18th August,2018 daily global regional local rice e-newsletter

RDB to request an extra $50 million to beef up agriculture emergency fund

Sok Chan / Khmer Times  

A Cambodian rice farmer works in the field. KT/Valinda Aim

The Rural Development Bank (RDB), a state-own institution, plans to request an additional $50 million to beef up the government-led emergency fund for the agriculture sector, according to a bank representative.

Kao Thach, RDB’s CEO, told Khmer Times the bank will ask the government to increase the funding available to rice millers that need cash to buy paddy rice collected in the upcoming harvest season, which begins next month.

Mr Thach said that in 2016, the year the emergency fund was started, $27 million were disbursed. Last year, the fund was expanded to $50 million, but only $36 million were dispensed.

The loans are part of a lending mechanism initiated by the government in 2016 to help millers who are short on cash buy paddy rice from farmers and keep the price of the commodity stable.

“I plan to ask the government to double the amount of money currently available in loans for the agriculture sector as demand is high,” Mr Thach said, adding that his petition will be accepted if the national budget allows it.

RDB decided to request the funds after the number of foreign buyers interested in Cambodian paddy rice fell short of expectations.

“We realised that there were no Vietnamese buyers this year, which means Cambodian rice millers need to absorb all production.

“We are concerned that the current $50 million in the emergency fund will be insufficient,” he said.

Mr Thach called on rice millers across the country to take advantage of the fund and file applications for a loan as soon as possible. He said demand for lending this year is expected to increase following the construction of several rice storage facilities throughout the year.

“This season we have new silos and warehouses which means storage capacity is much higher,” said Mr Thach.

In addition, this year, the animal husbandry and aquaculture sectors will also be included in the lending scheme. Farmers that employ organic methods to grow vegetables will also have access to the loans, he said.

Phou Puy, chairman of Baitang, told Khmer Times the current price of paddy rice is favourable for farmers and rice millers. He said he plans to buy 200,000-300,000 tonnes of the crop from farmers in Battambang, Banteay Meanchey and Pursat provinces.

Mr Puy said paddy rice now sells for $0.28 per kilogram, including the cost of transporting the produce to the warehouse.

He said the year is shaping up to be propitious for the rice sector, with the industry enjoying plenty of storage capacity, high prices, and sufficient demand from foreign buyers.

“Since we plan to purchase more paddy rice, we will apply for a loan with RDB. However, we are not sure yet how much we will ask for. It depends on how much paddy rice is available,” Mr Puy said.

Song Saran, CEO of Amru Rice, a firm that received a $5-million loan last year to build a silo and a warehouse in Kampong Thom province, told Khmer Times recently that he also will apply for a new loan to buy 100,000 tonnes of paddy rice.

He said the emergency loan programme has proven to be a very useful scheme for millers around the country.

According to RDB’s annual report, in 2017 RDB provided a total of $122 million in loans and advances, an increase of 71 percent compared to 2016. 61.2 percent went to the rice sector, with 14.5 taken out by businesses in other agricultural areas like rubber, maize, cassava, pepper, coffee and sugarcane.

https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50523714/rdb-to-request-an-extra-50-million-to-beef-up-agriculture-emergency-fund/

Iron-rich rice to be supplied to SW hostels

STAFF REPORTER

KAKINADA, AUGUST 18, 2018 00:52 IST

UPDATED: AUGUST 18, 2018 00:53 IST

A. Surya Kumari   | Photo Credit: CH_VIJAYA BHASKAR

Idea is to curb nutrition deficiency, says official

A.P. State Civil Supplies Corporation vice-chairman A. Surya Kumari said they were making arrangements to supply the ‘Swarna’ variety of rice to social welfare residential hostels and schools, to curb iron deficiency among children in the region.

Recruitments

Addressing a review meeting with the officials of the revenue and civil supplies departments, and rice millers from the district here, she said the variety would be supplied to the institutions as the government was keen on ensuring qualitative meals to students.

Referring to the problem of iron deficiency in agency areas, Ms. Kumari said efforts were on to distribute the iron-rich variety of rice there. “We have already started distributing the variety on a pilot basis in East Godavari and West Godavari districts. Based on the result, we will expanded it to other districts,” she said.

On strengthening the public distribution system, she said deputy tehsildars would be roped in for the purpose and recruitments would be done through the Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission. “In the meantime, we will use services of the existing staff,” she said.

Joint Collector A. Mallikarjuna said door-to-door supply of ration was launched in three mandals on a pilot basis and the programme was being monitored. District Supplies Officer P. Prasada Rao, president of the East Godavari Rice Millers Association Ambati Ramakrishna Reddy and others were present.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/andhra-pradesh/iron-rich-rice-to-be-supplied-to-sw-hostels/article24720313.ece

Rice prices to stabilize by end-September – DA

BY EIREENE JAIREE GOMEZ ON AUGUST 18, 2018

CONSUMERS can expect rice prices to stabilize by the end of September as well as an adequate supply of the staple, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said on Friday.

According to Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol, such prices, which have been rising since the start of the year because of depleted stocks at the National Food Authority (NFA), will settle once the harvest season begins at the end of next month.

Rice imports, which have just started to arrive and are expected to continue until the end of September, would affect the crop’s farmgate price, he said.

Ernesto Suvia, president of the Isabela Rice Millers Association, said the price of well-milled rice might fall to as low as P3. He noted that there was adequate supply of the staple for the coming lean season, usually marked by little or no rain, a cold season, or inadequate soil.

Isabela province has been delivering the bulk of its rice to NFA after committing to do so in March to stabilize prices.

“From March to April, Isabela has supplied 170,000 bags of rice to Metro Manila a day. Since the lean months began, the province’s supply commitment has been cut off into half,” Suvia said.

According to Piñol, the cost of Isabela well-milled rice in Metro Manila is between P2,100 and P2,200 per 50-kilo bag. This translates to a retail price of between P42 and P44.

He said rising rice prices emerged from speculation of a commodity shortage, and urged relevant government agencies to strengthen their price-monitoring.

“[Prices] beyond P50 are on the retailer, so our action should be on the control of price in the market,” he added.

“If there is an increase in the market, that’s already manipulation. And I think our rice enforcement agencies should already act on it.”

Piñol assured that there is enough rice for the lean months.

“There is no rice shortage. This is the testimony of our stakeholders,” he said.

Meanwhile, Cristina Ulang, head of research of First Metro Investments Corp., said if the consolidated rice tariffication bill was passed, “it would reduce inflationary pressures and expectations.”

Her remarks came after the House of Representatives approved House Bill 7735, or the Revised Agricultural Tariffication Act, on third and final reading on Wednesday.

According to the House’s website, the measure seeks to liberalize rice imports by replacing the quantitative import restrictions on rice with tariffs, and create the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund.

It aims to protect producers of agricultural products, ensure food security and make the agricultural sector viable and globally competitive.

The Senate version of the bill is still on the committee level, but Sen. Cynthia Villar, chairman of the Senate committee on food and agriculture, said she would try to speed up its passage before 2018 end. WITH ED VELASCO

https://www.manilatimes.net/rice-prices-to-stabilize-by-end-september-da/431780/

Why geoengineering might not save crops from climate change

by Emma Bryce | Aug 17, 2018

A geoengineering technique that would see us pumping the atmosphere full of sun-reflecting particles to cool the planet would also have the adverse effect of undermining crop growth, a new Nature study finds. This puts a question mark over the value of geoengineering–the large scale manipulation of earth’s climate–as a tool for protecting our food systems from climate change.

Placing sun-reflecting particles into the atmosphere–a technique called solar radiation management (SRM)–has gained traction in recent years as a promising geoengineering method that could help us wriggle out of our climate fix. But the University of California-Berkeley-led study found that while SRM would deflect heat to cool our planet and its crops, it would also limit the amount of sunlight reaching plants. That would undercut the amount of photosynthesis they crucially need to produce food.

Sunlight powers everything on the planet, so we must understand the possible outcomes if we are going to try to manage it.

By looking at major crops such as maize, wheat, soy, and rice, the researchers found that SRM measures would damage crops just as much as it would benefit them. For instance, under this technique, global maize crops would undergo cooling that would increase their yields by 6.3%. But that would be almost completely erased by the effect of reduced sunlight, which would cut yields by 5.3%.

When the researchers simulated the effect of SRM in the future between 2050 and 2069, they found that maize yields would be reduced by almost half. Other staple crops like rice, soy, and wheat would experience a 28% decline under the effects of this geoengineering technique. So, despite the fact that SRM would result in beneficially cooler temperatures, the effect of the dimmed sunlight would cancel out that benefit for crops–effectively making SRM useless as a method for helping agriculture to survive the ravages of climate change.

The researchers made their discoveries in a novel way, using historic volcano data. Volcanoes release particles into the atmosphere that obscure sunlight and create a cooling effect, making them the “closest natural analogues” to man-made SRM, the study authors say. Using data gathered from hundreds of stations that measured solar radiation over the course of 30 years, then pairing it with data on agricultural yields from that period, they were able to draw links between global changes in solar radiation–as a result of events like volcanoes–and worldwide crop yields.

This revealed shifts in productivity that coincided with historical volcano eruptions, like Mexico’s El Chichón eruption in 1982, and the Philippines’ Mount Pinatubo explosion in 1991. Pairing this information with a simulation looking at the effect of future SRM measures, the researchers showed that intensive geoengineering could have similar impacts on the world’s crops.

