Rice: the grower-exporter conflict of interest
With
the rice season just around the corner, farmers might fare better with an
initial indication of improved prices for their crop.The hybrid coarse
varieties, which were sown in April in the central Punjab area, have gained an
almost 50pc price increase — from Rs600 to Rs900 per 40kg — in the last two
weeks. This is despite the fact that early paddy always fetches a lower price
as it contains more moisture.
For
basmati, the Punjab government has been engaged in marathon sessions with the
Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (Reap) and farmers to arrive at an
agreed and reasonable price. Reap is offering Rs1,500 per Kg. The farmers,
however, are sticking to Rs1,700 per 40kg. Even if the Reap offer is accepted
by farmers, it would represent a 36pc increase over Rs1,100 per 40kg average price
last year.
The
context for better rice price was set this year by two factors. Firstly, Iran
opened its market after a hiatus of three years and helped clear the rice glut
with exporters. According to Reap, almost 250,000 tonnes were sent to Iran
before July 22, when it slapped a ban on imports because its own crop was
arriving in the domestic market.
Farmers and government officials think that exporters are painting a gloomy export picture for some reason. Otherwise, the situation is not that bad
Secondly,
the Punjab government held a number of trilateral meetings (involving the
agriculture department, exporters and farmers) to ensure that basmati price
does not hurt farmers. The provincial government arrived at the price of
Rs1,700 per maund, after including a 25pc profit for farmers. The cost of
production has come down by almost Rs150 per maund this year because of various
official interventions, including subsidy on fertiliser, reduced diesel prices
and reduced rates of electricity for tube-wells.
All
these factors have created conducive business environment — especially because
rice trade, particularly the basmati variety, has been in a crisis for the last
few years; in which all major stakeholders — farmers, shellers and exporters —
were hit. But last year, exporters made some money when domestic prices
crashed.
However,
exporters still maintain that it might be a tough year for exports. Iran has
banned import from Pakistan, initially for four months, but it can be longer
than that if their crop turns out to be a healthy one. In the largest market
for rice — the Gulf region — the Indian dumping of rice is a major problem.
Exports to other regions are almost negligible and do not offer much hope.
However,
farmers and government officials think that exporters are painting a gloomy
export picture for some reason. Otherwise, the situation is not that bad.
Iran’s ban will soon be lifted because only two Iranian provinces are allowed
to sow rice, which cannot cater to their own demand of 3m tonnes. So, one
cannot rule the market out for the rest of the season. The Gulf might have had
its financial crisis, but ethnic clientele, the main consumer of basmati rice,
is still big enough, and rich enough, to help sustain imports from Pakistan.
Pakistan
exported 3.2m tonnes in 2014-15 and was able to increase it to 3.7m tonnes next
year, earning $1.86bn. On average, basmati export prices sustained a level of
$900 per tonne, which translates into Rs2,500 per 40kg for paddy.
Farmers
are demanding only Rs1,700 per 40 kg, leaving a healthy margin for exporters.
If an exporter still concedes that export figures will not be less than last
year, they could cross the $2bn mark due to international price trends.
The
government sponsoring negotiations between farmers and exporters is a healthy
sign, but only offers a seasonal solution. The huge subsidies that the
government has offered in the last one year, is also not sustainable model.
Farming still needs to be modernised.
Published
in Dawn, Business & Finance weekly, August 29th, 2016
Time to devise mechanism for protection of origin linked products
August 29, 2016
Islamabad
To devise specific rights’ protection measures
for origin linked products in country including Basmati Rice, Sialkot
footballs, Sindhi Ajrak, Multan Mango and many others, Intellectual Property
Organization (IPO) Pakistan has drafted a standalone Graphical Indication
protection law to devise an effective mechanism to avert issues relating to
ownership and quality of product.
According to details, Draft Geographical
Indication Bill 2016 will provide protection to the products originating from a
specific area, whose quality or reputation is attributable to its place of
origin like Basmati Rice, Sialkot footballs, Sindhi Ajrak, Multan Mango and
many other products, revealed in a consultative session held by IPO in
collaboration with PREIA, USAID.
The session was headed by Asad Hayaud Din,
Additional Secretary Ministry of Commerce, while representatives from TDAP,
REAP, SMEDA, PIPRA were also present on this occasion. The draft of GI
Protection Bill was presented to the stakeholders including representatives
from Chambers, trade associations, public organisation, Attorney firms and
private sector.
