2nd April,2019
Daily Global Regional Local Rice E-Newsletter
AS
Brexit continues to be debated
by the UK parliament, questions regarding the future of
Pakistan’s trade with the United Kingdom, and opportunities present in the
exit, abound. While some exporters are optimistic or indifferent, others see
dark clouds looming ahead. 
Currently,
Brexit is in confusion. Little-loved British Prime Minister Theresa May had
gone as far as to offer to step down if her twice rejected Brexit deal was
accepted. However, not only was this option not taken up, the parliament also
failed to agree on any one of at least eight possible ways forward, which
included giving up on Brexit altogether.
As
the episode unrolls, it is desirable for Pakistan to keep an eye on
proceedings. At $1.7 billion in 2018, as per the International Trade Centre,
the UK is the third most important destination for Pakistani exports. Courtesy
of the GSP Plus, products of Pakistan’s export interest are entitled to duty
free treatment. Given the confusion surrounding Brexit, the impact on the
country’s exports is unclear.
Other
than a faint silver lining for rice, Pakistan and the UK’s export profiles are diametrically
different. There appears to be little chance of Pakistan’s exports receiving a
windfall in the form of Brexit
There
appear to be mixed emotions amongst exporters regarding continuation of exports
and opportunities present. The bulk of Pakistan’s exports to the European Union
(including the UK) consist of textiles and rice. While there may be a mild
opportunity for an increase in rice exports, textile exporters remain on the
fence.
“Though
there is a big market for rice in Europe, we do not expect demand for Pakistani
rice to be directly affected,” said Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan
(REAP) Chairman Safdar Hussain Mehkri.
Part
of the rice milling capacity in the UK is used to export to Europe. Right now
it does not face any tariffs but it is likely that post-Brexit, rice going from
the United Kingdom to Europe will face some duties.
Meanwhile,
Pakistan’s exports to the EU will continue to be given duty free access under
GSP Plus. Therefore, if the cost of UK rice goes up, Pakistan’s rice exports
may increase marginally to Europe, hoped Mr Mehkri.
On
the other hand, the REAP chairman expected that some of the idle milling
capacity in Europe may come into play as well since the UK’s share may decline.
In that case, the market size will remain the same without any significant
impact on rice.
Previously,
Pakistan had been able to increase its share of Basmati exports to the EU as
the Union had revised the maximum permissible residue level of Tricyclazole
from 1mg per kg to 0.01 mg per kg.
As
Tricyclazole is the cheapest and most widely used fungicide in India, its
Basmati rice was restricted under the revision, allowing the only other Basmati
rice producer, Pakistan, to step in. If the UK lowers its food standards
post-Brexit, then the additional market share could be lost. However, as yet
various ministers have reassured that standards will not be revised.
The
opinions of textile exporters vary. Muhammad Abid Chinoy, manufacturer and
exporter of fabric and home textiles was wary of the new procedures that may
come in place post-Brexit.
“It
is going to be a new story with new procedures in place. Previously, if our
exports did not find a market in one country in the EU, we could send them to
the UK and vice a versa. However, with new procedures, conforming will be an
issue. We would have to unpack cartons and change stickers and that is too long
and too arduous a process to be carried out,” he said.
However,
Chairman Pakistan Hosiery Manufacturers and Exporters Association Muhammad
Jawed Bilwani did not share Mr Chinoy’s opinion. While doubting whether Brexit
would even take place, Mr Bilwani said that even if procedures change, our
exporters are savvy enough to comply with new regulations.
“Bangladesh
will lose its GSP status the same as Pakistan, while China does not benefit
from GSP, so it is not like Pakistan’s competition will fundamentally change,”
he said. Furthermore, trade with the UK is already in pound sterling rather
than in euros so there will be no currency change either, he added.
Home
textiles exporter Muhammad Ahsan Shah saw little change taking place
post-Brexit. While there is central buying for most countries within the EU,
the UK does not avail itself of the option. So for example, if Pakistan exports
to Carrefour or Makro, orders for their UK outlets are handled separately from
those going to other EU countries, he explained. Therefore, it is unlikely to
disrupt the current export procedures.
The
Brexit confusion persists but the UK government has given repeated assurances
that Pakistan will continue to receive the same level of access it did under
the GSP plus scheme. This renders null any need of a free trade agreement with
the UK for preferential access.
While
there are some fears that new, unexpected, regulations may create a learning
curve for exporters that could adversely impact the trade balance, Mr Bilwani
asserts that changes will take place gradually.
From
the date of Brexit to Dec 31, 2020, the UK and the EU have agreed that no major
changes will take place so that businesses may adjust. This transition period
will allow Pakistani exporters to learn the ropes and adjust protocols
accordingly as well.
It
could be argued that imposition of tariffs by the EU on the Kingdom, if that is
the road that is chosen, could provide an opportunity for Pakistan’s exports.
However, other than a faint silver lining for rice, Pakistan and the UK’s
export profiles are diametrically different so there appears to be little
chance of exports receiving a windfall in the form of Brexit.
Published in Dawn, The Business and
Finance Weekly, April 1st, 2019
Pakistan
to seek $1 bn export orders from China: Razak
Highlights
- The
much-awaited FTA-II, once it is signed, will help Pakistan double its
exports to China
- Pakistan
will also place its request with Beijing seeking another $1 billion order
for exports to China out of the FTA-II agreement
- The
exports to China currently stand at $1.2 billion which will surge to $2.4
billion after signing FTA-II
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and China are
set to sign the Free Trade Agreement (FTA)-II when Prime Minister Imran Khan
will leave for Beijing on April 27 for three days wherein he will also attend
the second OBOR (One Belt One Road) Forum for International Corporations. The
much-awaited FTA-II, once it is signed, will help Pakistan double its exports
to China, Razak Dawood, Adviser to PM on Commerce, Textile, Industry &
Production and Investment, told The News in an exclusive interview.
