THRISSUR, MARCH
20, 2019 23:17 IST
Three-day meeting held at Kerala Agricultural
University
The Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs)
in Kerala and Lakshadweep will focus on soil fertility management,
productivity enhancement of major crops, and value addition and
entrepreneurship development in agriculture.
The strategies and action plan
for this were discussed and finalised at a three-day meeting held at the Kerala
Agricultural University (KAU) under the leadership of the ICAR Agricultural
Technology Application Research Institute (ATARI), Bangaluru.
ATARI Director M.J. Chandra Gowda
told the KVK scientists that presenting the most viable and pragmatic
technology to the farming community should be their priority. Location-specific
trials to establish efficacy of technologies should be taken up to enthuse
farmers and induce confidence in them, he said.
Enhanced productivity and
appropriate post-harvest technology would help improve farmers’ income, Dr.
Gowda added. He discussed the innovative strategies with Vice Chancellor R.
Chandra Babu, who offered full support to the system.
The conclave decided to introduce
latest technologies to main extension system through on-farm trials, frontline
demonstrations, and training programmes. The thrust will be on integrated
farming systems and biological control for plant health management.
Key areas
The main technologies recommended
for adoption are bio-intensive management of emerging pests in coconut,
vegetables, and paddy; use of granular dolomite for management of acidity in
paddy fields; nutritional vegetable gardens; microbial consortium for improving
water quality in fish ponds; inter-cropping of horsegram in coconut gardens;
crop rotation with little millet as a climate-smart crop; introducing short-duration,
heat-tolerant pulses in rice fallows; use of coir pith for wick irrigation etc.
Scientists from fourteen KVKs in
Kerala and the Lakshadweep KVK participated in the discussions led by KAU
Director of Extension Jiju P. Alex and ATARI scientists D.V. Srinivasa Reddy
and B.T. Raidu.
India’s biodiversity-rich zones also
‘hotspots’ of human impacts
It ranks 16th in the
world with 35 species affected on an averageThe Hindu
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Trending in
Kerala
Bengal famine of 1943
caused by British policy failure, not drought: IIT Gandhinagar
IIT
Gandhinagar scientists said that policy lapses such as prioritising
distribution of vital supplies to the military, civil services and stopping
rice imports led to the famine.
Published: 20th
March 2019 03:22 PM | Last Updated: 20th March 2019
03:22 PM |
Image used for
representational purpose
GANDHINAGAR:
The 1943 Bengal famine, which is estimated to have caused over three million
deaths, resulted not from drought as is widely thought but from the British
government's policy failures, say IIT Gandhinagar scientists who have analysed
150 years of drought data.
Policy lapses
such as prioritising distribution of vital supplies to the military, civil
services and others as well as stopping rice imports and not declaring Bengal
famine hit were among the factors that led to the magnitude of the tragedy,
historians have maintained.
Now, for the
first time, researchers have analysed soil moisture database from 1870 to 2016
to reconstruct agricultural droughts.
Between
1935-45, the famine-affected region, which was Bengal, had no drought, the team
from the Indian Institute of Technology here found. "We are trying to
understand the entire history of droughts in India and what is the likelihood
they will occur in future," said Vimal Mishra, assistant professor at the
institute. "Famines that occurred during the British period caused the
deaths of millions. We investigated the factors behind the causes of these
deaths -droughts or policy failures. The Bengal famine of 1943 was completely
because of policy failure," he told PTI. Aside from the 1943 Bengal
famine, all other famines during 1870 and 2016, appear to be related, at least
in part, to widespread soil moisture droughts, Mishra said.
While
historians have documented policy failures that led to the Bengal famine, this
is the first time scientists have used soil moisture data to show there was no
drought in Bengal during the period preceding the famine.
After
analysing over 150 years of data for the study published in the journal
Geophysical Research Letters, researchers identified seven major droughts and
six major famines in India. "Out of six major famines (1873-74, 1876,
1877, 1896-97, 1899, and 1943) that occurred during 1870-2016, five are linked
to soil moisture drought, and one (1943) was not," researchers wrote in
the study. "At the time, there was not much irrigation, groundwater
pumping was not happening because electricity or mechanical pumps were not
available," Mishra said.
The last major
famine in the British era occurred in 1943, which is also known as the Bengal
famine. The famine resulted in two-three million deaths. "We identified
1935-45 as a period under drought, but the famine-affected region, which was
Bengal, had no drought during this period," said Mishra. "We find that
the Bengal famine was likely caused by other factors related at least in part
to the ongoing threat of World War II -- including malaria, starvation and
malnutrition," he added.
Previous
research has shown that in early 1943, military and other political events
adversely affected the Bengal economy. "We did a very solid diagnosis for
each famine that happened in Bengal and Bihar -- which was part of the
northeastern province of Awadh in the British period," Mishra said.
"What was unique in the 1873-74 famine was that there were 25 million
people affected but low mortality due to famine," he added.
According to
Mishra, this low mortality was due to food imports from Burma, and timely
relief aid provided by the British government. Then Bengal lieutenant governor
Richard Temple imported, distributed food and relief money and that saved a lot
of lives, he said. "The famine was over in 1874, with 17 per cent surplus
monsoon rainfall and good food production. But Temple was heavily criticised by
the British for over expenditure," said Mishra.
In the 1876-77
famine, which affected south India in 1876 and north India in 1877, over 30
million people were impacted. The study suggests that at least six-10 million
people died because measures to provide relief and employment were not taken at
the time.
According to
the study, the expansion of irrigation, better public distribution system,
rural employment, and transportation reduced the impact of drought on the lives
of people after Independence. Mishra expressed the hope that a comprehensive
analysis of the history of droughts and famines in the country can help prepare
for such disasters in the future.
According to
experts, following the Japanese occupation of Burma in 1942, rice imports
stopped, and Bengal's market supplies and transport systems were disrupted. The
British government also prioritised distribution of vital supplies to the
military, civil servants and other "priority classes". The policy
failures began with the provincial government's denial that a famine existed.
