Saturday, January 14, 2017

14th January ,2017 daily global,regional and local rice e-newsletter by riceplus magazine

Iran, Pakistan Agree to Resume Direct Flights
TEHRAN (FNA)- Tehran and Islamabad agreed to boost their mutual cooperation in air aviation industry and transportation by establishing direct flights between the two capitals.
The issue was raised in a meeting between Iranian Ambassador to Pakistan Mehdi Honardoust and senior Pakistani aviation officials in Islamabad on Friday.
Honardoust said that in the meeting, the two sides exchanged views on implementation of agreements and starting direct flights between Tehran and Islamabad by June.
“Iran is a big market and Pakistani goods have a good reputation there. There is a big demand of Pakistani basmati rice in Iran,” the Iranian ambassador said during the meeting.
He reiterated that Pakistan and Iran have cultural, historic, linguistic and religious commonalities.
"There are tremendous opportunities to improve the trade relations between the two countries; sanctions have now been lifted by the world powers and Pakistan can capitalize on lucrative incentives offered by Iranian government in sectors like energy, pharmaceutical, auto and information technology,” Honardoust added.
In relevant remarks in late December, Pakistani Ambassador to Iran Asif Khan Durrani called for the broadening of trade relations between Islamabad and Tehran.
"There is a tremendous scope to strengthen trade and economic relations between Pakistan and Iran," Durrani said during a visit to Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI).
The Pakistani ambassador in Tehran was in Pakistan to explain huge trade potentials in Iran for Pakistani businessmen.
Durrani pointed to the hurdles in trade between Iran and Pakistan, and said, "The unavailability of banking channel is one of the biggest reasons of limited trade between the two countries; through exploiting trade and investment opportunities, mutual trade volume could easily touch new heights."
Durrani invited the Pakistani businessmen to participate in the 'Aleeshan Pakistan' exhibition slated for March 4-7 in Tehran, adding that it would provide an opportunity to establish new contacts with their Iranian counterparts, which is essential to boost two-way trade.
The Iranian president and Pakistan prime minister have already agreed to boost trade volume to $5 billion

http://agriculture.einnews.com/article/361831592/z1JrE9lIvGGfDLdx?lcf=mfbGzFqDS4bNQ1jDta8oRvPjgESunH4NfqaGB2CDatA%3DLose weight, eat rice, find love...

JANUARY 12, 2017 17:10 IST



 
UPDATED: JANUARY 12, 2017 19:27 IST

Let 2017 be the year you expand your horizons when it comes to food.