Currently Geographical Indications are being
protected under collective mark system of Trademark Ordinance, 2001. However,
there are certain limitations regarding the right of application, control
mechanism and other matters. IPO Pakistan has drafted a standalone GI protection
law to devise an effective mechanism for the protection of origin linked
products in the country.
The panelists hailed the long overdue
legislation for the protection of indigenous products of Pakistan which have
recognition in the national and international markets. It was highlighted that
the absence of GI law is posing many issues to the traders regarding the
ownership of Basmati Rice and other origin linked products in the global
markets. The panelists proposed to constitute a committee of stakeholders to
formally review the Draft GI protection Bill. The panelists also highlighted
that the GIs should be registered in the name of government bodies, as the
associations do not represent the interests of all stakeholders and may lead to
subsequent litigations.
The News
Anyone can grow Basmati rice? No, which is why this MP proposal has opened a political and economic battle
Krishnakumar Tomar, a science graduate was one of the first to grow Basmati in Badi, which falls in Raisen district. When he harvested his crop 14 years back, he had no idea where to sell it.
By: FE Online | Updated: August 25,
2016 12:18 PM
As of now, only seven states in the Indo-Gangetic plains on the foothills of the Himalayas – Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Uttarakhand, West Uttar Pradesh and two districts of Jammu & Kashmir – have been granted GI certification rights for growing basmati. The states that have been issued the GI tag – mainly millers and farmers in Punjab and Haryana – are vociferously opposed to extending the same to MP. Their contention is that the state neither has a history nor the specific agro-climatic conditions suitable for basmati cultivation. But for farmers here, basmati is what has brought them prosperity that was non-existent till a decade ago. Tomar may have, then, struggled to dispose of his crop. But that changed with the entry of millers, who sensed an opportunity to procure basmati from MP at rates lower than what it cost in the traditional northern belt.
“There is no dearth of buyers for basmati, unlike wheat, where we are entirely dependent on the government. Nor do we have to go to any procurement centre to sell, as the company agents come to us directly to purchase from our doorstep. And the basmati crop does not fail from less or more rains, which is not so with soyabean”, notes Sunil Sharma. The Class XI-pass Sharma owns a Mahindra Bolero SUV, while his friend and fellow-farmer Mukesh Chouhan drives a Scorpio. “Many people in these parts have purchased four-wheelers and even property 100 km away in Bhopal. It is all only due to basmati”, he points out.
According to Rajesh Rajora, Principal Secretary (Agriculture) in the MP government, the state has submitted evidence, including documents and publications dating back to the British era, to prove that basmati was being cultivated in the relevant districts long enough to warrant a GI tag. That evidence was, however, not accepted by the Intellectual Property Appellate Board, which, in an order on February 5, directed the MP government to file additional evidence. The latter has since challenged the order and the matter is currently before the Madras High Court. All this wrangling comes even as basmati exports from India have shown a decline in the last couple of years, after posting a more than ten-fold jump to over Rs 29,000 crore between 2006-07 and 2013-14
Move to enact long-delayed GI law
This
indifference seemed to be abating for a while when on Aug 17 the Intellectual
Property Organisation (IPO)-Pakistan with the collaboration of USAID held a
consultative session on the draft of Geographical Indication bill, 2016.
Representatives
from chambers, trade associations, public organisations, law firms and the
private sector took part in discussion. An IPO press release said the absence
of a GI law was causing many problems to traders regarding the ownership of
basmati rice and other origin-linked products in the international markets. The
meeting decided to form a committee of stakeholders to formally review the
draft and expedite passage of the bill.
The
absence of GI law, one may note, has also led to shrinking investment in basmati
rice processing, especially in Punjab, during the last decade. Earlier, inflow
of new investment along with GI certification was expected to open new markets
in the Middle East, Far East, Europe and North America for Pakistan’s basmati
rice.
The absence of a GI law has also led to shrinking investment in basmati rice processing, especially in Punjab, during the last decade
Similar
efforts were also made in the past but without any desired results. For
instance, in 2001 a fast-track route was adopted by concerned officials by
drafting an ordinance on Geographical Indications law. But it was decided it
would not be implemented after legal experts showed dissatisfaction and termed
the draft ‘vague and ambiguous’.
