Monday, June 11, 2018

11th June,2018 daily global regional local rice e-newsletter


Bangladesh slaps 28pc tax on rice imports



DHAKA/MUMBAI: Bangladesh is imposing a 28 percent tax on rice imports to support its farmers after local production revived, Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith said on Thursday.
The duty hike would reduce imports, especially from neighbouring India, which emerged as the biggest supplier to the South Asian country last year after floods ravaged its crop.
“This year we have a bumper production in rice, thus to protect local farmers, 25 percent customs duty and 3 percent regulatory duty has been re-imposed on rice importation,” Muhith said in his budget speech for the 2018/19 fiscal year.
Bangladesh had cut a previous import duty of 28 percent in two phases in 2017 to 2 percent after domestic rice prices climbed to a record high.
Bangladesh’s rice imports rose to a record 3.7 million tonnes in the July-April period, data from the country’s food ministry showed.
“Re-imposing tax on rice import was needed to curb imports. Otherwise, our farmers would have affected and could have lost interest in rice cultivation,” Badrul Hasan, the head of Bangladesh’s state grain buyer, told Reuters on Thursday.
The inventory and bumper crop would be sufficient to cater local demand, he said.
The country’s production for 2018/19 as a whole is expected to recover to 34.7 million tonnes, up 6.3 percent year-on-year, according to estimates from the US Department of Agriculture attache in Bangladesh.
Indian exporters said they were going to lose competitiveness due to the duty hike.
“Imports would be very expensive for buyers now. Instead, they will prefer local crop,” said a New Delhi based dealer with a global trading firm.
India’s rice exports surged to a record high 12.7 million tonnes in the 2017/18 year to March 31 due to robust demand from Bangladesh.
Bangladesh recently cancelled a deal with India to import 150,000 tonnes of rice due to a delay in shipments.

Asia Rice-India prices dip as Bangladesh production recovers



BENGALURU: Rice export prices in India fell this week to their lowest this year on sluggish demand before top buyer Bangladesh slaps import duty on exports of the grain after domestic production recovered.
Rates for India’s 5 percent broken parboiled variety <RI-INBKN5-P1> fell by $6 to $393-$397 per tonne. Bangladesh is imposing a 28 percent tax on rice imports to support its farmers after local production revived, Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith said on Thursday.
He said 25 percent customs duty and 3 percent regulatory duty would be imposed on rice imports.
Indian exporters said they were going to lose competitiveness due to the duty hike. India was the biggest supplier of rice to Bangladesh in 2017.
“Exports to Bangladesh would become nearly impossible if it raises the import duty,” said an exporter based at Kakinada in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh.
Meanwhile, in Vietnam, prices of 5 percent broken rice <RI-VNBKN5-P1> climbed to their highest since January 2012, at $465-$475 a tonne, versus $455-$460 a week earlier, despite an ongoing mini harvest.
“Prices are too high for any deals to be clinched while supplies remain tight, though the spring-summer harvest has begun,” a Ho chi Minh City-based trader said.
Output from the ongoing harvest is low while the rice quality is not very high, traders and farmers in southern Vietnam said.
“Exporters are now only looking at government-to-government deals,” the trader said, adding that the Vietnamese government was not buying output from the current harvest for stockpiling.
Elsewhere in southeast Asia, Thailand’s benchmark 5 percent broken rice <RI-THBKN5-P1> narrowed to $430-432 per tonne, free on board (FOB) Bangkok, compared with $430-446 last week.
Thai rice traders said that demand has been flat with no new interest registered from overseas this week.
“We probably have to wait until after Ramadan to see if there is fresh demand from Africa,” a Bangkok based trader said, referring to the Muslim fasting month.
African markets usually import parboil rice from Thailand every year but the same trader said the demand from there has been slowed in the first half of this year.Thailand’s commerce ministry this week said the country had exported 4.98 million tonnes or rice from the beginning of the year until June 1.

RRI partners with Intertek on rice DNA markers

The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) said that it has entered a partnership with Intertek, an industrial testing services provider to allow the company use rice DNA markers that IRRI develops

 IRRI said that the partnership would result in better service for Intertek clients. (Image source: International Rice Research Institute) IRRI said that the partnership would result in better service for Intertek clients in the rice industry. The agreement is non-exclusive. The agreement will help in broader distribution of IRRI's DNA markers for marker-assisted rice breeding programmes. The markers can also be used for quality control. As part of the agreement, Intertek agreed to provide a volume of sample analysis free of charge. “The cooperation between IRRI and Intertek will allow rice breeders and consumers all over the world to access low-density DNA markers to screen for high-value traits, including new tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses,” said Patrick Stolt, Intertek Global Product Line Leader. “IRRI’s groundbreaking and comprehensive R&D work will allow Intertek labs in India, Australia, and Sweden to serve customers both on a global and local level by providing low-cost and fast-turnaround genotyping services,” Stolt, added. “The partnership with Intertek allows us to leverage our innovations and accelerate impact on rice value chains, for the benefit of rice farmers,” said Rémy Bitoun, head of IRRI Tech Transfer. “With Intertek’s extensive experience in genotyping services for the seed and breeding industry, IRRI’s research on rice DNA markers will reach more stakeholders, speeding up development of much needed novel rice varieties,” Bitoun, said.

Rice prices up for 6th straight month
MANILA, Philippines — Rice prices have been increasing since the start of the year following the lack of supply of cheaper rice from state-run National Food Authority (NFA). But the NFA is expecting prices to slowly stabilize this month as rice imports started arriving this week. Farm gate price of paddy rice continued its upward trend for six consecutive months after it posted an increment of 10 percent at the start of this month, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said. In its regular update on palay (rice prior to husking), rice and corn prices, the PSA said the average price of palay went up to P21.16 per kilogram from P19.20 per kg last year. Week-on-week, prices were also up 0.4 percent.

The average wholesale price of well-milled rice rose seven percent to P41.35 per kg year-on-year and week-on-week prices inched up by a minimal 0.12 percent. The average retail price of well-milled rice increased to P44.11 per kg, up by six percent year-on-year. The wholesale price of regular-milled rice was P37.93 per kg, eight percent higher than the previous year. Its average retail price also increased seven percent to P40.36 per kg. An initial shipment of 16,000 metric tons (MT) arrived from Vietnam as part of the first 250,000 MT procured via government-to-government tender last month. As of the end of last month, 76,700 MT were being loaded in five vessels at the ports of origin while 86,700 MT were ready to be loaded. A suitable ship was being nominated for the balance of 70,600 MT. PSA earlier said the country’s rice inventory remains low this year as it went down by 18 percent to 2.18 million MT as of April.

The PSA reported that total rice inventory as of end-April was lower than the 2.68 million MT recorded last year and was 29 percent lower than the 1.7 million MT recorded in the previous month. Farm gate prices of white corn grain rose 21 percent to P16.57 per kg. Week-on-week, prices were down one percent. Prices of yellow corn grain likewise picked up by 21 percent year-on-year to P13.84 per kg and increased by one percent on a weekly basis. The average wholesale price of yellow corn grain increased 12 percent to P20.07 per kg.

‘Insensitive’ economic managers

Meanwhile, the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) yesterday condemned government economic managers for failing to roll out the anti-poverty programs of the Duterte administration. In a statement, TUCP accused these economic managers of “lack of prudence and judgment in their economic planning,” citing their “predictive failure in forecasting the consequences of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion law.” “Where is the change (that President Duterte promised) to bring about? Instead, in the face of massive price hikes of basic good and commodities, the economic managers are demonstrating insensitivity,” the group said. TUCP vice president Luis Corral said Duterte should take the frontline in the fight against inflation.  “We call on President Duterte to outline his game plan now to bring down prices, improve the quality of life, ensure genuine social inclusion, address our need for a living wage and guarantee that no one will be left behind,” he added. TUCP claimed that the price monitoring efforts of the Department of Trade and Industry are “perfunctory and ineffective.”   It also expressed exasperation on the rice importation by the NFA, saying it is merely a “stop-gap measure.” As this developed, the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) has expressed its support to the call for a nationwide monthly subsidy of P500 for minimum wage earners. The monthly subsidy was proposed earlier by the Associated Labor Unions-TUCP and was conveyed to Duterte to help minimum wage earners cope with the rising cost of commodities. ECOP, however, has opposed labor groups’ call for the implementation of a P800-per-day national minimum wage. ECOP warned that a wage hike at this time would only aggravate the situation of the unemployed. For his part, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian yesterday said the country’s quantitative restriction on rice imports should be replaced with a 35 percent tariff that is expected to make the staple food more affordable for all, – With Sheila Crisostomo, Richmond Mercurio, Paolo Romero Read more at https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2018/06/09/1823012/rice-prices-6th-straight-month#VATwsmBieMAiS4MO.99

New framework needed for paddy, rice industry
June 11, 2018 08:54 am +08
Neily Syafiqah Eusoff
This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, on June 11, 2018.
KUALA LUMPUR: Experts say the Malaysian government will need to carefully analyse and introduce a new framework for the paddy and rice industry following the dismantling of Padiberas Nasional Bhd’s (Bernas) monopoly in the sector.
Last Thursday, the government announced that Bernas’ monopoly to import rice has been terminated. A working paper on the breakup will be drafted with feedback from the agriculture and agro-based industry ministry and other stakeholders to be submitted to the government for further action.
“To protect the interests of local paddy farmers, we have identified the modules used in other countries [on importing the staple], among them Indonesia, which has been successful in its approach in opening up the monopoly on rice,” minister Salahuddin Ayub told reporters.
The president of the local unit of the UNI Malaysia Labour Centre (UNI MLC) Datuk Mohamed Shafie BP Mammal lauded the government’s move to break the monopoly but said it is necessary to formulate a well-thought-out and comprehensive plan to ensure there is fair trade and healthy competition among the players.
“Breaking the monopoly is a healthy move as it will encourage healthy competition. Then when there is no more monopoly, there must be a new framework. The government or minister needs to introduce a new framework which everybody understands and will benefit the rakyat, while the competition shouldn’t be pinching [customers] from one another,” he told The Edge Financial Daily via telephone.
“Now they (the government) want to introduce a new system so I think they must have a concrete and positive reason why they want to break the monopoly. Is it because the government thinks they cannot control Bernas or is Bernas weak?” said Mohamed Shafie, who is also a trade union leader involved in food and agro businesses.
“I’m not defending Bernas, but this is not something where you come today and you make a new decision for another five years. Bernas will be affected [by the government’s decision] and they might need to retrench workers,” he explained.
With the breaking up of the rice monopoly, independent economist Dr Chung Tin Fah said the government can save on subsidies while opening up opportunities for other players and prices can be lowered as well.
“Monopoly is bad in [the way] that it will limit consumer choice and the monopolist set prices to earn higher than a justifiable return,” he said.
Mohamed Shafie said Bernas’ monopoly over the country’s rice supply has become a hot-button issue about unfair trade practices, but the company still face certain limitations.
“Maybe now the government realises that there is something wrong with the import of rice and therefore they want to break the monopoly and give it (the same licence) to several other companies.
Meanwhile, Socio-Economic Research Centre Sdn Bhd (SERC) executive director Lee Heng Guie said the scrapping of the rice importation monopoly would mean the liberalisation process has been set in place, allowing other players to supply in the rice market.
“Pending the detailed structure and mechanism, the proposed policy should not only result in more sharing of profits among all rice dealers but also make rice affordable to the masses as consumers have more varieties to choose from.
“The liberalisation of rice importation would enhance food security rather than diminish it,” he said in an email reply.
Currently, 70% of rice demand comes from domestic producers while the balance 30% is imported from various sources, he noted.
Lee believes that the rice monopoly or giving out import permits to favoured importers had not only resulted in “rent-seeking” practices, but had also often led to high prices of rice for consumers, smuggling and arbitrage of price differentials between domestic and foreign rice.
“Rice is central to food security. It is a strategic commodity as the overall economic growth and per capita consumption depend on an adequate, affordable and stable supply of this staple crop,” he added.
Veteran economist and former civil servant Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam said he hopes that this is the precedent for other monopolies to be broken down.
“This should not be the first and only monopoly to be broken down,” he quipped.
Bernas, the country’s sole rice importer was listed on the local bourse before it was taken private by businessman Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhary in April 2014. During that time, the privatisation was met with strong criticism amid concerns that Syed Mokhtar, who already owned many strategic assets, for instance, ports and power plants, would monopolise the import of rice.
Bernas posted a pre-tax profit of RM133.39 million for the financial year ended Dec 31, 2016 (FY16), on a revenue of RM4.34 billion. Compared with FY15, Bernas’ pre-tax profit in FY16 grew 2.6% from RM130.05 million, while revenue rose 2.8% from RM4.23 billion.
Bernas is involved in the procurement and processing of paddy, importation, warehousing, distribution and marketing of rice in Malaysia, seed and farming activities, international rice joint ventures, as well as rice complementary businesses.
According to its website, Bernas continued to fulfil its obligations under a privatisation agreement signed with the government in 1996.
“These obligations include maintenance of the nation’s rice stockpile, acting as the buyer of last resort for paddy farmers, managing the Bumiputera Rice Millers Scheme and the distribution of paddy price subsidies to farmers on behalf of the government,” it said.
On March 30, 2017 The Edge Financial Daily reported that Bernas was eyeing a relisting in 2020, a year before the expiry of its rice import concession in 2021.

