Let poor people live in new
Pakistan
The poor
people are kicking the bucket because of the storm of unfriendly budget. The
government showed the dreams of prosperity, rise, and shine and promised to
remove the painful and ghastly days of the poor. Unfortunately, these promises
of prosperity proved to be mere daydreams. The poor are completely shocked
since they had lots of expectations from the new government. Three main
challenges are faced by the poor.
First, they are deprived of their houses in the
name of encroachment. Second, after the destruction of their homes, their
businesses have been destroyed. The third is the latest gift of the unfriendly
budget, which has broken the spinal cord of poor people. In Karachi only, more
than 90 thousand houses and business shops have been destroyed.
Moreover,
because of the rise in the value of the dollar, a huge reduction of 40% has
been reported in the income of poor, common people. Additionally, the IMF has
conditioned the government to remove its subsidizations. If the subsidy on
agriculture is removed, the poor people will be deprived of vegetables, rice,
wheat, fruits, and many other things used in our daily life. The poverty,
unemplyment and inflation has snatched the rights of living. What to talk of
education, the poor people do not have enough money to fulfill their basic
necessities.
The
futile and bogus promises have caused sheer amount of unrest amongst the
nation. Where are the one crore jobs, 50 lac houses and promises to get back
the looted amount of 200 billion dollars of the poor nation within a week? We
are in a miserable condition. Therefore, authorities are requested to give some
relief to common people. Let the poor breath in new Pakistan.
https://nation.com.pk/24-Jun-2019/let-poor-people-live-in-new-pakistan
Qatar to provide Pakistan $3
billion in form of direct investment and deposits
By Mati
-
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Qatar will
provide Pakistan US$ 3 billion in the form of direct investment and deposits
which will create new business opportunities in Pakistan and it will also
strengthen the investment initiative of the government, the Prime Minister’s
Special Assistant on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan said.
While
talking to media in Islamabad on Monday, Firdous Ashiq Awan thanked the Amir of
Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and his Cabinet for the announcement.
The
Special Assistant said that this is a first step to further boost the relations
between Qatar and Pakistan. She said that this amount will help Pakistan
overcome its economic challenges.
Dr
Firdous Ashiq Awan said that Prime Minister Imran Khan had announced visa on
arrival for Qatari Citizens which will develop tourism sector in Pakistan. She
said that Qatar has removed the ban on Pakistani rice which is good news for
rice exporters and the economy of the Country.
Upon the directives of HH the Amir, the Deputy Prime
Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs announces of new investments in the
form of deposits and direct investments worth a total of QR3 billion in the
Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
Meanwhile
in a tweet, the Prime Minister’s Advisor on Finance Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh
expressed gratitude to the Amir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani for
announcing US$ 3 billion in deposits and direct investments for Pakistan.
Dr Abdul
Hafeez Shaikh said that Qatar’s affirmation will further develop relations
between the two Countries.
Want to thank the Emir of Qatar HRH Sheikh Tamim Bin
Hamad Al Thani for announcing US $3 Billion in #deposits and direct #investments for #Pakistan and for #Qatar’s affirmation to further develop
relations between the two countries.
https://dnd.com.pk/qatar-to-provide-pakistan-3-billion-in-form-of-direct-investment-and-deposits/167555
Qatar
investment to open new era of bilateral relations: Firdous Ashiq Awan
This is a first step to further boost the relations between Qatar
and Pakistan: Pakistan
ISLAMABAD
(Dunya News) - Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information and
Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan thanked Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad
Al Thani and his cabinet for the announcement of $3 billion package for
Pakistan in the form of direct investment and deposits.
The
Special Assistant said this will create new business opportunities in Pakistan
and it will also strengthen the investment initiative of the government. She
said this is proof of international leaders’ confidence in PM Imran’s
government.
She said
this is a first step to further boost the relations between Qatar and Pakistan.
Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan said this amount will help Pakistan overcome its economic
challenges.
She said
Prime Minister Imran Khan had announced visa on arrival for Qatari citizens
which will develop tourism sector in Pakistan. She said Qatar has removed the
ban on Pakistani rice which is good news for rice exporters and the economy of
the country.
SAPM
said PM Imran Khan is fighting against corruption in the country, adding that
opposition should have one stance.
She said
United Nations has declared Pakistan a safe country by giving it a family state
status. She said government has announced different packages to promote tourism
in the country.
Qatar to
provide $ 3bln to Pakistan: SAPM
June 24, 2019
Qatar will
provide Pakistan three billion dollars in the form of direct investment and
deposits.
This was
announced by Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information and
Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan while talking to media in Islamabad on
Monday.
She thanked
Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and his cabinet for the
announcement.
The Special
Assistant said this will create new business opportunities in Pakistan and it
will also strengthen the investment initiative of the government.
She said this
is a first step to further boost the relations between Qatar and Pakistan.
Dr Firdous
Ashiq Awan said this amount will help Pakistan overcome its economic
challenges.
She said Prime
Minister Imran Khan had announced visa on arrival for Qatari citizens which
will develop tourism sector in Pakistan.
She said Qatar
has removed the ban on Pakistani rice which is good news for rice exporters and
the economy of the country.
http://www.radio.gov.pk/24-06-2019/qatar-to-provide-3bln-to-pakistan-sapm
NBC set to hold annual meet highliting agricultural issues
Sorn Sarath |
Publication date 24 June 2019 | 09:41 ICT
National
Bank of Cambodia (NBC) director-general Chea Serey speaks at the 5th Annual
Macroeconomic Conference in December last year themed Broadening Sources of
Cambodia's Growth. LOLC (Cambodia) PLC
The National Bank of Cambodia (NBC) is set to
hold the 6th Annual Macroeconomic Conference at the end of this year, which
will focus on the Kingdom’s agriculture sector challenges.
The conference on Agriculture Sector in a Rapid
Structural Transformation and Uncertain Global Trade Environment will be held
in December in Phnom Penh.
“Agriculture has been one of the main drivers
of growth despite the rapid increase in the contribution of industry to the
economic growth during the last two decades,” the NBC said.
Agriculture is one of the main drivers of the
Kingdom’s economic growth among the garment, tourism and construction sectors.
The NBC cites rural labour shortages and a lack
of infrastructure in the agricultural sector as one of the sector’s challenges.
It further cites external causes for concern,
such as uncertain global agriculture trade preference schemes – including the
recently removed trade preference on the Kingdom’s rice exports to the EU – as
well as the Sino-US trade war.
“The cancellation of the tariff-free scheme on
Cambodia’s rice exports to the EU may have implications on the welfare of paddy
farmers, rice millers’ investments, and logistics and transport agents.
“However, the Sino-US trade war may create
opportunities to attract Chinese and US investors to Cambodia’s agricultural
sector,” the NBC said.
The rapid development of certain sectors such
as garment, tourism and construction has absorbed a large pool of low-skilled
rural labour.
The latest data show that the garment and
footwear industry employs about one million workers, the majority of whom are
from rural areas.
The outflow of rural labour to neighbouring
countries, the NBC said, is also large with approximately 1.1 million
Cambodians currently residing abroad, of which 61 per cent is in Thailand.
The priority for agricultural development in
Cambodia seems to be low compared to other sectors such as the tourism and
garments, said an Asian Development Bank (ADB) Independent Evaluation Report
earlier this month.
Contact
author: Sorn Sarath
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/nbc-set-hold-annual-meet-highliting-agricultural-issues
Rice
Cultivation Should Be Completed By July 31 In Faisalabad `
The agriculture department
advised farmers to start cultivation of rice immediately and would complete by
the end of July to get bumper yield
FAISALABAD,
(UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - APP - 24th Jun, 2019 ) : The agriculture department
advised farmers to start cultivation of rice immediately and would complete by
the end of July to
get bumper yield.
Spokesman
of Agriculture Extension
Department said Monday that best time for
the cultivation of rice varieties AARI-6, KS-282, KSK-133 and NIAB AARI-9 was
up to July 07
whereas Super Basmati can be cultivated up to July 20.
He said
that from July 01 to 20
was the best time
for cultivation of Basmati-370, Basmati-385, Basmati Pak, Basmati-2000 and
Basmati-515. Similarly, Basmati-198 can be cultivated in the areas of Sahiwal and Okara from July 01 to 15
while the suitable time for cultivation of Shaheen Basmati was July 15 to 30,
the spokesman added.
He
advised the farmers to use latest technology for
cultivation and harvesting crops in addition to apply balanced fertilizers and
in-time watering.
He also
advised the growers to get soil tests of their lands before cultivating crops.
It would help in selecting accurate fertilizer for the crops in addition to
save precious money which
the growers waste in unbalanced fertilization.
He said
that all fertilizers
having phosphorous and potassium should be applied before planting saplings of
rice in the field whereas zinc sulphate should be applied after 12-14 days of
planting saplings.
Similarly,
nitrogen (urea) fertilizers should be applied before water after
30-35 days of planting rice saplings in the field, he added
What lies in your rice?
Kamini Mathai | TNN | Updated: Jun 24,
2019, 11:02 IST
The premium priced and
packaged brown rice from the supermarket may in reality be whiter
and more polished than ever, and the so-called ‘diabetic friendly’ variety,
nothing more than parboiled white rice. Armed with a stereo-zoom microscope,
food scientists from Madras Diabetic Research Foundation (MDRF) decided
to put 15 types of supermarket ‘healthy’ rice grains to the test. What they
found was that in many cases there wasn’t a grain of truth in the claims
mentioned on the packets.
“With more diabetic patients approaching us with newer varieties of rice that claim to be zero cholesterol and sugar-free we decided to examine 15 of the popular ones,” says MDRF food and nutrition research scientist Sudha Vasudevan, one of the co-authors of the study recently published in the Journal of Diabetology.
“With more diabetic patients approaching us with newer varieties of rice that claim to be zero cholesterol and sugar-free we decided to examine 15 of the popular ones,” says MDRF food and nutrition research scientist Sudha Vasudevan, one of the co-authors of the study recently published in the Journal of Diabetology.
The biggest shocker was a brown rice brand that proclaimed an 8.6 glycemic index (GI), a value Vasudevan says has never been reported as per the international GI table (the lowest GI of rice is around 40). GI is a relative ranking of carbohydrate in foods according to how they affect blood glucose levels. A GI value of less than 55 is considered low, while 70 and above is high.
“On examination the rice was found to be parboiled brown rice. There were fissures on the surface and a mild disruption of the bran and germ layers,” says MDRF food scientist Shobana Shanmugam, also a co-author. Fissures and a disrupted bran and germ layer, she says, make the rice mushy when cooked as more water is absorbed by the grain, intensifying its starchiness. This in turn increases the GI.
