Is Basmati Rice Healthy?
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Basmati
rice is a type of rice common in Indian and South Asian cuisine.Available in both white and brown varieties, it’s known for its nutty flavor and pleasant aroma.
Still, you may want to know whether this long-grain rice is healthy and how it compares with other kinds of rice.
This article takes a close look at basmati rice, examining its nutrients, health benefits, and any downsides.
Nutrition facts
Although the exact nutrients vary based on the specific type of basmati, each serving is generally high in carbs and calories, as well as micronutrients like folate, thiamine, and selenium.One cup (163 grams) of cooked white basmati rice contains (1Trusted Source):
- Calories: 210
- Protein: 4.4 grams
- Fat: 0.5 grams
- Carbs: 45.6 grams
- Fiber: 0.7 grams
- Sodium: 399 mg
- Folate: 24% of the Daily Value (DV)
- Thiamine: 22% of the DV
- Selenium: 22% of the DV
- Niacin: 15% of the DV
- Copper: 12% of the DV
- Iron: 11% of the DV
- Vitamin B6: 9% of the DV
- Zinc: 7% of the DV
- Phosphorus: 6% of the DV
- Magnesium: 5% of the DV
summary
Basmati
rice is typically high in carbs and micronutrients like thiamine, folate, and
selenium.Potential health benefits
Basmati rice may be associated with several health benefits.Low in arsenic
Compared with other types of rice, basmati is generally lower in arsenic, a heavy metal that can harm your health and potentially increase your risk of diabetes, heart problems, and certain cancers (3Trusted Source).Arsenic tends to accumulate more in rice than in other grains, which can be particularly concerning for those who eat rice on a regular basis (4Trusted Source).
However, some studies have found that basmati rice from California, India, or Pakistan contains some of the lowest levels of arsenic, compared with other rice varieties (5Trusted Source).
Furthermore, it should be noted that brown rice varieties tend to be higher in arsenic than white rice, as arsenic accumulates in the hard outer bran layer.
May be enriched
White basmati rice is often enriched, meaning that certain nutrients are added during processing to help boost the nutritional value.This can make it easier to meet your needs for a variety of important vitamins and minerals.
In particular, rice and other grains are often enriched with iron and B vitamins like folic acid, thiamine, and niacin (6Trusted Source).
Some types are whole grains
Brown basmati rice is considered a whole grain, meaning that it contains all three parts of the kernel — the germ, bran, and endosperm.Whole grains are associated with multiple health benefits. For instance, an analysis of 45 studies tied whole grain intake to a lower risk of heart disease, cancer, and premature death (7Trusted Source).
Another review associated regular intake of whole grains, including brown rice, with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes (8Trusted Source).
What’s more, an 8-week study in 80 people found that replacing refined grains with whole grains lowered levels of inflammatory markers (9Trusted Source).
summary
Basmati
is lower in arsenic than other types of rice and often enriched with important
vitamins and minerals. Brown basmati is also considered a whole grain.Potential downsides
Unlike brown basmati, white basmati is a refined grain, meaning that it has been stripped of many valuable nutrients during processing.Some studies suggest that eating more refined grains can negatively affect blood sugar control and may be associated with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes (10Trusted Source, 11Trusted Source).
What’s more, a study in over 10,000 people linked dietary patterns that included white rice to a higher risk of obesity (12Trusted Source).
Additionally, a study in 26,006 people associated white rice intake with a higher risk of metabolic syndrome, which is a group of conditions that can increase your risk of heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes (13Trusted Source).
These effects may be due to white rice’s high number of carbs and low amount of fiber compared with brown rice.
Therefore, while white basmati rice can be enjoyed in moderation, brown basmati may be a better overall option for your health.
summary
Refined
grains like white basmati rice are associated with a higher risk of type 2
diabetes, obesity, and metabolic syndrome. Thus, they’re best eaten in
moderation.Basmati vs. other types of rice
Basmati rice is comparable to other types of brown or white rice in terms of nutrients.Although very minute variations may exist in the calorie, carb, protein, and fiber counts between specific types of rice, it’s not enough to make much of a difference.
That said, basmati typically harbors less arsenic, which may make it a good choice if rice is a staple in your diet (5Trusted Source).
As a long-grain rice, it’s also longer and slimmer than short-grain varieties.
Its nutty, floral aroma and soft, fluffy texture work well in many Asian and Indian dishes. It’s a particularly great choice for rice puddings, pilafs, and side dishes.
summary
Basmati
rice is nutritionally similar to other types of rice but boasts less arsenic.
Its unique taste, aroma, and texture make it a good match for Asian meals.The bottom line
Basmati is an aromatic, long-grain rice that’s lower in arsenic than other types of rice. It’s sometimes enriched with important vitamins and minerals.It’s available in both white and brown varieties.
Whenever possible, you should select brown basmati, as refined grains like white rice are associated with several negative health effects.
Written by Rachael Link, MS, RD on
May 15, 2020
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/is-basmati-rice-healthy#bottom-line
Evolution of rice linked to climate
change
05-16-2020
Earth.com staff
writer
Researchers
have linked the evolution of rice
to abrupt climate change 4,200 years ago. The study suggests that a major
global cooling event was the catalyst for the diversification and spread of
rice into both northern and southern Asia.
Rice is a major
food source for more than half of the global population. It was first
cultivated in the Yangtze Valley in China 9,000 years ago, before spreading to
the south and east. Eventually, rice migrated into the Middle East, Africa,
Europe, and America.
As it emerged
in new regions, rice adapted to survive under different environmental
conditions. Despite being such an important crop, there is much about the
historical movement and evolution of rice that is unknown.
Led by experts
at the NYU
Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, researchers analyzed the genomes
of more than 1,400 rice varieties to get a better understanding of its movement
across Asia. The investigation was also based on geographical,
archaeological, and climate data.
For the first
4,000 years of its history, rice was mostly limited to China, where the
subspecies japonica was grown.
According to
the new study, diversification of japonica rice coincided with a global cooling
event 4,200 years ago. This extreme climate event has also been linked to the
collapse of civilizations from Mesopotamia to China.
Temperate
strains of rice emerged and migrated into northern China, Korea, and Japan,
while tropical varieties migrated into Southeast Asia.
“This abrupt
climate change forced plants, including crops, to adapt,” said study lead
author Rafal M. Gutaker. “Our genomic data, as well as paleoclimate
modeling by our collaborators, show that the cooling event occurred at the same
time as the rise of temperate japonica, which grows in milder regions.”
“This cooling
event also may have led to the migration of rice agriculture and farmer
communities into Southeast Asia.”
Professor
Michael D. Purugganan explained that these findings were confirmed by the
analysis of archaeological rice remains excavated in Asia.
The data also
showed that after the cooling event, tropical rice migrated south and temperate
rice adapted to northern latitudes.
Tropical
varieties of japonica rice continued to diversify and appeared in the islands
of Southeast Asia about 2,500 years ago. The archeological data indicated that
this movement was facilitated by extensive trade networks.
The spread of
indica rice, a subspecies that originated in India about 4,000 years ago, was
found to be more complex. The researchers traced its migration from India into
China around 2,000 years ago.
The experts
found that temperatures had the biggest environmental influence on rice
diversity. The study revealed that heat accumulation was strongly linked to the
genetic differences between tropical and temperate rice.
A better understanding
of rice migration could help scientists develop new varieties that can endure
the extreme conditions associated with climate change.
“Armed with
knowledge of the pattern of rice dispersal and environmental factors that
influenced its migration, we can examine the evolutionary adaptations of rice
as it spread to new environments, which could allow us to identify traits and
genes to help future breeding efforts,” said Gutaker.
Pakistan attains huge market for exporting local rice in global potential markets
Last Updated On 16
May,2020 06:45 pm
The government intends to take the
exports to the highest level ever
ISLAMABAD
(APP) - Prime Minister’s adviser on Commerce and Investment Abdul Razak Dawood
on Saturday said that Pakistan had attained huge space in global rice market
for exporting local rice in potential markets of Middle East, North America and
African regions to achieve the target of increasing the agricultural exports.He said the government intended to take the exports to the highest level ever and for that purpose it was taking different measures to reclaim traditional markets besides accessing new ones.
Talking to the APP here, he informed that rice delegation from Maxico would hopefully arrives to Pakistan in June to appraise various rice exporters for giving them permission for exporting rice to Maxico.
The adviser said the all members of Rice Exports Association Pakistan (REAP) should prepare themselves for this opportunity from visiting delegation of Maxico so that maximum members get order approval in their market.
He said that during past few years, local rice export to Maxico had been held up for some time and after this “I hope that our rice will be able to enter in Mexican market.”
Razak Dawood said that rice was the largest agro-export commodity in the country’s export basket with a total volume of over $2 billion, which would be increased to $5 billion in the next five years.
He demanded of the local rice exporters to introduce new varieties of rice to enhance production and quality by investing in research and development.
Replying to a question, he said that even in current critical situation, the country’s exports increased in food, including meat, poultry, fruits and vegetable, cigarettes especially in Middle Eastern Market as compare to same period of previous year.
Replying to another question, he stressed the need for making preparations to exploit the economic and trade opportunities expected in the wake of post COVID-19 pandemic.
“We perceive and expect more opportunities to promote bilateral trade and strengthen linkage with potential markets including Central European Union, China, Asian States, Middle East and African region besides promoting regional trade in post pandemic environment,” he said.
He said the pandemic would bring a paradigm shift, hence create great opportunities adding the coronavirus had changed the world and now the business processes would be completely different.
“Such difficult period always brings out new opportunities, new products, and new ways of thinking,” he opined.
Razak Dawood said the government was equally focusing on all sectors of economy including textile, non-textile, and agriculture and engineering sectors to build export potential of the country in coming months.
Talking about the external trade situation during the past three months, he said the situation of exports was not good as those had declined in April 2020 by around 54 per cent as compared to the same month of last year and the reason obviously behind the decline was the spread of coronavirus across the world.
Replying to another question, he informed that in last 10 months (July-April) of current fiscal year 2019-20, the overall exports were declined by four percent as compared to the corresponding period of last year.
He said the exports increased by 13 percent in February, however, started reducing from March which had decline the exports by 6.5 per cent as compared to the last year.
However, he said even during the current lockdown situation, in the beginning of COVID- 19 pandemic, Pakistan exported textile and non-textile products while the country’s food exports increased especially in the Middle Eastern market.
Likewise, exports in steel articles also increased in the last three months in the critical situation.
Razak Dawood said the government was prioritizing to promote ‘Made in Pakistan’ policy to boost local production and reduce dependence on import and enhance exports.
While the adviser emphasized the need for exploiting the huge opportunities of increasing exports in the health and safety products like personal protective equipments (PPE) including protective masks, gloves, sanitizers, clothing, helmets, goggles and other garments or equipment designed for protection from COVID -19.