Commerce
minister Khurram Dastgir Khan recently directed his ministry officials to
revive the issue with the IPO but no action was taken. However, the minister
will now have a better access to the IPO as its administrative control was
transferred to the commerce division from the cabinet division on July 25,
2016.
It is
worth recalling that a diplomatic conference in Geneva held in May 21, 2015 had
adopted what came to be known as the Geneva Act of the Lisbon Agreement on Appellations
of Origin and Geographical Indications.The Act allows international
registration of GIs, in addition to appellations of origin, and permits
accession to the Lisbon Agreement by certain intergovernmental organisations.
The new
GI agreement drafted by the World Intellectual Property Organisation is
expected to herald a new era of trade of GI products.
It was
the patenting of basmati rice in 1996 by a US company, RiceTec, which woke
India, Pakistan and other developing countries to the danger that lay ahead:
centuries-old basmati’s survival.
RiceTec
in its claim stated that basmati is a generic name and cannot be protected as a
geographical indication. The company had been using the term ‘Basmati’ as a
generic term for a considerably longer period. It had produced and marketed
‘Texas Basmati’ and ‘American Basmati’ and had been exporting the products for
15 years with no objection ever previously raised, a company statement had
said.
However,
while India took the threat to basmati seriously, Pakistan just ignored it.
India wasted no time in enacting a GI law, called ‘the Geographical Indications
of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999’, coupled with the
‘Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Rules, 2002’.
The Act
became operational on September 5, 2003. Pakistan neither passed the important
legislation nor established a GI registry.
Before
this act, there was no separate legislation for GIs specifically. However,
certification trademarks (CTM) were seen to be more focused on protecting
indication of sources. In the Indian context, the most common geographical name
protected under the CTM system, prior to the GI Act, was ‘Darjeeling Tea’.
The
narrative that the trade mark law enjoys the same status as the geographical
indication law was promoted by IPO-Pakistan soon after its formation in 2005
and granted ownership of basmati to Basmati Growers Association. But this was
not accepted by the European Union and some other countries.
In 2006,
commerce secretaries of India and Pakistan agreed to form a joint study group
to explore the possibility of a joint registration of basmati as a geographical
indication. The move also had the support of the All India Rice Exporters
Association and the Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan.
Under
WTO rules two countries can apply together for registering a product or good as
a GI under the ‘homonymous’ provision. A year later Indian commerce minister
Kamal Nath took up the proposal with his Pakistani counterpart Humayun Akhtar
but nothing came off.
In 2008,
commerce secretaries once again got together to seek a joint GI for basmati.
But the talks came to a halt after relations between the two countries
deteriorated in the wake of terrorist attacks on Mumbai on November 26, 2008.
There
are many products in Pakistan that can be registered as geographical
indications. They include basmati rice, Sindhri mango, Shikarpuri pickles,
Qasuri methi, Bannu spices, Chinniot furniture, Sialkot’s footballs, Multani
halva, Hala ki ajrak, Sargodha’s kinno, Chaunsa mango, wild mushrooms of Swat,
Neeli Ravi buffalo and Chaman grapes etc.
India
has also accorded IP protection to at least two varieties of mangoes which are
homonymous to indigenous Pakistani varieties — ‘Fazli Mango’ of West Bengal and
‘Dussehri Mango’ of Uttar Pardesh.
Published
in Dawn, Business & Finance weekly, August 29th, 2016
http://www.dawn.com/news/1280522/move-to-enact-long-delayed-gi-law
Assam flood-tolerant rice set for global exposure
Pankaj Borthakur
Pankaj Borthakur
JORHAT,
Aug 29 - In what may turn out to be an inspiring story for the flood-hit
farmers and agricultural scientists of the region, the Philippines-based
International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) is seeking to promote two
flood-tolerant rice varies, which were genetically developed by a group of
scientists in the Titabor-based Regional Agricultural Research Station (RARS)
of Assam Agricultural University (AAU).It may be mentioned here that during
experimentation both the varieties of rice were found to be yielding profit for
farmers in the flood-affected paddy-fields of Sivasagar district. The two varieties
of rice – Bahadur Sub-1 and Ranjit Sub-1 – were found to be flood-tolerant for
a maximum period of 12 days even during submergence because of their improvised
genetic qualities.“Most recently, the IRRI officials have sought to promote
both these rice varieties among the farmers across the globe. I think Ranjit
Sub-1 and Bahadur Sub-1 will yield good results for the farmers of flood-hit
areas of Eastern India and many other agrarian areas of the world,” said
principal scientist Dr Sanjay Kumar Chetia of Titabor RARS.The IRRI is an
international agricultural research and training organisation with its
headquarters in the Philippines and offices in seventeen countries. It is best
known for its work in developing rice varieties that contributed in the Green
Revolution in the 1960s that pre-empted famine in the Asian subcontinent.
