Friday, July 13, 2018

13th July,2018 daily global regional local rice e-newsletter


BRIEF: How Rice Plants Grow Tall to Survive Floods

Scientists identified the key gene that helps certain rice varieties keep their heads above water.

ricechild.jpg

Child walks in deep-water field of wild rice species in Bangladesh.
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Thursday, July 12, 2018 - 14:00
Yuen Yiu, Staff Writer
       
(Inside Science) -- When monsoon floods inundate rice fields in the lowlands of Southeast Asia, some varieties of the plant have a trick up their sleeves: As the waters rise, the rice plants go through a sudden growth spurt, keeping their leaves in the air and staying alive. Now a team of researchers from the U.S. and Japan has identified the key gene that makes these varieties, called deepwater rice, resilient to flood.
The gene is called SEMIDWARF1, or SD1 for short. According to a paper publishedtoday in the journal Science, when rice plants are submerged in water, the gaseous plant hormone ethylene starts to build up in their tissue. For rice plants with the SD1 gene, the accumulation of ethylene then triggers the production of the growth-promoting plant hormone known as gibberellin, which helps the plants rise above the water.
According to the researchers, the SD1 gene can be found in different variants of rice that humans have cultivated for higher yields in areas prone to monsoon flooding, and modern day deepwater rice can trace its ancestry back to wild rice from Bangladesh. A better understanding of genomic characteristics in these plants may help scientists develop adaptive food crops in the face of climate change

Video: Nobel Laureate Richard Roberts recruits young scientists to counter Greenpeace misinformation about 'failure' of nutritionally enhanced Golden Rice, GMOs

Image Credit: Northeastern University
When Monsanto first tried to introduce GMO seeds into Europe there was a backlash by the Green parties and their political allies, who feared that American agro-business was about to take over their food supply. Thus began a massive campaign not against the true target, Monsanto and the large agro-businesses, but rather against the surrogate target, GMOs. This has had disastrous consequences for one of the most promising technologies ever developed for improving food supplies.
...
I will use Golden Rice as a clear example of the costs of these shortsighted policies. Millions of children have died or suffered developmental impairment because of a lack of Vitamin A in their diet. Golden Rice could reverse this, but has become a target of the Green parties because it is a GMO. This is foolish and dangerous. How many more children must die before this is considered a crime against humanity?
[Editor's note: In 2016 Sir Richard Roberts spearheaded a campaign of 133 Nobel Laureates to counter Greenpeace's inaccurate claims about the nutritional benefits of golden rice, a genetically engineered crop designed to treat vitamin A deficiency in southeast Asia. Greenpeace maintains that there is no evidence to suggest that golden rice is a solution to fight malnutrition. In the video below, Roberts presents his case in favor of golden rice, and GMOs more broadly, to an audience of undergraduates, PhD students, and post-doc researchers from all over the world at the 68th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings in Germany.]

The GLP aggregated and excerpted this article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion, and analysis. Click the link above to read the full, original article.


USA Rice and The Rice Foundation Elect New Leadership
By Deborah Willenborg

IRVING, TX -- New chairmen for USA Rice and The Rice Foundation were elected by their respective Boards of Directors during annual meetings here today.

USA Rice's new chairman, Charley Mathews, Jr., a rice farmer from Marysville, California will assume the two-year post on August 1, taking over for Brian King, a rice merchant, who has been chairman of the group since 2016.

"Charley is going to make a great chairman," King said.  "He is well versed in U.S. rice industry issues going from the field to the board room having served in leadership positions as chairman of both The Rice Foundation and the USA Rice Council."

Mathews is a third generation rice farmer who has served on numerous USA Rice committees, including Sustainability, International Promotion, and the Crop Insurance Task Force.  Mathews is an alumni of the Rice Leadership Development Program, as is King, and past chairman of the California Rice Commission.

"Brian King guided us through some challenging times and presided over countless meetings, including some with Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, and Senators and House Members from all over the country, representing the U.S. rice industry," said Mathews.  "He has made trips to major, and potential major, markets including Colombia, Mexico, and China, and we appreciate the time sacrifice he has made on behalf of U.S. rice."

"This is a difficult time for the American rice industry as we navigate the current uncertainty around trade and stay on top of the ongoing Farm Bill negotiations that are so crucial to our growers," said Betsy Ward, president and CEO of USA Rice.  "I look forward to working with Chairman-elect Mathews as we tackle these issues on behalf of the entire U.S. industry."



Frank Carey (left) congratulates Mathews as he changes chairmanship from Foundation to Federation

Frank Carey was elected chairman of The Rice Foundation.  Carey, with Valent LLC, a crop protection firm, replaces Mathews, who served as chairman of The Rice Foundation for two years.
"The breadth of work The Rice Foundation has been responsible for is astounding," said Mathews.  "Foundation-funded projects like a multi-state water management study, a breeding project for jasmine-type aromatic rice varieties in the U.S., and conservation work estimating biological and economic contributions that rice habitats make to North American waterfowl populations, have exceeded expectations.  The Foundation and the industry are in good hands with Frank, and I know he'll continue to identify more projects with far-reaching industry benefits."

The Rice Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization, which serves as the research and education program arm for the rice industry.

Dueling tariffs raise fears of long U.S.-China trade battle

Thursday, July 05, 2018 9:38 p.m. CDT
A waiter delivers a lunch of lobster, that was imported from Boston, U.S., at a sea food restaurant in Beijing, China July 5, 2018. Picture
By Michael Martina and David Lawder
BEIJING/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States and China exchanged the first salvos in what could become a protracted trade war on Friday, slapping tariffs on $34 billion worth of each others’ goods and giving no sign of willingness to start talks aimed at a reaching a truce.
Duties on a range of Chinese goods imported into the United States took effect on Friday and were immediately countered by measures from China, with Beijing accusing the United States of triggering the "largest-scale trade war".
The escalating fight between the world's two biggest economies meant that it could "take economic and political pain to get these two parties to the (negotiating) table", said Scott Kennedy, head of China studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.
President Donald Trump is already threatening additional rounds of tariffs, possibly targeting more than $500 billion worth of Chinese goods - roughly the total amount of U.S. imports from China last year.
It will take weeks or months for the U.S. Trade Representative to review and possibly activate any new rounds of punishment.
"The key questions during that time are what will happen to financial markets, how will U.S. voters react and will China's economy start to wobble," Kennedy said in a telephone interview.
Erin Ennis, senior vice president of the U.S. China Business Council, said there was a danger the two sides will dig in on trade sanctions without a clear strategy for resuming negotiations.
While U.S. companies doing business in China agree with Trump's complaint about Chinese intellectual property practices, Ennis said they do not see tariffs pushing China into submission.
China's commerce ministry said it was forced to retaliate, meaning imported U.S. goods including cars, soybeans, and lobsters also faced 25 percent tariffs.
Some of Trump's fellow Republicans in the U.S. Congress lashed out at his actions.
"Tariffs not only hurt our farmers, ranchers and airplane manufacturers, but they also harm every American consumer. We should be working with our allies to isolate China rather than escalate a trade war," said Senator Jerry Moran, who represents the agriculture-heavy state of Kansas.
China's soymeal futures fell more than 2 percent on Friday afternoon before recovering most of those losses amid initial market confusion over whether Beijing had actually implemented the tariffs, which it later confirmed it had.
Friday's long-expected China tariff volley fueled fear that a prolonged and escalating battle would hurt global trade, investment and growth, while also damaging U.S. farm exports and potentially driving up food prices in China.
For example, U.S.-based audio company Sonos Inc noted in an initial public offering on Friday its performance "may be materially harmed" by trade restrictions.
To view a graphic on China trade with U.S., click: https://reut.rs/2HjTuSw
'NEVER A SOLUTION'
"Trade war is never a solution," Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said at a news briefing with Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov in Sofia before a summit with 16 central and easternEuropean countries.
"China would never start a trade war but if any party resorts to an increase of tariffs, then China will take measures in response to protect development interests," he said.
There was no sign of renewed negotiations between U.S. and Chinese officials in the run-up to Friday, business sources in Washington and Beijing said.
The dispute has roiled financial markets including stocks, currencies and the global trade of commodities from soybeans to coal in recent weeks.
China lodged a case with the World Trade Organization against the United States, its commerce ministry said on Friday.
White House Council of Economic Advisers Chairman KevinHassett said in an interview on Fox Business Network on Friday Trump is "going to deliver better (trade) deals". He said that, for now, "he's called the bluff of other countries that have basically been abusing" U.S. companies and workers.
To view a graphic on Industry impact, click: https://reut.rs/2IVkPHd
PRICE WATCH
Importers of American retail goods hit by higher Chinese duties were reluctant to pass the costs on to consumers for now.
An analysis of more than four dozen targeted U.S products showed that prices were little changed on Friday afternoon from earlier in the week. The products, sold on Chinese e-commerce platforms, ranged from pet food to mixed nuts and whiskey.
Ford Motor Co said on Thursday that, for now, it will not hike prices of imported Ford and higher-margin luxury Lincoln models in China. However, German automaker BMW said it is unable to "completely absorb" new Chinese tariff on imported U.S.-made models and will raise prices.
U.S. stocks shook off the tariffs, which investors said had been well-anticipated and priced in. The S&P 500 rose to a two-week high on Friday, partly buoyed by strong U.S. jobs growth. However, investors said a significant escalation intension would cause worries to set in.
Companies seeking product exclusions from tariffs on Chinese goods imported into the United States will get 90 days to file such requests, the U.S. Trade Representative's office said onFriday.
To view a graphic on the Tit-for-tat impact, click: https://tmsnrt.rs/2GXE9qr
'GANG OF HOODLUMS'
Chinese state media slammed Trump's trade policies and onFriday likened his administration to a "gang of hoodlums".
China's commerce ministry called the U.S. actions "a violation of world trade rules" and said it had "initiated the largest-scale trade war in economic history".
Trump has railed against Beijing for intellectual property theft, barriers to entry for U.S. businesses and a $375 billionU.S. trade deficit with China.
A China central bank adviser said the planned U.S. import tariffs on $50 billion worth of Chinese goods - $34 billion plus a planned follow-on list worth $16 billion - would cut China's economic growth by 0.2 percentage points, the official Xinhua news agency reported on Friday.
China's tariff list is heavy on agricultural goods such as soybeans, sorghum and cotton, threatening U.S. farmers in states that backed Trump in the 2016 U.S. election, such as Texas and Iowa.
(Reporting by Adam Jourdan in SHANGHAI, Michael Martina,Christian Shepherd, Dominique Patton, Elias Glenn and JosephineMason in BEIJING, David Lawder, Jeff Mason and Justin Mitchellin WASHINGTON, Meg Shen in HONG KONG and Tsvetelia Tsolova inSOFIA; Writing by Tony Munroe and Richard Cowan; Editing by Nick Macfie, Nick Zieminski and Eric Meijer)

Cambodia’s rice export drops 5.9 pct in H1

PHNOM PENH, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia exported 271,500 tons of milled rice in the first six months of 2018, down 5.9 percent from 288,500 tons over the same period last year, according to the latest report released on Tuesday. Sixty-eight companies have brokered t he country's rice for 56 countries and regions around the world, said the report from the Secretariat of One Window Service for Rice Export. China is the top buyer of Cambodian rice, followed by France, Poland, the Netherlands and Britain, it said. The Southeast Asian nation shipped 62,100 tons of milled rice to China during the January-June period this year, down 34 percent compared to the same period last year. Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen said in May that the country produced 10.5 million tons of paddy rice in 2017, up 5.7 percent year-on-year. With this amount, besides local consumptions, the country would have about 5.5 million tons of unhusked rice, or 3.5 million tons of milled rice, left over for exports this year, he said. Last year, Cambodia exported 635,679 tons of milled rice, an increase of 17 percent compared to a year earlier.


