Monday, August 29, 2016

Published: August 27, 2016

Says business, trade matters should be left to private sector. PHOTO: FILE

ISLAMABAD: The Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) has sought permission to negotiate with a delegation of Indonesian organisation Bulog, which is expected to arrive next week, for the export of Pakistani rice.The delegation of Bulog – the state logistics agency – is coming to hold negotiations with authorities in Pakistan for the import of rice.Earlier this year, Pakistan signed an agreement with Indonesia for the sale of one million tons of rice estimated at around $400 million over four years. The export will be made through the Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) rather than the private sector including the rice exporting association – REAP.

Following the MoU, REAP came up with the argument that since it was the duty of private sector to export, the government must not get involved in the business, rather, it should facilitate and support the private sector.

Talking to The Express Tribune, REAP former chairman Rafiq Suleman said the delegation of Bulog was coming and the government should ensure that the private sector was authorised to execute the rice export agreement so that shipments could be smoothly carried out.He said it would be more appropriate to leave business and trade matters to the private sector, which could proceed in a better way and provide quality services.

He also pointed out that REAP had got no assistance under the Export Development Fund for holding exhibitions and sending delegations to different countries for the promotion of rice exports.Suleman argued that REAP was against the involvement of any government body in trade matters as it could not do business due to compromises on quality and standards.He was of the view that if the government jumped into business, it would create long-term problems. “Following visits of REAP delegations to various countries including Iran, there was a good response from international markets,” he said.The TCP finalised the first tender of 15,000 tons of rice for export to Indonesia, which included 5,000 tons of basmati rice and 10,000 tons of non-basmati rice.Pakistan was the first country outside the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) to have a rice export agreement with Indonesia

http://tribune.com.pk/story/1170659/bulog-delegation-coming-reap-wishes-negotiate-rice-exports-indonesia/

Higher rice production: president highlights importance of research

August 26, 2016

President Mamnoon Hussain on Thursday emphasised the importance of research and development for introducing higher yielding and better quality rice seeds in order to increase rice production and exports. He was talking to a delegation of Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP), headed by its Chairman Muhammad Shafique which called on him here at the Aiwan-e-Sadr.The President underlined that REAP should itself take the initiative to promote research and development in the rice sector which would benefit not only the rice exporters but also rice farmers. He noted that trade associations had an important role to play in unlocking the export potential of Pakistan by fostering business environment and representing interests of the business community.

He said that the government was committed to providing an enabling business environment through a consistent policy direction for trade and industry. The President appreciated the resilience of rice exporters in dealing with cyclical business slumps as rice industry had been under pressure due to drop in international price of rice.

He noted that the rice sector was the second largest earner of foreign exchange adding that the government was determined to tap the full export potential of the sector and had taken steps to encourage value-addition. President Mamnoon assured REAP of his full support in revitalizing this sector and removing hindrances in increase of rice exports. He said that Rice Research Institute, Kala Shah Kaku and Agriculture University, Faisalabad should also strive to introduce higher yielding seeds in cotton and rice for strengthening the country's economy.

The REAP delegation apprised the President about their proposals for increasing rice exports and also briefed him on their problems relating to formulation of Geographical Indication Law for getting patent right on its Basmati rice, development of new rice seeds, relief in export refinance payment, utilisation of Export Development Fund and grant of industry status to the rice units. The delegation praised the government's policies and initiatives to promote exports of the countr

http://www.brecorder.com/agriculture-a-allied/183/79307/

Annual Rice Field Day scheduled for Wednesday

Posted: 08/26/16, 5:18 PM PDT |

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.

10 ways to a healthy Haj when you have diabetes

ABU DHABI, 23 hours, 26 minutes ago

By Dr Farhana Bin Lootah

Every year, during the month of ZelHajjeh, around two and a half million pilgrims make their way to the holy destination of Mecca in Saudi Arabia for Haj. As one of the founding pillars of Islam, it is mandatory for practicing Muslims in good health to make this journey at least once in their lives.

However, there are still thousands of people who will be making this journey with many different health problems, including diabetes and its related conditions such as eye- or coronary heart disease and diabetic foot.

Diabetes management, which depends on an established stable routine, may be affected during Hajj due to changes in your levels of physical activity (walking and standing for long periods), diet and meal times and it’s important that you look after yourself as these changes may leave you with fluctuations in blood sugar levels and prone to dehydration.

Here are some tips and advice on how you can stay healthy, safe and manage your diabetes during your Haj pilgrimage.

Check list for a safe and healthy Haj for diabetics:

•   Speak to your doctor before travelling as any changes to food, activity levels and meal timings should be discussed. Your doctor will also give you advice on how to take your medicine or insulin, what and when to eat, and how to avoid any diabetes complications during the pilgrimage. This is particularly important if you have other health-related problems such as a heart or kidney condition or a known history of hypoglycaemic episodes

•   Ensure you are up to date with your influenza and meningococcal vaccines 2 weeks before you travel. Infectious diseases such as flu and chest infections are common during Hajj as a large number of people are gathering in a limited space during a short time. Try and avoid close contact with people wherever possible, and wear a face mask if you are particularly prone to infections

•   Prepare the correct amount of medications you need as advised by your doctor and place them in separate, well-labelled containers. Make sure carry a cool pack to store insulin

•   Pack your medications in carry-on luggage rather than in checked baggage to avoid not only bags going missing, but also avoid the extreme temperature differences on the airplane that could alter the efficiency of the insulin

•   Prepare glucose and ketone dipsticks (to know the state of diabetes control during Ihram)

