Wednesday, January 06, 2016

5th january 2016 Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine-Latest Rice News Updates

History on India's Side, Not Pakistan, on Basmati GI Tag'


By Express News Service
Published: 05th January 2016 04:46 AM
Last Updated: 05th January 2016 04:46 AM

NEW DELHI:With a tussle over getting a Geographical Indication tag for Basmati rice on, as Pakistan had laid claims over the origins of the variety of rice grown here, an RSS mouthpiece article termed the neighbouring country’s “illegible claim” as one of the unfinished agendas of partition.An article in Organiser last week, said Basmati Growers Association (BGA), Lahore had claimed and registered a case that Basmati Rice is owned only by Pakistan, and India does not ‘own or have rights’.

Hitting out at Pakistan’s attempt to lay sole claim over the origin of Basmati rice, the article added, “Basmati rice is one of the testimonies for Bharat’s deep-rooted history, culture and civilisation, where Basmati Rice has a relationship with the ‘Kuru Vamsa’ of Mahabharat... Contrary to the claim of BGA, Lahore, there are a number of facts to prove that Bharat owns (exclusively) Basmati but it never claimed so.”Talking about the legal issues starting from the partition, the article said, “The Partition Proceedings never mentions that basmati rice is to be shared with Pakistan by United Bharat or Bharat.

 Further, an agreement between Pakistan and Bharat on certain outstanding financial issues dated June 12, 1955 at Karachi does not capture in the list of issues provided by India as well as Pakistan anything relating to sharing of Intellectual Property Rights on Basmati,” the article added.Going on to the history of rice growing, it said “The Royal Commission on Indian Agriculture in 1926 and its subsequent development of Rice Research Stations including Doiwala, Dehradun and Kala Shah Kaku, Pakistan under the charge of Late Sardar Mohammed Khan, who had special training in rice breeding in Madras, provides facts about the real geographical origin of basmati rice.
The phenomenon of commercial basmati rice production in Pakistan’s Punjab was merely from the year 1933...a lack of history on basmati production in Pakistan’s Punjab underlines the fact that Basmati Rice’s Geographical Indication is exclusively owned by India.”The article added, ‘The legal and historical facts provide ability to register Basmati Rice as an exclusive GI of India.” It said, India could thus claim penalty or royalty from Pakistan, which could run into several billion dollars of compensation.

http://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/History-on-Indias-Side-Not-Pakistan-on-Basmati-GI-Tag/2016/01/05/article3212459.ece

 

RSS Mouthpiece Hits Out at Pakistan's 'Illegible Claim' on Basmati Rice

By Express News Service
Published: 04th January 2016 09:08 PM
Last Updated: 04th January 2016 09:09 PM
NEW DELHI: With tussle over getting a geographical indication tag for Basmati rice on, as Pakistan had laid claims over the origins of the variety of rice grown here, a RSS mouthpiece termed the neighbouring country’s “illegible claim” as one of the unfinished agendas of partition.An article in the RSS magazine - Organiser – last week,  said Basmati Growers Association (BGA), Lahore,has claimed and registered a case that Basmati Rice is owned only by Pakistan but India does not ‘own or have rights’.Hitting out at the Pakistan’s attempt to lay sole claim over the origin on basmati rice, the article added, “Basmati rice is one of the testimonies for Bharat’s deep-rooted history, culture and civilisation, where Basmati Rice has relationship with ‘Kuru Vamsa’ of Mahabharat. 

 A detailed legal and cultural history of Basmati Rice is not available... Contrary to the claim of Basmati Growers Association Lahore, there are number of facts to prove that Bharat owns (exclusively) Basmati but it never claimed so. “Talking about the legal issues starting from the partition, the article said, “The Partition Proceedings never mentions basmati rice to be shared with Pakistan by United Bharat or Bharat. Further, an agreement between Pakistan and Bharat on certain outstanding financial issues dated of June 12, 1955 at Karachi does not capture in the list of issues provided by India as well as Pakistan anything relating to sharing of Intellectual Property Rights or Basmati,” the article added.Going in to the history of rice growing, it said “The Royal Commission on Indian Agriculture in 1926 and its subsequent development of Rice Research Stations including Doiwala, Dehradun and Kala Shah Kaku, Pakistan under the charge of Late Sardar Mohammed Khan, who had special training in rice breeding in Madras, provides fact about real geographical origin of basmati rice.

The phenomenon of commercial basmati rice production in Pakistan Punjab was merely from the year 1933...a lack of history on basmati production in Pakistan Punjab underlines the fact that Basmati Rice Geographical Indication is exclusively owned by India.”Suggesting that India solely owns the rights over basmati, the Organiser article added, ‘The legal and historical facts provide ability to register Basmati Rice as an exclusive GI of India. Such exclusive ownership position of Bharat has authority to claim penalty or royalty on infringement of use of word “Basmati Rice” by Pakistan in International Court or WTO, which could run several billion dollars compensation to Bharat.”
The Indian express

Pakistan, Sri Lanka include services and investments in FTA

Author LBO
Posted on January 5, 2016 | Politics

Jan 05, 2016 (LBO) – Sri Lanka and Pakistan have agreed to include services and investment chapters in the bilateral Free Trade Agreement, Pakistan Premier Nawaz Sharif said.The existing Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Pakistan and Sri Lanka has been operational since 2005.Under the existing agreement, the two countries have agreed to offer preferential market access to each others’ exports by way of granting tariff concessions.
“We discussed the issues relating to the implementation of Pakistan, Sri Lanka FTA. The two countries have agreed on the inclusion of services and investments chapters in the bilateral FTA.” Pakistan PM said.Pakistan Prime Minister was speaking at an event held at Presidential Secretariat to sign 8 bilateral agreements which includes the fields of hydro power, cement, fishing and navel.
“This would enable our companies to form joint ventures for exports for third countries. Sri Lanka enjoys exceptional position of being the first country with which Pakistan entered into a FTA,”“The present volume of trade does not reflect the true potential. We have agreed to re-liberate our efforts to realize the goal of achieving one billion dollars bilateral trade target at the earliest.” the Pakistani PM said.Through the FTA signed in 2005 Sri Lanka was able to enjoy duty free market access on 206 products in the Pakistani market including tea, rubber and coconut.Pakistan, in return, has gained duty free access on 102 products in the Sri Lankan market. These products include oranges, basmati rice and engineering goods.
Pakistan Premier invited Sri Lankan President to visit Pakistan soon.

Full Statement by the Pakistan Prime Minister:
President Maithripala Sirisena!
On behalf of myself and my delegation, I would like to thank you for the warm hospitality accorded to me and my delegation. My visit, which comes eight months after Your Excellency’s visit to Pakistan in April last year, is a testimony to strong bonds of friendship between our two countries. Pakistan and Sri Lanka enjoy excellent relations, based on mutual respect and shared interests. They are marked by cordiality and commonality of views on major regional and global issues and close cooperation in the multilateral forums.
Both sides wish to further deepen and broaden these ties through regular high level contacts and exchange of visits.Today, we comprehensively reviewed the whole range of our multifaceted bilateral relationship, in the fields of political interactions, trade and commerce, defence, education, science and technology, culture and agriculture etc.

The talks were held in a warm friendly and cordial atmosphere and were marked by full trust and complete understanding. Both sides reached broad consensus on ways and means to further strengthen our bilateral cooperation in a comprehensive manner. We have agreed to hold frequent summit level meetings, promote parliamentary exchanges and enhance the process of consultations, cooperation and coordination between our respective institutions.We also discussed the issues related to the implementation of the Pakistan-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement. The two countries have agreed on the inclusion of Services and Investments chapters in the bilateral FTA. This would enable our companies to form joint ventures for export to third countries. Sri Lanka enjoys exceptional position of being the first country with which Pakistan entered into a Free Trade Agreement (FTA).

The present volume of trade (approx. US $325 million) does not reflect true potential. We have agreed to re-invigorate our efforts to realize the goal of achieving US $1 billion bilateral trade target at the earliest. I re-iterated Pakistan’s offer to setup Cement and Sugar Plants in Sri Lanka, on mutually agreed terms, for the long term benefit of Sri Lankan economy. We have also conveyed our readiness to welcome Sri Lankan investment in Pakistan. We have also expressed satisfaction on the work of Pakistan-Sri Lanka Joint Economic Commission in promoting bilateral trade.Both sides expressed their satisfaction at the existing bilateral cooperation in the field of Defence.

