Monday, April 29, 2019

29th apri,2019 Daily Global Regional Local Rice E-Newsletter


In Nueva Ecija, farmers keep their chill even as El Niño scorches
Philippine Daily Inquirer / 05:14 AM April 29, 2019
Rice farming in Nueva Ecija remains in business despite a report from the state weather bureau that the province and 48 others are suffering from a dry spell as the El Niño phenomenon continues to bite.
Going around the province, one might think the place was spared from the havoc of climate change. While the weather was dry and humid, there were neither dry taps nor parched lands. Newly harvested palay were displayed along side roads, ready to be put in sacks and stored.
What separates the province from most agricultural areas in the Philippines, aside from its rich lands, is no secret—the availability of efficient irrigation systems and technology.
“It’s not because there is no El Niño here, it is that we have the best irrigation system in the country,” said Roger Barroga, Future Rice Program head of the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice). “We are used to the arrival of dry season, even when it is hot as this, we’ve always been prepared.”
The province owns the first and biggest solar-powered irrigation system in the country. It also benefits from other irrigation projects, including the Upper Pampanga River Integrated Irrigation System.
The city of Muñoz in Nueva Ecija, where PhilRice’s main office is located, is not called “the science city” for no reason. Here, farmers are introduced to affordable innovations. It’s common to see farmers manning tractors and combine harvesters instead of carabaos. Others tend and monitor their farms through apps. They use high-yield hybrid seeds that can withstand drought or flooding.
Nueva Ecija remains the largest producer of the staple in the country without having to cough up unnecessary expenses. But the province is an exception rather than the rule.
Only 30 percent of the country’s farm lands benefit from communal irrigation while the rest still rely on rainwater, according to the National Irrigation Administration. A majority of rice-producing provinces are still dependent on traditional farming, which is more laborious, expensive, and above all, less productive.
Traversing outside the province, the importance of government support in sustaining agriculture is magnified. A three-hour drive from Muñoz to Pangasinan—where irrigation systems and government support in agriculture are subpar—reveals an entirely different scenario where lands have become arid and crops cry for water.
In Bulacan, Dagupan and certain parts of Cotabato, farmers cannot just shift to planting drought-resistant crops to survive the dry spell even if they want to, as this would require a constant water resource.
Farmer leader Jhun Pascua of the National Movement for Food Sovereignty said some farmers in Mindanao were already forced to sell their livestock animals with no grass for them to feed on.
William Dar, a former DA chief and former director of the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, said the wrath of El Niño and other natural disasters could be avoided if there were enough infrastructure in place, and if machinery were utilized to fit specific needs.
According to the Philippine Institute for Development Studies, what’s bogging down the adoption of modern technology may be partly due to the government’s lack of spending for infrastructure and science and technology geared toward agriculture. Economic managers have admitted the sector remained the “weakest link” in the country’s growth story.
It would be difficult to replicate Nueva Ecija, but former International Rice Research Institute director and current Monetary Board member Bruce Tolentino said it was only a matter of priorities.
“The government is not providing adequate support for the agriculture sector as a whole—not only for rice, but especially for other crops. And whatever support has been provided has been going to expenditures that do not result in the most important aspect of agriculture—the improvement of sector productivity and the lowering of production costs,” he said.
If the economic managers prove to be right, the Rice Import Liberalization Law may just be the sector’s saving grace.
In an interview, Socioeconomic Planning Undersecretary Rosemarie Edillon said “the assistance that would be given to farmers [under the law] was designed to lower the cost of producing rice,” noting that “one of the biggest cost differences is the labor cost because of the lack of mechanization.”
The measure would provide a P10-billion annual subsidy for the distribution of seeds and machinery and the provision of credit for the country’s local rice producers.
It may take two to three years before Filipino rice farmers reap the benefits of the rice fund, economic managers said. For now, producers of the staple in rural and far-flung areas do not have any choice but to wait for the next rainfall.


Local frog a ‘hero’ for farmers – study
Janvic Mateo (The Philippine Star) - April 29, 2019 - 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — Not all frogs are created equal – at least in terms of managing pests in farms.
A recent study conducted at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in Los Baños, Laguna found that a local species of frog, the endemic Luzon Fejevarya vittigera or wart frog, was more effective in consuming rice pests than a non-native species introduced in the Philippines in the 1930s.
The study also found initial evidence that the non-native species, the toxic cane toad,   may have a negative impact on rice crops as it eats more beneficial insects than pests.
The research, led by Molly Goodier from Northern Arizona University, was recently published in the Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment journal.
The study investigated the functional roles of frogs in the rice ecosystem by looking into the diet of the two most abundant species of frogs in the rice fields of IRRI.
The field surveys were conducted during the rainy seasons of 2015 and 2017.
The surveys found that despite smaller body sizes, the Luzon wart frog consumed the same total mass of prey as the cane toad and that pests made up the largest proportion of its total diet.
Pests that Luzon wart frogs eat include leafhoppers, black bugs, rice leaf-folders, grasshoppers, golden apple snails and brown plant-hoppers.
In contrast, the majority of the cane toad’s diet consisted of beneficial arthropods, such as fire ants that consume brown plant hopper nymphs and the eggs of golden apple snails.
“Although cane toads also consumed some herbivore species that are known rice pests, our data suggest that cane toads could significantly reduce the abundance of natural predators in rice fields,” read the paper.
“Our results suggest that (wart frog adults in Luzon) are more effective consumers of pests than cane toads and may provide an important ecosystem service in lowland rice agro-ecosystems. Furthermore, the diet of the cane toad suggests that they could be indirect pests to rice production due to their disproportionate consumption of beneficial predators,” it added.
The researchers suggested that rice agro-ecosystems in the Philippines should be managed to promote native species such as the Luzon wart frog and to reduce populations of the cane toad in order to safeguard native biodiversity, while simultaneously improving yields and reducing insecticide input.
According to IRRI, the cane toad is a non-native species that was introduced in the Philippines in the 1930s to control pests in sugarcane. It is not for human consumption as it is toxic and can cause nausea and paralysis.
Meanwhile, aside from its positive impact on rice fields, the Luzon wart frog is also harvested for human consumption and provides income to farmers.
The new study was co-authored by Mildred Diaz and Catherine Propper of the Northern Arizona University; Maria Liberty Almazan and Buyung Hadi of IRRI; and Grant Singleton of IRRI and the University of Greenwich in the UK.
The study was funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation through the Closing the Rice Gaps in Asia project.




