Stress Biology.
Gene editing relies on tweaking existing genomes, rather than
adding DNA from other sources - a technique used in some hotly debated genetic
work. The simpler, self-contained gene editing process exempts the technology
from environmental and safety concerns that hamper progress in marketing other
genetically modified products.
"In essence, gene editing technology is no different from
natural mutations that take place in nature all the time," Zhu said.
"The same result can also be achieved through traditional plant breeding,
but gene editing is more precise."
It takes a minimum of a couple of months to develop a new
variety of plant or crop using the gene editing technology, he said.
Even when off-target cuts of a DNA strand occur - meaning the
cutting tool chops out unintended genes - the incident is unlikely to cause
harm to humans, Zhu added.
The merits of genome editing, especially a key technique known
as CRISPR, have already intrigued agricultural scientists around the world. A
variety of advanced crops and plants, ranging from gluten-free wheat to
seedless tomatoes, have been hatched in laboratories.
In recent years regulatory and legal frameworks have taken shape
in some developed countries, Zhu said. In Japan, the Ministry of Health, Labor
and Welfare ruled that food products developed through genome editing can be
launched in the marketplace without safety evaluations if they meet certain
criteria, Asahi Shimbun reported in March.
The move is seen as following a regulatory decision in the
United States in August to drop extensive screenings for gene-edited
agricultural products. A company based in Minnesota announced six months later
that its oil from gene-edited soybean - a heart-healthy alternative with longer
shelf life than conventional oil - had been sold to local restaurants.
Not every country is entirely on board, however. The European
Court of Justice ruled last year that gene-edited agricultural products are
subject to the same rigorous regulatory scrutiny as their traditional GMO
counterparts.
Zhu said China has been a leading player in fundamental gene
editing research, but the lack of a clear regulatory system to classify and
evaluate resulting products means that applications are confined to scientific
labs.
"From the beginning, plenty of discussion about how to
ensure the safety of such products has taken place at the Ministry of
Agriculture and Rural Affairs," he said, adding that initial documents
available suggest that a set of standards similar to GMO regulations will be
applied in gene-edited plant field.
In Jinan, Shandong province, an industrial base devoted to
developing gene-edited plants with advice from Zhu's team from the Chinese
Academy of Sciences, is on track to roll out roughly 50 species within about
six years.
"These new varieties are likely to enter the marketplace in
China with much anticipation and at a swift pace, provided that clear rules are
written that distinguish them from GMOs," he said.
He said about two dozen Chinese academicians have signed up for
an initiative that calls for clear regulations of gene-edited plants, which
will eventually increase the competitiveness of Chinese agricultural goods and
smooth out their adoption in the mass market.
Zhao Bingran, a researcher at the Hunan Hybrid Rice Research
Center, said authorities should break down various genetic engineering
techniques based on whether outside genes are introduced into the end product,
and then devise regulations accordingly.
In late 2017, the research center announced that a low-cadmium
Indica rice strain, cultivated through a combination of gene-editing technology
and hybridization, had passed evaluation by the ministry that September. Zhao
participated in the project.
"Since then, we have conducted a series of follow-up
experiments and enlisted third parties to examine the safety, stability and
quality of this new strain. More tests are underway," he said.
However, to obtain the examination and approval certificates
required for new varieties of agricultural products, crop developers need
greater flexibility than what the current regulatory mechanism allows, Zhao
said.
"If we abide by the GMO regulation, field trials involving
vast expanses of land are troublesome because strict quarantine measures are
required," he said.
Other roadblocks are also likely to pose difficulties in the
future, including consumer misunderstandings that demonize genetic engineering
tools. It is also necessary to sort out patent issues associated with CRISPR,
which is owned by research institutes in the United States.
A
molecule sold as a food additive has an underground role, too: helping roots
grow faster.
When
added to soil, the molecule, called beta-cyclocitral,
speeds root growth in rice and tomato plants, scientists report May 8, 2019, in the
journal Proceedings of the National
Academy of Sciences. It also makes rice plants resistant to salty soil,
which usually turns plants sickly and stunted. The molecule, a hormone found
naturally in plants, could be a useful tool for farmers seeking healthier and
more drought-resistant crops.
For
centuries, plants have been bred for vigorous foliage and other easily visible
traits. Because roots are hidden underground, "they've been largely
ignored," says developmental biologist Philip Benfey, a Howard Hughes
Medical Institute investigator at Duke University.
And yet,
roots make up half the plant, points out coauthor Jazz Dickinson, also at Duke.
She and Benfey wanted to find plant hormones that affected root development.
Their previous research had hinted that some molecule chemically related to
carotenoids – the pigments that give carrots their vibrant orange hue – might
be important. But the researchers weren't sure exactly which one, Dickinson
says.
These
racing roots show the effects of beta-cyclocitrical, a plant hormone that
boosts root growth. The rice plants on the left are growing in a gel that
contains the hormone, but the ones on the right aren’t getting any help.
Credit: Benfey Lab/Duke University/Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Many of these carotenoid relatives have been
repurposed and are available commercially as food additives or dietary
supplements. Dickinson rounded up about 20 and tested their effects on a common
lab plant, Arabidopsis. She added each compound to the clear agar gel in which
the plants were growing – a setup that let her easily see the roots – and
monitored what happened over 10 days.
"Beta-cyclocitral
stood out," she says. It made the roots grow faster and also branch out
more. And it had the same effect in rice and tomato plants, follow-up tests showed.
In rice
plants, the team noticed an even more striking effect: the plants could also
withstand salty soil. Irrigation of farm fields can make soil saltier,
especially near the top. The team mimicked those conditions in the lab, and
then watched how rice plants grew. "Untreated rice plants were very
unhappy with that level of salt," Benfey says. But with beta-cyclocitral
added, the plants didn't seem perturbed.
It's
possible that the compound helped the roots push down through the salty topsoil
to reach the deeper, less-salty soil more quickly, Dickinson proposes.
The
researchers hope that beta-cyclocitral will be useful agriculturally, either
added to soil or sprayed onto crops. And since the molecule worked in both rice
and tomatoes – two very different plants – it may boost root growth in crops
more broadly.
Govt urges
European Union to relax residue norms for Indian basmati
Thursday, May 9
By Kaushal Verma
NEW DELHI – India has urged
the European Union to relax norms on the maximum permissible residue level of a
fungicide found in basmati rice exported to the common bloc, a senior
government official said.
"The European Union has
lowered the maximum permissible residue level of Tricyclazole
(fungicide) in basmati rice to that level which was difficult to reduce in
Indian rice all of a sudden," the official said.
Though Indian scientists are
working on it, the government has written to the common bloc seeking
relaxation for at least one year, he said.
The European Union has reduced
the maximum permissible residue level of Tricyclazole in basmati rice to 0.01
mg per kg from the previous limit of 1.0 mg per kg, effective Jan 1, 2018.
Though the government has
asked farmers and market participants to comply with the new norms, rice
producers and scientists found it difficult to reduce maximum
permissible residue to the required level in such a short span of time.
Since it is difficult to export
the commodity at the given maximum permissible residue level to the European
Union, the Centre has requested the common bloc to buy basmati at the
previous level of 1.0 mg per kg, the official said.
Earlier, the maximum permissible
residue level of Tricyclazole in basmati rice was 5 mg per kg and eventually,
it was lowered to 1.0 mg per kg. To further reduce it to the desired level
would take time, the official said.
Demand for Indian basmati rice waned
significantly in European Union in 2018-19 (Apr-Mar) due to the new
mandate, he said.
Countries in European Union have
bought 208,503 tn basmati from India in Apr-Feb, around half of what they
imported in 2017-18 (Apr-Mar), according to Agricultural and Processed
Food Products Export Development Authority data showed.
However, higher demand from Iran
and Saudi Arabia offset any steep fall in overall basmati exports from India,
the world's largest producer of basmati rice, in the last fiscal, he said.
End
Ajeer, fish hobbyist, stumbled upon this
interesting fish on his rice field near Vengara in Malappuram District of
Kerala.
Aenigmachanna gollum
Kochi: A research team of Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean
Studies (KUFOS) along with British scientists have found a new species of
'snakehead fish' in the subterranean waters of Kerala. The scientific paper
reporting the finding, made by Dr. Rajeev Raghavan, assistant professor at the
Department of Fisheries Resource Management, Kufos, and V.K. Anoop, a
research student under him, will be published in the international animal
taxonomy journal Zootaxa, published form Auckland.
The fish has been named Aenigmachanna gollum (Gollum Snakehead-
common name) after 'Gollum', a character from the 'The Lord of the Rings', a
creature that changed its morphological features. The new fish has been
identified as new genus of the snakehead family Channidae (which is currently represented
by two other genera, Channa in Asia, and Parachanna in Africa).
Snakehead fishes (varaal - in Malayalam) of the family Channidae
are predatory freshwater fish comprising 50 valid species, many of which are
important edible fishes. Although readily recognised as a member of the family
Channidae, the new species shows several morphological features that are highly
unusual or even unique in comparison to its closest relatives. Aenigmachanna
gollum also represents the first species of snakehead to be recorded from
subterranean waters.