As the
farmers of the State suffered severe loss due to the flood, AAU scientists
persistently engaged themselves in developing these rice varieties so that the
farmers get better yields under submerged conditions. According to them, the
rice varieties will give better results in the areas that witness periodic
floods during the monsoon season.
It has
been learnt that the IRRI authorities have taken initiative to place these two
rice varieties in the national seed chain so that the Union Ministry of
Agriculture can recommend and produce adequate quantity of seeds of both these
submergence-tolerant varieties of rice.
The
Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) of Sivasagar district conducted an experimentation
of Ranjit Sub-1 and Bahadur Sub-1 at a paddy field in the Lakwa area. KVK
officials said these two rice varieties could tolerate submergence for several
days during the experimentation and produced a good quantity of rice even in
adverse conditions
http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/detailsnew.asp?id=aug3016/at057
41 banned items: Over N1bn worth of rice trapped in Cotonou warehouses
Posted on Aug 30, 2016
By Isaac Anumihe
Over 50 million bags of imported rice, worth
about N1 billion, are now trapped in
various warehouses in Cotonou, Benin Republic, since the Federal Government
began implementation of the ban on foreign rice in Nigeria.Several importers
who violated the government’s import restrictions are now biting their fingers
as they can no longer push the imported commodities into Nigerian markets
through the borders.
One of the importers told Daily Sun that many
of them have lost their collaterals to the banks because they cannot service
their loans.“We have lost a lot. The banks are not giving us breathing space.
They have confiscated all our
belongings,” he said.
Daily Sun’s investigations revealed that the
new Controller General of Customs (CGC), Colonel Hameed Ali, had threatened to
discipline the Customs Area Controller
in charge of Seme Border, Victor Dimka,
if any grain of imported rice finds its way into the Nigerian market.To
demonstrate his seriousness, Ali, last week, signed an
agreement with the Beninoise government to the effect that any ship from Benin
ports must be escorted by the Benin Customs and handed over to Nigerian
Customs. He threatened to stop trade
relations with Benin Republic if the government continues to allow contraband
goods into Nigerian markets.
This tough stance by the Nigerian government
had pitted the importers against their bankers because most of the importers borrowed
to import the goods. They had targeted the ‘ember’ months – the Eid el
Kabir and Christmas festivities – to flood Nigerian markets
with imported rice. The products, Daily Sun learnt, have been warehoused
for over six months under an unwholesome condition, leading to deterioration in
quality.Recall that after the ban, Nigerian government had placed 70 per cent
duty rate and 60 per cent levy on all banned 41
items as against Benin’s 5 per
cent levy and 10 per cent duty rate on
them.On August 12, 2015, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) issued a
directive stopping some imported goods and services from the list of items valid
for forex in the Nigerian Foreign Exchange Markets. This policy implies that those who import such items can no
longer buy foreign currency from the official window to pay their overseas
suppliers. This means they will have to source forex from the parallel market
or Bureau de Change to pay for their imports.But Daily Sun investigations
reveal that the locally-produced rice is scarce in the market because the
supply side cannot meet the demand.
To this end, a 40kg rice now goes for between
N12,000 and 13,000
Scientists hope new varieties can start Africa rice revolution
NAIROBI (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - The first hybrid
rice varieties developed in sub-Saharan Africa are yielding up to four times
more than other improved varieties, say scientists, who are using web-based
tools to identify the right climate conditions to maximise harvests.The 15
hybrids, bred in Kenya and Tanzania, are also tolerant to diseases and the high
temperatures found in Kenya's western Lake Region and coastal areas.
Local farmers have always depended on imported hybrid rice
varieties, particularly from Asia, which sometimes do not adapt well to
conditions in sub-Saharan Africa.
As the climate shifts and arable land shrinks under
population pressure, experts say there is a need for more innovative ways to
produce food.
Africa's food deficit is projected to increase to 60
million metric tonnes by 2020 if no action is taken, according to the Alliance
for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA).
