Thursday, January 16, 2020

16th January,2020 Daily Global Regional Local Rice E-Newsletter


Make America truthful again

Posted: Wednesday, January 15, 2020 11:52 am
To the Editor:
Re: the letter to the editor “We are better off with Trump.” Our current president’s supporters must be blinded by his white supremacist aura. I will respect our president when he respects fellow humans. His actions indicate massive failure in his neurological circuits.
That author mentions rescinding federal regulations to grow jobs. Most of those regulations were designed to protect human health. “Scientific American” (2017) compiled cause of death data from sources such as hospital records. A minimum of 7,500 people die each year as a direct result of burning coal for electrical generation.
The president’s dismissal of new regulations to clean up coal pollution will guarantee that by the end of his fourth year in office more than 30,000 people with die due to such pollution. This is equal to or more than the number of people employed in that industry. We sacrifice human life to the gods of coal. This is morally unacceptable.
The president restricted the labor department from listing workplace death data. He promoted energy industry advocate Cheryl LaFleur to chair the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and forced out Norman Bay, a consumer advocate. This commission has regulatory powers over the electric and natural gas rates. I doubt that such rates are going to decrease given LaFleur’s history.
Republicans declared war on science long ago. Thousands of government scientists resigned due to the president determining policy via ideology, rather than actual results. Since 2005 ocean probes have revealed the earth is gaining “energy” (heat) equivalent to the energy in 500,000 Hiroshima type bombs every day. Republican propagandists spin eloquent global warming falsehoods which sound logical to the untrained ear.
The first line of NASA’s mission statement used to read: “to understand and protect our home planet.” This mission statement had been crafted by NASA scientists and researchers. In 2006, it was gone along with 20% of the earth science research budget. If you can’t silence truth, starve it.
Lewis Ziska is a climate scientist who recently resigned when the USDA refused to publish his peer-reviewed paper on the negative effects of global warming on rice. He stated that research seems to be published only if it agrees with conservative ideology.
We are back in the Soviet communist era of Lysenkoism where forced adherence to flawed policy killed over 30 million people.
Make America truthful again.
Marvin Schott
Bowling Green

NEW TYPES OF RICE WILL ELIMINATE MALNUTRITION, THESE STATES HAVE YIELD

Written By Jeremy Spirogis 15/01/2020
Agricultural scientists will work towards increasing the nutrient content in foods to ensure that health deficiency is overcome. Indian rice studies have created newer and more effective kinds of rice having health content as much as double the amount as various other kinds of rice.
The advantage of building these brand-new types are why these brand-new types can conquer the issue of malnutrition among individuals. The analysis institute is rolling out seven kinds of rice to fulfill health inadequacies. The unique thing of the types is consuming rice of the types will pull zinc deficiency in the human body.
According to Dr. Neerja, the main scientist of this Indian Rice Research Institute, rice is prepared generally in most locations in the nation. <! –
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                 In such a scenario, the institute is rolling out some kinds of rice, that may meet up with the zinc deficiency in the nation. Talking about brand-new types, all of those other rice types where zinc amounts to 2 ppm, whilst the brand-new types have actually zinc of 25 ppm. That is, the total amount of zinc is much more than double.
Let us inform you that rice is created exclusively in West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Punjab in the nation. Agricultural scientists say that metal and metal are really very important to your body. Thousands of individuals all around the globe are influenced by its deficiency. Talking about India, about 30 per cent folks are impacted by zinc deficiency right here. It also incorporates many kiddies below 5 years and expectant mothers.
Zinc is very important when it comes to human body
The person gets as much as 58 % zinc quantity through brand-new kinds of rice. Zinc is a vital mineral for the human body that will be extremely needed for our health. Zinc is vital for expectant mothers. Zinc is situated in our physique cells. Zinc is vital for the human body to operate precisely and also for the immune system.
These new kinds of rice
Description: Jeremy SpirogisLet us inform you that the 3 brand-new kinds of rice produced by the Indian Rice Research Institute, Hyderabad tend to be known as DRR Paddy 45, DRR Paddy 49, Central Rice Research in Orissa, CR Paddy 310, CR Paddy 311 and Raipur, Chhattisgarh. Indira Gandhi Agricultural University has continued to develop Zinc O Rice and CGZR 2 types. In which zinc are in great volume.
JEREMY SPIROGIS
Jeremy is an engineer and journalist, he loves his entertainment gossip. He has a keen interest in Bollywood and loves how Hollywood, Tollywood and other genres of entertainment from around the world merge in India to create a beautiful fusion. Jeremy currently works for four other news agencies and contributes content related to entertainment, politics, sports, weather, business, finance, technology and blockchain.

USA Rice Chair On-Hand for Signing of China Trade Deal, Phase One  

WASHINGTON, DC -- After nearly two years of feuding, beginning with U.S. duties placed on Chinese washing machines in February 2018, President Trump signed a historic "Phase One" pact here this morning with China's Vice Premier Liu He.
 
The agreement in principle was reached by negotiators in December and the 86-page text has since been drafted to outline the majority, but not all, of the elements of the bilateral accord.  

According to a summary of the agreement provided by the office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), China will purchase and import on average at least $40 billion of U.S. food, agricultural, and seafood products annually for a total of at least $80 billion over the next two years. In the same summary, USTR references a USDA estimate that rice exports alone could be valued at $300 million annually.

There was other good news for rice in the agreement.  Following two losses in the World Trade Organization (WTO) courts on how they administer their tariff rate quotas (TRQ) and for exceeding subsidy limits, China has agreed to come to the table with changes to their commodity procurement and excess subsidies.  China has openly shared that they will come into compliance with WTO requirements through the fulfillment of targeted purchase quantities, beginning in 2020.  