“Finance Secretary Younas Dagha and
Commerce Secretary Sardar Ahmad Nawaz Sukhera will off to China on April 9
wherein they will hold talks with top Chinese officials on the initial FTA-II
accord. However, on the sidelines of the OBOR Forum that will be attended by
heads of states and delegates from over 100 countries, both the countries will
ink the free trade accord-II in the presence of Prime Minister Imran Khan and
Chinese President Xi Jingping,” he said.
Pakistan will, the adviser
disclosed, also place its request with top Chinese functionaries seeking
another $1 billion order for exports to China out of the FTA-II agreement.
Another $1 billion export order will help Pakistan triple its exports to China.
On November 9, 2018, he said,
Beijing had placed the order with Islamabad of $1 billion exports to Chinese
market. Under that particular order, Pakistan was to export sugar of 300,000
metric tonnes (MT), yarn 350,000 MT and rice 200,000 MT. Of $1 billion order,
$300 million of rice and sugar will be exported by June 30, 2019. Almost 75
percent of the rice has been shipped and the rest of consignment will be
completed by June 30, 2019. However, other consignments of sugar and yarn are
to be executed by December 2019.
The exports to China currently
stand at $1.2 billion which will surge to $2.4 billion after signing FTA-II,
but out of second free trade deal, the target of export of $1 billion is to be
executed by December, 2019 that will be followed by another $1 billion exports
for which Pakistan will also request to China to extend order during the
forthcoming visit.
About investment of $10 billion on
establishing the deep conversion refinery and $1 billion on petro-chemical
complex at Gwadar, Razak Dawood said that Pakistan experts’ delegation is to
soon leave for Saudi Arabia to have interaction with their counterparts to
discuss the technical issues and once the specifications are finalised, it will
be easy to help Saudi Arabia assess the volume of investment that is exactly to
be required for the both refinery and petro-chemical complex. However, he hoped
that feasibility study by Saudi experts will be completed in 12 months.
When asked if Pakistan has
initiated any endeavour to increase its export to Saudi Arabia, the adviser
responded that Saudi Arabian counterpart has clearly said that if Pakistani
entrepreneurs are ready to meet requirements of its tariff regime, which has
not changed for the last 20 years and quality standards, his country’s doors are
open. Now it is up to Pakistan’s entrepreneurs to make inroads for their
products in Saudi Arabian market keeping in view the Saudi tariff regime and
its quality standards.
About the recently signed MoUs with
Malaysian companies, during the visit of Prime Minister Mahatir Mohamad to
Pakistan, the minister said that the said MoUs of $900 million are different as
these were signed by private-to-private parties. The minister said he is 100
percent sure that MoUs valuing $900 million will be materialised and executed.
To a question, the minister brushed
aside the impression that the government has abandoned the Look Africa Policy
saying this policy is very much effective as Pakistan is currently exporting
cement, and fully Pakistan made tractors to three African countries of
Mozambique, Zambia and Kenya.
“I am much pleased that the
engineering products like tractors are being exported without any subsidy to
the said African countries,” the jubilant minister said and added that about
10,000 tractors would be exported by June 30, 2019. He said that cement export
to African countries has surged manifold. The total exports of cement stands at
$150 million.
“The export of cement has diverted
to Africa because of slow down in construction activities in Pakistan and ban
imposed by India on Pakistani products following Pulwama incident,” he
concluded.
Five ways to help
Pakistan overcome difficulties in cherry export to China
Published: April 1, 2019
PHOTO: FILE
BEIJING: No restrictions have been placed on the entry
of Pakistani cherries into China as long as they meet the standards, said a
deputy to the National People’s Congress (NPC) during China’s Two Sessions.
“A lot of
countries are willing to export cherries to China. I have visited Turkey and
other places of origin before. First, we should have strict inspection and
quarantine standards; secondly, whether the price is competitive; thirdly,
whether cherry production seasons are close,” he said when asked how Pakistani
cherries could enter China.
The deputy to
the NPC was once at a high place in the General Administration of Customs of
China (GACC). The second and third points mentioned above have already been
talked in the article “China-Pakistan trade hotline: Pakistani cherries rival
Chilean counterparts, yet hard to enter Chinese market.” As to the first point,
Zhao Jinping, former director-general of the Research Department of Foreign
Economic Relations, Development Research Centre of the State Council, was the
first guest to mention it in the special programme on “Cherry and FTA”.
Closer relation between food safety and
customs
Zhao believes
that quality is not the only factor whether cherries can enter China or not.
Besides, well performance in food safety, such as inspection and quarantine,
and health standard system construction also contribute to imports of large
quantities of Chilean cherries.
Being
responsible for national health, every country should make sure the food that
enters its territory meets safety standards. Therefore, strengthening food safety
cooperation with Pakistan is a significant part of maintaining long-term,
sustained and rapid growth in bilateral trade.
“I personally
visited Shanghai Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau when lots of
imported fruits and vegetables were arriving there. For me, the cherries look
very good and delicious, but technical experts can tell at a glance there are
indeed tiny worm eggs in some part of the cherries.”
Zhao said
China Customs is stepping up efforts to facilitate customs clearance. “The time
for customs clearance is greatly reduced. The sampling rate, an important
indicator, is now very low, only 1% or even a smaller portion of all imported
items will be inspected. In this case, it is important to have a management
system that ensures product safety in the entire process and meets health
requirements.” China Customs, including the inspection and quarantine
department, has established a long-term cooperation relationship with its
counterparts from other countries and is making joint efforts for quality
control.
“Pakistan
Customs should further modernise and promote cooperation with China Customs,”
said Zhou Rong, senior researcher at Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies
of Renmin University of China.