 I appreciated the participation of the Sri Lankan Navy in the annual AMAN exercise of the Pakistan Navy. I also conveyed our desire for more frequent port calls, participation in military exercises and fence seminars and training of military personnel.Both sides also agreed to give further impetus of their cooperation in the fields of education, science and technology, healthcare, agriculture, tourism, sporting contacts, cultural exchanges and people to people contacts. They also agreed to prioritize Cooperation in the Field of Gems and Jewelllery.

We have also signed a number of Agreements and MoUs today, which would help promote cooperation between our two countries in the fields Trade promotion, Culture, Health, Gem and Jewellery, Science & Technology and Combating Money Laundering and Terror Financing.Sri Lanka has been a strong and steadfast friend of Pakistan. It has stood by us in our most difficult moments. We remain eternally grateful to the people and government of this beautiful Island State.We now look forward to welcoming President Sirisena to Pakistan, at an early date, so that the relations of mutual trust and confidence can be further enhanced.
Colombo, 05 January 2016
Lanka business online

Plant Engineering to Improve Thermotolerance in Rice and Tomatoes



Paper Reviewed

Shen, H., Zhong, X., Zhao, F., Wang, Y., Yan, B., Li, Q., Chen, G., Mao, B., Wang, J., Li, Y., Xiao, G., He, Y., Xiao, H., Li, J. and He, Z. 2015. Overexpression of receptor-like kinase ERECTA improves thermo-tolerance in rice and tomato.Nature Biotechnology 33: 996-1003.Concerned about the possibility that the detrimental effects of predicted global warming on crop productivity "threaten to reduce the world's food supply," Shen et al. (2015) also worried about the fact that the genetic modification of crops to improve thermo-tolerance had demonstrated what they describe as "little success to date." And, therefore, they decided to see if they could discover something that would have success in this regard.Focusing on three transgenic lines of the Arabidopsis thaliana (mouse-ear cress) receptor-like kinase ERECTA (ER), the 15 Chinese scientists conducted field experiments on rice and tomato plants over the course of three summers (2012, 2013 and 2014) in Shanghai, Wuhan and Hainan, China.

And this work revealed, as they discovered, that "transgenic tomato and rice lines overexpressing Arabidopsis ER showed improved heat tolerance in greenhouse and field tests." In addition, they discovered that "ER-overexpressing transgenic Arabidopsis, tomato and rice plants had increased biomass."And the take-home message of their findings? Shen et al. say that they open the door, so to speak, "to engineering or breeding thermo-tolerant crops with no growth penalty." And, as they also add, with considerably-enhanced water use efficiency. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26280413



Supreme Court refuses claim of rice importer, Jack Charles

05 January 2016— by Rowland A. Parks

BELIZE CITY, Mon. Jan. 4, 2016–Supreme Court Justice Sonia Young, sitting in chambers, denied the application of businessman Jitendra Chawla, better known as “Jack Charles,” for a judicial review into the Government’s decision to block his importation of Guyanese riceJack Charles had applied to the high court seeking permission to file a writ of mandamus, which, if successful, would have the court order the Belize Agriculture and Health Authority (BAHA) to release his three containers of rice that had been held at the Big Creek Port since they arrived almost a month ago.Charles had imported the rice from Guyana without securing the necessary importation permit from BAHA; as a consequence, Justice Young found that Charles was in violation of the BAHA Act and the court would not countenance his application for judicial review.

Upon exiting the court, attorney Eamon Courtenay, SC, who was attempting to join the case on behalf of the local rice producers, told reporters that they did not have to present any arguments, since the case was speedily turned down by the court.“The court looked at the application that was filed, and it was not properly done, and so [the judge] said that it does not affect our client, so we weren’t called upon to make any submissions,” Courtenay explained.“Essentially, what the government argued, quite rightly in their submissions, was that basically the issue that is before the court is an importer who says, ‘I need a license; I applied for it.I didn’t get it.’ Then they come to court and say, ‘I don’t have the permit, and I want the court to order the importation of a product that requires a license.

’ In effect, asking the court to assist him to break the law. The court was very clear that the court is not here to assist anyone in breaking the law; and therefore, a person who does not have the necessary import permit for the importation of rice will not be allowed to use the court as a basis to get some sort of relief,” Courtenay elaborated.Courtenay said Charles’ action was as described by the CEO in the Ministry of Agriculture in his affidavit, as being done in defiance of the law.“Mr. Charles obviously believes that by bringing the product here, he will be able to get what he wants—notwithstanding what the law says,” Courtenay said.Courtenay said that the Customs Department had given Charles the option of sending back the rice, before it is destroyed.“We do not want rice that has not been subject to a test to be brought into Belize. It constitutes a risk, not only to the agricultural sector but also to food security and safety,” Courtenay said.

Courtenay said that a news report was cited which alleged that rice had been exported from Guyana to Chile and it was later found that the rice was contaminated and it had to be returned.“We are not advocating that Belize should bear that risk. That rice has not been tested by Belizean authorities; it should leave Belize, the quicker the better,” Courtenay urged.
“Customs is bending over backwards to Charles; they are giving him an opportunity to take it out the country”, Courtenay said.

Jack Charles’ attorney, Leroy Banner, told reporters that the judge has found that his client was in violation of Section 27 of the BAHA Act.“Without the import permit, you cannot import the goods into Belize,” Banner conceded. “According to the judge, Section 27 is so clear; I do not think there is any merit in appealing this ruling,” he said.Asked if the matter ends there, Banner said that he would have to take direction from his client.Banner added that the issue of Caribbean Community (CARICOM) law has been raised, as thought is being given to whether or not this matter should be put before the Caribbean Court of Justice.Jack Charles declined to speak to reporters when he exited the courtroom with Banner.


Guyanese Rice Rejected
posted (January 4, 2016)
For the past 2 weeks, importer Jack Charles and his advisors have been waiting patiently for their opportunity to get before a Supreme Court Judge. Their position is that Customs and the Belize Agricultural Health Authority overstepped their mandate when they refused to give him a permit import Guyanese Rice.His attempt to get cheap rice unto store shelves in Belize has sparked a very serious debate about the price of this important staple. But today, he got a very swift and stern slap-down from Justice Sonya Young. The judge simply won't entertain his case.

The hearing was done in chambers, and in the absence of the press. It was expected to be a hotly contested legal battle, but the attorneys exited about 20 minutes after the hearing started. They told us that Justice Young was very clear to Charles that he is trying to use the court to legitimize his illegal action when he imported the rice into Belize without a permit.
Here's our conversation with both sides outside of court:
Leeroy Banner - Attorney for Jack Charles

"The court held that because there was no import permit and that was so important that because the importer did not have that import permit then what he did was unlawful and she would not grant leave to apply for judicial review. She is pretty much saying that you needed the import permit and without that you cannot import the goods into Belize."

Eamon Courtenay, SC - Attorney for Local Rice Producers

"The rice producers who I represent didn't even have to make any argument to the court. The court looked at the application that was filed and it was not properly done and so she said that looking at it, it doesn't even affect our clients even if she were to give permission. So we weren't called upon to make any submissions. Essentially what the government argued, quite rightly in their submissions was that basically the issue that is before the court is an importer who says, "I need a license, I applied for it and didn't get it, I don't care, I'm bringing in my goods notwithstanding the fact that I have not obtained the necessary permit." Then come to court and say I don't have the permit and I want the court to order the importation of a product that requires a license. In effect asking the court to assist him to break the law. The court was very clear that the court is not here to assist anyone in breaking the law and therefore a person who does not have the necessary import permit for the importation of rice will not be allowed to use the court as a basis on which to get some sort of relief."
Daniel Ortiz

"Sir, so would you describe his actions as sort of bullish to just force his way in as best he can?"

Eamon Courtenay, SC - Attorney for Local Rice Producers

"Well I would use the language of the C.E.O. in the Ministry of Agriculture in his affidavit that it was done in defiance of the law. Mr. Charles obviously believes that simply by bringing the product here he would be able to get what he wants, notwithstanding what the law says. I think the big issue here, insofar as my clients are concerned is the decision that the Customs has now taken which is that the product must leave Belize. They are giving them a chance to have the product leave Belize and if they don't do that then the product has to be destroyed."
Daniel Ortiz

"What is the deadline that they've been given to remove this rice?"