The findings aren’t to be taken as a dismissal of geoengineering, which could be hugely beneficial for other sectors besides agriculture, the researchers caution. But, the study does underscore the fact that it remains a poorly-understood method for solving the complicated puzzles of climate change.

Until we’ve fully grasped the varied and nuanced ways that our ambitious interventions could impact the planet, reducing carbon emissions is the only surefire way to safeguard the future of our food. “Sunlight powers everything on the planet, so we must understand the possible outcomes if we are going to try to manage it,” the researchers say.

Source: Proctor et. al. “Estimating global agricultural effects of geoengineering using volcanic eruptions.” Nature. 2018.

http://www.anthropocenemagazine.org/2018/08/why-geoengineering-might-not-save-crops-from-climate-change/

Study: High concentrations of heavy metals found in baby foods

By Ed Adamczyk

A report Thursday by testing organization Consumer Reports found a "worrisome" amount of heavy metals, including arsenic and lead, in two-thirds of baby foods it tested. File photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI | License Photo

Aug. 17 (UPI) -- Two-thirds of the baby foods tested by Consumer Reports had a troubling cadmium, inorganic arsenic or lead content, a study by the review company showed.

The non-governmental organization tested 50 brand name baby foods and found "worrisome" levels of heavy metals in 68 percent of those tested. Ingesting the metals can, over time, impair cognitive function in babies and children.

Cadmium, arsenic and lead are regarded, with mercury, as the most harmful to health.

The report said every product tested had a measurable level of at least one heavy metal, and 15 of the 50 tested could pose health risks to a child regularly eating just one serving per day.

The study also noted foods containing rice or sweet potatoes were especially likely to have high metal levels, and organic foods were as likely to contain heavy metals as conventional foods.

Consumer Reports said most of the tested food was made by Gerber and Beech-Nut, the industry's two largest manufacturers.

A separate examination by another testing firm last yearreported 80 percent of 530 infant formulas tested contained contaminants.

Over 90 percent of parents with children 3 and under rely on the tested foods, at least occasionally, the report said. Sales of baby food top about $50 billion annually, and that amount could reach $76 billion by 2021.

The report noted the metals in question are part of the environment, and humans require trace amounts to survive. However, human activities like pesticide application, runoffs from mining and the use of leaded gasoline can pollute the environment and lead to greater contamination in plants used for food.

https://www.upi.com/Study-High-concentrations-of-heavy-metals-found-in-baby-foods/6741534523061/?rc_fifo=1

Global Rice Bran Wax Market 2018 – Industry Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats Analysis and Forecast 2023

 Barbara Gebhart 

Global Rice Bran Wax Market Analysis Report ponders most recent industry patterns, improvement viewpoints, advertise picks up, and industry situation amid the conjecture time frame (2018-2023). The basic diagram of industry, key market sections, Product classification,  applications are displayed in this report. Worldwide  Market report gives the points of interest identified with a basic outline, improvement status, innovative progressions, industry strength and market elements. The past information relating to industry alongside present and estimate showcase situation will drive valuable business choices.

 The motive behind this key research think about titled ” Global Rice Bran Wax Market-Growth, Future Prospects, and Competitive Analysis, 2018 – 2023″ is to offer industry speculators, organization administrators, and industry members with in-depth bits of knowledge to empower them to settle on educated key choices identified with the open doors in the Rice Bran Wax market. The significant target gathering of people of this investigation incorporate industry speculators, Rice Bran Wax producers, wholesalers, and institutional researchers. 

Global Rice Bran Wax Market Size, Growth Factor, Future Scope analysis by considering the past 5-6 Year analysis data,  SWOT investigation is a structure used to assess an organization’s aggressive position by distinguishing its qualities, shortcomings, openings, and threats. In particular, SWOT investigation is a central evaluation display that measures what an association can and can’t do, and its potential openings and threats.

Get Free Sample Copy Pdf Report @ http://marketdesk.us/report/global-rice-bran-wax-market-2017-99s/7895/#requestForSample

Global Rice Bran Wax Market look into report gives a deliberate and skilled way to deal with assemble critical measurements of Global Rice Bran Wax industry. In which incorporates industry chain structure, Rice Bran Wax market status, prevailing business sector players, item definition, and item scope. Worldwide Rice Bran Wax Market inquire about report likewise deciphers distinctive market situations alongside future market patterns. Worldwide Rice Bran Wax explore report performs SWOT investigation to increase better bits of knowledge on Strengths, Opportunities, and Threats tangled in Rice Bran Wax industry. Rice Bran Wax Market elements, generation limit, shopper volume, supply to request proportion, Rice Bran Wax piece of the pie and income is additionally thought in this exploration report. 

Leading Players Of Global Rice Bran Wax Market:

Oryza Oil & Fat Chemical, Huzhou Shengtao Biotech, Kahlwax, Croda, Kobo Products, Koster Keunen, Poth Hille

This investigation orders the worldwide Rice Bran Wax market into a sort of Rice Bran Wax, kind of reagents, applications and land conveyance. The kind of Rice Bran Wax contemplated in this report are Types and Applications. Market size and volume for each specified fragment are given in this answer to the period 2013 to 2023 (USD Mn and Volume Kg), alongside particular CAGR (esteem %) for the period 2018-2023. 

Global Rice Bran Wax Market Segmented By Application:

Supplement, Pharmaceutical

Global Rice Bran Wax Market Segmented By Type:

Food Grade, Pharmaceutical Grade

Top Regions:

North America	Europe	South America	Asia-Pacific	Middle East & Africa
U.S.  Canada  Mexico	Germany  U.K.  France  Italy Russia Spain etc.	Brazil  Argentina	China India Japan Southeast Asia	Saudi Arabia  South Africa

Have You Query? Inquire More For Customized Report:  http://marketdesk.us/report/global-rice-bran-wax-market-2017-99s/7895/#inquiry

Global Rice Bran Wax Market is expanded into various item composes, applications, and major geological zones. Assist Rice Bran Wax Market look into report contains Company profiles of best producers, their data, deals income, yearly income, deal volume, and purchaser volume is likewise indicated. Significant features of the Rice Bran Wax Market report incorporate market recognition, for example, import/send out points of interest, advertise diagram, end clients/clients of the Rice Bran Wax business, showcase execution and cost of the item. 

Alongside quantitative data, subjective data sets and evaluation instruments are given in this investigation for a better examination of the general market situation and future prospects. Data, for example, market tendency bits of knowledge and drivers, difficulties, and openings help the perusers in understanding the progressing patterns in the worldwide Rice Bran Wax market. Apparatuses, for example, market situating of key players, and appealing speculation recommendation furnishes the perusers with bits of knowledge on the aggressive situation of the worldwide Rice Bran Wax market. This report finishes up with organization profiles area that features significant data about the key players occupied with advancement, fabricate and offers of Rice Bran Wax. 

Global Rice Bran Wax Market Research Report Covers Following parts to Table Of Content. 

Section 1 – Rice Bran Wax market report portray Rice Bran Wax Industry Overview, Rice Bran Wax Market Segment(Upstream, Downstream), Rice Bran Wax Cost Analysis, Rice Bran Wax showcase main thrust. 

Section 2 – Rice Bran Wax Industry Environment(Policy, Economics, Sociology, Technology). 

Section 3 – Rice Bran Wax Market by Type. 

Section 4 – Major Companies List – market report Analyze the Leading Players of Rice Bran Wax,  industry Profile, and Sales Data of Rice Bran Wax. 

Section 5 – Market Competition(Company Competition, Regional Market by Company), Global Rice Bran Wax industry report assess the key areas. 

Section 6 – Market Demand(Demand Situation, Regional Demand Comparison, Demand Forecast). 

Section 7–  The United States Rice Bran Wax Industry Growth, Revenue Status, and Future Forecast.

Section 8 –  EU Rice Bran Wax Industry Growth, Revenue Status and Future Forecast

Section 9 – Japan Rice Bran Wax Industry Growth, Revenue Status, and Future Forecast

Section 10 – China Rice Bran Wax Industry Growth, Revenue Status, and Future Forecast

Section 11 – India Rice Bran Wax Industry Growth, Revenue Status, and Future Forecast.

Section 12 – Southeast Asia Rice Bran Wax Industry Growth, Revenue Status, and Future Forecast

Section  13 – Rice Bran Wax Market report additionally portrays Region Operation (Regional Output, Regional Market, by Region, Regional Forecast). 

Section 14 – This report additionally portrays Rice Bran Wax deals channel, wholesalers, brokers, merchants, Rice Bran Wax statistical surveying Findings and Conclusion, reference section and information source. 

Finishing up some portion of the report gives various dealers, givers associated with the Rice Bran Wax business alongside look into revelations, results, information source, and postscript.

