Wednesday, November 29, 2017

29th November,2017 daily global regional local rice e-newsletter by riceplus magazine

 

 

Multi-institutional biomedical informatics training grant wins 6th competitive renewal

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By Kendall Schoemann | November 28, 2017
Training more students and fellows to conduct research that has the potential to benefit personalized medicine and improve the understanding of health and disease has been made possible with funding from the National Library of Medicine (NLM).
The NLM Training Program (NLMTP) in Biomedical Informatics and Data Science was awarded a $3.1 million renewal following a competitive review process by the NLM. The multidisciplinary and multi-institutional grant will support seven predoctoral students and four postdoctoral fellows each year for five years.
The Gulf Coast Consortia (GCC) and its training arm, the Keck Center, manage the training program, which includes faculty from Rice, Baylor College of Medicine, University of Houston, the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, MD Anderson Cancer Center and the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (UTMB). The NLMTP is the largest of five competitively funded training programs overseen by the Keck Center.
“We aspire to train a generation of scientists who are comfortable crossing traditional boundaries and who can find bold solutions to biomedical problems,” said Lydia Kavraki, principal investigator and program director of the NLMTP. She is the Noah Harding Professor of Computer Science, professor of bioengineering and professor of electrical and computer engineering.
Program trainees are selected through a competitive application process and are co-mentored by two faculty members with complementary expertise. Trainees and their dual mentors are drawn from across the six NLMTP institutions.
“This novel mentoring arrangement, in which a computational faculty member and a biomedical sciences faculty member or a clinical investigator jointly mentor a trainee, has been instrumental in the success of the NLMTP since its inception,” Kavraki said.
For the program’s sixth consecutive renewal, 40 core faculty have been assembled who collectively have more than $104 million in federal funding. The NLMTP faculty are currently mentoring 167 predoctoral students and 93 postdoctoral fellows.
“Our greatest strengths are our mentoring structure as well as our flexibility and willingness to help each trainee on an individual basis,” Kavraki said. “These combined with our strong academic programs, our extensive research activities, our well-equipped laboratories and our incredible faculty and students provide an unparalleled training environment.”
Building internationally pre-eminent graduate and Ph.D. programs and enhancing research achievement and reputation are goals of Rice’s Vision for the Second Century, part two.
The NLMTP has evolved over its 25 years. Initially the program was conceived as training in computational biology and was led by Tony Gorry, who was Rice’s Friedkin Chair in Management and professor of computer science. The new grant is focused on biomedical informatics and data science.
“Biomedical informatics broadly encompasses the design and implementation of novel methodologies and technologies to solve challenging problems across the entire spectrum of biology and medicine,” Kavraki said. “Our training program puts emphasis on quantitative methods and data science. I cannot imagine dealing with biomedical problems in the future without strong foundations in computer science, statistics and data science.”
The new NLMTP program will support research in translational bioinformatics, clinical informatics and clinical research informatics. Collectively these areas advance personalized medicine and connect data and knowledge to health and disease.
The program has had many successes in the last five years. Among recent trainees, Christine Peterson is currently an assistant professor at MD Anderson; Kevin Liu is an assistant professor of computer science and engineering at Michigan State University; Risa Myers is a lecturer in computer science at Rice University; and Raphael Rosengarten has started his own biomedical informatics company. Others are continuing their studies or have taken positions in academia or industry.
“I am most proud of our trainees,” Kavraki said. “They have assimilated and combined elements from our rich environment and their individual training and have produced truly exceptional work.”
The NLMTP trainees travel to the yearly NLM conference, where they have the opportunity to present their research. Over the last five years, they have consistently returned with multiple awards presented to them by their peers and the NLM leadership.
The training program also received a supplemental award for developing a graduate course on data science. The goal is to create a course that will teach data science principles with emphasis on the systems that are needed for the analysis of biomedical data.
“There is a growing need for investigators trained at the intersection of computer, statistical and information sciences with one or more biomedical application domains,” said B. Montgomery (Monte) Pettitt, the director of the Sealy Center for Structural Biology and Molecular Biophysics, the Robert A. Welch Distinguished Chair of Chemistry and professor of pharmacology and toxicology and of biochemistry and molecular biology at UTMB. Pettitt is also a founder of the Keck Center and a member of the steering committee of the NLMTP. “The NLMTP fills a critical need,” he said. “Our NLMTP is a proof of the strength of our combined community.”
Kavraki echoed similar thoughts. “The NLMTP would not have been possible without the combined forces of Rice, Baylor College of Medicine, University of Houston, the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, MD Anderson Cancer Center and the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston under the collaborative environment fostered by the Keck Center and the GCC,” she said.
http://www.tmc.edu/news/2017/11/multi-institutional-biomedical-informatics-training-grant-wins-6th-competitive-renewal/

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Minister Calls for Reinstating Rice Import Ban
1.       Economy
2.       Domestic Economy