Cherry production in line with Chinese quarantine
standards
GACC and
SENASA reached an agreement on cherry quarantine on December 2, 2018. A month
later, we found phytosanitary requirements for the import of Argentine cherries
on the website of GACC, totalling over 6,800 words, which contain detailed
regulations for orchards, packaging, refrigeration, pest monitoring and other
factors in the cherry production process. Are these difficult for Pakistan?
“I do not
think it is difficult, because our agricultural products, fruit and vegetable
products, can be exported to the United States, the United Kingdom, Africa and
other countries. They should go through inspection and quarantine as well.
Pakistani mangoes are very popular all over the world, especially in European
countries such as the United Kingdom, and the United States. The problem of the
presence of fruit flies has been solved. If we can get support from China and
secure some orders, then we will definitely meet this requirement, this is not
a big problem,” said Amanullah Khan, Managing Director of Global Care.
“What we
(are) concerned (about) most now is whether there are clear Chinese standards
that we can follow to produce cherries, which will improve living standards of
thousands of farmers in Pakistan, especially in Balochistan,” Dunya TV Chief
Editor Akram Habib added.
Joint effort in China-Pakistan cherry
orchard
The idea of
Sino-Pakistani joint venture cherry orchard was first introduced by Habib. He
believes that logistics and promotion of cherries can lead to an increase in
mutual cooperation.
Zhou thinks
that China should set up a joint venture cherry farm in Pakistan and the two
countries can produce together to help Pakistan develop the cherry industry.
“If a new
round of FTA is to be achieved, it is more pragmatic to help Pakistan increase
its exports to China. If China can import Pakistani cherries, it will help
solve our trade imbalance problem. Pakistan has an extremely large market and
cheap labour, joint venture cherry orchard facilitates Pakistani cherry’s
access to the Chinese market, I think it is an idea that should be taken
seriously,” said Naveed Hussain, Editor of The Express Tribune.
More room for food export
from Pakistan
from Pakistan
Talking about
the trade imbalance between China and Pakistan, Zhao says it does exist. “We
should have imported some goods from Pakistan, but not enough has been done on
imports now. Pakistan also faces some financial and debt difficulties. We must
try to help them alleviate the pressure.”
Zhao said the
first two items with the highest proportion in Pakistan’s exports are textile
and food. Food accounts for nearly 20% and it mostly comprises Pakistan’s
specialty food. “China has expanded food import from Pakistan. I personally
think it is worthwhile and there are opportunities. I suggest doing more in this
regard.”
Amanullah
agreed with Zhao’s idea. He said, “Whether it is fruit and vegetable or meat
and dairy products, we have no problem in food export. Pakistan has established
modern slaughterhouses that can produce 200 tons of beef and mutton per day. As
far as I know, China imports from Australia and New Zealand, and it is very
expensive, but exporting beef and mutton is not a problem for Pakistan.”
CPEC-made product
According to
reports of the Chinese media, China has expressed interest in importing
cherries, potatoes, wheat, citrus, rice and mangoes from Pakistan. The two
sides have also enhanced coordination in hybrid rice seed inspection and halal
meat products are expected to be exported to China.
According to
industry insiders, some think that the import of halal meat products is easier
than the cherry quarantine.
According to
the catalogue of fresh fruit varieties and exporting countries/regions that
have obtained inspection and quarantine access to China, as of end-October
2018, there were three kinds of Pakistani fruits, namely mango, citrus and
orange.
According to
the data released by Ni Yuefeng, Minister and Secretary of CPC Committee of the
General Administration of Customs of China, at the National Customs Work
Conference at the beginning of the year, the GACC has completed the inspection
and quarantine access of 83 kinds of quality food and agricultural products
from 43 countries including India, Panama and Argentina, and quarantine access
consultation for 22 agricultural products last year. “I hope that there will be
a ‘CPEC-made product’,” said Zhou in concluding remarks and in a message on the
Pakistan Day.
The article
originally appeared on the China Economic Net
Published in The Express Tribune, April 1st,
2019.
Discover beach treasures with Fossils Forever adventures
·
Apr
1, 2019 Updated Apr 1, 2019Top of Form
It’s not unusual for you to find
Angela Rice with her head buried in the sand.
As owner of Fossils Forever, a
new business dedicated to helping tourists and locals alike find shark teeth
and other treasures along the Grand Strand beach, Rice has turned her passion
for environmental education and shark tooth hunting into a fun job.
Rice moved from Connecticut to
South Carolina in 2014 as a way to spend more time with her grandmother, who is
a Myrtle Beach snowbird.
“She was wintering here,” Rice
said of her grandmother. “I came down here not really planning to stay.”
Rice grew up with a love of
hiking, camping and exploring the mountains and woods. Here, she found the
beach as her nature outlet.
After finding a shark tooth by
accident when visiting and learning from a fellow beachcomber that the tooth
was thousands of years old, Rice did some research and became interested in
discovering other fossils along the shore.
Rice has a degree in wildlife and
fishery conversation and has worked 10 years in the environmental education
field, volunteering with AmeriCorp, working as an educator at Ripley’s Aquarium
in Myrtle Beach and volunteering at the nature center at local state parks.
Longing for a new job and a way
to work for herself, Rice launched Fossils Forever last fall.
“This had been a passion project
in my head for a long time,” Rice said.
Rice offers fossil hunting tours
along the beach between 50th Avenue and 82nd Avenue. Guests can register online
for a time and Rice will scout out a location that best fits the group and
provides the best opportunity for finding shark teeth and other treasures.
“I usually choose a 2-3 hour
window around low tide,” Rice said. “More beach is exposed and there’s a better
chance of seeing shells out there.”
Rice has given tours to
homeschool groups and families and is open to “anyone who wants to learn.”
She also suggests shark tooth
hunting as a playground play date alternative or a fun teambuilding outing for
a small group of professionals.
Tours are limited to groups of 10
or less to allow Rice to work with every individual.