Browse Detailed TOC, Tables, Figures, Charts and Companies Here @ http://marketdesk.us/report/global-rice-bran-wax-market-2017-99s/7895/#toc  

https://firstpharmacist.com/2018/08/17/global-rice-bran-wax-market-2018-industry-strengths-weaknesses-opportunities-and-threats-analysis-and-forecast-2023/

Global Basmati Rice Market – Growth, Future Prospects and Competitive Analysis and Forecast 2018 – 2023

TOPICS:Global Basmati Rice Market

POSTED BY: JACOB QUINTERO AUGUST 17, 2018

Global Basmati Rice Market Analysis Report ponders most recent industry patterns, improvement viewpoints, advertise picks up, and industry situation amid the conjecture time frame (2018-2023). The basic diagram of industry, key market sections, Product classification,  applications are displayed in this report. Worldwide  Market report gives the points of interest identified with a basic outline, improvement status, innovative progressions, industry strength and market elements. The past information relating to industry alongside present and estimate showcase situation will drive valuable business choices.

 The motive behind this key research think about titled ” Global Basmati Rice Market-Growth, Future Prospects, and Competitive Analysis, 2018 – 2023″ is to offer industry speculators, organization administrators, and industry members with in-depth bits of knowledge to empower them to settle on educated key choices identified with the open doors in the Basmati Rice market. The significant target gathering of people of this investigation incorporate industry speculators, Basmati Rice producers, wholesalers, and institutional researchers. 

Global Basmati Rice Market Size, Growth Factor, Future Scope analysis by considering the past 5-6 Year analysis data,  SWOT investigation is a structure used to assess an organization’s aggressive position by distinguishing its qualities, shortcomings, openings, and threats. In particular, SWOT investigation is a central evaluation display that measures what an association can and can’t do, and its potential openings and threats.

Get Free Sample Copy Pdf Report @ http://marketdesk.us/report/global-basmati-rice-market-2017-99s/7779/#requestForSample

Global Basmati Rice Market look into report gives a deliberate and skilled way to deal with assemble critical measurements of Global Basmati Rice industry. In which incorporates industry chain structure, Basmati Rice market status, prevailing business sector players, item definition, and item scope. Worldwide Basmati Rice Market inquire about report likewise deciphers distinctive market situations alongside future market patterns. Worldwide Basmati Rice explore report performs SWOT investigation to increase better bits of knowledge on Strengths, Opportunities, and Threats tangled in Basmati Rice industry. Basmati Rice Market elements, generation limit, shopper volume, supply to request proportion, Basmati Rice piece of the pie and income is additionally thought in this exploration report. 

Leading Players Of Global Basmati Rice Market:

LT Foods, Amira Nature Foods, Best Foods, KRBL Limited, Kohinoor Rice, Aeroplane Rice, Tilda Basmati Rice, Amar Singh Chawal Wala, Hanuman Rice Mills, Adani Wilmar, Galaxy Rice Mill, Dunar Foods, Sungold

This investigation orders the worldwide Basmati Rice market into a sort of Basmati Rice, kind of reagents, applications and land conveyance. The kind of Basmati Rice contemplated in this report are Types and Applications. Market size and volume for each specified fragment are given in this answer to the period 2013 to 2023 (USD Mn and Volume Kg), alongside particular CAGR (esteem %) for the period 2018-2023. 

Global Basmati Rice Market Segmented By Application:

Direct Edible, Deep Processing

Global Basmati Rice Market Segmented By Type:

Indian Basmati Rice, Pakistani Basmati Rice

Top Regions:

North America	Europe	South America	Asia-Pacific	Middle East & Africa
U.S.  Canada  Mexico	Germany  U.K.  France  Italy Russia Spain etc.	Brazil  Argentina	China India Japan Southeast Asia	Saudi Arabia  South Africa

Have You Query? Inquire More For Customized Report:  http://marketdesk.us/report/global-basmati-rice-market-2017-99s/7779/#inquiry

Global Basmati Rice Market is expanded into various item composes, applications, and major geological zones. Assist Basmati Rice Market look into report contains Company profiles of best producers, their data, deals income, yearly income, deal volume, and purchaser volume is likewise indicated. Significant features of the Basmati Rice Market report incorporate market recognition, for example, import/send out points of interest, advertise diagram, end clients/clients of the Basmati Rice business, showcase execution and cost of the item. 

Alongside quantitative data, subjective data sets and evaluation instruments are given in this investigation for a better examination of the general market situation and future prospects. Data, for example, market tendency bits of knowledge and drivers, difficulties, and openings help the perusers in understanding the progressing patterns in the worldwide Basmati Rice market. Apparatuses, for example, market situating of key players, and appealing speculation recommendation furnishes the perusers with bits of knowledge on the aggressive situation of the worldwide Basmati Rice market. This report finishes up with organization profiles area that features significant data about the key players occupied with advancement, fabricate and offers of Basmati Rice. 

Global Basmati Rice Market Research Report Covers Following parts to Table Of Content. 

Section 1 – Basmati Rice market report portray Basmati Rice Industry Overview, Basmati Rice Market Segment(Upstream, Downstream), Basmati Rice Cost Analysis, Basmati Rice showcase main thrust. 

Section 2 – Basmati Rice Industry Environment(Policy, Economics, Sociology, Technology). 

Section 3 – Basmati Rice Market by Type. 

Section 4 – Major Companies List – market report Analyze the Leading Players of Basmati Rice,  industry Profile, and Sales Data of Basmati Rice. 

Section 5 – Market Competition(Company Competition, Regional Market by Company), Global Basmati Rice industry report assess the key areas. 

Section 6 – Market Demand(Demand Situation, Regional Demand Comparison, Demand Forecast). 

Section 7–  The United States Basmati Rice Industry Growth, Revenue Status, and  Future Forecast.

Section 8 –  EU Basmati Rice Industry Growth, Revenue Status and Future Forecast

Section 9 – Japan Basmati Rice Industry Growth, Revenue Status, and Future Forecast

Section 10 – China Basmati Rice Industry Growth, Revenue Status, and Future Forecast

Section 11 – India Basmati Rice Industry Growth, Revenue Status, and Future Forecast.

Section 12 – Southeast Asia Basmati Rice Industry Growth, Revenue Status, and Future Forecast

Section  13 – Basmati Rice Market report additionally portrays Region Operation (Regional Output, Regional Market, by Region, Regional Forecast). 

Section 14 – This report additionally portrays Basmati Rice deals channel, wholesalers, brokers, merchants, Basmati Rice statistical surveying Findings and Conclusion, reference section and information source. 

Finishing up some portion of the report gives various dealers, givers associated with the Basmati Rice business alongside look into revelations, results, information source, and postscript.

Browse Detailed TOC, Tables, Figures, Charts and Companies Here @ http://marketdesk.us/report/global-basmati-rice-market-2017-99s/7779/#toc  

http://thetruthjournalism.com/2018/08/17/global-basmati-rice-market-growth-future-prospects-and-competitive-analysis-and-forecast-2018-2023/

S&P Global Platts: Ukraine's Jan-Jul imports of nickel ore up 13.4% to 891,670 mt on year

S&P Global Platts: Ukraine's Jan-Jul imports of nickel ore up 13.4% to 891,670 mt on year 22:25, 16 August 2018 ECONOMY 104 0 Ukraine's only importer of nickel ore and producer of ferronickel is Pobuzhskiy Ferronickel Plant. Ukraine's state customs service in Odesa / Photo from od.sfs.gov.ua Ukraine's imports of nickel ore and concentrate in January-July increased by 13.4% year-on-year to 891,670 metric tons (mt) from 786,140 mt, the state customs service said Thursday.

The value of imports of nickel ore and concentrate rose to $43.6 million from $38.4 million in January-July 2017, S&P Global Platts said. Over January through June, Ukraine received 71% of the total imports of the commodity from Guatemala and 29% from Indonesia. Last year, all Ukraine's imports of nickel ore and concentrate came from Guatemala. In July, Ukraine imported 143,800 mt of the commodity, up from 96,080 mt in July 2017 and up from 136,850 mt imported in June, the customs service said.

Read also Ukraine sees increase in steel production in seven months Nickel ore is a raw material for production of ferronickel, which is used as an alloy addition in steel smelting. Ukraine's only importer of nickel ore and producer of ferronickel, Pobuzhskiy Ferronickel Plant (PFP), is capable of processing about 1.6 million mt of wet ore to produce about 100,000 mt/year of ferronickel. The company exports most of the output. PFP produced 35,280 mt of ferronickel in the first six months of the year, down 2.3% from 36,120 mt produced in January-June 2017. The company processed 679,050 mt of nickel ore in January-June, up 6.1% on the year.

In 2017, Ukraine's imports of nickel ore and concentrate decreased by 4.4% to 1.31 million mt from 1.37 million mt in 2016.

https://economics.unian.info/10227060-s-p-global-platts-ukraine-s-jan-jul-imports-of-nickel-ore-up-13-4-to-891-670-mt-on-year.html

Asia Rice: Dip in Indian rates on rupee weakness dulls Vietnam offers

Sethuraman N R

BENGALURU (Reuters) - Rice export prices in India fell this week as the rupee weakened, with the drop in rates from the top exporter also weighing on demand for the Vietnamese variety.

FILE PHOTO: Women plant rice saplings at a paddy field in a village in Nagaon district, in the northeastern state of Assam, India, July 3, 2018. Picture taken July 3, 2018. REUTERS/Anuwar Hazarika/File Photo

Rates for India’s 5 percent broken parboiled rice fell by $3 per tonne to $389-$393 per tonne this week.

“Rupee depreciation is allowing us to lower prices, but at the same time competitors are also lowering their quotes,” said an exporter based at Kakinada in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh.