 Wednesday, November 29, 2017
In a letter to the Minister of Industries, Mining and Trade Mohammad Shariatmadari, Agriculture Minister Mahmoud Hojjati has called for reinstating the ban on rice imports until further notice due to excessive imports.
More than 1.06 million tons of rice worth over $1 billion were imported during the seven months to Oct. 22, indicating a 40% rise in weight compared with last year’s similar period, which exceed domestic demand when added to the annual local production, Mehr News Agency reported on Monday.
Every year, during the rice harvest season, the government bans rice imports to support local farmers and production. Import tariffs have increased from 22% four years ago to 40% at present for the same reason.
The temporary ban was lifted last Tuesday as per a directive by the Ministry of Industries, Mining and Trade and was supposed to last until July 22, 2018.
“We need imports, but imports that are limited and controlled,” Hojjati said earlier.
Iranians consume 3 million tons of rice a year while domestic production stands at 2.2 million tons. Therefore, there is a need for around 800,000 tons of imports every year.
According to the Central and West Asia Rice Center, with around 54% of Central and West Asia’s paddy fields located in Iran, the country accounts for 61% of the regions’ combined rice production.
The two northern provinces of Gilan and Mazandaran are home to a majority of Iran’s paddy fields.
https://financialtribune.com/articles/economy-domestic-economy/76995/minister-calls-for-reinstating-rice-import-ban



Soon-to-be partnership to expand rice exports

Sok Chan / Khmer Times Share:    
 

Australia-based rice exporter SunRice is negotiating an agreement with local conglomerate Soma Group to export Cambodian rice to Australia, according to a senior official from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF). A memorandum of understanding (MoU) to further negotiations between the companies was already signed last week in Australia, presided by Cambodian Minister of Agriculture Veng Sakhon.
Hean Vanhan, director-general of agriculture at MAFF, told Khmer Times yesterday that the ministry is acting as facilitator during the talks.“The result of the meeting between SunRice and Soma is positive. Sun Rice is interested in Soma, and they will do further discussion,” Mr Vanhan said.
Talks are now focused on whether Soma Group will sell its produce directly to the Australian agricultural giant, or whether SunRice will partner up with the Cambodian company to invest in the local agriculture sector and export Cambodian rice under its own brand, Mr Vanhan revealed.
“If Soma and SunRice bring milled rice from Cambodia to process it in Australia their market will be much bigger,” Mr Vanhan said. “Soma will send a sample of rice to Australia for analysis to check whether or not this is possible,” he said.
SunRice supplies about 720,000 tonnes of milled rice per year to 50 different countries. However, the company is only capable of producing 600,000 tonnes, so they are seeking new partnerships to meet demand for their products, Mr Vanhan explained.He said that SunRise is looking for partners that have quality products and are able to maintain a stable supply, adding that it is a great opportunity as Cambodia had a 5-million ton rice surplus last year.
Mr Vanhan pointed out that SunRice is Australia’s biggest rice exporting company and has one of the most recognisable brands of the Oceanian nation.
From January to September 2017, Cambodia exported nearly 422,000 tonnes of milled rice, an increase of more than 16.5 percent compared with the same period last year, according to the latest report from the secretariat of the One Window Service for Rice Export Formality.
The report finds that nearly 70 countries have been importing Cambodian rice, with China being the largest buyer, importing more than 120,000 tonnes of Cambodian rice, followed by France, with over 50,000 tonnes, and Poland, who buys around 35,000 tonnes.
Domoguen: DA Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol supports the Golden Rice Project
Tuesday, November 28, 2017
By ROBERT L. DOMOGUEN MOUNTAIN LIGHT I WAs unable to talk to Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol on the joint Golden Rice (GR) project of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and Philippine Rice Research Institute (Philrice) on those occasions I was in Metro Manila earlier this quarter of the year.
To put this matter into perspective, I have been writing a series of articles last October, this year, about Golden Rice, with information inputs from Dr. Roel Suralta, team leader of the GR Project at Philrice. I wanted our good Secretary to personally share his views on the merits of this special rice crop and the joint GR Project in the Philippines through our Mountain Light column at Sun Star Baguio. Golden Rice is a genetically engineered crop created by borrowing the carotene-making gene from corn and placing that gene into rice. Carotene is an important plant ingredient that our bodies convert into vitamin A.
The nutrient is essential to the development of bones and eyesight. The Filipino diet has highlighted to policymakers and rice scientists the importance of the GR Project. We eat rice three times a day for our energy needs. Vitamin A can be had from vegetables and fruits. It is argued that VAD can be addressed with proper education and fortification programs. After decades of government and private sponsored vitamin A fortification and nutrition education, even in areas with ample supply of vegetables and fruits, one might believe that VAD should not be an issue in the Philippines. However, research studies show otherwise. The results of a food and nutrition survey among pre-school children revealed VAD increased from 15.2 percent in 2008 to 20.4 percent in 2013.
 These figures translate to about 2.1 million Filipino kids who are at very high risk of becoming blind or even dying due to preventable infections. Experts say VAD increases vulnerability to illnesses including measles, respiratory infections, and diarrhea, which are the leading causes of death among children in developing countries. It is not only the proponents of the GR Project who are advocating for Golden Rice. The cream of the world’s science community, particularly Nobel Laureates (more than 100 of them), including a former Greenpeace co-founder Patrick Moore, are supporting both the science and merits of golden rice in addressing VAD.
Upon assumption to office, former Secretary of the DA, Proceso J. Alcala, once an ardent proponent of organic farming in the Philippines, warned that GMO crops are not safe for consumption. However, I was informed by a staff at PhilRice that he (Secretary Alcala) supported the GR Project. When Secretary Piñol came over to the Cordillera last week for the conduct of the 6th National Congress on Goats and Sheep, I wanted so much to get his statement on the GR Project that I have been waiting for. When we met in La Trinidad, Benguet,
I kept silent. I did not plunge into the interview I wanted to have. Everybody wanted to have a brief chat with their photos taken with him. I simply followed where he went, cautious not to intrude in his thoughts, time and priorities while he was around. As a guest of honor and speaker during the occasion, he shared his thoughts as a goat raiser. “I love goats, I know goats,” he said. That is true. When we visited Cotabato way back when he was yet governor of the province, we toured his goat farm. “I was a breeder of goats,” he added. Indeed, he had the best goats I ever saw at that time in the Philippines.
When he shifted his talk to hybridization and its benefits, my mind was imagining almost every living creature on the planet that could be genetically improved through the process are actually hybridized throughout time. For several centuries, human beings have been intermarrying with each other. Wherever people went, they also brought with them livestock and crops that were used to improve the native stock. Unexpectedly, on my part, Secretary Piñol took this public occasion to express his support to the GR Project in the Philippines, “notwithstanding the opposition of Greenpeace and non-government organizations (NGOs).”
 Golden rice is natural rice. The genetic alteration done in the intervention is to introduce a critical natural and helpful ingredient in the crop for the benefit of farmers and consumers of rice over the long term, Secretary Piñol said. Last February 28, 2017, the IRRI and Philrice submitted an application for a biosafety permit with the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI). Approval of the permit will bring Golden Rice – the vitamin A-enriched rice variety that can help combat vitamin A deficiency one step closer to consumers. The permit will allow “direct use of Golden Rice (GR2E) as food and feed or for processing.”
In a previous email from Dr. Suralta, he said that “PhilRice and IRRI are working together in the Philippines to develop Golden Rice as a potential new food-based approach to improve vitamin A status.” He said that completion of the biosafety assessment is a prerequisite for the conduct of human nutrition studies of Golden Rice. The human nutrition studies are an important component in demonstrating the value of Golden Rice in complementing other approaches to mitigate vitamin A deficiency. After a dinner meeting with several guests at the DA Regional Office Conference Hall, which I waited on, I finally told Secretary Piñol my appreciation of his speech earlier in the day.
“Specifically, your statement of support to golden rice was something I waited on for quite some time,” I said. Reading my account on FB about this encounter, Dr. Roel Suralta immediately thanked me, saying that the good Secretary simply reiterated his kind support to the GR Project. On that day, we are both grateful souls on behalf of the nation’s farmers۔
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/baguio/opinion/2017/11/28/domoguen-da-secretary-emmanuel-f-pinol-supports-golden-rice-project-577140

