Scientists Can Now Edit Mitochondrial DNA In Plants
Researchers in Japan have devised a tool to edit
plant mitochondrial DNA and develop new strains of crop plants.
AsianScientist
(July 25, 2019)
Researchers
in Japan have edited plant mitochondrial DNA for the first time, which could
lead to a more secure food supply. They published their findings in Nature
Plants. Nuclear DNA was first edited in the early 1970s, chloroplast DNA was
first edited in 1988, and animal mitochondrial DNA was edited in 2008. However,
successfully editing plant mitochondrial DNA has remained extremely
challenging, and only now have researchers devised a suitable molecular tool.
In the present study, scientists led by Associate Professor Shin-ichi Arimura
of the University of Tokyo, Japan, found a way to manipulate the complex plant
mitochondrial genome. The team adapted a technique that had previously edited
mitochondrial genomes of animal cells that were grown in a dish. The technique,
called mitoTALENs, uses a single protein to locate the mitochondrial genome,
cut the DNA at the desired gene and delete it. They used the mitoTALENs system
to delete the cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) gene which is found inside the
mitochondria of plant cells. “Without the CMS gene, plants are fertile again,”
said Arimura. Hence, the researchers were able to create four new and fully
fertile lines of rice, as well as three new lines of rapeseed (canola). “We
knew we were successful when we saw that the rice plant was more polite—it
bowed deeply,” said Arimura, joking about how a fertile rice plant bends under
the weight of heavy seeds.
His
team hopes to use the technique to address the current lack of mitochondrial
genetic diversity in crops, a potentially devastating weak point in our food
supply. For example, in 1970, a fungal infection that took hold in Texas corn
farms was exacerbated by a gene in the corn’s mitochondria. All corn on the
farms had the same gene, so none were resistant to the infection. Fifteen
percent of the entire American corn crop was killed that year. Corn with that
specific mitochondrial gene has not been planted since. “This is an important
first step for plant mitochondrial research,” Arimura concluded. The
researchers plan to study the mitochondrial genes responsible for plant male
infertility in more detail and identify potential mutations that could add
much-needed diversity.
The article can be found at: Kazama et al.
(2019) Curing Cytoplasmic Male Sterility via TALEN-mediated Mitochondrial
Genome Editing. ——— Source: University of Tokyo; Photo: Tomohiko
Kazama/Shin-ichi Arimura. Disclaimer: This article does not necessarily reflect
the views of AsianScientist or its staff. Read more from Asian Scientist
Magazine at: https://www.asianscientist.com/2019/07/in-the-lab/plant-mitochondrial-dna-editing-mitotalens/ https://www.asianscientist.com/2019/07/in-the-lab/plant-mitochondrial-dna-editing-mitotalens/
Indian farmers shocked as suspected meteorite crashes
into rice field
Football-sized object landed in
paddy in Bihar state after ‘fireball’ came down from sky
Rebecca Ratcliffe in Delhi
Thu 25 Jul
2019 14.51 BSTLast modified on Thu 25 Jul 2019 23.42 BS
A suspected meteorite crashed into the middle of a rice field in
eastern India, authorities say.The object the size of
a football landed with a thud in a paddy field in Madhubani district in Bihar
state on Monday, startling farmers and sending up clouds of smoke.
Kapil Ashok, the magistrate for Madhubani, told the Times of India that labourers
reported seeing “a fireball-like object coming down from the sky”. Residents of
Mahadeva village later dug up the object from a 150cm-deep (5ft) deep hole.
The object was described as light brown in colour with some
shine, and weighing about 15kg (33lb). It was reported to have strong magnetic
properties.
Ashok told the Press Trust of India it looked like a rock “but
its glitter is much more than that of an unpolished stone”.
A
villager holds the suspected meteorite. Photograph: STR/AFP/Getty Images
The object will initially be kept at the Bihar Museum
but will be transferred to the Shrikrishna science centre in the city of Patna
where it will be studied by experts.
In 2016 authorities in southern India’s Tamil Nadu state said a
meteorite killed a bus driver and injured three others. While Indian scientists
backed the claim of the regional authorities, it was disputed by Nasa
scientists.
In 2013 almost 1,100 people were injured after a
meteorite flared in the skies above the Russian city of Chelyabinsk. The meteor
broke up before it hit the ground, but an airburst caused damage to buildings
and hurled people across rooms.
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UC Davis plant nematologist Shahid Siddique
says plant-parasitic nematodes are one of the most destructive
agricultural pests. Kathy Keatley Garvey/Courtesy photo
Scientists say plant-parasitic nematodes
cause great harm to crops
If you like to eat a variety of
foods and if you like to wear cotton, you ought to be concerned about
plant-parasitic nematodes.
Plant-parasitic nematodes are
microscopic worms that extract water and nutrients from such host plants as
wheat, soybeans, sugar beets, citrus, coconut, corn, peanuts, potato, rice,
cotton and bananas, says Shahid Masood Siddique, a new member of the UC Davis
department of entomology and nematology faculty.
“They’re one of the most
destructive agricultural pests,” says Siddique, an assistant professor who
joined the department in March. “The agricultural losses due to plant-parasitic
nematodes reach an estimated $80 billion. The high impact of plant-parasitic
nematodes in economically important crops is not only due to the direct damage
but also because of the role of some species as virus vectors.
“In fact, a recent expert-based
assessment of crop health lists nematodes among the most damaging pests and
pathogens in different crops. In particular for soybeans, nematodes are the
most damaging pests in the United States and around the world.”
Siddique, who served as a
research group leader for several years at the University of Bonn, Germany,
before joining the UC Davis faculty, says nematodes are troubling in other ways
as well.
“Although nematode-resistance
varieties are available for various crops, there is an emergence of a
resistant-breaking population throughout the world. An example is the recent
arrival of the peach root-knot nematode in California, which has the potential
to seriously harm many of region’s important crops, including almonds, peaches,
eggplants, sugar beets and cucumber.”
Siddique was among a team of
scientists from University of Bonn and University of Missouri who demonstrated
the ability of parasitic nematodes to synthesize and secrete a functional plant
hormone to manipulate the host system and establish a long-term parasitic
interaction. PNAS published the research in August 2015.
In a subsequent article headlined
“Researchers Discover Key Link in Understanding Billion-Dollar Pests in
Agriculture,” Science Daily called nematodes “a huge threat to agriculture,
causing billions in crop losses every year …The discovery will help to develop
crop plants that feature enhanced protection against this type of parasites.”
Born and reared in Multan,
Pakistan, Siddique received two degrees in Multan: his bachelor’s degree from
the Government College Bosan Road in 2001 and his master’s degree in botany
from the Bahauddin Zakariya University in 2004. Then it was off to Vienna,
Austria, to receive his doctorate in 2009 in agriculture and biotechnology from
the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences.
While studying for his masters,
he developed a keen interest in molecular biology and biotechnology. For his
doctorate, he sought a lab where “I could do my Ph.D. and learn more about cell
and molecular biology.” He found that opportunity with Florian Grundler, a
professor at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Vienna,
Austria.
“His group was working on
understanding the molecular aspects of plant-nematode interaction,” Siddique
recalls. “In particular, they were using microarrays to study the changes in
gene expression in plants upon nematode infection. I found the work very
interesting and joined his lab.”
Nematodes did not immediately
trigger his interest. “They have a complicated life cycle and infection
pattern,” he points out. “Also, it is not yet possible to genetically transform
plant-parasitic nematodes. So, I was mostly focusing on plants, which are more
amenable to genetic manipulations. Then I gradually started to realize how
fascinating it is to work with nematodes, how they have mastered the ability to
manipulate the defense and developmental pathways of their host.”
Siddique was drawn to UC Davis
for its reputation in the field of agriculture and California’s ethnic
diversity and liberal culture.
“For the next six months, I will
be focusing on establishing a state-of-the-art nematology lab here at UC Davis.
This includes buying equipment, hiring the staff, establishing the protocol,
and multiplying the nematode culture,” he says.
“In terms of research, my midterm
goal is understanding the plant immune responses to nematode infections.” His
long-term goal is to produce durable and broad-spectrum resistance in crops.
“Another area where I will be
focusing is development of molecular diagnostic tools for plant-parasitic
nematodes from soil,” Siddique says. “I will be particularly focusing on
nematodes that are relevant to California agriculture. Lastly, I am highly
interested in understanding the mechanism of biocontrol of plant-parasitic
nematodes. I expect that this will help in understanding why the application of
microbial biocontrol is so inconsistent.”
Siddique describes himself as “a
result-oriented person and I am comfortable leading a large research team. At
the same time, I like to delegate the responsibilities. My working style is
collaborative and I believe in open and frank communication.”
In his leisure time, he enjoys
cooking, outdoor adventures and watching documentaries.
What would people be surprised to
know about him? “I am an introvert,” he says. “A couple of other things: I like
super spicy food and my favorite game is cricket. And oh, yes, I don’t like
ice-cold water.”
Siddique is currently seeking
“undergraduate and graduate students to work on a number of exciting projects.”
“California is a beautiful place
to live,” Siddique says, “and Davis is a perfect place to work on nematodes.
So, for those interested in working with nematodes, drop me an email
at ssiddique@ucdavis.edu.”
China's Import Tariff Quotas For
Agricultural Products, 2019-2023 - America News Hour
7/26/2019 3:20:00 AM
(MENAFN
- America News Hour) kenneth Research has published a detailed report on Market
which has been categorized by market size, growth indicators and encompasses
detailed market analysis on macro trends and region-wise growth in North
America, Latin America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Middle East & Africa
region. The report also includes
the challenges that are affecting
the growth of the industry and offers strategic evaluation that is required to
boost the growth of the market over the forecast period .
The
Interim Measures for Administration of Import Tariff Quotas for Agricultural
Products (hereinafter referred to as the Interim Measures) was a government
document formulated by China's National Development and Reform Commission and
put into force on Feb. 5, 2002. The Interim Measures determines the annual
import tariff quotas for agricultural products according to China's schedule of
concessions on goods in the accession to the WTO. Agricultural imports in quota
are subject to low tariff rates while those out of quota are subject to high
tariff rates.
According
to CRI's analysis, by May 2019, the Interim Measures applies to
agricultural products including wheat, corn, rice, sugar, cotton, wool and wool
top. The import tariff quotas for wheat, corn, rice, sugar and cotton are
classified into the quotas to state trading enterprises and the quotas to
non-state trading enterprises to give priority to state-owned enterprises. The
import of wool and wool top is exclusive to designated companies.
CRI believes that China's tariff rate quota administration for agricultural products has both advantages and disadvantages. On one hand, it protects domestic agricultural product market from the impact of large quantities of low-price agricultural imports. Low in-quota tariff rates ensure low-cost raw materials to the agricultural product processing enterprises in China. On the other hand, the tariff rate quota administration triggers international trade disputes. For example, in Dec. 2016, the United States filed a lawsuit with the WTO against China's administration of the import tariff quotas for wheat, rice and corn. In Apr. 2019, the United States won WTO ruling against China's use of tariff-rate quotas for rice, wheat and corn, which it successfully argued limited market access for U.S. grain exports. Besides, some applicants to the import tariff quotas are not agricultural product processing enterprises but trade companies. They resell agricultural products in quota to agricultural product processing enterprises with price markups. Consequently, agricultural product processing enterprises have to pay more for agricultural imports.
