Wednesday, July 08, 2015

7th July (Tuesday),2015 Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine

Protest: REAP urges govt attention towards NARC issue

Published: July 7, 2015
Description: NARC is the prime research centre of the country with state-of-the-art conventional and genome research facilities. PHOTO: APP
NARC is the prime research centre of the country with state-of-the-art conventional and genome research facilities. PHOTO: APP
KARACHI: The Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) on Monday urged the federal government to immediately take notice of the proposed closure of National Agriculture Research Centre (NARC), Islamabad and turn it into a housing scheme.
“It has come to our notice that the government authorities have decided to close NARC and use all of its land for a proposed housing scheme. This has to be stopped at all cost,” a REAP release said.NARC is the prime research centre of the country with state-of-the-art conventional and genome research facilities. It also houses hundreds of international research institutes within the campus.

The centre has strong coordination with provincial research institutes and provides a backbone support to national agriculture.“Closing down the centre will be detrimental for national agriculture, it will put back  the country many decades and affect not only our productivity but also exports,” added the release.“If we do not protest on this wrongdoing now, tomorrow our government will start turning our universities and other institutes into housing colonies as most of these are also located in prime lands in different cities,” it stressed.“We humbly appeal Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to keep in view national interest and importance of food security.”
NARC was established in 1984 and is the largest research centre of the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC). NARC has a total land of approximately 1,400 acres and it is located near Rawal Lake, six kilometres south-east of Islamabad. Physical facilities in term of experimental fields, laboratories, green houses, gene bank, library/documentation, auditorium, machinery and lab equipment repair workshops, stores, hostels, cafeteria, audio visual studios, are also available at NARC.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 7th, 2015.
Rice Farmers Frustrated As Drought Grips Thailand
Published July 06, 2015
A severe drought in Thailand is limiting the growing season of the country’s important rice crop. Farmers are blaming the government for not doing more to protect a key export. Steve Sandford reports from Chiang Mai, Thailand.
http://www.voanews.com/media/video/rice-farmers-frustrated-as-drought-grips-thialand/2850828.html
Land mafia and irrigation official sell precious land and parks of canal sides by fake documentation
LARKANA: July 6, 2015. (Nazir Siyal) Hundreds acre of irrigation land, parks property and bungalows have been allegedly sold out by the concerned officials in collusion land mafia throughout the province. In Larkana and other parts of region the of irrigation officials particularly Rice Canal Division allegedly sold out hundreds of acres land on both sides of the canal and all its parks and other property. This correspondent reliably learnt that the both sides of Rice canal bank including Ghar Wah and Abro minor have been occupied with fake documents and illegal lease.
The gardener of Ghar Wah of Rice Canal division for a decade protesting against such illegal occupations and illegal allotments by the concerned officials in the irrigation department Sindh but the authorities are turned deaf ears. He appealed civil society and higher authorities to save public parks both sides of Rice Canal, Ghar Wah and Aabro minor, the Land mafia very active to engulf these public properties in Larkana right besides the Commissioner office and other important government offices.
Talking to media men, poor gardener Imdad Jagirani informed that land mafia in collusion with irrigation officials have sold out precious land with bungalows, plots of irrigation and parks on heavy bribe by fake documents adding that despite of threats and pressure he has been struggling to save five historical gardens at Lahori regulator, where the District Government announced Green parks on both sides of canal, were established since the British rule.

He further told that due to apathy of concerned irrigation XEN and other officials, these beautiful gardens have been ruined and large parts of gardens and the banks have been occupied by the Land grabbers with the collusions of Irrigation official among Canal Assistant in the irrigation.He said further told that he was also attacked by the land grabbers and severely injured, but instead of helping poor employee, the concerned XEN, SDO and Canal Assistant supported land mafia they are involve in making fake allotment and issued for occupation he told.On the occasion, when this scribe investigated in the name of Ali Nawaz son Shadan Chandio No GC/G-148/3976 date 08- 12/ 1987 in previous date by Executive Engineer Rice Canal Division also made fake and illegal documents.

Besides hundreds fake allotments of lease were issued to land grabbers by the concerned officials to occupy further rest of parks and properties on both sides of banks of canals. According to the reports, Chief engineer Sukkur barrage Right Bank Larkana Region few months back took notice of matter of illegal allotments and occupation on irrigation properties and issued a letter No. WB, 11/RBR/WSC/2013/4, W1, 888 to Superintendent Engineer Western Sindh Circle Larkana to probe into the matter but yet no move told the sources.
When this scribe asked for the issue Chief Engineer right bank Sukkur at Larkana Nazir Mahar told that he has directed S.E Northern Circle Amjad Pervaiz Dawach and concerned Executive Engineers particularly Rice Canal Division Larkana to probe into the occupation and lease of irrigation properties, he said the stern action will be taken against the involved people and concerned.Assistant Executive Engineer Ghaar sub division Larkana Hazoor Bux had confirmed that he received a letter from Chief Engineer to investigate the matter adding that there was no record of such allotments in his office and all the documents were fake and fabricated.
He said that it was responsibility of district administration Larkana to remove such illegal occupations on government properties; however departmental action will be taken, if any person is found behind the matter he said. On the occasion, the representatives of civil society and citizens of Larkana have appealed Chief Justice of Pakistan, National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and other agencies to investigate the matter and save historical parks on both sides of canal and irrigation properties all over the districts.
http://www.pakistanchristianpost.com/headlinenewsd.php?hnewsid=5451

Calif. field crop acreages shrinking amid drought

Published:July 6, 2015 1:29PM
TIM HEARDEN/CAPITAL PRESS
A field near Willows, Calif., is prepared for rice planting this spring. Rice acreage in California is down considerably this summer because of a lack of available water.

The drought's continued impacts are causing field crop acreage in California to dip lower than expected this year. according to an acreage update from the National Agricultural Statistics Service.
Capital Press
Description: http://www.capitalpress.com/storyimage/CP/20150706/ARTICLE/150709943/AR/0/AR-150709943.jpg&MaxW=600
SACRAMENTO — A continued lack of water availability is causing field crop acreages in California to dip even lower than expected, government and industry representatives say.Rice acreage in California is now expected to top out at 385,000, a steep drop from the 431,000 acres of rice harvested last year, according to a USDA field crop report.The actual acreage may end up being lower, cautions Charley Mathews, a Marysville, Calif., grower and member of the USA Rice Federation’s executive committee.“The industry number we’ve been using is between 350,000 and 375,000,” Mathews said. “I think they (the USDA) started off kind of high.
”Early this spring, farmers told the National Agricultural Statistics Service they intended to seed rice on 408,000 acres, or 6 percent below the acreage seeded in 2014. However, NASS now expects medium- and short-grain rice acreage in California to decrease by 11 percent and 9 percent, respectively, from 2014, its updated field crop report states.Nationwide, areas planted to rice in 2015 are estimated at 2.77 million acres, down 6 percent from last year, because of lower price expectations this year, according to NASS.Water uncertainties amid a fourth straight year of drought have continued to fluster growers, particularly along the Sacramento River in Northern California. With regulators wanting to keep enough water in the river for migrating fish, many growers had to wait for deliveries before they could start planting in late April.
Recently, the federal government’s need to keep cold water in Shasta Lake for fish has further complicated the timing and quantity of remaining deliveries to settlement contractors along the river.“There’s kind of a worry that it’ll decrease their diversions,” Mathews said.Rice is one of several field crops in California showing sharp acreage declines this year, according to the report. Among others:
• Corn acreage in the Golden State is estimated at 430,000 acres, down from 520,000 acres a year ago. Corn planted nationwide totals 88.9 million acres, down 2 percent from last year.
• California’s 51,000 acres of cotton are down from the 56,000 acres harvested in the state last year.
• Growers have planted 35,000 acres of sunflower in California this year, down from 44,000 acres last year.
The declines come as growers with limited water have sacrificed some annual plantings to concentrate on perennial crops, such as nut orchards, they have said.For the area survey, NASS officials visited randomly selected tracts of land and interviewed growers in early June, according to a news release.
http://www.capitalpress.com/California/20150706/calif-field-crop-acreages-shrinking-amid-drought