The Indian currency fell to a record low against the dollar on Thursday.

Farmers in India had planted summer-sown paddy rice on 30.78 million hectares as of Aug 10, down 2.9 percent from a year ago due to scant rainfall.

Monsoon rains in India are likely to be below-normal levels in 2018, a private weather forecaster said earlier this month, raising concerns over farm output and economic growth in Asia’s third-biggest economy, where half the farmland lacks irrigation.

The falling rice prices in India also weighed on the market in Vietnam, the third largest exporter, but rates for the country’s 5 percent broken variety were unchanged at $395-$400 a tonne.

“Trade is slow as Vietnamese prices are comparatively higher, especially compared with Indian prices ... Exporters have lost their African customers to Indian rivals due to that,” a Ho chi Minh City-based trader said.

Vietnam exported 444,235 tonnes of rice in July, down 17.4 percent from June, government customs data released late last week showed. That was slightly lower than a government forecast of 450,000 tonnes.

In Thailand, the world’s second biggest rice exporter, demand also remained soft, traders said.

Thailand’s benchmark 5 percent broken rice price was quoted at $390-$393, free on board (FOB) Bangkok, little changed from last week’s $390-$395.

The commerce ministry on Wednesday said Thailand had exported 6.99 million tonnes of rice worth 3.52 billion baht this year by August 15, a 2 percent increase from a year ago.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh, which had emerged as a major importer of rice since 2017 after floods damaged its crops, continued to procure rice domestically.

In the 2017-18 financial year that ended in June, Bangladesh imported a record 5.7 million tonnes of rice. However, imports dropped sharply after the government imposed a 28 percent tax on shipments to support its farmers following a revival in local output.

Rice at government warehouses stood at nearly 1.3 million tonnes, data from the country’s food ministry showed.

Reporting by Patpicha Tanakasempipat in Bangkok, Khanh Vu in Hanoi, Rajendra Jadhav in Mumbai, Ruma Paul in Dhaka; Editing by Kirsten Donovan

Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

https://in.reuters.com/article/india-palmoil-imports/indias-palm-oil-imports-set-to-hit-six-year-low-industry-official-idINKBN1L20NQ

Imports to address inflation? Support farmers instead – Bam Aquino

Senator Paolo Benigno Aquino IV warns rice tariffication might be another 'knee-jerk reaction' to bring down inflation

Ralf Rivas

Published 10:46 PM, August 16, 2018

Updated 10:46 PM, August 16, 2018

INFLATION. Senator Paolo Benigno Aquino IV says the government should support local farmers and fishermen instead of relying on imports to curb inflation. Photo by Angie de Silva/Rappler

MANILA, Philippines – Senate ways and means committee vice chairperson Paolo Benigno Aquino IV warned that rice tariffication and proposals to lower tariffs on meat and fish would hurt local farmers.

"We should be careful about tariffication, baka knee-jerk reaction na naman ito (this might be another knee-jerk reaction) and it might have adverse effects [on] local farmers," Aquino said during the 3rd public hearing on the inflationary effects of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) law.

Aquino said the government should buy rice from local farmers instead of relying on imports to lower rice prices.

To do so, Aquino said the Department of Agriculture (DA) should help local rice farmers bring down their production cost to lower their selling price.

The senator also said fishermen should be provided with better feeds for higher yields.

Agriculture Undersecretary Segfredo Serrano said feeds account for over 50% of the production cost of fish.

Fuel prices also take a big chunk of a fisherman's budget, which is why Aquino is also pushing for the suspension of excise taxes on diesel and gasoline.

Meanwhile, the DA and Department of Finance (DOF) both said lowering tariffs on meat and fish would have little effect on inflation.

"There would be some incremental impact, but to what extent, that is an empirical question," Finance Assistant Secretary Tony Lambino said.

"Meat and fish tariffs are already very low, so I don't think there would be an effect," Serrano said.

Senator Cynthia Villar filed the Senate bill on rice tariffication, on the condition that there would be P10 billion in subsidies for farmers to go along with it.

Reports previously stated that Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo proposed the lowering of tariffs on meat and fish, but she has since denied this. – Rappler.com

https://www.rappler.com/business/209750-support-local-farmers-to-address-inflation

Nitrogen pollution is a problem as big as climate change. Science might have a fix.

By Nathanael Johnson on Aug 16, 2018

Some think nitrogen pollution may be the greatest danger we face. The Stockholm Resilience Center, an organization that examines the largest threats to natural life-support systems, considers our overuse of nitrogen a more extreme risk to life on Earth than climate change.

But a new paper, published in the journal Nature this week, uncovered a way that we could keep millions of tons of nitrogen fertilizer from evaporating into  the atmosphere and running into the oceans.

Nitrogen is a basic building block of our food, so farmers spread tons of the stuff — in the form of manure, compost, and synthetic fertilizer — on their fields. But only half of this nitrogen makes it into plants. The rest gets chewed up by hungry soil bacteria and turned into a greenhouse gas 300 times worse than carbon dioxide, or gets washed into waterways where it fuels an explosion of algae growth that turns into lakes and oceans into gloopy, oxygen-starved dead zones.

It’s a massive problem that doesn’t get enough attention. If the Earth were a spaceship [eds note: isn’t it?], the control panel’s nitrogen light would be flashing red.

The Stockholm Resilience Center’s estimation of planetary boundaries F. Pharand-Deschênes/Globaïa

Humans accelerated the nitrogen disaster during the “green revolution” of the 1960s with the worldwide adoption of fertilizer-hungry crops. These replaced strains of wheat, rice, and other grains that grew more slowly and conservatively. Grain harvests more than doubled in two decades, but clouds of pollution spread into the air and water. It seemed like a vicious tradeoff.

But this new research suggests that crops can be nitrogen-hoarding and high-yielding at the same time. Before this study came out, it seemed like we had to choose between frugal crops that grow slowly and hoard nitrogen, and spendthrift crops that grow quickly require extravagant nitrogen.

What had looked like a trade-off may simply have been a mistake. The scientists identified a gene that inhibits nitrogen absorption in rice, which had become hyperactive in high-yielding strains, and figured out how to counteract it. This gene (metaphorically) shouts, “Don’t suck up nitrogen!” Through breeding, scientists were able to turn down the volume of this shout to a whisper. The result is high-yielding rice that needs less fertilizer.

A rice-breeding program to bring this breakthrough to farmers is underway in China, where nitrogen pollution is especially bad. It will take about five years before we really know if this works for farmers outside of greenhouses and test plots. If it does, it might change that nitrogen warning on spaceship earth’s dashboard from red to yellow.

https://grist.org/article/nitrogen-pollution-is-a-problem-as-big-as-climate-change-science-might-have-a-fix/

Scientists Finally Crack Wheat’s Absurdly Complex Genome

Their efforts will make it much easier to breed new varieties of the world’s most important crop.

ED YONG

AUG 16, 2018

A field of wheat with a combine harvester in the backgroundPASCAL ROSSIGNOL / REUTERS

Scientists decoded the genome of rice in 2002. They completed the soybean genome in 2008. They mapped the maize genome in 2009. But only now has the long-awaited wheat genome been fully sequenced. That delay says nothing about wheat’s importance. It is arguably the most critical crop in the world. It’s grown on more land than anything else. It provides humanity with a fifth of our calories. But it also has one of the most complex genomes known to science.

For a start, wheat’s genome is monstrously big. While the genome of Arabidopsis—the first plant to be sequenced—contains 135 million DNA letters, and the human genome contains 3 billion, bread wheat has 16 billion. Just one of wheat’s chromosomes—3B—is bigger than the entire soybean genome.

To make things worse, the bread-wheat genome is really three genomes in one. About 500,000 years ago, before humans even existed, two species of wild grass hybridized with each other to create what we now know as emmer wheat. After humans domesticated this plant and planted it in their fields, a third grass species inadvertently joined the mix. This convoluted history has left modern bread wheat with three pairs of every chromosome, one pair from each of the three ancestral grasses. In technical lingo, that’s a hexaploid genome. In simpler terms, it’s a gigantic pain in the ass.

Typically, geneticists sequence genomes by breaking DNA into small segments, reading them separately, and assembling the pieces back together. But if each chromosome occurs six times, how do you know where to put any given piece?

Worse still, 85 percent of wheat’s DNA consists of repetitive sequences, so even if you narrow a piece down to the right chromosome, it’s still a chore to work out where exactly it should sit. It’s like solving a giant jigsaw puzzle that depicts the same patch of blue sky three times over.

“You have no idea where things go,” says Kellye Eversole, who leads the International Wheat Genome Sequencing Consortium, or IWGSC—a group of researchers from 19 countries who have been trying to crack the genome since 2005. After 14 years, around $75 million, and a few incomplete drafts, the team has now published the nearly complete genome of a wheat variety called Chinese Spring, mapping more than 107,000 of its genes. “It’s really a miracle that we finished,” Eversole says.

Unexpectedly, a much smaller six-person team, led by Steven Salzberg from Johns Hopkins University, released its own version of a near-complete wheat genome last year, by using new technologies that read out very long stretches of DNA. But while Eversole applauds the small team’s accomplishment, she notes that its version “doesn’t have the level of detail that we have in ours, and it’s that detail that makes a difference for breeders.”