He said a summary in that regard had already been forwarded to the cabinet, while the ministry was also negotiating the future strategy for increasing the exports to help export-led economic growth.
“We should conclude our all strategy and start manufacturing in different sectors to achieve our exports targets,” he added.
11th World Rice Conference (Closing)
Author: DA Communications Group | 14
November 2019
Three
secretaries attended the closing sessions of The Rice Trader (TRT) 11th World
Rice Conference on November 13, 2019 in Makati.During the session, Agriculture Secretary William Dar, Trade and Industry Secretary Ramon Lopez, and Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez presented the positive impact of the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL) to the Philippine rice industry and urging the public to give the new law a chance for proper implementation.
The secretaries and the officials of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) also presented measures to make the RTL work during
In addition, the secretaries called for fair rice trade and stricter issuance of the sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) Import Clearance or SPSIC. (Photos by Gian Carlo Luague, DA-AFID)
Ministry to strictly manage rice exports via international border gates
The Ministry of Industry and Trade
(MoIT) will continue to strictly manage rice exports through international
border gates, said an official.
Friday, May 15, 2020 20:39
Packing
rice for export (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) – The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) will continue to strictly manage rice exports through international border gates, said an official.
Tran Thanh Hai, Deputy Director of the MoIT’s Export-Import Department, said at the ministry’s regular press conference on May 15 that although rice is a key export staple, it is a must to ensure the country's food security.
The ministry will also coordinate with competent forces to increase inspections in order to prevent rice smuggling across borders, he said.
Statistics showed that Vietnam shipped abroad 2.1 million tonnes of rice valued at 991 million USD in the first four months of this year, up 1.1 percent in volume and 4.1 percent in value.
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has agreed with the MoIT’s proposal to resume rice exports from May 1, in accordance with Decree 107/2018/ND-CP on rice exports.
In implementing the PM’s instructions regarding rice exports in the time ahead, the ministry has asked cities and provinces to supervise businesses’ ensuring circulated reserves at at least 5 percent of the total rice export volume, Hai told the Vietnam News Agency.
In addition, the ministry has urged the 20 biggest rice exporters to sign agreements with at least a supermarket system to ensure food reserves for circulation.
The MoIT will continue its close coordination with other ministries, agencies, localities and the Vietnam Food Association to implement solutions to facilitate rice exports in terms of procedures, logistics and credit.
Notably, it will keep a close watch on the developments of domestic and global rice demand-supply and forecast actions to be taken by the world’s major importers and exporters, as well as the developments of diseases and natural disasters. Relevant reports will be submitted to the PM for decision making.
According to the MoIT, the country is projected to harvest 43.5 million tonnes of paddy this year, nearly 30 million tonnes of which is expected to be used for domestic consumption, and the rest for export./.
Faqh-e-Jafria Fitrana Fixed At Rs 250 Per Person
Talking to APP, he said Sadqa�e-Fitr is obligatory for every sane member of a family. People must not to forget the needy and deserving in Eid-ul-Fitr celebrations.
Fitrana is to be calculated according to the price of three kg of one's staple food.
That is, if the staple food is rice,
then the price of three kg rice is to be given to the poor.
The Fitrana could also be paid in accordance with the price
of date, raisin, corn and barley.
People
using rice as food should pay Rs 540 each as Fitrana. Giving Fitrana is obligatory upon the head of households, who are not poor themselves. The time for it, is before the Eid Prayer or Zuhr prayer of Eid-ul-Fitr. Paying Fitrana completes fasting and secures its acceptance.
Smuggling of PDS rice during pandemic will not be condoned, says HC
May
17, 2020 02:41 IST
Updated: May 17, 2020 02:20 IST
Dismissing
a plea that sought the release of a lorry, seized for allegedly transporting
Public Distribution System (PDS) rice illegally, the Madurai Bench of the
Madras High Court observed that smuggling of such rice cannot be condoned by
the court when there was shortage of essential commodities, in view of the
COVID-19 pandemic.The court was hearing the petition filed by M. Ramar from Madurai who sought a direction to the District Administration to release his lorry, seized for illegally transporting PDS rice. The petitioner said that he was a transport contractor for the Thiruparankundram Cooperative Credit Society and had the permission to transport essential commodities.
It was said that while unloading the essential commodities, the police had seized the vehicle along with 15 kgs of rice on the allegation that the driver had illegally transported PDS rice. It was said that at the time of seizure, the driver, without the knowledge of the petitioner, had been transporting PDS rice. The State maintained that the rice was being smuggled.
Justice C.V. Karthikeyan observed that people were facing an extraordinary situation in view of the COVID-19 pandemic and there was a necessity for the government to distribute rice and other essential commodities through fair price shops.
Transporting rice whether after getting it back from card holders or by smuggling the rice that was to be supplied to the common man cannot be condoned by the court, when every grain of rice was important, in view of the extraordinary situation. The lorry was seized by due process of law and the court was not inclined to grant any order directing the return of the same, the judge said.
Pakistan readies for second battle against crop-devouring locusts
KARACHI: To many farmers in southeast Pakistan, an impending locust attack when summer crops of cotton, sugarcane and rice are being sown, and fruit and vegetables are ready to be picked is a much bigger problem than the coronavirus pandemic.“If the crops are eaten up by the locusts, we will have a dire food security issue on our hands,” said Zahid Bhurgri, a farmer from Mirpur Khas district in Sindh province.
“The price of flour and vegetables will sky-rocket,” making staple foods hard for some to afford, added Bhurgri, who is also general secretary of the Sindh Chamber of Agriculture.
The United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates losses to agriculture from locusts this year could be as high as PKR 353 billion ($2.2 billion) for winter crops like wheat and potatoes and about PKR 464 billion for summer crops.
A May update from the FAO warned it would be “imperative” to contain and control the desert locust infestation in the midst of the additional impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on health, livelihoods, food security and nutrition for Pakistan’s most poor and vulnerable communities.
Last year, Pakistan suffered its worst attack of locusts since 1993, for which the country was largely unprepared.
Farmers now have little confidence the government will help them fight a new wave of voracious insects threatening their harvests – though officials said extensive measures were being taken.
“Neither the central, nor the provincial government is doing anything about it,” said Bhurgri, who grows vegetables, red chillies, cotton and sugarcane on about 600 acres of land.
‘PERFECT SETTING’
The locusts arrived in Pakistan from Iran in June 2019, devouring cotton, wheat and maize, among other crops.
The invasion was initially expected to subside by mid-November. But it has persisted due to favourable weather conditions for continued locust breeding, linked to global warming, according to FAO’s Pakistan office.
“Good vegetation due to plentiful rain and a sandy soil provided a perfect setting for the insects to multiply,” said Muhammad Tariq Khan, technical director at the Department of Plant Protection in the Ministry of National Food Security and Research.
In a recent letter to Prime Minister Imran Khan, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah warned of a “massive locust attack” expected on local farmland when swarms from Iran reach his province in mid-May, which could “prove more harmful” than last year’s invasion.
With little time to waste, farmer Bhurgri decided to take matters into his own hands and “fight the locusts myself”.
Using a power sprayer fixed on a tractor, he plans to douse them with pesticides while they rest on trees at night, and get his farmhands to clang pots and pans during the day to drive the pests from his land.
But there are many small-scale farmers who lack the means to deal with the locusts on their own, he added.
Some do not feel confident enough to invest in their crop this year or are cutting costs by not using the required amount of fertiliser, he noted.
CLIMATE CONNECTION
Mubarik Ahmed, national coordinator for locust control at FAO’s office in Karachi, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation that Pakistan had been taken by surprise last year when locusts wreaked havoc in all its four provinces.
Unprecedented rains that led to vegetation cover in Sindh’s Tharparkar desert had enabled the locusts to breed and then attack crop areas, he said.
The country was “relatively better prepared” to meet the challenge this year, he added. But the situation could get worse with huge swarms expected to arrive in the coming two to three months from Iran, Oman and the Horn of Africa.
Locust swarms are not new in East Africa, the Middle East and South Asia. But climate scientists say erratic weather linked to climate change has created ideal conditions for the insects to surge in numbers not seen in a quarter of a century.
Warmer seas have led to more cyclones in the Indian Ocean, causing heavy rainfall along the Arabian Peninsula and in the Horn of Africa, producing the perfect environment for breeding.
Experts say insect populations have found new homes across Pakistan and are now laying eggs in nearly 40% of its territory, including Sindh but mainly in the southwest province of Balochistan.
FAO locust forecaster Keith Cressman said locusts that had unusually stayed in parts of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the Indus Valley during the winter would now move southeast to their summer breeding areas in the Cholistan and Tharparkar deserts from May to July.
Swarms breeding in Pakistan’s deserts will likely be joined by others from southern Iran in a few weeks, with more likely to arrive from the Horn of Africa around July, experts predict.
The swarms are expected to be much larger than in 2019, because their numbers increase on average 20-fold with each generation. They travel in swarms of between 30 million to 50 million insects, covering a distance of 150 km (93 miles) and devouring 200 tonnes of crops per day.
NATIONAL PLAN
Khan of the Department of Plant Protection, who is the state’s focal point for locust control, said the government had been preparing for the next wave of locusts since last year.
In January, the ministry shared a national action plan for surveillance and control of the desert locusts with the prime minister, who declared the locust attacks a national emergency in February.
That helped drive things forward with funding, surveillance and control operations, coordinated with provincial agriculture departments, the National Disaster Management Authority, the FAO and the army, said Khan.
In addition, officials from the FAO, Afghanistan, India, Iran and Pakistan meet each week to discuss and plan for the regional situation, he added.
Khan said Pakistan now had “a fairly foolproof plan”, including aircraft and ground vehicles to spray the insects, pesticides and more than 1,000 trained teams of four people that can be deployed at short notice across the country.
Timely action since February in the remote desert of Balochistan, with support from the army, had so far helped tame the threat, he added.
Surveys detected the locusts’ breeding ground and the hoppers – or young locusts – have been sprayed regularly to kill them before they become adults, he said.
If control operations go according to plan, he remains hopeful Pakistan will not suffer the high levels of infestation now being experienced in the Horn of Africa.
“One of the reasons I say this with such confidence is that I know what their level of preparation is and what is ours right now,” he added. — Thomson Reuters Foundation
Xinhua world economic news summary at 0900 GMT, May 16
WASHINGTON -- U.S. House of Representatives on Friday passed a 3-trillion-U.S.-dollar coronavirus relief package, which was proposed by Democrats but not likely to gain approval from Republican-held Senate.The Democrat-led House passed the bill by vote of 208-199, shortly after the chamber agreed on a historic rules change to allow remote voting by proxy amid the COVID-19 pandemic. (US-House-Relief Package)
- - - -
WASHINGTON -- U.S. retail sales plunged by a record 16.4 percent in April amid mounting economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a report from the Commerce Department released Friday.
