Basmati Rice industry expected to achieve highest ever exports
in FY19 and FY20: ICRA
The momentum of the current fiscal is likely to percolate into the
next fiscal, FY20 as well with the expectation of 4-5% growth in exports, given
the high base, as per ICRA. The Indian Basmati rice industry is on the verge of
clocking its highest ever exports of around Rs30,000cr in FY19 (previous high
of Rs29,300cr in FY14). The growth has been fuelled by considerable firming up
of average realisations, strong demand from Iran and steady increase in paddy
prices for three years in a row. As per an ICRA note, the momentum of the
current fiscal is likely to percolate into the next fiscal, FY20 as well with
expectation of 4-5% growth in exports, given the high base. Deepak Jotwani,
Assistant Vice President, ICRA, says, “It is important to note that this growth
has been despite some challenges that surfaced during FY19 - pesticide residue
issue leading to a decline in exports to European Union (EU), Saudi Arabia
mulling adoption of stringent pesticide rules, payment issues from some Iranian
importers and uncertainty due to imposition of trade sanctions on Iran by the
US Government. The stringent pesticide norms by EU led to loss of exports worth
around Rs1,000cr in 9MFY19, and the same could exacerbate going forward.
Nevertheless, the fact that EU contributed around 8% to the exports till FY18,
allowed for the loss to be compensated by exports to the Middle Eastern
countries”. “Further, the industry has been able to tide through most of the
other issues, as demonstrated by the steady increase in exports to Saudi Arabia
and the establishment of the rupee payment mechanism to facilitate future trade
between India and Iran, its prime market for Basmati exports. However, overall,
tightening of pesticide residue norms by key importers could be a long-term
risk for the industry,” Deepak Jotwani added. Continuing the momentum from
FY18, India has already exported Basmati rice worth Rs24,919cr (3.37 million
MT) in 10M FY19, 17% higher than Rs21,319cr (3.28 million MT) in the
corresponding period in the previous fiscal. Like the previous fiscal, growth
in the current fiscal too has been driven by firming up of average export
realisations (14%), while the volumes have only been marginally higher (2%).
Over the next few quarters, demand in the export market is likely to remain
steady (also supported by resumption of imports by Iran), thereby driving the
industry exports in FY19 to the highest ever level of almost Rs30,000cr. As per
ICRA, the average export realisations have firmed up to Rs74,053/MT in 10MFY19,
against Rs64,997/MT in 10MFY18, on the back of multiple factors namely increase
in paddy prices over the previous and current year’s procurement season,
aggressive buying by Iran in the first half of the fiscal due to the
uncertainty at that time regarding imposition of US trade sanctions and its
impact on trade between India and Iran; and depreciation of the rupee against
the USD. Basmati paddy prices have been on an increase for two years (FY17
& FY18) in a row. In the current fiscal as well, basmati production has
been lower by around 5%, attributable to some decline in area under cultivation
as some farmers shifted to non-basmati due to a considerable increase in its
Minimum Support Price; and some loss of the standing crop due to untimely
rainfall in some of the key Basmati rice-growing states. Consequently, paddy
prices have firmed up by 10-15% across varieties, third year in a row. Hike in
Basmati rice average realisations is likely to sustain in H1 FY20, given the
increase in paddy costs in the recently concluded procurement season and steady
international as well as domestic demand outlook. “However, the strong growth
in the current fiscal also foretells the need to be cautious. The inventory
funding requirements of the industry have been increasing thereby accentuating
price risk. In such a scenario, minor dip in international demand, especially
given high concentration in one country for almost a third of the total
exports, renders the industry vulnerable to some extent. The industry may be at
the peak of the paddy price cycle, which was last witnessed in FY14 before the
prices corrected sharply. Industry participants would need to be cautious about
this and be prudent with their inventory holding,” Jotwani concludes.
Ensuring Brunei has enough rice
The launching of Brunei’s biggest
commercial paddy field later this year combined with higher yielding varieties
of paddy are expected to help the country meet its rice self-sufficiency target
in 2020. The sultanate is embarking on a concerted effort to reach its rice
self-sufficiency target of 11 percent by 2020 and wean itself off imports from
Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam – which make up around 30,000 tonnes annually.
Once a thriving industry, Brunei’s rice farmers only produced 1,526
metric tonnes in 2017 – which accounted for 4.7 percent of national
self-sufficiency. The percentage was 4.6 in 2016 and six percent in 2015, far
behind its self-sufficiency numbers in other agricultural sectors such as
vegetables and meat.
During a Legislative Council session earlier this month, Brunei's
Minister of Primary Resources and Tourism said that while the country is almost
self-sufficient in poultry and eggs, he admitted that reliance on foreign rice
is still high. The country’s Legislative Council serves as its annual
parliament and meets once a year in March to discuss national issues as well as
review and finalise policies and budgets.
The 11 percent target for 2020 is a marked decrease from the
original 20 percent target. Last year, the Ministry of Primary Resources and
Tourism said it wanted local rice farmers to produce 7,700 metric tonnes by
2020 – which would have marked 22 percent self-sufficiency. Previously, the
target was set at an ambitious 60 percent by 2015 – but the final figure was
only four percent.
Source: Department of Agriculture and Agrifood, Brunei
More land, better yield Brunei’s low rice production should be set to change once a
500-hectare plot set aside in the Belait district gets off the ground in
October and becomes the country’s largest commercial paddy field. According to
local media reports, two other new sites in the Brunei Muara district are also
expected to boost the total land area reserved for rice cultivation. New
strains of paddy will also help Brunei meet its target, as will upgrades and
expansions of dams and other projects to improve irrigation and drainage systems
which were recently announced.
Brunei’s Department of Agriculture and Agrifood (DAA) jointly
developed a strain called Sembada (188) with Indonesia’s Biogene Plantation
with a yield of six metric tonnes per hectare; nearly twice that of current
local varieties. First planted last October, it was harvested last month. Final
figures of its yield are still unconfirmed, but there are plans underway to
plant the new strain across the country. Another hybrid, titith, is a tie-up
with a Myanmar firm and is expected to produce eight metric tonnes per
hectare. Work is also being done with research institutes from China and
the Philippines to produce higher yielding varieties and to maximise land
utilisation. Last year, the Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism said it
was working to develop a strain which would yield 12 tonnes per hectare which
if successfully planted, would see the country meet 30 percent of its rice
needs. 
Source: Department of Agriculture and Agrifood, Brunei
Rice self-sufficiency not always an issue In 1974, Brunei produced 37.5 percent of the rice it
consumed – 6,348 tonnes. However, a rise in cheaper imports and a population
surge led to the slow downfall of the local rice industry, and four years
later, Brunei’s rice self-sufficiency stood at just 13.7 percent. Combined with
more stable – and less laborious – jobs in the civil sector and burgeoning oil
and gas industry, the country’s rice fields soon began to turn fallow.
Authorities are looking to revive the rice industry, and last year, set aside US$4 million for the national rice
production programme to pay for subsidises for seeds, equipment, fertilizers
and pesticides. An additional US$30 million was also available through the
National Development Plan.
Brunei’s agriculture sector is growing and it recorded US$322
million in revenue in 2018 – a 19 percent increase from 2015. The country
currently has 47 percent self-sufficiency in vegetables, 37 percent in fruits
and 30 percent in meat, proving that the country has the potential to secure
its national food supply. Increased research in higher yielding varieties and
other issues which affect Brunei’s paddy farmers such as soil acidity,
fertility, irrigation, and unpredictable weather will ensure the country’s rice industry is on the right
track. Partnerships with existing industry players that are experienced
in paddy cultivation, sustained government support, implementation of latest technologies and timely investments from private stakeholders will be
just as crucial in helping Brunei meet its self-sufficiency target.
Indian basmati rice industry to clock its highest export ever
The growth has been fuelled by considerable firming up of average
realisations, strong demand from Iran and steady increase in paddy prices for
three years in a row. The Indian basmati rice industry is on the verge of
clocking its highest ever exports of around Rs. 30,000 crore in FY2019
(previous high of Rs. 29,300 crore in FY2014), according to an ICRANSE -0.01 %
report released on Wednesday.
Date: 28-Mar-2019
Non – Basmati rice export come to a standstill
The renewed scheme was expected to include non-basmati rice from
husked brown rice, parboiled rice and broken rice.
New Delhi: Exports of non-basmati rice from India have come
to a standstill, with the government yet to renew a 5% benefit to exporters
under the Merchandise Exports from India Scheme, traders said.
Read more at: //economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/68608190.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst
Read more at: //economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/68608190.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst
Date: 28-Mar-2019
Rice tariff law
IRR could be ready next week
March 27, 2019 | 10:07 pm
INTERAKSYON
THE National Economic and
Development Authority (NEDA) said Wednesday that it targets to approve “next
week” the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the Rice Tariffication
Act submitted by the National Food Authority (NFA) Council.
In a phone message to BusinessWorld,
NEDA Undersecretary Rosemarie G. Edillon said: “The intent is to have it
approved next week.”
The NFA Council submitted to NEDA
the amended IRR on March 5, the first day of the law’s implementation.
Asked about the changes made to
the revised IRR, NEDA Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia said in a phone message:
“Nothing substantive.”
Mercedita A. Sombilla, NEDA
Assistant Secretary, said in a phone message that the specific timeline was to
release it by “Friday.”
In a chance interview at the
Palace, Finance Assistant Secretary and Spokesperson Antonio Joselito Lambino
II told BusinessWorld, when asked for an update about the
IRR: “Umiikot na for signatures… (It’s circulating for
signature) It was approved in principle at the last NFA Council Meeting.”
He also said he “hopes” that the
IRR will be approved next week.”
Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F.
PiƱol has said that the draft IRR has a provision that permits the continuous
sale of rice by the NFA at prices to be determined by the NFA Council, provided
that such sales do not cause the NFA to lose money.
In a phone interview on March 5,
Ms. Edillon said the agency was going to “check the reasons for the policy,
(and) if it supports the bottomline objective which is to improve the rice
trading regime.”
President Rodrigo R. Duterte
signed into law the rice tariffication measure last month. The new law
liberalizes the import process for rice while taking away the NFA’s role in
importing. — Arjay L. Balinbin
Price of Rice
to Fall More Steeply from April
Write: 2019-03-27 17:12:23/Update: 2019-03-27 17:12:59
Photo : YONHAP News
The price of rice is expected to fall
significantly due to an increase in supply.
The Korea Rural Economic Institute on Wednesday forecast the price of rice will drop at a steeper pace from next month than in recent months and will dip below 190-thousand won per 80 kilograms in May.
The price of the staple grain moved upward last year as production hit the lowest level in 38 years. But prices began to decline after the government released 50-thousand tons of rice to the market in November.
The expected steeper price is attributed to mounting pressure on farmers to sell rice quickly this year.
The Korea Rural Economic Institute on Wednesday forecast the price of rice will drop at a steeper pace from next month than in recent months and will dip below 190-thousand won per 80 kilograms in May.
The price of the staple grain moved upward last year as production hit the lowest level in 38 years. But prices began to decline after the government released 50-thousand tons of rice to the market in November.
The expected steeper price is attributed to mounting pressure on farmers to sell rice quickly this year.
Palay prices
continue to decline in first month of rice tariff law
March 27, 2019 | 10:07 pm
PHILSTAR
THE average farmgate price of
palay, or unmilled rice, continued to fall as the rice tariffication law came
into force, with prices in the second week of March falling 1.91% week-on-week
to P19.03 per kilogram.
According to Philippine
Statistics Authority (PSA), the average wholesale price of well-milled rice
fell 0.78% week-on-week to P40.79 per kg. The average retail price also fell
0.07% from a week earlier to P44.42 per kg.
The average price of regular
milled rice, at wholesale, fell 0.74% week-on-week to P37.31 per kg. The
average retail price declined 0.49% from a week earlier to P40.40 per kg.
The average farmgate price of
yellow corn grain rose 1.02% week-on-week to P13.84 per kg. The average
wholesale price fell 0.11% from a week earlier to P18.37 per kg.
The average retail price of
yellow corn grain fell 1.72% week-on-week to P23.99 per kg.
The average farmgate of white
corn grain rose 0.95% from a week earlier to P14.94 per kg.
The average wholesale price rose
1.18% week-on-week to P21.38 per kg.