Rice prices poised to climb as drought deepens

A boy catches fish in a dried-up pond near the banks of the Ganges River in Allahabad, India, on June 4. The government says the country is headed for its first drought in six years
BANGKOK - It is baking hot in the mid-afternoon just outside Laos' capital, Vientiane. Won, a local rice farmer, looks up at the cloudless sky. It should be humid and raining, but so far in June, this area close to the Mekong River, which separates Laos from Thailand, has only seen desultory showers every few days. Won has already planted rice on her 6 hectares of paddies, but just down the road other fields lay fallow, waiting for regular downpours that the rice crops need.
"We have some irrigation water but the water levels are much lower than last year, when the rain started earlier," she told the Nikkei Asian Review. "If rain doesn't come in July, I will let the rice die." Won said that the irrigation water will only last for a few weeks.It is the same story in Fang, hundreds of kilometers away in Thailand's far north, near the border with Myanmar. Farmer Panbunta Kantapan said the situation is already desperate. "If the rain does not come soon there will be no point planting at all," he said, adding that he was considering planting a less water-intensive crop, such as corn.
El Nino is back
Heat waves and drought have gripped nations across South and Southeast Asia as El Nino has taken hold for the first time since 2009. It has brought heavier rainfall to the Americas and a hotter and drier summer to Asia.
That is bleak news for rice production and exports as the three nations suffering the effects of the drought -- India, Vietnam and Thailand -- are also the world's leading exporters. The grain is the world's third-biggest crop after sugar cane and corn, according to the United Nations.
http://news.asiaone.com/news/asia/rice-prices-poised-climb-drought-deepens#sthash.tkO7be7v.

Commodities Buzz: Thai Rice Output To Drop To A Decade Low

capital market | Mumbai | July 07, 2015 11:23 IST
Thailand, the world's biggest rice exporter, is feared to witness its weakest harvestin more than a decade following a second year of below-average rains. The US Department ofAgriculture bureau in Bangkok slashed its estimate for Thai rice production in 2015-16 bynearly 2 million (m) tonnes to 18 m tonnes, on a milled basis, according to media reports.The downgrade put Thailand on course for its smallest harvest since 2004-05, and showing asecond successive year of production for the first time since the early 1990s. Rainfall upto the end of June was, at an average of 366mm nationwide, recorded a slide of 27% belowthe average for the 30 years to 2010, after coming in 23% below the mean in the first halfof 2014.

Powered by Commodity Insights
http://www.indiainfoline.com/article/capital-market-commodity-futures-mid-session-commentary/commodities-buzz-thai-rice-output-to-drop-to-a-decade-low-115070700331_1.html

Scientists Have Developed a Gene for Better Rice Varieties

AFP, Modified: July 07, 2015 17:16 IST
Description: Scientists Have Developed a Gene for Better Rice VarietiesScientists said they had pinpointed variants of a gene to improve the quality and yield of rice, a staple starch for billions of people. Working in two separate groups, researchers from China discovered that mutations in a specific gene resulted in longer, more slender grains with less chalkiness, and better harvests. Breeders can now combine versions of the gene with others known to affect quality to breed better and more productive strains, they said."Rice is the key source of dietary calories for over half the world's population and a substantial improvement of yield potential will be required to feed a growing human population," Fu Xiangdong of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, a co-author of one of the studies said. 
Fu said rice breeders have found it challenging to simultaneously improve grain yield and quality. There is a genetic tradeoff in plant breeding, meaning that it is hard to make gains in both areas at the same time.Fu and a team crossed two rice varieties -- one a widely-grown but mediocre hybrid variety and the other a better but less prolific type, to locate the genetic variant responsible for the difference in quality. They then used this to develop experimental high-yield, better rice strains. A separate team used similar methods to pinpoint variants of the same gene, called LOC_Os07g41200. The two papers were published Monday in the journal Nature Genetics."Both studies demonstrated that other gene variants known to improve yield or other traits affecting quality could be combined with the high quality LOC_Os07g41200 variant to produce new elite varieties of rice," said a Nature press release. The research is the latest in a host of better-rice gene discoveries. They include variants which help the plants cope better with drought or inhospitable soil, offering a potential boon to farmers at a time of worsening climate change.

Monsoon boost for kharif crops

  
 CHANDIGARH: With the arrival of monsoon in Haryana, officials of the agriculture department expect better yield of paddy and cotton crops. A spokesperson of the agriculture department said that the rains would led to increase in the area of paddy sowing.He said that the department had set a target of 11.50 lakh hectares for paddy cultivation out of which transplanting had been done over about six lakh hectares. He said that rains would also increase moisture in less irrigated areas like Bhiwani, Mahendergarh, Rewari, Gurgaon and Mewat. Farmers would be able to undertake sowing of maize and other crops in rain-fed areas.

Irrigation cost for paddy-growing farmers would also decrease in districts of Ambala, Kurukshetra, Karnal, Panipat and Yamunanagar. With the early arrival of monsoon, the state's farmers would not be burdened with expenditure of irrigation through pumping sets.Total 71mm of rainfall was recorded in Ambala on Sunday night and 52mm at Yamunanagar and 11mm at Panchkula. The department spokesperson said that the sowing of cotton had been completed and rains would be beneficial for it. Monsoon's arrival would also increase the area under millet.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/Monsoon-boost-for-kharif-crops/articleshow/47966380.cms
SA Rice Organizes American Independence-themed Cook-Off in Mexico     
Here the white is U.S. rice
MEXICO CITY, MEXICO -- Last Friday, July 3rd, USA Rice conducted a special "4th of July" themed rice cook-off with several church groups here.  The USA Rice chefs taught more than 100 women and their families how to cook classic American recipes using American rice as the main ingredient.
The recipes included Jambalaya, a signature dish from Louisiana, Texas Chili with Rice, and a New York Rice Cheesecake, that participants decorated to look like the American flag with blueberries, strawberries, and cooked coconut rice. Attendees were delighted to learn new rice recipes and particularly valued the participation of professional USA Rice chefs.The chefs explained the nutritional benefits of rice, proper cooking techniques, and conducted an interactive question and answer session.  They stressed the importance of selecting rice of U.S. origin to ensure the ultimate quality and food safety, and introduced the American rice logo to the attendees and organizers of the church groups.

