Monday, August 31, 2015

31st August (Monday), 2015 Daily Exclusive ORYZA Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine

Vietnam Exports About 3.49 Million Tons Rice January 1 – August 20, 2015

Aug 28, 2015
Vietnam exported about 3.492 million tons of rice in January 1 - August 20, 2015, down about 18% from about 4.26 million tons of rice exported in first eight months of 2014, according to data from the Vietnam Food Association (VFA). The average rice export price so far in this year stands at about $414 per ton (FOB), down about 4% per ton from about $431 per ton recorded during same last year.
During August 1-20, 2015, Vietnam exported about 191,304 tons of rice, down about 70% from about 627,089 tons rice exported in full month of August 2014, and down about 67% from about 589,323 tons rice exported in full month of July 2015. The average export price so far in August stands at about $423 per ton, down about 2% per ton from a year ago and up about 6% per ton from a month ago.

Oryza Weekly Recap: Rice Market Impatiently Waiting for El Nino Market Impact

Aug 28, 2015
The Oryza White Rice Index (WRI), a weighted average of global white rice export quotes, ended the week at about $387 per ton, down about $2 per ton from a week ago, down about $16 per ton from a month ago and down about $89 per ton from a year ago.
Thailand
Thailand 5% broken rice is today shown at about $360 per ton, unchanged from a week ago, down about $15 per ton from a month ago and down about $85 per ton from a year ago.
Vietnam
Vietnam 5% broken rice is today shown at about $330 per ton, down about $5 per ton from a week ago,  down about $20 per ton from month ago and down about $120 per ton from a year ago.
Vietnam’s rice exports to Africa increased about 52% y/y to around 525,896 tons in the first seven months of 2015.
Experts are urging the government to ease rice export regulations.
India
India 5% broken rice is today shown at about $365 per ton, unchanged from a week ago, down about $25 per ton from a month ago, and down about $75 per ton from a year ago.
Rice plants in the Indian state of Punjab are showing signs of sheath blast in the ongoing kharif rice crop.
Experts say that choosing the right varieties can help sustain rice yields that may suffer due to El Nino.  Delayed planting and unevenly distributed rains will likely hamper 2015-16 rice production, although the ongoing kharif rice acreage is ahead of last year as of August 21.
Pakistan
Pakistan 5% broken rice is today shown at about $330 per ton, down about $5 per ton from a week ago, down about $45 per ton from a month ago and down about $110 per ton from a year ago.
Central & South America
Brazil 5% broken rice is today shown at about $500 per ton, unchanged from a week and a month ago and down about $110 per ton from a year ago.
Five percent broken rice from Uruguay and Argentina is today shown at about $540 per ton, unchanged from a week and a month ago, and down about $75 per ton from a year ago.
The government of Guyana plans to implement a rice-marketing plan to improve productivity, reduce production costs, enhance operational efficiency in rice mills, and develop value-added products for export.
U.S.
U.S. 4% broken rice is today shown at about $490 per ton, unchanged from a week ago, down about $15 per ton from a  month ago and down about $50 per ton from a year ago.
Chicago rough rice futures for September delivery started the week higher before dropping mid-week and then regaining strength to close at $11.475 per cwt (about $253 per ton) Friday, down slightly from its open at $11.650 per cwt (about $257 per ton) Monday morning.
Other Markets
Iraq has invited international tenders to purchase about 30,000 tons of rice from the U.S., Uruguay, Argentina, Brazil, and India, and the last date for submitting bids is September 6.
The European Union imported a record 1.143 million tons of rice in the first eleven months of crop year 2014-15 (September-August), an increase of about 13% from the previous year.
The government of Liberia is inviting tenders from eligible and qualified Liberian owned businesses for the supply of Dry Ration (rice) during 2015-16.  September 9 is the last date for submission of bids.
The Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development has signed an agreement with the government of Chad to provide about 4 million Kuwaiti Dinars (around $13.6 million) to help boost rice production in Chad.
The Philippines is aiming to produce about 20.09 million tons of paddy rice in 2016, an increase of about 6.5% from this year.  However, the Philippines Food Secretary has declared that there is a need to import more rice in 2015.
Spanish quotations for both paddy and milled rice remained relatively stable during the week August 3 – August 9, compared to those in the week of July 27 – August 2.
Ongoing drought conditions in Indonesia are expected to reduce its 2015 paddy rice production by about 800,000 tons, down from an estimated 75.5 million tons.  However, the government is optimistic that it will achieve surplus rice production in 2015, ruling out the need for imports.
Planting for Nepal’s 2015-16 rice crop is lagging by 3% from last year due to unfavorable monsoons.
The USDA Post forecasts Myanmar 2015-16 rice exports to decline by about 250,000 tons as the government will take measures to replenish stocks in the areas affected by recent floods.
Starting September 1, Egypt plans to reinstate its ban on rice exports in order to fulfill domestic demand.