Date: 11-Jul-2018


B34.5bn in rice aid measures approved
Farmers and residents in Sangkha district, Surin help harvest paddy. NOPPARAT KINGKAEW The National Rice Policy and Management Committee Wednesday approved rice aid measures worth 34.5 billion baht for...  Please credit and share this article with others using this link:https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/news/1501770/b34-5bn-in-rice-aid-measures-approved. View our policies at http://goo.gl/9HgTd and http://goo.gl/ou6Ip. © Post Publishing PCL. All rights reserved.
Date: 12-Jul-2018


Private sector to EU: Don’t punish Cambodia
The delegation from the European Union during their meeting Monday with representatives of the local private sector. Ministry of Land Management
Representatives of the Kingdom’s private sector this week urged the European Union not to cancel the Everything-but-arms (EBA) scheme in response to a perceived deterioration of human rights and democracy in the country. An EU delegation, which includes the EU Ambassador to Cambodia, is now in the Kingdom on a fact-finding mission to assess the latest political developments in the country before deciding whether or not to cancel or curtail a key trade scheme that grants the Kingdom preferential access to the EU market. The mission has already met with civil society organisations, private sector representatives, and government officials. Kaing Monika, deputy secretary general at the Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia (GMAC), told Khmer Times that representatives of the private sector, including GMAC, met with the EU mission on Monday and expressed their views on the need to maintain the current EBA treaty intact. He said the Cambodian delegation told EU dignitaries that the local private sector respects all EU requirements when it comes to labour and human rights, and that, in line with requirements to maintain the EBA treaty, there have been significant improvements in factory working conditions and workers’ rights. Mr Monika said the EU responded by saying that they were not here to punish Cambodia but to study the current political and economic situation and “encourage the country to improve.” GMAC, which comprises 500 members employing more than 700,000 workers, were joined at the meeting by representatives of the Cambodian Federation of Employers and Business Associations (Camfeba) and the Rice Association. “As we know the economic impact of the EBA for Cambodia has been tremendous. It has helped built Cambodian trade with the EU, particularly in the garment, shoes and rice segments. “Of course, the EBA is conditional to compliance with various conventions, especially those on human rights and labour rights. “We shared our views with the EU on the contribution of the EBA to Cambodia’s economic development, and the country’s adherence to all relevant conventions,” he said. Mr Monika said the EU delegation acknowledged the hard work and achievements of the garment and footwear sector in improving the lives of workers. “Based on our performance, we are quite sure that we won’t be wrongly punished. The EU market would continue to be one of our most important markets in terms of textiles and shoes exports for many years to come,” added Mr Monika. A source who wishes to remain anonymous but was privy to the meeting told Khmer Times that the EU representatives questioned the Cambodian delegation on the impact the EBA has had on Cambodia’s main sectors of economic activity, including textiles and agriculture. They wanted to know the benefits it has brought to farmers and whether or not it has played a role in attracting investment. “We explained how the EBA has impacted the livelihoods of 3 million farmers and 800,000 workers. At the same time, we defended our view that we have observed all the conventions stated in the EBA,” he said. He added that the EU delegation will meet with representatives of several other industries, NGOs and unions in the next few days before sending their conclusions back to Brussels. Like GMAC’s Mr Monika, the source believed that the EU will not annul the EBA. EU Ambassador to Cambodia George Edgar said last night that the delegation has met with a range of government officials. “The purpose has been to learn more about the situation in Cambodia in terms of human rights and labour rights, in the context of the EU’s enhanced engagement with Cambodia under the Everything But Arms arrangement,” Mr Edgar said. “The information gathered by the mission will feed into the decision making process in the European Commission,” he added. In March, the EU reaffirmed its commitment to strengthen economic ties with Cambodia and support further integration of the country into regional supply chains. Last month, the Cambodian government sent a delegation to Brussels headed by Sok Siphana, an economic adviser to the government, to lobby EU lawmakers to keep Cambodia’s trade status. The delegation was sent after the EU issued a report in April condemning the dissolution of the CNRP last year and hinting at a possible annulment of the EBA treaty as a punitive measure. According to data from the European Commission, the EU is Cambodia’s biggest trading partner with a trade volume of 5.86 billion euro ($6.7 billion) in 2017.



Rice, price and everything not-so-nice

Posted on 12 July 2018 - 09:09am
Tan Siok Choo

ONE top Malaysian leader prefers to eat quinoa – a complete protein, it is gluten-free, rich in dietary fibre and has the capability of lowering LDL or bad cholesterol – although allegedly 23 times more costly than other grains. But for many Malaysians, rice is the preferred option.
On June 6 this year, newly-minted Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Salahuddin Ayub announced the Cabinet had agreed to end the monopoly to import rice given to Padiberas Nasional Berhad (Bernas).
Will this new policy by the new ruling Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition reduce the price of this food staple? Will ending Bernas' monopoly help 400,000 rice growers in this country? Comprising a reported 11.2% of Malaysia's registered voters, rice growers live mainly in Kedah, Perlis and Perak.
Malaysia's rice bowl, Kedah is a state where Harapan's control of the statehouse is as sturdy as a stalk of rice. In the May 9 general election this year, PH won 18 state seats in Kedah, the same number as the combined opposition – PAS secured 15 seats while the Barisan Nasional, which previously ruled the state, obtained a meagre three seats.
Lowering the price of rice involves three parties – Bernas, consumers and rice growers – and the three interlocking issues: The monopoly to import rice, the controlled price of white rice in Malaysia and the financial viability of growing rice in this country.
In a recent newspaper interview, Bernas' chief executive officer Ismail Mohamed Yusoff made three points. First, about 60% of rice consumed in this country is produced by local farmers. Second, the price of locally-produced rice is fixed by the government. Third, imported rice, which accounts for 30% of Malaysia's consumption, cannot be sold at a price lower than the local variety.
Allowing other companies to import rice won't reduce the local price of rice because the imported grain must be sold at the same price or higher than the local variety. This suggests the need to cut the controlled price of locally-grown rice. However, a lower price could mean more financial hardship for local rice growers.
PH's decision to terminate Bernas' monopoly may be a response to a memorandum submitted last October to the then Najib administration by Padi Rescue, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) representing farmers, rice millers and warehouse owners. Alleging "unfair practices," the NGO proposed ending Bernas' role in overseeing the supply of rice, including its monopoly on rice imports.
If the price of local rice remains fixed while the international price of the grain fluctuates, this could have two possible outcomes.
If the global price of rice falls below that of the local variety, the importer makes windfall profits.
However, a higher international price will either compel the importer to absorb the price differential or stop importing rice. In the latter event, there could be a significant shortfall of rice.
Bernas claims it uses its profits from importing rice to pay annual subsidies to local farmers – amounting to RM700 million to RM800 million – before being reimbursed by the government.
Even if Bernas loses its monopoly of importing rice, Malaysians will enjoy cheaper prices only if the controlled price of local rice is either lowered or pegged to international prices.
Because Malaysia is a high-cost producer of rice, to ensure a reasonable rate of return to local farmers, the local price of rice must be priced above that prevailing in international markets.
According to a Straits Times article, Malaysia produces about two million tonnes of rice annually – well below this country's estimated annual consumption of three million tonnes.
To meet this shortfall, the government spent US$377.4 million in 2016 to import 822,000 tonnes of rice.
To meet this gap in supply, Padi Rescue argues the government should push for higher output of local rice instead of resorting to imports.
Given the PH government's priority in reining in government spending, should Putrajaya continue to control the local price of rice to help local farmers? Should local farmers be encouraged to increase the output of rice?
For decades, farmers in this country have been encouraged to grow rice to ensure Malaysia's food security. Should this objective be modified or abandoned?
Putrajaya should note Malaysians' food preferences have changed. According to UNI Malaysia Labour Centre president Datuk Seri Mohamed Shafie Mammal, Malaysians' intake of wheat-based foods has jumped by 60% from 2008 to 2017 due to the growing popularity of pasta, bread and confectionary.
During the same period, rice consumption in this country rose by a sedate 10%.
Yet another issue is the financial implications of terminating Bernas' monopoly of importing rice before the scheduled 2021 date.
Despite Bernas' claims of minimal profit margin – between 0.4% and 1.8% for the last three years – unaudited accounts show a handsome pre-tax profit of RM133 million for the financial year ending Dec 31, 2016.
Opinions expressed in this article are the personal views of the writer and should not be attributed to any organisation she is connected with. She can be contacted at siokchoo@thesundaily.com

Another OTS for defaulting rice millers in Punjab

by PTI
Chandigarh, Jul 12 (PTI) The Punjab government will soon come out with another 'one-time settlement' (OTS) scheme for defaulting rice millers to recover about Rs 2,000 crore on account of undelivered rice, a minister said.

The department had been able to recover a minuscule amount of Rs 22 crore in the earlier OTS which was rolled out last year.

"We will soon come out with a new OTS scheme for defaulting rice millers," Punjab Food and Civil Supplies Minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu said here today.

"I have asked officials concerned to make their suggestions for the new OTS," he further said.

He warned if defaulting rice millers fail to take advantage of the new OTS, then action as per law will be taken against them.