“The genome sequence of maize had a big impact on creating better varieties,” Eversole notes. By contrast, wheat production has lagged behind, and the crop’s profitability has recently dropped. That’s problematic because researchers estimate that the world will need to grow 60 percent more wheat by 2050 to feed its booming population.

“Whatever your views on a wheat-based diet, there is no escaping its importance in global food security,” says Alison Bentley, who was not part of the consortium. Bentley is the director of genetics and breeding at the United Kingdom’s National Institute of Agricultural Botany, and although she says that people have made huge progress in breeding wheat in the absence of a genome, having one will speed everything up.

Traditionally, it has taken a lot of trial and error to create new varieties of wheat that, say, tolerate cold or resist fungal diseases. “You throw things together and go through this long process of annual breeding in the hope that your variety has the right package of genes—and that takes years,” says Eversole, who grew up in Oklahoma as part of a farming family. But with a full genome at hand, breeders can identify the genes behind particular traits, and ensure that these are present in their crops. “The goal is to build a better breeder’s toolbox and increase profitability for growers,” she says.

This is already happening. Using the completed genome, the team identified a long-elusive gene (with the super-catchy name of TraesCS3B01G608800) that affects the inner structure of wheat stems. If plants have more copies of the gene, their stems are solid instead of hollow, which makes them resistant to drought and insect pests. By using a diagnostic test that counts the gene, breeders can now efficiently select for solid stems.

“It will take some time before the benefit to the breeding community is realized,” says Ravi Singh from the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center in Mexico. “But in our own program, we are already using this resource to identify important genomic regions behind traits like grain yield, disease resistance, tolerance to heat and drought, and nutritional quality.”

The IWGSC has also started to work out when different genes are turned on as wheat germinates and grows, and how these patterns of activity vary across the three subgenomes. If scientists can figure out how to switch on specific genes at particular points in the plant’s life cycle, people could potentially breed wheat in real time, “in response to the growing season and environment,” Bentley says. “That would be incredibly cool.”

Her only word of caution is that the new genome comes from an unusual variety, Chinese Spring, which “not many farmers would recognize as wheat.” Still, Chinese Spring is historically important as the foundation of a lot of early wheat research. And now that its genome is out, it’ll be much easier for scientists to sequence a wider range of cultivars, and understand the genetic underpinnings of different traits.

Researchers might also be able to more easily temper the dark side of wheat. Many people are allergic to glutens and other wheat proteins, leading to disorders like celiac disease, baker’s asthma, and non-celiac wheat sensitivity. Scientists have managed to identify many of the specific proteins responsible, “but until now, we couldn’t determine the genes that encoded those proteins,” says Odd-Arne Olsen from the Norwegian University of Life Sciences. His team has now identified 356 such genes. Of these, 127 are new to science, and 222 were known but had been incorrectly sequenced.

The team also found that wheat produces more of the allergens behind celiac disease when grown at high temperatures, which suggests that baked goods might become more allergenic as the world continues to warm. But perhaps, by understanding the genes behind such allergens, breeders will be able to counteract that trend and create less-allergenic varieties.

Of course, it’s unlikely to be that simple. Olsen notes that the same proteins behind wheat allergies also determine the baking quality of flour. Similarly, Eversole notes that wheat varieties that contain more protein also tend to grow at lower yields. There are always trade-offs, but the team hopes that a full genome will make it easier to navigate them.

Using the genome, breeders could also use gene-editing techniques like crispr to rapidly alter the traits of their crops. The IWGSC showed how easy this could be by identifying wheat genes that influence flowering time, and altering them with crispr to create varieties that bloom a few days earlier than usual. These techniques could also be used to move beneficial traits from wild wheat species into domestic strains.

The main hurdles to such changes are public approval and regulatory restrictions. Last month, the European Union’s highest court ruled that crispr-edited crops count as genetically modified organisms, even if they don’t involve introducing genes from other organisms. Such crops will now face a long and expensive approval process that will likely discourage many companies from investing in them. “Now we have the knowledge, and the tools, but it won’t be straightforward to implement either,” Olsen says.

We want to hear what you think about this article. Submit a letter to the editor or write to letters@theatlantic.com.

https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2018/08/wheat-genome-is-best-thing-since-sliced-bread/567673/

Iowa State University scientist helps to develop rice plants to neutralize HIV transmission

·       ISU 

·       Aug 16, 2018Top of Form

(Ames)--Extracts from transgenic rice plants could help stop the spread of HIV, according to research results from an international effort that included an Iowa State University scientist.Raziel Antonio-Ordonez, a postdoctoral researcher in agronomy, contributed to a research team that successfully developed a transgenic rice plant that expresses three different proteins that can stop human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) from entering human cells. The finding could lead to a less costly, easier way of producing prophylactics that could stop the spread of HIV, particularly in the developing world. The peer-reviewed academic journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences published the research findings, available here: http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2018/07/24/1806022115.full.

The research team also included scientists from the Universitat de Lleida-Agrotecnio Center in Spain; the IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute, Spain; the National Cancer Institute; Imperial College in London and the Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies. The team was led by Paul Christou at Universitat de Lleida.

Scientists previously had shown that expressing anti-HIV proteins in plants was possible, though refining those proteins into a form that could be useful to prevent the spread of the virus often proved prohibitively expensive. Expressing the proteins in rice could be a more cost-effective alternative, Antonio-Ordonez said. Extracts from such a rice plant could be used to produce a topical antimicrobial gel that can be applied before intercourse to prevent sexual transmission of HIV.

Evangelia Vamvaka, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California, Berkeley, and a member of the research team, laid the foundation for the project as a Ph.D. student when she proved a single anti-HIV protein could be produced in rice seeds.

“Plants offer an affordable and scalable alternative production platform,” Vamvaka said. “We have shown that we can now produce multiple components in a single plant.”

There are 1.8 million new HIV infections worldwide every year, most occurring in Africa. Antimicrobial gels might present a valuable tool in the developing world where people have difficulty accessing HIV treatments and barrier methods, such as condoms. Vamvaka said men in regions with high HIV infection rates sometimes are reluctant to use condoms, but the availability of an antimicrobial gel would empower women to protect themselves from infection.

Antonio-Ordonez analyzed the data and validated the research team’s results

http://www.kmaland.com/ag/iowa-state-university-scientist-helps-to-develop-rice-plants-to/article_d1c21aa8-a172-11e8-879a-4b5deb71209a.html

Africa: Farmers Set to Make More Profits From Hybrid Rice in Kenya, Africa

By Njenga Hakeenah

In October last year, rice production declined sharply pushing retail prices up by 38 per cent in Kenya.The country's staple was selling at Sh145 in January 2017 but hit Sh200 per kilogramme towards the end of the same year.But all this may change with researchers targeting to increase production from less than 200,000 tonnes of rice which is far below the national demand of over 450,000 tonnes per year.

To fill the deficit, Kenya imports the grain mostly from Asian countries since low productivity leads to high production costs which limit rice farmers by making their products costlier and less competitive in the global market.

Imports are mainly from Pakistan, Thailand, India and Vietnam but there are also modest imports from Tanzania and Uganda.

According to the 2017 Kenya Corn, Wheat and Rice Report by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Foreign Agriculture Service, EAC maintains a common external tariff of 75 per cent ad valorem or $345 USD per ton, whichever is higher for rice imports from non-EAC countries.

Kenya has however been granted by EAC "the stay of application", based on limited local production, and therefore applies the former tariff structure (that was applicable before July 1st, 2015) of 35 per cent ad-valorem or $200 USD per ton, whichever is higher.*

The USDA adds that Kenya mainly produces the aromatic Basmati in irrigation schemes managed by Kenya's National Irrigation Board (NIB).

In addition, GOK and county governments have been promoting the New Rice for Africa (NERICA), an improved, rain-fed, upland rice variety. NIB is also responsible for the rehabilitation of the irrigation schemes.

And scientists are now working on the Hybrid Rice Project which aims to develop 2-line hybrids and parental lines in selected African countries among which is Kenya.

According to the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF), the project will facilitate expedited farmer access to this product through private companies and public institutions in Africa, for increased yields and improved income streams for farmers.

In AATF's 2017 Annual Report, in the trials, the candidate hybrids outperformed the local checks for key traits such as date-to-maturity, yields and disease resistance.

The hybrids take only 90-120 days to mature compared to 135-150 days for local varieties. Tried in Hola and Malindi in the coastal region, Mwea in central Kenya, and Bondo and Kisumu in western Kenya, the new rice hybrids will not only improve yields of rice but they will also be as competitive as imported rice in terms of grain quality and affordability.

It is estimated that farmers stand to gain an average of US$350 to US$1,000 per hectare more than with the commercially available varieties.

https://allafrica.com/stories/201808160065.html

A simplified way to predict the function of microbial communities

August 16, 2018, Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory

Carbon and energy balances may prove to be a simplified way to predict microbial functions in flooded soils and how such functions effect climate, soil health, and crop productivity. Credit: Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory

In areas that flood frequently, microbial communities must adapt to repeated wet-dry cycles. Metabolic strategies help them survive, but these strategies can also influence nutrient cycling and atmospheric emissions from soils and sediments. An international team of scientists examined soils from rice paddies to understand how microbial communities function during floods. Their work suggests analyzing carbon that microbes extracted from water may prove critical to understanding and modeling these important communities.