Thailand Rice Sellers Lower Some of Their Quotes Today; Other Asia Rice Quotes Unchanged

Aug 28, 2015
Thailand rice sellers lowered their quotes for parboiled rice by about a  $5 per ton to about $360-$370 per ton today. Other  Asia rice sellers kept their quotes mostly unchanged today.

5% Broken Rice
Thailand 5% rice is indicated at around $360 - $370 per ton, about a $35 per ton premium on Vietnam 5% rice  shown at around $325 - $335 per ton.
India 5% rice is indicated at around $360 - $370 per ton, about $35 per ton premium on Pakistan 5% rice shown at around $325 - $335 per ton.
25% Broken Rice
Thailand 25% rice is shown at around $340 - $350 per ton, about a $30 per ton premium on Vietnam 25% rice shown at around $310- $320 per ton.
India 25% rice is indicated at around $335 - $345 per ton, about $40 per ton premium on Pakistan 25% rice shown at around $295 - $305 per ton.
Parboiled Rice
Thailand parboiled rice is indicated at around $360 - $370 per ton, down about a $5 per ton from yesterday.
India parboiled rice is indicated at around $355- $365 per ton, about a 60 per ton discount to Pakistan parboiled rice was last  shown at around $415 - $425 per ton.

100% Broken Rice
Thailand broken rice, A1 Super, is indicated at around $315 - $325 per ton, about $10 per ton from premium on Vietnam 100% broken rice shown at around $305 - $315 per ton.
India's 100% broken rice is shown at around $295 - $305 per ton, about a $15 per ton premium on  Pakistan broken sortexed rice shown at around $280 - $290 per ton.
Global Rice Quotes
August 28th, 2015

Long grain white rice - high quality
Thailand 100% B grade   370-380                ↔
Vietnam 5% broken        325-335                ↔
India 5% broken               360-370                ↔
Pakistan 5% broken        325-335                ↔
Myanmar 5% broken      405-415                ↔
Cambodia 5% broken     425-435                ↔
U.S. 4% broken                 485-495                ↔
Uruguay 5% broken        535-545                ↔
Argentina 5% broken     530-540                ↔
Long grain white rice - low quality
Thailand 25% broken      340-350                ↔
Vietnam 25% broken      310-320                ↔
Pakistan 25% broken      295-305                ↔
Cambodia 25% broken   410-420                ↔
India 25% broken             335-345                ↔
U.S. 15% broken               460-470                ↔
Long grain parboiled rice
Thailand parboiled 100% stxd     360-370                ↓
Pakistan parboiled 5% broken stxd          415-425                ↔
India parboiled 5% broken stxd                 355-365                ↔
U.S. parboiled 4% broken             570-580                ↔
Brazil parboiled 5% broken          545-555                ↔
Uruguay parboiled 5% broken    NQ         ↔
Long grain fragrant rice
Thailand Hommali 92%   835-845                ↔
Vietnam Jasmine             455-465                ↔
India basmati 2% broken              NQ         ↔
Pakistan basmati 2% broken       NQ         ↔
Cambodia Phka Mails     830-840                ↔
Brokens
Thailand A1 Super            315-325                ↔
Vietnam 100% broken   305-315                ↔
Pakistan 100% broken stxd          280-290                ↔
Cambodia A1 Super        355-365                ↔
India 100% broken stxd                 295-305                ↔
Egypt medium grain brokens      NQ         ↔
U.S. pet food     335-345                ↔
Brazil half grain NQ         ↔