CRI believes that China's tariff rate quota administration for agricultural products has both advantages and disadvantages. On one hand, it protects domestic agricultural product market from the impact of large quantities of low-price agricultural imports. Low in-quota tariff rates ensure low-cost raw materials to the agricultural product processing enterprises in China. On the other hand, the tariff rate quota administration triggers international trade disputes. For example, in Dec. 2016, the United States filed a lawsuit with the WTO against China's administration of the import tariff quotas for wheat, rice and corn. In Apr. 2019, the United States won WTO ruling against China's use of tariff-rate quotas for rice, wheat and corn, which it successfully argued limited market access for U.S. grain exports. Besides, some applicants to the import tariff quotas are not agricultural product processing enterprises but trade companies. They resell agricultural products in quota to agricultural product processing enterprises with price markups. Consequently, agricultural product processing enterprises have to pay more for agricultural imports.
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and Get Free Sample Report >>
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CRI
expects that the import tariff quotas for agricultural products will go out of
date as China's foreign trade develops and China's economy becomes more global.
However, most of these quotas will continue to exist from 2019 to 2023 because
Chinese government needs to protect the domestic agricultural product market
and some state-owned enterprises can make profits from reselling tariff quotas.
Topics
Covered:
– Introduction to China's import tariff quotas for agricultural products
– Analysis on advantages and disadvantages of China's import tariff quotas for agricultural products
– China's import of agricultural products subject to tariff rate quota administration
– Major enterprises granted with China's import tariff quotas for agricultural products
– Forecast on development of China's import tariff quotas for agricultural products
– Introduction to China's import tariff quotas for agricultural products
– Analysis on advantages and disadvantages of China's import tariff quotas for agricultural products
– China's import of agricultural products subject to tariff rate quota administration
– Major enterprises granted with China's import tariff quotas for agricultural products
– Forecast on development of China's import tariff quotas for agricultural products
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Research provides market research reports to different individuals, industries,
associations and organizations with an aim of helping them to take prominent
decisions. Our research library comprises of more than 10,000 research reports
provided by more than 15 market research publishers across different
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MENAFN26072019007010068ID1098806661
Duterte to suspend rice importation during farmers’ harvest
season
Updated July 26, 2019, 3:46 PM
By Genalyn Kabiling
President Duterte has offered a
“happy compromise” to suspend rice importation during the country’s harvest
season to boost the income of local farmers.
President Rodrigo Roa Duterte delivers his speech during the
inauguration of the Candon City Bypass Road in Ilocos Sur on July 25, 2019.
(ARMAN BAYLON / PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
During his visit to Ilocos Sur
Thursday, the President affirmed that the purchase of the rice being harvested
by farmers should be given a priority over the importation of rice even if the
government will be on the losing end.
“I can assure you, I will create
a happy compromise between the farmers at ‘yung [and] importation. You can be
sure that during your harvest no importation will be allowed. Ayaw ko. That’s
what I said,” he said during the inauguration of the Candon City bypass road
project in Ilocos Sur.
Duterte, who has pushed for the
liberalization of rice trading, sought to protect local farmers in allowing
rice imports only after the harvest season.
“Ubusin mo muna bilhin, kung
mahal magpalugi na lang tayo kaysa magbili tayo. Then we — ang tradeoff niyan,
ang drawback is mag — magsama ang loob ng mga farmers. Hindi lang dito, both
Visayas and Mindanao [Buy all the stocks even if it is expensive before
importing. The tradeoff, the drawback is the farmers will feel bad not just
here but both in Visayas and Mindanao],” he said.
The President made the remarks
after farmers’ groups reportedly complained about the decline in the prices of
palay, supposedly triggered by the alleged loopholes in the new Rice
Tariffication Law.
The average farm gate prices of
paddy rice have reportedly dropped to P12 per kilogram to P14 per kilogram in
many parts of the country from P20 per kilogram price early this year.
Republic Act No. 11203, signed by
the President last February, imposes tariffs on rice in lieu of import limits.
The government earlier said the law is expected to result in lower rice prices
and help cushion the impact of inflation for the benefit of the consumers.
In his recent State of the Nation
Address (SONA), the President said he would ensure the full implementation of
the Rice Tariffication Law, including the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement
Fund.
“This will safeguard the
livelihood of small farmers through the provisions of modern farm equipment and
machineries, seeds and credit, and extension services,” he said.
“We shall continue to invest in
the countryside through agricultural programs that will increase the
productivity and income of our small farmers and fisherfolk,” he added.
https://news.mb.com.ph/2019/07/26/duterte-to-suspend-rice-importation-during-farmers-harvest-season/
GIEWS Country Brief: Gambia 25-July-2019
REPORT
Published on 25 Jul
2019 —View Original
FOOD
SECURITY SNAPSHOT
·
Late onset of rains delayed
planting operations of 2019 crops
·
Well below-average cereal
production gathered in 2018
·
Continued assistance needed for
vulnerable people
Late
onset of rains delayed planting operations of 2019 crops
The
2019 cropping season has been marked by a late start of the ongoing rainy
season. This has delayed planting operations of millet, rice, maize and sorghum
crops, to be harvested from October. The low cumulative rainfall amounts since
June resulted in poor crop germination rates and some replanting may be
required.
Land
preparation and planting operations for groundnuts, the major cash crop
produced in the country, are ongoing and the harvest will start in November.
Well
below-average harvest gathered in 2018
The
2018 agricultural season was characterized by late onsets of rains across all
regions, prolonged and abnormal cessation of rains (three to four weeks) and
outbreaks of Fall Armyworms. This has resulted in delayed planting or
germination failure of crops that were often needed to be replanted with
consequent extra costs for farmers. The 2018 national cereal production was
estimated at 93 000 tonnes, about 50 percent below the average of the previous
five years and 24 percent below the previous year’s output. Groundnuts, the
main cash crop, also declined by 54 percent compared to 2017 and 66 percent
compared to the five-year average. Major declines were also observed in maize
and millet production.
Humanitarian
assistance needed for most vulnerable people
Despite
adequate availabilities of grains on markets, most households do not have
enough access to food as prices of most staple foods are above average and
households’ purchasing power declined due to the drop in 2018 production of
groundnuts, the major cash crop. In addition, some vulnerable households still
depend on external food assistance to satisfy their food consumption. According
to the March 2019 “Cadre Harmonisé” analysis, about 46 000 people were
estimated to be in need of food assistance from March to May 2019, with a
slight increase from the 45 000 people estimated in March to May 2018. This
number is expected to increase to over 89 000 people during the lean season
(June to August 2019) if no mitigation actions are taken.
Thai rice exporters cut target to 9 million
tons
July 26, 2019
By
BANGKOK, 25th July 2019 (NNT) – The
problem of the baht’s appreciation by five percent since the beginning of the
year has affected the export of Thai products especially the price of rice
which is higher than that of the country’s rivals. In the first half of this
year, Thailand exported 4.36 million tons of rice, down by 19 percent
year-on-year.
Thai Rice Exporters Association
President, Police Lieutenant Charoen Laothammathas, has reported on the situation
of Thai rice exports in the first half of the year.
It was found that the Thai rice
exports are still affected by the value of the baht which is higher than the
currency of a major rival like India.
The Indian rupee has depreciated
while the Vietnamese dong remains stable causing the prices of white rice
produced by Thailand to be higher than those of competing countries especially
Thai Jasmine rice with an export price as high as 1,050 US dollars per ton
while the average price of Vietnamese jasmine rice is only 550 US dollars per
ton.
Meanwhile, Thai white rice is from
395 – 400 US dollars per ton but Vietnamese white rice is only 345 US dollars
per ton.
China has a large amount of rice in
stock, causing the demand for rice to decrease. Soft rice is popular among rice
importers but Thailand still lacks this type of rice. In June, Thailand could
only export 570,000 tons of rice, down by 37.7 percent or the lowest since
2011.
In the first half of this year,
Thailand exported 4.36 million tons of rice, down by 19.6 percent year-on-year,
worth 2.28 billion US dollars, down 17.5 percent.
However, the second half of the
year is still causing concern because certain factors are still affecting Thai
rice exports, causing the market to slow down. The baht appreciation and
drought problems may cause the volume of rice to decrease and rice prices to
increase further. Major rice importing countries have also reduced the volume
of their rice imports. Therefore, Thai rice exporters lowered the target for
the year from 9.5 million tons to 9 million, worth about 4.7 billion US
dollars.
The private sector still believes
that the work of the new government especially the Minister of Commerce and the
Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives who are from the same party, will be
in a consistent
Estimated 89000 Gambians In Need
Of Food Assistance
WRITTEN BY JOLLOF MEDIA NETWORK
July 26, 2019
The
2019 panting season is hit by delays
An estimated 89000 people in the
Gambia will be in need of food assistance between this June and August due to
the drop in 2018 production of groundnuts, the major cash crop, a regional
study has revealed.
According to The Cadre Harmonisé
(CH), a current regional framework aimed to prevent food crisis by quickly
identifying affected populations and proffering appropriate measures to improve
their food and nutrition security, about 46 000 people were estimated to be in
need of food assistance from March to May 2019, with a slight increase from the
45 000 people estimated in March to May 2018.
It said the number is expected to
increase to over 89 000 people during the lean season (June to August 2019) if
no mitigation actions are taken.
The report said despite adequate availabilities
of grains on markets, most households do not have enough access to food as
prices of most staple foods are above average and households’ purchasing power
declined due to the drop in 2018 production of groundnuts, the major cash crop.
It added that, some vulnerable
households still depend on external food assistance to satisfy their food
consumption.
The report said the country’s farming season is already hit by a delays in planting operations of millet, rice, maize and sorghum crops, to be harvested from October due to late start of the ongoing rainy season.
The report said the country’s farming season is already hit by a delays in planting operations of millet, rice, maize and sorghum crops, to be harvested from October due to late start of the ongoing rainy season.
It added that the low cumulative
rainfall amounts since June resulted in poor crop germination rates and some
replanting may be required.
Well below-average
The report said the country’s 2018
agricultural season was characterised by late onsets of rains across all
regions, prolonged and abnormal cessation of rains (three to four weeks) and
outbreaks of Fall Armyworms.
“This has resulted in delayed
planting or germination failure of crops that were often needed to be replanted
with consequent extra costs for farmers,” it stated.
“The 2018 national cereal
production was estimated at 93 000 tonnes, about 50 percent below the average
of the previous five years and 24 percent below the previous year’s output.
Groundnuts, the main cash crop, also declined by 54 percent compared to 2017
and 66 percent compared to the five-year average. Major declines were also
observed in maize and millet production.”
The report said the Gambia is
currently importing more than over half of the national cereal utilisation in
the country.
It said rice accounts for about 70 percent of overall cereal import requirements in the Gambia, followed by wheat, which accounts for about 20 percent.
It said rice accounts for about 70 percent of overall cereal import requirements in the Gambia, followed by wheat, which accounts for about 20 percent.
