News Headlines...
·
IMF likely to approve $502 mln loan tranche for
Pakistan
·
Paddy procurement faces rough weather
·
APEDA Commodity News
·
New Rice Variety May Boost Self-Sufficiency,
But More Research Needed: Jokoi
·
THE ORIGIN AND SPREAD OF ‘EMPEROR’S RICE’
·
Rice exporters blame state, Centre for basmati
growers' plight
·
El Niño-resilient rice varieties identified
·
Rice exports face difficulties
·
Crossbreeding: New Study Sheds Light On History
Of Black Rice
News Detail...
IMF likely to approve $502 mln loan
tranche for Pakistan
September 27, 2015
By: Zamir Laghari
Responding to a question on
Pakistan’s decision to cut the interest rate recently, Rice said that that the
easing of monetary policy in Pakistan has become possible in an environment of
improving stability and low inflation.“We do expect a moderate pick-up in
inflation in the coming months as international energy prices stabilize. That
said, real interest rates remain positive and we expect inflation expectations
to remain well anchored,” he said.The government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
has stabilized the country’s economy which was facing a serious crisis when he
took over after winning elections in June, 2013. The improvement in the economy
has boosted investors’ confidence.This week Pakistan successfully issued a new
bond of $500 million after a series of roadshows that were held in Los Angeles,
Boston, New York, and one in England. Finance Minister Ishaq Dar was in New
York to launch the bond.
Despite tight and weak global
market conditions and jittery investors’ sentiments, the issue was twice over subscribed
but the government decided to restrict the issue to the intended level of
$500 million in order to cover the forthcoming maturity in March 2016 of a bond issue in 2006.Moody’s Investors Services on September 18 had assigned a provisional rating of B3 to the government’s announcement of global bond offering, saying that the outlook is stable.The IMF’s Board meeting comes as Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is in New York to attend the UN General Assembly. Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and Prime Minister’s Special Adviser on Foreign Affairs and National Security Sartaj Aziz are accompanying the Prime Minister.
$500 million in order to cover the forthcoming maturity in March 2016 of a bond issue in 2006.Moody’s Investors Services on September 18 had assigned a provisional rating of B3 to the government’s announcement of global bond offering, saying that the outlook is stable.The IMF’s Board meeting comes as Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is in New York to attend the UN General Assembly. Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and Prime Minister’s Special Adviser on Foreign Affairs and National Security Sartaj Aziz are accompanying the Prime Minister.
Speaking to media here, Prime
Minister Nawaz Sharif ruled out devaluing rupee against the dollar. – APP
Paddy procurement faces rough weather
September 28, 2015
05:51 IST
If not harvested at the earliest, there is the danger of
germination of paddy.he paddy procurement scheme, launched by the State
government through Supplyco, is facing rough weather. Over 10,000 hectares of
paddy fields spread over Kuttanad, Ambalappuzha, and other areas are facing
uncertainty over the procurement of the second crop.Though Supplyco is expected
to commence procurement on October 1, non-cooperation of millers is bound to
create serious problems. In many areas, paddy shoots have fallen down, posing
damage to the crop. If not harvested at the earliest, there is the danger of
germination of paddy.
Even those who have harvested the crop are unable to remove
paddy from the fields as the procurement is done at the fields. In the past,
farmers were given procurement advice by the officials concerned well in
advance so that the harvested paddy could be directly transported from the spot
to the assigned millers.This time, the millers have decided to desist from the
procurement drive, demanding a hike in handling charges. As the dispute drags
on, the farmers could be the worst hit. If Supplyco fails to take a decision at
the earliest, it could sound the death knell of the procurement process,
leading to an alarming situation in the paddy farming sector.
Intervention sought
“The government should intervene
in the matter urgently,” says Kuttanad Vikasana Samithy executive director Fr.
Thomas Peelianikkal. The information that procurement would start only on
October 1 has been passed on to the farmers late. There is lack of coordination
between the Civil Supplies and Agriculture Ministries, he says.“The issue needs
urgent attention from the government,” says P.T. Scaria, district president,
Karsha Congress. Farmers’ problems should be resolved on a priority basis, he
says.Rice millers used to collect paddy from the fields, process it, and send
it to wholesalers.