In the last OTS, the defaulters had the option to pay the entire outstanding principal amount in one go, within a period of 45 days, without having to pay any interest, or to pay in three installments with 10 per cent interest.

It was also decided that where interest was paid, it should not be higher than the principal amount in any case. Those defaulters choosing to pay back the principal as a lump sum amount were entitled to go back to milling from the next season.

The minister said a new rice policy would also be rolled out wherein appropriate steps would be taken to prevent incident like paddy going missing in a mill in Amritsar this year.

Notably, the department had found over 2.50 lakh bags of paddy worth Rs 32 crore to be missing from a rice mill in Amritsar in April this year. PTI CHS MR

MR

ASIA RICE-WEAK DEMAND WEIGHS ON PRICES, INDIA RATES NEAR 14-MONTH LOW
7/12/2018
* Vietnam rates fall on summer-autumn harvest

* India's exports could ease from Oct as govt ups buying
prices

By Sethuraman N R

BENGALURU, July 12 (Reuters) - Weak demand and expectations
of fresh supplies weighed on export prices for rice across most
Asian hubs this week, while rates from top exporter India stayed
near their lowest level in 14 months amid a weaker rupee.

Rates for India's 5 percent broken parboiled variety
<RI-INBKN5-P1> were steady at $388-$392 per tonne, unchanged
from last week.

"Bangladesh, Sri Lanka are not buying. African countries are
making only small purchases," said an exporter based at Kakinada
in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh.

The Indian rupee has lost more than 7 percent so
far in 2018, increasing exporters returns from overseas sales.

India last week raised prices paid to local farmers for
paddy rice by 13 percent from a year ago to 1,750 rupees per 100
kg.

The hike could dent the country's exports from October by
making new season cargoes expensive compared to supply from
rival growers, industry officials said.

In Vietnam, prices of 5 percent broken rice fell to
$405-$420 a tonne from $425-$430 a tonne a week earlier.

"Prices are under downward pressure as the summer-autumn
harvest is peaking and as Thai prices are lower," a Ho chi Minh
City-based trader said.

Prices offered by Vietnam are under pressure to compete with
lower Thailand prices.

Vietnamese customs data released on Thursday showed rice
shipments from Vietnam in June fell 29.6 percent from May to
537,948 tonnes, down from a government forecast of 650,000
tonnes.

For the first half of this year, Vietnam's rice exports rose
21.6 percent from a year earlier to 3.48 million tonnes.

In Thailand, prices of the benchmark 5 percent broken
variety <RI-THBKN5-P1> were in the range of $378-$395 compared
with $385-$388 last week.

"Prices declined because the baht weakened and markets were
quiet. Production continued to come in. Next week, it will
probably be this way because it has been quiet," one trader
said.

Another trader said if the exchange rate is stable, prices
will continue to remain in the range seen this week.
(Reporting by Aukkarapon Niyomyat in Bangkok, Khanh Vu in
Hanoi, Rajendra Jadhav in Mumbai; editing by David Evans)
Philippine food agency to propose extra 500,000 T of rice imports
Reuters Staff
JULY 12, 2018 / 9:34 AM

MANILA, July 12 (Reuters) - The Philippines’ food security agency on Thursday said it would seek approval to import an extra 500,000 tonnes of rice this year to ensure healthy supply and stable prices in the local market.

The cargoes should arrive in the country in December, the National Food Authority (NFA) said.

The Philippines is one of the world’s biggest buyers of rice and usually imports from its Southeast Asian neighbours Vietnam and Thailand. Fresh demand could underpin rice export prices in those countries, which have fallen amid increasing supply.

It has not been decided yet whether any additional purchase would come via another government-to-government deal or through the private sector, NFA Administrator Jason Aquino told reporters. Approval would come from the NFA Council, a panel composed of the government’s economic managers.

For this year, the council has so far approved purchases totalling 1.3 million tonnes, including the 500,000 tonnes the NFA has bought under government-to-government deals with Vietnam and Thailand. Private traders have been allowed to import up to 805,200 tonnes.

The Philippines recently rushed to import rice to stabilise retail prices of the national staple that had steadily risen amid the absence of low-priced NFA supply in the local market.

Higher rice prices have added pressure to Philippine inflation, which accelerated in the first half of the year to the highest in at least five years, hurting the economy to some extent and denting President Rodrigo Duterte’s popularity.

Reporting by Enrico dela Cruz Editing by Joseph Radford

NFA rice stockpile still 99% lower than 2017 inventory

Philippine Daily Inquirer / 06:52 AM July 12, 2018
Despite the arrival of the first shipment of imported rice last month, the government’s own rice stockpile was still lower by 99 percent compared to its inventory in the same period last year, data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed.
In its latest rice inventory, the PSA said the National Food  Authority (NFA) inventory for June was 2,000 metric tons, down from 205,000 MT a year ago, while rice in commercial warehouses also declined by 1.92 percent to 1.26 million MT from 1.28 million MT.
The country’s total rice stocks from the two sectors declined by 8.24 percent year-on-year to 2.36 million MT from 2.57 million MT.
Meanwhile, household stocks increased by 1.47 percent to 1.09 million MT from 1.07 million MT in the same period last year.
According to the NFA, the delivery of the 250,000 MT of rice from Thailand and Vietnam is now “almost complete.” Karl R. Ocampo

Bernas unit urges govt to review rice delivery permits


July 13, 2018 10:40 am +08
This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, on July 13, 2018.
KUALA LUMPUR: Syarikat Faiza Sdn Bhd, a 51% subsidiary of the country’s sole rice importer PadiBeras Nasional Bhd (Bernas), is asking the government to review the issuance of permits to deliver rice products interstate and intercity, claiming the current system is slowing down its business.
“We are not talking about the approved permit (AP) as that comes under Bernas. We are talking about the permit required to deliver products among cities and states,” Syarikat Faiza managing director Faiza Bawumi Sayed Ahmad told reporters after meeting with the Council of Eminent Persons yesterday.
According to Faiza, the government introduced the permit system for food security reasons during the colonial era, as rice is considered the country’s staple food.
“Now that the communists are no longer in the country, the government should consider reviewing the issuance of this particular permit.
“Perhaps this permit is still valid to curb rice smuggling, but it is slowing down business. For our part, we are required to deliver to the outlets in time and any delay caused by issues related to this delivery permit will result in us being penalised,” she lamented.
Under the agriculture ministry, the government issues a licence to qualified persons or entities to trade and sell rice products in a retail market, starting with 10,000kg.
Faiza declined to comment on the government’s move to terminate Bernas’ monopoly in the rice industry. “I have no comment on that, as that is at Bernas’ level,” she said.
Shortly after his appointment as the agriculture and agro-based industry minister, Salahuddin Ayub announced that the Cabinet had agreed to terminate Bernas’ monopoly to protect the interests of local paddy farmers.

Rice basmati weakens on low demand


12 JULY 2018  
 
12 JULY 2018  New Delhi, Jul 12 Rice basmati prices moved down by Rs 100 per quintal at the wholesale grains market today owing to slackened demand.
However, bajra strengthened on rising demand from consuming industries.
Traders said easing demand against adquate stocks position, mainly led to a decline in rice basmati prices.
In the national capital, rice basmati common and Pusa-1121 variety eased by Rs 100 each to Rs 7,500-7,600 and Rs 6,800-6,900 per quintal, respectively.
On the other hand, bajra advanced by Rs 30 to Rs 1250-1255 per quintal.
Following are today's quotations (in Rs per quintal):
Wheat MP (desi) Rs 2,150-2,250, Wheat dara (for mills) Rs 1,860-1,865 Chakki atta (delivery) Rs 1,870-1,875, Atta Rajdhani (10 kg) Rs 230-260, Shakti Bhog (10 kg) Rs 255-290, Roller flour mill Rs 1,000-1,020 (50 kg), Maida Rs 1030-1,040 (50 kg) and Sooji Rs 1,100-1,110 (50 kg).
Basmati rice (Lal Quila) Rs 10,700, Shri Lal Mahal Rs 11,300, Super Basmati rice Rs 9,900, Basmati common new Rs 7,500-7,600, Rice Pusa (1121) Rs 6,800-6,900, Permal raw Rs 2,425-2,450, Permal wand Rs 2,525-2,575, Sela Rs 3,050-3,150 and rice IR-8 Rs 2,025-2,075, Bajra Rs 1,250-1,255, Jowar yellow Rs 1,700-1,750, white Rs 2,850-2,950, Maize Rs 1,230-1,235, Barley Rs 1,500-1,510.

Monsoon seeking fresh peaks with back-to-back 'low's in Bay of Bengal

The first 'low' is likely to show up over the North Bay over the next couple of days, which could further rev up the rains over Central and adjoining North-West India.
The first 'low' is likely to show up over the North Bay over the next couple of days, which could further rev up the rains over Central and adjoining North-West India.
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, JULY 12
The monsoon over Central India, North-West India and West India would seek newer peaks with India Met Department (IMD) forecasting formation of back-to-back low-pressure areas in the Bay of Bengal.
The first 'low' is likely to show up over the North Bay over the next couple of days, which could further rev up the rains over Central and adjoining North-West India.
Strong monsoon seen
A second 'low' could spin up four to five days later over the same location, signalling the strength of the monsoon flows, despite enhanced activity over the West Pacific that shares the same flows.
Separately, an ensemble model of the US National Centres for Environment Predictions says that the Bay might remain in a hyperactive state right until the end of July, normally the rainiest monsoon month.
The US model sees westward or west-northwestward movement of rain-generating 'low's/depression from the Bay across Central and North-West India to either Gujarat or Rajasthan.
IMD has already put under watch the first 'low' for signs of intensification soon after its genesis get officially declared either tomorrow or the day after.
Long-period average
An updated long-range forecast by IMD had said that July is likely to produce 101 per cent of the long-period average of rainfall for the month, though it has started off with a slight deficit. June had ended up with a deficit of just five per cent, shrugging off prolonged lean patch between June 12 to 27.
The monsoon has been in a revival mode since June 27. IMD said in bulletin this morning that the ongoing rainfall activity over the South Peninsula and Central India would continue for the next four to five days.
Rains for North-West
Meanwhile, organised rainfall would commence over North-West India from today, with the monsoon trough falling into place well and truly, featuring embedded cyclonic circulations. The activity would scale up in the run-up of formation of the first 'low' over the North Bay. It would continue to anchor the monsoon until the anticipated successor shows up.
An interesting scenario to look forward to is whether the first one lets off steam after this, since no two systems can prosper with the same vigour at a given time except under rare conditions. But what must follow without doubt is the assured intensity of rain activity over Central India, the Peninsula and North-West India over the next four to five days, if not longer.
IMD has, however, said that East and North-East India are likely to witness subdued monsoon during the next three days since a bulk of the rains would happen to either the South or West.
As for today, it has forecast heavy to very heavy rain over Konkan, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Coastal Karnataka; East Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, West Uttar Pradesh, East Rajasthan and Odisha. It would be heavy over Kerala, North Telangana, Tamil Nadu, South Interior Karnataka, Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, East Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Assam, Meghalaya and the North-Eastern States.