It added: “Import requirements for
the 2018/19 (November/October) marketing year are forecast at an above-average
level of 250 000 tonnes. Following last year’s production decline, the country
built up substantial level of stocks with a record of rice imports.
Consequently, imports in 2018/19 are expected to fall slightly compared to last
year’s record, as stocks will be drawn down to meet national food requirement.”
Newly identified rice gene confers multiple-herbicide resistance
A rice gene that renders the crop resistant to several widely
used beta-triketone herbicides has been identified, researchers report,
revealing the genetic cause of herbicide susceptibility that has been
identified in some important rice varieties. The newly discovered gene may be
useful in breeding new herbicide-resistant crops. Rice is a staple food for
more than 3.5 billion people and is among the world's most important crops.
To meet the demands of
the global food supply, the use of herbicides for controlling weeds is required
for efficient crop production. While a useful herbicide is toxic to unwanted
plants but harmless to the crop of interest, overuse of individual herbicides
can lead to the emergence of weeds resistant to their once-deadly effects.
Benzobicyclon (BBC), a beta-triketone herbicide developed for use in rice paddy
fields, is effective against paddy weeds resistant to other herbicidal agents.
However, BBC is also toxic to several high-yield rice varieties, according to
the authors. To identify the gene responsible for BBC resistance or sensitivity,
Hideo Maeda and colleagues performed map-based cloning on BBC-resistant and
BBC-sensitive rice varieties, and they identified HIS1, a gene that confers
resistance to BBC and other beta-triketone herbicides. According to Maeda et
al., HIS1 encodes an oxidase that catalyzes and detoxifies BBC compounds.
However, susceptible rice varieties inherited a dysfunctional his1 allele and
harbor genetic mutations that disable expression of HIS1. What's more, similar
functioning genes appear to be widely conserved in other important crop
species, suggesting their potential value in breeding new herbicide-resistant
crops.
###
Worm pheromones protect major crops
JULY 25, 2019
Soybean plants treated with ascr#18 (right) were healthier and
had higher survival rates compared with untreated seeds (left) when infected
with Phytophthora
sojae. Credit: Aardra Kachroo, University of Kentucky
Protecting crops from pests and
pathogens without using toxic pesticides has been a longtime goal of farmers.
Researchers at Boyce Thompson Institute have found that compounds from an
unlikely source—microscopic soil roundworms—could achieve this aim.
As described in research
published in the May 2019 issue of Journal of Phytopathology, these
compounds helped protect major crops from various pathogens,
and thus have potential to save billions of dollars and increase agricultural
sustainability around the world.
Led by BTI Senior Research
Associate Murli Manohar, a team around Professors Daniel Klessig and Frank
Schroeder investigated the effects of a roundworm metabolite called ascr#18
on plant
health.
Ascr#18 is a member of the
ascaroside family of pheromones, which are produced by many soil-dwelling
species of roundworms for chemical communication.
The researchers treated soybean (Glycine
max), rice (Oryza sativa), wheat (Triticum aestivum) and
maize (Zea mays) plants with small amounts of ascr#18, and
then infected the plants with a virus, bacteria, fungus or oocmycete.
When examined several days later,
the ascr#18-treated plants were significantly more resistant to the pathogens
compared with untreated plants.
"Plant roots are constantly
exposed to roundworms in the soil, so it makes sense that plants have evolved
to sense the pest and prime their immune systems in anticipation of being
attacked," says Schroeder.
Because they boost plants' immune
systems instead of killing pests and pathogens, ascarosides are not pesticides.
As a result, they are likely to be much safer than many current means of pest
and pathogen control.
"Ascarosides are natural
compounds that appear to be safe to plants, animals, humans and the
environment," says Klessig. "I believe they could thus provide plants
more environmentally friendly protection against pests and pathogens."
In previous work, Klessig and
Schroeder demonstrated that ascr#18 and other ascarosides increased resistance
against pest and pathogens in tomato, potato, barley and Arabidopsis.
"By expanding the work to
major crops, and concentrating on their most significant pathogens, this study
establishes the potential for ascarosides to enhance agriculture production
worldwide," says Klessig.
Indeed, rice is the world's most
important staple food for nearly half of the global population. Ascr#18
provided protection against Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae, a
bacterium that causes yield losses of 10-50% in Asian countries.
Wheat is close behind rice in
importance as a food staple, and ascr#18 protected it against Zymoseptoria
tritici, a fungus that is one of the most severe foliar diseases of the
crop.
Maize is the most widely grown
grain crop throughout the Americas with great importance for food, biofuel and
animal feed. Ascr#18 provided protection against Cochliobolus
heterostrophus, a fungal pathogen that causes southern corn leaf blight.
Soybean is a major high-protein,
oil-rich seed crop used as a food source for humans and animals. Ascr#18
protected soybeans against Phytophthora sojae, an oomycete that can kill
infected plants in days, as well as the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas
syringae pv glycineaand Soybean Mosaic Virus.
Extremely small concentrations of
ascarosides are sufficient to provide plants with resistance against pathogens.
Interestingly, the optimal concentration appears to be dependent on the plant
species and not the pathogen.
The researchers believe the
reason that different plant species have different optimal dosages is likely
related to the plant cell's receptors for ascr#18. Different plant species may
express different amounts of ascr#18 receptors, and receptors may have varying
affinities for ascarosides. Such differences would affect the amount of ascr#18
needed to trigger the plant's immune systems.
The group is now working to
determine the molecular mechanisms of how ascarosides prime the plant's immune
systems.
These discoveries are being
commercialized by a BTI and Cornell-based startup
company, Ascribe Bioscience, as a family of crop protection products
named PhytalixTM.
"This work is a great
example of how the Institute is leveraging our technology through new start-up
ventures, an important strategic initiative at BTI," says Paul Debbie,
BTI's Director of New Business Development. "The Institute is proud of the
opportunity to develop innovative technology in partnership with a new company
that is having a positive economic impact here in our local community and for
New York State."
USDA
Aid Package Details Released
WASHINGTON, DC -- Today, the U.S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA) released additional details for the $16 billion aid package
for farmers that was initially announced in May. The three-tier package
designed as relief for farmers suffering from retaliatory tariffs as a result
of the ongoing trade disputes includes direct payments to farmers through the
Market Facilitation Program (MFP), international promotion funding through the
Agricultural Trade Promotion (ATP) program, and commodity purchases under the
Food Purchase and Distribution Program (FPDP). Rice was included in both
the MFP and ATP program this year.
The MFP will be based on single county payments rates ranging from $15 to $150 per acre. USDA published each county rate here, based on "the impact of unjustified trade retaliation in that county." The payment a farmer can expect to receive will be determined by multiplying the county payment rate and a farm's total 2019 planting of eligible commodities, not to exceed 2018 total plantings.
MFP payments will be made in up to three tranches, the first of which can be expected as early as mid-August and will be 50 percent of the total payment or $15, whichever is higher. Farmers who filed a prevented planting claim and then planted an FSA-certified cover crop with the potential to be harvested will be eligible for a $15 per acre payment.
The payment limitation for MFP is $250,000 for non-specialty crops per person or legal entity. Livestock and specialty crop producers each have an additional and separate $250,000 payment limitation. No person or entity can receive more than $500,000. Farmers will be able to sign up at their local FSA office beginning on Monday, July 29. The last day to sign up is Friday, December 6, 2019.
More information on MFP is available at www.farmers.gov/mfp.
"It's been a tough couple of years in rice country with low prices, uncertainty in some of our top export markets, and extreme weather conditions," said Joe Mencer, an Arkansas rice farmer and chair of the USA Rice Farmers. "We appreciate USDA including rice as an eligible commodity for the Market Facilitation Program. While these payments won't make us whole, they will provide some much needed relief financially for rice producers across the country.
The MFP will be based on single county payments rates ranging from $15 to $150 per acre. USDA published each county rate here, based on "the impact of unjustified trade retaliation in that county." The payment a farmer can expect to receive will be determined by multiplying the county payment rate and a farm's total 2019 planting of eligible commodities, not to exceed 2018 total plantings.
MFP payments will be made in up to three tranches, the first of which can be expected as early as mid-August and will be 50 percent of the total payment or $15, whichever is higher. Farmers who filed a prevented planting claim and then planted an FSA-certified cover crop with the potential to be harvested will be eligible for a $15 per acre payment.
The payment limitation for MFP is $250,000 for non-specialty crops per person or legal entity. Livestock and specialty crop producers each have an additional and separate $250,000 payment limitation. No person or entity can receive more than $500,000. Farmers will be able to sign up at their local FSA office beginning on Monday, July 29. The last day to sign up is Friday, December 6, 2019.
More information on MFP is available at www.farmers.gov/mfp.
"It's been a tough couple of years in rice country with low prices, uncertainty in some of our top export markets, and extreme weather conditions," said Joe Mencer, an Arkansas rice farmer and chair of the USA Rice Farmers. "We appreciate USDA including rice as an eligible commodity for the Market Facilitation Program. While these payments won't make us whole, they will provide some much needed relief financially for rice producers across the country.
USA RICE
Bombay Breakdown Alums Open Brick-and-Mortar Restaurant
The Logan Square venture is the
result of five years of collaboration between chefs Yoshi Yamada and Zeeshan
Shah.
BY ANTHONY TODD
PUBLISHED WEDNESDAY AT 1:07 P.M.
Kaju
hummus and naan PHOTO:
BELEN AQUINO
Listening to Yoshi Yamada and Zeeshan Shah talk
about how they came up with Superkhana International’s menu can be
overwhelming. The two chefs volley ideas, memories, and sudden realizations
back and forth, all flooding out in a passionate torrent.
They have plenty to be excited about: The friends, who
previously worked on the Bombay Breakdown pop-up, have just opened a
brick-and-mortar restaurant in Logan Square (3059 W. Diversey Ave.). The new
project is inspired by the flavors of India, plus the flavors of just about
everywhere else.
Shah spent years at Old Town Social and The Bristol honing
his contemporary American cooking skills, but has been fascinated by Indian
cuisine since childhood — his father is from India, and Shah grew up going to
Devon Avenue to eat and hang out with his dad’s friends.
“Once I grew up and went to culinary school, I kept going
back to homestyle cooking,” Shah says.
Like Shah, Yamada cut his teeth at non-Indian restaurants
like Lula Café and Blackbird, but he has a deep love of the cuisine, going back
to when he studied and cooked in Mumbai on a Fulbright for 18 months. His
interest was piqued when he first visited India at 19 and ate chicken masala in
a tiny seven-seat shop.
“I came back to the US looking for this food, and of
course it turns out there are 10,000 versions of chicken masala,” Yamada says,
laughing.
Chana chaat, a salad with
chickpeas, tamarind, sev, yogurt, and fresh herbs PHOTO:
BELEN AQUINO
Superkhana
International (whose name plays on the word khana, which means
“food” in Hindi and Urdu) stems from a moment of serendipity. Both Yamada and
Shah were thinking of opening an Indian-inspired restaurant; a mutual friend,
knowing about their shared aspirations, introduced them to one another. Rather
than competing, they went into business together. After five years of pop-up
dinners and farmer’s markets, Superkhana International was born, thanks in part
to support from Lula Café and Marisol chef Jason Hammel, whom Shah describes as
their “producer.”