All attendees received educational brochures, USA Rice cookbooks, and promotional materials, and were encouraged to engage with USA Rice via the many social media opportunities available.Events similar to this one have demonstrable impact with attendees reporting monthly rice use doubling as a result of exposure to new recipes, information, and cooking techniques.
 Contact:  Sarah Moran (703) 236-1457
CME Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures   

CME Group (Prelim):  Closing Rough Rice Futures for July 7
Month
Price
Net Change

July 2015
$10.645
+ $0.080
September 2015
$10.895
+ $0.080
November 2015
$11.170
+ $0.080
January 2016
$11.440
+ $0.085
March 2016
$11.640
+ $0.085
May 2016
$11.640
+ $0.085
July 2016
$11.640
+ $0.085

 

Mechanization Brings Quick Change To Borneo Region Known For 'Slow Rice'

JULY 06, 2015 2:14 PM ET


JULY 06, 2015 2:14 PM ET
KAREN COATES
Description: Bario and its rice paddies in the Kelabit Highlands of Malaysia.
Bario and its rice paddies in the Kelabit Highlands of Malaysia.
Jerry Redfern for NPR
Description: Rice farmers in Indonesia plant rice seedlings using the "system of rice intensification."Description: It takes a village to grow rice paddies: Taiwanese farmers break a Guinness World Record for the largest number of people planting rice at once in August 2012.Change typically doesn't come fast or often in the Kelabit Highlands in the interior of Malaysian Borneo. "Go slowly" is both a motto and a way of life here. For centuries,even millennia, locals have gathered and grown their own foods in the dense tropical jungle. Rice is a staple for the Kelabit people who inhabit this land, and this region is renowned for a slow-growing variety that shares a name with the area's biggest town:Bario.This Bario rice, grown in cool weather at high elevations, has always been planted and harvested by hand — until now.
In the last few years, a Malaysian agricultural company called Ceria has introduced mechanized farming to the Kelabit Highlands through a joint venture with the local community and the state government, signed in 2011. Bario rice— a medium-sized grain noted for its sweetness — historically yields just one harvest a year, but Ceria has said the modernization of production here will dramatically increase yields.

Unraveling The Mystery Of A Rice Revolution

Ironically this change is partially driven by elders who hope modernization might help save their rice-based heritage. The majority of Bario youngsters leave for higher education and jobs in cities across Malaysia—or beyond. Many of their parents prefer to stay behind. But the rigors of rice farming become too difficult in older age. Aging Kelabits say Ceria offers them the chance to remain in their homeland, eat home-grown rice, and avoid the strenuous labor. But scientists also see deeper implications for Kelabit culture, which is changing more quickly than ever before.
Sina Rang Lemulun, a widow in her 70s who runs a homestay in Bario, says her children are scattered from the Borneo coast to Australia. "They will never, ever come and jump in the mud, and start to plant rice," Lemulun says. She doesn't want to leave home — but farming is too taxing for her to handle alone. So she signed a deal with Ceria. Company workers will prepare, plant and harvest her fields, and will take 70 percent of the yield. She'll maintain her longhouse home and eat her traditional meals — minus the back-bending work. "With Ceria, I have very high hopes," my quality of life will endure, she says.
Description: Workers with Ceria wait for a pipe-welding machine to finish connecting two sections of plastic irrigation pipe in Bario, Malaysia. The company has brought mechanized farming to the Kelabit Highlands.
Workers with Ceria wait for a pipe-welding machine to finish connecting two sections of plastic irrigation pipe in Bario, Malaysia. The company has brought mechanized farming to the Kelabit Highlands.
Jerry Redfern for NPR
In recent years, many families have abandoned their rice fields, according to Lian Tarawe, a local guesthouse owner and tour guide. "The elderly farmer is getting older and cannot till the land," Tarawe says, pointing to neglected paddies filled with weeds. "The land is going back into jungle." Part of Ceria's strategy for boosting production is to plant these unused fields, and Tarawe and other proponents of the change say they're glad the paddies will be productive again.
The Ceria project includes several miles of irrigation pipes connected to seven dams; new facilities for drying, milling and storing rice; and a network of farm roads capable of handling tractors, bulldozers and excavators. All this — in an area that had few motorized vehicles until just a few years ago. Before that, turboprop plane and days-long treks through thick jungle were the only means of transport to and from Bario. "The Kelabit Highlands have experienced perhaps the most rapid period of change over the last 10 years," says archaeologist Lindsay Lloyd-Smith with the Cultured Rainforest Project (CRF), a research project on the interactions between people and the rainforest in the Kelabit Highlands.
i
Description: A woman replants paddy rice by hand in Bario, in the Kelabit Highlands of Malaysia. A logging road has brought many changes to the Kelabit people of the interior highlands of Sarawak in Malaysia, including more mechanized ways of growing rice.A woman replants paddy rice by hand in Bario, in the Kelabit Highlands of Malaysia. A logging road has brought many changes to the Kelabit people of the interior highlands of Sarawak in Malaysia, including more mechanized ways of growing rice.Jerry Redfern for NPR
But not everyone welcomes this transformation. "We used to do — and live on — traditional farming," but now the government wants mass-produced rice, says local elder Jenette Ulun, whose family has run a seed-saving project to promote traditional cultivation. Hand-planted Bario rice is "the best," Ulun says.Italy-based Slow Food International thought so, too. In 2002, it established a Bario rice project under its Presidia program, aimed at saving economically viable traditional foods from the threat of extinction. But the project ended in 2011, around the same time Ceria began its work in the Highlands.
Yet some scientists think the very notion of "traditional" Bario rice is a bit misleading. The "traditional" wet rice fields of pre-Ceria Bario "were themselves a very recent development," Lloyd-Smith writes in an email. The Kelabit first constructed permanent paddies in the 1950s and 60s. Before that, rice was grown in smaller plots "that were made each year, and continually changed and remade ... What looks and feels 'traditional' is often very young."
Lloyd-Smith thinks mechanized farming "is simply the latest part of an ever-changing story of people's relationship with the land." In his mind, "the underlying concern is not who does the work, but rather who has control ... This situation is now completely changing." For the first time, an outside company will at least in part own and control local rice and the various stages of production.
Description: A farmer in southwest Bangladesh holds ripe rice that can grow in saline water.The company's involvement in farming could alter villagers' connection to their land. And that connection is a longstanding component of Kelabit culture, according to CRF anthropologist Monica Janowski, who has studied the tribe for decades. "Mechanized farming will create a greater physical, psychological and spiritual distance between the Kelabit and the land they work," she writes in an email. "I regard this as unfortunate, as the bonds with the land and the environment are, I think, very important."
Commoditizing rice also changes the culture. "Rice had a profound social and spiritual significance for the Kelabit, and was the basis for their sense of community," says Janowski. "It is regarded as essential to human life, and eating it together as essential to human community."
In the past, Kelabit villagers could gain status by owning rice and feeding others. Today, status is "less about food" and "focused on simple cash," says Lloyd-Smith. "Status is still achieved through economic means," but what people value in Kelabit society is changing, he says. "In a way, this sums up what the mechanization is all about: money."
http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2015/07/06/420504909/mechanization-brings-quick-change-to-borneo-region-known-for-slow-rice?utm_source=USA+Rice+Daily%2C+July+7%2C+2015&utm_campaign=Friday%2C+December+13%2C+2013&utm_medium=email