Rice Webinar:  Thursday, November 30 

Tune in Thursday, November 30, at 10:00 a.m. Central Time, for a new rice webinar hosted by Dr. Bobby Coats, with the Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness at the University of Arkansas.  Arkansas' Senior Rice Plant Breeder Dr. Karen Moldenhauer will discuss her rice plant breeding program and provide insight into International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) rice breeding efforts.

Go 
here to register for the webinar.


International Rice Leadership Class Travels to Nicaragua and Colombia 
NICARAGUA & COLOMBIA -- Earlier this month, the 2017 International Rice Leadership Class visited several rice production operations, processing facilities, and public and private research stations in both countries.  During the week-long trip, class members also met with senior officials from Proarroz, the national rice organization in Nicaragua, and Fedearroz, the national rice organization in Colombia. 

Members of this year's class are alumni from previous Rice Leadership Development classes and include:  Jonathan Hobbs, New Orleans, LA; Mike Martin, Bernie, MO; Christian Richard, Kaplan, LA; Tim Walker, Memphis, TN; and Fred Zaunbrecher, Duson, LA.

The first stop was in Nicaragua where we visited two large, private rice farms, both working through their second harvest of the year.  Tropical climates in this region allow planting of back-to-back successive rice crops, although the two full-term growing seasons differ greatly in sunlight and rainfall, making it challenging for local farmers to breed and plant varieties that flourish in both environments.

"The farms we toured in Nicaragua were amazingly self-sufficient," said Mike Martin.  "They did their own research on varieties, fertilization, and chemicals.  Also, due to the fact that labor is economical and plentiful, production practices there included utilization of many small machines and manual labor for much of the cultivation and harvesting of the crop." 

