Friday, August 07, 2020

7th August,2020 Daily Global Regional Local Rice E-Newsletter

 

Eating too much rice with your meals could be fatal, experts claim

Experts from two universities have been studying the association between prolonged consumption of low-level arsenic in rice and health problems such as cardiovascular disease

Description: https://i2-prod.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article12948170.ece/ALTERNATES/s615/1_White-rice-in-a-metal-pan.jpgExperts have been studying the low levels of arsenic in rice (stock photo) (Image: iStockphoto)

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After a long day at work, sometimes there's nothing better than coming home and tucking into some food in front of the TV.

But if your dinner contains rice, you might want to reconsider reaching for seconds or thirds.

That's because experts have warned that eating too much rice could prove fatal in the long run.

Rice contains low-levels of arsenic and it is now thought that prolonged exposure to this could be contributing to thousands of avoidable premature deaths per year.

According to research by two Manchester universities, prolonged exposure to low-levels of inorganic arsenic can be linked to health problems such as cancers and cardiovascular diseases.

The researchers from The University of Manchester and The University of Salford have been exploring this relationship and their findings were recently published in the journal Science of the Total Environment.

Their results show that once the major factors known to contribute to cardiovascular disease have been accounted for, there is a significant association between elevated cardiovascular mortality and the consumption of inorganic arsenic bearing rice.

Professor David Polya from The University of Manchester said: "The type of study undertaken, an ecological study, has many limitations, but is a relatively inexpensive way of determining if there is plausible link between increased consumption of inorganic arsenic bearing rice and increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

Experts suggest trying different varieties of rice, such as Basmati (stock photo)

"The study suggests that the highest 25 percent of rice consumers in England and Wales may plausibly be at greater risks of cardiovascular mortality due to inorganic arsenic exposure compared to the lowest 25 percent of rice consumers."

He adds: "The modelled increased risk is around six percent (with a confidence interval for this figure of two percent to 11 percent). The increased risk modelled might also reflect in part a combination of the susceptibility, behaviours and treatment of those communities in England and Wales with relatively high rice diets."

More robust research is still needed to confirm these findings.

Currently more than three billion people worldwide consume rice as their staple food.

Experts haven't warned people to stop eating rice, but instead suggest consuming different types of rice, which are known to contain less inorganic arsenic - such as basmati and polished rice.

As well as this, they recommend eating a balanced variety of staples, not just predominantly rice.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/lifestyle/health/eating-much-rice-your-dinner-22477682

 

 

 

Too Much Rice Could Kill: Study Shows Arsenic Exposure Could Lead to Fatal Diseases

7 August 2020, 12:54 am EDT By CJ Robles Tech Times

A study found that eating too much rice could lead to heart disease and death.

A research team from the University of Manchester and the University of Salford analyzed the link between rice consumption and heart diseases in England and Wales, which are caused by arsenic exposure, according to Daily Mail.

The research findings were published in the Science of the Total Environment journal show that British people have a 6% higher risk of morbidity from cardiovascular disease as they are included in the 25% top rice consumers compared to the bottom group. Scientists modified the data to account for other factors that cause cardiovascular diseases such as age, smoking, and obesity.   

(Photo : Pierre Bamin/Unsplash)
A study found that eating too much rice could lead to heart disease and death.

Also, researchers found that eating a lot of rice increases the risk of dying from heart disease due to arsenic, which occurs naturally as the crop grows. Earlier studies linked the chemical to some cancers, liver disease, and even death.

Millions of people around the world, particularly in developing countries, eat rice for the calories and nutrients it provides. However, scientists found that more than 50,000 avoidable premature deaths annually can be blamed for arsenic in rice.   

University of Manchester Professor David Polya who is a co-author of the study said that while the research used an ecological study, which has many limitations, it is an inexpensive way of determining a link between high consumption of rice with inorganic arsenic and an increased risk of heart disease.

How does arsenic emerge in rice?

According to a Lad Bible article, while arsenic occurs naturally in the soil, locations that use arsenic-based herbicides or toxins added in irrigation water have to increase arsenic content. Rice is particularly vulnerable to arsenic, which copies other chemicals that the plant absorbs through its roots and bypasses the plant's defenses.

In this case, rice grown under these conditions would have bear arsenic from the soil and water. However, Tech Times earlier reported that arsenic can only become health hazard if consumed in large dose with symptoms like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. 

However, scientists do not promote the evading of rice consumption since it has many health benefits, particularly with its high fiber content. Instead of eating whole grain rice, the study suggests people eat rice varieties that have low arsenic levels like basmati as well as polished rice.    

(Photo : Andhika Y. Wiguna/Unsplash)
Arsenic occurs naturally in the soil, locations that use arsenic-based herbicides or toxins added in irrigation water have increase arsenic content.

In 2014, a Consumer Reports article showed that all types of rice from Arkansas, Louisiana, or Texas or just from the U.S. had the highest levels of inorganic arsenic, except for sushi and quick-cooking rice. White rice from California has 38% less inorganic arsenic than those from other parts of the country.

While brown has more nutrients, it also has 80% more inorganic arsenic than white rice since arsenic in the outer layers of the grains is removed when white rice is milled.

However, it is best to get brown basmati from California, Pakistan, or India as it has around 35% less inorganic arsenic than other types of brown rice.

Meanwhile, another study warns that the increased temperatures caused by global warming could lead to much higher arsenic levels in rice by 2100. Scientists at the University of Washington in the US grew rice in various temperatures and found that crops in warmer locations tend to have higher levels of arsenic, including grains.

Read also: Does Rice Contain Dangerous Levels Of Arsenic? BBC Takes A Closer Loo

https://www.techtimes.com/articles/251630/20200807/much-rice-kill-study-shows-arsenic-exposure-lead-fatal-diseases.htm

 

 

 

 

In COVID-19–Hit Africa, Agricultural Research Feels the Pinch

The pandemic and accompanying lockdowns have meant missing growing seasons and losing out on key data. As restrictions are partially lifted, researchers are adjusting to the new normal.

 

Munyaradzi Makoni

Aug 6, 2020

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ABOVE: Researcher Oluwaseyi Shorinola grows wheat under constant light in order to speed the breeding process.
OLUWASEYI SHORINOLA

Description: Munyaradzi MakoniIt is strangely quiet at the National Crops Resources Research Institute in Namulonge, Uganda. Seventy percent of its 400 staff members have not reported for work since the country instituted a lockdown in March due to a partial furlough and government policies brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We have to work harder to implement our work plans to minimize the disruption of COVID-19 while adhering to the Ministry of Health guidelines and standard operating procedures,” says Godfrey Asea, NaCRRI’s director. The limited staffing has affected harvesting and planting activities, especially for cereals and pulses (beans, lentils, and other seeds that grow in pods).

Although Uganda’s lockdown measures have been among the strictest in Africa, NaCRRI is far from alone. Other agricultural research institutes in Africa are also finding their work curtailed by the pandemic, with potential near-term consequences for farmers in the region.

Research slows down

As one of Uganda’s 16 agricultural research institutes under the National Agricultural Research Organisation, NaCCRI specializes in developing legumes, maize, rice, horticultural crops, and oil palm varieties adapted to the country’s climate, as well as pesticides and herbicides. It also offers quality control testing of consumer products related to agriculture. During the pandemic, it has suspended some research activities, such as stakeholder surveys, and its trainings and tours.

Planting season begins in March in Uganda, and some of the institute’s planned field experiments have either started late or aren’t being monitored as closely as usual due to disrupted working hours and reduced labor, says Asea.

To stop COVID-19’s spread, Uganda initially banned both private and public transport, so organizations had to provide means of travel for their essential workers. Although those restrictions have eased, many organizatons, including NaCCRI, are still providing transportation for staff members. A nightly curfew from 7:00 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. continues. “Moving staff to and from work is now expensive, while curfew restrictions have forced staff to work fewer hours,” says Asea. Sixteen of its graduate students have been forced to stop their research altogether, he adds; only the seven students who live at the institute have been able to continue. According to Asea, the changes “might disrupt timelines for near-release technologies such as new crop varieties for cassava, maize, and rice.”

Even as NaCCRI continues to offer limited quality control services for consumer products such as packed flour, milk, and soil, this work faces challenges, says Asea. In addition to the limitations posed by staffing shortages, “the lockdown on business has made it hard to access laboratory consumables. Reagents are getting depleted with no foreseeable opportunity to restock.” 

On a positive note, he says, “the extra desk time created by the pandemic has also enabled scientists to engage more in scientific writing of journal articles and proposals.” And some laboratory work has continued. For instance, the nutrition and bioanalytical lab has maintained experiments on samples that were already collected in the field before the shutdown that are aimed at developing new crop strains including cassava, sweet potato, and sorghum, and food products such as maize flour, rice, and beans. 

Scientists cut off from farms

In neighboring Tanzania, COVID-19 came during the rainy season. The resulting lockdown imposed by the government left researchers at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), a nonprofit based in the capital city of Dar es Salaam, counting their losses.

“Unfortunately, the rain did not wait for COVID-19, so we missed critical data that we were supposed to collect on our experiments,” says Victor Manyong, IITA director for Eastern Africa and agribusiness head for Sub-Saharan Africa. In addition to overseeing local farmers, IITA maintains nine of its own research fields stationed across the country. The organization develops crops to improve yields, processes agriculture products to increase shelf life, and finds novel solutions to pests and diseases. But this year, “we could not go to the rural areas to see the farmers who are growing the crops,” which include cassava, maize, soya bean, cowpea, yam, banana, and plantain, he says. “Neither could we meet with the consumers in the urban areas to know exactly what was happening with agricultural sales.” 

Description: https://cdn.the-scientist.com/assets/articleNo/67794/iImg/38899/uploads/banana%20field_inline.png

An IITA researcher collects soil for analysis from a banana research field in Arusha, Tanzania.

IITA

Due to Tanzania’s lockdown and closure of universities, more than two dozen students from local universities who planned to come to IITA for hands-on experience could not travel to rural areas of the country to conduct their research, says Manyong. The students are now expected in September. Nine of the students who’d planned to visit IITA this spring wanted to evaluate the efficacy of a treatment to ward off a toxic fungus that affects maize. They missed the window for applying it to this year’s crop.

IITA had also planned to conduct training in aquaculture in the eastern part of Democratic Republic of Congo, but the pandemic has stopped or delayed delivery of the cages it needed and of a huge quantity of imported fish feed, which was expired by the time it arrived. All told, Manyong says, it’s too soon to know the value of all that IITA has lost to the pandemic, but he expects it will be in the millions of dollars. 

Another researcher affected by the confluence of the pandemic and growing season is Oluwaseyi Shorinola, a crop scientist based at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) in Nairobi, Kenya, who has been working to increase the protein content in wheat varieties grown in Kenya and Ethiopia. His goal, he says, is to enable East African nations to grow more high-quality wheat and reduce their dependence on imported grain.