APEDA India (News)

Price on: 06-07-2015
Product
Benchmark Indicators Name
Price
Garlic
1
Chinese first grade granules, CFR NW Europe (USD/t)
2100
2
Chinese Grade A dehydrated flakes, CFR NW Europe (USD/t)
2000
3
Chinese powdered, CFR NW Europe (USD/t)
1800
Ginger
1
Chinese sliced, CIF NW Europe (USD/t)
4600
2
Chinese whole, CIF NW Europe (USD/t)
5100
3
Indian Cochin, CIF NW Europe (USD/t)
3000
Guar Gum Powder
1
Indian 100 mesh 3500 cps, FOB Kandla (USD/t)
4560 
2
Indian 200 mesh 3500 cps basis, FOB Kandla (USD/t)
1980
3
Indian 200 mesh 5000 cps, FOB Kandla (USD/t)
3080
Source:agra-net
For more info
Market Watch
Commodity-wise, Market-wise Daily Price on 06-07-2015
Domestic Prices
Unit Price : Rs per Qty
Product
Market Center
Variety
Min Price
Max Price
Barley (Jau)
1
Dahod (Gujarat)
Other
1200
1250
2
Kota (Rajasthan)
Other
1001
1251
3
Satna (Madhya Pradesh)
Other
1080
1175
Maize
1
Bayad (Gujarat)
Other
1225
1250
2
Kota (Rajasthan)
Other
1080
1200
3
Koraput (Orissa)
Other
1310
1330
Mango
1
Bonai (Orissa)
Other
2000
3000
2
Sirhind (Punjab)
Other
1000
2500
3
Harippad (Kerala)
Other
2500
3000
Cauliflower
1
Sirhind (Punjab)
Other
1200
2000
2
Koraput (Orissa)
Other
2500
2700
3
Satara (Maharashtra)
Other
2000
2800
Source:agra-net
For more info
Egg
Rs per 100 No
Price on 06-07-2015
Product
Market Center
Price
1
Pune
350
2
Chittoor
353
3
Hyderabad
320
Source: e2necc.com
Other International Prices
Unit Price : US$ per package
Price on 06-07-2015
Product
Market Center
Origin
Variety
Low
High
Onions Dry
Package: 40 lb cartons
1
Atlanta
Georgia
Yellow
24
26
2
Chicago
California
Yellow
32.50
32.50
3
Dallas
Mexico
Yellow
25
25
Cucumbers
Package: cartons film wrapped
1
Atlanta
Canada
Long Seedless
8
9
2
Chicago
Canada
Long Seedless
8
10
3
Miami
Mexico
Long Seedless
12
13.50
Grapefruit
Package:  7/10 bushel cartons
1
Atlanta
California
Red
26
27
2
Dallas
California 
Red
24
24
3
Philadelphia
California
Red
22
22
Source:USDA

VN seeks stronger Guangdong ties
Workers load rice bags at a processing facility belonging to the HCM City Food Company in Binh Chanh District. Guangdong Province is a large market for Viet Nam's rice and agricultural products. — VNA/VNS Photo Dinh Hue
HA NOI  (VNS) — Deputy Industry and Trade Minister Tran Tuan Anh highlighted the importance of Guangdong Province as a large market for Viet Nam's rice and agricultural products as well as exports.He said the province consumed 11.5 per cent of Viet Nam's total rice and grain exports to China.He was speaking at a conference on Viet Nam-China rice and farm produce trade in Guangzhou City in China's Guangdong Province last week. Description: http://vietnamnews.vn/thumbnail/450/tr14.jpg?url=Storage/Images/2015/7/7/tr14.jpgAnh said there should be closer co-operation between his ministry and Guangdong's government as well as food associations and businesses of both sides, in order to boost trade between Viet Nam and Guangdong, especially in rice and agricultural products.

Meanwhile, Guangdong Vice-Governor Zhao Yufang said there was room for co-operation between Viet Nam, a country with great advantages in agricultural production, and the more than 100-million-strong Guangdong Province, especially in rice trade.She said the provincial government would continue to collaborate with Viet Nam's ministries of industry and trade, and agriculture and rural development in creating new playgrounds for business communities of both sides and enhancing bilateral trade ties. During the conference, leaders of the Viet Nam Food Association briefed more than 100 leading Chinese agricultural firms about Viet Nam's rice production and export as well as competitiveness.
On his part, the head of the Guangdong Food Association spoke about the province's need for agricultural products, especially rice, and expressed willingness to set up an affiliation mechanism between the two associations and act as a bridge for business circles of both sides.Earlier, Deputy Minister Anh had a working session with Guangdong Vice-Governor Zhao Yufang on measures to foster economic and trade partnership between Viet Nam and Guangdong.Anh and the Vietnamese delegation also visited a number of major rice and agricultural product distribution facilities, storages and processing factories in Guangdong.According to statistics from the Viet Nam General Department of Customs, last year, trade between Viet Nam and China reached US$58.7 billion, up 17.05 per cent over the previous year. As of May this year, the figure was $26 billion, a rise of 14.7 per cent over that of 2014.At the same time, Guangzhou Customs' statistics show that in the first four months of this year, trade between Viet Nam and Guangdong hit $4.44 billion, an increase of 10.6 per cent year on year. — VNS
http://vietnamnews.vn/economy/272685/vn-seeks-stronger-guangdong-ties.html

Joint European and Indian team launches new app for crop protection

 The Federation of European Rice Millers (FERM) partnered with the All India Rise Exporters Association (AIREA) to launch a novel web-based app called Appryza, which is designed to support the trade of rice between Europe and India. Unfortunately, crop-protection products are not standard around the world, and export market regulatory requirements can be difficult to meet. “Given the complexity of today’s rules, we believe we must work increasingly closely with partners around the world to guarantee safe, high-quality rice,” FERM Secretary General Chris Downes said.

“A global coordinated approach of this issue by both the rice sector and the manufacturers of plant protection products is now essential to the future trade of rice. Appryza is an important first step in meeting today’s challenges.” Appryza seeks to solve this dilemma by offering crop protection strategies for safe, sustainable rice production in India. The app is dedicated to four major export markets: the U.S., EU, Iran and Saudi Arabia. “Making use of modern technology, Appryza brings complex regulatory information in a simple, user-friendly way to all of us in the rice chain, from Indian farmers to EU importers,” Hank Verschoor, head of the federation’s technical work, said. “Within seconds, we can identify solutions for the global market.”

http://cropprotectionnews.com/stories/510625560-joint-european-and-indian-team-launches-new-app-for-crop-protection#sthash.H6NwzJrt.dpuf

DOJ, NBI urged to probe importers of synthetic rice

By Paolo Romero (The Philippine Star) | 
Description: http://media.philstar.com/images/the-philippine-star/headlines/20150707/Synthetic-rice-10.jpg
Video grab from ANC shows the styrofoam-like appearance of the synthetic rice, which is reportedly made from potatoes, sweet potatoes and resin.