Additionally, USTR fulfilled a longtime USA Rice ask related to Chinese National Standards for rice.  USTR's summary states that China adjusted their internal standards to re-classify U.S. medium grain rice from long grain to short/medium grain to allow for fair competition in the comparable Chinese markets.
 
Some purchase logistics are still unknown but more details will likely be shared by U.S. and Chinese governments in the coming days.
 
"USA Rice was thrilled to be invited to today's signing of Phase One of the new trade agreement with China," said USA Rice Chair Charley Mathews, Jr.  "China has long been on our radar and we believe their growing population and dietary preferences present a great opportunity for our farmers."
 
Mathews was one of approximately 30 agriculture representatives who participated with President Trump and Vice Premier He at today's signing ceremony.
 
"We appreciate the Administration's help in seeking a level playing field for U.S. rice with China through both historic market access and compliance with WTO requirements.  We will continue to work on behalf of the U.S. rice industry to maximize the full potential of this market," said Mathews.


New gene database established to promote rice breeding

2020-01-16 14:19:27XinhuaEditor : Cheng Zizhuo
Chinese researchers have developed a database on rice epigenomic information to facilitate rice breeding, according to the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS).
With the development of genome sequencing technology, a large amount of rice epigenomic information has been gathered. It is necessary to integrate multiple epigenomic data of rice and construct a data platform.
Researchers from the Biotechnology Research Institute of the CAAS created a database named eRice, to integrate epigenomic annotations for both japonica and indica rice, two main cultivars in Asia.
The database combines artificial intelligence technology to conduct deep mining of the data. It will be updated to provide a broader understanding of the epigenetic regulation of complex biological processes in rice as well as a guide for future molecular design efforts.
The research was published in Plant Biotechnology Journal.

CSU, CU Anschutz team up to fund inter-institutional health innovation projects

15Jan, 2020
Story by Tori Fosheim
The Colorado School of Public Health has launched a new grant program to fund research projects that cross the boundaries of its three institutions: Colorado State University, the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and the University of Northern Colorado.
And CSU researchers are involved in the first projects chosen for funding.
Jon Samet, dean of ColoradoSPH, and Alan Rudolph, vice president for research at CSU, each contributed matching funds to establish a one-year program for research projects that involve one principal investigator from two of the three universities. The pilot grants provide each selected team with $30,000 to fund seed projects that have the potential for larger, long-term research.
Jonathan Samet
Description: Jonathan SametFor Cathy Bradley, ColoradoSPH’s associate dean for research, the grants reflect general trends in the field of public health toward team science.
“We understand that a research problem involves so much — the  social determinants of health, exposures, the environment, all of these things — and  no one researcher has all of the skills, all those areas of expertise,” she said. “In the past, our model for research was very much a single RO1 [a major National Institute for Health grant] investigator thinking about they wanted to do, then trying really hard to sell that idea.”

Beyond lab science

Katie Dickinson, one of the funded investigators in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health at CU Anschutz, sees institutionally based grants as providing flexibility to address these cultural shifts in a way federal funding can’t yet.
“I think there’s a lot of recognition that if you talk about public health, just funding lab science is not going to solve things,” she said. “There’s a lot of lip service [about funding interdisciplinary and public engagement projects], but the structures of [NIH grant review] study sections haven’t necessarily caught up to it.”
Calls for NIH grant proposals still tend to be focused on very specific areas of research, principal investigators who individually demonstrate all of the skills required to complete the project, and lab-based or intervention research with specific hypotheses.
Faculty of the three universities each have different areas of strength, making them the perfect complements for holistic, interdisciplinary public health research . Bradley says that CSU faculty are known for their work in environmental science, fitness and nutrition and agricultural health, while CU Anschutz faculty shine in core public health methodology, chronic disease and social determinants of health. UNC faculty bring strength in community health and community-engaged research. The new inter-institutional grant program is designed to capitalize on each university’s strengths in ways that investigators might not consider without an explicit funding mechanism.

Focus on pilot projects

Another important component of the new inter-institutional grant program is that it is designed explicitly for pilot projects. Most NIH research funding requires applicants to provide data that explain why they think their proposed project will work, but those data are nearly impossible to acquire without funding — a catch-22. By funding a pilot grant program, ColoradoSPH and CSU are providing investigators with the opportunity to develop the questions, cultivate relationships and get the preliminary data necessary to be able to apply for NIH grants.
“This is such a critical phase, and we really wouldn’t be able to do this kind of work without a funding source that recognizes the need for it,” Dickinson said. For the school and university partners, the ideal goal is a return on investment in the form of grants that bring outside money into the universities.
Bradley says that she would love for the investigators to use the outcomes of the grant to receive NIH RO1 funding in the future, but “if that doesn’t happen this first round, if people just got together and did collaborative research and we were able to show ourselves as a consortium school of public health working together in research, then were successful.”
Description: Elizabeth Ryan headshotElizabeth Ryan

‘Bran’ new way to combat malnutrition

The first collaborative study seeks to determine whether rice bran, a byproduct of the rice milling process, can be used as a nutritional supplement for chronically malnourished mothers and infants in the rural Trifinio region of Guatemala.
Co-PI Elizabeth Ryan, a CSU associate professor in the Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, has previously studied rice bran as a dietary supplement in Mali and Nicaragua. Co-PI Molly Lamb of the Department of Epidemiology at CU Anschutz has extensive experience conducting public health research studies and interventions in the Trifinio region, has built a relationship with the community and has connections with field site staff. Their proof-of-concept study will find local sources of rice bran, assess whether the preparation of rice bran-enhanced foods is feasible, and determine whether mothers and infants find the enhanced foods palatable. The initial findings will set the stage for a larger study looking at the effects of 6-12 months of daily rice bran consumption on child growth outcomes.
“The timing is right,” said Ryan. “The rice bran work that I have been doing in other countries is practical to translate to Guatemala given the current status and existing infrastructure at the Trifinio site with other public health [CU Anschutz] faculty.”