Why India Needs to Ditch its Rice Dependency

·       By: Steve Williams
·       July 12, 2018
·       About Steve
·       Follow Steve at @stevenbwriting
India is one of world’s largest producers of rice. While that has created a substantial economic growth, new research highlights how it has also created significant hardships that India must now tackle.
The research, conducted by an international team of scientists including researchers from Columbia University’s Earth Institute, delves into two key commitments made by the Indian government:
·       reducing undernourishment in India
·       promoting sustainable water use
As the research notes, rice production on the scale currently seen across Asia, and specifically in India, means these promises are still not being met.
“If we continue to go the route of rice and wheat, with unsustainable resource use and increasing climate variability, it’s unclear how long we could keep that practice up,” says  Kyle Davis, lead author of the study. “That’s why we’re thinking of ways to better align food security and environmental goals.”
The researchers looked at India’s population and their current health issues. India, like other nations on the Asian continent, has seen a significant population boom. That can be good for a nation, so long as all its people are getting their basic needs met.




Video: Nobel Laureate Richard Roberts recruits young scientists to counter Greenpeace misinformation about 'failure' of nutritionally enhanced Golden Rice, GMOs

Image Credit: Northeastern University
When Monsanto first tried to introduce GMO seeds into Europe there was a backlash by the Green parties and their political allies, who feared that American agro-business was about to take over their food supply. Thus began a massive campaign not against the true target, Monsanto and the large agro-businesses, but rather against the surrogate target, GMOs. This has had disastrous consequences for one of the most promising technologies ever developed for improving food supplies.
...
I will use Golden Rice as a clear example of the costs of these shortsighted policies. Millions of children have died or suffered developmental impairment because of a lack of Vitamin A in their diet. Golden Rice could reverse this, but has become a target of the Green parties because it is a GMO. This is foolish and dangerous. How m any more children must die before this is considered a crime against humanity?
[Editor's note: In 2016 Sir Richard Roberts spearheaded a campaign of 133 Nobel Laureates to counter Greenpeace's inaccurate claims about the nutritional benefits of golden rice, a genetically engineered crop designed to treat vitamin A deficiency in southeast Asia. Greenpeace maintains that there is no evidence to suggest that golden rice is a solution to fight malnutrition. In the video below, Roberts presents his case in favor of golden rice, and GMOs more broadly, to an audience of undergraduates, PhD students, and post-doc researchers from all over the world at the 68th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings in Germany.]

Global Basmati Rice Market (2018 – 2023): Amira Nature Foods, KRBL Limited, Best Foods and LT Foods

 Michael Dulaney July 12, 2018
 “Latest industry research report on Global Basmati Rice Market includes a detailed analysis of the market.” The report looks in detail at the techniques, destinations, strategies, diverts, and challenges associated with this new research, and additionally, the report gives a far-reaching investigation of Basmati Rice market which begins from an examination of Porter’s five forces, and SWOT analysis. i.e., Strength, Weakness, Opportunities, and Threat to the Basmati Rice industry.
Also examines the Basmati Rice market opportunities, market risk, market driving force, and assessment of market size, industry chain structure, and depicts industry condition, market status and figure of Basmati Rice through product, location, and application. Further, this report presents market rivalry situation by vendors and Basmati Rice company profile, aside from, market price evaluation and value chain features are covered in this report. This is a detailed global Basmati Rice market research report including every single detail that you should have before exploring this market.
The Basmati Rice report also is made up of in detail info of the best players along with suppliers and vendors. The report additionally focuses on the Basmati Rice geographical division across the world with the evaluation carried out by our skilled researchers. Furthermore, the report encompasses the main Basmati Rice product type and segments Pakistani Basmati Rice and Indian Basmati Rice as well as the sub-segments Deep Processing and Direct Edible of the global Basmati Rice market.
Market Segment by Manufacturers, this report covers: 
Sungold, Amira Nature Foods, Hanuman Rice Mills, Kohinoor Rice, Dunar Foods, Aeroplane Rice, Best Foods, LT Foods, KRBL Limited, Tilda Basmati Rice, Adani Wilmar, Galaxy Rice Mill and Amar Singh Chawal Wala
Global Basmati Rice Market Segment by Type: 
Pakistani Basmati Rice and Indian Basmati Rice
Global Basmati Rice Market Segment by Application:
Deep Processing and Direct Edible
Mainly the Basmati Rice regions which are evolving with a higher speed include:
Spain, Italy, The United States, China, UAE, Japan, Mexico, Germany, UK, South Africa, Australia, Benelux, Canada, Egypt, India, Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Russia, Brazil, France, Turkey, South-East Asia, Chile and Colombia
Major Key Points Covered:
The global Basmati Rice report delivers peer to peer investigation for upgrading the economic aspects;
It offers an advanced observation from the market perspective on various Basmati Rice driving factors and constraints;
It provides Basmati Rice forecast evaluated for over five years through which it determines an expected productivity growth;
Assists in comprehending the significant product segment and their projections;
Global and Regional industry analysis and outlook on Basmati Rice Market;
Driver and restraints of Basmati Rice industry that impacts the growth of the market;
Growth factors, opportunities, size, Basmati Rice industry share, segments and market trends;
Major market players with their business strategies, sales and revenue generated;
Historical and future data during the forecast period;
Projected Basmati Rice growth rate, CAGR and competitive landscape;
It delivers an in-depth analysis of the Basmati Rice competitive market;
It helps decision maker to take an accurate decision by understanding the entire market scenario along with their participation in various segments;
Finally, the Basmati Rice market report gives detail insight of sales channel, distributors, traders and dealers, direct marketing, indirect marketing, marketing channel, Basmati Rice future trend, distributors, traders and dealers, research findings and conclusion, appendix, methodology, analyst introduction, and data source.
In a word, the global Basmati Rice market report provides significant statistics of the industry and is a transcendent source of guidance and injunction for companies and individuals interested in the Basmati Rice market.


FAO estimates North Korean rice output in 2018 at last year's level

2018/07/13 10:22
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SEOUL, July 13 (Yonhap) -- North Korea's rice production in the fall of 2018 is estimated to be similar to last year's volume of about 1.6 million tons, an American broadcaster said Friday, citing a report from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations.
Voice of America said the FAO also estimated the North's corn output to remain almost unchanged from last year at about 2.4 million tons.
An undated file photo shows North Korean farmers harvesting rice. (Yonhap)
According to the FAO, North Koreans are expected to consume 58.4 kilograms of rice and 81 kg of corn per person this year, which means the per-capita daily consumption of rice and corn amounts to just 380 grams, compared with the U.N. recommendation of 600 grams.
In June, the U.S. Department of Agriculture issued a similar report, estimating the North's rice output this fall at 1.6 million tons, up slightly from 1.55 million tons a year earlier.
The U.S. department, which uses satellites and other research methods to monitor the North's crop cultivation, forecast that Pyongyang's rice imports would reach 80,000 tons this year.
 (END)

Scientists assess how continuous use of fertilisers affects soil bacteria

Thursday 12 July 2018
Application of Nitrogen Phosporus Potassium with farmyard manure increases the minerals' availability in the soil as compared to other treatments
 The activities of soil enzyme were higher in the soil treated with farmyard manure and NPK compared to others. Credit: Mazlov/Flickr
Soil supports life on earth, and is a dynamic living system. The microorganisms living in it are part of nutrient recycling especially carbon, nitrogen, sulphur and phosphorus. Bacteria are a major class of microorganisms that maintain the health and fertility of the soil. These microbes decompose soil, improve its structure which subsequently increases water infiltration and water holding capacity of the soil, and thus very essential for agriculture.
Rice farming is the largest single use of land on earth, for producing food. Rice is also the basic food crop and a part of national economy in India. Farmers often use chemical fertilisers to increase the production capacity. But frequent use of chemical fertilisers changes soil bacteria community structure and disturbs the ecosystem.
A team of scientists at ICAR-National Rice Research Institute, Cuttack, led by Upendra Kumar, in collaboration with V V S R Gupta, Principal Research Scientist at Commonwealth Scientific Industrial Research Organization, Australia, have assessed changes that occur in soil bacteria and resulting effects on rice production due to continuous use of inorganic and organic fertilisers over a long period.
The experiment was initiated in 1969 with two rice crops per year as a mono-crop in wet (July-November) and dry (January–May) seasons, except the dry seasons of 1984-1993. Six types of treatments were selected for the experiment - absolute control (no fertilisers), only nitrogen, nitrogen and phosphorus, nitrogen and potassium, nitrogen phosphorus potassium (NPK), farmyard manure, farmyard manure with nitrogen, and farmyard manure with NPK. Soil samples were collected from randomly chosen five places within the depth of 20 cm of each plot.
Researchers then analysed of total organic carbon, total nitrogen, available nitrogen, available potassium, acid level and electrical conductivity of the collected soil samples. The team further conducted DNA extraction, sequencing, and data analysis of the samples.
The team observed highest rice grain yield and straw biomass with farmyard manure mixed with NPK. However, grain yield and straw biomass decreased with use of continuous application of nitrogen and farmyard manure alone. The researchers report that application of NPK with farmyard manure increased the nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium availability in the soil as compared to other treatments.
“We find that higher abundance of nitrogen-fixing bacteria in balanced fertilisers nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (NPK) may be one of the reasons for the increase in grain yield and straw biomass, compared to treatment only with nitrogen,” Upendra Kumar told India Science Wire.
The bacterial species evenness, which is the relative abundance of different species, was found maximum in the soil receiving a combination of organic and inorganic fertilisers - farmyard manure with NPK. The species richness of bacteria was found more in control plot, without application of fertilisers, whereas, the least was recorded in plot treated with nitrogen alone. In the NPK-treated plot, the relative abundance of beneficial bacteria like ProteobacteriaBacteroidetesCyanobacteria were found more compared to other treatments.
Higher abundance of nitrogen-fixing bacteria in balanced fertilisers NPK may be one of the reasons to the increase in grain yield and straw biomass, compared to N-alone treatment, say the scientists. Further, the team found the mineralization of carbon and nitrogen, and the activities of soil enzyme were higher in the soil treated with farmyard manure and NPK compared to others.
The researchers have concluded that continuous application of NPK without addition of farmyard manure maintains both bacterial community structure and yield particularly under eastern Indian rice cultivation system. These findings can be useful to farmers and future researchers for the improvement in rice cultivation to mitigate hunger and poverty.
The research team included Upendra Kumar, AmareshNayak, Mohammad Shahid, P Panneerselvam, Sangita Mohanty,Megha Kaviraj,Anjani Kumar, Dibyendu Chatterjee, B Lala, P Gautam, Rahul Tripathi and B B Panda (National Rice Research Institute);  Vadakattu V S R Gupta, Waite Campus, Adelaide). The study has been published in Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment(India Science Wire)