New framework needed for paddy, rice industry

June 11, 2018 08:54 am +08
This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, on June 11, 2018.
KUALA LUMPUR: Experts say the Malaysian government will need to carefully analyse and introduce a new framework for the paddy and rice industry following the dismantling of Padiberas Nasional Bhd’s (Bernas) monopoly in the sector.Last Thursday, the government announced that Bernas’ monopoly to import rice has been terminated. A working paper on the breakup will be drafted with feedback from the agriculture and agro-based industry ministry and other stakeholders to be submitted to the government for further action.
“To protect the interests of local paddy farmers, we have identified the modules used in other countries [on importing the staple], among them Indonesia, which has been successful in its approach in opening up the monopoly on rice,” minister Salahuddin Ayub told reporters.
The president of the local unit of the UNI Malaysia Labour Centre (UNI MLC) Datuk Mohamed Shafie BP Mammal lauded the government’s move to break the monopoly but said it is necessary to formulate a well-thought-out and comprehensive plan to ensure there is fair trade and healthy competition among the players.
“Breaking the monopoly is a healthy move as it will encourage healthy competition. Then when there is no more monopoly, there must be a new framework. The government or minister needs to introduce a new framework which everybody understands and will benefit the rakyat, while the competition shouldn’t be pinching [customers] from one another,” he told The Edge Financial Daily via telephone.
“Now they (the government) want to introduce a new system so I think they must have a concrete and positive reason why they want to break the monopoly. Is it because the government thinks they cannot control Bernas or is Bernas weak?” said Mohamed Shafie, who is also a trade union leader involved in food and agro businesses.
“I’m not defending Bernas, but this is not something where you come today and you make a new decision for another five years. Bernas will be affected [by the government’s decision] and they might need to retrench workers,” he explained.
With the breaking up of the rice monopoly, independent economist Dr Chung Tin Fah said the government can save on subsidies while opening up opportunities for other players and prices can be lowered as well.
“Monopoly is bad in [the way] that it will limit consumer choice and the monopolist set prices to earn higher than a justifiable return,” he said.
Mohamed Shafie said Bernas’ monopoly over the country’s rice supply has become a hot-button issue about unfair trade practices, but the company still face certain limitations.
“Maybe now the government realises that there is something wrong with the import of rice and therefore they want to break the monopoly and give it (the same licence) to several other companies.
Meanwhile, Socio-Economic Research Centre Sdn Bhd (SERC) executive director Lee Heng Guie said the scrapping of the rice importation monopoly would mean the liberalisation process has been set in place, allowing other players to supply in the rice market.
“Pending the detailed structure and mechanism, the proposed policy should not only result in more sharing of profits among all rice dealers but also make rice affordable to the masses as consumers have more varieties to choose from.
“The liberalisation of rice importation would enhance food security rather than diminish it,” he said in an email reply.
Currently, 70% of rice demand comes from domestic producers while the balance 30% is imported from various sources, he noted.
Lee believes that the rice monopoly or giving out import permits to favoured importers had not only resulted in “rent-seeking” practices, but had also often led to high prices of rice for consumers, smuggling and arbitrage of price differentials between domestic and foreign rice.
“Rice is central to food security. It is a strategic commodity as the overall economic growth and per capita consumption depend on an adequate, affordable and stable supply of this staple crop,” he added.
Veteran economist and former civil servant Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam said he hopes that this is the precedent for other monopolies to be broken down.
“This should not be the first and only monopoly to be broken down,” he quipped.
Bernas, the country’s sole rice importer was listed on the local bourse before it was taken private by businessman Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhary in April 2014. During that time, the privatisation was met with strong criticism amid concerns that Syed Mokhtar, who already owned many strategic assets, for instance, ports and power plants, would monopolise the import of rice.
Bernas posted a pre-tax profit of RM133.39 million for the financial year ended Dec 31, 2016 (FY16), on a revenue of RM4.34 billion. Compared with FY15, Bernas’ pre-tax profit in FY16 grew 2.6% from RM130.05 million, while revenue rose 2.8% from RM4.23 billion.
Bernas is involved in the procurement and processing of paddy, importation, warehousing, distribution and marketing of rice in Malaysia, seed and farming activities, international rice joint ventures, as well as rice complementary businesses.
According to its website, Bernas continued to fulfil its obligations under a privatisation agreement signed with the government in 1996.
“These obligations include maintenance of the nation’s rice stockpile, acting as the buyer of last resort for paddy farmers, managing the Bumiputera Rice Millers Scheme and the distribution of paddy price subsidies to farmers on behalf of the government,” it said.
On March 30, 2017 The Edge Financial Daily reported that Bernas was eyeing a relisting in 2020, a year before the expiry of its rice import concession in 2021.
Breaking up rice monopoly could result in cartels, cautions Padi Rescue

June 11, 2018 13:47 pm +08
KUALA LUMPUR (June 11): The government should ensure that by breaking up the monopoly of rice, it will not instead cause the increase in foreign rice in the market, said rice coalition Padi Rescue today.
Its coordinator Norfitri Amir Muhammad told reporters that by appointing more companies to oversee rice imports, the government is not solving the problem.
"In fact, it would allow them to form a cartel or group monopoly to control the rice market and badly affect Malaysian padi farmers," he said in a press conference.
Amir was responding to Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Salahuddin Ayub's announcement over the termination of tycoon Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhari's Padibernas Nasional Bhd (Bernas)'s rice import monopoly.
Bernama quoted Salahuddin as saying that a working paper on breaking up the monopoly with feedback from the Ministry and other stakeholders would be drafted before being submitted to the government for further action.
He added that the government has identified the modules used by other countries on importing the staple, among them Indonesia which has been successful in its approach in opening up the rice market.
Meanwhile, Amir said the government should re-instate the disbanded National Rice and Paddy Board (LPN), which would not act like a commercial body.
"The end result of a private company is always profit, so there is a big possibility that a new company or establishment would want to help local farmers if imported rice is cheaper. The industry must be supervised by those who are not commercially-motivated, such as the LPN which aimed to help farmers, millers, wholesalers and consumers to ensure food security," he added.
Currently, 70% of rice demand comes from domestic producers while the remainder is imported from various sources.
Bernas, the country's sole rice importer was listed on the local bourse before it was taken private in April 2014.
During that time, the privatisation was met with strong criticism amid concerns that Syed Mokhtar, who already owned many strategic assets, for instance, ports and power plants, would monopolise the import of rice.
Ghana, Let’s Go Selfish
 Aba Radical
Gone are the days when we only enjoyed assorted dishes like Jollof and plain rice during Christmas which meant eating rice only once a year. It also reminds me of the fun moments when we as children all checked if our senior sibling equally shared “Ideal Milk” Ghana’s favorite milk on each child’s bowl of rice porridge [rice water]. Yeah, I know right? Those were the days. While I was attending to some house chores seated on the kitchen stool on the morning of 30th May, 2018, I simultaneously decided to listen to the host of the Adom FM’s morning show on 106.3. He bitterly announced that the country Burkina Faso have expressed their gratitude to Ghanaians because among their production of tomatoes only Ghana purchases up to 90 per cent of their total harvest. Ghana imports fifty to seventy heavy duty trucks of tomatoes every single day from landlocked Burkina Faso. Wow, that’s miserably interesting. They are making profits from our inability just like most of other countries we deal with.
I knew from primary six that Ghana imports Tomatoes from Burkina Faso but I never imagined that we would cross 50 per cent than to even think of they thanking us for purchasing up to 90 per cent of their produce. That’s about 70,000 metric tons of the juicy red products annually. The story is no different from our rice production. If Burkina Faso our neighboring country has the strength to grow and export something as perishable as tomatoes I am only shaking my head in bated breath of what next they will be making money from in addition to what we already buy from them. Ghana has a relatively high rainfall compared to Northern Nigeria and Mali and rice can be grown almost everywhere clearly showing that we should do more, but checks by the Ghana News Agency reveled that apart from a few farmers in the south of the Volta Region who have access to machines like combine harvesters, threshers and power tillers, hundreds of other rice farmers still rely on cutlass and hoe for land preparation and sickle for harvesting.
Times have changed, people do more of white color jobs now and can’t go through the trouble of preparing “banku” or pounding “fufu” when they close from work at 4:00pm and spend extra annoying hours in traffic. So the corporate man gets home exhausted and hungry, he just grabs a rice cooker and in a few minutes he takes a shower and dinner is served. That corporate mother doesn’t have time to prepare an “Asanka” of boiled plantain and cocoyam stew plus some “koobi” and sliced pear but she instead opts for rice porridge for her kids before they leave for school because she has a presentation to catch. Ghana spent 290 million dollars importing 414,000 metric tons of rice to meet local consumption needs. Times have changed together with our environment which is contributing to our consumption of rice more than ever. Example, I ate “Waakye” that morning rather than yam and dandelion stew which I had time to prepare and eat the previous night. It was indeed delicious I must say!
The second biggest commercial rice farm in Nigeria is owned by a youth in his thirties. Rotimi Williams a former journalist owns a 43,000 hector farm located at Tunga, Nasarawa state which produces 8,000 metric tons of rice per year and is still working towards doubling his output. And then we expect to win the Jollof competition whilst our country cannot produce enough of the main ingredient used in preparing the dish. Because of my seven year old brother’s love for technology, I am compelled to watch a lot of KANTANKA TV. From that station I have been made aware alongside other audience that our very own Safo Kantanka has been able to manufacture framing products like those that fight against weeds and unwanted animals [pest and parasites] and even more amazingly created natural fertilizers which apparently work more effectively than the internationally acclaimed ones without any side effects or whatsoever at all. That is great news but it’s been a while and I have not seen the government making any effort to make his product reach all farmers in Ghana. Let’s make farming enjoyable. Enough of having farmers who we claim their occupation is the backbone of our economy being the poorest. They have had enough of it. Let’s encourage more youth to go into farming. If it’s not so hard for the government to cut out a land to contractors to do some shoddy works of infrastructure and so I don’t think cutting out lands for free or at a subsidized cost to encourage youth farming will do us any harm, will it? Hopefully the one district one factory project will be in place soon enough to take care of food processing to add standard value to our raw materials.
The point is our rice intake has increased and is still increasing even at a faster pace than ever. Figures from ministry of food and agriculture in 2017 also showed that each person in Ghana annually consumes about 40kg of rice and that figure is expected to rise to about 6kg this year. The unfortunate thing is that a higher percentage of the rice we eat is not what we grow. What we grow is just not enough. I’ve worked with importers for a while and they never forget to add hundreds and in some cases thousands of bags of rice to their invoice’s and bill of loading plus other necessary documents. Go to the Tema port and see for yourselves, bags of rice being off loaded; it’s like a common house hold item.
I don’t want to ask for much. Working so hard to reach the level of exporting our own rice might seem like too much task depending on the farmer and other supporting institutions from reasons best known to them. I’m saying that just for once let’s be selfish with our food. Kind of like how king promise is selfish with his love, yeah i hope you can relate now. Why and how can we be selfish? We have done this before and it totally helped.
“Another critical move toward the promotion of agriculture by the National Redemption Council [NRC] was when it launched the programs “self-Reliance” and “operation feed yourself’. These programs instantaneously caught up with the entire classes of the Ghanaian society where backyard gardening became the order of the day even among the elites in the country. All manner of persons including professionals like public servants, housewives and security personnel engaged in the business of tilling the land in and around their houses for the purpose of growing crops and basic foodstuffs. This initiative quickly led to food availability in all homes. This action of the government ensured that, food was in abundance such that by 1975 there was not a dollar of food import into the country” Kuffuor, [2011]
“The NRC did continue with Busia’s Rice Revolution. The NRC launched ‘Operation Produce Rice’. Specific banks were asked to give out generous loans to rice farmers throughout the country. This monetary motivation was offered to rice growers such that by 1974-5 season alone the country witnessed an unprecedented rice harvest. The Government Rice Mills in Tamale was flooding with Paddy Rice of 401,528 bags in 1974-5 season alone. The private sector recorded over 100,000 bags of rice with Mencilo Mills being the chief buyer having purchased as much as 60,000 bags of rice. 1973-4 seasoned recorded the highest number of bags of rice production in the region of 90,500 bags by Mencilo. In fact, by 1957 there was hardly any importation of any kind into the country” Kuffuor, [2011]
“Another achievement of the Limann government was that he made agriculture his major priority. The government was not in favor of the idea of importing food from other countries whilst it concomitantly abounds in arable land. In this regard a two-year agricultural program was immediately launched. Farmers were given incentives in the form of fair producer prices and where necessary, machinery and expect advice. In no time, food became abundant on the Ghanaian market and queue for food became a thing of the past. Thus Ghanaians became extremely excited” Kuffuor, [2011]
Rotimi Williams has a social responsibility initiative where he trains secondary school students in the production and economics of rice farming. He also trains Fulani women in the art of rice production. Ghana can do same or even better at the rice growing sectors like Tamale, Bolgatanga, Ho, Nkwanta, Asutsuare among others.
My mother loves our local rice. The well packaged ones such as ‘OmaneBa’, ‘DadaBa’, and ‘Gold Star’ from GhanaMade are very nice but she has this myth that they are probably as chemically harmful as the imported ones because they have been processed by passing the grains through some machines and thus buys the no value added “olonka” local rice on the market. I mean I’m yet to taste the Edwumawura Perfumed Rice produced from the Worawora rice mill in the Volta Region which is a proud addition to the Ndoum Groupe of companies. Ghanaians ought to change their negative attitude and reservation toward consumption of value added local products against imported food items. Anytime she does that it means i have to take time and pick debris like, stones, sand and husk from the grains or risk eating gravels for dinner. You go ahead to wash it and the water looks like feeder road pothole containing a puddle of water after rainfall. I hope we now understand a little bit of why some rice consumers would prefer imported rice over the locally made ones. If we can’t add standard value to them like a few Ghanaian made that are on the market, lets at least make them debris free. We are tired of hitting our molars and premolars against little rocks while eating our own home grown rice.
Rice is now used in a lot of ways. We have it in baby foods like “Cerelac” from Nestle Ghana, bread, noodles and cakes. Talk about our morning rice porridge which I still proudly call “rice water”. The braised rice; oh my gosh the aroma of “ɛmo ne angwa” with hot grinded pepper as well as the scramble for “kanzo” like how the Europeans struggled for Africa. Muni Maame’s “waakye” that she cooks every morning in the market not forgetting Adwoa Mansah’s plain rice, the yellow rice our caterers cook and feed to sympathizers at funerals and the mouthwatering “waakye” our own Ghanaian chef Elijah Amoo prepared for Queen Elizabeth. The Jollof competition to which we lost to our brother Nigeria and even the fried rice at papaye restaurant and kempinski hotel. We as Ghanaians should continue to enjoy all of these great foods in peace without fearing that they were made with Chinese rubber rice but our own home grown rice. Is that too much to ask for right now?
We can do this!
Rice seems to be the most important cereal and major staple in Ghana. Let’s be selfish, thinking of exporting our rice to the international market might seem like too much of a task for us so the least we could do is to provide quality and quantity of what we consume which according to statistics is quite a lot. Thus we would reduce import of rice, grow more of our own and circulate internally generated revenue to strengthen our economy and then eventually before we know it after a few years of being selfish we begin exporting to generate foreign exchange. What a great place Ghana will be. If we can cater for only the rice demand of Ghana, just imagine the amount of money we will be saving ourselves; the amount of money traders will save from some corrupt hands of some clearing agents who use the Microsoft paint application to change figures and the money we will save as a nation to import thousands of bags of rice into the country. Just imagine it!
Reference: Kuffuor P.A, k4series: concise note on African and Ghanaian history, padmore-mulimedia, koforidua, 2011.
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PKR man: Rescue padi farms from years of neglect