Working in the laboratory during the lockdown, he managed to finish crossing the best lines of these local grains to optimize them for grain size, protein content, and disease resistance. But pandemic restrictions have contributed to delays in testing his improved lines in the field during the main growing season, pushing that fieldwork to early next year, he says. That will mean he’ll need to apply for an extension to the fellowship from The Royal Society FLAIR that’s supporting the work, he adds.

Ansori Maré, a plant scientist at the University of the Free State in South Africa, is another researcher encountering delays with her wheat-breeding experiments. She has been working to develop new disease-resistant varieties, but due to South Africa’s lockdown, her laboratory and greenhouse work has completely stopped. With no crossed seeds to test, “planting the next season will be later this year, or we will lose a complete season and data collection,” she says. Such delays, she notes, also affect the students in the plant sciences department negatively, slowing the research projects needed to complete their postgraduate studies. 

Since June 1, researchers at Maré’s university now have access to laboratories and the greenhouses again, although under strict rules and regulations aimed at minimizing infection risk. “At this stage, no unreplaceable losses were experienced, except time,” Maré says.

Difficulties collecting animal data 

Chinyere Ekine, a statistical geneticist at ILRI in Nairobi, is working to improve milk yields in Africa using genetics and crossbreeding of cattle. “To do genetic improvements, we would need to measure traits over time, and keep a pedigree of the animals to know who the sire and dam are. Then you can crunch the numbers and pick out the best sire and dam with an average higher breeding value for the traits of interest so the next generation will be better than their parents’ previous generation on average,” she explains.

To that end, ILRI hires workers known as enumerators to collect data on traits from smallholder farmers in rural Ethiopia, Kenya, and Tanzania. They also encourage smallholder farmers to learn the importance of consistently collecting their own data for making informed decisions in the future such as which animals to keep or sell, and for determining the value of a farmer’s herd in order to help secure loans. Ekine’s team uses genetic information from animal hair that the enumerators collect along with other data to identify the best bulls for use in breeding via artificial insemination.

According to Ekine, enumerators used to reach the farmers once a month, but when COVID-19 struck in mid-March, people were not allowed to go out to rural communities. In addition to the official lockdown, there were fears that the virus could be transmitted from humans to farm animals, and people could not risk losing their livelihoods. The flow of data from the enumerators has significantly slowed as a result, she says.

“You need to collect data on milk, on growth, in a sequence. You need to follow the animal,” Ekine explains. “When you have missed this data, it’s an analysis lost.” To keep going, Ekine’s team gave farmers cell phone credit to help collect data on their phones, an additional cost that had not been part of the project initially and was not as effective as the enumerators’ data collection, she says. The challenges mean it will take longer to produce improvements in cattle, and smallholders will have less-robust information to use for breeding decisions. “What you cannot measure, you cannot improve,” says Ekine. 

Description: In COVID-19–Hit Africa, Agricultural Research Feels the PinchShorinola worries that the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on agricultural research could ultimately extend beyond the disruptions he and others have experienced. “Although this has not happened yet, we anticipate that funders might want to divert their resources to new COVID-19 priorities, neglecting important agriculture research,” he says. 

He adds that while developing a vaccine against COVID-19 is very important, problems that affect food security such as locusts and a fungus known as wheat rust have not gone away during the pandemic. To the contrary, he says, “lockdown has exposed the vulnerability of our agriculture systems.”

 

https://www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/in-covid-19hit-africa-agricultural-research-feels-the-pinch-67794

 

GM To Boost Financial Freedom Of Farmers

By Reuben Quainoo

 

Description: GM To Boost Financial Freedom Of Farmers

 LISTEN   11 HOURS AGO

Though only a few African countries are now growing genetically modified (GM) crops commercially, governments across the continent are increasingly recognizing the crucial role that biotechnology could play in improving food security on the continent.

Consequently, African governments are moving to establish an enabling policy framework to support the adoption of biotechnology, including GM crops and derived products.

According to a paper published in Frontiers in Plant Science by John Komen and five other scientists working in Africa, “while modern biotechnology and, specifically, genetic modification are subject of debate in many parts of the world, an increasing number of countries in sub-Saharan Africa are making important strides towards authorizing general releases of genetically modified (GM) crop varieties for use by farmers and agribusinesses.”

Scientists in Ghana have already started research on GMOs and educating the public to get them prepared for the eventual adoption of the technology and its implication for food security in the country.

One such organization is the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) that has researched extensively on GMOs and educating the public through the Open Forum for Agricultural Biotechnology (OFAB) on the role of GM technology for human survival.

The National Coordinator of OFAB, Dr. Richard Ampadu-Ameyaw, noted that although genetically modified technology had not been adopted in Ghana yet, it would serve as one the best tools in achieving food security.

The research scientist made these observations in an interview talking about Ghana’s Agricultural Sector, challenges smallholder farmers are facing and the Role of Modern Technology in improving Agricultural productivity and livelihood.

GMO will save farmers money as they will not have to spray their crops against diseases and pests. Currently, we are polluting the environment with the spraying of chemicals to prevent crops from being attacked. “With GMO, the production cost of farmers will go down and their yields will go up,” he said.

Dr. Paul Boadu, Research Associate with the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) said that the new cowpea & rice varieties will help Ghana save over GHȼ 800 million annually.

“the country stood to gain GHȼ 230 million annually if she adopted the nitrogen efficient rice as the crop will boost rice production which hitherto will be impacted by low nitrogen nutrients in the soil,” he said.

He said adopting this rice would offer a lot of benefits to farmers as their incomes would improve while consumers also stood to gain as prices would reduce and consequently save them money.

The Director-General of the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), Dr. Kodjo Essien Mensah-Abrampa said that the NDPC is developing a policy document on Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) for Ghana’s agriculture sector.

“Innovation in agriculture is instrumental in achieving broad-based social and economic growth in developing countries like ours”, he stated.

A report released last week by Graham Brookes, Director of PG Economics said farmers who planted genetically modified (GM) crops increased their incomes by almost $19 billion in 2018 and reduced carbon emissions by 23 billion kilograms or the equivalent of removing 15.3 million cars from the roads that year.

The report adds that the higher income represents $4.42 in extra income for each extra dollar invested.

Description: 872020124750-osjvm0y442-newest-rice

 

https://www.modernghana.com/news/1021379/gm-to-boost-financial-freedom-of-farmers.html

 

MS Swaminathan’s Birthday: Celebrating major contributions of ‘Father of Green Revolution’ to agricultural renaissance of India

Well known as the Father of Green Revolution, the Indian government awarded M S Swaminathan with Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan in 1967 and 1972 respectively.

By Newsd
Updated on : Fri 07th August 2020, 12:06 PM

Description: MS Swaminathan's Birthday: Major contributions of 'Father of Green Revolution' to agricultural renaissance of India

Mankombu Sambasivan Swaminathan is a renowned Indian geneticist and administrator, who made a stellar contribution to the success of India’s Green Revolution programme was born on August 7, 1925.  The Green Revolution went a long way in making India self-sufficient in wheat and rice production.

Swaminathan has been acclaimed by TIME magazine as one of the twenty most influential Asians of the 20th century and one of the only three from India, the other two being Mahatma Gandhi and Rabindranath Tagore.

He has been described by the United Nations Environment Programme as “the Father of Economic Ecology” because of his leadership of the ever-green revolution movement in agriculture and by Javier Perez de Cuellar, Secretary-General of the United Nations, as “a living legend who will go into the annals of history as a world scientist of rare distinction”.

Well known as the Father of Green Revolution, the Indian government awarded M S Swaminathan with Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan in 1967 and 1972 respectively.

On MS Swaminathan’s birthday, let’s take a look at his major contributions to agricultural renaissance of India:

§  In the 1960s, India was on the verge of a mass famine. MMS Swaminathan along with Norman Borlaug and other scientists, developed HYV seeds of wheat.

§  This development led to the Green Revolution in India and Indian geneticist, Swaminathan was known as ‘The Father of Green Revolution’.

§  Swaminathan made his decision of entering the field of Agriculture after experiencing the 1943 Bengal famine and the shortage of food in the country.

§  He served as the Director-General of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (from 1972-1979) and International Rice Research Institute (1982-88).

§  In 1988, MS Swaminathan became the President of the International Union of the Conservation of Nature and Natural resources.

§  The International Association of Women and Development conferred on him the first international award for significant contributions to promoting the knowledge, skill, and technological empowerment of women in agriculture and for his pioneering role in mainstreaming gender considerations in agriculture and rural development.

§  During 2013, Prof Swaminathan received the Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration and Greatest Global Living Legend Award of NDTV. He was also elected at the 20th International Congress of Nutrition held at Granada, Spain, “as Living Legend of International Union of Nutrition Sciences”.

https://newsd.in/ms-swaminathans-birthday-celebrating-major-contributions-of-father-of-green-revolution-to-agricultural-renaissance-of-india/

Eating too much rice could be fatal as low levels of arsenic in the grains can increase your risk of dying from heart disease, study warns

Friday, Aug 7th 2020 2PM 40°C 5PM 40°C 5-Day Forecast

 

·         Arsenic is naturally occurring in rice as it soaks in to the crop as it is grown  

·         Researchers in the UK studied rice consumption and its role in heart disease 

·         Found top 25% of consumers  are 6% more likely to die of heart disease than the bottom quartile of rice eaters  

PUBLISHED: 12:22 BST, 6 August 2020 | UPDATED: 17:36 BST, 6 August 2020

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Scientists have found that eating a lot of rice increases the risk of dying from heart disease due to the naturally-occuring arsenic in the crop.  

Britons in the top 25 per cent of rice consumption are at six per cent increased risk of dying from cardiovascular disease than the bottom quarter, a study found. 

The chemical gathers naturally in the crop and has repeatedly been linked to illness, dietary-related cancers and liver disease. In serious cases, it can result in death.

Rice is a staple of diets around the world and is relied upon by millions of people in developing countries to provide valuable calories and nutrients.

Globally, it has been estimated that arsenic in rice is to blame for over 50,000 avoidable premature deaths per year.   

Arsenic is a toxic chemical which, in high enough doses, can cause serious health issues. It is found naturally in rice (pictured) and research has now proved that eating lots of rise increases the risk of dying from heart disease by six per cent 

Arsenic occurs naturally in the soil and is increased in locations that have used arsenic-based herbicides or water laced with the toxin for irrigation purposes.

Rice is grown under flooded conditions and this draws arsenic out of the soil and into the water, ahead of eventual absorption by the plants.

Rice is particularly vulnerable because arsenic mimics other chemicals the plant absorbed via its root system, allowing the toxin to bypass the plant's defences.

 

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Rice is grown under flooded conditions and this draws arsenic out of the soil and into the water, ahead of eventual absorption by plants. Rice is particularly vulnerable because arsenic mimics other chemicals the plant absorbs via its root system (stock)

Arsenic levels in rice could TRIPLE by 2100 

Rising temperatures caused by global warming could cause the amount of arsenic in rice to triple by the end of the century, a new study warns. 

Scientists at the University of Washington in the US grew rice and replicated various temperatures to mimic growing conditions under various global warming projections.