Humanitarian
aid was ineffective through the worst months of the food crisis, and the
government never formally declared a state of famine. It first attempted to
influence the price of rice, but these measures created a black market and
encouraged sellers to withhold stocks.
(Get the news that matters from New Indian
Express on WhatsApp. Click this link and hit 'Click to
Subscribe'.
Follow the instructions after that.)
Soil moisture data shows Bengal famine caused due to
British govt policy failure: IIT
Devdiscourse News Desk Gandhinagar India
Updated: 20-03-2019 14:34 IST Created: 20-03-2019 12:37 IST
The 1943 Bengal famine, which is estimated to have caused over three million
deaths, resulted not from drought as is widely thought but from the Britishgovernment's
policy failures, say IIT Gandhinagarscientists who have
analysed 150 years of drought data. Policy lapses such as prioritising
distribution of vital supplies to the military, civil services and others as well as stopping rice imports and not
declaring Bengalfamine hit were among the factors that led to the
magnitude of the tragedy, historians have
maintained.
Now, for the first time, researchers have
analysed soil moisture database from 1870 to 2016 to reconstruct agricultural
droughts. Between 1935-45, the famine-affected region, which was Bengal, had no drought, the team from the Indian Institute of Technology here found.
"We are trying to understand
the entire history of droughts in India and what is the likelihood they will occur in
future," said Vimal Mishra, assistant professor at the
institute. "Famines that occurred during the British period caused the deaths of millions. We
investigated the factors behind the causes of these deaths -- droughts or
policy failures," he told PTI.
The Bengal famine of 1943 was "completely because of policy failure",
he said. Aside from the 1943 Bengal famine, all other famines during 1870 and 2016, appear to be
related, at least in part, to widespread soil moisture droughts, Mishra said.
While historians have
documented policy failures that led to the Bengal famine, this is the first time scientists have used soil
moisture data to show there was no drought in Bengal during the period preceding the famine.
After analysing over 150 years of
data for the study published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, researchers identified
seven major droughts and six major famines in India. "Out of six major
famines (1873–74, 1876, 1877, 1896–97, 1899, and 1943) that occurred during
1870–2016, five are linked to soil moisture drought, and one (1943) was
not," researchers wrote
in the study.
"At the time, there was not
much irrigation, groundwater pumping was not happening because electricity or
mechanical pumps were not available," Mishra said. The last major famine in the British era occurred in 1943, which is also known as
the Bengal famine.
The famine resulted
in two-three million deaths.
"We identified 1935-45 as a
period under drought, but the famine-affected region, which was Bengal, had no drought during this period," said Mishra.
"We find that the Bengal famine was likely caused by other factors related at least
in part to the ongoing threat of World War II -- including malaria, starvation
and malnutrition," he added.
Previous research has shown that
in early 1943, military and other political events adversely affected
the Bengal economy.
"We did a very solid diagnosis for each famine that happened in Bengal and Bihar -- which was part of the northeastern
province of Awadh in the British period," Mishra said.
"What was unique in the
1873-74 famine was that there were 25 million people affected but
low mortality due to famine," he added. According to Mishra, this low
mortality was due to food imports from Burma, and timely relief aid provided by
the British government.
Then Bengal lieutenant
governor Richard Temple imported, distributed food and relief money and that
saved a lot of lives, he said.
"The famine was over in 1874, with 17 per cent surplus monsoon
rainfall and good food production. But Temple was heavily criticised by
the British for
over expenditure," said Mishra. In the 1876-77 famine, which affected south India in 1876 and north India in 1877, over 30 million people were impacted. The
study suggests that at least six-10 million people died because measures to
provide relief and employment were not taken at the time.
According to the study, the
expansion of irrigation, better public distribution system, rural employment,
and transportation reduced the impact of drought on the lives of people after
Independence. Mishra expressed the hope that a comprehensive analysis of the
history of droughts and famines in the country can help prepare for such
disasters in the future.
According to experts, following
the Japanese occupation of Burma in 1942, rice imports stopped, and Bengal's
market supplies and transport systems were disrupted. The British government also prioritised
distribution of vital supplies to the military, civil servants and other "priority classes".
The policy failures began with the provincial government's denial that a famine existed. Humanitarian aid was ineffective through
the worst months of the food crisis, and the governmentnever formally declared a state of famine. It
first attempted to influence the price of rice, but these measures created a
black market and encouraged sellers to withhold stocks.
Innovative irrigation
system could future-proof India’s major cereals
Wednesday, 20 March 2019 16:43 GMT
* Any views expressed in this article are those of the author
and not of Thomson Reuters Foundation.
Farmers can grow rice and wheat with 40 percent less water and
overcome the threat of future shortages, says new study
To grow more food for more people under a changing climate,
radical changes are needed to how we use water and other precious resources.
Nowhere is this more obvious than India, where a growing demand for food
combined with climate change is putting serious pressure on groundwater
resources, especially in the populous Indo-Gangetic Plains. This area in the
country’s northwest is the most important production area for India’s two
staple cereals: rice and wheat. Science is confronting this challenge: a pioneering study demonstrates how rice and wheat can be grown using 40 percent
less water, through an innovative combination of existing irrigation and
cropping techniques. The study’s authors, from the International Maize and
Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), the Borlaug Institute for South Asia (BISA),
Punjab Agricultural University and Thapar University, claim farmers can grow
similar or better yields than conventional growing methods, and still make a
profit.
The role and impact of rice and wheat
Rice-wheat farming systems
dominate India’s agriculture, providing 75 percent of national food grain
production, which translates to essential food, nutrition and income for
hundreds of millions of people. Traditionally, farmers grow rice and wheat in
rotation, planting a wheat crop following the rice harvest and so forth. This
system has long benefited farmers with steady food and income, and provided
insurance against failed crops, while rebalancing soil health and moisture.