The Kerala State Rice Mill Owners
Association contends that it has been incurring increased expenditure,
rendering the job unprofitable.The moisture content in the paddy being
collected from the fields has exceeded stipulated limits, according to association
president K.K. Karnan. It results in reduced output of rice, but the millers
are bound to meet the quantity requirements as per contract, causing loss. Over
30 mills, among the 100 plus rice mills in the State, have been closed down
unable to bear the loss in the past few years, the owners say.
If not harvested at the earliest,
there is the danger of germination of paddy.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/paddy-procurement-faces-rough-weather/article7696776.ece
APEDA Commodity News
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New Rice Variety May Boost Self-Sufficiency, But More
Research Needed: Jokoi
Jakarta. President Joko Widodo has called for more research and
development in the agricultural sector, saying it is key to the nation's
bid for self-sufficiency in food production.
Joko
made the comments during a harvesting ceremony for a new locally developed
type of rice, on Sunday.The rice, labeled IPB 3s and developed by the Bogor
Agricultural University (IPB) in cooperation with the Agriculture Ministry and
the West Java government, was planted at Cikarang village in Karawang district,
West Java.Joko said the newly developed rice can double Indonesia's production
of the commodity. The new variety has been tested on a 500 hectare field and
this harvest season the variety has already produced a yield of 13.4 tons per
hectare, more than double the 6.1 tons per hectare average estimated by the
Indonesian Statistics Agency (BPS) in July.
“This
kind of intensification is exactly what [Indonesia] needs. We want a massive
increase in production,” he said.“We need to boost our research and
development. The IPB has done it and now we can start seeing results.”The
president also instructed state procurement agency Bulog to monitor rice
distribution, a key component in steadying food prices affecting both producers
and consumers.
“Bulog
must maintain a steady supply of rice so that prices are not manipulated by
speculators,” he said.Bulog president director Djarot Kusumayakti said the
agency currently has enough rice in stock — 1.7 million tons — to dampen
effects of the extended drought, due to the El Nino weather phenomenon.The
Bulog director is confident that Indonesia could soon be self-sufficient in
rice with the introduction of the new rice variety."If the yields
increase, let's pray together that we'll soon enter the era of
self-sufficiency," Djarot said.
However,
Indonesia is still reliant on the importation of other food products, mainly
beef, as the country struggles to boost production to meet demands.Indonesia is
set to import up to 10,000 tons of beef from New Zealand next month, according
to Coordinating Economic Minister Darmin Nasution. The supply should be enough
to meet Indonesia's consumption demand for a month, but the government is
prepared to import more if needed, Darmin said.The government is also expecting
200,000 head cattle from Australia for domestic consumption in the fourth
quarter of this year.Australia is currently Indonesia's only source of imported
beef. Brazil and Uruguay have been named as potential trade partners and the
government of Colombia has also expressed interest in providing beef to the
archipelago.Indonesia imported 97,610 head of cattle in the first three months
of this year and 201,640 in the second quarter, according to data from the
Trade
Ministry.http://jakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/new-rice-variety-may-boost-self-sufficiency-research-needed-joko/
THE ORIGIN AND SPREAD OF
‘EMPEROR’S RICE’
BLACK RICE HAS A RICH CULTURAL HISTORY; CALLED “FORBIDDEN” OR
“EMPEROR’S” RICE, IT WAS RESERVED FOR THE EMPEROR IN ANCIENT CHINA AND USED AS
A TRIBUTE FOOD.
A paper to be published this week in The Plant Cell reveals the answer to the long-standing question of how black
rice became black and, moreover, traces the history of the trait from its
molecular origin to its spread into modern-day varieties of rice. Researchers
from two institutions in Japan collaborated to meticulously examine the genetic
basis for the black color in rice grains.They discovered that the trait arose
due to a rearrangement in a gene called Kala4, which activates the production
of anthocyanins. They concluded that this rearrangement must have originally
occurred in the tropical japonica subspecies of rice and that the black rice
trait was then transferred into other varieties (including those found today)
by crossbreeding.
