Wednesday, March 28, 2018

Rice R&D News-Innovations in rice value chains offer increased job opportunities for rural youth


 

Press release

March 28, 2018
1
The Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Co-operation (CTA), together with the Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice) and the Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture, has launched a new project that will foster youth entrepreneurship, strengthen market ties, and enhance livelihoods in the rice sectors of Mali and Senegal.
In addition to 1,000 new jobs targeted, the project aims to increase revenues for up to 2,500 smallholder farmers in its two-year lifetime. More than 15,000 rural youth will be targeted via ICT channels with information on opportunities for entrepreneurship in the sector.
The project, titled EMPRICE (Promoting youth entrepreneurship and job creation in the West African rice value chain), was launched today in Bamako, Mali.
“The targeting of young entrepreneurs and the institutions that support them is a strategic focus for CTA. This new project is one example of where we are giving entrepreneurs opportunities to leverage access to finance and markets; showcase best practices and innovative business models; and create pathways to the creation of job opportunities,” said Michael Hailu, CTA Director.
Youth employment remains a critical concern and priority for West African governments. The project will capitalise on a dynamic workforce to drive innovation and boost the rice sector which constitutes the largest supplier of calories in the region.
According to Simon Winter, Executive Director of the Syngenta Foundation, “The entrepreneurial dynamism of young people is driving local level innovations to enhance the lives of smallholder farmers. EMPRICE will support young innovators to design successful business strategies and bring greater efficiencies to the critical rice value chain.”
Increasing rice production and upgrading the rice value chain will reduce reliance on imports, increase food security, reduce urban migration and give more of the regions’ youth valuable employment opportunities.
An example of the challenges faced by small-scale farmers is in accessing seed of recently released, high-yielding, climate-smart varieties, as well as agricultural machinery for cultivation, harvest and post-harvest operations.
“The Rice Market is now becoming a very important one in Africa. A project such as EMPRICE creates opportunities for rural youths through ICTs and digitalization to exploit this lucrative and attractive market for entrepreneurship creation and youth employment,” stated Harold Roy-Macauley, AfricaRice Director General.

For more information or to request an interview contact:

About CTA

The Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA) is a joint international institution of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States and the European Union (EU). Its mission is to advance food security, resilience and inclusive economic growth in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific through innovations in sustainable agriculture. CTA operates under the framework of the Cotonou Agreement and is funded by the EU. For more information on CTA, visit www.cta.int.

About AfricaRice

AfricaRice is a CGIAR Research Center – part of a global research partnership for a food-secure future. It is also an intergovernmental association of African member countries. It has been mandated to support its member countries in developing the rice sector through research, development and partnership activities. The Center was created in 1971 by 11 African countries. Today its membership comprises 26 countries, covering West, Central, East and North African regions. AfricaRice headquarters is based in Côte d’Ivoire. Staff members are located in Côte d’Ivoire as well as in AfricaRice research stations in Benin, Liberia, Madagascar, Nigeria and Senegal. For more information on AfricaRice, visit www.AfricaRice.org.

About Syngenta Foundation

The Syngenta Foundation focuses on productivity and the inclusion of farmers in remunerative value chains. The focus is on ‘pre-commercial’ farmers, often in semi-arid areas, who display potential for agricultural growth. The aim is to help small farmers become more professional growers. It is done by extending science-based know-how, facilitating access to quality inputs, and linking smallholders to markets in profitable ways The Foundation runs projects in Africa and Asia, and contributes to the agricultural policy debate worldwide. It works with a wide range of partners operationally and in thought leadership. The Foundation engages, for example, the public sector, international organizations, think tanks, the private sector, other foundations, social entrepreneurs, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). As well as establishing pilot projects, the Foundation also puts major emphasis on successful scale-up. For more information on the Syngenta Foundation, visit www.syngentafoundation.org.

28th March,2018 daily global regional local rice e-newsletter


 

Coarse grains better than rice for health, environment

By: Ranjit Devraj

 [NEW DELHI] Shifting away from white, polished rice to a diet that includes more wheat and coarse grains can improve how Indians deal with micronutrient deficiencies, as well as reduce greenhouse gas (GhG) emissionsassociated with paddy cultivation, says a new study.

Published in the March edition of the academic journal Global Environmental Change, the study is described by Narasimha Rao, study author and project leader of ‘Decent Energy Living’ at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Vienna, as a “hypothetical (ideal case) scenario analysis”.

India grows a variety of coarse grains, including sorghum, pearl millet, maize, barley, and finger millet, as well as many ‘small millets’ such as kodo millet, little millet, foxtail millet, proso millet, and barnyard millet.

However, the lands devoted to cultivating millets has been steadily shrinking. According to a 2014 agricultural ministry status paper, the area under coarse grains shrank to 26.42 million hectares from 44.35 million hectares between the years 1966 and 2012.

The paper blamed India’s ‘green revolution’ in the mid-1960s, which focused on wheat and rice to meet food security demands, for the decline of the area of coarse cereals. While wheat and rice received research, extension and market support, on the supply side, there was a marked shift away from coarse grains, with consequences for dietary micronutrients.

“We have very detailed results in our study for optimal diets by region, but the main outcome for all regions is the need to shift away from rice”

Narasimha Rao, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis

Devinder Sharma, leading agro-economist and chair of the Forum for Biotechnology and Food Security, a New Delhi-based collective of agriculture scientists, economists, biotechnologists, farmers and environmentalists, says,“The result of policies that orphaned coarse grains, while favouring fine grains and cash crops such as soybeans and cotton, is now painfully evident as widespread micronutrient deficiencies.”

Relying on India’s National Sample Survey of Consumption Expenditure (2011—12), Rao and his colleagues determined that around 500 million people, or more than two-thirds of the Indian population, are now affected by deficiencies in protein and micronutrients.

The worst of these life-threatening deficiencies is iron (90 per cent), followed by Vitamin A (85 per cent) and protein (50 per cent). The study also shows that micronutrient deficiency is worse in India’s urban areas than in the rural hinterland.

Rao tells SciDev.Net that nutrient deficiencies were found less in the wheat-eating northern and western areas of the country than in the south and east, where rice is the staple food.

“We have very detailed results in our study for optimal diets by region, but the main outcome for all regions is the need to shift away from rice,” Rao says.

According to Rao, nutrient deficiency can be overcome within existing household budgets by diversifying diets to include coarse cereals, pulses, and leafy vegetables, and by reducing rice intake.

Additionally, if the suggested dietary changes are made, India’s agricultural GhG emissions could be reduced by up to 25 per cent. Rice paddies are a man-made source of methane, a GhG, but one that can be controlled. While methane is produced by bacteria that digest straw ploughed back into fields in paddy fields to enrich it, carbon dioxide, a major GhG,  is released when farmers resort to burning as a cheap way to get rid of agricultural residues.
However, current agricultural and food pricing policies may act as an impediment to dietary shifts, Rao says.

Under the 2013 National Food Security Act, two-thirds of India’s population became eligible to receive five kilogrammes of grains at subsidised prices. However, the subsidies favour rice over wheat and wheat over coarse grains, despite the lower nutritional content of the former.

 “It may not be immediately possible to generate a viable support price for coarse grains,” Rao surmises. 

He also notes other difficulties in shifting from rice to coarse grains. “There are a number of barriers, on the supply side —  getting farmers to agree to scale up the production of coarse grains and convincing consumers to eat these grains,” Rao says.

According to Sharma, what is happening on the supply side is matched by a demand in the urban areas for processed rice and wheat products because they have shorter cooking times than coarse grains and therefore,  suited to the typical lifestyle of working couples.

“Nothing short of a complete overhaul of the agricultural system in the country is required,” says Sharma.

This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Asia & Pacific desk.

https://www.scidev.net/asia-pacific/nutrition/news/coarse-grains-better-than-rice-for-health-environment.html

 

Large cardamom tops list of agro exports

 Post Report, Kathmandu
Mar 28, 2018-Large cardamom topped the export list of farm products in the first seven months of the fiscal year, accounting for almost one-fourth of agro export revenues, the Trade and Export Promotion Centre (TEPC) said.
Nepal shipped large cardamom worth Rs3.3 billion during the period mid-July to mid-February, up from Rs2.2 billion year-on-year. The spice accounted for 23.75 percent of the export earnings from farm products totalling Rs13.89 billion. An increase in production along with improved quality helped cardamom exports to jump sharply.
Dil Bahadur Shrestha, technical officer of the Ilam Cardamom Development Centre, said output increased significantly this year as a disease outbreak was effectively controlled. “In addition, intensive skill trainings offered to local farmers also helped increase production,” Shrestha said.
Shrestha added that Nepal’s cardamom crop fetched higher prices this year because of improved quality. According to him, the average market price of large cardamom has gone up to Rs1,000 per kg from Rs675-750 per kg last year.
“Previously, local farmers used to dry their harvests in homemade furnaces. Adulteration and lack of processing also prevented farmers from getting appropriate prices for their crops,” Shrestha said. “Farmers have switched to modern dryers to process their harvests.”
Nepal produces three types of large cardamom, namely jumbo jet, standard and chalan chalti. The high-value cash crop is produced mainly in the eastern hill region. Currently, large cardamom cultivation has expanded to 46 districts of the country, with the acreage totalling 14,875 hectares and annual production exceeding 6,000 tonnes, according to the Ministry of Commerce. 
Nearly 99 percent of the large cardamom grown in Nepal is exported to India. From India, the spice is re-exported to Bangladesh, Pakistan, the Gulf countries and other overseas destinations.
Likewise, ginger exports surged three-fold to Rs400.51 million during the review period. Tea export revenues jumped 26.5 percent to Rs2.21 billion. Among Nepal’s top five exportable farm products, earnings from juices plunged 18.7 percent to Rs2.28 billion while lentil exports dropped 1.4 percent to Rs590.19 million, according to the TEPC.
Meanwhile, Nepal imported agro goods worth Rs75.6 billion, accounting for 11.43 percent of total imports. Among the top five imports of farm products, rice imports surged 20.1 percent to Rs17.23 billion. Corn, potatoes, apples and dried leguminous vegetables were among Nepal’s major imports. Corn, which is imported mostly from Brazil and Argentina, is mainly used to produce animal feed, TEPC Executive Director Sarad Bickram Rana said.

http://bit.ly/2GDOzeC http://kathmandupost.ekantipur.com/news/2018-03-28/large-cardamom-tops-list-of-agro-exports.html