 | June 10, 2018
Penang assemblyman says Bernas was a crony company that made huge profits at the expense of padi farmers and consumers.
The government is reviewing the monopoly on rice imports held by Bernas.
PETALING JAYA: The federal government should revive the National Padi and Rice Board and reinvigorate the local rice industry by improving the livelihood of padi farmers, Penang state assemblyman Gooi Hsio Leung of PKR said today.
Gooi, who is the representative for Bukit Tengah, said padi farmers continue to live in poverty faced with increasing production costs.
“Most small to medium-sized rice mills that once dotted the landscape of padi fields across the country have all but disappeared,” he said in a statement today.
On Friday, Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Minister Salahuddin Ayub announced that a working paper on breaking the Bernas monopoly was being drafted for submission to the government for further action.
Gooi said Salahuddin had in two weeks ended “years of special treatment given to a BN crony company to make huge profits for its shareholders at the expense of padi farmers and consumers”.
As a result of the previous government’s neglect, previous national targets set by the government over the past two decades to achieve self-sufficiency in rice production had never been realised, Gooi said.
Billions of ringgit had been lost as a result of the agriculture ministry’s neglect, mismanagement and abuse of national rice subsidy programmes such as the ST15 rice subsidy which has since been scrapped.
Gooi hailed the federal government’s decision to end the monopoly on rice imports, held by Padiberas National Bhd (Bernas).
He said padi farmers, rice millers and others in the industry had cried out to the previous Barisan Nasional government to review the role of Bernas in the national rice industry.
Instead the previous government had allowed Bernas to become wholly privatised and exempted from import duty for rice. Gooi said the billions of ringgit that could have been collected from the duty could have been channelled back to aid poor padi farmers.
In contrast, rice-consuming countries such as Japan and Korea imposed high import tariffs of more than 200% to protect their local rice industry, he said.

Commodities Buzz: Bangladesh Could Increase Rice Import Duty To 28%, Indian Rice Exports Set To Hurt

Commodities Buzz: Bangladesh Could Increase Rice Import Duty To 28%, Indian Rice Exports Set To Hurt
capital market | Mumbai | June 11, 2018 12:2 IST
Bangladesh might increase rice import duty to 28% from 2% currently in order to support local farmers as production of the commodity is likely to turn in a stronger performance. The duty hike would reduce imports, particularly from India, which emerged as a biggest supplier to the south Asian country last year. Bangladesh imported a record of more than 3.7 million tonnes of rice in the July-April period, data from the countrys food ministry showed.

Otago researchers help unlock answers about leptospirosis


Under embargo until 6am, Monday 11 June 2018

Otago researchers help unlock answers about leptospirosis in Africa
University of Otago researchers are helping lead international studies which have discovered that exposure to cattle and rice farming are risk factors for the devastating disease leptospirosis in northern Tanzania.Dr Michael Maze from the University of Otago’s Centre for International Health, says the findings from two research papers, which have just been published in the scientific journal PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, have implications for potential control of leptospirosis in Africa.
Leptospirosis is a globally important disease that is transmitted from animals to people and affects more than 1 million people worldwide each year. The infectious disease is a major cause of febrile illness and death in Africa, but little is known about risk factors for human infection. The bacteria that cause leptospirosis have their usual life cycle in animals; humans are infected as accidental hosts. In Africa it is unknown which sources of leptospirosis are most responsible for human infection and what behaviours put people at risk of infection.
However, one area of research has identified that cattle and in smaller numbers goats and sheep, but not rodents, are commonly infected with pathogenic Leptospira infection. While the other research focus has shown that exposure to cattle and rice farming are risk factors for contracting the disease.
Dr Maze has been based in Moshi, Tanzania, and is a lead investigator in the studies. They are part of a larger collection of studies investigating zoonotic infections in Tanzania that are led by Professor John Crump, who is the Director of the University of Otago’s Centre for International Health, and involve Associate Professor Katrina Sharples from the University of Otago’s Department of Medicine and researchers from the US, Tanzania and the UK.
The researchers investigated risk factors for the infectious disease among 1293 patients with fever attending hospitals in northern Tanzania between 2012 and 2014.
Their results identify associations between cattle contact and work in rice fields with acute leptospirosis.
Dr Maze says the findings indicate that cattle may be a source of human leptospirosis in the African country.
“Our findings suggest that control of Leptospira infection in livestock could play a role in preventing human leptospirosis in Africa.”
In a second study, the researchers tested rodents, cattle goats and sheep for Leptospira infection and found cattle had a high prevalence of infection (7 per cent), goats (1.2) and sheep (1.1). Among 384 trapped rodents, no animals were found to carry the infection.
As part of their studies, the researchers have also identified work in rice fields is an important risk factor for human leptospirosis. In Asia, rice farming is an established risk factor for leptospirosis. There humans are infected through prolonged contact with water that may be contaminated by infected animal hosts. Further work is needed to evaluate possible sources of contamination of rice paddies in Tanzania and promote personal protective measures among rice farmers, Dr Maze says.
The study results have potential to help control the infectious disease, he says.
“Transmission of leptospirosis within rice fields and from livestock to people is amenable to control through personal protective equipment for those performing high-risk activities.”
The researchers say further investigation is needed to explore the potential for control of leptospirosis to prevent human illness.

India, China agree deals on rice, river as relations continue to thaw

China says it will share hydrological data on the Brahmaputra and amend some requirements on Indian rice exports
PUBLISHED : Sunday, 10 June, 2018, 6:08pm
UPDATED : Sunday, 10 June, 2018, 6:08pm
China and India on Saturday settled a dispute over the flood-prone Brahmaputra river that flows from Tibet to Bangladesh in a sign of growing cooperation between the two countries.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping signed an agreement as they began the two-day Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit.
“Our talks will add further vigour to the India-China friendship,” Modi said on Twitter, as the two countries try to reset troubled ties after last summer’s months-long border stand-off.
The SCO was launched in 2001 by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan mainly to combat radical Islam and other security concerns across Central Asia. Traditional rivals India and Pakistan joined last year.
Under two deals signed on the sidelines of the summit, China will share hydrological data on the Brahmaputra and amend certain requirements on Indian exports of rice other than the premium Basmati variety to China, India’s foreign ministry spokesman Raveesh Kumar said on Twitter.

India said last year that China had not stuck to an agreement to share hydrological data, or scientific information on the movement, distribution and quality of water for the Brahmaputra. China had cited “technological” reasons.
New Delhi has also been concerned about the rising trade deficit with China, and has sought greater access to the world’s second-largest economy for products such as rice, rapeseed, soybeans and sugar.
India’s trade gap with China has widened to US$51 billion, a nine-fold increase over the past decade.
The rice deal should help India finally crack the market in China, the world’s biggest buyer of the commodity, traders said.
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation estimates that China will buy 6.4 million tonnes of rice this year, while India will export 11.9 million tonnes.
“Despite competitive prices, India was unable to export rice to China due to their phytosanitary norms,” said a Delhi-based dealer with a global trading firm, referring to food standards as well as animal and plant hygiene.
“As the norms are going to change, India can easily export more than 1 million tonnes of rice every year to China.”

Golden Rice gets $14M loan to expand

Hor Kimsay | Publication date 11 June 2018 | 10:03 ICT
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Proparco, a subsidiary of French development agency AFD, announced last week that it has granted a $14 million loan to Cambodian rice exporter Golden Rice.
The loan, it said, is meant to boost production capacities and provide funds for additional rice husk gasification equipment capable of generating one megawatt of electricity.
Husk gasification is the process by which discarded rice husks can be used to generate power instead of being discarded after the milling process.
Proparco’s announcement said the deal was inked in Singapore on June 7 and AFD hoped it would help in the drive for renewable energy while decreasing Golden Rice’s carbon footprint. No details were given on the terms of the loan or the interest rate.
This is the third loan Proparco has offered to Golden Rice. The first, for $7 million, was signed in 2009 just after the company became operational. The second loan for $10 million was signed in 2013 to facilitate the company’s expansion into new markets.
Through state-owned Rural Development Bank (RDB), the Cambodian government launched an emergency rice fund with $27 million in September 2016, allowing millers and exporters to access funds with lower interest rates compared to commercial banks.
The move came after a large protest from paddy farmers in Battambang province who suffered during a price plunge that was caused by a fall in demand from buyers.
Last August, the government injected another $23 million into the emergency fund. Up to January this year, RDB has provided $30 million in loans to 38 of the Kingdom’s rice millers.
Contact author: Hor Kimsay

The European Union (EU) has not announced cutting relations with Cambodia, but it will be sending a delegation of senior officials to the Kingdom later this year to monitor the situation, according to the EU ambassador to Cambodia. In an email on Thursday, the ambassador,
The ministries of justice and interior on Thursday called for legal action against former opposition leader Sam Rainsy for calling a letter from the King, which urged people to vote in July 29’s national elections, “a forgery, or a piece made under duress thus legally
Four high-ranking Funcinpec party members in Pursat province have submitted a letter to party President Prince Norodom, announcing their resignations. The letter, dated June 5 and obtained by The Post on Thursday, was signed by Oum Saran, the provincial executive deputy party chief in charge of

WITH swimming pools for adults, kiddie pools, a beautiful garden that’s perfect for selfies, restaurants, water slides and a new wave pool, the water park inside Battambang town’s Happiness Centre is a great way to beat the heat. The park is more than
Copyright © 2017 The Phnom Penh Post. All Rights Reserved.
New framework needed for paddy, rice industry