But traditional management of
these two crops is no longer sustainable. Conventional flood irrigation
consumes vast quantities of water and energy, is labor-intensive, and can
deteriorate soil health. Overuse of nitrogen-based fertilizers can pollute
waterways and emit harmful greenhouse gases that cause climate change. To
prepare their fields, farmers typically remove and burn residual stalks and
stems, an inexpensive approach that generates dangerous pollution. Residue
burning also wastes a precious resource: there is a large body of evidence on
the benefits of recycling residues back into the soil, including regulating
soil temperature and moisture, improving soil health, and increasing yields.
Faced with these problems,
scientists and the government have been looking for ways to grow more wheat and
rice with less water, and environmental damage.
The search for solutions
Until now, there has been little
evidence about which combination of water saving techniques will maintain
yields while remaining sustainable and affordable. Existing options include
drip-irrigation, which offers an efficient alternative to traditional flood
irrigation. Farmers use a network of aboveground pipes to deliver precise
quantities of water into the soil around each plant. Pipes laid belowground,
known as subsurface drip irrigation, target the plant’s root zone and eliminate
evaporation from the soil. Drip irrigation systems can also deliver a dose of
fertilizer directly to the plants, a practice known as “fertigation.” Despite
these possibilities, there is little understanding of the best way to design an
irrigation network that can work for both rice and wheat crops with no
modifications between rotations.
The researchers tested eight
combinations of promising techniques over a two-year period to understand which
methods could help farmers save water and money. For each mix of approaches,
they measured the ratio of grain yield to the amount of water and fertilizer
applied, as well as costs — such as equipment and labor — and additional
revenue that farmers would earn from using the techniques.
An optimal system for rice and wheat
The study found that rice and
wheat grown using a sub-surface drip fertigation system, and combined with
conservation agriculture approaches — zero till, retaining residues on soil
surface and dry seeding — used at least 40 percent less water than flood
irrigation for the same amount of yields, and would still be cost-effective for
farmers. As well, the study found that both rice and wheat needed 20 percent
less nitrogen-based fertilizer (urea) under a sub-surface drip fertigation
system to obtain grain yields similar to that under flood-irrigated crops,
which could improve ecosystem health and cut greenhouse gas emissions. The
study outlines the optimal design of a subsurface drip irrigation system for
conservation agriculture-based rice-wheat systems, offering valuable guidance
for farmers and policy makers.
“We urgently need rice and wheat
farming to become more water efficient,” said Balwinder Singh Sidhu,
Agriculture Commissioner at the Government of Punjab. “These findings offer
unique and practical solutions for India’s farmers in general and Punjab in
particular, and also offer hope for a sustainable and food-secure future,” he
said.
Putting the findings into action
This research shows that it is
possible to dramatically reduce the amount of groundwater needed for irrigation
while improving rice and wheat productivity in northwest India, as well other
areas facing shortages. The study demonstrates this can be accomplished with
significant benefits to farmers, saving them input costs and labor. But
this transformation will not happen overnight.
Although farmers in this region
are known for their willingness to adopt new technologies and practices, there
is still a long way to go before sub-surface drip fertigation systems become
mainstream. In India, government subsidies are important drivers for
agricultural technology adoption, but the current policy landscape still
rewards inefficient resource use, says ML Jat, a CIMMYT Principal Scientist who
co-led the study:
“At present, the government
provides farmers with subsidies for water, electricity, machinery and
fertilizer, irrespective of efficiency,” he said. “But we cannot afford to have
free water and electricity and still ensure agricultural sustainability in the region.
The government can support farmers to adopt more efficient practices, by
incentivizing only those systems that use resources sustainably,” he explained.
Further efforts are also needed
to promote conservation agriculture, even though India’s rice-wheat farmers
have made great strides in implementing these practices over the past two
decades.
The authors point to signs of
progress. For example, the Government of Punjab is testing alternatives to a
blanket electrical subsidy for pumping water for irrigation, by piloting a
direct benefit transfer on electricity to farmers. This would encourage farmers
to be frugal about the electricity they use for pumping water, and drive them
to adopt more approaches that economize water use in intensive rice-wheat systems.
“Governments in the region
recognize the magnitude and complexity of the water, soil and air pollution
problem,” said ML Jat. “Leaders are looking towards doubling farmers’
productivity while protecting natural resources,” he stated. “The future of farming
depends on strong policies that prioritize investments in these promising
approaches.”
Read more
Sidhu HS, Jat ML, Singh Y, Sidhu RK, Gupta N, Singh P, Singh P,
Jat HS, Gerard B. 2019. Sub-surface drip fertigation with conservation
agriculture in a rice-wheat system: A breakthrough for addressing water and
nitrogen use efficiency. Agricultural Water Management. 216:1 (273-283). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2019.02.019
Acknowledgments
The study received funding from the CGIAR Research Program on
Wheat (WHEAT), the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and the
Government of Punjab. The authors acknowledge the contributions of the field
staff at BISA and CIMMYT based at Ludhiana, Punjab state.
Early
Rains Boost Prospects for Nigeria's Rice Crop, Farmers Say
By Ruth Olurounbi
March 20, 2019, 5:07 PM GMT+5
Early rains in Nigeria’s rice-growing regions have boosted
prospects for a good harvest, according to the farmers association, increasing
the likelihood of lower imports by one of the world’s top buyers of
the grain.
“We have experienced early rains in
the central states and in the northeast,” Aminu Goronyo, president of the Rice
Farmers Association of Nigeria, said by phone from Abuja, the capital. “From
all indications, we expect a bumper harvest thanks to favorable weather.”
Nigeria currently produces 4.8 million metric tons of the grain a
year and has to import the balance to meet domestic consumption estimated
at more than 8 million tons a year, according to the U.S. Department of
Agriculture. Nigeria’s Agriculture Ministry insists local output has reached 7
million tons a year, with the government expecting to cut as much as 1.9
million tons of rice imports next year.
Rice farmers are getting government
support through a program backed by the central bank to provide them with
low-interest credit, helping draw more farmers to the crop, according to
Goronyo
Ghana to end tomato imports, cut rice imports by 50% in 2019
Ministry of Food and Agriculture says it is looking to cut down
imports of rice by 50 per cent as well as end the importation of tomato this
year.