"The 16.4 percent drop in retail sales was a gut-punch and a reminder of the gravity of this crisis and how the efforts to contain it are hollowing out key components of the commerce that drives our economy," Tim Quinlan, senior economist of Wells Fargo Securities, wrote in an analysis. (US-Retail Sales-COVID-19)
- - - -
PHNOM PENH -- Cambodia will lift a ban on the exports of fish, white rice and paddy rice that had been put in place to ensure local food security during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"The Royal Government has decided to allow the exports of paddy rice, white rice and fish starting from May 20, 2020 onward," said a government's statement released late on Friday. (Cambodia-Export Ban-Lift)
- - - -
ISLAMABAD -- The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has announced to cut the country's policy rate by 100 basis points to 8 percent to support businesses against the COVID-19 impacts on the country's economy.
According to the statement from the SBP on Friday, the Monetary Policy Committee of the central bank slashed the rate, hoping that "the inflation outlook has improved further in light of the recent cut in domestic fuel prices" which can also lead inflation to fall closer to the lower end of the previously announced ranges of 11-12 percent this fiscal year and 7-9 percent next fiscal year. (Pakistan-Interest Rate-Cut)
Nominal Increase Of 0.01% Witnessed In Weekly Inflation
The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) based weekly inflation for the week ended on May 14, for the combined consumption group, witnessed nominal increase of 0.01 percent, Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) reported Friday
ISLAMABAD, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 15th May, 2020 ) :The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) based weekly inflation for the week ended on May 14, for the combined consumption group, witnessed nominal increase of 0.01 percent, Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) reported Friday.The SPI for the week under review in the above mentioned group was recorded at 127.31 points against 127.30 points registered in the previous week, the data release by SBP revealed.
The weekly SPI with base year 2015-16=100 is covering 17 urban centers and 51 essential items for all expenditure groups.
The Sensitive Price Indicator for the lowest consumption group upto Rs 17,732, however witnessed 0.04 percent decrease and went down from 133.36 points in last week to 133.30 points during the week under review while the inflation for consumption group from Rs.17,733-22,888 also decreased by 0.02 percent.
On the other hand, the SPI for the consumption groups from, Rs.22,889-29,517, Rs 29,518-44,175 and above Rs44,175 per month increased by 0.01 percent, 0.
04 percent, 0.01 percent respectively.
During
the week, prices of 11 items decreased, 14 items decreased while that
of 26 items remained constant. The items, which recorded decrease in their average prices included onions, LPG Cylinder, gram pulse, masoor pulse, potatoes, moong pulse, mash pulse, eggs, sugar, wheat flour and vegetable ghee.
The commodities, which recorded increase in their average prices included bananas, chillies (powder), rice (Basmati Broken), milk (fresh), chicken, curd, mutton, beef, rice (Irri-6/9), tomatoes, mustard oil, gur, garlic and long cloth.
Similarly, the prices of the commodities that observed no change in their price during the week under review included bread (plain), milk (powdered), cooking oil (loose), vegetable ghee (tin), salt, tea (packet), cooked beef, cooked daal, tea (prepared), cigarettes, shirting, lawn, georgette, gents sandal, gents sponge, ladies sandal, electricity charges, gas charges, firewood, energy saver, washing sopa, match box, petrol, diesel, telephone local call and toiled soap
US warns of coronavirus scapegoating in India, Pakistan
US envoy
for religious freedom points to physical and online attacks against Muslims
Published: May
15, 2020 10:28 AFP
Muslim orphans wearing
facemasks pray while maintaining social distancing inside an orphanage centre
during Ramadan in Srinagar on May 11, 2020. The United States on May 14, 2020
voiced alarm over the targeting of religious minorities in both India and Pakistan,
warning against a search for internal scapegoats during the coronavirus
pandemic. Image Credit: AFP In a rare statement of US concern over India, Sam Brownback, the US ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom, pointed to both physical and online attacks against Muslims.
“In India, we’ve seen reports of unfortunate COVID-related rhetoric and harassment, particularly against the Muslim community, exacerbated by fake news reports - misinformation - being shared via social media,” he told reporters.
He did not blame the government, saying he was “encouraged” by public statements, including a call by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for unity.
The US Commission on International Religious Freedom, which advises but does not set government policy, last month said that India should be put on a blacklist due to its “dramatic” downturn in religious freedom under Modi.
New Delhi sharply rejected the criticism and it is highly unlikely that the State Department would act against India, an increasingly close ally of the United States.
Brownback also voiced concern about India’s neighbour Pakistan, whose new commission on religious minorities does not include the Ahmadi sect, which has faced years of deadly violence.
“I really think they missed an opportunity by pulling off the Ahmadi Muslim that was nominated to be on it,” Brownback said.
“I think their wilting to the public pressure really sends a bad signal,” he said
Referring to the pandemic, Brownback
said: “People are tense anyway, and then they look for a scapegoat, and then
unfortunately you get somebody that gives them one and you’re off at the
races.”
Exports up 12.7pc to Rs2.88tr in 10MFY20
By
May
15, 2020
The exports from the country during July-April (2019-2020) were recorded at Rs28,83,787 million as against Rs 25,58,582 million during the corresponding period of last year, showing an increase of 12.71pc, according to provisional data released by PBS.
However, on year-on-year basis, the exports from the country decreased by 46.62pc in April 2020 as compared to the exports of April 2019. The exports in April 2020 were recorded at Rs157,412 million as against the export of Rs294,883 million during April 2019.
Likewise, the exports on month-on-month basis decreased by 45.23pc in April 2020 when compared to the export of Rs287,411 million in March, 2020. The main commodities of exports during April 2020 were rice others (Rs21,663 million), knitwear (Rs15,173 million), Basmati rice (Rs15,012 million), bed wear (Rs12,628 million), readymade garments (Rs10,096 million), cotton cloth (Rs8,888 million), cotton yarn (Rs6,376 million), fish & fish preparation (Rs4,554 million), plastic materials (Rs4,402 million) and meat and meat preparations (Rs4,047 million).
On the other hand, imports during July-April (2019-2020) were recorded at Rs5,965,492 million as against Rs6,036,561 million during the corresponding period of last year, showing a decrease of 1.18pc.
The imports into the country during April, 2020 amounted to Rs526,880 million as against Rs525,410 million in March 2020 and Rs665,418 million during April 2019, showing an increase of 0.28pc over March 2020, but a decrease of 20.82pc over April 2019.
The main commodities of imports during April 2020 were petroleum products (Rs56,508 million), palm oil (Rs31,208 million), electrical machinery and apparatus (Rs27,667 million), natural gas, liquefied (Rs24,896 million), plastic materials (Rs23,910 million), raw cotton (Rs19,354 million), iron and steel scrap (Rs17,300 million) Iron and steel (Rs15,936 million), medicinal products (Rs12,222 million) and pulses (Rs10,340 million).
Kadiyam finds fault with centre on migrant workers issue
Addressing a charity programme taken up for the pastors families at Station Ghanpur constituency headquarters, the TRS leader and MLC said that the unplanned approaches of the Central Government during the lockdown period had thrown lakhs of migrant workers onto the roads
By AuthorTelanganaToday | Published: 16th May 2020 8:50
pm
Jangaon: Former
Deputy Chief Minister and MLC Kadiyam SrIhari on Saturday demanded the Central
Government formulate a uniform method to send the migrant workers back to their
native places without dragging the issue further. Addressing a charity
programme taken up for the pastors families at Station Ghanpur constituency
headquarters, the TRS leader and MLC said that the unplanned approaches of the
Central Government during the lockdown period had thrown lakhs of migrant
workers onto the roads.“It was due to this approach, accidents on the rail track in Maharashtra and on the roads in Uttar Pradesh claimed 40 odd lives of the nation builders. The Centre which is keen on writing off huge sums of debts of the corporates and influential willful defaulters is burdening the commoners and migrants with their unwarranted impositions,” he alleged. These poor people on the roads may not even be covered in the package announced by the Centre with whopping 20 lakh crore, he added. The Former Deputy Chief Minister was in all praise for the Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao for his positive direction in dealing the Corona crisis and added the strict and planned measures initiated by the Chief Minister had become inspiration to the other States of the country. The TRS MLC said his family and a charity unit of Kadiyam Foundation run by his daughter Dr Kadiyam Kavya has chosen a path of providing groceries to the needy sections during the lockdown and so far 2000 families were supported. On Saturday about 250 pastors were provided Rs 2.5 lakh worth groceries and other basic needs through the Kadiyam Foundation. The programme was attended by District Library Chairman of Jangaon Adavelly Krishna Reddy, District Rice Millers Association Chairman Belide Venkanna, Kadiyam Foundation Member Rajesh Naik, former ZPTC Swami Naik and others.
.
Farmers incur losses due to low boro price
Harvesting completed in haor, 50pc nationally
Staff Correspondent | Published: 22:40, May 14,2020 | Updated: 00:42, May 15,2020
Farmers are incurring heavy
losses after growing boro rice as following the harvest they are now forced to
sell their rice at a lower price than the rate fixed by the government, said
officials.
Farmers
were selling 40kg of boro paddy at Tk 650 to Tk 900 though the government rate
was set at Tk 1040 per mound or 40 kg. The government decided to procure 8 lakh tonnes of paddy from farmers, 1.5 lakh tonnes of atob rice and 10 lakh tonnes of rice during the Boro season.
Agriculture experts said that the government’s procurement system did not leave any impact on pricing due to its insignificant amount against the total production.
Besides, the government’s policy on procurement of husked rice benefitted the millers, they said.
About two crore tonnes of boro are expected to be produced this year, said officials of the Department of Agricultural Extension.
According to the agriculture ministry, farmers have fully completed their boro harvest in the country’s haor belt while about 50 per cent harvest of boro have been harvested nationally.
Agriculture minister Abdur Razzaque on Thursday said that farmers have grown boro rice this year on 47.54 lakh hectares of land across the country.
While briefing journalists online from his secretariat office, the minister claimed that farmers were getting fair prices for the boro crop.
Based on information sent from 14 agriculture regions of the Department of Agricultural Extension, the minister said that in Sylhet, 40 kg of wet rice was selling at Tk 700 to Tk 750 while 40 kg of dried rice was selling at Tk 800 to Tk 850.
In Moulvivazar, 40 kg of wet rice was selling at Tk 650 to Tk 750 and dried rice at Tk 750 to Tk 800. In Habiganj, farmers were selling wet rice at Tk 650 to Tk 700 and dried rice at Tk 750 to Tk 800.