When Rice first began collecting
shark teeth, she knew exactly how many she had and wouldn’t give them to
anyone. After being approached by a child who was curious about what Rice was
hunting for, she gave the boy a tooth from her pocket.
“I made this kid so happy,” she
said.
That’s when she knew she wanted
to help others experience this joy.
“It’s so fun,” Rice said. “You’re
not on a computer. You’re not in a game. You’re literally out in nature and
it’s exciting.”
All the fossils you will find on
your adventure are authentic and native to the beach.
“We do not plant them out
there,” Rice said.
While finding a fossil on your
adventure is not guaranteed, “we haven’t had a time when people haven’t found
one.”
In addition to shark teeth, you
may find a fossilized shell or a stingray barb or grinding plate.
“Lately we’ve been finding a lot
of sea biscuits,” Rice said. “They look like sand dollars but fatter.”
Rice will guide you to find your
first shark tooth, but she said most hunters don’t need her help after a while.
“If I spot a shark tooth, I’ll
make a giant circle around it. I do that with all ages. After a few circles,
they don’t need a circle anymore,” she said. “You don’t want to point out every
single one. It takes the fun out of it.”
Weather conditions constantly
change, but Rice said shark tooth hunting is still fun on a colder day.
If conditions are not conducive
to exploring, Rice will reschedule with groups for a nicer day.
In addition to sifting and
digging with her guests, Rice shares educational information during her tours.
Whether it’s telling people why
they need to stay off the dunes, sharing the importance of recycling or
reminding kids to cover the holes they dig so sea turtles don’t fall in, Rice
loves sharing her knowledge.
“It’s something so simple and
they didn’t know that’s one thing they can do to protect the ocean,” Rice said.
“I think people can see that I’m really passionate. This is what I’m supposed
to be doing.”
To learn more about Fossils F
AGI’s
$109.5 Million Acquisition of Milltec Machinery
Khaitan & Co acted as Counsel to Multiples Private Equity Fund on the sale
Ag
Growth International Inc (TSX: AFN) (AGI) has completed its acquisition of
Milltec Machinery Ltd, a Bangalore, India-based maker of rice milling and
processing equipment, from Multiples Alternative Asset Management.
The
purchase price was $109.5 million, with the potential for up to an additional
$38.4 million based on the achievement of Ebitda targets.
AGI, a
Winnipeg-based provider of equipment solutions for agriculture bulk
commodities, said the deal enables its entry into the rice equipment industry
and establishes its platform in India.
Indian
private equity firm Multiples Alternative Asset Management acquired a minority
stake in Milltec in 2014.
Khaitan
& Co advised Multiples with a team including Vineet Shingal (Picture),
Kaushalya Shetty, Shailesh Singh (M&A) and Bijal Ajinkya (Tax).
Involved
fees earner: Bijal Ajinkya – Khaitan & Co.; Vineet Shingal – Khaitan & Co.;
Law
Firms: Khaitan & Co.;
Clients: Multiples Alternative Asset
Management ;
These
US scientists have a way to extract valuable elements from batteries and reduce
electronic waste
The solvent, made of commodity products
choline chloride and ethylene glycol, extracted more than 90 per cent of cobalt
The team from
Rice University in the US used an environmentally friendly deep eutectic
solvent to extract valuable elements
Scientists
have created a solvent that can extract valuable elements from discarded
batteries, and could potentially help reduce the amount of electronic wastes
that end up in landfills. The team from Rice
University in
the US used an environmentally friendly deep eutectic solvent to extract
valuable elements from the metal oxides commonly used as cathodes in
lithium-ion batteries. The goal was to curtail the use of harsh processes to
recycle batteries and keep them out of landfills.
The solvent,
made of commodity products choline chloride and ethylene glycol, extracted more
than 90 per cent of cobalt from powdered compounds, and a smaller but still
significant amount from used batteries.
"Rechargeable
battery waste, particularly from lithium-ion batteries, will become an
increasingly menacing environmental challenge in the future as the demand for
these through their usage in electric vehicles and other gadgets increases
dramatically," said Pulickel Ajayan, a scientist at Rice University.
"It's
important to recover strategic metals like cobalt that are limited in supply
and are critical for the performance of these energy-storage devices,"
Ajayan said. "Something to learn from our present situation with plastics
is that it is the right time to have a comprehensive strategy for recycling the
growing volume of battery waste," he said.
"This has
been attempted before with acids. They're effective, but they're corrosive and
not eco-friendly," said Kimmai Tran, lead author of the study published in
the journal Nature Energy. "As a whole, recycling lithium-ion batteries is
typically expensive and is a risk to workers," Tran said.
The solution
is made of a chicken feed additive and a common plastic precursor and can
dissolve a wide variety of metal oxides, Tran said. The researchersbuilt small prototype batteries and
cycled them 300 times before exposing the electrodes to the same conditions.
The solvent proved adept at dissolving the cobalt and lithium while separating
the metal oxides from the other compounds present in the electrode.
They found
that cobalt could be recovered from the solution through precipitation or even
electroplating to a steel mesh, as this latter method potentially allowed for
the deep eutectic solvent itself to be reused. "We focused on cobalt. From
a resource standpoint, it's the most critical part," said Marco Rodrigues,
a postdoctoral researcher at Argonne National Laboratory in the US. "The
battery in your phone will surely have lots of it. Lithium is very valuable
too, but cobalt, in particular, is not only environmentally scarce but also,
from a social standpoint, hard to get," said Rodrigues.
McSteen lab
finds a new gene essential for making ears of corn
Apr
01, 2019 11:04 AM EDT
A normal corn plant (left) and a barren stalk2 (ba2) plant
(right). Plants with a mutation in the ba2 gene cannot grow ears, hence the
name barren stalk.
(Photo : University of Missouri)
(Photo : University of Missouri)
A team of scientists led by University of Missouri maize
geneticist Paula McSteen has identified a gene essential for forming the ears
in corn.