At retail, the average price rose
0.71% from a week earlier to P28.52 per kg. — Reicelene Joy N. Ignacio
PHL to see
benefits of rice trade law in 2 years–report
-
March 27, 2019
A worker at the National Food Authority (NFA) sweeps the rice
grains at their warehouse in FTI, Taguig City.
The Philippines will feel the
impact of the rice trade liberalization law two years after its effectivity,
with the poor benefiting from the anticipated influx of cheap imports,
according to the latest Global Agricultural Information Network (Gain) report.
However, the Gain report noted
that the benefits will only be realized if the government would implement
Republic Act (RA) 11203 without any “impediments.” A previous Gain report
indicated that the government may face lawsuits due to farmers’ dismay over the
new law.
“The effects of RA 11203 are
expected to be more pronounced in the next two to three years, and will largely
depend on how effectively the interventions are implemented and how efficiently
the bureaucracy transitions to liberalized rice trade,” the report, which was
published on Tuesday, read.
The Gain report, prepared by the
US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Foreign Agricultural Service in Manila,
noted that Philippine rice consumption would increase on the back of more
available and affordable supply.
Philippine rice consumption,
which accounts for 45 percent of the average Filipino’s calorie intake, in
marketing year 2019-2020 would increase by 150,00 metric tons (MT) to 13.8 MMT
from 13.65 MMT in the current marketing year 2018-2019.
The Philippine rice marketing
year begins in July and ends in June of the following year.
“Actual rice consumption has been
flat in recent years, although demand is expected to increase modestly in two
to three years as the effects of rice import liberalization become more
apparent [i.e., increased imports resulting in lower rice prices],” the report read.
“Average rice consumption
accounts for about 20 percent of a household’s budget. This may go higher by as
much as 30 percent for the bottom 30 percent of Filipino families, according to
industry,” it added.
The USDA projected earlier that
the opening up of the Philippine rice market could push its imports this year
to a record high 2.6 million metric tons (MMT), making the country the
second-largest buyer of the staple since the 2008 rice price crisis.
In its monthly grains report, the
USDA said rice exports to the Philippines would expand by 4 percent to 2.6 MMT,
from the estimated volume of 2.5 MMT in 2018.
The USDA also revised upward its
February forecast for Philippine rice imports in 2019 from 2.3 MMT to 2.6 MMT.
The USDA attributed the hike in imports
to the implementation of the rice trade liberalization law, paving the way for
a new trade regime for the Philippines.
Under the law, importers would
just have to secure a sanitary and phytosanitary import-clearance from the
Bureau of Plant and Industry prior to shipment arrivals. The law also
deregulated the National Food Authority (NFA), removing its power over rice
trade in the country.
“As a result of this legislation,
higher rice imports are expected from nearby Association of Southeast Asian Nations
member-countries, with their relative low cost and preferential access to the
Philippines,” the USDA said.
“[The 2.6-million metric ton
import volume] is a record not seen since the international price spike in 2008
and would make the Philippines the second-largest global importer in 2019,” it
added.
Government data submitted to the
World Trade Organization indicated that this could be the biggest volume of
rice to be imported by the Philippines in history, overshadowing the volume it
purchased in 2008.
In 2008, the Philippines imported
2.39 MMT of rice, with 2.297 MMT of the total volume being bought by the NFA;
while in 2010, the country purchased 2.369 MMT.
VN sees rice export opportunity
to Egypt
Update: March, 27/2019 -
09:00
|
Vietnamese rice shipments have stayed in good
shape from the beginning of March thanks to the robust demand from Iraq,
Malaysia, Cuba and China. — Photo vneconomy.vn
|
HĆ Nį»I —
Vietnamese enterprises see a chance to export 20,000 tonnes of rice to Egypt,
according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s Import-Export Department.The department said that it had received a tender notice from the Egyptian Ministry of Supply and Internal Trade. Under the tender notice, the minimum amount is 20,000 tonnes of rice (± 10 per cent). The type of rice required is short- and medium-grain white rice with 10-12 per cent broken rice.
The rice must be harvested in the last crop of 2018 and meet Egypt’s requirements. The volume of rice will be shipped to Egypt in two phases, from June 1-15 and from June 16-30, 2019.
The time for bidding is March 30 (before 12:00) and the offer is valid until April 30 (18:00 local time).The Import-Export Department said that this is a big opportunity for Vietnamese enterprises to boost rice export to this market. The department advised the businesses to pay attention to the quality of rice to create trust among customers.
On the management side, the Ministry of Industry and Trade will coordinate with ministries, branches and localities to focus on trade promotion and seeking new markets.
According to the Vietnam Food Association (VFA), Vietnamese rice shipments have remained 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 Viį»t Nam. Exporters expect to ship some 300,000 tonnes to the Middle Eastern 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 five per cent 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. 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, Viet Nam supplied more than 113,000 tonnes for the East Asian market through the TRQs.
In late 2018, Egypt agreed to import one million tonnes of white rice from Viį»t Nam in the next three to four months after it reduced the area for the cultivation of the grain due to a lack of water. — VNS
Rice demand from China declines, causing concern among farmers
VietNamNet Bridge - China’s role as a big rice
importer of Vietnam’s rice is changing dramatically, sparking concern among
farmers.
Last update 19:00 | 27/03/2019
The General Department of Customs
(GDC) reported that Vietnam exported 712,000 tons of rice in the first two
months of 2019, with export turnover of $311 million, decreasing by 14.4
percent in quantity and 23.6 percent in value compared with the same period
last year.
China, which had always been the biggest buyer of Vietnam’s rice over many years, consuming 35-40 percent of Vietnam’s total exports, has fallen from the No 1 position.
The country bought 9,500 tons of rice from Vietnam in the first two months of the year, worth $4.5 million, a sharp fall of 95.14 percent in quantity and 95.48 percent in value.
The Philippines has become the biggest importer of Vietnam rice with 315,000 tons having imported so far this year, valued at $125 million, an increase of 80.92 percent in quantity and 60.63 percent in value. The second position belongs to the Ivory Coast, with 65,000 tons and $30 million.
Meanwhile, Malaysia is now in the third position with 38,000 tons and $17.6 million, and Hong Kong, Ghana and Singapore are fourth, fifth and sixth.
China, which had always been the biggest buyer of Vietnam’s rice over many years, consuming 35-40 percent of Vietnam’s total exports, has fallen from the No 1 position.
The country bought 9,500 tons of rice from Vietnam in the first two months of the year, worth $4.5 million, a sharp fall of 95.14 percent in quantity and 95.48 percent in value.
The Philippines has become the biggest importer of Vietnam rice with 315,000 tons having imported so far this year, valued at $125 million, an increase of 80.92 percent in quantity and 60.63 percent in value. The second position belongs to the Ivory Coast, with 65,000 tons and $30 million.
Meanwhile, Malaysia is now in the third position with 38,000 tons and $17.6 million, and Hong Kong, Ghana and Singapore are fourth, fifth and sixth.
|
The Philippines has become the
biggest importer of Vietnam rice with 315,000 tons having imported so far
this year, valued at $125 million, an increase of 80.92 percent in quantity
and 60.63 percent in value. The second position belongs to the Ivory Coast,
with 65,000 tons and $30 million.
|
The decrease in rice exports to
China was anticipated as the Chinese government has begun applying new
policies, including higher tax imposition and tightening of imports across
border gates.
Nguyen Van Don, director of Viet Hung Co Ltd, said China warned in advance that it would tighten control over imports from Vietnam and ASEAN countries.
In order to export rice products to China, Vietnam’s enterprises must satisfy many technical and administrative requirements. Samples of export products must be tested at Chinese facilities, while the labels on products must include information about product origin as per international practice.
In 2017, Chinese agencies granted licenses to 22 Vietnam’s enterprises, allowing them to export rice to the country through official channels. However, in order to obtain visas to the Chinese market, exporters have to satisfy many other requirements.
All the consignments of exports must be examined and the production progress must be controlled by Chinese agencies, from growing areas and production factories to storehouses and sterilization.
However, rice exporters have regained optimism this year. The Vietnam Food Association (VFA) said more orders have come. Vietnam signed a contract on selling 120,000 tons of rice to Iraq, while Malaysian Bernas has ordered 25,000 tons of white 5 percent broken rice from Vinafood 1. Vietnamese exporters are negotiating with importers from the Philippines and China.
Nguyen Van Don, director of Viet Hung Co Ltd, said China warned in advance that it would tighten control over imports from Vietnam and ASEAN countries.
In order to export rice products to China, Vietnam’s enterprises must satisfy many technical and administrative requirements. Samples of export products must be tested at Chinese facilities, while the labels on products must include information about product origin as per international practice.
In 2017, Chinese agencies granted licenses to 22 Vietnam’s enterprises, allowing them to export rice to the country through official channels. However, in order to obtain visas to the Chinese market, exporters have to satisfy many other requirements.
All the consignments of exports must be examined and the production progress must be controlled by Chinese agencies, from growing areas and production factories to storehouses and sterilization.
However, rice exporters have regained optimism this year. The Vietnam Food Association (VFA) said more orders have come. Vietnam signed a contract on selling 120,000 tons of rice to Iraq, while Malaysian Bernas has ordered 25,000 tons of white 5 percent broken rice from Vinafood 1. Vietnamese exporters are negotiating with importers from the Philippines and China.
Rice cultivation: Balance of
phosphorus and nitrogen determines growth and yield
March 27,
2019, University of Cologne
Credit: CC0 Public Domain
In the future, a newly discovered
mechanism in control of plant nutrition could help to achieve higher harvests
in a sustainable way. Scientists from the Institute of Genetics and
Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing (China) discovered
this mechanism in their research on Asian rice in collaboration with Professor
Dr. Stanislav Kopriva from the University of Cologne's Botanical Institute and
the Cluster of Excellence CEPLAS. The balance between nitrogen (N) and
phosphorus (P) is decisive for crop yield. Both nutrients, which the plant
absorbs from the soil through its roots, interact more strongly with each other
than previously known. The study 'Nitrate-NRT1.1B-SPX4 cascade integrates
nitrogen and phosphorus signalling networks in plants' has now appeared in the
journal Nature Plants.
Kopriva said: 'For healthy and
optimal growth, all living beings need a good balance of minerals. However, we
know very little about how plants achieve this
balance.' His colleagues in Beijing had observed that the addition of phosphate
only had a positive effect on
plant growth and yield if a sufficient amount of nitrogen was also available in
the soil. 'Together, we have now discovered the mechanism by which nitrogen
controls the absorption of phosphate', Kopriva remarked.
A detailed analysis at the molecular
level revealed an entire signalling
chain that the plant sets in motion—from the sensor that recognizes nitrate
quantities to factors that enable the synthesis of the so-called transporters
that carry the phosphate into the plant. Kopriva explained: 'Although most of
the components were already known individually, it was only through this work
that they were brought together into a signalling pathway. This gives us a
completely new understanding of how to control plant nutrition. In addition, it
enables specific manipulations to either couple the uptake of both nutrients
more closely or to separate them from each other—depending on how nutrient-rich
the soil on which the rice grows is.'
Professor Dr. Stanislav Kopriva
from the Botanical Institute of the University of Cologne is co-speaker of the
Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences CEPLAS at the Universities of
DĆ¼sseldorf and Cologne, which is funded by the Excellence Strategy of the
German Federal Government and the Laender. CEPLAS wants to develop basic
knowledge about 'SMART Plants for Tomorrow's Needs'.
Explore further: The sense of water—and nitrogen: Studies uncover genome-wide
responses that limit crop growth
More information: Bin Hu et al, Nitrate–NRT1.1B–SPX4 cascade integrates
nitrogen and phosphorus signalling networks in plants, Nature Plants (2019). DOI: 10.1038/s41477-019-0384-1
NRRI develops
nine new paddy varieties
The
scientists of National Rice Research Institute (NRRI), here have developed nine
new varieties of high yielding paddy suitable for farmers across the country.
Published: 27th
March 2019 06:28 AM | Last Updated: 27th March 2019
05:55 PM |
CR Dhan 802
(Subhas) at dough stage
CUTTACK: The scientists of National Rice
Research Institute (NRRI), here have developed nine new varieties of high
yielding paddy suitable for farmers across the country.
Among these, two climate smart varieties CR Dhan 801 and CR Dhan 802 with in-built drought and submergence stresses tolerance are unique and first in rice research, said Dr SK Pradhan, Principal Scientist of the Institute.