•   Inform the organiser of your Hajj trip of your medical conditions as they may have a doctor accompanying the group. If this is not possible, it is still important to tell people you are travelling with that you have diabetes and teach them the signs of low sugar levels and how to treat it

•   Avoid walking barefoot and always protect your feet with comfortable shoes and clean cotton socks, making sure to wash and dry your feet every day. Foot care is extra important for diabetics, as damage to your peripheral nerves can cause weakness, numbness and pain in your feet, and you may not feel a cut, blister or sore that can cause ulcers and infections, known as diabetic foot. Be aware of any blisters and cuts, and seek medical advice on how to treat them

•   Be smart with your food choices to keep your blood sugar under control. For many pilgrims meals will be served buffet-style, so chose your food carefully. Start your meal with a fresh, well-cleaned salad and vegetables and opt for lean meat and basmati rice dishes, to keep blood sugar levels under control. Desserts should be avoided as they increase your blood sugar levels and cause dehydration, instead stick to whole fruits that have a low glycemic index and plenty of fibre such as pears, apples and strawberries

•   Prepare your snacks, such as a handful of nuts and seeds, low fat yogurt, or soup to avoid sudden dips in glucose levels. Make sure you have access to simple sugars at all times in the event of hypoglycaemic episode. This happens when blood sugars drop to less than 70mg/dl and you experience symptoms of dizziness, sweating and palpitations. Eat 3 dates or 1 tablespoon of honey, or drink half a glass of fruit juice and recheck your blood glucose levels after 15 minutes, informing the medical team on site

•   Drink plenty of water during the day and with every meal (minimum 2 litres daily and preferably more as you may be losing water through sweating or diarrhoea). The weather in Mecca and Medina is normally hot and dry and it’s easy to forget to drink enough water when you’re busy with your rituals and walking long distances, increasing the risk of dehydration. Avoid caffeine and sugary drinks such as fruit juices and fizzy soda. If you are allowed to carry an umbrella, use this as much as possible, along with a water spray to keep cool.

Dr Farhana Bin Lootah is a specialist, Internal Medicine at Abu Dhabi’s Imperial College London Diabetes Centre, a one-stop, state-of-the-art, out-patient facility specialising in diabetes treatment, research, training and public health awareness.

Commercial banks awaiting guidelines for facilitating business with Iran .

The Union of Small and Medium Enterprises (UNISAME) urged the Director State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Exchange Policy and Regulations Department to give guidelines to commercial banks for facilitating transactions with Iran in persuance to their circular dated February 25th 2016 which very clearly and specifically permits transactions with Iran. UNISAME in perusal to the circular contacted several banks to enquire the reason for non commencement and were informed that the framework has not been given by SBP and in the absence of the procedure and system they are unable to transact any business with Iran as they need to know the account head to make the respective entries.

President UNISAME Zulfikar Thaver said exports have declined and especially of Basmati rice due to no facilities for transactions with Iran.It is very important that rice exporters are enabled to ship Pakistani Super Basmati rice to Iran . Iranians love Pakistani Super Basmati rice and are very big buyers. The Indian basmati rice is no match for Pakistani rice.

There is huge demand also for denim fabric and since Pakistan is not ready Iran is buying from Turkey. Despite the permission of SBP and that there is no bar on transactions with Iran yet the banks are not inclined to accept documents related to Iran and therefore business with Iran is at standstill he said. The SME rice processors and exporters are the most affected as value addition to basmati grains is mostly done by the sector. Thaver further added that It is now crucial that SBP in pursuance of this circular must give guidelines as to how best the banks can facilitate transactions with Iran.
The need is that the commercial banks of Pakistan will have to appoint their correspondents in Iran and secondly the ledger account has to be specified for the exchange of currency from both the buying and selling country.
In other words the modalities and mechanism has to be worked out with the central bank of both the countries to avoid any defects or impediments later on. The commercial banks are afraid as heavy penalties were imposed in the past but now since there is no bar the transactions can be carried out smoothly with the Central banks of both the countries determining the
modus operandi.

Even before there was never a sanction on foodstuffs and medicines and surgical goods but since SWIFT the international currency exchange was declining transactions with Iran the transactions had no route to follow and were therefore resorting to intermediary routes which made it costly.
Now if business is facilitated both the countries can deal directly with one another without intermediaries but the Central banks have to play their role.

He said it is pertinent to note that now is the best time to act as the Iranian astrological new year called Nawroze is in March 2017 and moreover we now have the GI protection law in the process and our competitor India does not have the matching super basmati grains which we have and we have the edge by virtue of the aroma our rice has and yet if we do not act fast it will be very unfortuna

Scientists hope new varieties can start Africa rice revolution

by Isaiah Esipisu | @Andebes | Thomson Reuters Foundation

Monday, 29 August 2016 07:35 GMT

First locally bred hybrid varieties are yielding more than expected, and could boost food security in Africa

By Isaiah Esipisu
NAIROBI, Aug 29 (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.

http://news.trust.org/item/20160829073643-yj8k0

NIGERIA : Why the Price of Rice Will Keep Increasing

Posted on August 29, 2016 by Cedric Thomas Idiong

By Samuel George

________________________________________

Rice dealers in Nigeria have attributed the rise in price as well as the scarcity of the commodity to the activities of the government and some specific stakeholders.ust a year ago a bag of rice that was sold at N9000 is now sold at N18500. Although prices have plunged temporarily in a few state owing surplus availability of the commodity. Ganiyu Quadri, chairman of Alimosho LGA, says a bag of rice will drop to N9000 in Lagos before December. But the question is how long will it last?