The quality of rice produced in Nicaragua is very important to consumers there who demand low chalk and high amylose.   At one time, Nicaragua was a 100,000 MT market for the U.S. industry, but due to quality and preference concerns, demand diminished to zero and has slowly climbed back to 4,000 MT. 

After a tour of Agricorp, a modern dryer/mill facility in Chinandega, the class had dinner with the company's CEO, Amilcar Ybarra-Rojas, and talked about the quality of imported rice from the United States.  Ybarra-Rojas said he hoped to buy more rice from the U.S., but that it needed to meet the same low chalk standards of his brand varieties. 

"It was heartening to hear that Nicaragua has not completely abandoned the possibility of buying U.S.-grown rice," said Tim Walker.  "Approximately 5,000 tons of identity preserved, pure-line rice was shipped to Agricorp in the winter of 2017 and a minimum of 10,000 tons of the same will be sent within a month or so.  Mr. Ybarra-Rojas told our group he hopes the day is soon where he buys 150,000 tons of rice produced in the United States." 

Fedearroz mill built with TRQ funds

Colombia's rice farms are situated in fertile valleys at 1,500-2,000 feet above sea level.  Much like Nicaragua, Colombia's climate and environmental conditions allow for agricultural diversity including grains, fruits, coffee, and cattle.  And also like Nicaragua, their roads make it arduous for farmers to get their crops to market. 

"What caught my attention right away was the system the farmers there used to irrigate their crops," said Christian Richard.  "Most of the water used to flood the fields comes down from the mountains through man-made canals using gravity.  The idea of capturing this water, holding it, and using it on fields further downstream was very important, so much so that the first farm we saw had just constructed an on-farm reservoir to hold rain water and runoff as a source of water for future rice crops."
 
In Colombia, the group also toured newly constructed research and processing facilities and an irrigation project, all funded with TRQ funds made available by the U.S. Colombian Free Trade Agreement (FTA).  Innovative use of these funds for research, production, processing, and marketing, has allowed them to develop and expand the rice market extensively. 

As Fred Zaunbrecher explains, "Nearly 60 million dollars has been recognized by each partner in the Colombia FTA.  The United States has dedicated their share to an investment in research and Colombia has elected to use theirs for improvement to their rice industry infrastructure." 

Fedearroz, a private company made up of 700 employees, hosted a tour of their rice seed farm, their rice seed processing plant near Villavicencio, and their rice mill located in Casanare.  Like Agricorp in Nicaragua, Fedearroz is vertically integrated, taking rice from the seed, farm, and mill, to their own stores for retail sales. 
"Fedearroz does everything -- rice research, breeding, seed production and distribution, member-farming-incentivizing, drying, milling, and retail marketing," said Jonathan Hobbs.  "Their research and breeding center was new and impressive, as was their seed production plant.  Their new mill was not huge, but it was by far the nicest and most modern mill I have ever seen."

The class met a local husband/wife team who farmed about forty five minutes from the mill and they asked many questions about U.S. government lending programs, subsidy programs, and even import taxes on equipment.  As Richard said, "Even though we work a couple thousand miles apart, our day to day struggles were very similar."
"I was very impressed by how warmly we were welcomed, and the hospitality and openness extended by the people of Nicaragua and Colombia," said Martin.  "Programs like this help keep the channels of communication open for progress in the future.  The contacts that were made on this trip, and the relationships built in a short amount of time, makes me hopeful that our countries will continue to work together for the mutual benefit of the entire rice industry."

The Rice Leadership Development Program is sponsored by John Deere Company, American Commodity Company, and RiceTec, Inc. through a grant to The Rice Foundation and is managed by USA Rice.


On the loading dock at the Agricorp mill near Managua, Nicaragua




Domoguen: DA Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol supports the Golden Rice Project