All prices USD per ton, FOB vessel, oryza.com

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31st August (Monday), 2015 Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine

News Headlines...
·         Prices of imported rice, maize slide at Mile 12 market
·         NFA tells rice traders to guard vs extortion
·         Ready-to-serve rice cups as easy as ABC to prepare for back-to-school meals
·         Trilochan Mohapatra takes charge as IARI's new director
·         Ugandan rice farmers visit Mwea to learn new skills
·         Rice institute teaches 1,000 delta farmers
·         For rice, gray skies meant bleak prospects
·         Partnership to accelerate rice research and product development in China
·         Dow licenses genome-editing method for use in Chinese rice research
·         Study Shows How Rice Plants Defend Against Invading Pathogens
·         B2B contacts a must to expedite Pakistan-Brunei trade’

News Detail...

 

Prices of imported rice, maize slide at Mile 12 market

 

The prices of imported rice and maize on Friday slightly decreased at the Mile 12 market in Lagos State for the week ended, August 28, a commodity index sheet made available by Novus Agro Nigeria Ltd said on Friday.The index showed that the price of a 50kg bag of imported rice which now sells for N8,567 was sold at N8,700.While the price of a paint bucket measurement remained the same at N800 at the market.It also showed that the price of a 100kg bag of maize reduced by about N500; it now sells for N6,000 but was sold at N6,433 the previous week.However, the price of a paint bucket measurement remained the same.Meanwhile, other agricultural commodities like Garri, Sorghum, Drum Beans and Soya Beans sold at the same price as last week.A 100kg bag of soya beans is now selling at N15,000 at the same price as last week; the paint bucket measure also remained the same at N550.

A 60kg bag of white garri also remained the same as last week at N6,000, while the paint bucket measurement sold at N300.The prices of 100kg bags of groundnut and sorghum sold at the same as last week at N25,000 and N6,500 and the paint bucket measurement at N1,000 and N350 respectively.While a 100kg bag of drum beans also did not change in price as it remained the same at N23,000, while a paint bucket measurement sold at N800.Also, the prices of a 100kg bag of onions and a 25 litres of palm oil remained the same at N9,083 and N6,800, while a 2kg bag and a bottle of palm oil sold at N308 and N220 respectively.Obiajuru Luya, Strategy Manager of the agro company, said that the enforcement of some Federal Government policies on imported rice could be the reason for the reduction in prices.

“The reduction in the price of imported rice may not be unassociated with the recent ban on forex trading for rice importation. As well, the sealing of the warehouses of major rice importers by the Nigerian Customs Service could have impacted on the prices. This led to the influx of many other products at the time, so, the effects are probably manifesting in the prices of the products,’’ Luya said.She added that the old stocks of maize were running out and most markets did not have the new stock yet.

http://businessdayonline.com/2015/08/prices-of-imported-rice-maize-slide-at-mile-12-market/

NFA tells rice traders to guard vs extortion

ABS-CBNnews.com
Posted at 08/28/2015 6:26 PM
MANILA -- The National Food Authority (NFA) warned rice traders to be vigilant against people claiming to be NFA officials trying to extort money in exchange for import permits.NFA Administrator Reynan Dalisay said no person in the agency is authorized to collect such fees.The NFA has received reports that someone is using Dalisay's name to extort money from rice traders who applied to import rice under the minimum access volume (MAV) importation.Dalisay added that as long as rice importers have complied with documentary requirements, they can expect their permits to be processed and released.For 2015, MAV total import volume is 805,200 metric tons under the country specific quota (MAV-CSQ) and omnibus origin (MAV-OO) with a 35% tariff. The volume of importation and general guidelines were published in a newspaper, and are available through the NFA website.