On Piñol’s idea to rise with rice in Papua New Guinea

 
Agri https://businessmirror.com.ph/on-pinols-idea-to-rise-with-rice-in-papua-new-guinea/culture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol’s proposal to “export” Filipino private sector-led rice-farming systems to Papua New Guinea may have raised condescending eyebrows from economists and agriculture experts, but his novel strategy can perhaps open up vast potentials and unintended opportunities.
            Thinking out of box? Piñol, a boxing aficionado early on in his career, even as a former journalist, long before he joined politics, was thinking out of the box when he proposed to bring high-end Filipino rice-farming systems to Papua New Guinea.
Only over a week ago, Piñol went to Papua New Guinea, a British Commonwealth Realm, and got its Prime Minister Peter O’Neill to commit to come over to meet with President Duterte sometime in May and possibly cement bilateral economic commitments, followed by a treaty that can institutionalize any mutually beneficial arrangements.
However, top-notch economists and agricultural planners led no less by former Socioeconomic Secretary Dr. Cielito Habito and former Agriculture Secretary William Dar have criticized Piñol, asking two valid questions: 1) Why focus on “rice self-sufficiency” when we cannot compete against Thailand’s and Vietnam’s production costs of rice at P5 to P6 per kilo against P10 to P12 per kilo in the Philippines? Many economists would therefore advise to give up the elusive goal of self-sufficiency, and settle instead for food security while focusing on higher incomes from other high-value cash crops and livelihood activities; and 2) Why go to Papua New Guinea when we have more problems locally?
Can’t do away with rice yet. Speaking on March 22 before the 2017 Philippine Agricultural Journalists Inc. and San Miguel Corp.’s BINHI Agricultural Journalism Awards, Piñol argued we cannot simply abandon rice self-sufficiency, unless Filipinos change their diets and reduce their rice consumption.
For the poor, who survive on a hand-to-mouth existence, 80 percent to 90 percent of their income is spent on food, the bulk on rice to fill their hungry stomachs and less on real food. A study by Professor Jeyakumar, a rice dietary expert and one-time fellow of the International Rice Research Institute, noted that obesity of Westerners like the Americans is caused by almost 40 percent in high-fat diets, compared to Asians, whose average diets are composed of 67 percent carbohydrates, mostly rice, and only 21 percent fats. For the dirt poor, rice may even share as much as 90 percent of their diet.
As our traditional sources of rice imports, Vietnam and Thailand are also vulnerable to climate change with Thailand devastated by a tsunami years back, Piñol claims we must continue aiming for rice self-sufficiency and developing alternative sources like Papua New Guinea.
It’s no “Guinea pig,” it’s real! Piñol argues the rice-farming potentials in Papua New Guinea are real and tremendous based on actual pilot results. This makes Piñol’s idea no longer a “guinea-pig experiment,” referring to how scientists use rodents or laboratory rats, popularly called “guinea pigs.”
Actual rice-farming experiments done in Papua New Guinea yielded 8.5 metric tons per hectare, even without fertilizers, even double our national average yield of 4MT per hectare, he revealed in conversations while seated at the BINHI awards.
The reasons for this are 1) Papua New Guinea is blessed with good rainfall with its remaining lush forests and watersheds as evidenced by its vast rivers as wide as a kilometer, and easily diverted to feed irrigation canals; and 2) Papua New Guinea’s farm soils are vastly virgin and rich, unlike Philippine rice lands that are already toxic from four to five decades of chemical fertilizer and pesticide usage.
All the land to offer. Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister Peter O’Neil instantly offered 100,000 hectares for planting even starting tomorrow, but can develop easily 2 million hectares in government lands for rice farming with irrigation.
“PNG has only 8 million people and over 46.28 million hectares of land, mostly forest and agricultural lands, compared to our 105 million and 30 million hectares, respectively,” Piñol said.
Rice farming will mutually benefit both countries. Rice farming will be done exclusively by the private sector, but can tap Filipino workers. Any excess produce can be exported cheap to the Philippines, and any excess exported worldwide. For Papua New Guinea, producing its own rice is novel, as it had long been sourcing rice from former surrogate colonizer, Australia, which allegedly imports cheap rice from Vietnam, then sells it to Papua New Guinea by as much as P100 per kilo.
Pursuing the Papua New Guinea option is logical for Piñol, as we have limited rice lands of 4.8 million hectares. In fact, only 3.9 million hectares are planted to rice, of which only 1.2 million hectares have irrigation, the remaining 2.7 million hectares are rain-fed areas producing only once a year at low yields.
New sites, new sights? As an island archipelago, we have fewer flat lands suitable to rice producing thrice a year, but more sloping mountain areas with mixed eco-systems, including adjacent marine and mangrove areas. Piñol added traditional rice sites like Luzon and Bicol are ravaged yearly by 21 typhoons a year.
We won’t abandon these areas, but we need to develop new sites like Palawan, Samar, Agusan, Zamboanga, Davao, Basilan and Soccsksargen and, of course, in Papua New Guinea.
Piñol declared earlier that even former warzones in Mindanao and portions of military reservations like Fort Magsaysay’s 46,000 hectares, can be converted to production areas. This will realize the biblical phrase of “converting swords to ploughshares,” which we can call transforming arms into farms.
While Piñol is confident of hitting 100-percent rice self-sufficiency by 2020, he says the growing population will overtake our capacity to produce. Thus, the need to develop new sites, and the urgency to keep our sights on new ideas, new technologies and even achieve unintended opportunities, which, ironically, are the very intended targets of our economists and experts. As we gain from new sites, old sites may slowly shift to non-rice, but more profitable commodities and other agro-processing ventures.

Coarse grains better than rice for health, environment

Copyright: Panos

Speed read

·       Rice is less nutritive than wheat, millet or other coarse grains
·       Rice paddies release large amounts of methane, a greenhouse gas
·       A dietary shift away from rice can improve nutrition and reduce GHG emissions

By: Ranjit Devraj

[NEW DELHI] Shifting away from white, polished rice to a diet that includes more wheat and coarse grains can improve how Indians deal with micronutrient deficiencies, as well as reduce greenhouse gas (GhG) emissions associated with paddy cultivation, says a new study.

Published in the March edition of the academic journal Global Environmental Change, the study is described by Narasimha Rao, study author and project leader of ‘Decent Energy Living’ at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Vienna, as a “hypothetical (ideal case) scenario analysis”.

India grows a variety of coarse grains, including sorghum, pearl millet, maize, barley, and finger millet, as well as many ‘small millets’ such as kodo millet, little millet, foxtail millet, proso millet, and barnyard millet.

However, the lands devoted to cultivating millets has been steadily shrinking. According to a 2014 agricultural ministry status paper, the area under coarse grains shrank to 26.42 million hectares from 44.35 million hectares between the years 1966 and 2012.

The paper blamed India’s ‘green revolution’ in the mid-1960s, which focused on wheat and rice to meet food security demands, for the decline of the area of coarse cereals. While wheat and rice received research, extension and market support, on the supply side, there was a marked shift away from coarse grains, with consequences for dietary micronutrients.

“We have very detailed results in our study for optimal diets by region, but the main outcome for all regions is the need to shift away from rice”

Narasimha Rao, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis

Devinder Sharma, leading agro-economist and chair of the Forum for Biotechnology and Food Security, a New Delhi-based collective of agriculture scientists, economists, biotechnologists, farmers and environmentalists, says,“The result of policies that orphaned coarse grains, while favouring fine grains and cash crops such as soybeans and cotton, is now painfully evident as widespread micronutrient deficiencies.”

Relying on India’s National Sample Survey of Consumption Expenditure (2011—12), Rao and his colleagues determined that around 500 million people, or more than two-thirds of the Indian population, are now affected by deficiencies in protein and micronutrients.

The worst of these life-threatening deficiencies is iron (90 per cent), followed by Vitamin A (85 per cent) and protein (50 per cent). The study also shows that micronutrient deficiency is worse in India’s urban areas than in the rural hinterland.

Rao tells SciDev.Net that nutrient deficiencies were found less in the wheat-eating northern and western areas of the country than in the south and east, where rice is the staple food.

“We have very detailed results in our study for optimal diets by region, but the main outcome for all regions is the need to shift away from rice,” Rao says.

According to Rao, nutrient deficiency can be overcome within existing household budgets by diversifying diets to include coarse cereals, pulses, and leafy vegetables, and by reducing rice intake.

Additionally, if the suggested dietary changes are made, India’s agricultural GhG emissions could be reduced by up to 25 per cent. Rice paddies are a man-made source of methane, a GhG, but one that can be controlled. While methane is produced by bacteria that digest straw ploughed back into fields in paddy fields to enrich it, carbon dioxide, a major GhG,  is released when farmers resort to burning as a cheap way to get rid of agricultural residues.

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However, current agricultural and food pricing policies may act as an impediment to dietary shifts, Rao says.

Under the 2013 National Food Security Act, two-thirds of India’s population became eligible to receive five kilogrammes of grains at subsidised prices. However, the subsidies favour rice over wheat and wheat over coarse grains, despite the lower nutritional content of the former.

 “It may not be immediately possible to generate a viable support price for coarse grains,” Rao surmises. 

He also notes other difficulties in shifting from rice to coarse grains. “There are a number of barriers, on the supply side —  getting farmers to agree to scale up the production of coarse grains and convincing consumers to eat these grains,” Rao says.

According to Sharma, what is happening on the supply side is matched by a demand in the urban areas for processed rice and wheat products because they have shorter cooking times than coarse grains and therefore,  suited to the typical lifestyle of working couples.

“Nothing short of a complete overhaul of the agricultural system in the country is required,” says Sharma.

Coarse grains better than rice for health, environment
Copyright: Panos

Speed read

·       Rice is less nutritive than wheat, millet or other coarse grains
·       Rice paddies release large amounts of methane, a greenhouse gas
·       A dietary shift away from rice can improve nutrition and reduce GHG emissions

By: Ranjit Devraj

[NEW DELHI] Shifting away from white, polished rice to a diet that includes more wheat and coarse grains can improve how Indians deal with micronutrient deficiencies, as well as reduce greenhouse gas (GhG) emissions associated with paddy cultivation, says a new study.

Published in the March edition of the academic journal Global Environmental Change, the study is described by Narasimha Rao, study author and project leader of ‘Decent Energy Living’ at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Vienna, as a “hypothetical (ideal case) scenario analysis”.

India grows a variety of coarse grains, including sorghum, pearl millet, maize, barley, and finger millet, as well as many ‘small millets’ such as kodo millet, little millet, foxtail millet, proso millet, and barnyard millet.

However, the lands devoted to cultivating millets has been steadily shrinking. According to a 2014 agricultural ministry status paper, the area under coarse grains shrank to 26.42 million hectares from 44.35 million hectares between the years 1966 and 2012.

The paper blamed India’s ‘green revolution’ in the mid-1960s, which focused on wheat and rice to meet food security demands, for the decline of the area of coarse cereals. While wheat and rice received research, extension and market support, on the supply side, there was a marked shift away from coarse grains, with consequences for dietary micronutrients.

“We have very detailed results in our study for optimal diets by region, but the main outcome for all regions is the need to shift away from rice”

Narasimha Rao, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis

Devinder Sharma, leading agro-economist and chair of the Forum for Biotechnology and Food Security, a New Delhi-based collective of agriculture scientists, economists, biotechnologists, farmers and environmentalists, says,“The result of policies that orphaned coarse grains, while favouring fine grains and cash crops such as soybeans and cotton, is now painfully evident as widespread micronutrient deficiencies.”