MANILA, Philippines - Efforts to stop the proliferation of suspected synthetic rice should involve other government agencies, a lawmaker said yesterday.Quezon City Rep. Winston Castelo said the Department of Justice (DOJ) and National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) should investigate and file charges against the importers of fake rice and the people responsible for their proliferation.Castelo said the Bureau of Customs (BOC) and National Food Authority (NFA) should prevent the entry of fake rice in the country while the Department of Health should launch an information campaign to educate the public on how to determine rice laced with plasticizers.He urged the DOJ and NBI to look into the modus operandi of the fake rice importers and identify their cohorts in the BOC and private sector.
“It is endangering public health since fake rice has been described as dangerous to the digestive tract,” Castelo said.He said the BOC and NFA should identify the cohorts of the fake rice syndicates within their agencies and file criminal charges against them.“These are criminals masquerading as public servants. They should not stay a minute longer in government,” Castelo said.

Bulacan rice mill

Meanwnhile, the NFA in Region 4-A denied that suspected synthetic rice sold in Tanuan City in Batangas over the weekend came from a rice mill in Bulacan.Serafin Manalili, NFA-Bu- lacan chief, told The STAR that NFA Region 4-A director Thomas Escares informed him and Central Luzon NFA director Amadeo de Guzman not to believe a post on Facebook hat fake rice from Bulacan has found its way to rice stalls in Tanauan City.Rice traders in Intercity Industrial Estate in Balagtas, Bulacan – considered a major rice trading center of the country – are concerned about the report.Manalili said there are about 140 rice mills operating in the trading center.Members of the rice mill association in Intercity Industrial City assured the NFA that they would not resort to any malpratice.
Tanauan City Mayor Thony Halili expressed alarm over a Facebook post of one of his constituents that adulterated rice caused his child to get sick.The owner of JM Lucky Ricemill, which was identified as the alleged source of fake rice, yesterday sought the help of the NFA to inspect and classify its rice stocks to dispel the report.Dave Ramos, legal counsel for JM Lucky Ricemill, said his client wants concerned government agencies to coordinate with the city government of Tanauan to investigate the source of the alleged fake rice.“There is still no concrete proof that points to the rice mill as the source of the alleged fake rice and we want a proper investigation about the allegation since it is very impossible for rice millers in Intercity to process fake rice, since equipment in the trading center are mainly for milling palay grains into rice,” Ramos said.A team headed by Emiliano Santos, quality control officer of NFA-Bulacan,told The STAR that an ocular inspection of the samples of the rice stocks in the rice mill shows nothing irregular, but samples were sent to a laboratory for analysis.The other rice mills in Intercity Industrial Estate were also inspected.
Cosmetics, toys
A group promoting human and ecological health said the chemical contaminant found in samples of fake rice from Davao City is also prohibited in cosmetics and toys.The EcoWaste Coalition said the discovery of dibutyl phthalate (DBP) in fake rice by the NFA-Food Development Center is a cause for alarm.“We are very concerned and worried by the discovery of toxic DBP in synthetic rice that has report- edly penetrated the local market, particularly in the south,” stated Sonia Mendoza, a retired chemist and president of EcoWaste Coalition.“The    government should get to the bottom of this trade in hazardous rice laced with a chemical that is banned in the production of cosmetics and toys,” Mendoza said.The use of DBP, a chemical additive to adhesives and plastics, in concentration above 0.1 percent is prohibited in children’s toys under the Department of Health’s Administrative Order 2009-0005- A as amended in December 2011. – With Ramon Efren Lazaro, Rhodina Villanueva
http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2015/07/07/1474150/doj-nbi-urged-probe-importers-synthetic-rice
How to avoid buying synthetic rice
 July 07, 2015  By Venus G. Villanueva
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KALIBO, Aklan, July 6 (PIA6) --  The National Food Authority (NFA) recently came out with five (tips) to consumers on how to avoid buying fake or synthetic rice in public markets. This is in the wake of reports that a rice sample from Davao had been found to be positive of plastic chemicals.In a recent radio program here attended by NFA-Aklan, Provincial Manager Martina Lodero enumerated the 5 tips for the benefit of Aklanons when buying rice at public markets:
 First, the consumer must ensure that he/she is buying rice from an accredited or licensed NFA outlet. Lodero said an outlet is accredited if it has a sign with the full name of the retailer and his accreditation number. Second, the consumer must always remember that rice imported by the NFA and its licensed importers, be it regular or well-milled – is white and long-grained.Third, the consumer must look closely if the rice he is buying is not so white, round, shiny and the sizes are all the same.  If the grains look the same in sizes, these might be produced by machines, according to Lodero.
 Fourth, the public must ensure that the rice being bought does not smell of plastic, and
Fifth, the public must not buy rice that is lighter than the usual weight. Rice grains should not also be very hard and difficult to break. When cooked, Lodero said the public should see to it that the rice does not smell of plastic and one must look closely if there is a layer of plastic forming at the upper portion of the rice.
 Lodero assured Aklanons that the NFA is now strictly going around the province inspecting public markets and other outlets to ensure that no fake rice enters the province. She also reminded Aklanons that should they find their purchased rice doubtful, they should bring a sample to NFA – preferable weighing a kilo so that ample investigation could be conducted.
She also called on the people involved in trading rice like rice retailers, millers, truckers, warehousemen and ambulant millers to apply or renew their licenses at the NFA.
Lodero said this is one way of identifying sources of rice in the province and at the same time ensure that rice sold or stored from these outlets and organizations are authentic.  (JCM/VGV PIA6 Aklan)
 http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/961436171701/how-to-avoid-buying-synthetic-rice#sthash.zDMeFkep.dpuf

Scientists pinpoint gene for better rice


July 6, 2015 12:07 PM
Description: Workers plant rice in a paddy field at a farm in the …Paris (AFP) - Scientists said Monday they had pinpointed variants of a gene to improve the quality and yield of rice, a staple starch for billions of people.Working in two separate groups, researchers from China discovered that mutations in a specific gene resulted in longer, more slender grains with less chalkiness, and better harvests.Breeders can now combine versions of the gene with others known to affect quality to breed better and more productive strains, they said."Rice is the key source of dietary calories for over half the world's population and a substantial improvement of yield potential will be required to feed a growing human population," Fu Xiangdong of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, a co-author of one of the studies, told AFP by email.Fu said rice breeders have found it challenging to simultaneously improve grain yield and quality.There is a genetic tradeoff in plant breeding, meaning that it is hard to make gains in both areas at the same time.
Workers plant rice in a paddy field at a farm in the New Territories in Hong Kong on August 6, 2014  …
Fu and a team crossed two rice varieties -- one a widely-grown but mediocre hybrid variety and the other a better but less prolific type, to locate the genetic variant responsible for the difference in quality.They then used this to develop experimental high-yield, better rice strains.A separate team used similar methods to pinpoint variants of the same gene, called LOC_Os07g41200.The two papers were published Monday in the journal Nature Genetics."Both studies demonstrated that other gene variants known to improve yield or other traits affecting quality could be combined with the high quality LOC_Os07g41200 variant to produce new elite varieties of rice," said a Nature press release.The research is the latest in a host of better-rice gene discoveries.They include variants which help the plants cope better with drought or inhospitable soil, offering a potential boon to farmers at a time of worsening climate change
http://news.yahoo.com/scientists-pinpoint-gene-better-rice-160725110.html
Chinese scientists discover a gene for better rice
July 7, 2015 2:05am
PARIS, France - Scientists said Monday they had pinpointed variants of a gene to improve the quality and yield of rice, a staple starch for billions of people.Working in two separate groups, researchers from China discovered that mutations in a specific gene resulted in longer, more slender grains with less chalkiness, and better harvests.Breeders can now combine versions of the gene with others known to affect quality to breed better and more productive strains, they said."Rice is the key source of dietary calories for over half the world's population and a substantial improvement of yield potential will be required to feed a growing human population," Fu Xiangdong of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, a co-author of one of the studies, told AFP by email.
Fu said rice breeders have found it challenging to simultaneously improve grain yield and quality.There is a genetic tradeoff in plant breeding, meaning that it is hard to make gains in both areas at the same time.Fu and a team crossed two rice varieties -- one a widely-grown but mediocre hybrid variety and the other a better but less prolific type, to locate the genetic variant responsible for the difference in quality.They then used this to develop experimental high-yield, better rice strains.
A separate team used similar methods to pinpoint variants of the same gene, called LOC_Os07g41200.The two papers were published Monday in the journal Nature Genetics."Both studies demonstrated that other gene variants known to improve yield or other traits affecting quality could be combined with the high quality LOC_Os07g41200 variant to produce new elite varieties of rice," said a Nature press release.The research is the latest in a host of better-rice gene discoveries.They include variants which help the plants cope better with drought or inhospitable soil, offering a potential boon to farmers at a time of worsening climate change. — Agence France-Presse
http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/517206/scitech/technology/chinese-scientists-discover-a-gene-for-better-rice