Among these, two climate smart varieties CR Dhan 801 and CR Dhan 802 with in-built drought and submergence stresses tolerance are unique and first in rice research, said Dr SK Pradhan, Principal Scientist of the Institute.
Submergence tolerance quantitative trait loci
(QTL), Sub1 and drought yield QTLs, qDTY1.1, qDTY2.1, and qDTY3.1 are stacked
in the background of Swarna variety through marker-assisted backcross breeding,
said Dr Pradhan.
While CR Dhan 801 has been recommended for
cultivation in Odisha, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Uttar
Pradesh, CR Dhan 802 has been recommended for the farmers of Bihar and Madhya
Pradesh.
As per the suggestion of the last Standing
Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture, CR Dhan 802 has been christened
‘Subhas’ after Cuttack-born freedom fighter Subhas Bose.
With water becoming a scarce commodity, two other varieties of paddy have been released for water limiting areas. While CR Dhan 204 is for Jharkhand and Tamil Nadu, CR Dhan 205 is for Odisha, Punjab, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. These two varieties are early maturing type and require considerably less water than irrigated rice, said Dr Pradhan.
With water becoming a scarce commodity, two other varieties of paddy have been released for water limiting areas. While CR Dhan 204 is for Jharkhand and Tamil Nadu, CR Dhan 205 is for Odisha, Punjab, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. These two varieties are early maturing type and require considerably less water than irrigated rice, said Dr Pradhan.
The Institute has developed three varieties
for irrigated ecology. CR Dhan 306 matures in 130-135 days while CR Dhan 309 is
a long slender grained type variety with maturity duration of 125 days. CR Dhan
311 is a specialty type of rice containing more protein and zinc in the grain.
This variety matures in 125 days, he informed.
The other two newly developed varieties of
paddy CR Dhan 510 and CR Dhan 511 which mature in 160 days have been
recommended for water logged semi-deep water ecology of Odisha and West Bengal,
the Principal Scientist said.
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Copernicus Programme: Easy access
alternative technology in the Philippines
The Philippines, as well as all other countries, stands to
benefit from reliable monitoring of its natural and urban environment.
The El NiƱo phenomenon, unpredictable weather patterns, road traffic
conditions, ocean’s parameters and the state of natural forests – all these and
more can easily be monitored and accessed through the Copernicus Programme of
the European Union.
What is the Copernicus Programme? It is a programme which offers
a high-speed performance and efficient operational infrastructure to monitor
natural and urban environment, to perform complex data analysis, to simulate
future impact scenarios, and to make informed decisions. It has seven
sentinel satellites that capture high-quality data which can yield over 16
terabyte of high-quality full, free and open earth observation data per day.
The sensors on the Copernicus’ sentinel satellites can determine
features down to 5 to 10m which means that even though one cannot see every
tree or small building, it is accurate enough to give a mapping of areas such
as the whole of the Philippines, for example.
To top all these, this technology offers its data for free; it
is readily available and easily accessible. Therefore it is extremely useful in
land and atmospheric monitoring, marine and maritime environment monitoring,
climate change and emergency civil protection and security. It serves as a
useful tool for research, development and application
expertise.
To introduce the Copernicus programme in the Philippines, the EU
Delegation to the Philippines held the “National Conference on Copernicus
Systems and Applications” for the first time on March 11.
The conference gathered about 100 scientists, technologists,
environment and urban planners, local government workers and businesspeople.
The presence of Deputy Director General of the National Security
Council Vicente Agdamag who represented Security Adviser Hermogenes
Esperon; Science and Technology Undersecretary Renato Solidum; technical
experts Dr. Alice Laborte from the International Rice Research Institute and
Paolo Corradi from the European Space Agency, among others, reflected the
enthusiasm of various organisations in technology and research. Initial
feedback following the conference was encouraging. There was a high-level of interest
expressed in vulnerability mapping particularly in poverty and gender issues;
marine plastic waste; agriculture; urban planning and atmospheric pollution
warnings.
As far as usage in the region is concerned, the International
Rice Research Institute has been utilizing this technology in crop monitoring,
health and disease control and rice yield impact scenarios under climate
change. As a result of this, Copernicus has been able to aid in coming up with
a food security system across the region.
And as if these are not enough, Copernicus is also able to make
use of open street emergency mapping and can therefore be very vital in the
event of disasters such as typhoons and in the event of drought. The
technology is able to model and visualise available water resources capacity,
monitor pollution sources and movements, land and water management reserves,
determining upcoming rainfalls, temperature variations and predict pathways of
marine litter to aid in decision-making.
The functions of Copernicus are certainly endless and its
applications can be tailored to the needs of specific users. Building on the
foundations of deeply-rooted scientific knowledge and on decades of EU
investment in research and technological development, Copernicus is exemplary of
European strategic cooperation in space research and development. Since
2014, it has invested €9.6 billion in the programme with an
additional €5.8 billion allocation proposed for 2021 to 2027.
Copernicus may not provide an ultimate solution to all of the
global challenges but it is certainly one big step that every sector should
consider in land and atmosphere monitoring, emergency management, climate
change service, marine environment monitoring and security services. The
European Union Delegation to the Philippines would be delighted if the
Philippines will take a serious and closer look at what the Copernicus
Programme has to offer.
Indian basmati rice industry to
clock its highest export ever
The growth has been fuelled by considerable
firming up of average realisations, strong demand from Iran and steady increase
in paddy prices for three years in a row.
Mar 27, 2019, 01.01 PM IST
Basmati paddy prices have been on an increase
for two years (FY2017 & FY2018) in a row.
The Indian
basmati rice
industry is on the verge of clocking its highest ever exports of around Rs.
30,000 crore in FY2019 (previous high of Rs. 29,300 crore in FY2014), according
to an ICRA report released on Wednesday.
The growth has been fuelled by considerable firming up of average realisations, strong demand from Iran and steady increase in paddy prices for three years in a row. As per an ICRA note, the momentum of the current fiscal is likely to percolate into the next fiscal, FY2020 as well with expectation of 4-5% growth in exports, given the high base.
Elaborating further, Mr. Deepak Jotwani, Assistant Vice President, ICRA, says, “It is important to note that this growth has been despite some challenges that surfaced during FY2019 - pesticide residue issue leading to a decline in exports to European Union (EU), Saudi Arabia mulling adoption of stringent pesticide rules, payment issues from some Iranian importers and uncertainty due to imposition of trade sanctions on Iran by the US Government. The stringent pesticide norms by EU led to loss of exports worth around Rs. 1,000 crore in 9MFY2019, and the same could exacerbate going forward. Nevertheless, the fact that EU contributed around 8% to the exports till FY2018, allowed for the loss to be compensated by exports to the Middle Eastern countries. Further, the industry has been able to tide through most of the other issues, as demonstrated by steady increase in exports to Saudi Arabia and establishment of the rupee payment mechanism to facilitate future trade between India and Iran, its prime market for Basmati exports. However, overall, tightening of pesticide residue norms by key importers could be a long-term risk for the industry.”
Continuing the momentum from FY2018, India has already exported Basmati rice worth Rs. 24,919 crore (3.37 million MT) in 10M FY2019, 17% higher than Rs. 21,319 crore (3.28 million MT) in the corresponding period in the previous fiscal. Like the previous fiscal, growth in the current fiscal too has been driven by firming up of average export realisations (14%), while the volumes have only been marginally higher (2%). Over the next few quarters, demand in the export market is likely to remain steady (also supported by resumption of imports by Iran), thereby driving the industry exports in FY2019 to the highest ever level of almost Rs. 30,000 crore.
As per ICRA, the average export realisations have firmed up to Rs. 74,053/MT in 10MFY2019, against Rs. 64,997/MT in 10MFY2018, on the back of multiple factors namely increase in paddy prices over the previous and current year’s procurement season, aggressive buying by Iran in the first half of the fiscal due to the uncertainty at that time regarding imposition of US trade sanctions and its impact on trade between India and Iran; and depreciation of the rupee against the USD.
Basmati paddy prices have been on an increase for two years (FY2017 & FY2018) in a row. In the current fiscal as well, basmati production has been lower by around 5%, attributable to some decline in area under cultivation as some farmers shifted to non-basmati due to a considerable increase in its Minimum Support Price; and some loss of the standing crop due to untimely rainfall in some of the key Basmati rice growing states. Consequently, paddy prices have firmed up by 10-15% across varieties, third year in a row. Hike in Basmati rice average realisations is likely to sustain in H1 FY2020, given the increase in paddy costs in the recently concluded procurement season and steady international as well as domestic demand outlook.
“However, the strong growth in the current fiscal also foretells the need to be cautious. The inventory funding requirements of the industry have been increasing thereby accentuating price risk. In such a scenario, minor dip in international demand, especially given high concentration on one country for almost a third of the total exports, renders the industry vulnerable to some extent. The industry may be at the peak of the paddy price cycle, which was last witnessed in FY2014 before the prices corrected sharply. Industry participants would need to be cautious about this and be prudent with their inventory holding,” concludes Mr. Jotwani.
The growth has been fuelled by considerable firming up of average realisations, strong demand from Iran and steady increase in paddy prices for three years in a row. As per an ICRA note, the momentum of the current fiscal is likely to percolate into the next fiscal, FY2020 as well with expectation of 4-5% growth in exports, given the high base.
Elaborating further, Mr. Deepak Jotwani, Assistant Vice President, ICRA, says, “It is important to note that this growth has been despite some challenges that surfaced during FY2019 - pesticide residue issue leading to a decline in exports to European Union (EU), Saudi Arabia mulling adoption of stringent pesticide rules, payment issues from some Iranian importers and uncertainty due to imposition of trade sanctions on Iran by the US Government. The stringent pesticide norms by EU led to loss of exports worth around Rs. 1,000 crore in 9MFY2019, and the same could exacerbate going forward. Nevertheless, the fact that EU contributed around 8% to the exports till FY2018, allowed for the loss to be compensated by exports to the Middle Eastern countries. Further, the industry has been able to tide through most of the other issues, as demonstrated by steady increase in exports to Saudi Arabia and establishment of the rupee payment mechanism to facilitate future trade between India and Iran, its prime market for Basmati exports. However, overall, tightening of pesticide residue norms by key importers could be a long-term risk for the industry.”
Continuing the momentum from FY2018, India has already exported Basmati rice worth Rs. 24,919 crore (3.37 million MT) in 10M FY2019, 17% higher than Rs. 21,319 crore (3.28 million MT) in the corresponding period in the previous fiscal. Like the previous fiscal, growth in the current fiscal too has been driven by firming up of average export realisations (14%), while the volumes have only been marginally higher (2%). Over the next few quarters, demand in the export market is likely to remain steady (also supported by resumption of imports by Iran), thereby driving the industry exports in FY2019 to the highest ever level of almost Rs. 30,000 crore.
As per ICRA, the average export realisations have firmed up to Rs. 74,053/MT in 10MFY2019, against Rs. 64,997/MT in 10MFY2018, on the back of multiple factors namely increase in paddy prices over the previous and current year’s procurement season, aggressive buying by Iran in the first half of the fiscal due to the uncertainty at that time regarding imposition of US trade sanctions and its impact on trade between India and Iran; and depreciation of the rupee against the USD.
Basmati paddy prices have been on an increase for two years (FY2017 & FY2018) in a row. In the current fiscal as well, basmati production has been lower by around 5%, attributable to some decline in area under cultivation as some farmers shifted to non-basmati due to a considerable increase in its Minimum Support Price; and some loss of the standing crop due to untimely rainfall in some of the key Basmati rice growing states. Consequently, paddy prices have firmed up by 10-15% across varieties, third year in a row. Hike in Basmati rice average realisations is likely to sustain in H1 FY2020, given the increase in paddy costs in the recently concluded procurement season and steady international as well as domestic demand outlook.
“However, the strong growth in the current fiscal also foretells the need to be cautious. The inventory funding requirements of the industry have been increasing thereby accentuating price risk. In such a scenario, minor dip in international demand, especially given high concentration on one country for almost a third of the total exports, renders the industry vulnerable to some extent. The industry may be at the peak of the paddy price cycle, which was last witnessed in FY2014 before the prices corrected sharply. Industry participants would need to be cautious about this and be prudent with their inventory holding,” concludes Mr. Jotwani.
Achieving water
security
DR. WILLIAM DAR
(second of two parts)
We never learn.