So far, Superkhana International’s most popular dish is
the butter chicken calzone. Yamada and Shah stuff a calzone with classic butter
chicken, bake it, and then brush it with ghee and maldon salt.
“The way that we cook is that we look for connections
between ingredients, cultures and techniques. When we find them, we work with
them in a sort of cross-cultural conversation,” Yamada says. “[This dish] has a
very simple premise, which is that butter chicken is great with bread.”
Another example of their process is a dish from their
pop-up: basmati rice congee made with coconut water and topped with braised
brisket, coconut milk, and turmeric. The dish was inspired by an epiphany Shah
experienced during another meal: Once, while eating dim sum, he ordered congee
and dipped a short rib into it.
As Yamada explains, the dish crosses cultures — congee is
a staple in many Asian cuisines, the beef and coconut is inspired by dishes
from Kerala, and both are paired with a French-style pickle and northern Indian
fried shallots. Together, the far-flung ingredients make for a rich, satisfying
combination.
“A friend described it as a hug for your heart,” Shah
says.But Yamada and Shah say that no matter how widely their creativity roves,
Superkhana International will always center the cuisine of the Indian
subcontinent.
“We love cooking Indian food,” Yamada says. “We are
culinary wanderers by nature, but we want to root what we do in a celebration
of Indian cooking, because it’s such a huge tradition.”
Pyongyang launches two missiles and rejects rice offered by
South
The decisions are in response to
the upcoming joint US-South Korea military exercises. The launches took place
this morning. It is not known whether the missiles are ballistic or not.
Rejected - for now - 50 thousand tons of rice. 40% of the population of the
North suffers from malnutrition. North Korean foreign minister Ri Yong-ho will
not attend Asean summit in Thailand.
Seoul (AsiaNews / Agencies) -
North Korea launched two short-range missiles this morning, which fell in the
Sea of Japan, over 400 km away.Yesterday Pyongyang refused 50 thousand tons
of rice offered by Seoul. Both facts are motivated by the wrath of the North
towards the upcoming joint military exercises between the United States and
South Korea, which should take place in early August.
According to the Seoul armed
forces, the missiles were launched this morning at 5.34am and 5.57am from the
Hodo peninsula, near the coastal city of Wonsan. It is not yet clear whether
the missiles are ballistic or not. In the first case, Pyongyang violated a UN
resolution that forbids it from launching any type of ballistic missile.
The launches took place after
some progress on the possible resumption of the dialogue between Pyongyang and
Washington. Last June, presidents Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un, meeting at the
border between North and South promised to return to dialogue. But Pyongyang
had also asked for the cancelation of the joint military exercises in August,
warning that they could have effects on the dialogues.
The same reasoning -
opposition to the joint military exercises - was expressed yesterday
during a meeting with the World Food Program (WFP), through which Seoul intends
to donate 50 thousand tons of rice. It is not clear whether the refusal is
Pyongyang's final decision.
South Korea decided last month to
help the North address food shortages in the country. According to WFP and FAO,
last year's harvests in North Korea were the poorest since 2008. It is
estimated that at least 10 million people, about 40% of the population, suffer
from malnutrition.
Confirming a rejection of the
dialogue, the North Korean Foreign Minister, Ri Yong-ho has not yet
confirmed his participation in the Asean Regional Forum, to be held in
Thailand next month. Since 2003, the Northern Foreign Minister had so far
always participated in the annual meeting.
Rice farmers
in dire need of government aid–Piñol
A
farmer holds rice stalks.
THE Department of Budget and
Management (DBM) should immediately release the P10 billion for the Rice
Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) to help farmers affected by the influx
of cheap imports, according to Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol.
Piñol told members of the RCEF
program steering committee (PSC) on July 22 that time is running out for the
government to roll out the necessary interventions for farmers now reeling from
the steep drop in the price of unhusked rice.
The PSC, chaired by Piñol, also
includes the National Economic and Development Authority, Department of
Finance, Land Bank of the Philippines, and Technical Education and Skills
Development Authority as members.
“The spirit of the law is to
assist rice farmers in increasing their productivity. The farmers are expecting
the interventions, and we must deliver and so you have to work fast on this,”
Piñol said.
The agriculture chief made the
statement after rice farmers in Luzon reported to him that the farm-gate price
of palay plunged to P12 per kilogram recently due to the influx of cheap rice from
other countries.
The latest data from the
Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) indicated that the average farm-gate
price of unhusked rice in end-June declined by 16.4 percent to P17.88 per
kilogram, from last year’s P21.39/kg.
“The situation could worsen if we
don’t deliver our commitment. For now, there is so much unrest among farmers
especially in Luzon so we cannot afford not to deliver [interventions],” Piñol
said in a mix of English and Filipino.
Farmers’ groups, including the
Federation of Free Farmers (FFF), have been urging the government, particularly
the DBM, to release the RCEF as farmers have already started planting for the
wet season.
Economic managers announced
earlier that money for the RCEF could be released as early as the third quarter
of the year.
The DBM maintained that it will
release only P5 billion and not P10 billion, as it had already released P5
billion for the RCEF last year.
The set up of the P10-billion
RCEF is mandated by Republic Act (RA) 11203 to improve farmers’ productivity
and cushion the adverse effects of the rice trade liberalization law.
Under RA 11203, P5 billion of the
RCEF is allocated for farm mechanization, P3 billion is for the distribution of
inbred rice seeds and P1 billion is for credit assistance and farmers’
training.
FFF National Manager Raul Q.
Montemayor said his group will said pursue the filing of a case against the DBM
before the Ombudsman if it will not release P10 billion for the RCEF this year.
He said his group will make good
of its threat to file legal charges against the DBM for “willful violation of
RA 11203, or the rice trade liberalization law.”
“We may file the case next year
because the DBM has until the end of the year to release the full P10 billion
for 2019,” Montemayor told the BusinessMirror.
A PIZZA
DELIVERY GUY EARNS Rs. 5,000,000 IN A MONTH
Dhule Bhaumik, born in Kolkata,
could buy 2 houses within a month, Volkswagen and paid all his debts. But
previously, he worked with salary under the minimum wage. So, how could he earn
so much money only in a month? He tells us his story."I worked at pizza
delivery service for a year. I was prior a collage student and did a part time
job in a restaurant. I did it to support my study. In the second year of study
I was close to be expelled since I could not pay the tuition. At the time, I
had to take a loan. I could finally paid my tuition, but I had no money to pay
the monthly installments to the bank. Honestly, studying and working all at
once was beyond my endurance, and eventually, I was expelled from campus a week
before the end of school year. That was the beginning of the darkest days of my
life. My father lost his job and my family didn't know how to survive. Could
you imagine how hopeless I felt? I had no decent work and no education, and my
father lost his job. I could do nothing to help them.
One night, I was delivering a
pizza to the last location. A guy opened the door. He was with his friends, and
while he was paying the pizza, I heard their discussion about where would they
invest Rs. 2,000,000 they earned 10 minutes ago. I just made a glance and saw a
sort of graph and figures on the laptop screen. The guy opening the door gave
me Rs. 1000 but the price was only Rs. 600 He told me to keep the change.
I was absolutely surprised and after I got back home, I took my
laptop and tried to recall about their discussion. After 5 minutes, I
remembered that they told about binary options. On the Olymp
Trade website I found the graphs and figures I saw at the guy's
laptop.
After reading all information
about the broker and watching tutorial videos, I opened a demo account where I
got virtual money. I quickly understood what I had to do, it was very easy. I
earned some money after my very first transaction. Then I thought... I did not
lose anything, so I decided to open a real account and deposited my last money
there. At the morning, I woke up and saw that I earned Rs. 30,654 over that
night. After 2 weeks I could paid my debts off, bought a car, and I could help
my father while he was searching for a new job and pay his expenses for the
next few months. 2 weeks later, I already had 2 houses in the suburb. And all I
did without leaving my home and getting higher education.
That's my luck. It would never happen if I did not meet the rich
guy while delivering the pizza. I know there are a lot of people having not
good times like me, that's why I tell you: if you want to live without any
problem, I can tell you how to earn money with Olymp
Trade. It is very easy if you would try it.
So what do you need to do to
start earning money?
·
First, open an account with a
broker by clicking here (you’ll
need to enter your name, email address, phone number, password, choose the
account currency and tick to show your agreement; click Register).
· Step-by-step you’ll be shown 7 tips describing what’s displayed
on your account. Look through all the material by pressing «NEXT STEP» after
every description.
Now for the interesting part! A strategy for making a profit!
Now that you have an account with
a broker, you need a 100%-profitable strategy. It’s recommended to start with
the “up-down” strategy – it’s so simple, anyone can understand it and use it!
1. First, you need to pick a currency pair: EUR / USD works well
here.
2. Get ready for your first trade: set a time of 1 minute and an
amount of $1.
3.
Now start trading. You have to
forecast whether the exchange rate will go UP or DOWN within a minute after you
opened the trade.
With this strategy, you can make any forecast when you start. It
doesn’t matter whether you choose UP or DOWN..
4.
Let’s say you pick UP. Remember that it doesn’t matter what you pick. The strategy
works 100% in any case.
5.
If in reality the chart goes up,
as you predicted, you’ll get $1.92 back in
your account (instead of your initial one dollar!). Now you have to make your
next trade, but this time you should choose the opposite value: DOWN (the amount and time don't change; keep them at $1 and 1
minute).
6.
So let’s say the chart goes the
other way and your trade isn’t successful. That means you need to raise the
next trade to $3 and change the direction of the chart again (i.e. If your last
choice was DOWN, now you have to choose UP);
7.
The chart once again doesn’t go
the way you wanted, and you lose this trade too. This is nothing to worry about
(remember, with this strategy you always make back your losses!). In order to
recoup your losses and make a profit now, you have to increase the trade to $8
(don't change the time of the trade). Then choose DOWN (as we chose UP the last time).
8.
Great! That time you chose the
right direction and got $15.36 (you
made up for your losses and earned more money!). Now go back to trading at $1
and start over again. This time you have to choose UP. That’s why it’s called the “up-down” strategy.
Remember!
Always change the direction (UP,
DOWN, UP, DOWN), regardless of whether your bet is successful or not. Your
first trade should always be $1. If you lose, increase the amount to $3. If you
lose again, change it to $8. If it happens again, raise it to $18 (personally,
I’ve never had to do this despite the fact that I trade every day) As soon as a
trade is successful, go back to the original amount of $1 and start over again.
RPT-Asia Rice-Thai
drought raises supply fears, Bangladesh reels under floods
Eileen Soreng
LY 26, 2019 / 6:33 AM
(Repeats with no changes)
* Jump in local paddy rates drive up Indian export prices
* Vietnamese rice shipments likely to fall in July - traders
* Demand for Thai rice flat- traders
By Eileen Soreng
BENGALURU, July 25 (Reuters) - Drought conditions in Thailand
stoked concerns of a drop in supply even as a strong baht kept export prices for
the Thai variety higher than Asian competitors this week, while floods wreaked
havoc on crops in Bangladesh.
While prices for Thailand’s 5% broken rice RI-THBKN5-P1 eased to
$390-$395 a tonne free-on-board Bangkok on Thursday from last week’s $401-$402,
they were still more expensive than rates in other hubs.