Relying on India’s National Sample Survey of Consumption Expenditure (2011—12), Rao and his colleagues determined that around 500 million people, or more than two-thirds of the Indian population, are now affected by deficiencies in protein and micronutrients.

The worst of these life-threatening deficiencies is iron (90 per cent), followed by Vitamin A (85 per cent) and protein (50 per cent). The study also shows that micronutrient deficiency is worse in India’s urban areas than in the rural hinterland.

Rao tells SciDev.Net that nutrient deficiencies were found less in the wheat-eating northern and western areas of the country than in the south and east, where rice is the staple food.

“We have very detailed results in our study for optimal diets by region, but the main outcome for all regions is the need to shift away from rice,” Rao says.

According to Rao, nutrient deficiency can be overcome within existing household budgets by diversifying diets to include coarse cereals, pulses, and leafy vegetables, and by reducing rice intake.

Additionally, if the suggested dietary changes are made, India’s agricultural GhG emissions could be reduced by up to 25 per cent. Rice paddies are a man-made source of methane, a GhG, but one that can be controlled. While methane is produced by bacteria that digest straw ploughed back into fields in paddy fields to enrich it, carbon dioxide, a major GhG,  is released when farmers resort to burning as a cheap way to get rid of agricultural residues.
However, current agricultural and food pricing policies may act as an impediment to dietary shifts, Rao says. 
Under the 2013 National Food Security Act, two-thirds of India’s population became eligible to receive five kilogrammes of grains at subsidised prices. However, the subsidies favour rice over wheat and wheat over coarse grains, despite the lower nutritional content of the former.

 “It may not be immediately possible to generate a viable support price for coarse grains,” Rao surmises. 

He also notes other difficulties in shifting from rice to coarse grains. “There are a number of barriers, on the supply side —  getting farmers to agree to scale up the production of coarse grains and convincing consumers to eat these grains,” Rao says.

According to Sharma, what is happening on the supply side is matched by a demand in the urban areas for processed rice and wheat products because they have shorter cooking times than coarse grains and therefore,  suited to the typical lifestyle of working couples.

“Nothing short of a complete overhaul of the agricultural system in the country is required,” says Sharma.

This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Asia & Pacific desk.