Ghana imported about 75 thousand metric tons of tomatoes in 2017
Ghana imported about 75 thousand metric tons of tomatoes in 2017
Deputy Minister for the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, George
Oduro said the government is working to cut the levels of food import
significantly.He said “this year alone, our target it to stop the importation
of rice by 50 per cent. Then for tomato too, we hope to end it importation
completely so that we produce enough even for export because we have the
capacity to do so.”According to him, efforts to expand irrigation projects, the introduction of mechanization are among the efforts to help boost production.
Mr Oduro was speaking at a breakfast meeting held by Integrity magazine on the theme ‘Opportunities for Ghana Israel Business Cooperation in Agriculture Innovation and Technology.’
The event brought together various stakeholders along the agriculture value chain to discuss the role of agriculture and how to boost its contribution to the nation’s GDP.
According to the Israeli Ambassador to Ghana Shani Cooper, his government will continue to invest in Ghana’s Agric sector.
“We have so many investments in Ghana worth hundreds of millions of dollars but we believe aid comes with commerce so we also doing a lot n capacity building for farmers. We are also working to attract more investors from Israel to Ghana in the agriculture sector to boost commerce between the two states” Madam Cooper said.
Meanwhile CEO of Integrity Magazine organizers of the event, Reverend Kenedy Okosun said developing the Agric sector is fundamental to the nation’s development.
“You know by increasing our production we can start to export food out of the country. By doing so we can address one of our big issues with the currency so we can have enough supply for other investors who want to go into industrialization or other businesses,” he said.
Records from the Ministry shows that in 2017, Ghana imported some 656.232 Metric Tons of rice worth $331.2 million.
In the same period, some 75 thousand metric tons of tomatoes was also imported to meet domestic demand as the situation the Ministry describes as worrying.
Early rains boost prospects for rice production – Nigerian farmers
Rice Farmers used to illustrate the story [Photo Credit: Agro
Nigeria]
Despite the fear of a shortage of rice in 2019 due to flooding
incidents last year, Nigerian farmers have said the early rains in the
country’s rice-growing regions had boosted prospects for a good harvest.
The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Audu Ogbeh,
had earlier predicted a shortage of rice in the country if appropriate measures
were not taken to replant after places like Jigawa, Kebbi, Anambra, and Kogi
were affected by the flood.
Bloomberg quoted the president of the Rice Farmers Association
of Nigeria, Aminu Goronyo, as saying “We have experienced early rains in the
central states and the northeast, from all indications, we expect a bumper
harvest thanks to favourable weather.”
The boost increases the likelihood of lower import by the
country as Nigeria’s rice importation figures kept reducing since 2015.
Nigeria currently produces 4.8 million metric tons of the grain
a year and must import the balance to meet domestic consumption estimated at
more than eight million tons a year, according to the U.S. Department of
Agriculture.
Nigeria’s Agriculture Ministry insists local output has reached
seven million tons a year, with the government expecting to cut as much as 1.9
million tons of rice imports next year.
Rice farmers are getting government support through a program
backed by the Central Bank of Nigeria to provide them with low-interest credit,
helping draw more farmers to the crop, according to Mr Goronyo.
Nigeria: Early Rains Boost Prospects for Rice
Production - Nigerian Farmers
Tagged:
By Ayodeji Adegboyega
Despite the fear of a shortage of rice in 2019 due to flooding
incidents last year, Nigerian farmers have said the early rains in the
country's rice-growing regions had boosted prospects for a good harvest.
The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Audu Ogbeh,
had earlier predicted a shortage of rice in the country if appropriate measures
were not taken to replant after places like Jigawa, Kebbi, Anambra, and Kogi
were affected by the flood.
Bloomberg quoted the president of the Rice Farmers Association
of Nigeria, Aminu Goronyo, as saying "We have experienced early rains in
the central states and the northeast, from all indications, we expect a bumper
harvest thanks to favourable weather."
The boost increases the likelihood of lower import by the
country as Nigeria's rice importation figures kept reducing since 2015.
Nigeria currently produces 4.8 million metric tons of the grain
a year and must import the balance to meet domestic consumption estimated at
more than eight million tons a year, according to the U.S. Department of
Agriculture.
Nigeria's Agriculture Ministry insists local output has reached
seven million tons a year, with the government expecting to cut as much as 1.9
million tons of rice imports next year.
Rice farmers are getting government support through a program
backed by the Central Bank of Nigeria to provide them with low-interest credit,
helping draw more farmers to the crop, according to Mr Goronyo.
Nigeria
.
Nigeria: Early Rains Boost Prospects for Rice Production - Nigerian
Farmers
Tagged:
By Ayodeji Adegboyega
Despite the fear of a shortage of rice in 2019 due to flooding
incidents last year, Nigerian farmers have said the early rains in the
country's rice-growing regions had boosted prospects for a good harvest.
The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Audu Ogbeh,
had earlier predicted a shortage of rice in the country if appropriate measures
were not taken to replant after places like Jigawa, Kebbi, Anambra, and Kogi
were affected by the flood.
Bloomberg quoted the president of the Rice Farmers Association
of Nigeria, Aminu Goronyo, as saying "We have experienced early rains in
the central states and the northeast, from all indications, we expect a bumper
harvest thanks to favourable weather."
The boost increases the likelihood of lower import by the
country as Nigeria's rice importation figures kept reducing since 2015.
Nigeria currently produces 4.8 million metric tons of the grain
a year and must import the balance to meet domestic consumption estimated at
more than eight million tons a year, according to the U.S. Department of
Agriculture.
Nigeria's Agriculture Ministry insists local output has reached
seven million tons a year, with the government expecting to cut as much as 1.9
million tons of rice imports next year.
Rice farmers are getting government support through a program
backed by the Central Bank of Nigeria to provide them with low-interest credit,
helping draw more farmers to the crop, according to Mr Goronyo.
Nigeria
Vietnam sees bright
prospects for rice exports
Rice
exports are expected to recover in the second quarter of this year, boosted by
encouraging market signs.