In Cumilla, the minister said that 77 per cent of boro was harvested and 40 kg of coarse rice was selling at Tk 750 to Tk 800 and fine rice at Tk 900.
In Khulna, 73 per cent of boro was harvested and farmers were selling at Tk 760 to Tk 880 per mound.
In Mymensingh, standing boro rice was selling at Tk 650 to Tk 700 per mound.
The minister said that the government was implementing an incentives programme of Tk 9,000 crore for agriculture sector.
Additionally, he said that a special loan of Tk 19,500 crore was provided for farmers at 4 per cent interest rate.
Visakhapatnam:
AUTD distributes 1,000 food packets to migrants Hans News Service |
17 May 2020 2:57 AM IST
AUTD
distributes 1,000 food packets to migrantsMigrant workers getting food packets
during a break in Visakhapatnam Highlights Visakhapatnam: Association for Urban
and Tribal Development (AUTD) distributed 1,000 food packets to the migrant
workers who have been set out on foot ... Visakhapatnam: Association for Urban
and Tribal Development (AUTD) distributed 1,000 food packets to the migrant
workers who have been set out on foot from Visakhapatnam. The migrant workers,
engaged at NTPC, rice millers at Atchutapuram and other areas, were heading to
Odisha, Jharkhand and Bihar. Some of them were reached out to
Anakapalle-Anandapuram junction stretch. Also Read - Uttar Pradesh: 24 Migrants
Killed, Many Injured In Ghastly Road Accident Human Rights Forum AP and TS
coordination committee member V.S. Krishna, members of HRF, students and
employees chipped in to extend support to the migrant workers by mobilising
funds to the tune of Rs.1 lakh for the workers' food and refreshments. AUTD
contributed to the cause by cooking and packing the food from the shelter
kitchen with the help of the inmates, AUTD secretary Vasu Pragada said. He said
migrant workers complained of the government's negligence in providing them
transport facility to reach their native places. They also alleged that the
companies they were working for grossly neglected them during the lockdown
period.
https://www.thehansindia.com/andhra-pradesh/visakhapatnam-autd-distributes-1000-food-packets-to-migrants-622941
https://www.thehansindia.com/andhra-pradesh/visakhapatnam-autd-distributes-1000-food-packets-to-migrants-622941
CM KCR’s video conference with district officials postponed
By AuthorTelanganaToday | Published: 15th May 2020 9:34
pm
Hyderabad: The
proposed video conference of Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao with District
Collectors, Agricultural Officers and Rytu Bandhu Samithi Presidents on Friday
has been postponed. The Chief Minister was expected to address issues such as
comprehensive agricultural policy and regulated farming with the officials and
ground level functionaries. While the Chief Minister will be addressing them
via video conference within three to four days, his office informed that the
decision to postpone the video conference was taken due to inconclusive talks
with rice millers on Thursday at Pragathi Bhavan.
Ponnam Prabhakar finds
fault with TS government
Prabhakar said that though Telangana
Congress opposed the Andhra leaders' attempts to take water from Pothireddypadu
in united AP, TRS then blamed Telangana Congress leaders and termed them as
water thieves.
By AuthorTelanganaToday |
Published: 14th May 2020 4:42
pmUpdated: 14th May 2020 6:27 pm
Karimnagar: TPCC working president
Ponnam Prabhakar on Thursday found fault with the State government for allowing
the Andhra Pradesh government to lift Krishna river water to Rayalasema from
Pothireddypadu project.
“The agitation for separate
statehood for Telangana State was based on water share, funds and employment.
The AP government is again trying to mete out injustice to Telangana people by
illegally lifting Krishna water from Pothireddypadu,” he said, adding that the
Telangana government was continuing to be a mute spectator even as the neighbouring
State made plans to utilise the water illegally.
Speaking to the media here,
Prabhakar said that though Telangana Congress opposed the Andhra leaders’
attempts to take water from Pothireddypadu in united AP, TRS then blamed
Telangana Congress leaders and termed them as water thieves. “Why is the State
government now officially allowing AP to take water by setting aside the core
demand of Telangana agitation,” he questioned.
During his visit to film actress and
Andhra leader Roja’s house, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao assured her that
he would make Rayalasema area green, he alleged, and wondered the reason behind
the Chief Minister’s promise.
To facilitate withdrawal of water
from Pothireddypadu, Chandrasekhar Rao reduced the storage capacity of Palamuru
and Rangareddy projects to 1 tmc from 2 tmc, the Congress leader alleged.
Talking about the State government’s
alleged proposal to deny Rythu Bandhu to farmers who do not follow regulated
farming, he said: “It is an autocratic decision. Farmers should have freedom to
cultivate crops according to their wish,” he said.
Claiming that rice millers were
deducting two kg of paddy crop when the produce reached the mills, he said
farmers were summoned to the mills and were told about the deduction, and that
it they don’t fall in line, they would dump the crop. “If they have any
problems, millers should solve them by discussing with the government but not
do injustice to farmers,” he said.
Visakhapatnam: AUTD
distributes 1,000 food packets to migrants Hans News Service
| 17 May 2020 2:57 AM IST Migrant
workers getting food packets during a break in Visakhapatnam HIGHLIGHTS
Visakhapatnam: Association for Urban and Tribal Development (AUTD) distributed
1,000 food packets to the migrant workers who have been set out on foot ...
Visakhapatnam: Association for Urban and Tribal Development (AUTD) distributed
1,000 food packets to the migrant workers who have been set out on foot from
Visakhapatnam. The migrant workers, engaged at NTPC, rice millers at
Atchutapuram and other areas, were heading to Odisha, Jharkhand and Bihar. Some
of them were reached out to Anakapalle-Anandapuram junction stretch. Also Read
- Uttar Pradesh: 24 Migrants Killed, Many Injured In Ghastly Road Accident
Human Rights Forum AP and TS coordination committee member V.S. Krishna,
members of HRF, students and employees chipped in to extend support to the
migrant workers by mobilising funds to the tune of Rs.1 lakh for the workers'
food and refreshments. AUTD contributed to the cause by cooking and packing the
food from the shelter kitchen with the help of the inmates, AUTD secretary Vasu
Pragada said. He said migrant workers complained of the government's negligence
in providing them transport facility to reach their native places. They also
alleged that the companies they were working for grossly neglected them during
the lockdown period.
16 May 2020 8:50 AM IST 24 Migrants
Killed, Many Injured In Ghastly Road Accident HIGHLIGHTS Twenty-four labourers
were killed and several injured after the truck they were travelling in,
collided with another truck in Auraiya, the news agency ANI reported. Auraiya,
(UP): Twenty-four labourers were killed and several injured after the truck
they were travelling in, collided with another truck in Auraiya, the news
agency ANI reported. The incident took place at around 3:30 am. The injured
have been shifted to the nearest hospital. Most of the migrant workers are
reported to be from Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal, 
ANI quoted the District Magistrate of Auraiya as saying.
ANI quoted the District Magistrate of Auraiya as saying.
They were going to Bihar and
Jharkhand from Rajasthan. Media reports stated that around 15-20 migrants
suffered injuries in the accident. According to the Chief Medical Officer (CMO)
Auraiya, Archana Srivastava, 24 people were brought dead, ANI reports. She
added that 22 accident victims have been admitted to the hospital. Dr.
Srivastava observed that 15 who were critically injured have been referred to
PGI at Saifai. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Yogi Adityanath is said to have
taken note of the gruesome road accident in Auraiya and has directed authorities
to supervise prompt medical attention to the injured. The UP Chief Minister
also directed the Commissioner and IG of Kanpur range to rush to the spot and
monitor relief operations. Yogi Adityanath conveyed his sympathies to members
of the deceased accident victims. 15 migrant workers were killed in three
separate accidents in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh earlier this
week. It may be recalled that on May 8, 15 workers were mowed down by a goods
train near Jalna in Aurangabad of Maharashtra. Email ArticlePrint Article More
On Migrants Killed Road accident Yogi Adityanath Uttar Pradesh Migrant
labours Download The Hans India Android
App or iOS App for the Latest update on your phone. More Stories Uttar Pradesh:
24 Migrants Killed, Many Injured In Ghastly Road... Ongole: Long March to Home
Hyderabad: Migrant labour issue badly mishandled by Central,... Tirupati: YSR
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food packets TRIO World Academy management distributes over 250 food
packets,... Bhadrachalam: Whip distributes food packets to the needy Tirupati:
Food packets, commodities supplied to poor, destitutes TTD to donate 50K food
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Restrict paddy to 65 lakh acres, experts tell Telangana CM KCR
Agriculture experts have suggested to the State government that paddy cultivation should be restricted to 60 to 65 lakh acres under both Kharif and Rabi.
Published: 16th May 2020 08:35
AM | Last Updated: 16th May 2020 08:35 AM |
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao
(File | EPS)
HYDERABAD: Agriculture experts have suggested
to the State government that paddy cultivation should be restricted to 60 to 65
lakh acres under both Kharif and Rabi.
Only then would farmers get remunerative
prices, the experts state. Paddy area should be restricted to 40 lakh
acres in Kharif and 35 lakh acres in Rabi, they said.
The experts also suggested that the government
discourage cultivation of maize in Kharif season. Instead of maize, the farmers
can raise cotton in around 10 to 15 lakh acres in Kharif season, the experts
suggested.
Suggestions on cropping patterns
Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao held a
meeting with agriculture experts and officials of Agriculture University on
Friday on the proposed new agriculture policy. During the meeting, the experts
suggested various changes in cropping patterns. The State government purchased
the entire agriculture produce of the present Rabi season during the lockdown.
But the government cannot do so every year, the experts said. Hence farmers
should raise crops which are in demand, they suggested. If all the farmers
continue to cultivate paddy, they will suffer losses.
Cultivation of cotton is more profitable than
the paddy, they opined. Revenue from one acre for paddy farmers is Rs 30,000
while it is Rs 50,000 for cotton.
Farmers could cultivate cotton on 70 lakh acres
in the State, the experts suggested. Red gram should be cultivated in around 10
to 15 lakh acres. Meanwhile, the CM’s video conference with the
representatives of Rythu Bandhu on Friday was cancelled as talks with the rice
millers on Thursday night were inconclusive. The video conference will be
conducted on May 18.
Deregulation of Agri
products will improve supply: Traders
Representatives of Telangana Oil
Traders and Trade Association said the deregulation of agricultural commodities
will improve supply as restrictions on movement between States might cease.
By AuthorJBS Umanadh |
Published: 16th May 2020 12:31 am
Hyderabad: The no-stock-limits and
deregulation of cereal, edible oils, oil seeds, pulses, onions and potatoes
announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her third tranche of the Rs
20 lakh crore economic package on Friday, was welcomed by traders in Telangana.