Also available in the website are information on the eligibility requirements, allowed rice varieties, issuance of certificate of eligibility (COE), validation of documents, processing fee and other procedures.Rice importation under the MAV is pursuant to Republic Act No. 8178 also known as the Agricultural Tariffication Act where the government adopts "the use of tariffs in lieu of non-tariff import restrictions to protect local producers of agricultural products, except in the case of rice, which will continue to have quantitative import restrictions."The MAV is the quantity of a specific agricultural product that is allowed to be imported in a MAV allotment year at the in-quota tariff rate or at a lower tariff as committed by the Philippines to the World Trade Organization (WTO) under the Uruguay Round Final Act.

The MAV for rice is exclusively imported by the NFA in accordance with PD No. 4 and Philippine commitments under the Uruguay Round Final Act. Under the law, the NFA can allocate MAV rice importation quota to the private sector.Dalisay said that a list of importer-applicants for MAV, along with other information as to the volume, source country, authorized representative and status of their application are published in the NFA website.He also appealed to all rice traders to report to the NFA office any person claiming to be the NFA administrator, or any information against extortion or bribery involving the agency.

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/business/08/28/15/nfa-tells-rice-traders-guard-vs-extortion

Ready-to-serve rice cups as easy as ABC to prepare for back-to-school meals
August 27, 2015. 3:08 pm • Section: Life
Looking for quick and easy dishes for the busy back-to-school time that’s almost upon us?

How about rice that’s done in just one minute? That’s how long it takes to prepare Minute Rice Ready To Serve Cups, which are available in six varieties — Basmati, Whole Grain, Oriental Style, Vegetable Medley, Long Grain and Wild Rice .Some varieties feature plain rice that can be enjoyed on their own or as a base for a meal, such as the Basmati and Whole Grain. Others, such as Oriental Style, contain additional ingredients like peas, sweet red pepper, mushrooms and onions in a light soy-flavoured base. A favourite among kids is the Vegetable Medley, which blends peas, carrots and corn with long grain rice.They cost about $2.75 for a sleeve of two 125-gram microwaveable cups.Cooking with Minute Rice Ready to Serve Cups is as easy as ABC. Here are some recipes to whet your appetite:
More information and time-saving recipes can be found at http://www.minuterice.ca/prod_rts.htm.
Chicken Vegetable Rice Crunch MINUTE RICE photo
Minute Rice Chicken Vegetable Rice Crunch
Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 10 min
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
1 Minute Rice Ready to Serve Cup – Vegetable Medley
Quantities of your choice of:
Cooked shredded chicken
Ranch dressing
Chopped nuts
Sliced celery
Sliced radish
Shredded lettuce
Pita bread
Instructions:
1. Heat Minute Rice Ready to Serve Cup – Vegetable Medley in microwave, per package instructions.
2. Transfer to bowl, and add cooked shredded chicken and ranch dressing.
3. Stir in chopped nuts, sliced celery, sliced radish and shredded lettuce.
4. Stuff into pita halves
Cranberry Pecan Rice MINUTE RICE photo
Minute Rice Cranberry Pecan Basmati Rice
Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 10 min
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
1 Minute Rice Ready to Serve Cup – Basmati Rice
Quantities of your choice of:
Dried cranberries
Toasted pecans
Melted Butter
Orange zest
Instructions:
1. Heat Minute Rice Ready to Serve Cup Basmati Rice in microwave, per package instructions.
2. Add dried cranberries, toasted pecans and butter.
3. Stir-in orange zest.
Chicken Wild Rice MINUTE RICE photo
Minute Rice Chicken and Wild Rice Salad
Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 10 min
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
1 Minute Rice® Ready to Serve Cup – Long Grain & Wild Rice – Chicken Flavour
Quantities of your choice of:
Diced fully cooked chicken breast
Sliced fresh snow peas
Sliced red onion
Mandarin orange segments
Sesame orange salad dressing (store bought)
Instructions:
1. Heat Minute Rice Ready to Serve Cup – Long Grain & Wild Rice – Chicken Flavour in microwave, per package instructions.
2. Add diced chicken breast, snow peas and sliced red onion.
3. Stir in mandarin orange segments and sesame orange salad dressing.
Optional:
Serve on a bed of salad greens
Follow Irene Seiberling on Twitter at ISeiberling
http://blogs.leaderpost.com/2015/08/27/ready-to-serve-rice-cups-as-easy-as-abc-to-prepare-for-back-to-school-meals/#sthash.078Qfu4Q.dpuf