What one needs to understand, says Vasudevan, is that all brown rice may not be low GI. “The other misconception is that hand-pounded rice is healthy, but findings show it has a GI similar to polished white rice because of the abrasions on the grains,” she says. Vasudevan explains that bran is rich in fat and tough to cook to a soft consistency, so Indians tend to cook it longer. “Indians add a lot of water to brown rice and that breaks the bran layer.” MDRF recommends brown rice to be cooked with a 1:1.5 cup water ratio as opposed to the usual 1:3.
Minimally polished rice also have a high GI, says Vasudevan. “Parboiled rice is also polished and therefore not that healthy. Parboiling is done to increase vitamin B and for a longer shelf life, but it removes the germ and bran layer, resulting in higher GI.”
The other tall claims, says Shanmugam, were sugar free and zero cholesterol options. “No plantbased food has direct cholesterol, but in excess they can cause triglyceride and cholesterol levels to go up.” As for sugar-free rice, she says, the starch in rice is converted to glucose on digestion, so in effect there cannot be sugar-free rice.
“The key is to not get carried away by labels. And to remember that rice needs to be eaten in moderation,” says Vasudevan.
PH’s palay output seen
to drop in Q2
Updated June
24, 2019, 1:25 PM
By Madelaine B. Miraflor
The country’s palay output is seen to drop by
the end of the second quarter this year amid the end of harvest season,
something that may push prices a little higher.
Data from Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA)
showed that based on standing crop as of May, the probable palay production for
April to June may fall to 3.83 million metric tons (MT) or by 1.7 percent
compared to the previous quarter.
Compared to previous year’s level of 4.09
million MT, the project output is 6.5 percent lower. This was attributed to the
contraction in harvest area to 905,560 hectares from the 932,790 hectares in
2018. In addition, yield per hectare falls to 4.22 MT from the 4.38 MT of the
previous year’s level.
PSA said that of the updated standing crop,
63.9 percent of 905,560 hectares have already been harvested, while of the
453,920 thousand hectares of standing crop, 33.0 percent are still at
vegetative stage, 16.9 percent at reproductive stage, and 50.1 percent at
maturing stage.
About 127,120 hectares or 15.2 percent of the
farmers’ planting intentions for April to June have already been realized.
The abundance in the country’s supply of rice —
mainly supported by the Rice Tariffication Law (RA 11203) which liberalized the
rice sector by allowing the free-flowing entry of imported supply to the
Philippines — has been pulling down the price of rice to the detriment of the
farmers.
During the fourth week of May, the farmgate
price of palay went down by 0.2 percent week on week to P18.20 per kilogram. On
an annual basis, it was lower by 13.7 percent from the previous year’s level of
P21.08 per kg.
As of May this year, the Philippines has an
inventory of almost 3 million MT of rice, while rice imports for the entire
year are also expected to rise at about the same level.
The United States Department of Agriculture’s
(USDA) Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) expects the country to import as much
as 3 million MT of rice, which is higher compared to its previous official
forecast of 2.8 million MT and last year’s actual imports of 1.9 million MT.
Meanwhile, the National Food Authority (NFA)
already surpassed its palay procurement target for the first half of 2019 with
over 5 million bags bought since January this year.
As of June 19, NFA has already procured 5.17
million bags or 258,519 MT of palay.
“That means our agency has already exceeded our
first half target by more than 11 percent already and we expect this to even go
higher. This is a good sign that we will be able to meet our buffer stocking
requirement by yearend,” said newly appointed NFA Administrator Judy Dansal.
Dansal, a former NFA career executive having
served as NFA Deputy Administrator for Marketing Operations until December last
year, was just appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte to head the agency
earlier this week.
Rice farmers urged to consider
vegetable farming amid more liberal import regime
June
24, 2019 | 12:04 am
A farmer
checking his okra farm along the upland in Bugallon, Pangasinan. -- PHILIPPINE
STAR/JOVEN CAGANDE
EAST-WEST Seed Group said rice farmers must
consider diversifying their crops to improve their income in the face of
liberalized rice imports.
“I think rice farmers need to diversify. They
need to diversify into high-value crops, into vegetables, which gives them…
better income than rice. I know because of the Rice Tariffication Law the rice
farmers are really worried that the price of palay would go down,” Mary Ann P.
Sayoc, public affairs lead of East West Seed told reporters in a briefing on
Friday.
Ms. Sayoc said a vegetable farmer can earn more
in 2,000 square meters than from one hectare of rice.
“Vegetable farming contributes to improved
livelihood of farmers. If you compare the income of farmers from vegetable
compared to rice, vegetable farmers earn more per hectare,” she said.
In a text message to BusinessWorld,
she said a farmer planting bitter gourd, or ampalaya, can earn P500,000 per
hectare against P75,000 from rice.
The equivalent earnings from eggplant and
tomato are P360,000 per hectare, and pumpkin P230,000.
East-West Seed Group was founded in the
Philippines in 1982 by Simon Groot of the Netherlands, with seed trader Benito
Domingo in Lipa City, Batangas. It is engaged in research, development,
production, and distribution of vegetable seed, specifically of vegetable
varieties that are adapted to tropical markets and growing conditions and
generate increased yield and productivity for farmers. It also helps farmers
maximize their yields and income through better understanding of vegetable
production.
The Rice Tariffication Law allows rice to be
imported more freely by private entities, in exchange for a 35% tariff. The
threat of cheaper rice from more efficient producers in Southeast Asia has
pressured the price of palay, or umilled rice, producers of which may have to
compete with rice grown in Vietnam or Thailand.
The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said
that in the first week of June, the farmgate price of palay, the form in which
it is sold by domestic farmers, fell 0.8% to P18 per kilogram.
“We can offer them ways to diversify their
income and teach them vegetable farming,” Ms. Sayoc said during the briefing.
To date, the company has reached 20 million
smallholder farmers in 60 tropical countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America
through its 900 improved vegetable varieties.
She said the domestic seed industry still has
room for growth from still-untapped markets.
“I think the Philippines still has many things
to offer. For one, there are still many areas where seed companies could grow
their seed, produce their seed, especially in the far-flung areas. I think we
could still produce more and the seed industry could really contribute a lot to
food security through improved varieties,” she said. — Vincent Mariel
P. Galang
600 million people at risk:
Climate change may soon turn critical in India
Climate
change is likely to make rainfall erratic, lead to rising seas and make extreme
weather events, such as droughts, floods and heat waves-like the one currently
sweeping large parts of India
Disha Shetty |
IndiaSpend Last Updated at June 24, 2019 07:03 IST
1103
That is
the warning delivered by N H Ravindranath, the
scientist who is tasked with preparing the first national study on the impacts
of climate change, even as he describes how unprepared India is in terms of
data and planning.
Climate change is
likely to make rainfall erratic, lead to rising seas and make extreme weather
events, such as droughts, floods and heat waves–like the one currently sweeping large
parts of India–frequent, according to the latest report of
the United Nations body to assess climate science, the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate
Change (IPCC).
Communities
and livelihoods nationwide have already been affected by climate change,
as IndiaSpend reported in a
seven-part series from
India’s climate-change hotspots.
Yet
India, where one in every seventh person on the planet lives, has no national
study on the impact of climate change, although about 600 million people
are at risk from its effects.
This is
set to change over the next few months of 2019. Ravindranath, a climate
scientist at the Centre for Sustainable Technologies of
the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) is
currently heading a study that will assess the impact of climate change across
regions and sectors. His assessment, which is likely to be the bedrock that
will inform climate-related policy, will be submitted to the Indian government
and the United Nations (UN).
Human
activities have already caused warming of one degree Celsius compared to
pre-industrial times, according to a 2018 IPCC report. By
2030, or latest by mid-century, global warming is likely to reach 1.5 degrees
Celsius.
In March
2019, Ravindranath headed the first study that
analysed climate change in India’s Himalayan Region (IHR). The study found,
as IndiaSpend reported, that all
12 Indian states studied–including Assam, Mizoram and Jammu and Kashmir
(J&K)--are “highly vulnerable”, with little capacity to resist or cope.
In 2018,
Ravindranath, along with other researchers, also helped the government of
Meghalaya assess the damage to its forests. Over 16 years to 2016, nearly half
of Meghalaya’s forests experienced an “increase in disturbance”, and around a
quarter are now “highly vulnerable” to the impact of climate change, the study found.
At his
office at the IISc in
Bengaluru, Ravindranath spoke to us on the lack of climate data by district and
the need to make these data more accessible to farmers, so they can be prepared
for what is coming.
Edited
excerpts from the interview:
To frame
a policy on climate change, India first needs to have data. Where does the
country stand with respect to understanding the impact of climate change across
the country?
If you
want to look at the impact of climate change, say on agriculture for rice,
wheat, maize, millet, pulses, so on and so forth, we still have very limited
data. We need good climate models. We
need good climate change projections at
the district and the block level.
Now
let’s take maize for instance; maize is grown in 300 districts in India. We
need to run these climate models for 300 districts and see where the decline
(in production) will be more or less. That kind of assessment doesn’t exist
right now.
In a
country like India, where agriculture is the livelihood of a majority of the
people, we still do not have a detailed assessment of the impact of climate
change on rice, wheat, maize, jowar, finger millet, pulses etc. We have broad studies available
on the decline (in overall production).
Take the
state of Meghalaya. No study will tell you what is the impact of climate change
on rice production, maize, or plantation crops. There are models, but we need
some data. Data [are] a problem. Climate change is all about future-based
projections that are at least a decade ahead.
You
never say climate-change projections for 2020. The trends are for 2020 to 2050
or 2050 to 2080. We need to run the models for different crops with soil data,
water data, climate data, crop data for that particular district. That is the
kind of analysis that is required, and we do not have it.
To study
the changes, one would need historical data. In Sundarbans, for instance,
researchers cited the
lack of historical data on rainfall and wind speeds, among other variables, on
the Indian side. How would you address this problem?
In case
of agriculture we have some data. For forests too, there is some data. What we
need is district specific data. For eg the practice of growing rice is
different in Mangaluru versus Mandya in Karnataka. The way water is managed,
soil is prepared – all that data needs to be fed into the models. While we have
the required models, we need to get resources.
I would
say right now to assess the impact of climate change at the district, block or
panchayat level is still a far cry.
What
kind of resources would you need to assess the impact of climate change at the
panchayat level?
Right
now, under the programme called national communication project,
we have to assess climate change projections, impacts and adaptations, at a
national level. That report has to be completed in the next six months to be
submitted to the UN. There we are doing a broad national level trend. For
impact of climate change on forests we are taking a national map and mapping
how the forests in Kerala, Meghalaya etc have changed. We are looking broadly
at districts and grids that are likely to undergo major change.
The data
[are] enough to submit a report and for the government to get a broad picture
of how climate change impacts the rice production or forests etc. But for
actual planning, adaptation projects, development or for helping communities to
cope with climate change, you need micro level data at the panchayat or at the
block level.
There is
no plan to prepare for that.
What
does India need to do to ensure scientists have this data?
We have
to conduct studies in different districts to see how rice, wheat and pulses,
among others, are grown. For each crop data has to be collected from every
district.