We never learn.
All the while we all knew that an
El NiƱo episode was coming this year and what did we do in advance? 
Almost nothing. Or absolutely
nothing.In contrast, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of
Vietnam as early as August last year issued a directive to rice farmers in the
Mekong River Delta (MRD) to adjust their planting calendar to avoid the impact
of salinity intrusion. The directive took into account climate-risk related
maps and adaptation plans covering the provinces comprising the MRD.
The article “Vietnam adopts
pre-emptive measures in the Mekong River Delta against El NiƱo” posted in the
CGIAR portal stated that rice farmers in the MRD have made adjustments to their
planting calendar, enabling them to avoid the adverse effects of the dry spell,
including seawater intrusion.
“Based on the reports of the 13
provincial DARDs (Departments of Agriculture and Rural Development), areas
planting earlier (November 2018) reached 802,702 hectares (from 174,538 ha in
2017) and a reduction in later planting (December to February) to 596,543 ha
(from 1,226,961 ha). This covers more than 600,000 ha, which enable the farmers
to avoid the adverse effects of salinity intrusion during winter-spring rice
planting season being exacerbated by the ongoing El NiƱo,” it stated.
Indeed, we never learn.
Indeed, we never learn.
In 2015-2016, the country
experienced one of the worst El NiƱo episodes that affected our agriculture
sector severely. And we chose to wallow in amnesia.
Eventually, we pay the price.
Rice imports are set to arrive
into the country as the Rice Tariffication Law has already been signed last
month. And rice farming has the highest water requirement among crops. So, this
is actually the worst time for smallholder rice farmers to be hit by El NiƱo,
as they will be facing competition from imports from Southeast Asian countries
like Vietnam.
I heard cloud seeding operations
are in the offing. But when the rains from the cloud seeding operations
arrive, where do we store the rainwater when our rainharvesting rate is an
anemic 4 percent?
Worse, heavy downpour will easily
wash away dried up top soil, affecting long-term crop productivity.
Now that another El NiƱo episode
is here, let us start learning lessons anew and make sure we don’t forget them.
More importantly, we should try new and innovative solutions and technologies
to help avoid water shortage not only during El NiƱo occurrences but also when
water is scarce, like the dry seasons.
Also, there were a lot discussed
during the National Water Summit (NWS) held on March 21 at the Novotel in
Cubao, Quezon City. I was the one who delivered the situationer and solutions
for Agriculture and Economics during the NWS, and I will discuss, among others,
part of those in this second installment.
The way forward
Groundwater extraction remains a
prevalent practice in many areas in the Philippines, which can be made
sustainable if aquifers are recharged during the rainy season.
Failure to recharge aquifers,
which is hardly done in this country, can lead to saltwater intrusion that can
make farming and inland fishery production impossible.
The areas in the country where
groundwater extraction is practiced and saltwater intrusion is happening are
Metro Manila and Bulacan, according to experts.
One good way to make our aquifers
healthy anew is through artificial recharging, which is not rocket science.
India is a country artificial recharging of aquifers is practiced with numerous
systems/models in place that can be easily duplicated in the Philippines.
We edo not even need foreign help
to develop artificial aquifer recharging systems, as local research
institutions and state colleges and universities (SCUs) can take the lead. The
most brilliant students of SCUs, particularly those that offer agriculture and
related courses, can even be mobilized design artificial aquifer
recharging systems for the local setting.
There is also a need to build
more cascading water catchment ponds in areas that host the large dams to help
promote more economic activities in the lowlands.
The prevalent practice today is
to simply unload all the excess water from the dams and let them flow out to
the seas, which results in almost zero economic benefits.
If there were cascading water
catchment ponds or systems in place, the excess water could be impounded or
stored to raise crops and fish and used to clean establishments, among others.
Flood control infrastructure
should also be designed in a way to promote economic activities, or the excess
water saved through encatchments or ponds, which also prevents the flooding of
lowland areas especially farmlands.
But for dams to have water, we
should invest in reforestation and watershed rehabilitation and desilting, so
the capacity of the dams will reach 100 percent and have enough water for
irrigation, household, industry and power generation. Illegal logging
operations, which is usually followed by slash-and-burn (kaingin) farming,
should be completely stopped.
As for irrigation, about 1.89
million ha are already covered under the National Irrigation System (NIS) of
the National Irrigation Administration (NIA). But the NIS only
functions at 40 percent from issues ranging from dilapidated structures to low water supply.
functions at 40 percent from issues ranging from dilapidated structures to low water supply.
Another 1.24 million ha need to
be placed under the NIS, and NIA cannot do it alone. So, it makes sense to
invite the private sector to invest in national irrigation systems following
the Build-Transfer mechanism. Solar-powered irrigation is OK, so as long as there
is water supply in our rivers and remain functional during the dry season.
For small water impounding
systems (SWIPs), the Bureau of Soils and Water Management should be given as
much as P10 billion from the current P1 billion to establish such systems.
SWIPs can also serve as water catchment systems linked to the big dams.
It is hard to write about all the
solutions that were discussed during the NWS, but the presentation of the NEDA
during the summit showed one thing — the country is already “water stressed.”
Should we wait until our water
resources run dry? As Benjamin Franklin said: “When the well is dry, we know
the worth of water.”
It is really time to learn lessons.
It is really time to learn lessons.
GIEWS Country
Brief: Bhutan 27-March-2019
REPORT
FOOD SECURITY SNAPSHOT 
·
Favourable prospects for 2019 minor winter crops
·
Aggregate cereal output in 2018 estimated above average
·
Cereal import requirements in 2018/19 marketing year (July/June)
forecast below average
·
Food insecurity conditions persist in most rural areas
Favourable prospects for 2019 minor winter crops
Production prospects for the 2019 minor wheat and barley winter crops, for harvest in June, are currently favourable. Near average and well-distributed rains since October 2018 have supported planting activities and early crop development. Recent remote sensing data exhibits favourable vegetation conditions throughout the country (see Vegetation Health Index map).
Production prospects for the 2019 minor wheat and barley winter crops, for harvest in June, are currently favourable. Near average and well-distributed rains since October 2018 have supported planting activities and early crop development. Recent remote sensing data exhibits favourable vegetation conditions throughout the country (see Vegetation Health Index map).
Aggregate cereal output in 2018 estimated above average
The 2018 cropping season was completed in November 2018 and aggregate cereal production, mostly rice and maize, is estimated at 187 100 tonnes, virtually unchanged from the above-average output in 2017. The 2018 paddy and maize outputs are estimated at 88 000 and 90 000 tonnes, respectively, reflecting higher yields supported by favourable weather conditions since May through October 2018 and near-average plantings. The output of other minor crops such as millet, barley and wheat, is estimated at near-average levels.
The 2018 cropping season was completed in November 2018 and aggregate cereal production, mostly rice and maize, is estimated at 187 100 tonnes, virtually unchanged from the above-average output in 2017. The 2018 paddy and maize outputs are estimated at 88 000 and 90 000 tonnes, respectively, reflecting higher yields supported by favourable weather conditions since May through October 2018 and near-average plantings. The output of other minor crops such as millet, barley and wheat, is estimated at near-average levels.
Cereal import requirements in 2018/19 forecast below average
The country relies heavily on imports to satisfy its domestic needs as local production covers only about two-thirds of the total national cereal consumption. In the 2018/19 marketing year (July/June), total cereal import requirements are forecast at 82 500 tonnes, 7 percent below the five-year average. The decrease mainly reflects a slowdown in rice imports, which are expected at 70 000 tonnes, 10 percent below the average, due to ample local availabilities from the bumper paddy output in 2018. By contrast, wheat import requirements are forecast at an average of 9 000 tonnes.
The country relies heavily on imports to satisfy its domestic needs as local production covers only about two-thirds of the total national cereal consumption. In the 2018/19 marketing year (July/June), total cereal import requirements are forecast at 82 500 tonnes, 7 percent below the five-year average. The decrease mainly reflects a slowdown in rice imports, which are expected at 70 000 tonnes, 10 percent below the average, due to ample local availabilities from the bumper paddy output in 2018. By contrast, wheat import requirements are forecast at an average of 9 000 tonnes.
Food insecurity conditions persist in most rural areas
Food insecurity persists mostly in rural areas, especially in eastern and southern parts of the country. According to the 2018 Country Strategic Plan of the World Food Programme (WFP), about 40 percent of the rural households rely on diets of poor quality, mainly due to inadequate access to the food markets.
Food insecurity persists mostly in rural areas, especially in eastern and southern parts of the country. According to the 2018 Country Strategic Plan of the World Food Programme (WFP), about 40 percent of the rural households rely on diets of poor quality, mainly due to inadequate access to the food markets.
Bangladesh’s rice production to increase to 34.7 tons: USDA
Staff Correspondent: United States Department of Agriculture
(USDA) in its report on Bangladesh said total rice area and production levels
are forecast to increase to 11.7 million hectares (HA) and 34.7 million metric
tons (MMT) respectively.The growth is due to a recovery from last year’s Boro and Aman crop losses and an expected higher price. The report is projected a time period between May of 2018 and April of 2019.
For, MY 2018/19, rice imports are forecast to fall to 0.8 MMT due to higher domestic production while assuming favorable weather conditions.
Wheat area and production in MY 2018/19 are forecast to increase to 370,000 HA and 1.18 MMT, assuming favorable prices and good weather. For MY 2018/19, wheat imports are forecast at 6.5 MMT because of further diversification in the food processing industry, and changing food habits of a growing population. In MY 2018/19 corn area and production are forecast at 448,000 HA and 3.5 MMT due to farmers’ interest in meeting an increasing demand in the animal feed sector.
As a result, corn imports in MY
2018/19 are forecast down to 1 MMT due to an expected increase in domestic
production.
Stubble burning menace
in Kuttanad
ALAPPUZHA, MARCH 27, 2019
23:42 IST
A paddy field set on fire in Kuttanad.
The practice, common in Punjab
and Haryana, is a major threat to environment
Paddy fields in Kuttanad, the rice bowl of Kerala, look black these days with some of them emitting plumes of
smoke. Relatively a new phenomenon in this part of the region, setting paddy
fields on fire after harvest by padashekhara samitis and farmers is emerging as
a major cause for concern.
It is posing serious health and environmental hazards. After the
harvest of the puncha crop (first crop) began last month in Kuttanad, Fire
Services and Rescue personnel and fire tenders have been pressed into action
several times after the blaze went out of control, threatening to engulf even
houses, life and property.
In Punjab or Haryana, residue burning is rampant after harvest,
resulting in heavy smog choking the region every year.
‘Unaware of danger’
This season, farmers have undertaken paddy cultivation in more
than 30,000 hectares in Alappuzha district, a major portion of which is in
Kuttanad. “The rampant burning of fields started only a few years ago. The
smoke from stubble contains carbon monoxide and other toxic chemicals, which
adversely affect human health and environment. However, the farmers are yet to
be aware of the dangers. In 2017, a farmer died after inhaling the smoke while
burning his field in the region,” says Jayan Champakulam, district convener,
Kerala Sasthra Sahithya Parishad environment subject committee.
In Kuttanad, the farmers are burning fields to destroy stubble,
to check the germination of weedy rice and prevent diseases, as part of
preparing their fields for the next crop season. They believe setting the
fields on fire will improve the soil fertility.
Experts, however, say the burning impacts the quality of soil as
it robs the soil of vital nutrients. “We are not recommending burning of
stubble. There was a time when Kerala Agricultural University recommended
burning of paddy straw following a pest attack. However, with global warming
and scientifically speaking, we can no more justify it,” a scientist at the
Rice Research Station, Moncompu, told The Hindu.
image: https://www.philstar.com/images/authors/1804639.jpg
The Philippines, as well as all other countries, stands to
benefit from reliable monitoring of its natural and urban environment.
The El NiƱo phenomenon, unpredictable weather patterns, road traffic
conditions, ocean’s parameters and the state of natural forests – all these and
more can easily be monitored and accessed through the Copernicus Programme of
the European Union.
What is the Copernicus Programme? It is a programme which offers
a high-speed performance and efficient operational infrastructure to monitor
natural and urban environment, to perform complex data analysis, to simulate
future impact scenarios, and to make informed decisions. It has seven
sentinel satellites that capture high-quality data which can yield over 16
terabyte of high-quality full, free and open earth observation data per day.