Trilochan Mohapatra takes charge as IARI's new director

Posted on: 05:57 PM IST Aug 29, 2015
New Delhi: Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), which played a major role in the country's Green Revolution, has appointed Trilochan Mohapatra as its new director after remaining headless for more than a year.Mohapatra, previously head of Odisha-based Central Rice Research Institute, has taken charge as the new director of IARI with effect from Friday.

Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), which played a major role in the country's Green Revolution, has appointed Trilochan Mohapatra as its new director."It is a big responsibility. This premier institute has done tremendously well so far. But there is more to be done and our efforts will be on how best IARI can contribute to the nation building to uplift farmers' condition and remain globally competitive," Mohapatra said after assuming charge.Mohapatra, who has been working in the area of molecular genetics and genomics, has published over 145 research papers in national and international journals of repute.
He has developed the first high-yielding basmati rice variety resistant to bacterial sequencing of rice and tomato.IARI's last director was H S Gupta, who after retirement, served the farm institute on extension till March 2014. Since then, IARI has had two acting directors, K Vijayaraghavan (former Joint Director - Extension) and Ravinder Kaur (Project Director of the institute's Water Technology Centre).

Ugandan rice farmers visit Mwea to learn new skills
By Munene Kamau Updated
Monday, August 31st 2015 at 00:00 GMT +3 Share this story: Efforts of an entrepreneur to improve the rice sector in Mwea have won praise from many quarters, with farmers from Uganda visiting the area to learn from the experience. After witnessing the exploitation of rice farmers, Charles Njiru came up with an arrangement that has not only revolutionised the sector but also improved the earnings for farmers. Mr Njiru introduced a godown where rice farmers can preserve and dry their paddy before taking it for milling. He said farmers who hitherto would sell their paddy from the field, were now able to preserve their harvest and sell it when the prices went up. He later introduced a rice mill. Currently, he has accommodated more than 2,000 rice farmers who transact their rice business at Nice Rice Millers.
The busy facility located in Ngurubani market is now well known and traders from all over Kenya and East Africa buy their rice from the factory. See also: Governor Oparanya dismisses CORD rallies, asks them to offer solutions “His model has attracted farmers from Uganda, who spent the entire weekend learning of the success from the miller with the intention to emulate the same in their country,” said David Njogu. The value-chain actors from Uganda will be in Kenya for four days and apart from visiting Nice Rice Millers, they will also interact with rice farmers in Mwea Irrigation Scheme. A representative of Eastern Rice Millers Company in Tororo, Uganda Josiah Okeljo said they handle over 90 per cent of lowland rice produced in the country and would copy Njiru’s model to improve rice processing in Uganda
Rice institute teaches 1,000 delta farmers
Around 1,000 farmers in the Mekong Delta received training in the best rice cultivation and crop protection practices from the Cuu Long Delta Rice Research Institute (CLRRI) and US conglomerate DuPont in Can Tho on Thursday. — Photo baotainguyenmoitruong.vn
CAN THO (VNS)— Around 1,000 farmers in the Mekong Delta received training in the best rice cultivation and crop protection practices from the Cuu Long Delta Rice Research Institute (CLRRI) and US conglomerate DuPont in Can Tho on Thursday.Farmers from Can Tho and the provinces of Long An, Dong Thap, An Giang, Kien Giang, Hau Giang, and Soc Trang were taken to experimental fields belonging to the two, and they also held discussions with researchers, agronomists and experts from CLRRI and DuPont.On the agenda were crop protection technologies, integrated pest management, stewardship principles, proper use of personal protective equipment, label awareness, harmful effects of fake products, and resistance management.
"Empowering farmers through agriculture technology and information is crucial," Dr Ngo Luc Cuong, former principal researcher in plant protection at CLRRI, said. "Farmers should be equipped with knowledge and understanding of how to use crop protection products while minimising environmental impacts."The safe use of the products is also an important element underpinning sustainable agriculture."At the experimental fields, the farmers were taught to clearly identify differences in leaf colour and thickness, durability of the leaves and estimate potential productivity."To meet the agricultural productivity challenges in Viet Nam, the public and private sectors must work closely together to achieve sustainable solutions," Sittideth Sriprateth, managing director of DuPont Viet Nam, said."With the extensive knowledge of CLRRI's and DuPont's experts, we have obtained some positive results initially. We will continue to collaborate for further intensive researches." — VNS
http://vietnamnews.vn/society/275142/rice-institute-teaches-1000-delta-farmers.html