Speaking with Telangana Today,
several trade organisations that deal with agricultural commodities, however,
said the Union government should have come up with these measures in March
itself.Sohanlal Joshi, General Secretary of Hyderabad Dal Mill Merchants
Association, said the 150-member strong merchants group has been struggling to
supply dal even during lockdown. “We have been bringing dal from Maharashtra
and Karnataka with special permission from Telangana Civil Supplies Department
and we are allowed to keep a stock for 15 days,” he said. Joshi says that the
no-stock-limit declared by the Centre will help improve supplies helping those
who have storage capacities up to 50 tonne.
Joshi says that the Essential
Commodities Act doesn’t apply to them except in times of national calamities
and they have been allowed to maintain fair amount of stock as such. “However,
we have been put through several problems during lockdown while transporting
pulses particularly by the civil authorities. But we have not resorted to black
marketing and supplied dal to every retailer,” he said and added that opening
up of the market of agricultural commodities by deregulating the market might
see an influx of big players taking away the mostly community based localised
business.
Representatives of Telangana Oil
Traders and Trade Association said the deregulation of agricultural commodities
will improve supply as restrictions on movement between States might cease.
Karodimal Aggarwal, General Secretary of the Association, pointed out that more
the supply of edible oil and oil seeds, the less will be the price that will
ultimately benefit the consumer.
“We supplied oil even during
lockdown taking several risks. As there is not much of oil seeds grown in
Telangana except cotton, we depend more on Indonesian palm oil that comes to
Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh and we crush the pods here in Telangana. We get
groundnut oil from Maharashtra, sunflower from Indonesia and Malaysia. If the
market is deregulated, then there will be better supply leading to stable oil
prices,” he said. However, the oil merchants believe that edible oil prices
will not come down considerably till Telangana pumps up its own oil seed production.
On the other hand, Telangana Rice
Millers Association President G Nagendra says that the stock limit on rice
millers was lifted several years ago and that there was no ceiling on the
quantity they can process at their mills. Former President of Rice Millers
Association, Miryalaguda, Manchukonda Venkateswarlu said that millers will face
the problem of storage even as the Centre deregulates the market.
“We have been urging the State
government to give us subsidy so that we can enhance existing capacity of the
mills or construct new mills. Now that the economy is opening up, we hope that
movement of rice will be be freed. The government must let us market the
commodity wherever there is demand. At present, we are sending par boiled rice
to Kerala and Tamil Nadu only,” he said. He also demanded that the government
lift the rule of milling of 70 per cent of fine variety and 30 per cent of
coarse variety on millers as there is no market for coarse variety in other
countries due to lockdown.
Cambodia lifts ban on rice exports
By New
Straits Times - May 16, 2020 @ 9:00am
Cambodia
Rice Federation data shows that total rice exports to international markets
reached more than 300,000 tonnes in the first four months of the year. - AFPThe ban was initially imposed on April 5 due to fears of food supply shortages amid the Covid-19 pandemic, although it allowed contracts to be honoured.
The government announced yesterday that the private sector could resume the export of white rice to the international market from May 20. This comes after a request to lift the ban was made by the Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF).
The lifting of the ban also comes as the Philippines seeks to import an additional 300,000 tonnes of milled rice from major producers in Southeast Asia.
The Khmer Times reports that over the past few weeks, CRF has been requesting the government to revise the ban of white rice exports "as soon as possible" so that rice millers could clear old stock and pay back debt owed to padi farmers.
Rice millers have also been concerned that an oversupply would occur and they would not be ready to buy padi during the early July harvest.
CRF chairman Hun Lak said he welcomed the government's move and that Cambodia now had a food safety net.
"We now have enough rice and padi to supply the domestic market.
"From April until now, we exported on average of 70,000 tonnes of rice per month, with 85 per cent of this being fragrant rice, while white rice has been the other 15 per cent."
CRF president Song Saran said the storage capacity of rice mills in Cambodia was at 1.9 million tonnes per season, with silo capacity at approximately 45,000 tonnes per day.
He told The Phnom Penh Post that lifting the ban would boost Cambodia's white rice exports to countries facing food shortages.
"We know that Covid-19 has affected food supply chains and this will contribute to the food needs of other countries.
"At the same time, it will help us create jobs for millers and farmers."
The Philippines, the world's largest rice importer, wants to order around 300,000 tonnes of milled rice from a number of rice producing countries in the region, including Cambodia, to increase state rice stockpiles.
Its government had asked major rice producers in Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar and India to ship milled rice before the third quarter.
As the Philippines sought to import more rice, CRF had called on the country to order rice from Cambodia, said Saran.
Only 200 tonnes of milled rice was exported to the Philippines in the first four months of this year, government data shows.
"Cambodia is focused on exporting fragrant rice, premium rice of which nearly 80 per cent is exported to international markets, so we are studying the possibility of any quantity that we can export to the Philippines.
"We hope that we will find a trade partner in the Philippines, and we call on companies in the Philippines to order rice from Cambodia," Saran said.
CRF data shows that total rice exports to international markets reached more than 300,000 tonnes in the first four months of the year, up 40.46 per cent over the same period last year.
Rice imports
May 16, 2020
UNDOUBTEDLY, the government is doing a delicate balancing act between the impoverished rice farmers’ welfare and that of the beleaguered consumers not only in the metropolis but elsewhere.
In this graft-prone Southeast Asian nation of more than 100 million people, farmers and others whose cash and livelihood depend on the rice industry are against the importation of the grains.The consumers, on other hand, want to bring down the price of the grain owing to the skyrocketing prices of other essential commodities, like gasoline and other petroleum products.
In opposing rice importation, particularly during the harvest season, our farmers, who comprise the bulk of the population, said that an oversupply of the grains in the local market is bad news to them.
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“Kasi alam naming mga magsasaka na bababa ng
husto ang presyo ng palay kapag sobra-sobra ang binibili nating bigas mula sa
mga kalapit na bansa,” an aging rice farmer lamented.“Talagang masamang-masama ang loob namin kapag nag-iimport tayo ng bigas dahil ang makikinabang dito ay ang mga magsasaka sa labas ng bansa,” according to the irate farmer.
That’s why, the country’s farmers commended House Deputy Speaker and 1-Pacman party-list Rep. Mikee Romero for urging the government to postpone the importation of rice.
Romero, president of the 54-strong Party-list Coalition Foundation, Inc., said the government ought to postpone the importation until our rice farmers have harvested their main season crop.
Admittedly, traders are monitoring rice prices on which they base their buying price for the farmers’ palay harvest.
Boro acreage falls to three-year low
Govt hopeful about achieving target, experts differ
FE file photo The government officials are still optimistic to achieve this year's Boro output target following rise in productivity, while experts are doubtful due to the fall in total cultivation area.
The government has set the target of growing 20.04 million tonnes of rice on 4.86 million hectares of land in this Boro season.
But Boro cultivation area has declined to 4.75 million hectares this year, which was 4.9 million hectares last year, according to primary data of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE).
The country produced an all-time-high 20.03 million tonnes of Boro rice last year, the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) data showed.
BBS and DAE data showed acreage was 4.86 million tonnes and production was 19.5 million tonnes in 2018 Boro season.
"Boro cultivation area has declined this season. Many farmers, upset with low paddy and rice prices, switched to other crops like corn, vegetables and tobacco etc," said an official of the Agrarian Research Foundation, Bangladesh (ARF).
He noted that farmers got Tk 380-650 for per maund of paddy in last Boro and Aman seasons against their production cost of Tk 750-960 a maund based on area and crop varieties.
It is a matter of concern, as Boro season fulfils 55-56 per cent of the country's rice demand.
He opined that achieving the target will be tough this season, as per hectare yield should have to be above 4.21 tonnes.
It might not be possible, as production of hybrid varieties has not increased this year. Besides, many farmers witnessed a blast in their fields in Rangpur and Rajshahi regions in March-April period, he added.
Agri-economist Prof Golam Hafeez Kennedy said the country will need maximum 20.0 million tonnes of rice for next seven months before beginning of Aman harvest.
Boro and Aus rice will feed people until then, as these two could make more than 22.5 million tones.
If Boro production will remain within 19.5 million tonnes in this season, it will be a handsome output.
He opined that the government agencies concerned should avoid any kind of exaggeration over rice output.
Authentic data on rice production is needed for timely and effective implementation of food policies during and after the pandemic period.
He further said rice export should be stopped for an indefinite period following the pandemic.
Rice import policy should also be reviewed after July, with the end of primary trading of Boro crop by farmers, he added.
Presently, importers have to pay 55 per cent duty to import rice.
DAE deputy director (monitoring and evaluation unit) Md Mizanur Rahman said total acreage declined to some extent. But per hectare yield has increased thanks to favourable weather and rise in use of modern seed varieties.
He also said post-harvest loss is also going to decline amid rise in number of modern machinery. More than 2,000 units of combined harvesters are being used for harvesting paddy this year.
"So, we are expecting that the target of getting 20.04 million tonnes of rice from this Boro season can be achieved."
He added that harvest of 48 per cent Boro crop has been completed so far across the country.
Agriculture Minister Dr Mohammad Abdur Razzaque in a press briefing on Thursday said farmers are getting reasonable prices for their crop in this Boro season.
They are getting Tk 650-750 a maund for new paddy (wet), and Tk 750-900 for dry paddy.
The minister also said the government is giving Tk 195 billion loans to farmers at 4.0 per cent interest. Incentives amounting to Tk 90 billion have been provided to them in the form of fertiliser and electricity rebate.
Besides, the government has taken policies to keep farmers in cultivation to ensure sound agriculture productivity, he added.
Meanwhile, rice prices, which increased significantly in March due to panic buying ahead of the lockdown, declined to some extent in last one and half weeks amid start of Boro harvest in full swing.
All kinds of rice prices showed a decline of Tk 2.0-3.0 per kg in the city markets during the period. But coarse rice is still selling at Tk 42-44 a kg, medium rice Tk 48-52 a kg, finer rice at Tk 57-65 a kg, according to groceries.
The current rice prices are 8.0-10 per cent higher than those of a year back, according to the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB).
However, according to the Directorate General of Food (DGoF) data, public warehouses have a handsome stock of 1.05 million tonnes of the staple food.
The DGoF has already started purchasing 1.95 million tonnes of rice and paddy under its Boro procurement programme.
Rice production hit the record of 37.2 million tonnes in fiscal year 2018-19, according to BBS.
Rice prices shot up to US$ 450-560 a tonne in the global market, according to IndexMundi, a global commodity web-portal. It recorded 9.0-14 per cent hike in rice prices in last two months mainly due to the pandemic across the globe.
tonmoy.wardad@gmail.com
Can government decide what farmers grow in their fields?
Paddy cultivation has been a worry for water conservationists for long worldwide. And, paddy is not the only water-guzzling crop to have come under the scanner.