The sensors on the Copernicus’ sentinel satellites can determine
features down to 5 to 10m which means that even though one cannot see every
tree or small building, it is accurate enough to give a mapping of areas such
as the whole of the Philippines, for example.
To top all these, this technology offers its data for free; it
is readily available and easily accessible. Therefore it is extremely useful in
land and atmospheric monitoring, marine and maritime environment monitoring,
climate change and emergency civil protection and security. It serves as a
useful tool for research, development and application
expertise.
To introduce the Copernicus programme in the Philippines, the EU
Delegation to the Philippines held the “National Conference on Copernicus
Systems and Applications” for the first time on March 11.
The conference gathered about 100 scientists, technologists,
environment and urban planners, local government workers and
businesspeople.
The presence of Deputy Director General of the National Security
Council Vicente Agdamag who represented Security Adviser Hermogenes
Esperon; Science and Technology Undersecretary Renato Solidum; technical
experts Dr. Alice Laborte from the International Rice Research Institute and
Paolo Corradi from the European Space Agency, among others, reflected the
enthusiasm of various organisations in technology and research. Initial
feedback following the conference was encouraging. There was a high-level of
interest expressed in vulnerability mapping particularly in poverty and gender
issues; marine plastic waste; agriculture; urban planning and atmospheric
pollution warnings.
As far as usage in the region is concerned, the International
Rice Research Institute has been utilizing this technology in crop monitoring,
health and disease control and rice yield impact scenarios under climate
change. As a result of this, Copernicus has been able to aid in coming up with
a food security system across the region.
And as if these are not enough, Copernicus is also able to make use
of open street emergency mapping and can therefore be very vital in the event
of disasters such as typhoons and in the event of drought. The technology
is able to model and visualise available water resources capacity, monitor
pollution sources and movements, land and water management reserves,
determining upcoming rainfalls, temperature variations and predict pathways of
marine litter to aid in decision-making.
The functions of Copernicus are certainly endless and its
applications can be tailored to the needs of specific users. Building on the
foundations of deeply-rooted scientific knowledge and on decades of EU
investment in research and technological development, Copernicus is exemplary
of European strategic cooperation in space research and development.
Since 2014, it has invested €9.6 billion in the programme with an
additional €5.8 billion allocation proposed for 2021 to 2027.
Copernicus may not provide an ultimate solution to all of the
global challenges but it is certainly one big step that every sector should
consider in land and atmosphere monitoring, emergency management, climate
change service, marine environment monitoring and security services. The
European Union Delegation to the Philippines would be delighted if the
Philippines will take a serious and closer look at what the Copernicus
Programme has to offer.
Woman's Liver Damage Linked To Red Yeast Rice Supplement
Red yeast rice supplement can cause serious liver damage,
doctors warn. Levels of monacolin K, the active ingredient found in statin
medications, are typically unmeasured and unregulated in over-the-counter
supplements. ( National Center for Complementary and Integrative
Health )
Red yeast rice supplement can
cause liver damage, doctors warn. Organic supplements are typically unregulated
and may cause health risks to patients.
A 64-year-old woman presented to Henry Ford Health System in
Detroit, Michigan, with symptoms of liver damage. She was hesitant to take
statins, so she opted for over-the-counter red yeast rice supplement.
Case Brief
Lead researcher Lize Loubser
warned that natural supplements used as alternative to prescription drugs may
have unknown side effects. The dose of the active component can vary widely,
and it is typically unmeasured or unregulated.
The case report published in the BMJ Case
Reports noted that the woman had been taking red yeast rice
supplement for six weeks to help lower her cholesterol levels.
For more than two weeks, she experienced fatigue and bloating.
She also had darker urine and lighter stools. Her skin became yellowish in
color, which is an active sign of liver problems.
She had no history of liver
disease and was taking no other medications aside from vitamin B12 injections
for anemia. Her liver tests showed drug-induced injury. Doctors concluded it
was the red yeast rice supplement that caused the patient's liver damage.
Monacolin K, an active ingredient
of red yeast rice, is also a major compound found in statin medications.
"Consumers have no way of knowing how much monacolin K is
present in most red yeast rice products. The labels on these products usually
state only the amount of red yeast rice that they contain, not the amount of
monacolin K," the National Center for Complementary and Integrative
Health said on its website.
The woman is said to have taken
1,200 milligrams of red yeast rice pills per day for six weeks.
Dangers Of Organic
Supplements
Dr. Russell Luepker, spokesman
for the American Heart Association and a professor of public health at the
University of Minnesota, said treating illnesses with supplements are not
necessarily safe.
"When you treat yourself, you are opening yourself to side
effects," Luepker said. "Some
people believe in so-called natural products, as opposed to ones made by drug
companies."
There were several cases of
serious liver damage due to red yeast rice in the past, according to the
researchers. The woman was treated with steroids and was advised not to take
the supplement again.
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Balancing Nutrients Makes the
Most of Rice
NEWS Mar 27, 2019
| Original story from the
Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Credit: Pixabay.
In the future, a newly discovered
mechanism in control of plant nutrition could help to achieve higher harvests
in a sustainable way.
Scientists from the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing (China) discovered this mechanism in their research on Asian rice in collaboration with Professor Dr Stanislav Kopriva from the University of Cologne's Botanical Institute and the Cluster of Excellence CEPLAS.
Scientists from the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing (China) discovered this mechanism in their research on Asian rice in collaboration with Professor Dr Stanislav Kopriva from the University of Cologne's Botanical Institute and the Cluster of Excellence CEPLAS.
The balance between nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) is decisive for crop yield. Both nutrients, which the plant absorbs from the soil through its roots, interact more strongly with each other than previously known. The study 'Nitrate-NRT1.1B-SPX4 cascade integrates nitrogen and phosphorus signalling networks in plants' has now appeared in the journal Nature Plants .
Kopriva said: 'For healthy and optimal growth, all living beings need a good balance of minerals. However, we know very little about how plants achieve this balance.' His colleagues in Beijing had observed that the addition of phosphate only had a positive effect on plant growth and yield if a sufficient amount of nitrogen was also available in the soil. 'Together, we have now discovered the mechanism by which nitrogen controls the absorption of phosphate', Kopriva remarked.
A detailed analysis at the molecular level revealed an entire signalling chain that the plant sets in motion - from the sensor that recognizes nitrate quantities to factors that enable the synthesis of the so-called transporters that carry the phosphate into the plant. Kopriva explained: 'Although most of the components were already known individually, it was only through this work that they were brought together into a signalling pathway. This gives us a completely new understanding of how to control plant nutrition. In addition, it enables specific manipulations to either couple the uptake of both nutrients more closely or to separate them from each other - depending on how nutrient-rich the soil on which the rice grows is.'
This article has been republished from materials provided by the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Note: material may have been edited for length and content. For further information, please contact the cited source.
Reference
Nitrate–NRT1.1B–SPX4 cascade integrates nitrogen and phosphorus signalling networks in plants. Bin Hu, Zhimin Jiang, Wei Wang, Yahong Qiu, Zhihua Zhang, Yongqiang Liu, Aifu Li, Xiaokai Gao, Linchuan Liu, Yangwen Qian, Xiahe Huang, Feifei Yu, Sai Kang, Yiqin Wang, Junpeng Xie, Shouyun Cao, Lianhe Zhang, Yingchun Wang, Qi Xie, Stanislav Kopriva & Chengcai Chu. Nature Plants (2019), https://doi.org/10.1038/s41477-019-0384-1.
'Natural' Supplement Blamed for
Woman's Liver Injury
Case report affirms: non-synthetic doesn't always mean risk-free
How farmers, fish and waterfowl can win in the Sacramento Valley
KEYWORDS CALIFORNIA
RICE COMMISSION JACOB KATZ JON MNGERNATURAL
RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE PAUL BUTTNER RICE ROGER
CORNWELL SACRAMENTO
RIVERSALMON UC DAVIS YOLO BYPASS
With 95 percent of California’s
Central Valley wetlands lost over the last century to urbanization and highly
productive agriculture, researchers warn that the area’s once prolific native
salmon could disappear within 50 years.
India yet to
gain from US-China standoff
Vishwanath Kulkarni Ahmedabad/Bengaluru
| Updated on March 26, 2019 Published
on March 26, 2019
India’s image
of an unreliable supplier in the world market hits prospects, say sources
Contrary to expectations, Indian
farm commodity exporters have not benefited from the ongoing trade war between
the United States and China.
Key commodities such as soybean
seeds or oilcake and rapeseed oilcake, which had genuine prospects to replace
US supplies, found no attention in China . In the case of soybean, China
preferred imports from Argentina and Brazil to sourcing it from India . Sources
said India’s image of an unreliable supplier in the world market could be the
reason for China turning to the South American producers .
The Soybean Processors
Association of India (SOPA), the apex trade body of the oilseed producer in
Central India, has expressed disappointment over the missed opportunity .
“China usually buys soybean. And
amid trade tensions with the US, it could have turned to India, but they
(China) didn’t open it, instead it is procuring from Argentina,” said a SOPA
official.
The Solvent Extractors’
Association (SEA) had earlier stated that resumption of soybean meal exports to
China could take longer due to pending inspection and approval of the units by
Chinese authorities.
Even in the case of rapeseed oil
cake, the orders are not forthcoming. BV Mehta, executive director, SEA said,
“There is no known reason why China is not allowing imports of rapeseed
oilcakes from India. Already, five of the factories were inspected and approved
by the Chinese authorities. But they have still not allowed any shipment. They
have not given any reason for not allowing shipments despite companies showing
readiness to start the shipments.”
Major edible oil players,
including Adani Group and Gujarat Ambuja Exports, are reportedly making efforts
to begin shipments to China.
In the past few months, several
feelers were given to the trade that China will resume the import of rapeseed
meal from India. It was believed that units that were approved by General
Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China would be able to
resume the export once their registrations with Chinese Ministry of Agriculture
(MoA) was done. But there is no breakthrough yet .
Prior to ban in 2012, China used
to import nearly half a million tonnes of oilmeals (rapeseed meal 3.5 to 4 lakh
tonnes and 1 lakh tonnes of soybean ) from India.
“If the ban is revoked, there is
an immediate possibility of at least 2 lakh tonnes of rapeseed meal exports to
China,” said Mehta.
“Exports have become a residual
issue. When we have surplus production, we look at the international markets.
Otherwise, we don’t see production as part of export strategy. If international
markets was part of our strategy, then potential importers would have relied on
us. We need to factor in international markets as a strategy,” said Biswajit
Dhar, Professor, Centre for Economic Studies and Planning at JNU.
According to cotton stakeholders,
China possesses an important place in the cotton exports from India.
Bangladeshhas bought about 10 lakh bales (each of 170 kg) so far this season
(October 2018-September 2019) .Exports to China is reported at about 8 lakh
bales. Rising prices of the fibre crop in the domestic markets slowed down the
exports.
“Cotton prices have shot up
sharply in the past fortnight and due to higher prices, export contracts have
taken a halt,” said Atul Ganatra, President, Cotton Association of India (CAI).
Also the diplomatic initiative
launched by the Modi Government to push shipments of Indian rice has not paid
off. Sources said China has preferred to source its white rice requirement from
Pakistan because of the cost advantage. In addition to the lower costs, the
exporters from Pakistan have a 5 per cent duty advantage while shipping to
China.
The Indian rice has turned
expensive in the world market after the Centre increased the MSP for paddy this
year.
New Rice Museum
exhibit brings strange new attractions to town
Janae
Easlon
There’s a reason why sajji is a popular food choice for Pakistanis
MARCH
28, 2019
Baloch cultural food commonly comprises of wheat, millet and
rice as these are the main components of Baloch meals. Meat is, on many
occasions, also an important part. Sajji, which is a product of meat, is known
to be the favourite dish of most people in Balochistan. Some other prominent
Balochi dishes are lamb-skewed sajji which has gained massive popularity among
different parts of Pakistan including Karachi and Lahore; kaak, a rock hard
prepared bread served with sajji; dum pukht is also a Balochi dish which is
prepared with meat and is cooked in fats; kadi kebab is a dish which is cooked
with a whole lamb or goat over a flame. A large number of Baloch people living
on the coastal belt eat and cook fish in their own styles. When we talk about
sajji, it’s said to be the favourite dish of Balochistan as it also originated
from this very province.