Tuesday, November 28, 2017 By ROBERT L. DOMOGUEN MOUNTAIN LIGHT I WAs unable to talk to Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol on the joint Golden Rice (GR) project of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and Philippine Rice Research Institute (Philrice) on those occasions I was in Metro Manila earlier this quarter of the year. To put this matter into perspective, I have been writing a series of articles last October, this year, about Golden Rice, with information inputs from Dr. Roel Suralta, team leader of the GR Project at Philrice.
 I wanted our good Secretary to personally share his views on the merits of this special rice crop and the joint GR Project in the Philippines through our Mountain Light column at Sun Star Baguio. Golden Rice is a genetically engineered crop created by borrowing the carotene-making gene from corn and placing that gene into rice. Carotene is an important plant ingredient that our bodies convert into vitamin A. The nutrient is essential to the development of bones and eyesight. The Filipino diet has highlighted to policymakers and rice scientists the importance of the GR Project. We eat rice three times a day for our energy needs.
 Vitamin A can be had from vegetables and fruits. It is argued that VAD can be addressed with proper education and fortification programs. After decades of government and private sponsored vitamin A fortification and nutrition education, even in areas with ample supply of vegetables and fruits, one might believe that VAD should not be an issue in the Philippines. However, research studies show otherwise. The results of a food and nutrition survey among pre-school children revealed VAD increased from 15.2 percent in 2008 to 20.4 percent in 2013. These figures translate to about 2.1 million Filipino kids who are at very high risk of becoming blind or even dying due to preventable infections.
Experts say VAD increases vulnerability to illnesses including measles, respiratory infections, and diarrhea, which are the leading causes of death among children in developing countries. It is not only the proponents of the GR Project who are advocating for Golden Rice. The cream of the world’s science community, particularly Nobel Laureates (more than 100 of them), including a former Greenpeace co-founder Patrick Moore, are supporting both the science and merits of golden rice in addressing VAD. Upon assumption to office, former Secretary of the DA, Proceso J. Alcala, once an ardent proponent of organic farming in the Philippines, warned that GMO crops are not safe for consumption.
However, I was informed by a staff at PhilRice that he (Secretary Alcala) supported the GR Project. When Secretary Piñol came over to the Cordillera last week for the conduct of the 6th National Congress on Goats and Sheep, I wanted so much to get his statement on the GR Project that I have been waiting for.
When we met in La Trinidad, Benguet, I kept silent. I did not plunge into the interview I wanted to have. Everybody wanted to have a brief chat with their photos taken with him. I simply followed where he went, cautious not to intrude in his thoughts, time and priorities while he was around. As a guest of honor and speaker during the occasion, he shared his thoughts as a goat raiser. “I love goats, I know goats,” he said. That is true. When we visited Cotabato way back when he was yet governor of the province, we toured his goat farm. “I was a breeder of goats,” he added. Indeed, he had the best goats I ever saw at that time in the Philippines.
When he shifted his talk to hybridization and its benefits, my mind was imagining almost every living creature on the planet that could be genetically improved through the process are actually hybridized throughout time. For several centuries, human beings have been intermarrying with each other. Wherever people went, they also brought with them livestock and crops that were used to improve the native stock. Unexpectedly, on my part, Secretary Piñol took this public occasion to express his support to the GR Project in the Philippines, “notwithstanding the opposition of Greenpeace and non-government organizations (NGOs).”
 Golden rice is natural rice. The genetic alteration done in the intervention is to introduce a critical natural and helpful ingredient in the crop for the benefit of farmers and consumers of rice over the long term, Secretary Piñol said. Last February 28, 2017, the IRRI and Philrice submitted an application for a biosafety permit with the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI). Approval of the permit will bring Golden Rice – the vitamin A-enriched rice variety that can help combat vitamin A deficiency one step closer to consumers. The permit will allow “direct use of Golden Rice (GR2E) as food and feed or for processing.”
 In a previous email from Dr. Suralta, he said that “PhilRice and IRRI are working together in the Philippines to develop Golden Rice as a potential new food-based approach to improve vitamin A status.” He said that completion of the biosafety assessment is a prerequisite for the conduct of human nutrition studies of Golden Rice. The human nutrition studies are an important component in demonstrating the value of Golden Rice in complementing other approaches to mitigate vitamin A deficiency. After a dinner meeting with several guests at the DA Regional Office Conference Hall, which I waited on, I finally told Secretary Piñol my appreciation of his speech earlier in the day. “Specifically, your statement of support to golden rice was something I waited on for quite some time,” I said.
 Reading my account on FB about this encounter, Dr. Roel Suralta immediately thanked me, saying that the good Secretary simply reiterated his kind support to the GR Project. On that day, we are both grateful souls on behalf of the nation’s farmers.

 http://www.sunstar.com.ph/baguio/opinion/2017/11/28/domoguen-da-secretary-emmanuel-f-pinol-supports-golden-rice-project-577140

Senate OKs Balik Scientist Bill on final reading

The Senate passes Senate Bill 1533 or the Balik Scientist Bill on third and final reading with a vote of 13-0
Rappler.com
Published 10:17 AM, November 28, 2017
Updated 10:17 AM, November 28, 2017
PINOY SCIENTIST AT WORK. In this photograph taken on October 10, 2015, gene bank manager Flora de Guzman checks rice samples at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in Laguna, south of Manila. Noel Celis/AFP
MANILA, Philippines – A proposed measure to help attract Filipino scientists and experts back home has hurdled the third and final reading at the Senate.The Senate passed Senate Bill No 1533 or the Balik Scientist Bill on third and final reading with a vote of 13-0. It aims to provide incentives and benefits for Filipino scientists based overseas who decide to return home to help in the country's research and development sector. It aims to help address the shortage of scientists, engineers, and experts in the Philippines, who are lured by other countries with better pay and working conditions and facilities.
SB 1533 aims to institutionalize the Balik Scientist Program, a program of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) that gives incentives and benefits to Filipino scientists who return to work the country.
The DOST defines "balik scientists" as Filipino citizens, former Filipino citizens, or foreigners of Filipino descent who live abroad and are contracted by the government to work in the Philippines for a certain period of time.
At present, the Philippines only has 189 scientists per million people, which Senator Paolo Benigno "Bam" Aquino IV said is a far cry from the UNESCO standard of 380 scientists per million.
This figure pales in comparison to South Korea (5,300), United States (3,500), Malaysia (2,100), Singapore (6,700), and Israel (8,300), which leads the world in the statistic."This is a step towards improving the country’s research and development sector. We must support more initiatives to empower our scientists and researchers," Aquino said in a statement on Monday, November 27.The DOST previously said that the Balik Scientist Law will significantly increase funding for the Balik Scientist Program.
The 2017 budget for the program was at P25 million.The late strongman Ferdinand Marcos established the Balik Scientist Program through Presidential Decree No. 819 in 1975, and was implemented until 1986. President Fidel V. Ramos revived the program through Executive Order No. 130 in 1993, placing it under the DOST. – Rappler.com
https://www.rappler.com/science-nature/society-culture/189726-balik-scientist-bill-passes-senate-final-reading