New Delhi
May 16, 2020
UPDATED:
May 16, 2020 15:41 IST
Haryana has banned paddy sowing in
some of its blocks earlier this week. (Rep photo: PTI)
Beyond
the frightening cries of coronavirus outbreak and displaced migrants, a section
of farmers in Punjab, Haryana and Telangana, to begin with, are debating this:
Can government decide which crop they cultivate in their fields?It began with Punjab. The story began during 1970's as a side-effect of green revolution but in mid-2000's, it assumed critical proportion. Incumbent Captain Amarinder Singh was chief minister of Punjab back then.
Wide-scale cropping of paddy had caused extensive decline of water table in Punjab. Some suggested bringing a law to regulate paddy culture. "A law telling farmers when to sow paddy? Nobody will accept it," Captain had said.
Finally, a law came in Punjab in 2009. It is called the Preservation of Sub-soil Water Act and authorizes the government to notify the dates for paddy transplantation.
Neighbouring Haryana emulated the law, which empowers the state government to destroy standing paddy crops or a nursery to save water.
The cost of uprooting the roots of the plants is to be borne by the farmers, who will be penalized Rs 10,000 per hectare per month for violation of the law.
Notifying dates is an important tool with the government to save water. It is estimated that if paddy is sown in April-May, producing one kg of rice requires 4,500 litres of water.
If transplantation dates are advanced to mid-June, water requirement comes down to 1,500-2,000 litres per kg of rice. Difference is due to rate of evaporation and onset of monsoon during the period.
Punjab has since been encouraging farmers to shift to cash-crops such as cotton instead of paddy. Now, Haryana and Telangana have adopted additional measures to virtually dictate what farmers should grow.
Villafuerte pushes for more funding for agricultural development
Published May 17, 2020, 7:01 PM
By
Charissa Luci-AtienzaDeputy Speaker and Camarines Sur 2nd district Rep. Luis Raymund “LRay” Villafuerte pushed on Sunday (May 17) for a bigger funding allocation for agricultural development in the proposed 2021 national budget to better equip the country for the “new normal” and reset the economy.
Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Raymund “LRay”
Villafuerte (FACEBOOK / MANILA BULLETIN)
He said
aside from infrastructure and social services, “the long-term goal of attaining
sufficiency in rice and other basic foodstuff in the post-pandemic scenario”
should be prioritized under the the proposed 2021 General Appropriations Act
(GAA).“Alongside ‘Build, Build, Build,’ the Duterte administration needs to likewise put ‘Plant, Plant, Plant’ on the front burner to best prepare the country for the ‘new normal’ once the pandemic spawned by the lethal COVID-19 has been contained,” Villafuerte said in a statement, even as he welcomed the Duterte government’s proposed five-pronged priority agenda, which included the Build, Build, Build infrastructure development program and food production as among the priorities to rebuild the economy. The principal author of Republic Act (RA) No. 11469 or the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act said he is seeking “a two-fold, or even three-fold, increase in the 2021 budget of the Department of Agriculture (DA).”
He called on Congress “to augment the 2020 outlay of the Department so it could dramatically boost agricultural productivity in the year’s second half and in 2021.”
“While rebooting the President’s centerpiece infrastructure modernization program would enable the economy to stage a quick recovery as soon as the pandemic is over, giving top priority as well to agriculture development would boost farm output that would, hopefully, make the Philippines self-sufficient in rice and other basic foodstuff in the long run,” the House leader said.
Villafuerte batted for a P31 billion extra or emergency allocation for the DA this year to “increase agri-fishery output through the large-scale use of high-yield quality seeds, vital farm inputs like fertilizers, and modern technologies to increase levels of productivity for all commodities.”
He said the P31 billion funding is needed for the DA’s implementation of its Ahon Lahat, Pagkaing Sapat (Alpas) Kontra sa COVID-19 program, which seeks to raise agricultural productivity and achieve food sufficiency during and after the global health crisis.
“The DA has secured an extra P8.5 billion for the rice-resiliency component of its Alpas project, but is still awaiting Palace approval for the balance of P21.5 billion for the rest of its self-sufficiency program,” the House leader noted.
Villafuerte also pointed to the need to increase the National Food Authority’s (NFA) budget to buy more palay (unhusked rice) from local farmers “at a higher support price.”
“If there is one thing that the ongoing global health crisis has taught us this early, is the primacy of self-sufficiency as countries isolate themselves and shutter their businesses in a frantic bid to prevent the spread of a highly infectious pathogen that has sickened almost two million people and killed over 123,000 across the globe,” he said.
He expressed his concern that some countries are planning to reduce or shelve the export of their rice stocks and other prime agricultural products, to guarantee enough supply for their people during the health crisis.
Villafuerte described as “disturbing” Vietnam’s plan in March to reduce or even put off exports of its surplus rice stocks to ensure reliable and sufficient food supply for its own people.
He noted that Vietnam is the primary source of the Philippines’ rice imports, accounting for about two-thirds of such shipments. Other main sources of imported rice are Thailand and Myanmar.
Citing reports, Villafuerte noted that Russia also intended to cut its grains shipments abroad to protect its own food security, while Kazakhstan has also banned the overseas sale of its wheat flour, carrots, sugar, and potatoes.
“What happens when the time comes after the pandemic when we might have all the money to import rice or other basic agricultural commodities, but there is nowhere to buy them?” he said.
He saiid the social amelioration subpanel of the House’s Defeat COVID-19 committee (DCC) has passed House Resolution (HR) No. 821 backing a supplemental budget for the DA for its food supply availability and price stabilization programs.
Villafuerte, the subpanel’s co-chair, also earlier pushed for a three-year, P1.5-trillion stimulus program that seeks to reset the economy and create jobs.
Food security concerns highlight opportunity for African agriculture
As countries such as Vietnam and India ban rice exports during the pandemic, many nations on the continent are revisiting ways of feeding their people from sources closer to home
Workers
remove weeds as they tend to fields at a farm in Eikenhof, South Africa. Reuters
Africa has about 60 per cent of the world’s available but unused farmland, according to World Bank figures. It also has around 80 million people that need emergency food aid right now.
While food poverty has long been an issue, many governments have neglected their farming potential, instead investing their energy in high value mineral or oil and gas production.
Food is mostly produced by subsistence farmers while imports of staples such as rice, wheat and maize bolster supply. Any shortfall because of drought or conflict is usually met the global community.
With the world’s logistic supply chain locked down amid the global pandemic, and many food producers such as India and Vietnam banning rice exports, this is no longer the case.
“Across sub-Saharan Africa, we see a trend for governments to want to move away from food imports,” says Liz Whitehouse, managing director of research company Africa House in Johannesburg.
“Countries are beginning to introduce incentives to improve agriculture, agro-processing and food, and to encourage beverage manufacturing locally.”
Cameroon and Nigeria are among those who have an expanding list of import restricted foods, while others such as Uganda continue to explore free trade zones for agriculture that provide tax-free access for outside agro-investors.
Angola, meanwhile, recently said that the UAE is investing $200 million (Dh734.6m) in agriculture technology centres across the country.
Even Zimbabwe, where more than seven million people need food assistance, wants to rebuild a modern agriculture economy.
The country’s experiment with land reforms, centred around the eviction of white commercial farmers, has been a disaster, leading to the destruction of the once productive industry.
Ever since the ousting of former president Robert Mugabe in late 2017, the incumbent administration under Emmerson Mnangagwa has tried to lure back skilled farmers, technicians and even financiers.
“The president personally asked me if I’d take the job, so I said yes,” says Marc Holtzman, a US banker appointed chairman of the country’s largest private lending institution, the Commercial Bank of Zimbabwe, late last year.
Mr Mnangagwa has been recruiting skilled technocrats to help restore the country to nutritional independence and eventually once again become a net exporter of food.
CBZ has assets of around $1 billion, and will partner with the government to provide finance for machinery, fertiliser and other essential inputs.
For instance, the bank is backing the return of US tractor manufacturer John Deere to Zimbabwe, after a 20-year absence. A $50m loan facility will pay for 1,800 tractors to be imported and assigned to emerging farmers.
“After being economically shackled for 40 years, the economy is now ready to finally achieve its full potential,” Mr Holtzman says.
Nigeria, Africa’s most populated country and its largest economy, has begun enforcing restrictions on food imports and the use of precious foreign exchange to pay for it.
It is on track to be the world’s second-largest consumer of rice behind China. In spite of a large sector of subsistence farmers growing rice, the country still depends on imports to meet demand.
“Why doesn’t Nigeria mill rice at an industrial scale? Because it's cheaper to import,” says Kalu Aja, chief executive of AfriSwiss Capital Assets in Abuja. “This is because power supply is weak, infrastructure non-existent and the local currency is still too strong.”
Right now, supermarkets in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi stock butter from Belgium and chicken eggs from France can be found in Accra, Ghana. Canned tomatoes from China and Italy are commonplace across the continent.
Growing these products would be entirely possible in Africa’s fertile soil but agriculture is every bit as dependent on roads, ports and electricity supply as mining, oil and gas – Africa’s primary source of foreign exchange.
Without a reliable way to store and move fresh produce, commercial farming for export becomes impossible.
Likewise, the vague laws many African countries have around land title also make long-term investment difficult.
Until recently, African governments have been reluctant to address these issues, which require money, and the political will to subvert traditional tribal land ownership laws.
Yet, the dependence on global raw material and energy markets now makes reform imperative.
As the global pandemic shuts down demand for minerals and energy, African countries might now be compelled to develop agriculture to lessen their dependence on raw material sales
Import prices of fresh chicken up 50% due to reduced M'sia poultry export
Hope this is temporary.
|
May 17, 05:46 PM 
Events
Cellarbration Online Warehouse Sale
17 April 2020 - 17 May 2020 
Cellarbration.com.sg
Many poultry farms in Malaysia have cut down on its chicken export
supply due to the country's lockdown.
Even as
the Malaysian government has gradually loosened the restriction measures, the
supply has yet to recover fully and this has resulted in an imbalance in the
supply and demand, causing import prices in Singapore to increase, Shin Min Daily News reported. According to The Poultry Merchants' Association Singapore, the price of one fresh chicken costs about RM3.70 (about S$1.20) two weeks ago.
But it has now increased to RM5.60 (about S$1.80).
This excludes other additional costs such as transport cost and custom fee.
However, the local importers have not yet passed on the increased costs to retailers.
The importers might raise their selling prices as well if the import prices continue to be high.
One importer also shared that nearing Hari Raya Puasa, the domestic demand is also higher in Malaysia during this period and this might have contributed to the upward adjustment in prices as well.
A few chicken rice sellers interviewed also said that they will not be increasing the price of chicken rice for now and hope this import price surge is temporary.