Ajeer, fish hobbyist, stumbled upon this interesting fish on his
rice field near Vengara in Malappuram District of Kerala. "The fish had a
strikingly distinct morphology from any other species found in India, and the
fact that it represented a new species was evident from the moment I saw the
specimens" said Mr Anoop, a co-author of the paper.
A "Retreat from
Commitments" Leads to a Quick Jump in U.S. Import Duties on China
By Bob Cummings
WASHINGTON, DC -- It took only days for the Office of the U.S.
Trade Representative (USTR) to follow through on President Trump's weekend
tweet expressing frustration over apparent backsliding by China after months of
trade negotiations, to increase U.S. duties today on $200 billion of imports
from China, including rice. Published in
yesterday's Federal Register, USTR said that "...China has chosen to
retreat from specific commitments agreed to in earlier rounds (of
negotiations)" as the reason for the increase in duties from the current
10 percent to 25 percent.
"The U.S. rice industry has relied on the clear-eyed and
strong approach of the Trump Administration towards our market access goal of
opening the China market in the broader bilateral U.S.-China trade
negotiations," said Bobby Hanks, chair of the USA Rice International Trade
Policy Committee and a Louisiana miller.
"The Administration's efforts have gotten us legal access to China,
but we have yet to ship, while China continues to displace domestic rice in
Puerto Rico, so an increase in import duties to 25 percent is welcome and a
move we support."
A high level delegation from China is currently in Washington, DC,
for what many viewed were to be concluding discussions in preparation for a
summit meeting between Trump and China's President Xi to conclude a
comprehensive trade agreement. However,
media reports indicated that Chinese officials made substantive edits to the
agreement, characterized by USTR Robert Lighthizer in the press as "an
erosion of commitments by China" that resulted in the U.S. increase in
import duties. Negotiations continue as
this edition of the USA Rice Daily is published.
"Rice and the rest of U.S. agriculture can only benefit from a
comprehensive trade agreement with China that stresses trade over tariffs. But that can only come when China lives up
to the commitments it has negotiated and can be held accountable,"
concluded Hanks.
USA RICE DAILY
WASDE Report Released
WASHINGTON, DC -- The 2019/20 outlook for U.S. rice is
for higher supplies, exports, domestic use, and ending stocks. For the
2018/19 market year, imports and exports are each reduced 1 million cwt, and
the season-average farm price is lowered $0.10 per cwt to $12.00. U.S. 2019/20
all rice production is projected at 218.2 million cwt, down 3 percent from the
previous year. Both long-grain and combined medium- and short-grain
production are projected to be smaller this year. The year-over-year
supply increase stems from an 82 percent increase in
beginning stocks. Total U.S. rice supplies are projected to increase more
than 6 percent to 299.8 million cwt.
U.S. 2019/20 total use is projected at 241 million cwt, up nearly 6 percent
from the previous year with both domestic and residual use and exports
higher. Long grain exports are projected up 9 percent to 72 million cwt,
and combined medium- and short-grain exports are up 7 percent to 29 million
cwt. Both export changes are based on improved price competitiveness and
larger exportable supplies. All rice ending stocks are projected at 58.8
million cwt, up 10 percent and the largest since the 1985/86 market year.
The 2019/20 all rice season-average farm price is projected at $11.20 per cwt,
down $0.80 from last year's revised price.
World rice production for 2019/20 is projected at 498.4 million tons, down
fractionally from the previous year's record. China and India lead
production declines with crops reduced 2.5 million tons and 1 million tons,
respectively. Vietnam, Thailand, Bangladesh, and Indonesia have the
largest production increases. Global rice consumption is projected at a
record 496.1 million tons, up 4.1 million. Global exports for 2019/20 are
projected at a record 47.6 million tons, up 900,000 from the previous
year. World 2019/20 ending stocks are projected at a record 172.2 million
tons with China projected to hold 68 percent of global stocks.
It's
rice planting time in the Sacramento Valley and Northern California as planes
seed flooded fields form above at 100 mph. BY CALIFORNIA RICE COMMISSION
In
shallow-flooded fields north of Sacramento, planes flying at 100 mph are
dropping rice seed as another growing season begins.
It takes
150 pounds of seed to plant once acre, according to the California Rice
Commission. About 9,000 pounds of rice will be produced from that one acre. The
rice commission says that one acre will feed 350 U.S. consumers for one year.
This is
the time of year rice growers run water into their fields to a depth of 5
inches. After the shallow flooding, the seeding begins. The heavy seeds sink
into the furrows and begin to grow. By early August, the rice will start to
flower. The fields will be drained later that month, and the crop harvested
around September or October.
As a
byproduct, California rice production will provide birds and other wildlife
with 500,000 acres of habitat.
The
video above shows the seeding at Montna Farms near Yuba City, CA.
Muhammad Irfan 21 hours ago Fri 10th May 2019 | 02:46
PM
Provincial Agriculture department evolved a plan to track the
agriculture sector on modern lines in order to enhance its productivity
SIALKOT, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - APP - 10th May, 2019 )
-: Provincial Agriculture department evolved
a plan to track the agriculture sector on modern
lines in order to enhance its productivity.
Sources in Agriculture department told
APP on Friday that the cost of the plan was Rs.4.50 billion and under the program
the government will
provide modern agri-implements on half price to the growers in
fifteen districts of the Punjab.
Pakistan's exports to China grow 3.93pc in 8 months
Last Updated On 09 May,2019 04:26
pm
The trade of goods and services with China witnessed
decrease of 11.85 percent
ISLAMABAD (APP) – Pakistan’s exports of goods and services to
China grew by 3.93 percent during the first eight months of the current fiscal
year compared to the corresponding period of last year, State Bank of Pakistan
(SBP) reported.
The overall exports to China were recorded at $1150.523 million
during July-February (2018-19) against exports of $1107.004 million during
July-February (2017-18), PBS data revealed.
On the other hand, the imports from China into the country
during the period were recorded at $6633.191 million against $7326.706 million
last year, showing negative growth of 9.46 percent in first eight month of
current fiscal year.
Based on the trade figures, the trade of goods and services with
China witnessed decrease of 11.85 percent in deficit during first eight months
of ongoing fiscal year as compared to the corresponding period of last year.
The deficit during the period under review was recorded at
$5482.668 million against $6219.702 million during same period of last year,
the data revealed.
The commodities that contributed positively growth in exports
included fish frozen exports of which grew from $23.563 million last year to
$44.048 million during the current fiscal year, showing growth of 86.93
percent.
The exports of rice also increased by 77.70 percent, from
$71.829 million to $127.645 million whereas the exports of flour, meal and meat
(not for human) increased by 132 percent, from $8.959 million to $20.786
million.
The exports of fruits nuts grew by 437.15 percent, from $0.681
million to $3.658 million while the exports of refined copper and copper alloys
increased by 515.35 percent, from $5.908 million last year to $36.355 million,
the data revealed.
Over all Pakistan’s exports to other countries witnessed an
increase of 0.16 percent in eight months, from $19.486 billion to $19.454
billion, the SBP data revealed.
Meanwhile, the commodities that contributed positively growth in
imports included rice imports of which grew from US $3.829 million last year to
US $9.311 million during the current fiscal year, showing increase of 143.17
percent.
The imports of ginger, saffron, turmeric, thyme, bay leaves and
curry also increased by 4.70 percent, from $26.706 million to $27.963 million
whereas the imports of nitrile- function compounds increased by 14.69 percent,
from $66.659 million to $76.457 million.
The imports of palm oil and its fractions also increased by
358.68 percent, from $0.881 million to $4.041million whereas the imports of
carbon NES increased by 106.73 percent, from $3.963 million to $8.193 million.
The imports of tomatoes prepared or preserved NES increased by
20.67 percent, from $2.549 million to $3.076 million whereas the imports of
heterocyclic compounds with nitrogen hetero-atom(s) also increased by 25.18
percent, from $26.212 million to $38.814 million.
The overall imports into the country decreased by 4.85 percent,
from $43.004 billion to $41.032 billion, according to the data.
According to a news report published
in Saudi Gazette
on Friday, the ambassador said, "We are encouraging our exporters to take
advantage of this market." In a
meeting with Jeddah-based Pakistani journalists,
he said that a recent visit of a
delegation of Rice Exporter Association of Pakistan has
enabled our rice exporters to expand their reach in Saudi Arabia.
Responding to a question regarding the problems being faced by Pakistani workers
in some companies, the ambassador said that he was personally in contact with
the heads of these companies and assured that the interest of Pakistani workers
interest will be safeguarded.
Answering another query on labor requirement in the Kingdom, he
said that Saudi Arabia is
a fast growing
economy and its need for labor has not decreased. He said the country has
diversified its labor requirement from unskilled
to skilled labor, adding "We need to send more qualified and skilled
worker to Saudi Arabia".
The Ambassador said that the transfer of prisoneragreement with
the Saudigovernment is
in process and we hope that it will be finalized soon. He appreciated the
interest shown by the journalists in community issues and said that the media should
keep on playing its constructive role in bringing forth the issues of Pakistani community.