Farmers expect fair price as record Boro rice production likely

Agriculture Description: Rangpur  Broo paddy photoDesk
The farmers are expecting an all-time record production of Boro rice and fair price as harvest of the major cereal crop just began this season everywhere in Rangpur agriculture region.
A number of farmers today expressed happiness over the government announcement of official procurement of Boro paddy at Taka 26 per kg and clean Boro rice at Taka 36 per kg from April 25 across the country.
Officials of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) said a bumper production of Boro rice is expected as farmers already started its harvest and are getting excellent yield rate after exceeding the fixed cultivation target in the region.
“The farmers have already harvested Boro rice on over 2,000 hectares ofland and the process will get momentum from next month,” Horticulture Specialist of the DAE at its regional office Khondker Md. Mesbahul Islam told BSS today.
The DAE has fixed a target of producing over 20.88-lakh tonnes of clean Boro rice (31.32-lakh tonnes of paddy) from 4.97-lakh hectares of land for all five districts in the region this season.
“However, farmers have finally brought over 5.09-lakh hectares of land under Boro rice farming, higher by 12,319 hectares or 2.48 percent than the fixed cultivation target and the crop is growing superbly amid favourable climatic condition,” Islam said.
Of them, farmers have cultivated hybrid variety Boro rice on over 1.98- lakh hectares of land, high yielding variety on over 3.12-lakh hectares and local variety on 2,085 hectares of land this time in the region.
Regional Additional Director of DAE Mohammad Ali said the government has taken adequate steps to ensure smooth irrigation, supply of fuels, fertilisers and electricity and other facilities to farmers to make the Boro rice farming programme successful.
“Smooth irrigation to Boro rice fields have been ensured by putting over m  2.37-lakh irrigation pumps, including 2,810 deep tube-wells, over 2.33-lakh shallow tube-wells, 570 low-lift pumps and 512 other pumps into operation in the region,” Ali added.
Besides, filed level sub-assistant agriculture officials, scientists, researchers and experts are assisting farmers and providing them with latest technologies to make the intensive Boro rice cultivation programme a success, he added.
Talking to BSS, farmers Helal Mian, Ekramul Haque, Zaved Ali and Ariful Haque of village Najirdigar and Manik Mian of village Darshona in Rangpur Sadar said they have cultivated Boro rice on two to five acres of land each this season.
They will begin harvesting of their cultivated Boro rice from the next week and are expecting to get a bumper production of the crop with better market price.
“I have cultivated Boro rice on five acres of my lands using my electricity-run own irrigation pump,” said Haque hoping that he would get a super bumper production of the crop this season.
“The total farming costs of Boro rice, including labour-cost for harvesting of the crop, on my five acres of land may be around Taka 45,000 to 50,000 with Taka 9,000 to 10,000 per acre of land on an average for high wages of the farm-labourers,” he said.
If the climatic condition remains favourable during next five to six weeks, Haque hoped to harvest 85 to 90 mounds of Boro crop in terms of paddy per acre of land.
“Though current market price of paddy stands at Taka 600 per mound, I
hope to earn better profit if I could sell my newly harvested Boro paddy to
purchasing centres at the government fixed rate of Taka 26 per kg (Taka 1,040
per mound),” Haque added.
Similarly, farmers Abdul Kuddus, Mostaq Chowdhury, Abdul Kadir, Mohsin
Ali, Lutfar Rahman, Echhahaq Ali and Khalequzzaman of different villages
expressed firm hope of getting bumper Boro rice production with better price
this year.

Processing of rice imports to take maximum of 28 days

Published April 29, 2019 3:15pm 
By JON VIKTOR D. CABUENAS, GMA News
Rice importation is set to take a month — with the processing of permits to be shortened to a maximum of 28 days — under the Rice Liberalization Act, government officials said Monday.
In a press conference in Manila City, Finance Assistance Secretary Antonio "Tony" Joselito Lambino II said securing permits to import rice will only take a maximum of 28 days.
As of the April 28 draft guidelines of the Rice Liberalization Act, the milled rice importation process will take a maximum of 28 days, with several government agencies involved.
Securing permits from the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) will take a maximum of 14 days — six days for registration, and another seven days for the sanitary and phytosanitary import clearance (SPSIC).
It will take six to seven working days to secure permits from the Bureau of Customs (BOC), six to seven days from the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA), three days from the registration with the Philippine International Trading Corporation (PITC), and another eight days for the PITC import consolidation.
"Kung tutuusin, maybe all in all, three weeks, four weeks, nandiyan na 'yung bigas," Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said.
"As long as wala nang kinuhang NFA (National Food Authority) permit, it's really just the quality and then the actual procedure of importation, nandiyan na 'yung bigas in less than one month," he addeed.
Trade Undersecretary Ruth Castelo noted, however, that the actual process could be shortened given the Anti-Red Tape Act (ARTA) of 2007.
"Binibigyan lang namin ng allowance para masigurado na maka-comply pa rin sila," she said.
"With ARTA Law, maximum of three days for simple applications, mami-minimize pa po itong 28 days na binigay natin," Castelo added. —KBK, GMA News

Basmati feels heat of Iran oil curbs

THE ASIAN AGE. | RITWIK MUKHERJEE
Published : Apr 29, 2019, 2:35 am IST
Updated : Apr 29, 2019, 2:35 am IST
Iran has remained a major export destination for Indian Basmati rice and the industry's concentration on Iran has only magnified in FY2019.
Description: Given the scale of Basmati rice exports to Iran, a disruption in sales to this market can have a severe adverse impact on the Basmati rice industry.
 Given the scale of Basmati rice exports to Iran, a disruption in sales to this market can have a severe adverse impact on the Basmati rice industry.
Kolkata: India has been continuing to import crude oil from Iran despite imposition of trade sanctions on Iran. However, the Trump administration has recently withdrawn that waiver. As a result, there has been a great degree of uncertainties over India importing crude from Iran. It's not just import of crude from Iran that will be affected, but the move is likely to have wide ranging impacts.
For instance, analysts feel that the recent move by the US government can, skittle the exports of commodities, including Basmati rice. Given the scale of Basmati rice exports to Iran, a disruption in sales to this market can have a severe adverse impact on the Basmati rice industry.
The Modi government had been pushing for an extension of the waiver. However that has been to no avail. And the US government has recently announced that the waiver extended earlier will be withdrawn in the first week of May. In the eventuality of discontinuation of crude imports from Iran, payment recovery for exports of commodities like Basmati rice is bound to face high uncertainty. Interestingly, Indian crude oil imports from Iran were to the tune of Rs 70,000 crore in FY2018 against which total exports were around Rs 17,000 crore.
"Iran has remained a major export destination for Indian Basmati rice and the industry's concentration on Iran has only magnified in FY2019. Discontinuation of crude oil imports from Iran can lead to issues on recovery of outstanding dues for the Basmati rice shipments already made, hampering the financial position of such exporters. Moreover, this issue can impact the industry as a whole and even the players who do not export to Iran. Given the share of Basmati rice exports to Iran, any moderation in sales to this market can have a depressing impact on the Basmati rice prices globally," said Deepak Jotwani, Assistant Vice President, ICRA.
Jotwani said that this can severely impact the industry performance, especially considering that prices of the raw material, that is, Basmati paddy have firmed up in recent times, resulting in industry participants carrying high cost inventory. Additionally, the government's policy stance on trade with Iran, post withdrawal of the waiver, will have a strong bearing on the prospects of the Basmati rice industry in the current fiscal, he said.
Tags: iran oilbasmati ricemodi government