The new research, which appears in the journal Molecular
Plant, extends the growing biological understanding of how
different parts of corn plants develop, which is important information for a
crop that is a mainstay of the global food supply.
"Corn is a vitally important crop, and the ears are the most
crucial organ for plant yield. Knowing the genes that control this process and
how they function together at a molecular level is crucial for efforts to
increase crop yield," said McSteen, who is an associate professor of
biological sciences in the College of Arts and Science and a principal
investigator in Christopher S. Bond Life Sciences Center. "The information
we glean from corn is also likely to be applicable to other cereals, including
rice and wheat because they also form grains on branches."
The researchers found that a gene called barren stalk2, or ba2,
affects the development of axillary meristems, which are special cells that
give rise to the ears. As a corn plant grows, these cells are formed at nodes
along the stalk. These nodes look like tiny grooves, or indentations, in the
stem. When the plant is ready to make ears, these cells begin to divide and bud
out from the stalk. These buds elongate to form the ear shoots and ultimately
become the harvestable ears. The process is initiated by delivery of a hormone,
called auxin, to the nodes that signals the cells to make ears.
To find the genes needed to produce organs like ears or anything
else, geneticists look for plants that cannot make the organ properly. Plants
with mutations in the ba2 gene never make ears, hence the name "barren
stalk." The mutant plants do not have the grooves where the ears would
form, which suggests that the gene functions early, before the earbud forms.
The ba2 mutant was discovered in a large genetic screen for corn plants unable
to make ears, and the gene was identified by molecular mapping to chromosome 2.
Previous screens like this identified a mutation in a different
gene, called barren stalk1 or ba1, that is also essential for making an ear.
This other gene plays a key role in a molecular signaling pathway that controls
ear development. To test whether the newly identified barren stalk plants have
a different problem, the researchers performed genetic crosses, known as a
complementation test, and concluded that the phenotype they observed in their
plant was caused by a mutation in a totally different gene.
"Interestingly, this is actually a lost-and-found case,"
said McSteen. "We found that our mutation had previously been identified
and characterized back in 1930, but had been lost sometime in the intervening
years. It's exciting to have been able to rediscover it and add it back to the
stock."
Through a series of additional analyses, the scientists found that
the ba2 gene interacts genetically with the ba1 gene and that the corresponding
proteins form a complex. ba2 also interacts with other genes known to regulate
ba1. Together, these findings demonstrate that ba2 is in the same molecular
signaling pathway as ba1 and that the two genes work in concert to regulate the
development of ears.
"The end goal is to identify all the genetic players involved
in controlling how and when corn ears are made. By identifying this new gene
and showing that it forms a complex with BA1 to control meristem development,
we've been able to bring this important story further along than what had been
known previously," said McSteen.
Other researchers involved in the study included Andrea Skirpan
with Penn State University; Brian Waddell and Simon Malcomber with California
State University; and Hong Yao, Michaela S. Matthes, Norman Best, Tyler
McCubbin, Amanda Durbak, and Taylor Smith with the University of Missouri.
In an accompanying review article in the same issue of the
journal, McSteen and colleagues describe the current state of genetic research
on auxin in corn, rice, and Arabidopsis. The review focuses in particular on
the genes known to be involved in "turning on" the auxin hormone and
getting it to the right place in the plant.
"Auxin is important to understand because it controls
everything. Understanding the function of genes involved in the synthesis,
transport, and signaling of auxin has been difficult because of redundancy in
gene function and expression. But now with new gene editing tools, like CRISPR
technology, everyone is excited about being able to do this," said
McSteen.
Worrying about food
"We must act now, and plan farther ahead."Reports about the number of provinces affected by El Niño this year are getting to be cause for alarm.
The
National Food Authority, for instance, which has lost its mandate to import
rice, and has been confined to buy palay from local farmers for its buffer
stock, will be hard put to fulfill its task, with El Niño hitting so many
places.
The
biggest source of palay purchases of NFA is Occidental Mindoro. The province is
now suffering the worst drought in decades, its riverine sources of irrigation
water drying up.
Of
course, with the lifting of quantitative restrictions on rice imports, the
private sector will likely increase its import volumes, and USDA predicts that
we will hit a record total of 2.67 million metric tons this year.
While
that may reassure consumers particularly in the urban areas of affordable rice,
we must not forget that farmers are themselves heavy rice consumers. With
El Niño drying up their fields and bringing down incomes from lower harvests,
we need to worry about hunger in the countryside.
The
impact of the free trade on rice could in the long term act as a disincentive
for farmers to plant more palay, unless government can manage production well
and assure farmers of higher incomes. It is not going to be easy.
And
El Niño brings stronger typhoons than usual. With our surrounding oceans
warming up due to it, the approaching typhoons churn up stronger winds and suck
up more water that becomes rain. “Ondoy” and “Milenyo” come to mind.
They happened during El Niño years.
Our
Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Teddyboy Locsin, brought up the spectre of
climate change when he spoke before the United Nations recently and warned that
unless the concert of nations banded together to seriously cool the planet now
afflicted with global warming, we may be destroying the habitat of billions.
I
recall a very disturbing movie that I watched ages ago, starring Charlton
Heston and Edward G. Robinson, if memory serves me right still.
In
that movie, the world had become a wasteland, with food becoming scarce, and a
company produced “healthy biscuits” purportedly from plankton derived from the
world’s oceans. As the story unraveled though, it became apparent that
the “plankton” was really from dead human bodies. The product, which was
also the title of the movie, “Soylent Green” was actually people.
Strides
in biotechnology through the past decade have of course increased human
capability to produce more food, but it comes at a high cost that poorer
nations such as the Philippines still find unaffordable.
Further,
the continuing decline in farmer population is another cause for alarm. The
current age of Filipino farmers is 57 years old. Their children disdain
eking out a livelihood from farming, and are instead going to the urban centers
to find work. Who will till our farmlands and keep providing us with
food?