For rice, gray skies meant bleak prospects

 

Ken Stickney, kstickney@gannett.com9:42 p.m. CDT August 28, 2015
(Photo: Submitted photo)
After consecutive, prosperous years, Louisiana rice growers are struggling with a crop that needed more sunshine.Steve Linscombe, professor and director of the LSU Agcenter’s Rice Research Station near Crowley, said 2015’s output is no disaster, but after a record-setting rice crop in 2013 and one almost as good in 2014, this year represents a downturn.“We’re going to be off,” perhaps 10 percent, Linscombe said, although he said rice growers in north Louisiana, which accounts for 20 percent of the crop, are still harvesting. Rice growers in southern Louisiana, meanwhile, have largely gathered what they’ve sown, and are reckoning with smaller yields and lower prices.
That’s a disappointment, but after spring weather, it was not unexpected, Linscombe said. At the Rice Research Station in March, April and May, more than half the days had measurable rainfall or, worse, cloud cover. The greater problem was the cloud cover.“We always do better when we have to pump water in the summer,” he said. “That means we are getting a lot of sunshine.“You want radiant energy. Any plant does better with sunshine.”But the rain was also problematic and caused some damage to the crop. An indirect problem was additional problems with disease, especially blast, more than in the previous three years. Part of the expected yield decrease will be linked to that, Linscombe said.Rice Station statistics show 410,902 acres were planted in 2013, 456,047 the following year. Both were good years, with the average yield 7,600 pounds per acre in 2013 — that was a record setter — and 7,539 the following year.
This year, Linscombe said, the expectation is that the yield will be down some 8 percent to 10 percent.Rice farmers oftentimes have some backup plans, Linscombe said, including a rotational crop like soybeans, crawfish and beef cattle. Beef, he said, was the traditional choice 50 years ago; soybeans replaced it. But soy, he said, can be erratic: This year’s crop may not be as good as last.
Crawfish, he said, is what many area rice growers depend upon. He said that not many will put all of their acreage into crawfish, but it has become an important part of the rice infrastructure.Sometimes, he said, they will “seed a field.” Rice is planted in March or early April, and if the fields flood at the end of crawfish season, in June, they’ll “seed” them to encourage crawfish development later in the year. Or they might flood the fields in autumn, and hope for a crawfish crop that will come in early spring through June or even July.The state’s biggest rice producers are in Acadia and Jefferson Davis parishes, Linscombe said. Vermilion and Evangeline also have substantial crops.


http://www.theadvertiser.com/story/money/business/2015/08/28/rice-gray-skies-meant-bleak-prospects/71353044/

Partnership to accelerate rice research and product development in China

 