Joe DeVries, director of an AGRA programme to strengthen
Africa's seed systems, said productivity on the continent is limited by the
fact that farmers have a narrow choice of improved varieties.
“Most of them (are) planting varieties that were released
more than 30 years ago,” he said.
Denis Kyetere, executive director of the African
Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF), which has developed the new hybrids
in a public-private partnership, said hybrid technology had revolutionised rice
production in Asia, especially in China.
Asia’s productivity dramatically increased from an average
of 1.89 metric tonnes per hectare in 1949 to 6.71 tonnes per hectare in 2012.
“With this technology, we look forward to Africa being
able to feed Africa,” said Kayode Sanni, project manager for rice at the AATF.
In 2014, Africa imported 12 million tonnes of rice, mostly from Asia, he noted.
The AATF, in collaboration with private firm Hybrids East
Africa Limited, has so far developed 140 hybrid rice varieties using African
parent lines.
Of these, 15 – each yielding 7 to 10 tonnes per hectare -
have been presented to the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS) for
national performance trials.
U.S.-based aWhere Inc, a partner in the hybrid rice
project, has developed web-based tools that allow scientists to determine when
and where to conduct breeding, seed multiplication and seed production to take
advantage of the best climate conditions.
BEATING EXPECTATIONS
Improved inbred rice varieties, such as the New Rice for
Africa (NERICA) lines, are already in use on African farms.With this method,
two different parent varieties are cross-bred, and their offspring are selected
through several cycles of self-pollination, or inbreeding, to get the desired
result.The end product has the ability to reproduce itself through
self-pollination because the rice plant flowers contain both the male and
female organs.
With hybrid varieties, the parent plants are crossed
separately with new varieties, and the offspring from those crosses are united
to produce a first-generation hybrid seed, which performs better than both
parents. The process is repeated each time.
Currently, the average yield of inbred rice varieties in
sub-Saharan Africa is 2.3 tonnes per hectare. But in trials, some of the new
hybrids have produced between 7 and 10 tonnes per hectare, said Sanni, more
than the breeders had hoped for.
“I think it is a tremendous breakthrough,” he added.
One potential problem is that seeds harvested from hybrid
plants are not recommended for replanting because their superior performance is
lost due to genetic separation, resulting in a lower yield.
That means farmers do not save seed from their harvest to
plant again, and seed companies must cross the parent materials every season to
produce new hybrid seed for planting.
“This has always been a setback - particularly for farmers
who cannot afford higher prices of hybrid seeds. But through this project, we
have developed an innovative way of helping the poor farmers, so that they can
borrow the seed and pay (it) back only after harvest,” said John Mann, managing
director for Afritec Seeds Ltd, which is testing more than 100 hybrid varieties
under the AATF’s “Breeding by Design” project.
EAGER FARMERS
Although farmers will have to buy seeds each time they
plant, the extra profit from the hybrids' higher yield is expected to be far
higher than the cost of the seeds, said Sanni.
Apart from Egypt, which has been producing hybrid rice on
a commercial scale for over a decade, no other African country had succeeded in
developing its own local hybrid rice.
Egyptian farmers have improved the country’s average rice
production to almost 10 metric tonnes per hectare, a feat praised by the U.N.
Food and Agriculture Organization and others.
Farmers who are participating in the trials in East Africa
are eagerly waiting for the hybrid seeds to be officially released for
commercial use – probably in less than a year, after two seasons of trials by
KEPHIS.
“We have already set aside money to buy the new breeds,”
said Charles Wawo, a rice farmer and chairman of the Ahero Irrigation Scheme
Multi-Purpose Co-operative Society in Kisumu County in western Kenya.
Kenya and Tanzania will be the first beneficiaries of the
new hybrid varieties. Trials will then be rolled out in other countries in
East, West and Southern Africa, Sanni said.
(Reporting by Isaiah Esipisu; editing by Megan Rowling.
Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson
Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking, property
rights and climate change. Visit http://news.trust.org
Crawford Bill: SAM
Reporting Requirements for Farmers Could be DUNS(O)
WASHINGTON, DC -- Earlier this summer, House Committee on
Agriculture Members Rick Crawford (R-AR) and Ann Kuster (D-NH) introduced H.R.