Vaping and flu

The second inter-institutional study will investigate whether e-cigarette use by Colorado youth increases risk for flu infection by altering the function of macrophage immune cells.
Description: Sheryl MagzamenSheryl Magzamen
Co-PI Sheryl Magzamen, a CSU associate professor in the Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, specializes in air pollution epidemiology and community-based studies of environmental pollutants. Co-PI Alison Bauer of the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health at CU Anschutz has a background in basic toxicology and pharmacology research. The collaboration will allow this project to look at the effects of e-cig liquid on viruses both in people and in cells.
In people, the project will study changes in the population of viruses and bacteria in the upper respiratory tract of e-cig users during flu season. In cells, it will look at whether exposure to the byproducts of e-cig liquid have an effect on virus-infected immune cells in an artificial environment. Magzamen and Bauer hope to be able to use these data to apply for larger grants to study additional viruses and products of e-cig liquid.

Public health in public housing

The third study in the ColoradoSPH at CU-CSU pilot grant program will look at health outcomes of physical and social exposures in mixed-income public housing developments as part of the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Choice Neighborhood Initiative (CNI). Co-PI Ellison Carter, an assistant professor in CSU’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, has a research background in indoor air quality and interventions in low-income housing and their relationship to energy, housing and transportation policy. Dickinson studies the role of social behaviors and social networks in risk behavior.
Their project aims to establish a multi-institutional, transdisciplinary community research lab that will investigate the long-term impacts of Denver’s CNI-funded public housing redevelopment on multiple health determinants and endpoints.
“This redevelopment is trying to rethink the way we do public housing from the understanding that housing is so fundamental to health,” Dickinson said. “Is there a better way to provide public housing assistance to folks in a way that can be health-promoting and improve health outcomes for those that rely on these services?” Dickinson and Ellison hope to use the next year to establish relationships with community partners that will identify comparison public housing communities and the structure of a long-term health outcomes study.
ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz and CSU plan to co-host a research showcase next fall, where the results of the grants will be presented to Samet, Rudolph and the ColoradoSPH faculty research committee.

Paddy dealers want FG to work on Adesina’s model on rice mill By Idowu Isamotu
  | Published Date Jan 16, 2020 4:13 AM
Paddy rice Paddy Dealers Association of Nigeria, Farmers’ Cooperative, Rice millers and other private investors have charged the federal government to take seriously, Paddy Aggregation Centres (PACs) model introduced by the ex-agric minister, Akinwumi Adesina, to boost rice production in the country. The model, according to the stakeholders, which was first launched in 2013 by Adesina in collaboration with the USAID Markets II, has not received desired attention by the present administration.
Daily Trust reports that the model when re-launched in 2019 in Abuja by the Commodity Development Initiative (CDI) – an agricultural development and agribusiness investment facilitation organisation based in FCT, was chronicled Nigeria Paddy Aggregation Centres Strengthening (NPACS) Project. The stakeholders, in a statement signed by Muhammad Auwal, the association’s president, recalled that the NIRSAL was also involved in the study leading to the establishment of the ‘noble’ centres, which he said if given proper attention would save the country $2 billion annually.
“The purpose of this information is to acquaint the agric ministry with not only the activities of the association but to approach you about the establishment of model Paddy Aggregation Centres (PACs) in Nigeria. “The overall goal of the centres is to aggregate paddy/grains in standardized measurement, right quality and good price for integrated millers/processors and promote the domestic supply of milled rice to meet local demands in required quality and competitive price and thus curtail expenditure on rice imports,” the statement partly read. Auwal also explained that the PACs model would lead to significant impact on direct and indirect job creation. He said, “At least 2,000 farmers will be actively involved in the production of paddy for each PAC, using the out-grower model while each PAC will directly engage 10 people, making a total of 2,010 jobs that will be created for each PAC.”   Related AgNet discuses rice, as NPACS project launches scheme on aggregation FG set to establish grains aggregation centres Millers pledge support for rice self-sufficiency … Lament surge in rice smuggling ADVERTISEMENT Surulere man reveals New Herbal Solution That Reverses Weak Erection and Helps Last Up to 48 Minutes in Bed With No Side Effects
Rice Millers Cry For Financial Support   



15-Jan-2020  







Rice millers in the country were unable to meet the demand for milled local rice during the Christmas and New Year festivities due to financial constraints.

Description: https://media.peacefmonline.com/photos/news/201911/427917690_543233.jpgAccording to them, they had the capacity to mill but they lacked the funds to buy adequate quantities of the paddy rice for milling.

Some of the rice millers the Daily Graphic interviewed noted that until recently, people did not believe in the local rice and for that matter, those in the value chain did not get any financial support.

Financial resources

The Chief Executive Officer of Digo Farms at New Longoro in the Bono East Region, Mr Yaw Adu Poku, explained that the rush for the local rice came at a short notice and local millers could not measure up because “we did not have the financial muscles to meet the demand”.

“Some of us worked 24/7 during the period and as we milled, people who placed orders were standing by to take delivery.

“To tell you the truth, the ministry has made enemies for us because friends and families were made to understand that they would get their local rice at their doorstep during the festivities and when we were not able to meet the demands, people got angry with us that we denied them of local rice,” he told the Daily Graphic.