Lose weight. Quit smoking. Exercise more. Do good deeds. Find the love of my life.
I’m willing to bet at least one of these featured on your list of new year resolutions. According to Statistic Brain, an online community focused on analytics, those were among the top 10 resolutions this year. Dig a little deeper and it’s evident that these are the top resolutions every year.
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
I was going to attribute that quote to Jon Bon Jovi, when I realised his lyrics borrow from Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr’s original French quote, ‘plus ca change plus c’est la meme chose’. There you go: you learn something new everyday. Which brings me to the point of this column — Want to eat better this year? Expand your horizons. Since everyone loves listicles, I’m making this easy by giving you three ways to lose weight, eat well and look good. (To find the love of your life, however, you’ll need a different article. Or, Tinder.)
Explore
Supplement your diet with more indigenous fruits, vegetables and herbs this year. Learn about the wide variety of pulses and grains available in your region, and find out how to cook them for more interesting, nutritious and colourful dinners.
If you like greens, don’t limit yourself to spinach. In Manipur alone, surveys conducted at 20 major markets between August 2012 and March 2014 showed 68 varieties of wild leafy vegetables, according to a study published by the National Centre for Biotechnology Information. Depending on where in India you live, try turnip greens, amaranth leaves, mustard leaves and drumstick greens, just to name a few.
Most of us are guilty of an abbreviated rice vocabulary, limited to basmati, ponni and fried, even though we live in a country rich with traditional, not to mention delicious, versions of this staple. Let’s make this the year of rice.
About 50 years ago, India replaced more than 1.5 lakh heritage varieties with high-yielding strains of rice. However, thanks to national movements such as the Save our Rice Campaign (SoRC), there’s an alternative to this homogeneity of taste. According to the SoRC, about 1,000 varieties are preserved via Indigenous Rice Diversity Blocks, which are fields filled with a patchwork of paddy. So far, SoRC has facilitated blocks like this in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand. The one at Thanal Agro Ecology Centre (TAEC) in Panavally (Wayanad district of Kerala) got a lot of attention recently when Midhun Raveendranath’s gorgeous photo captured a kaleidoscope of 219 shades of paddy.
In total, the campaign has collected 567 traditional varieties of scented, medicinal, deep water and dry land rices over a decade. Make an effort to find and taste some of them.
Learn
You need a deeper connection with food than watching Tasty videos on Facebook. Make an effort to learn more about what you eat. If your meals are limited to dal, mattar paneer and potato fry, it’s time to learn some new recipes from the Gujarati neighbours, your Bengali boss or Naga roommate.
We’re lucky to live in a country with a plethora of cuisines, as well as plenty of family, friends and colleagues who are happy to show you how to cook the food of their community. Sure, you can whip up a pesto pasta, make pizza from scratch and roll maki sushi. Use this year to learn how to make a competent Kashmiri yakhni, Goan vindaloo or Maharashtrian thalipeeth.
Cooking also teaches you respect, both for food and ingredients. Spend one day slaving behind a hot stove and you will be less casual about wastage. Resolve to eat a home-cooked meal more often. And to conquer at least one regional dish every month. You’ll be healthier by the end of the year. (You’ll also be more popular once your friends realise that your Bengali prawn malai curry is better than anything they can order at a restaurant.)
Challenge
Eat one dozen new things this year — at the very least. You could set simple targets — mushrooms, beetroot, pumpkin. All the things you hated as a kid, and, therefore, avoided ever since. A friend of mine is a strong believer in the old adage that your tastebuds evolve every seven years. Whether you believe it or not, it’s a useful excuse to break out of a rut.
It’s tough to be a conservative eater when you’re a food writer. Last year alone, I ate freshly shucked oysters, a fiery ant chutney and fried spiders. I didn’t like any of them, but that’s not the point. As time progresses, I find myself more open to appreciating new flavours — and, as the world gets smaller, that’s a useful tool. Being willing to experiment also means I get to discover flavours I love, like delicate Japanese matcha, Korean gochujang and smoked pork from Nagaland
http://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/food/Lose-weight-eat-rice-find-love.../article17028829.ece


Bulog to buy rice from farmers in C. Sulawesi

Jumat, 13 Januari 2017 19:58 WIB |
Documents photo of rice warehouse owned by the State Logistics Agency (Bulog) in Jakarta. The Central Sulawesi branch of Bulog will buy some 35,000 tons of rice from the local farmers in 2017. (ANTARA/Fakhri Hermansyah)
Palu (ANTARA News) - The Central Sulawesi branch of the State Logistics Agency (Bulog) will buy some 35,000 tons of rice from the local farmers in 2017, according to the agencys spokesman, Supryanto.

"Bulog has set a target to buy that much quantity of rice from the local farmers, and it will certainly be realized in this year," Supryanto remarked here on Friday.

Supryanto replaced Maruf as the chief of Bulogs Central Sulawesi branch a month ago, as the latter had been appointed as the Bulog head for Maluku Province.

In the past few weeks, Supryanto said he had visited numerous rice production centers in Central Sulawesi to gain first-hand information regarding the potential of rice procurement during the harvest season in 2017.

"I have visited rice production centers in the districts of Parigi Moutong and Sigi," he said, adding that following his visit, he was optimistic that 35,000 tons of rice would be procured.

According to Supryanto, Parigi Moutong has extensive rice fields that are expected to be a major contributor to fulfilling the nations rice demand.

Similarly, Donggala, Banggai, Poso, Sigi, Tolitoli, and Morowali are other widespread rice cultivation areas in Central Sulawesi.