Demand for Thai rice remained flat, traders said.
Meanwhile, a drought in more than a dozen provinces has stoked
worries over supply, with the Meteorological Department reporting rainfall in
the main rice-growing regions was the lowest in 10 years.
“The drought situation is raising market concern over supply,” a
Bangkok-based trader said, adding: “but there is not yet a shortage in actual
supply so far.”
The Thai government asked farmers in drought-hit areas to delay
rice planting as pumping of water from reservoirs for irrigation threatens
household supplies.
Thailand’s rice exporters lowered their target for annual exports
to 9 million tonnes from 9.5 million, after a sharp fall in the first half.
In Bangladesh, floods have submerged more than 50,000 hectares of
paddy fields, as per a preliminary assessment by the agriculture ministry.
“We will get a clear picture of the extent of the damage once the
water recedes,” a senior official said.
This could be a major blow to the country at a time when farmers
are unable to secure fair prices for produce, with no fresh overseas deals in
sight.
In top exporter India, 5% broken parboiled variety RI-INBKN5-P1
rose to $381-$384 per tonne from last week’s $374-$377 as paddy prices jumped
even though demand from buyers in Asia and Africa was muted.
Exports of white rice have almost stopped, while shipments of the
parboiled variety have dropped sharply due to higher paddy prices, said an
exporter based in Kakinada in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh.
Meanwhile, below average monsoon rains have raised concerns over
output of summer-sown crops.In Vietnam, 5% broken rice rates RI-VNBKN5-P1 were
unchanged at $350 per tonne.
“Demand for Vietnamese rice remains moderate with most of the new
orders coming from Philippines and Malaysia,” a trader in Ho Chi Minh City
said.
Traders said shipments from Vietnam in July could fall
significantly. Preliminary data showed 194,400 tonnes will be loaded at Ho Chi
Minh City ports in July, versus 311,700 tonnes in June.
“While prices of the regular 5% broken rice stayed flat, prices of
jasmine rice have climbed to $500-$505 per tonne from $490 last week due to
tight supplies,” another trader said. (Reporting by Ruma Paul in Dhaka, Khanh
Vu in Hanoi, Rajendra Jadhav in Mumbai, Panu Wongcha-um in Bangkok; editing by
David Evans)
Bengal
farmers struggle to cope with extreme weather
Shobha Roy Recently in Burdwan |
Updated on July 25, 2019 Published onJuly 24, 2019
Delayed
rains and a dry spell in parts of West Bengal have resulted in problems for
paddy farmers here, many of
whom have made additional arrangements at an extra cost to water their fields.
Lack of rain in southern areas
forces rice growers to delay paddy transplantation
Sixty-year-old
Sajed Moulik, a farmer from Jaugram village in Burdwan district, about 100 km
from Kolkata, has spent ₹2,000 in less than two days to
hire an irrigation pump for his paddy field. Though he had done sowing by early
June and the seedlings are now ready for transplantion, he is unable to do it
because of water scarcity.
Scanty rainfall
Many
farmers in the region are worried over scanty rainfall during the paddy sowing
and transplantation period. Monsoon rain usually arrives in Bengal by mid-June
and continues till mid-September. But, this year, South Bengal districts of
Hooghly, Burdwan, Midnapore, Bankura and other rice growing areas are facing a
dry spell. Farmers fear that if monsoon does not set in over the next 2-3 days,
they will be in trouble. Sowing and transplantation of kharif paddy should be
completed by the end of July for harvest in November-December.
“Sowing
usually starts by end-May and goes on till early June. After 20-25 days, when
the seedlings grow up to a certain height, we start transplanting them into
fields submerged in water. But this time, I was unable to do so and some of my
seedlings wilted due to lack of water,” Moulik told BusinessLine.
West
Bengal produces about 20-25 million tonnes of paddy each year in three seasons
– aus, aman and boro. The kharif paddy (aus and aman) output accounts for about
70 per cent of total production.
‘No need to panic’
According
to PK Majumdar, Advisor to West Bengal Chief Minister on Agriculture, monsoons
are expected to set in parts of South Bengal in a day or two. Even if it were
to be slightly delayed and arrive only by the first week of August, the situation
can be managed by doing the transplantation with machines.
“Transplantation
can be done any time before mid-August. If it is delayed beyond that, then we
have other alternatives such as going in for cultivation of short-duration
variety,” he said on the sidelines of a rice conclave organised by the Indian
Chamber of Commerce in Kolkata on Wednesday.
Farmers
usually draw canal water using irrigation pumps when monsoons are delayed. But
this year, water levels in canals are abysmally low, the farmers said. It has
forced them to hire pumps for longer periods, pushing up the costs.
According
to Sahu Sufi Mondal, another farmer in the Jaugram village, his overall
expenses on 2.8 acres of land have increased by around ₹1,500-2,000, this year.
A
farmer typically spends around ₹10,000
-12,000 per 0.4 acre of land that can grow around 600 kg of rice. Against this,
a farmer earns around ₹1,300 for 100 kg (or ₹7,800 for 600 kg). Most of the
sale starts in November.
The
minimum support price (MSP) for paddy during current marketing season was ₹1,750 per 100 kg, while market
prices have been ruling lower at around ₹1,300-1,400
per 100 kg.
The
West Bengal government has set a paddy procurement target of around 56 lakh
tonne this marketing season in FY20. However, this procurement target which is
basically not more than 25 per cent of the total production in the state. As
market prices continue to rule below MSP, most farmers are forced to sell at
unremunerative prices.
According
to Suraj Agarwal, CEO Tirupati Agri Trade, paddy prices are ruling almost 20
per cent lower this year as compared to last year, due to poor demand primarily
from Bangladesh.
Bangladesh
had slapped an import duty of around 28 per cent on rice in 2018. Bengal, which
had exported around 17 lakh tonne of rice to Bangladesh valued at close
to ₹4,500 crore in 2017-18, saw
exports dropping to around 4.1 lakh tonne (estimated at ₹1,050 crore). The State has
managed to export only around 52,000 tonne of rice so far this fiscal.
Nagpur Foodgrain
Prices Open- JULY 26, 2019
JULY 26, 2019 / 1:25 PM
* * * * * *
Nagpur Foodgrain Prices – APMC/Open Market-July 26, 2018 Nagpur,
July 26 (Reuters) – Gram and tuar prices reported strong in Nagpur Agriculture
Produce and Marketing Committee (APMC) on good seasonal demand from local
millers amid weak supply from producing regions because of heavy rains. Good
recovery on NCDEX in gram, fresh hike in Madhya Pradesh pulses and reported
demand from South-based millers also pushed up prices. About 800 bags of gram
and 200 bags of tuar reported for auction, according to sources.
GRAM
* Desi gram raw recovered in open market on renewed demand from
local traders.
TUAR
* Tuar Karnataka reported higher in open market here on increased
demand from
local traders amid weak supply from producing regions.
* Rice BPT firmed up in open market here on good demand from local
traders amid weak
arrival from producing belts.
* In Akola, Tuar New – 5,600-6,000, Tuar dal (clean) – 8,300-8,500,
Udid Mogar (clean)
– 6,800-7,500, Moong Mogar (clean) 7,500-8,500, Gram – 4,400-4,500,
Gram Super best
– 6,200-6,400 * Wheat, other varieties of 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 3,890-4,170 3,850-4,170
Gram Pink Auction n.a. 2,100-2,600
Tuar Auction 5,200-5,875 5,100-5,700
Moong Auction n.a. 3,950-4,200
Udid Auction n.a. 4,300-4,500
Masoor Auction n.a. 2,200-2,500
Wheat Lokwan Auction 1,975-2,088 2,000-2,110
Wheat Sharbati Auction n.a. 2,900-3,000
Gram Super Best Bold 6,300-6,500 6,300-6,500
Gram Super Best n.a. n.a.
Gram Medium Best 5,900-6,100 5,900-6,100
Gram Dal Medium n.a. n.a
Gram Mill Quality 4,500-4,600 4,500-4,600
Desi gram Raw 4,500-4,600 4,450-4,550
Gram Kabuli 8,300-10,000 8,300-10,000
Tuar Fataka Best-New 8,600-8,800 8,600-8,800
Tuar Fataka Medium-New 8,200-8,400 8,200-8,400
Tuar Dal Best Phod-New 7,900-8,200 7,900-8,200
Tuar Dal Medium phod-New 7,200-7,700 7,200-7,700
Tuar Gavarani New 5,950-6,150 5,950-6,150
Tuar Karnataka 6,300-6,500 6,200-6,600
Masoor dal best 5,500-5,600 5,400-5,500
Masoor dal medium 5,200-5,400 5,100-5,300
Masoor n.a. n.a.
Moong Mogar bold (New) 8,200-9,000 8,200-9,000
Moong Mogar Medium 6,000-7,000 6,000-7,000
Moong dal Chilka New 6,800-7,800 6,800-7,800
Moong Mill quality n.a. n.a.
Moong Chamki best 8,300-8,800 8,300-8,800
Udid Mogar best (100 INR/KG) (New) 7,000-8,500 7,000-8,500
Udid Mogar Medium (100 INR/KG) 5,800-6,500 5,800-6,500
Udid Dal Black (100 INR/KG) 4,200-4,500 4,200-4,500
Mot (100 INR/KG) 5,200-6,500 5,200-6,500
Lakhodi dal (100 INR/kg) 4,800-4,900 4,800-4,900
Watana Dal (100 INR/KG) 5,600-5,700 5,600-5,700
Watana Green Best (100 INR/KG) 6,900-7,300 6,900-7,300
Wheat 308 (100 INR/KG) 2,100-2,200 2,100-2,200
Wheat Mill quality (100 INR/KG) 2,000-2,100 2,000-2,100
Wheat Filter (100 INR/KG) 2,500-2,600 2,500-2,600
Wheat Lokwan best (100 INR/KG) 2,400-2,600 2,400-2,600
Wheat Lokwan medium (100 INR/KG) 2,200-2,300 2,200-2,300
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) 2,700-3,000 2,700-3,000
Rice Parmal (100 INR/KG) 2,200-2,300 2,200-2,300
Rice BPT best (100 INR/KG) 3,200-3,800 3,000-3,500
Rice BPT medium (100 INR/KG) 2,700-3,100 2,500-3,000
Rice Luchai (100 INR/KG) 2,900-3,000 2,900-3,000
Rice Swarna best (100 INR/KG) 2,600-2,750 2,600-2,750
Rice Swarna medium (100 INR/KG) 2,200-2,500 2,200-2,500
Rice HMT best (100 INR/KG) 3,800-4,400 3,800-4,400
Rice HMT medium (100 INR/KG) 3,400-3,600 3,400-3,600
Rice HMT new (100 INR/KG) 3,800-4,200 3,800-4,200
Rice Shriram best(100 INR/KG) 5,500-5,800 5,500-5,800
Rice Shriram med (100 INR/KG) 4,500-4,800 4,500-4,800
Rice Shriram new (100 INR/KG) 4,400-5,000 4,400-5,000
Rice Basmati best (100 INR/KG) 8,500-13,500 8,500-13,500
Rice Basmati Medium (100 INR/KG) 5,000-7,000 5,000-7,000
Rice Chinnor best 100 INR/KG) 6,500-7,200 6,500-7,200
Rice Chinnor medium (100 INR/KG) 6,200-6,400 6,200-6,400
Rice Chinnor new (100 INR/KG) 5,200-5,800 5,200-5,800
Jowar Gavarani (100 INR/KG) 2,350-2,550 2,350-2,550
Jowar CH-5 (100 INR/KG) 2,050-2,250 2,050-2,250 WEATHER (NAGPUR)
Maximum temp. 34.5 degree Celsius, minimum temp. 21.9 degree Celsius Rainfall :
108.4 mm FORECAST: Generally cloudy sky with a few spells of rain or
thunder-showers. Maximum and minimum temperature likely to be around 29 degree
Celsius and 22 degree Celsius respectively. Note: n.a.—not available (For oils,
transport costs are excluded from plant delivery prices, but included in market
prices)
Govt
asks neighbours for water
published : 25 Jul 2019 at
04:00
newspaper section: News
writer: Wassana Nanuam
The government has asked China, Laos and Myanmar to release more
water into rivers to help relieve worsening drought conditions in Thailand, and
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha says they are cooperating.