Global Hybrid Rice Seeds Market (2018 – 2023): Syngenta, Dupont Pioneer, Nath and Bayer CropScience

 Michael Dulaney July 12, 2018
“Latest industry research report on Global Hybrid Rice Seeds Market includes a detailed analysis of the market.” The report looks in detail at the techniques, destinations, strategies, diverts, and challenges associated with this new research, and additionally, the report gives a far-reaching investigation of Hybrid Rice Seeds market which begins from an examination of Porter’s five forces, and SWOT analysis. i.e., Strength, Weakness, Opportunities, and Threat to the Hybrid Rice Seeds industry.
Also examines the Hybrid Rice Seeds market opportunities, market risk, market driving force, and assessment of market size, industry chain structure, and depicts industry condition, market status and figure of Hybrid Rice Seeds through product, location, and application. Further, this report presents market rivalry situation by vendors and Hybrid Rice Seeds company profile, aside from, market price evaluation and value chain features are covered in this report. This is a detailed global Hybrid Rice Seeds market research report including every single detail that you should have before exploring this market.
The Hybrid Rice Seeds report also is made up of in detail info of the best players along with suppliers and vendors. The report additionally focuses on the Hybrid Rice Seeds geographical division across the world with the evaluation carried out by our skilled researchers. Furthermore, the report encompasses the main Hybrid Rice Seeds product type and segments 2-line Breeding Systems and 3-line Breeding Systems as well as the sub-segments Application 2 and Application 1 of the global Hybrid Rice Seeds market.
Market Segment by Manufacturers, this report covers: 
Nirmal Seeds, SL Agritech, China National Seed Group, RiceTec, Advanta, Hainan Shennong Gene, WIN-ALL HI-TECH SEED, Hefei Fengle Seed, Syngenta, Dupont Pioneer, Zhongnongfa Seed, Bayer CropScience, Nath and Longping High-tech
Global Hybrid Rice Seeds Market Segment by Type: 
2-line Breeding Systems and 3-line Breeding Systems
Global Hybrid Rice Seeds Market Segment by Application:
Application 2 and Application 1
Mainly the Hybrid Rice Seeds regions which are evolving with a higher speed include:
Colombia, India, South-East Asia, Italy, Benelux, China, Argentina, UK, Australia, Russia, Brazil, France, Canada, Germany, Egypt, UAE, Turkey, Spain, The United States, Japan, Mexico, Chile, Saudi Arabia and South Africa
Major Key Points Covered:
The global Hybrid Rice Seeds report delivers peer to peer investigation for upgrading the economic aspects;
It offers an advanced observation from the market perspective on various Hybrid Rice Seeds driving factors and constraints;
It provides Hybrid Rice Seeds forecast evaluated for over five years through which it determines an expected productivity growth;
Assists in comprehending the significant product segment and their projections;
Global and Regional industry analysis and outlook on Hybrid Rice Seeds Market;
Driver and restraints of Hybrid Rice Seeds industry that impacts the growth of the market;
Growth factors, opportunities, size, Hybrid Rice Seeds industry share, segments and market trends;
Major market players with their business strategies, sales and revenue generated;
Historical and future data during the forecast period;
Projected Hybrid Rice Seeds growth rate, CAGR and competitive landscape;
It delivers an in-depth analysis of the Hybrid Rice Seeds competitive market;
It helps decision maker to take an accurate decision by understanding the entire market scenario along with their participation in various segments;
Finally, the Hybrid Rice Seeds market report gives detail insight of sales channel, distributors, traders and dealers, direct marketing, indirect marketing, marketing channel, Hybrid Rice Seeds future trend, distributors, traders and dealers, research findings and conclusion, appendix, methodology, analyst introduction, and data source.
In a word, the global Hybrid Rice Seeds market report provides significant statistics of the industry and is a transcendent source of guidance and injunction for companies and individuals interested in the Hybrid Rice Seeds market.



NFA administrator Jason Aquino said they would propose to the interagency NFA Council the importation of the 500,000 MT during the next Council meeting.
Edd Gumban
NFA mulls additional rice imports
Louise Maureen Simeon (The Philippine Star) - July 13, 2018 - 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — State-run National Food Authority (NFA) is considering importing another 500,000 metric tons (MT) of rice due to the depletion of the agency’s stocks.
NFA administrator Jason Aquino said they would propose to the interagency NFA Council the importation of the 500,000 MT during the next Council meeting.
“We are planning [to submit proposal] as soon as possible. We do not want a repeat of what happened [in the past months],” said NFA administrator Jason Aquino during the launch of NFA Kontra Abuso hotline on Thursday.
“Once approved,  ideal arrival would be October to December because during this time prices in the world market are low. We can get the best deals from foreign suppliers -  low price but still good quality. It’s a win-win for us,” he added.
NFA’s proposal aims to boost its  buffer stock inventory which is currently at 2.5 days only or about 1.6 million bags when it is supposed to have a 30-day buffer stock during the lean season.
Based on data from the NFA, total consumption will reach 14.1 million MT this year but production is seen to reach only 12.26 million MT.  This means that the 1.8 million MT shortfall will have to be imported.
“Unless they increase our buying price, we would need to resort to importation. We are also proposing for the increase in preparation for the lifting of the quantitative restriction,” Aquino said.
“Who else would buy the palay of local farmers if the imported rice would be cheaper? We want to protect the farmers as early as now,” he added.
The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) has yet to submit its analysis on the agency’s latest proposal to increase its buying price by P8 per kilogram.
NFA’s Kontra Abuso hotline serves as a venue for the public to air their complaints and report violations including rice diversion, rebagging, mixing and adulteration, harassment against grains businessmen and illegal inspection.
The hotline will be managed by NFA’s Task Force manned by its security services and investigation department on a 24/7 basis to protect good quality low-priced rice against illegal activities

Pangilinan hits NFA’s ‘graft-causing’ disclosures on rice imports

INQUIRER.net / 03:07 PM July 13, 2018
Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan on Friday slammed the National Food Authority’s (NFA) “premature” and “graft causing” disclosures on rice imports.
On Thursday, the NFA announced that is was planning to import 500,000 metric tons of rice to boost its low inventory.
In a statement, Pangilinan asked, “On graft-causing NFA rice import announcement, who benefits from a premature disclosure to import huge volumes of rice?”
“Rice traders who make a killing in the sudden spike in rice prices as well as corrupt government officials who receive kickbacks because of this artificial price spike,” he said.
Pangilinan argued that NFA’s announcement only allows international traders to “get advance information regarding these plans,” which makes them “increase rice prices in anticipation of our purchases.”
“This can be seen as price manipulation,” the opposition senator added.
“The plan to purchase or import rice should be a closely guarded secret and public disclosure made only when the bidding process is to be undertaken,” said Pangilinan.
He also warned that this could put the country into debt since NFA rice purchases are paid from borrowings of the government.
“The announcement has already been made, what can be done? Reject high bids,” the senator suggested.   /vvp


Rice Imports By Benin, Niger Republic Rises
Published 1 min ago on July 13, 2018 By YUSUF BABALOLA … As Nigeria slams restriction Foreign rice imports by neighbouring Benin Republic, Niger and Cameroon from Thailand has increased sporadically while import to Nigeria decreases, LEADERSHIP investigation has shown. Analysts have argued that the sharp increase was fuelled by the federal government’s policy on imported rice in Nigeria which restricts rice importers from accessing the official foreign exchange (forex) market. This policy implies that those who import items under foreign exchange restriction can no longer buy foreign currency from the official window to pay the overseas suppliers. Rather, they would have to source forex from the parallel market or bureau de change (BDCs) to pay for their imports. But, the policy has cut down rice imports into Nigeria drastically that Nigeria had not received vessel of traded rice since 2017. Also, the 10 per cent import duty with 60 per cent levy and Benin Republic crashing its own tariff from 35 per cent to a paltry seven per cent, while Cameroon introduced a zero per cent duty policy on the commodity, down from 10 per cent is fueling smuggling of parboiled rice into Nigeria. In the entire West African region, only Nigerians eat parboiled rice. Benin Republic with a population of 8.02 million and Togo’s 7.06 million people cannot consume the massive rice imported to their countries. According to data from the Thai Rice Exporters Association, rice imports from Thailand to Benin Republic rose from 805,765 MT in 2015, when Nigeria introduced the policy to 1,427,098 metric tonnes (MT) in 2016. It further rose to 1,814,014MT in 2017, importation from January to May 2018 has risen to 625,863 MT in first five months of the year. Cameroon also experienced an upsurge in importation from 449,297 MT in 2015 to 502,254 MT in 2016, and 749,008 MT in 2017. The tiny central African country bordering Nigeria has recorded 185,707 MT of imported rice from Thailand from January to May 2018. On the other hand, the importation of foreign parboiled rice by Togo increased from 54,086 MT in 2016 to 132,978MT in 2017 and currently stood at 100,996 as at May 2018. Ironically, while the rice vessels call to Nigerian ports have continue to decrease, neighbouring countries continue to experience increase in vessels. Statistics showed that importation of parboiled rice into Nigeria decreased from 1,239,810 MT in 2014 to 644,131 MT in 2015. It further decreased to 58,260 MT in 2016 to 23,192 MT in 2017, and January to May statistics showed that Nigeria has imported a paltry 2,351MT in 2018. Corroborating the Thai Rice Exporters Association, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) said since 2017, Nigeria has not received traded rice in Apapa ports. Speaking when members of the Shipping Correspondents Association of Nigeria (SCAN) paid him a courtesy visit at the command in Lagos recently, the controller of the command, Comptroller Jubril Musa, disclosed that the CBN has not issued Form M to any rice importer. The Customs CAC said no single vessel of traded rice berthed in Apapa ports in the last two years. Consequently, the command, he said, has not recorded any revenue on imported rice through the ports within the reviewed period. He said, “Form M issuance is not within the purview of the Nigeria Customs Service. It is a document that is sourced from CBN. If we see any consignment that has form M, we treat. All goods imported that are for commercial activities must have form M whether valid for foreign exchange or not valid. CBN does that and we only treat when we see but throughout last year to date, no importation of rice has passed through Apapa. So we have not collected any duty on rice through the port.”