Would
that require a large workforce?
Yes.
Climate science is also continuously advancing and climate projections keep
changing. For a country like India it is possible to have projections at the
district level. There are many institutions and universities that focus on
areas like agriculture and forests. The government has to identify institutions
and give long-term programmes to make such studies possible.
That
hasn’t happened yet.
From
my reporting, I
gathered that many coastal communities and farmers can already feel the impact
of climate change. Do you see a sense of urgency in the government and the
policy circles to do something about this?
People
know that to tackle this problem (climate change), there is a need to build a
network of research institutions throughout India–some in Delhi, some in Assam,
some in Gujarat and so on. This networking should be done under a national
programme and there is a need to focus on this issue like a mission.
We still
do not have that kind of a mission approach.
What are
the roadblocks?
The
government needs to have a plan. Once that is done they can assess how much
money is required. Then they can identify the institutions that will be a part
of this network.
Do you
think if the pressure comes from the people, the plan might come from the
government?
Definitely,
if parliament asks the government to do this, they will do it. The districts
have to take decisions themselves.
There is
some work happening in this area in institutions. In agriculture there is
the Central Research Institute for
Dryland Agriculture (CRIDA). They
are doing some work but it is not at the level where it will help planning,
adaptation plans and to develop coping mechanisms. The science is not good
enough right now to help with the planning required for the block and district
level.
In
Meghalaya, the study that
the Indian Institute of Science (IISc)
undertook in collaboration with the state government found that the average
temperature rose 0.031 degree Celsius annually for 32 years until 2012. That is
a significant change. Why is it that India has not had many studies focused on
the local impact of climate change by Indian researchers?
This
cannot be done by all institutions. To study the impact of climate change
requires modelling. The modelling capacity is not something every institution
has. Very few institutions in India can do this. CRIDA in
Hyderabad, Indian Agricultural Research
Institute(IARI) in Delhi, IISc in
Bengaluru and some individuals have the capacity to do this.
In the
northeast there is no institution that can run these climate models. They take
the help of people like us. However, it is possible to build capacity. We are
trying to organize workshops on vulnerability assessment. There is a method and
guidelines to do so. Based on that training from us many states in the
north-east like Meghalaya, Manipur and Nagaland recently prepared vulnerability
reports themselves and presented it in Delhi. Capacity building requires some
effort but it is possible. The project we did was funded by the Swiss
government.
While
assessing the impact of climate change in a particular area it can get tricky
to differentiate between human-made and natural causes. While climate change
too is driven by human-made reasons, at the local level is it challenging to shift
through the different stressors?
There
are limitations. For example, while studying the impact of climate change on
the forests, the models do not take into consideration what is the ground
reality. Let’s take the Western Ghats for
instance. Our model will assume that it is evergreen or deciduous throughout.
The impact of climate change is different in a degraded forest or a fragmented
forest versus a well maintained, healthy forest. The models are not good enough
to make that distinction. The real impact on forest is based on climate and
other socio-economic pressures on the forest. The same is true for the crops.
We need additional work on these models.
Climate
change will soon become very critical. We are not talking about the next 100
years but the next 15 to 20-year timescale. In Europe and the US there are
long-term studies on how crop is changing, how pollination is changing. We
don’t have such historical evidence in India for agriculture and for forests.
You
mentioned your upcoming report will provide broad trends on climate change in
India. How can the research go beyond that?
We need
to provide access to climate projections available at a micro level to
everybody at the district level in the agriculture ministry. I can (in the
report) give broadly what is the trend in Karnataka but I can’t give details
for Udupi, Kundapura, etc. We need to give access to all the researchers and
even farmers. They should know if the rainfall has changed in the past 10-30
years so they can use it in their planning. They will keep this data in mind
while building water storage structures. We need to create access to climate
data. Information about different crops can be uploaded on the website. Some
research institute in Mangalore or Coimbatore wants to use the data, they
should have access to it. Not everyone needs to run a model. They can be given
access to this data directly.
Chinese tech improves farmers'
lives
By LUCIE
MORANGI/TANG YING | China Daily | Updated: 2019-06-24 09:06
Farmers
work in the field in Shimen village, Daliang township, Rong'an county of
Liuzhou, South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, March 6, 2019. [Photo/Xinhua]
New cultivation techniques used on Tanzania
plants triple production
It was early morning in June and a village
woman named Tatu sat outside her huge stone house, cooking and selling vitumbua－buns
made of rice flour. She explained that the low building at the corner of the
land was for poultry and rabbit farming, a new activity she was dabbling in.
But the source of her income is from rice
cultivation. She lives in Dakawa village, one of Tanzania's major rice
production areas. "I still love cooking for my family and it is also time
for sharing," she said.
The land is blanketed with deep green paddy
lands. The plants' ears are pregnant with rice and farmers are expecting a
bumper harvest in a month. The new variety takes about 100 days to mature. With
an extensive irrigation system fed by the Wami-Ruvu river basin, coupled with
the help of Chinese experts, farmers plant rice twice a year.
Agriculture here is booming. Nearly 255
kilometers from Dares Salaam, the largest city in Tanzania, agriculture remains
the exclusive means of income for 51 percent of Dakawa residents, according to
government data. Rice yields in Morogoro region went up due to access to
high-yielding seeds coupled with farming techniques introduced by Chinese
advisers, according to Andrew Ngereza, the center director of Tanzania
Agricultural Research Institute, Dakawa.
The state-backed research institute, under the
Agriculture Ministry of Tanzania, is partnering with the Demonstration Center
of China Agricultural Technology to provide demonstrations of improved
cultivars and techniques, and to train local farmers and technicians about
local and Chinese agricultural technologies, particularly rice.
The demo center is one of the 14 centers
proposed by China at the Beijing Summit of the Forum of China-Africa
Cooperation in 2006.
Handed over to the Tanzanian government in
2011, the Chinese-built center cost about $6 million on a 153.2 acres (62
hectares) piece of land. Construction and design were completed by the
Chongqing Zhongyi Seeds Industry Co under Chongqing Academy of Agricultural
Sciences. It consists of experimental fields, offices, laboratory and training
area, together with 123.6 acres under irrigation.
The partnership has also spread to maize tissue
culture, vegetable tissue culture, banana tissue culture and poultry farming.
Together, the researchers have been able bridge information and knowledge
barrier hindering adoption of improved rice farming technology by farmers.
"We have jointly undertaken research and
developed high-yielding seeds that are drought intolerant. Furthermore, the
center has demonstrated how these varieties, coupled with modern farming
techniques from China, can increase productivity," said Ngereza.
In May, Tanzania announced plans to boost
annual rice production from 2.2 million tons to 4.5 million tons in a 12-year
national plan. Local demand for rice has reached 2.05 million tons in 2018,
according to a recent report by the government. It is projected to increase by
2.9 percent during the next five years to 2.27 tons.
Tanzania is the second largest rice producer in
sub-Saharan Africa and rice covers 74 percent of the country's land, according
to 2017 research by Hezron Makundi for the China-Africa Research Initiative.
But the country still imports around five percent of the rice it consumes.
Low productivity in Tanzania is due to low-soil
fertility, high soil salinity levels, climate change-induced droughts, unstable
markets, poor innovation and a limited application of improved technologies.
Low mechanization and high consumption of labor also ups production costs and
triggers price spikes above the global markets, according to the report.
The center has also trained 6,000 farmers,
including government extension officers. "We have found this to be more
effective and reach many people," said Ngereza.
The program has been the pole center for
sharing the experience of China's technology-driven agricultural modernization
with Tanzania.
The Chinese experts have been instrumental in
boosting productivity. "They have introduced new cultivation techniques
using our own variety. The production in the area has tripled," Ngereza
said, adding that simple hand-held mechanized power tools such as tractors, are
also available.
Stakeholders task FG on
palm oil import ban implementation
Stakeholders have
been reacting to the Federal Government’s renewed plan of outright ban of palm
oil importation. While some consider it as a right step towards developing
local production, others say it is ill timed, as it might result to high cost
of the commodity in the long run.
Recently, the Federal Government directed the
Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to blacklist firms importing palm oil and 42
other items. With the directive, it is now an offence for any company or
individual to import palm oil.
The CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, who
disclosed this, explained that the new move will also focus on the massive
production of 10 commodities: rice, maize, cassava, tomatoes, cotton, oil palm,
pottery, fish, livestock and cocoa.
President, National Palm Oil Produce
Association of Nigeria, Henry Olatujoye, said the directive is obviously going
to increase investment in the oil palm industry.
He said to some extent, it will bring the
much-needed solution to the industry, but cautioned that it will depend on
implementation and attitude towards the policy.
“To successfully achieve this, serious efforts
should be directed to the borders where thousands of tonnes of olein and crude
palm oil are entering Nigeria. Blacklisting smugglers is one thing, controlling
the borders is another thing. If the borders are not controlled, the policy
will not succeed. The success of the policy is directly proportional to the
manning of the borders. Apart from this, CBN should ensure that price is
controlled as we implement the policy, else it might go out of hand and further
bring hyper-inflation to the sector.
Managing Director, Dangote Tomato Processing
Factory, Kano, Abdulkarim Kaita, described the directive as a good move, the
only way the economy can grow and bring enough food to the table.
“If you look at what is happening in the agric
sector, we are importing a lot of products that we can produce locally to feed
ourselves, so there is no point allowing such imports. Just like the case of
rice, the country previously depended on imported rice, but when they took the
decisive action to ban its importation, we can see how rice processing started
sprouting up and now we are better for it.
“This is the right step to take in developing
the sector and the same thing is happening with the tomato sector and
government is moving into the palm oil sector. You’ll discover that those who
are setting up plantations and processing units cannot sell their produce
because of imported palm oil from Malaysia. So, unless we stop this
importation, we’ll be killing the local industries, which are creating
employment and making food cheaper.”
Kaita described as wrong notion the claim that
local production is not enough to cater for the high demand. “This importation
has to stop. If you don’t get palm oil, then look for the alternative. Relevant
government agencies tasked with this responsibility should ensure that the
policy is carried out to the letter. They need to be up and doing and that is
how the policy can work. Mere lip service to the policy will not make it work.”
NBC set to
hold annual meet highliting agricultural issues
Sorn Sarath |
Publication date 24 June 2019 | 09:41 ICT
National
Bank of Cambodia (NBC) director-general Chea Serey speaks at the 5th Annual
Macroeconomic Conference in December last year themed Broadening Sources of
Cambodia's Growth. LOLC (Cambodia) PLC
The National Bank of Cambodia (NBC) is set to
hold the 6th Annual Macroeconomic Conference at the end of this year, which
will focus on the Kingdom’s agriculture sector challenges.
The conference on Agriculture Sector in a Rapid
Structural Transformation and Uncertain Global Trade Environment will be held
in December in Phnom Penh.