To save precious water, and help curb
excessive land degradation in Sindh due to waterlogging, seepage and salinity,
the chief minister of Sindh has urged the farmers near Ghotki Feeder, Rohri,
Nara, Dadu, and the northwest canals not to grow rice (which consumes 70 inches
of the irrigation) and grow cotton (which consumes 36 inches of irrigation) and
other low-delta crops instead.
The chief minister also urged the
irrigation managers to provide water in these canals in the month of May to
ensure that farmers have water to grow cotton and other crops which are sown in
May, as opposed to rice which is sown in June. But if water does not become
available in May, the farmers are left with no choice but to plant rice later
in June.
The Kabul River, feeding the Indus from the
west, is known as ‘early riser’ for summers. It adds significant volumes of
water into the Indus below Tarbela Dam. This early water comes in Kabul River
from snowmelt and glacial melt starting in April. Other sources of water in the
Indus, in the month of May, come from upper Indus (upstream of Tarbela),
Jhelum, Ravi and Sutlej. But all these rivers are dammed.
Dam managers at Tarbela and Mangla start
filling their reservoirs as soon as the glacial melt starts in April, releasing
little for downstream that can help early sowing in Sindh. Ravi and Sutlej have
also been dammed and diverted by India as a consequence of the Indus Water
Treaty. Chenab is the only un-dammed river but it is not predominately glacial
fed and hence does not significantly contribute to waters in Indus in the month
of May. Given this, the most significant source of early waters in Indus for
Sindh is the Kabul River. The significance of the river’s waters for Sindh
cannot be overemphasised.
Afghanistan, which shares a significant
part of the Kabul River Basin with Pakistan is already planning and
constructing some major works in her part of the Kabul River Basin with the
help of foreign agencies. Pakistan has some reservations on these plans.
Various Track II meetings have been held between the representatives of the two
countries with the help of the United States Agency for International
Development. One of Pakistan’s point in these meetings is the importance of
“prior use” of Kabul River waters for the early crops of Sindh. The “prior use”
is protected by many international treaties, declarations and conventions and
Pakistan can build a strong case on this.
According to the Madrid Declaration of
1911, the regime of rivers and lakes, contiguous or successive, could not be
altered by one state to the detriment of a co-riparian without the consent of
the other.
The Geneva Convention of 1923 specially
provides in Article 4 that the development of hydropower might not cause
serious prejudice to downstream users. In the Declaration of Montevideo of
1933, Article 2 articulates that industrial or agricultural exploitation should
have the consent of the other riparian as well. Then there are Helsinki Rules
of 1966 on shared basins which, besides recognising prior use, also invokes
environmental impacts, social aspects and navigation. The 1994 UN Draft Article
on international rivers also supports the doctrine of ‘prior use’. The list
goes on.
Equipped with these internationally
recognised doctrines on prior use, we can make a good case to ensure that Kabul
River continues to flow as it does today, avoid the mistakes we made in
negotiating the Indus Water Treaty, and, strike a ‘benefit sharing’ formula
with Afghanistan instead of ‘water sharing’.
But by the construction of the Mohmand Dam
on the Swat River, which is one of the major tributaries of Kabul River Basin
within Pakistan, we shall cause prejudice and harm to the lower riparian Sindhi
farmers who are so critically dependent on early flows from the Kabul River.
Sindh is an already estranged entity on
damming and diversions of Indus waters since the 1850s. The country needs, more
than ever before, national unity and integration. Damming of Swat River could
seriously impact national harmony – giving ammunition to our foes.
The emerging dialogue between Pakistan and
Afghanistan could also be seriously impacted where Pakistan can take advantage
of ‘prior use’ of Kabul River in Sindh. The construction of a dam in Kabul
River Basin by Pakistan, however, will demonstrate that Pakistan, in reality,
does not hold important the ‘prior use’ of the river’s waters for early crops
in Sindh. This will damage our international stance on devising a
benefit-sharing formula with Afghanistan, where we are proposing invoking of
River Navigation as a win-win for both countries and let the river flow.
Last, but not the least, environmental
consequences (which would run in billions of dollars per year if accounted
accurately) are well established for such dams. Generations to come will keep
paying these costs.
At the groundbreaking of the Mohmand Dam,
the prime minister was all praise for China in his speech. He urged the nation
to follow Chinese examples. One important example from China, that the PM
missed out, is worth mentioning here. According to BBC Future and Forbes,
Chinese have installed 130 GigaWatts (GW) of solar power so far (highest in the
world), out of which 96 GW were added in the last two years alone. On the other
hand, the massive Three Gorges Dam (TDG) took 20 years for 23 GW, at the
installation cost of $1.75 per watt.
The installation cost of solar, on the
other hand, is currently well below $1 for utilities and falling. According to
a research at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), published in the
Energy Policy in 2018, the prices of solar would drop between $0.30 and $0.18
per watt over the next five years. The cost at Mohmand Dam (if no cost overruns
happen) will be in the tune of $3.5 per watt – ten times higher than solar.
Ignoring future trends and adopting
expansive/outdated technologies is not our best option – that too when it comes
at the cost of national harmony, environmental destruction and our
international stance on Kabul River Basin’s future.
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan’s exports of goods and services to China grew by 3.93 percent during
the first eight months of the current fiscal year compared to the corresponding
period of last year, State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) reported.
The overall exports to China were recorded at
$1150.523 million during July-February (2018-19) against exports of $1107.004
million during July-February (2017-18), PBS data revealed.
Based on the trade figures, the trade of goods
and services with China witnessed decrease of 11.85 percent in deficit during
first eight months of the ongoing fiscal year as compared to the corresponding
period of last year.
The deficit during the period under review was
recorded at $5482.668 million against $6219.702 million during same period of
last year, the data revealed.
The commodities that contributed positively
growth in exports included frozen fish of which a growth from $23.563 million
last year to $44.048 million during the current fiscal year was observed,
showing growth of 86.93 percent.
The export of rice also increased by 77.70
percent, from $71.829 million to $127.645 million whereas the exports of flour,
meal and meat (not for humans) increased by 132 percent.
The exports of fruits and nuts grew by 437.15
percent, from $0.681 million to $3.658 million while the exports of refined
copper and copper alloys increased by 515.35 percent, from $5.908 million last
year to $36.355 million, said the report.
Over all Pakistan’s exports to other countries
witnessed an increase of 0.16 percent in eight months, from $19.486 billion to
$19.454 billion.
The overall imports into the country decreased
by 4.85 percent, from $43.004 billion to $41.032 billion, according to the
data.
GLYNDON, Minn. — Cooper Yaggie hit a walk-off sacrifice fly in
the bottom of the eighth inning in Game 2 to seal a doubleheader sweep for
Breckenridge over Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton on Thursday in Minnesota high school
baseball.
Jay Greuel and Carter Bohn each had two hits to lead D-G-F in
Game 1.
Yaggie hit two doubles and Jack Aigner drove in two runs for
Breckenridge in the opener.
In the second game, Jimmy Phillips whacked a two-run double to
pace the Rebels.
D-G-F dropped to 4-5 overall and 2-4 in the Heart O’Lakes
conference. The Cowboys improved to 9-4 overall and 6-2 in the HOL.
Grand Forks Central 8, Fargo North 3
FARGO — Grand Forks Central
erupted for five runs in the top of the seventh inning en route to an Eastern
Dakota Conference victory over Fargo North.
Blake Anderson had three hits for the Spartans and Payton Reed
drove in two runs.
Joey Grabanski had a game-high three RBIs to lead the Knights.
Cole Wigestrand brought home two runs.
Central improved to 8-4 overall and 6-1 in the EDC. North fell
to 8-9 overall and 3-5 in conference play.
Moorhead 11, Sauk Rapids-Rice 7
SAUK RAPIDS, Minn. — Moorhead scored four innings in the first
inning and four in the fourth en route to a victory over Sauk Rapids-Rice.
Caleb Saari went 2-for-3 with three RBIs for the Spuds. Thomas
Horan went 2-for-3 and drove home one run.
The Spuds improved to 9-2 overall, while Sauk Rapids-Rice
dropped to 4-5.
Việt Nam, China look to increase rice trade co-operation
Update: May, 10/2019 - 15:20
A paddy field in the Mekong Delta. —
VNA/VNS Photo
AN GIANG — A
conference to boost rice trade co-operation between Việt Nam and China was
held in the Mekong Delta province of An Giang on Thursday.
China
was one of the biggest rice producers and rice import markets in the world,
according to Phan Lợi, deputy director of the provincial Department of Industry
and Trade.
An Giang exported over 400,000 tonnes of rice annually, he said, adding the
province was leading the country in building large-scale paddy fields and
material areas.
It was able to meet the import criteria of other countries, including China, he
said.
With the assistance of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the opportunity for
An Giang rice to penetrate into the Chinese market is absolutely feasible.
The locality has big ambitions to export more rice to China and aims to ship
more products besides rice to the market.