Retailers are of the opinion that the raising price of rice is due to the ban of its importation. They believe that the hike in price is due to the activities of some individuals who monopolize the market. Since the marketers got their Form M approved last year, it is said they began stockpiling the now scares commodity. This of course made it easy to monopolize the market after the ban was instated.Retailers are also of the opinion that the government also influenced the price of the commodity by applying the expert hands of the customs in seizing most brands excepts the brands which belong to the importers.In march, 24 trucks of rice were seize in Owerri, on May 3, 8000 bags of rice were also seized in Lagos, May 27, 575 bags of rice were confiscated and of course just recently 2500 bags of rice were withheld by the Nigeria Custom Service.

According to retailers, rice are not bought from distributors except from the few brands for the fear the fear of their products being impounded.A trader said “Before we talk of banning importation we must first increase local production to avoid scarcity”. Nigeria consumes 5 million tons of rice yearly and currently produces less than 2.5 million tons. Obviously with rice being the staple food of the Nigerian population, it is not producing nearly enough to fight food scarcity.Contrary to Mr Gniyu Quadri’s claims, the probability of the commodity price falling to as low as N9000 is simply false hope. Not when the Christmas celebration is just around the corner. If at all a miracle happens and the price of rice falls, it won’t be as low as N9000 and defiantly won’t last long as Nigeria is not self sufficient and does not have the necessary infrastructures such as silos to store the commodity.

If rice is to sell N9000 by December the government might have to temporarily lift the ban of the importation of the commodity or the commodity may well sell at over N20,000 by Christmas.

PRIVATE SECTOR TO DO ALL IMPORTS: Govt scraps NFA rice import function

By ANGELA CELIS

August 29, 2016

The National Food Authority will soon no longer be allowed to import rice.All importations will be done by the private sector , according to Ernesto Pernia, director general of the National Economic and Development Authority.Pernia said the plan to remove all commercial functions of NFA should be done now to take advantage of the strong support for President Duterte in Congress.Pernia said the NFA had a meeting with several Cabinet secretaries last week.“It’s not official yet but our collective decision was to remove the proprietary and commercial activity of NFA and focus on its core function of regulation,” Pernia said.

“The decision was going to be proposed to the President and I’m sure he will like it,” he added.Pernia noted some legislation might be needed to dissolve the commercial function of the NFA.“There’ll be a lot of objections, there are those who want to maintain the NFA because it’s a milking cow,” he said.“It’s a good time to do it now because PresidentDuterte has strong support in Congress; like the tax reform, it will also benefit from his strong support in Congress. So many things have to be done now that he still has that large political capital,” addedPernia.The NFA is said to have incurred debt amounting to P167 billion.With the proposal to remove the commercial function, NFA rice may no longer be available, Pernia said

“They’re not going to be engaged in buying and selling, and they will just focus on regulation and ensure adequate buffer stock. The buffer stock is really reserved, it should always be there, in case of contingencies,” he said.“Rice will be mainly imported by the private sector. It also removes the smuggling problem. The problem with NFA is it buys high and sells low so it is really suffering from losses,” he added.

According to Pernia, the NFA has assets all over the country that can be sold to somehow pay for its huge debt.
“It’s still not official, just preliminary. It’s just that we’re trying to push it now because it has to be done, otherwise the bleeding will continue,” the NEDA chief said.

http://www.malaya.com.ph/business-news/business/private-sector-do-all-imports-govt-scraps-nfa-rice-import-function