The coffee you buy could produce more birds at your feeder

By FINN O’KEEFE April 26, 2019
By FINN O’KEEFE
Capital News Service
LANSING — Blackpoll warblers are on a 12,400-mile trip to their breeding grounds in Canada and Alaska from the Amazon Basin and northern South America — with tiny backpacks.
What sort of luggage did they take? Tiny backpacks with geolocators given to them by researchers hoping to understand their migration paths and the pit stops they make to refuel.
They’ll be here in the Great Lakes Basin, a crucial stop, around mid-May, according to a recent study, “A Boreal Songbird’s 20,000 km Migration across North America and the Atlantic Ocean, published March 19 in “Ecology.”
Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Ontario are the only substantial stopover points that blackpoll warblers make during their spring migration, according to William DeLuca, one of the researchers on this study and an assistant professor at the University of Massachusetts. The warbler stops here in early and mid-May to indulge in insects before making the final push to Alaska and northern Canada, DeLuca said.
If you want to see them while they rest up around here, check out Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge in Michigan, Indiana Dunes National Park, Magee Marsh in Ohio and Thunder Cape Bird Observatory in Ontario.
But look fast.
Until recently the lives of blackpoll warblers have remained a mystery as they only spend two to three months of the year in North America, DeLuca said. This lack of knowledge made it difficult to conserve the bird, one of the fastest declining songbird species in North America.
“Once we understand where and what it is they’re doing then we can start to figure out where those populations are limited,” DeLuca said. “Then you can start to target your conservation efforts.”
DeLuca suspects them to be most limited in South America. The birds are threatened there because palm oil corporations destroy many ecosystems for their plantations, he said. Palm oil is found in many processed foods.
If you want to preserve birds, avoid palm oil, DeLuca said “It’s a direct connection between the choices we make as consumers and what’s happening with our biodiversity.”
Choosing which coffee to drink also impacts many migratory bird species, DeLuca said. In the 1960s during the Green Revolution many countries in South America began to use chemicals in agricultural management and reducing shade trees on their coffee farms.
The removal of shade trees makes the farm less suitable for bird habitat, according to Robert Rice, a researcher at the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center.
Research in Peru has demonstrated this. Coffee grown in the sun with very few or no shade trees provides habitat for about 60 bird species, Rice said.
That may sound like a lot, but many birders flock to Peru in pursuit of seeing more than 1,800 species that spend at least some of their lives there, according to Field Guides.
Just a small number of shade trees on coffee farms increases the number of bird species present to 170, Rice said. But it’s when you put in a great number of diverse trees that you start finding a lot of birds.
“When you put in a diverse system that would qualify as bird friendly, you get upwards of 240 species of birds,” Rice said.
Encouraging coffee producers in South America to provide adequate shade and shade tree diversity for bird habitat on their farms is the goal of the Bird Friendly® coffee certification created by the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center.
Coffee grown under that certification not only protects bird habitat but also allows for the shade trees to sequester carbon and fight climate change, according to the center.
Regardless of other benefits, such as a certification increasing their profits by as much as 50 cents per pound, it’s difficult to get larger coffee farms to manage for bird habitat, Rice said.
The trees on many larger farms are often only one to three species and uniform in height, Rice said. Even if these trees provide a lot of shade they do not provide good habitat for a diversity of birds and other wildlife.
“Some birds like to hang out way up top, high in the canopy,” Rice said. “Others like to run up and down the trunk. Others like to hang out closer to the ground.”
Different species of trees will attract different types of insects and grow different fruit that birds feed on.
“Any given tree has its own little micro ecosystem,” Rice said.
Conserving bird habitat in South America doesn’t mean we can ignore the land here. One way homeowners can provide habitat for birds like the blackpoll warbler is by planting native plants, DeLuca said. Much of what these birds prefer to eat can be found on native plants, whether that be berries or insects.
“Insect diversity and abundance is highest on native plants,” DeLuca said. “Those native plants are also the ones providing food in the form of berries and fruit in the fall.”
People can also provide data to scientists by putting their observations oneBird. The project headed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology is currently looking forward to the Global Big Day on May 4 when organizers hope to set a new record for the number of bird species reported in one day. Last year, users of the site reported 7,025 species. This count occurs within the range of dates when blackpoll warblers could be making their stopovers across the Great Lakes Basin.
This May 4 sitting back with a cup of environmentally minded coffee and watching the birds flock around your bird feeder could be both the most relaxing and scientifically significant thing you could do.
If you’re lucky you might just see a warbler returning from South America with some luggage.

State struggles with eldercare worker shortage

By ZARIA PHILLIPS
Capital News Service
LANSING — Michigan doesn’t have enough personal care workers for the growing population of elderly residents and more aren’t coming, experts say. The state will need 32,000 more elder care aides next year, said Clare Luz, an assistant professor at Michigan State University’s College of Osteopathic Medicine who has studied the need for the past 10 years.
Capital News Services articles may be reprinted exclusively by subscribing media organizations. CNS correspondents cover all aspects of Michigan state government. They come in contact with the important newsmakers of the day, from the Supreme Court justices and the governor to members of the Legislature and the people who run the state government departments, to lobbyists and public-interest organizations. Then they also talk with “real people” — the individual citizens and businesses in communities to get their reactions to what’s happening in Lansing.

Experts creating drones that could repair buildings in the future

by Robie de Guzman   |   Posted on Monday, April 29th, 2019
Description: https://www.untvweb.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/drone.jpgCourtesy : Reuters
Experts in Britain and Switzerland are building drones which they say will one day autonomously fly around buildings, assessing them and even conducting repairs free of human interference.
Researchers in Britain and Switzerland say future soft, flexible drones will be able to reach areas dangerous for humans such as tunnels, mines or pipelines.
The drones will be able to ‘see’ using computer vision technology, building 3D maps of their surroundings.
Once they spot where a repair is required, they could even summon other drones to fix it.
The project is part of a partnership between Imperial College London and Swiss Federal Laboratories for materials science and technology, EMPA.
EMPA’s next evolution in sustainable building technologies aerial robotics hub and imperial’s aerial robotics lab are being used as hubs for the drones’ development.
Director of the aerial robotics lab and head of EMPA’s materials and technology center of robotics, Dr. Mirko Kovac, said he envisages the drones would be like a building’s immune system, monitoring and repairing it.
But he also looks to nature, saying creepy crawly insects can provide good examples to follow.
“So, we don’t have to build a robot that looks like a spider. We can really just take inspiration of the way how spiders approach manufacturing tasks and this is really what we translated here today,” Kovac said.
A demonstration at the aerial robotics lab in London showed one of the development drones using a magnet to latch onto a metal walkway before descending to hang from a wire.
By moving up and down the wire, the hope is the drone can assess a wall while saving energy. (REUTERS)