Eamon Courtenay, SC - Attorney for Local Rice Producers
"Well as I understand the letter to Mr. Charles, the primary position is that it is to be confiscated and destroyed. They are giving him an opportunity and this was from the 23rd December to take it out and attempt to do something with it. So, Customs once again is bending over backward saying to him listen, you brought this thing in illegally, take it out, we are not going to destroy it. I would think that a week has passed and he has done nothing - I would urge Customs to a dispatch at this stage and I hope that they do."

As you've heard, Charles has been denied in this instance by the Supreme Court. So then, is this outcome simply an affirmation of the Government's protection of the Local Rice producers to the detriment of you, the consumer? We put that question to the attorney for the Local Rice Producers, and here's how he answered it:
Daniel Ortiz

"His idea was or his pitch was "better rice for a cheaper price.""
Eamon Courtenay, SC - Attorney for Local Rice Producers

"Right, and more profits for Jack Charles. Why he didn't finish the sentence? How can somebody in good conscience promote the importation of rice to benefit the rice farmers of Guyana, to make a profit for himself and himself alone, one person and say to hell with the domestic producers of rice. To hell with all the people who are planting, who are milling, who are distributing, all the people who have jobs in the fields, all the people who have jobs in the mills, all the people in the distribution sector, to hell with them. Listen, one has to be honest when one is attempting to be charitable. Mr. Charles wants the people of Belize to believe that he loves them so much that he is going to bring in rice into Belize for sixty-nine cents. Listen, fool di talk but dah noh fool di listen. After he brings in the first few containers for sixty-nine cents, what stops Mr. Charles from taking it up to eighty-nine cents and ninety cents? There is no alternative, right?

Mr. Charles says that he is going to bring in rice for twenty percent of the market, what stops him from going to twenty-five? What stops him from going to thirty? Listen, there is nothing charitable about what he was doing. He does not have the interest of the Belizean consumers, he has his pocket as his primary interest. Nobody could quarrel with him with that except that we live in a country where you have a government that has taken a decision with respect to the rice industry, that it is going to safeguard the rice industry as an important contributor to development, to gross domestic product and also to employment."

We spoke with Charles this evening, and he told us that he isn't giving up. As you heard, the rice producers attorney, Eamon Courtenay asserted that Charles has been warned that he must remove the rice, or it will be destroyed. Well, Charles commented on that saying that his letter from BAHA does not make any such order for removal by the Government Agencies. He's offered to send us a copy of that letter as proof, but he was unable to do so this evening because he was away from his office.
He told us that he is not giving up, and he and advisors are reviewing his options

Association of Rice Millers and Importers decry activities of illegal importers
Jan 5 2016 - 5:37pm
Funsho Balogun
The Rice Millers, Importers and Distributors Association of Nigeria, RIMIDAN, has refused to be silent over illegal rice importation into the country that has led to genuine importers counting their losses. RIMIDAN blames the woes of its association’s members on the decision to lift the ban on rice importation through the land borders which is being adhered to by the Nigerian Customs Service. RIMIDAN is particularly miffed that the smugglers and illegal dealers have now resorted to under declaration in bringing their commodities into the Nigerian market.

The National President of the association, Tunji Owoeye, stated at a stakeholders forum on Monday that the illegal dealers who have flooded the market with their commodity which has passed through the porous land borders are now even emboldened to the extent of brandishing documents of duties paid which are usually doctored and duplicated to cover several transactions instead of one. ‘’These die hard dealers go to the market to flag duties of what they have paid, which is duplicated four or five times as evidence to cover their illegal imports,’’ Owoeye stated.Last month, it was reported that hundreds of trucks laden with bags of rice from Thailand had found their way into Nigeria through Cotonou.

 The RIMIDAN made it known to the Nigerian Customs Service that the commodity arrives in big trailers with 1200-1500 numbers of 50kg bags and that there is substantial under declaration and non-payment aspects in the massive shipments, making it non-viable for legal importers and local producers to compete with these shipments.Based on the influx of the commodity into the country, the miffed RIMIDAN, through a letter to the Customs Comptroller General, Hameed Ali, complained about high level corruption, involving Customs officials and importers at the various land borders across the country.

The association alleged that under declaration is now the new name of the game which was hitherto outright smuggling at most of the porous land borders.Industry sources gathered that smugglers are currently having a field day through under declaration by paying only 50 per cent of whatever volume of cargo that is passed. On his part, Owoeye claims that a truck of 60 metric tons passes through after it officially pays for only 30 metric tons. The illegal process, as claimed by RIMIDAN, defeats the purpose of the NCS of allowing the passage of rice through land borders which is to attract appropriate import duty towards upping revenue generation.

The NCS had earlier claimed that lifting the ban on passage of rice through land borders was for Customs to reorganize its anti-smuggling operations in these areas while ensuring that all importers through the borders bring their rice through approved routes, after paying the extant duty.Nigeria spends over 1 billion dollars on rice importation annually, and rice duty charges currently account for about 50 per cent of the entire revenue generated by the Nigerian Customs Service.

thenewsnigeria.com.ng/.../association-of-rice-millers-and-importers-decr

Low methane rice research wins accolades but could take decades for regulatory approval as genetically modified food


A new genetically modified rice plant that produces virtually no greenhouse gas while it grows, has been recognised as one of the top scientific projects for 2015.
In warm, waterlogged soil of the rice paddies, bacteria fed by the exudates of rice roots produces tonnes of a heavy greenhouse gas a year.
"Around 100 million tonnes of methane comes from rice paddies, 15 per cent of the total anthropogenic emissions of methane," biochemist Dr Christer Jansson, of the US Department of Energy, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory said.Dr Jansson and a team of researchers across three continents produced a rice plant that generates almost no methane, and yields more rice.
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They spliced a barley gene that changes the way rice uses carbon.Less carbon goes to the roots where in conventional rice it feeds bacteria that generates methane; instead the carbon goes to the stem and grain."The carbon in this that comes into the plant is mainly allocated to aboveground biomass, and very little, less to the below ground biomass," Dr Jansson said."In mature plants, methane production is reduced to almost nothing."It's very dramatic."

Dr Jansson said extended field trials were needed to test if the results were reproducible."But after two years of field experiments, and one in the laboratory, we can drastically reduce, to almost zero, methane in mature rice plants," he said."That's important as the world needs more food in the future, and the warmer it gets, the more methane that will be produced."The research by Dr Jansson in the United States, and Chuanxin Sun of the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and China's Fujian Academy of Agricultural Sciences and Hunan Agricultural University, published their research in the journal Nature in 2015.

It has also won the Best of What's New award for 2015 by the magazine Popular Science.Dr Jansson hoped recognition would mean a greater consumer awareness of genetically engineered rice as it went through the regulatory process."Based on previous GMO crops intended for food, it will probably take 10 to 20 years," he said."That's disappointing."We hope that given this is improving not only food production but also greenhouse gas mitigation we hope the public acceptance would be improved by this specific low methane rice."
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-01-05/low-methane-rice-wins-popular-science-reward/7067984

Seaweed extract may boost rice production

Speed read

·         Seaweed extract increased rice output by over 30 per cent
·         The process and product is safe, environment-friendly and inexpensive
·         It is also effective on vegetables such as cabbage and mungbean
       
 [MANILA] Extracts from seaweeds, with a little tweak of gammairradiation, can increase rice production by about a third and guard against major pests.

“Using gamma radiation, we were able to cut up the polymer into oligomers without using chemicals or complicated and expensive processes.”

By Lucille Abad, PNRI


Scientists at the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) have developed the carrageenan plant food supplementor (CPFS), which is derived from carrageenan extracted from red edible seaweeds. Carageenan is widely used for its gelling, thickening and stabilising properties in the food industry and as a binder in toothpaste and shampoo. In a study published in Radiation Physics and Chemistry this January, the PNRI scientists showed that carrageenan-derived polysaccharide, a carbohydrate, enhances rice growth when degraded through a “very small dose” of gamma radiation. 