"We certainly hope there would be no pests since if the problem occurs, it will naturally reduce the production of farmers," Supryanto added.
(Uu.O001/INE/KR-BSR/F001
http://www.antaranews.com/en/news/108920/bulog-to-buy-rice-from-farmers-in-c-sulawesi

Threats Of ‘Plastic Rice’ Emerges

Fri, 01/13/2017 - 00:59
By: Alvin Worzi
Liberia’s Minister of Commerce and Industry, Axel M. Addy

 Consignments of ‘plastic rice’ reportedly produced in China and exported to various markets on the African continent are emerging in Liberia. though the government is taking proactive actions to avert this threat.One of the nations penetrated recently by the dubious commodity is Nigeria, to where over 350 bags were exported, but seized by the country’s security apparatuses.In an effort to avert the importation of this ‘plastic rice’ on the Liberia market, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MOCI) has begun the awareness and sensitization of the plastic rice across the country through the media and its inspectors.According to a press release issued yesterday by the Director of Public Affairs, Mitchell Jones, the ministry is concerned about this information on the social media and other platforms, which there have been attempts to obtain clarity from various trading partners.
According to Director Jones, some media institutions have reported the alleged sale of the plastic rice branded as “Best Tomato” within the commerce of Liberia.

“While the ministry can neither confirm nor deny the existence of such rice on the continent or elsewhere, it wishes to assure the public of the ministry’s determination to execute its statutory mandate of consumer protection,” he said
He said Liberia imports most of its rice from India, Thailand and United States of America (USA) but the ministry has similarly put in place measures to identify and detect any such threat to the public.Director Jones also said all rice importers have been notified to adhere to standards and quality for the importation of rice in Liberia.“As part of the process of acquiring rice approval, the National Standards Laboratory performs a periodic sampling and testing of rice to ensure that the quality requirement is met.”

Meanwhile, the ministry is informing its inspectors and Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) customs officers to alert authorities of the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Commerce and Industry as well as other relevant authority about any sub-standard rice being imported by land, sea and air.“We will also appreciate any information regarding said rice on the Liberian market, which may have been smuggled. Let’s help keep our citizens safe and healthy,” he added.
http://www.liberianobserver.com/business/threats-%E2%80%98plastic-rice%E2%80%99-emerges


Rice and More than 100 Others Go "On the Record" for Ag Trade with Cuba 
By Peter Bachmann

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Yesterday, USA Rice, along with more than 100 state and national agriculture-related organizations and agribusinesses sent a letter to President-elect Trump and his team asking his administration to prioritize the removal of private financing and trade barriers for agricultural commodities and equipment.

"With less than one week until the Trump administration takes the reins, it's important that the agricultural community voices its support for policies that will allow us to sell our crops and products in a free and open market," said Ben Mosely, vice president of government affairs for USA Rice.

Mosely added, "Trade with Cuba is not just a priority for U.S. rice but the dozens of other organizations and businesses that represent nearly every sector of our vital industry that signed-on in support of reduced trade and financing barriers for agricultural commodities."

While the needed fixes fall under the jurisdiction of Congress, the letter asks the administration to consider "progress made in normalizing relations with Cuba, and also solicit [the administration's] support for the agricultural business sector to expand trade with Cuba to help American farmers and our associated industries."

The groups highlighted the fall of the U.S. as Cuba's go-to for food, "the U.S. has fallen from its position as the number one supplier of agricultural products from 2003 to 2012, to now the number five supplier after the European Union, Brazil, Argentina, and Vietnam. The U.S. needs to be number one again. Especially given many of Cuba's imports, including rice, poultry, dairy, soy, wheat, and corn make up more than 70 percent of what they import and they're all grown right here in the U.S. by hardworking American farmers."

The letter was organized in part by USA Rice and the dozens of state agriculture organizations and businesses that make up Engage Cuba's state councils for Cuba.  FAS Rice marketing specialist Michelle Kouadio talks international promotion with Riceland Foods VP Terry Harris.


USA Rice Holds International Planning Conference  
By Hugh Maginnis

TORONTO, CANADA - Leadership from within USA Rice's International Promotion Committee, as well as the USA Rice Council and USA Rice staff, gathered here this week to review international programs and priorities for the rice industry over the coming year.  This planning meeting will provide recommendations to the full International Promotion Committee for allocating USA Rice promotional funding in critical overseas markets utilizing USDA's Market Access Program (MAP) and Foreign Market Development (FMD) programs, as well as industry funds during 2017.   