June 11, 2018 08:54 am +08
This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, on June 11, 2018.
KUALA LUMPUR: Experts say the Malaysian government will need to carefully analyse and introduce a new framework for the paddy and rice industry following the dismantling of Padiberas Nasional Bhd’s (Bernas) monopoly in the sector.
Last Thursday, the government announced that Bernas’ monopoly to import rice has been terminated. A working paper on the breakup will be drafted with feedback from the agriculture and agro-based industry ministry and other stakeholders to be submitted to the government for further action.
“To protect the interests of local paddy farmers, we have identified the modules used in other countries [on importing the staple], among them Indonesia, which has been successful in its approach in opening up the monopoly on rice,” minister Salahuddin Ayub told reporters.
The president of the local unit of the UNI Malaysia Labour Centre (UNI MLC) Datuk Mohamed Shafie BP Mammal lauded the government’s move to break the monopoly but said it is necessary to formulate a well-thought-out and comprehensive plan to ensure there is fair trade and healthy competition among the players.
“Breaking the monopoly is a healthy move as it will encourage healthy competition. Then when there is no more monopoly, there must be a new framework. The government or minister needs to introduce a new framework which everybody understands and will benefit the rakyat, while the competition shouldn’t be pinching [customers] from one another,” he told The Edge Financial Daily via telephone.
“Now they (the government) want to introduce a new system so I think they must have a concrete and positive reason why they want to break the monopoly. Is it because the government thinks they cannot control Bernas or is Bernas weak?” said Mohamed Shafie, who is also a trade union leader involved in food and agro businesses.
“I’m not defending Bernas, but this is not something where you come today and you make a new decision for another five years. Bernas will be affected [by the government’s decision] and they might need to retrench workers,” he explained.
With the breaking up of the rice monopoly, independent economist Dr Chung Tin Fah said the government can save on subsidies while opening up opportunities for other players and prices can be lowered as well.
“Monopoly is bad in [the way] that it will limit consumer choice and the monopolist set prices to earn higher than a justifiable return,” he said.
Mohamed Shafie said Bernas’ monopoly over the country’s rice supply has become a hot-button issue about unfair trade practices, but the company still face certain limitations.
“Maybe now the government realises that there is something wrong with the import of rice and therefore they want to break the monopoly and give it (the same licence) to several other companies.
Meanwhile, Socio-Economic Research Centre Sdn Bhd (SERC) executive director Lee Heng Guie said the scrapping of the rice importation monopoly would mean the liberalisation process has been set in place, allowing other players to supply in the rice market.
“Pending the detailed structure and mechanism, the proposed policy should not only result in more sharing of profits among all rice dealers but also make rice affordable to the masses as consumers have more varieties to choose from.
“The liberalisation of rice importation would enhance food security rather than diminish it,” he said in an email reply.
Currently, 70% of rice demand comes from domestic producers while the balance 30% is imported from various sources, he noted.
Lee believes that the rice monopoly or giving out import permits to favoured importers had not only resulted in “rent-seeking” practices, but had also often led to high prices of rice for consumers, smuggling and arbitrage of price differentials between domestic and foreign rice.
“Rice is central to food security. It is a strategic commodity as the overall economic growth and per capita consumption depend on an adequate, affordable and stable supply of this staple crop,” he added.
Veteran economist and former civil servant Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam said he hopes that this is the precedent for other monopolies to be broken down.
“This should not be the first and only monopoly to be broken down,” he quipped.
Bernas, the country’s sole rice importer was listed on the local bourse before it was taken private by businessman Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhary in April 2014. During that time, the privatisation was met with strong criticism amid concerns that Syed Mokhtar, who already owned many strategic assets, for instance, ports and power plants, would monopolise the import of rice.
Bernas posted a pre-tax profit of RM133.39 million for the financial year ended Dec 31, 2016 (FY16), on a revenue of RM4.34 billion. Compared with FY15, Bernas’ pre-tax profit in FY16 grew 2.6% from RM130.05 million, while revenue rose 2.8% from RM4.23 billion.
Bernas is involved in the procurement and processing of paddy, importation, warehousing, distribution and marketing of rice in Malaysia, seed and farming activities, international rice joint ventures, as well as rice complementary businesses.
According to its website, Bernas continued to fulfil its obligations under a privatisation agreement signed with the government in 1996.
“These obligations include maintenance of the nation’s rice stockpile, acting as the buyer of last resort for paddy farmers, managing the Bumiputera Rice Millers Scheme and the distribution of paddy price subsidies to farmers on behalf of the government,” it said.
On March 30, 2017 The Edge Financial Daily reported that Bernas was eyeing a relisting in 2020, a year before the expiry of its rice import concession in 2021.

Xi to visit India as ties thaw

Neigbours strike deals on Brahmaputra, rice

12:00 AM, June 10, 2018
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping during the 18th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit in Qingdao, China yesterday. Photo: Reuters
Agencies
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping yesterday committed to continue improving ties between Asia's most populous countries in a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of a summit in China.
The Chinese leader accepted PM Modi's invitation for an "informal summit" like the two had in Wuhan just weeks ago to build upon the progress. The summit is expected to take place in 2019.
Xi was hosting leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in the coastal city of Qingdao over the weekend. The China-led grouping includes India, Russia, Pakistan and several Central Asian countries, as well as Iran as an observer state.
"Met this year's SCO host, President Xi Jinping this evening," PM Modi tweeted yesterday. "We had detailed discussions on bilateral and global issues. Our talks will add further vigor to the India-China friendship."
In a growing sign of improving ties, the two nations signed agreements on the export of rice from India and information sharing between China and India on the Brahmaputra River.
Under the two deals, China will share hydrological data on the Brahmaputra river and amend certain requirements on Indian exports of rice other than the premium Basmati variety to China, India's foreign ministry spokesman, Raveesh Kumar, said on Twitter.
India said last year that China had not stuck to an agreement to share hydrological data, or scientific information on the movement, distribution and quality of water for the Brahmaputra river. China had cited "technological" reasons.
New Delhi has also been concerned about the rising trade deficit with China, and has sought greater access to the world's second-largest economy for products such as rice, rapeseed, soybeans and sugar.
India's trade gap with China has widened to $51 billion, a nine-fold increase over the past decade.
The rice deal should help India finally crack the market in China, the world's biggest buyer of the commodity, traders said.
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation estimates that China will buy 6.4 million tonnes of rice in 2018, while India will export a total of 11.9 million tonnes.
In late April, Modi and Xi held an informal meeting in the Chinese city of Wuhan, where they agreed to have their two armies strengthen communication links. The meeting was arranged to help maintain peaceful relations in a tense bilateral relationship that frayed significantly over a border dispute in the Himalayas last year. It was held at a time when global tensions were on the rise from North Korea to a brewing global trade war.
India and Pakistan joined the SCO as full member states in June 2017.

Rice Steamer Market in-Depth Analysis 2018, Future Scope and Growth Forecast Till 2025


Global Rice Steamer Market Professional Survey Report 2018 provides a unique tool for evaluating the Market, highlighting opportunities, and supporting strategic and tactical decision-making. This report recognizes that in this rapidly-evolving and competitive environment, up-to-date Marketing information is essential to monitor performance and make critical decisions for growth and profitability. It provides information on trends and developments, and focuses on Markets and materials, capacities and technologies, and on the changing structure of the Rice Steamer.
Regions of Rice Steamer market:
Global (North America, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia, India, Rest of the World)
The Global Rice Steamer Market was valued at USD xx million in 2018 and is forecasted to reach USD xx million by 2025, with a CAGR of xx% during the forecast period (2018-2025)
The Rice Steamer Market report profiles the following companies, which includes
Panasonic
Philips
Cuckoo
CUCHEN
Tiger
Zojirushi
Toshiba
Midea
Supor
Joyoung
Gree
Galanz
Haier
Elecpro
Hallsmart
GZHEAIC
Weking
Hotor
Enaiter
 Each major player’s companies overview, revenue and financial analysis, revenue split by business segment and by geography, recent news are covered in the report. Competitors regional analysis is done where as high, low and medium penetrating regions are analyzed.
Rice Steamer Market is segmented based on the Types such as
ConventionalRiceCooker
MicomRiceCooker
IHRiceCooker
 Further, the market is segmented based on the applications such as
Online
Offline
There are almost 10 Chapters to deeply display the global Rice Steamer market.
·       Chapter 1 gives Parent Market Synopsis, Rice Steamer Introduction, product scope,
·       market overview.
·       Chapter 2 gives executive summary and key insights of Rice Steamer
·       Chapter 3 talks about research methodology used for Rice Steamer market study.
·       Chapter 4 provides competitors regional and overall analysis with sales, revenue, and price of Rice Steamer in 2017 and 2018.
·       Chapter 5 will show the global Rice Steamer market by regions, with sales, revenue and market share for year 2017 and 2018.
·       Chapter 6 analyses the key regions, with sales, revenue and Rice Steamer market share by key countries in these regions.
·       Chapter 7 analyses Rice Steamer market by type and application, with sales market share and growth rate by type, application from year 2017 to 2018
·       Chapter 8 gives insights of Rice Steamer market forecast, by regions, type and application, with sales and revenue from 2017 to 2018.
·       Chapter 9 briefs us about Rice Steamer sales channel, distributors, traders and dealers.
·       Chapter 10 talks about Rice Steamer market dynamics with focusing about growth drivers, growth barriers, general trends, Technological Advancement, market challenges ahead, market restraints and opportunities.
Rice Steamer Market by Future Growth Estimates, Current Trends, Dynamics, Market Challenges, Size, Revenue and Global Industry Outlook Till 2025
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To avail limited customization in the report without any extra charges and get research data or trends added in the report as per the buyers specific needs.
About Us: – MarketInsightsReports provides syndicated Market research reports to industries, organizations or even individuals with an aim of helping them in their decision making process. MarketInsightsReports has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain.
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Organic Rice Flour Market expands Worldwide with Impressive Sales Trends by 2025


The Organic Rice Flour industry inquires about report with the detailing of the supply, creation, and market status completely. Generation pieces of the overall industry and deals pieces of the pie are broken down alongside the investigation of limit, creation, and income. A few different factors, for example, import, trade, net edge, value, cost, and utilization are likewise investigated under the area Analysis of Organic Rice Flour generation, supply and market status.
Organic Rice Flour Market report gives a top to bottom examination of the market as far as income and developing business sector patterns. This report additionally incorporates a forward examination and figures for different market fragments and all geological regions. The Organic Rice Flour industry inquires about report investigations the supply, deals, creation, and market status completely. Generation pieces of the overall industry and deals pieces of the pie are broken down alongside the investigation of limit, creation, deals, and income.
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Following are the Major Key Players of Organic Rice Flour Market: Company 1Company 2, Company 3
The Key objectives of this report are:
·       To analyse the top players in North America, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia and India, to study the sales, value and market share of top players in these regions.
·       Focuses on the key Organic Rice Flour players, to study the sales, value, market share and development plans in future.
·       Focuses on the global key manufacturers, to define, describe and analyse the market competition landscape, SWOT
The Organic Rice Flour market report also presents the vendor landscape and a corresponding detailed analysis of the major vendors operating in the market. Organic Rice Flour market report analyses the market potential for each geographical region based on the growth rate, macroeconomic parameters, consumer buying patterns, and market demand and supply scenarios.
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Organic Rice Flour Market Segment considering Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by Type: Type 1, Type 2, Type 3
Organic Rice Flour Market Segment by Consumption Growth Rate and Market Share by Application: Application 1, Application 2, Application 3
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Organic Rice Flour Market Overview, Market shares and strategies of key players, Manufacturing Analysis of Organic Rice Flour market, Sales Market Forecast, New Project Investment Feasibility Analysis, In-depth market segmentation.
Finally, Organic Rice Flour Market report is the believable source for gaining the market research that will exponentially accelerate your business. This research report provides analysis and information according to market segments such as geographytechnology and applications. Organic Rice Flour market report is a treasured source for both the individuals as well as the businesses as it provides detailed SWOT analysis along with the new project investments feasibility study.