NIA urged: Explain P26-b fund, rice import plan

posted August 29, 2016 at 12:01 am by Christine F. Herrera

A LAWMAKER on Sunday demanded answers from National Irrigation Authority as to why the country needed to import one million metric tons of rice this year when P26 billion has been allocated for irrigation systems that are supposed to reverse the continuing decline in palay production.
Camarines Sur Rep. LRay Villafuerte noted that while the NIA continues to allocate a huge chunk of its budget for the “construction, expansion and rehabilitation of irrigation systems” nationwide, its efforts appear to have had no impact in helping farmers mitigate the effects of the El Niño-induced drought, which was the primary cause of the decline in agricultureal output in the first half of the year.
“Sadly, from being one of the world’s top rice producers, the Philippines has now become one of the world’s top rice buyers, with the government set on importing one million metric tons this year to ensure sufficiency of our staple,” Villafuerte said.
“President Rodrigo Duterte has submitted a P3.35-trillion proposed national budget for 2017, which promises to bring about ‘real change.’ It’s about time that real change also comes to the NIA and it can only start by providing free irrigation to farmers,” added Villafuerte, who represents Camarines Sur’s 2nd district.
By providing free irrigation to all irrigable farm lands and restructuring the NIA, the Bicol solon said the government could realize its goal of attaining rice self sufficiency before the end of Duterte’s term in 2022.
Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia, the director general of the National Economic and Development Authority, said the massive rice imports were necessary to secure the supply of the grain through next year and keep its prices stable.
Palay production is expected to reach 18.13 million metric tons this year, flat from 2015 and reflecting crop losses in the first half of the year because of El Niño, Pernia said.
Pernia said now is the best time to import rice when prices are low.
He said the plan is to import the grain in three tranches through government-to-government deals and private sector purchases.
Citing Philippine Statistics Authority data, Pernia said palay production fell by 8.13 percent to 7.65 million metric tons in the first semester partly because of the decline in harvest areas and average yield in areas severely affected by El Niño, such as the regions of South Cotabato-Cotabato-Sultan Kudarat-General Santos City (SOCCSKSARGEN), Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, Caraga and the Visayas regions.
Corn production also went down by 16.35 percent to 2.83 million metric tons during the same January-June period.
The PSA said the gains in the livestock and poultry sub-sectors, which grew 1.12 percent and 5.6 percent, respectively, were not enough to offset the drop in crop production.
This is the third consecutive quarter that the agriculture sector registered a decline.
Villafuerte has filed House Bill 2133, which seeks to provide free irrigation to farmers and restructuring unpaid irrigation fees, along with converting the NIA into an attached agency of the Department of Agriculture.
The proposed measure, he said, would allow the NIA overhaul its old system and arrest the sharp drop in agricultural production attributed mainly to the dry spell, especially now that even the local government units have started asking the DA to prod the NIA to provide free irrigation to farmers.
Villafuerte was referring to the request of the provincial government of Pampanga to DA Secretary Emmanuel Piñol to urge the NIA to give free irrigation to farmers in the province and to condone any debts they owe the agency.
“It cannot be business as usual for the NIA. The agency should shape up and keep in step with the new administration so that it could be an effective instrument in helping realize President Duterte’s goal of inclusive growth,” said Villafuerte, who was a three-term governor of Camarines Sur from 2004 to 2013.
CamSur posted the highest production growth spike as it rose from being the No. 12 to the No. 6 top rice-producing province in the country during his watch as governor.
Villafuerte said raising farm yields is one way to meet the President’s target of inclusive growth, especially in the countryside, as spelled out in the new administration’s 10-point socioeconomic agenda.
Congress, for its part, he said, should ensure that the allocation for the NIA in 2017 and succeeding years would be used to wipe out the irrigation backlog before the end of the President’s term.
Once his bill was enacted to law and free irrigation will be provided to all irrigable palay fields, Villafuerte said CamSur will easily become No. 3 rice-producing province from its current rank of No. 4 rice grower in the country.
Villafuerte’s HB 2133 also aims to streamline the government’s irrigation development program and carry out its mandate of irrigating 100 percent of irrigable farmlands in the country within a four-year period.
HB 2133 restructures the NIA by converting it from a government corporation into a line agency of the DA and renaming it the National Irrigation Development Administration.
Villafuerte noted that today, 2.4 million hectares or 43 percent of farmlands in the country still lack irrigation, even though the NIA was given the “flexibility of a corporate vehicle and the administrative autonomy” to achieve its objectives under Republic Act 3601, which created the agency 53 years ago.
Under HB 2133, Villafuerte seeks the scrapping of all Irrigation Service Fees and other irrigation-related charges.

http://thestandard.com.ph/news/-main-stories/top-stories/214635/nia-urged-explain-p26-b-fund-rice-import-plan.html

Telangana: Mill owners cook up rice scam

DECCAN CHRONICLE.

Published Aug 29, 2016, 1:47 am IST

Updated Aug 29, 2016, 1:47 am IST

The government is not in a position to recover the losses even if it auctions the mills by invoking the Revenue Recovery Act.

The government purchases paddy from farmers and supplies it to rice mills.

Hyderabad: Millers in Telangana have siphoned off 25,000 metric tonnes of rice worth Rs 80 crore meant for public distribution system. While the government provided paddy stocks worth nearly Rs 50 lakh to each mill for milling, it took just up to Rs 5 lakh as security deposit.

The government is not in a position to recover the losses even if it auctions the mills by invoking the Revenue Recovery Act. The government has issued notices to over 150 rice mills invoking R&R Act but the chances of recovering the losses appear remote. The government purchases paddy from farmers and supplies it to rice mills. The government pays the milling charges.

As per norms, the millers have to return rice to the government in 45 days. About 25,000 metric tonnes of rice was not returned even after a year. Though the civil supplies department issued repeated notices, the millers ignored them.

Nalgonda tops the list of defaulting mills in the state at 11,260 metric tonnes, and is followed by Adilabad (4,400 metric tonnes), Nizamabad (4,313 metric tonnes), Mahbubnagar (2,401 metric tonnes) and Medak (2,503 metric tonnes). Ranga Reddy, Karimna-gar and Warangal acco-unt for 838 metric tonnes.

“Our department revealed that many rice mill owners have diverted these stocks to the open market. We have started filing criminal cases against them. We are also invoking R&R Act and taking possession of rice mills,” said civil supplies minister Etela Rajender.

Mill owners do not appear to be particularly intimidated, as they paid lower security deposits and there are no takers if the mills are auctioned. The government is now planning to increase security deposit besides attaching the other properties of mills owners

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/in-other-news/290816/telangana-mill-owners-cook-up-rice-scam.html

India-Oz on a mission to develop 'golden rice'

By S V Krishna chaitanya

Published: 28th August 2016 03:06 AM

Last Updated: 28th August 2016 03:06 AM

Samples of different varieties of rice at the M S Swaminathan Research Foundation in Chennai | Sunish P Surendran