Then
again, the continuing exodus from farms to urban centers will tend to make
governments more biased toward favoring consumers to keep food inflation low.
This means sourcing cheap food imports often at the expense of domestic
farmers’ incomes. The cycle will perpetuate itself—lower farm incomes
equals less interest in farming equals less farmers equals lower production of
food. A worrisome specter.
Even
now, plantations in Negros island and Mindanao are finding it difficult to get
seasonal labor especially at harvesttime which is labor-intensive, because able
bodied men would rather work in construction. And with Build, Build,
Build, the demand for construction workers keeps increasing.
The
balancing act becomes more and more difficult.
Water
is another worry. Angat Dam managers recently announced that they are
reducing irrigation water for Bulacan and Pampanga farms in favor of Metro
Manila’s needs.
In
many parts of the globe, populations are beginning to have conflicts over water
sources. The Philippines itself does not have a surfeit of fresh water
sources, with many of our islands being limestone structures with little, if
any, groundwater sources.
Picture
a situation where China and India decide to divert the headwaters from the
snow-capped Himalayas, which now flow into the lowlands of Indo-China and
Myanmar, through the Irrawaddy and Mekong rivers.
Unthinkable?
Never foreclose the dire possibility.
Of
course all these jeremiads of doom are not likely to happen within our lifetime
(at least this writer’s). But what of the future generations, by 2050 or
beyond?
Viewing
northern Taiwan from the air as one’s plane encircles Taoyuan International
Airport before landing, you see several man-made lakes, actually water-impounding
catchments that are used mainly for irrigation.
Should
we not be doing the same?
Even
in urban centers, every drop of water must be conserved. Imagine if we
scooped the earth beneath the Quezon Memorial Circle, and made it a catchment
basin for rainwater?
It
also solves the flooding experienced in the area during heavy rainfall.
I
once stayed in a Baguio City hotel where the builder-owner wisely caught the
rainwater and diverted these to a catchment basin that was then recycled for
toilet and maintenance use.
In
Tzu Chi Foundation hospitals all over Taiwan, the practice of recycling
rainwater for everyday use is practiced.
Why
ever not, indeed?
There
are so many ways by which we can alleviate the problems that our country, and
for that matter, our world will soon face in confronting the challenges of
water and food shortages and climate change.
But
we must act now, and plan farther ahead.
Waiguru urged to convene meeting over
cheap imported rice
The
county government has been asked to convene a meeting to address importation of
cheap rice.
Kirinyaga
Woman Representative Wangui Ngirici (pictured) said the meeting should come up
with ways of ending the practice that is threatening farmers' earnings.
“I am
calling on our governor to urgently convene a forum comprising of all elected
leaders and stakeholders where this issue can be addressed and resolved once
and for all,” she said on Sunday in Ngurubani PCEA Church.
Cartels,
she explained, import cheap rice whenever farmers start harvesting the crop,
flooding the market since consumers can hardly differentiate between the real
and fake Mwea rice.
The
leader further recalled that before 1998 when the rice sector was liberalised,
Government institutions such as the military and hospitals sourced rice from
the Mwea Irrigation Scheme.
“I do
not understand why these institutions should buy their rice from outside the
country when here in Mwea we have high quality produce compared to that
imported from the far East,” she said.
Morris
Mutugi, a rice farmer, said the cartels reaped huge profits by adulterating the
Mwea rice with their cheap imports.
State sets April
30 deadline for delivering rice, millers fear loss
Parvesh Sharma
Tribune News Service
Sangrur, April 1
With the Food Corporation of India (FCI)
failing to deliver rice from Punjab mills to its Central pool before deadline
of March 31 and the state extending deadline to April 30, the state mills are
facing space crunch as 24 lakhs metric tonnes (LMTs) of paddy is still lying in
them.
Rice millers
fear losses and have requested the Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of the
Food Corporation of India (FCI) to provide space to shift rice expeditiously.
Rice millers disclosed that in October 2018 the
Punjab government had allotted total 170 LMTs of paddy, which was to be milled
till March 31 by 3,800 mills of state and total 113.46 LMTs of rice was to be
delivered. Millers alleged that due to lack of space in the FCI pool, the
movement of rice from them to the FCI pool is slow and 24 LMTs of paddy is
lying in state mills.
“We met CMD,
FCI, DV Prasad in Amritsar and submitted our memorandum. The FCI deadline is
June 30, but the state’s was March 31, which has been extended to April 30. We
want that the FCI should also fix March 31 deadline as rise in temperature will
reduce moisture in paddy leading to drop in its weight causing losses to us.
The CMD has called us to Delhi for further discussion,” said Gian Chand
Bhardwaj, president of the Rice Millers’ Association of Punjab.
“The extension
of deadline will cause losses to all 3,800 rice millers of the state,” said
Rajnish Kansal, Punjab media secretary of the association.
Punjab FCI
General Manager Arshdeep Singh Thind confirmed that a meeting took place
between the CMD and rice millers. “Rice millers raised their concerns with our
CMD, who listened to all their grievances. Our deadline is June 30 and lifting
of rice from millers of Punjab is going on,” said Thind
Next in line: Sugar import
liberalization
Anna Gabriela A. Mogato
Published 10:04 AM, April 02, 2019
Updated 10:04 AM, April 02, 2019
YOU'RE NEXT. After legalizing
unimpeded rice imports, the government now sets its sights on sugar. Photo by
Anna Mogato/Rappler
MANILA, Philippines – To combat
rising prices of agricultural goods, it seems the government’s go-to solution
has been to simply flood the market with imports.
The first victim and testing
ground was the rice industry. The Rice Tariffication law or
Republic Act 11203 was passed quickly last February 14 without a single
item vetoed by President Rodrigo Duterte.