Liu Ying, vice chairman of Shanxi province’s food association and head of the
Chinese business delegation, expressed high regard for the quality and price of
rice in the Mekong Delta.
He advised Vietnamese exporters to follow China’s regulations on quarantine and
design, and participate more in brand promotions as China had limited imports
through unofficial channels while imposing stricter requirements for imports.
China’s modern population was increasingly busy with little time to travel to
markets to buy rice. Vietnamese businesses should pay attention to the
production of suitably weighted rice bags for sale online to serve this
segment, he recommended.
Trần Quốc Toản, deputy head of the Department of Foreign Trade under the
Ministry of Industry and Trade, said businesses participating in the conference
were potential customers from the Shanxi food association.
These firms had been allowed by the Chinese Government to import 180,000 tonnes
of rice, accounting for about 10 percent of Việt Nam’s total rice exports to
China.
The event also created an opportunity for Chinese rice importers to study Việt
Nam’s rice production development plans and orientations to seek co-operation
contracts with Vietnamese partners.
On this occasion, the An Giang Department of Industry and Trade and the Shanxi
food association signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on bilateral trade
cooperation.
Two local businesses also inked five MoUs on trade co-operation with Chinese
firms. — VNS
An Giang
(VNA) – A conference to seek methods towards boosting
rice trade cooperation between Vietnam and China was held in the Mekong Delta
province of An Giang on May 9.
China is one of the biggest rice producers and rice import markets in the
world, according to Phan Loi, Deputy Director of the provincial Department of
Industry and Trade.
An Giang exports over 400,000 tonnes of rice annually, he said, adding that the
province is leading the country in building large-scale paddy fields and
material areas.
It is able to meet the import criteria of countries, including China, he said.
With the assistance of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the opportunity for
An Giang rice to penetrate into the Chinese market is absolutely feasible.
The locality has big ambitions to export more rice to China and aims to ship
more products besides rice to the market.
Liu Ying, Vice Chairman of Shanxi province’s food association and head of the
Chinese business delegation, expressed high regard for the quality and price of
rice in the Mekong Delta.
He advised Vietnamese exporters to obey China’s regulations on quarantines and
design, and participate more in brand promotion as China has limited imports
through unofficial channels while imposing stricter requirements for imports.
China’s modern population is increasingly busy, with little time to travel to
markets to buy rice. Vietnamese businesses should pay attention to the
production of suitably weighted rice bags for sale online to serve this
segment, he recommended.
Tran Quoc Toan, deputy head of the Department of Foreign Trade under the
Ministry of Industry and Trade, said businesses participating in the conference
are potential customers from the Shanxi food association.
These firms have been allowed by the Chinese Government to import 180,000
tonnes of rice, accounting for about 10 percent of Vietnam’s total rice exports
to China.
The event also creates an opportunity for Chinese rice importers to study
Vietnam’s rice production development plans and orientations to seek cooperation
contracts with Vietnamese partners.
On this occasion, the An Giang Department of Industry and Trade and the Shanxi
food association signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on bilateral trade
cooperation.
Two local businesses inked five MoUs on trade cooperation with Chinese firms.
–VNA
The
country's cereal import bill hits a record high despite bumper harvests
Workers unload sacks of onion at a market in Kapilvastu. Vegetable
imports jumped 32.38 percent to Rs22.48 billion in the review period.Post File Photo
May 9, 2019-
Nepal saw the largest paddy and wheat harvest in history in the
third quarter of this fiscal year. Despite this, its cereal import bill also
hit a new record high. Analysts maintain that the steep rise in cereal imports
is largely due to soaring demand for fine rice and maize used as animal feed.
This is a perverse situation, especially for a country where agriculture still
largely dominates economic activities, as Nepal is rapidly becoming dependent
on imported food. As a corollary, people are facing accelerating prices of
basic food imports, too. Annually, billions are being poured into the
agricultural sector, mainly on subsidising fertiliser; but it looks like the
investments have not been able to yield the desired results.
According to the Department of Customs, Nepal imported rice,
paddy, maize and wheat worth Rs40.21 billion in the first nine months of
2018-19, up 23.10 percent year-on-year. The top contributors are rice and
maize. Rice imports hit 384,956 tonnes valued at Rs19.32 billion. Nepal imported
201,620 tonnes of paddy worth Rs5.60 billion and 302,382 tonnes of maize worth
Rs8.72 billion.
Nepal’s reliance on foreign markets for agricultural goods has
increased nearly fivefold in the last nine years. The food import bill in
2009-10 amounted to Rs44.43 billion. It jumped to Rs76.05 billion in 2011-12
and to Rs99.35 billion in 2012-13. It further ballooned to Rs127.51 billion in
2013-14. In 2014-15, Nepal imported agro products worth Rs157.78 billion,
pushing agro commodities to the top of the list of imports and knocking
petroleum products from the number one spot.
Agricultural issues related to imports and ballooning trade
deficits are not new. The government has for years been saying that it will
make the country self-sufficient in food, but it is constantly fallen short of
delivering on its promise. One of the key reasons behind stagnant agricultural
production is labour shortage. This problem has been further exacerbated by the
country’s mechanisation policy failing to address the problem of labour
shortage.
The agriculture sector continues to decline and is no longer the
main economic driver of the country. According to Ram Krishna Regmi, the chief
statistician at the Agriculture Ministry, commercial vegetable
farming has boomed in the country, but the government cannot
ascertain the sharp rise in imports. This cannot be an excuse. The government
needs to get into the root cause of the problem and try to find a solution.
This has been said over and over again, but it bears repetition: To enhance
exports, the country first must identify and diversify its exportable items and
find markets for them along with adopting measures of farm mechanisation and
modernisation.https://kathmandupost.ekantipur.com/news/2019-05-09/perverse-situation.html
A crisis that grew under the shadow of 2008’s Great
Recession
The speculation on food staples
set off a price surge and forced countries to intervene
A lot of attention was paid to the
financial crisis of 2008. Regulations were introduced and somewhat enforced;
stress checks became standard practice in understanding where the banking
sector is headed; and various monetary and fiscal measures were carried out to
bring back economic growth.
The same year also witnessed a food crisis
which, relatively speaking, garnered much less attention than the financial
crisis. This is despite the fact that the build-up to the 2008 food crisis
began in 2006, as prices for maize, rice, and wheat ascended to levels that
inflated food import bills for countries and made necessary food commodities
unaffordable for rural populations. This left countries in a dire fiscal
situation and rendered rural populations’ food sourcing insecure.
According to the Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nations (FAO), its food price index rose “by 63 per
cent between January 2007 and June 2008”, where “international prices of
traditional staple foods such as maize and rice increased by 74 and 166 per
cent, respectively”. In the second-half of 2008, domestic prices for maize,
rice and wheat, were “about 40 per cent higher” than their levels 10 years ago.
The 2008 food crisis is attributed to a few
factors.
One, the increase in food prices is linked to
an increase in oil prices, especially given the 1973 precedent and the higher
food prices that correlated with it. In fact, the recent increase in prices of
maize and wheat mirrored that of oil towards their peak levels in 2008. The
price of rice increased the most among the three, as less than 10 per cent of
all the rice produced globally is traded, i.e. exported and imported.
Two, higher production of biofuels, which means
that more farmland and food commodities are going into their production rather
than to other uses. This was especially the case for maize and sugar.
Three, the possibility of a food shortage at
the time of the crisis, which limited supply while demand for food is
constantly on the rise, theoretically at least.
Any of the above factors could be the cause of
the 2008 food crisis, or could have simply correlated with it, without
necessarily causing it. There was no shortage in food production around the
time of the crisis. There was however an unprecedented increase in demand for
food that was not destined to feeding the populace or the hungry.
While there is no denial that the
above-mentioned reasons could have contributed to the hike in food prices, the
main reason behind the 2008 food crisis was the 2008 financial crisis itself.
When the world started to feel the
ramifications of the 2008 financial crisis, institutional investors as well as
speculators started moving their investments from mortgage-backed products to
futures and options that trade in food commodities. In a report by the UN, more
than $300 billion were invested in such products.
As demand for the futures and options went up,
so did demand for actual food commodities that are required to fulfil those
contracts. The sudden surge in demand caused an unaccounted for imbalance
between demand for food and its supply, with food prices increasing as a
result.
The increase in international food prices was
detrimental for countries that relied on food imports to meet their needs. Not
only because such reliance significantly increased their food imports, but
because producers and exporters of rice and wheat decided to impose export bans
on those commodities.
In his account of the 2008 food crisis, Walden
Bello, author of “The Food Wars”, points out that “countries like China and
Argentina resorted to taxes or quotas on their rice and wheat exports to avert
local shortages”, while “rice exports were simply banned in Cambodia, Egypt,
India, Indonesia, and Vietnam”. Export bans limited food supply at a time when
it was facing a sudden surge in demand from investors and speculators, which
further aggravated the crisis.
High food prices and export bans that pushed
those prices even higher have made countries weary of importing food and keen
on establishing, or re-invigorating, their agricultural sector. Post-2008 data
for food production, food imports, and food exports show a general increase in
the Self-Sufficiency Ratio (SSR) — a ratio calculated by FAO that measures the
production of a food commodity in proportion to its net overall supply in a
country.