Related topics

Coarse grains better than rice for health, environment Copyright: Panos Speed read Rice is less nutritive than wheat, millet or other coarse grains Rice paddies release large amounts of methane, a greenhouse gas A dietary shift away from rice can improve nutrition and reduce GHG emissions By: Ranjit Devraj [NEW DELHI] Shifting away from white, polished rice to a diet that includes more wheat and coarse grains can improve how Indians deal with micronutrient deficiencies, as well as reduce greenhouse gas (GhG) emissions associated with paddy cultivation, says a new study.   Published in the March edition of the academic journal Global Environmental Change, the study is described by Narasimha Rao, study author and project leader of ‘Decent Energy Living’ at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Vienna, as a “hypothetical (ideal case) scenario analysis”.   India grows a variety of coarse grains, including sorghum, pearl millet, maize, barley, and finger millet, as well as many ‘small millets’ such as kodo millet, little millet, foxtail millet, proso millet, and barnyard millet.   However, the lands devoted to cultivating millets has been steadily shrinking. According to a 2014 agricultural ministry status paper, the area under coarse grains shrank to 26.42 million hectares from 44.35 million hectares between the years 1966 and 2012.   The paper blamed India’s ‘green revolution’ in the mid-1960s, which focused on wheat and rice to meet food security demands, for the decline of the area of coarse cereals. While wheat and rice received research, extension and market support, on the supply side, there was a marked shift away from coarse grains, with consequences for dietary micronutrients. “We have very detailed results in our study for optimal diets by region, but the main outcome for all regions is the need to shift away from rice” Narasimha Rao, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis Devinder Sharma, leading agro-economist and chair of the Forum for Biotechnology and Food Security, a New Delhi-based collective of agriculture scientists, economists, biotechnologists, farmers and environmentalists, says,“The result of policies that orphaned coarse grains, while favouring fine grains and cash crops such as soybeans and cotton, is now painfully evident as widespread micronutrient deficiencies.”   Relying on India’s National Sample Survey of Consumption Expenditure (2011—12), Rao and his colleagues determined that around 500 million people, or more than two-thirds of the Indian population, are now affected by deficiencies in protein and micronutrients.   The worst of these life-threatening deficiencies is iron (90 per cent), followed by Vitamin A (85 per cent) and protein (50 per cent). The study also shows that micronutrient deficiency is worse in India’s urban areas than in the rural hinterland.   Rao tells SciDev.Net that nutrient deficiencies were found less in the wheat-eating northern and western areas of the country than in the south and east, where rice is the staple food.   “We have very detailed results in our study for optimal diets by region, but the main outcome for all regions is the need to shift away from rice,” Rao says.   According to Rao, nutrient deficiency can be overcome within existing household budgets by diversifying diets to include coarse cereals, pulses, and leafy vegetables, and by reducing rice intake.   Additionally, if the suggested dietary changes are made, India’s agricultural GhG emissions could be reduced by up to 25 per cent. Rice paddies are a man-made source of methane, a GhG, but one that can be controlled. While methane is produced by bacteria that digest straw ploughed back into fields in paddy fields to enrich it, carbon dioxide, a major GhG,  is released when farmers resort to burning as a cheap way to get rid of agricultural residues. You might also like Methane from Indian livestock adds to global warming Sowing wheat earlier can help beat warming in India Warming behind India’s depleting groundwater? Experts push for sustainable standards on rice Major methane emitter identified in Asian rice fields Better rice, less greenhouse gas However, current agricultural and food pricing policies may act as an impediment to dietary shifts, Rao says.    Under the 2013 National Food Security Act, two-thirds of India’s population became eligible to receive five kilogrammes of grains at subsidised prices. However, the subsidies favour rice over wheat and wheat over coarse grains, despite the lower nutritional content of the former.    “It may not be immediately possible to generate a viable support price for coarse grains,” Rao surmises.     He also notes other difficulties in shifting from rice to coarse grains. “There are a number of barriers, on the supply side —  getting farmers to agree to scale up the production of coarse grains and convincing consumers to eat these grains,” Rao says.   According to Sharma, what is happening on the supply side is matched by a demand in the urban areas for processed rice and wheat products because they have shorter cooking times than coarse grains and therefore,  suited to the typical lifestyle of working couples.    “Nothing short of a complete overhaul of the agricultural system in the country is required,” says Sharma.   This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Asia & Pacific desk. Related topics
Editions Asia & Pacific Search Sign in Sign up Bringing science & development together through news & analysis Agriculture Environment Health Governance Enterprise Communication More Home Nutrition News 27/03/18 Coarse grains better than rice for health, environment Copyright: Panos Speed read Rice is less nutritive than wheat, millet or other coarse grains Rice paddies release large amounts of methane, a greenhouse gas A dietary shift away from rice can improve nutrition and reduce GHG emissions By: Ranjit Devraj [NEW DELHI] Shifting away from white, polished rice to a diet that includes more wheat and coarse grains can improve how Indians deal with micronutrient deficiencies, as well as reduce greenhouse gas (GhG) emissions associated with paddy cultivation, says a new study.   Published in the March edition of the academic journal Global Environmental Change, the study is described by Narasimha Rao, study author and project leader of ‘Decent Energy Living’ at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Vienna, as a “hypothetical (ideal case) scenario analysis”.   India grows a variety of coarse grains, including sorghum, pearl millet, maize, barley, and finger millet, as well as many ‘small millets’ such as kodo millet, little millet, foxtail millet, proso millet, and barnyard millet.   However, the lands devoted to cultivating millets has been steadily shrinking. According to a 2014 agricultural ministry status paper, the area under coarse grains shrank to 26.42 million hectares from 44.35 million hectares between the years 1966 and 2012.   The paper blamed India’s ‘green revolution’ in the mid-1960s, which focused on wheat and rice to meet food security demands, for the decline of the area of coarse cereals. While wheat and rice received research, extension and market support, on the supply side, there was a marked shift away from coarse grains, with consequences for dietary micronutrients. “We have very detailed results in our study for optimal diets by region, but the main outcome for all regions is the need to shift away from rice” Narasimha Rao, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis Devinder Sharma, leading agro-economist and chair of the Forum for Biotechnology and Food Security, a New Delhi-based collective of agriculture scientists, economists, biotechnologists, farmers and environmentalists, says,“The result of policies that orphaned coarse grains, while favouring fine grains and cash crops such as soybeans and cotton, is now painfully evident as widespread micronutrient deficiencies.”   Relying on India’s National Sample Survey of Consumption Expenditure (2011—12), Rao and his colleagues determined that around 500 million people, or more than two-thirds of the Indian population, are now affected by deficiencies in protein and micronutrients.   The worst of these life-threatening deficiencies is iron (90 per cent), followed by Vitamin A (85 per cent) and protein (50 per cent). The study also shows that micronutrient deficiency is worse in India’s urban areas than in the rural hinterland.   Rao tells SciDev.Net that nutrient deficiencies were found less in the wheat-eating northern and western areas of the country than in the south and east, where rice is the staple food.   “We have very detailed results in our study for optimal diets by region, but the main outcome for all regions is the need to shift away from rice,” Rao says.   According to Rao, nutrient deficiency can be overcome within existing household budgets by diversifying diets to include coarse cereals, pulses, and leafy vegetables, and by reducing rice intake.   Additionally, if the suggested dietary changes are made, India’s agricultural GhG emissions could be reduced by up to 25 per cent. Rice paddies are a man-made source of methane, a GhG, but one that can be controlled. While methane is produced by bacteria that digest straw ploughed back into fields in paddy fields to enrich it, carbon dioxide, a major GhG,  is released when farmers resort to burning as a cheap way to get rid of agricultural residues. You might also like Methane from Indian livestock adds to global warming Sowing wheat earlier can help beat warming in India Warming behind India’s depleting groundwater? Experts push for sustainable standards on rice Major methane emitter identified in Asian rice fields Better rice, less greenhouse gas However, current agricultural and food pricing policies may act as an impediment to dietary shifts, Rao says.    Under the 2013 National Food Security Act, two-thirds of India’s population became eligible to receive five kilogrammes of grains at subsidised prices. However, the subsidies favour rice over wheat and wheat over coarse grains, despite the lower nutritional content of the former.    “It may not be immediately possible to generate a viable support price for coarse grains,” Rao surmises.     He also notes other difficulties in shifting from rice to coarse grains. “There are a number of barriers, on the supply side —  getting farmers to agree to scale up the production of coarse grains and convincing consumers to eat these grains,” Rao says.   According to Sharma, what is happening on the supply side is matched by a demand in the urban areas for processed rice and wheat products because they have shorter cooking times than coarse grains and therefore,  suited to the typical lifestyle of working couples.    “Nothing short of a complete overhaul of the agricultural system in the country is required,” says Sharma.   This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Asia & Pacific desk. Related topics Nutrition Health Farming Food security Climate change         More on nutrition New approach promises better anaemia detection 20/10/17 HIV increases risk of age-related diseases 26/08/16 Fisheries policies urged to prioritise nutrition goals 30/05/16 Resistant starch tested as infant health booster 01/04/16 Climate change to force deadly diet shift 04/03/16 Fortified rice raises risk of hookworm infections 03/02/16 COP21 declaration calls for agriculture diversification 11/12/15 Malaysian Afdhal oil health probe 08/09/15 Public-private tie-ups healthy in food fortification 26/08/15 Obesity an expanding malaise across the globe 14/07/15 How village pharmacies are aiding the Philippines’ poor 28/01/15 Cricket farming to pep up Laos diet 21/11/14 Thanks to funding/support from: SciDev.Net is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites All site content, except where otherwise noted, is licensed under a  Creative Commons Attribution License © 2018 SciDev.Net is a registered trademark. Terms of use Privacy policy Cookies Accessibility Webfeeds Link to us Comments/Feedback Designed & Built by Pixl8 Editions Asia & Pacific Search Sign in Sign up Bringing science & development together through news & analysis Agriculture Environment Health Governance Enterprise Communication More Home Nutrition News 27/03/18 Coarse grains better than rice for health, environment Copyright: Panos Speed read Rice is less nutritive than wheat, millet or other coarse grains Rice paddies release large amounts of methane, a greenhouse gas A dietary shift away from rice can improve nutrition and reduce GHG emissions By: Ranjit Devraj [NEW DELHI] Shifting away from white, polished rice to a diet that includes more wheat and coarse grains can improve how Indians deal with micronutrient deficiencies, as well as reduce greenhouse gas (GhG) emissions associated with paddy cultivation, says a new study.   Published in the March edition of the academic journal Global Environmental Change, the study is described by Narasimha Rao, study author and project leader of ‘Decent Energy Living’ at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Vienna, as a “hypothetical (ideal case) scenario analysis”.  
 India grows a variety of coarse grains, including sorghum, pearl millet, maize, barley, and finger millet, as well as many ‘small millets’ such as kodo millet, little millet, foxtail millet, proso millet, and barnyard millet.   However, the lands devoted to cultivating millets has been steadily shrinking. According to a 2014 agricultural ministry status paper, the area under coarse grains shrank to 26.42 million hectares from 44.35 million hectares between the years 1966 and 2012.   The paper blamed India’s ‘green revolution’ in the mid-1960s, which focused on wheat and rice to meet food security demands, for the decline of the area of coarse cereals.
While wheat and rice received research, extension and market support, on the supply side, there was a marked shift away from coarse grains, with consequences for dietary micronutrients. “We have very detailed results in our study for optimal diets by region, but the main outcome for all regions is the need to shift away from rice” Narasimha Rao, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis Devinder Sharma, leading agro-economist and chair of the Forum for Biotechnology and Food Security, a New Delhi-based collective of agriculture scientists, economists, biotechnologists, farmers and environmentalists, says,“The result of policies that orphaned coarse grains, while favouring fine grains and cash crops such as soybeans and cotton, is now painfully evident as widespread micronutrient deficiencies.”  
Relying on India’s National Sample Survey of Consumption Expenditure (2011—12), Rao and his colleagues determined that around 500 million people, or more than two-thirds of the Indian population, are now affected by deficiencies in protein and micronutrients.   The worst of these life-threatening deficiencies is iron (90 per cent), followed by Vitamin A (85 per cent) and protein (50 per cent). The study also shows that micronutrient deficiency is worse in India’s urban areas than in the rural hinterland.   Rao tells SciDev.Net that nutrient deficiencies were found less in the wheat-eating northern and western areas of the country than in the south and east, where rice is the staple food.   “We have very detailed results in our study for optimal diets by region, but the main outcome for all regions is the need to shift away from rice,” Rao says.   According to Rao, nutrient deficiency can be overcome within existing household budgets by diversifying diets to include coarse cereals, pulses, and leafy vegetables, and by reducing rice intake.  
Additionally, if the suggested dietary changes are made, India’s agricultural GhG emissions could be reduced by up to 25 per cent. Rice paddies are a man-made source of methane, a GhG, but one that can be controlled. While methane is produced by bacteria that digest straw ploughed back into fields in paddy fields to enrich it, carbon dioxide, a major GhG,  is released when farmers resort to burning as a cheap way to get rid of agricultural residues. You might also like Methane from Indian livestock adds to global warming Sowing wheat earlier can help beat warming in India Warming behind India’s depleting groundwater? Experts push for sustainable standards on rice Major methane emitter identified in Asian rice fields Better rice, less greenhouse gas However, current agricultural and food pricing policies may act as an impediment to dietary shifts, Rao says. 
  Under the 2013 National Food Security Act, two-thirds of India’s population became eligible to receive five kilogrammes of grains at subsidised prices. However, the subsidies favour rice over wheat and wheat over coarse grains, despite the lower nutritional content of the former.    “It may not be immediately possible to generate a viable support price for coarse grains,” Rao surmises.     He also notes other difficulties in shifting from rice to coarse grains. “There are a number of barriers, on the supply side —  getting farmers to agree to scale up the production of coarse grains and convincing consumers to eat these grains,” Rao says.   According to Sharma, what is happening on the supply side is matched by a demand in the urban areas for processed rice and wheat products because they have shorter cooking times than coarse grains and therefore,  suited to the typical lifestyle of working couples.    “Nothing short of a complete overhaul of the agricultural system in the country is required,” says Sharma.   This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Asia & Pacific desk. Related topics Nutrition Health Farming Food security Climate change        
 More on nutrition New approach promises better anaemia detection 20/10/17 HIV increases risk of age-related diseases 26/08/16 Fisheries policies urged to prioritise nutrition goals 30/05/16 Resistant starch tested as infant health booster 01/04/16 Climate change to force deadly diet shift 04/03/16 Fortified rice raises risk of hookworm infections 03/02/16 COP21 declaration calls for agriculture diversification 11/12/15 Malaysian Afdhal oil health probe 08/09/15 Public-private tie-ups healthy in food fortification 26/08/15 Obesity an expanding malaise across the globe 14/07/15 How village pharmacies are aiding the Philippines’ poor 28/01/15 Cricket farming to pep up Laos diet 21/11/14 Thanks to funding/support from: SciDev.Net is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites All site content, except where otherwise noted, is licensed under a  Creative Commons Attribution License © 2018 SciDev.Net is a registered trademark.
 Terms of use Privacy policy Cookies Accessibility Webfeeds Link to us Comments/Feedback Designed & Built by Pixl8 Coarse grains better than rice for health, environment Copyright: Panos Speed read Rice is less nutritive than wheat, millet or other coarse grains Rice paddies release large amounts of methane, a greenhouse gas A dietary shift away from rice can improve nutrition and reduce GHG emissions By: Ranjit Devraj [NEW DELHI] Shifting away from white, polished rice to a diet that includes more wheat and coarse grains can improve how Indians deal with micronutrient deficiencies, as well as reduce greenhouse gas (GhG) emissions associated with paddy cultivation, says a new study.   Published in the March edition of the academic journal Global Environmental Change, the study is described by Narasimha Rao, study author and project leader of ‘Decent Energy Living’ at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Vienna, as a “hypothetical (ideal case) scenario analysis”.
   India grows a variety of coarse grains, including sorghum, pearl millet, maize, barley, and finger millet, as well as many ‘small millets’ such as kodo millet, little millet, foxtail millet, proso millet, and barnyard millet.   However, the lands devoted to cultivating millets has been steadily shrinking. According to a 2014 agricultural ministry status paper, the area under coarse grains shrank to 26.42 million hectares from 44.35 million hectares between the years 1966 and 2012.   The paper blamed India’s ‘green revolution’ in the mid-1960s, which focused on wheat and rice to meet food security demands, for the decline of the area of coarse cereals. While wheat and rice received research, extension and market support, on the supply side, there was a marked shift away from coarse grains, with consequences for dietary micronutrients. “We have very detailed results in our study for optimal diets by region, but the main outcome for all regions is the need to shift away from rice” Narasimha Rao, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis Devinder Sharma, leading agro-economist and chair of the Forum for Biotechnology and Food Security, a New Delhi-based collective of agriculture scientists, economists, biotechnologists, farmers and environmentalists, says,“The result of policies that orphaned coarse grains, while favouring fine grains and cash crops such as soybeans and cotton, is now painfully evident as widespread micronutrient deficiencies.”  
Relying on India’s National Sample Survey of Consumption Expenditure (2011—12), Rao and his colleagues determined that around 500 million people, or more than two-thirds of the Indian population, are now affected by deficiencies in protein and micronutrients.   The worst of these life-threatening deficiencies is iron (90 per cent), followed by Vitamin A (85 per cent) and protein (50 per cent). The study also shows that micronutrient deficiency is worse in India’s urban areas than in the rural hinterland.   Rao tells SciDev.Net that nutrient deficiencies were found less in the wheat-eating northern and western areas of the country than in the south and east, where rice is the staple food.
  “We have very detailed results in our study for optimal diets by region, but the main outcome for all regions is the need to shift away from rice,” Rao says.   According to Rao, nutrient deficiency can be overcome within existing household budgets by diversifying diets to include coarse cereals, pulses, and leafy vegetables, and by reducing rice intake.   Additionally, if the suggested dietary changes are made, India’s agricultural GhG emissions could be reduced by up to 25 per cent. Rice paddies are a man-made source of methane, a GhG, but one that can be controlled. While methane is produced by bacteria that digest straw ploughed back into fields in paddy fields to enrich it, carbon dioxide, a major GhG,  is released when farmers resort to burning as a cheap way to get rid of agricultural residues. You might also like Methane from Indian livestock adds to global warming Sowing wheat earlier can help beat warming in India Warming behind India’s depleting groundwater?
 Experts push for sustainable standards on rice Major methane emitter identified in Asian rice fields Better rice, less greenhouse gas However, current agricultural and food pricing policies may act as an impediment to dietary shifts, Rao says.    Under the 2013 National Food Security Act, two-thirds of India’s population became eligible to receive five kilogrammes of grains at subsidised prices. However, the subsidies favour rice over wheat and wheat over coarse grains, despite the lower nutritional content of the former.  
  “It may not be immediately possible to generate a viable support price for coarse grains,” Rao surmises.     He also notes other difficulties in shifting from rice to coarse grains. “There are a number of barriers, on the supply side —  getting farmers to agree to scale up the production of coarse grains and convincing consumers to eat these grains,” Rao says.   According to Sharma, what is happening on the supply side is matched by a demand in the urban areas for processed rice and wheat products because they have shorter cooking times than coarse grains and therefore,  suited to the typical lifestyle of working couples. 
   “Nothing short of a complete overhaul of the agricultural system in the country is required,” says Sharma.   This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Asia & Pacific desk. Related topics Coarse grains better than rice for health, environment Copyright: Panos Speed read Rice is less nutritive than wheat, millet or other coarse grains Rice paddies release large amounts of methane, a greenhouse gas A dietary shift away from rice can improve nutrition and reduce GHG emissions By: Ranjit Devraj [NEW DELHI] Shifting away from white, polished rice to a diet that includes more wheat and coarse grains can improve how Indians deal with micronutrient deficiencies, as well as reduce greenhouse gas (GhG) emissions associated with paddy cultivation, says a new study.  
 Published in the March edition of the academic journal Global Environmental Change, the study is described by Narasimha Rao, study author and project leader of ‘Decent Energy Living’ at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Vienna, as a “hypothetical (ideal case) scenario analysis”.   India grows a variety of coarse grains, including sorghum, pearl millet, maize, barley, and finger millet, as well as many ‘small millets’ such as kodo millet, little millet, foxtail millet, proso millet, and barnyard millet.   However, the lands devoted to cultivating millets has been steadily shrinking. According to a 2014 agricultural ministry status paper, the area under coarse grains shrank to 26.42 million hectares from 44.35 million hectares between the years 1966 and 2012.  
 The paper blamed India’s ‘green revolution’ in the mid-1960s, which focused on wheat and rice to meet food security demands, for the decline of the area of coarse cereals. While wheat and rice received research, extension and market support, on the supply side, there was a marked shift away from coarse grains, with consequences for dietary micronutrients. “We have very detailed results in our study for optimal diets by region, but the main outcome for all regions is the need to shift away from rice” Narasimha Rao, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis Devinder Sharma, leading agro-economist and chair of the Forum for Biotechnology and Food Security, a New Delhi-based collective of agriculture scientists, economists, biotechnologists, farmers and environmentalists, says,“The result of policies that orphaned coarse grains, while favouring fine grains and cash crops such as soybeans and cotton, is now painfully evident as widespread micronutrient deficiencies.”  
 Relying on India’s National Sample Survey of Consumption Expenditure (2011—12), Rao and his colleagues determined that around 500 million people, or more than two-thirds of the Indian population, are now affected by deficiencies in protein and micronutrients.   The worst of these life-threatening deficiencies is iron (90 per cent), followed by Vitamin A (85 per cent) and protein (50 per cent). The study also shows that micronutrient deficiency is worse in India’s urban areas than in the rural hinterland.  
 Rao tells SciDev.Net that nutrient deficiencies were found less in the wheat-eating northern and western areas of the country than in the south and east, where rice is the staple food.   “We have very detailed results in our study for optimal diets by region, but the main outcome for all regions is the need to shift away from rice,” Rao says.   According to Rao, nutrient deficiency can be overcome within existing household budgets by diversifying diets to include coarse cereals, pulses, and leafy vegetables, and by reducing rice intake.  
 Additionally, if the suggested dietary changes are made, India’s agricultural GhG emissions could be reduced by up to 25 per cent. Rice paddies are a man-made source of methane, a GhG, but one that can be controlled. While methane is produced by bacteria that digest straw ploughed back into fields in paddy fields to enrich it, carbon dioxide, a major GhG,  is released when farmers resort to burning as a cheap way to get rid of agricultural residues. You might also like Methane from Indian livestock adds to global warming Sowing wheat earlier can help beat warming in India Warming behind India’s depleting groundwater?
 Experts push for sustainable standards on rice Major methane emitter identified in Asian rice fields Better rice, less greenhouse gas However, current agricultural and food pricing policies may act as an impediment to dietary shifts, Rao says.    Under the 2013 National Food Security Act, two-thirds of India’s population became eligible to receive five kilogrammes of grains at subsidised prices. However, the subsidies favour rice over wheat and wheat over coarse grains, despite the lower nutritional content of the former.    “It may not be immediately possible to generate a viable support price for coarse grains,” Rao surmises.     He also notes other difficulties in shifting from rice to coarse grains. “There are a number of barriers, on the supply side —  getting farmers to agree to scale up the production of coarse grains and convincing consumers to eat these grains,” Rao says.  
According to Sharma, what is happening on the supply side is matched by a demand in the urban areas for processed rice and wheat products because they have shorter cooking times than coarse grains and therefore,  suited to the typical lifestyle of working couples.    “Nothing short of a complete overhaul of the agricultural system in the country is required,” says Sharma.   This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Asia & Pacific desk. Related topics
Parc develops new technology for rice-wheat cropping system