Trials were done at the current normal temperature of 77°F (25°C) as well as 82°F (28°C), 87°F (30.5°C), and 91°F (33°C) to mimic potential climates by 2100. 

Plants grown in warmer conditions were found to have higher levels of arsenic throughout the plant - including the grains.

Researchers at the universities of Manchester and Salford studied rice consumption in England and Wales and the prevalence of cardiovascular diseases caused by arsenic exposure. 

Academics tweaked the data to account for other factors known to contribute to cardiovascular disease, such as obesity, smoking and age.   

Professor David Polya from The University of Manchester, co-author of the study, said: 'The study suggests that the highest 25 per cent of rice consumers in England and Wales may plausibly be at greater risks of cardiovascular mortality due to inorganic arsenic exposure compared to the lowest 25 per cent of rice consumers.'

He explains the likely increased risk for the top quartile is around six per cent, and is almost definitely between two and 11 per cent.   

The researchers say their study is limited but is inexpensive to conduct and more specialised investigations are needed to confirm any link.

They also say that people should not avoid eating rice all together, as it does offer many health benefits due to its high fibre content.

Instead, people should consider opting for rice varieties which are low in arsenic levels, such as basmati, rather than whole grain.     

The findings are available in the journal Science of the Total Environment.  

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-8599981/Eating-rice-increase-risk-dying-heart-disease.html

Plan to liberalise rice industry needed, says IDEAS

Chee Gee Ren


August 06, 2020 18:29 pm +08

Description: https://assets.theedgemarkets.com/rice_reuters_2.jpg?null

KUALA LUMPUR (Aug 6): The Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS) has called on the government to prepare a concrete plan to liberalise the paddy and rice industry after the latter announced that Padiberas Nasional Bhd (BERNAS) will remain the single gatekeeper for rice imports.

On Tuesday, Agriculture and Food Industry Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ronald Kiandee said the government is currently in the midst of finalising the terms and conditions of the extension agreement, adding that Bernas will have more social obligations to meet under the new agreement.

IDEAS chief executive officer Tricia Yeoh said: “A concrete plan to liberalise the market, which includes increasing the capacity of smallholders and ease of entry into the industry, is required if the concession is extended."

“The timeframe of the extension should be reviewed as there are many missed opportunities and unintended negative consequences that come with the monopoly,” she said in a statement.

IDEAS researchers Professor Datin Paduka Fatimah Mohamed Arshad and Dr Tey Yeong Sheng, who have co-authored a report on the effectiveness of state trading enterprises in achieving food security, said while the government’s reluctance to revamp the local rice industry and decision to retain BERNAS’ monopoly is understandable as it is less disruptive and easier than changing a 50-year-old system, it has major consequences.

“The problems that plagued the industry will continue to exist, if not be magnified. Such a non-competitive structure is inequitable, which leaves the small producers, the losers in the supply chain and as they are dependent on subsidies to exist,” they said.

The researchers added that the monopoly explains the slow growth of the industry as well as the low investment of new capital and entry of young farmers into the industry, given the unpromising prospects.

“The market inefficiencies such as low quality of paddy and milling rate, limited technological progress, unethical marketing practices such as adulteration of rice, limited value-added activities, and minimal SME development will continue if the issues in the market structure are not addressed,” they added.

The researchers said if the government imposed additional social obligations on BERNAS, it would incur a higher cost to BERNAS which later may be transferred to producers or consumers either through lower price to producers or higher price to consumers.

“I think all stakeholders of the Malaysian paddy and rice industry should recognize that value chain development is the backbone of agricultural transformation. This is not just a matter of food security; it also concerns farmer and consumer welfare as well as improvement in the environmental and business ecosystems.

“If BERNAS is conceived as a change agent, BERNAS would have to take the lead in installing a competitive market, through empowering local entrepreneurs to seize opportunities and be part of nation building,” Tey said, calling on the government to facilitate through periodic monitoring and evaluation.

“Looking forward, since the decision has been made, there is now an urgent need to provide programmes that enhance the capacity of the smallholders by allowing them to participate in milling activities and input distribution as well as crop diversification.

“Cooperatives among farmers should be strengthened to improve their prospect of mobility in their business activities. Other public goods such as R&D have to be intensified to improve variety, cropping intensity, water management, small machines for small farms, sustainable practices, precision farming and so on,” said Fatimah.

“In the long run, creating more competition would generate more innovation in the paddy and rice industry, which would enhance our national food security and ensure that our domestic rice production can compete at the global level,” Yeoh added.

Read also:
Bernas to remain as single gatekeeper for rice imports, says minister

https://www.theedgemarkets.com/article/plan-liberalise-rice-industry-needed-says-ideas

 

Food, not rice, security: Jakarta Post

Experts are arguing that peat areas are unsuitable for rice cultivation and the benefits are likely to be limited.PHOTO: AFP

Description: Experts are arguing that peat areas are unsuitable for rice cultivation and the benefits are likely to be limited.In its editorial, the paper says that focusing Indonesia's food policy on rice production to the point of zero imports could hinder the achievement of food security or food resilience in its broadest sense.

JAKARTA (THE JAKARTA POST/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's decision to develop 164,000 hectares of rice estates in Central Kalimantan is conceptually inappropriate because the policy is predicated on the perception that food security is defined almost solely as rice self-sufficiency.

The huge project is agronomically and environmentally not sustainable because a substantial portion of the rice estate will be developed on peatland, which is for the most part not suitable for growing rice.

Most independent agronomists and environmentalists have warned that the project will not be sustainable economically and ecologically and will only repeat the big mistake of the mega rice project launched by then-president Suharto in the same area in the mid-1990s.

However, given Jokowi's stubborn obsession with achieving rice self-sufficiency, not a single Cabinet member has dared to argue against the new project.

Ministers and senior agriculture officials have blindly supported the plan, arguing that the government will learn from the failure of the rice estate project in the past, which wasted huge sums of taxpayer money.

Even the World Bank in its July report on Indonesia pointed out that the large rice estate project is environmentally and economically unfeasible, asserting that the opening of such vast estates will only increase pressure on the land.

The report quoted experts as arguing that peat areas are unsuitable for rice cultivation and the benefits are likely to be limited.

On the other hand, deep peat areas are important carbon sinks and the conversion of peatland for agriculture generates large negative spillovers through forest and land fires, pollution and peatland degradation.

Media reports show that in 2019, fires burned across nearly 270,000 ha of land in Central Kalimantan, much of which comprised the former mega rice project area of the 1990s.

Many research studies have concluded that rice and maize production can be doubled and palm oil and horticulture output can be tripled with high-yield seeds and the empowerment of farmers through agricultural extension services and better farm practices in fertiliser and pest and post-harvest management.

We should no longer be so greatly obsessed with achieving rice self-sufficiency. True, the consumption of rice, as the main staple of the majority of the almost 270 million people, should be fulfilled mostly by domestic production because too heavy dependence on imports leaves the nation highly vulnerable to supply shocks given the small number of rice exporters.

But focusing food policy on rice production to the point of zero imports could hinder the achievement of food security or food resilience in its broadest sense, as defined in the 2012 Food Law.

Indeed, it is almost impossible for such a vast archipelagic country with such a huge population to secure full rice self-sufficiency all the time.

The growing urban middle-income population has undergone dietary and lifestyle changes in recent years toward more grains and oilseed commodities, vegetables, fruit, fish and chicken.

Hence, while the agricultural support policy should continue to aim at keeping our dependence on rice imports very low, the government should allocate more resources to the production of other food crops and horticulture.

https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/food-not-rice-security-jakarta-post

 

Indonesian soldiers offer rice harvesting assistance to Papuan farmers

ANTARA News Papua/HO-Pendam XVII/Cenderawasih)

Food security is one of the important aspects for ensuring our country's stability. Hence, solid cooperation from the entire nation is indispensable

Merauke, Papua (ANTARA) - Personnel of the Indonesia-Papua New Guinea Border Security Task Force from the 125/Simbisa Infantry Battalion lent a helping hand to native Papuan farmers in Kondo Village, Neukenjerai Sub-district, Merauke District, Papua Province, to harvest rice.

On Thursday, under the command of the task force's post commander, Second Lieutenant Purwanta, seven soldiers were dispatched to help native Papuan farmers -- Yakop Maiwa and Doce Sanggra -- harvest rice, the task force's commander, Lt Col Anjuanda Pardosi, stated.

The soldiers' voluntary involvement in the villagers' rice harvesting process is focused on supporting the government's food security program, especially near the Indonesia-PNG border areas, and to maintain sound communication and social ties with the local people, he expounded.

"Food security is one of the important aspects for ensuring our country's stability. Hence, solid cooperation from the entire nation is indispensable," he stated.

Pardosi believes that the soldiers assisting in the rice harvesting process was expected to encourage local farmers to boost production of the commodity.

Maiwa expressed gratitude to the soldiers for their assistance that enabled him to complete the rice harvesting process sooner than before.

Indonesia has yet to achieve food security, which by definition is related to "food availability, food access, and food utilization" (USAID 1995 in FAO) despite a steady rise in its population.

Instead of feeding its people the rice that is produced by its own farmers, the central government has repeatedly imported rice over the past years to meet the people's demands.

This condition has, indeed, posed a grave challenge and does not bode well with Indonesia's status as one of the world's top agricultural countries.

Indonesia would be better off not importing rice from countries, including Thailand and Vietnam, on a permanent basis. This is since rice imports would potentially disadvantage local farmers and threaten its national security in the long term.

On April 21, 2020, President Widodo had urged officials to make a precise assessment of Indonesia's rice stocks.

The president's directive came close on the heels of the FAO of the United Nations' warning of the COVID-19 pandemic triggering a global food crisis.

The Ministry of Agriculture has encouraged Indonesian farmers to implement an integrated farming method to aid in enhancing the profitable usage of their farmland to support the government's efforts to transform Indonesia into a food barn.

https://en.antaranews.com/news/153726/indonesian-soldiers-offer-rice-harvesting-assistance-to-papuan-farmers

 

Ideas: Liberalise padi and rice industry if Bernas concession extended

SUNBIZ /

06 AUG 2020 / 22:38 H.

 

PETALING JAYA: The Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (Ideas) has urged the government to have a concrete plan to liberalise the padi and rice industry if it is to extend Padiberas Nasional Bhd’s (Bernas) concesson.

On Tuesday, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry indicated that Bernas will continue to remain as the single gatekeeper for rice imports. Although Bernas has fulfilled its social obligations, the monopoly has created unintended negative consequences and missed opportunities for the padi and rice industry.

Commenting on the issue, the co-authors of Ideas report “Effectiveness of State Trading Enterprises in Achieving Food Security: Case Studies from Bernas in Malaysia and Bulog in Indonesia”, Prof Datin Paduka Fatimah Mohamed Arshad and Dr Tey Yeong Sheng, said the unwillingness of the government to restructure the local rice industry is understandable; continuing the status quo is a much a simpler decision than uprooting a 50-year-old system, despite the calls from the previous government and industry players at large to liberalise the sector.