“Agriculture has been one of the main drivers
of growth despite the rapid increase in the contribution of industry to the
economic growth during the last two decades,” the NBC said.
Agriculture is one of the main drivers of the
Kingdom’s economic growth among the garment, tourism and construction sectors.
The NBC cites rural labour shortages and a lack
of infrastructure in the agricultural sector as one of the sector’s challenges.
It further cites external causes for concern,
such as uncertain global agriculture trade preference schemes – including the
recently removed trade preference on the Kingdom’s rice exports to the EU – as
well as the Sino-US trade war.
“The cancellation of the tariff-free scheme on
Cambodia’s rice exports to the EU may have implications on the welfare of paddy
farmers, rice millers’ investments, and logistics and transport agents.
“However, the Sino-US trade war may create
opportunities to attract Chinese and US investors to Cambodia’s agricultural
sector,” the NBC said.
The rapid development of certain sectors such
as garment, tourism and construction has absorbed a large pool of low-skilled
rural labour.
The latest data show that the garment and
footwear industry employs about one million workers, the majority of whom are
from rural areas.
The outflow of rural labour to neighbouring
countries, the NBC said, is also large with approximately 1.1 million
Cambodians currently residing abroad, of which 61 per cent is in Thailand.
The priority for agricultural development in
Cambodia seems to be low compared to other sectors such as the tourism and
garments, said an Asian Development Bank (ADB) Independent Evaluation Report
earlier this month.
Rice
producers target reduction in price to curb smuggling
Okechukwu
Nnodim
Indigenous
rice producers in Nigeria are gearing up to cut down the cost of the commodity
by at least N3,000 in a bid to further curb the negative effect which the
smuggling of foreign rice into Nigeria has been having on the production of
local rice.
On June
5, 2019, The PUNCH exclusively reported that the activities of some corrupt
customs officers, other security agents and smugglers were gradually killing
the Federal Government’s target to achieve self-sufficiency in local rice
production by 2020.
The
immediate past Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, had at a
press conference in Lagos in April 2018, said the country would achieve
self-sufficiency in rice production in 2020, as he noted that 60 per cent of
rice consumed across the country was produced locally.
But
investigations at some border communities in the country revealed how some
customs officers, other security officials and smugglers were conniving to
thwart the Federal Government’s aim at increasing local production of rice.
To help
address this concern, local rice producers stated that plans were being
perfected and had reached advanced stage to crash the price of the commodity
produced locally in order to render the business of smuggling unprofitable.
The
National President, Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria, Aminu Goronyo, told
our correspondent in Abuja on Friday that rice farmers were collaborating with
millers and other operators in the value chain to cut down the price of the
commodity.
He said,
“There is that plan jointly between the rice producers and the processors. We
are working collaboratively to see that there is enough rice, both paddy and
milled rice in Nigeria. And because the farmers have produced a lot, the cost
of paddy has reduced from about N11,000 that we used to sell to between N7,500
and N8,000.
“So you
can see that obviously the cost of milled rice is coming down. And aside from
that, you will agree that the cost of milled rice has been reducing over the
years,in 2014/2015, the cost of a 50kg bag of milled rice was about N18,000.
But now it is sold at between N13,000 and N13,500. So to further curb
smuggling, local rice price will come down further, it is a gradual process.”
Goronyo
noted that the cost reduction in paddy production would definitely warrant a
decrease in the price of milled rice, adding that the aim of farmers and other
producers of the commodity was to see that a 50kg bag of milled rice is sold at
N10,000.
“That is
what we are aiming at because it will lead to a situation where the final
consumer will find it affordable and, of course, when rice is affordable,
people will be able to buy more and more of the product,” the RIFAN president
stated.
He
added, “This will make rice sellers to make more money and by extension, the
producers as well will make money. The more people buy the product, the more
dealers make profit. The more dealers make profit, the more farmers make profit
as well. That is the target and we hope to achieve it very soon.”
The
PUNCH’s report had stated that the smuggling of imported rice, which had been
banned in Nigeria, usually came into the country through Niger and the Republic
of Benin.
In Ogun
and Lagos states, it was gathered that the traders bought a bag of rice at
between N5,000 and N6,000 in the Republic of Benin, as the contraband was
usually transported to Nigeria through the Seme and Idi-Iroko borders.
While
findings showed that the smugglers usually bribe customs officers while
bringing the smuggled foreign rice from the Republic of Benin. However, the
National Public Relations Officer, Nigeria Customs Service, Joseph Attah,expressed
disbelief in the claims of the rice farmers.
Attah
had in the June 5 report stated that “They (farmers) were part of the CGC Task
Force meeting constituted to fight rice smuggling just three weeks ago and at
that meeting, they were full of commendation for the customs’ fight against
smuggling.
“They
also pledged their readiness to support the fight and provide intelligence to
the strike force. The strike force is just settling down to do its job. So the
same people cannot praise customs in one breadth and in another breadth they
are accusing the Customs of aiding smugglers.”
Qatari Emir to land in
Pakistan today: What to expect from the visit?
Qatari
Emir is expected to land in Islamabad today for an official state visit since
2015. PM Imran Khan will welcome the Emir at the airport followed by a Guard of
Honor for the Royal guest. It is expected that during his two-day visit to
Pakistan, both countries will sign various agreements pertinent to agriculture,
industry, petrochemicals, tourism and hospitality cooperation
June 22, 2019
Qatar’s Emir, Sheikh Tamim Hamad Al Thani, will
reach Islamabad in the evening today for a two day state visit to Pakistan.
Qatar has planned to invest in various fields
of Pakistan’s development sector. Reportedly Qatar is investing $22 billion
during the Emir’s visit, however, there are reports contradicting this claim
and stating a $9-11 billion expected deal between the two countries.
Both Pakistan and Qatar share a mutual trade
relationship, hence, it is expected that various agreements based on imports
and exports will also be signed between the two countries.
The visit of the Qatari Emir to Pakistan comes
two years after a trade and diplomatic blockade which was imposed on the Gulf
state in June 2017, also dubbed as the Second Cold War in the Middle East.
The
bilateral trade volume between Qatar and Pakistan tripled in 2018 with a
two-way trade exchange increase to 230 percent at $2.6 billion from $1.6
billion in 2017 and $782 million in 2016.
The Saudi-Emirati led coalition had imposed the
blockade on Qatar over alleged support to Islamist groups and for its cordial
ties with Iran. Qatar has denied all accusations of supporting terrorist
groups.
Pakistan, being a key ally of all major states
in the Gulf, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Iran and
Qatar, has maintained that it would continue to have cordial ties with all
states without joining any particular bloc.
Why is this Visit Important for Qatar?
Being a city-state by magnitude, Qatar had
previously relied heavily on food imports from its neighboring states. However,
due to strict measures imposed by the Saudi-dominated bloc, it is now focused
on trade and diversification of its economy from beyond the region.
Both Pakistan and Qatar have enjoyed pleasant
ties since the 1990s with a primary focus on trade and economy exchanges.
Pakistan reportedly exported goods worth $ 67.3 million to Qatar in 2017,
mainly food exports.
Earlier this year, the Minister of Commerce and
Industry, Ali bin Ahmed al-Kuwari, had affirmed Pakistan’s role in providing
food security to Qatar during the turmoil in 2017. He also expressed the desire
to further strengthen the cooperation in realms of agriculture and industry.
Qatar’s Ban Lifted from Pakistan’s Rice Imports
On PM Imran Khan’s visit to Qatar in January
this year, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry of Qatar removed the ban on
Pakistan’s rice imports that had been imposed on the country since 2011-2012
over low quality of rice.
The
sources claim that Qatar is set to acquire the management services of the top
three hotels in Pakistan, including Marriot, Serena and Pearl Continental (PC).
The ban-lift is expected to provide an
additional $40-50 million of rice exports to Qatar if the quality is
maintained. Annual rice imports of Qatar are estimated to be around 200,000 tones.
In addition to that, Pakistan’s food exports to
Qatar had reportedly reached an unprecedented high in 2017 by 70 percent and
are expected to further increase as a result of the expected deals during the
Emir’s visit.
The bilateral trade volume between Qatar and
Pakistan tripled in 2018 with a two-way trade exchange increase to 230 percent
at $2.6 billion from $1.6 billion in 2017 and $782 million in 2016.
It is expected that the trade volume is set to
further boom in the coming years owing to an increased and strengthened
partnership between the two countries in several fields.
Qatar to Invest in Pakistan’s Hospitality and Tourism Sector
According to reports, Qatar at present is
looking to invest in Pakistan’s tourism and hospitality sector through its
acquisitive investment policies under the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA). The
sources claim that Qatar is set to acquire the management services of the top
three hotels in Pakistan, including Marriot, Serena and Pearl Continental (PC).
In addition to the hotel industry, Qatar is
also said to be investing in Pakistan’s aviation industry by taking up
management of three airports in Karachi, Islamabad and Lahore. It is also
reported that the Qatari Emir will also be finalizing deals pertinent to
investment in Pakistan’s tourism industry.
Qatar’s Petrochemical Investments in Pakistan to Increase
Both countries are also expected to finalize a
10-year long LNG deal that will provide Pakistan with 400 million feet (MMBFD)
of LNG per day on low rates as part of fresh agreements between the two
countries.
The deal is expected to fulfill Pakistan’s
domestic gas needs for an increasing population and depleting resources of
natural gas. Moreover, Qatar is also seeking to invest its petrochemical
investments in the port cities of Pakistan.
Pakistanis
invited to 34th Trade Expo in Indonesia
Envoy says
Pakistani products have great demand in his country Rice and wheat worth $2.3b
imported to Indonesia last year 
Our Staff Reporter
LAHORE - Ambassador of
Indonesia Iwan Suyudhieamri has invited Pakistani businessmen to participate in
34th Trade Expo scheduled to be held in October. Speaking at a ceremony at
Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry on Saturday, he stressed the need of
taking measures for increasing the volume of bilateral trade between the two
countries. LCCI Senior Vice President Khawaja Shahzad Nasir and Vice President
Faheem-ur-Rehman Saigal also spoke on the occasion. Amjad Ali Jawa, Sheikh
Zafar Iqbal, Harris Attique, Mian Zahid Javed and Abuzar Shad were also
present. The Ambassador urged the community to benefit from the expo as
Pakistani products have great demand in Indonesia. He said that both the
countries have old historical links and enjoy cordial relations.
Khawaja Shahzad Nasir said Indonesia and
Pakistan were members of OIC and D-8 Organization of Economic Cooperation. Both
countries have old historical links and share special bondage of friendship and
companionship.
Faheem-ur-Rehman Saigal said Indonesia was a
major trading partner of Pakistan. Among top importing and exporting
destinations of Pakistan, Indonesia comes at 5th and 16th places respectively.
He said that there was already a Preferential Trade Agreement between Pakistan
and Indonesia. Last year, Indonesia allowed Pakistan to have free market access
on 20 items with immediate effect.