Wheat recovers on increased offtake by flour mills

New Delhi, Nov 28 () Wheat pries recovered by Rs 15 per quintal at the wholesale grains market today due to increased offtake by flour mills against restricted arrivals.
However, rice basmati ended lower on easing demand.
Traders said increased offtake by flour mills amid pause in supplies from producing regions mainly attributed the rise in wheat prices.
In the national capital, wheat dara (for mills) rose by Rs 15 to Rs 1,835-1,840 per quintal. Atta chakki delivery followed suit and traded higher by a similar margin to Rs 1,840-1,845 per 90 kg.
On the other hand, rice basmati common and Pusa-1121 variety fell by Rs 200 each to Rs 7,700-7,800 and Rs 6,200- 6,300 per quintal respectively.
Following are today's quotations (in Rs per quintal):
Wheat MP (desi) Rs 2,125-2,325, Wheat dara (for mills) Rs 1,835-1,840, Chakki atta (delivery) Rs 1,840-1,845, Atta Rajdhani (10 kg) Rs 260-300, Shakti Bhog (10 kg) Rs 255-290, Roller flour mill Rs 990-1,000 (50 kg), Maida Rs 1,030-1,040 (50 kg)and Sooji Rs 1,060-1,070 (50 kg).
Basmati rice (Lal Quila) Rs 10,700, Shri Lal Mahal Rs 11,300, Super Basmati Rice Rs 9,800, Basmati common new Rs 7,700-7,800, Rice Pusa (1121) Rs 6,200-6,300, Permal raw Rs 2,300-2350, Permal wand Rs 2,350-2,400, Sela Rs 2,600-2,800 and Rice IR-8 Rs 1,950-1,975, Bajra Rs 1,200-1,205, Jowar yellow Rs 1,350-1,400, white Rs 2,700-2,800, Maize Rs 1,320- 1,325, Barley Rs 1,480-1,490. SUN KPS ADI MKJ


RiceBran Technologies (RIBT) Receives Hold Rating from Maxim Group


RiceBran Technologies (NASDAQ:RIBT)‘s stock had its “hold” rating reissued by equities researchers at Maxim Group in a research report issued to clients and investors on Friday, November 10th.The analysts wrote, “3Q17 revenue of $3.4M, up 6.0% y/y on an apples-to-apples basis, was inline with consensus of $3.4M, but slightly below our estimate of $3.6M. Gross margin of 33.1%, up 800bps y/y, was above both our estimate of 27.6% and consensus of 26.4%. GAAP EPS of $0.30 was below our estimate of $0.42, but above consensus of $0.13. This includes ($0.38) from continuing operations and $0.67 from discontinued operations. Positive adjusted EBITDA is the next major initiative for the company. Management believes it can achieve this by reaching $19M-$22M in revenue and expects this to occur within the next 12-24 months.””

Separately, ValuEngine upgraded shares of RiceBran Technologies from a “strong sell” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Friday, September 15th.Shares of RiceBran Technologies (NASDAQ RIBT) remained flat at $$1.24 during mid-day trading on Friday. 12,100 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 45,781.
RiceBran Technologies has a 52-week low of $0.69 and a 52-week high of $1.40.
A hedge fund recently bought a new stake in RiceBran Technologies stock. First Eagle Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in RiceBran Technologies (NASDAQ:RIBT) during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor acquired 199,978 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $256,000. First Eagle Investment Management LLC owned 1.19% of RiceBran Technologies at the end of the most recent reporting period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 5.49% of the company’s stock.
About RiceBran Technologies
RiceBran Technologies is a human food ingredient, functional food ingredient, packaged functional food and animal nutrition company. The Company is focused on processing and marketing of nutrient dense products derived from raw rice, an underutilized by-product of the rice milling industry. The Company has two operating segments
https://weekherald.com/2017/11/28/ricebran-technologies-ribt-hold-rating-reiterated-at-maxim-group.html