CHENNAI: With climate change and rising sea water levels threatening to swallow large tracts of rice-producing farmlands, the hunt for the ‘golden rice’ which withstands adversities like salinity has intensified to ensure food security.
In this direction, an Indo-Australian research is set to be launched to source clues from the wild to identify salt-tolerant transporter genes that could be introduced into popular rice varieties in both countries.
The MS Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) and the University of Tasmania, Australia, are set to sign a Memoradum of Understanding (MoU) on September 1 for this.
Ajay Parida, biologist and chief investigator of the project, told Express that MSSRF has been working on developing transgenic plants for which genes have been isolated from mangroves. However, for the first time, the institute is trying to look for genes from a tropical wild rice, Porteresia coarctata, a tetraploid mangrove growing abundantly in coastal regions of India.
“Our focus is to understand salt-tolerance mechanism of this wild species and target transportable genes, directly involved in mitigating salinity. Then, introduce those genes in popular rice varieties like SR-64, Ponni and ADT-43 cultivated extensively in Tamil Nadu and Andhra and analyse salinity tolerance in a greenhouse set-up. Once successful, we can advance to field experiments on a pilot scale,” he said.
Gayatri Venkataraman, principal scientist at Plant Molecular Biology laboratory in MSSRF, said Porteresia is the closest relative of rice and evidence shows that there are some pathways critical to salt tolerance in this halophytic rice.
The Australian researchers will complement the project by bringing expertise in structural biology and cell biology.
According to Parida, this is a three-year project with $ 1 million granted under Australia-India Strategic Research Fund (AISRF).

Realizing the benefits from P686-B investments in irrigation and drainage (Part 3)

by Dr. Emil Javier
August 27, 2016

Convergence of Efforts of Stakeholders
Among the infrastructures required for a productive and competitive agriculture sector, the most capital intensive are investments in irrigation and drainage systems. Dependable supply and control of water are vital for three reasons: 1) to maximize crop yields, 2) to avoid losses from drought and floods, and 3) to effectively multiply available arable land by relay, continuous cropping.
For the last 50 years, we have developed 1.73 million hectares of irrigated farms with a capital value of, conservatively, R686 billion in 2000 prices. However, the realized irrigation use efficiency is only 137 percent versus the objective of at least 200 percent. We are therefore realizing only about a third of the potential benefits from our investments.
Four key complementary measures are needed to achieve higher levels of irrigation use efficiency, namely: 1) further reinforcement of National Irrigation Administration’s (NIA) role as lead institution in irrigation development, 2) convergence of efforts of stakeholders, 3) concrete lining of canals to minimize water seepage losses and reduce maintenance costs, and 4) conjunctive use of pumps, shallow tube wells and small farm ponds within national irrigation systems (NIS) and communal irrigation systems (CIS) service areas as supplementary sources of water during the dry season and to facilitate multiple cropping.
The previous column dwelt on how to further reinforce the role of NIA as the lead agency responsible for irrigation development. We are only halfway through in developing our 3.02 million hectares of potentially irrigable land. In any case in order to secure our water future, we have no choice but to build more dams/reservoirs (and protect their watersheds) to capture the 2400 millimeters of rain we are blest with every year. We need these dams to capture water for domestic and industrial uses, for hydropower generation, for irrigation and to recharge aquifers. We therefore have to persevere in investing more in irrigation and drainage systems for our nation’s long-term water and food security although for now the immediate higher priority is for rehabilitation and for operation and maintenance of existing systems rather than new construction.
However, the tasks of rehabilitation/restoration and of proper operation and maintenance of irrigation systems to achieve higher crop yields and to attain higher levels of cropping intensity cannot be borne by NIA alone.
It will need the active cooperation and help of various stakeholders which include the irrigators associations, the local government units (LGUs), non-government organizations (NGOs), state colleges and universities (SCUs) as well as NIA and its sister agencies in the Department of Agriculture [Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM), Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) and Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech)].
The effective operation and maintenance (O & M) of irrigation systems require expertise in engineering, social mobilization, business development and agronomy. NIA’s institutional strength is biased to engineering. It will therefore be a mistake to rely exclusively on NIA to look after the O & M and supervision of irrigators associations.
In the first place the legal mandate for organizing, supervising and monitoring farmers associations under the AFMA law rests with the municipal, city and provincial offices of the local governments. But unfortunately the LGUs for the most part are short of staff, expertise and funds.
The non-government organizations (NGOs) on the other hand are very good at social organization and mobilization but they have limited competence in business development and agronomy.
The SCUs have agronomy and business development expertise but except for the larger, older SCUs they have no funds for extension.
The other DA agencies possess complementary technical expertise which NIA does not have. PhilRice is the lead agency for rice culture; BPI for the culture of other crops; PhilMech for farm mechanization and processing, and BSWM for design, construction and operation of small irrigation projects.
The broader, longer-term and sustainable solution is convergence and complementation of efforts, expertise and resources among these stakeholders.
Water Users and Irrigation Management Transfer
Among the stakeholders, the engagement of the water users themselves and their irrigators associations (IAs) is vital. The clearing of the canals of unwanted vegetation and trash; minor repairs of dikes; water conservation; equitable distribution and timely delivery of water are tasks which the farmers themselves, individually and collectively, must assume for their self-interest.
Cognizant of the key role of the farmers and their associations, NIA adopted the corporate strategy of gradually transferring the operation and maintenance of irrigation systems to the irrigators associations [Irrigation Management Transfer (IMT)].
As of September 2015, NIA has organized 2736 IAs involving 580,600 farmers covering 750,170 hectares (Ofrecio, Bayani 2016). Of the total IAs, 94 per cent have entered into formal contracts with NIA to assume partial responsibility for O&M. Although these numbers are impressive on paper, the reality on the ground is less sanguine judging on the reported low cropping intensities of 1.59 and 1.37 respectively for NIA and CIS irrigation systems.
Irrigators Associations Service Providers
The transfer of management responsibility for the irrigation systems from NIA to the IAs goes through stages (Models I to IV) as the farmers gain experience and confidence. To date 95 percent of the IAs who have signed formal contracts with NIA have qualified for Models I and II, meaning, the IAs are responsible for maintaining the systems but only up to the sublateral canals. The headworks/dams, the main canals and the lateral canals stay with NIA. The ideal is for NIA to keep the headworks/dams and the main canals but the rest of the system from the lateral canals to downstream should be with the IAs. Thus, the IMT program still has a long way to go.
A key reform which needs to be explored is the commissioning by NIA/DA of NGOs, consulting firms, and state colleges and universities to provide management and supervision support to irrigators associations. These service providers will be compensated based on agreed performance indicators like expansion of numbers of regular members, buildup of capital, installation of financial controls, cropping intensity, cropping yields, new business/marketing arrangements, and ultimately, farmers’ incomes.
As the irrigators associations gain expertise and stability, the service providers can move on to the underperforming IAs.
Cropping Systems Research and SCUs
The larger gains from irrigation will be obtained from the purposeful diversification from rice to other higher value crops. Most vegetables, fruits and ornamentals give higher returns and require less volume of water per unit of economic produce compared with rice. However, since most of these other crops cannot tolerate water logging, rice will remain as the dominant crop during the rainy season.
The crops and varieties to raise; the methods of culture and availability of markets are season and location specific. Thus, the need for cropping systems research and adaptability tests for different parts of the country. These support services can be provided by PhilRice, BPI, PhilMech and SCUs.
The state colleges and universities in particular should be mobilized to establish the agronomic and economic feasibility of various cropping combinations. For this purpose, dedicated research and extension units should be established in the SUCs to service the needs of the farmers in their respective regions. These dedicated research and development (R&D) and training units should be provided funds in the regular budgets of the universities. And to ensure that these academic units work closely with NIA and other DA agencies, their programs and budgets should be endorsed by the DA Regional Directors.
To be continued . . . (Part IV)
***
Dr. Emil Q. Javier is a Member of the National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) and also Chair of the Coalition for Agriculture Modernization in the Philippines (CAMP).
For any feedback, email eqjavier@yahoo.com