It would certainly help increase trade while
offering greater opportunities to exporters. He said that for the last few
years, the bilateral trade was following an increasing trend. In 2016, the
volume of two-way trade was dollar 2.2 billion which reached dollar 2.8 billion
in 2018. He said that the imports from Indonesia registered a sizeable increase
from dollar 2.1 billion in 2016 to dollar 2.5 billion in 2018. Pakistan’s
exports to Indonesia are also picking up. In the same period, the value of
exports increased from dollar 126 million to dollar 303 million. The major
items imported from Indonesia are Palm Oil, Coal, Motor Vehicles and Artificial
Staple Fibres etc. Pakistan’s main items of exports are Rice, Wheat, Citrus
Fruit, Paper & Paperboard, woven fabric and cotton etc. Last year, the
total worth of rice and wheat imported by Indonesia was around dollar 2.3
billion whereas the share of Pakistan in these two items was just 8.3%.
“We expect that other than rice and wheat,
Pakistan should also be allowed to export items like light engineering, carpets
and surgical instruments to bring some improvement in the present scenario”,
Faheem-ur-Rehman Saigal said. He said that Indonesia has earned respectable
name in areas including petro-chemicals, rubber, plywood, telecommunication and
tourism. Indonesian business community can make direct investment in Pakistan in
these industries and can also enter into joint ventures with their Pakistani
counterparts.
Action
Plan For Enhancing Rice Yield
SIALKOT, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - APP
- 23rd Jun, 2019 ) ::The Punjab government has
evolved a national programme with over Rs 9 billion for
enhancing rice yield across the province.
Agriculture department sources told APP
on Sunday that
under the plan, strenuous efforts would be made for creating awareness among
the paddy growers about the balanced use of pesticides, fertilizer and
recommended seed for obtaining maximum output.
Under
the plan, the first phase of farmers training had been completed while the next
phase would soon be carried out. However, an awareness village level crash
programme is being launched for reaching every village with focused approach to
promote correct time of transplanting for different varieties, recommend plant
population, balanced use fertilizer at proper time and weed control etc across
the province.
In order
to create the awareness among the farming community, a comprehensive campaign
is being launched for the promotion of modern production practices for
productivity enhancement and safe use pesticides, fungicides and weedicides.
In Sialkot district,
the agriculture department
is finalizing necessary arrangements for strengthening awareness programme in
every village. The agriculture department
is motivating the paddy growers to ensure their participation in training
programme, sources added.
The agriculture challenge
Extreme weather
changes, such as droughts, heatwaves, and heavy rainfall pose a serious threat
to agriculture
Agriculture contributes 21percent to the gross
domestic product (GDP), employs 45 percent of the total workforce and
contributes about 60 percent to exports, according to the Ministry of Planning,
Development, and Reforms.
Pakistan’s
total cropped area is 23.4 million hectares (Mha), representing 29 percent of the
total reported area with the percentage by province of 77 percent in Punjab, 14
percent in Sindh, 5 percent in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 4 percent in Balochistan.
There are two
important components associated with agriculture — forests and livestock. Forests
are an important natural resource in the context of rural livelihood. Forest
area in Pakistan is 4.19 Mha, representing 5 percent of the total land area.
The livestock sector contributes 56.3 percent of agriculture sector output and
11.8 percent to the national GDP. It supports more than 8 million rural
families involved directly in raising livestock.
Sufficient
evidence is available on how climate change is impacting crops in the
agriculture sector and forests.
Crop production
is vulnerable to climate variability, and climate change associated with
increases in temperature, increases in CO2, and changing
patterns of rainfall may lead to a considerable decline in crop production.
There are two
crop seasons in Pakistan namely, Rabi and Kharif. Rabi crops are grown normally
in the months of November to April and Kharif crops are grown from May to
October. Major crops are wheat, rice, maize, sugarcane and cotton. These two
seasons make Pakistan an agricultural economy and its performance depends on
climate change during the whole year.
The
Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC) says global temperature will
increase by 0.4 to 2.6°C in the second half of this century (depending on
future greenhouse gas emissions). According to ADB’s (Asian Development Bank)
2017 report, it is estimated that with rise of temperature (+0.50C),
agricultural productivity in Pakistan will decrease by around 8–10 percent by
2040.
The study finds
a 6 percent reduction in wheat yield, and 15–18 percent decrease for fine-grain
aromatic basmati rice yield in all agro-climatic zones except northern areas.
According to findings of the International Institute for Applied Systems
Analysis (IIASA) Austria, by 2080, yield will decrease for all the major crops
and cereals whereas wheat would have the highest reduction in its yield.
In Pakistan,
extreme weather events, such as droughts, heatwaves, and heavy rainfall, have
increased in past decades. They will likely contribute substantially to food
insecurity in future by increasing food prices and reducing food production.
Currently,
Sindh is prone to climate change due to its geographical location to a greater
degree as compared to other provinces. Environmentalist and Chief Operating
Officer Reflect Global, Mustafa Gurgaze, tells TNS that
because of the change in weather pattern, scarcity of fresh water and dried
surface areas like Badin that have been known for producing rice and sugarcane
are now producing melon and a unique kind of brown rice is disappearing.
The monsoon
season that would start in the months of July and August now starts either in
April or September. This disturbed monsoon cycle has compelled farmers of
districts of Thatta, Umerkot and Tharparkar to grow sunflower instead of other
crops.
Sindh has a 342
km long and 50 km wide coastal belt along the Arabian Sea, covering an area of
600,000 ha. Within the coastal belt an area of 73,000 ha of Indus delta is
covered by mangrove forests in districts of Thatta, Badin and Karachi. “The
total area covered by Mangrove forest was approximately 2.5 million acres,
which was ranked 6th largest contiguous fresh
water mangroves worldwide, is now reduced to 55 thousand acres,” Gurgaze
informs.
“Apart from
underground water scarcity, less water in River Indus is creating a big threat
to some districts of Sindh close to the Arabian Sea. Kotri Downstream Study 1
conducted in 2004 highlights that 4 million acres of agriculture land has been
consumed by the Arabian Sea because we could not ensure “environmental flow” of
river water into the Arabian Sea.”
The need for
minimum flow to sea, below Kotri, to halt sea intrusion was recognised on March
21, 1991 through an accord called “Apportionment of the Waters of the Indus
River System between the Provinces of Pakistan”. Under that accord, the agreed
minimum escapage was 10 million acre feet (MAF).
“There is a
great threat to Hyderabad and Tando Muhammad Khan of submerging by sea water in
the next 25 years if we don’t ensure the agreed ‘environmental flow,” informs
Gurgaze. “Besides, more than half of the canal system is not working in Sindh
because of decreasing fresh water supply.”
Agriculture
sector in Punjab faces great challenges, too. The province can be divided into
three parts: northern, central and southern. Important crops are wheat and cotton
in central and southern Punjab; other crops are rice, sugarcane, millet, corn
(maize), oilseeds, organic products, and vegetables.
Farooq Bajwa,
director Farmers’ Associates Pakistan and member Agri-Commission Punjab
explains the negative effect of temperature increase on cotton, maize, and
wheat. “Climate variables have badly affected crops. Farmers in some areas have
changed their crops from cotton to pulses and oilseeds.”
Small farmers
in Punjab have started growing two or three crops at the same time. Sowing
pulses, instead of late sowing maize after potatoes, is also a visible change
in some areas.”
The IPCC Fifth
Assessment Report (AR5) for the Asia region notes that sensitivity to climate
change threats in agriculture-dependent economies (such as Pakistan), arises
from their distinct geography, demographic trends, socio-economic factors, and
lack of adaptive capacity that when taken together, determine the vulnerability
profile by maintaining a vicious cycle of poverty.
A consultant on
Climate Change, Sardar Asif Ali Sial, says while talking to TNS that extreme weather events, associated with
climate change may cause sudden reduction in agricultural productivity, leading
to rapid price increases.“Unfortunately, agriculture in Pakistan is based on
conservative method of production and also on self- reliance, which is the main
cause for low productivity. Heatwaves are likely to become more frequent in
future and represent a major challenge for agriculture.Thus, it is necessary
for a country to make its agriculture sector efficient to enhance food
security, quality of life and promote rapid economic growth”.
Climate change
experts warn Pakistan of five major risks related to climate change: rise in
sea level, glacial retreats, floods, higher average temperature and higher
frequency of droughts. Therefore, the agriculture sector of Pakistan is more
vulnerable to climate change.
Besides,
enhancing crop production to meet rising demands of a growing population is a
challenging task. Dr. Muhammad Ismail Kumbhar, Professor at Sindh Agriculture
University Tandojam says while talking to TNS that more
attention to adaptation and mitigation research, capacity building, change in
policies, and national and regional cooperation is required to minimise adverse
impacts of climate change and increase in agriculture productivity.
“Adaptation to
climate variability serves as source for dropping vulnerability to climate change.
Basic adaptation practices for instance using climate-ready crops, modifying
planting dates, improving water preservation and best management practices,
utilizing effective irrigation system and fertilizer management, diversifying
crops, and refining pest supervision could help reduce impacts of climate
change.”
Improved local
weather information, he adds, and early cautioning frameworks for growers will
certainly be valuable in reducing climatic threats.
Ban on
palm oil import: Stakeholders weigh options
By Gbenga
Akinfenwa
23 June 2019 | 4:22 am
oil palm
plantation
The
Federal Government’s renewed plan of outright ban of palm oil importation is
receiving conflicting reactions from stakeholders in the industry.
While
some consider it as a right step towards developing local production, other
said it is ill timed, as it might translate to high cost of the commodity in
the long run.
A
fortnight ago, the Federal Government directed the Central Bank of Nigeria
(CBN), to blacklist firms importing palm oil and 42 other items. With the
directive, it is now an offence for any company or individual to import palm
oil.
The CBN
Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, who disclosed this, explained that the new move
will also focus on the massive production of 10 commodities: rice, maize,
cassava, tomatoes, cotton, oil palm, pottery, fish, livestock and cocoa.
President,
National Palm Oil Produce Association of Nigeria, Henry Olatujoye said the
directive is obviously going to increase investment in the oil palm industry.
He said
to some extent, it will bring the much-needed solution to the industry, but
cautioned that it will largely depend on implementation and attitude towards
the policy.
“To
successfully achieve this, serious efforts should be directed to the borders
where thousands of tons of Olein and Crude Pam Oil are entering Nigeria.
Blacklisting smugglers is one thing, controlling the borders in another thing.
If the borders are not controlled, the policy will not succeed. The success of
the policy is directly proportional to the manning of the borders. Apart from
this, the CBN should ensure that price is controlled as we implement the
policy, else it might go out of hand and further bring hyper-inflation to the
sector.
Managing
Director, Dangote Tomato Processing Factory, Kano, Abdulkarim Kaita, described
the directive as a good move, the only way the economy can grow and bring
enough food to the table.