Our Staff Reporter

March 28, 2018
ISLAMABAD - Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) Tuesday announced developing a new technology/machine which sows wheat in rice residue -without disturbing the soil.
Handling of the combine harvested paddy residue has been becoming a great concern to the farmers in rice-wheat cropping system. The residue is either removed or spread in the field manually.
In general, farmers prefer to burn it as an easy and cost-effective method of disposal. However, burning of residue not only results in loss of precious crop nutrients but also poses a great threat to the environment, human health and economy.
The smog restricts road and air traffic and causes respiratory problems for human/ animal health.
New machine -PAK Seeder- sows wheat in rice residue without disturbing the soil as well rice residue from field.
Officials claim that rice-wheat growers can conserve their resources, time and money by adopting this technology, which will not only improve soil biological and physical health as well as increases wheat and rice crop yields.
"burning of rice residue is a big problem for Pakistan as well South Asian countries and Pak Seeder is breakthrough for rice-wheat growers of Pakistan, which will not only save the time and resources but also enhance our crop production", official said.
Engr Shabbir Kalwar explained the technology in detail. Dr Anjum Ali Butter explained the problems faced by farmers of rice-wheat system due to burning of rice straw and created problem of SMOG during the months of November and December.
He emphasized on importance of farmers' role and their cooperation with machinery manufactures and researchers in further development of PAK Seeder.
https://nation.com.pk/28-Mar-2018/parc-develops-new-technology-for-rice-wheat-cropping-system

Innovations in rice value chains offer increased job opportunities for rural youth

Press release

March 28, 2018
1
The Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Co-operation (CTA), together with the Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice) and the Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture, has launched a new project that will foster youth entrepreneurship, strengthen market ties, and enhance livelihoods in the rice sectors of Mali and Senegal.
In addition to 1,000 new jobs targeted, the project aims to increase revenues for up to 2,500 smallholder farmers in its two-year lifetime. More than 15,000 rural youth will be targeted via ICT channels with information on opportunities for entrepreneurship in the sector.
The project, titled EMPRICE (Promoting youth entrepreneurship and job creation in the West African rice value chain), was launched today in Bamako, Mali.
“The targeting of young entrepreneurs and the institutions that support them is a strategic focus for CTA. This new project is one example of where we are giving entrepreneurs opportunities to leverage access to finance and markets; showcase best practices and innovative business models; and create pathways to the creation of job opportunities,” said Michael Hailu, CTA Director.
Youth employment remains a critical concern and priority for West African governments. The project will capitalise on a dynamic workforce to drive innovation and boost the rice sector which constitutes the largest supplier of calories in the region.
According to Simon Winter, Executive Director of the Syngenta Foundation, “The entrepreneurial dynamism of young people is driving local level innovations to enhance the lives of smallholder farmers. EMPRICE will support young innovators to design successful business strategies and bring greater efficiencies to the critical rice value chain.”
Increasing rice production and upgrading the rice value chain will reduce reliance on imports, increase food security, reduce urban migration and give more of the regions’ youth valuable employment opportunities.
An example of the challenges faced by small-scale farmers is in accessing seed of recently released, high-yielding, climate-smart varieties, as well as agricultural machinery for cultivation, harvest and post-harvest operations.
“The Rice Market is now becoming a very important one in Africa. A project such as EMPRICE creates opportunities for rural youths through ICTs and digitalization to exploit this lucrative and attractive market for entrepreneurship creation and youth employment,” stated Harold Roy-Macauley, AfricaRice Director General.

For more information or to request an interview contact:

About CTA

The Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA) is a joint international institution of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States and the European Union (EU). Its mission is to advance food security, resilience and inclusive economic growth in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific through innovations in sustainable agriculture. CTA operates under the framework of the Cotonou Agreement and is funded by the EU. For more information on CTA, visit www.cta.int.

About AfricaRice

AfricaRice is a CGIAR Research Center – part of a global research partnership for a food-secure future. It is also an intergovernmental association of African member countries. It has been mandated to support its member countries in developing the rice sector through research, development and partnership activities. The Center was created in 1971 by 11 African countries. Today its membership comprises 26 countries, covering West, Central, East and North African regions. AfricaRice headquarters is based in Côte d’Ivoire. Staff members are located in Côte d’Ivoire as well as in AfricaRice research stations in Benin, Liberia, Madagascar, Nigeria and Senegal. For more information on AfricaRice, visit www.AfricaRice.org.

About Syngenta Foundation

The Syngenta Foundation focuses on productivity and the inclusion of farmers in remunerative value chains. The focus is on ‘pre-commercial’ farmers, often in semi-arid areas, who display potential for agricultural growth. The aim is to help small farmers become more professional growers. It is done by extending science-based know-how, facilitating access to quality inputs, and linking smallholders to markets in profitable ways The Foundation runs projects in Africa and Asia, and contributes to the agricultural policy debate worldwide. It works with a wide range of partners operationally and in thought leadership. The Foundation engages, for example, the public sector, international organizations, think tanks, the private sector, other foundations, social entrepreneurs, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). As well as establishing pilot projects, the Foundation also puts major emphasis on successful scale-up. For more information on the Syngenta Foundation, visit www.syngentafoundation.org.


Check out these tractors, combines and foragers…from a growing Chinese giant


Mar 27, 2018, 6:16pm
  
Zoomlion – or ‘Zoomlion Heavy Industry Science and Technology Co’ to refer to it by its full title – is a Chinese manufacturer of machinery (mainly construction equipment).
It claims to be the world’s sixth largest and China’s largest construction machinery company. In 2008, for example, it acquired CIFA – then the world’s third largest concrete machinery manufacturer. At the time, that was reputed to be the largest ever European acquisition by a Chinese company.