5451, a bill that would exempt farmers from the unnecessary reporting
requirements for voluntary conservation programs. Currently, farmers and
landowners participating in voluntary conservation programs through the USDA's
Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) are required to maintain a Data
Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number and register each year for the federal
government's System for Award Management (SAM). This practice is burdensome,
time consuming, and costly. Leo LaGrande, a California rice farmer and chairman
of the USA Rice Farmers Conservation Committee, shared his views on the
process, "It's a practice that's good in theory, to provide oversight of
federal spending, but in reality the SAM and DUNS requirements disincentivize
voluntary conservation." "The registration systems for SAM and DUNS
are complex and were designed to hold military defense contractors with billion
dollar government contracts accountable for the funds they receive, not to
police a farmer with a small cost-share contract with NRCS," said
LaGrande. "Not only does the registration process take up valuable
time for growers every year, but after registering, their contact information
is put in a public database and they're flooded with solicitations via phone,
email, and mail."
LaGrande concluded, "USA Rice
is encouraged by Congressman Crawford's legislation and supports any efforts to
improve the locally-led, voluntary, and incentive-based approach to private
land conservation. Exempting us from these regulations will help to keep
rice farmers at the forefront as stewards of the land."A companion bill to
H.R. 5451 is expected to be introduced later this session in the Senate
2016-17
Miss Arkansas Rice Announced
By Chuck Wilson
BRINKLEY, AR -- Craighead County 16-year old
Madison Gibson was named Miss Arkansas Rice at the state contest last
Saturday. She is the daughter of Scott
and Karie Gibson of Jonesboro.
The first and second runner-ups were, Libby
Thornhill of Cross County and Dawsyn Smith of Jackson County, respectively.
Contestants were judged on rice promotion, rice
cooking skills, and knowledge of the industry. Representatives from ten
counties participated in the contest -- which has been held for 55 years. The other contestants were Torri Dumond of
Arkansas County; Kristen Lanni of Jefferson County; Chloe Griffith of Lee
County; Lacy Smith of Lonoke County; Libby Wilkison of Monroe County;
Alexandria Rawls of St. Francis County; and Gabriella Winkler of Woodruff
County.
Contest judges were Keith Cleek, Regional
Program Associate Family and Consumer Science, Cooperative Extension Service;
Helena; and Judy Riley, retired Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service, El
Paso.
The goal of the Miss Arkansas Rice program is
to encourage youth interest in rice cookery and rice promotion as well as to
publicize the importance of the Arkansas rice industry to the state's
economy. Prizes for this year's contest
were: Miss Arkansas Rice $1,000, first
runner-up $600, and second runner-up $400.
Each contestant that competed in the state contest received $100.
The Arkansas Rice Council sponsors the annual
contest in cooperation with the Arkansas Farm Bureau and the Arkansas
Cooperative Extension Service.
Market Information
Daily Rough Rice Prices
(updated daily)
USA Rice Daily, Monday,
August 29, 2016
Annual Rice Field Day scheduled for Wednesday
Posted:
The
annual Rice Field Day will be Wednesday at the Rice Experiment Station on
Highway 162 near Biggs.Registration will begin at 7:30 a.m., followed by a meeting with reports from the California Cooperative Rice Research Foundation, the Rice Research Trust, and the California Rice Research Board. It will conclude with the presentation of the California Rice Industry Award.From 9:30 to noon, field tours will be conducted of the research nurseries. The tours will be followed by a luncheon at noon. There is no charge for this event, hosted by the California Cooperative Rice Research Foundation, the University of California, and the United States Department of Agriculture.
For more information go to www.crrf.org or by call the Rice Experiment Station at 868-5481.
Experts: Africa rice revolution on the horizon
15 hybrids tolerantto heat, diseases
- 30 Aug 2016 at 07:00 872
- NEWSPAPER SECTION: BUSINESS | WRITER: THOMSON REUTERS FOUNDATION
- +
NAIROBI: The first hybrid rice varieties developed in
sub-Saharan Africa are yielding up to four times more than other improved
varieties, say scientists, who are using web-based tools to identify the right
climate conditions to maximise harvests.
The 15 hybrids, bred in Kenya and Tanzania, are also tolerant to diseases
and the high temperatures found in Kenya's western Lake Region and coastal
areas.Local farmers have always depended on imported hybrid rice varieties, particularly from Asia, which sometimes do not adapt well to conditions in sub-Saharan Africa.