Mr Poku said the demand was overwhelming, but stressed that it was not that the rice millers were not up to the task, but that the millers were not adequately prepared for the season.

He said the marketers that the government was trying to bring on board were a bit apprehensive as to the outcome of the local rice in the mainstream.

“The little that we had was what we brought to the market and everything that we milled was picked up, not even a grain was left,” Mr Poku stated.

He expressed the hope that the ministry would intervene this year to enable the millers to bridge the gap.

Low production

Mr Poku gave an assurance that the local millers had the capacity to mill all the paddy rice in the country, citing that his company, for example, had the capacity to mill 156 tonnes a day.

“That means we can process an excess of 100 tonnes a day, bringing onto the market a minimum of 60 to 70 tonnes a day, which translates into about two articulated trucks a day,” he said.

The factory is currently operating at about 18 per cent capacity, he said.

Mr Poku also indicated that the producer of the local Mr Rabbit Long Grain Rice had the capacity to produce 50 tonnes a day but was currently producing at half capacity.

The Executive Chairman of Strongmen Foods and Farms Ltd at Akuse in the Greater Accra Region, Mr Michael Darko, corroborated with Mr Poku, saying the financial institutions lacked confidence in local rice millers, but gave an assurance that the days when local produce was considered inferior were long gone.

Campaign

The Ministry of Food and Agriculture has embarked on a campaign to get Ghanaians to patronise local rice instead of the imported ones.

Some media houses, mainly Citi FM, have also launched a campaign to support the growing and consumption of local rice.

In December last year, the Minister of Agriculture, Dr Owusu Akoto Afriyie, set up a Rice Technical Team made up of rice importers, processors, millers, farmers and representatives of the Ministry of Finance to discuss the way forward on how to reduce the importation of rice in favour of local rice.

PH should anticipate effects of Indochina drought on rice supply

Philippine Daily Inquirer / 05:02 AM January 16, 2020
News of extreme drought coming out of Indochina should be a major concern for our country given the impact of the rice tariffication law (RTL) on rice production, supply and prices. According to reports, Thailand — one of the world’s biggest exporters of rice — is forecasting an even worse drought and dry season until May this year; it has asked its farmers to switch crops or delay planting season in the meantime.
RTL apparently anchors food security on the assumption that there will always be cheap rice available in the international market.
“We see the rice tariffication law continuing to help pull down overall inflation in the near term as it continues to help improve the rice stock inventory of the country. This access to cheaper rice is good for Filipino consumers,” Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia had said.
The problem is that the severe to extreme drought conditions in Indochina portend a possible repeat of the 2008 rice crisis when the international price of rice went up to US$800-$1,000 per metric ton, on both a shortfall in production in the region due to climate change and an upsurge in demand from the Philippines. The National Food Authority (NFA) incurred huge losses to address that crisis.
The NFA no longer has the authority to import rice and regulate the rice industry under the RTL. Government officials are not inclined to amend the law, with Pernia saying that it should be given a period of at least two years to work.
As such, if the private sector deems it unprofitable to import rice, how do we address the problem? Agriculture Secretary William Dar was previously quoted saying that rice production in 2019 was only at 85 percent of the country’s requirements.
In a meeting of the committee on international trade of the Philippine Council for Agriculture and Fisheries last December, rice importers manifested that while they earned income from their initial importations, they have suffered heavy losses in their subsequent efforts, noting a glut in the market because of over-importation.
The market could only absorb one million MT but, unfortunately, three million MT was brought in. Thus, we have a situation where the RTL has had a negative impact on both producers and importers.
Important questions need to be asked soonest so that plans can be drawn up to provide answers and avoid or mitigate a possible crisis. What is the projected total dry season production? What is the target importation? If the private sector is wary of importing, what can the government do in the event of an emergency? What would be the required emergency appropriation?
In short, yesterday was the time to prepare.
ATTY. ELIAS JOSE M. INCIONG
President — United Broiler Raisers Association
Vice-President — Alyansa AgrikulturaCo-Convenor—Samahan ng Industriya sa Agrikultura
Corporate Secretary — Philippine Chamber of Agriculture and Food, Inc.
AA Representative — Agri-Fisheries Alliance


Rice millers cry for financial support

Date: Jan 15 , 2020 , 10:09
BY: Severious Kale-Dery

Rice millers in the country were unable to meet the demand for milled local rice during the Christmas and New Year festivities due to financial constraints.

According to them, they had the capacity to mill but they lacked the funds to buy adequate quantities of the paddy rice for milling.
Some of the rice millers the Daily Graphic interviewed noted that until recently, people did not believe in the local rice and for that matter, those in the value chain did not get any financial support.
Financial resources
The Chief Executive Officer of Digo Farms at New Longoro in the Bono East Region, Mr Yaw Adu Poku, explained that the rush for the local rice came at a short notice and local millers could not measure up because “we did not have the financial muscles to meet the demand”.
“Some of us worked 24/7 during the period and as we milled, people who placed orders were standing by to take delivery.
“To tell you the truth, the ministry has made enemies for us because friends and families were made to understand that they would get their local rice at their doorstep during the festivities and when we were not able to meet the demands, people got angry with us that we denied them of local rice,” he told the Daily Graphic.
Mr Poku said the demand was overwhelming, but stressed that it was not that the rice millers were not up to the task, but that the millers were not adequately prepared for the season.