Min. Bathiyutheen appears before Presidential Commission over “questionable rice imports”

Aug 27, 2016 Rishan Hannan Local,

The Minister of Industries and Commerce Rishad Bathiytheen appeared before the Presidential Commission to investigate and inquire into serious acts of fraud, corruption and abuse of power, state resources and privileges.
A statement was recorded from the minister in connection to the importation of rice through Sathosa.
According to the official name of the commission, it has the capacity to investigate into the importation process from the day it was initiated up to acts of fraud discovered today – similar to the one captured on tape by Action TV cameras in Polonnaruwa. However, the only factor that stands against the commission is time ..
The minister’s statement is technically sound, because according to the mandate of the commission, they are only allowed to investigate acts which took place between January 10, 2010 and January 10, 2015.
If investigations are launched into the importation of rice by Lanka Sathosa, the high ranking members of the commission ,who have not overstepped their boundaries and are working towards keeping their jobs intact till the tenure of the commission expires, will stumble on a small fraction of a large fraud ..
It may turn out that only those responsible for the fraction of that fraud will be punished. However, investigating just a fraction of a fraud not only goes against the norms of good governance but violate the norms of natural justice itself.
An unfortunate turn of events commenced in May 2014, after Lanka Sathosa opened up two letters of credit to begin importation of rice based on cabinet approval.
This incident that was caught on camera in Polonnaruwa, is also part and parcel of this unfortunate turn of events. Over the past few days this warehouse had been used to repack rice sold off by Lanka Sathosa as animal feed to various persons. Incidentally, the new packaging bears the trademarks of Sathosa and were to be distributed for human consumption
Based on the ad hoc reports of PHIs who deemed that this disputed stock of rice was unfit for human consumption, Lanka sathosa took quick steps to sell off this stock as animal feed at a cost which was around half of the imported cost..
However, this same stock of rice is now being repacked for human consumption..
Since such irregularities could take place, the former chairman of Lanka Sathosa took steps launch an investigation into the disputed stock of rice.
http://newsfirst.lk/english/2016/08/min-rishad-bathiudeen-appears-presidential-commission/146408

Vietnamese rice struggles to find buyers

By Bui Hong Nhung August 27, 2016 | 03:05 pm GMT+7

The world’s third largest rice exporter is struggling to seal deals.

In August, Vietnam’s rice exports have reached an impasse as demand from regular markets has slowed down, Vietnam Plus reported the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development as saying.Export volume dropped sharply in regular markets like the Philippines (down 66.4 percent on-year), Malaysia (down 54.5 percent), Singapore (down 36.3 percent) and the U.S. (down 37.6 percent).China, the largest recipient of Vietnamese rice (accounting for a third of total export volume), continues to tightly control unofficial rice border trade. Vietnamese rice exports to China, as a result, suffered a seven-month fall with export volume and value dropping 21.6 percent and 11.9 percent respectively against 2015’s July figures.