Starving despite food abundance
By Editorial
Published: March 28, 2019
0SHARES
Pakistan is a unique country where the
abundance of food and malnutrition and stunted growth among the children,
especially in Sindh and Balochistan, go together.
According to a report by the International
Food Policy Research Institute, around one in five of Pakistan’s more than 200
million people are malnourished. For the last so many years not a day passes
without one or the other report about children dying of malnutrition or due to
non-availability of proper and timely medical attention in Tharparkar district
of Sindh.
Isn’t it puzzling that Pakistan, despite
being well-off in wheat and rice production, has one of the highest infant
mortality rates, mostly attributed to malnutrition or starvation? A recent
report in this newspaper quoted the US Department of Agriculture projections as
estimating Pakistan’s wheat export at 500,000 tons and that of rice at 7.4
million tons from May 2018 until April 2019.
Given this food availability of wheat and
rice, one is compelled to believe that all this suffering of children and their
mothers must be due to lack of interest or mismanagement on the part of the
government.
Even judges of the superior courts have
repeatedly pointed out corruption in management of food supplies and medical
facilities to the people of Thar. The food is there but the people don’t have
access to it; budget allocations are there but medicines are not being
supplied; millions of rupees have been spent on RO plants but they are not
functioning.
It was probably the realisation of this
mismanagement that the Food and Agriculture Organisation has pointed out that
“poor physical infrastructure, particularly in the remote rural areas
throughout Pakistan, is also a limitation on access to food,” and “this is also
linked to inadequate water and sanitation, education and health service
delivery, which together with the lack of awareness of appropriate dietary
intake contributes to greater food insecurity and malnutrition.”
Published in The Express
Tribune, March 28th, 2019.
TDAP holds discussion on PAK-UAE food
corridor
A meeting was convened on "Proposals for Establishment of
PAK-UAE Food Corridor" on 20th March, 2019 at TDAP Sukkur region. Meeting
was chaired by Azhar Ali Dahar, Director General, TDAP Karachi (RD-South) and
attended by representatives of different chambers and association of the
interior Sindh at a hotel in Sukkur.
Azhar Ali Dahar, Director General, TDAP Karachi apprised the participants about the opportunities related to supply chain of agricultural products that are very much there for the growers of the area as UAE has for setting up food corridor in Pakistan.
Through this opportunity, it is expected to get technology transfer, joint ventures (JV), establishment of supply chains and food reserves. The rice exporters were informed about the ban of Indian rice due to presence of aflotoxin in EU market that can become a good opportunity for Pakistani rice to increase its market share.
Participants of the meeting proposed visits of trade delegations of rice, dry dates and fresh dates to Indonesia, Turkey, Bangladesh, Nepal ,Srilanka Turkey, and European Union to penetrate in above mentioned markets, as there is also a ban imposed on Pakistani dry dates by India so new markets should be explored in order to efficiently export the produce of dates. Different factories of dates were also visited by Azhar Ali Dahar Director General, TDAP Karachi on 21st March, 2019.-PR
Azhar Ali Dahar, Director General, TDAP Karachi apprised the participants about the opportunities related to supply chain of agricultural products that are very much there for the growers of the area as UAE has for setting up food corridor in Pakistan.
Through this opportunity, it is expected to get technology transfer, joint ventures (JV), establishment of supply chains and food reserves. The rice exporters were informed about the ban of Indian rice due to presence of aflotoxin in EU market that can become a good opportunity for Pakistani rice to increase its market share.
Participants of the meeting proposed visits of trade delegations of rice, dry dates and fresh dates to Indonesia, Turkey, Bangladesh, Nepal ,Srilanka Turkey, and European Union to penetrate in above mentioned markets, as there is also a ban imposed on Pakistani dry dates by India so new markets should be explored in order to efficiently export the produce of dates. Different factories of dates were also visited by Azhar Ali Dahar Director General, TDAP Karachi on 21st March, 2019.-PR
Pakistan's wheat production likely to hit five-year low
Published: March 28, 2019
Representational image. PHOTO:
REUTERS
KARACHI: Pakistan is anticipated to miss the wheat
production target of 25.6 million tons in the current crop year as farmers have
planted the staple crop over a lower area because of water scarcity amid drop
in fertiliser consumption.
The country is likely to produce 24.8
million tons of wheat in the current crop year, which is a five-year low, if
farmers manage to take per-acre production to the level of 2,885 kg they
achieved in the previous year, according to the State Bank of Pakistan’s (SBP)
second quarterly report on the state of economy.
The chances of matching last year’s per-acre
production are low for the reasons that Sindh, which has the highest per-acre
production in the country, has cultivated the crop over a lower area and the
farmers reduced the quantity of essential di-ammonium phosphate (DAP)
fertiliser and other nutrients during sowing.
Accordingly, this will be the second
successive year in which wheat production in the country is set to be lower
than the preceding year. More importantly, the anticipated production is most
likely to drop to a five-year low.
The low production is, however, not a threat
to food security as the county has a notable carryover stock of wheat following
surplus crops in the past two successive years, according to the central bank.
The low wheat production will, however,
contribute to a slowdown in the real economic growth in the country. Apart from
this, the low harvests of all three major summer crops, including cotton, rice
and sugarcane, have already impacted the gross domestic product (GDP) growth.
The SBP said second estimates of major
Kharif (summer) crops reinforced the earlier assessment of lower production
levels for all the three major crops in FY19 compared to FY18 – cotton harvest
will go down by 9.2%, rice 3.9% and sugarcane 15.9%.
“While rice and sugarcane surpassed the
targets set in the Annual Plan FY19, the fall from last year’s level will weigh
heavily on growth of the crop sector,” it said.
“After Kharif, when farmers faced water
shortage, the situation became more acute in initial months of the Rabi
(winter) season. In addition to water scarcity, fertiliser offtake declined and
credit flow decelerated during the wheat sowing months.”
Area under wheat cultivation is estimated to
shrink 2.9%. “Most of this fall in area has been recorded in Sindh, which has
the highest average yield among provinces,” the central bank said.
Challenges regarding canal water
availability persisted in the sowing months of Rabi (winter) season as
irrigation flows stood at 16 million acre feet (MAF) in the second quarter of
FY19, not only 6.3% lower than the previous year but also lower than the Q2
average over the last five years, it said.
“The decline in fertiliser usage is more
pronounced than the reduction in area under wheat cultivation. It is mainly
explained by an increase of 16.7% in fertiliser prices. Furthermore, the fall
in DAP offtake, the essential imported fertiliser used during sowing, was more
pronounced as its price increase (around 30% in Q2) was due to a combination of
rise in international prices and rupee depreciation,” the report said.
“In the presence of significant carryover
stocks, the government had reduced the target for the planted area.”
Published in The Express
Tribune, March 28th, 2019.
Agri varsity signs pact
with IRRI to develop new rice varieties
IRRI will
also establish its regional centre on the university campus for giving more
thrust to the rice research programs in Telangana.
Published: 24th
March 2019 08:21 AM | Last Updated: 24th March 2019
08:21
Agri varsity
HYDERABAD:
Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University (PJTSAU) has
collaborated with International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Philippines, to
jointly develop rice varieties that are drought tolerant, pest and disease
resistant. The focus would also be on developing rice varieties with low
glysemic index which more commonly preferred by diabetic patients.
IRRI will also establish its regional centre
on the university campus for giving more thrust to the rice research programs
in the State. The university has agreed to provide 20-25 acres of land on the
campus for this centre. “IRRI has shown keen interest to work with the
PJTSAU on collaborative research projects. IRRI and PJTSAU have decided to
prepare rice development project within next four months and submit it to the
State government for implementation,” said Dr V Praveen Rao, vice chancellor of
PJTSAU.
IRRI and PJTSAU will prepare an action plan
for rice varieties in view of the large scale irrigation projects in the State.
The research programmes will be taken up on water use efficiency in rice crop
and thrust will be given to kharif rice varieties.
The team of scientists from IRRI, led by its
director general Dr. Mathew Morrell, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
with PJTSAU here on Saturday. Earlier, the team met agriculture minister
S Niranjan Reddy. As part of the MoU, capacity building programmes will be
organised by the IRRI for the faculty of PJTSAU on advanced breeding
technologies. In addition, student and faculty exchange programmes between the
two organisations will also be taken up.
Stay up to date on all the latest Telangana news with The New Indian
Express App.
Scientists shine new light on how cells
coordinate eye growth in fish
Date:
March 26, 2019
Source:
eLife
Summary:
New insight on how cells work
together to control growth in the eyes of fish has been published today in
eLife.
Share:
FULL STORY
This is an image of a medaka fish retina (left) next to a
simulation (right). In the image, 'cell families' have been stained in green.
In the simulation, each cell family has been virtually painted in its own
unique color.
Credit: Tsingos et al., eLife
New insight on how cells work
together to control growth in the eyes of fish has been published today
in eLife.
The study suggests a system where
cells in the neural retina of Japanese rice fish (also known as the medaka)
give orders to cells in the retinal pigment epithelium, to ensure the eyes
develop properly in these animals. The findings add to our understanding of how
cells can coordinate organ growth, and show how random chance and the location of
cells within certain tissues play a role in this process.
Plants and animals grow by making
more cells. Stem cells are crucial to this process as they are able to create
copies of themselves when needed. For organisms to maintain the correct
proportions, growth must be regulated at the level of the whole body and the
sizes of each organ and tissues within an organ.
In the fish eye, the tissue that
sees light (the neural retina) and the tissue that supports it (the retinal
pigment epithelium) have their own stem cells that do not mix together. When
these different tissues grow, they must do so at exactly the same speed,
otherwise the eyes could develop wrinkles that would cause poor eyesight in the
animals.
"The coordinated growth of
multiple independent tissues exists in all living organisms, and is important
not only for growth, but also for healing wounds and replacing dead
cells," explains first author Erika Tsingos, a doctoral student at
Heidelberg University's Centre for Organismal Studies (COS), Germany.
"When this control goes awry, it can lead to diseases including cancer.
It's therefore important to understand how tissues normally agree on making new
cells, and how random chance and a cells' surroundings can change the
situation. In our study, we used the medaka fish to see how stem cells in the
neural retina and retinal pigment epithelium agree on creating new cells at the
precise time they're needed."
To do this, the team combined a
computational model with a technique called clonal analysis, which involves
mapping out the descendants of a single cell to build a 'cell family tree'.
Their analysis revealed that stem cells in the neural retina act as a kind of
boss during growth, telling the stem cells in the retinal pigment epithelium
when to create more cells. The cells in the retinal pigment epithelium go
through periods of minimal division, apparently waiting for cues from the
neural retina cells before making more cells as needed.
Strikingly, the team also
discovered that random stem-cell loss occurs in the medaka eye, and is
differentially fine-tuned in the neural retina and retinal pigmented epithelium
tissue to allow for proper development.
"Our results reveal an
unappreciated mechanism for growth coordination, where one tissue gives cues to
synchronise the growth of nearby tissues," says senior author Joachim
Wittbrodt, Professor of Developmental Biology at Heidelberg University's COS.
"Such a strategy might have evolved more generally in organ development
across a range of other animals and plants.
"This basic research
highlights the chain of command among healthy tissues, and may help guide
future studies on how these interactions break down in disease," Wittbrodt
adds. "Our aim now is to study how cells in the retinal pigment epithelium
interpret the cues from the neural retina to tune down their rate of cell
division."
Story Source:
Journal Reference:
1.
Erika Tsingos, Burkhard Hƶckendorf, Thomas SĆ¼tterlin, Stephan
Kirchmaier, Niels Grabe, Lazaro Centanin, Joachim Wittbrodt. Retinal
stem cells modulate proliferative parameters to coordinate post-embryonic
morphogenesis in the eye of fish. eLife,
2019; 8 DOI: 10.7554/eLife.42646
ESL develops two
rice hybrids for resisting BLB, LB diseases
Emkay Seed Limited (ESL) has developed two rice hybrids having
resistance against Bacterial Leaf Blight (BLB) and Leaf Blast (LB), which are
the main damaging factors in the rice production.
"We are this year all set to launch multi-location testing of hybrids with BLB resistant parental material. Initially, we have planned to sow these seeds at three sites in Punjab and two sites in Sindh. In Punjab, we will be re-evaluating these seeds at Sheikhupura and Gujranwala and at one other place while in Sindh it will be tested in Larkana districts," said ESL CEO Sajjad Malik while talking to Business Recorder here on Saturday.