“If you
look at what is happening in the agric sector, we are actually importing a lot
of products that we can produce locally to feed ourselves, so there is no point
allowing such imports. Just like the case of rice, the country previously
depended on imported rice, but when they took the decisive action to ban its
importation, we can see how rice processing started sprouting up and now we are
better for it.
“This is
the right step to take in developing the sector and the same thing is happening
with the tomato sector and government is moving into the palm oil sector.
You’ll discover that those who are setting up plantations and processing units
cannot sell their produce because of imported palm oil from Malaysia. So,
unless we stop this importation, we’ll be killing the local industries, which
are creating employment and making food cheaper.”
Kaita
described as wrong notion the claim that local production is not enough to
cater for the high demand. “This importation has to stop, if you don’t get palm
oil, then look for the alternative. Relevant government agencies tasked with
this responsibility should ensure that the policy is carried out to the letter,
they need to be up and doing and that is how the policy can work. Mere lip
service to the policy will not make it work.”
To
Prince Wale Oyekoya, an agriculturist, analyst and commercial farmer, the
directive is capable of challenging palm oil plantation and processing units to
rise up to the task and increase productivity, but that has to be with the
assistance of loans from the CBN.
“I think
this initiative would cause the Federal Government to show firmness in
supporting local industries. In as much as government is enforcing ban on some
select items, it should be ready to give the needed support to increase our
local production if we don’t want to starve our teeming population. I believe
with necessary support from government many palm oil firms would go back to
production.
“However,
we should not rush into blacklisting importers if we have not got our
house in order. Doing that may lead to starvation, which will negatively impact
health of the citizens,” he said.
Oyekoya
advised government to champion programmes to sensitise the public, especially
youths to win their interest back to agriculture.
But
founder, Menitos Farm Depot, Toluwalope Daramola said solution to challenges in
the industry does not lie in outright ban, as it may backfire, except steps are
taken to enhance capacity of the sub-sector.
“In a
country where supply gap exists for palm oil already, it is important to know
that ban could backfire. There should be steps to enhance
the value-chain production needs like: startup grants, good road and
rail networks to link farm communities, as well as subsidised machineries.
These are some of the challenges a ban can’t fix, but are required.
“The
solution does not lie in this directive. Do we have the capacity to optimise
processes in our value chain? Enforcing the directive is critical as well as
facilitating local production through education and empowerment of small-scale
plantations. Majority of palm plantations are located in areas with terrible
roads. It is easy to focus on the big names, but the small farms are equally
relevant if we are going to close the supply gap,” she said.
To
another Farmer, Tunji Olowokere, it is a wrong move. According to him, the
country is yet to strengthen its institutional capacity and with the directive,
prices of food commodities will increase in the long run.
“Big
players will benefit from these policies but smallholder farmers will find it
hard. We always adopt the Fire Brigade approach, despite that a lot need to be
done. This is why it will not work. Customs guys will get richer. Pretty sad.
It seems we never learn. When has blacklisting or banning of products ever
helped the common man in Nigeria? But we keep doing it.
High pesticide
content a drag on rice exports
Jun 22, 2019, 9:05 AM (IST)
Workers
pack rice for export at a mill in Karnal. Tribune photo: Sayeed Ahmed
Parveen
Arora
Even though rice export
s from
India have been rising year after year, a high content of pesticides in the
grain is still a major challenge for exporters. The haphazard use of pesticides
in basmati leads to rejection of the product in the international market as well
as extra burden on farmers, as several countries have strict norms regarding
the permissible amount of pesticides in rice. The All India Rice Exporters’
Association, which has big exporters of Karnal district as members, has decided
to continue with its campaign to make farmers aware about the right use of
pesticides this season also. It started the campaign from Karnal last week and
held two meetings with farmers.
s from
India have been rising year after year, a high content of pesticides in the
grain is still a major challenge for exporters. The haphazard use of pesticides
in basmati leads to rejection of the product in the international market as well
as extra burden on farmers, as several countries have strict norms regarding
the permissible amount of pesticides in rice. The All India Rice Exporters’
Association, which has big exporters of Karnal district as members, has decided
to continue with its campaign to make farmers aware about the right use of
pesticides this season also. It started the campaign from Karnal last week and
held two meetings with farmers.
Vijay Setia, president, All India Rice
Exporters' Association and a Karnal-based rice exporter, says that they started
the campaign from Karnal three years ago following the rejection of several
basmati consignments in the international market. They again started the
campaign in Karnal last week.In coming days, they will educate farmers in basmati
growing districts of Haryana and also in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and
Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi. With the help of experts from the
Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA)
and state agriculture departments, they will inform farmers about the proper
use of pesticides.
This
paddy season, the exporters have set a target to educate around 10 lakh farmers
in the rice belt states. They will also approach one lakh farmers in Haryana.
The exporters will hold seminars and distribute literature to make farmers
aware about the judicious use of pesticides in their fields.
Last season, they had made aware around one
lakh farmers in the rice belt states of Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and
Uttar Pradesh.
“Basmati
is one of the major cash crops of Punjab and Haryana. They account for around
75 per cent of the basmati exports of the country, while other major basmati
growing states such as Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal
Pradesh and Delhi account for around 25 per cent exports. Despite this, the
farmers of these states are still not much aware about the judicious use of
pesticides, leading to rejection of Indian rice consignments in various
countries. We will make one lakh farmers of Haryana and nine lakh farmers of
Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Delhi and other
states aware about the issue to promote rice exports as well as the health of
citizens,” says Setia.
Besides, the exporters will also adopt a bonus
scheme for farmers to promote a judicious use of pesticides. “We will give a
bonus of Rs 100 per quintal to farmers for producing good quality rice with a
judicious use of pesticides. It will motivate them also,” adds Setia.
“This season our main motive is healthy seeds
and a healthy nursery. For a healthy nursery, we are requesting farmers to
leave little space for walking after every 16 feet in their fields, which will
help in disease control,” he says.
“We will also distribute literature, which has
been compiled by the experts of the exporters’ association, among farmers
during the campaign,” says Ajay Sharma, MD, Lama Rice, one of the big exporters
of the country. He says that the association is developing an app, which will
have the mobile phone numbers of basmati farmers, to keep them updated about
new initiatives. “We will also organise farmers’ interaction programmes with
scientists,” Sharma adds.
“The export of basmati is increasing and for
the last five years India has been at the top position. Iran, Saudi Arabia,
UAE, Iraq, Yamen Arab Republic, USA, Oman, Qatar, and Jordan are among the top
buyers of our rice. In the last financial year, India exported 14,62,234.74
metric tonnes (MT) of basmati to Iran; 902,996.69 MT to Saudi Arabia;
441,713.50 MT to UAE; 315,797.23 MT to Iraq; 206,953.83 MT to Yemen; 139,006.34
MT to the USA, 82,389.68 MT to Oman, 68,052.30 MT to Qatar and 49,486.94 MT to
Jordan,” says Sharma.
About the Haryana Government’s new initiative
of crop diversification to promote maize and ‘arhar’ instead of paddy, Setia
and Sharma say that it will not have a big impact on the basmati crop that is
cultivated in June end and the monsoons contribute a lot to its production.
Aditya Dabas, Deputy Director Agriculture, says
Haryana cultivates paddy in around 13.5 lakh hectares and produces around 50
lakh quintals of it. Paddy is cultivated in around 1.70 lakh hectares in Karnal
and around 9 lakh quintals of rice is produced. Basmati accounts for around 50
per cent of the total rice production in the state while in Karnal it accounts
for 40 per cent of the rice production. Karnal has around one lakh landholding
farmers.
Dabas says that residual pesticides and
chemical fertilisers are entering the food-chain due to the cultivation of
wheat and paddy without any gap.
We
launched the campaign from Karnal three years ago following the rejection of
several basmati consignments in the international market. We again started the
campaign in Karnal last week. In coming days, we will educate farmers in
basmati growing districts of Haryana and also in Punjab, Himachal, J&K,
Uttar Pradesh and Delhi. With the help of experts from the Agricultural and
Processed Food Products Export Development Authority and state agriculture
departments, we will inform farmers about the proper use of pesticides. —Vijay
Setia, President, All India Rice Exporters’ Association
We will also distribute literature, which has
been compiled by the experts of the exporters’ association, among farmers
during the campaign. The association is developing an app, which will have the
mobile phone numbers of basmati farmers, to keep them updated about new
initiatives. We will also organise farmers’ interactions with scientists. —Ajay
Sharma, MD, Lama Rice
Farmers In Distress Over Paddy Procurement Delay In Nuapada
By KalingaTV Bureau On Jun 22, 2019
Nuapada: Farmers in Boden block of Nuapada district
are under distress over failing to sell their hard-earned produce in due time.
Quintals of paddy are lying in the mandi and no miller has come forward for
procurement.
According to
sources, 4000 quintals of paddy belonging to the farmers of Palsada and Damjhar
village are lying outside the Palsada mandi for the last 15 days. Moreover, the
farmers are spending sleepless nights to guard them as no millers have come
forward to take paddy from the mandi.
The farmers
have alleged that as there are no facilities available in the mandi to store
the paddy safe, the paddy bags being lying on the open space are wet and
subsequently began to damage due to untimely rain and change in climatic
conditions.
As per
allegations, the dilly-dallying of rice millers and the lackadaisical attitude
of the administration has virtually paralyzed the paddy procurement process in
the district.
The farmers
further alleged that they have alerted the district administration regarding
paddy procurement delay but no one had paid heed to their repeated complaints.
Meanwhile, the farmers have threatened to hit
the streets and stage protest if the paddy procurement process will not start
in the next two days
IN DEFENSE OF THE MPCA’S SCIENCE PART 1:
BACKGROUND, THE JUDGE, AND THE EPA
·
By Doug Pribyl
·
Jun 22, 2019
Although the
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s (MPCA) proposed revised sulfate standard
was withdrawn in May 2018, during the review process considerable abuse was
directed at the science that has gone into developing the proposed standard.
This needs to be addressed. The most egregious accusation, that it is based on
“flawed science,” is completely untrue.
I am not
writing in support of MPCA’s now defunct proposed revision to the wild rice
sulfate standard. My concern is with the science, not with the standard itself,
although in some cases, the two become inseparable.
Most of the
information used in this commentary comes from the primary literature posted on
the MPCA’s webpage: Protecting Wild Rice Waters, including the Report of the
Administrative Law Judge, the Statement of Need and Reasonableness (SONAR), the
Technical Support Document (TSD), and various exhibits that contain supporting
material.