Vigilance official caught taking Rs 1 lakh bribe by ACB

No plastic in Lisa’s rice

Samuda says samples showed no evidence of MP’s claim

Saturday, January 14, 2017     



HANNA... had claimed in a 50-second video uploaded to Instagram on Wednesday that she had a recent experience with “plastic” rice
Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries Karl Samuda says no evidence of contamination has been found in the samples of rice submitted by Member of Parliament (MP) for St Ann South Eastern Lisa Hanna earlier this week.
Hanna had claimed in a 50-second video uploaded to Instagram on Wednesday that she had a recent experience with “plastic” rice. She said the rice was bought at a “well-known bulk place that is more international than local”, and that the rise had failed to cook.“It cyaah cook, all we can do is roll it into a ball. We actually thought that the rice was burnt because we left it on the stove,” Hanna said, adding, “We even added some coconut milk [to] it [but it] won’t shell. [However], you can roll it, you can bounce it, you can do a number of things with it.”
In recent weeks, reports of plastic rice have circulated in the media, forcing the agriculture ministry to conduct sampling, but so far the Bureau of Standards Jamaica (BSJ) has said no evidence of the fake rice has been found in lab tests.
Yesterday, Samuda said separate samples of cooked and uncooked rice from Hanna were sent to the National Compliance and Regulatory Authority on Wednesday and Thursday but that both samples submitted to the BSJ for thorough testing had showed no evidence of plastic or unusual behaviour.
“The samples were subjected to starch, moisture content, floating and flame tests as well as Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy analyses. Ms Hanna has been notified of the results of the tests,” a ministry release said.
The Internet is littered with videos of fake rice and other food being manufactured with non-edible material in at least two Asian states. Countries such as Nigeria, as recently as December last year, reported seizing shipments of large quantities of fake rice that were being smuggled across its borders.
While videos and news of fake rice have been circulating on the Internet for some time now, recent claims of fake rice locally have made many Jamaicans wary of consuming imported rice in particular.
There were even fears that there could be a shortage of rice in the country when the news broke, but the Government said imports from Guyana and Suriname would be allowed into the market. Some shipments on the ports were held before clearance.
Up to mid-December Samuda stressed that there was no evidence of any contamination of plastic in the samples tested, and that the Government was considering taking steps to have all packages of rice labelled before distribution for sale.Jamaica imports rice from China, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, India, the United States, Vietnam, Thailand, and Suriname.
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/No-plastic-in-Lisa-s-rice_86537



Rabi sowing marginally higher than 5-year average

OUR BUREAU

·          
Acreage of pulses, wheat gains, while that of rice, coarse cereals falls
NEW DELHI, JANUARY 13:  
Crop sowing in the ongoing rabi season remained marginally higher than the average of the past five years in the second week of January owing to continued increase in acreage under pulses and wheat.
Sowing of rice and coarse cereals, however, remained lower than the previous five years’ average (normal of corresponding week), while oilseed acreage was stagnant.
Inching up
The sowing figures up to January 13 were released by the Agriculture Ministry on Friday. Total sowing till January 13 in the current rabi season (which starts in October) increased 2.66 per cent to 616.21 lakh hectares (lh) compared with the normal of corresponding week of 600.19 lh.
Total acreage up
Good monsoon and higher support prices aided the rise in total acreage.
Wheat sowing increased to 309.60 lh (300.32 lh).
Rice loses steam
Sowing of rice till the second week of January declined to 14.92 lh compared with the normal of corresponding week at 19.28 lh.
Increased sowing was reported from Assam, Chhattisgarh and Tripura, while sowing in the Southern States such as Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Karnataka and Kerala declined.
Pulses posted the highest increase in acreage till January 13 at about 155.35 lh (142.05 lh).
Higher acreage was reported from Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and Odisha.
Oilseeds, cereals down
Acreage under coarse cereals declined to 54.87 lh (57.01 lh).
Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Gujarat saw an increase in area, while Karnataka, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh posted a decline in coarse cereals’ area.
Sowing of oilseeds was stagnant at about 81.47 lh (81.53 lh).
Higher sowing was reported from Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, while lower sowing was reported from Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/rabi-sowing-marginally-higher-stays-marginally-higher-than-five5year-average/article9479294.ece