This includes countries that were
self-sufficient at a certain point and were lured away by cheaper food imports.
To sum up, the 2008 food crisis would not have
taken place if not for the 2008 financial crisis and the shift in investments
from mortgage-backed to financial products that deal with food commodities. The
heightened speculation in food-related futures and options have thrown global
food markets off balance, resulting in higher food prices that were pushed even
higher with quotas and export bans.
Other factors, such as higher oil prices and
higher production of biofuels have added to the mix of factors that increased
food prices to the unprecedented levels witnessed in 2008.
Higher international prices for key commodities
such as maize, rice, and wheat, which constitute 60 per cent of global energy
intake, have dissipated into higher domestic food prices. Food importing
countries footed a financial bill in addition to unrest as food protests broke
out in tens of countries following the 2008 crisis.
Non-food producing populations footed the bill
too by being locked out from a food market that was, until the 2008 food
crisis, affordable. Consequently, countries re-visited their food
self-sufficiency plans, and many have re-started them too.
The last thought that I want to leave you with:
at what cost should higher self-sufficiency in various food commodities be
sustained?
PHNOM PENH, May 6 – Cambodian rice exports to China have surged
after the European Union imposed duties on imports of the grain from the
Southeast Asian nation, the World Bank said on Monday.
The EU in January imposed tariffs for three years on rice from Cambodia
and Myanmar to curb an increase in imports from those two countries and to
protect EU producers such as Italy.
Cambodia has filed a challenge with the European Court of
Justice against the duties, saying the so-called “safeguard” measure did not relate
to any unfair behaviour and was based on broad generalisations and a flawed use
of data.
After the tariffs were imposed, Cambodia’s milled rice exports
to the EU in February reached only 10,080 tons, a 57.8 percent decline from the
previous month, the bank said in its country economic update.
Cambodia exported 270,000 tones or 43 percent of its total
milled rice exports to the EU in 2018, the World Bank said.
“Overall, the decline of Cambodia’s rice exports to the EU was
more than offset by the increase in the country’s rice exports to the Chinese
market,” the bank said in its report.
Cambodia’s rice exports to China grew by 45.6 percent, the bank
said, and it managed to increase its overall exports of rice by 2 percent
during the first two months of the year.
Cambodia at present gets a trade preference from the EU known as
Everything But Arms (EBA), making all Cambodian exports duty free except arms.
The EU accounts for more than one-third of Cambodia’s exports,
including garments, footwear and bicycles.
In February, the EU started an 18-month process that could lead
to a suspension of Cambodia’s EBA status over its record on human rights and
democracy.
The World Bank said if the EBA is suspended, Cambodia would see
a maximum decline in exports to the EU of $654 million. (Reporting by Prak Chan
Thul; Editing by Tom Hoguer)
Stroke, cardiovascular diseases,
and cancers are only some of the diseases that could eventually lead to death.
But did you know that there is but one common denominator among all these
illnesses? These are all the effects of free radicals.
With all these diseases, it is indeed undeniable how free
radicals can be dangerous to the body, as reported by Live Science. These
byproducts of oxygen metabolism are said to be very toxic and could even cause
damages to healthy cells. Good thing we have antioxidants. These substances are
what covers the body against the negative effects of these toxins.
Because of the efficiency of
these antioxidants in combating free radicals, experts have been aggressive in
working hand in hand to search for every possible source of it. After several
studies, experts have finally been successful in finding an unexpected and
amazing source.
The new study, which was posted in Medical News Today, was led by the scientists
at Rice University in Houston, TX, the McGovern Medical School at The
University of Texas Health Science Center, and the Texas A&M Health Science
Center. These experts have finally found a common source that could fight
oxidative stress. That is coal.
Years ago, several experts
discovered there is an antioxidant that can be derived from graphene quantum
dots (GQDs), a substance that can be extracted from common coal. With this
discovery, the scientists behind the recent study were able to manipulate the
substance to create something that could combat oxidative stress in a cheaper
but still effective way.
After several trials, based on the study posted in the ACS Applied Material & Interfaces journal,
the experts finally came up with a solution after adding polyethylene glycol
(PEG) to these coal-derived quantum dots. That was after they witnessed
positive results to the rodents they've tested.
To see the results of the study,
several rodents were given different coal dots concentration. Through
observation, researchers were able to witness how rodents that were given a
dosage 15 minutes after adding hydrogen peroxide, which is a substance that can
effectively induce oxidative stress, showed a positive response.
There are two kinds of coal that
were used in the study where researchers have extracted quantum dots. These two
coals include anthracite and bituminous coal. Through the results of the study,
experts found that among the two, quantum dots from anthracite coal is much
more effective in preserving more cells even with just a minimum quantity.
Though researchers believe there
are still so much to discover regarding this study, James Tour, one of the
chemists at Rice University, has his faith focused on it. The expert believes
that in the future, with this discovery, the future society will be healthier
and will be able to live a longer life.
It's been known for centuries that plants produce a diverse
array of medically-valuable chemicals in their roots.
The
benefits for human health are clear, but it's been less apparent how and why
plants expend 20 percent of their energy building these exotic chemicals. Is it
for defence? Is it waste? What is it for?
A joint study from the John Innes Centre and the Chinese Academy
of Sciences has shed new light on this fundamental question of plant
specialised metabolism.
Appearing in the journal Science,
the study reveals that plants use their root-derived chemicals to muster and maintain
communities of microbes. It suggests that across the plant kingdom diverse plant chemistry may
provide a basis for communication that enables the sculpting of microbial
communities tailored to the specific needs of the host plant, be that a common
weed or major crops such as rice or wheat.
The findings provide researchers with a gateway to engineering
plant root microbiota in a range of major crops.
"This question has fascinated people for hundreds of years
and we've found this chemistry enables plants to direct the assembly and
maintenance of microbial communities in and around the roots," says
Professor Anne Osbourn of the John Innes Centre, a co-author of the study.
"We assume that the plant is shaping the root microbiota
for its own benefit. If we can understand what the plant is doing and what kind
of microbes are responding to it and what the benefits are then we may be able
to use that knowledge to design improved crops or to engineer the root
microbiome for enhanced productivity and sustainability and to move away from
fertilizers and pesticides," adds Professor Osbourn.
In this study the team uncovered a metabolic network expressed in the roots of
the well-known model plant Arabidopsis
thaliana. This network, organised primarily around gene clusters, can make
over 50 previously undescribed molecules belonging to a diverse family of plant natural products called Triterpenes.
The researchers generated plants altered in the production of
these root-derived chemicals and working with Professor Yang Bai of the Chinese
Academy of Sciences grew these plants in natural soil from a farm in Beijing.
The results showed clear differences in the types of microbial
communities that these plants assembled compared with the wild plants.
In further experiments the group synthesized many of these
newly-discovered chemicals and tested their effect on communities of cultured
microbes in a laboratory re-enactment of plant-microbial interactions in the
soil.
"Using this approach, we can see that very small
differences in chemical structures can have profound
effects on whether a particular molecule will inhibit or promote the growth of
a particular bacteria. Taken together we can clearly see that very subtle,
selective modulation of microbes by this cocktail of chemicals," says
first author of the paper Dr. Ancheng Huang.
Comparisons with root bacterial profiles in rice and wheat that
do not make these Arabidopsistriterpenes
demonstrated that these genetic networks were modulating bacteria towards the
assembly of an Arabidopsis-specific root microbiota.
The next steps for the researchers is to explore further the
benefits of this sculpting of the microbial community for the plant and observe
other influences on plant chemistry such as nutrient limitation and pathogen
challenge.
The full study "A specialized metabolic network selectively
modulates Arabidopsis root
microbiota," appears in Science.
Will the food of the future be
genetically engineered or organic? How about both?
Feeding the planet — now and
tomorrow — is no small task. Plant biologist Pamela Ronald says sustainability
means using every tool in the toolbox.
By
Rachel Ehrenberg 05.09.2019
Plant biologist Pamela Ronald is concerned with the pressing
problem of feeding the world without destroying it. The question of how to grow
enough food for an expanding global population has grown more urgent in the
face of climate change. And it’s only made harder, she says, by the push-back
against the use of the genetic tools now at scientists’ disposal.
Ronald’s views have emerged from nearly 30 years of research on
how plants resist disease and tolerate stress, work that is ongoing in her lab
at the University of California, Davis. Much of that work has focused on rice,
a staple crop that feeds nearly half the globe. While she’s an outspoken
advocate for using genetic engineering to modify crops — her TED Talk The Case for Engineering Our Foodhas been translated into
26 languages and watched more than 1.7 million times — she’s also married to an
organic farmer, Raoul Adamchak. Together, they wrote the book Tomorrow’s Table: Organic Farming, Genetics, and the Future of Food, exploring how the best of both
approaches might be needed for long-term sustainability.
We spoke with Ronald about her research and her views on
genetic modification and its place in the sustainable agriculture toolbox. This
conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
How do genetically modified crops
fit into the sustainable agriculture landscape?