Plant food supplements are substances that improve the overall health, growth and development of plants, says lead researcher Lucille Abad, chief of PNRI’s chemistry research section. 
The agricultural benefits of carrageenan are achieved from its building blocks: the long-chain carrageenan polymer that can be broken down into shorter chain fragments known as oligomers (“oligo” for few), Abad explains. These oligomers are readily absorbed by the plant to help their growth and development and also improve their resistance to diseases. “Using gamma radiation, we were able to cut up the polymer into oligomers without using chemicals or complicated and expensive processes,” she says. “CPFS can be made with nothing more than the organic carrageenan andwater processed by gamma radiation. The product that is formed is not and can never be radioactive. It is a clean and additive-free method that is safe, non-toxic, environment friendly and, most of all, effe

http://www.scidev.net/asia-pacific/innovation/news/seaweed-extract-may-boost-rice-production.html



Members of the 114 th Congress Return to Washington Today
By Peter Bachmann

WASHINGTON, DC -- Later today, Members of the U.S. House of Representatives will be returning to the Capitol to officially kick off the Second Session of the 114th Congress. The Senate is scheduled to return to Washington next Monday.Congress may be getting started for the year but they're not expected to spend much time in action during 2016. The Senate has tentatively scheduled 149 work days from their Washington offices and the House just 111 days, and, because it's an election year, it may be an even slimmer schedule.

There's a hefty pile of legislative items to be addressed in 2016, several with importance to agriculture.  Issues such as biotech food labeling, Waters of the U.S. regulations, the Trans Pacific Partnership deal, welfare reform, and immigration reform, among the annual items like budget and appropriations all need to be debated.  A high priority item that USA Rice would like to see addressed would be the lifting of the Cuban trade embargo.USA Rice will continue to follow Congress' agenda and rice industry members will be visiting with Members of Congress on priority issues next month during the Government Affairs Conference.  Please stay tuned for conference details.



Colombia to Import 200,000 New Metric Tons of Rice...But From Where?
By Sarah Moran

BOGOTA, COLOMBIA -- Nearly one-third of Colombia's provinces are in a state of emergency due to extreme drought caused by El Niño, prompting the Colombian government to allow additional rice imports to maintain adequate inventory.

On December 22, 2015, Colombia's Ministry of Agriculture published a decree stating that 200,000 MT of rice imported in 2016 would be from the Andean community and third countries, under existing tariffs.  This decree proposes to bring in tonnage above the United States' 2016 TRQ allotment of 94,209 MT; however, these additional imports would be subject to the relevant duty (56 percent duty for Paraguay, 64 percent duty for Mercosur and 80 percent for the U.S., Thailand, and others).  The 80 percent duty for U.S. rice, coupled with the strength of the U.S. dollar, may create an opening for Thai rice in the near term to fill the Colombian short fall.

"Colombia is our third largest market and with ample rice supplies in the current U.S. market, the U.S. is in a position to provide this additional rice to Colombia," said Jim Guinn, USA Rice vice president of international promotion.  "Imports of the Andean Community have historically been assigned to mills according to domestic harvest purchases; USA Rice is investigating whether this would occur with this allotment of 200,000 MT."

Guinn continued, "In addition, USA Rice is in regular dialog with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Foreign Agricultural Service in Bogotá as well as Fedearroz (Federation of Colombian Rice Producers) and Induarroz (Colombian Rice Industry) to make the strong case to buy U.S.-grown rice which has the quality and reliability they are seeking."





01/05/2016 Farm Bureau Market Report


            Rice
High
Low
Long Grain Cash Bids
- - -
- - -
Long Grain New Crop
- - -
- - -


Futures:
ROUGH RICE
High
Low
Last
Change
Jan '16
1164.5
1164.5
1167.0
+16.0
Mar '16
1198.0
1168.0
1192.5
+15.5
May '16
1218.0
1211.0
1220.5
+14.5
Jul '16
1247.5
+14.5
Sep '16
1234.0
1234.0
1230.0
+6.5
Nov '16
1248.0
+6.5
Jan '17
1248.0
+6.5
   
Rice Comment

Rice futures were higher across the board today. March charted a bullish key reversal today, and is potentially working on charting a bull flag, which would suggest the potential of adding an additional 70 cents to the market from the breakout point if the chart pattern holds. There is also a chart gap between $12.31 and $12.41 that could be an upside target for bulls. The market is finding support from tightening world stocks and concerns about the current El Nino weather pattern impacting production.




700,000 tons of rice is wasted annually


According to the World Food Program, some 795 million people in the world — about one in nine people on earth — do not have enough food to lead a healthy active life. (AFP)
ARAB NEWS
Published — Tuesday 5 January 2016
ARAB NEWS
Published — Tuesday 5 January 2016
Last update 5 January 2016 12:34 am
JEDDAH: Around 700,000 tons of rice worth over SR2 billion is wasted per year in Saudi Arabia and putting a control on this will help the economy in a big way, say experts.Rice in particular amounts to huge wasted quantities because of banquets, celebrations and social occasions involving providing food for guests, of which 40 percent ends up in the garbage, local media has reported.
Outside East Asian countries, Saudi Arabia is the largest rice consumer in the world with an annual consumption of 1.4 million tons, worth about SR5 billion.India tops the countries in the world in exporting rice to the Kingdom, with imports accounting for about 68 percent of the total imports by Kingdom. During the current year, rice prices recorded an increase by 5 percent, equivalent to 31 halala per kilo, although prices of the commodity in India decreased last year.Nasser Al-Tuwaim, former chairman of the Saudi Consumer Protection Association (CPA), was quoted as saying that several parties and factors are responsible for the increase the prices of rice.
"Unscrupulous merchants, extravagant consumers, monopolization practices and alluding to a limited number of importers are the main reasons for such price hikes during past years." Economist Osama Filali said that the excessive wastage of food items have negative impacts on citizens and the national economy. “The wastage and extravagance we witness during banquets and celebrations need a firm and serious stand from authorities to oblige kitchen owners not to respond to the demands of people who order unneeded and unjustified quantities of food,” he said. Hasan Ahmad, head of the Bussma youth volunteer group, said the group has established a project to stop abundant food leftovers during social occasions.

“The project started with the idea to put a curb on food wastage and extravagance, and encourage people to rationalize in consumption, especially leftover food which is usually thrown into the garbage bins despite there being poor people who badly need it. Since that moment, the group adopted the project as one of its activities and put in place mechanisms on how to work out the tasks and achieve the objectives of the project,” he added.He explained that the youths coordinate with halls and lounges where a wedding or a social occasion is held, and they collect food leftovers, wrap it in clean plastic containers and then distribute it among the needy, cleaners in particular. 

Economist Farouk Al-Khatib said consumer behavior represents the main reason for the high demand for rice, which is the main meal for Saudi families. “It is a known economic fact that when demand is high, prices increase. The solution in this case is to rationalize consumption by raising awareness among people on the importance of saving and rationalyzing in consumption,” he said. Meanwhile, Jeddah Municipality Spokesman Mohammad Al-Bugamy said the general directorate for hygiene distributed about 900 containers for saving bakery products with nine contracts for cleaning companies in Jeddah, including 14 sub-municipalities.He added that the daily volume of waste and garbage stands at 6,000 tons, of which wasted food accounts for 60 percent. He called on residents in Jeddah to cooperate with the municipality to reduce such food waste by redistributing it to the needy instead of throwing it in the garbage
http://www.arabnews.com/saudi-arabia/news/860406




Black rice is the latest superfood. Here's why!

  

Known with varied names like magic rice and forbidden rice, black rice has always seemed exotic.

A rarity in the food world, those fascinated with it after knowing its health benefits, now have an option to eat it at a restaurant or just grab a packet from a gourmet supermarket and cook it at home.

A great health choice
It is the only rice to contain the antioxidant known as anthocyanins, which is found in dark-hued fruits and vegetables like blueberries, blackberries, dark grapes, dark cherries, purple brinjals, purple cabbage and purple corn amongst others. Nutritionist Dhvani Shah says, "Black rice contains high amounts of antioxidants, dietary fibre, minerals and other anti-inflammatory nutrients. It is the richest source of the antioxidant, anthocyanin, which is known to be cancer fighting, beneficial for heart health and imflammatory conditions."