PhilRice promotes agricultural drones to farmers


by UNTV News   |   Posted on Monday, February 25th, 2019
Description: https://www.untvweb.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/drone-rice-farmers.pngA drone operator demonstrates the uses of drone in the rice field
NUEVA ECIJA, Philippines — The Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), together with Davao-based drone firm New Hope Corp, conducted a drone seminar for 60 seed growers from various regions in the country as part of its promotion to use multi-purpose drone spreaders to expedite work in the rice field.
The said seminar took place at the Philrice compound in the Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija last Thursday.
Farmers were introduced to the benefits of drone usage in agriculture which include the quick and efficient spreading of seeds and fertilizers; easy application of chemicals on rice fields and automation of feeding tasks in fishponds.
“It can take snap shots at the farm and then i-analyze natin yan to gauge the plant health through full band five camera. Marami tayong bands na hindi nakikita with our own eyes,” New Hope Corp chief executive officer, Anthony Tan said.
Description: https://www.untvweb.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/drone-rice-1.pngA multi-purpose drone spreader takes off
The multi-purpose drone is capable of spraying seeds onto 30 hectares of farmland in just a day.  In turn, farmers are spared from getting sick due to chemical exposure.
The seed growers who attended the PhilRice seminar are convinced by the convenience that drone technology offers. They are particularly drawn to the guarantee of fast production which they find imperative amid looming stiff competition with the entry of imported rice and other agricultural products.
The cost of the device itself is quite hefty at P850,000. But this can be rented from a service provider at P850 per hectare of farmland.
At present, New Hope Corp is considering other measures to further improve their product for the benefit of farmers.  — Freema Salonga with reports from Danny Munar
File
Angat Dam dips below critical level
86SHARES32
Louise Maureen Simeon (The Philippine Star) - April 29, 2019 - 12:00am
The National Water Resources Board (NWRB) said it is expecting the water level to go down to 178 meters in the next two days.
MANILA, Philippines — The water level in Angat Dam, Metro Manila’s water source, has dipped to critical as El Niño continues to persist in the country.
The latest update from state weather bureau Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) showed Angat Dam elevation at 179.97 meters, which is below the 180-meter minimum operating water level.
The National Water Resources Board (NWRB) said it is expecting the water level to go down to 178 meters in the next two days.
The lowest water elevation this year is expected at 173.13 meters by the end of May, but it will gradually return to normal in June at the onset of the rainy season.
Metro Manila residents are advised to conserve water to reduce the demand from Angat, prevent the rapid decline of the water level and contribute to its recovery.
The NWRB has decided to reduce the allocation for irrigation to ensure that the 48 cubic meters per second (CMS) or 1,450 million liters per day needed by Metro Manila will be provided.
Last month, allocation for the National Irrigation Administration was at 40 CMS. This was reduced to 35 CMS for April. Starting this May, The research, led by Molly Goodier from Northern Arizona University, was recently published in the Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment journal.
The study investigated the functional roles of frogs in the rice ecosystem by looking into the diet of the two most abundant species of frogs in the rice fields of IRRI.
The field surveys were conducted during the rainy seasons of 2015 and 2017.
The surveys found that despite smaller body sizes, the Luzon wart frog consumed the same total mass of prey as the cane toad and that pests made up the largest proportion of its total diet.
Pests that Luzon wart frogs eat include leafhoppers, black bugs, rice leaf-folders, grasshoppers, golden apple snails and brown plant-hoppers.
In contrast, the majority of the cane toad’s diet consisted of beneficial arthropods, such as fire ants that consume brown plant hopper nymphs and the eggs of golden apple snails.
“Although cane toads also consumed some herbivore species that are known rice pests, our data suggest that cane toads could significantly reduce the abundance of natural predators in rice fields,” read the paper.
“Our results suggest that (wart frog adults in Luzon) are more effective consumers of pests than cane toads and may provide an important ecosystem service in lowland rice agro-ecosystems. Furthermore, the diet of the cane toad suggests that they could be indirect pests to rice production due to their disproportionate consumption of beneficial predators,” it added.
The researchers suggested that rice agro-ecosystems in the Philippines should be managed to promote native species such as the Luzon wart frog and to reduce populations of the cane toad in order to safeguard native biodiversity, while simultaneously improving yields and reducing insecticide input.
According to IRRI, the cane toad is a non-native species that was introduced in the Philippines in the 1930s to control pests in sugarcane. It is not for human consumption as it is toxic and can cause nausea and paralysis.
Meanwhile, aside from its positive impact on rice fields, the Luzon wart frog is also harvested for human consumption and provides income to farmers.
The new study was co-authored by Mildred Diaz and Catherine Propper of the Northern Arizona University; Maria Liberty Almazan and Buyung Hadi of IRRI; and Grant Singleton of IRRI and the University of Greenwich in the UK.
The study was funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation through the Closing the Rice Gaps in Asia project.

‘Imams can play role in disseminating agricultural innovations’

·       Published at 09:14 pm April 27th, 2019
Description: ‘Imams can play role in disseminating agricultural innovations’
An imam participates at a daylong capacity building workshop on socially mobilizing sustainable food security in Bangladesh, at Dhaka on Wednesday Courtesy

The program aimed to strengthen capacity of religious leaders for information sharing on agriculture, food and nutrition through the applications of modern agricultural technology
“Imams can play significant role in disseminating agricultural innovations. They should be inspired to learn about modern technology of agriculture so that they can educate and engage the community to avail the benefits of agricultural innovations for sustainable food security”, said Kazi Nurul Islam, secretary and director general (additional charge) of Islamic Foundation, at a workshop on Wednesday.
He said this at a capacity building workshop held at the Imam Training Academy (ITA) Auditorium in Dhaka. Framing Future Bangladesh (FFB) with technical assistant of Islamic Foundation, organized the day long Training of Trainers (ToT) session, titled “Agricultural Innovation and Applications of Agri-biotechnology for Sustainable Food Security in Bangladesh” for Imams and Imam trainers and officials of Imam Training Academy.
The program aimed to strengthen capacity of religious leaders for information sharing on agriculture, food and nutrition through the applications of modern agricultural technology in particular applications of agri-biotechnology for sustainable food security in Bangladesh.
A total of 80 participants including Imams, ITA Trainers, Scientists, officials of Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI), Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute (BARI), Cornell Alliance for Science and Farming Future Bangladesh attended the program. 
Participants learned the status and prospect of agricultural innovations, effectiveness and access to innovation to address the challenges and how effectively they can disseminate evidence based information for social awareness on the acceptance of safer and nutritious food.
The program also focused on religious views specially aligned with the Islamic references.
In addition, they learned skills and best practices for science communication and community engagement for ensuring sustainable food security in Bangladesh.
Kazi Nurul Islam addressed the training as a great opportunity for Imams to enhance their knowledge and perception on modern science and innovations regarding food, agriculture and nutrition.
Muhammad Jalal Ahmed, Director, ITA, said that religious leaders are the most powerful and reliable influencers for social mobilization. 
FFB is a comprehensive communications initiative to help improve awareness on modern agricultural innovations including crop biotechnology in Bangladesh. 
Based in Dhaka, it operates under the auspices of Cornell Alliance for Science of the Cornell University with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. 

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CSR support for farmers’ cooperatives