Before
beginning the analysis, some background might be useful. Minnesota legislation
enacted in 2011 authorized the MPCA to begin a process to address water quality
standards for waters containing natural beds of wild rice and to assess the
impacts of sulfates and other substances on the growth of wild rice. A number
of subsequent studies found that sulfate is not directly toxic to wild rice at
levels commonly found in wild rice waters in Minnesota, but rather it is
sulfide produced by the microbial conversion of sulfate in the sediment that
has a significant influence on the presence of wild rice. It is the sulfide in
the sediment that is toxic. The MPCA determined that 120 micrograms of sulfide
per liter (or 120 parts per billion) should be the maximum amount of sulfide
allowed in the sediment and went on to develop an equation-based standard that
incorporated measured values of organic matter in the sediment and porewater
iron as input variables and a fixed threshold value of sulfide (120 micrograms
per liter). The equation returns the concentration of sulfate in the surface
water that would be expected to result in a sulfide concentration in the
sediment of 120 micrograms per liter. The sulfate concentration calculated from
the equation is the sulfate standard that would be applied to the particular
wild rice water body being sampled.
Opponents of
the proposed standard have claimed that it was disapproved by the
Administrative Law Judge because it was based on flawed science, failed peer
review, and high error rates. The fact is, the Administrative Law Judge found
that “the MPCA presented sufficient evidence to demonstrate that there is an
adequate scientific basis to conclude that the proposed equation-based sulfate
standard is supported by peer-reviewed science and is needed and reasonable.”
Furthermore, she found that “the MPCA’s demonstration that the science
underlying the equation-based standard is reasonable in that it describes a
manner of calculating a sulfate level resulting in a level of sulfide in
porewater protective of wild rice.” Her findings were affirmed by the Chief
Administrative Law Judge, who determined that “the Agency had met its statutory
burden to show the equation-based standard to be necessary and reasonable.”
Neither judge found the proposed standard to be scientifically flawed, to have
failed peer review, or to produce unacceptably high error rates.
As an
indication of the large number of objections received, Judge Schlatter placed
the “science-based objections” to the standard into 17 different classes of
objection. Despite this volume of negative comments hurled at the science
during the hearings and the written comment period, not one of them stuck. The
real reasons for disapproval relate to the implementation of the standard, the
identification of wild rice waters, failure to engage the Indian tribes, and
procedural details. None of the reasons for disapproval involve the quality of
the science.
More
specifically, the judge felt that implementation of the equation, which could
permit sulfate levels to exceed the current standard of 10 milligrams per
liter, would not provide “for the attainment and maintenance of the water
quality standards of downstream waters,” in violation of the Clean Water Act,
and could allow for higher levels of sulfate that would have the potential to
harm wild rice and increase methylmercury production, She also found that the
proposed rule is “unconstitutionally void for vagueness.” Judge Schlatter
explained that “[t]he equation lacks values to insert in the place of the iron
and organic carbon variables, and thus cannot be calculated” and thereby cannot
be considered a valid rule.
Although the
cost to implement the rule was one of the most emotional objections voiced
during the hearings, Judge Schlatter did not cite the cost of implementation as
a reason for disapproval. While the MPCA recognized the potential costs
involved in meeting the standard, it is important to understand that setting a
protective water quality standard is separate from the cost of meeting that
standard. This principle is set out by the Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) based on provisions contained in the Clean Water Act: cost cannot be a
consideration when establishing a protective water quality standard. Sulfide is
just as toxic to wild rice whether it costs one dollar or one million dollars
to meet the standard. The correct sequence of events is to set the standard
first, then make a plan to implement it.
In a review of
the work done by the MPCA, the EPA declared the proposed standard (“criterion”
in EPA terminology) to be “scientifically defensible,” referred to “the
scientific integrity of the research process,” and noted that “the proposed
criterion appears to have a scientifically sound basis and to be protective of
the wild rice use, consistent with the federal regulations.” Additionally, the
EPA recognized that the proposed criterion is consistent with extensive field
work that correlates the presence of wild rice and surface water sulfate
concentration. In a final acknowledgment, the EPA declared, “MPCA’s research
has added greatly to the scientific understanding of the biology and chemistry
of wild rice. MPCA’s data and analyses further the understanding of the
relationship between sulfate and wild rice growth, and appear to provide a
sound scientific basis for the proposed water quality criterion to protect the
wild rice designated use. The peer-reviewed journal articles generated by this
effort underscore the scientific integrity of the research process that
underlies the development of the proposed criterion.” This is not flawed
science.
Doug Pribyl, of
Pengilly, holds a Ph.D. in Soil Science from the University of Minnesota in St.
Paul, with a minor in public policy from the Humphrey Institute of Public
Affairs. During his time at the University he taught biogeography and soil
science, including wetland soils and wetland delineation. Much of his research
centered on the origin and interpretation of iron-based soil features. Since
moving to Pengilly, he has produced several reports on lake and stream water
quality for the local Swan Lake Association. During his career, he has maintained
an interest in the relationship between science and public policy.
BRRI develops 3 new HYV rice varieties
Mohammad Ali Zheelon . Gazipur |
Published: 01:02, Jun 23,2019
The
Bangladesh Rice Research Institute has developed three new high-yielding
varieties of rice named BRRI Dhan 90, BRRI Dhan 91 and BRRI Dhan 92 and has
already got the approval for their cultivation across the country.
Of the
three rice varieties, premium quality BRRI Dhan 90 and BRRI Dhan 91 are
cultivable in unfavourable semi-deep water areas in Aman season and
water-saving variety BRRI Dhan 92 can be grown in Boro season.
BRRI
technical editor and publications and public relations division head MA Kashem
told New Age that the National Seed Board in its meeting on Wednesday approved
the cultivation of the varieties in the country.
He
disclosed that the average yield of BRRI Dhan 90 was five tonnes per hectare,
which was 1 to 1.4 tonnes higher than BRRI Dhan 34, another popular Aman
variety.
The
average yield of BRRI Dhan 91 is 2.37 tonnes per hectare, 1.5 tonnes higher
than local variety Fhulkori, which is cultivated in unfavourable areas having
semi-deep water, he said.
On the
other hand, the average yield of BRRI Dhan 92 is 8.3 tonnes per hectare but it
can produce up to 9.3 tonnes per hectare under appropriate agronomic
management, he added.
‘BRRI
Dhan 90 possesses all the good characteristics of modern high-yielding rice
varieties in addition to a special light aroma,’ BRRI officials said, adding
that it was rich in protein and could be a substituted for locally popular
Chinigura and Chini-atap varieties.
The
average plant height of this variety is 110 centimetres and potentially it can
produce up to 5.5 tonnnes per hectare, they said. ‘Its average life cycle
completes within 117 days, which is 21 days less than BRRI Dhan 34, another
popular Aman variety.’
Other
better characteristics of this variety, they said, are that it requires a
little less urea fertiliser than other similar varieties and its grain contains
23 per cent amylose and 10.3 per cent protein,adding that BRRI Dhan 90
was not susceptible to lodging and its leaves remained green even after the
grains ripened.
‘Its
flag leaf stands upright and flowering happens equally at a time and thus it
looks very nice in the field condition.’
‘The
distinguishing characteristics of BRRI Dhan 91 include deep green leaves with
erect flag leaf and average height of this rice plant is 180 centimetres and is
not susceptible to lodging.
‘This
variety, having medium-level elongation capacity, can be cultivated in
unfavourable semi-deep water areas of Manikganj, Cumilla and Faridpur.
‘In
these areas, BRRI Dhan 91produces one tonne higher than some local rice
varities such as Digha, Dudbaoila, Jhingashail, Khoiamotor, Fulkori and
Kaitabagdar,’ BRRI officials continued, adding that it was expected that if
this variety can be cultivated in 5 lakh hectares of semi-deep water areas in
the country, the total production of the country will increase by up to 5 lakh
tonnes.
They
further said that BRRI Dhan 92 could be cultivated using less water than the
similar other Boro varieties but it would give equal yield to the mega
variety of Boro season BRRI Dhan 29 having a similar life cycle of 156-160
days.
This
water-saving Boro variety, which is not susceptible to attack by insects and
pests, can be suitable for Barind areas and its grain contains 26 per cent amylose,
they said.
10 Years Later, Is There Still No 'ESKAPE' From
Bad Bugs?
Expert who
coined acronym notes progress, challenges in antibiotic research, stewardship
·
·
·
·
·
· by Associate
Editor, MedPage TodayJune 23, 2019
SAN FRANCISCO -- In the 10 years since the
"ESKAPE" acronym was coined to describe some of the most deadly
pathogens where antibiotics were desperately needed, there has been progress in
antibiotic stewardship and infection control, a researcher said here.
Antibiotic
stewardship has gained wider acceptance in hospitals and rates of
hospital-associated infections are declining. However, antibiotic development
is more of a mixed bag, with mostly small and medium-sized companies involved
in developing antibiotics.
"I am actually optimistic, more optimistic
than I was 10 years ago. In another 10 years, I think we'll be in an even
better position," said Louis Rice, MD, of Brown University in Providence,
Rhode Island, in a talk at ASM Microbe.
Rice coined the acronym "ESKAPE" to comprise Enterococcus
faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella
pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas
aeruginosa, and Enterobacter species. It
appears as a subtitle to a commentary he
wrote in 2009, saying that the idea came to him "in the middle of the
night."
The
commentary, Rice said, was a polite rebuttal to members of the NIH who had
submitted an article about how much money the NIH was spending on antibiotic
research ($800 million), and research on antibiotic resistance ($200 million).
As chair of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) Research on
Resistance Working Group, Rice was invited to write a response on behalf of the
group.
"My
first reaction [to the NIH article] was not positive at all -- I was very
angry. It was really remarkable in its misrepresentation," he said.
"I needed to [respond] in a polite way, saying 'Yes, you're spending all
this money, but I can't tell you what the important problems are.'"
The term
took off -- with Rice noting there have been more and more references to it on
PubMed every year.
"If
you want to be able to follow a term, misspell it," he said.
But much
has changed in the 10 years since this commentary, starting with the NIH
efforts into funding research in antibiotics and antibiotic resistance. Rice
said that "we can quibble about how much money is being spent," but
between the NIH and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority
(BARDA), the NIH is paying attention to this problem.
He also
said that antibiotic stewardship has improved, citing CDC data that shows in
2016, 64% of hospitals had stewardship programs. Rice also pointed to several
meta-analyses showing that, most importantly, none have shown a suggestion of
increased mortality associated with stewardship, even with less use of
antibiotics.
"Every
single study looking to shorter duration of therapy has shown us the effects
are equivalent," he said. "The evidence is overwhelming."
Moreover, CDC data has indicated declines in
catheter-associated urinary tract infections (UTIs),
methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia,
and C.
difficileevents, with Rice adding, "overall infection events
are getting better in hospitals."
In terms of antibiotic development, Rice noted
the highly publicized story of biopharmaceutical company Achaogen filing for bankruptcy, but
said there are "reasons to be hopeful and reasons to be cautious"
about antibiotic development.