Agricultural Machinery

Nowadays, Zoomlion operates in five sectors: construction machinery; agricultural machinery; heavy trucks; environmental activities; and financial services. It encompasses several brand-names, including the ‘Zoomlion‘ trade-mark.
The agricultural machinery division appears to be growing; it manufactures not only tractors but also harvesters and implements.
At the smaller end of the tractor line-up is the likes of the 30hp RD304. There are umpteen models charting a path up to the existing 120hp RS1204.
In recent years, the company has embarked on the manufacture of much larger tractors – as is evident from this video footage (below). Alas, the narration is not in English!
Increasingly, the company is embracing more radical styling cues. The latest-generation tractors are nothing if not eye-catching, as this picture (below) shows.
Image source: AgriMacFan
Zoomlion also markets a variety of harvesting machines. Its combine harvesters are typically smaller than flagship machines produced here in Europe or, indeed, the US.
This video footage (below) shows a fleet of machines busily toiling away. As well as combines for cereal crops, Zoomlion also builds machines for harvesting sugarcane and rice.
The company even has a pair of self-propelled foragers in its arsenal; the larger of the two (pictured below) is a somewhat imposing-looking beast. 
Founded in 1992, Zoomlion now sells 49 different product lines – amounting to nearly 800 different products (though construction equipment accounts for many of these).
It was China’s first construction machinery company to be listed on both the Shenzhen and Hong Kong stock exchanges.
It has 14 manufacturing sites dotted about China, plus five “industrial and technological parks” abroad – in Italy, Germany, India, Brazil and Belarus.
Will we see more of this sprawling entity here in western Europe – and perhaps even Ireland – in future? Only time well tell…

SKUAST on mission to revive traditional Zag rice

Plans farming of the rice variety on 300 kanal in Tanghdar
GKNN 
Srinagar, Publish Date: Mar 28 2018 12:39AM | Updated Date: Mar 28 2018 12:39AM

GK
To revive traditional Kashmiri rice variety ‘Zag Tumul’ (red rice), SKUAST-K is planning its mass production in Tangdhar area of border district Kupwara.  For the revival plan Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Kashmir is collaborating with Hyderabad based high profile IRRI (Indian Rice Research Institute) for the research inputs, and NABARD for the funding.
In this connection, SKUAST-K held a two-day promotional event on March 25-25 at Gomal Village of Tangdhar. 
“During these two days apart from scientists-farmer-interaction, about 11 quintals of seed were distributed free of cost among farmers for its popularisation over an area of 300 Kanals involving more than 100 farmers,” spokesperson of the SKUAST said in a statement. The farmers were also given on spot advisories for successful crop production.  
MY Zargar on the occasion highlighted the nutritional importance of this Lal Chawal and its role in livelihood security of the farmers of the area and advised them to follow the recommended package for harvesting good returns, said the spokesperson. GA Parray, Associate Director Research, Khudwani also highlighted the role played by the university scientists towards rice research and food security.




Jasmine Rice Market share, supply and consumption research report forecast to 2025

This market research segments the Jasmine Rice Market by distribution channel, types, applications and by geography. It also presents an analysis of the key drivers and challenges that influence market growth.
Outlook of the Jasmine Rice Market
In this report, the EMEA Jasmine Rice market is valued at USD XX million in 2017 and is expected to reach USD XX million by the end of 2025, growing at a CAGR of XX% between 2017 and 2025.
Jasmine Rice Market report provides the up-to-date industry data and industry future trends, allowing you to recognize the products and end users driving Revenue growth and profitability. Jasmine Rice market report also delivers lists of the leading competitors and provides the insights strategic industry Analysis of the key factors influencing the Jasmine Rice market.
Get Free Sample Copy Of Jasmine Rice Market Report: https://www.reportsmonitor.com/request-sample/?post=639319 
The report has been prepared based on the synthesis, analysis, and interpretation of information about the Jasmine Rice Market collected from specialized sources. The competitive landscape section of the report provides a clear insight into the market share analysis of key industry players.  
Top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer; the top players including: COFCO, Fu Tai Long, Wilmar, Zhong Lv Bai Chuan, Jing Chu Da Di, Tai Liang, Hu Bei Jing Chu Liang You, Jin Jian, Wan Nian Gong
Product Type Coverage: White, Brown, Others
Segmentation by distribution channel and analysis of this market: Supermarkets and Malls, Online Shopping Sites, Retail Stores, Others
Market segment by Regions/Countries, this report covers:
Europe: Germany, France, UK, Russia, Italy and Benelux;
Middle East: Saudi Arabia, Israel, UAE and Iran;
Africa: South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt and Algeria.
Moving forward with TOC areas covered in this market research report are:
·       Jasmine RiceMarket Overview.
·       EMEA Jasmine RiceMarket Competition by Manufacturers/Players/Suppliers, Region, Type and Application
·       Europe Jasmine RiceMarket (Volume, Value and Sales Price), by Players, Countries, Type and Application
·       Middle East Jasmine RiceMarket (Volume, Value and Sales Price), by Region, Type and Application
·       Africa Jasmine RiceMarket (Volume, Value and Sales Price) by Players, Countries, Type and Application
·       EMEA Jasmine RiceManufacturers/Players Profiles and Sales Data
·       Jasmine RiceManufacturing Cost Analysis
·       Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers
·       Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/Traders
·       Market Effect Factors Analysis
To Check a Discount on Jasmine Rice Market Report:
Overall the report gives an entire study of the parent Jasmine Rice market, key techniques followed by leading Market Key Players and upcoming segments. Former, current and forecast Jasmine Rice market synthesis in terms of volume and value along with research conclusions is a decisive part of Jasmine Rice study. So that the report helps the fresh aspirants to inspect the upcoming opportunities in the Jasmine Rice market.
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Rice Flourc Market Research – 2018 | Survey and Growth


The recently announced research study entitled Rice Flourc Market Research Report is expected to launch by xx% Approx from 2018 to 2023 with a CAGR value of xx% Approx. Government across the world have taken considerable steps to support rice flourc market over past few decades. Infrastructural developmental and improving technologies have boosted demand and growth of the market.
Primary competitors of this industry that have been contributed an ample of share in last few years. market report includes all top industry manufacturers collectively with their organization profile, rice flourc growth factors, possibilities and threats to the market growth. Global rice flourc report lists the information associated with demand and supply, consumption ratio, sales margin, manufacturing capability, price analysis and factors affecting the growth of rice flourc industry.
This record provides the rice flourc industry evaluation from 2011-2018 after which affords forecast details years ranging from 2018-2023. An up-to-date rice flourc industry details associated with enterprise activities, import/export state of affairs, the industry proportion is concealed in this record.
Key apportionment of the rice flourc industry: Detailed analysis of major types of products and services offered | Different products proposed by rice flourc industry.
Manufacturers from Rice Flourc Market:
Burapa Prosper
Thai Flour Industry
Rose Brand
Cho Heng
Koda Farms
BIF
Lieng Tong
Bob’s Red Mill Natural Foods
Pornkamon Rice Flour Mills
Huangguo
Product Types from Rice Flourc Market:
Rice Flour
Brown Rice Flour
Glutinous Rice Flour
Others
Applications from Rice Flourc Market:
Rice Noodle and Rice Pasta
Sweets and Desserts
Snacks
Bread
Thickening Agent
Others
Detailed Analysis of Key Geographical Regions:
Major geographical regions competing in worldwide rice flourc industry includes:
Asia-Pacific (South Korea, China, India, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Japan and Indonesia) rice flourc industry,
Europe (Germany, France, Russia, UK, and Italy),
South America (Brazil, and Argentina),
North America (Canada, Mexico, and the USA)rice flourc industry,
The Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Nigeria, and Egypt).
Other regions can be added as per readers and users convenience.
Overview Of Table Of Content:-
Chapter 1 Rice Flourc Market Overview.
Chapter 2 Rice Flourc by Regions.
Chapter 3 Rice Flourc by Players.
Chapter 4 Rice Flourc by Consumer.
Chapter 5 Global Top Players Profile.
Chapter 6 Market Chain and Supply Chain.
Chapter 7 Global Rice Flourc Market Size (Sales and Revenue) Forecast Till 2023.
Chapter 8 Development Trend and Research Conclusion.
Chapter 9 Methodology and Data Source.
Detailed analysis of end-users, consumers, and applications: Different applications covered in this research study of rice flourc industry.
Major Advantageous of This Research Study:
Historical, present and future data of this market having a forecast period of 5 years in different regions across the world. Market size, revenue, sales volume, and a distribution rate of this industry by type, application, and region over a forecast period from 2018 to 2023. Further report rice flourc industry driving forces, developments, industry trends, restraints, company profiles of each top manufacturers, import statistics, key performance, strategic recommendations, and competitive landscape of rice flourc industry.
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Hybrid Rice Seeds Market Analysis and in-Depth Research on Market Dynamics, Trends, Emerging Growth Factors and Forecasts to 2022

Global Hybrid Rice Seeds Market Report provides important information related to the overall market and price forecast over a five-year period, from 2017 to 2022. In this bit, the experts have offered essential figures which relates to the production and consumption forecast for the major regions that the market is categorized into, production forecast by type, and consumption forecast by application.
Hybrid Rice Seeds Market report presents the detail analysis of the parent market based on elite players, present, past and futuristic data which will serve as a profitable guide for all the Hybrid Rice Seeds industry competitors.
Top Key Players of Hybrid Rice Seeds Market: Dupont Pioneer, Syngenta, Bayer CropScience, Nath, Advanta, Nirmal Seeds, Longping High-tech, China National Seed Group, Hainan Shennong Gene, WIN-ALL HI-TECH SEED, Hefei Fengle Seed, Zhongnongfa Seed, RiceTec, SL Agritech.
Global Hybrid Rice Seeds market is booming into the Agriculture sector at present era. The Hybrid Rice Seeds has covered rapid development in the current and past years and is probably going to proceed with a continuing development in the upcoming years.
With thorough market segment in terms of different Countries, this report divides the market into a few key countries, with sales (consumption), revenue, market share, and growth rate of the market in these countries over the forecast period 2017-2022.
Major classifications are as follows: 3-line Breeding Systems, 2-line Breeding Systems.
Major applications are as follows: Application1, Application2, Application3. & more.
Geographical Segmentation of Hybrid Rice Seeds Market: Europe, North America, China, Japan, Southeast Asia.
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The Report features key market flow of division. Various definitions and classification of the industry, applications of the industry and chain structure are given. The present market situation and prospects of the sector also have been examined. Additionally, prime strategical activities in the market, which includes product developments, mergers and acquisitions, partnerships, etc., are discussed.
Some TOC points of Hybrid Rice Seeds Market Report:
·       Market size & shares
·       Market trends and dynamics
·       Market Drivers and Opportunities
·       Competitive landscape
·       Supply and demand
·       Technological inventions in Hybrid Rice Seeds industry
·       Marketing Channel Development Trend
·       Hybrid Rice Seeds Market Positioning
·       Pricing Strategy
·       Brand Strategy
·       Target Client
Key Reasons to Purchase:
·       To gain insightful analyses of the market and have comprehensive understanding of the global Hybrid Rice Seeds market and its commercial landscape.
·       Assess the Hybrid Rice Seeds production processes, major issues, and solutions to mitigate the development risk.
·       To understand the most affecting driving and restraining forces in the Hybrid Rice Seeds market and its impact in the global market.
·       Learn about the market strategies that are being adopted by leading respective organizations.
·       To understand the future outlook and prospects for Hybrid Rice Seeds market.
No. of Report Pages: page123
Price of Report: $2900 (Single User)
In conclusion, Hybrid Rice Seeds market 2017 report presents the descriptive analysis of the parent market based on elite players, present, past and futuristic data which will serve as a profitable guide for all the Hybrid Rice Seeds industry competitors.