It has other advantages too, such as minimal disruption and hence the stability of the rice system and no hassle of restructuring activities, which can be a formidable and risky task.

“However, this decision has a number of important implications. The problems that plague the industry will continue to exist, if not be magnified. Such a non-competitive structure is inequitable, which leaves the small producers the losers in the supply chain and dependent on subsidies to exist. This explains the slow growth of the industry as well as the low investment of new capital and new entrants of young farmers into the industry as the prospect is unpromising,“ Fatimah and Tey said in a statement.

They added that the market inefficiencies such as low quality of padi and milling rate, limited technological progress, unethical marketing practices such as adulteration of rice, limited value-added activities, and minimal SME development will continue if the issues in the market structure are not addressed.

If the government imposed additional social obligations on Bernas, it would incur a higher cost to Bernas which later may be transferred to producers or consumers either through lower price to producers or higher price to consumers. Description: C:\Users\abc\Downloads\unnamed (1).jpg

“Stakeholders of the Malaysian paddy (padi) and rice industry should recognise that value chain development is the backbone of agricultural transformation. This is not just a matter of food security; it also concerns farmer and consumer welfare as well as improvement in the environmental and business ecosystems. If Bernas is conceived as a change agent, Bernas would have to take the lead in installing a competitive market, through empowering local entrepreneurs to seize opportunities and be part of nation building. The government will also need to play the facilitation role, including periodic monitoring and evaluation,” said Tey.

“Looking forward, since the decision has been made there is now an urgent need to provide programmes that enhance the capacity of the smallholders by allowing them to participate in milling activities and input distribution as well as crop diversification. Cooperatives among farmers should be strengthened to improve their prospect of mobility in their business activities. Other public goods such as R&D has to be intensified to improve variety, cropping intensity, water management, small machines for small farms, sustainable practices, precision farming and so on,” Fatimah said.

Ideas CEO Tricia Yeoh said a concrete plan to liberalise the market, which includes increasing the capacity of smallholders and ease of entry into the industry, is required if the concession is extended.

“The timeframe of the extension should be reviewed as there are many missed opportunities and unintended negative consequences that come with the monopoly. In the long run, creating more competition would generate more innovation in the paddy and rice industry, which would enhance our national food security and ensure that our domestic rice production can compete at the global level.” Description: C:\Users\abc\Downloads\unnamed (2).jpg

 

https://www.thesundaily.my/business/ideas-liberalise-padi-and-rice-industry-if-bernas-concession-extended-YD3342265

 

 

 

 

 

Pies, rice and dog food urgently recalled over salmonella and nut allergy fears

Some products may contain small pieces of sharp glass or ingredients not mentioned on the label such as nuts

·         16:17, 4 AUG 2020

·         UPDATED16:25, 4 AUG 2020Bottom of Form

Description: https://i2-prod.dailyrecord.co.uk/incoming/article22468303.ece/ALTERNATES/s615/1_Shopping-Basket.jpgProducts may have even been exposed to harmful salmonella (Image: Getty Images)

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Food products that could be dangerous to eat are being urgently recalled by major supermarkets across the country.

Food Standards Scotland shared the alerts over items including beef pies, hot sauce, rice, scallops and dog food.

Some items may contain small pieces of sharp glass or ingredients not mentioned on the label such as nuts.

Other products may have even been exposed to harmful salmonella.

Customers are being advised not to eat any of the listed items and to return them immediately in exchange for a full refund. 

Here are all the latest product recalls and the actions you should take if you have purchased them:

Uncle Ben’s Brown Basmati rice

 

Mars Food UK is recalling Uncle Ben’s Brown Basmati ready to heat rice pouches as some packs may contain pieces of glass.

The possible presence of glass makes this product dangerous to eat.

Pack size: 250g

Best before dates: 17 November 2020 to 24 May 2021

Highland Bay Seafoods Whole King Scallops

Highland Bay Seafoods is recalling their Baked Whole King Scallops with a creamy leek and kale sauce topped with mash potatoes because it contains fish which is not mentioned on the label.

This means the product is a possible health risk for anyone with an allergy to fish.

Product:  Baked Whole King Scallops with a creamy leek & kale sauce topped with mash potato

Pack size:  200g (2 scallops in a pack)

‘Best before’ end date:  07/2020, 09/2020, 12/2020 and 04/2021

Batch codes / Lot numbers:  R006, R007, R008 and 20106

Benyfit Natural Pet Food

Benyfit Natural Pet Food Ltd has taken the precautionary step of recalling several types of frozen raw dog food products containing beef because the products might contain salmonella.

These products have been sold by various independent pet food stores and online.

Product: Beef Meat Feast, Beef & Tripe, Beef & Ox, Succulent Beef, Raw Natural Working Dog Food Beef Complete,  Premium Beef, Unique Raw Chicken, Beef & Ox.

For more information on expiry dates and batch codes, click here.

S&B Golden Curry Medium Hot Sauce

JFC (UK) Ltd is recalling S&B Golden Curry Medium Hot Sauce Mix because it contains celery and mustard which are not mentioned on the label.

This means the product could pose a risk to those allergic to celery or mustard.

Pack size: 1 kg

‘Best before’ end date: 22 December 2020, 16 March 2021, 07 May 2021, 23 May 2021, 12 June 2021, 10 July 2021

Allergens: Celery, Mustard

Waitrose Beef and Ale Pie

Waitrose & Partners are recalling Slow Cooked Beef and Ale Pie because it contains hazelnuts and milk which are not mentioned on the label.

This means the product is a possible health risk for anyone with an allergy to hazelnuts or an allergy or intolerance to milk.

Pack size: 400g

‘Best before’ end date: end: November 2021

Allergens: Milk, Nuts (hazelnut)

Batch codes / Lot numbers: L0125

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https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/lifestyle/rice-pies-dog-food-urgently-22468115

 

Remembering Sadia Dehlvi: Biryani recipe from her book Jasmine and Jinns

Her book Jasmine and Jinns, published by HarperCollins India, is a treasure trove of recipes and snippets of history. Here is an extract in which she wrote about Biryani

By: Lifestyle Desk | New Delhi | Published: August 6, 2020 7:10:15 pm

Description: Sadia Dehlvi, Sadia Dehlvi dead, Sadia Dehlvi passes away, Sadia Dehlvi death, Sadia Dehlvi obituary, Sadia Dehlvi books, Sadia Dehlvi recipes, Al Kausar, indian express

Dehlvi passed away after fighting a prolong battle with cancer.

Writer, author and food connoisseur, Sadia Dehlvi passed away yesterday after a prolong battle with cancer. When writing about food she blended instructions with warmth making her recipes resemble little anecdotes. Her books The Sufi Courtyard, Sufism: The Heart of Islam (2009), and Jasmine and Jinns: Memories and Recipes of My Delhi (2017) are hugely popular and manage to regale readers even to this day.

Her book Jasmine and Jinns, published by HarperCollins India, is a treasure trove of recipes and snippets of history. Here is an extract from it where she wrote about Biryani

Everybody loves a good biryani. It is invariably associated with a dinner or banquet hosted by Muslims. The Sindhis, Bohras,
Hyderabadis and others have their own versions of the biryani, which are becoming popular. Readymade masala mixes from
Pakistan help you produce wonderful Sindhi biryani. However, I believe our biryani is the ultimate, especially the biryani cooked by professionals that is served at weddings and other occasions. Dilliwalas have a couple of different recipes for biryani, but I am going to reveal the easiest home version. I don’t remember eating chicken biryani in my childhood, for biryani was traditionally made with mutton. However, in the last decade or so, chicken biryani has become quite popular, even at
weddings. I think the rising cost of mutton is the reason for the changeover. Chicken biryani tastes good but, frankly, it doesn’t come close to the original mutton biryani.

Traditionally, the ratio of meat used in biryani is ded guna, which is one-and-a-half times the quantity of the rice. In the old days, saffron was used but with good quality saffron difficult to find, most of us use food colouring. If you add saffron, then nothing like it. Earlier, haarsingar flowers, called night jasmine in English, were soaked in water that was added to biryani for colouring and fragrance. Women used the remaining water to colour their dupattas. Commonly used in ayurvedic and unani medicine, these flowers are sold at about `3,000 a kilogram in some shops in the old city.

3⁄4 kg – Mutton or chicken
1⁄2 kg – Basmati rice
2 tsp – Garlic
11⁄2 tsp – Ginger
10 – Green cardamoms
8 – Cloves
300 gm – Curd
3⁄4 cup – Oil or desi ghee
1⁄2 cup – Milk
2 tsp – Kewra water
1⁄2 tsp – Saffron or saffron colour
1 cup – Desi ghee or oil
Salt to taste

Soak the basmati rice for 30 to 45 minutes. Heat oil, add 4 cloves and 5 green cardamoms and leave for a minute or two. Cardamoms are best when slightly crushed. Add the garlic, ginger, salt and meat, frying for a few minutes. Add the curd and continue frying till the oil separates from the meat. Now add about 2-3 cups water, and pressure-cook for one whistle. Or let the meat cook on slow flame till the meat is three-fourth done.

Now add the soaked rice along with the remaining 4 cloves and 5 cardamoms to the meat. The water in the utensil should remain about 21⁄2″ above the rice. Add a little more water if necessary. Cook on medium flame, when the water is absorbed, then minimise the flame. Now, mix the saffron or saffron colouring with milk and pour around the rice. Sprinkle the kewra over it as well.

Place a thick cloth or small towel over the utensil before placing the lid. Leave on dum for 10 to 15 minutes till the rice and meat are done. One of the signs of a good biryani is that the rice should not be overcooked. Each grain of rice should remain separate from the other.

https://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/food-wine/remembering-sadia-dehlvi-her-biryani-recipe-from-the-book-jasmine-and-jinns-6542676/

 

Punjab CM urges PM not to allow GI tagging of MP basmati

 

CanIndia New Wire Service25

Chandigarh, Aug 5 (IANS) Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking his personal intervention to not allow Geographical Indication (GI) tagging of 13 basmati producing districts of Madhya Pradesh in the larger interest of the other basmati producing state’s, including Punjab.

Apart from Punjab, other states which already have GI tagging for basmati are Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Western Uttar Pradesh and select districts of Jammu and Kashmir.

Noting that the All India Rice Exporters Association is also opposed to consider any claim of Madhya Pradesh for GI tagging for basmati, raising concerns about its serious negative impact on India’s export potential, the Chief Minister noted that India exports basmati to the tune of Rs 33,000 crore every year, but any dilution in registration of Indian basmati may give advantage to Pakistan, which also produces basmati as per GI tagging, in the international market in terms of basmati characteristics and quality parameters.

In his letter to the Prime Minister, the Chief Minister has drawn his attention to the economically and socially important issue of geographical tagging, saying that GI tagging of Madhya Pradesh basmati would negatively impact the state’s agriculture and also India’s basmati exports.

Madhya Pradesh has sought the inclusion of 13 of its districts for GI tagging for basmati.

Urging Modi to direct the authorities not to disturb the status quo in this matter, the Chief Minister said that this was essential for safeguarding the interests of the farmers and the basmati exporters of India.