Antibiotics
are now mostly the purview of small and medium-sized companies, with only
GlaxoSmithKline and Merck as large pharmaceutical companies involved in
antibiotic development. AstraZeneca, Novartis, and Sanofi are no longer
developing antibiotics as of 2016, Rice noted.
"Large
pharma decided after dipping its toe back in the water, this is not going to be
an area that will be an emphasis for them," he said.
But he added that there are 13 antibiotics
currently in phase III trials -- seven with activity versus ESKAPE pathogens
and five with activity versus CDC urgent or World Health Organization (WHO)
critical threat pathogens. In addition, three new antibiotics were
approved last year, with
three additional candidates submitting new drug applications.
During
the Q&A, one clinician also pointed to challenges in antibiotic discovery,
arguing that any new antibiotics should be brought to market in a slow,
deliberate fashion.
"It's
super hard to find new, important antibiotics. This is not a 5-10 year problem.
In 300 years, [society] is going to want effective antibiotics, so rushing 45
antibiotics to market in the next decade is a bad idea," the commenter
said.
Rice straw biogas facility in Laguna makes use
of waste
Alessandro Alfred Perez
Published
3:47 PM, June 24, 2019
Updated
3:47 PM, June 24, 2019
GLIMPSE. The country's first rice straw biogas facility is set to
formally open in Victoria, Laguna on June 26, 2019. Photo from Straw
Innovations Ltd
LAGUNA, Philippines – Waste can still be made
useful.
A rice straw biogas facility is taking that
sentiment to heart by using leftover rice straw to make clean and efficient
energy.
The Rice Straw to Biogas (R2B) project,
spearheaded by United Kingdom-based company Straw Innovations Ltd, is the first
of its kind and scale in the Philippines to use leftover rice straw or dayami to
produce food, fuel, and soil conditioner.
This is considered to be the first rice straw
biogas facility in the country. Although it started in 2016, its official
launch on June 26 aims to present the system to the public, informing them of
how it works while boosting awareness of the project and its progress.
Making use of waste
The project traces its roots from the immense
problem of rice straw disposal in the country. Based on the Philippine Rice Research Institute's (PhilRice)
statistics, the country produces 15.2 million tons of rice that
leave 11.3 million tons of rice straw every year.
One of the ways to dispose of rice straw is by
burning it, which is prohibited under the Solid Waste Management Act (Republic
Act No. 9003) and the Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999. Burning the rice straw
is harmful to the environment, damaging the food resources of beneficial
insects in the rice field and making farmlands unproductive. (READ: The problem with rice)
Straw Innovations Ltd saw the abundance of rice
straw as an opportunity to transform it into something useful through the R2B
project.
By gathering and processing straw to release
methane in a controlled environment, it can be captured and used as a
clean-burning cooking fuel known as biogas.
With funding from UK Aid, the company decided
to build the biogas facility in a 5,000-square meter land in Victoria, Laguna.
The land was previously used as a poultry farm.
Straw Innovations Ltd project staff Yevgeny
Honrade told Rappler they chose to base their facility in Victoria because of
the municipality's duck industry, which they can tap into for manure that can
be utilized to produce biogas. (READ: What waste: human excrement can
fuel developing world)
"Unang-una dahil itik capital ang
Victoria, madaming itik so posibleng madaming manure. 'Yung manure p'wede ding
magamit na parang additional component sa biogas(Since
Victoria is the duck capital of the country, we can collect more manure from
this area. The manure collected can be used as an additional component for the
biogas)," Honrade said.
Chinese tech improves
farmers' lives
By LUCIE
MORANGI/TANG YING | China Daily | Updated: 2019-06-24 09:06
Farmers
work in the field in Shimen village, Daliang township, Rong'an county of
Liuzhou, South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, March 6, 2019.
[Photo/Xinhua]
New cultivation techniques used on Tanzania
plants triple production
It was early morning in June and a village
woman named Tatu sat outside her huge stone house, cooking and selling vitumbua－buns
made of rice flour. She explained that the low building at the corner of the
land was for poultry and rabbit farming, a new activity she was dabbling in.
But the source of her income is from rice
cultivation. She lives in Dakawa village, one of Tanzania's major rice
production areas. "I still love cooking for my family and it is also time
for sharing," she said.
The land is blanketed with deep green paddy
lands. The plants' ears are pregnant with rice and farmers are expecting a
bumper harvest in a month. The new variety takes about 100 days to mature. With
an extensive irrigation system fed by the Wami-Ruvu river basin, coupled with
the help of Chinese experts, farmers plant rice twice a year.
Agriculture here is booming. Nearly 255
kilometers from Dares Salaam, the largest city in Tanzania, agriculture remains
the exclusive means of income for 51 percent of Dakawa residents, according to
government data. Rice yields in Morogoro region went up due to access to
high-yielding seeds coupled with farming techniques introduced by Chinese
advisers, according to Andrew Ngereza, the center director of Tanzania
Agricultural Research Institute, Dakawa.
The state-backed research institute, under the
Agriculture Ministry of Tanzania, is partnering with the Demonstration Center
of China Agricultural Technology to provide demonstrations of improved
cultivars and techniques, and to train local farmers and technicians about
local and Chinese agricultural technologies, particularly rice.
The demo center is one of the 14 centers
proposed by China at the Beijing Summit of the Forum of China-Africa
Cooperation in 2006.
Handed over to the Tanzanian government in
2011, the Chinese-built center cost about $6 million on a 153.2 acres (62
hectares) piece of land. Construction and design were completed by the
Chongqing Zhongyi Seeds Industry Co under Chongqing Academy of Agricultural
Sciences. It consists of experimental fields, offices, laboratory and training
area, together with 123.6 acres under irrigation.
The partnership has also spread to maize tissue
culture, vegetable tissue culture, banana tissue culture and poultry farming.
Together, the researchers have been able bridge information and knowledge
barrier hindering adoption of improved rice farming technology by farmers.
"We have jointly undertaken research and
developed high-yielding seeds that are drought intolerant. Furthermore, the
center has demonstrated how these varieties, coupled with modern farming
techniques from China, can increase productivity," said Ngereza.
In May, Tanzania announced plans to boost
annual rice production from 2.2 million tons to 4.5 million tons in a 12-year
national plan. Local demand for rice has reached 2.05 million tons in 2018,
according to a recent report by the government. It is projected to increase by
2.9 percent during the next five years to 2.27 tons.
Tanzania is the second largest rice producer in
sub-Saharan Africa and rice covers 74 percent of the country's land, according
to 2017 research by Hezron Makundi for the China-Africa Research Initiative.
But the country still imports around five percent of the rice it consumes.
Low productivity in Tanzania is due to low-soil
fertility, high soil salinity levels, climate change-induced droughts, unstable
markets, poor innovation and a limited application of improved technologies.
Low mechanization and high consumption of labor also ups production costs and
triggers price spikes above the global markets, according to the report.
The center has also trained 6,000 farmers,
including government extension officers. "We have found this to be more
effective and reach many people," said Ngereza.
The program has been the pole center for
sharing the experience of China's technology-driven agricultural modernization
with Tanzania.
The Chinese experts have been instrumental in
boosting productivity. "They have introduced new cultivation techniques
using our own variety. The production in the area has tripled," Ngereza said,
adding that simple hand-held mechanized power tools such as tractors, are also
available.
Yoga postures demonstrated Hans News
Service | 24 Jun 2019 2:11 AM HIGHLIGHTS As part of
Yoga Day celebrations, Indian Institute of Rice Research (IIRR) has conducted a
mass yoga demonstration on the Common Yoga Protocol on Friday in IIRR Auditorium.
As part of Yoga Day celebrations, Indian Institute of Rice Research (IIRR) has
conducted a mass yoga demonstration on the Common Yoga Protocol on Friday in
IIRR Auditorium. The students of Pallavi International School in Attapur took
part and also sang patriotic songs, along with demonstration of yoga postures.
They also won accolades from the organisers.
Eight new seed varieties
of six crops approved
Sribala Vadlapatla | TNN | Updated:
Jun 22, 2019, 4:51 IST
Hyderabad: The
state government’s seed varietal release committee on Thursday approved eight
new seed varieties of six crops, including paddy. This includes three new
varieties of seeds
of paddy and one each of sorghum, sesame, red gram, maize and cotton. The
varieties were prepared by Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agriculture
University (PJTSAU).
Principal scientists, officials of the agriculture department and National Seed Corporation, the director of TS seed development corporation and several scientists attended the committee meeting.
In 2015, the university released 13 high-yielding varieties through the first State Variety Release Committee (SVRC). Telangana Sona, KNM 118, Bathukamma (varieties of rice) Karimnagar Makka-1 (a variety of maize), PRG-176 (a type of red gram) and WGG 42 (a type of green gram) have become very popular in the adjoining states too.
Now, the university has come up with eight high-yielding cultures which were developed and tested extensively. The paddy varieties will be named JGL 24423, Jagityal rice, KNM 733.
Hyderabad: The state government’s seed varietal release committee on Thursday approved eight new seed varieties of six crops, including paddy. This includes three new varieties of seeds of paddy and one each of sorghum, sesame, red gram, maize and cotton. The varieties were prepared by Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agriculture University (PJTSAU).
Principal scientists, officials of the agriculture department and National Seed Corporation, the director of TS seed development corporation and several scientists attended the committee meeting.
Principal scientists, officials of the agriculture department and National Seed Corporation, the director of TS seed development corporation and several scientists attended the committee meeting.
In 2015, the university released 13 high-yielding varieties through the first State Variety Release Committee (SVRC). Telangana Sona, KNM 118, Bathukamma (varieties of rice) Karimnagar Makka-1 (a variety of maize), PRG-176 (a type of red gram) and WGG 42 (a type of green gram) have become very popular in the adjoining states too.
Now, the university has come up with eight high-yielding cultures which were developed and tested extensively. The paddy varieties will be named JGL 24423, Jagityal rice, KNM 733.
Hyderabad: The state government’s seed varietal release committee on Thursday approved eight new seed varieties of six crops, including paddy. This includes three new varieties of seeds of paddy and one each of sorghum, sesame, red gram, maize and cotton. The varieties were prepared by Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agriculture University (PJTSAU).
Principal scientists, officials of the agriculture department and National Seed Corporation, the director of TS seed development corporation and several scientists attended the committee meeting.
In 2015, the university released 13 high-yielding varieties through the first State Variety Release Committee (SVRC). Telangana Sona, KNM 118, Bathukamma (varieties of rice) Karimnagar Makka-1 (a variety of maize), PRG-176 (a type of red gram) and WGG 42 (a type of green gram) have become very popular in the adjoining states too.
Now, the university has come up with eight high-yielding cultures which were developed and tested extensively. The paddy varieties will be named JGL 24423, Jagityal rice, KNM 733. All three are suited for kharif and rabi cultivation and can be grown in 135 to 140 days, with high yield. Scientists said that the other crop varieties are also suitable for the conditions in Telangana and can provide a high yield of crop.
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