According
to the Vietnam Food Association (VFA), Vietnamese rice shipments have stayed in
good shape from the beginning of March thanks to the robust demand from Iraq,
Malaysia, Cuba and China.
Iraq has
already signed a deal to purchase 120,000 tonnes of the grain from Vietnam.
Exporters expect to ship some 300,000 tonnes to the Southwest Asian country in
2019, equal to the same amount from the previous year.
Meanwhile,
Malaysia’s commodities procurement agency Bernas sealed an agreement with the
Vietnam Northern Food Corporation (Vinafood 1) to buy 25,000 tonnes of 5
percent broken rice. Bernas has requested express delivery for the order to
ensure sufficient rice supply in the country.
Negotiations
are underway with importers from the Philippines and China. Vietnam is gaining
competitive edge over its rivals as the price of 5 percent broken rice in March
stands at 340 USD per tonne, much lower than the same kind from India, Pakistan
and Thailand which are sold at 370 USD, 360 USD, and 388 USD per tonne,
respectively.
In
addition, the VFA is hoping for a rice export deal with the Republic of Korea
via the Tariff Rate Quotas (TRQs) system. Last year, Vietnam supplied more than
113,000 tonnes for the East Asian market through the TRQs.
Along
with such key markets, Vietnam is seeking to get new rice buyers, with Saudi
Arabia deemed as a potential market, especially as harsh weather conditions
hamper its rice production, driving the country to rely on rice imports. Last
year, the country’s consumption of the grain was estimated at 1.27 million
tonnes.
India is
the largest rice provider for Saudi Arabia, accounting for 79 percent of the
market share, followed by the US (6 percent), Pakistan (6 percent), Thailand (5
percent), and Vietnam (2 percent).
Vietnam
shipped 22,000 tonnes of rice to the country in 2018, and the figure is
expected to increase in the coming time. –VNA
Researcher finds rare fish in the James River
Baby Atlantic sturgeon have been scarce in the James
River for the last 10 years. Photo courtesy of Matthew Balazik
Walter Chidozie Anyanwu, Contributing Writer
Matt Balazik, along with his
colleagues at the Rice Rivers Center, has been trawling the James River for
years trying to find traces of the Atlantic sturgeon, a species of fish that
was declared endangered in 2012.
The researchers were working on
this project for eight years before they began making progress last fall with
the discovery of baby sturgeon in the James River — significant because of
their scarcity.
“We had no idea what we were
doing, but we went out with some other researchers to see if we could catch
them. That was back it 2007,” Balazik said. “Through persistence and effort, we
got pretty good at catching them. We were catching plenty of adults, but the
important thing was to catch the young ones — the babies.”
The Rice Rivers Center, owned
and operated by VCU and located along the James River, is dedicated to environmental
research and is leading the Virginia Sturgeon Restoration Team’s effort to
reestablish the sturgeon population in Virginia. It receives funding from the
Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries and the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration.
Initially, the researchers
noticed the robust adult sturgeon population in the James River. In the last 10
years, however, there have been few young sturgeon reported in their findings.
“It’s been scary how few young
ones we’ve been finding. It’s great to have an adult population spawning, but
if they’re not having success it doesn’t matter,” Balazik said. “Because we
need new young fish to take the place of the older fish as they die.”
Every river population has
completely different spawning patterns, and Balazik thinks some answers to the
shortage of young sturgeon can be found by looking closely at these patterns.
The patterns are affected a lot by the river’s flow. More flow leads to a
greater chance of successful spawning.
The James River has had a
particularly successful spawning season this year, and Balazik attributes that
to the river’s high flow.
“That’s the way it naturally is
in the James. You have a few [fish] that survive during the normal flow year,
but then we have a really strong run, a really wet year,” Balazik said. “Then
there’s a population boom. It’ll really bump up the future population.”
While there isn’t enough data
to back up this claim, Balazik said there are a lot of factors connecting high
river flow with successful spawning. For one thing, the water level’s rise
allows the sturgeon to reach their spawning habitats and clean them out more
easily. The sturgeons need clean, solid substrate to spawn. Their eggs are very
sticky and dense, so if there’s a lot of sediment, it will build on the eggs
and suffocate them.
“We’re very ignorant [right
now], and we’re just learning as we go,” Balazik said. “We’re in uncharted
territory right now.”
Toxic fungi detected in cereals
Thursday, 21 March 2019 | Charvee Sharma
Researchers from the Indian Institute of Toxicology Research
(IITR) have detected the presence of a toxin—‘zearalenone' in 84 per cent of
the cereals tested in Uttar Pradesh, says Charvee Sharma
Zearalenone is a toxin produced
by soil fungi which behaves like an endocrine disruptor in humans. This means
that this fungus can possibly lead to hormonal imbalances, birth defects and
other developmental disorders. Various studies have also indicated signs of
early puberty in girls on exposure to high intake of this toxin.
The findings of this research
published in the ‘Journal of Food Science’ present a quantitative assessment of
zearalenone contamination in cereals based on their daily consumption values.
The experiment was carried on 117 unbranded samples of corn, wheat, rice and
oats in Uttar Pradesh. After analysing the average cereal consumed, the daily
intake of zearalenone in rice was found to be 17 times higher than the
prescribed limit by the European Food Safety Authority Standards (EFSA). In case
of wheat samples, the daily intake of zearalenone was seven times higher than
EFSA limits.
In India, regulatory mechanisms
are in place to control the contamination of fungal toxins which have
previously lead to disease outbreaks in humans and animals, including
aflatoxins which affects nuts, deoxynivalenol and ergot, which infests cereal
grains. Last year, 56 cows were found dead after grazing on post harvest
cuttings of maize, which was later found to be contaminated by aflatoxins in
the Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh.
Being a tropical country, the
warm and humid climate of India inherently provides favourable conditions for
mould infection to develop in food crops. Hot weather also compliments the
nature of zearalenone, which can endure very high temperatures. Zearalenone
starts to accumulate as storage protein in the cereal grains during the
storing, milling and other high temperature processing.