Singapore also imports frozen chickens from Brazil and the U.S. and the import prices remain stable for now.
Exporters: Malaysia signs record rice import deal with India
- ASEAN+
- Sunday, 17 May 2020
4:36 PM MYT
MUMBAI:
Malaysia has contracted to import a record 100,000 tonnes of rice from India
for shipment this month and next, four industry officials told Reuters, in a
further sign of improving trade relations between the countries after a
diplomatic spat.
The first such purchase this year is already nearly twice the average annual volume of rice Malaysia has imported from India in the last five years, as rival suppliers such as Myanmar, Vietnam and Cambodia placed temporary curbs on exports to save the grain for themselves during the Covid-19 (coronavirus) crisis.
The first such purchase this year is already nearly twice the average annual volume of rice Malaysia has imported from India in the last five years, as rival suppliers such as Myanmar, Vietnam and Cambodia placed temporary curbs on exports to save the grain for themselves during the Covid-19 (coronavirus) crisis.
Malaysia's
purchases would help trim rice stockpiles in India, the world's biggest
exporter of the commodity.
"After a long time, Malaysia is making substantial purchases from India," B.V. Krishna Rao, president of India's Rice Exporters Association, told Reuters.
"After a long time, Malaysia is making substantial purchases from India," B.V. Krishna Rao, president of India's Rice Exporters Association, told Reuters.
The South-East Asian country's imports from India could rise to
200,000 tonnes this year after the latest deals, Rao and officials from three
other firms said.
Malaysia's Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry did not respond to a request for comment.
Malaysia bought around 53,000 tonnes per year on average from India in the past five years, according to data from the Indian commerce ministry. Total sales to Malaysia was a record 86,292 tonnes last year.
India is now offering white rice for around $390-$400 per tonne compared with more than $450 for other countries, exporters said.
"That is making buying lucrative from India," said Nitin Gupta, vice president of trading company Olam India's rice business.
Restriction imposed on exports by Myanmar, Vietnam and Cambodia could have prompted Malaysia's state-linked rice importer Bernas to source supplies from India, said Himanshu Agarwal, executive director at Satyam Balajee, India's biggest rice exporter.
Vietnam, the third-largest rice supplier, fully resumed exports this month, after halting sales from late March and limiting supply in April to make sure it has sufficient food during the pandemic.
The rice deals come against the backdrop of a massive jump in recent imports by Malaysia of other commodities such as sugar from India, the biggest buyer of Malaysian palm oil.
India early this year restricted imports of Malaysian palm oil as a retaliation for then Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's repeated criticism of New Delhi's domestic policies affecting the country's Muslim minority.
Mahathir resigned in February as his coalition collapsed, and since then the countries have worked to rebuild their ties.
"Both economics and diplomacy have played out here," an Indian official with knowledge of Malaysia-India ties said on the condition of anonymity, referring to the recent uptick in deals.
"And when this palm oil thing came in, things sort of fell in place for India," the official said, referring to how India's tightening of palm import restrictions led to Malaysia signing other deals with the South Asian country.
Malaysia is the world's second-biggest producer and exporter of the vegetable oil after Indonesia, and India's restrictions had badly affected its sales. - Reuters
Malaysia's Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry did not respond to a request for comment.
Malaysia bought around 53,000 tonnes per year on average from India in the past five years, according to data from the Indian commerce ministry. Total sales to Malaysia was a record 86,292 tonnes last year.
India is now offering white rice for around $390-$400 per tonne compared with more than $450 for other countries, exporters said.
"That is making buying lucrative from India," said Nitin Gupta, vice president of trading company Olam India's rice business.
Restriction imposed on exports by Myanmar, Vietnam and Cambodia could have prompted Malaysia's state-linked rice importer Bernas to source supplies from India, said Himanshu Agarwal, executive director at Satyam Balajee, India's biggest rice exporter.
Vietnam, the third-largest rice supplier, fully resumed exports this month, after halting sales from late March and limiting supply in April to make sure it has sufficient food during the pandemic.
The rice deals come against the backdrop of a massive jump in recent imports by Malaysia of other commodities such as sugar from India, the biggest buyer of Malaysian palm oil.
India early this year restricted imports of Malaysian palm oil as a retaliation for then Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's repeated criticism of New Delhi's domestic policies affecting the country's Muslim minority.
Mahathir resigned in February as his coalition collapsed, and since then the countries have worked to rebuild their ties.
"Both economics and diplomacy have played out here," an Indian official with knowledge of Malaysia-India ties said on the condition of anonymity, referring to the recent uptick in deals.
"And when this palm oil thing came in, things sort of fell in place for India," the official said, referring to how India's tightening of palm import restrictions led to Malaysia signing other deals with the South Asian country.
Malaysia is the world's second-biggest producer and exporter of the vegetable oil after Indonesia, and India's restrictions had badly affected its sales. - Reuters
Malaysia signs record rice import deal with India
May 16, 2020
MUMBAI:
Malaysia has contracted to import a record 100,000 tonnes of rice from India
for shipment this month and next, four industry officials told Reuters, in a
further sign of improving trade relations between the countries after a
diplomatic spat.The first such purchase this year is already nearly twice the average annual volume of rice Malaysia has imported from India in the last five years, as rival suppliers such as Myanmar, Vietnam and Cambodia placed temporary curbs on exports to save the grain for themselves during the coronavirus crisis.
Malaysia’s purchases would help trim rice stockpiles in India, the world’s biggest exporter of the commodity.
“After a long time, Malaysia is making substantial purchases from India,” B.V. Krishna Rao, president of India’s Rice Exporters Association, told Reuters.
Article continues after ad
The
Southeast Asian country’s imports from India could rise to 200,000 tonnes this
year after the latest deals, Rao and officials from three other firms said.Malaysia’s Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry did not respond to a request for comment.
Malaysia bought around 53,000 tonnes per year on average from India in the past five years, according to data from the Indian commerce ministry. Total sales to Malaysia was a record 86,292 tonnes last year.
India is now offering white rice for around $390-$400 per tonne compared with more than $450 for other countries, exporters said. “That is making buying lucrative from India,” said Nitin Gupta, vice president of trading company Olam India’s rice business.
Restriction imposed on exports by Myanmar, Vietnam and Cambodia could have prompted Malaysia’s state-linked rice importer Bernas to source supplies from India, said Himanshu Agarwal, executive director at Satyam Balajee, India’s biggest rice exporter.
Vietnam, the third-largest rice supplier, fully resumed exports this month, after halting sales from late March and limiting supply in April to make sure it has sufficient food during the pandemic.
The rice deals come against the backdrop of a massive jump in recent imports by Malaysia of other commodities such as sugar from India, the biggest buyer of Malaysian palm oil. India early this year restricted imports of Malaysian palm oil as a retaliation for then Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad’s repeated criticism of New Delhi’s domestic policies affecting the country’s Muslim minority.
Published in Dawn, May 16th, 2020
Global cooling event 4,200 years ago spurred rice's evolution, spread across Asia
Scientists use genomics, archeology, and climate data to reconstruct history of rice
Date:
May
15, 2020
Source:
New
York University
Summary:
A
major global cooling event that occurred 4,200 years ago may have led to the
evolution of new rice varieties and the spread of rice into both northern and
southern Asia, an international team of researchers has found.
Share:
FULL STORY
A major
global cooling event that occurred 4,200 years ago may have led to the
evolution of new rice varieties and the spread of rice into both northern and
southern Asia, an international team of researchers has found.
Their
study, published in Nature Plants and led by the NYU
Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, uses a multidisciplinary approach to
reconstruct the history of rice and trace its migration throughout Asia.Rice is one of the most important crops worldwide, a staple for more than half of the global population. It was first cultivated 9,000 years ago in the Yangtze Valley in China and later spread across East, Southeast, and South Asia, followed by the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and the Americas. In the process, rice evolved and adapted to different environments, but little is known about the routes, timing, and environmental forces involved in this spread.
In their study, the researchers reconstructed the historical movement of rice across Asia using whole-genome sequences of more than 1,400 varieties of rice -- including varieties of japonica and indica, two main subspecies of Asian rice -- coupled with geography, archaeology, and historical climate data.
For the first 4,000 years of its history, farming rice was largely confined to China, and japonica was the subspecies grown. Then, a global cooling event 4,200 years ago -- also known as the 4.2k event, which is thought to have had widespread consequences, including the collapse of civilizations from Mesopotamia to China -- coincided with japonica rice diversifying into temperate and tropical varieties. The newly evolved temperate varieties spread in northern China, Korea and Japan, while the tropical varieties and spread to Southeast Asia.
"This abrupt climate change forced plants, including crops, to adapt," said Rafal M. Gutaker, a postdoctoral associate at the NYU Center for Genomics and Systems Biology and the study's lead author. "Our genomic data, as well as paleoclimate modeling by our collaborators, show that the cooling event occurred at the same time as the rise of temperate japonica, which grows in milder regions. This cooling event also may have led to the migration of rice agriculture and farmer communities into Southeast Asia."
"These findings were then backed up by data from archaeological rice remains excavated in Asia, which also showed that after the 4.2k event, tropical rice migrated south while rice also adapted to northern latitudes as temperate varieties," said Michael D. Purugganan, the Silver Professor of Biology at NYU, who led the study.
After the global cooling event, tropical japonica rice continued to diversify. It reached islands in Southeast Asia about 2,500 years ago, likely due to extensive trade networks and the movement of goods and peoples in the region -- a finding also supported by archeological data.
The spread of indica rice was more recent and more complicated; after originating in India's lower Ganges Valley roughly 4,000 years ago, the researchers traced its migration from India into China approximately 2,000 years ago.
While the researchers had thought that rainfall and water would be the most limiting environmental factor in rice diversity, they found temperature to be the key factor instead. Their analyses revealed that heat accumulation and temperature were very strongly associated with the genomic differences between tropical and temperate japonica rice varieties.
"This study illustrates the value of multidisciplinary research. Our genomic data gave us a model for where and when rice spread to different parts of Asia, archaeology told us when and where rice showed up at various places, and the environmental and climate modeling gave us the ecological context," said Purugganan. "Together, this approach allows us to write a first draft of the story of how rice dispersed across Asia."
Understanding the spread of rice and the related environmental pressures could also help scientists develop new varieties that meet future environmental challenges, such as climate change and drought -- which could help address looming food security issues.
"Armed with knowledge of the pattern of rice dispersal and environmental factors that influenced its migration, we can examine the evolutionary adaptations of rice as it spread to new environments, which could allow us to identify traits and genes to help future breeding efforts," said Gutaker.