As per the geographical indications of the Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999, a “geographical indication tag can be issued for agricultural goods that are originating in the territory of a country, or a region or locality in that territory, where a given quality, reputation or other characteristics of such goods is essentially attributable to its geographical origin”.

“GI tag for basmati is given to the traditionally growing areas of basmati due to their special aroma and quality and taste of the grain, which is indigenous to the region below the foothills of Himalayas in the Indo-Gangetic plains, and basmati of this area has distinct recognition across the world,” the Chief Minister pointed out.

–IANS

https://www.canindia.com/punjab-cm-urges-pm-not-to-allow-gi-tagging-of-mp-basmati/

 

Madhya Pradesh and Punjab CMs spar over GI tag to basmati rice

 

Exporters say granting GI tag to basmati grown in MP will lower its value in the global market, while MP contends its inclusion will help lakhs of farmers get better price

Basmati rice | GI tag | Madhya Pradesh

Sanjeeb Mukherjee & Agencies  |  New Delhi Last Updated at August 7, 2020 00:50 IST

The Punjab chief minister has alleged that MP's move infringes the GI tagging procedure and laws

The spat between Madhya Pradesh and Punjab over the GI tag to basmati rice flared up again today with Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan calling Punjab’s Amarinder Singh’s opposition to MP getting the tag ‘politically motivated’ and a move that hurts farmers.

Amarinder Singh, in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi written few days back, had opposed Madhya Pradesh’s bid to acquire the GI tag for basmati stating that any move to disturb the status quo will not only harm the interests of farmers and basmati exporters of India, but could also help Pakistan, which also produces basmati as per GI tagging in the international market.

Taking to Twitter, Chouhan alleged that the Punjab Chief Minister's letter was "politically motivated".

Countering Singh’s argument, Chouhan said, "The case of Apeda (Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority) with Pakistan has no relationship with Madhya Pradesh's claim as it is under the GI Act of India. It is not connected to inter-country claims of basmati rice."

He asserted that GI tagging was a matter of pride for farmers and recognition of their years of toils.

"The matter should not be turned into a Punjab-versus-Madhya Pradesh tussle. GI tagging will provide stability to basmati prices in international markets and bolster our exports," the MP CM said.

The Punjab chief minister has alleged that MP's move infringes the GI tagging procedure and laws.

However, Chouhan said, "Madhya Pradesh has a written recorded history since 1908 of basmati production in 13 districts. Records of supplying seeds to farmers in MP in the year 1944 was recorded in the records of Scindia State."

He said that the Indian Institute of Rice Research, Hyderabad, had recorded production of basmati rice in their Production Oriented Survey Report for the last 25 years.

"Basmati exporters of Punjab and Haryana are procuring basmati rice from MP. This is also supported by Government of India data of export from the Mandideep (industrial area), Madhya Pradesh," he added.

In June, Madhya Pradesh Agriculture Minister Kamal Patel had said that the state government would move the apex court to challenge a Madras High Court's ruling in the matter of not providing the tag to MP's basmati-growing regions.

The MP government and a basmati growers' association had lost two separate cases in the court filed in 2016 to challenge the exclusion of the districts from a map submitted by the APEDA for the tags.

Apart from Punjab, other states that already have GI tagging for basmati are Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Delhi, western UP, and select districts of Jammu and Kashmir.

Madhya Pradesh has sought inclusion of its 13 districts for GI tagging for basmati.

Shivraj Singh Chouhan had been fighting for cause in his previous term as well. He recently met, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and pleaded the state’s case.

Exporters say granting the GI tag to basmati grown in Madhya Pradesh districts will lower its value in the international market, while MP contends its inclusion will benefit lakhs of farmers in getting better price for their produce.

https://www.business-standard.com/article/markets/madhya-pradesh-and-punjab-cms-spar-over-gi-tag-to-basmati-rice-120080601555_1.html

 

 

Too Much Rice Could Kill: Study Shows Arsenic Exposure Could Lead to Fatal Diseases

 

7 August 2020, 12:54 am EDT By CJ Robles Tech Times

A study found that eating too much rice could lead to heart disease and death.

A research team from the University of Manchester and the University of Salford analyzed the link between rice consumption and heart diseases in England and Wales, which are caused by arsenic exposure, according to Daily Mail.

The research findings were published in the Science of the Total Environment journal show that British people have a 6% higher risk of morbidity from cardiovascular disease as they are included in the 25% top rice consumers compared to the bottom group. Scientists modified the data to account for other factors that cause cardiovascular diseases such as age, smoking, and obesity.   

(Photo : Pierre Bamin/Unsplash)
A study found that eating too much rice could lead to heart disease and death.

Also, researchers found that eating a lot of rice increases the risk of dying from heart disease due to arsenic, which occurs naturally as the crop grows. Earlier studies linked the chemical to some cancers, liver disease, and even death.

Millions of people around the world, particularly in developing countries, eat rice for the calories and nutrients it provides. However, scientists found that more than 50,000 avoidable premature deaths annually can be blamed for arsenic in rice.   

University of Manchester Professor David Polya who is a co-author of the study said that while the research used an ecological study, which has many limitations, it is an inexpensive way of determining a link between high consumption of rice with inorganic arsenic and an increased risk of heart disease.

How does arsenic emerge in rice?

According to a Lad Bible article, while arsenic occurs naturally in the soil, locations that use arsenic-based herbicides or toxins added in irrigation water have to increase arsenic content. Rice is particularly vulnerable to arsenic, which copies other chemicals that the plant absorbs through its roots and bypasses the plant's defenses.

In this case, rice grown under these conditions would have bear arsenic from the soil and water. However, Tech Times earlier reported that arsenic can only become health hazard if consumed in large dose with symptoms like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. 

However, scientists do not promote the evading of rice consumption since it has many health benefits, particularly with its high fiber content. Instead of eating whole grain rice, the study suggests people eat rice varieties that have low arsenic levels like basmati as well as polished rice.    

(Photo : Andhika Y. Wiguna/Unsplash)
Arsenic occurs naturally in the soil, locations that use arsenic-based herbicides or toxins added in irrigation water have increase arsenic content.

In 2014, a Consumer Reports article showed that all types of rice from Arkansas, Louisiana, or Texas or just from the U.S. had the highest levels of inorganic arsenic, except for sushi and quick-cooking rice. White rice from California has 38% less inorganic arsenic than those from other parts of the country.

While brown has more nutrients, it also has 80% more inorganic arsenic than white rice since arsenic in the outer layers of the grains is removed when white rice is milled.

However, it is best to get brown basmati from California, Pakistan, or India as it has around 35% less inorganic arsenic than other types of brown rice.

Meanwhile, another study warns that the increased temperatures caused by global warming could lead to much higher arsenic levels in rice by 2100. Scientists at the University of Washington in the US grew rice in various temperatures and found that crops in warmer locations tend to have higher levels of arsenic, including grains.

Read also: Does Rice Contain Dangerous Levels Of Arsenic? BBC Takes A Closer Look

 

https://www.techtimes.com/articles/251630/20200807/much-rice-kill-study-shows-arsenic-exposure-lead-fatal-diseases.htm

https://www.techtimes.com/articles/251630/20200807/much-rice-kill-study-shows-arsenic-exposure-lead-fatal-diseases.htm

ROW RICE FEATURED AT VIRTUAL FIELD DAY

Thu, 08/06/2020 - 2:54pm

 

 

Row rice was featured at the recent virtual field day in Mer Rouge.

 

MER ROUGE

Presentations for the virtual northeast Louisiana row rice field day have been released, providing farmers with the latest information from LSU AgCenter researchers. The complete event is available online at https://bit.ly/LSURowRice(link is external).
Melissa Cater, director of the AgCenter Northeast Region, credited AgCenter agents Keith Collins and Bruce Garner for their work on the virtual field day. The video presentations can be viewed at any time for future reference.
Mike Salassi, AgCenter vice president for plant and animal sciences, said the AgCenter is committed to rice research and extension work, and an emphasis is being placed on the practice of row rice that is being used more in northeast Louisiana.
In the videos, Garner and farmer Jason Waller, of Morehouse Parish, made a presentation from a 48-acre field on Waller’s farm where five conventional rice varieties and three rice hybrids are being tested.
The stand was ideal, and “the stand counts were just phenomenal,” Garner said.
The field was irrigated after four to five days of no pumping.
Waller, who’s been growing row rice for five years, said he has learned to irrigate a field by looking at the soil.
“If we look at it and it’s wet, we’ll wait a day,” Waller said. “But if we look at it and it’s starting to get that dryness to the top of it, we’ll cut the pumps on, water it for just a little bit, wet it up and then back off again.”
Water had to be released from the field after a heavy rain, he said.
Waller said rice plants sometimes turn yellow near the irrigation pipe, and he suspects that’s a sign of nitrogen loss from colder water that can be remedied with additional nitrogen applications.
An application of herbicides Command, Sharpen and glyphosate was made immediately after planting on May 23, Garner said. And Waller said Ricebeaux and Facet were applied later to get an overlap of residual herbicides.
AgCenter rice specialist Dustin Harrell talked about the increased use of the row rice practice in northeast Louisiana. Louisiana rice acreage grown with the row rice practice was only 2,500 acres just three years ago. That has jumped to an estimated 30,000 acres this year compared with the 75,000 total acres of rice in northeast Louisiana.
Fertilization of a row rice crop is different from conventionally flooded rice, and it’s likely that nitrogen losses could be higher with row rice, Harrell said.
It’s believed that a row rice crop requires an additional 100 pounds of nitrogen per acre. “We need more research to make sure that’s the case,” he said.
Harrell showed his various research projects at the LSU AgCenter H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station, and the AgCenter Northeast Research Station at St. Joseph studying fertilizer rates and timing. “We’re going to find out what the optimum rate of nitrogen is,” he said.
In addition, he is studying different fertilizer treatments aimed at preventing nitrogen losses in row rice.
AgCenter entomologist Sebe Brown said billbugs are found more often in row rice. Brown is conducting research to see what seed treatments will offer the best protection against the pest.
Brown said stink bugs are also becoming more of an issue in row rice.
Problem insects, including loopers, stink bugs and caterpillars, are showing up in soybeans. “Everything is earlier this year,” he said.
AgCenter plant pathologist Don Groth said the row rice practice that has become popular in north Louisiana is susceptible to blast disease due to rice is much more susceptible under upland conditions.
Blast is much worse than the common sheath blight disease that can reduce yield by 15% to 20%. “Under the worst case with blast, you might be left with 15 to 20 percent,” he said.
Blast is more of a problem with late-planted rice and high nitrogen rates. He said farmers should favor varieties with good blast resistance and avoid varieties with higher blast susceptibility.
Leaf blast occurs in young plants, but a fungicide application should only be made if rice plants are dying. Usually the rice will become resistant to leaf blast as it enters the reproductive stages. The next phase of blast is neck blast, and it can be treated with fungicides.
The most effective against blast are strobilurin fungicides, which include Quadris, Quilt, Amistar Top, Gem and Stratego. These fungicides should be applied at 50% to 70% heading to get good control.
The fungicide Stratego won’t be available next year, so farmers will have to mix fungicides Gem and Flint to get the effectiveness of Stratego, Groth said.
A very susceptible or susceptible variety with heavy leaf blast should be treated with a fungicide application at the boot stage followed by an application at heading.
Smut disease should be treated with an application at the boot stage because a heading application will not control smuts, Groth said.
AgCenter rice breeder Adam Famoso talked about his work to develop new varieties.
More seed of a new Provisia variety, PVL02, will be available in 2021. It offers increased yield over PVL01 by as much as 15%, he said.
Four lines are being considered for PVL03, and a decision on one of those candidates will be made this year.
Famoso also is working on new conventional lines. The line LA2140 is similar to the Cheniere variety with good grain quality and a yield increase of 5% to 10% over Cheniere.
Another line, LA2207, has good yield potential and grain quality along with a blast-resistance gene. “This line has maintained its yield very well compared to the other lines,” Famoso said.
Work continues on a medium-grain line, LA2227, with high-yield potential and good grain quality.
A new Clearfield offering, CLL17, will be available in 2021 from Horizon Ag, Famoso said.
AgCenter soybean specialist David Moseley spoke from a core block study in West Carroll Parish where 21 varieties are being grown, all in maturity group IV.
The soybean crop statewide appears to be progressing well. “It looks to be a really good year,” he said.
Two-thirds of the crop was rated good to excellent by mid-June. “Since then, the condition has improved every week,” Moseley said.
AgCenter plant pathologist Trey Price urged farmers to scout soybean fields weekly, and it’s possible that a fungicide application can be avoided. “If the weather cooperates, you can make the season without that input cost,” he said.
Price covered aerial blight, taproot decline, brown spot, target spot and frogeye leaf spot soybean diseases, along with Southern root knot nematode.
Fungicide research for row rice and flooded rice is being studied at the Macon Ridge Research Station near Winnsboro, and salt tolerance of different lines of rice is being studied along with breeding line evaluations. The Louisiana Rice Research Board is partially funding the work, Price said.
Scott Franklin, president of the Northeast Rice Growers Association, said the Louisiana Rice Promotion Board and Louisiana Rice Research Board keep the state’s rice industry afloat. “Without them, I’m afraid we’d be in very big trouble,” he said.
Franklin said farmers’ checkoff funds help pay for research for Clearfield and Provisia rice development and for furrow-irrigated rice.
The big jump in acreage of furrow-irrigated rice in north Louisiana was the result of a positive policy development, Franklin said.
“This is mainly due to the expansion of crop insurance to include furrow-irrigated rice,” he said, adding that was accomplished by Congressman Ralph Abraham.
Betsy Ward, president of USA Rice, is among presenters in the videos. She said Bobby Hanks, chief executive officer of the Supreme Rice Mill in Crowley, is the new USA Rice chairman.
Rice sales have increased during the ongoing pandemic. “We’re hoping to launch a new program to capitalize on that,” she said.
Kane Webb, USA Rice field representative in Louisiana, said the membership directory for the Louisiana Rice Growers Association has an online directory to replace the printed version. The directory is available to association members only at https://laricegrowers.com(link is external).
Steve Linscombe, director of The Rice Foundation, said the foundation funded four research projects that include one with Famoso, two in Texas and one in Arkansas.
The Rice Leadership Program will not select a new class this year. Linscombe explained that sessions for the current class are not being held because of the pandemic.