The important fact to note about
zearalenone is that the spores of this fungus are permeating, which makes all
cereal grain vulnerable to invasion and infestation. Geographical factors and
environmental conditions such as erratic rain and high moisture makes fungal
infection thrive in standing crops as well as stored food grains in warehouses,
after harvest. “In the absence of any regulatory limits, the Indian population
is at a greater risk of zearalenone exposure by consuming highly contaminated
cereals,” says Mukul Das, a senior toxicologist who designed the study.
When asked about the presence of zearalenone in food grain, consumers in local
market of Delhi said that they were now ‘simply apprehensive about the food
they are consuming’.
While the research was conducted
on cereal samples in Uttar Pradesh, the presence of this toxic fungus has
indicated a potential risk for the Indian population. However, there is a need
of further examination and quantitative analysis at the national level.
Considering the fact that about
80 per cent of the Indian population consumes wheat and rice as their staple
food, the exposure risk assessment of zearalenone serves as an important
revelation for ensuring food safety. This also calls for immediate regulatory
framework by the FSSAI to prescribe limits for zearalenone.
(The author is an engineer.)
At Midpoint, New Social Media Campaign Yields Notable 15.9M
Impressions
ARLINGTON, VA --
In September, USA Rice launched its partnership with The FeedFeed agency, the
largest and most engaged digital cooking community, to conduct a year-long
campaign with goals to drive mass awareness and celebrate U.S.-grown rice,
develop engaging content, and educate audiences on the benefits of rice
consumption.
The campaign consists of four well-rounded Instagram influencers who were selected based on their past work and overall messaging to bring attention to U.S.-grown rice for its versatility, high quality, and ability to match different diet restrictions. This strategy uses visual storytelling via Instagram to raise awareness throughout the year, which then is amplified across FeedFeed's and USA Rice's multiple accounts.
Each influencer was tasked with creating four unique and on-trend recipes using U.S.-grown rice along with photography, a blog post, and an Instagram post per each recipe. Examples of the unique recipes include Brown Rice Jambalaya, Spicy Chicken and Rice Soup, Congee with Spinach & Shiitake, and Provencal Braised Chicken with white rice. To further increase exposure, influencer recipes were included in FeedFeed's weekly meal planners, featured on USA Rice's recipe feed on thefeedfeed.com, and highlighted on IGTV through FeedFeed's digital TV series.
At the halfway point of the partnership, 10 original recipes that featured U.S.-grown rice and messaging have been posted by influencers and amplified by The FeedFeed and USA Rice. Collectively, the recipe posts, regrams, newsletters, and videos generated nearly 16 million impressions and 148,000 interactions. In addition to the immediate impact of the campaign, USA Rice retains the right to use and access all created recipes, videos, and photos across social media channels.
"To say we're pleased with the results from this campaign, at just the halfway point, is an understatement," said Cameron Jacobs, USA Rice domestic promotions manager. "This was a new activity for domestic promotion and it's exciting to be reaching demographics like millennials, foodies, and conscious consumers. We still have work to do to expand USA Rice's audience and continue to raise awareness of U.S.-grown rice but, so far, this campaign has exceeded expectations."
The campaign will conclude in June with six remaining influencer recipes to be posted, a second FeedFeed TV episode to be filmed, and a FeedFeed editorial article focused on educating about U.S.-grown rice to be published.
Jacobs concluded, "With four months left of planned campaign activations, we are excited to see the remaining recipe concepts along with final outreach and engagement figures come July. USA Rice members should be excited about this significant step into the digital space and future consumer activations in partnership with The FeedFeed."
The campaign consists of four well-rounded Instagram influencers who were selected based on their past work and overall messaging to bring attention to U.S.-grown rice for its versatility, high quality, and ability to match different diet restrictions. This strategy uses visual storytelling via Instagram to raise awareness throughout the year, which then is amplified across FeedFeed's and USA Rice's multiple accounts.
Each influencer was tasked with creating four unique and on-trend recipes using U.S.-grown rice along with photography, a blog post, and an Instagram post per each recipe. Examples of the unique recipes include Brown Rice Jambalaya, Spicy Chicken and Rice Soup, Congee with Spinach & Shiitake, and Provencal Braised Chicken with white rice. To further increase exposure, influencer recipes were included in FeedFeed's weekly meal planners, featured on USA Rice's recipe feed on thefeedfeed.com, and highlighted on IGTV through FeedFeed's digital TV series.
At the halfway point of the partnership, 10 original recipes that featured U.S.-grown rice and messaging have been posted by influencers and amplified by The FeedFeed and USA Rice. Collectively, the recipe posts, regrams, newsletters, and videos generated nearly 16 million impressions and 148,000 interactions. In addition to the immediate impact of the campaign, USA Rice retains the right to use and access all created recipes, videos, and photos across social media channels.
"To say we're pleased with the results from this campaign, at just the halfway point, is an understatement," said Cameron Jacobs, USA Rice domestic promotions manager. "This was a new activity for domestic promotion and it's exciting to be reaching demographics like millennials, foodies, and conscious consumers. We still have work to do to expand USA Rice's audience and continue to raise awareness of U.S.-grown rice but, so far, this campaign has exceeded expectations."
The campaign will conclude in June with six remaining influencer recipes to be posted, a second FeedFeed TV episode to be filmed, and a FeedFeed editorial article focused on educating about U.S.-grown rice to be published.
Jacobs concluded, "With four months left of planned campaign activations, we are excited to see the remaining recipe concepts along with final outreach and engagement figures come July. USA Rice members should be excited about this significant step into the digital space and future consumer activations in partnership with The FeedFeed."
Unfair Harvest: The
state of rice in Asia
Small-scale producers grow most of the rice in Asia, playing a
significant role in providing food security, jobs and income across the region.