Organic Rice Flour Market expands Worldwide with Impressive Sales Trends by 2025

 

The Organic Rice Flour industry inquires about report with the detailing of the supply, creation, and market status completely. Generation pieces of the overall industry and deals pieces of the pie are broken down alongside the investigation of limit, creation, and income. A few different factors, for example, import, trade, net edge, value, cost, and utilization are likewise investigated under the area Analysis of Organic Rice Flour generation, supply and market status.
Organic Rice Flour Market report gives a top to bottom examination of the market as far as income and developing business sector patterns. This report additionally incorporates a forward examination and figures for different market fragments and all geological regions. The Organic Rice Flour industry inquires about report investigations the supply, deals, creation, and market status completely. Generation pieces of the overall industry and deals pieces of the pie are broken down alongside the investigation of limit, creation, deals, and income.
Request a Sample of Organic Rice Flour Market research report from –https://www.marketreportsworld.com/enquiry/request-sample/11026066 
Following are the Major Key Players of Organic Rice Flour Market: Company 1Company 2, Company 3
The Key objectives of this report are:
·       To analyse the top players in North America, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia and India, to study the sales, value and market share of top players in these regions.
·       Focuses on the key Organic Rice Flour players, to study the sales, value, market share and development plans in future.
·       Focuses on the global key manufacturers, to define, describe and analyse the market competition landscape, SWOT
The Organic Rice Flour market report also presents the vendor landscape and a corresponding detailed analysis of the major vendors operating in the market. Organic Rice Flour market report analyses the market potential for each geographical region based on the growth rate, macroeconomic parameters, consumer buying patterns, and market demand and supply scenarios.
For Enquiry for Organic Rice Flour Market Report at:https://www.marketreportsworld.com/enquiry/pre-order-enquiry/11026066
Organic Rice Flour Market Segment considering Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by Type: Type 1, Type 2, Type 3
Organic Rice Flour Market Segment by Consumption Growth Rate and Market Share by Application: Application 1, Application 2, Application 3
Reasons to Buy:
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Organic Rice Flour Market Overview, Market shares and strategies of key players, Manufacturing Analysis of Organic Rice Flour market, Sales Market Forecast, New Project Investment Feasibility Analysis, In-depth market segmentation.
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Global Hybrid Rice Seeds Market By Regional Analysis 2018 : Opportunities, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis 2023

 Global Hybrid Rice Seeds Market Report broke down and inquired about by Marketdesk.org gives you a detail data about the market which incorporates the variables and statistical surveying study including the point by point information about the development and improvement. This Hybrid Rice Seeds examine report gives the useful information giving, for example, driving makers, Hybrid Rice Seeds showcase structure, development, and current angles creating patterns, monetary conduct, Evaluation of Strength and Weakness and other important factors.
The Hybrid Rice Seeds report additionally covers the social data, for example, Competitor Analysis, Forecast, SWOT(Internal and External Audit)analysis and PESTEL investigationROI(Return on Investment) Analysis, CAGR XX%, showcase development in XX% USD. The Hybrid Rice Seeds report additionally recognizes the point of view of the present market from the year 2018 to 2023 individually.
The worldwide Hybrid Rice Seeds report includes all the crucial data with respect to the business. The Hybrid Rice Seeds report will help clients with appreciating the market stream outlines, industry progression drivers, a section of the overall industry, information, evaluate, guess plans, supply, courses of action, requests, and different unmistakable focuses. The Hybrid Rice Seeds report information was outstandingly done by utilizing target division of crucial and optional information including obligations from immense people in this market. The general Hybrid Rice Seeds report is an essential hold of information, basically for the Hybrid Rice Seeds business insurgency.
Hybrid Rice Seeds Market Segment By Leading Key Participants:
Dupont Pioneer
Syngenta
Bayer CropScience
Nath
Advanta
Nirmal Seeds
Longping High-tech
China National Seed Group
Hainan Shennong Gene
WIN-ALL HI-TECH SEED
Hefei Fengle Seed
Zhongnongfa Seed
RiceTec
SL Agritech
Hybrid Rice Seeds Industry Research By Types:
3-line Breeding Systems
2-line Breeding Systems
Hybrid Rice Seeds Industry Research By Application:
Agriculture
Others
→ Geographically Regionwise Distribution Including – USA, Europe, Japan, China, India, Southeast Asia, South America, South Africa, Others.
The report in like way fuses Hybrid Rice Seeds driving players/affiliations profiles with their wage, end-clients/types, rule parts, a point of view, formed undertakings and acquisitions, techniques, most recent redesigns, imaginative work works out, new composes inducing, SWOT and in like manner PESTEL Investigation ROI(Return on Investment) Analysis.
Key Points Focused On The Hybrid Rice Seeds Market:
→ The essential points of interest identified with Hybrid Rice Seeds industry like the item definition, item division, value, assortment of utilization, request and supply measurements are shrouded in this report. 
→ The complete investigation of Hybrid Rice Seeds advertise in light of improvement openings, development restricting elements, and plausibility of speculation will gauge the market development. 
→ The investigation of developing Hybrid Rice Seeds showcase fragments and the current market portions will help the perusers in arranging the business systems. 
At last, the report Global Hybrid Rice Seeds Market 2018 depicts Hybrid Rice Seeds industry development strategy, the Hybrid Rice Seeds industry learning supply, informative supplement, investigation discoveries and the conclusion.
The fundamental rivals in the worldwide Hybrid Rice Seeds advertise have been applying different strategies for influencing a passage and also creating in the Hybrid Rice Seeds to showcase. On an overall premise, the tally of perceived organizations is raising and thus it is important for each market organization to get a vivacious edge on others. The essential strategies acknowledged by the outstanding organizations for fighting in the Hybrid Rice Seeds showcase incorporate headways of the new item, associations, organizations, assertions, and acquisitions.
Table Of Content(TOC) In Hybrid Rice Seeds Described In Sections:
1. Industry Summary of Hybrid Rice Seeds Market
2. Global Hybrid Rice Seeds Market Size by Type and Application (2018-2023)
3. Company Manufacturers Profiles
4. Global Hybrid Rice Seeds Market Competition Analysis by Players
5. The United States Hybrid Rice Seeds Market Development Status and Outlook
6. EU Hybrid Rice Seeds Market Development Status and Outlook
7. Japan Hybrid Rice Seeds Market Development Status and Outlook
8. China Hybrid Rice Seeds Market Development Status and Outlook
9. India Hybrid Rice Seeds Market Development Status and Outlook
10. Southeast Asia Hybrid Rice Seeds Market Development Status and Outlook
11. Hybrid Rice Seeds Market Forecast by Regions, Applications, and Types (2018-2023)
12. Hybrid Rice Seeds Market Dynamics
13. Market Factors Analysis
14. Research Conclusions
15. Appendix

Global Basmati Rice Market Leading Players, Product Types and Applications by 2023: KRBL Limited, Best Foods, LT Foods and Amira Nature Foods

Global Basmati Rice Market research report deals with a strategic optimization towards the Basmati Rice business approaches. The market analyst targets towards the major concepts related to market growth, Basmati Rice development plan, and keenly focus on the significant tact’s. The Basmati Rice report also offers an in-depth assessment with regards to the upcoming technologies pertaining to the past and current market situation of the Basmati Rice market. In this particular report, our experts have studied the terms, the manufacturing stats, regional analysis, productivity structure, major types and various end users applicable in the Basmati Rice market report. The Basmati Rice research report involves primary and secondary data which has been further exemplified through various Basmati Rice charts, bar graphs, pie charts, tables and market figures.
To access the sample report of the Basmati Rice market visit at:http://emarketresearch.us/global-basmati-rice-market/#Request-Sample
In addition, detailed industrial landscaping, Basmati Rice financial strategy, market tactics, as well SWOT analysis which includes (Strength, Weakness, Opportunities, Threat) SWOT of the market competitors have been provided in this Basmati Rice report. Based on this features our viewers, and readers can analyze the basic scenario of the Basmati Rice competitive market and accordingly plan out the marketing techniques to stay one step ahead in the global market. Moreover, the key players in the Basmati Rice market are moving on towards the expansion in the top regions. Furthermore, the Basmati Rice market is focusing on the innovative trends, implementing a reasonable pricing stats in the competitive market. Overall description of the Basmati Rice report will assist our viewers to comprehend the market in a better way.
The Basmati Rice market highlights on the major market players includeAdani Wilmar, Dunar Foods, Kohinoor Rice, Tilda Basmati Rice, Amar Singh Chawal Wala, KRBL Limited, Hanuman Rice Mills, Aeroplane Rice, Sungold, LT Foods, Galaxy Rice Mill, Amira Nature Foods and Best Foods covering the market size and growth rates based on current and historical data.
For More Information, Enquiry and Avail Discounts at- eMarketResearch
Talk to our Industry Specialist and Know More about the Report- Market.biz
The Basmati Rice market is divided into product type which includes the revenue, price, production, growth rate and market share for each of its product types.
Indian Basmati Rice
Pakistani Basmati Rice
The Basmati Rice market is divided into end users which also focuses on the market size, sales volume, growth rate and market stake for of the end users.
Direct Edible
Deep Processing
The Basmati Rice market include major geographical regions that includesLatin America, Asia-Pacific, Oceanian Sub-Region, Europe, North America, The Middle East and Africa.

Major queries attended in the Basmati Rice market report are:

 What will be the Basmati Rice market feasibility, growth rate, and market size over the forecast period?
 What are the significant market tendencies influencing Basmati Rice growth?
 What are the key Basmati Rice opportunities, and challenges confronted?
 Who are the major competitors and major Basmati Rice business partners?
 What are the threats faced by the Basmati Rice competitive market?
The Basmati Rice market represents the ongoing marketing trends, that are faced by the market competitors, the ups and down in the global market. Moreover, programs involved, procedures, fundamentals, and ideas are executed in the Basmati Rice market research report. This will enable our readers to compare with other market players allowing them to take precise decision related to the Basmati Rice market enhancement in the future. Also, in addition to this, the information collated in the Basmati Rice market has been done through interviews, experts involvement, and various inventors of the Basmati Rice market.

The Global Basmati Rice Market report has been explained in 15 chapters

Chapter 1- Delivers the entire evaluation of the Basmati Rice market, market constraint, acquisitions, product categorization and mergers in case any.
Chapter 2- Compares the Basmati Rice pricing strategies, revenue structure, sales, raw materials and demand and supply of the key players in the competitive market.
Chapter 3- Basmati Rice market report reveals the profit and sales as per the region over the forecast period 2018-2023.
Chapter 4 and 5- The report highlights the leading Basmati Rice business enterprises in the upcoming regions including market size and along with advantages over the forecast period.
Chapter 6, 7, 8- visualizes the market scenario of the Basmati Rice leading countries in the region that contributes towards the sales and income in the market.
Chapter 9 and 10- Defines the Basmati Rice market through various segments which include product type, end users/ application, market players as well as geographical regions along with market size and growth rate.
Chapter 11 and 12- Explains the Basmati Rice market synopsis over the forecast period for each segment from 2017 to 2023.
Chapter 13, 14 and 15- Unveils various procedures and approaches involved in gathering the Basmati Rice information, through research findings, conclusion, assumptions, appendix and data sources.

Table of Content of the Global Basmati Rice Market comprises the below points:

1. Basmati Rice Market Synopsis, Overview of market segment by cost breakdown along with upstream and downstream.
2. Regional Basmati Rice market description correlating the demand and supply tactics, competitive analysis and applications over the forecast.
3. Basmati Rice market geographical regions, marketing process, region wise and country wise their production forecast.
4. Basmati Rice market trends and strategies, manufacturing cost structure, gross margin scrutiny through various marketing channels.
5. Basmati Rice descriptive analysis of the market competitors and major market players profiles of companies, company profile, sales information, regional analysis for leading company.
6. Basmati Rice product type describing its market size, growth rate and market stability over the forecast.
7. Basmati Rice market outline SWOT and PESTEL analysis.
8. Basmati Rice Major Countries Import/Export scenario, and Consumption.
9. Basmati Rice Industry Forecast Analysis by 2023.
10. An outlook of the overall Basmati Rice market and key developing factors.
Overall the Basmati Rice market report enhances the decision making potentiality by clarifying significant aspects related to market stability. The report portrays and improvises product expansion and Basmati Rice sales techniques, expand business approaches by comprehending the market stats and major driving factors. Also improvises the market effectively to exist in the competitive market, helps in collaborating with the Basmati Rice leading market players, any acquisitions in the upcoming pipelines. The information collated here is on the basis of past, and present database to initialize the futuristic Basmati Rice market.

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Global and Chinese Organic Rice Protein Market Segmentation along with Regional Outlook, Competitive Strategies, Factors Contributing to Growth

Global and Chinese Organic Rice Protein Market research report is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the Global and Chinese Organic Rice Protein Industry. This report provides analysis of Market Trends, Market Share, Industry Size, Growth, Opportunities. Also Global and Chinese Organic Rice Protein market reports analyses market by different segments, companies, regions and countries over the forecast period 2017 to 2022. Also, the Global and Chinese Organic Rice Protein Industry report explores the international and Chinese Major Market players in detail. The Global and Chinese Organic Rice Protein Market report presents the company profile, product specifications, capacity, production value, Contact Information of manufacturer and Global and Chinese Organic Rice Protein Market shares for each company.
Ask a Sample Report of Global and Chinese Organic Rice Protein Market Research at: https://www.marketreportsworld.com/enquiry/request-sample/11151131
The Global and Chinese Organic Rice Protein Market report delivers a basic overview of the industry including its definition, applications and manufacturing technology. Also, the Global and Chinese Organic Rice Protein Industry report explores the international and Chinese Major Market players in detail.
The Global and Chinese Organic Rice Protein Market report presents the company profile, product specifications, capacity, production value, Contact Information of manufacturer and market shares for each company.
Through the statistical analysis, the Global and Chinese Organic Rice Protein Market report depicts the global and Chinese total market of Global and Chinese Organic Rice Protein Industry including capacity, production, production value, cost/profit, supply/demand and Chinese import/export. The total market is further divided by company, by country, and by application/type for the competitive landscape analysis.
For Any Query on Global and Chinese Organic Rice Protein Market, Speak to Expert@ https://www.marketreportsworld.com/enquiry/pre-order-enquiry/11151131
Table of Contents:
Chapter 1 Overview of Global and Chinese Organic Rice Protein Market
1.1 Brief Overview of Global and Chinese Organic Rice Protein Industry
1.2 Development of Global and Chinese Organic Rice Protein Market
1.3 Status of Global and Chinese Organic Rice Protein Market
Chapter 2 Manufacturing Technology of Global and Chinese Organic Rice Protein Industry
2.1 Development of Global and Chinese Organic Rice Protein Manufacturing Technology
2.2 Analysis of Global and Chinese Organic Rice Protein Manufacturing Technology
2.3 Trends of Global and Chinese Organic Rice Protein Manufacturing Technology
Chapter 3 Analysis of Global Global and Chinese Organic Rice Protein Market Key Manufacturers
3.1.1 Company Profile
3.1.2 Product Information
3.1.3 2012-2017 Production Information
3.1.4 Contact Information
Chapter 4 2012-2017 Global and Chinese Global and Chinese Organic Rice Protein Market
4.1 2012-2017 Global Capacity, Production and Production Value of Global and Chinese Organic Rice Protein Market
4.2 2012-2017 Global Cost and Profit of Global and Chinese Organic Rice Protein Market
4.3 Market Comparison of Global and Chinese Global and Chinese Organic Rice Protein Industry
4.4 2012-2017 Global and Chinese Supply and Consumption of Global and Chinese Organic Rice Protein Market
4.5 2012-2017 Chinese Import and Export of Global and Chinese Organic Rice Protein
Chapter 5 Market Status of Global and Chinese Organic Rice Protein Industry
5.1 Market Competition of Global and Chinese Organic Rice Protein Industry by Company
5.2 Market Competition of Global and Chinese Organic Rice Protein Industry by Country (USA, EU, Japan, Chinese etc.)
5.3 Market Analysis of Global and Chinese Organic Rice Protein Consumption by Application/Type
Chapter 6 2023 Market Forecast of Global and Chinese Global and Chinese Organic Rice Protein Market
6.1 2023 Global and Chinese Capacity, Production, and Production Value of Global and Chinese Organic Rice Protein Market
6.2 2023 Global and Chinese Organic Rice Protein Market Cost and Profit Estimation
6.3 2023 Global and Chinese Global and Chinese Organic Rice Protein Market Share
6.4 2023 Global and Chinese Supply and Consumption of Global and Chinese Organic Rice Protein
6.5 2023 Chinese Import and Export of Global and Chinese Organic Rice Protein
Continue…
In the end, the Global and Chinese Organic Rice Protein Market report makes some important proposals for a new project of Global and Chinese Organic Rice Protein Industry before evaluating its feasibility. Overall, the report provides an in-depth insight of 2012-2022 Global and Chinese Global and Chinese Organic Rice Protein Market covering all important parameters
Price of Report: $ (3000)