https://www.raynetoday.com/news-state-covid-19-agriculture/row-rice-featured-virtual-field-day

 

 

Study finds N95 masks can be sanitized in a rice cooker or Instant Pot, without chemicals

NEWS

by: Mike Ewing

Posted: Aug 6, 2020 / 06:18 PM CDT Updated: Aug 6, 2020 / 06:20 PM CDT

Photo: Chamteut Oh, courtesy University of Illinois

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Highly sought-after N95 masks can be effectively sanitized of coronavirus using the dry heat of a common electric cooker, according to a new study from researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Engineering professors Thanh “Helen” Nguyen and Vishal Verma found simply placing an N95 mask in an electric cooker like an Intant Pot or rice cooker set to 100 degrees Celsius for 50 minutes can decontaminate it inside and out without affecting the size or filtration.

Researchers said the N95 masks are considered the “gold standard” of personal protective equipment in preventing the spread of COVID-19, and such a simple method could help health care workers and first responders get more use out of limited supplies.

“A cloth mask or surgical mask protects others from droplets the wearer might expel, but a respirator mask protects the wearer by filtering out smaller particles that might carry the virus,” Nguyen said in a statement.

Through their testing, researchers found they could decontaminate the masks up to 20 times in an electric cooker without affecting the fit or filtration.

They also outlined their method for decontaminating a mask in a video and a post on the U of I’s website.

Suggest a Correction

https://wgntv.com/news/study-finds-n95-masks-can-be-sanitized-in-a-rice-cooker-or-instant-pot-without-chemicals/

Madhya Pradesh and Punjab CMs spar over GI tag to basmati rice

Exporters say granting GI tag to basmati grown in MP will lower its value in the global market, while MP contends its inclusion will help lakhs of farmers get better price

Topics
Basmati rice | GI tag | Madhya Pradesh

Sanjeeb Mukherjee & Agencies  |  New Delhi Last Updated at August 7, 2020 00:50 IST

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The Punjab chief minister has alleged that MP's move infringes the GI tagging procedure and laws

The spat between Madhya Pradesh and Punjab over the GI tag to basmati rice flared up again today with Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan calling Punjab’s Amarinder Singh’s opposition to MP getting the tag ‘politically motivated’ and a move that hurts farmers.

Amarinder Singh, in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi written few days back, had opposed Madhya Pradesh’s bid to acquire the GI tag for basmati stating that any move to disturb the status quo will not only harm the interests of farmers and basmati exporters of India, but could also help Pakistan, which also produces basmati as per GI tagging in the international market.

Taking to Twitter, Chouhan alleged that the Punjab Chief Minister's letter was "politically motivated".

Countering Singh’s argument, Chouhan said, "The case of Apeda (Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority) with Pakistan has no relationship with Madhya Pradesh's claim as it is under the GI Act of India. It is not connected to inter-country claims of basmati rice."

He asserted that GI tagging was a matter of pride for farmers and recognition of their years of toils.

"The matter should not be turned into a Punjab-versus-Madhya Pradesh tussle. GI tagging will provide stability to basmati prices in international markets and bolster our exports," the MP CM said.

The Punjab chief minister has alleged that MP's move infringes the GI tagging procedure and laws.

However, Chouhan said, "Madhya Pradesh has a written recorded history since 1908 of basmati production in 13 districts. Records of supplying seeds to farmers in MP in the year 1944 was recorded in the records of Scindia State."

He said that the Indian Institute of Rice Research, Hyderabad, had recorded production of basmati rice in their Production Oriented Survey Report for the last 25 years.

"Basmati exporters of Punjab and Haryana are procuring basmati rice from MP. This is also supported by Government of India data of export from the Mandideep (industrial area), Madhya Pradesh," he added.

In June, Madhya Pradesh Agriculture Minister Kamal Patel had said that the state government would move the apex court to challenge a Madras High Court's ruling in the matter of not providing the tag to MP's basmati-growing regions.

The MP government and a basmati growers' association had lost two separate cases in the court filed in 2016 to challenge the exclusion of the districts from a map submitted by the APEDA for the tags.

Apart from Punjab, other states that already have GI tagging for basmati are Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Delhi, western UP, and select districts of Jammu and Kashmir.

Madhya Pradesh has sought inclusion of its 13 districts for GI tagging for basmati.

Shivraj Singh Chouhan had been fighting for cause in his previous term as well. He recently met, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and pleaded the state’s case.

Exporters say granting the GI tag to basmati grown in Madhya Pradesh districts will lower its value in the international market, while MP contends its inclusion will benefit lakhs of farmers in getting better price for their produce.

https://www.business-standard.com/article/markets/madhya-pradesh-and-punjab-cms-spar-over-gi-tag-to-basmati-rice-120080601555_1.html

 

President Stresses shifting to value added exports for revenue growth

 

ISLAMABAD: President Dr. Arif Alvi on Thursday stressed the need for value addition of the country’s exports to attract international market and increase revenue.

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Addressing at International Rawal Expo Virtual Conference organized by Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industries, the president said textiles and rice being the top-level exports could become main driver of growth in the country’s overall exports with value-addition.

President Alvi said the current global situation proffered the nation an opportunity to invest in emerging technologies, diversity of economy, cost-reduction and enhance sales.

He mentioned that smart lockdown strategy, Ehsaas cash emergency programme and the prudent response of general public helped reduce the economic impact of coronavirus pandemic.

He said the government was in action to improve the yields of cotton, wheat and rice, however stressed an effective strategy by producers as well for increased marketing.

The president mentioned five levels from raw cotton to branded apparel, which he said ensured surprising jump in profit with final outcome.

He said the government had responsibility to facilitate traders and businessmen and reduce their problems, mostly relating to administrative hurdles.

He expressed the belief that Pakistan’s economic potential and dividends could be reaped through a system in-place that provided ease-of-doing business.

He also stressed the importance of a fair dealing system between traders and buyers for economic stability.

Dr. Alvi said it was important for businessmen to maintain a link with commercial counselors abroad through Ministry of Foreign Affairs to help sort out issues related to tariffs.

He expressed the confidence that the 10-day Expo would provide the stakeholders a platform to explore the promising opportunities in the markets of Pakistan.

President Arif Alvi has said that smart lockdown in the country has helped in controlling Corona cases. The people of Pakistan followed Corona prevention SOPs. Pakistan is a major exporter of rice. Domestically produced garments can increase the country’s foreign exchange.

In a video link address to the Virtual International Rawal Expo organized by the Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI), President Arif Alvi said that, “We have to move away from the traditional method and move towards value addition. From raw materials to branded fashion, you can make a profit”.

Exports can be increased through product value addition and Pakistan has the potential to increase its GDP by $36 billion, he added.

He said, Pakistan is a lucky country where the situation has not worsened due to Covid-19 and by the grace of God we have less number of cases in comparison with other countries. This is an important opportunity for us to be ready and take advantage of the situation. The Rawalpindi Chamber deserves congratulations and is working along these lines.

The government will ensure that business is smooth and barriers to bureaucracy are removed. The government will ensure that business is smooth and barriers related to bureaucracy are removed, he said.

Earlier, Saboor Malik, President, Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce, said in his remarks that this is the first expo of its kind in the history of Pakistan which is taking place on an online platform. The Corona epidemic and lockdown have affected business in Pakistan. However, the Chamber took the given difficult situation into an opportunity and with the help of IT, organized many events, training seminars, business conferences and trade forums on online platforms.

Group leader Sohail Altaf said it is a welcome news that the Corona epidemic was coming under control in Pakistan. The number of cases is also decreasing daily. He said that the unveiling ceremony of Rawal Expo by the President of Pakistan Arif Alvi was an honor and confidence building for the business community as well as a sign of the seriousness of the government. E-commerce and virtual platforms are the reality of today.