Read More at: 
https://leadership.ng/2018/07/13/rice-imports-by-benin-niger-republic-rises/

JULY 13, 2018 / 1:24 PM / UPDATED 2 HOURS AGO
Chinese officials inspecting Indian mills for imports of non-basmati rice: Government source
Reuters Staff


NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Chinese officials have been inspecting Indian rice mills to import non-basmati rice, a senior Indian government official told reporters on Friday.

Labourers unload sacks of rice from a handcart at a wholesale market in Kolkata, India, December 14, 2015. REUTERS/Rupak De Chowdhuri/File Photo/File Photo
Beijing is also examining India’s proposal to export raw sugar to China, said the official who declined to be named because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

China is a leading importer of rice and sugar, while India is the world’s biggest exporter of rice.

NFA wants to import another 500,000 MT of rice to boost inventory

Philippine Daily Inquirer / 05:28 AM July 13, 2018
The National Food Authority (NFA) is planning to import another 500,000 metric tons of rice to boost its record-low inventory.
In a press conference, NFA Administrator Jason Aquino—who heads the management body of NFA—said they would ask the NFA Council in a meeting next Tuesday (July 17) to allow the importation of 500,000 MT of rice as early as possible.
If approved, this would bring the agency’s imports for 2018 to 1 million MT. It got clearance for two tranches of rice importation at 250,000 MT each tranche earlier.
The first tranche is currently being distributed to markets across the country while the second tranche is expected to arrive in August.
As more subsidized rice is distributed in the market, NFA spokesperson Rex Estoperez said they expected prices to finally stabilize. Rice prices have been rising for 25 weeks now, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority’s latest monitoring report.
The NFA Council, which is composed mainly of the country’s economic managers, will decide on the NFA’s request. It will also determine the volume, mode of procurement and schedule of arrival of the shipments.
Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol made it clear that no rice imports would be allowed for distribution during the harvest season, which happens in March to May and October to November.
The NFA management is targeting to have the imports arrive in the country by October, but maintained that the agency would withhold distribution to give way to local harvest.
Aquino said the call for more rice imports was in line with the agency’s basic mandate to ensure “food security stocks.”
As of Wednesday, NFA has only two and a half days’ worth of milled rice in its inventory—way below President Duterte’s latest directive to maintain a buffer of at least 60 days’ worth of consumption at any given time.
Under the law, NFA must at least maintain a 15-day buffer at any given time and a 30-day buffer during the lean months, from July to September.
But Estoperez clarified that while the government’s current inventory was low, the nationwide rice stock was enough to feed the country for 73 days.
To recall, the grains agency reported the depletion of its rice reserves in April—a first since its establishment in 1972—as it awaited the clearance for importation following its inability to procure palay locally.
Notwithstanding Piñol’s forecast that the country would register a record-high rice output this year, Aquino said the NFA’s low buying price for palay at P17 per kilogram (kg) hinders the agency from buying from local farmers.
“Unless there’s a hike in our buying price for palay, we will resort to importation,” he said.
Since last year, the NFA management has been proposing a hike of P5 in its palay buying price to the NFA Council but this has been rejected for fear that it might lead to a “relatively huge price inflation.”
For this year, Aquino is proposing an even higher buying price of P25 a kilo, an P8 increase from its current buying price. The average buying price for palay in the market is currently at P21 a kilo—the highest in nearly two years.
With the administration’s impending shift to rice tariffication which would lift the limit on import rice quotas, Aquino said that the hike was needed, more than ever, to act as safeguard for local farmers.
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PH rice stocks down in June

BY EIREENE JAIREE GOMEZ ON JULY 13, 2018BUSINESS
DESPITE recent rice imports aimed at boosting domestic stocks, the country’s total rice inventory stood at 2.36 million metric tons (MMT) in June, lower than the volume recorded a year ago and in May, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said.
In its latest “Rice and Corn Stocks Inventory” report, the state-run statistics agency said the figure was an 8.24-percent decrease from 2.57 MMT in June 2017 and an 18.85-percent decline from 2.9 MMT two months ago.
A little more than half of this month’s stock—53.52 percent—came from commercial warehouses; 43.39 percent, from households; and 0.09 percent, from National Food Authority (NFA) depositories. The latter made up 62.48 percent of the imported rice.
Stocks in NFA depositories fell by 40.29 percent in June from the May figure; households, 21.2 percent; and commercial warehouses, 16.65 percent.

Compared to June 2017 levels, household stocks rose by 1.47 percent, but those in NFA depositories and commercial warehouses and NFA inventories fell by 98.99 percent and 1.92 percent, respectively.
The report came as the government is relying on rice imports to replenish the state-run food agency’s stocks.
According to NFA Administrator Jason Aquino, 197,400 MT of the expected 250,000 MT of rice from Thailand and Vietnam—secured through a government-to-government (G2G) scheme—have arrived as of Tuesday.
The country’s palay (unhusked rice) production may reach 8.67 MMT in the first half of 2018, a 1.2-percent increase from 8.57 MMT in the same period last year.
Rice output reached a record 19.26 MMT in 2017.
Data on household stocks were taken from the Palay and Corn Stocks Survey, which covers farming and non-farming households nationwide; commercial stocks, from registered grains businessmen through the Commercial Stocks Survey; and NFA stocks, from monitor reports from its warehouses and depositories.


B34.5bn in rice aid measures approved


Farmers and residents in Sangkha district, Surin help harvest paddy. NOPPARAT KINGKAEW
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The National Rice Policy and Management Committee Wednesday approved rice aid measures worth 34.5 billion baht for the 2018/2019 crop year starting in November.
Nuntawan Sakuntanaga, the commerce permanent secretary, said the rice measures, mostly identical to those offered for production in the 2017/2018 crop year, cover three projects: a loan scheme for farmers who agree to delay their paddy sales and a grant for harvesting and price-quality improvement costs; a loan scheme for agricultural cooperatives to gather rice and add value to the grain; and the 3% interest rate subsidy programme for rice traders who agree to keep their stocks.
These programmes will run from late October to March, except in the southern provinces because of their late supply. The programmes for the South will run until June and July of 2019.
The loan scheme for farmers who agree to delay their paddy sales and the grant for harvesting and price-quality improvement costs will cost an estimated 22 billion baht, and the loan scheme for farming institutes to gather rice and add values to rice will cost 12.5 billion.
The subsidy programme for rice traders who agree to keep their stocks is yet to be estimated.
Those projects are expected to delay selling 9.5 million tonnes of rice -- higher than 6.4 million tonnes last year.
The measure aims to curb and delay a flood of rice supply onto the market, particularly during the main harvest season, said Mrs Nuntawan.
Under the loan scheme for farmers who agree to delay their paddy sales and the grant for harvesting and price-quality improvement costs, the government will give a grant of 1,500 baht per rai for harvesting and price-quality improvement costs, capped at 18,000 per family and not more than 12 rai.
That is up from 1,200 baht per rai, capped at 15,000 baht per family on not more than 10 rai per family in the previous season. Eligible farmers are small-scale ones who have registered with the Agriculture Extension Department.
Farmers are also entitled to earn 11,800 baht per tonne for hom mali rice, 10,200 a tonne for glutinous rice, 7,500 a tonne of white rice and 8900 per tonne for Pathum Thani fragrant rice, if they agree to hold their paddy at their rice barns under the so-called barn pledging scheme.
The committee also approved 250 million baht worth of lending for farmers from the state-owned Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives to build their own barns, with 150,000 each for individuals and 3 million for each agricultural cooperative, and an annual interest rate of 1%.
RELATED

Two rice millers sent to jail


Bettiah, Jul 11 (UNI) Two rice millers were arrested and sent to jail in connection
with their involvement in defalcation of crores of rupees.
Official sources said here that on the directive of District Magistrate, Chairman of
Primary Agriculture Cooperative Credit Society (PACS) of Gonauli and rice miller
Krishna Mohan Rai besides another rice miller Ashok Rai were arrested on charges
of their involvement in defalcation of crores of rupees.
Both were charged with gulping down crores of rupees, which they had to pay to
the government after their failure to return rice against paddy received by them for
processing, sources added.
Sources said that FIR in this connection was registered against Krishna Mohan
Rai and Ashok Rai on the basis of complaint lodged by District Cooperative
Officer who alleged that accused had not returned rice against paddy received by
them for processing.
Despite several reminders, they did not deposit the money to government exchequer,
leading to registration of FIR against them, sources added.
UNI KKS BM

                       http://www.uniindia.com/~/four-criminals-arrested-with-firearm
s/States/news/1285786.html



                                                       Rice plants evolve to adapt to flooding
TOHOKU UNIVERSITY

    
 IMAGE
IMAGE: TEMPORAL MORPHOLOGICAL CHANGES OF RICE IN DEEPWATER CONDITIONS. view more

CREDIT: TAKESHI KUROHA, KEISUKE NAGAI, AND MOTOYUKI ASHIKARI

Although water is essential for plant growth, excessive amounts can waterlog and kill a plant. In South and Southeast Asia, where periodic flooding occurs during the rainy season, the water depth can reach several meters for many months.

Rice varieties known as "deepwater rice" have developed a unique strategy to ensure their own survival. Deepwater rice grows normally in shallow water but in heavy floods increases its height in keeping with rising water levels, to enable the plants to ride out lengthy floods.

A research team comprising Takeshi Kuroha at Tohoku University, Motoyuki Ashikari at Nagoya University, Susan R. McCouch at Cornell University and colleagues in Japan and the U.S.A., have discovered a gene in rice that is critical to its survival in flood conditions. They have also shed light on its molecular function and evolutionary history.

