PHYSICIANS TOLD WHO IS PRONE
TO OBESITY
The
scientists said that obesity is inclined almost all people. They are called the
causes of the disease and advised how to monitor their weight.
Professor
Valentin Fadeyev explained that one of the ways the spread of obesity is the
lack of culture of food and avoiding food traditions, also on the disease
affects unlimited access to food. Many people do not know that certain genes
increase the risk to gain extra pounds, so I can’t to control weight. According
to the scientist, obesity is a disease of the brain, since the food brings joy
and has a calming effect. In this case, food becomes a tranquilizer and
authorization. Biologists at Yale University was affected with light pulses to
the area of the brain in laboratory mice that makes people have fun and
increases appetite. The study of rodents returned to the source of food and
could not eat.
Valentin Fadeev noted that
obesity triggers various diseases such as arterial hypertension,
atherosclerosis, diabetes of the second type, and the development of
malignancies, it is therefore important to monitor the weight. Japanese
scientists recommends to include in your diet rice because it contains plant
compounds that increases the feeling of satiety. In those countries where use
this product were significantly fewer people with obesity. For example, in the
U.S. the disease is more common, as the rice is almost not present in the diet.
BRRI develops seven high-yielding Aman paddy varieties
Published at 03:45 pm June 26th,
2019
File photo of farmers reaping paddy in a
field in Moulvibazar Mehedi Hasan/Dhaka Tribune
The seven are comparatively higher-yielding
than the local Swarna variety
The Bangladesh
Rice Research Institute (BRRI) has developed seven modern paddy varieties for
Aman season – creating high hopes among Rajshahi’s farmers, including
along its vast Barind tract.
The
varieties—Brridhan71, Brridhan75, Brridhan80, Brridhan87 and Brridhan90—are
comparatively higher-yielding, drought-tolerant, and shorter-duration than the
local Swarna variety. – Swarna is prone to disease and attracts insects that
affect the farmers.
BRRI Chief
Scientific Officer Dr Aminul Islam announced this while presenting his keynote
paper at a technical session of a daylong regional seminar titled “Way Forward
for Boosting Aman Paddy Yield in Rajshahi region,” at BRRI’s Regional Office
conference hall in Rajshahi on Tuesday, reports BSS.
He mentioned
that the Swarna variety can easily be replaced with the modern Brridhan
varieties, in the Barind area, and this can be an effective means of ensuring
food security by boosting paddy production.
The modern
varieties have opened up the doors to enormous prospects of food security, and
mitigating the crises of irrigation water.
Agriculture
Ministry’s Additional Secretary (Research) Komolaranjan Das addressed the
seminar as chief guest with BRRI Director General Dr Shahjahan Kabir in the
chair.
Director
General of Bangladesh Sugar Crop Research Institute Dr Amzad Hossain,
Additional Director of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) Dev Dulal
Dhali, BRRI Director Dr Ansar Ali and its Senior Scientific Office
Harun-Or-Rashid also spoke at the seminar.
Komolaranjan
Das urged the DAE officials to expand farming the drought-tolerant varieties to
the drought-affected areas—like the Tanore and Godagari Upazilas in Rajshahi,
Nachole and Gomostapur Upazilas in Chapainawabgonj ;and Porsha and Shapahar in
Naogaon districts—for a better yield.
He said the
concerted efforts of all scientists, researchers, and extension officials are
very important to boost Aman paddy yield to feed the gradually-increasing
population of the country.
As rice is a
staple food of the country, its production needs to be enhanced, by managing
challenges like disease and adverse impacts of climate change.
Dr Shahjahan
Kabir told the meeting that BRRI has, so far, developed 41 Aman varieties,
including 39 inbreeds, which are suitable for cultivation across the country.
“We have
released seven drought-tolerant varieties, including one aromatic, for the
Barind area,” he said; adding that some of them have gained popularity among
farmers during the last couple of years.
He also
mentioned that the conventional varieties are being replaced by modern
varieties – good signs for the region, in terms of boosting yield.
More than 100
paddy-related scientists, researchers, and extension officials—from both the
government and non-government entities concerned—attended the workshop, sharing
views on the issue.