How microbes function in often-flooded soils has profound impacts on crop production, in part because they can deliver nutrients to plants and stabilize or release atmospheric emissions from soils. Understanding how microbial communitiesfunction in soils—before, during, and after flooding—can help scientists better model and promote beneficial changes in those communities.

To understand how microbial activity varied in response to flooding, scientists studied three types of organic matter that are commonly found in three types of rice paddy soils: dried rice straw, charred rice straw, and cattle manure. Team members came from the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory; Stanford University; Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences; University of California, Riverside; and EMSL, the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, a U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science user facility. While other studies used a similar approach to look at well-aerated, upland soil and simple carbon compounds, or single micro-organisms, none examined the full complexity of natural soil and carbon substrates during the transition from dry to flooded conditions.

The team used EMSL's Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer to analyze dissolved carbon and then observed how microbial functioning changed. These pioneering experiments produced surprising results.

Not only were researchers able to better understand how microbes breathed and obtained energy during flooded conditions, but they discovered that a focus on water-extractable carbon was sufficient to predict microbial respiration rates from diverse metabolic strategies. Though more in-depth studies will be important to reveal underlying functions, the insights gained from this study give scientists a proxy to begin modeling these complex interactions.

 Explore further: Soil contains one of the keys to climate agreement

More information: Kristin Boye et al. Discerning Microbially Mediated Processes During Redox Transitions in Flooded Soils Using Carbon and Energy Balances, Frontiers in Environmental Science (2018). DOI: 10.3389/fenvs.2018.00015

https://phys.org/news/2018-08-function-microbial.html

2018 USA Rice Sustainability Award Application Now Open 

By Lydia Holmes ARLINGTON, VA -- While insiders know U.S.-grown rice is one of the most sustainable and responsibly grown crops in the world, telling that story to those who are unaware is increasingly important.  To help recognize the crop's unique environmental qualities and the men and women who improve rice's sustainability every day, USA Rice launched a Sustainability Award last year to identify and promote prime examples. The USA Rice Sustainability Award is open to individuals or entities with significant involvement in the U.S. rice industry and with a history of promoting and advancing sustainability through innovative practices and demonstrated leadership in the sustainability community. "We are looking for men and women and companies who embody sustainability by their actions and who are willing to share their vision of the future and commitment to the environment and help others follow in their footsteps," said Jennifer James, an Arkansas rice farmer who chairs the USA Rice Sustainability Committee.  "While sustainability is becoming a buzzword in nearly every industry, the rice industry has been incorporating it for years, and with the establishment of the USA Rice Sustainability Award we have taken our rightful place at the forefront of the sustainability movement." The first annual USA Rice Sustainability award was given to Jim Whitaker, an Arkansas rice farmer whose family-run operation employs sustainable farming practices through use of precision land forming, flood control structures, on-farm water storage, and deployment of irrigation technology and new irrigation techniques.  The Whitaker Family operation also was an integral part of the group that sold the first-ever voluntary carbon credits generated from U.S. rice farmers. The award committee is now accepting nominations through September 28, 2018, and the award will be presented at the USA Rice Outlook Conference in San Diego, California on December 10. The application form can be found here.

USA Rice Daily

Rice Stewardship Partnership

In 2012, USA Rice and Ducks Unlimited forged a model of collaboration between a farm group and a conservation organization - the Rice Stewardship Partnership. This Partnership has been working tirelessly to improve three of the nation’s critical natural and economic resources: working ricelands, water, and waterfowl. The Partnership provides the industry an excellent opportunity to effectively tell our conservation story, and to broaden our base of support. The Partnership was crucial in the successful application of eight Regional Conservation Partnership Programs (RCPP) that are directing new conservation funding to the rice industry.

These RCPPs offer rice producers from each of the six rice-growing states assistance to address water quantity, water quality and wildlife habitat issues on their farms. These efforts are possible thanks to funding provided by the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) and private partners. After completion, these eight projects will have brought in almost $80 million in conservation funds to producers and impacted an additional 700,000 U.S. rice acres which would not have been possible if the Partnership had not competed for the additional funds. The RCPP program is a great fit for the Partnership’s conservation efforts and these endeavors will continue on behalf of rice producers everywhere.

Related Resources

Field to Market

Field to Market is a diverse alliance working to create opportunities across the agricultural supply chain for continuous improvements in productivity, environmental quality, and human well-being. The group provides collaborative leadership that is engaged in industry-wide dialogue, grounded in science, and open to the full range of technology choices.

As consumers look for more sustainable products the rice industry is one step ahead as they work to show measurable improvements as a result of their conservation work. Field to Market is an opportunity to engage with all levels of the food sector on what the consumer’s needs are and how growers and other members of the industry can assist in fulfilling them.

USA Rice has been a long-term partner of Field to Market and is actively involved in the development of a rice-specific Fieldprint Calculator that shows growers their operation’s scorecard on the sustainability index. They’ve also monitored development of a rice greenhouse gas metric for use by the Fieldprint Calculator. USA Rice has been involved on the producer level by bringing rice producers to the table to share ideas and help ensure goals stay realistic.

Related Link:
Field to Market

​

https://www.usarice.com/public-policy/conservation

Africa: Farmers Set to Make More Profits From Hybrid Rice in Kenya, Africa

By Njenga Hakeenah

In October last year, rice production declined sharply pushing retail prices up by 38 per cent in Kenya.The country's staple was selling at Sh145 in January 2017 but hit Sh200 per kilogramme towards the end of the same year.

But all this may change with researchers targeting to increase production from less than 200,000 tonnes of rice which is far below the national demand of over 450,000 tonnes per year.

To fill the deficit, Kenya imports the grain mostly from Asian countries since low productivity leads to high production costs which limit rice farmers by making their products costlier and less competitive in the global market.

Imports are mainly from Pakistan, Thailand, India and Vietnam but there are also modest imports from Tanzania and Uganda.

According to the 2017 Kenya Corn, Wheat and Rice Report by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Foreign Agriculture Service, EAC maintains a common external tariff of 75 per cent ad valorem or $345 USD per ton, whichever is higher for rice imports from non-EAC countries.

Kenya has however been granted by EAC "the stay of application", based on limited local production, and therefore applies the former tariff structure (that was applicable before July 1st, 2015) of 35 per cent ad-valorem or $200 USD per ton, whichever is higher.*

The USDA adds that Kenya mainly produces the aromatic Basmati in irrigation schemes managed by Kenya's National Irrigation Board (NIB).

In addition, GOK and county governments have been promoting the New Rice for Africa (NERICA), an improved, rain-fed, upland rice variety. NIB is also responsible for the rehabilitation of the irrigation schemes.

And scientists are now working on the Hybrid Rice Project which aims to develop 2-line hybrids and parental lines in selected African countries among which is Kenya.

According to the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF), the project will facilitate expedited farmer access to this product through private companies and public institutions in Africa, for increased yields and improved income streams for farmers.

In AATF's 2017 Annual Report, in the trials, the candidate hybrids outperformed the local checks for key traits such as date-to-maturity, yields and disease resistance.

The hybrids take only 90-120 days to mature compared to 135-150 days for local varieties. Tried in Hola and Malindi in the coastal region, Mwea in central Kenya, and Bondo and Kisumu in western Kenya, the new rice hybrids will not only improve yields of rice but they will also be as competitive as imported rice in terms of grain quality and affordability.

It is estimated that farmers stand to gain an average of US$350 to US$1,000 per hectare more than with the commercially available varieties.

https://allafrica.com/stories/201808160065.html

‘Consumer Reports’ Finds Heavy Metals in Baby Foods

By Kathleen Doheny

Aug. 16, 2018 -- Heavy metals at levels called ''troublesome'' are lurking in foods commonly eaten by babies and toddlers, according to a new Consumer Reports investigation.
Scientists there studied 50 packaged foods made for children, from cereals to snacks, testing three samples of each. They estimated how much of each food a child typically eats, then looked at medical research on what levels of the heavy metals could cause health issues.

Baby Food Safety

A review of health and safety concerns is crucial for parents as they begin preparing and serving their babies solid foods.

ABOUT

"We found troublesome levels of heavy metals, in particular inorganic arsenic, cadmium, or lead, in every single sample," says James Dickerson, PhD, Consumer Reports' chief scientific officer. "These heavy metals shouldn’t be in food, period.'' They can damage the nervous system, cause cancer, and harm children's development, he says.
Yet, "it's not that surprising'' the heavy metals were there, he says. They are found in nature. Most heavy metals in food come from water or soil contaminated through farming or manufacturing processes, from the use of pesticides, or pollution from leaded gasoline, the report explains.
What was especially concerning, Dickerson says, is that about two-thirds, or 68%, of the tested foods had very high levels of the heavy metals. "What we are concerned about is if you feed your child this [food with high levels of heavy metals], over the lifetime of their development, particularly during birth to 4, then you will have an increased risk of having cancer, for example."
The effects are long term, he says, not short term. It's not that children will vomit or have other kinds of immediate reactions, Dickerson says. The effects happen over time.