Building climate resilient, migrant-friendly cities

Saleemul Huq
World Bank estimates put the number of climate migrants in South Asia to be 40 million by 2050. Of that, around 10 million or more are likely to be in Bangladesh and these people would most likely be moving inland from the low-lying coastal districts. Photo: AFP
A recent report from the World Bank has looked at the potential number of people who will be displaced and become climate migrants due to the adverse impacts of climate change around the world by 2050. The report estimated the number to be around 140 million across Asia and Africa, with 40 million in South Asia.
Of them, a significant portion, around 10 million or more, are likely to be in Bangladesh and these people would most likely be moving inland from the low-lying coastal districts. Most of them are likely to end up in Dhaka.
However climate migrants do not necessarily need to be considered as a problem to be coped with but can also be transformed into a solution with the right kind of planning and investments. I will describe below how that can be done in the context of Bangladesh.
There are three important dimensions of the phenomenon that need to be taken into account and each needs different solutions.
The first dimension is dealing with the climate change impacts that are already being felt in the low-lying coastal districts of the country such as Khulna, Satkhira, Barisal, Patuakhali, Noakhali, Barguna and others where the effects of saline intrusion in surface and groundwater are already being felt. The government, NGOs and the research community are already developing adaptation strategies, such as rain water harvesting for drinking and saline tolerant varieties of rice and other crops, to help the people. The Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI), for example, has already developed a number of saline tolerant rice varieties which have been widely adopted already all along the coast.
However, we also need to recognise that the problem of sea level rise causing salinity intrusion will be faster than our ability to adapt, and hence, more and more people will eventually have to relocate inland from the coast.
This brings us to the second dimension of the issue: time. The problem of sea level rise and salinity intrusion leading to inevitable migration from coastal Bangladesh will not happen overnight but quite gradually over several decades. This allows us to have a two-track adaptation strategy with the first (short-term) track being helping people in the coastal areas to cope with the salinity issue. The second (long-term) track is to educate and empower the young girls and boys in those areas to enable them not to become farmers and fishers like their parents but to be able to move to towns (and even go abroad) and get better paying jobs there. Once these boys and girls get jobs they can then take their parents to join them and the entire family will be better off than they were before.
In the jargon of climate change science these two tracks are called “adaptation in situ” where we help the people adapt where they are, while the second track is called “transformative adaptation” through which the youth are able to transform their lives altogether.
One point to make about investment in education and skills development is that it will need to focus on quality rather than quantity. Investing in girls is a higher priority than boys since the social returns on such investments are much better.
This brings us to the third dimension of the issue, which is that if nothing is done to divert the migrants, they will almost all end up in Dhaka, which is already the fastest growing mega-city in the world. Dhaka would have great difficulty absorbing another ten million climate migrants.
Hence the solution to Dhaka's growing population problem is to invest in other towns and attract migrants to those towns (as they cannot be forced to do so).
This brings us to the strategy of identifying about a dozen secondary towns away from the coast such as Pabna, Bogra, Jessore, Natore, Mymensingh, Comilla, Faridpur, Sylhet, Noapara, Dinajpur and others which could attract and absorb about a million migrants each.
These towns would be made into “climate resilient and migrant-friendly” towns through investing in both their physical and human infrastructure. The “climate resilient” part is already underway in many of them, with the initial climate vulnerability assessments done. Now climate resilient physical infrastructure is being designed by the government.
However the “migrant-friendly” part still needs to overcome prejudice against migrants by the host population. This requires much more social investment in people's education and behavioural change in order to get them to welcome migrants to these towns.
The most important factor in attracting migrants is the provision of jobs, followed by housing, schooling and healthcare. Hence each of these towns needs to build on their comparative economic advantage to invest in manufacturing or services that will generate employment to attract migrants. As most of these jobs will have to be generated by the private sector, the government will need to work closely with private entrepreneurs to enable them to expand their businesses.
In conclusion, I would like to say that while Bangladesh needs to think about how to cope with the millions of climate migrants that it will inevitably have, we can indeed turn the problem into a solution to show the world that facilitated and planned migration can be a successful, and indeed a transformative, adaptation for millions of climate migrants.
This will however require all sectors of society to contribute in a holistic approach as the government cannot be expected to do it alone.

Saleemul Huq is the Director of International Centre for Climate Change and Development at the Independent University, Bangladesh.
Hybrid chickadees found deficient at learning and memory
BY BRINKWIRE                                                                         
MARCH 27, 2018 Scientists estimate that as much as 10% of animals—and 25% of plants—engage in hybridization in nature. Genetic data has even shed light on modern-day humans’ hybrid ancestry, with most Europeans and Asians thought to have approximately 2 percent Neanderthal DNA.
Sterility is common in hybrids and is thought to be a key factor in keeping two hybridizing species distinct. This is true for a particular hybrid chickadee population in the U.S., the result of mating between the northern Black-capped Chickadee and a southern species called the Carolina Chickadee. A lower percentage of the hybrid chickadees’ eggs hatch compared to their pure-species parents—a key selective disadvantage.
                                     The results of a new behavioral study out of Lehigh University and Franklin & Marshall College add a wrinkle to this paradigm: scientists found that hybrid chickadees have marked deficiencies in learning and memory compared to their pure species parents, which may be another selective disadvantage.
This discovery is the first time that learning and memory deficiencies have been identified in any hybrid of any species, opening up a new area of inquiry for understanding hybrids’ selective disadvantage. The study results appear in the journal Evolution in an article that appears online today by Michael A. McQuillan, Amber M. Rice and Alex V. Huynh of Lehigh University and Timothy C. Roth II of Franklin & Marshall College called: “Hybrid Chickadees are Deficient in Learning and Memory.”
“These birds are like squirrels: they store food throughout the fall,” says Rice, assistant professor of biological sciences at Lehigh. “To survive winter, they have to be able to go back and find the food. The fact that these hybrids are worse at learning and remembering could really be bad for them, especially during harsh winters.”
Animals who store food in this manner are known as scatter-hoarders. According to McQuillan, a Ph.D. candidate in evolutionary biology at Lehigh and lead author of the study, the northern Black-capped Chickadee is a model species for studying spatial memory and learning, traits that are key to scatter-hoarders’ survival. McQuillan says there is evidence to suggest that the Black-capped Chickadees’ spatial memory is a heritable trait—a trait passed down to their offspring.
“If hybrid chickadees are less innovative, less able to adjust to their environments, they might be less likely to survive,” says McQuillan. “That might be a factor in keeping the two species separate—or reproductively isolated—despite the fact that they are hybridizing.”
Perhaps even more importantly, the team’s findings suggest that learning and memory may contribute to the selective disadvantage of hybrids of other species as well.
According to Maria R. Servedio, a professor of biology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill whose research areas include speciation and the evolution of premating isolation, these results are exciting because there has been speculation about behaviors essential to survival and reproduction being disrupted in hybrids, but very few well-established examples.

“This study is really interesting because it provides a completely new mechanism by which hybrids can have low fitness,” says Servedio. “When hybrids have low fitness this in turn can provide selection for parents to become more selective in choosing mates, which is an important mechanism in keeping species apart—so it can have cascading effects.”

“They would try and then give up”.Lehigh University is located within the “hybrid zone,” a narrow band from northern New Jersey to Kansas where this population of hybridized chickadees reside, which presents a unique opportunity to study them.
The team caught hybrids and pure species birds keeping them in enclosures located on Lehigh’s Bethlehem, Pennsylvania campus. After establishing ancestry through genetic testing, McQuillan and his colleagues conducted two behavioral tests designed to determine learning and memory capacity.
To test the birds’ spatial memory, he constructed a wall containing 60 identical rubber pockets the contents of which were concealed with a white craft pom pom. One of the pockets contained a wax worm, a highly-desired food item.
The birds were introduced to the wall of pockets in the same manner once a day for 7 days. This offered an opportunity to observe how well the birds remembered the location of the worm, which was always concealed in the same pocket.
“The first day it’s random chance,” says Rice. “Each subsequent day, the birds should get better and better at locating the pocket with the worm in it.”The hybrids performed worse across the testing period than either pure species.

“On average the hybrids took longer, requiring more inspections to locate the worm,” says MacQuillan. “The hybrids made more errors and simply didn’t remember as well.”There was no significant difference in performance between the two pure-species groups.
To test their learning skills, McQuillan presented the birds with a novel problem to solve. A worm was placed into a small well drilled into a block that was attached to an aviary wall. The team trained the birds to feed from the well by regularly placing worms in it. During the test, McQuillan placed a circular washer with a transparent coating over the well. The birds could see the worm through the washer, but would have to figure out how to move the washer in order to access the worm.

The hybrids were significantly less likely to solve this problem than the pure-species birds.

“The hybrids would try and then give up,” says McQuillan. “If they didn’t get it within the first few minutes, they weren’t going to get it all. That trend became clear.”New area of inquiry for hybrids’ selective disadvantage
The cognitive abilities of natural hybrids is an unexplored area of research. These results offer new avenues of inquiry to better understand this population of hybridizing chickadees, as well other hybrid systems. It also opens up new areas of study regarding speciation more generally.
“Evolutionary biologists tend to focus on the physiological deficits that plague hybrids as a phenomenon that maintains chickadee species’ boundaries,” says Roth, an assistant professor of psychology at Franklin & Marshall. “However, our research suggests that declines in the cognitive abilities of hybrids may also play an important role in maintaining species.”
The next steps of the hybrid chickadee project involve delving deeper into what might be behind the learning and memory deficiencies they found, including exploring possible genetic and physiological causes.
“We’re planning to follow up with additional behavioral tests to look at whether controlling the chickadees’ experiences and environments has an impact on the results,” says Rice. “Understanding the underlying neuroanatomy could be the next steps in exploring what explains their cognitive deficiencies. For example, are specific regions of their brains smaller? Do they have fewer neurons, or less neurogenesis than their pure species parents?”
Roth, whose research is focused on understanding the processes by which natural selection influences the use of space in animals, is taking the lead on studying the chickadees’ neuroanatomy.“We are currently in the process of identifying differences in gene expression and neuroanatomy in these birds to better understand the neural mechanisms of these cognitive deficits,” says Roth.

More information:
Michael A. McQuillan et al, Hybrid chickadees are deficient in learning and memory, Evolution (2018). DOI: 10.1111/evo.13470


Shivraj Singh Chouhan vows to continue fight for basmati GI tag, slams Pakistan for ‘posing hurdles’
The coveted GI tag is a name or sign that corresponds to specific geographical locations. Usage of such a certification on a product would indicate that it possesses certain qualities exclusive to its land of origin.
Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has vowed to continue fighting to acquire the GI tag for basmati rice grown in the state.Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has vowed to continue fighting to acquire the GI tag for basmati rice grown in the state.(PTI File Photo)
                                           Undeterred by a recent legal setback at the Geographical Indications (GI) registry in Chennai, Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has vowed to continue fighting to acquire the GI tag for basmati rice grown in the state despite “hurdles posed by Pakistan”. The coveted GI tag is a name or sign that corresponds to specific geographical locations. Usage of such a certification on a product would indicate that it possesses certain qualities exclusive to its land of origin.
“The chief minister said state farmers have been producing basmati since 1908. As much as 50% of the rice exported to Canada and America comes from Madhya Pradesh. A few exporters, particularly those from Pakistan, do not want basmati rice produced here to acquire a global identity certification,” a state government spokesperson quoted Chouhan as saying in a television news programme on Sunday evening.
“We will fight for our basmati-producing farmers and emerge victorious in the end.” Chinnaraja G Naidu, assistant registrar of the GI registry, had stated on March 15 that while the evidence filed by entities in Madhya Pradesh depicts the importance and special characteristics of rice grown in the state, it does not do the same for basmati in traditional cultivation areas. “The opponent has, therefore, failed to satisfy the fundamental requirements of popular public perception of Basmati cultivation in Madhya Pradesh as mentioned by the honourable Intellectual Property Appellate Board (IPAB) in Chennai… A mere plea without the backing of any corroborative evidence has no gravity in the eyes of the law,” he added.
 While the respondent or applicant in this case was the Agricultural & Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), the opponents comprised the Madhya Kshetra Basmati Growers Association Samiti, Raisen; Narmada Cereals Private Limited, Mandideep, Raisen; SSA International Limited, Mandideep, Raisen; Madhya Kshetra Basmati Exporters Association, Udaipura, Raisen; the additional director of agriculture, department of farmer welfare and agriculture development, government of Madhya Pradesh; and Daawat Foods Limited, New Delhi. A senior official of the state agriculture department said they were studying the order in detail. “As there is an option to appeal against the order before IPAB within three months, we are seeking legal opinions on how best to do it,” he said on the condition of anonymity. It has been nearly a decade since Madhya Pradesh began fighting its battle for inclusion into an Agriculture and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) list of basmati-growing states. It had even won a legal battle before the GI registry in 2013, but IPAB rejected the claim three years later on an appeal filed by APEDA. Madhya Pradesh claims that it has been growing basmati rice since 1908.