Scientists think a GMO version of one crop might be the key to feeding 3.5 billion people


LYDIA RAMSEY0JUL 7, 2015, 02.44 AM
Nguyen Huy Kham/Reuters
A farmer carries rice outside Hanoi, Vietnam on June 2. New mutations in a gene could lead to longer and better quality rice production.In addition to being the key ingredient in any stir-fry, rice is a staple in the diets of more than 3.5 billion people.Because so many people depend on rice, maintaining a steady supply of the crop is a necessary task. But it's a challenging one too.Everything from flooding and drought to poor crop quality can make it difficult to ensure farmers meet the global demand.
Finally, researchers think they may have a solution: GMO rice that's been modified to have longer, hardier grains that cook faster and taste better.This isn't the first time scientists have tried to create the perfect rice by tweaking its genes. In 2000, a team of Swiss and German scientists created golden rice, a healthier, Vitamin-A-rich version of plain old rice that was designed to help people in the world's poorest countries.

Description: Li_Rice grain sizesDescription: RTR4YHIOBut in two new studies, both of which were published Monday, June 6 in the journal Nature Genomics, researchers identified a single gene that they can tweak to improve rice's quality without sacrificing the amount that farmers get from each crop. Up until now, attempting to grow higher quality rice using genetic hybrids and mutations was only possible so long as farmers sacrificed the amount of rice they ended up with. Both studies looked at a gene that goes by the complex label LOC_ Os07g41200. The first team of researchers found that by replacing that gene with a variant which they called GW7, the rice became longer. Thesecond team of researchers then found that when they added yet another gene variant from another type of rice (called GL7) the harvested crop wasn't just better quality - there was more of it as well.Here's how the genetically modified grain looks (right) next to its original (left):

Yuexing Wang
Fu said the next step for his research is to take it out into the fields to see how the gene mutation holds up when exposed to the elements. The hope is to find a way to make the gene mutation even more prevalent so the positive traits can pass along to future generations.

The Trouble With Using Synthetic Rhino Horn to Stop Poaching

By Diogo Veríssimo, Georgia State University | July 7, 2015
Last Updated: July 6, 2015 5:45 pm
Description: Description: Will synthetic rhino horns decrease demand or aid law enforcement? (Valentina Storti/CC BY-NC 2.0)
Will synthetic rhino horns decrease demand or aid law enforcement? (Valentina Storti/CC BY-NC 2.0)
In 2014, one rhino was killed every eight hours. That was in South Africa alone, where most of the world’s rhinos live. At this rate, rhino deaths may overtake births by 2016-2018, making the concept of the rhino’s extinction very real.Spurred by this grim prospect, governments, businesses and governmental organizations have discussed a wide range of solutions to stop rhino poaching, the key driver of rhino mortality.One proposal that recently generated a lot of interest is the manufacturing of synthetic rhino horn. The concept first reached the media limelight in 2012 when the company Rhinoceros Horn LLC launched a crowdfunding campaign to get the idea off the ground.

While that campaign failed, the idea has recently been rekindled by Pembient, a US-based company thatdescribes itself as “the De Beers of synthetic wildlife products.”This bioengineering start-up plans to flood the market with synthetic 3D-printed rhino horns. The company hopes this will help save rhinos by making synthetic horns cheaper to purchase than the real thing.Pembient is looking to develop synthetic rhino horns that not only are genetically similar but feel and smell like the real thing, so much so that consumers wouldn’t be able to tell the difference. To achieve this, the company has recently embarked on a crowdfunding effort to sequence the genome of the black rhino. Pembient hopes the first synthetic horns will hit the market about a year from now.
The question, though, remains: will it work? An examination of both consumer motivations and business models behind these types of ventures exposes some pitfalls.

Bear Bile and Cubic Zirconia

The best available consumer research tells us that demand for rhino horn stems largely from the social status this perceived luxury product gives to its users, tied to the (erroneous) beliefs of its medical properties. How would synthetic rhino horn fit into this picture?

In terms of its luxury status, it is the rarity and high price of rhino horn that give it its allure. As such, it is unlikely that current consumers will turn to cheaper and commonly available options no matter how indistinguishable they may be to a lay audience, much the same way that the availability and lower price of cubic zirconia has not led to a crash of the diamond trade. Diamonds carry a social value that while arbitrary keeps consumers willing to pay large premiums. Thus it seems unlikely that a cheaper synthetic alternative may replace the original product in the minds of the wealthy consumers driving the demand for rhino horn.
Demand for rhino horn is driven by the mistaken belief that it has medicinal properties. (animalrescueblog/CC BY-NC 2.0)
As far as traditional medicine goes, the push for alternative products has been tried before. Take bear bile, for example. Used in Asia for centuries as a part of traditional medicine, the trade in bear bile flourished in the 1970s with the advent of “bear farming,” in which bile is obtained from live bears.
The number of bears required to fill these farms became a threat to Asian bear populations. As a result governments, NGOs and businesses have worked for decades to promote a wide range of plant, animal and synthetic substitutes. Yet, there is little sign of the practice disappearing, with a minimum of 12,000 bears still being kept in legal and illegal bear farms in Southeast Asia. Several reasons have been put forward for this, from the preference of consumers for wild products to the reluctance of practitioners to prescribe alternatives.