Sustainable agriculture has three pillars: social, economic and
environmental. It creates food that’s nutritious, it allows farmers to reduce
the amount of land and water they use, to foster soil fertility and genetic
diversity, and to reduce toxic inputs. And it enhances food security for the
very poorest farmers and families in the world. So, for example, if you can breed resistance into a plant, whether through
conventional or genetic engineering, and that means you can reduce the amount
of sprayed chemicals you use, that’s part of sustainable agriculture.
Any type of agriculture is pretty challenging. Most farmers are
trying to move their farm toward more sustainable approaches. Unfortunately,
there’s no magic bullet because farmers in different regions of the world face
different challenges, grow different crops and have different markets.
The book you and your husband
cowrote is titled Tomorrow’s Table. What does tomorrow’s table look
like to you?
In the book, we describe what’s on our table and explain how the
foods were developed — the kinds of genetic techniques and organic farming
techniques used to produce that food. We try to give the reader an idea of what
geneticists do and what organic farmers do. We have a number of recipes.
But the book isn’t about nutrition, it’s about: How do we produce
and provide that nutritious food with minimal environmental impacts? How do we
ensure that farmers and rural communities can afford the food? How do we
address this critical challenge of our time: to produce sufficient, nourishing
food without further devastating the environment? There are a lot of issues, a
lot of people on the globe right now, and even more in the future. They all
need to eat.
Sticky
“mutant” rice, included in this recipe from the book Pamela Ronald and her
husband wrote, came into being more than a thousand years ago. The stickiness
arose thanks to a spontaneous genetic mutation that disrupted the gene for
making the starch amylose, which helps make non-sticky rice fluffy. The recipe
juxtaposes that ancient genetic modification with a more modern one:
genetically engineered papaya, which farmers began planting in the late 1990s
after papaya ringspot virus decimated orchards.
Does your
husband have a different view of the future of food?
It’s a shared view. We both think people should focus on the
challenges and not get distracted by the concept of genes in our food. We
really want to use all the tools that are available and use scientific-based
farming practices, such as those that minimize pests and disease. There are
many organic farming practices that are very useful, such as crop rotation.
It’s the combination of farming strategies and genetic strategies
that are going to continue to be quite important for producing our food and
moving forward to a sustainable farming future. Farming is destructive. But, as
my husband says, we farm because we have to eat. Some people say, well, let’s
change our diets, or reduce waste. Those are both important, but we still need
technological change. All these aspects are even more critical as the
population continues to grow.
A lot of your research has focused
on rice, a hugely important staple crop. Did you always want to work on rice?
I was working on peppers and tomatoes as a graduate student at UC
Berkeley and as I was making the transition to a postdoc, I thought, what do I
want to do, because this may last my whole career. And I decided to work on
rice because it feeds half the world’s people. It’s also a very good genetic
system; it’s easy to do genetic analysis of rice. So I thought if we can make
any kind of incremental advance we could potentially help millions of people.
One of those advances has been the
development of flood-resistant rice. I’ve seen so many photos of rice paddies
flooded with water, doesn’t rice tolerate flooding?
The rice plants that many of us are familiar with grow well in
standing water. But most rice plants will die if they are completely submerged
for more than three days. When the leaves are submerged, they can’t carry out
photosynthesis. My UC Davis colleague David Mackill was working with this
ancient variety of rice, discovered at the International Rice Research Institute, that
could be completely submerged in water for two weeks, and then can start to
grow again when the water is removed. So this was very, very exciting.
Breeders then tried to use conventional breeding to introduce this
trait from the ancient variety into varieties grown by farmers. But when you
cross-pollinate with another variety, even though it has a nice trait, you can
bring a lot of other traits you don’t want. So, the result from conventional
breeding were rice varieties that were rejected by farmers because they had
traits that the farmers did not want such as reduced yield, or a change in the
texture of the rice grain.
How did you tackle the problem?
First, we carried out the initial work of isolating the flood-tolerance gene, called Sub1a, from the ancient
variety. Then we introduced the gene into a model rice plant using genetic
engineering. We then grew up those plants and submerged them, in large tanks in
our greenhouses for two weeks.
The plants that carried the Sub1a gene
were very robust; you could see the difference right away. Plants without Sub1a turned yellow, had very
long leaves and soon died. This is because when the leaves try to grow out of
the water, they deplete their chlorophyll content and energy reserves. But the
plants that carry the Sub1a gene
just stay kind of metabolically inert — they don’t grow very fast, they just
kind of wait out the flood. And when the flood’s gone, they start to regrow.
The Sub1 plants remained green and healthy, indicating we had indeed isolated
the correct gene.
Is Sub1 rice now being grown by
farmers?
Yes. As I described we used genetic engineering tools to isolate
and validate the submergence-tolerance gene in the greenhouse. That genetic
knowledge was then used to develop a flood-tolerant variety through a different
approach called marker-assisted breeding. That work was done by
the International Rice Research Institute. The ancient, flood-tolerant variety
was cross-pollinated with a modern variety that farmers like because of its
flavor and high yields. Seeds derived from those hybrids were planted, and
tested for the preferred genetic fingerprint that included Sub1a but did not carry genes
from the ancient variety that affected traits important to the farmers.
Rice
bred to contain the Sub1a gene
can survive even when completely submerged for 17 days. This flood-tolerant rice
yielded 3.8 tons per hectare (pile on left), compared with 1.4 tons per hectare
for the same variety lacking the flood-tolerant gene (pile on right).
CREDIT: INTERNATIONAL RICE
RESEARCH INSTITUTE (IRRI)
Marker-assisted breeding is very focused,
you don’t drag in genes that you don’t want, you can just drag in a very small
region of a chromosome. And because the genetic fingerprint can be determined
at the seedling stage, it saves a lot of time and labor that would normally be
spent on submerging hundreds of plants.
Farmers have now been growing Sub1 varieties for several years. In
2017, more than 5 million farmers grew it. Sub1 rice is disproportionately
benefiting the poorest farmers in the world, who often
have the most flood-prone land. Compared with conventional rice varieties,
farmers growing Sub1 rice are able to harvest three- to fivefold more grain
after floods. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predicts that flooding will become more
frequent and last longer as the climate changes.
These various breeding approaches
underscore the difficulty in defining “genetically modified” crops. How do you
define them?
The term “genetically modified” is scientifically meaningless, and
so it’s not useful. The FDA does not use the term.
With Sub1 rice, for example, scientists can introduce the Sub1a gene with either genetic
engineering or marker-assisted breeding. In each of these cases, the genetic
region that’s introduced is smaller than the huge number of genes that you
bring in with conventional breeding, in which you are mixing two genomes together.
Grafting is another kind of conventional breeding that mixes two
genomes. There are a lot of grafted varieties on farms in California. The
walnuts harvested in California are actually a graft of two different species
where the rootstock is a different species than the top part of the plant. Then
there are foods that we eat that have been developed through radiation and
chemical mutagenesis, like grapefruit. Those approaches create many random
uncharacterized changes in the genome and are not regulated. They can also be
sold as “certified organic.”
What do you think most consumers
mean when they say genetically modified organism or GMO?
I think some consumers are concerned only about plants engineered
to contain genes from another species, like the bacterial Bt gene. It sounds a little
strange to put bacterial genes into a plant, but it is important to consider
the risks versus the benefits. Organic farmers spray Bt to prevent insect
damage to their crops. It is safe to use. But spraying Bt is not always effective.
In Bangladesh, for example, there is an insect that can destroy an entire
eggplant crop and spraying doesn’t keep the insect from getting into the plant.
And the Bt sprays are expensive and difficult to get. So Bangladeshi and
Cornell scientists engineered eggplants with the bacterial gene so that the plants produce the Bt organic insecticide in
the crop. And it’s been tremendously successful over the last five
years, allowing farmers to reduce their insecticide sprays dramatically.
Among
the challenges to feeding the world’s growing population is crops lost to
disease. Developing rice strains that can resist infection by the extremely
destructive rice blast fungus (spores shown) is an active area of research.
CREDIT: DONALD GROTH, USDA FOREST
SERVICE
One reason that the FDA and many scientists
don’t find the term “GMO” useful is because it means different things to
different people. You can’t really compare an eggplant engineered for farmers
in Bangladesh that has allowed them to reduce insecticide use to, say, the
“Golden Rice” plants engineered to have higher amounts of provitamin A to help
save the lives of children in developing countries, or herbicide-tolerant
canola grown in developed countries. These are different traits, different
crops, and different people benefit.
Why do you think there is so much
distrust of modern genetic approaches?
I think part of the issue is that less than 2 percent of people in
the US are farmers and are somewhat removed from food production. Many people
aren’t familiar with the challenges faced by farmers and may not understand
that Bt crops have massively reduced the use of insecticides in the US and
globally. The World Health Organization estimates that 200,000 people die every
year from misuse or overuse of insecticides, primarily in less developed
countries.