The research group identified the SD1 (SEMIDWARF1), as a key gene responsible for the deepwater rice's response. The SD1 encodes a biosynthesis enzyme of gibberellin - a plant hormone. The gene orchestrates the deepwater rice response via a unique gain-of-function allele. When submerged, rice accumulate ethylene, a gaseous plant hormone. Deepwater rice amplify a signaling relay in which the SD1 gene is transcriptionally activated by an ethylene-responsive transcription factor, OsEIL1a.

The resulting SD1 protein directs increased synthesis of gibberellins, largely one of gibberellin species, GA4, which promote vertical growth in the plant. Further analysis revealed that this conditionally functional variation evolved first in a wild ancestor and was then a target of selection during the domestication of cultivated rice adapted to deepwater environments in Bangladesh.

The SD1 gene is well-known as the Green Revolution gene in rice, where a loss-of-function allele of SD1 confers short plant height, providing lodging resistance and increases the harvest index, generating greater grain yields under high input agricultural systems (Figure 3- left).

A transcriptional gain-of-function allele of the same gene enables deepwater rice to adapt to flooding via the opposite phenotypic response - an increase in plant height. The ability of SD1 to function in such diverse roles in cultivated rice highlights the inherent plasticity of plant response to its environment.

"Extreme weather events caused by climate change could affect food production worldwide," said Kuroha. "Farmers will need to diversify their methods and the cryptic genetic variation found in wild rice genes may offer adaptive solutions for growing resilient crops."

OUTLOOK OF GLOBAL SHORT-GRAIN RICE SEED MARKET: RESEARCH REPORT DURING 2018-2023
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Why India Needs to Ditch its Rice Dependency

·       By: Steve Williams
·       July 12, 2018
·       About Steve
·       Follow Steve at @stevenbwriting
India is one of world’s largest producers of rice. While that has created a substantial economic growth, new research highlights how it has also created significant hardships that India must now tackle.
The research, conducted by an international team of scientists including researchers from Columbia University’s Earth Institute, delves into two key commitments made by the Indian government:
·       reducing undernourishment in India
·       promoting sustainable water use
As the research notes, rice production on the scale currently seen across Asia, and specifically in India, means these promises are still not being met.
“If we continue to go the route of rice and wheat, with unsustainable resource use and increasing climate variability, it’s unclear how long we could keep that practice up,” says  Kyle Davis, lead author of the study. “That’s why we’re thinking of ways to better align food security and environmental goals.”
The researchers looked at India’s population and their current health issues. India, like other nations on the Asian continent, has seen a significant population boom. That can be good for a nation, so long as all its people are getting their basic needs met.

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Unfortunately, India’s reliance on water-intensive cereal crops–like rice and wheat–means that many Indians are undernourished.
To put a figure on it, UNICEF estimates that 20 percent of India’s children under age five  suffer from wasting due to acute undernutrition. One key problem is anemia, while another is a severe shortage of water, something that is being made even worse as the population grows and the climate changes.
The researchers in this latest study say that India’s reliance on rice and wheat may actually be deepening that problem. To understand why, the researchers looked at the six major grains grown in India and compared their yields, water use and nutritional value.
The researchers found that, despite rice being a staple product for India, it is actually the least water-efficient, if we look at it in terms of its nutritional content. Growing rice requires irrigation to flood the fields. Wheat, while requiring far less water than rice, also throws up issues relating to irrigation and management.

WHICH CEREAL GRAIN OFFERED A BETTER OUTLOOK?

Which grain was ideal depended on which region the researchers looked at and whether the crops could be grown where there was dependable rainfall. However, in broad terms, the researchers believe that if India replaced rice with maize, finger millet or a few other similar grains, they could reduce water demand by a third.
What’s more, they could boost iron and zinc content in food by 27 percent and 13 percent respectively, which would be a significant plus for a region currently battling undernourishment.
There were trade-offs with this. Rice is a calorie-dense food, so cutting back on rice could reduce calorie yield per unit of land. In the West, calories are often seen as the enemy, but they are the basic blocks of our energy and for nations where food security is lacking, this would need to be looked at carefully.
The scientists note that it might mean more land will need to be used for crop growth, but so long as that land is not being flooded, that doesn’t have to be such an issue, providing it is managed carefully and efficiently. Also, scientists could provide ways to make other grains develop higher yields, which would largely eliminate this problem.
There are some factors that this analysis has not taken into account and, before they make any firm policy recommendations, the researchers are keen to explore this topic to ensure that they are on the right track. Such factors include:
·       individual grains’ impact on the climate
·       how much CO2 is produced
We know that rice paddies produce a comparatively high level of methane, which is known as a super insulating gas, so there could be further gains made by swapping rice for other cereals where possible. The research will have to explore which would be the right fit to suit all of India’s needs.
Some Indian states have started to diversify their crops precisely because of water shortages and other factors, so this news is unlikely to be a surprise. What the researchers believe will be key is strong leadership from the Indian government to back grains like millet and other more efficient crops.
Photo credit: Thinkstock.


Jul 13 2018

Developing future rice industry leaders


Six people from the local area are now more equipped to support and guide the next generation of rice growers and the future of the industry after completing a Rice Leadership Program.
Kellie Crossley, Adam Dellwo, Suzie Falls, Steve and Linda Fawns and Tessa McPhee — all from the Deniliquin and district rice industry — completed the Ricegrowers’ Association of Australia course, which finished with three days in Leeton last week. This followed a five day session in Deniliquin earlier in the year.
Ms Falls, who is project manager at Rice Research Australia, said participating in the program allowed her to explore a passion to grow the local rice industry.
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Mrs Crossley, who farms with her husband Andrew at Deniliquin, said the other benefit of the leadership course was to enhance networking opportunities within the local rice industry and other growing areas.
‘‘We are ricegrowers and we like to contribute back to the industry,’’ Mrs Crossley said.
‘‘We also want the chance to be able to network with others who are already doing that.
‘‘The course also helped me to increase my self awareness and to realise we have a lot of talent within the industry.
‘‘It’s essential that we help nurture these younger growers so they too can be future industry leaders.’’
RGA leadership coordinator Ainsley Massina said 19 people participated in the Foundations of Leadership course, which is run in partnership with the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation.
She said the program is open to ricegrowers and those associated with the industry.
‘‘The course has a focus on core leadership values and development of self and is one of three offered under the Rice Leadership Program,’’ Mrs Massina said.
‘‘We also have Introduction to the Rice Industry and Established Leaders courses.
‘‘Ricegrowers’ Association is looking to develop our next generation of leaders, and these courses give them confidence to take the next steps in their industry and their communities.
‘‘We hope that each of the participants take what they have learned back to their communities and the industry.’’

Updated DD50 program improves accessibility, accuracy for rice management
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By Fred Miller
U of A System Division of Agriculture
Improvements and updates to the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s DD50 rice management program provide more accurate reports and easier access, especially on mobile devices.
The Arkansas Rice Research and Promotion Board provided funding for the upgrade, said Jarrod Hardke, extension rice agronomist. Aristotle, Inc., a Little Rock-based web design company, was contracted to redesign the DD50 website.
Amy Cole, digital media program director for the Cooperative Extension Service’s office of information technology, said the program has been completely overhauled for 2018. All new computer coding has replaced the outdated program, making it faster and more user friendly.
Cole said the program features a new interface, is more usable on multiple web browsers, and is optimized for use on smart phones and tablets. “Functionality is improved and the interface makes more sense,” she said.
Cole said 249 Arkansas rice producers are enrolled in the program now, representing 2,711 fields totaling more than 215,000 acres.
DD50 provides information and help with timing on more than 25 management decisions based on constantly updated weather conditions, Hardke said. Among them, the program helps farmers time applications for nitrogen fertilizer and insect and disease pest control, and herbicide cutoff dates.
“DD50 can help rice producers stay very much on track with data-driven management decisisions,” Hardke said.
The program uses 30-year average high and low temperatures for each day in localized areas of Arkansas’ rice-growing land, Hardke said. The temperature data is constantly updated by daily readings from NOAA weather stations located throughout the state. That temperature data is used by the program to calculate heat units, called DD50 units.
The new DD50 program has access to many more of those stations than it did before the upgrade, Hardke said, making it considerably more accurate for more farms in more places.
Decades of Division of Agriculture rice research has demonstrated how those heat units affect plant development. “The program uses the accumulation of DD50 units to track growth and progression of the plants,” Hardke said. “That information helps growers time key actions that help ensure optimum rice yields and quality.”
Hardke said two options are available for farmers or crop consultants who want to participate in the DD50 rice management program The first option is for producers or consultants to log onto the Cooperative Extension Service website and enter their fields directly at http://DD50.uaex.edu/.
The second option is for producers to submit the cultivar, acreage and emergence date information for each rice field to their local county Extension Office. Extension agents will enter the information into the program and send the report to the producer.
Hardke said the preferred option is for producers and consultants set up an account and enter their own fields so they can check the program for updates as the season progresses.
An online DD50 User’s Guide is available to individuals who access the program through the internet.
“We encourage growers to check the program frequently, especially in a hot year like this one,” Hardke said. “The faster accumulation of DD50 (heat) units means the plants are progressing more quickly and timing of management actions becomes more critical.”
Hardke and Cole plan to keep looking for ways to make the DD50 program more useful. Hardke said a possible upgrade for next year could include an option to receive text or email alerts. Those alerts could be to give a heads up when five or six of the most critical management actions are coming up or when a significant development in DD50 units causes a change of two days or more in one of those actions.
“The point would be to make sure growers don’t miss specific timings that are critical for a successful crop,” Hardke said

Rice plants evolve to adapt to flooding

TOHOKU UNIVERSITY
    

IMAGE: TEMPORAL MORPHOLOGICAL CHANGES OF RICE IN DEEPWATER CONDITIONS. view more 
CREDIT: TAKESHI KUROHA, KEISUKE NAGAI, AND MOTOYUKI ASHIKARI
Although water is essential for plant growth, excessive amounts can waterlog and kill a plant. In South and Southeast Asia, where periodic flooding occurs during the rainy season, the water depth can reach several meters for many months.
Rice varieties known as "deepwater rice" have developed a unique strategy to ensure their own survival. Deepwater rice grows normally in shallow water but in heavy floods increases its height in keeping with rising water levels, to enable the plants to ride out lengthy floods.
A research team comprising Takeshi Kuroha at Tohoku University, Motoyuki Ashikari at Nagoya University, Susan R. McCouch at Cornell University and colleagues in Japan and the U.S.A., have discovered a gene in rice that is critical to its survival in flood conditions. They have also shed light on its molecular function and evolutionary history.
The research group identified the SD1 (SEMIDWARF1), as a key gene responsible for the deepwater rice's response. The SD1 encodes a biosynthesis enzyme of gibberellin - a plant hormone. The gene orchestrates the deepwater rice response via a unique gain-of-function allele. When submerged, rice accumulate ethylene, a gaseous plant hormone. Deepwater rice amplify a signaling relay in which the SD1 gene is transcriptionally activated by an ethylene-responsive transcription factor, OsEIL1a.
The resulting SD1 protein directs increased synthesis of gibberellins, largely one of gibberellin species, GA4, which promote vertical growth in the plant. Further analysis revealed that this conditionally functional variation evolved first in a wild ancestor and was then a target of selection during the domestication of cultivated rice adapted to deepwater environments in Bangladesh.
The SD1 gene is well-known as the Green Revolution gene in rice, where a loss-of-function allele of SD1 confers short plant height, providing lodging resistance and increases the harvest index, generating greater grain yields under high input agricultural systems (Figure 3- left).
A transcriptional gain-of-function allele of the same gene enables deepwater rice to adapt to flooding via the opposite phenotypic response - an increase in plant height. The ability of SD1 to function in such diverse roles in cultivated rice highlights the inherent plasticity of plant response to its environment.
"Extreme weather events caused by climate change could affect food production worldwide," said Kuroha. "Farmers will need to diversify their methods and the cryptic genetic variation found in wild rice genes may offer adaptive solutions for growing resilient crops."