17 booked for extortion, Fazilka truck operators stage protestPosted: Jan 16, 2020 07:10 AM (IST)

·       Updated : 9 hours ago

Block Samiti vice-chairman Baldev Singh argues with a police official outside the SSP office in Fazilka. TRIBUNE PHOTO
Our Correspondent
Fazilka, January 15
Description: 17 booked for extortion,  Fazilka truck operators stage protestBlock Samiti vice-chairman Baldev Singh, who is also the patron of the Truck Operators Welfare Society, Fazilka, society president Niranjan Singh and 15 other persons have been booked on the allegation of extortion and threat.
Baldev Singh, a resident of Bakhushah village of Fazilka district, is also considered a close aide of Fazilka Congress MLA Davinder Singh Ghubaya and his father former MP Sher Singh Ghubaya.
A large number of truck operators staged a protest outside the SSP office here against the registration of case against them claiming it to be false.
Arun Dhuria, president, Fazilka-Ladhuka Rice Millers Association, alleged that after disbanding truck unions in the state, Niranjan Singh and others had allegedly constituted truck operators welfare society and started demanding exorbitant fare for transporting rice of the millers to other states.
He said when the millers started seeking trucks from nearby towns at competitive prices, the society members allegedly started demanding additional amount of Rs 3,000 per truck from operators from outside and threatened them. The complainant has alleged that on January 12, Niranjan Singh, Baldev Singh along with their 15 aides allegedly snatched the documents of two trucks belonging to Ashoka Transport Company, Abohar, and demanded Rs 3,000 per truck.
The accused have been booked under Sections 384, 506, 148, 149 and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code.
A large number of truck operators staged a protest near the SSP office and blocked the Fazilka-Abohar National Highway against the registration of “false” case.
However, Baldev Singh and Niranjan Singh brushed aside the allegations. They claimed that they had been implicated in false case at the behest of a senior Congress office-bearer who tried to gag the voice of the truck operators.
They said the truck operators had already been facing starvation-like situation, thus seeking trucks from outside was uncalled for. They also demanded cancellation of the FIR.
Fazilka SSP Bhupinder Singh said, “The action has been taken as per the law”. He said the Deputy Commissioner would decide the future course of action.

'Pakistan's demand for palm oil rising 4.5% each year'

Published: January 15, 2020
Description: A Reuters file photo.
A Reuters file photo.
KARACHI: Demand for palm oil in Pakistan’s has been increasing at a rate of 4.5% every year for the past seven years, said Malaysian Minister for Primary Industries Teresa Kok Suh Sim.
Speaking at the Fifth Pakistan Edible Oil Conference, she said that demand of the commodity was growing in Pakistan on back of rising population, higher incomes and increased consumer spending.
“Palm oil has the potential for even higher uptake in the Pakistani market because the country’s local production of oils and fats covers only around 20% of its total consumption needs,” she said. “Thus, Pakistan depends heavily on import of the product to meet growing domestic demand.”
Highlighting the importance of Pakistan as an end user of Malaysian palm oil, Sim termed the country one of the most regular and dependable buyers of the product.
The minister pointed out that Pakistan was among the first export destinations where Malaysia had major investments in areas of bulking installations and refineries besides having liquid cargo jetty dedicated for handling of palm oil.
Malaysian companies such as FGV Holdings Berhad, Kuala Lumpur Kepong Berhad and IOI Group have made significant investment in Pakistan via joint ventures with the Westbury Group since 1993.
Palm oil is widely used by the industry for manufacturing vanaspati (ghee). On the other hand, it is also used by the food industry in Pakistan for frying.
She was pleased to learn that Prime Minister Imran Khan would be visiting Malaysia soon.
The minister was joined at the event by Adviser to Prime Minister for Commerce, Abdul Razak Dawood.
The two leaders took the opportunity of the bilateral dialogue to explore various issues of common interest for both countries. Reiterating the excellent cordial bilateral relations, the two sides emphasised the need to further enhance the two-way trade.
Minister Teresa Kok raised the issue that medium density fibreboards (MDF) imported in Pakistan from Sri Lanka enjoyed lower duties whereas Malaysia’s higher quality MDFs were subjected to higher import tariffs.
On the other hand, Dawood said Pakistan exported rice, fruits and other products which were required by Malaysia and encouraged the minister to consider establishing trading practices that could allow smoother passage of these products to Kuala Lumpur.

LSU AgCenter experts offer rice farmers tips on upcoming season

Posted: Jan 15, 2020 / 11:12 AM CST Updated: Jan 15, 2020 / 11:12 AM CST
Description: lsu aGcENTER_1494882220869.jpg
WELSH, La. (LSU AgCenter) – Rice farmers preparing for the 2020 crop heard recently from LSU AgCenter experts about what they should be considering before they get into the fields.
The meetings were held in Welsh, Vidrine and Crowley, and more are scheduled.
Don Groth, resident coordinator of the LSU AgCenter H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station, said the medium-grain variety Titan has been accepted by the Kellogg Co. for its products. Groth said acreage of that variety probably will increase.
Groth said he also expects to see an acreage increase for furrow-irrigated rice, also called row rice, because the practice can now be covered by crop insurance. The practice uses polypropylene pipe to irrigate fields before they dry. “Sometimes it saves you water, sometimes it doesn’t,” he said.
Wet weather last year encouraged disease development. “It was a bad disease year, but we’ve had worse,” he said.
Smut disease in south Louisiana was particularly bad, and Groth anticipates it will be a problem again this year.
Click here for more.