Additionally, no Vietnamse rice quality assurance company is recognized by the Chinese government's monitoring program, which means the Southeast Asian country's exports find it hard to penetrate its northern neighbor's market. Indonesia, Vietnam’s second largest rice importer, also cut back its import volume by 10.6 percent on year in July as it confirmed that the stockpiled rice volume remained at an adequate level.Vietnam's agriculture ministry estimated that over the first eight months of 2016, Vietnam’s rice exports reached some 3.37 million tons, down 16.6 percent on year. Export value followed the same trend with an on-year fall of 13.1 percent to hit $1.51 billion.However, the country might receive new orders from the Philippines as Vietnam, together with Thailand and Cambodia, had been invited to bid for the contract to provide 250,000 tons of rice, a source from the Vietnam Food Association (VFA) revealed.The VFA predicts that the country will export a total of 5.7 million tons of rice in 2016, falling by 14 percent on-year following the worst drought and salinity to hit the Mekong Delta in a century, which accounts for 50 percent of Vietnam’s rice exports every year.

http://e.vnexpress.net/news/business/vietnamese-rice-struggles-to-find-buyers-3459328.html

ChimiChurri: Eat healthy without breaking the bank

By Lydia Koh

Sunday August 28, 2016
12:32 PM GMT+8

The beef brisket sandwich makes a delicious choice with an abundance of fresh vegetablesPETALING JAYA, Aug 28 — Most times, quick meals tend to be unhealthy choices as they are easily available everywhere. On days when one wants to eat healthy, the choices are limited in the Klang Valley. Moreover the high prices of nutritious meals mean you think twice of spending that much for a daily meal.
ChimiChurri aims to change that by offering sandwiches, salads, wraps and more at affordable prices. The founders of the restaurant felt that options were limited for salad and sandwich eaters in the Klang Valley.
Find the minimalist styled ChimiChurri at The School, Jaya OneAs prices tend to be more on the premium side for the existing places, they decided to build their own cool sandwich and salad place with reasonable prices and generous servings. With the tagline “fresh honest food”, ChimiChurri aims to deliver real food at prices that won’t break your wallet without compromising taste.
Customers are also reassured that they do not use any processed foods, artificial colouring or flavouring, chemicals and preservatives. The name ChimiChurri was selected as the owners felt it sounded fresh and unique.
Started since last December, the eatery allows you to customise your meal. You start first by determining what type of meal you prefer, whether it’s a sandwich (French loaf or sliced bread with white or wholemeal choices), wrap (made from a 10-inch flour tortilla) or a salad bowl. Next you choose from chicken breast, Dory fish fillet, salmon fish fillet, beef brisket or even vegetarian. These items will be freshly grilled once you make your selection. Meals range from RM9.90 to RM15.90 depending on your choice of protein.
Their crowd favourite grilled chicken salad bowl with couscous Pick salad bar style from their selection of fresh vegetables. Choices include tomatoes, arugula, carrots, lettuce, red cabbage and more. You also can select warm fillings like sweet potato mash, mushy peas, brown rice, cauliflower rice and couscous. Top off your meal with their freshly made sauces, whether warm or chilled.
There’s a selection of 14 sauces, whereby two new sauces have just been introduced this month with local flavours, the lemongrass and rendang vegetarian. You will also find their signature chimichurri sauce that is South American inspired and made from parsley, garlic, olive oil, salt and lemon.
There is no written rule on how much you can put in your sandwich, wrap or salad bowl but there is an element of trust involved. As a customer with conscience, you wouldn’t want to pile your salad bowl with food and leave it unfinished.
All their protein choices are freshly grilled upon order like this grilled salmon with mushy peas and sweet potato mash served as a wrapRecently, ChimiChurri introduced the concept of rice bowls (half rice and half salad) for people who prefer more carbohydrates in their meals. Choose between brown rice or parboiled Basmati rice. The parboiled rice has a lower glycemic index and higher fibre content. So far there’s an increasing demand for these rice bowls.
Every morning and evening, the food is prepared fresh from scratch using natural ingredients. The food is prepared with healthier alternatives whereby brown sugar is used instead of white sugar. In most of their cooking, olive oil is used and any excess oil is removed after it is cooked.
My personal favourite snack from ChimiChurri is the sweet potato chips which are actually wafer thin sliced sweet potato that is baked and not fried. To keep the food fresh at all times, there is a lot of monitoring and planning involved throughout the day. All of the meats at ChimiChurri are sourced from halal suppliers and the restaurant plans to have their own halal certification in the future.
Toasted tortilla accompanied with your choice of saucesThe eatery is winning over fans like young professionals and gym goers who can often be seen tucking into their salad bowls. It attracts the office workers as well since the restaurant has a few offices in its vicinity.
If you are concerned about what goes in your food, ChimiChurri displays the ingredients in the sauces and warm fillings. Next up would be to display nutritional information and allergy warnings to adapt to customers’ dietary needs.
Since ChimiChurri is about making your own healthy meal, the new breakfast menu will have “make your own omelette” and “make your own toast” options where you can customise. The current breakfast menu includes a healthy version of the Malaysian staple nasi lemak where it’s served with brown rice cooked in santan, grilled ayam percik, oven baked ikan bilis, baked eggs and sambal sauce.
We guarantee you won’t stop eating these baked sweet potato chipsDuring breakfast hours which starts from 8.30am to 11am, you can also make your own wrap, sandwich or salad bowl but the warm fillings and protein choices are only available after 11am.
ChimiChurri also has a policy that minimises food wastage by cooking just enough for the day. Some items like the fresh vegetables require less time to prepare while items like their sauces and warm fillings take a longer time so the team prepares as and when it is needed. If a menu item is sold out before 7pm which is the closing time, the team will decide whether to replenish the menu item.
Menu items change from time to time to test the market as the place is still new. The owners firmly believe that before a food item gets on their menu, it must pass the litmus test of being unique and tasting great. Most of the menu items are inspired by customer feedback and whatever cool idea that pops into the minds of the founders. The bestselling combination to date at ChimiChurri is the grilled chicken breast salad bowl.
Once you determine what kind of meal you are having at ChimiChurri, you can select the various vegetables, fillings and sauces from the barFor those seeking healthy meals delivered to their doorstep, ChimiChurri has partnered with food delivery service provider Foodpanda. The delivery area is limited to a radius of three kilometres from the restaurant but ChimiChurri is looking to expand their reach via more options. There are also plans to open another outlet in the future.
ChimiChurri
Lot 100.1.037 First Floor
The School @ Jaya One, No 72A, Jalan Universiti, Petaling Jaya
Tel: 03-7666 8088. Open daily: 8.30am to 7pm
https://www.facebook.com/ChimiChurriFood.Co/