Talks were held with China, Laos and Myanmar, in which they were
asked to release more water so it could reach downstream regions, Gen Prayut
said yesterday.
They were cooperating, although they have limited water in
reserve. The Foreign Ministry and the Office of National Water Resources would
continue talking with them, the premier said.
Gen Prayut expressed concern about farmers' livelihoods, saying
only 40% of farmland was irrigated.
"I am worried about farmers because they have invested a
lot but there is a water shortage. Irrigation must be limited to maintain tap
water production and protect consumers. The government will offer assistance to
ease the damage," he said. Prasong Prapaitrakul, director-general of the
Rice Department, said lack of rainfall had affected about 10 million rai of
rice paddy in 20 provinces in the North, Northeast and Central Plains.
The Thai Rice Exporters Association warned that unless it rains
early next month, the water shortage would cut rice production and rice prices
would rise in the second half of the year.
Meanwhile, opposition whips yesterday began a visit to provinces
affected by the drought.
Led by Pheu Thai spokesman Anusorn Iamsa-ard, the group visited
Kalasin and Khon Kaen to speak and listen to affected villagers and local Royal
Irrigation Department officials.
Mr Anusorn, who also serves as vice president and spokesman for
the opposition whips, urged the government to set up a war room to fight the
drought crisis, speed up aid to drought-affected areas and pay compensation to
affected people, and put in place a long-term water management plan.
Prachachat Party spokesman, Supoj Arwat, said the Agriculture
and Cooperatives and Natural Resources and Environment ministries should have
short- and long-term plans to relieve drought, especially in the Northeast. Bangkok Post
Low
rainfall dries up rice exports
Lowest shipment volume in 7 years
published : 25 Jul 2019 at 05:28
newspaper section: Business
writer: Phusadee Arunmas
Rice fields in Nakhon Ratchasima have been damaged by the drought.
This has been a tough year for the rice industry because of prolonged low rain
levels in the Northeast and the stronger baht. (Photo by Prasit Tangprasert)
Low rainfall, if it extends until August, will possibly lower
rice exports to 8.5 million tonnes this year, the lowest volume in seven years,
according to shippers.
Chookiat Ophaswongse, honorary president of the Thai Rice
Exporters Association, said this is a tough year for the rice industry because
of prolonged low rain levels in the Northeast and the stronger baht.He
estimated the impact of the baht's gain to an average 30.8 baht per US dollar
now from 32 baht early in the year had already cost Thailand's overall rice
export income about 20 billion baht.
"We need to wait and see if the rain will fall in August.
If it does not come by August, the worst-case scenario is a severe impact,
cutting hom mali paddy rice production in the
Northeast by around 40-50% to 4-4.5 million tonnes from normal production of
8.5-9 million tonnes," said Mr Chookiat.
He said milled Thai hom mali rice supply is expected to fall
accordingly to only 2 million tonnes from 4 million, leading Thailand without
premium rice for export.Domestic consumption of hom mali rice is normally about
2 million tonnes a year.
"The long drought is likely to drive the prices of Thai hom
mali paddy to surge to 25,000 baht per tonne from 16,000 baht per tonne, with
the prices of domestic milled hom mali rice rising to 36,000 baht per tonne
from 25,000 baht per tonne," said Mr Chookiat.
He said if the rainfall comes earlier, Thailand still has a
chance to export 1 million tonnes of hom mali rice, with its price increasing
to perhaps US$1,500 per tonne from $1,100 last year."The low rainfall is
historically prolonged this year, and the association has scheduled a visit to
the Northeast in August to evaluate how the drought is affecting the region's
rice production," said Mr Chookiat.Charoen Laothamatas, president of the
association, said Thailand's rice shipments hit the lowest rate in June at only
578,000 tonnes, compared with an average of 720,000 tonnes in previous months
this year.
The drop caused Thailand's rice exports in the first six months
of the year to fall by 19.6% from the same period last year to only 4.36
million tonnes.The new target is about 20% less than the 11.23 million tonnes
the country shipped in 2018.This year's volume is expected to be worth about
$4.7 billion, down 17% from 2018.
Regarding the sharp fall in first-half shipments, the
association on Wednesday lowered its target for annual exports to 9
million tonnes from 9.5 million.
Of the total, white rice will account for 3.9 million tonnes,
followed by parboiled rice 2.8 million tonnes, hom mali rice 1.3 million
tonnes, Thai aromatic rice 600,000 tones and glutinous rice 400,000 tonnes.
Mr Charoen said key threats to Thailand's rice exports include
the comparatively strong baht and lower purchase demand from China, which holds
hefty rice stocks.
Key rice-importing countries have also changed their rice
purchase policies.For instance, the Philippines has allowed its private sector
to play a greater role in rice imports, making competition in the domestic
market stiffer.The drought will cut the country's overall rice production and
may result in higher rice prices, he said.
Bangkok
Post
Arkansas State University College
of Agriculture appoints interim dean
Arkansas State University Provost
Alan Utter appointed veteran College of Agriculture administrator Donald “Bud”
Kennedy the college’s interim dean.
“It is with great pleasure that I
can announce that Dr. Kennedy has graciously accepted the duty of guiding the
college through the next academic year,” Utter said in a statement. “I
have great confidence in his knowledge of our students and faculty, and know
that he will do a magnificent job as our interim dean.”
Kennedy takes over for Tim
Burcham, who resigned earlier this month to accept a position as the inaugural
director of the Northeast Rice Research and Extension Center for the University
of Arkansas System’s Division of Agriculture.
Utter also announced a plan for a
national search committee to locate a permanent dean. Carl Cates, dean of the
College of Liberal Arts and Communication, will lead the group.
“Our desire is to have a new dean
in place by this time next year to begin the 2020-21 academic year,” Utter
said. “I want to thank Dr. Cates in advance for his service in leading
the search committee.”
Kennedy has served as the
associate dean for the ASU College of Agriculture for the past six years. He
was also the interim dean in 2013 prior to Burcham’s appointment.
A graduate of Sam Houston State
in Texas, Kennedy earned his Ph.D. in animal science at Louisiana State
University in 1991 and worked for three years at McNeese State University in
Lake Charles, La., as an assistant professor. He joined Arkansas State in
1993, and is currently a full professor of animal science and is a registered
professional animal scientist. Kennedy’s research specialty area is
livestock nutrition.
Kennedy has been the adviser for
the student Delta Tau Alpha agriculture honor society since he arrived in 1993.
He was selected for the organization’s national teacher adviser award in
2016. Among other service projects, he is a liaison to the Eastern
District Future Farmers of America for the college and served on the A-State
Instructional Farm’s oversight committee.
Animal science and Arkansas State
run deep in the Kennedy family. His wife is a retired companion animal
veterinarian in the region and one of his daughters is an ASU alumna.
More Than Rice: The Future of Food Security
in Vietnam
Bristol Powell and Audrey Vadillo of IRI examine details of a
sustainable development plan with staff from the General Statistics Office and
Agriculture for Nutrition and Health. Photo: Jacquelyn Turner/IRI
When many people envision food
security in Vietnam, they think of rice. More than seven million tons of it are
harvested each year, making Vietnam the third largest exporter of the crop.
What isn’t exported feeds the Vietnamese population; rice provides 65 percent
of people’s daily calories on average, making it a vital piece of both food and
financial security.
However, many of those working in
agriculture in Vietnam believe rice may not be the future of food security for the country going
forward. Cash crops such as coffee, cashews and fruit may provide more
stability and better value, allowing small-scale farmers to start to pull
themselves out of poverty and to access higher nutrition foods. Regardless of
the crop, the uncertainties of a variable climate pose a challenge to farmers’
success.
These are the kinds of ideas that
teams from Columbia University’s International Research Institute for Climate
and Society (IRI) and the Center for International Tropical
Agriculture (CIAT) heard at a policy workshop in March in
Vietnam, as part of Adapting Agriculture to Climate
Today, for Tomorrow (ACToday), the first Columbia World Project. The workshop,
supported by ACToday and by a CIAT-implemented project known as DeRISK, convened
representatives from government agencies and farmers’ groups to discuss what
climate information is currently being generated and used for agriculture and
where the process can be improved for more effective decision making.
The IRI and CIAT organizers asked
officials from the National Center for Hydrological and Meteorological
Forecasting, the Vietnam Institute of Meteorology, Hydrology and Climate
Change, and the Ministry of Agriculture and the National Institute
of Nutrition to work together on their approaches to food security and
nutrition. Each of the agencies presented their mission and objectives and
explained their role in helping Vietnam achieve UN Sustainable Development Goal 2: ending
hunger and malnutrition, achieving food security, and promoting sustainable
agriculture.
Columbia
World Projects‘ first project, Adapting Agriculture to Climate Today,
for Tomorrow (ACToday), aims to combat hunger and improve food security
by increasing climate knowledge in six countries that are particularly
dependent on agriculture and vulnerable to the effects of climate change and
fluctuations —Ethiopia, Senegal, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Colombia, and Guatemala.
The project is led by the International Research Institute for Climate and
Society.
BUD KENNEDY NAMED
INTERIM DEAN, COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE
07/25/2019
JONESBORO – Veteran College of
Agriculture administrator Dr. Donald (Bud) Kennedy has been appointed the
interim dean of the college by Arkansas State University, Provost Alan Utter
announced this week.
“It is with great pleasure that I
can announce that Dr. Kennedy has graciously accepted the duty of guiding the
college through the next academic year,” Utter said. “I have great
confidence in his knowledge of our students and faculty, and know that he will
do a magnificent job as our interim dean.”
Kennedy takes over for Dr. Tim
Burcham, who resigned earlier this month to accept a position as the inaugural
director of the Northeast Rice Research and Extension Center for the University
of Arkansas System’s Division of Agriculture.
Utter also announced the plan for a
national search committee to be chaired by Dr. Carl Cates, dean of the College
of Liberal Arts and Communication, to locate a new permanent dean.