Straight from D.C.: Agricultural Perspectives

RSS By: Stephanie Mercier, Farm Journal Foundation
This blog will present the author’s perspective on a wide range of timely agricultural policy topics, touching on both domestic and international issues.

China's Agricultural Research System

Jul 12, 2018
According to data on public spending on agricultural research and development collected by Dr. Phil Pardey and his INSTePP colleagues at the University of Minnesota, spending in this category by the government of China exceeded funding distributed by the U.S. federal and state governments in 2009.  The country’s agricultural production gains over the decades reflects the investment made in agricultural research.  According to FAO data, total corn and rice production, the main staple crops in China, increased from 74.25 million tons in 1961 to 442.93 million tons in 2016, a nearly 500 percent increase over 55 years, achieved on only a 60 percent increase in total hectares harvested of the two crops.

China’s Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) was established in 1957, eight years after the Chinese Communists ousted the Kuomintang government and took over the country.  In 1979, the Academy established a stand-alone Graduate School, which became one of the country’s earliest graduate degree conferring institutions.  The GCAAS has a long-term partnership relationship with Ohio State University and the University of Pisa in Italy.

The structure of the agricultural research system in China is very different from that of the United States.  As of 2008, about 84 percent of all public funding went to scientists working at one of the more than 1,100 research institutes operated directly by the Chinese government, 592 entities at the prefectural level, 454 entities by the 34 provincial governments, and 59 institutions by the national government, administered by the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture (43 under the direction of the CAAS).  Only 16 percent of funding went to research conducted by academics with positions within China’s higher education system.  By contrast, 73 percent of U.S. public funding for agricultural research went to land-grant universities and affiliated institutions as of 2013, and only 27 percent to laboratories operated directly by USDA research agencies such as the Agricultural Research Service (ARS).

China’s research system, both for agricultural sciences and other scientific endeavors, made little progress during the political and economic upheaval between the late 1950’s and mid-1970’s, marked by the Great Leap Forward between 1958-60 and the Cultural Revolution, which started in 1966 and some related activities continued until the death of Mao Tse-tung in 1976. Massive infrastructure projects such as building reservoirs and irrigation channels were undertaken during the Great Leap Forward, diverting labor from farming, which led to grain production shortfalls in the short-term but contributed to improved grain yields over the long term.  

During the Cultural Revolution, the Red Guard decimated the ranks of government bureaucrats at the urging of Communist Party newspapers and officials, killing some and forcing others into suicide, imprisoning thousands and exiling millions to the countryside for ‘re-education’.  Not surprisingly, most agricultural research conducted at these institutions ground to a halt during this period.  Work resumed at these institutions in 1976, while changes in Chinese agricultural policy gave individual farmers more incentive to seek out higher yielding crop varieties and adopt new complementary agricultural practices, such as expanded use of fertilizer and irrigation, which were advanced under the Green Revolution.

However, the level of public spending on agricultural research in China stagnated in the 1980’s and 1990’s until it took off early in this century.  Total public investment in agricultural R&D doubled from 2001 to 2008, reaching 14.0 billion yuan or $4 billion (in constant PPP dollars, 100=2005).

China’s private sector has also increased its investment in agricultural research in the last few decades. From 1995 to 2006, private investment rose from an estimated 3 percent of total agricultural research expenditure to 16 percent, primarily from domestic enterprises and not multinationals, although many of the businesses involved are at least partially state-owned.

In 2013, the CAAS initiated the Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation Program, or ASTIP. The four central objectives of this 13-year program are to promote interdisciplinary research and expand research infrastructure, while building the talent pool and fostering greater international research cooperation and collaboration.  

During the high level Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in 2016, Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged US $60 billion in ‘funding support’ to African countries. In his announcement, agricultural modernization was identified as one of ten ‘priority areas’. This support will come through a variety of channels including implementing direct development projects at the village level, conducting collaborative research and exchanges, and supporting Chinese agribusiness investments.  There are currently 21 groups of Chinese researchers, many of them agronomists, working in 23 countries in Africa in agricultural technology demonstration centers.

In recent years, Chinese agribusinesses have acquired major U.S. or European companies in part to gain access to improved production practices and research expertise embedded in those companies.  In 2013, the WH Group acquired Smithfield Foods, a major U.S. pork integrator.  In 2016, state-owned ChemChina announced its intention to purchase Syngenta, a Swiss-based agricultural chemical and biotech seed company, a deal which was completed in the spring of 2017.  As I described in a blog in November 2016, China has not yet licensed GM crops other than BT cotton for production, although Chinese companies are in the process of developing GM corn and soybean seed varieties for release.  The acquisition of Syngenta should help to speed that process.

·      RECORDER REPORT

·      JUL 12TH, 2018

·      KARACHI
Rice exports from Pakistan posted a healthy growth of 28 percent to reach two billion dollar mark in the last fiscal year (FY18). According to Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP), Pakistan has exported total 4.023 million metric tons of rice amounting to $ 2 billion during FY18 compared to some 3.44 million metric tons rice amounting to $ 1.6 billion exported in FY17, showing a significant growth of 27.7 percent in terms values and 17 percent in terms of quantity.

Rafique Suleman Senior Vice Chairman has said that this growth was also become possible due to the recent two tenders of Indonesian authority BULOG for total 200,000 metric tons of Pakistani rice, which fetched a remarkable foreign exchange for our country. Although last year REAP has achieved a milestone but this fiscal year exported may face multiple challenges, he added.

He informed that Kenya has been the largest buyer of Pakistani non basmati rice and Pakistan has exported 439,000 metric tons of rice amounting to $ 171 million during the last fiscal year. "Previously, there was a preferential duty in Kenya for Pakistani rice but Kenya has imposed import duty of 35 percent OR $200 (whichever is higher) of which rice exports to Kenya is declining. He requested Ministry of Commerce, to coordinate Kenyan Government for imposition of preferential duty, so that trade balance between both countries should be stable.

China used to be the 2nd largest buyer of non basmati rice; however exports to china are also on decline. Pakistan has exported 272,000 metric tons of rice during FY18 compared to 589,000 metric tons of rice in FY17. "In the context of CPEC, there are billion dollars investment opportunities and there is need that government of Pakistan must initiate talks with China to include Pakistan in the duty regime like ASEAN countries, so that rice exports to China may again increase", he demanded.

Rafique has also shown serious concerns on the recent reports of shortage of water. He said that other countries like Thailand, Vietnam, China etc. avails 2-3 rice crops in a year and their annual rice production is approximately 100 million tons, whereas our annual rice production is hardly 7 million tons, that is why our rice export is stagnant to some 4 million tons since last many years. He said that after the construction of New Dams, Pakistan can preserve the water like other countries and can also get more than one crop of rice per years which will make revolution in our agricultural industry. "We may generate huge quantity of very low cost electricity which will be useful to cover the shortfall of energy crisis of our country. Every province of the country will be able to get additional millions of acre feet water after the construction of new dams", he added.

He was of the view that it's the need of hour that government of Pakistan should allow rice sowing in more lands, so that we can get more rice to export more rice to get more foreign exchange.

He has shown his concern that there is no Research and Development work has been made in rice trade. "Our Research Departments are really sleeping and Pakistani rice exporters are importing hybrid rice seeds from China on self-made basis to get better yield. We are doing the job, which have to be done by the concerned government departments", he added.

Rafique said that Pakistani rice exporters are putting their extra ordinary efforts for fetching valuable foreign exchange for the growth of economy of our beloved country and making huge investment for installing world's latest rice machinery and most modern technology for value addition in rice. REAP has already requested State Bank of Pakistan for allowing Islamic Financing facility for storage of Agricultural produce.

He informed that REAP is continuously sending trade delegation to various countries for the forceful marketing of Pakistani rice. In this regard, a delegation is planned to visit Brazil, Argentine and Chili. Rafique emphasized that few years back exports of basmati rice were one million tons, whereas in last fiscal year Pakistan has only exported half a million tons basmati rice. One of the largest buyers of Basmati rice was Iran, but due to the non availability of banking channel, Pakistani rice exporters could not export basmati rice to Iran, he mentioned. He also requested the government for appointment of educated and efficient Commercial Secretaries/ Counselors in Pakistani Missions abroad in important rice buying countries. As due to the negligence of some Commercial sections of our missions, Pakistani rice exporters are facing severe hardships in those countries, he added.

On domestic side, these are also multiple challenges. For example, he said, in some cases, exporters have to call back their rice containers return to Pakistan. Unfortunately, Custom department demands overall tax of some 7.5 percent for release of returned commodity container. This is not justified as exporters have already observed huge losses in terms of ports and shipping charges. He appealed the government to waive this huge tax to rice exporters, as despite the 2nd largest export trade this sector has been neglected.

Rafique Suleman Senior Vice Chairman has said that the $2 billion milestone has been achieved by the consistent efforts of Chaudhary Samee Chairman REAP, Hamdullah Khan Tareen Vice Chairman REAP under the leadership and guidance of Abdul Rahim Janoo Former Chairman REAP.

https://fp.brecorder.com/2018/07/20180712390151/