Published April 27, 2019, 10:00 PM
Description: Dr. Emil Q. Javier
Dr. Emil Q. Javier
This is the third of the series how to remake our agriculture to make it more productive, more competitive, and most importantly, more profitable to small farmers. Undoubtedly we need more farm-to-market roads, more irrigation systems, more post-harvest facilities, more processing and value-adding, better extension and stronger research support. But ultimately we need to organize our small farms into effective business units, which they are not due to their smallness and fragmentation.
Hence the proffered solutions of 1) broader adoption of contract growing as a business model, and 2) strengthening farmers cooperatives through corporate social responsibility (CSR) support.
Last week’s column elaborated on the pros and cons of contract growing. With contract growing, the farmers are assured of credit, inputs, improved technology and markets which are provided by the corporate integrators. The integrators for their part are assured of dependable supply of quality raw materials, are spared of labor and land tenure social problems and with less capital expenditures to boot. The downsides to the business model were described and how they have been dealt with elsewhere.
Philosophically contract growing should be the preferred route since this is business-driven and not dependent on charity, and should be more sustainable in the long run.
However, many of our larger corporations are not engaged in agri-business and therefore cannot incorporate contract farming in their business portfolios. Nevertheless, they can still significantly help address the national challenge of eliminating poverty by devoting a great part of their corporate giving to agriculture and rural development.
Much have been written on the advantages of organizing farmers into cooperatives which are in essence larger more efficient production and marketing units. In fact, in Europe and Northeast Asia some of them have been so successful they now own their own banks.
We too have tried the cooperative approach but with largely indifferent results. Most of our rural cooperatives have failed although a number of outstanding ones continue to flourish. But among the greater number which have failed, the recurring problems had been poor business management and loose financial controls.
This is where the intervention by the private sector could be strategically inserted to complement what had been historically, albeit ineffectively, government-led initiative. What the rural cooperatives need is not more regulation but better business development and management.
Priority for existing
rural cooperatives
Cooperatives development is necessarily a long-term social education and mobilization process. But we need not start from scratch all over again.
True that most rural cooperatives have completely folded up. But many numbering in the thousands continue to survive and struggle. Evidently they still enjoy the basic goodwill, patronage and support of their members. Turning them around should therefore be less problematic. And tactically should be the immediate target for corporate CSR support.
A good example are the irrigators associations whose members are linked by their common need for working water systems. They continue to receive agronomic support from the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) and the Bureau of Soil and Water Management (BSWM-DA). The water beneficiaries will be much better off if they can diversify into higher value crops. What they lack are new business plans and assured markets.
Immediate opportunities for
cooperatives business development
Following are three concrete examples of immediate opportunities for CSR support to cooperatives. Sizeable public funds are now being allocated for agriculture and rural development. Better organization and supervision of the recipient cooperatives will guarantee/facilitate the productive uses of these funds.
1. Organizing farm service providers
The recent Rice Tariffication Act provided P5 billion each year for the procurement and free distribution of farm machines and equipment to registered cooperatives and irrigators associations. If the previous mechanization programs of government were to be indicators, simply giving away these equipment to the cooperatives without any business plan and proper supervision will likely end up in disaster. In order to assure full and sustained utilization of the machines, the cooperatives need to organize business units with trained operators and mechanics who will provide farm operations/services to their members for a fee (to make the services self-sustaining).
The task was entrusted to Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech), a research unit under the Department of Agriculture (DA). PhilMech has never handled this amount of funding, is short of experienced managers and is not organized for business. Thus, the agency will most likely be overwhelmed. The challenge of organizing the service provider business units could be assumed by the corporate foundations.
2. Organizing rice seed companies
The Rice Tariffication Act likewise provided P3 billion each year to provide seeds of high-yielding inbred varieties to rice farmers. Unlike with the farm machines, it was not stipulated whether the seeds will be given away free to farmers. What was clear through is for Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), the research institute dedicated for rice improvement, to provide research support and the initial BREEDER and FOUNDATION seed stocks to the selected farmers who are supposed to produce the seeds in commercial quantities.
Thus in addition to its regular scientific and technology support role, PhilRice is obliged to train the selected rice farmers to become into seed growers and eventually pool their efforts into seed companies. PhilRice is staffed with well-trained plant, soils, water and biotechnology scientists. But it has no business managers who will help organize the rice growers into seed companies which will process, distribute and market seeds in competition with other private seed producers.
The corporate foundations especially with many of their retired operations, finance and personnel managers, are in a much better position than PhilRice to help guide in the establishment of seed companies not only for rice, but also for other commodities.
3. Organizing village-level coconut processing enterprises
Coconut farmers are among the poorest of the poor. They are impoverished by their traditional exclusive reliance on dried copra. The solution is to switch to wet processing in order to fully utilize both the water and meat parts of the nut. The coconut water instead of being thrown away will be processed into healthy, fruit drinks which have huge export potential. The meat can be processed into virgin coconut oil, coconut milk drinks and smoothies, desiccated coconut and/or high protein coconut flour.
The husks will be converted into various native handicrafts, fiber boards, geotextiles or rooting materials for plant propagation (substitute for peat moss). The coconut shells can be processed into activated carbon which have many food, environment and industrial uses.
However, the processing facilities should be organized at the community level to reduce transport costs but more importantly to create more employment and value-added in the countryside.
Funds for these purposes will be available soon from the Coconut Levy Funds (CLF) as soon as Congress drafts a new coco levy fund bill to replace the previous one vetoed by the President. When finally approved the coconut levy funds are easily good for P5 billion each year for the next 25 years. For sure a good part of the CLF will have to go into the organization of small-to-medium scale enterprises at the village level, owned and operated by the coconut farmers themselves and their cooperatives.
The mandate of organizing the coconut village-level processing enterprises will reside in the Philippine Coconut Authority which like NIA, BSWM and PhilRice will not have the business expertise to manage these enterprises. This is another great opportunity for corporate foundations to help government attain our national social development and food security needs.
There are many other opportunities like commodity cooperatives for growing coffee, cacao, rubber, oil palm and mango and raising poultry, swine and dairy. Fish cooperatives in joint ventures with successful fishpond operators to manage/operate 50-hectare fishponds in Laguna de Bay is another.
*****
Dr. Emil Q. Javier is a Member of the National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) and also Chair of the Coalition for Agriculture Modernization in the Philippines (CAMP).
For any feedback, email eqjavier@yahoo.com

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N Chandrababu Naidu keen to hold reviews, says Kakani Govardhan Reddy

DECCAN CHRONICLE.
PublishedApr 28, 2019, 4:01 am IST
UpdatedApr 28, 2019, 4:01 am IST
He said he would subscribe for development theory if Chandramohan Reddy wins the seat.
Description: CM N Chandrababu Naidu
 CM N Chandrababu Naidu
Nellore: Sarvepalli legislator and YSRC district unit convener Kakani Govardhan Reddy has alleged that AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu is keen on holding official reviews on projects, despite EC restrictions, in a bid to release the pending bills with an eye on the commission from the contractors.
Speaking to mediapersons, he took a dig on Mr Naidu for attacking the EC over official reviews, while advising him to remember that he is only a caretaker CM.

Pointing to Mr Naidu’s outburst against the EC for not questioning about official reviews of KCR, Kakani defended the TRS chief by stating that he is an elected Chief Minister.
He said that there is nothing wrong in KCR conducting review on utility of funds allotted to various departments before the election code came in to force. Kakani observed that Mr Naidu is losing his balance due to frustration over impending defeat.
He also found fault with AP agriculture minister Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy for his decision to conduct reviews on the issue of difficulties in supplying harvested paddy to the rice millers.
Kakani advised Somireddy to discuss with the officials on the supply of gunny bags to the farmers through Paddy Purchase Centres, before holding any reviews.
Complaining about large-scale corruption in Sarvepalli constituency and Chandramohan Reddy’s claims about development in the segment, he dared the Agriculture Minister to admit the election results as a referendum for large-scale corruption if he is defeated.
He said he would subscribe for development theory if Chandramohan Reddy wins the seat.