The use of genetic technologies has become very politicized like
several other issues in science — vaccines, climate change. The major
scientific organizations have concluded that the climate is changing, that
vaccines can save lives, and that genetically engineered crops are safe to eat
and safe for the environment.
I think most of us know someone who has been very sick and we
would do anything to help them. Often that means using a genetically engineered
drug. Or maybe we know someone with diabetes who uses genetically engineered
insulin. We accept that use of the technology, most consumers accept it,
because they have some understanding of it in their own world. But I think very
few Americans have seen a malnourished Bangladeshi kid, so it’s not in their
world. It’s not that they aren’t compassionate, it’s that at some level they
don’t understand or see it. They don’t really understand why farmers need
genetically improved crops.
I think people understand with
computer technology that there are different applications of that single
technology. People wouldn’t say “computers are bad.” But somehow it gets
confusing to people when it comes to agriculture, maybe because so many of us
are so removed from actual farming.
Bumper crop: Procurement of paddy has entered the last phase in
Kottayam. A scene from the Thiruvarppu paddy fields.
Once procurement is over, farmers will get around ₹300 crore
Thanks to back-to-back floods last year, Kottayam is on track to
reap a windfall of over ₹300 crore from paddy cultivation this season.
As per the estimate of the Paddy Marketing Office of Supplyco,
the authorities have procured about 1,09,136.18 tonnes of paddy from Kottayam
so far this season at ₹25.30 a kg. They have paid about ₹117 crore to the farmers while a
balance amount of ₹158 crore is slated to be distributed in the next stage.
“Since paddy has to be procured firom about 240 hectares, the
total amount to be distributed this season will touch ₹300-crore mark,” said a Supplyco official.
Lack of storage space
During the season, farmers in Kottayam had taken up farming in
about 16,793 hectares, spread across 450 clusters of paddy fields. The agency
has approved a list of 21,415 farmers for procurement, being carried out
through 37 rice millers, including 27 from Ernakulam and two from Palakkad.
Meanwhile, the initial cheer of a bumper crop was dampened by a
slow start in the procurement process and concerns over adequate storage space
in godowns. With the arrivals picking up in the latter half, the procurement
agencies witnessed an influx and caused a slow movement of the harvested crop,
forcing the farmers to store the crop in the open for several days.
“The overall production is about 30% higher compared to the last
two seasons, forcing us to arrange for more storage facilities to procure the
excess rice before the summer rains,” said a top official.
Factors responsible
During the season, the yield per acre across the region shot up
by an average of five to eight quintals.
Experts attribute the rise in production to a combination of
factors ranging from sedimentation due to the floods to washout of the early
crop.
While the gush of flood water brought down soil acidity, the
fields remained submerged for several weeks, enabling the farmers to follow the
crop calendar.
At the same time, the instances of pest and diseases were also
relatively less during the period, noted a scientist with the Rice Research Station,
Mankombu.
India signs
protocol for export of chilli meal to China; discusses market access for farm
products
Our Bureau New Delhi |
Updated on May 09, 2019 Published
on May
09, 2019
China wants India to expedite approval for the import
of its apples and pears as well as dairy products - Getty Images/iStockphoto
India and China on Thursday signed a protocol for the export of
Indian chilli meal to China. This is the fourth protocol signed between the two
nations over the past year allowing the export of farm commodities from India.
Commerce Secretary Anup Wadhawan and General Administration of
Customs of China (GACC) Vice-Minister Li Guo, who signed the protocol at a
meeting here, also discussed issues related to India’s pending request for the
clearance of more farm products for the Chinese market, said an official
release.
India raised the issues over market access for items such as
bovine meat and soyabean meal, an official told BusinessLine.
“New Delhi argued that the de-boned and de-glanded meat being supplied by India
to developed markets was not affected by foot-and-mouth disease and should not
be rejected by China on those grounds,” the official said.
China said it would look into the matter, as it wanted exports
to be approved by the global standards agency OIE.
India also pointed out that a large number of agricultural items
for exports were awaiting China’s nod, including soyabean meal, pomegranate,
okra, sapota, banana, papaya, pineapple, maize and sorghum. The draft protocol
for okra is ready and is expected to be finalised soon for soyabean meal, the
official said.
Earlier
agreements
The protocols for export, signed since June 2018, include those
for basmati and non-basmati rice, fish meal and oil and tobacco leaves.
The Indian delegation expressed disappointment over the country
not being able to export raw sugar to China — despite Beijing agreeing to it —
as the sugar quota release time was not suitable for Indian farmers. The fact
that Beijing sourced processed sugar from Pakistan rather than from India was
also brought to Li’s attention.
China, on its part, wanted India to expedite approval for the
import of its apples and pears. It also wanted India to allow the import of
dairy products including chocolates and candies.
“Both sides appreciated each other’s concerns and agreed to
resolve market access issues expeditiously in order to achieve a more balanced
trade,” the official release stated.
Nay Pyi Taw, 10 May 2019 – A new
initiative will introduce sustainable rice-growing practices to farmers across
Myanmar, with the goal of reducing vulnerability to climate change and natural
disasters, project partners announced today.
The Climate Smart Rice Project will
introduce sustainable standards and best practices to 4,000 smallholder farmers
around Mandalay, southern Shan, Mon and Bago over the coming three years,
working closely with the Government of Myanmar and the agri-business sector.
The project is funded by the
Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD) and the Swiss Agency for
Development (SDC) and implemented by a consortium of partners including UN
Environment, the Sustainable Rice Platform, Helvetas Myanmar and PRIME Agri
Group.
The Government of Myanmar has
previously announced its intention to boost sustainable rice production in
order to both satisfy domestic demand and turn the country into a sustainable
rice exporter. This project is fully aligned to the government’s policies and
has been endorsed by the Parliamentary Committee for Agriculture, Livestock and
Rural Development.
Rice production in Myanmar faces
several challenges, including the rice sector’s vulnerability to climate change
impacts like higher temperatures, drought, flooding and other stresses. The
sector is also challenged by its demand for water, land, fertilizer and
pesticides and its own environmental impact, including a significant
contribution to greenhouse gas emissions.
Peter Schmidt, Country Director of
Helvetas, said, “This project will support participating farmers and other
actors in the value chain in adopting global rice sustainability standards and
resource-efficient practices. These standards and practices have been shown to
boost productivity, make crops more water- and fertilizer-efficient and improve
resilience to climate change impacts, safeguarding livelihoods in the process.”
Dechen Tsering, UN Environment’s
Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, said, “Myanmar is one of the most
vulnerable countries in the world to climate change. By expanding sustainable
rice production, we can ensure rice crops are resilient to the impacts we are
seeing and protect the economic welfare of thousands of farmers and their
families.”
Wyn Ellis, Coordinator of the
Sustainable Rice Platform, said, “Sustainable rice standards and practices are
spreading rapidly around the world. Not only are they nature-friendly, they
also increase production and protect against various environmental threats. The
potential upside for Myanmar’s rice sector in adopting these practices is
substantial.”
Mike Anderson, Operations Manager
of PRIME Agri, said, “We have significantly increased the incomes of rural
farming households by developing Myanmar farmers into reliable compliant
suppliers for both domestic and export markets. The CSR Project is another
example of the successful collaboration between public and private sector
commercial partners for the improvement of the livelihoods of Myanmar’s
smallholder farmers. Upskilling and training farmers for higher productivity to
international standards like Global G.A.P. and SRP (Sustainable Rice Platform)
have proven successful in connecting smallholders to higher value markets.”
For more information, please contact:
Adam Hodge, UN
Environment Communications Consultant, Asia and the Pacific Office, adam.hodge[at]un.org
Nagpur Foodgrain Prices – APMC/Open Market-May
10, 2018 Nagpur, May 10 (Reuters) – Gram prices zoomed up in Nagpur Agriculture
Produce and Marketing Committee (APMC) on good seasonal demand from local
millers amid weak supply from producing regions. Healthy rise on NCDEX, good
recovery in Madhya Pradesh gram prices and repeated enquiries from South-based
millers also jacked up prices. About 1,300 bags of gram reported for auction,
according to sources.
GRAM
* Desi gram reported higher in open market on
renewed demand from local traders.
TUAR
* Tuar Karnataka firmed up in open market on
good seasonal demand from local
traders.
* Moong Chamki reported strong in open market
on increased buying support from
local traders amid weak supply from producing
regions.
* In Akola, Tuar New – 5,400-5,550, Tuar dal
(clean) – 8,000-8,200, Udid Mogar (clean)
– 6,900-7,800, Moong Mogar (clean) 8,000-8,600,
Gram – 4,200-4,400, Gram Super best
– 5,800-6,000 * Wheat other varieties of rice
and other foodgrain items moved in a narrow range in
scattered deals and settled at last levels in
weak trading activity.
Nagpur foodgrains APMC auction/open-market
prices in rupees for 100 kg
FOODGRAINS Available prices Previous close
Gram Auction 3,900-4,385 3,700-4,250
Gram Pink Auction n.a. 2,100-2,600
Tuar Auction n.a. 4,600-5,500
Moong Auction n.a. 3,950-4,200
Udid Auction n.a. 4,300-4,500
Masoor Auction n.a. 2,200-2,500
Wheat Lokwan Auction 1,700-1,900 1,750-1,900
Wheat Sharbati Auction n.a. 2,900-3,000
Gram Super Best Bold 6,000-6,200 6,000-6,200
Gram Super Best n.a. n.a.