Chinese scientists create new genome editing method for rice
Description: File photo shows a researcher collects rice crop at a demo site. (Xinhua/Li Ziheng) Chinese scientists have invented a new method of genetically altering rice by applying the ScCas9 protein, which could help develop new gene functions, molecular breeding and genetic improvement. The innovation was made by a research team from the Institute of Plant Protection of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences. The method would enhance the CRISPR/Cas system, which has rapidly become the preferred tool for genome engineering due to its high efficiency, specificity, simplicity and versatility. CRISPR/Cas-mediated base editing, a novel genome editing strategy, is widely used for generating gain-of-function germplasms in functional genomics research and genetic crop improvement, said researcher Zhou Huanbin. However, the lack of recognition of a specific protospacer adjacent motif (PAM) - a DNA sequence next to the target sequence - for Cas protein restricts the targeting range of these tools and limits the application of the CRISPR system in genome editing, Zhou said. A promising candidate, the ScCas9 protein, has been identified and characterized. The research team found that ScCas9 can be used in multiplex genome editing and base editing in rice plants. ScCas9 nuclease and its derived editing tools expand the CRISPR toolbox for targeted genome editing in plants, said Zhou. The research was published in Plant Biotechnology Journal.

Report Highlights Busy Year for California Rice in 2019

 JANUARY 14, 2020 FIELD & ROW CROPS INDUSTRY
A new report points to an eventful year for the California rice industry in 2019, with several ongoing conservation programs and significant developments occurring in various trade markets. The 2019 Annual Report from the California Rice Commission (CRC) that was recently released highlights some of the progress made in industry initiatives and points of emphasis moving forward.
Description: California rice
“I would categorize 2019 as another busy year for our industry and for the rice commission, it seems every year gets a little busier but we’re happy to help our industry,” said Jim Morris, Communications Manager for the CRC.  “We do work at the commission in four primary areas: conservation, regulation, legislation, and public education and there’s never a lack of projects to work on.”
There were several significant trade opportunities that emerged in 2019.  The easing of trade tensions between the U.S. and China, combined with the progress made on the U.S.-Mexico-Canada agreement will each benefit the rice industry.  Increasing export opportunities also emerged through trade negotiations with Japan and South Korea. “It was largely a positive year for trade and it’s an area that we need to remain diligent in because there’s a lot of moving pieces,” Morris noted.
Similar to other California crops, the rice industry is also working on multiple avenues to help address water-related issues.  The rice industry has been especially attentive to water quality concerns, through the Rice Pesticide Program to monitor water discharge in rice fields.  CRC looks to continue engaging the industry on a variety of water concerns moving forward.
“This area is always challenging in California; we’re regulated at the state and federal levels.  We’ve been active for example in the CV-SALTS program for a long time,” said Morris.  “We expect that there will be a ten-year study in the near future that will understand the best ways to reduce impacts and address removing salt from the system.” 
The CRC has also been closely involved with cooperating agencies in various conservation efforts, working with UC Davis and the Natural Resources Conservation Service, on projects such as the Regional Conservation Partnership Program and the Ricelands Salmon Habitat Project.  CRC also worked to better engage the public on the value of the industry through refining the outreach approach and expanding audiences.

Laos: Rice festival steeped in tradition

Description: https://the-japan-news-archives.s3-ap-northeast-1.amazonaws.com/preview/entries/302466/materials/876720/3abf5a0a4f28a27d5cb2e72a9841f967.jpg?AWSAccessKeyId=AKIAI7EPFDYX6SSPYKKQ&Expires=1579233644&Signature=SC4FZUf9PpyudGDZCy6N0yc9uY4%3D
Vientiane Times
A huge rice stack dominates the festival in Somsavanh village, Phieng district, Xayaboury Province.
6:17 pm, January 15, 2020
By Visith Teppalath / Vientiane Times via Asia News NetworkVisitors to Laos should not miss the annual Boun Kongkhao festivities — the rice stack festival — which are currently taking place to celebrate the rice harvest.
This is the perfect time to experience this festival and Lao people always enjoy this celebration of their traditional way of life.
Boun Kongkhao dates back to ancient times and has been passed down from one generation to the next to mark the all-important rice harvest.
Usually the festivities are organised towards the end of December or at the beginning of January as this is when rice harvesting is at its peak. This is, therefore, also a good time for farmers to relax and enjoy the fruits of their hard labour.
Some villages hold this event at a temple but often it takes place on open ground at the heart of the community. The festival spans two days and a night or more depending on the way the villagers want to celebrate.
The hallmark of the festival is that rice is donated by villagers which is then stacked in huge piles. Before the festival kicks off, the local administration of the district, village or community runs a campaign to collect rice. The amount of rice donated is determined by the organising committee and can be unlimited.
After the festival, the rice is sold and the money collected is added to the village fund or donated to the local temple.
The festival serves to preserve local culture as well as being a tourist draw.
Last year, the biggest event was the Great Rice Stack Festival — Boun Kongkhao Yai — held in Phieng district, Xayaboury Province. The festival attracted thousands of people, including foreigners.
This year the event is taking place in the district’s Somsavanh village.
The celebrations started on Jan. 7 and the official opening ceremony took place on Jan. 9. The event continued till Jan. 12. The locals gave visitors a warm welcome and the authorities made sure there was enough accommodation and other facilities. There were a range of activities on offer to showcase the traditional way of life.
Events included performances by various ethnic groups, as well as exhibitions and demonstrations of the lifestyle of the Tongleuang people. This apart, there was a demonstration of tamkhao — a foot-operated rice threshing machine — and fartkhao — rice husking.
A street fair featured products made by local ethnic groups and a cooking contest also kept visitors entertained. A beauty contest, a singing contest and sports competitions were also held.
The Deputy Governor of Xayaboury Province, Mrs. Bounphak Inthapanya, said “Boun Kongkhao Yai is organised annually in Phieng because the district is famed for its rice.”
“It is also a big visitor draw. Each year nine rice stacks are built with one being a lot bigger than the others. This stack indicates the unity and solidarity of the whole community and the eight smaller ones represent the eight ethnic groups to be found in Phieng district.”
Mr. Bountien, a local resident, said the festival was organised as a way to preserve longstanding cultural traditions.
“A committee organises the festival to preserve local traditions. They hope that it will encourage young people in particular to be proud of their traditional way of life and want to perpetuate our customs,” he said.
“This isn’t the first time our district has organised this festival. This year, the event is bigger as we want to attract more people.”
“The festival indicates that there is an abundance of rice in our district. We get good yields and there is sufficient rice for local consumption this year as well as for sale. So it’s a good time to unite and celebrate this success.”Speech