Rice Steamer Market in-Depth Analysis 2018, Future Scope and Growth Forecast Till 2025

Global Rice Steamer Market Professional Survey Report 2018 provides a unique tool for evaluating the Market, highlighting opportunities, and supporting strategic and tactical decision-making. This report recognizes that in this rapidly-evolving and competitive environment, up-to-date Marketing information is essential to monitor performance and make critical decisions for growth and profitability. It provides information on trends and developments, and focuses on Markets and materials, capacities and technologies, and on the changing structure of the Rice Steamer.
Regions of Rice Steamer market:
Global (North America, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia, India, Rest of the World)
The Global Rice Steamer Market was valued at USD xx million in 2018 and is forecasted to reach USD xx million by 2025, with a CAGR of xx% during the forecast period (2018-2025)
The Rice Steamer Market report profiles the following companies, which includes
Panasonic
Philips
Cuckoo
CUCHEN
Tiger
Zojirushi
Toshiba
Midea
Supor
Joyoung
Gree
Galanz
Haier
Elecpro
Hallsmart
GZHEAIC
Weking
Hotor
Enaiter
 Each major player’s companies overview, revenue and financial analysis, revenue split by business segment and by geography, recent news are covered in the report. Competitors regional analysis is done where as high, low and medium penetrating regions are analyzed.
Rice Steamer Market is segmented based on the Types such as
ConventionalRiceCooker
MicomRiceCooker
IHRiceCooker
 Further, the market is segmented based on the applications such as
Online
Offline
There are almost 10 Chapters to deeply display the global Rice Steamer market.
·       Chapter 1 gives Parent Market Synopsis, Rice Steamer Introduction, product scope,
·       market overview.
·       Chapter 2 gives executive summary and key insights of Rice Steamer
·       Chapter 3 talks about research methodology used for Rice Steamer market study.
·       Chapter 4 provides competitors regional and overall analysis with sales, revenue, and price of Rice Steamer in 2017 and 2018.
·       Chapter 5 will show the global Rice Steamer market by regions, with sales, revenue and market share for year 2017 and 2018.
·       Chapter 6 analyses the key regions, with sales, revenue and Rice Steamer market share by key countries in these regions.
·       Chapter 7 analyses Rice Steamer market by type and application, with sales market share and growth rate by type, application from year 2017 to 2018
·       Chapter 8 gives insights of Rice Steamer market forecast, by regions, type and application, with sales and revenue from 2017 to 2018.
·       Chapter 9 briefs us about Rice Steamer sales channel, distributors, traders and dealers.
·       Chapter 10 talks about Rice Steamer market dynamics with focusing about growth drivers, growth barriers, general trends, Technological Advancement, market challenges ahead, market restraints and opportunities.
Rice Steamer Market by Future Growth Estimates, Current Trends, Dynamics, Market Challenges, Size, Revenue and Global Industry Outlook Till 2025
Reasons to Purchase this Report:                               
·       The report analyses how the stringent emission control norms will drive the global Rice Steamer
·       Analyzing various perspectives of the market with the help of Porters five forces analysis.
·       Study on the product type that is expected to dominate the Rice Steamer
·       Study on the regions that are expected to witness fastest growth during the forecast period.
·       Identify the latest developments, market shares and strategies employed by the major players of Rice Steamer
·       To obtain research based business decision and add weight to presentations and marketing material and also gain competitive knowledge of leading players.
To avail limited customization in the report without any extra charges and get research data or trends added in the report as per the buyers specific needs.
About Us: – MarketInsightsReports provides syndicated Market research reports to industries, organizations or even individuals with an aim of helping them in their decision making process. MarketInsightsReports has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain.
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17 African professionals train in PH to upgrade rice seed value chain

June 10, 2018, 1:24 PM
By Roy Mabasa
Seventeen young professionals and agriculture specialists from French-speaking African nations are currently in the Philippines for a three-week training on improving the quality of the rice seed value chain in their respective countries.
 
(AFP Photo/SCOTT OLSON / MANILA BULLETIN)
Under the program of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) called Extension Capacity Development for Rice Food Security in Africa, the training is part of the initiatives of the Coalition for African Rice Development (CARD) to help address increasing rice demand in Sub-Saharan Africa.
“The Philippines is a suitable venue for this kind of training since it also has benefited from JICA’s development assistance in rice research and development for many decades now,” JICA Senior Representative Yo Ebisawa said in a statement.
Like other development aid agencies, JICA is closely working with rice research institutions and partner countries not only to help double rice production in Africa by 2018 but also to support relevant countries in addressing food security challenges.
According to JICA, the participants in the training program came from agriculture institutions in Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea, Mali, and Togo in West Africa.
During their stay, the trainees will attend lectures and hands-on activities on crop management, post-harvest processing, modern techniques in the seed value chain development, and other innovative rice seed production systems.
Participants will also visit rice farming systems in Nueva Ecija and Ifugao, two of the country’s major rice-producing provinces.
JICA said the participants comprise the 4thbatch of the Quality Breeder and Foundation Seed training, with a total of 65 agriculture specialists trained from Africa.
The project also offers a specialized course on Rice Seed Production and Extension Methods, an 8-week training at the Philippine Rice Research Institute
(PhilRice).
“Through this project, we’d like to contribute to other countries’ efforts to address food security and support the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) so more people are alleviated from poverty and have access to basic needs like food,” the JICA official said.
Data obtained from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) showed that sub-Saharan Africa has the highest occurrence of undernourishment in the world at 23.2% or one in every four people.
This, according to JICA, “makes agriculture productivity an urgent concern.”
Over the years, JICA, the executing arm of Japan’s Official Development Assistance (ODA), has supported institutions like IRRI and the PhilRice through facilities
upgrade and capacity building.


Green shoots in the desert as China creates rice paddy fields outside Dubai


Is this where you will soon be getting your rice from? CREDIT: MOMENT RF/MALORNY
9 JUNE 2018 • 1:45PM
In a vast desert on the outskirts of Dubai, Chinese scientists looked across a field of 'drought resistant' rice they had planted in sand and diluted sea-water and realised that a four decade struggle had come to an end.
"The result was extremely satisfying," said Du Dele, an official at the Chinese research centre pioneering the salt-resistant rice, which many believe could solve food shortages in the world's most uncultivable regions.
"We learned that we can grow rice in the desert, and we were very happy when we analysed the results and saw how much we can produce," he told The Telegraph.
Rice is commonly grown in fresh water and soil, rather than sand and sea water.
And in Dubai, where temperatures...


Letter: The politics of protecting wild rice

 
Wild rice grows in water, but not just any kind of water. It turns out the biology of where rice grows in Minnesota is very complicated.In this part of the state, the amount of sulfate found naturally in the water and the amount added by mining and wastewater treatment facilities can become too high for rice to survive.
Sulfate by itself does not kill the rice, bacteria in the silt turns sulfate into sulfide and at a concentration of 10 parts per million sulfate, enough sulfide is produced that makes rice seed production drop off.
The science establishing the sulfate 10 ppm standard is being criticized by Republicans and Rep. Steve Green, because it was established 45 years ago based on research done by the University of Minnesota, so they consider it "obsolete" science and not applicable today.
Turns out over the last eight years the Minnesota pollution Control Agency has extended and refined their research on where rice grows and does not grow. The new research suggests a standard within the range of 4-16 ppm sulfate. The old standard of 10 ppm sulfate found back 45 years ago falls right in the middle of the new range. The old science was, and still is, solid.
To account for differences in lakes and rivers, the PCA proposed a new, more inclusive, formula for evaluating sulfate levels. An administrative law judge ruled the new formula was too complicated and failed to protect rice more than what the current 10 ppm standard would do.
Not liking the new research that backed the old standard of 10 ppm sulfate, Republicans proposed and passed a bill in both houses that supposedly would protect rice into the future, while the PCA would be forced to go through the whole rule-making process again to establish a standard more to their political liking.
In reality, the Republican bill effectively makes the 10 ppm standard unenforceable, leaving rice totally unprotected.
Based on good science, Gov. Dayton vetoed the bill, doing what was right for wild rice and Minnesotans.
Enforcing this standard immediately would be expensive. To spread out the costs, the PCA would work with industries in granting permits to slowly work towards meeting the 10 ppm standard over a period of years.
Rep. Green and the Republicans have misled their constituents into thinking their bill would have protected wild rice. Instead, it would have removed all protection and left wastewater treatment and mining companies free to dump sulfate without limits.
When you vote this fall, remember this and the many other misleading statements made by Rep. Green.—Steve Lindow, Ponsford.

Put an end to Bernas' rice import monopoly, says Chieng Jen

State Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman, Chong Chieng Jen, said such action should be expedited as part of the initiatives to lessen the people’s expenditure on the staple food. Pix by Mohd Latif Ahmad
By Mohd Latif Ahmad - 
KUCHING: Sarawakians will be able to enjoy rice at cheaper prices if the Federal Government terminates the rice import monopoly held by Padiberas Nasional Bhd (Bernas).
State Pakatan Harapan chairman Chong Chieng Jen said such an action should be expedited as part of the initiatives to lessen the people’s expenditure on the staple food.
He said based on the current market, the prices of imported fragrant and white rice are influenced by the profit gained by Bernas.
He said the agency imported fragrant rice from Thailand at RM4,700 per metric tonne and resold it to wholesalers at RM5,800 per metric tonne.
“This means, Bernas gains a gross profit of RM1,100 per metric tonne.
“Meanwhile, imported fragrant rice from Vietnam is imported at RM2,400 per tonne and is sold at RM3,400 per tonne to wholesalers, which means a gross profit of RM1,000 per tonne.”
He said the imported Thai white rice which costs RM2,050 per tonne was sold to wholesalers at RM2,850 per tonne, and the imported Vietnam white rice, which costs RM1,810 per tonne was sold at RM2,250 per tonne to wholesalers.