Customs Intercepts 585 Bags of Rice in Sokoto 

By Mohammed Aminu in Sokoto
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Sokoto Command comprising Zamfara, Sokoto and Kebbi States, has intercepted 585 bags of foreign rice hidden in a petrol tanker with a duty paid value of N11 million.Addressing journalists in Sokoto on Monday, the Customs Area Controller of the command, Mr. Nasir Ahmad, said the contraband was intercepted last week along Koko-Yawuri road in Kebbi State.
According to him, the vehicle was heading to Suleja in Niger State when it was intercepted  by Customs officers following a tip-off in Kebbi State.
He explained that the tanker, which was supposed to be carrying petrol, was loaded with the 585 bags of rice and as such posed serious risk to the health of the citizens.
Ahmad disclosed that four people were arrested in connection with the contraband while the owner had already disappeared.
“We have already arrested four suspects and they are currently in our custody while we are on the trail of the major owner of the contraband. We will soon get him to face justice,” he said.
https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2018/03/27/customs-intercepts-585-bags-of-rice-in-sokoto/
High-yielding hybrid rice area to cross 50pc in three years
March 27, 2018
LAHORE - High yielding hybrid rice area is going to cross 50 per cent in three years from present 25 to 30 per cent paddy coverage, yielding additional two million tons output, said Shahzad Ali Malik, Chief Executive Officer of Guard Rice Research & Services Pvt Ltd at a function.All efforts of introducing hybrid rice seed in Pakistan is being commanded by national seed companies mainly in collaboration of Chinese leader in research & development with 'Guard Agri' having the lion's share. Several multinational seed companies like, Monsanto, Pioneer, Syngenta and Bayer did try to introduce hybrid rice seed but failed to outperform national seed companies.
Their varieties were less rewarding for farmers due to lack of jump in production while seed cost was also high if compared with what local seed companies were offering, Shahzad Ali Malik said.
Malik, who is founding president of Seed Association of Pakistan (SAP) and ex-presidents of Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) and LCCI, said that with untiring efforts of local scientists, the role of private sector in seed research and development is increasing day by day.
With doubling of hybrid rice seed coverage from present 25-30 per cent to over 50 per cent in next three years, national rice production is potentially expected to be increased by hefty two million tons. At present yield is 6.9 million ton from 2.79 million hactares. By doubling the area from 25 per cent to 50 per cent, the expected increase in yield will be around 2 million tons and total yield will be around 9 million tons, he explained.
In total rice hybridization, around 90 per cent area of long-grain paddy is in Sindh province while 10 per cent in South Punjab. As aromatic basmati rice is first choice for farmers in Punjab, coarse varieties area is still low.However, with production of hybrid rice seed in central Punjab, paddy area in Punjab is likely to increase significantly in coming years, he observed.
The major factor behind success of national seed companies in large-scale acceptance of rice hybrid seed has been development of heat-resistance and drought-tolerant varieties, he said and adding multinational seed companies had varieties that could not perform well in harsh summer weather of Sindh and Southern Punjab.
Hence, Malik said, the long grain hybrid rice that substituted IRRI-6 in coastal belt and central Sindh is a major success as its export market is rapidly evolving in the favour of farmers and exporters.
The higher yield and lower production give a premium to farmers, considerably changing their socio economic conditions.
Consequently, our long grain rice is gaining grounds globally with much ease by competing major producers and exporters countries of the world like Vietnam and Thailand. It is pertinent to mention here that Shahzad Ali Malik is one of the most prominent entrepreneurs who spearhead private sector research and development (R&D) in agriculture.
His company has emerged as a leader in demand-driven research in agriculture, challenging the monopoly of public sector institutions and multinationals.
With great passion to increase productivity of farming sector, Shahzad Ali Malik is actively striving to achieve food security in his untiring efforts spanning over past 25 years. He successfully pioneered the introduction of hybrid rice seed in Pakistan with collaboration of Chinese scientists.

MP files plea staking claim for Basmati GI tag
The Madhya Pradesh government has filed a petition in the Madras High Court challenging an order passed by the Assistant Registrar of Geographical Indications here on March 15 excluding the state from being granted the GI tag for basmati rice. The Madhya Kshetra Basmati Growers Association Samiti has also filed a similar plea. Admitting the pleas recently, Justice M Duraiswamy ordered notice to the GI registry, Agricultural, Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) and others returnable byApril 23. Madhya Pradesh contended that the order was liable to be set aside since it "relies on an extraneous and non-statutory metric such as popular perception to dismiss the case for GI tag".
Besides the registrar order has treated Indo-Gangetic plains as the sole area of basmati production without offering reasons for the same in the judgment, the petitioner claimed. In May 2010, GI status was given to basmati grown only in Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and parts of western Uttar Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. Madhya Pradesh moved a statutory opposition demanding that its 13 districts be recognized as traditional basmati growing regions. The state claimed that 13 of its districts had been growing basmati for several decades and they were located in the Indo-Gangetic plains having climatic condition favourable for cultivation of basmati. Non-inclusion of the state in the basmati growing areas would have an adverse effect on the lives of over 80,000 farmers who mainly depend upon basmati cultivation, it added.

Rice Prices

as on : 28-03-2018 12:21:44 PM

Arrivals in tonnes;prices in Rs/quintal in domestic market.
Arrivals
Price
Current
%
change
Season
cumulative
Modal
Prev.
Modal
Prev.Yr
%change
Rice
Gondal(UP)
181.00
-17.35
4857.50
2150
2150
2.38
Siliguri(WB)
165.00
NC
3232.00
2700
2700
NC
Dhing(ASM)
140.00
NC
695.00
2450
2650
-10.91
Akbarpur(UP)
60.00
-29.41
2341.50
2200
2200
0.46
Gauripur(ASM)
50.00
NC
1191.00
4500
4500
NC
Karimpur(WB)
50.00
-9.09
160.00
3700
3690
17.46
Basti(UP)
48.00
-9.43
1597.50
2150
2150
2.38
Gazipur(UP)
44.00
10
643.00
2230
2200
6.19
Lakhimpur(UP)
35.00
9.38
872.00
2170
2180
2.36
Jasra(UP)
30.00
66.67
576.50
2450
2400
-
Naanpara(UP)
25.00
-30.56
792.00
2150
2150
-
Banda(UP)
24.00
4.35
383.00
2070
2070
-
Dhekiajuli(ASM)
18.00
24.14
110.00
2250
2300
-2.17
Raiganj(WB)
17.00
-15
509.00
3250
3250
32.65
Karsiyang(Matigara)(WB)
16.80
6.33
249.60
3000
3000
11.11
Saharanpur(UP)
12.50
-21.88
569.50
2690
2690
13.26
Atarra(UP)
12.00
9.09
125.00
2150
1900
7.50
Vishalpur(UP)
12.00
100
46.50
2360
2400
-
Khurja(UP)
8.00
-11.11
410.00
2600
2600
-
Dibrugarh(ASM)
7.70
381.25
320.40
2400
2400
6.67
Unnao(UP)
7.50
25
118.60
2125
2125
3.66
Silapathar(ASM)
7.00
84.21
78.20
2600
2600
-13.33
Mirzapur(UP)
7.00
40
274.50
2160
2145
-
Ranaghat(WB)
6.40
1.43
159.20
3920
3920
70.43
Paliakala(UP)
4.00
NC
796.60
2180
2165
-
Chhibramau(Kannuj)(UP)
4.00
NC
188.50
2240
2240
NC
Bonai(Bonai)(Ori)
3.00
NC
68.90
3000
3000
20.00
Jagnair(UP)
0.80
NC
44.90
2530
2500
-1.56
Khairagarh(UP)
0.80
-33.33
51.10
2500
2500
-3.10
Published on March 28, 2018

Rice Export Surges 22.14% In 8 Months
ISLAMABAD, Mar 27 (APP):The export of rice from the country surged by 22.14 percent during first eight months (July-February) of current fiscal year as compared to same period of last year.
According to details, the rice export jumped to $1.262 billion in July-February (2017-18) as against the export worth $1.003 billion in same period of the preceding year.
In terms of quantity, the rice export increased to 2.67 million metric ton from 2.334 million MT in July-February (2016-17), showing an increase of 11.48 percent, according to a latest data released by Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).
On yearly basis, the rice export also increased by 24.24 percent as it rose to $194.342 million in February 2018 from $156.43 million in same month of the year 2017.
On month-on-month basis, the exports however witnessed a decrease of 10.8 percent as the exports during January, 2018 were recorded at $217.9 million.
The overall food group export also witnessed an increase of 21.7 percent during July-February (2017-18) as compared to same period of last year.
During the period under review, the food exports jumped to $2.84 billion as compared to the exports of $2.334 billion in same period of last year.

Rice export surges by 22.14 percent in 8 months

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The export of rice from the country surged by 22.14 percent during first eight months (July-February) of current fiscal year as compared to same period of last year.According to details, the rice export jumped to $1.262 billion in July-February (2017-18) as against the export worth $1.003 billion in same period of the preceding year.
In terms of quantity, the rice export increased to 2.67 million metric ton from 2.334 million MT in July-February (2016-17), showing an increase of 11.48 percent, according to a latest data released by Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).On yearly basis, the rice export also increased by 24.24 percent as it rose to $194.342 million in February 2018 from $156.43 million in same month of the year 2017.
On month-on-month basis, the exports however witnessed a decrease of 10.8 percent as the exports during January, 2018 were recorded at $217.9 million.
The overall food group export also witnessed an increase of 21.7 percent during July-February (2017-18) as compared to same period of last year.
During the period under review, the food exports jumped to $2.84 billion as compared to the exports of $2.334 billion in same period of last year .      
– APP