However, a combination of worsening inequality in food value chains and the
crippling impacts of climate change is leaving rice farming systems at a
critical juncture. These challenges threaten the future viability of rice
production that underpins the livelihoods and primary food source for millions
of people. New research commissioned by Oxfam shows that rice farmers in some
countries can receive as little as 4% of the price paid by consumers. This has
implications for poverty: in Nepal, farmers’ income from rice farming is
estimated at just 13% of the amount needed for a basic but decent income. The
burden is particularly bad for women farming and working in the Asian rice
sector: they receive lower wages and often suffer discrimination. There are
opportunities for change. For example, smarter government regulation to protect
workers’ rights and empower small-scale producers can support better returns
for farmers; and responsible private sector investment can support small-scale
producers to benefit from rapidly modernizing rice markets. This paper puts
forward a vision for a more equitable, sustainable and climate-resilient rice
sector; and provides recommendations for governments and the private sector to
help achieve that vision.
Indian rice export
prices up on strong rupee
Rice export rates in India rose this week due to an appreciation
in the rupee, even as demand remained moderate, while Thai traders struggled
with a lack of interest from foreign markets due to high prices. India's 5
percent broken parboiled variety rose to $386-$389 per tonne from last week's
$383-$386. "The rising rupee is forcing us to raise prices. Demand is
moderate," said an exporter based at Kakinada in the southern state of
Andhra Pradesh. The rupee was trading near its highest level in more than two
months, trimming returns from overseas sales for traders in the world's biggest
exporter of the staple. In Thailand, the world's second-biggest rice exporter,
benchmark 5 percent broken rice prices were quoted at $380-$385, free on board
Bangkok, mostly unchanged from last week's $380-$390. Demand remained flat and
the price fluctuation was due to the exchange rate between the local currency
baht and the US dollar, traders said. "Domestic prices have slightly
increased this week but because the baht has weakened, the export price remains
relatively same," a Bangkok-based rice trader said. However, the baht's
gains over the past few months have prevented domestic prices from falling,
denting demand for Thai rice overseas, another trader said. Higher domestic
rates translate into increased procurement costs for exporters.
The market has also seen an influx of new supply, which is yet to
impact export prices, according to traders. Meanwhile in Bangladesh, rain-fed
rice output or Aman crop is estimated to hit 14 million tonnes this season from
13.5 million tonnes in the previous year, due to favourable weather, Mizanur
Rahman, a senior official of Department of Agriculture Extension, told Reuters
on Thursday.
The Aman crop is the second biggest rice crop after the summer
variety, Boro. It is cultivated during December and January, and makes up for
about 38 percent of Bangladesh's total rice production, which is around 35
million tonnes. The south Asian country, which emerged as a major importer in
2017 after floods damaged its crops, imposed 28 percent duty to support its
farmers after local production revived in 2018.
Crop-damaging
armyworms raise growing sense of alarm in Asia, FAO says
MARCH 20, 2019 / 7:42 AM
A farmer shows a corn shoot infested with fall armyworm at his farm
in Narayangaon village in the western state of Maharashtra, India, December 18,
2018. Picture taken December 18, 2018. REUTERS/Rajendra Jadhav
BANGKOK
(Reuters) - Farming in several Asian countries is under threat from a type of
crop-damaging insects that have munched their way from the Americas and across
Africa, the United Nations’ food agency said on Wednesday as global experts
commence a three-day meeting to discuss ways to limit the damage.‘Fall
armyworms’ are native to the Americas but they have been moving eastwards since
2016, sweeping across Africa, where they caused $1-3 billion in damage, before
arriving in Asia.
The flying
insects arrived in India in July and have since spread to Sri Lanka,
Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand and China’s Yunnan province, according to the
U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).They feed mostly on maize, for
which China is the world’s second-largest producer, and can feed on several
species of crops, including rice and sugarcane - two of Thailand’s main
commodities.An FAO meeting will take place in Bangkok from Wednesday to Friday,
with officials from affected countries and experts discussing ways to limit
armyworm infestations amid a “growing sense of alarm.
”“We need to work together because this is a pest that has no
respect for international boundaries, threatens our food security, our
economies, domestic and international trade,” said Kundhavi Kadiresan, FAO’s
assistant director-general and regional representative for Asia and the
Pacific, in a statement.
FAO said it is working with local authorities and training farmers
to manage the pests by crushing egg masses and using biopesticides.
Chemical pesticides are an option but should be carefully
considered due to environmental and health damage, it added.
Urgent need for higher
rice export quota to China: industry
THIHA KO KO 20 MAR 2019
The Myanmar Rice Federation (MRF) urged the government to
facilitate the signing of an agreement that will firm up an official rice
export quota to China at last week’s Private Sector Development Committee
Meeting, which was led by the Vice President U Myint Swe.
MRF chair U Ye Min Aung urged the government to negotiate a
higher rice export quota for Myanmar rice to ensure smoother trade of rice at
the border.
China currently imports commodities based on a quota system.
Myanmar’s official export quota, set in 2016, is 100,000 tonnes of rice.
According to data from the Ministry of Commerce, over 50 percent of
Myanmar-produced rice is sold to China via the border. As such traders are
lobbying for that quota to be quadrupled, to 400,000 tonnes.
“It is very important that a higher quota is reached because
farmers and many companies along the supply chain rely on the trade during
harvesting season,” U Ye Min Aung said.
Because of the existing quota, traders have resorted to
exporting illegally, which has subjected trade at the border to volatile swings
in demand and disruptions. Last December, for example, trading at the Muse
border gate was suspended in a crackdown on illegal exports by the Chinese
authorities.
Last month, Chinese authorities seized around 50,000 tonnes of
rice at Muse and have yet to release the stockpile.
U Chan Thar Oo, vice chair of the Muse Rice and Paddy Commodity
Exchange said the current situation is not appropriate and that both
governments should come to a quick agreement under which Myanmar traders are
not subject to disruptive checks by the Chinese. “The two governments should
legalise the trade of rice by adjusting the export quota,” he said.
U Aung Htoo, deputy minister of commerce, said an MOU for higher
export quotas for rice and broken rice to China via the border will be signed
by “this month or next. Negotiations are at the final level now,” he said.