The company was conducting research to develop hybrids having resistance against diseases and development of a hybrid of 'Super Basmati' at its Farooqabad research centre since May 2001. Both the varieties are ready to hit the market after re-evaluation through different tests to help rice farmers fight against these diseases and get maximum per acre yield adding to more surplus production for export or domestic usage.
The company has developed 20 medium grain CMS lines, four Basmati Lines including the famous 'Super Basmati' having excellent eating and cooking quality have been converted into CMS lines, about 400 Restorer and Maintainer Lines. Moreover, two basmati hybrids have also been developed with yield potential of around 8 tons per hectare.
Dr Mohammad Bashir Cheema, head of the research programme, started the research programme in collaboration with Chinese counterpart but continued to develop parental lines and hybrids after Chinese left in 2005. The new hybrids developed are the result of indigenous result carried out by the Pakistani scientists, said Sajjad Malik.
Sajjad Malik and Dr Cheema in a recent visit of selected journalists to their Farooqabad Farm while talking to journalists said that a very big achievement at this research farm was the establishment of 'Shuttle Breeding Programme' at the research site for increasing the pace of development of rice hybrids and parental lines within the country. "This was the first rice shuttle breeding programme in Pakistan's plant breeding history and since then two generations of breeding material are being produced each year as opposed to normal breeding programmes wherein only a single generation is produced annually. Till date Emkay Agricultural Research Center is the only organisation in the country which has the expertise of this rice shuttle breeding either in the private or public sector," Dr Cheema proudly added.
The research programme of Emkay, also, is unique in the manner that the foreign companies working in Pakistan with local partners do not provide with the complete three-line system of hybrid rice. So, a disturbing fact is that whenever the foreign companies want, they can effectively stop their Pakistani partners from hybrid rice seed production, Sajjad Malik concluded. https://fp.brecorder.com/2019/03/20190324458182/
"We are this year all set to launch multi-location testing of hybrids with BLB resistant parental material. Initially, we have planned to sow these seeds at three sites in Punjab and two sites in Sindh. In Punjab, we will be re-evaluating these seeds at Sheikhupura and Gujranwala and at one other place while in Sindh it will be tested in Larkana districts," said ESL CEO Sajjad Malik while talking to Business Recorder here on Saturday.
The company was conducting research to develop hybrids having resistance against diseases and development of a hybrid of 'Super Basmati' at its Farooqabad research centre since May 2001. Both the varieties are ready to hit the market after re-evaluation through different tests to help rice farmers fight against these diseases and get maximum per acre yield adding to more surplus production for export or domestic usage.
The company has developed 20 medium grain CMS lines, four Basmati Lines including the famous 'Super Basmati' having excellent eating and cooking quality have been converted into CMS lines, about 400 Restorer and Maintainer Lines. Moreover, two basmati hybrids have also been developed with yield potential of around 8 tons per hectare.
Dr Mohammad Bashir Cheema, head of the research programme, started the research programme in collaboration with Chinese counterpart but continued to develop parental lines and hybrids after Chinese left in 2005. The new hybrids developed are the result of indigenous result carried out by the Pakistani scientists, said Sajjad Malik.
Sajjad Malik and Dr Cheema in a recent visit of selected journalists to their Farooqabad Farm while talking to journalists said that a very big achievement at this research farm was the establishment of 'Shuttle Breeding Programme' at the research site for increasing the pace of development of rice hybrids and parental lines within the country. "This was the first rice shuttle breeding programme in Pakistan's plant breeding history and since then two generations of breeding material are being produced each year as opposed to normal breeding programmes wherein only a single generation is produced annually. Till date Emkay Agricultural Research Center is the only organisation in the country which has the expertise of this rice shuttle breeding either in the private or public sector," Dr Cheema proudly added.
The research programme of Emkay, also, is unique in the manner that the foreign companies working in Pakistan with local partners do not provide with the complete three-line system of hybrid rice. So, a disturbing fact is that whenever the foreign companies want, they can effectively stop their Pakistani partners from hybrid rice seed production, Sajjad Malik concluded. https://fp.brecorder.com/2019/03/20190324458182/
Enzyme with Cerezyme-like Properties Can Be Produced in Rice
Cells, Study Says
BY
IN NEWS.
From genetically engineered
rice cells, scientists have produced human beta-glucocerebrosidase
(GCase) — the enzyme deficient in Gaucher
disease — with some of the therapeutic properties of
the treatment Cerezyme, a
study reports.
This method may offer a safer,
more cost-effective alternative to the pharmaceutical industry in its
production of glucocerebrosidase for enzyme
replacement therapy (ERT) to treat Gaucher disease.
The report, “Production
of recombinant human acid Ī²-glucosidase with high mannose-type N-glycans in
rice gnt1 mutant for potential treatment of Gaucher disease,” was published in the journal Protein
Expression and Purification.
Delivering healthy copies of the
GCase enzyme — an approach called enzyme replacement therapy
— is an effective treatment for Gaucher patients, helping to
relieve symptoms and allowing most to live normal lives.
Currently, two approved ERTs
exist for Gaucher disease, Sanofi’s Cerezyme, which is made from
Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells, and Pfizer’s Elelyso, which is made using
carrot cells.
Elelyso was the first
plant-made pharmaceutical to gain approval by
the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA).
In an approach known as molecular
farming, plants are used as production systems or “factories” to
create proteins in large quantities, including medicinal
ones. Producing a target protein in plant cells growing in the lab can be
cheaper and safer compared with using animal cells.
Plant cells and proteins can
also be engineered to allow the desired proteins to be secreted to the outside
of cells, making them easier to recover and purify.
There have been several
attempts to express GCase in different plant species, including rice
cells. However, normal rice cells are not the best for producing GCase
with therapeutic properties, as they cannot guarantee that small sugar
molecules, called mannoses, are exposed at the surface of the enzyme.
Mannose sugars are necessary
for GCase to be processed by macrophages, the white blood cells most affected
in Gaucher disease.
For instance, making Cerezyme
involves the production of recombinant human GCase in CHO cells, followed by a
process of sugar engineering called deglycosylation. In this particular
case, deglycosylation consists of sequentially stripping out certain sugars
from GCase to expose the mannose molecules. The introduction of this
step was key to enhance the delivery of Cerezyme to
macrophages.
In this study, researchers attempted
to improve the production of a therapeutically suitable GCase in rice.
For that, they introduced the
gene coding for a recombinant human GCase in rice cells that were genetically
modified (gnt1rice) to enhance the exposure of mannose sugars at the
surface of proteins.
The strategy proved successful.
A solution of genetically engineered gnt1 rice cells was able
to produce and secrete the recombinant GCase enzyme, and the enzyme showed
activity levels as high as the GCase produced in animal CHO cells, the same
type of cells used to produce Cerezyme.
Noticeably, the results also
confirm that the gnt1 rice-derived GCase presented a favorable
pattern of sugars, with a high content of mannoses similar to that of Cerezyme,
which “can help (in) targeting macrophages,” the researchers wrote.
Thus, rice-derived GCase “could
be an alternative therapeutic for ERT Gaucher disease,” they concluded.
Ana Pena
Ana is a
molecular biologist enthusiastic about innovation and communication. In her
role as a science writer she wishes to bring the advances in medical science
and technology closer to the public, particularly to those most in need of
them. Ana holds a PhD in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Lisbon,
Portugal, where she focused her research on molecular biology, epigenetics and
infectious diseases.
Rice cultivation: Balance of phosphorus and nitrogen determines growth
and yield
In the future, a newly discovered mechanism in control of plant
nutrition could help to achieve higher harvests in a sustainable way.
Scientists from the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese
Academy of Sciences, Beijing (China) discovered this mechanism in their
research on Asian rice in collaboration with Professor Dr Stanislav Kopriva
from the University of Cologne's Botanical Institute and the Cluster of
Excellence CEPLAS. The balance between nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) is decisive
for crop yield. Both nutrients, which the plant absorbs from the soil through
its roots, interact more strongly with each other than previously known. The
study 'Nitrate-NRT1.1B-SPX4 cascade integrates nitrogen and phosphorus
signalling networks in plants' has now appeared in the journal Nature
Plants.
Kopriva said: 'For healthy and optimal growth, all living beings
need a good balance of minerals. However, we know very little about how plants
achieve this balance.' His colleagues in Beijing had observed that the addition
of phosphate only had a positive effect on plant growth and yield if a
sufficient amount of nitrogen was also available in the soil. 'Together, we
have now discovered the mechanism by which nitrogen controls the absorption of
phosphate', Kopriva remarked.
A detailed analysis at the molecular level revealed an entire
signalling chain that the plant sets in motion - from the sensor that
recognizes nitrate quantities to factors that enable the synthesis of the
so-called transporters that carry the phosphate into the plant. Kopriva
explained: 'Although most of the components were already known individually, it
was only through this work that they were brought together into a signalling
pathway. This gives us a completely new understanding of how to control plant
nutrition. In addition, it enables specific manipulations to either couple the
uptake of both nutrients more closely or to separate them from each other -
depending on how nutrient-rich the soil on which the rice grows is.'
Professor Dr Stanislav Kopriva from the Botanical Institute of
the University of Cologne is co-speaker of the Cluster of Excellence on Plant
Sciences CEPLAS at the Universities of DĆ¼sseldorf and Cologne, which is funded
by the Excellence Strategy of the German Federal Government and the Laender.
CEPLAS wants to develop basic knowledge about 'SMART Plants for Tomorrow's
Needs'.
###
Taiwan's Government Taking Measures to Address Lagging Rice
Consumption
By Jim
Guinn
TAIPEI, TAIWAN -- As the per capita volume of
rice consumption here steadily declines year by year, from an average of 100
pounds in 2012 to 98 pounds in 2016, the Taiwan government has begun efforts to
promote the advantages of domestic rice and encourage consumers to eat more
rice.
Following the launch of a series of domestic rice-based processed foods developed by private companies with assistance from the country's Council of Agriculture (COA), the organization hosted a rice festival in February to promote the use of domestic rice. Festival events focused on educating consumers about rice, giving them information on how it's grown and the characteristics of rice from different regions of Taiwan. The COA also promoted the domestic rice logo and sought the endorsement of key opinion leaders, such as nutritionists and well-known chefs, to promote Taiwan-grown rice as healthful.
The COA also encouraged rice farmers to plant specific varieties of rice to increase their profitability as well as encourage them to plant alternative high value crops on traditional rice paddies. This is a strategy being followed by Japan and Korea as the overproduction of rice has become a chronic problem in the traditional rice-eating societies that are all seeing steady decreases in table rice consumption.
"While there is a decrease in rice consumption in Asian countries, there is still a strong market for U.S. rice here," says Chris Crutchfield, chair of the USA Rice Asia Promotion Subcommittee. "Taiwan's rice imports are tightly controlled with prohibitive over-quota tariffs, yet there is still a market for several different varieties of U.S. rice including southern medium grain, Calrose, short grain, and glutinous rice. As the palate changes in Taiwan, we are making sure our rice is positioned to be used in various formats, including table rice, rice snacks, desserts, and more."
Following the launch of a series of domestic rice-based processed foods developed by private companies with assistance from the country's Council of Agriculture (COA), the organization hosted a rice festival in February to promote the use of domestic rice. Festival events focused on educating consumers about rice, giving them information on how it's grown and the characteristics of rice from different regions of Taiwan. The COA also promoted the domestic rice logo and sought the endorsement of key opinion leaders, such as nutritionists and well-known chefs, to promote Taiwan-grown rice as healthful.
The COA also encouraged rice farmers to plant specific varieties of rice to increase their profitability as well as encourage them to plant alternative high value crops on traditional rice paddies. This is a strategy being followed by Japan and Korea as the overproduction of rice has become a chronic problem in the traditional rice-eating societies that are all seeing steady decreases in table rice consumption.
"While there is a decrease in rice consumption in Asian countries, there is still a strong market for U.S. rice here," says Chris Crutchfield, chair of the USA Rice Asia Promotion Subcommittee. "Taiwan's rice imports are tightly controlled with prohibitive over-quota tariffs, yet there is still a market for several different varieties of U.S. rice including southern medium grain, Calrose, short grain, and glutinous rice. As the palate changes in Taiwan, we are making sure our rice is positioned to be used in various formats, including table rice, rice snacks, desserts, and more."