Chairman Rawal Expo Nasir Mirza said that the special thing about the virtual platform is that there is no time constraint for participating in the exhibition. The expo will be continue till August 16.

Azerbaijan Ambassador Ali Alizade said that Pakistan is an attractive country for foreign investment. Congratulating the Rawalpindi Chamber, he said that this is the first time that any chamber has organized a Virtual Expo in Pakistan.

In addition to the display of defense equipment by DEPO, companies from various sectors including real estate, electronics, jewelery, pharma, garments, engineering, machinery, food will be able to display their products at the virtual exhibition.

https://www.phoneworld.com.pk/president-arif-alvi-says-smart-lockdown-helped-curb-the-spread-of-coronavirus/

Madhya Pradesh Condemns Punjab's Opposition To GI Tag For Basmati Rice To State

Madhya Pradesh condemns Punjab's opposition to GI tag for basmati rice to state

Photo Credit :

06August, 2020

by ANI

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Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) [India], Aug 6 (ANI): The Madhya Pradesh government condemned Punjab's opposition to the Geographical Indication (GI) tag for basmati rice being given to Madhya Pradesh, by claiming that the state has "written recorded history since 1908" of production of the rice variant in 13 districts.
Earlier, amid MP's push for getting GI tag for basmati, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh had written to the Center seeking the Prime Minister's intervention and not allowing this in the larger interest of all the other states which are already basmati GI tagged.
Singh had claimed that giving GI tag to MP would lead to dilution, which might give an advantage to Pakistan in the international market.
"Govt of Madhya Pradesh strongly condemns the letter written by the Punjab Chief Minister to PMO India regarding allotment of GI tagging of basmati rice to 13 districts of the state," a tweet by the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) Madhya Pradesh read.
"Madhya Pradesh has a written recorded history since 1908 of Basmati production in 13 districts. Records of supplying seeds to farmers in Madhya Pradesh in the year 1944 is recorded in the records of Scindia state," it added in subsequent tweets.
The MP CMO, in a series of tweets, further said that the Indian Institute of Rice Research, based in Hyderabad, has recorded production of basmati in since the last 25 years, and also added that exporters from both Punjab and Haryana have been procuring the rice variant from Madhya Pradesh.
It added that the "Government of India has been supplying breeder seeds of basmati rice to Madhya Pradesh from 1999" and further asserted that the GI tag issue should not be made into a Punjab vs Madhya Pradesh tussle.
The MP government said that the tag would be a matter of pride for the state's farmers, a recognition of their hard work, and will also "provide stability to basmati prices in international markets and boost our exports." (ANI)

Disclaimer: The views expressed in the article above are those of the authors' and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of this publishing house. Unless otherwise noted, the author is writing in his/her personal capacity. They are not intended and should not be thought to represent official ideas, attitudes, or policies of any agency or institution.

http://www.businessworld.in/article/Madhya-Pradesh-condemns-Punjab-s-opposition-to-GI-tag-for-basmati-rice-to-state/06-08-2020-305674/

 


Basmati GI tag war: MP CM ‘condemns’ Amarinder’s letter to PM Modi

Exporters from Punjab, Haryana buying Basmati from Madhya Pradesh, claims Chouhan

·         Posted: Aug 06, 2020 07:00 PM (IST)

·         Updated : 24 hours ago

Shivraj Singh Chouhan. File photo

Vibha Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 6

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Thursday “condemned” Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh for his letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding Madhya Pradesh’ efforts to get a Geographical Indication (GI) tag for its “famous Basmati rice”, terming the move “inspired by politics”.

“I condemn the letter written to the Prime Minister by the Congress government of Punjab in the matter of GI tagging of Basmati rice of Madhya Pradesh and consider it politically inspired.

“I wish to question the Chief Minister of Punjab, Captain Amarinder Singh, as to what hostility he has with the farmers of Madhya Pradesh. It is not a matter of Madhya Pradesh or Punjab, it is a matter of farmers of the entire country and their livelihood,” an official statement said, quoting Chouhan.

Referring to the historical connection of Basmati rice of Madhya Pradesh, Chouhan recently urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to grant a GI status to the state’s Basmati rice “to encourage farmers and Basmati rice based industries”.

According to Madhya Pradesh officials, amidst Chouhan’s efforts to get GI tag for the famous basmati rice exported by the State, the Chief Minister of Punjab wrote a letter to Prime Minister yesterday, seeking his intervention in this regard.

In his letter, Singh said it would affect the interests of Punjab and other states whose Basmati rice already has a ‘GI tag’.

Singh also said Pakistan could also benefit if this happens, as per MP officials. 

However, according to Chouhan, “The case of Agriculture and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) with Pakistan has no connection with the claims of Madhya Pradesh.

“Because it comes under the GI Act of India and has no connection with the claims of Basmati rice within the country. Exporters of Punjab and Haryana are buying Basmati from Madhya Pradesh.

“The central government’s export data confirms this. The Central government has been supplying ‘breeder seed’ of basmati rice to Madhya Pradesh since the year 1999,” he said.

Chouhan said it is recorded in the then ‘Scindia State’ records that in the year 1944, seeds were supplied to the farmers of the state.

The Indian Institute of Rice Research, Hyderabad, has recorded in its ‘Production Oriented Survey Report’ that Basmati rice is being produced in Madhya Pradesh since the last 25 years, Chouhan said,  adding that GI tagging to Madhya Pradesh will stabilise the prices of India’s basmati rice in the international markets and boost the country’s export.

“Basmati is being produced in 13 districts of Madhya Pradesh since the year 1908 and has been registered in history. Basmati rice of Madhya Pradesh is considered very tasty and is famous both in the country and abroad for its flavours and fragrance,” he said, adding that IIRR, Hyderabad, and other specialist institutions have confirmed reports in connection with the traditional cultivation of basmati in Madhya Pradesh.

Chouhan has sought a Geographical Indication (GI) tag for ‘Basmati’ rice produced in his state.

A GI tag is an indication used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation that are due to the origin. The tag conveys an assurance of quality and distinctiveness and plays a major role in trade, improving its prospects. 

Geographical indications are typically used for agricultural products, foodstuffs, wine and spirit drinks, handicrafts, and industrial products.  

https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/nation/basmati-gi-tag-war-mp-cm-condemns-amarinders-letter-to-pm-modi-122950

 

WTO Members Push For Increased Transparency On COVID-19 Measures In Farm Trade


At a meeting of the Committee on Agriculture on 28 July, WTO members posed a record number of questions about each other’s farm measures. Australia and other members called for enhanced transparency on COVID-19 measures. In the subsequent information session dedicated to COVID-19, members heard from several international organizations about their research work. India was queried about its subsidies for rice in 2018-19. At the end of the meeting, Ms Maria Escandor (the Philippines) was elected as the new chair of the Committee.

A total of 308 questions were submitted (G/AG/W/205/Rev.1 and Corr.1) by WTO members since the last Committee meeting in 2019. The March 2020 meeting was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. To ensure an effective discussion, the one-day meeting focused on a WTO Secretariat document (RD/AG/78) compiling 146 unanswered questions regarding members' farm policies. Written responses received in advance of the meeting were compiled in a document for members' reference. These responses can also be found in the WTO's Agriculture Information Management System.

US, EU, China respond to questions

The United States addressed members’ concerns over "Phase 1" of the US-China trade deal and over farm stimulus packages, including the package adopted in response to COVID-19. The US noted that, in the US-China Economic and Trade Agreement, China committed to ensure that purchases and imports into China of agricultural and seafood products from the United States would exceed the corresponding 2017 baseline amount by US$ 12.5 billion in 2020 and by US$ 19.5 billion in 2021. “Purchases will be made at market prices based on commercial considerations and market conditions may dictate the timing of purchases within any given year,” the United States reiterated.

The US provided the value of 2017 exports to China based on U.S. Census Data for several main commodities. The US said both parties are not disclosing further disaggregated information “to avoid speculative behaviour in commodity markets”, and that market rules will prevail: “Chinese buyers can choose specific products and vendors, time purchases, and negotiate prices according to current market conditions.” The US also maintained there would be no market distortion or discrimination since “the Agreement neither restricts China from purchasing food, agricultural, and seafood products from other countries nor discriminates against these products”.

Regarding COVID-19 stimulus packages, the United States said updated information can be found in its new submission: US ad hoc report on COVID-19 measures (G/AG/GEN/161). It encompasses key information (designated agency, short description of the programme, weblink and the legal reference for actions) for 11 programmes. These include nine US Department of Agriculture projects, such as the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program and USDA Farmers to Families Food Box, as well as two targeted support plans for small business. The US said this special submission is without prejudice to its normal notifications and will be updated over time. It encouraged all members to make their own ad hoc reports on COVID-19 measures.

China’s responses regarding the US-China trade deal were in line with what was said by the United States. It said that “commercial considerations” is the principle agreed upon by both parties. “Chinese enterprises engaged in imports from the US will follow the principle of market and the WTO rules … the Chinese government does not make any instructions (on the purchases),” it asserted. Regarding its agricultural insurance programmes, China said it is still processing the questions and will provide responses when they are available.

The EU's multiple environmental policies were the subject of discussion. These policies include the new “Farm to Fork” Strategy issued on 17 February 2020 - a set of regulations to reduce the use of chemical pesticides, fertilizers and antibiotics in agri-food production; the European Green Deal - an ambitious plan to transform the EU into a carbon-free economy by 2050; and the EU’s production subsidies resulting from the implementation of sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures.

The EU said the Common Agricultural Policy reform and related Farm to Fork proposals are still being discussed by the EU’s co-legislators, the European Council and the European Parliament. Therefore, details are not yet available, and no formal decision has been taken to introduce a carbon tax at present. The relevant notifications in relation to the pesticide standards fall within the scope of the WTO's SPS Committee and Technical Barriers to Trade Committee, it said. Regarding the questions on its COVID-19 measures, the EU referred members to its ad hoc report (G/AG/GEN/159) and said more information will be added once it becomes available.

India cites “peace clause” of Bali Ministerial Decision for breach of rice support

In its recent domestic support notification (G/AG/N/IND/18), India notified the Committee that it exceeded the "de minimis" support level (10% of its value of production) for rice in the marketing year 2018-2019.

Invoking the peace clause set out in the 2013 Bali Ministerial Decision on Public Stockholding for Food Security Purposes (WT/MIN (13)/38) and the subsequent General Council Decision (WT/L/939), India clarified that the breach of de minimis limits for rice is covered by the peace clause, and it has submitted full information in line with the specific notification requirements of the decisions. This first-ever invocation of the “peace clause” ignited extensive reactions from members, with 25 questions registered on India's additional notification obligations, reporting methodologies and the trade impact of the support. Further information on the “peace clause” is available below.