(Stock image for illustration purposes) The prices of imported fragrant and white rice are influenced by the profit gained by Bernas.
“Bernas gains an annual gross profit of RM104 million from the import of rice in Sarawak alone, while consumers have to spend a lot on the daily essential goods.
“With the abolishment of the monopoly system on rice imports, consumers will be able to buy rice at a cheaper price,” he said, adding that the Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Ministry would be able to issue permits directly to exporters from Thailand and Vietnam.
Chong said such measure would enable the price of rice to be reduced between 20 and 30 per cent nationwide.
There are currently 10 main rice wholesalers in Sarawak dealing with imported rice from Thailand and Vietnam.
Also present were state Amanah chairman, Fidzuan Zaidi and Bandar Kuching member of parliament, Dr Kelvin Yii.
Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Salahuddin Ayub was reported as saying that a working paper to terminate the import monopoly system and open up the rice market would be drafted.
181 rea

Highest ever rice import from India in FY18

Shakhawat Hossain | Published: 23:38, Jun 09,2018 | Updated: 23:56, Jun 09,2018
      
 


A file photo shows varieties of rice at a wholesale shop in Dhaka. -- New Age
Bangladesh imported highest ever rice mainly from India in the outgoing financial year 2017-18 to overcome supply shortage caused by floods and inertia of the ministry of food to strengthen food buffer stock in time.
The country imported 31,65,000 tonne rice until February, as per the data of the directorate of food, showed the Bangladesh Economic Review 2018.
Directorate of Food additional director general Arifur Rahman Apu told New Age on Saturday that the 31.65 lakh tonne rice was imported by the private sector because of loss of crops caused by two rounds of flood.
In addition, the government procured about 7 lakh tone rice through direct purchase and international tenders to increase supply of rice in the local market, he said.
Earlier, the highest import of rice was 30.67 lakh tonne in 1998-99 followed by 20.47 lakh tonne in 2007-08.
Experts blamed two rounds of flood and inertia of the ministry of food to import rice to meet the supply shortage that caused price hike of the staple by 30 per cent in the local market.
Besides, the government delayed the reduction of import duty on rice which was another reason for supply shortage of the staple in the impoverished country they said.
Bangladesh Bank officials said that 80 per cent of the rice imported in the outgoing financial year was from India.
The value of letters of credit for the import of rice between July 2017 and January 2018 stood at $1.7 billion, they said.
India’s rice exports jumped by 22 per cent in 2017 to record 12.3 million tonnes after Bangladesh ramped up purchases, according to a Reuters report released on January 10.
The boost in shipments from India, the world’s top exporter of the grain, is set to extend in 2018 as Bangladesh and Sri Lanka continue to buy aggressively amid depleting inventories in second highest exporter Thailand.
Bangladesh’s purchases lifted India’s non-basmati rice exports by 38 per cent in 2017 to 8.4 million tonnes and total exports to 12.3 million tonnes, surpassing 2014’s record of 11.5 million tonnes.
Traditionally the world’s fourth-biggest rice producer Bangladesh emerged as a major importer of the grain in 2017 after floods damaged crops and pushed domestic prices to record highs.
On June 5, Bangladesh commerce minister Tofail Ahmed told reporters that the government decided to reinstate 28 per cent duty on rice import to protect the interests of rice growers as the country witnessed a bumper yield of aman and boro, the two major crops of the country.
The import duty on rice was reduced to 2 per cent to meet the shortfall of the crops as flash floods damaged production of boro rice in haor areas, he said.
Finance minister AMA Muhith also proposed the reinstatement of the duty in the budget proposals place in parliament on June 7.
A report by the United States Department of Agriculture in April projected Bangladesh’s total rice production increase to 3.47 crore tonnes in 2018-19 from 3.26 crore tones in 2017-18.
The report largely attributed a higher boro production for this year-on-year output surge.
In 2018-19, which begins with the harvesting of boro, the production of rice is forecast to exceed the government’s target, stated the report, as farmers have increased cultivation area with an expectation of good prices, and to recoup the boro and aman production losses from the previous year.

New rice harvester offers better harvest

An expert demonstrates how the rice harvester works. Photo by Roland D Nasasira  
By Roland D. Nasasira
Gone are the days when rice farmers hired farm labourers and spent a number of days harvesting their rice gardens. However, with the introduction of the rice harvester, you can be able to save time spent on harvesting.
Technology
One such farmer who has embraced the new technology that was introduced on the Ugandan market in February is Denis Ofwono, a farmer from Butaleja District.
At his farm which measures four acres, he recalls using the traditional method of rice harvesting by hand picking and U-shaped hand slashers to cut rice stems.
This would however take his labourers two to four days to harvest the four acre rice field. On average, labourers harvested one acre per day.
“When I embraced this technology, I started harvesting very early in the morning and by 2:00pm, all the four acres are covered. The remaining workload gathering the rice to collection point,” Ofwono explains.
Another farmer, Robert Othieno who also hails from Butaleja District equally prides in the efficiency of the rice harvester.
“In an hour or less, I use the machine to harvest one acre of rice,” Othieno says, adding that he used to spend between Shs50,000 to Shs70,000 on hiring labourers during the harvesting season. This also included the cost of feeding them.
How the machine works
Joan Amooti, the Sales Assistant at China Huangpai Food Machines at Uganda Manufacturers’ Association (UMA) show grounds at Lugogo says the rice harvester is a simple machine that eases the process of harvesting.
Physically, the rice harvester has the same shape as the powered engine slasher. The speed and rate of revolution of the cutting blades are just the same.
Like the slasher, the rice harvester also uses petrol fuel to run its light and small engine.
“You hold the machine either on your left or right hand side below your armpits as you operate it. It is from the handles that you adjust the speed,” Amooti says.
In one hour, Amooti says the rice harvester has the capacity of harvesting two acres but that this is dependent on the operator’s or farmer’s operating speed.
On average, the rice harvester consumes approximately three litres of petrol fuel to harvest two acres of land.
Service and maintenance 
Like any other farm machine, the rice harvester does not go about its work without any service and maintenance.
You have to ensure that its engine oil is always the right amount to avoid friction.
At China Huangpai Food Machines, a farmer is trained how to use the machine on the onset of purchase which comes with a six months warranty. The machine costs Shs1.2m.

SCIENTISTS TOLD ABOUT THE HARMFUL CEREALS

Jan Hartman | June 9, 2018 | Science | No Comments
Experts have dispelled the myth that all meals are equally useful. It turns out that there are some that can cause harm to human health.

Scientists told about the most harmful porridge, and based on their recommendations, you can make the most balanced diet. There are four most harmful porridge – oatmeal, semolina, millet porridge and white rice. However, we must note that at the mention of harm oatmeal talking about the instant oatmeal with the addition of flavor enhancers, colors and flavors.
Semolina is not rich in vegetable protein and vitamins, and most of it forms starch, which is contraindicated for people with overweight. Not recommended to include this cereal in the diet of children, as it contains mucopolysaccharide body of the child will not be able to fully break down, because of what he could be in trouble with digestion.
White rice nutritionists believe absolutely useless mess – it has almost no vitamins, no minerals, and only a huge amount of carbohydrates and calories. For cooking with rice is best to use the wild, brown, and red varieties.
Though millet and is rich in minerals, helps to eliminate toxins and salts, purifies blood vessels, reducing the likelihood of atherosclerosis, not all can use it. Due to the presence of polikarov it is not impossible to use in pancreatite and diabetes.
Pakistan’s export to Afghanistan hit two-year high: Report
By KHAAMA PRESS - Sat Jun 09 2018, 11:31 am

Pakistan’s export to Afghanistan has reached to a two-year high during the first 10 moths of the current fiscal year despite relations remain strained on political level between the two neighboring countries, it has been reported.
The latest report from the State Bank of Pakistan shows the country’s exports to Afghanistan reached $1.282 billion during July-April 2917-18. This was higher than the figure of $956 million in the same period last year, according to Dawn News.
The source further added that during the last five years, the outgoing government never made any serious attempt to improve trade ties with the war-torn neighbour. With the penetration of Chinese products in Afghanistan, Pakistan’s share has been further reduced.
“In 2014-15, exports to Afghanistan were $1.699bn which fell to $1.230bn in FY16 before further declining to $1.165bn in FY17, reflecting the downward trajectory,” according to the report.
According to the latest report, Afghanistan imports mostly food products such as wheat flour, rice, meet, etc from Pakistan. However, up to 50 per cent of flour mills have now been closed due to low exports.
Pakistan’s textile products have historically had a large share in Kabul but the recent penetration of Indian and Chinese products has replaced the country from its traditional market of finished and unfinished textile products.
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Rice Transplanter Machines Market With Latest Research Report And Growth By 2023 Market Analysis, Size, Trends, Share, Key Vendors, Drivers And Forecast

The Rice Transplanter Machines Report comprises of all the essential data with respect to the Rice Transplanter Machines Market. The comprehensive report will help clients to comprehend the market momentum patterns, industry development drivers, share, investigation, estimate, generation, conjecture patterns, supply, deals, requests, and numerous different angles. The examination was proficient utilizing a target amalgamation of essential and optional information including commitments from real members in the market. The global Rice Transplanter Machines report is a basic hold of information, essentially for the business executives.
This report focuses on the top Manufacturers and players in global market are given bellow :-
Yanmar
Iseki
Kubota
TYM
Jiangsu World Agriculture Machinery
CLAAS
Shandong Fuerwo Agricultural Equipment
Mitsubishi Mahindra Agricultural Machinery
Dongfeng Agricultural Machinery
Changfa Agricultural Equipment
Geologically, this report is segmented into a few key Regions, with creation, utilization, revenue, and piece of the pie and development rate of  Market in these regions, from 2018 to 2023 (forecast), covering USA, Canada and Mexico, Rice Transplanter Machines Market in Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy, global Rice Transplanter Machines market in China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia, global Rice Transplanter Machines market in Brazil, Argentina, Columbia, Global market in Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa.
By Product types, Automated Fare Collection System for Bus Market report revenue and growth rate of each Type, primarily split into: 
Mechanical
Manual
By End Users Application, Automated Fare Collection System for Bus Market report focuses on the outlook for major applications, sales volume and growth rate for each Application, including: 
Commercial
Household
The Market Report Comprises The Following Points, But Are Not Limited To,
1. The review of the market that aides in picking up the fundamental data about the market. 
2. The market division is done based on the end-client ventures, applications, and on different focuses. With the assistance of the division, the market investigation is done better. For better understanding and for increasing more data the fragments are likewise partitioned into sub-portions. 
3. In the following segment, the development components of the Rice Transplanter Machines Market are included. These variables are gathered from the substantial sources and are approved by the business specialists. 
4. It helps in understanding the key item sections and their future 
5. It gives a six-year conjecture surveyed based on how the market is predicted to grow
Other Details Of The Rice Transplanter Machines Market In The Report:
1. Both subjective and quantitative analysis of the Rice Transplanter Machines market is completed which helps later on assessment of the market. 
2. Different research strategies and instruments were thought about while gathering the information for the market report. 
3. Both the best down and the base up procedures were utilized for the investigation of the data. The mechanical SWOT investigation was made and the Porters Five Forces show was utilized for understanding the capability of the market. 
4. The last area is the decision about the market and the proposals by the business specialists. 
The key units in view of which the measure of the Rice Transplanter Machines market is assessed in this report are creation volume and income (US$). Top to bottom analysis of the market’s significant sections and the topographical division over the globe are additionally expert. A few parts of the Rice Transplanter Machines market, for example, restrictions, and future parts of each fragment have been talked about completely. In light of these few viewpoints, the Rice Transplanter Machines market report finishes up the future balance of the market globally.
The Rice Transplanter Machines advertise report has incorporated a study of late improvements in innovation, nitty gritty profiles of best industry players, and special model examination. It gives worldwide Rice Transplanter Machines showcase projections to the coming years.

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Eagle Lake Rice Field Day scheduled for June 26

Contact: Stephen Janak, 979-732-2082, Stephen.Janak@ag.tamu.edu
EAGLE LAKE – The 44th annual Eagle Lake Rice Field Day is scheduled for 4 p.m. June 26 at the David R. Wintermann Rice Research Station on Farm-to-Market Road 102 just north of Eagle Lake.
The field day is free and supported by area agribusinesses. The event will offer an opportunity for producers to tour the research station, making stops along the way to learn about insects, weeds and plant nutrient management, varietal testing and inbred and hybrid rice breeding.
“The field day is planned and coordinated by the Colorado County Rice Committee, comprised of local producers who meet throughout the year to identify topics for the event that are relevant and applicable to producers in the area,” said Stephen Janak, AgriLife Extension agent for Colorado County. “Area agribusiness continues to provide crucial sponsorship to support this event so that all who are interested in attending can do so free of charge.”
The evening program will be held at the Eagle Lake Community Center with Dr. George Knapek, program manager for representative farms with the Agricultural and Food Policy Center at Texas A&M University, addressing farm policy and governmental administration issues.
Also on the agenda for the evening program are Drs. Ted Wilson and Omar Samonte of the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Beaumont/Eagle Lake. Wilson will provide attendees with an overview of rice research in Texas, while Samonte will update attendees on the progress of the new hybrid rice breeding program.
A catered meal will be provided at the evening program. Two continuing education units will be offered to all licensed pesticide applicators who attend the tour and evening program.
For more information, call the Wintermann Rice Research Station at 979-234-3578 or the AgriLife Extension office for Colorado County at 979-732-2082.