Materials provided by New York University. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
- Rafal M. Gutaker, Simon C. Groen, Emily S. Bellis, Jae Y. Choi, Inês S. Pires, R. Kyle Bocinsky, Emma R. Slayton, Olivia Wilkins, Cristina C. Castillo, Sónia Negrão, M. Margarida Oliveira, Dorian Q. Fuller, Jade A. d’Alpoim Guedes, Jesse R. Lasky, Michael D. Purugganan. Genomic history and ecology of the geographic spread of rice. Nature Plants, 2020; 6 (5): 492 DOI: 10.1038/s41477-020-0659-6
Cite This Page:
New York University. "Global cooling event 4,200 years ago
spurred rice's evolution, spread across Asia: Scientists use genomics,
archeology, and climate data to reconstruct history of rice." ScienceDaily.
ScienceDaily, 15 May 2020.
<www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/05/200515115646.htm
A fruitful state
by Rex
Nelson | May 16, 2020 at 2:37 a.m.
"The Purnell Act of 1925 provided federal funds for agricultural economics, sociology and home economics," Gary Zellar and Nancy Wyatt write in their history of the UA Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences. "This was the first time research funds were targeted for areas other than production agriculture. The new department, under the direction of C.O. Brannen, made significant contributions before and during the Great Depression. Madge Johnson, a professor in charge of research in home economics, conducted research on labor-saving devices for rural homes. Earlier research on diet and nutrition was increased with the new funding.
"In 1925, the Legislature appropriated $30,000 to establish three branch experiment stations on land donated by local communities. Those were the Cotton Branch Station at Marianna, the Rice Branch Station near Stuttgart and the Fruit and Truck Branch Station at Hope." Other branch stations were established over the years.
Sherri Sanders, who works for the UA's Cooperative Extension Service, recently wrote about the history of strawberry cultivation in White County, noting the work of UA researchers. Sanders says: "I came to work as a county agent in White County 20 years ago, and I have fond memories of spending time with Bill Holt in McRae in his matted-row strawberries when I was new to the county. I also met the late Henry Bowden, and we became good friends. Henry was a legend in these parts, as well as his best buddy, Jeff Smith. Jeff spearheaded the Ozark Table Grape Growers Association, and Henry worked for the University of Arkansas at the Bald Knob Fruit Station.
"Henry's service with the Division of Agriculture started in 1958 when he accepted a position as a research assistant at the Truck Crops Research Station (now the Southwest Research & Extension Center) at Hope. Subsequently, he was resident director of the Strawberry Substation at Bald Knob from 1959-76 when the strawberry breeding program made its greatest accomplishments, and resident director of the Fruit Substation in Clarksville from 1976-82. He was a White County agricultural agent from 1982-88 and area horticulture agent from 1988 until his retirement in 1992."
The Bowden nectarine, which the UA released in 2012, was named for him. Meanwhile, the strawberry variety known as the Cardinal was developed. Sanders writes that the UA's Jim Moore worked closely with Bowden.
"Henry trialed a lot of Dr. Moore's new releases, one of which was a fantastic strawberry," Sanders writes. "The strawberry is a vigorous, productive variety. It produces large, deep-red berries that have outstanding flavor. ... Cardinal is resistant to most diseases in Arkansas.
"It's interesting how Cardinal got its name. Henry told me the story more than once. Dr. Moore, Henry and his wife Betty were sitting at the kitchen table one morning enjoying their new strawberry that would soon be released. Dr. Moore wondered aloud what to name the berry. Betty, in her deep Southern drawl, simply said: 'Jim, it's bright red just like a cardinal.' It stuck."
White County has a strong strawberry-growing tradition. The White County Historical Society website tells the story of a "Mr. Ted," who worked at the strawberry sheds near the railroad depot in Searcy. His job was to ensure the quality of the strawberries being purchased by wholesalers. Raymond W. Toler remembered: "Mr. Ted would negotiate with the growers and pay them if their berries were up to his rigid standards. To inspect the berries, he would have me or one of the other workers take a crate or case chosen by him and set it down on the platform. He then directed that the case be opened and one quart box of his choosing be removed.
"Oftentimes, he chose a box on the bottom tier. Then the box was handed to Mr. Ted, who took it in both hands and spread the berries on his ample stomach, which was covered with a freshly laundered shirt. In this process, all berries from the box could be examined closely. I suspect that the white shirt test was to check for overripe fruit that would not survive rail shipment."
As fruit and vegetable production moved to states such as California and Florida, small producers abandoned their fields and orchards. Farms in Arkansas became fewer in number and larger in size.
"Agriculture in Arkansas and the nation was dramatically transformed in the years following World War II," Zellar and Wyatt write. "Increased mechanization and other technologies allowed farmers to manage an acreage large enough to provide good income, without relying on a large labor force. From 1940-54, the number of tractors increased seven-fold; farms with electricity went from under 5,000 to more than 130,000; and farmers spent 10 times as much on feed, fertilizer, gasoline and oil."
Through it all, UA researchers continued to develop new fruit varieties. Now, with consumers demanding more locally grown produce, a revival of smaller fruit and vegetable farms may be at han
Bangladesh’s rice production and stock satisfactory
Govt should now focus on steady supply of other food items
In the fiscal 2018-19, Boro accounted for 54 percent of total rice production while Aman brought 38 percent and Aus contributed the rest 8 percent to the annual rice basket. Thus, after the Boro harvest is complete, if proper incentives can be given to the farmers to encourage cultivation of Aman and Aus, we can also have bumper Aman and Aus harvests, unless there is any natural calamity. The good news is, the agriculture ministry has already declared Tk 9 crore of incentive to provide seed and fertiliser to small and marginal farmers to encourage cultivation during the Aus season. The government has also reduced irrigation charge by half for the pumps owned by Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation.
According to the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI), Bangladesh's annual consumption requirement of rice is 3.5 crore tonnes and last year's total production was higher than the estimated demand. Besides rice, our wheat production is also satisfactory. Until May 11, rice stock at public godowns was 9.97 lakh tonnes and wheat stock 2.82 lakh tonnes. Thus, there is little chance that we will face any cereal shortage in the coming days.
So, the government should now focus on ensuring sufficient production of other food items including fish, livestock and vegetables, and their adequate supplies in the market. Fish farmers and vegetable growers have been facing a hard time as they are unable to sell their produce because of a lack of buyers and transport crisis created by the shutdown. With efficient handling of all these issues, we can hope that the country will not face any food crisis during and after the Covid-19 pandemic.
Read more at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/75782437.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst
5 institutes join hands to conduct virus test
TNN | Updated: May 16, 2020, 13:05 IST
Picture for
representational purpose only.
CUTTACK: With the number of Covid-19 patients increasing
rapidly in the state, four central institutes and a state-run university have come
together to test samples in an advanced lab from Saturday. The facilities are National Rice Research Institute (NRRI),
Cuttack, Bhubaneswar regional centre of Central Avian Research Institute (Cari),
Bareilly, UP, Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture (Cifa), Bhubaneswar, Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology
(OUAT), Bhubaneswar, and ICAR-ICFMD (International Centre for Foot & Mouth
Disease), Khurda.
“All the institutes have labs and expertise in handling hazardous virus tests for years,” said Prabhudutt Agarwal, nodal officer, Covid testing for central institutes of Odisha. A lab has been set up in the ICFMD, Khurda. The lab recently got approval from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) for Covid test. All arrangements have been made for tests with commissioning of equipment and workers at the lab, added Agarwal.
“All the institutes have labs and expertise in handling hazardous virus tests for years,” said Prabhudutt Agarwal, nodal officer, Covid testing for central institutes of Odisha. A lab has been set up in the ICFMD, Khurda. The lab recently got approval from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) for Covid test. All arrangements have been made for tests with commissioning of equipment and workers at the lab, added Agarwal.
“Initially the lab will test 200 samples a day. The
number will increase gradually,” said Agarwal.
“We have selected virologists from the institutes and training has been imparted to 20 personnel chosen from all the five institutes to conduct the tests,” he added. Experts from RMRC, Bhubaneswar, has imparted training to the lab assistants to conduct the tests. Tests will be conducted according to WHO guidelines.
“We have selected virologists from the institutes and training has been imparted to 20 personnel chosen from all the five institutes to conduct the tests,” he added. Experts from RMRC, Bhubaneswar, has imparted training to the lab assistants to conduct the tests. Tests will be conducted according to WHO guidelines.
Hyderabad RCI scientists come to the rescue of elderly
Sunil Mungara | TNN | Updated: May 17, 2020,
11:13 IST
HYDERABAD:
Scientists at Hyderabad Research Centre
Imarat (RCI), a Defence Research and Development
Organisation lab, have stepped forward to donate groceries to senior citizens
residing in five old age homes during the lockdown. Dry goods, including rice,
atta, red gram, green gram, black gram and edible oil, are being supplied.
“It has become very difficult for old age homes to procure groceries during the lockdown. We collect goods from donors and deliver them to these homes in Bandlaguda, Karmanghat, Badangpet and adjoining areas of RCI, through our ‘Defence Security Corps’ (DSC) of the RCI-DRDO for the past few weeks. Few scientists also donated cash to purchase the material,” defence sources in DSC told TOI.
“It has become very difficult for old age homes to procure groceries during the lockdown. We collect goods from donors and deliver them to these homes in Bandlaguda, Karmanghat, Badangpet and adjoining areas of RCI, through our ‘Defence Security Corps’ (DSC) of the RCI-DRDO for the past few weeks. Few scientists also donated cash to purchase the material,” defence sources in DSC told TOI.
The material was procured after collating the data of
number of people residing in these homes. The scientists found that around 60
to 90 senior citizens are staying in each old age home. QRT trucks were then
used to transport goods to the doorsteps of these old age homes.
“We thank the RCI scientists for their goodwill as it had become really difficult for us in these situations to continue providing food to the elderly for breakfast, lunch and dinner,” said Srinivas Rao, an organiser at the Arshita Old Age home in Badangpet.
G Giri, who runs the Mathru Devobhava Ashramam said, “I thanks the blessings that have come out way. The scientists and their families came to our rescue when we least expected it.”
The prolonged lockdown and strict movement restriction had led to a shortage of various essentials for these homes. People had also been struggling to get vital medicines. Certain good samaritans from the city had come forward in situations like these to help the elderly in need.
“We thank the RCI scientists for their goodwill as it had become really difficult for us in these situations to continue providing food to the elderly for breakfast, lunch and dinner,” said Srinivas Rao, an organiser at the Arshita Old Age home in Badangpet.
G Giri, who runs the Mathru Devobhava Ashramam said, “I thanks the blessings that have come out way. The scientists and their families came to our rescue when we least expected it.”
The prolonged lockdown and strict movement restriction had led to a shortage of various essentials for these homes. People had also been struggling to get vital medicines. Certain good samaritans from the city had come forward in situations like these to help the elderly in need.