Big win for rice, banana farmers

 Dennis Onyango  15th Jan 2020 10:45:00 GMT +0300
Description: https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/images/tuesday/stqpqbgputqnin725e1e16f8bac8c.jpg
This came as a huge relief to farmers who have been stuck with the produce after harvesting.
Rice, potato and banana farmers are among major beneficiaries of President Uhuru Kenyatta's plan to revamp the agriculture sector.
In a speech delivered yesterday at State House, Mombasa, Uhuru directed the National Treasury to release money to help local farmers who often incur huge losses due to lack of market and storage facilities.
“Our potato, banana and rice farmers have been blessed with bumper harvests. And because their products are perishable in nature, they suffer immense losses when they cannot sell them on time,” Uhuru said, clearly capturing the pain local farmers go through as they seek market for their produce.
Based on Uhuru’s directive, rice farmers from Ahero and West Kano irrigation schemes in Kisumu County will no longer suffer from lack of market after a bumper harvest, with the president directing the Treasury to release money to purchase all the rice from Kano Plains.
This came as a huge relief to farmers who have been stuck with the produce after harvesting, besides incurring losses occasioned by erratic weather patterns.
“I have directed that the National Treasury releases Sh660 million to the Kenya National Trading Corporation to purchase all excess rice from Kano Plains and Mwea for onward selling to our disciplined forces, prisons services as well as our boarding schools,” Uhuru said.
Huge losses
Having incurred losses approximated at Sh64 million due to the recent floods that destroyed their crop, rice farmers who spoke to The Standard yesterday, expressed optimism the new directive would give them a new lifeline.
 “Many of us have rice in our stores because we have nowhere to take it. Many of us were even contemplating venturing into other crops,” said David Dhine, a director at West Kano rice mill.
Away from the lakeside, banana farmers from Gusii region were also hopeful.
Kisii is one of the three counties that will benefit from the government initiative to build cold storage and processing facilities to save farmers of the perishable commodity from incurring losses.
“I have directed that the National Treasury to release Sh300 million to the Micro and Small Enterprises Authority for the construction of cold storage and processing facilities in Nyandarua, Meru and Kisii,” Uhuru said. https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/article/2001356534/big-win-for-rice-banana-farmers

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Rice Production Declines As Consumption Increases

on
January 14, 2020
Abdoulai G. Dibba
Rice production is in gradual and general decline, when the national rice requirement for Gambians as their staple food, continues to increase.
According to a pre-harvest assessment report for the 2019/2020 cropping season from the Agriculture Ministry and other Development partners, crop production was negatively impacted due to some delay and the erratic rainfall pattern in most parts of the country, coupled with pest’s infestation of some crops such as maize by the ‘‘fall’’ army worm. The report further indicates that crop production levels in all regions have declined by fifteen percent as compared to fifty-three percent in 2018.
According to the report, when the national rice requirement was 341,567 metric tons in 2014, Gambia produced only 46,672 metric tons; that in 2015, the country produced 69,794 metric tons while the national rice requirement was 352,541 metric tons; that in 2016, Gambia produced 48,778 metric tons while the national rice requirement was 363,675 metric tons and in 2017, Gambia produced 29,967 metric tons while the national rice requirement was 375,017 metric tons. The assessment report further disclosed that in 2018, Gambia produced 26,413 metric tons while the national rice requirement was 386,582 metric tons; that in 2019, Gambia produced 22,706 metric tons while the national rice requirement was 398,364 metric tons.
According to the assessment report, the national rice requirement for 2.2 million Gambians in 2020 is estimated at 398,364 metric tons for rice showing a deficit of about 375,658 metric tons for the year. To close this production gap, the assessment report will require the development of a joint response plan by the Government of the Gambia and international development partners such as FAO, WFP, AAH, AATG, etc., for relief