Uncertified rice seeds plague farmers in Delta

Update: June, 09/2018 - 05:00
Inspectors from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development inspect an enterprise engaging in the manufacture and trading rice seeds. — Photo danviet.vn
CẦN THƠ —  As the main rice producing area of the country, the demand for rice seeds in the Cửu Long (Mekong) River Delta was very high.
But certified seeds produced by professional rice research institutes or enterprises are not enough to support this industry, and only account for 20 per cent of the total supply, meaning that there is no guarantee of quality for the remaining 80 per cent of the supply.
This creates a loophole for enterprises which ignore state regulations by trading in fake and low quality rice seeds, earning high profits, the Nông thôn Ngày nay (Countryside Today) newspaper reported, adding that farmers are suffering the consequences.
Lê Văn Phước, a farmer from Long An Province, said he was surprised to hear that there was a mix of rice strains in his 2.5ha plot of land.
The agent that sold him the rice seeds told him that he had bought the certified variety, when in fact, this was not entirely true. .
He said a lot of farmers in his neighborhood are facing the same problem, but they failed to secure compensation from their supplier.
This happened despite the fact that the sale of rice seeds was placed under State management. Accordingly, enterprises who engage in the trading of rice seeds must obtain licences from the provincial agriculture and rural development department.
In addition, these companies agree to provide certified seeds which meet criteria on moisture, mixed rate and expiration date. To continue their operation, these enterprises must be certified by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) before every new crop is sown.
While the issue of trading in low quality rice seeds remains unsolved in the Mekong River Delta, experts are pointing the blame to loose management and lack of staff in relevant departments.
According to Mekong Delta Rice Research Institute, with close to 1.7 million hectares of land used for rice production, the Mekong Delta needs about 400,000 tonnes of rice seeds to produce each harvest.
However, rice seed production facilities can only meet half of the demand.  
Unannounced inspections conducted by MARD investigators in Cần Thơ and Đồng Tháp have revealed a number of violations in the trading of rice seeds.
Specifically, inspectors from Cần Thơ City’s Agriculture and Rural Development Department have coordinated with relevant agencies to inspect manufacturing facilities and traders of Hưng Phát Company, taking rice seeds back to the lab for testing.
While “high quality” was printed on its packing, the result of the tests showed that both rice strains didn’t meet the necessary standard.
This raises the question of how many tonnes of unqualified rice seeds have been put on sale since the enterprise set up since 2002.
Various violations were also found at other rice production and trading enterprises in Thốt Nốt District.
Inspectors noted that there were hundreds of tonnes of raw materials and rice seeds in their storage warehouses.
Enterprises failed to show relevant papers relating to certified production at the time of inspection.
The same problem was also detected by the inspection team in neighbouring Đồng Tháp Province.
Enterprises such as Văn Tấn and Thật Hiền, who trade in rice seeds, were found to have copied the packaging of other enterprises, and sold rice seeds with unclear origins in quantities of up to 30 tonnes.
Inspectors from Bạc Liêu Province’s Agriculture and Rural Development said they received a lot of letters from enterprises complaining that their rice seeds were fake or low quality.
Suppliers of rice seeds sometimes trade in low quality seeds which look good, and use packaging with the same labels as certified brands. — VNS

Applications open for wild rice task force

 
13
Harvested wild rice. Forum News Service file photo.
ST. PAUL—Rep. Dale Lueck, R-Aitkin, who has led the effort to replace the state's sulfate standard to protect Minnesota's state grain wild rice, is asking citizens to join in the process.
While the governor vetoed two bills Lueck wrote to update the 45-year-old water quality sulfate standard that is outdated and has never been implemented, the governor has issued an executive order establishing a Governor's Task Force on Wild Rice. The application process for appointment to the task force is now underway. Lueck encourages qualified individuals to apply.
"Wild rice is native to most of Minnesota, thus this issue has a far-ranging impact on our region, as well as the rest of Minnesota," Lueck stated in a news release. "For over a decade, the MPCA (Minnesota Pollution Control Agency) has been solely focused, yet has been unsuccessful in replacing the outdated sulfate standard. It's time we had outside eyes examine what this agency is doing and take a more compressive approach to protecting, enhancing and where appropriate restoring natural wild rice."
Here is a list of vacancies on the panel:
• Electric utility representative, 1 seat.
• Independent scientists with expertise in wild rice research and plant-based aquatic toxicity, 2 seats.
• Labor representative (statewide labor organization), 1 seat.
• Mining industry—Ferrous mining representative, 1 seat.
• Mining industry—Non-ferrous mining representative, 1 seat.
• Minnesota Chippewa tribe representative, 1 seat.
• Minnesota Indian Affairs Council representative, 1 seat.
• Municipal wastewater discharger representative, 1 seat.
• Nongovernmental environmental organization representatives, 2 seats.
• Non-native wild rice harvester, 1 seat.
Applications may be submitted online at https://commissionsandappointments.sos.state.mn.us. Paper applications may be emailed to open.appointments@state.mn.us or by mailing Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State, 180 State Office Building, 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard, St. Paul, MN, 55155.
Contact William Seuffert by calling 651-757-2766 or emailing will.seuffert@state.mn.us for more information. The first application review date is June 22 and the task force is set to sunset April 7, 2019.


IRRI partners with Intertek on rice DNA markers

Friday, 08 June 2018 12:43

The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) said that it has entered a partnership with Intertek, an industrial testing services provider to allow the company use rice DNA markers that IRRI develops

IRRI said that the partnership would result in better service for Intertek clients. (Image source: International Rice Research Institute)
IRRI said that the partnership would result in better service for Intertek clients in the rice industry. The agreement is non-exclusive.
The agreement will help in broader distribution of IRRI's DNA markers for marker-assisted rice breeding programmes. The markers can also be used for quality control.
As part of the agreement, Intertek agreed to provide a volume of sample analysis free of charge.
“The cooperation between IRRI and Intertek will allow rice breeders and consumers all over the world to access low-density DNA markers to screen for high-value traits, including new tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses,” said Patrick Stolt, Intertek Global Product Line Leader.
“IRRI’s groundbreaking and comprehensive R&D work will allow Intertek labs in India, Australia, and Sweden to serve customers both on a global and local level by providing low-cost and fast-turnaround genotyping services,” Stolt, added.
“The partnership with Intertek allows us to leverage our innovations and accelerate impact on rice value chains, for the benefit of rice farmers,” said Rémy Bitoun, head of IRRI Tech Transfer.
“With Intertek’s extensive experience in genotyping services for the seed and breeding industry, IRRI’s research on rice DNA markers will reach more stakeholders, speeding up development of much needed novel rice varieties,” Bitoun, said.

Rice expert joins Monetary Board

BY ANGELICA BALLESTEROS, TMT ON JUNE 9, 2018
FILIPINO economist and former Agriculture undersecretary Bruce Tolentino has formally joined the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ Monetary Board (MB).
Central Bank Governor Nestor Espenilla administered Tolentino’s oath on Friday following the latter’s June 6 appointment by President Rodrigo Duterte.
Tolentino will serve until July 21, 2020, corresponding to the unexpired six-year term balance of Valentin Araneta who passed away in February this year.
The Bangko Sentral said Tolentino would serve as the go-to guy for all agriculture-related and food securitiy issues raised during Monetary Board meetings.

Prior to joining the MB, Tolentino served as deputy director general of the International Rice Research Institute.
Before this, he was also chief economist and country representative at The Asia Foundation for five years, was a senior technical adviser at the Agriculture and Natural Resources of the Catholic Relief Services and a senior economic policy adviser at the Asian Development Bank.
http://www.manilatimes.net/rice-expert-joins-monetary-board/406125/



US approves sale of GM 'golden rice'

08.06.2018

Samples of regular and so-called golden rice are seen in this handout photo from the International Rice Research Institute of the Philippines.The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Golden Rice, the fourth country to give a thumbs-up to a rice strain genetically altered to prevent blindness in children.

The rice contains extra genes that make a precursor to vitamin A, which is vital for preventing childhood blindness.A single helping can supply half the recommended daily intake of vitamin A, according to its developers at the International Rice Research Institute in the Philippines. The genes also give it a distinctive golden hue.In February and March, Food Standards Australia, New Zealand and Health Canada gave Golden Rice the stamp of approval.

"Based on the information IRRI has presented to FDA, we have no further questions concerning human or animal food derived from GR2E rice at this time," the US FDA's letter to IRRI concludes.
The rice is intended to address Vitamin A deficiency (VAD), a serious disease which is estimated to affect 250 million preschool-age children around the world. VAD can cause blindness and early death in young children who are affected.Its developer says the most important approvals are still awaited in the Philippines and Bangladesh, where the rice could have the greatest impact.
Applications were lodged in these countries last year.Greenpeace has opposed development and approval of golden rice, controversially claiming that it does not benefit farmers, only commercial enterprises. The IRRI has replied that farmers or any consumers are allowed to plant and replant this crop as long as they don't exceed the equivalent of 320,000 baht in profits. Farmers are also allowed to keep the seeds and replant them. Licences from the IRRI are free.

Meeting with agro-scientists to focus on increased crop production  
Pritesh Basu |  8 Jun 2018 10:57 PM
Kolkata: The state Agriculture department is soon going to hold a high-level meeting with agro-scientists from all its research stations to discuss measures for further enhancement regarding the yield of different crops in the state as per demand in the market. Asish Banerjee, the state Agriculture minister, said: "We have decided to hold the meeting with scientists and concerned officials from all the research stations." He further said: "The date of the meeting will be finalised soon. But there are possibilities of the same getting organised by end of June or beginning of July and would also take place at Nabanna Sabhaghar." In the meeting there will be agro-scientists from the rice research stations of the state Agriculture department at Chinsurah in Hooghly and Bankura. It may be mentioned that besides the increase in production of paddy, Bengal has also witnessed introduction of new varieties of seeds in the past few years. Agro-scientists in the rice research stations had been constantly working on different varieties of rice seeds. In the meeting, the agro-scientists from the rice research stations would be putting forward their views and would also discuss issues that will come up in the meeting in connection with paddy cultivation. Scientists from the research stations of the state Agriculture department including pulses and oilseed research station at Behrampore, field crop research station in Burdwan and Water Management Research Station (WMRS) will also be present in the meeting. Initiatives have also been taken regarding cultivation of rice that needs less water and it will also be discussed during the meeting. It may be mentioned that Bengal has bagged the Krishi Karman award for five consecutive years from the Centre for its success in the agriculture sector and the improvement has come after the change of guard in 2011 when the state government has started taking steps to ensure market-driven production. Despite bagging the awards, the state Agriculture department is still taking all necessary measures to continue with the development of the sector. At the same time, the state Agriculture department has taken up a drive to ensure that farmers do not burn stubble after the harvest as it creates huge amount of pollution and at the same time, the fertility of the soil also gets affected. Officials of the state Agriculture department posted in districts are also approaching farmers to make them aware of the harm it is causing to agricultural lands.


India-China deal inked, rice millers see long-term gain in Chinese market

With India and China signing an agreement on Saturday to amend a protocol on phytosanitary requirements, which will allow India to export non-basmati rice to China, rice millers see the opening up of the Chinese market for Indian grain as a positive sign in the long run.

With India and China signing an agreement on Saturday to amend a protocol on phytosanitary requirements, which will allow India to export non-basmati rice to China, rice millers see the opening up of the Chinese market for Indian grain as a positive sign in the long run. “Consumer preference there (in China) is generally for short-to-medium bold and sticky rice. The rice that we export is mainly long, fine and fluffy grain. Developing that market will take some time,” Vijay Setia, president of All-India Rice Exporters’ Association, said.
According to Setia, a Chinese official team had last year inspected rice-milling plants in India. “They visited 19 mills and approved 14 plants that can export as and when their market opens up. Another team is expected this month and they will inspect more mills,” he told The Sunday Express. However, Setia pointed out, the plants the Chinese officials visited largely process basmati rice for export. “Maybe at a later stage they will also look at non-basmati rice-processing facilities,” he said.
India is the world’s largest rice exporter. In 2017-18 (April-March), India shipped out 126.85 lakh tonnes of rice valued at $7,723.11 million (Rs 49,768.25 crore). That included 40.52 lakh tonnes of basmati (worth $4,165 million, or Rs 26,841.19 crore) and 86.33 lakh tonnes of non-basmati rice ($3,558.11 million, or Rs 22,927.06 crore). India’s big markets for basmati rice are Iran, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Iraq and Kuwait, while non-basmati shipments go mainly to Bangladesh, Benin, Senegal, Nepal and Sri Lanka.
Rice apart, India has for long sought access to China’s market for buffalo meat as well. A leading buffalo meat exporter, who did not want to be quoted, said: “They have been citing concerns over Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD, an infectious virus that causes blisters in hoofed animals). This, despite the fact that Telangana and Maharashtra have already been declared FMD-free and we can export out of those states. Also, the Paris-based World Organisation for Animal Health has recognised meat that is de-boned, de-glanded and acidic (pH below 6) to be risk-free.”
Significantly, out of $4,029.88 million (Rs 25,988.50 crore) worth of buffalo meat that India exported in 2017-18, as much as $2,283.43 million (Rs 14,728.88 crore) — or more than half — was to Vietnam. It is believed that the bulk of the shipments to Vietnam actually make their way to China. China technically does not import any buffalo meat from India. However, a grey market has developed in recent times, with Chinese traders reportedly using Vietnam’s Haiphong port to bring in Indian meat loaded on small vessels.
“They are already consuming our meat. Right now, we export to Vietnam at $3,300 to $3,400 per tonne free on board. From there, another $800-1,000 per tonne is spent on trans-shipment. They could save that amount by buying directly from us,” the meat exporter quoted earlier claimed. In 2016, a Chinese team had come and seen a few processing facilities here, besides visiting the Indian Veterinary Research Institute at Mukteswar and meeting officials at the Agriculture Ministry and Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority, the exporter said.