- See more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/eat-drink/article/chimichurri-eat-healthy-without-breaking-the-bank#sthash.VlC3ljyr.dpuf

http://www.themalaymailonline.com/eat-drink/article/chimichurri-eat-healthy-without-breaking-the-bank

Tomatoes do double duty in rice dish

Curry leaves add citrus, smoke flavour

Meera Sodha / The Associated Press

August 28, 2016 04:50 AM

When Labour Day swings around, it’s the cue for a final summer food fling — one last late-night barbecue and a fond farewell to the garden’s seasonal bounty.
Perhaps the saddest good-bye is to summer tomatoes. Although they’re available year-round, they never quite taste the same. Right now, they’re at peak deliciousness.
I eat them in every way I can: I fry them for breakfast, slow-roast them for salads, add them to sandwiches and make tomato chutney. But when big groups of friends come over, I love whipping up South Indian tomato and coconut rice.

Tomatoes work in a couple of different ways in this recipe: They create a wonderful sauce alongside the coconut milk, which is used to flavour and cook the rice, then they float to the top to decorate the dish.

The end result is a dish delicious enough to stand on its feet without the need for anything else (which is especially good if you have vegetarians or vegans at the table) but will also complement grilled meat or salad. As a side benefit, it’s inexpensive to cook a mountain of it and uses just a single pot.

Tomato and Coconut Rice

Curry leaves add a lovely citrus and smoke flavour to the rice but can be tricky to find unless you live near an Asian supermarket. If you can’t find them, leave them out.

Start to finish: 45 minutes
Serves: Four

2 cups of basmati rice
2 Tbsp canola oil
12 fresh curry leaves
1 cinnamon stick, approx. 2 inches
1 large onion, finely sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 green serrano chilies, finely sliced
1 handful of cashews, unsalted
12 oz fresh baby plum or cherry tomatoes, halved
1 14-oz can coconut milk
1 1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 cup water

Wash the rice in a few changes of cold water until the water runs clear, then leave to soak in cold water to one side.
Heat the oil in a deep frying pan. When oil is hot, add the curry leaves and cinnamon stick. Stir-fry for one minute, then add the onions. Cook the onions until they begin to turn golden brown and are soft enough to cut with a wooden spoon, then add the garlic, chilies and cashews.

Cook for another two minutes, then add the tomatoes. Cover and cook for around eight minutes until the tomatoes are soft around the edges.

Drain the rice and add it to the pan. Stir to mix. Then add all of the coconut milk, a cup of water and the salt to the pan. Stir again and bring the mixture to a boil for two minutes, cover and then turn the heat to low and cook for another 15 minutes without lifting the lid.

Turn off heat. Keep covered for an additional 10 minutes before serving.

Meera Sodha is an Indian foods expert and author of Made in India: Recipes from an Indian family kitchen

- See more at: http://www.timescolonist.com/life/food-drink/tomatoes-do-double-duty-in-rice-dish-1.2332133#sthash.yx3LAQvh.dpuf

APEDA NEWS

Market Watch
Commodity-wise, Market-wise Daily Price on 27-08-2016
Domestic Prices			Unit Price : Rs per Qty
Product	Market Center	Variety	Min Price	Max Price
Rice
1	Aroor (Kerala)	Other	2800	3000
2	Dhekiajuli (Assam)	Common	2100	2300
3	Sainthia (West Bengal)	Common	1890	1910
Wheat
1	Manvi (Karnataka)	Other	1850	1850
2	Sagar (Madhya Pradesh)	Other	1690	1905
3	Sangli (Maharashtra)	Other	1850	2850
Guava
1	Barnala (Punjab)	Other	800	1000
2	Ganaur (Haryana)	Other	2000	2500
3	Kolhapur (Maharashtra)	Other	400	700
Onion
1	Surat (Gujarat)	Other	500	900
2	Jatni (Orissa)	Other	1050	1250
3	Anchal (Kerala)	Other	1600	1900
Source:agmarknet.nic.in		For more info

Floriculture					Unit Price : US$ per package
Price on 23-08-2016
Product	Market Center	Origin	Variety	Low	High
Rose Flower					Package: bunched 10s
1	Boston	Ethiopia	Assorted Colors	8.50	8.50
Orchid Flower				Package: bunched 10s
1	Boston	Thailand	Dendrobium	12.50	12.50
Lilies Flower				Package: per bunch
1	Boston	Canada	Asiatic Type	11	11
Sunflower				Package: per stem
1	Boston	Ecuador	Large Head	1.40	1.50
Source:USDA

RICEPLUS MAGAZINE

Riceplus

Menu-1

Menu-2

Menu-3