Rice Prices

as on : 14-01-2020 06:12:44 PM

Arrivals in tonnes;prices in Rs/quintal in domestic market.
Arrivals
Price
Current
%
change
Season
cumulative
Modal
Prev.
Modal
Prev.Yr
%change
Rice
Bangalore(Kar)
3224.00
44.19
69519.00
4350
4350
1.16
Siliguri(WB)
265.00
NC
3462.00
3800
3800
-
Barhaj(UP)
170.00
13.33
4970.00
2400
2420
5.26
Fatehpur(UP)
105.50
43.54
1119.60
2390
2385
5.75
Madhoganj(UP)
105.00
-25
2128.00
2330
2320
14.78
Aligarh(UP)
70.00
NC
1910.00
2550
2550
2.00
Pilibhit(UP)
65.00
-23.53
46058.00
2575
2585
9.81
Kalna(WB)
52.00
-12.61
845.50
2980
2980
-0.67
Srirangapattana(Kar)
51.00
-
51.00
2250
-
-
Bahraich(UP)
49.80
-7.78
501.40
2450
2450
2.94
Bankura Sadar(WB)
45.00
12.5
1112.00
2600
2600
-
Kandi(WB)
45.00
NC
617.50
2600
2600
6.12
Vasai(Mah)
35.00
-20.45
817.00
3460
3580
-0.72
Basti(UP)
35.00
-12.5
642.50
2470
2480
11.51
Badayoun(UP)
30.00
NC
614.50
2600
2610
9.24
Lakhimpur(UP)
30.00
NC
921.00
2430
2420
5.65
Islampur(WB)
30.00
11.11
521.00
3500
3450
-
Raiganj(WB)
29.00
16
427.00
3400
3350
-
Bidar(Kar)
27.00
-
27.00
2500
-
-
Karsiyang(Matigara)(WB)
26.80
NC
365.80
4000
4000
33.33
Kolar(Kar)
26.00
420
253.00
5193
5324
-
Indus(Bankura Sadar)(WB)
26.00
4
711.00
2800
2800
1.82
Mangalore(Kar)
25.00
NC
193.00
3700
3700
-
Balrampur(UP)
25.00
-
243.00
2120
-
-8.82
Puranpur(UP)
24.00
-11.11
1397.00
2580
2560
38.71
Navapur(Mah)
23.00
-
23.00
2045
-
-
Asansol(WB)
20.50
-2.38
460.09
2830
2830
-5.67
Durgapur(WB)
19.50
2.63
397.25
2730
2720
-
Shikohabad(UP)
15.00
50
178.00
2250
2250
-11.76
Chintamani(Kar)
13.00
-75
832.00
2150
2100
-
Gulbarga(Kar)
13.00
-
13.00
2780
-
-
Soharatgarh(UP)
12.00
-42.86
1089.00
2530
2495
11.95
Ajuha(UP)
9.00
28.57
85.00
2525
2550
-
Tamkuhi Road(UP)
8.50
NC
271.80
2150
2150
NC
Unnao(UP)
7.50
15.38
44.30
2600
2625
16.85
Lalganj(UP)
7.00
-2.78
157.80
2050
2015
-
Jahangirabad(UP)
3.50
-12.5
93.00
2550
2500
-2.86
Kosikalan(UP)
3.10
-6.06
108.00
2585
2590
-2.08
Anandnagar(UP)
2.70
17.39
95.40
2560
2560
14.80
Melaghar(Tri)
2.50
66.67
24.00
2700
2700
NC
Khair(UP)
1.50
NC
28.90
2570
2560
1.98
Alibagh(Mah)
1.00
NC
44.00
4200
4200
-41.67
Murud(Mah)
1.00
NC
44.00
4200
4200
-41.67
Ujhani(UP)
0.80
-46.67
21.90
2600
2600
8.33
Published on January 14, 2020

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Japan Beer, Quasi-Beer Sales Fall for 15th Year

Economy Jan 16, 2020
Tokyo, Jan. 16 (Jiji Press)--Beer and quasi-beer sales in Japan in 2019 fell 1.4 pct from the previous year, down for the 15th straight year, data from four major brewers showed Thursday.
The drop reflected a shift in demand from beer to other alcoholic drinks, such as low-priced "chuhai" spirits.
Overall sales totaled 384.58 million cases. Each case contains the equivalent of 20 633-milliliter bottles.
Sales of so-called third-segment beer-like beverages, carrying lower prices than beer, performed well, making up over 40 pct of all sales by volume for the first time.
Suntory Beer Ltd. and Kirin Brewery Co. posted increases in sales from the previous year. Suntory saw 1.0 pct growth, riding on the back of brisk sales of the newest addition to its mainstay "Kinmugi" third-segment beer series, Kinmugi Gold Lager, while Kirin saw sales rise 0.3 pct thanks to the popularity of its "Honkirin" third-segment product.

Rice sown on thousands of hectares last year in Azerbaijan

15 January 2020 14:20 (UTC+04:00)
Description: https://www.azernews.az/media/2019/02/14/rice_140219.jpg
By Trend
A regional meeting was held in Azerbaijan’s Agdash district on the “The current state of rice growing and upcoming tasks” topic, Trend reports referring to Azerbaijan’s Agriculture Ministry.
The meeting was attended by the heads of the state agrarian development centers and specialists from Azerbaijan’s Agdash, Ujar, Zardab, Agsu, Yevlakh, Goychay and Samukh districts.
It was noted at the meeting led by Head of the ministry’s Department for Organization and Monitoring of Crop Production Rafael Guliyev that the State Program for the Development of Rice Growing in Azerbaijan for 2018-2025 was approved in accordance with the Azerbaijani presidential order dated Feb. 9, 2018.
This was done in order to further strengthen state support for one of the traditional areas in Azerbaijan - rice growing, the effective use of the potential of this sphere, as well as to achieve increase in interest in rice production.
It was announced that as a result of the implementation of the state program in 2019, rice was sown on an area of ​​4,038 hectares, 12,152 tons of crops were harvested, and the average yield was 30.1 centners per hectare.
“Rice is mainly sown on areas in the Lankaran and Aran economic regions,” Guliyev said. “Expansion of sown areas, cultivation of new and more productive rice varieties, organization of seed growing, application of innovative cultivation methods are priority areas for the implementation of the state program.”
During the meeting, with the participation of the heads of the state agrarian development centers of the respective districts, specialists of Azerbaijan's Agency for Agrarian Services, Aqrolizinq OJSC, as well as rice growers, the issues of determining the need for seeds, the current state in the provision of machinery, mineral fertilizers and pesticides were discussed.
At the end of the event, an inspection of the rice production workshop in the Agdash district was conducted.