Former Philippine Rice Research
Institute board of trustees member Teodoro Mendoza said that government
“cheated” Filipinos by pushing the idea that imported rice is
cheap.(READ: Philippines can meet own rice
demand, says crop expert)
A drop in the actual price of
commercial rice can come early as both consumers and traders await the
influx of imported rice, which could adversely affect the livelihood of local
rice farmers.
Now, sugar planters – and those
who are part of the sugar industry’s value chain – are under threat as wellafter the economic managers
decided to pursue deregulating sugar imports under the guise of making the
industry more competitive.
Former budget secretary Benjamin
Diokno had proposed to go after sugar even before the Rice Tariffication law
was signed.
The proposal stems from sugar
having a bad year in 2018. It will continue to do so up to this year. Last year
saw high prices and low production, and even
dwindling workers. (READ: Sugar rush prompts government to
import)
Confederation of Sugar Producers
spokesperson Raymond Montinola said that the industry at its current state,
cannot compete with the likes of the country’s top source of sugar imports:
Thailand.
Large piles of cut sugarcane are
set for crushing just outside the First Farmers Holdings Corp's milling
facility in Talisay, Negros Occidental. Photo by Anna Mogato/Rappler
Montinola pointed out that this
is because Thailand’s government subsidizes its sugar industry.
The local sugar industry, on the
other hand, has been left to fend for itself through the Sugar Regulatory
Administration, which tracks supply and control importation.
“Before you play with the big
boys, you have to develop first your local industry for them to compete. Now
we’re taking a misstep, a huge step, now we’re playing with the big boys
without preparing our local industry,” Montinola added.
This year, the estimated
production of sugar is expected to drop even lower at 2.079 million metric tons
(MMT) from the original 2.23 MMT estimate. This bleak outlook can strengthen the move to allow unimpeded
sugar imports but not everyone in government agrees.
Disharmony among the branches
Diokno’s proposal to deregulate
imports was contested by the sugar industry. Surprisingly,
even legislators came to the industry’s aid. (READ: Gov't must listen to stakeholders
before deregulating sugar imports РPi̱ol)
Last March, Senator Juan Miguel
Zubiri already announced the Senate’s plan to hold an inquiry on the proposal of the
economic managers.
In Negros Occidental, the sugar
bowl of the Philippines and a hotbed of insurgency, even local government
officials are pleading for government intervention.
Negros Occidental Vice Governor
Eugenio Jose Lacson told reporters last March that even local officials feel
threatened by the economic managers’ proposal to liberalize sugar imports.
While the province has been
seeing an influx of investments in real estate and solar power farms,
“sugar is the heart and soul and lifeblood of the Negros economy,” Lacson
said.
Pedro Ogates, General Manager of
Hacienda Malaga Cuenca Agrarian Reform Cooperative, laments the lack of
government help and the impending decline of sugar production in Negros
Occidental as economic managers entertain the idea of deregulating sugar
imports. Photo by Anna Mogato/Rappler
“Admittedly, we can’t compete
with the prices of [imported] sugar," he added, as it would heavily affect
agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) who own from one-and-a-half to 3
hectares of land.
Amid clear opposition from the
Senate and local government units of sugar-producing provinces, Socioeconomic
Planning Assistant Secretary Mercedita Sombilla said that liberalizing imports
has its merits, too.
“What the economic managers
believe is that liberalization will make things move. Too much control of the
government is suffocating. So that’s [what they are] thinking,” she told
Rappler.
“Economic thinking really
dictates that let the market play. Let the market play. Too much restrictions
will not yield good growth.” However, Sombilla also admitted that it's too
early to tell what the next move will be, with the midterm elections bringing
uncertainty in the latter part of 2019.
Dambulla gets
temperature humidity controlled warehouse
Tuesday, April 2, 2019 - 01:00
The foundation laying ceremony of the 5 ,000 MT
temperature and humidity controlled warehouse for agri produces was held in
Dambulla on Saturday. Here Minister Dr Harsha De Silva with Deputy High
Commissioner of India, Dr. Shilpak N. Ambule at the event
In a bid to minimize the post
harvest loss and have better storage facilities for agro based products, ground
was broken to construct a 5,000 ton temperature and humidity controlled
warehouse in Dambulla Dedicated Economic Center which has the largest Agri
Collection Centre in Sri Lanka.
Minister for Economic Reforms and
Public Distribution Dr Harsha de Silva, said that this new initiative would
help reduce food wastage during excess harvest periods.
The 6-district-wide rice
cooperative which was created via the Minister’s public distribution unit with
a Rs one billion infusion in a bid to resuscitate SME rice millers, also
started selling the ‘Shakthi Samba,’ brand which would offer the farmer a
better price.
During the harvesting season, most
of the agri products gets a low price due to the oversupply. However, with a
temperature and humidity controlled warehouse which is now been built in
Dambulla, it would help store Agri products for some time and release it to the
market during off seasons. In Sri Lanka, it is estimated that around 40% of the
harvest is lost due to lack of vegetable and fruit storing facilities.
“This would transform farmer lives
as they would get a better price for their products.”
Understanding the demand for such
ventures, the government during the last Budget provides tax concessions for
investors in temperature controlled storage facilities, to woo more investments
in this area.
India is successfully implementing
these types of projects throughout India and as a good will gesture, Prime
Minster Narendra Modi has granted Rs 300 million to kick start this project in
Dambulla, which is dubbed as the ‘market that never sleeps” due farmers bring
their products to sell from all over the country. Even several banks are opened
24 hours per day to felicitate these transitions.
In Egypt, rice import
samples are judged in the kitchen
Nadine Awadalla, Maha El Dahan
APRIL 2, 2019
CAIRO/DUBAI (Reuters) - With
steaming plates of rice and freshly sliced apples on the side, a group of
Cairo-based food scientists work in their lab to decide whether the foreign
grains will suit Egyptian palates.