Has export potential
Slightly tricky to grow in terms of yield, it is harvested only in India and China. In India, it is mainly grown and consumed in Manipur where it is known as Chakhao. It has cultural and traditional significance to the people of Manipur and other parts of Northeast India where no celebration is complete without a delicious serving of black rice. On the occasion of the World Food Day in October, the Indian government also put an action plan in place to promote unique varieties of rice with a prominent status for black rice. As people discover the numerous health benefits that whole grain black rice has to offer and with it being touted as the new cancer fighting super food, which can also prevent heart disease, black rice has a good market potential, especially in the overseas markets, as the demand for the same is growing in the USA, Australia and Europe.

Winner amongst the variety of rice
White rice, red rice and brown rice have been around for long but amongst these, black rice might emerge as the clear winner in nutritional and health benefits. Says clinical nutritionist Kanchan Patwardhan, "While polishing white rice, vitamins and minerals especially Vitamin B2, B6 and B12 in large amounts are lost whereas black rice comes packed with micro nutrients. As compared to other varieties of rice, the glycemic index of black rice is 42, which is a very good score for weight watchers and diabetics."

Pleasant nutty flavour makes it popular
The texture of black rice is a bit heavier as compared to other varieties of rice but its natural flavour is rich and sweet. It has a pleasant, nutty flavour, best enjoyed with coconut milk and in sweetened desserts, particularly rice puddings. Black in colour when harvested, once cooked it turns deep purple. Popular in cuisines in Kerala and North Bengal, it is also a good option to make European salads or Italian dishes like risotto. Currently available at high-end restaurants, it seems to be steadily gathering support. "I had the black sticky rice soup with palm sugar at one of the restaurants in town. It was purple in colour and had the texture of kheer but the taste was completely different. After knowing the properties, I am going to try and make it at home too soon," says homemaker Shanti Sen.

Tips to cook black rice 
- Black rice takes longer to cook than white rice so to cut down on cooking time, soak it overnight or much before you start cooking.

-You can cook a batch in advance and keep it in the refrigerator for several days and then use it in varied dishes over the week.

-Remember, the darker the rice, the better it is but the black colour can stain your clothes while cooking.

-Select the right variety of rice for the recipe you choose since there are several varieties of black rice, including long jasmine, glutinous Thai and the short-grained version. The long-grain rice is the true 'forbidden rice' and is good for salads, while the short-grained rice created as a hybrid can be adapted to European recipes. The glutinous Thai rice cooks up much like glutinous white rice, making it great to make sushi and rice pudding.

- If you find the taste a bit too earthy, blend the rice kernels into a powder and sprinkle on salads, fish and meat dishes or add dry spices to the powder to make dry chutney.

- To start with, begin by making it in smaller portions and introduce it during regular meals till you adjust to the taste.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/diet/Black-rice-is-the-latest-superfood-Heres-why/articleshow/50439583.cms

 

Rice price to be main driver of poverty in 2016

 

Anton Hermansyah, thejakartapost.com, Jakarta | National | Tue, January 05 2016, 8:45 AM
Late season: A farmer ploughs his rice field in Wongkaditi, Gorontalo, on Wednesday. Due to the late arrival of the rainy season, farmers in Gorontalo have only just begun to plant rice in their fields. Earlier in 2015, farmers suffered through a long drought. (JP/Syamsul Huda M. Suhari)
The price of rice, one of the nation’s staple foods--especially for the poor, continued to rise in 2015 according to Central Statistics Agency (BPS) statistics.The latest BPS data shows that the rice price rose 7.2 percent in 2015, continuing the upward trend in 2014 of 12 percent.Quoting the latest results of the National Social Economy Survey (Susenas), BPS Head Suryamin said that 22.1 percent of rice in urban areas and 28.74 percent in rural areas was consumed by the poor. However, the purchasing power of farmers remained relatively unchanged. Based on BPS data, the farmer's exchange rate only rose 1.5 percent, from 101.32 in 2014 to 102.83 in 2015, far below the rice price increase of 7.21 percent.

Economist Faisal Basri in an online analysis warned about the risk of an increasing amount of people living in poverty as the rice price had soared above the rate of inflation while the international price was down. "Such a rise would hit the poor as one third of their outcome is spent on rice," he said.According to World Bank data, as of November 2015 the global rice price decreased by 5.7 percent year-on-year compared to Nov. 2014, continuing the previous decline of 1.96 percent compared to November 2013. In November 2015, Thai white rice stood at Rp 4,897,433 per metric ton, while Indonesian white rice, considered to be of a similar quality, was priced at Rp 9,564,26, almost two times higher.


Cigarettes

Ironically, cigarettes were the second-highest consumption item among the poor.The 2015 Susenas showed that cigarette consumption among the poor stood at 8.1 percent in urban areas and 7.68 percent in rural areas.Suryamin expressed his regrets that the poor were spending such a large amount of money on an item that did not provide sustenance.The BPS statistics showed that the rate of poverty in the nation has not been significantly reduced in recent years, with the percent of the population classified as “poor” remaining at 11 percent over the last three years. (ags)



NFA plans to import rice from Vietnam, Thailand
Butuan City – The National Food Authority (NFA) is planning to import more rice from Vietnam and Thailand in an ensure ample supply of rice throughout the country this year.Despite the bumper rice stocks that are currently deposited in various areas of the country and this region (Caraga), the NFA said it has keen on implementing the plan so that there would be enough supply of rice in times of calamity and disaster in 2016.According to NFA Administrator Renan B. Dalisay, the agency was planning to import at least 50,000 tons of rice from Vietnam and Thailand. “(This is to) see to it that we have enough rice in time of calamities that can immediately be dispatched to various disaster councils and local government units,” the NFA official said.
The top NFA official was on a three-day swing of the Caraga region that ends today, including  on-the-ground inspection of all the agency’s warehouses spread all over the region.

The NFA administrator will also scrutinize the quality of rice being sold public markets, as well as the prevailing prices for the basic commodity.Dalisay assured the public that NFA rice remains at P27 and P32 per kilo.He also made sure that rice stocks in NFA were properly secured and would not be vulnerable to isolation in case of untoward incidents.He also conducted meetings with the agency’s regional, provincial and city officials and employees.In a meeting, he directed officials of the NFA in Caraga region to complete minor repairs of some warehouses that were damaged by the series of typhoons since 2013
image: A worker stands on a pile of rice sacks at the National Food Authority’s warehouse in Quezon City. (MB file photo)




Soaring food prices lead to increase in poverty 

 

Arya Dipa, Apriadi Gunawan and Panca Nugraha, The Jakarta Post, Bandung/Medan | Archipelago | Tue, January 05 2016, 3:05 PM

Due to the increase in staple food prices, the number of underprivileged people, especially in urban areas, has increased, especially in West Java and North Sumatra.The number of poverty-stricken people in West Java, the most populated among the country’s 34 provinces, increased to 4.48 million people as of September 2015, according to the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), compared to 4.43 million people in March last year, a rise of 9.57 percent of the total population, in a province of 45 million people.The BPS West Java chapter’s statistics affairs head, Dyah Anugrah Kuswardani, said that the increase in the number of underprivileed people, as shown in the agency’s September survey, was due to the soaring prices of staple foods.

“The dominant factor affecting the poverty line is food commodity. People in the lower economic class spend more on food than housing, clothes, education and health,” Dyah said on Monday. The survey also recorded a higher number of underprivileged people were found in West Java’s urban areas, she added, saying that poverty had affected 2.7 million people in urban areas and 1.77 million in rural areas. The number of underprivileged people increased by 68,137 people, while in rural areas the figure had decreased by 18,182 people, she added.Nationally, the number of poverty-stricken people in West Java ranked 19, better than Central Java, which ranked 13, Yogyakarta 14 and East Java 15. “Jakarta is the last, Banten province ranked 30, that’s better than West Java,” Dyah said.Meanwhile, in 2014, the number of underprivileged people in North Sumatra stood at around 1,360,000 people, or 9.85 percent of its population.