Akun Sabarwal directs officials to provide remunerative price for paddy ryots

The Civil Supplies Commissioner directed the officials concerned to use proper measurements while purchasing paddy and told them to immediately shift paddy from the procurement centres to the rice mills

By AuthorTelanganaToday  |  Published: 27th Apr 2019  8:48 pm
Civil Supplies Commissioner Akun Sabharwal inspects paddy at procurement centre in Kamareddy
Nizamabad: Civil Supplies Commissioner Akun Sabarwal directed the officials to purchase paddy from farmers and credit the amount within 48 hours into their accounts. He inspected paddy procurement and purchase centres at Nizamabad market yard, civil supplies and FCI godowns in Nizamabad and Kamareddy district and distributed Iris scanners to FP shop dealers on Saturday.
The Civil Supplies Commissioner directed the officials concerned to use proper measurements while purchasing paddy and told them to immediately shift paddy from the procurement centres to the rice mills. Nizamabad Joint Collector Venkateswarlu said that they are expecting three lakhs tonnes of paddy in this Yasangi season. DCSO Krishna Prasad, Civil Supplies Manager Harikrishna, District Co-operative Officer Simhachalam, DRDO PD Ramesh Rathod, RTO D V Reddy, MEPMA PD Ramulu, Agriculture AD Wajid Hussain, Marketing Officer Riyaz, District Rice Millers Association Representatives and others were also present.
Meanwhile, Akun Sabarwal also conducted a review meeting with Kamareddy District Collector Dr N Satyanarayana at Kamareddy Collectorate. On the occasion, the commissioner asked the Collector to take action to provide remunerative price to the paddy farmers and asked them to consider the moisture percentage. Later, the Commissioner visited the agriculture market committee godowns where paddy bags were stored and also visited the paddy procurement centre at Gargula village and inspected the moisture percentage in paddy procured from farmers.
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Nizamabad: Millers pulled up for reporting underweight figures, delaying supplies to FCI

Rice millers association members said they would begin supply from April 29

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|  Published: 28th Apr 2019  12:55 am
Nizamabad: Civil Supplies Commissioner Akun Sabharwal on Saturday warned rice mill owners and weighbridge operators not to cheat farmers by resorting to reporting underweight figures.
Speaking at a meeting with representatives of the local Rice Millers Association, Sabharwal said a large number of complaints were being received from farmers that millers and owners of weighbridges were resorting to reducing the weight of paddy resulting in losses to farmers.
The government, he warned, will take action against those resorting to such practices, he said.
He said Nizamabad rice millers will give another 35,000 tonnes of rice to the Civil Supplies Corporation and formed a three-member committee to oversee this process.
He said that in the 2018-19 kharif season, rice millers received 2.48 lakh tonnes of paddy and in return, they should give 1.66 lakh tonnes of rice. But till now, they issued only 1,31,516 tonnes to the Civil Supplies Corporation. Another 35,000 tonnes of rice should be given to the FCI and rice millers should ensure that this is done immediately, he said.
Rice millers association members said they would begin supply from April 29.
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Chinese expert helps increase rice production

Description: Chinese expert helps increase rice production

April 27, 2019

Lahore    -      A Chinese hybrid rice breeder namely Shande Liu has greatly helped the local farmers increase the production of rice in Pakistan.
The famous hybrid rice breeder, who joined the Seed Group in China’s Province Hubei in 1994, helped the farmers to increase the rice production from 60 to 130 maund per acre. He started breeding programme in Pakistan in 2004. After that, the hybrid rice varieties HR 40 (Purkhraj), HR14 and Y26 have been released in Pakistan. These varieties have been getting more sales from 2007 to 2012. Annual Orientation of 2,500 metric tons of seed is being sold by Auriga Seed Company. Those have got 40pc shares of the market and increased farmers income hugely.
In 2012, he set up his own seed company Wuhan Comega Seed Company Ltd, in collaboration with a Chinese seed company, which holds a renowned position in hybrid rice breeding and seed production in China.
He continued the collaboration with Auriga Seed Company in Pakistan. A new two-line rice hybrid CR58 was released by Pakistan government. It is a super rice hybrid with high yield and good stress tolerance. In an exclusive interview with The Nation at Nawa-i-Waqt Media Group office in Lahore, he talked about the hybrid rice cultivation and seed production in Pakistan. He said that the land and the farmers in Pakistan are capable of boosting the agriculture sector.

Better trading with Rice Tariffication Law

DAVAO. Neda-Davao Director Maria Lourdes Lim said the regulation of rice trading will address the problems such as rice production shortages in the region. (File Photo)
April 26, 2019
NATIONAL Economic and Development Authority (Neda)-Davao expects regularization of rice trading, competitive rice production, and other developments of the sector in the region with the passage of the Rice Tariffication Law.

Neda-Davao Director Maria Lourdes Lim said in a news conference on Thursday, April 25, that the regulation will address the problems such as rice production shortage in the region.

Lim discussed their outlook in 2019 to surpass the 8.6 percent Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) growth in 2018, which includes improvement of rice productivity through the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) of the rice tariffication law.

“In terms of RCEF appropriations to the region, we have to get our fair share in terms of this financial support to rice farmers and rice farmer associations and cooperatives,” Lim said.

“The modernization of this sub-sector shall be underway with the provision of farm machineries and tractors. Post and pre-harvest equipment for rice farming will also be provided. This will be spearheaded by Department of Agriculture 11,” she added.

Republic Act 11203 or the Rice Tariffication Law is “the policy of the State to ensure food security and to make the country’s agricultural sector viable, effective and globally competitive. The State adopts the use of tariffs in lieu of non-tariff import restrictions to protect local producers of agricultural products.”

A data presented by the Philippine Statistics Authority-Davao on Thursday, April 25, showed that the agriculture, hunting, forestry and fishing sector contributed 0.3 percent in the region’s economic growth in 2018. Its sub-sectors, the agriculture and forestry, shared 3.5 percent.


Pakistan, Malaysia agree to strengthen bilateral ties

Web Desk On Apr 26, 2019
Description: https://arynews.tv/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Qureshi-750x369.jpg
BEIJING: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi met with his Malaysian counterpart Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah on the sidelines of Belt and Road Forum in Beijing on Friday.
Matters of mutual interests, regional situation, bilateral ties, trade, economy and other issues were came under discussion, said the sources.
Both the leaders agreed to strengthen bilateral ties between the two countries and decided to maintain close contact in all areas including political, economic, cultural and people to people exchanges.
Both sides reaffirmed the commitment to continue the momentum built by the leadership of the two countries, said the sources.
Earlier, former finance minister Asad Umar, on March 22, had said that Pakistan and Malaysia had signed five memorandums of understanding in various sectors.
In his informal talk with the reporters in the federal capital, the former minister had said Malaysia had expressed interest in buying meat and rice from Pakistan.
The Malaysian delegation had also shown their interest in buying Pakistani made JF-17 Thunder fighter jets. In this regard, Umar had maintained that the Malaysian authorities had invited Pakistan to attend defence exhibition, to display its JF-17 jets.

ICCI Concerned Over Upsurge In Food Prices Before Ramazan

 (@ChaudhryMAli88)  
Description: ICCI concerned over upsurge in food prices before Ramazan

Chamber of Commerce & Industry has shown great concerns over the sharp upsurge in prices of daily food items before the start of Ramazan and called upon the government to take urgent remedial measures in order to save the common man from further troubles