According the study’s lead scientist, Dr. Takeshi Izawa, “The
birth and spread of novel agronomical traits during crop domestication are
complex events in plant evolution.” This new work on black rice helps explain
the history of domestication of rice by ancient humans, during which they
selected for desirable traits including grain color.
http://www.heritagedaily.com/2015/09/the-origin-and-spread-of-emperors-rice/108409
Rice
exporters blame state, Centre for basmati growers' plight
PTI,Chandigarh, | 27
September, 2015
Sethi claimed that farmers in Punjab brought uncertified and
unrecommended seed of short-duration 1509 variety and planted it without
considering its results.Exporters pointed out that rice millers had witnessed
high broken content in 1509 variety during processing last year. Besides grain
turning weak, rice of this variety became blackish, which was not acceptable to
overseas buyers, they said adding that exporters and millers were unnecessarily
being accused of not paying higher rates for this crop.They claimed that PUSA
1509 variety was not suitable for plantation in Punjab and Haryana."We had
spent Rs.8-10 lakh on advertisements just to discourage farmers not to plant
1509 variety.
But despite that fact this year 2 crore bags of this variety was
expected to arrive in mandis in Punjab alone," he said.A vigorous campaign
was also launched this season in paddy growing areas of Punjab and Haryana,
asking growers not to sow PUSA Basmati 1509 before July 15 after basmati
exporters complained of high incident of broken content because of pre-mature
plantation.Exporters said farmers planted crop before July 15 despite being
told not do so.Developed by Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), PUSA
Basmati 1509 variety has seen its acceptability among growers both in Punjab
and Haryana in a big way because of its high yield and short duration (90
days).Its yield is about 25 quintals per acre, more than the other aromatic
variety of PUSA 1121 whose yield is 20 quintals per acre.After basmati 1509
variety fetched higher returns in 2013 when this came for the first time,
farmers, who planted it early, fetched Rs.4,000 per quintal for paddy, industry
insiders said.
http://www.thestatesman.com/news/business/rice-exporters-blame-state-centre-for-basmati-growers-plight/93079.html
El Niño-resilient
rice varieties identified
September 25, 2015 10:16 pm
Amid the threat of a prolonged
drought due to the El Niño phenomenon, the Department of Agriculture’s
Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) has identified two climate
change-resilient rice varieties suitable for irrigated lowlands in the Visayas
and Mindanao.Researchers said the development of location-specific,
high-yielding and climate change-resilient varieties are among the
cost-effective strategies to increase rice yields.
A PhilRice study identified NSIC
Rc308 (Tubigan 26) and NSIC Rc358 (Tubigan 30) as climate change-resilient
varieties with superior performance in irrigated lowland ecosystems. Thelma
Padolina, lead researcher, said that varieties with superior performance in
specific locations and improved resistance to lodging and biotic stresses must
be bred and recommended to help the farmers adapt to climate change.
“The two recommended varieties have relatively high
yield advantage over their check varieties. The NSIC Rc308 has a yield
advantage of 5.5 percent in the Visayas and 4 percent in Mindanao in contrast
with PSB Rc82. NSIC Rc358 outyielded PSB Rc18 by 12 percent,” Padolina
said.NSIC Rc308 and the NSIC Rc358 are 2013 PhilRice-bred varieties.Under
favorable irrigated lowland ecosystems, NSIC Rc308 has a maximum average yield
of 10.9 tons per hectare (t/ha) and matures in 11 days if transplanted. When
direct-seeded, it matures in 105 days and has a maximum yield of 8.0 t/ha.Under
the same farming condition, NSIC Rc358 can also attain a maximum average yield
of 5.4 t/ha to 9.1 t/ha if transplanted.
Both varieties are early maturing so they may escape
stress conditions. NSIC Rc308 showed superior performance in Zamboanga del Sur,
Davao del Sur, Sultan Kudarat, Eastern Samar, and Aklan.According to Padolina,
the variety has intermediate reaction to pests such as stem borer, brown
planthopper, and bacterial leaf blight.NSIC Rc358 is considered as an
all-season variety for Visayas. Padolina said that it is suitable for the
transplanting culture in the provinces of Samar, Aklan, and Bohol.Rice
scientists and experts encouraged R&D institutions to foster stronger partnerships
as the country prepares to address the effects of trade liberalization and
climate change.