By Dow AgroSciences August 28, 2015 | 12:45 pm EDT
Dow AgroSciences LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company, has entered into a collaboration agreement with the Institute of Crop Sciences of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (ICS-CAAS). Under the agreement, Dow AgroSciences grants ICS-CAAS a royalty-free, non-transferable research and commercialization license for its proprietary Exzact Precision Genome Editing Technology to be used in rice in China. Dow AgroSciences and ICS-CAAS scientists will collaboratively develop an industry-leading rice genome editing technology platform. The Exzact Precision Genome Editing Platform will enable ICS-CAAS scientists to capitalize on their significant investment and technical expertise in rice genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and cell biology as well as accelerate integration of the scientific knowledge generated in rice to rapidly develop valuable products for China.
Dow AgroSciences has developed the Exzact Precision Technology platform under an exclusive license and collaboration agreement in plants with Sangamo BioSciences, Inc. Dow AgroSciences and ICS-CAAS scientists will work together to make sure that the expertise and strengths of both parties are best combined to accelerate rice research and product development in China. This is part of Dow AgroSciences’ commitment to providing innovative and sustainable solutions to bolster food security and food safety in China.ICS-CAAS indicates this collaboration is a milestone, which will accelerate the development of rice genome editing technology platform in China.
It will have significant impact in developing new agronomic traits in rice.“Our collaboration with ICS-CAAS, a world-renowned agricultural science research organization, is one with great promise,” said Tim Hassinger, President and CEO of Dow AgroSciences. “We have a long-term commitment in China as a strategic partner for agricultural sustainability and best practices. The Exzact Precision Technology collaboration with CAAS is a strong example of this commitment, which will significantly enable Chinese scientists to improve rice research and product development, thus benefiting China’s long term food security.
http://www.agprofessional.com/news/partnership-accelerate-rice-research-and-product-development-china


Dow licenses genome-editing method for use in Chinese rice research


Dow AgroSciences LLC said late last week that it has granted the Institute of Crop Sciences at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (ICS-CAAS) a research and commercialization license to use Dow's EXZACT genome-editing technology to produce genetically modified rice in China. Under the terms of the agreement, Dow will give ICS-CAAS a royalty-free, non-transferable license to use Dow's EXZACT Precision Genome Editing Technology. Dow AgroSciences, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Michigan-based Dow Chemical Company, will be collaborating with ICS-CAAS scientists to develop a rice-genome-editing platform.
 ICS-CAAS scientists will use Dow’s EXZACT technology to increase their expertise in rice genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and cell biology. That could accelerate the integration of scientific knowledge about rice to rapidly develop valuable rice products for the Chinese market. 

Tim Hassinger, president and CEO of Dow AgroSciences, said the collaboration on genetically modified rice holds great promise.
 “We have a long-term commitment in China as a strategic partner for agricultural sustainability and best practices,” Hassinger said. “The EXZACT Precision Technology collaboration with CAAS is a strong example of this commitment, which will significantly enable Chinese scientists to improve rice research and product development, thus benefiting China’s long-term food security.” 
http://cropprotectionnews.com/stories/510635872-dow-licenses-genome-editing-method-for-use-in-chinese-rice-research

Study Shows How Rice Plants Defend Against Invading Pathogens

 

Mary Nichols , Design & Trend Contributor
Aug, 30, 2015, 02:50 PM
Certain types of plants are programmed to fight pathogens, while other plants do not have this ability, according to a model known as the "gene-for-gene" hypothesis developed by scientists Harold Henry Flor.And now new research from the John Innes Center in the UK have created a detailed model of the hypothesis, demonstrating how a plant is able to sense pathogens, writes Nature World News.
"We know that plants have sensors to detect pathogens but we knew little about how they work," Professor Banfield, lead researcher from the John Innes Centre (UK), said in a statement.Their study looked into how a sensor protein found in rice (called Pik) binds with AVR-Pik, a protein from the rice blast pathogen.