Biopiracy

Taking all this into account, it seems unlikely that this synthetic rhino horn will have an impact on the demand for the real deal. However, the circulation of a synthetic product that so closely resembles the real product could easily become the worst nightmare of enforcement agencies worldwide, as authorities will have a hard time distinguishing between synthetic and illegally obtained rhino horn.
Another related issue is that by making synthetic rhino horn widely available, Pembient faces some perverse incentives to perpetuate the idea that it has indeed some medical properties. After all, the company’s bottom line depends on there being demand for rhino horn. This can undermine the work of conservation NGOs, traditional medicine practitioners and even governments, who have spent decades trying to break the link between rhino horn and traditional medicine.
Description: Description: If a Western company commercializes a product from sequencing the DNA of the black rhino, does the country of origin, which pays for conservation, benefit as well? (whatsthepointsa/CC BY-NC 2.0)
If a Western company commercializes a product from sequencing the DNA of the black rhino, does the country of origin, which pays for conservation, benefit as well? (whatsthepointsa/CC BY-NC 2.0)
Beyond any potential impact this initiative may or may not have, the entire business case for this enterprise is underlined by a broader moral issue. Is it ethical for a US-based company to profit from a product based on genetic material coming from several developing countries, without a clear form of compensation?
Description: Description: Demand for rhino horn is driven by the mistaken belief that it has medicinal properties. (animalrescueblog/CC BY-NC 2.0)
History is riddled with cases of fortunes being made by companies in the West that have developed commercial ventures based on plants or animals from some of the world’s poorest corners without any compensation, in what has become known as biopiracy. The rosy periwinkle, for example, a plant native only to Madagascar, was found to contain a chemical compound that is effective in treating several forms of cancer. Millions of dollars were made from the two drugs subsequently developed, yet no compensation was ever given to Madagascar. The list of similar cases goes on and includes the Neem tree, turmeric, basmati rice, Ayahuasca, Rooibos Tea, Quinine and Quinoa.

Cost of Conservation

Rhino conservation is costly, with countries having to invest heavily in management and anti-poaching efforts. Yet rhinos are distributed across a number of developing countries with pressing needs around food security, health and education. It would be hypocritical for the international community to ban the trade in rhino horn, thus denying rhino range countries a source of revenue, while allowing private companies from elsewhere to profit from the trade in a product based on the rhino’s genetic material.
It is clear that conservation is much in need of entrepreneurship and people willing to think outside of the box – just the kind of thinking that the people behind efforts to make synthetic rhino horn have demonstrated. Yet, the context around the trade in rhino horn is very complex and simple solutions that sound too good to be true often are.
Diogo Veríssimo is David H. Smith Conservation Research Fellow atGeorgia State University.

Shoring Up Revenue Collection From Rice Import Policy

 
The decision by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to stop importers of rice and other products from accessing foreign exchange (FOREX) from the CBN, banks and bureaux de change for such importation is one that would go a long way in helping to revive local rice production in the country.
Concerns have been raised about large-scale investments made in the farming and milling industries by private businesses being in jeopardy due to the importation of rice.The CBN governor, Mr Godwin Emefiele, while making the decision known, stated that the measure would also prevent further depletion of the country’s foreign reserve.He said that the country was spending huge amount to import things that could be produced locally, like rice, adding that the apex bank would not continue to support the importation of such items with the hard earned FOREX.
Some other products in this category include margarine, palm kernel, palm oil products, meat and processed meat products, vegetables, tinned fish, galvanised steel sheet, roofing sheet and furniture.Emefiele stated that “importers who may want to continue importing these goods would have to sort their foreign exchange from their own private sources. The CBN will continue to be vigilant around this policy, keep reviewing the list of items as it becomes comfortable that these items can be produced locally if we apply ourselves sufficiently. This policy change is in line with the belief that Nigeria cannot attain its true potential by simply importing everything into the country. We have to decide what we really want for our country and I believe that the time is now for that deep and honest conversation.”He said that in spite of the relative positive gross domestic product (GDP) growth over the past seven years, there was no corresponding reduction in unemployment and poverty.
 He said the Apex bank’s analysis of the situation had compelled it to stop FOREX access to some of these goods to encourage local production and consumption for economic development. He also disclosed that the federal government was spending about N1.3 trillion on the average annually to import rice, fish, sugar and wheat, items that could be locally produced and which could form a strong employment base for Nigerians.The issue with the importation of rice is one that has been in the front burner of discourse for a long time. The federal government’s policy on rice importation, which was intended to help boost local production of rice, led to the past government of former President Goodluck Jonathan giving concession to some importers to import rice at a reduced duty rate of 30 per cent as against the 70 per cent import duty on rice.
 It was later discovered that such benefiting importers totally abused the concession and imported rice far in excess of their quota.The former minister of finance and coordinating minister of the economy, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, had, before the end of the administration she served, stated that government was working to recover all such revenue, if investigations launched into the matter proves anyone guilty. Speaking at the customs headquarters in Abuja, after a board meeting, the minister assured that government would recover all such revenue once investigations into the matter was complete.“We discussed that issue at the customs board meeting and what we asked for as a board is to get updated report on who are those importers? By how much have they exceeded? And what do they owe government? Once these information is put together, we will consult with the minister of agriculture and rural development, and then take a look at it and if they owe us money we will ask for it back,” the former minister had said.
Similarly, the House of Representatives which launched an enquiry into the matter also called on the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to recover all outstanding money in import duties owed the federal government by rice importers in the country. The lawmakers also urged the customs service to, henceforth, implement only the Pure Rice Traders Policy in respect to the duties and levies in rice importation. The House resolution at plenary, which was before the end of the 7th National Assembly, followed the consideration of the report of an Ad-hoc Committee on the Evasion of Payment of Import Duty on Imported Rice earlier set up by the House.
The lawmakers also added that the warehouses of the erring import companies must be closed until they settle all their outstanding import duties due to the federal government. The ad-hoc committee headed by the former deputy house leader, Leo Ogor, also recommended the immediate cancellation of the entire rice import quota system and suspension of the 2015 quota allocation. Calling on the NCS to “recover every outstanding monies and seal up all their warehouses and other businesses until the very last kobo is recovered and restored to the government coffers in line with the Customs Act,” the House also asked the EFCC to assist in prompt recovery of all outstanding monies owed the federal government by the companies.
Meanwhile, investigations by the customs service has found that the importers imported in excess of their quota and evaded duty payment of about N21.314 billion. For this, the service has said it will prosecute the seven importers involved in the matter if they failed to pay their respective amounts within a specified period. The federal government, through the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, had approved the waiver for the importers.As part of efforts to help boost local rice production, the customs service intensified the war against rice smuggling, a development that led to the ban of rice import through all land borders. The development followed concerns raised by rice growers and other stakeholders about the activities of rice smugglers who they alleged come mainly through the land borders.
The rice growers had expressed worry that incessant rice smuggling through the land borders have thrown the rice industry into turmoil with severe consequences for government revenues, the economy and future plans for rice self-sufficiency.But the service has continued to pledge its support to all local manufacturers and businesses, assuring them of all necessary support capable of boosting their business and discouraging importation of items that can be locally produced. The agency has continued acquire patrol vehicles, including boats that can go to the high sea and combat smugglers, with a view to checking the menace of smuggling. While calling for more collaboration from Nigerians and stakeholders in the fight against smuggling, the service has continued to make remarkable seizures, arrests and prosecution of smugglers.
http://leadership.ng/blogposts/445210/shoring-up-revenue-collection-from-rice-import-policy

Punjab to promote organic basmati rice

Description: Description: The state is committed to encouraging farmers for organic farming. And for this the government is establishing an 'Organic Farming Board'.By PTI | 7 Jul, 2015, 05.48PM IST
The state is committed to encouraging farmers for organic farming. And for this the government is establishing an 'Organic Farming Board'.CHANDIGARH: Punjab government today said it will now start promoting cultivation of organic basmati rice in the state. "After the tremendous success of organic wheat, Punjab Agro is all set for organic basmati in the state," K S Pannu, Managing Director, Punjab Agro Industrial Corporation said here. After a favourable response from farmers, now basmati would be cultivated in Organic farms of various districts, he said. The state government is committed to encouraging farmers for organic farming. And for this purpose, the government is going to establish an 'Organic Farming Board'. He further said about 1,000 farmers are associated with Punjab Agro for organic farming. Shops will be allotted in cities and towns to sell organic produce along with milk and milk products, he informed.