“Our desire is to have a new dean
in place by this time next year to begin the 2020-21 academic year,” Utter
said. “I want to thank Dr. Cates in advance for his service in
leading the search committee.”
Kennedy has served as the associate
dean for the A-State College of Agriculture for the past six years, and during
the college’s last transition prior to Burcham’s appointment was the interim
dean in 2013.
A graduate of Sam Houston State,
Kennedy earned his Ph.D. in animal science at Louisiana State University in
1991 and worked for three years at McNeese State University in Lake Charles,
La., as an assistant professor. He joined Arkansas State in 1993,
and is currently a full professor of animal science who is a registered
professional animal scientist. His research specialty area is
livestock nutrition.
The adviser for the student Delta
Tau Alpha agriculture honor society since he arrived in 1993, Kennedy was
selected for the organization’s national teacher adviser award in
2016. Among other service projects, he is a liaison to the Eastern
District Future Farmers of America for the college and served on the A-State
Instructional Farm’s oversight committee.
Animal science and Arkansas State
run deep in the Kennedy family as his wife is a retired companion animal
veterinarian in the area and one of his daughters is an A-State alumna.
INDIA
RICE EXPORTS COULD HIT 7-YEAR LOW ON WEAK DEMAND, HIGHER PRICES -INDUSTRY
7/26/2019
* Exports could fall to 10-11 mln T from 12 mln T -Olam exec
* Indian rice expensive due to higher paddy prices
* White rice exports nearly halt, parboiled falling
By Rajendra Jadhav
MUMBAI, July 26 (Reuters) - India's rice exports are likely to
fall to their lowest level in seven years, industry officials say, as weak
demand from African countries weighs and shippers absorb the absence of
government incentives that supported previous sales.
Lower shipments from India will help rivals such as Vietnam and
Myanmar in raising their exports, according to Indian exporters, but could also
force Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government to increase buying from
farmers, even as it struggles to liquidate last year's stocks.
"Inventories have been piled up in Africa," said Nitin
Gupta, vice president for Olam India's rice business. "A lot of Indian
demand has been diverted to Myanmar and China as Indian prices are out of
parity."
The south Asian country could export 10 to 11 million tonnes of
rice in the fiscal year 2019/20 that started on April 1, Gupta said.
India exported 11.95 million tonnes of rice in 2018/19 through
March 31, down 7.2% from the previous 12 months, even though the country
provided incentives for exports of non-basmati rice for four months.
The country exports non-basmati rice to mainly Bangladesh, Nepal,
Benin and Senegal, and premier basmati rice to Iran, Saudi Arabia and Iraq. In
basmati rice exports, India competes with Pakistan, while in non-basmati rice
exports rivals are Thailand, Vietnam and Myanmar.
The government incentives for exports were temporary and
discontinued on March 25, said B V Krishna Rao, president of the Rice Exporters
Association (REA). "The incentive needs to be restored quickly," he
said, "otherwise there could be huge drop in the exports this year."
India's rice exports in April-May fell 30% from a year ago to 1.58
million tonnes as shipments of non-basmati rice fell more than 50% to 711,837
tonnes, according to data compiled by Agricultural and Processed Food Products
Export Development Authority.
Shipments of white rice from India have nearly stopped altogether
as Vietnam and Myanmar are offering more than $30 per tonne discount over
Indian prices, said Gupta.
In parboiled rice, India has been trying to compete with Thailand
but couldn't reduce export prices due to higher paddy, or unhusked rice,
prices, said Himanshu Agarwal, executive director at Satyam Balajee, India's
biggest rice exporter.
Paddy buying by central and state governments have lifted prices
in the open market, making it difficult for exporters to compete profitably in
the world market, said Agarwal.
The central state of Chhattisgarh, a leading rice producer, raised
the minimum paddy buying price to 2,500 rupees ($36.20) per 100 kg in 2018,
from 1,750 rupees - a 43% jump.Indian exporters said the aggressive liquidation
of old stocks by China, the world's biggest rice producer, has also hit Indian
exports."China is exporting a huge amount of old rice to African markets.
Africa being a major client, volumes have significantly dropped from
India," said Agarwal.
($1 = 69.0550 Indian rupees) (Reporting by Rajendra Jadhav Editing
by Kenneth Maxwell)
In pursuit of exports
BR ResearchJuly 26,
2019
Resolution of Pakistan’s
perennial macroeconomic woes depends on growing exports and sustaining them on
a high level. Almost everyone in the policymaking community recognizes that.
The business community is also seen harping on the need to multiply exports and
for incentives required thereof. Yet, several inter-linked factors continue to
exist and hamper the objective of growing exports. It is time to have a
holistic discussion on this issue and address the inter-dependent variables
across the economy.
Firstly, Pakistan’s economic
governance still favours tax collection over business outcomes. This behaviour
gains intensity during economic stabilization, such as the current era. When
import tariffs are revised every year with a view to increase tax collection
rather than ensure lower input prices for importers-cum-exporters, it leaves
little room for value addition. Then there are unintended consequences; for
instance, the July 2018 ban on advance payments for imports has apparently
affected exporters more than the current account deficit. The now-qualified ban
doesn’t seem to address genuine exporters’ concerns.
Secondly, policy coordination has
been missing. But don’t blame it on exports being cross-cutting in nature.
Several economy-facing ministries – such as Commerce & Textile, Industries
& Production, Planning & Development, Power & Petroleum, Water,
Science & Technology, Food Security, Maritime Affairs, etc – develop their
own policies that affect exports but they don’t necessarily coordinate with
each other. An Export Coordination Council is badly needed, with federal and
provincial ministries on board.
Thirdly, public and private
stakeholders still fail to demonstrate a reasonable appreciation of the central
role that a country’s “quality infrastructure” can play in enhancing the scale
and scope of exports. The Ministry of Science & Technology, under which three
national bodies relating to quality standards, accreditation and calibration
have been operating for decades, does not seem to have an influence with other
economic ministries to the extent that it can affect export-related policies.
Meanwhile, in a serious conflict
of interest, the public sector is running its own production certification
programs, testing labs and inspection facilities. These facilities suffer from
technical and human capacity issues; therefore, it is no surprise that many
countries demand Pakistani exporters to secure quality-related compliance from
overseas labs. Then there are exporters who treat “quality” as a cost rather
than an investment, resenting compliance-related procedures, fees and delays.
Fourthly, despite Pakistan’s inherent
comparative advantage lying in agriculture, the federal and provincial
governments have yet to take steps that help realize some of that potential.
With policy focus skewed towards major crops, what has been repeatedly ignored
is raising the capacity and productivity of small-scale players in fruits,
vegetables and fisheries sectors. Donors can give advisories on value-chain
development, but it is the government’s job to implement targeted horizontal
and vertical interventions.
Even within major crops,
promising sectors have been ignored. Rice, which is Pakistan’s largest export
commodity outside of textile, has repeatedly suffered from policy indifference.
As a result, share of high-value basmati rice has been on a consistent decline
over the past decade, while others such as wheat and sugar have increasingly
become subsidy-dependent due to perverse politico-economic incentives.
And lastly, little if any
discussion happens of inherent weaknesses in the existing export-oriented
businesses. One aspect is that sectors like garments fail to attract top
marketing talent from top business schools. This is primarily a function of
cost-thrift attitudes of seth-led firms; but it reflects itself in poor ability
of garment exporters to compete in developed markets. And the other aspect is
the relative attractiveness of domestic consumer market for the textile
bigwigs, resulting in a loss of export focus.In conclusion, the next time a
minister, economist or chamber president starts ranting on the need for raising
exports, perhaps they should be reminded that exports is a complex phenomenon,
not a linear equation with two variables and a constant.
Committed to
address all outstanding issues with Pakistan bilaterally: Govt
V Muraleedharan in this file picture (Source: Twitter)
The Government
Wednesday said it wants normal neighbourly relations with Pakistan and was
committed to addressing all outstanding issues bilaterally as it asserted that
the onus is on Islamabad for creating a terror-free environment for a
meaningful dialogue.
In written
reply to a question in Lok Sabha, Minister of State for External Affairs V
Muraleedharan said India has asked Pakistan to take “credible and irreversible”
steps to end cross-border militancy and dismantle militant infrastructure in
territory under its control.
10 Best Sweet Dishes and Food of Pakistan
When it comes to food, sweet dishes
are arguably the most enjoyable as they are a fitting end to a meal. We look 10
of the most enjoyed in Pakistan.
July
25, 2019
By Z. F. HASSAN
Nothing beats a dessert and in
Pakistan, there are a plethora of delicious sweet dishes to choose from and to
enjoy.
They provide a fitting end to a
meal. This is particularly true if you have had too much spicy food as
they usually will cool you down.
When it comes to sweet dishes
in Pakistan, there are a variety of options. They may not prepare pies,
puddings and cakes but their choice is worth a try.
Not only are they enjoyed in Pakistan, but they are also eaten
in India. Some have even
gained popularity in Western countries.
The most popular dishes
incorporate a range of flavours and textures in order to appeal to different
preferences. All are bound to entice the tastebuds.
We explore the most popular
sweet dishes that are found in Pakistan.
Halwa
Halwa can be commonly found in
South Asia and the Middle East. Not only is it easy to make but it is easily
available.
The best part about halwa is
that it can be made at home with a very minimal approach. All one needs is
semolina, sugar, oil and a little bit of patience.
But this is the recipe for the
simplest halwa that there is. In Pakistan, it is commonly referred to as Suji
ka halwa.
You’ll be mistaken to think
that there is only one kind. Suji ka halwa is readily available for breakfast
with puri and naan.
Other variations tend to be
more expensive and are more time-consuming.
Gajjar ka halwa (Carrot halwa) takes
patience, skill, and lots of milk and carrots. It is often consumed in
the winter and served
to guests.
Even though suji ka halwa is
available all across Pakistan, nothing beats the Multani Sohan halwa.
While it is mostly produced in
Multan, it is also available across Pakistan. This popular halwa is filled with
almonds, pistachios and cashews.
No matter the variant, halwa is
a very popular sweet dish in Pakistan.
Barfi
No moment of joy and happiness
can be celebrated without barfi. It is absurd to think that any special event
can be celebrated without its presence.
There are numerous recipes but
all are known for their hint of sweetness.
One of the most commonly
available barfis is of the milk powder which also includes almonds and
pistachios but it does not stop there.
There are ones made with chocolate, coconut and
semolina.
It is interesting to point out
that when being cooked, it looks white until it turns into a solid mixture.
If you’re in Pakistan, barfi
can be found in any bakery and sweet shop. The bakeries in Pakistan tend to
specialise in other sweet dishes as well as barfi.
Gulab Jamun
Gulab jamun is one of the most
popular sweet dishes in all of South Asia, not just Pakistan.
It is made from milk solids,
usually from Khoya and created into soft balls. They are then deep-fried before
they are dipped in a sticky, sweet syrup.
Gulab jamun is a dish which
needs lots of attention.
They need to be fried at an
optimum temperature for a specific duration so that they do not become too hard
or too soft.
The right amount of softness is
needed for the perfect taste.
This dessert is simply
irresistible. The spongy texture melts in the mouth and the syrup gives it a
rich sweetness.
Some enjoy it warm while others
prefer it cold, either way, the delicious taste remains the same.