Report Details

After the analysis, the Consumer Reports scientists conclude that:

• 15 of the foods would pose ''potential health risks" if a child ate one serving or less every day.
• Snacks and products with rice or sweet potatoes were more likely than other foods to have high levels of the heavy metals. White rice had lower levels than brown.
• Organic foods were as likely as nonorganic to have high levels of heavy metals.

Here are the 15 foods that Consumer Reports  recommends limiting to less than a serving a day:

• Earth's Best Organic Chicken & Brown Rice
• Earth's Best Turkey, Red Beans and Brown Rice
• Gerber Chicken &Rice
• Gerber Turkey & Rice
• Sprout Organic Baby Food Garden Vegetables Brown Rice with Turkey
• Gerber Lil' Meals White Turkey Stew with Rice & Vegetables
• Gerber Carrot, Pear & Blackberry
• Gerber Carrots Peas & Corn with Lil' Bits
• Plum Organics Just Sweet Potato Organic Baby Food
• Beech-Nut Classics Sweet Potatoes
• Earth's Best Organic Sweet Potatoes, 1^st Stage
• Earth's Best Organic Whole Grain Rice Cereal
• Earth's Best Organic Sunny Days Snack Bars, Strawberry
• Happy Bab Organics Superfood Puffs, Apple & Broccoli
• Happy Baby Organics Superfood Puffs, Purple Carrot & Blueberry

Advice for Parents

The message, Dickerson says, is not to be alarmed but to think "balance, balance, balance" when it comes to a child's diet. "If you happen to be giving them a lot of rice-based products, mix in oats or wheat. The idea is balance, not overemphasizing any one particular grain or food.''
"Back off on snack foods,'' as most of those products contain rice, he says.

Who's Watching the Levels?

"There exists no regulatory guidance on what levels are acceptable," Dickerson says. But the FDA is working on it. "In 2016, the FDA did propose limiting inorganic arsenic in infant rice cereal to 100 parts per billion,'' the report notes. And earlier, in 2013, it proposed limiting inorganic arsenic in apple juice to 10 ppb, which is the federal standard for arsenic in drinking water
Dickerson says Consumer Reports has been discussing the need for more regulation with the FDA. The agency says it is hoping to finalize the new guidelines by the end of 2018.

Food Makers' Response

Consumer Reports officials have also had discussions with baby food makers. Among the actions the experts at Consumer Reports recommend, Dickerson says, are sourcing the raw food from growers to be sure it has low levels of heavy metals and ensuring the manufacturing process does not introduce contaminants (like from metal used in the machinery). Most companies said they do their own testing and are in favor of the government setting limits, according to the report.
Beech-Nut, a major baby food maker, said in a statement that it focuses on safety and quality of its infant and toddler foods. “We have high standards and rigorous testing protocols. We established heavy metal testing standards 35 years ago, and we continuously review and strengthen them wherever possible."
The company says it already follows Consumer Reports’ recommendations about manufacturers ''sourcing produce from areas less likely to be contaminated, and ensuring water and equipment used for manufacturing do not contribute to contamination.”
The company says it buys its rice from California, which, it says, has the lowest levels of arsenic of any rice-growing region.
“We test every delivery of fruits, vegetables, rice and other ingredients for up to 255 contaminants to confirm that every shipment meets our strict quality standards. If the ingredients don’t meet our standards, we reject them.”
Beech-Nut also says its facilities meet “all regulatory standards for water quality, food preparation and packaging. We have conducted testing on our facility and have found no evidence of any contaminants entering our products during the production process.''
In a statement, industry giant Gerber says that it ''prides itself on our dedication to nutritious, high-quality and safe food. All of our foods meet our safety and quality standards, which are among the strictest in the world. Our rigorous standards are developed by evaluating the latest food safety guidance -- from sources like the Food and Drug Administration, Environmental Protection Agency, and international health authorities.”
The company, in its statement, also says it “partners with our farmers and our ingredient and packaging suppliers to control, reduce and limit contaminants in all our foods.''

https://www.webmd.com/parenting/baby/news/20180816/consumer-reports-finds-heavy-metals-in-baby-foods

Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open- AUG 17, 2018

·       AUGUST 17, 2018

Nagpur Foodgrain Prices – APMC/Open Market-August 17, 2018

Nagpur, Aug 17 (Reuters) – Gram and tuar prices showed weak tendency in Nagpur Agriculture

Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) on poor buying support from local millers amid release of

stock from stockists. Easy condition on NCDEX, fresh fall in Madhya Pradesh gram prices and high

moisture content arrival also pulled down prices in weak trading activity. 

About 400 bags of desi gram and 200 bags of tuar reported for auction in Nagpur APMC, according

to sources.  

    FOODGRAINS & PULSES    

    GRAM

    * Desi gram reported weak in open market on lack of demand from local traders amid 

      increased supply from producing regions.

    TUAR

    * Tuar gavarani moved down in open market here on poor demand from local traders.  

    * Watana dal quoted weak in open market on poor buying support from local trader.

    * Wheat mill quality recovered in open market here on increased seasonal demand from 

      local traders.

   * In Akola, Tuar New – 3,950-4,025, Tuar dal (clean) – 5,700-5,850, Udid Mogar (clean)

    – 6,900-7,600, Moong Mogar (clean) 7,300-8,100, Gram – 4,150-4,225, Gram Super best 

    – 5,200-5,300

   * Other varieties of wheat, rice and other foodgrain items moved in a narrow range in 

     scattered deals and settled at last levels in thin trading activity. 

 Nagpur foodgrains APMC auction/open-market prices in rupees for 100 kg

     FOODGRAINS                 Available prices     Previous close   

     Gram Auction                  3,200-4,200         3,400-4,200

     Gram Pink Auction            n.a.           2,100-2,600

     Tuar Auction                3,375-3,755         3,375-3,790

     Moong Auction                n.a.                3,900-4,200

     Udid Auction                n.a.           4,300-4,500

     Masoor Auction                n.a.              2,600-2,800

     Wheat Mill quality Auction        1,900-1,960         1,900-1,952

     Gram Super Best Bold            5,800-6,200        5,800-6,200

     Gram Super Best            n.a.            n.a.

     Gram Medium Best            5,600-5,700        5,600-5,700

     Gram Dal Medium            n.a.            n.a

     Gram Mill Quality            4,150-4,250        4,150-4,250

     Desi gram Raw                4,200-4,250         4,250-4,300

     Gram Kabuli                8,000-10,000        8,000-10,000

     Tuar Fataka Best-New             6,100-6,200        6,100-6,200

     Tuar Fataka Medium-New        5,800-6,000        5,800-6,000

     Tuar Dal Best Phod-New        5,600-5,800        5,600-5,800

     Tuar Dal Medium phod-New        5,300-5,500        5,300-5,500

     Tuar Gavarani New             4,000-4,100        4,050-4,150

     Tuar Karnataka             4,450-4,550        4,450-4,550

     Masoor dal best            5,000-5,200        5,000-5,200

     Masoor dal medium            4,600-4,800        4,600-4,800

     Masoor                    n.a.            n.a.

     Moong Mogar bold (New)        7,500-8,500         7,500-8,200

     Moong Mogar Medium            6,500-7,300        6,500-7,300

     Moong dal Chilka New            5,900-6,900        5,900-6,900

     Moong Mill quality            n.a.            n.a.

     Moong Chamki best            7,500-8,500        7,500-8,500

     Udid Mogar best (100 INR/KG) (New) 7,000-8,000       7,000-8,000 

     Udid Mogar Medium (100 INR/KG)    5,500-6,500        5,500-6,500    

     Udid Dal Black (100 INR/KG)        4,400-4,700        4,400-4,700     

     Batri dal (100 INR/KG)        5,300-5,700        5,300-5,700

     Lakhodi dal (100 INR/kg)          3,700-3,900         3,700-3,900

     Watana Dal (100 INR/KG)            4,900-5,000        5,000-5,100

     Watana Green Best (100 INR/KG)    5,300-5,600        5,300-5,600   

     Wheat 308 (100 INR/KG)        2,000-2,100        2,000-2,100

     Wheat Mill quality (100 INR/KG)    2,050-2,100        2,000-2,050   

     Wheat Filter (100 INR/KG)         2,250-2,400           2,250-2,400         

     Wheat Lokwan best (100 INR/KG)    2,400-2,500        2,350-2,450    

     Wheat Lokwan medium (100 INR/KG)   2,150-2,350        2,100-2,300

     Lokwan Hath Binar (100 INR/KG)    n.a.            n.a.