Rice Prices

as on : 13-01-2017 08:10:30 PM
Arrivals in tonnes;prices in Rs/quintal in domestic market.
Arrivals
Price
Current
%
change
Season 
cumulative
Modal
Prev.
Modal
Prev.Yr
%change
Rice
Pilibhit(UP)
3500.00
-12.5
94620.00
2235
2245
1.82
Gadarpur(Utr)
941.00
-53.02
51594.00
1832
2098
-11.28
Burdwan(WB)
464.00
-
3647.00
1800
-
-
Bharthna(UP)
420.00
-
420.00
2255
-
0.22
Jaunpur(UP)
398.00
65.83
1288.00
2150
2165
10.82
Gorakhpur(UP)
320.00
-1.54
645.00
2140
2130
-
Allahabad(UP)
310.00
-6.06
3230.00
2240
2250
13.99
Guskara(Burdwan)(WB)
256.00
-
2147.00
2250
-
-
Hardoi(UP)
200.00
5.26
1944.00
2250
2240
-
Ballia(UP)
190.00
11.76
1430.00
2120
2130
8.72
Etawah(UP)
180.00
-
1450.00
2260
-
0.44
Faizabad(UP)
180.00
71.43
970.00
2225
2200
6.97
Gondal(UP)
177.00
6.63
3544.50
2150
2150
NC
Bazpur(Utr)
139.20
-57.48
9120.65
2100
1823
22.52
Bahraich(UP)
138.00
2.99
1727.00
2210
2215
6.51
Asansol(WB)
132.00
-
265.00
2680
-
-
Durgapur(WB)
132.00
-
132.00
2670
-
-
Akbarpur(UP)
125.00
-10.71
1077.50
2175
2190
-
Golagokarnath(UP)
100.00
100
150.00
2015
2010
-
Aligarh(UP)
85.00
-5.56
1790.00
2560
2550
18.52
P.O. Uparhali Guwahati(ASM)
82.50
-12.33
1785.40
2230
2230
6.19
Ghaziabad(UP)
80.00
33.33
560.00
2260
2250
9.18
Thodupuzha(Ker)
70.00
NC
910.00
3000
3000
15.38
Mathura(UP)
65.00
4.84
322.00
2500
2520
16.28
Kalipur(WB)
64.00
3.23
2715.00
2200
2200
4.76
Goalpara(ASM)
61.00
-
223.30
1890
-
-
Cachar(ASM)
60.00
NC
1570.00
2200
2200
-18.52
Devariya(UP)
60.00
9.09
812.00
2065
2055
-
Mainpuri(UP)
54.00
-1.82
801.00
2240
2240
10.89
Kasimbazar(WB)
51.00
NC
961.00
2325
2350
-1.06
Nadia(WB)
50.00
-
540.00
3400
-
6.25
Saharanpur(UP)
47.50
1.06
1587.50
2295
2290
12.50
Fatehpur(UP)
45.00
45.16
213.50
2160
2150
1.41
Dadri(UP)
45.00
12.5
767.00
2260
2270
9.18
Chintamani(Kar)
42.00
13.51
429.00
2100
2200
10.53
Katwa(WB)
40.80
-
143.20
2250
-
-
Taliamura(Tri)
40.00
-
136.00
2700
-
17.39
Raiganj(WB)
38.00
-5
582.50
2500
2450
-3.85
Jayas(UP)
35.00
40
131.00
1950
1950
-
Gazipur(UP)
35.00
6.06
911.50
2100
2160
9.95
Auraiya(UP)
32.00
6.67
126.10
2150
2130
-
Gauripur(ASM)
30.00
-34.78
827.90
4500
4500
NC
Yusufpur(UP)
28.00
-20
448.00
2170
2170
16.35
Meerut(UP)
25.00
31.58
332.00
2390
2385
11.68
Bethuadahari(WB)
25.00
108.33
82.50
2300
2300
-
Jhargram(WB)
24.00
-
116.00
2250
-
-