 The figure rose further in March 2015 to 1,463,670 people and increased again in September to 1,508,140 people, or 10.79 percent of the total population of the province.North Sumatra BPS head Wien Kusdiatmono said the increase in the number of underprivileged people in the province had been heavier in urban, rather than rural areas. In the period between March and September 2015, the number of underprivileged people in urban areas had increased from 699,000 to 727,760 people, a rise of 28,460 percent, Wien added.In rural areas, according to Wien, the growth in the number of underprivileged people had been lower, from 764,370 people in March 2015, to 780,380 people in September 2015.He added that in urban areas, an underprivileged person was likely to earn an average monthly income of Rp 369,878 (US$26), compared to Rp 352,637 in rural areas. He said the rise in the number of underprivileged people in North Sumatra had been caused by various factors, including the 1.43 percent inflation rate rise.Meanwhile, the BPS office in West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) recorded 802,290 underprivileged people as of September 2015, 16.54 percent of NTB’s total population of 4.85 million. 

“The number of underprivileged people in September 2015 dropped by 21,600 people, 0.56 percent, compared to the March 2015 figure of 823,890 people,” said NTB BPS head Wahyudin at his office in Mataram on Monday.The decrease in poor people in the province had been due to lower inflation caused by a decrease in the price of rice, explained Wahyudin.
According to BPS, the number of poverty-stricken people across the country had reached 28.59 million by March 2015, 11.22 percent of the total population of 255 million, an increase from the previous survey figure of 27.73 million.

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/01/05/soaring-food-prices-lead-increase-poverty.html#sthash.FrLqr4ZV.dpuf

 

 

Full-year inflation in check in 2015

Tassia Sipahutar, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Business | Tue, January 05 2016, 5:20 PM
Overall prices of goods and services remained in check last year as the annual rate fell below the official target, the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) announced on Monday.Data from the BPS showed that inflation throughout 2015 reached 3.35 percent, with December inflation standing at 0.96 percent.The result was below the government’s expectation of 5 percent, but slightly higher than the 3 percent estimated by Bank Indonesia (BI).All cities surveyed by the BPS reported inflation in December, with Merauke in Papua posting the highest rate at 2.87 percent and Cirebon in West Java province posting the lowest at 0.27 percent.Food and ingredients were two of the biggest contributors to inflation last year, according to the data. 

Rice, for example, topped the list as it contributed 0.31 percent to the total inflation figure, followed by shallots in third position, broiler chicken in fourth and fresh fish in fifth. Cigarettes, meanwhile, were second on the list.BPS head Suryamin lauded the government and central bank’s efforts to control inflation, saying the rate was the lowest posted in the past five years.“Last year’s core inflation rate of 3.95 percent was also the lowest since 2011. It meant that prices did not get out of control, even though some upticks were recorded,” he said.BI Governor Agus Martowardojo acknowledged that there were pressures approaching year-end. “We saw rising prices of shallots, chillies, chicken and eggs.

 We have met with the government, especially ministries under the Office of the Coordinating Economic Minister, to better prepare for inflation in the future,” Agus said.In a separate meeting held last week, Coordinating Economic Minister Darmin Nasution said he was prepared to import several commodities to control inflation, such as rice, cattle, sugar, corn and soybeans.At least 460,000 tons of rice will be imported in January to ensure 1.35 million tons of rice stocks by the end of March.“We need to import rice in January because we are planning to conduct market operations between January and February to provide rice for the people,” he said.“This is important because we are anticipating a possible shortage due to a shift in the harvest season from the El Niño [weather phenomenon].

”Darmin added that the government expected the country to pass the lean season and domestic production to return to normal by April.Meanwhile, OCBC Bank economist Wellian Wiranto wrote in a research note that the inflation result came above market expectations, but “nonetheless represents the lowest year-on-year price increase that the economy has seen since early 2000”.Wellian added that even though December inflation was higher than expected, “it is still keeping the real rate so lofty that it would not tie Bank Indonesia’s hands in cutting rates this month”.

Glenn Maguire, ANZ chief economist for South Asia, ASEAN and the Pacific, questioned whether BI would use what could be a three-to-four month window of pronounced disinflation to cut interest rates.“We increasingly suspect the answer to that question is yes,” Maguire said, adding that ANZ had penciled in a rate cut of 50 basis points in the first half.
According to ANZ, an annual disinflation impulse was likely to occur, especially as the government plans to slash the prices of Premium, Pertamax and Pertalite gasoline, diesel and liquefied petroleum gas on Tuesday.

 

Rice warehouses are put back on the table in talks with China

Tue, 5 January 2016
The Ministry of Commerce announced last week a $400 million proposal by three Chinese firms to build state-run rice warehousing facilities to increase the Kingdom’s storage capacity.Lacking such capacity has been a longstanding issue that sector experts say has in part hampered ambitions of reaching the 1-million-tonne rice export target.Commerce Minister Sun Chanthol met with representatives of Chongqing Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation, Chongqing Grain Group and Guangdong Foreign Construction to discuss the possibility of building warehouses in Battambang, Pursat and Kampong Thom, according to ministry spokesperson Ken Ratha.

“The three companies have come together and proposed a plan for warehousing,” Ratha said.Construction on the three facilities is planned for 2016, but Ratha said the firms need to confirm a start date after looking into the logistics of the plan.The Cambodian government last year had drafted a memorandum of understanding asking the Chinese government for a $300 million loan to build 10 warehouses across the country, capable of storing 1.2 million tonnes of paddy. As of July last year, the two sides were still negotiating the conditions and requirements of the agreement.The recent visit of the Chinese delegation was linked to the Cambodian government’s proposal last year and was “under the same package”, with negotiations still under way on the working capital of the rice sector, according to Mey Kalyan, project leader and senior adviser to the Supreme National Economic Council.

“[The agreement] is a work in progress,” he said. “There are many players and interests to consider before finalising this.”According to Kalyan, multiple interests had to be considered before going forward with the plan, given that the building of the warehouse will be a public project, but utilisation will be by the private sector.“We have to know what we want do and do it correctly,” Kalyan said. “We will resolve it as soon as possible and move forward carefully.”Given that Battambang, and other neighbouring provinces like Pursat and Banteay Meanchey account for a third of the country’s paddy output, the new warehouses were welcomed by Kann Kunthy, CEO of rice miller Brico.However, Kunthy said it would be more useful if the warehouse were equipped with drying facilities, which would mean that fresh paddy could be dried and stored for a long period of time.

“The big harvest is in November and December, which means you must have a huge warehouse with first-class drying facility to be used during these two months and then the paddy can be used for milling for the next 10 months.”While currently millers and exporters have limited storage facilities, which means they are only able to buy a limited amount of fresh paddy and sell it, a warehouse with dried paddy stock would help increase exports across different markets, Kunthy added.“Milled rice from fresh crop, within three months of harvesting, is for markets like Malaysia, China and certain parts of Europe where Southeast Asian people live,” he said. “They prefer more aromatic and soft rice.”“The second market is Singapore, Europe and the US, which prefer older paddy because the rice is not as sticky.”
Contact author: Ananth Baliga

A worker counts sacks of rice at a grain warehouse in Phnom Penh yesterday. Yesterday the Ministry of Commerce announced that it was considering proposals from China for a multimillion-dollar rice warehousing project. Hong Menea

http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/rice-warehouses-are-put-back-table-talks-china

 

Climate-friendly rice growing method yields more

 

Philippine Daily Inquirer

12:09 AM January 6th, 2016

January 6th, 2016 12:09 AM
LA UNION farmer Federico Rullamas has a lot to smile about. His second season crop of high-value organic red rice not only fetched him a very good price in the market, his yield of 170 cavans per hectare also won him the “Highest Yielder for Naturally Grown Organic Rice Farming” award in 2015.Rullamas used a new method of growing rice called the system of rice intensification (SRI), which involves a simple set of rice management practices that farmers can easily learn in one season. He also supplemented SRI with composted chicken manure plus home-made organic sprays which he learned from SRI Pilipinas trainer Venancio Garde Jr.ADVERTISEMENT
Garde calls his original formulation the “soil nutrient enhancer” but adds that this is no secret and that it can be learned for free via text to SRI Pilipinas Hotline (0939-1178999).Rullamas learned the new method from training that was jointly sponsored by the local government of Aringay, La Union, and SRI Pilipinas.