Gram Medium Best 5,600-5,800 5,600-5,800
Gram Dal Medium n.a. n.a
Gram Mill Quality 4,400-4,500 4,400-4,500
Desi gram Raw 4,300-4,400 4,250-4,350
Gram Kabuli 8,300-10,000 8,300-10,000
Tuar Fataka Best-New 8,400-8,500 8,400-8,500
Tuar Fataka Medium-New 8,000-8,200 8,000-8,200
Tuar Dal Best Phod-New 7,600-7,800 7,600-7,800
Tuar Dal Medium phod-New 7,300-7,500
7,300-7,500
Tuar Gavarani New 5,750-5,850 5,700-5,800
Tuar Karnataka 5,950-6,050 5,900-6,000
Masoor dal best 5,400-5,600 5,400-5,600
Masoor dal medium 5,200-5,300 5,200-5,300
Masoor n.a. n.a.
Moong Mogar bold (New) 8,500-9,000 8,500-9,000
Moong Mogar Medium 7,000-7,800 7,000-7,800
Moong dal Chilka New 7,000-8,000 7,000-8,000
Moong Mill quality n.a. n.a.
Moong Chamki best 8,200-9,000 8,000-9,000
Udid Mogar best (100 INR/KG) (New) 7,000-8,000
7,000-8,000
Udid Mogar Medium (100 INR/KG) 6,000-6,500
6,000-6,500
Udid Dal Black (100 INR/KG) 4,400-4,600
4,400-4,600
Mot (100 INR/KG) 6,000-7,000 6,000-7,000
Lakhodi dal (100 INR/kg) 4,600-4,800
4,600-4,800
Watana Dal (100 INR/KG) 5,300-5,500 5,300-5,300
Watana Green Best (100 INR/KG) 6,700-6,900
6,700-6,900
Jowar CH-5 (100 INR/KG) 2,050-2,250 2,050-2,250
WEATHER (NAGPUR) Maximum temp. 44.6 degree Celsius, minimum temp. 29.0 degree
Celsius Rainfall : Nil FORECAST: Partly cloudy sky towards afternoon or
evening. Maximum and minimum temperature likely to be around 44 degree Celsius
and 30 degree Celsius. Note: n.a.—not available (For oils, transport costs are
excluded from plant delivery prices, but included in market prices)
SEJONG, May 10 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will send 50,000 tons of
rice to four famine-stricken nations in the Middle East and Africa as part of
its overseas food aid program, the farm ministry said Thursday.
Seoul plans to deliver 17,000 tons of rice to Yemen, 15,000 tons
to Ethiopia, 13,000 tons to Kenya and 5,000 tons to Uganda, according to the
Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.
The first shipment of 22,000 tons left the southwestern port of
Gunsan, about 270 kilometers south of Seoul, for Yemen and Ethiopia, with
12,000 tons going to the Middle Eastern country and the remainder to the
latter.
The rice aid follows South Korea's accession to the Food
Assistance Convention (FAC) in January this year. A month later, it signed an
agreement with the World Food Program (WFP) to make a contribution worth 46
billion won (US$42.9 million) to the U.N. food agency.
"The rice aid, to be sent through the WFP, comes after
Seoul's admission into the FAC," the ministry said. "It is expected
to pave the way for cooperation and exchanges with those countries."
This undated file photo shows a ceremony marking the shipment of
South Korean rice to poor foreign countries. (Yonhap)
The ministry said the rice to be sent was all harvested in 2016
and that the U.N. food agency will be in charge of maritime transportation and
local distribution.
Seoul's rice aid represents the sixth-largest amount among the 16
signatories to the FAC, the ministry added.
The FAC aims to promote global food security and provide
humanitarian food assistance to developing countries. Members include the
United States, the European Union, Canada, Japan and Australia.
South Korea delivered overseas rice aid for the first time last
year. Seoul provided 750 tons of rice to Cambodia and Myanmar through the ASEAN
Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve (APTERR), which is operated by South Korea,
China, Japan and members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
Seoul's overseas food aid program is expected to help ease its
problem of excess rice, with the government reserve coming to 1.86 million tons
last year. The chronic glut of rice comes as a growing number of South Koreans
have been reducing their rice intake and diversifying their diets with other
cereals.
(END)
Policy Picks: The latest regulatory
developments from the Philippines, India and New Zealand
By Gary
Scattergood
- Last updated on GMT
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The
Philippines Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is considering the removal
of suggested retail prices (SRPs) for rice. Policy
development’s involving raw milk in New Zealand, coconut oil in India and rice
in the Philippines are featured in our latest round-up of regional policy
changes.
Rice crisis over?
Philippines looks at removal of suggested retail prices as market stabilises
The Philippines Department of
Trade and Industry (DTI) is considering the removal of suggested retail prices (SRPs) for rice in
the wake of the rice tariffication law being signed earlier this year. Amid rapidly rising prices due to
a shortage crisis last year, in October the government had implemented SRPs of
(per kilogramme), PHP39 (US$0.73) for imported well-milled rice, PHP40
(US$0.74) for imported premium (Pakistan, India, China), and PHP43 (US$0.80)
for imported premium (Thailand, Vietnam). For local varieties, SRPs for
local regular-milled rice were set at PHP39 (US$0.73), local well-milled at
PHP44 (US$0.82), and local premium at PHP47 (US$0.87). According to DTI monitoring, rice
prices are now mostly hovering in the range of PHP 34 (PHP0.66) to PHP39
(US$0.73) per kilogramme, and as low as PHP32 (US$0.62) per kilogramme in some
areas. “We saw the
prices now and we think that this is the right range, [and] we're hoping that
it goes even lower,” said Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez to Rappler.
Coconut oil
adulteration: FSSAI bans 14 brands in India as new detection method gains
traction
The Food Safety and Standards
Authority of India (FSSAI) has banned 14 brands of coconut oil in the southern state of
Kerala, citing the detection of adulteration. In an article published on the
FSSAI website, an official confirmed that laboratory tests had conclusively
proved that the coconut oil products had been adulterated. “[FSSAI has]
banned the production, procurement and distribution of these 14 coconut oil
brands, [and] these will face strict action,” she said. Amongst the brands named as
offenders were Surabhi and Soubaghya, both produced by Balakumaran Oil Mills.
Of note is the fact that such bans have taken place
multiple times before in Kerala. In December last year, FSSAI had banned
another 70 coconut oil brands in the state, June saw 51 bans and May saw 45
bans.
Including the latest ban updates,
the total number of coconut oil bans that have been instated in the state so
far has reached 180. “If the
unsafe food articles are not recalled with immediate effect, the very purpose
of the Food Safety Act will be defeated and it may lead to serious public
health issues,” said
FSSAI.
Raw
potential? New Zealand opens raw milk regulations review for consultation
The New Zealand Ministry of
Primary Industries (MPI) has launched an online survey seeking public consultation on the
efficacy of current regulations surrounding raw milk. Two types of questionnaires are
currently available on the MPI website: One for suppliers and one for
consumers, both with deadlines set for the end of this month. According to MPI, the public
opinion survey is being held to ‘determine whether the rules for processing and
selling raw drinking milk in New Zealand are working as intended’ and
that if any changes are made to the regulations, further opinions would be
sought. It is part of the overall review that MPI is holding into raw milk regulations which
began in November last year. “This work is
not about rewriting the rules nor making radical changes. It is an assessment
of the existing system,” it said. The current raw milk sales
regulations entered into force in 2016, and were aimed at ‘better managing the
risks to public health while recognising the consumers demand for raw milk’.
Back then, a public consultation was also held before the regulations came into
effect. Before these regulations,
consumers were able to collect raw milk from collection points across the
country.
‘No
leniency’: Punjab Chief Minister orders ‘indiscriminate’ crackdown on food
adulteration through Ramadan festival
Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman
Buzdar has ordered for ‘indiscriminate action’ and surveillance by the Punjab
Food Authority (PFA) to be carried out in the province throughout the Ramadan
festival period. In a department meeting at the PFA
head office earlier this week, Sardar described food adulterators as ‘not deserving of
any leniency’. “[Although]
PFA is already active against food adulteration, [even stricter] implementation
of PFA laws [will ensue] during Ramadan-ul-Mubarak,” he told local media. PFA Director-General Captain (R)
Muhammad Usman Younas has already prepared for such an initiative, having
directed PFA officers and heads of the various departments to prepare
round-the-clock duty schedules in preparation for Ramadan, which begins on May
5.
Additionally, special teams to
monitor for ‘suspicious activities’ during the sehri (pre-dawn meal before
starting fast) and iftar (evening meal after breaking fast) timings will be
formed.
A
paddy field in the Mekong Delta (Photo: VNA)
The
Philippines Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is considering the removal
of suggested retail prices (SRPs) for rice. 