Ramkrishanpur(Howrah)(WB)
23.80
-10.53
368.30
2400
2500
4.35
Sitapur(UP)
22.00
-
68.00
2229
-
-0.04
Jalpaiguri Sadar(WB)
22.00
-4.35
139.00
2500
2500
-9.09
Garbeta(Medinipur)(WB)
22.00
-
198.00
2500
-
-
Madhoganj(UP)
21.00
-
118.50
2160
-
0.47
Islampur(WB)
20.00
-
331.00
2150
-
NC
Purulia(WB)
20.00
NC
392.00
2300
2400
4.55
Alipurduar(WB)
20.00
NC
160.00
2250
2250
2.27
Kolhapur(Laxmipuri)(Mah)
16.00
-36
393.00
3550
3400
18.33
Champadanga(WB)
16.00
60
280.00
2650
2650
8.16
Rampur(UP)
15.00
7.14
263.00
2450
2500
11.62
Ranaghat(WB)
15.00
NC
110.00
2200
2300
-
Banda(UP)
14.50
45
162.00
2220
2220
-
Haldibari(WB)
12.00
NC
96.00
2250
2250
-
Dinhata(WB)
12.00
-20
287.00
2250
2250
-
Firozabad(UP)
11.00
22.22
84.50
2520
2540
18.87
Muradabad(UP)
10.00
-9.09
132.00
2360
2325
5.36
Raibareilly(UP)
10.00
-
61.00
2050
-
0.99
Buland Shahr(UP)
10.00
25
89.00
2250
2250
10.29
Kaliaganj(WB)
10.00
-
377.00
2450
-
-2.97
Gajol(WB)
9.00
-
9.00
2650
-
-5.36
North Lakhimpur(ASM)
8.90
14.1
479.00
1900
1900
NC
Tusura(Ori)
8.00
23.08
98.00
2300
2300
4.55
Chandoli(UP)
8.00
6.67
212.50
1980
1975
-
Bolangir(Ori)
7.50
NC
111.00
2400
2300
4.35
Sheoraphuly(WB)
7.00
NC
164.50
2900
2900
13.73
Chengannur(Ker)
6.50
18.18
159.00
2400
2400
-4.00
Mirzapur(UP)
6.50
-7.14
272.00
2010
1995
4.69
Jeypore(Ori)
6.00
22.45
167.90
4400
4400
7.32
Khair(UP)
6.00
-25
29.00
2550
2540
18.06
Karanjia(Ori)
5.80
NC
97.90
2800
2800
-12.50
Chhibramau(Kannuj)(UP)
5.00
11.11
77.50
2230
2230
-
Uluberia(WB)
4.80
NC
105.40
2300
2300
-
Dibrugarh(ASM)
4.70
-21.67
299.00
2250
2250
-
Farukhabad(UP)
4.50
50
47.00
2230
2230
-0.89
Jeypore(Kotpad)(Ori)
4.00
-45.95
164.40
4400
4400
6.02
Dasda(Tri)
3.20
-
3.20
2800
-
-
Medinipur(West)(WB)
2.60
-81.43
171.60
500
2500
-
Darjeeling(WB)
2.50
-16.67
77.60
2950
2950
5.36
Shrirampur(Mah)
2.00
-
2.00
1100
-
-
Gulavati(UP)
2.00
NC
4.00
2245
2245
8.98
Bangarmau(UP)
1.80
125
88.10
2050
2050
-
Kalimpong(WB)
1.80
28.57
24.10
2600
2600
8.33
Bishenpur(Man)
1.40
-
8.50
2700
-
12.50
Aroor(Ker)
1.00
-
10.00
7100
-
2.90
Mawana(UP)
1.00
-
4.50
2340
-
13.04
Shillong(Meh)
0.80
-20
24.40
3700
3700
5.71
Jumpuijala(Tri)
0.80
-11.11
2.70
2750
2800
-
Kasipur(WB)
0.70
-12.5
11.70
2200
2200
-3.51
Ernakulam(Ker)
0.56
-
6.45
3500
-
-
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/article9478580.ece