 Through the efforts of agriculture committee chair Ramsey Mangaoang and the full support of town Mayor Eric Sibuma and Vice Mayor Charlie Juloya, the Aringay Sangguaniang Bayan has allotted P300,000 yearly for the conduct of SRI training among Aringay’s rice farmers every planting season. More than 100 Aringay farmers graduated from the training last November.Following the method, Rullamas planted very young 12-day old rice seedlings singly, at a distance of 12 inches (30 cm). He practiced alternate wetting-and-drying and used a mechanical weeder to control weeds.
For his efforts, Rullamas was rewarded amply. He got an average of 26 tillers per plant (more than double the typical number) and 41 cavans from his 2,400-square meter field—an impressive yield of about 8.5 tons or 170 cavans per hectare, compared to the national average of about 80 cavans.Rullamas’ growing method is considered very climate-friendly, because it minimizes carbon dioxide emissions by avoiding fossil-based chemical fertilizers and reduces methane emission by drying the rice field regularly.SRI is also considered climate-resilient, because the resulting rice plants are also sturdier, deeper-rooted, and therefore less vulnerable to droughts, floods and high winds.For farmers like 47-year-old Rullamas who are threatened with increasingly more extreme weather events due to climate change, that is a lot of benefit, considering that the method is also less costly than its conventional counterpart.
(For details, contact Mr. Mangaoang at 0920-8788979 or Roberto Verzola, 0917-8117747)

INQUIRER.net

 

NFA plans to import rice from Vietnam, Thailand



January 5, 2016

Butuan City – The National Food Authority (NFA) is planning to import more rice from Vietnam and Thailand in an ensure ample supply of rice throughout the country this year.Despite the bumper rice stocks that are currently deposited in various areas of the country and this region (Caraga), the NFA said it has keen on implementing the plan so that there would be enough supply of rice in times of calamity and disaster in 2016.
According to NFA Administrator Renan B. Dalisay, the agency was planning to import at least 50,000 tons of rice from Vietnam and Thailand.“(This is to) see to it that we have enough rice in time of calamities that can immediately be dispatched to various disaster councils and local government units,” the NFA official said.The top NFA official was on a three-day swing of the Caraga region that ends today, including  on-the-ground inspection of all the agency’s warehouses spread all over the region.The NFA administrator will also scrutinize the quality of rice being sold public markets, as well as the prevailing prices for the basic commodity.Dalisay assured the public that NFA rice remains at P27 and P32 per kilo.

He also made sure that rice stocks in NFA were properly secured and would not be vulnerable to isolation in case of untoward incidents.He also conducted meetings with the agency’s regional, provincial and city officials and employees.In a meeting, he directed officials of the NFA in Caraga region to complete minor repairs of some warehouses that were damaged by the series of typhoons since 2013. Rice being sold at markets at the quoted P27-P32 by NFA is not the imported variety from Vietnam or Thailand but in fact poorly processed local rice. Most of the imported rice becomes re packed and sold at very expensive prices. The imported rice complies with international rice standards whereas the local ones don’t as long as the NFA officials are making their “cut” from both sides.

http://www.mb.com.ph/nfa-plans-to-import-rice-from-vietnam-thailand/#yCpt0I7Py9AVi2Fz.99





               

Monday, January 04, 2016

4th January 2016 Daily Global Rice News Eletter by Riceplus Magazine

·         Today Rice News Headlines...
·         Three sides to complement a Middle Eastern meal
·         Rice and palm oil risk to mangroves
·         Rice Import Quota
·         Wholesale Basmati Rice Prices in India Decline on Increased Stocks, Sluggish Demand
·         Italian Paddy Rice Quotes Decline or Remain Firm in Third Week of December 2015
·         About 39% of Italy's 2015-16 Paddy Crop Sold as of December 29, 2015; Down 6% from Last Year


News Detail...
Efforts will be made to strengthen Pakistan and Bangladesh ties
03 January, 2016

LARKANA: Efforts will be made to further strengthen the already existing trade ties between Pakistan and Bangladesh, deputy high commissioner of Bangladesh Noor-i-Hilal Saifur Rehman said this while addressing the members of the Larkana Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) at the chamber office here on Saturday.He said traders’ delegations from both countries would visit each other’s countries with a view to enhancing the volume of export and import between the countries.“Being self-sufficient in rice production, we stopped importing rice 12 years ago from different countries,” he said.
Bangladesh preferred to purchase fruit and other daily use items from nearer countries, as it arrived at port at cheaper rates, he added.“However we are interested in importing garments, cotton and other items as well while Pakistani entrepreneurs are taking an interest in the textile industry in Bangladesh.”Replying to a question, he said Bangladesh’s cricket team was ready to play a cricket series in Pakistan and there was no issue of security.He said it was the domain of the International Cricket Council to fix the time for the series.He said Bangladesh’s women cricket team was scheduled to visit Pakistan to play a series next week.Welcoming the guest, president of the LCCI Aslam Shaikh, who gave the guest and the members of his entourage Sindhi caps and Ajraks, said that Pakistan imported jute and its accessories to the tune of $38 million.He said the volume of rice export from Pakistan to Bangladesh shrank to just $3 million in 2015. In 2014 it had been $10 million, he recalled.He said Larkana division was a major rice-growing belt and urged the high commissioner to purchase IRRI-6 variety of rice from this area.
http://paktribune.com/news/Efforts-will-be-made-to-strengthen-Pakistan-and-Bangladesh-ties-275396.html

Three sides to complement a Middle Eastern meal

With three locations to better serve our customers, our one-stop butcher shop offers lamb, goat, beef and poultry, as well as other products for the grill, including our signature skewers and spicy merguez sausage.For the chef at home, Almarwa is happy to share the following flavourful recipes for side dishes that complement our meat, and that complete a tasty Middle Eastern meal your family won’t soon forget:
Cumin-Spiced Potatoes

Boil four medium-sized potatoes and cook until they can be lightly penetrated with a fork. In the meantime, while the potatoes cool, place a skillet on medium heat and add four tablespoons olive oil.
Sauté a quarter cup chopped onion until soft. Add potatoes, a teaspoon of cumin, three tablespoons lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook until crispy and garnish with freshly chopped parsley.  
Fatoush Salad

Cube tomatoes and cucumber and combine in a bowl. Add finely sliced scallions and minced garlic. Mix in a handful of freshly chopped parsley and a few sprigs of mint and set aside.Rub some pita bread with olive oil and sprinkle with sumac. Toast or grill the bread until crispy. Cut into small pieces and mix into salad. Lightly dress the salad with olive oil and lemon (three parts oil to one part acid), and season with salt and pepper.  
Fragrant Rice

In a skillet, heat one tablespoon black peppercorn, two teaspoons whole allspice and whole cloves, and a stick of cinnamon until fragrant. Set aside to cool before pulverizing the spices into a powder using a grinder. Meanwhile, toast one cup of slivered almonds in a frying pan until golden.In a pot, place two cups of basmati rice with some olive oil and mix in the spice powder to coat. Heat until the rice is slightly toasted. Pour in three and half cups of water and boil. Reduce heat and cover rice until tender and water is absorbed – about 30 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with freshly chopped parsley and almonds.
For more great recipes, visit our stores today! Contact us to find an Almarwa location near you. For updates and promotions follow us on Facebook.
Mississauga the news

Rice and palm oil risk to mangroves


From the sectionScience & Environment
 A growing demand for food and commodities is placing greater pressure on mangrove habitats
The threat posed by the development of rice and palm oil plantations to mangroves in South-East Asia has been underestimated, a study has suggested.
Rice and oil plantations accounted for 38% of mangrove deforestation between 2000 and 2012, the research showed.As well as being important carbon sinks and rich in biodiversity, mangrove forests provide fuel and food for coastal communities.The findings appear in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences."Aquaculture has largely been held responsible for causing mangrove deforestation, particularly in countries like Thailand and the Philippines," explained co-author Daniel Richards from the National University of Singapore.
He told BBC News that a study of eight countries around the world between the 1970s and the early 2000s found that 54% of deforested mangroves were replaced with aquaculture ponds used for fish or shrimp/prawn production."Our study found that aquaculture was still important but we were surprised that in South-East Asia between 2000 and 2012, just 30% of deforested mangroves were replaced with aquaculture."The impact of other drivers, like rice and oil palm agriculture, was greater than we expected."
Image captionMangrove forests provide a key habitat for biodiversity and coastal communities
Mangroves - natural defences
Mangroves are salt-tolerant evergreens that grow along coastlines, rivers and deltas
•Found in more than 120 tropical and subtropical nations
•The plants' root systems have been shown to dissipate wave energy
Dr Richards observed: "Almost 25,000 hectares of Myanmar's mangroves were converted to rice paddy between 2000 and 2012."He added that while there had been a few previous studies that had highlighted the role of oil palm production as a cause for mangrove loss, they had no idea of the scale of the deforestation."Sixteen percent of all deforested mangroves in Southeast Asia were replaced with oil palm plantations during our study period," he said.
"We usually think of oil palm as an issue which affects tropical forests on land but our study shows that demand for oil palm is also driving deforestation in coastal mangrove forests."