Myanmar exported 1.7 million tonnes of rice and broken rice
worth US$ 578 million between April and December last year, according to the
Ministry of Commerce. Around 52pc was exported by sea, while the
rest was sold at the border to China.
At those levels, rice exports have decreased by over a third
from 2.5 million tonnes worth US$780 million in the same period the year
before. The main reason for the recent fall in exports is lower demand from
China.
Lacson: Helping sustain farming in
CL
MICHELLE CATAP LACSON
March 20, 2019
THE Provincial Government of
Pampanga and Third District Representative Aurelio “Dong” Gonzales deserve
acknowledgement for allocating P22 million for the rehabilitation and recovery
program of 10,375 farmers who were affected by the typhoon and southwest
monsoon last 2018.
This concrete effort, along with
other initiatives such as providing support, machineries, equipment, and
development for Kapampangan farmers, are indeed necessary to help sustain the
industry of local farming in the province and in the region as well. At the
same time, the strong pledge of local officials also ensure the stable
livelihood of our local farmers.
While the apparent problem that
confronts farmers include disasters and climate change, the continuous decline
of young persons who are interested in agriculture is becoming more and more
eminent. It is clear that while our government addresses these problems on rice
production, the next important step to take is to guarantee that there will be
a younger group of people who will continue the noble profession of farming.
Agriculture is one of the learning
areas under the Technical-Vocational Livelihood [TVL) Track that covers
specializations such as Agricultural Crop Production and Organic Agriculture.
These are highly responsive to the increasing demand of industries for
agriculture workers, aiming to breed a new blood of young farmers to replace
the aging population of agriculture workers and will soon take part in the
economic growth and development of the country.
As sustainable rice production
remains one of the critical activities that the government is now focusing on,
DepEd seeks to actively engage the agriculture teachers in developing among the
young farmers with relevant skills and competencies and technology on rice
farming. Further, given the right technology on rice farming, teachers shall be
able to bring back the interest and love for agriculture among our students.
Last November 2018, DepEd and the
PhilRice Institute conducted a training where a total of 90 DepEd Agriculture
teachers were trained at the PhilRice Central Experiment Station. The five-day
activity aimed to train the agriculture teachers on rice morphology and growth
stages; farm machinery operations; palay check system; nutrient, pest, water and
harvest management; including hands-on practicum.
In recent years, a number of
agriculture teachers have been the recipients of the training programs on
Infomediary and Climate Smart Agriculture. These forms of interventions
contributed to better teaching farming practices that led to sustainable
agriculture.
PM seeks more IRRI support to boost rice
production in Bangladesh
· UNB NEWS
· PUBLISH DATE - MARCH 21,
2019, 03:35 PM
· UNB NEWS - UNB NEWS
· 154 VIEWS
· UPDATE DATE - MARCH 21,
2019, 05:23 PM
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina
speaks with IRRI Director General Dr Matthew Morell at her office in Dhaka on
Thursday, Mar 21, 2019. Photo: PID
Dhaka,
Mar 21 (UNB) – Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday urged the International
Rice Research Institute (IRRI) to strengthen collaboration with Bangladesh Rice
Research Institute (BRRI) for increasing rice production in the country.
She
made the call when IRRI Director General Dr Matthew Morell met her at the Prime
Minister’s Office.
PM's
Speech Writer Md Nazrul Islam briefed reporters after the meeting.
The
Prime Minister stressed the need for strengthening research works to invent
saline-, cold- and draught-tolerant varieties of rice on a large scale, and
improve deep water rice varieties.
She
emphasised increasing the production capacity of rice in the country
continuously as the arable land is declining.
“Our
farmers are very smart and quick learners. They can easily adopt technology,”
Nazrul quoted the Prime Minister as saying.
Talking
about crop pattern, she said Bangladesh cultivates wheat, maize, pulse and
other crops in the northern region, which need less water.
Hasina
asked the authorities concerned to take steps to boost rice production in the
southern region.
She
stressed the need for increasing the use of surface water reducing dependence
on underground water for irrigation to protect the environment. So, the
country’s water bodies, including rivers, canals and beels, are being
re-excavated for irrigation, she added.
The
Prime Minister appreciated the existing collaboration between the IRRI and
BRRI.
The
IRRI Director General said IRRI is keen to take a collaborative programme with
BRRI to increase rice production in Bangladesh.
Raising
a 14-point action plan designed by IRRI under the collaborative programme, he
said if the action plan can be implemented, Bangladesh will be able to go on
high growth in rice production and sustain the country’s food security.
The
action plans include increasing production in Aush areas, inventing varieties
of Aman crops, increasing Boro production overcoming stagnancy, making hybrid
rice suitable for local environment through research and introducing nutritious
and healthy rice in Bangladesh.
The
other action plans include inventing cold-tolerant Boro variety for Haor areas
protecting crops from flashflood, working on saline-tolerant varieties
for coastal areas, overcoming harvesting and seed problems, enhancing
mechanisation to reduce production cost, inventing climate changes-resistant
varieties, shifting cropping pattern of the northern region to the southern
regions and quacking dissemination of technology to farmers.
Dr
Matthew said IRRI is interested to work on this action plans in a partnership
with BRRI.
The
Prime Minister appreciated the action plan.
Agriculture Minister Dr Md Abdur
Razzaque, Prime Minister’s International Affairs Advisor Dr Gowhar Rizvi,
Agriculture secretary Md Nasiurzzaman ,
and PMO secretary Sajjadul Hassan were present.
and PMO secretary Sajjadul Hassan were present.
BRRI
Director General Dr Md Shahjahan Kabir, IRRI representative for South Asia
DrNafeesMeah and IRRI representative for Bangladesh DrHumnathBhandari were
present at the meeting.
The
IRRI is an independent, non-profit, research institute founded in 1960. The
Philippines-based institute has offices in 17 rice-growing countries, including
Bangladesh in Asia and Africa.
http://unb.com.bd/category/Bangladesh/pm-seeks-more-irri-support-to-boost-rice-production-in-bangladesh/15003
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