Nitrogen-use efficiency: Transport solution in rice variations

Over-application of nitrogen fertilizer leads to environmental problems in modern agricultural systems. The mining of favourable gene variants for nitrogen-use efficiency is a fundamental way to tackle these dangers.
http://www.nature.com/articles/nplants201596

Africa: Scientists Meet in Paris for Climate Change Talks


By Michel Nkurunziza
The largest international scientific conference on climate change will kick off today in Paris, France, and it is expected to shape the roadmap for the much-awaited global climate talks also scheduled for Paris in December.More than 2,500 scientists from across the world are congregating in the French capital to discuss solutions for both mitigation and adaptation issues on climate change. They will present updated scientific data as well as reinforcing dialogue between science and civil society stakeholders.The summit, hosted at the UNESCO headquarters, will prepare the pathway for negotiations that will build a new binding legal global agreement to enter into effect in 2020, said Jean-Pierre Poncet, Second Counsellor for France's Permanent Delegation to UNESCO.
"It is important that the scientists prepare ground for negotiators and diplomats to take decisions that lead to legal binding agenda," he said.Poncet was addressing African journalists and bloggers from Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Madagascar at the UNESCO offices.Building on the results of the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 5th Assessment Report (AR5), the conference will address key issues concerning climate change and use the opportunity to discuss solutions. Mitigation mechanisms, the reduction of green house gases and adaptation solutions are the cardinal concepts that will form the criteria for discussions.
The report stresses new and bolder solutions for climate change. Critical issues such as the contentious climate financing are expected to also feature prominently at the conference.Rwandan scientists and researchers will also make presentations on agricultural vulnerability and climate change."Understanding the Vulnerability to Climate Change Effects in East Africa" is a scientific research paper that will be presented by Gaspard Rwanyiziri, a researcher from the University of Rwanda.He is an expert in geography and environmental management. "The Case Study of Rice Farmers in Bugesera District, Rwanda" will form the core of Rwanyiziri's presentation.
Rwanda has been faced with unusual irregularities in climate patterns, including extreme temperatures, variability in rainfall frequencies and intensity over the last 30 years.In fact, the analysis to be presented at the summit indicates that rainfall patterns in the country show that it (rainfall) has been declining since 1992, resulting into serious floods in 1997-1998 and a prolonged drought in 1999-2000.According to the results, the rise in temperature and changes in the amount of rainfall and its distribution have altered the availability of water resources, consequently affecting rice production.Other topics to be covered by the conference include ocean acidification, water scarcity and rise in sea-level, pollution, forests and desertification.The world is in battle to reduce greenhouse gas emissions agreeing that future global warming should be limited to below 2.0 °C.The COP21 aims at achieving a legally binding and universal agreement on climate from all the nations of the world.

NFA, BOC seize 1,561 kilos of rice smuggled from China

by Mary Grace Padin - July 7, 2015

By Mary Grace Padin
THE National Food Authority (NFA) and the Bureau of Customs (BOC) on Tuesday seized 1,561 kilograms of rice, suspected to be smuggled from China, being sold in three business establishments in Manila.NFA Administrator Renan Dalisay said he and BOC Deputy Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno found three grocery stores selling rice smuggled from China after conducting a “surprise” inspection of Manila stores.Two supermarkets selling mostly imported goods, Hua Chong Mart and Mandarin Supermarket in Ongpin, Binondo, and Forwarders Food Mart and Grocery in Arranque Market in Santa Cruz, Manila, were found to be selling smuggled rice from China. The NFA has not issued any permits for the importation of rice from China in the last two minimum access volume (MAV) importation in 2014.The inspection teams confiscated a total of nine 25-kilo bags, 105 10-kilo bags, 50 5-kilo bags  and 18 2-kilo packs from the three establishments.

Aside from selling smuggled rice, the two supermarkets lacked a necessary permit from the NFA, while the store in Arranque Market was found to be operating with an expired license.The NFA summoned the owners of the three stores for violations under Presidential Decree 4 and NFA Revised Rules on Grains Business, and have until July 10 to report to the NFA to give their statements.The BOC seized the smuggled rice from these establishments and will conduct separate proceedings under the anti-smuggling law. The confiscated rice will be temporarily stored in the NFA’s Visayas Warehouse in Quezon City.Dalisay said the NFA will help in determining if the seized rice may be part of the 8,000-bag batch auctioned in October 2014 by the BOC. The NFA has the capability to check the age of the rice through chemical analysis.The NFA started its daily inspection of public markets nationwide on Monday following reports that fake rice is being sold in Davao City.
Meanwhile, Rep. Winston Castelo, of the Second District of Quezon City, urged the NFA and the BOC to ensure that rice imported from Vietnam and Thailand is free from contaminants, such as industrial plastics.Castelo also asked the Department of Health to launch an information campaign to enable people to identify rice laced with contaminants.“The Department of Justice and the National Bureau of Investigation should look into the modus operandi of fake rice importers and identify their cohorts in the BOC and private sector,” Castelo said in a statement.He said unscrupulous traders who brought in rice containing dibutyl phthalate, a chemical compound commonly used as a binder, must face criminal charges as their act constitutes economic sabotage.

“Moreover, it is endangering public health since fake rice has been described as dangerous to the digestive tract of every person,” Castelo said.The lawmaker also asked the BOC and the NFA to investigate and identify the cohorts of fake-rice syndicates within the agencies and file criminal charges against them.“These are criminals masquerading as public servants. They should not stay a minute longer in the government,” he said.Earlier the NFA launched an investigation into the presence of fake rice in Davao City after a consumer complained to local media that a canteen served cooked rice that had the texture of Styrofoam. The food agency tested samples of the fake rice provided by concerned Davao City residents.

Previous media reports published in other Asian countries had earlier quoted experts as saying that fake rice is difficult to detect when it is mixed with normal rice.The Philippines usually imports rice from Vietnam and Thailand to beef up the buffer stock of the NFA and plug the shortfall in production. This year Manila had already contracted to buy a total of 750,000 metric tons (MT) of rice from Vietnam and Thailand under a government-to-government deal.The government also allows the private sector to bring in rice from various countries, including China, under the so-called MAV scheme of the World Trade Organization. Last year China has been given a country-specific quota of 25,000 MT; India 25,000 MT; and Australia 15,000 MT.

http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/nfa-boc-seize-1561-kilos-of-rice-smuggled-from-china/

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