'Very threatened'

Dr Richards and his colleague, Daniel Friess, used Google Earth to monitor how land was used once mangrove forests had been felled."We viewed [more than] 3,000 deforested mangrove patches, and recorded the land-use that they were replaced with," Dr Richards said."This study also builds on some great existing data sets that were provided by scientists at the University of Maryland and the US Geological Survey."He warned that mangrove forests in the region were "very threatened":
"Our study focused on quite a recent period of time but mangroves in South-East Asia have experienced widespread deforestation for decades."Previous research suggests that around 90% of Singapore's original mangrove forests have been lost."The region is home to about one third of the world's mangroves, including some of the most biodiverse.The researchers said mangroves were important to people because they provide fish and crabs, wood and charcoal, and can help protect coastlines from erosion.
Mangrove forests also stored very high densities of carbon so had a role in regulating carbon in the atmosphere, they added.In other regions, such as Sri Lanka, the value of intact mangrove forests has been recognised by authorities and measures have been put in place to protect them.

Growing awareness

Dr Richards said that the importance of mangrove forests is becoming better understood, but it was a slow process."It is encouraging that our study found low rates of mangrove deforestation in Vietnam, the Philippines, and Brunei, and this is partly due to stronger protection of mangroves in these countries."There are initiatives to restore mangroves in some countries: the Mangrove Action Project in Thailand, and Blue Forests in Indonesia, are working with governments and local communities to protect and restore mangrove forests.
"But he warned that more needed to be done: "Indonesia has more mangrove forests than any country in the world, and the mangroves in the more remote parts of the country, such as Indonesian Papua, are almost intact."However, these mangroves may be at risk of deforestation [as a result of] recent plans to grant concessions and develop the agriculture industry in this region."If we want to protect Indonesia's remaining mangroves then we need to act quickly."
http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-35198675

Rice Import Quota

03 Jan 2016
In this era of probes and crackdown on looters, there is nothing we would not hear. Although the dust raised by the move to recover N30 billion lost to the rice import waiver granted by the last administration is yet to settle, the attention of the Senate is being attracted by another allegation of high level fraud in the business.The Senate, it was learnt might set up an ad-hoc committee when it resumes early next month to investigate the rice smuggling allegation believed to have made the country lose huge sums of money amounting to N117 billion.

For those of us following the messy stories of corruption in high places, the news that some entrenched interests including those who had no investment in the rice value chain, manipulated the rice policy initiated by President Goodluck Jonathan to boost local rice production is just one of the dents in the last administration.It is a shame that friends of the government in power at the period were recklessly granted quota, which they in turn sold to other importers.This is why I pity the former Minister of Agriculture, who is now the President of the African Development Bank, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina.The gentleman was busy speaking Queen’s English, brilliantly explaining the mileage covered in the nation’s agricultural sector through a number of innovations introduced during his tenure.

However, while Adesina was putting policies in place to reposition the industry, some portfolio contractors who were friends of the government were sneaking into corridors of power in the middle of the night to get allocations for a job they did not have the wherewithal to execute.However, some of us are monitoring the activity of the Senate especially on the probe of the controversial quota and see how it intends to ensure those involved make adequate refund. The Senate leadership, last month, had urged the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS); to immediately take steps to ensure that the N30 billion lost to waiver on rice importation by the last administration was recovered.
President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, who gave this advice during an interactive session between the Senate leadership and the CBN management, lamented that money that was supposed to get into government’s coffers was allowed to be wasted in the name of waivers.Now that the era of ‘paddy paddy’ government is gone, Nigerians are waiting and watching how those who frittered away the chance to develop our agric industry are brought to book.
http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/rice-import-quota/229363/

Wholesale Basmati Rice Prices in India Decline on Increased Stocks, Sluggish Demand

Jan 04, 2016
Wholesale basmati rice prices have declined last week due to sluggish demand from traders and sufficient stocks, according to the Press Trust of India (PTI).
On January 2, 2016, prices of Pusa 1121 declined to around Rs.4,000 - 4,700 per quintal (around $605 - $711 per ton) from previous quotes of around Rs.4,100 - 4,700 per quintal (around $620 - $711 per ton).
However, prices of common basmati rice on the same day declined to around Rs.5,300 - 5,400 per quintal (around $802 - $817 per ton) from the previous level of around Rs.5,400 - Rs.5,500 per quintal (around $817 - $832 per ton).
"Subdued demand against sufficient stocks position led to the decline in rice basmati prices," traders were quoted as saying.                                                                               Oryza.com

Italian Paddy Rice Quotes Decline or Remain Firm in Third Week of December 2015

Jan 04, 2016
Italian paddy rice prices declined or remained unchanged as of December 22, 2015, compared to those on December 15, 2015, according to local sources.
Below are farm gate paddy quotes from the Milan grain exchange, as of December 22:     
Arborio-Volano rice is quoted 675-700 euros (about $ 734-761) per ton, up from 650-675 euros (about $ 704-734) per ton of the previous week;
Balilla, Centauro and similar paddies are out at 355-385 euros (about $ 386-419) per ton, unchanged from the previous week;
Lido, Crono, Flipper and similar varieties are out at 300-320 euros (about $ 326-348) per ton, unchanged from the previous week;
Padano, Argo is out at 385-430 euros (about $ 419-467) per ton, unchanged from the previous week;
Vialone Nano is quoted 560-600 euros (about $ 609-653) per ton, down from 590-630 euros (about $ 642-685) per ton of December 15;
Carnaroli is quoted 637-692 euros (about $ 693-753) per ton, unchanged from the previous week;
Thaibonnet and similar varieties are quoted 305-325 euros (about $ 331-353) per ton, unchanged from the previous week;
Sant'Andrea is quoted 380-410 euros (about $ 413-446) per ton, down from 390-420 euros (about $ 424-457) per ton;
Luna Cl, Dardo and similar varieties are out at 300-320 euros (about $  326-348) per ton, unchanged from the previous week;
Baldo is quoted 350-370 euros (about $ 380-402) per ton, down from 360-380 euros (about $ 391-413) per ton, unchanged from the previous week;
Roma is quoted 420-450 euros (about $ 457-489) per ton, up from 410-440 euros (about $ 446-522) per ton of the previous week;
Selenio is quoted 335-385 euros (about $ 364-419) per ton, unchanged from the previous week;
Augusto is out at 335-355 euros (about $ 364-386) per ton, down from 345-365 euros (about $ 375-397) per ton of December 15.
Loto and Nembo are quoted 330-360 euros (about $ 359-391) per ton, unchanged from the previous week.
                                                                                                                                                     Oryza.com

About 39% of Italy's 2015-16 Paddy Crop Sold as of December 29, 2015; Down 6% from Last Year

Jan 04, 2016
About 587,976 tons, or about 38.9% of total Italian 2015-16 (September 2015 - August 2016) paddy crop has been sold out as of December 29, 2015, down about 6% from around 625,642 tons sold during the same period last year, according to data from the Ente Nazionale Risi, the National Agency for Rice.
Year-on-year, sales of round varieties increased by about 5,428 tons to around 161,720 tons, sales of medium varieties increased by about 2,344 tons to around 16,728, sales of Long A varieties increased by about 16,171 tons to around 293,3018 tons and sales of Long B varieties declined by about 61,609 tons to around 116,220 tons.
During the week December 22-29, 2015, a total of around 293,308 tons of paddy were sold. The week's sales included about 4,715 tons of Long A, about 1,627 tons of Long B, about 3,194 tons of round paddy and 579 tons of medium paddy. Loto-Ariete, with 2,549 tons and Carnaroli, with 833 tons remained the best sold varieties during the week.
A total of around 1.510 million tons of paddy (including carryover stocks), are available as beginning stocks for 2015-16, up about 4% from around 1.45 million tons available last year.
                                                                                                               Oryza.com
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