Ras Malai
Ras Malai is always in demand regardless of the time of the
year.
While desserts do vary in
Pakistan based on the season, the dessert can be enjoyed all year round.
The ingredients can be easily
found but it is the cooking technique which can make or break the dish. Not
only it is filled with technicalities but it is temperature sensitive, to say
the least.
One needs to form cheese curd
balls out of milk, prepare the sweet syrup with milk and lots of sugar, and to
prepare pistachios and almonds for the topping.
The cooking process requires
lots of attention. This is especially true for the preparation of the cheese
curd balls, also known as chhana.
Once made, they are then chilled
in a refrigerator while the other elements are prepared.
Ras malai is found in milk shops and bakeries all around Pakistan.
In fact, in Lahore, this dish can be
easily found on most streets.
It is fair to say that most
food outlets in Pakistan offer ras malai as a dessert.
Falooda
Falooda is a drink but it is
also a dessert and it is one of the most popular sweet dishes available. It is
also enjoyed in Western countries like the UK.
There are a variety of recipes
for falooda but all of them use milk, vermicelli, ice-cream and chia seeds.
The milk is the main ingredient
and is usually is the main ingredient in many South Asian desserts.
For a basic falooda, the milk
needs to be sweetened. It is boiled and simmered before it is chilled. Once
removed, it is combined with the other ingredients.
Meanwhile, the chia seeds
soften by leaving them to soak. The vermicelli is boiled, drained and left to
cool.
All come together to create a
simple falooda but other ingredients are added to create different variations.
Rose syrup can be one addition
and it introduces a very sweet taste and scent to the drink.
The sweet drink is usually
topped with chopped nuts. Furthermore, ice-cream added to the cool drink to
make the whole experience as sweet as it can be.
Cake Rusk
Cake rusk is a must-have in
every Pakistani household and it goes perfectly with tea.
The dish is a combination of cake and rusk. Rusk
is a dry biscuit or a bread which has been baked twice.
The same process is involved
with plain cakes and they’re a delight to have. Cake rusk has a different dough
to regular rusk as it includes sugar for added sweetness.
Tea servings in Pakistan are
incomplete without any complimentary snack. While there are snacks available,
nothing beats cake rusk.
They are often dipped in tea to
soak up the flavour and eaten. It soon becomes a soft and sweet teatime snack.
Vermicelli
On its own vermicelli does not
provide much taste but when it is blended with milk, it transforms into milk
seviyan which is a creamy and luxurious sweet dish.
Milk Seviyan can easily be made
at home. All you have to do is to cook the vermicelli in milk with the required
amount of sugar until the mixture has thickened.
The finished dish is then
usually topped with chopped almonds and dried fruits.
This dessert tends to be served
during dinners and special occasions.
Vermicelli is one of the most
enjoyed sweet dishes in Pakistan due to its simplicity and availability.
Food colouring can be added to
vermicelli for a unique twist on the dish.
Kheer
Kheer is one of the most common
sweet dishes in Pakistan. Ready-made kheer can be found in any food shop in the
country.
Like most Desi sweet dishes, it
requires a lot of milk, however, that is not the complete picture.
It also needs rice and sugar
but the cooking temperature and time are what helps achieve a creamy taste.
The rice needs to be boiled
until it becomes soft. The milk needs to be boiled and simmered. Once done,
cardamom seeds are added to the milk.
The rice and sugar are
incorporated into the milk where it gently cooks for around two hours.
During this time, the mixture
must be stirred every once in a while. If not, the mixture will start to stick
at the bottom and can cause it to burn.
In order to ensure it does not
happen, the flame needs to be set as low as possible while also keeping an eye
on it.
After immense efforts and full attention, pistachios and almonds
make up the final touches. It tastes great when warm but it can
also be enjoyed cold.
Zarda
If you want to have something
really sweet for dessert, zarda is just the dish to have.
It is very easy to make. All
one needs is sugar, cardamom, lots of rice, and water.
The recipe involves boiling the rice with the cardamom, sugar and adding
food colourings to create a vibrant dish.
Sliced coconut, cashews,
almonds, pistachios and raisins are usually added to the rice and that is it.
There are many variations of
zarda. One of the most well-known ones involves steaming the boiled rice with
raw sugar, therefore creating Gur walay chawal (Raw sugar rice).
With lots of colours, it has a
vibrant appearance and its contrasting textures is what makes it a popular
choice at weddings.
Jalebi
Jalebi is one of the best sweet
dishes in Pakistan but it actually originated in ancient Persia.
Apart from India and Pakistan, jalebi is enjoyed
in other countries where it is known by other names.
All it takes is a mixture of
white flour, cornflour, baking soda, and ghee.
The mixture needs to be left
aside for 8-10 hours. The sugary touch comes from the sugar syrup which is
mixed later.
The whole mixture is contained
in a cloth with a small hole. The oil is preheated on a medium to high heat.
Once the oil is hot, the cloth
is squeezed and the jalebi mixture comes out. Each one is usually shaped into
spirals by moving the cloth as the mixture drops into the oil.
After being fried, the result
is a delicious orange jalebi which has a slight crunch to it but each mouthful
is filled with a sweet flavour.
When it comes t0 sweet dishes
in Pakistan, these 10 are some of the best.
No matter if you are on a diet
or calorie-conscious, each dessert is a wonderful experience to enjoy.
All have a wide variety of
tastes and textures which are guaranteed to please various preferences.
Whether you are in cities like
Lahore and Karachi or in the more remote areas of Pakistan, you are bound to
come across one of these authentic desserts and you will grow to love it.
India rice exports could hit 7-year low on weak demand, higher prices -industry
MUMBAI: India’s rice exports are likely to fall to their lowest level in seven years, industry officials say, as weak demand from African countries weighs and shippers absorb the absence of government incentives that supported previous sales. Lower shipments from India will help rivals such as Vietnam and Myanmar in raising their exports, according to Indian exporters, but could also force Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government to increase buying from farmers, even as it struggles to liquidate last year’s stocks. “Inventories have been piled up in Africa,” said Nitin Gupta, vice president for Olam India’s rice business. “A lot of Indian demand has been diverted to Myanmar and China as Indian prices are out of parity.” The south Asian country could export 10 to 11 million tonnes of rice in the fiscal year 2019/20 that started on April 1, Gupta said. India exported 11.95 million tonnes of rice in 2018/19 through March 31, down 7.2% from the previous 12 months, even though the country provided incentives for exports of non-basmati rice for four months. The country exports non-basmati rice to mainly Bangladesh, Nepal, Benin and Senegal, and premier basmati rice to Iran, Saudi Arabia and Iraq. In basmati rice exports, India competes with Pakistan, while in non-basmati rice exports rivals are Thailand, Vietnam and Myanmar. The government incentives for exports were temporary and discontinued on March 25, said B V Krishna Rao, president of the Rice Exporters Association (REA). “The incentive needs to be restored quickly,” he said, “otherwise there could be huge drop in the exports this year.” India’s rice exports in April-May fell 30% from a year ago to 1.58 million tonnes as shipments of non-basmati rice fell more than 50% to 711,837 tonnes, according to data compiled by Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority. Shipments of white rice from India have nearly stopped altogether as Vietnam and Myanmar are offering more than $30 per tonne discount over Indian prices, said Gupta. In parboiled rice, India has been trying to compete with Thailand but couldn’t reduce export prices due to higher paddy, or unhusked rice, prices, said Himanshu Agarwal, executive director at Satyam Balajee, India’s biggest rice exporter. Paddy buying by central and state governments have lifted prices in the open market, making it difficult for exporters to compete profitably in the world market, said Agarwal. The central state of Chhattisgarh, a leading rice producer, raised the minimum paddy buying price to 2,500 rupees ($36.20) per 100 kg in 2018, from 1,750 rupees – a 43% jump. Indian exporters said the aggressive liquidation of old stocks by China, the world’s biggest rice producer, has also hit Indian exports. “China is exporting a huge amount of old rice to African markets. Africa being a major client, volumes have significantly dropped from India,” said Agarwal.
MUMBAI: India’s rice exports are likely to fall to their lowest level in seven years, industry officials say, as weak demand from African countries weighs and shippers absorb the absence of government incentives that supported previous sales. Lower shipments from India will help rivals such as Vietnam and Myanmar in raising their exports, according to Indian exporters, but could also force Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government to increase buying from farmers, even as it struggles to liquidate last year’s stocks. “Inventories have been piled up in Africa,” said Nitin Gupta, vice president for Olam India’s rice business. “A lot of Indian demand has been diverted to Myanmar and China as Indian prices are out of parity.” The south Asian country could export 10 to 11 million tonnes of rice in the fiscal year 2019/20 that started on April 1, Gupta said. India exported 11.95 million tonnes of rice in 2018/19 through March 31, down 7.2% from the previous 12 months, even though the country provided incentives for exports of non-basmati rice for four months. The country exports non-basmati rice to mainly Bangladesh, Nepal, Benin and Senegal, and premier basmati rice to Iran, Saudi Arabia and Iraq. In basmati rice exports, India competes with Pakistan, while in non-basmati rice exports rivals are Thailand, Vietnam and Myanmar. The government incentives for exports were temporary and discontinued on March 25, said B V Krishna Rao, president of the Rice Exporters Association (REA). “The incentive needs to be restored quickly,” he said, “otherwise there could be huge drop in the exports this year.” India’s rice exports in April-May fell 30% from a year ago to 1.58 million tonnes as shipments of non-basmati rice fell more than 50% to 711,837 tonnes, according to data compiled by Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority. Shipments of white rice from India have nearly stopped altogether as Vietnam and Myanmar are offering more than $30 per tonne discount over Indian prices, said Gupta. In parboiled rice, India has been trying to compete with Thailand but couldn’t reduce export prices due to higher paddy, or unhusked rice, prices, said Himanshu Agarwal, executive director at Satyam Balajee, India’s biggest rice exporter. Paddy buying by central and state governments have lifted prices in the open market, making it difficult for exporters to compete profitably in the world market, said Agarwal. The central state of Chhattisgarh, a leading rice producer, raised the minimum paddy buying price to 2,500 rupees ($36.20) per 100 kg in 2018, from 1,750 rupees – a 43% jump. Indian exporters said the aggressive liquidation of old stocks by China, the world’s biggest rice producer, has also hit Indian exports. “China is exporting a huge amount of old rice to African markets. Africa being a major client, volumes have significantly dropped from India,” said Agarwal.
Date: 26-Jul-2019
BENGALURU, India: Drought conditions in Thailand stoked concerns of a drop in supply even as a strong baht kept export prices for the Thai variety higher than Asian competitors this week, while floods wreaked havoc on crops in Bangladesh. While prices for Thailand's 5% broken rice eased to US$390-$395 a tonne free-on-board Bangkok on Thursday from last week's $401-$402, they were still more expensive than rates in other hubs. Demand for Thai rice remained flat, traders said. Meanwhile, a drought in more than a dozen provinces has stoked worries over supply, with the Meteorological Department reporting rainfall in the main rice-growing regions was the lowest in 10 years. "The drought situation is raising market concern over supply," a Bangkok-based trader said, adding: "but there is not yet a shortage in actual supply so far."