Food scientists taste samples of
rice to make sure they fit Egyptian standards, in a research centre affiliated
with Egypt's agriculture ministry in Cairo, Egypt, March 25, 2019.
REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany
The scientists cook and taste samples
of rice on offer at state tenders before they are accepted. The process, which
began late last year, has so far eliminated Indian origin rice and approved of
Chinese and Vietnamese offers.
Egypt has spent $46.8 million on
Chinese rice in two tenders since November. A third is ongoing.
Egyptians are major rice consumers
and take pride in the quality of their local crop. But after planting less
local rice in 2018 to conserve water, Egypt tapped the international market in
November, requesting samples for a cooking test.
Rice is a heavily discounted staple
on Egypt’s subsidy programme, under which the state purchases foodstuffs that
are offered to subsidy card holders, currently around 60 million people.
The scientists’ role is to ensure
that the rice bought by the state is suited to familiar cooking methods and
tastes.
“Here, as a unit, we are all
(academic) doctors as well as mothers in our homes,” said Nahed Lotfy, director
of the test kitchen. “We are all trained judges who have completed training
courses.”
Samples are anonymized, said Nasra Ahmed, one of the taste testers. “We
get a sample on which we have almost no information at all,” she said.
“Everything arrives with a code.”
Researchers inspect grains for water
absorption, colour and smell. After cooking, the rice is presented to the
tasters.
“We evaluate the product based on
colour, taste, aroma, flavour, as well as general response,” Lotfy said.
Researchers cannot wear perfume or
smoke cigarettes. Sliced apples and water act as palate cleansers.
PUSHING UP COSTS
Traders say the taste test drives up
costs by forcing them to keep their offers open indefinitely while it takes
place. They say the testing process is unique to Egypt.
“It is something that doesn’t happen
globally,” Mostafa al-Naggari, a major Egyptian rice exporter and importer,
told Reuters. “In other countries, the cooking instructions are simply written
on the packet.”
On the private market, importers
have contracted to bring in 150,000 tonnes of Indian rice from October until
end April, with no complaints from Egyptian consumers.
Naggari, who buys Indian rice to
supply Egypt’s private market, said he was not clear why Indian samples had
failed the test.
“These are the rules of the tender
and we will respect it, but I am happy selling rice on the private market.”
But Nomani Nomani, an advisor to the
supply minister, said the cooking tests were necessary to avoid the rice piling
up in subsidy stores like it did three years ago when Egyptians refused to buy
it.
“Of course if an Indian rice sample
that suits Egyptian taste is presented we will accept it, but the cooking test
is necessary to make sure the rice we are importing suits consumers,” he told
Reuters. https://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFKCN1RE1EY-OZATP
Nigerians Are Ordering Pizza Direct From London, Says Government
Minister
BY 
April 2, 2019 Updated:
April 2, 2019
Affluent Nigerians are getting pizza delivered 4,000
miles from London.
Nigerian Agriculture Minister Audu Ogbeh told the Senate
Agriculture Committee that some Nigerians are ordering pizza air-flown six
hours from London to Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, via British Airways.
A screenshot from Google Maps taken on April 2, 2019 shows a 4,000-miles
flight from London to Abuja, Nigeria.
“There are Nigerians who use their cellphones to import
pizza from London. Buy in London, they bring it on British Airways in the
morning to pick up at the airport,” Ogbeh complained at a Senate hearing on
March 26.
A British Airways spokesperson wrote in an email, “It’s
not much dough to get to Lagos on British Airways, our customers can get a
slice [of] the action for just £539 [$707].”
During the hearing, Ogbeh
was defending his ministry’s budget for 2019 which would provide support for
local producers.
He said foreign imports were seen as status symbols by
many people, and the obsession with foreign goods extends even to necessities
like rice and tomato paste, according to The Daily Mail.
Ogbeh said that this
demand for foreign produce is not because the products are better than locally
produced goods—it’s all about status.
‘Nation of Importers’
Ogbeh described Nigeria as a “nation of importers,”
according to Nigerian-based World Stage Group.
For example, Nigeria spends $50,000 on toothpicks and $1 million on tomato
paste annually. Importers have “hijacked” the economy of Nigeria, he said.
“They have taken it
hostage and they have no intention of giving up. This regime is unpopular in
part because it is trying to cut down imports,” he said.
Nigerian Minister of Agriculture, Audu Ogbeh. (Pius Utomi
Ekpei/AFP/Getty Images)
“I know what I am saying
because I have been in this business for 41 years. We import sugar,
handkerchief, toothpaste, even pencils,” he added.
Ogbeh said that
international importers were the biggest obstacle to Nigeria’s efforts to
encourage Nigerians to buy locally produced products.
“Unfortunately, when you
do you make enemies; even the importation of rice that we are trying to reduce is
creating for us enemies, heavy enemies, people, who can kill if they have the
opportunity because you are spoiling their business,” he said.
Some locals prefer foreign
goods even when they could be produced locally, such as rice.
Nigeria is one of the largest
producers of rice and yams in Africa, and agriculture was once the country’s
main industrial sector.
Nigeria is the world’s
second biggest rice importer after China.
According to the World
Bank, Nigerian imports as a percentage of GDP increased between 2015 and 2017.
Abdullahi Adamu, chairman
of the Senate committee, called on the federal government to address high
imports of fruits and vegetables.
“What is eating deep into our capacity to develop are the
little things,” he said, according to Nigerian-based The Cable.
“Go to these major
shopping malls in Abuja, Kano, Lagos, go to the sections where they sell
vegetables, any of them, they are imported from South Africa.”
Total imports increased a
hefty 48 percent year-on-year in December 2018, mainly driven by manufactured
goods (88 percent) and raw materials (12 percent). The bulk of the imports came
from China (32 percent) and India (8 percent).
Nigeria, Africa’s most
populous country and largest economy, has a population of more than 190 million
people, and heavily relies on oil as its primary source of revenue.
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