Govt should invest more in R&D
During the 28th National Rice R&D Conference at
PhilRice, experts discussed industry trends to address current issues and
emerging problems besetting rice R&D.Dr. Madonna Casimero of IRRI stressed
that there is a need to rethink and step up R&D strategies in order to help
the national government craft policies and develop the right technologies for
the farmers.Casimero also highlighted the message of IRRI’s deputy director
general for research Dr. Matthew Morell that “not one institution can provide
the solutions to all the issues confronting agriculture.”
Hence, cooperation among R&D institutions is
needed, she said.“We need to strengthen ourselves and harness the skills of our
partners,” she said.Economics professor Dr. Cesar Quicoy of the University of
the Philippines Los Banos (UPLB) emphasized that the national government must
invest more in R&D as it plays a major role in making farmers
competitive.“Literature will always point out that the reason why we’re always
behind in agriculture is because our R&D is very minimal in terms of our
GDP,” he said.Studies have shown that R&D contributes about 25 percent
yield growth in rice.
During the conference, experts also urged PhilRice,
as the country’s lead institute in rice R&D, to look at the issues in
agriculture as an opportunity to prove the relevance of the institute.The
National Rice Research and Development Conference is annually hosted by
PhilRice and gathers around 500 researchers, academicians, students, farmers,
and extension workers from all over the country.
http://www.manilatimes.net/el-nino-resilient-rice-varieties-identified/220649/
Rice
exports face difficulties
Vietnam is encountering difficulties
in exporting rice in the face of fierce competition from Thailand, India and
Myanmar.
Rice for exports (Photo:VNA)
The
statement was made by Vo Hung Dung, Director of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce
and Industry – Can Tho branch, at a workshop in the Mekong Delta city on
September 25 to seek solutions for rice producers and exporters.
Statistics from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development
showed that in the first eight months of 2015, Vietnam shipped 4.1 million
tonnes of rice abroad and earned US$ 1.76 billion, down 8.6 percent in volume
and over 13 percent in value compared to the same period last year.
Notably,
China, which remains Vietnam’s largest rice importer with 32 percent of the
country’s total market shares, is decreasing its imports from Vietnam. In
2012-2013, around 65 percent of China’s imported rice came from Vietnam but the
figure reduced to 53 percent in 2014 and 47 percent in the first four months of
this year.In addition, Vietnam’s two other major importers, the Philippines and
Indonesia, which account for 12 and 5 percent of the market shares,
respectively, are striving to boost production towards self-sufficiency.
At
the workshop, Chairman of the Vietnam Food Association Huynh The Nang
introduced several measures to help businesses improve their
competitiveness.According to Nang, the long-term solution to effectively
stabilising production and exports is to provide loans for export businesses’
rice stockpiles.He also suggested reducing risks in harvesting, stocking and
distributing rice while striving to building trademarks for the Vietnamese
product.The Ho Chi Minh City Development Bank (HDBank) also took the occasion
to introduce its programme to support rice exporters.
http://www.saigon-gpdaily.com.vn/Business/Economy/2015/9/115561/
Crossbreeding: New Study Sheds Light On
History Of Black Rice
Sep
28, 2015 01:36 AM EDT
A new study explains how black rice, also known as forbidden
rice, got its dark color. (Photo : Wikimedia Commons )
When we think of rice, we usually think of white or brown grains.
However, black rice is prized throughout China for its antioxidants. But how
did the rice get its color? Researchers took a closer look at the grain's rich
history to find out. Black rice was historically reserved for China's Emperor and regarded as
"forbidden." Today, black rice (Oryza sativa) cultivars are found throughout Asia. The color of rice grains is
determined by which colored pigments they accumulate, or in terms of white
rice, the pigments they fail to attain (in addition to not having because the
outer hull has been removed).
The color in black rice is a result of anthocyanin pigments, according to a news release. Anthocyanins absorb blue-green
light, and reflect red wavelengths. So, for example, pro-anthocyanidins that
give wild rice grains their red color are not produced in white rice due to a
gene mutation. Scientists have long questioned how these pigments evolved in
grains.Researchers from Japan recently traced the history of anthocyanin
pigments, from their molecular origin to their spread in modern-day varieties
of rice. After examining the genetic basis for the black color in rice grains,
the researcher found the pigments resulted from the rearrangement of a gene
know as Kala4.
http://www.natureworldnews.com/articles/17054/20150928/crossbreeding-new-study-sheds-light-history-black-rice.htm