As the climate shifts and arable land shrinks under population pressure, experts say there is a need for more innovative ways to produce food.
Africa's food deficit is projected to increase to 60 million metric tonnes by 2020 if no action is taken, according to the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA).
Joe DeVries, director of an AGRA programme to strengthen Africa's seed systems, said productivity on the continent "is limited by the fact that farmers have a narrow choice of improved varieties.
"Most of them (are) planting varieties that were released more than 30 years ago."
Denis Kyetere, executive director of the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF), which has developed the new hybrids in a public-private partnership, said hybrid technology had revolutionised rice production in Asia, especially in China.
Asia's productivity dramatically rose from an average of 1.89 metric tonnes per hectare in 1949 to 6.71 tonnes per hectare in 2012.
"With this technology, we look forward to Africa being able to feed Africa," said Kayode Sanni, project manager for rice at the AATF.
In 2014, Africa imported 12 million tonnes of rice, mostly from Asia, he noted.
The AATF, in collaboration with private firm Hybrids East Africa Limited, has so far developed 140 hybrid rice varieties using African parent lines.
Of these, 15 -- each yielding 7 to 10 tonnes per hectare -- have been presented to the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS) for national performance trials.
Broomfield, Colorado-based aWhere Inc, a partner in the hybrid rice project, has developed web-based tools that allow scientists to determine when and where to conduct breeding, seed multiplication and seed production to take advantage of the best climate conditions.
Improved inbred rice varieties, such as the New Rice for Africa (NERICA) lines, are already in use on African farms.
With this method, two different parent varieties are cross-bred, and their offspring are selected through several cycles of self-pollination, or inbreeding, to get the desired result. The end product has the ability to reproduce itself through self-pollination because the rice plant flowers contain both the male and female organs.
With hybrid varieties, the parent plants are crossed separately with new varieties, and the offspring from those crosses are united to produce a first-generation hybrid seed, which performs better than both parents. The process is repeated each time.
"Currently, the average yield of inbred rice varieties in sub-Saharan Africa is 2.3 tonnes per hectare. But in trials, some of the new hybrids have produced between seven and 10 tonnes per hectare,'' said Sanni, more than the breeders had hoped for.
"I think it is a tremendous breakthrough," he added.
One potential problem is that seeds harvested from hybrid plants are not recommended for replanting because their superior performance is lost due to genetic separation, resulting in a lower yield.
That means farmers do not save seed from their harvest to plant again, and seed companies must cross the parent materials every season to produce new hybrid seed for planting.
"This has always been a setback -- particularly for farmers who cannot afford higher prices of hybrid seeds. But through this project, we have developed an innovative way of helping the poor farmers, so that they can borrow the seed and pay (it) back only after harvest," said John Mann, managing director for Afritec Seeds Ltd.
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DECCAN CHRONICLE.
Published Aug 30,
2016, 6:20 am IST
Updated Aug 30,
2016, 7:22 am IST
The research would shed light on the genetical transformations of various kinds
of rice
EMEA College, Kondotty
MALAPPURAM: The
department of biotechnology at the EMEA College, Kondotty, in Malappuram is
joining hands with a major global research project on genomes of the
planthoppers affecting paddy cultivation. The project led by China’s Zijingang
University’s Institute of Insects Studies would study the genomes of rice
planthoppers in Asian countries. The EMEA College will carry out research on
planthoppers in Indian paddy.
Dr K. Mashkoor, the department head, has been
invited to join the project in recognition of his earlier studies and papers he
published in various international research journals. He has some 20
internationally published research papers in the field of biotechnology to his
credit. Zijingang professor Chuan-Xi Zhang heads the project which would
examine the genome and population of the diversity of the rice brown
planthopper.
“The research would shed light on the genetical
transformations of various kinds of rice planthoppers and its resistance to
pesticides. The genetical structure and evolution will also be examined in
detail,” says Dr Mashkoor. Various species of rice planthoppers have been
reported as a menace in various Asian countries and have been destroyed
millions of tonnes of rice crops globally. “These insects transmit virus
diseases and can cause massive damages to the paddy cultivation. This genome
research would lead to findings on why the planthoppers pose recurrent threats
to rice crops in many countries which is are yet to be determined despite
extensive research,” he said
http://www.deccanchronicle.com/science/science/300816/kerala-college-joins-genome-project.html