Islamabad (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / Online - 27th April, 2019) Chamber of Commerce & Industry has shown great concerns over the sharp upsurge in prices of daily food items before the start of Ramazan and called upon the government to take urgent remedial measures in order to save the common man from further troubles.Ahmed Hassan Moughal, President, (Pakistan Point news / Online - 27th April2019) slamabad Chamber of Commerce & (Pakistan Point News / Online - 27th April2019) ndustry said that government had shown commitment to implement its writ for controlling prices, but the prices of essential food items have increased significantly across the country, which should be a cause of concern for the rulers.
He stressed that government should take all required measures to ensure sufficient supply of all food items in the market in order to curb pricehike. (Pakistan Point News / Online - 27th April2019) CC (Pakistan Point News / Online - 27th April2019) President said that as per survey of Sensitive Price (Pakistan Point News / Online - 27th April2019) ndex (SP (Pakistan Point News / Online - 27th April2019) ), prices of 20 food items have increased due to which people were facing great difficulties.
He said prices of many food items including tomatoes, onion, potatoes, eggs, bananas, pulses, mutton, beef, sugar, rice etc.
have witnessed significant increase across the country due to which the common man was facing extreme problems in meeting day to day needs of life.
He was afraid that if government did not take urgent remedial measures, the prices of food items would further go up in Ramazan bringing more miseries for people. He urged that government should activate price committees and special price magistrates in markets to keep the food prices under control and announce for people a special Ramazan package in order to provide people some relief.Ends/nlinePr/Nk----------------------------------Naval Chief visits Chinese shipyards in Shanghai (Pakistan Point News / Online - 27th April2019) SLAMABAD, April 27 (Online): Naval Chief Zafar Mahmood Abbasi visited Chinese shipyards in Shanghai to review the ships being built for Pakistan Navy.On the occasion, the Naval Chief was given a detailed briefing on the ship manufacturing facilities at the shipyards.Later, the Naval Chief also met with the heads of different Chinese ship making companies and discussed matters pertaining to mutual cooperation.Naval chief visited ship yard and different parts of construction base and reviewed the platform being built for Pakistan Navy

Protein obsession: Deficiency of protein is rare

DECCAN CHRONICLE.
PublishedApr 28, 2019, 7:19 am IST
UpdatedApr 28, 2019, 7:19 am IST
Professor of nutrition explains the relevance of protein and dispels notions about it in an email interview.

 High intakes of protein from animal sources are linked to a greater risk of developing cardiovascular disease and colorectal cancer.
Dr Thomas Sanders, the Professor of Nutrition and Dietetics at King’s College, London explains the relevance of protein and dispels certain notions about it in an email interview with DisCourse: Description: High intakes of protein from animal sources are linked to a greater risk of developing cardiovascular disease and colorectal cancer.
Q: “Virtually no one in the UK is eating too little protein. It might be the case for a bed-ridden older person who is not eating enough… but in free-living individuals, protein deficiency is almost unknown”. How does your comment in New Scientist apply to the third world, where there is a sharp divide between the haves and have-nots?  

A: Even in emerging economies protein deficiency is rare. A lack of food and energy is the major problem in some poorer areas, not protein deficiency. The only groups at risk are the under-fives if they are fed to much starchy food.
Q: Would you advice vegetarians/vegans to mix foods that might be limited in one essential amino acid with foods that are limited in different ones? Isn’t it easier said than done? What is a practical suggestion, especially as many people convert to vegans?
A: Vegans can easily meet their requirements for protein by consuming a mixture of cereals (rice or wheat) with pulses as my own research has demonstrated. Vegetarians who consume milk are also likely to meet protein requirements and this is very helpful for people who are consuming a lot of maize or jowar millet, which are low in tryptophan.
Q: There are indications that excess protein leads to elevated levels of urea in the blood, impacting on renal function. Also revealed is an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Finnish researchers found that men who reported high protein intake (an average of 109 gm per day) were 33 per cent more likely to experience heart failure than those who consumed the least (a daily average of 78 gm). Does this threaten to rise to epidemic proportions?
A: Very high intakes of protein cause also loss of calcium from bones making bone fractures more likely in old age. High intakes of protein from animal sources are linked to a greater risk of developing cardiovascular disease and colorectal cancer. These are, however, only associations that may not be causal. It is also potentially harmful for people with diabetes because the elevated production of urea from protein breakdown puts an extra strain on their kidneys.
Q: There is some evidence that consuming more protein can make people feel fuller. A 2016 analysis of previous studies found that people eating high-protein meals reported feeling fuller than those consuming lower-protein meals. Is this possibly a discrete way to reduce weight and get back to shape?
A: Any diet that reduces energy intake results in weight loss. Protein-rich foods can be very satiating (eg fish, chicken breast) but some (cheese, burgers, sausages and nuts) also be accompanied by a lot of fat which makes them high in food energy. Most food energy comes from carbohydrate, so if carbohydrate intake is reduced (eg. eating smaller portions of rice) the proportion of energy from protein increases without increasing protein intakes. Eating more protein rich foods does not necessarily promote weight loss.
Q: Nutritional scientist Marion Nestle at New York University argues in her 2018 book, Unsavory Truth, that the food and drinks industry, especially those selling protein-heavy products such as meat and dairy, has distorted nutrition science by, for example, publishing only results that are useful in marketing their products. Can’t companies that cheat consumers be reined in by law? Or is it better left to awareness campaigns?
A: I can only comment on the science. In my view, most of the claims for high protein diets remain unsupported by good scientific evidence. Small amounts of animal protein food can make a sparking contribution in improving the overall nutritional quality of diet but that does not mean to say more is better. High protein diets are neither balanced nor sustainable.
(Prof Sanders’ clinical academic group endeavours to foster cross-disciplinary research. It has much experience in the design and execution of controlled dietary intervention trials. He has a long-term interest in assessing the risks/benefits associated with food and this is reflected in the work he has done on British Nutrition Foundation Task Forces... that developed the methodology for assessing risks and benefits of foods and as well as participation in expert consultations with the United Nations WHO/FAO).
Delhi HC lifts Centre’s curbs on GI tag for basmati rice
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The Delhi High Court has struck down the decision of the Central government restricting the famously aromatic basmati rice production to only seven States in the Indo-Gangetic plains. The High Court’s verdict came on the Madhya Pradesh government's plea to include 13 districts in the State under the Geographical Indications (GI) category for basmati rice.

Two memos

The Ministry of Agriculture had through two Office Memorandums (OM) of May 2008 and February 2014 confined the GI certification for basmati to rice grown in the Indo-Gangetic plains in the States of Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and parts of Uttar Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. GI certification gives recognition and several protections to a basmati rice producer and help in maintaining the specific qualities of the rice grown in that particular region. The Madhya Pradesh government contended that the two OMs were outside the scope of the Seeds Act, 1966. It additionally argued that the OMs encroach upon its power to pass laws in relation to agriculture, which is a State subject. The 2008 OM of the Ministry set forth the standards of the ‘basmati’ variety of rice.
 https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/delhi-hc-lifts-centres-curbs-on-gi-tag-for-basmati-rice/article26974290.ece

Laos to produce over 5 mln tons of rice annually by 2025
VIENTIANE, April 29 (Xinhua) -- The Lao Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry plans to produce at least five million tons of paddy rice every year, as the country's latest five-year agricultural strategy by 2025 states. The report, a five-year development plan until 2025, states that the Lao ministry's expectation is for the Gross Domestic Product of the agriculture and forestry sector to grow at an average rate of 3.4 percent. This would mean the sector would contribute 19 percent to the national economy, local daily Vientiane Times reported on Monday. By 2025, using good agricultural planning and in cooperation with industry partners, the Lao ministry says all Lao citizens will have a daily minimum intake of 2,600 kilocalories. Each year, the Lao ministry plans for a national yield of at least five million tons of paddy rice, of which 30 percent is non-glutinous. Commercial production of paddy rice for both domestic consumption and export should reach at least 1.5 million tons. Maize production, for use in animal feed, will be more than 1.4 million tons while coffee will reach 280,000 tons, sugarcane 2.4 million tons, cassava 1.6 million tons and various beans 52,000 tons. Production of meat and eggs is to rise to 414,000 tons while fish and aquatic animal production will rise to 297,000 tons a year. Export of meat products is expected to rise to 15,000 tons as production and processing operations are modernized. Economists have urged the government to implement policies that will assist the agriculture sector and rice growers in particular. Productive agriculture is key to the eradication of poverty and improved livelihoods, the daily report said.