Over 68 lakh tonnes paddy arrives in Haryana


Chandigarh, Nov 28 More than 68.57 lakh tonnes of paddy had arrived in the 'mandis' of Haryana until yesterday as compared to over 69.56 lakh tonnes during the corresponding period that arrived during the last year.Out of the total arrival of paddy until yesterday during the current procurement season which began last month, government agencies had procured over 58.71 lakh tonnes of paddy whereas the remaining over 9.85 lakh tonnes was procured by the millers.
More than 27.36 lakh tonnes of paddy has been purchased by the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department, over 19.18 lakh tonnes by Hafed, over 6.40 lakh tonnes by the Haryana Warehousing Corporation, over 5.56 lakh tonnes by the Haryana Agro-industries Corporation and 19,667 tonnes by the Food Corporation of India, an official release said here.
Giving details of paddy arrival in different districts, it said that maximum quantity of paddy has arrived in Karnal which is over 14.47 lakh tonnes followed by Kurukshetra at over 12.12 lakh tonnes.
https://www.outlookindia.com/newsscroll/over-68-lakh-tonnes-paddy-arrives-in-haryana/1198014



Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open- November 29, 2017
NEWSNOVEMBER 29, 2017 / 1:22 PM
Nagpur, Nov 29 (Reuters) – Gram prices reported strong in Nagpur Agriculture Produce Marketing
Committee (APMC) on increased demand from local millers amid weak supply from producing regions.
Fresh rise in Madhya Pradesh gram pries and reported demand from South-based millers also pushed
up prices, according to sources. 

    FOODGRAINS & PULSES
     
   GRAM
   * Desi gram raw recovered in open market on renewed buying support from local traders.
  
   TUAR
     
   * Tuar Karnataka firmed up in open market on good demand from local traders amid tight
     supply from producing regions.

   * Moong Chamki moved down in open market on lack of demand from local traders.
                                                                  
   * In Akola, Tuar New – 4,000-4,150, Tuar dal (clean) – 5,700-5,800, Udid Mogar (clean)
    – 8,000-8,500, Moong Mogar (clean) 7,000-7,300, Gram – 4,525-4,675, Gram Super best
    – 7,300-7,500

   * Wheat, rice and other foodgrain items moved in a narrow range in
     scattered deals and settled at last levels in thin trading activity.
      
 Nagpur foodgrains APMC auction/open-market prices in rupees for 100 kg
   
     FOODGRAINS                 Available prices     Previous close  
     Gram Auction                  4,200-4,400         3,800-4,400
     Gram Pink Auction            n.a.           2,100-2,600
     Tuar Auction                n.a.                3,822-3,927
     Moong Auction                n.a.                3,900-4,200
     Udid Auction                n.a.           4,300-4,500
     Masoor Auction                n.a.              2,600-2,800
     Wheat Mill quality Auction        1,600-1,680        1,600-1,696
     Gram Super Best Bold            7,000-7,800        7,000-7,800
     Gram Super Best            n.a.            n.a.
     Gram Medium Best            6,400-6,800        6,400-6,800
     Gram Dal Medium            n.a.            n.a
     Gram Mill Quality            4,700-4,800        4,700-4,800
     Desi gram Raw                4,950-5,050         4,900-5,000
     Gram Kabuli                12,400-13,000        12,400-13,000
     Tuar Fataka Best-New             6,200-6,400        6,200-6,400
     Tuar Fataka Medium-New        5,900-6,100        5,900-6,000
     Tuar Dal Best Phod-New        5,400-5,700        5,400-5,700
     Tuar Dal Medium phod-New        5,100-5,350        5,100-5,350
     Tuar Gavarani New             4,050-4,150        4,000-4,100
     Tuar Karnataka             4,550-4,850        4,400-4,700
     Masoor dal best            5,000-5,200        5,000-5,200
     Masoor dal medium            4,600-4,800        4,600-4,800
     Masoor                    n.a.            n.a.
     Moong Mogar bold (New)        7,100-7,500         7,100-7,500
     Moong Mogar Medium            6,300-6,700        6,300-6,700
     Moong dal Chilka            5,200-6,000        5,200-6,000
     Moong Mill quality            n.a.            n.a.
     Moong Chamki best            7,000-7,500        7,100-7,600
     Udid Mogar best (100 INR/KG) (New) 8,500-9,000       8,500-9,000
     Udid Mogar Medium (100 INR/KG)    5,800-7,000        5,800-7,000   
     Udid Dal Black (100 INR/KG)        5,300-6,400        5,300-6,400    
     Batri dal (100 INR/KG)        5,100-5,200        5,100-5,200
     Lakhodi dal (100 INR/kg)          3,000-3,100         2,850-3,000
     Watana Dal (100 INR/KG)            3,100-3,200        2,900-3,000
     Watana Green Best (100 INR/KG)    3,400-3,800        3,400-3,800  
     Wheat 308 (100 INR/KG)        1,900-2,000        1,900-2,000
     Wheat Mill quality (100 INR/KG)    1,850-1,950        1,850-1,950  
     Wheat Filter (100 INR/KG)         2,100-2,300           2,100-2,300        
     Wheat Lokwan best (100 INR/KG)    2,200-2,450        2,200-2,400   
     Wheat Lokwan medium (100 INR/KG)   1,900-2,150        1,900-2,100
     Lokwan Hath Binar (100 INR/KG)    n.a.            n.a.
     MP Sharbati Best (100 INR/KG)    3,100-3,600        3,100-3,600   
     MP Sharbati Medium (100 INR/KG)    2,300-2,700        2,300-2,700          
     Rice BPT best (100 INR/KG)        3,000-3,500        3,000-3,500   
     Rice BPT medium (100 INR/KG)        2,800-2,900        2,800-2,900   
     Rice Luchai (100 INR/KG)         2,200-2,400        2,200-2,400     
     Rice Swarna best (100 INR/KG)      2,500-2,600        2,500-2,600  
     Rice Swarna medium (100 INR/KG)      2,300-2,400        2,300-2,400  
     Rice HMT best (100 INR/KG)        3,600-4,000        3,600-4,000    
     Rice HMT medium (100 INR/KG)        3,250-3,600        3,250-3,600    
     Rice Shriram best(100 INR/KG)      4,800-5,100        4,800-5,100
     Rice Shriram med (100 INR/KG)    4,400-4,600        4,400-4,600  
     Rice Basmati best (100 INR/KG)    10,200-14,000        10,200-14,000    
     Rice Basmati Medium (100 INR/KG)    5,200-7,500        5,300-7,500   
     Rice Chinnor best 100 INR/KG)    5,000-5,500        5,000-5,500   
     Rice Chinnor medium (100 INR/KG)    4,700-5,000        4,700-5,000  
     Jowar Gavarani (100 INR/KG)        2,000-2,200        2,000-2,100   
     Jowar CH-5 (100 INR/KG)         1,800-2,000        1,700-2,000