     MP Sharbati Best (100 INR/KG)    3,200-3,800        3,200-3,800    

     MP Sharbati Medium (100 INR/KG)    2,400-2,800        2,400-2,800           

     Rice Parmal (100 INR/KG)        2,100-2,200        2,100-2,200

     Rice BPT best (100 INR/KG)        3,400-3,800        3,400-3,800    

     Rice BPT medium (100 INR/KG)        2,800-3,000        2,800-2,900        

     Rice Luchai (100 INR/KG)         2,800-3,000        2,800-3,000      

     Rice Swarna best (100 INR/KG)      2,600-2,800        2,600-2,800   

     Rice Swarna medium (100 INR/KG)      2,500-2,600        2,500-2,600     

     Rice HMT best (100 INR/KG)        4,000-4,400        4,000-4,400     

     Rice HMT medium (100 INR/KG)        3,600-3,900        3,600-3,900        

     Rice Shriram best(100 INR/KG)      5,200-5,500        5,200-5,500

     Rice Shriram med (100 INR/KG)    4,500-4,800        4,500-4,800       

     Rice Basmati best (100 INR/KG)    9,500-14,000        9,500-14,000     

     Rice Basmati Medium (100 INR/KG)    5,000-7,500        5,000-7,500    

     Rice Chinnor best 100 INR/KG)    6,600-7,000        6,500-7,000    

     Rice Chinnor medium (100 INR/KG)    6,200-6,400        6,100-6,300        

     Jowar Gavarani (100 INR/KG)        2,000-2,200        2,000-2,100    

     Jowar CH-5 (100 INR/KG)         1,800-2,000        1,700-2,000

WEATHER (NAGPUR)  

Maximum temp. 31.0 degree Celsius, minimum temp. 24.5 degree Celsius 

Rainfall : 2.7 mm

FORECAST: Generally cloudy sky with a few spells of rains or thunder-showers. Maximum and

minimum temperature would be around and 30 and 24 degree Celsius respectively.

Note: n.a.--not available

(For oils, transport costs are excluded from plant delivery prices, but

included in market prices)

https://in.reuters.com/article/india-data-localisation/exclusive-u-s-tech-giants-plan-to-fight-indias-data-localisation-plans-idINKBN1L30BD

                       

Saturday,  Aug 18, 2018,17:40 (GMT+7)                 

Other News

           

Saigon Co.op promises high profits for farmers growing clean rice

By Hung Le

Friday,  Aug 17, 2018,20:16 (GMT+7)

Visitors at a paddy field in Vinh Long Province’s My Loc Commune - PHOTO: SAIGON CO.OP

HCMC – The nation’s leading retail store chain operator, Saigon Co.op, has confirmed that Vinh Long Province’s farmers will earn high profits by growing clean rice.

The firm has agreed to set the purchasing price of clean rice produced in accordance with the organic farming model of the retailer at 40% higher than the market price.

In 2016, the province established the Tan Tien Cooperative to execute a clean rice-growing project in My Loc Commune on a 31-hectare farming area and then on an area of 45 hectares.

The results of the project, released at a conference on reviewing three years of execution of the cooperative model, show that My Loc Commune benefited from clean rice cultivation under the model in terms of socioeconomic development and soil efficiency. The average rice output increased from four tons per hectare in the 2016 summer-autumn crop to more than six tons per hectare in the 2017-2018 winter-spring crop. As a result, each farming household earned from VND14 million per hectare to more than VND30 million per hectare.

The 2017 profit amounted to an estimated VND40 million per hectare in a year with two crops against the 2016 profit of more than VND20 million per hectare in a year with one crop. Meanwhile, in 2018, the profit has reached more than VND40 million per hectare in a year with two crops to date, rising by over VND10 million year-on-year.

According to Saigon Co.op, the project contributed to improving farmers’ awareness and farming methods, including the use of biofertilizers instead of chemical fertilizers or pesticides to protect the environment and ensure the quality of rice.

To achieve these positive results, the Vinh Long authorities not only improved the agricultural structure for sustainable growth, but they also successfully dealt with the consumption problem, thanks to Saigon Co.op’s purchase of the entire output of rice sown in the clean area.

Pham Trung Kien, deputy general director of Saigon Co.op, noted that the firm had joined the project to turn the agricultural sector into a secure one, ensuring stable development to improve farmers’ income.

Saigon Co.op’s Co.opMart, Co.opXtra and Co.op Food supermarkets have been selling two types of rice---jasmine and Huong Xuan rice---which are being grown as part of the project. The monthly average consumption of these supermarkets amounts to some 20 tons of clean rice.

To further develop and expand the project, the strengthening of governance and control of cooperatives are necessary tasks. Cooperatives should be encouraged to follow the model of growing clean rice to raise their income.

Saigon Co.op will continue to purchase the entire clean rice output in Vinh Long Province to ensure the income and profits of farmers, added the retailer.

http://english.thesaigontimes.vn/62072/saigon-coop-promises-high-profits-for-farmers-growing-clean-rice.html

Morobe rice ready to hit the market

August 17, 2018The NationalBusiness

TRUKAI Industries Ltd and local farmers in Morobe have produced its rice harvest from a 275 hectares farm.
Chief executive Greg Worthington-Eyre, during the launching of Hamamas Rice in Port Moresby yesterday, said: “The Hamamas Rice was grown and harvested in Umi, milled and packaged at Trukai Industries in Lae, Morobe by the people of Papua New Guinea, for the people of Papua New Guinea.
“After many years of trying to understand the right rice to grow, and finding the right partners, we have hit on a terrific model for growing rice in PNG that supports both smallholders and food security of the country.
“It is also providing an additional source of rice to support the people as well.”
Chingwam Rice Growers Cooperative project manager John Maran said that they were looking for an investor to develop their land in Rangiampum, Morobe, when Trukai came on board.
“We signed the rural rice development agreement with Trukai Industries Ltd in late 2015 and partnered with them from then on,” he said.
“We harvested 23 tonnes out of six hectares in 2016.
“In 2017, we harvested 137 tonnes out of 40 hectares.
“In 2018, we harvested 518 tonnes out of 264 hectares.”
Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Benny Allen said PNG imported about 400,000 tonnes of rice at the cost of K600 million annually.
“It is the Government’s policy to see the replacement of imports of rice and other commodities,” he said.
“It is a milestone achievement for Trukai Industries Ltd to locally produce rice.”
Allan said that this partnership was also in line with the Government’s public-private partnerships (PPP).
He said that Trukai Industries Ltd was supporting the PNG National Rice Policy 2015-20130.
Allan said Customs had approved duty exemption on all rice-related equipment imported by Trukai.
The rice will be sold in Port Moresby and Lae from next week.

https://www.thenational.com.pg/morobe-rice-ready-to-hit-the-market/

ANI offers to import 500,000 MT of rice in behalf of gov’t

Published August 16, 2018, 10:00 PM

By Madelaine B. Miraflor

Listed company Agrinurture, Inc. (ANI) has submitted an unsolicited proposal to the National Food Authority (NFA) for its plan to import 500,000 metric tons (MT) of rice in behalf of the Philippine government.

ANI has filed a disclosure with the local bourse on Thursday, informing the stock exchange about receiving a letter from NFA acknowledging receipt of its proposal and that it has been considered and recognized by the agency as original proponent for the move.

Though he has no direct knowledge of the deal, NFA Grains and Marketing Chief Rocky Valdez pointed out that all deals such as this will be subject to the approval of the NFA Council, the highest policy making body of the state run grains agency.

Under the proposed joint venture agreement, the ANI consortium shall finance the supply of NFA rice with no cash out on the part of government.

Both parties shall jointly determine the origin, suppliers, delivery and arrival periods, packing and loading and discharging ports.

NFA, on the other hand, will solely determine the type of commodity to be imported, specifications and quantity.

“As accepted by NFA, the ANI consortium will import as much as 500,000 MT of rice, equivalent to two weeks national inventory of subsidized NFA rice per quarter,” ANI said in a statement.

As part of its mandate, the NFA is required to maintain a rice buffer stock good for 15 days, and good for 30 days during lean months.

Since the Philippine daily rice requirement is estimated at 32,750 MT, the proposed amount to be imported is good to last for 15 days.

After being granted original proponent status, the project proposal will now proceed in accordance with both the technical and legal processes under the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) “Guidelines and Procedures for Entering into Joint Venture Agreements between Government and Private Entities.”

https://business.mb.com.ph/2018/08/16/ani-offers-to-import-500000-mt-of-rice-in-behalf-of-govt/

NFA steps up monitoring of rice prices, supply nationwide

By Maricor Zapata, Philippine News Agency on August 16, 2018

NFA Administrator Jason LY. Aquino said Thursday the agency is stepping up its rice monitoring activities to protect the consumers from unscrupulous traders, especially in areas affected by the recent flooding caused by monsoon rains and Typhoon Karding. (File photo: National Food Authority)

MANILA — The National Food Authority is deploying monitoring teams in public markets and even in the communities to ensure that NFA accredited retail outlets are selling rice at prices prescribed by the government and are compliant with trading rules and regulations.

NFA Administrator Jason LY. Aquino said Thursday the agency is stepping up its rice monitoring activities to protect the consumers from unscrupulous traders, especially in areas affected by the recent flooding caused by monsoon rains and Typhoon Karding.

Aquino said the rice monitoring also covers the price and supply flow of commercial rice.

He said he had authorized the monitoring teams to conduct inspection in rice mills and private warehouses to make sure there is no rice hoarding.

He said the NFA is mandated to stabilize the supply and prices of the staple, especially in stricken areas as a result of a natural or man-made calamity or emergency.

“We are urging the public to report to us any anomalous observations against erring businessmen through our NFA Kontra Abuso hotline 0927-871-5921 and Hotline 8888, so we could immediately act on their complaints,” Aquino said. “So far, we have already received more than 300 complaints nationwide through these platforms, which we have verified and acted upon.”

Most of the complaints received by the NFA were over-pricing of NFA rice, non-availability, diversion, alleged re-bagging, and mixing.

http://www.canadianinquirer.net/2018/08/16/nfa-steps-monitoring-rice-prices-supply-nationwide/