In its responses, India reiterated its compliance with WTO rules, particularly paragraph 3 and footnotes 5 and 6 of Annex 2 of the Agreement on Agriculture as well as paragraph 3 of the Bali Ministerial Decision. It maintained that marketing year 2018-2019 was the only year it exceeded its de minimis support for rice. This is why it did not notify the public stockholding programme for rice prior to that period.

Although India’s public stockholding programmes covered rice, wheat, coarse grains and pulses, only support for rice exceeds the de minimis limits, India said. Hence, the statistical annex only includes rice. Other support for rice will be notified in due course, it added. India also affirmed that the 850,000 tonnes of rice stocks subsequently sold on the domestic market were not allowed for export, preventing any risk of distorting global markets. India said it will submit detailed responses in the AG-IMS system in due course and that it is open to bilateral consultations with members having further questions.

Some members said they will study India’s written answers carefully. One member stated that it was not fully convinced that India respected all the requirements of the Bali decision and that all information on the products covered by the public stockholding programme should be provided in order to ascertain that only rice support exceeded the limits. It also took issue with the fact that India has not provided information on support for rice in previous regular notifications, despite the ever-increasing support for rice in recent years. More evidence is needed on how India ensures the rice stocks are not dumped into global markets as India claimed, it insisted. India asked the member to put its questions in writing and said it is willing to conduct bilateral discussions.

Regular review of agriculture policies

The Committee reviewed many other policies related to the three pillars of agriculture trade: market access, domestic support and export competition. The questions and replies can be found in the WTO's Agriculture Information Management System (AG-IMS).

With respect to monitoring outstanding responses to questions in the Committee review process, the chair, Ms Christiane Daleiden Distefano (Luxembourg), noted that the WTO Secretariat produced a document for the meeting summarizing outstanding responses from 2013 to 2019 (G/AG/W/204). This indicated 82 pending responses for questions raised in 2013-18 and 45 for questions raised in 2019. The chair urged members to respect the rules and pursue efforts to reduce outstanding responses. “Collectively, we can enhance transparency through the Committee’s monitoring functions,” she said.

Overdue notifications

The chair noted that Secretariat document G/AG/GEN/86/Rev.38 provides an updated account of compliance with the notification obligations of WTO members. Thanking members for the good efforts to fulfil their obligations, the chair pointed out that a significant proportion of domestic support (34%) and export subsidies (32%) notifications remains outstanding for the period 1995 to 2018. Recalling that notifications are an important means of informing the entire membership, she urged members to keep updating their notifications, with a view to enhancing transparency in agriculture trade.

Call for increased transparency on farm measures related to COVID-19

Some members informed the Committee about their recent ad hoc reports on COVID-19 related agricultural measures issued in the G/AG/GEN/ series.

Australia introduced a room document co-sponsored by Brazil, Canada, New Zealand and Paraguay. Floating a set of questions as food for thought, Australia invited members to brainstorm on how the Committee can ramp up monitoring on members' COVID-19 agriculture measures. It suggested an approach combining efforts by members and the WTO Secretariat and encouraged members to submit additional notifications. It also noted the option, in the meantime, of improving capacity-building for members in need. “Through normal notifications, we may wait for years (to see those COVID-19 measures). Greater support measures should make the procedure easier,” it said. Australia also indicated that it has led by example and submitted its own ad hoc report of COVID-19 measures.

Co-sponsors indicated they have provided, or intended to submit, ad hoc reports of COVID-19 measures. They stressed the need to track these measures in quickly changing times. One member said this should be a truly member-driven process. The Secretariat plays an important role but informing the WTO of their trade measures falls under the purview of the members, it said. Some members pointed out that domestic support in agriculture provided in response to the pandemic is an area in need of updated information. A point was made that big economies have bigger responsibilities in this regard.

Many members took the floor and commended the proponents on the initiative. One developed member asked all the co-sponsors to “walk the talk” and submit ad hoc reports of their COVID-19 measures, while urging all big and emerging economies to follow suit. It also suggested listing on the meeting agenda all members that have submitted ad hoc reports. One developed member agreed that regular notifications are not enough, and suggested members submit ad hoc reports as it had done.

Meanwhile, differences remain on approaches to achieve the common goal of transparency. One developing member pitched a “pragmatic approach” on the ad hoc reports: due to the emergency nature of many measures, the WTO should allow members to notify in any format that suits them best. One member asked to take into consideration members’ different capacities and believed there is no need to duplicate the monitoring work currently done by the Secretariat. One member argued that the priority of the Committee work should be on the removal of import and export restrictions and freeing up the global supply chain.

Some members cautioned that the exercise of ad hoc reporting should not become a policing mechanism, arguing that members - especially developing country members - needed the necessary policy space to respond appropriately to the impact of the pandemic. Another member also warned that they should not be penalized for actively and voluntarily participating in this transparency exercise.

Australia thanked all the speakers and concluded that flexibility, consistency and coherence will be the guiding principle for improving transparency on COVID-19 measures.

COVID-19 information session

Under the theme of “Transparency for food security”, experts from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, the International Grains Council, the International Food Policy Research Institute and the International Trade Centre presented their observations and lessons learned in their respective monitoring and research efforts related to the pandemic.

Experts generally agreed that, distinct from the 2008-09 financial crisis, there are ample supplies of the main food crops in markets at present. However, the trade-restrictive measures imposed in response to the COVID-19 crisis, despite being smaller in number than in 2008-09, have led to severe disruptions in global supply chains and exposed many weaknesses and vulnerabilities, sending shock waves in transportation, labour markets and informal sectors.

Experts joined the call for more transparency on COVID-19 measures and highlighted the importance of real-time data and policy tracking. The AMIS Market Monitor (which monitors market information for rice, wheat, maize and soybean) showcased its usefulness during the crisis, with more tools being developed in different organizations to monitor changes in agri-food markets. Cooperation between international organizations and governments has also intensified to help put in place sensible policies. Furthermore, experts pointed out the need for collective actions and well-informed decisions to ensure food security for the poor and the livelihood of small producers and traders. All speakers’ presentations are here.

Members welcomed the information-sharing session. One member reiterated the importance of open trade as an integral part of the solution to revive economic growth and aid vulnerable communities. Looking forward, in view of the WTO's 12th Ministerial Conference, it is “more convinced” that transparency in export restrictions should be a key targeted outcome for the ministerial conference, and the exemption of the World Food Program’s humanitarian food purchases from export restrictions should be the top priority.

The Committee on Agriculture will have COVID-19 as a standing agenda item, as requested by members, with a view to gaining a better understanding of the situation and keeping abreast of the changing agriculture trade environment.

Next meeting

The next Agriculture Committee meeting is scheduled for 22-23 September, to be facilitated by the new chair, Ms Maria Escandor from the Philippines. The 2020 annual dedicated discussion on export competition and the review of the list of net food-importing developing countries will take place at the September meeting, the chair said.

Background information on the “peace clause”

In Bali, ministers agreed on an interim “peace clause” allowing developing countries to provide subsidies under public stockholding programmes without the programmes being challenged in WTO dispute settlement. Provided these countries meet the conditions specified in the Bali Decision, the peace clause applies even if the country exceeds its agreed limits for trade-distorting domestic support. A General Council decision in 2014 and the 2015 Nairobi Ministerial Conference further confirmed that members would make every effort to agree and adopt a permanent solution on this issue by 2017 and that the interim solution would remain in force until a permanent solution is agreed.

https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO2008/S00052/wto-members-push-for-increased-transparency-on-covid-19-measures-in-farm-trade.htm

 

A case of Geographical Indication: Basmati tag triggers clash between Punjab & Madhya Pradesh

A case of Geographical Indication: Basmati tag triggers clash between Punjab & Madhya Pradesh

By               Madhvi Sally

, ET Bureau

Punjab’s Chief Minister Amrinder Singh has opposed the MP government’s push for a GI tag for the long-grained rice cultivated in 13 districts of the state. The Shivraj Singh Chouhan government sharply criticised this in a series of tweets on Wednesday, saying GI-tagging would boost exports and that the state has produced basmati for a long time.

Description: https://img.etimg.com/thumb/msid-77389857,width-300,imgsize-706292,,resizemode-4,quality-100/rice.jpgAgencies
GI tag is given to products that have specific qualities because of the place of their origin.

NEW DELHI: The governments of Madhya Pradesh and Punjab are at loggerheads over the Geographical Indication (GI) tagging of basmati rice.

Punjab’s Chief Minister Amrinder Singh has opposed the MP government’s push for a GI tag for the long-grained rice cultivated in 13 districts of the state. The Shivraj Singh Chouhan government sharply criticised this in a series of tweets on Wednesday, saying GI-tagging would boost exports and that the state has produced basmati for a long time.

GI tag is given to products that have specific qualities because of the place of their origin. Similar products produced elsewhere are not allowed to use the name. Examples of GI-tagged Indian products are Darjeeling tea, Salem fabric, Chanderi sarees and Mysore silk.

Punjab’s chief minister had written to the PMO on Aug 5 saying India exports basmati worth Rs 33,000 crore a year, and any dilution in registration of Indian basmati may give advantage to Pakistan.

The Madhya Pradesh chief minister said that GI tagging is a matter of pride for farmers of Madhya Pradesh and recognition of their hard work over the years. “It should not be made into a Punjab vs Madhya Pradesh tussle. GI tagging allotment will provide stability to basmati prices in international markets and boost our exports,” said Chauhan on the microblogging platform.

The chief minister added that the case of Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) with Pakistan has no relationship with claims of Madhya Pradesh as it is under the GI Act of India and is not linked to Inter-country claims of basmati rice.


He argued that the Government of India has been supplying breeder seeds of basmati rice to Madhya Pradesh since 1999 and exporters from Punjab and Haryana are procuring basmati rice from the state.

“Madhya Pradesh has a written recorded history since 1908 of basmati production in 13 districts. Records of supplying seeds to farmers in Madhya Pradesh in the year 1944 is recorded in the records of Scindia State,” said Chouhan. The Indian Institute of Rice Research, Hyderabad has recorded production of basmati rice in their production-oriented survey report since the last 25 years, he added.

Basmati exporters from Punjab and Haryana are procuring basmati rice from MadhyaPradesh. “This is also supported by Government of India data of export from Mandideep, Madhya Pradesh,” tweeted Chouhan.

Apart from Punjab, other states which already have GI tagging for Basmati are Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Western UP, and select districts of Jammu and Kashmir.

The Punjab chief minister in his letter to the PM had said that Madhya Pradesh had earlier attempted to get the GI tag for basmati cultivation in 2017-18. "However, Registrar of Geographical Indications (RGI), constituted under the geographical indications of goods (Registrations and Protection) Act 1999, rejected the demand of Madhya Pradesh after investigating the matter," he said in a press statement.

The Intellectual Property Appellate Board, Government of India, had also discarded the claim of Madhya Pradesh in this regard, said Singh. Later, Madhya Pradesh challenged these decisions in Madras High Court, but did not get any relief. Further, to look into the claim of Madhya Pradesh to get GI tag for its basmati, the Government of India had also constituted a committee of eminent agricultural scientists, which after thorough deliberations, had also rejected the state’s claim, Singh pointed out.