The pathogen is a fungus devastating to rice plants.The team used the X-ray crystallography facilities at Diamond Light Source in Oxfordshire, to identify the points of contact between the plant and pathogen proteins at the molecular level. This is the first time imagery has been done for plant and pathogen proteins using the gene-for-gene model."Harold Flor predicted that plant sensors discriminate between different pathogen types, but at the time he had no knowledge of the molecules involved. It is remarkable that his ideas have now crystallized into detailed molecular models," said first author of the study, Dr. Abbas Maqbool.

The team also found that the strength of the bond between the Pik sensor and the pathogen AVR-Pik protein affects the strength of the plants response, meaning that plant responses can be engineered to effectively fight pathogen invaders."Once we understand how these plant sensors detect invading pathogens, we can devise strategies to 'boost' the plant immune system and help protect rice and other important food crops from disease," Professor Banfield said.The study was published in eLife.

http://www.designntrend.com/articles/59934/20150830/study-shows-rice-plants-defend-against-invading-pathogens.htm

B2B contacts a must to expedite Pakistan-Brunei trade’
* Brunei high commissioner says investors from his country will like to benefit from huge trade potential of Pakistan*LCCI president says now is the right time to invest in Pakistan owing to the country’s investment-friendly policies
August 29, 2015
LAHORE: The Brunei high commissioner on Friday has said that business-to-business (B2B) contacts were important to increase bilateral trade between Pakistan and Brunei, adding that the chambers of commerce and industry of both countries should expedite relations to achieve the desired results.Brunei High Commissioner Dato Mahmud Saidin expressed these views while talking to Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) President Ijaz A Mumtaz at his office. LCCI Vice President Mahmood Ghaznavi and executive committee members were also present.
The high commissioner said that Pakistan and Brunei would have to make joint efforts to strengthen their economic ties, as despite having excellent relations, the volume of mutual trade is very small.He said that his country views Pakistan as one of its brothers and economic partner, adding that the investors from Brunei would certainly like to take benefit of huge potential in Pakistan.He said that the Pakistani entrepreneurs could initiate joint venture with their Brunei counterparts in various sectors. It is high time for the joint business ventures, as the business community in Brunei is quite impressed with the Pakistan’s growth, he added.He said that the exchange of trade delegations between the two countries would definitely boost the volume of bilateral trade and the LCCI should arrange a visit to Brunei as early as possible.The LCCI President Ijaz A Mumtaz, in his address, said that Pakistan has got special place to fully facilitate Brunei under the defence cooperation agreements, adding that both countries have common perception about harmony and peace.
He said that Pakistan and Brunei are members of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and maintain cordial diplomatic relations based on historical affiliation. However, the bilateral trade figures hardly reflect these relations, he added.He said, “The total worth of Pakistan exports to Brunei in 2013 was just $0.4 million that increased to $0.7 million in 2014. The major items of exports are aluminium tables, fruits and vegetables, fresh and frozen fish and rice. Similarly, Pakistan’s imports from Brunei are virtually negligible.”
The LCCI president said that Brunei is a small country and its economy heavily depends on the exports of crude oil and natural gas. He said out of total exports of Brunei, petroleum based products have a share of more than 90%. Secondly, nearby countries like Malaysia, Singapore and China are major importing countries to Brunei that fulfil more than 50% of other requirements.Mumtaz said Pakistan is a producer of finest quality of textiles items, surgical goods, sports goods, leather products, carpets and rugs and Brunei should consider importing such commodities from Pakistan.
“There is a lot of scope for Brunei to make investment in Pakistan. Brunei can make direct investment in Pakistan in sectors like infrastructure, banking, insurance, oil and gas, automobiles, construction and hotel industries. They can also enter into joint ventures with Pakistani counterparts,” the LCCI president added.

He said that it is the right time to invest in Pakistan owing to the country’s economic performance and investment friendly policies of the government.Mumtaz said that Brunei has sufficient capital and plans to further widen the economic base beyond oil and gas, adding that Pakistan could help Brunei through cooperation agreements that could include sharing of knowledge and technical know-how, supplies of labour force, machinery and raw materials.He proposed that there should be active collaboration among the chambers of commerce and industry of both the countries and stressed the need to initiate a consultative.    
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