WEATHER (NAGPUR) 
Maximum temp. 31.5 degree Celsius, minimum temp. 11.6 degree Celsius
Rainfall : Nil
FORECAST: Mainly clear sky. Maximum and minimum temperature would be around and 31 and 12 degree
Celsius respectively.

Note: n.a.--not available
(For oils, transport costs are excluded from plant delivery prices, but included in market prices)


                 

FG supports local farmers with rice milling equipment

November 28, 2017
 

Collins Nnabuife - Abuja AgricultureMinister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbeh (middle) waiting to receive a plaque from Dr. Mrs. Nike Akande, Chairman of NEPAD NBGN in his office.
The Federal Government has promised to support local farmers across the country with rice milling equipment such as destoners and threshers. The Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbeh, made this known during a courtesy call on him by the Chairman of NEPAD Business Group Nigeria (NBGN) Mrs. Nike Akande (CON).He noted that with this support, it will further assist the farmers to reduce the cost of production and consequently the local price of rice will drop tremendously.

The Minister also noted that according to reports from Thai Rice Exporters Association, the volume of rice importation has dropped from a whopping 644,000 tons to 20,000 tons from 2015 till date.Earlier, Dr. Mrs. Nike Akande (NBGN) called for the support of the Ministry in the organization of the 4th Nigeria Rice Investment Forum scheduled for 2018 and moreover assured the Minister of the continuous collaboration and support of the NBGN in the bid to grow the agriculture sector.
Dr. Mrs. Nike Akande seized the opportunity to present a plaque to the Honourable Minister of Agriculture for his efforts in driving the agriculture sector forward.NEPAD was inaugurated in 2004 by former President Olusegun Obasanjo with the sole objective of job and wealth creation for poverty alleviation in the African continent

FG supports local farmers with rice milling equipment

November 28, 2017
Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbeh (middle) waiting to receive a plaque from Dr. Mrs. Nike Akande, Chairman of NEPAD NBGN in his office.
The Federal Government has promised to support local farmers across the country with rice milling equipment such as destoners and threshers.
The Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbeh, made this known during a courtesy call on him by the Chairman of NEPAD Business Group Nigeria (NBGN) Mrs. Nike Akande (CON).
He noted that with this support, it will further assist the farmers to reduce the cost of production and consequently the local price of rice will drop tremendously.
The Minister also noted that according to reports from Thai Rice Exporters Association, the volume of rice importation has dropped from a whopping 644,000 tons to 20,000 tons from 2015 till date.
Earlier, Dr. Mrs. Nike Akande (NBGN) called for the support of the Ministry in the organization of the 4th Nigeria Rice Investment Forum scheduled for 2018 and moreover assured the Minister of the continuous collaboration and support of the NBGN in the bid to grow the agriculture sector.
Dr. Mrs. Nike Akande seized the opportunity to present a plaque to the Honourable Minister of Agriculture for his efforts in driving the agriculture sector forward.
NEPAD was inaugurated in 2004 by former President Olusegun Obasanjo with the sole objective of job and wealth creation for poverty alleviation in the African continent

http://www.tribuneonlineng.com/fg-supports-local-farmers-rice-milling-equipment/