Surplus rice seed available for 2019-20 sowing season
 ISLAMABAD:  For the 2019-20 Kharif sowing season, the total amount of available paddy seed is 50,192 metric tons (mt), including 2,757 metric tons of imported seeds, which is 121.28 per cent of the requirement of 41,385 metric tons. According to official data, the total availability of paddy seed had been 74,485 metric tons, 135 per cent of the total demand, for the 2018-19 sowing season. The data also revealed that Punjab has 41,975 metric tons of paddy seed available which is 174.83 per cent of its demand, Sindh has 5,290 metric tons, 39.74 per cent of the provincial demand, while Balochistan has 170 metric tons of seed available which is just 5.62 per cent of its demand.

For the sowing of the maize crop in 2019-20, public and private sector seed agencies procured about 32,599 metric tons of seed, including 7,799 metric tons of imported seed, which is around 112.83 per cent of the total requirement of 28,892 metric tons. The maize seed availability during the year 2018-19 had been 32,599 metric tons which was 98 perc ent of the total demand for that year. The provincial breakdown for the availability of maize seed indicated that it is 24,567 metric tons in Punjab, 144.77 per cent of its demand, whereas, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, it is 234 metric tons which is just 1.99 per cent of its provincial demand. The data also tells us that, for the sowing of the 2019-20 Kharif crop of the ‘mung’ bean, the total seed availability is 1,401 metric tons which is only 32 per cent of the total requirement. In Punjab, public and private sector seed agencies have procured 1,261metric tons of the seed, just 32.35 per cent of its requirement, while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has 140 metric tons which is 62.25 per cent of its required amount. APP
Thai black sticky rice looks highly dramatic but is loaded with nutrients

It follows that whole-grain rice is more nutritious. It is also far more fl

 

avorful, with a depth that some describe as “nutty.”Just as there are many types of white rice, there are many types of whole-grain rice, in many colours, from golden amber to rusty red to purplish black.

By New York Times |New York City |Published: April 27, 2019 6:26:22 pm
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TOP NEWS

Description: https://images.indianexpress.com/2013/01/modi-bengal.jpg?w=105&h=70&imflag=true
Description: https://images.indianexpress.com/2019/04/gambhir-759.jpg?w=105&h=70&imflag=true
Description: https://images.indianexpress.com/2019/02/giriraj-singh-759.jpg?w=105&h=70&imflag=true
This vegetarian bowl, packed with glutinous black rice, earthy mushrooms and wilted greens, is hearty enough for a main. (Source: The New York Times)
People have been eating from bowls since the dawn of civilization, long before “bowl food,” and there is no denying the age-old pleasure of it. It is a comforting way to dine.
A bowl of rice with vegetables makes a nutritious, delicious meal, especially if the rice is whole grain. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with a bowl of white rice. There are dozens of interesting, delicate varieties of rice that are milled, or polished, to make them white; Carolina, basmati, jasmine, arborio and sushi rice are all examples.
But in the milling process, the bran and germ, which provide fibre, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, are removed from each rice kernel. It follows that whole-grain rice is more nutritious. It is also far more flavorful, with a depth that some describe as “nutty.”Just as there are many types of white rice, there are many types of whole-grain rice, in many colours, from golden amber to rusty red to purplish black.
Description: Thai black sticky rice, bok choy, mushroom, deep dark-coloured rice, fibre, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, benefits of black rice



Preparing a black rice bowl with bok choy and mushrooms in New York, April 2019. This vegetarian bowl, packed with glutinous black rice, earthy mushrooms and wilted greens, is hearty enough for a main. Food styled by Iah Pinkney. (Andrew Scrivani/The New York Times)
This recipe calls for Thai black sticky rice (also called sweet or glutinous rice), which I happen to adore. In Thailand, black sticky rice is most often used to make a sweet rice pudding with coconut milk, but I find it tastes very good with savoury ingredients. I also love the dramatic visual contrast of the deep dark-coloured rice and cooked vegetables, particularly greens.
If sticky rice is not your thing, you could use Chinese black “forbidden rice,” or any other whole-grain rice. Whole-grain rice can easily be cooked on the stovetop by the absorption method or in a rice cooker, and usually takes 30 to 40 minutes. Soaking the rice in cold water for an hour (or several) speeds the process somewhat.
Though some say a cup of raw rice feeds four people, I never think so. I always cook two cups to be sure and hope to have leftovers for fried rice the next day. (I recently discovered that day-old sticky black rice, pan-fried in a little oil until crispy, is unbelievably good.) Asian greens — bok choy, gai lan, choy sum, flowering mustard, pea shoots and water spinach, among many others — are mouthwatering, wonderful and easy to cook. I could eat stir-fried greens every day and never tire of them.
Here, I paired the greens with shiitake mushrooms for a vegetarian main course rice bowl that is full of goodness and long on flavor kissed with ginger, garlic and sesame.
Black Rice Bowl With Bok Choy and Mushroom
Preparing a black rice bowl with bok choy and mushrooms in New York, April 2019. This vegetarian bowl, packed with glutinous black rice, earthy mushrooms and wilted greens, is hearty enough for a main. Food styled by Iah Pinkney. (Andrew Scrivani/The New York Times)
2 cups – Black glutinous (sticky) rice, or other whole-grain rice (soaked in cold water for 1 hour, if possible)
2 tbsp – Vegetable oil
4 ounces – Shiitake mushrooms, thickly sliced (about 3 cups)
Salt to taste
3 – Dried red Chinese peppers or 3 dried chiles de árbol
2 tsp – Minced ginger
1 tsp – Minced garlic
1 tbsp – Soy sauce
Pinch of sugar (optional)
2 pounds – bok choy
1 tsp – Toasted sesame oil
1/4 cup – Thinly sliced scallions
Method
* Rinse rice well and drain. Put rice in a 2-quart saucepan and cover with 3 1/2 cups water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then turn heat to low. Cover and cook for 30 minutes. Turn off heat and let the rice sit, covered, for 15 minutes, to continue steaming off heat.
* Put 1 tablespoon oil in a wide wok or heavy, deep-sided skillet, and place over medium-high heat. When oil shimmers, add mushrooms, sprinkle with a little salt and stir-fry for about 1 minute, letting mushrooms brown a bit. Remove mushrooms from pan and set aside.
* Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the pan. When oil is hot, add peppers, ginger and garlic, and let them sizzle for 30 seconds or so, without browning. Add soy sauce, sugar (if using) and 1/2 cup water and turn heat to high. Description: Thai black sticky rice, bok choy, mushroom, deep dark-coloured rice, fibre, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, benefits of black rice

* Add greens and stir-fry, mixing well and allowing greens to wilt. The greens should be done in about 2 minutes, but still firm and bright. Add reserved mushrooms and toss to incorporate. Drizzle with sesame oil and turn off the heat.
* Mound a cup of rice in each serving bowl. Surround rice with the greens mixture and sprinkle with scallions.

Description: Thai black sticky rice, bok choy, mushroom, deep dark-coloured rice, fibre, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, benefits of black rice