Episode 13: The
Water Episode!
Mar 26, 2019
In this episode we will take a
look at the latest water news impacting the Sacramento Valley. What kind
of water regulations are pending? What are Voluntary Agreements, and how
do they factor in? What's the latest with Sites Reservoir? All
that, plus how inland flooding could the the savior that Sac River salmon have
been waiting for.
Non - Basmati rice export come to a standstill
The renewed
scheme was expected to include non-basmati rice from husked brown rice,
parboiled rice and broken rice.
By
Madhvi
Sally, ET Bureau|
Mar 28, 2019, 09.54 AM IST
New Delhi:
Exports of non-basmati rice
from India have come to a standstill, with the government yet to renew a 5%
benefit to exporters under the Merchandise Exports from India Scheme, traders
said.
Pending renewal of the scheme, which lapsed on March 25, no fresh contracts have been signed, exporters said. Indian rice is already uncompetitive in the global market because of high minimum support prices given to farmers, a strong rupee and lower prices in Thailand, Pakistan and Myanmar, they said.
India exports rice mainly to Africa, the US, Europe and Southeast Asian nations. The renewed scheme was expected to include non-basmati rice from husked brown rice, parboiled rice and broken rice.
The Directorate General of Foreign Trade, a unit of the commerce ministry, has referred the matter to the ministry of finance and once approved, it will go to the Election Commission of India for the final nod, said exporters.
“As of now, all non-basmati rice exports are at a standstill due to non-clarity in the policy. No buyer wants to take a position at this stage,” said BV Krishna Rao, president of the Rice Exporters Association. The incentive will make us competitive in the global market, he added.
Under MEIS, exporters get a certificate or scrip from the DGFT that can be traded. For exports of $400, a company would get a $20 MEIS scrip, which it can sell.
According to Rao, rice exports fell to 6.2 million tonnes in the 10 months ended January 31 from 7.1 million tonnes in the same period a year earlier.
“This financial year, exports will be similar to the previous year, but if MEIS is not extended, then in the 2019-20 season we will see a drop in rice exports,” said Rao.
Rao said that while India was selling par boiled rice at $400 a tonne, the same variety from Thailand was being offered at $380.
Lakshya Agarwal of KLA Exports said it hasn’t signed any new rice contracts with buyers.
“We are waiting for some clarity from the government on MEIS before signing any future contracts. The margins are 2% to 3% in the trade and we see it becoming non-viable to export,” said Agarwal.
He said MEIS had helped India’s exports, apart from ensuring that farmers get the minimum support price.
“If the scheme is not extended, then prices in the domestic market will crash. Already in the past one month, prices of rice in Raipur mandi have moved from Rs 2,500 a quintal to the current price of Rs 2,400 per quintal,” he said.
Pending renewal of the scheme, which lapsed on March 25, no fresh contracts have been signed, exporters said. Indian rice is already uncompetitive in the global market because of high minimum support prices given to farmers, a strong rupee and lower prices in Thailand, Pakistan and Myanmar, they said.
India exports rice mainly to Africa, the US, Europe and Southeast Asian nations. The renewed scheme was expected to include non-basmati rice from husked brown rice, parboiled rice and broken rice.
The Directorate General of Foreign Trade, a unit of the commerce ministry, has referred the matter to the ministry of finance and once approved, it will go to the Election Commission of India for the final nod, said exporters.
“As of now, all non-basmati rice exports are at a standstill due to non-clarity in the policy. No buyer wants to take a position at this stage,” said BV Krishna Rao, president of the Rice Exporters Association. The incentive will make us competitive in the global market, he added.
Under MEIS, exporters get a certificate or scrip from the DGFT that can be traded. For exports of $400, a company would get a $20 MEIS scrip, which it can sell.
According to Rao, rice exports fell to 6.2 million tonnes in the 10 months ended January 31 from 7.1 million tonnes in the same period a year earlier.
“This financial year, exports will be similar to the previous year, but if MEIS is not extended, then in the 2019-20 season we will see a drop in rice exports,” said Rao.
Rao said that while India was selling par boiled rice at $400 a tonne, the same variety from Thailand was being offered at $380.
Lakshya Agarwal of KLA Exports said it hasn’t signed any new rice contracts with buyers.
“We are waiting for some clarity from the government on MEIS before signing any future contracts. The margins are 2% to 3% in the trade and we see it becoming non-viable to export,” said Agarwal.
He said MEIS had helped India’s exports, apart from ensuring that farmers get the minimum support price.
“If the scheme is not extended, then prices in the domestic market will crash. Already in the past one month, prices of rice in Raipur mandi have moved from Rs 2,500 a quintal to the current price of Rs 2,400 per quintal,” he said.
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How farmers, fish and waterfowl can win in the Sacramento Valley
KEYWORDS
California
Rice Commission Jacob Katz Jon Mnger Natural
Resources Conservation Service Paul Buttner rice Roger Cornwell
Sacramento
River salmon UC Davis Yolo Bypass
In response, rice farmers are trying to reverse that trend and help salmon populations recover. The California rice industry launched its three-year Ricelands Salmon Project last fall. Working closely with conservation groups like CalTrout and building on 40 years of UC Davis salmon research, the California Rice Commission that represents the state’s rice growers and millers aims to establish whether former wetlands now separated from the area’s rivers can be used to reinvigorate the salmon population.
Along with salmon recovery, the project’s sponsors hope their wetlands work will provide widespread benefits to include helping:
-
Improve the flow of clean water to cities;
- Reduce flood threats to cities;
- Recharge aquifers;
- Revive the salmon industry along with its jobs
- Provide a model for resolving agriculture vs
environment issues coast to coast and around the world, and;
- Calm California’s long-running water battles that often
have led to bitter lawsuits between environmentalists and farmers.
A second part of the project is studying winter-flooding for perhaps another 300,000 acres specifically to have rice stubble decomposition create algae to trigger an explosion of the tiny insects that become ideal fish food. Ever since California banned the traditional practice of burning rice straw to clear fields, winter flooding has become standard. So it’s relatively easy, at an added cost of about $45 per acre, to flood fields and then pump the nutrient-rich water into rivers about every three weeks to feed fish.
This added “fish food” practice would make up for the fact that most of the area’s former wetlands are now cut off from the river system and so can’t be used for feeding salmon directly in the field. With careful management and an extra farmworker to manage the gates, however, field-enriched floodwater could be pumped into the river system.
The next step for this project is validating past research by tracking implanted micro-transmitter data from each year’s juvenile salmon given a head-start in nutrient-rich rice fields. Tracking the salmon from the field to the Golden Gate on their way to the Pacific Ocean before they return to spawn will decide whether the effort is worth the added cost.
If tracking helps salmon recover significantly, then the final step will be to recommend specific practice standards for potential USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) cost-share payments to participating rice farmers. Practices could cover everything from floodwater depths to perhaps cutting temporary ditches in laser-leveled rice fields to provide the fish with cooler water and shelter from bird predation.
But as the rice growers and researchers we interviewed pointed out, the practices will need to be flexible. Project leaders learned that lesson this year when they carefully planned on holding floodwater depth at 16 to 18 inches. But exceptional rainfall left the researchers with some fields 7 feet under water, with most of their 30,000 research fish roaming the entire floodplain, not just the 38-acre research plot.
Paul Buttner, California Rice Commission
California Rice Commission Manager of Environmental Affairs Paul Buttner has plenty of reasons to expect the Commission’s salmon project to succeed. Although he’s had only a year to learn all about salmon, he’s had 18 years managing the California rice industry’s work with migrating birds. Today, the state’s rice fields provide food and habitat for some seven million ducks and geese migrating along the Pacific Flyway each year and for shorebirds nesting in the fields year around. Studies show California ricelands now supply over half of the nutritional requirements of wintering waterfowl in the Sacramento Valley.
Buttner hopes rice fields will deliver similar results for fish. Yet he knows it will take more work and more cost. He notes that birds spot suitable habitat from the air. Buttner says fish, however, need “plumbing” to get them through the dams, weirs and levees to reach the fields and then swim on to the Pacific.
Buttner explains it will take at least two more years of research to develop salmon-recovery practice standards. But he says this work is going ahead with lots of support. “My industry is very excited about environmental projects,” he says. “They want to be a part of creating something new that’s a great environmental story.” There’s also ample funding because the rice industry, including input suppliers, have matched NRCS’s $600,000 in annual funding.
Along with supporting an important environmental goal, Buttner explains “If salmon populations recover, that’s better for the long-term position of rice. Everyone needs water, the fish need water, the farmers need water and if the fish are struggling, it certainly can impact your ability to put water on the landscape.”
Roger Cornwell, general manager of River Garden Farms in Knights Landing, hopes someday all 5,000 rice acres on the 15,000-acre operation will be enrolled in an NRCS practice for pumping fish food into the river. That’s because most of his acreage is “on the dry side” of the levee, so not accessible for raising salmon in the fields. For now, he’s convinced the effort he’s put into working with researchers on potential practices will pay off not only in helping salmon recovery but in curbing federal regulations that restrict farming.
Roger Cornwell, River Garden Farms
“Having robust populations of salmon back in the Sacramento River will help loosen or ward off any new regulations affecting our water supplies,” Cornwell tells Agri-Pulse. “That’s the end goal. The more fish, the more water there is for everybody.”
Jon Munger, VP of operations at Montna Farms in Yuba City, is confident that rice farmers working with researchers “can come up with practices that will help benefit the fish, just like we have done for birds.” Clearly, he says, “just putting more water down the rivers is not working.” He sees the answer as reopening the floodplains to feed fish because “If we can have practices that help the fish population, the end result will include protecting our water rights as well.”
After investing his own “time money and management” to help salmon recovery, Munger concludes that it’s been a great investment because “Most of the fish work fits in the winter window where you’re holding a water crop, as opposed to a rice crop.” Looking ahead, he sees national payoffs because “As with bird practices, California tends to be the leader in rice and environmental issues, so I think that what’s developed here can definitely be carried out in other farming states across the U.S.”
A
closer look at the Nigiri floodplains project
California Trout Senior Scientist Jacob
Katz tells Agri-Pulse that UC Davis began an intense focus on “floodplains
being critical to aquatic ecosystems” in 2011, leading to the ongoing Nigiri
Project that has confirmed the floodplains’ importance by “Mimicking
natural flood patterns to restore floodplain habitat in the Yolo Bypass.” Katz
explains the project today aims “to change the levee system, putting in
operable gates, manage the floodplains, hold on to the water … to create a
system that is managed like a winter wetland.”Katz tells us these changes are needed because otherwise, “agriculture is always going to be embattled and is going to lose many of those battles” to the growing urban sector. He says that by re-engineering water systems to work with how natural ecosystems work, “instead of fish or farms, we can have both.”
Associate Professor Andrew Rypel, the Peter B. Moyle and California Trout Chair of Fish Ecology at UC Davis, says drastic declines throughout
California’s
native fish species call for “big and bold” action such the Nigiri Project and
the salmon recovery work that the Rice Commission, CalTrout and UC Davis
launched last fall. He’s hopeful that this work will benefit not only
California but also rice areas in states like Arkansas, Mississippi and Texas.
Going beyond rice, he says there’s cropland in Illinois “that could be flooded
in creative ways for sturgeon and other native fishes there.”Globally, Rypel is optimistic California’s salmon recovery work will provide a model to use in places like China, Australia, Korea, and elsewhere that face major challenges from “declining fish populations and declining freshwater ecosystem integrity.”
California’s salmon recovery work began over 40 years ago with Peter Moyle, now Distinguished Professor Emeritus in the Department of Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology and associate director of the Center for Watershed Sciences, UC Davis.
In an Agri-Pulse interview, Moyle explained climate change has increased pressure on salmon and therefore the urgency of rescue efforts. But he’s optimistic that successful winter feeding of salmon in Yolo Bypass rice fields will spread the practice to other areas.
Longer-term success, Moyle explains, will require major improvements for dams, weirs and levees to give wild salmon from the headwaters in the Sierras greater access to California’s reactivated floodplains. True recovery, he says, can’t happen until the floodplains once again host “mostly wild fish,” not the hatchery fish that researchers are forced to rely on for their current recovery work while river system obstacles remain in place.
Top photo: Anchoring juvenile salmon holding cages in deep floodwater covering Sacramento Valley rice fields along the Yolo Bypass
For more news, go to www.Agri-Pulse.com.
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