Golden rice
beta carotene disappears fast: study
Prospect as
vitamin A source weakens further
After studies have confirmed that
vitamin A, converted from beta carotene, is very low in genetically modified
golden rice, new evidence shows that the rice is also unable to hold the
biochemical for long after harvest.
Unless preserved in refrigerated
condition in vacuum packaging as paddy, golden rice can lose up to 84 per cent
of its beta carotene in six months, according to a new Indian government
research.
The degradation of beta carotene
level gets faster with processing and is the highest in polished golden rice,
said the research released two months ago in British journal Food Chemistry.
The research has noted that rice
is always eaten after processing, mainly as polished, and it is in this state
that it is stored, too, in Asian countries.
‘These findings are really
interesting,’ observed Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural
University’s biotechnology professor Tofazzal Islam after going through the
research at New Age’s request.
He said that so far beta carotene
was generally considered a highly stable biochemical.
‘But now it is clear that beta
carotene rather gets degraded rapidly,’ said Tofazzal.
High temperature and humidity
also influence the degradation of beta carotene, the research revealed.
Besides, cooking can destroy up
to 25 per cent of beta carotene as well, the research said. The research
recommended more work on finding out how rice boiling influences beta carotene
concentration.
Abdul Kader, principal
investigator of the Healthier Rice Project, International Rice Research
Institute, which developed golden rice, said that degradation of biochemicals
in ambient air was fundamental knowledge.
‘Beta carotene degradation in
golden rice is under investigation,’ he said, refusing to give any detail on
his work.
The investigation Kader referred
to is going on at the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute, where he also works
as a principal scientific officer.
A BRRI source having knowledge of
the investigation said that they found three-fourths of the beta carotene in
golden rice getting degraded in eight months.
Requesting anonymity, as he was
not authorised to talk about the investigation, the source said that golden
rice would have to be consumed in two months of harvest to get the best result.
BRRI director general Shahjahan
Kabir admitted that golden rice could not be preserved for long as it would
lose its qualities with time like other rice verities.
‘We want to meet 30 to 50 per
cent of the demand for vitamin A in an individual with golden rice,’ said
Shahjahan.
The new findings, however,
represent a setback in the golden rice campaign promising to help fight
vitamin A deficiency among the poor sections of the populations in the
developing world.
Indian researchers said that the
samples they had analysed contained between 7 and 22 micrograms of beta
carotene per gram of golden rice depending on the variety of the rice it was
inserted into and its placement in the gene.
In Bangladesh, the highest
concentration of beta carotene in golden rice was found to be 10 micorgrams per
gram of golden rice.
The food and health regulators in
Canada, USA, Australia and New Zealand have found the beta carotene
concentration in golden rice very low, refusing to accept the rice as a
nutritious grain.
Now the finding about the rice
not being able to contain even this low amount of beta carotene is likely to
bear implications on its release in Bangladesh, expected any day.
On January 31, emerging from a
meeting with the IRRI, agriculture minister Abdur Razzak told journalists that
golden rice was to be commercially released soon for cultivation.
Even the Bangladesh government,
with the resources at its command, is incapable of fulfilling the conditions
required for retaining beta carotene in golden rice, let alone its poor
population.
Less than one per cent of the 3
crore tonnes of rice consumed annually in Bangladesh is sold in packets with
the rest being sold open while vacuum packaging is literally absent in the
country.
The rice coming in packets are
far costlier and consumed mainly by the rich and upper middle-class population.
Warehouses where the government
stores its rice have no system in place to control temperature and rice is
preserved there in sacks.
To prevent dampness, warehouse
doors and windows are often kept open to let air and light in.
These are the conditions referred
to in the Indian research as highly favourable for causing rapid beta carotene
degradation in golden rice.
The research said that the best
way to retain beta carotene in golden rice was vacuum-packing the paddy at 4
degree Celsius. Still, this method would only reduce the degradation level by
54 per cent.
Beta carotene in paddy, brown
rice and polished rice degraded by about 68, 72 and 79 per cent respectively
even after they were air-packed and preserved at 4 degree Celsius.
If preserved at 25 degree
Celsius, the rates of beta carotene degradation in paddy, brown rice and
polished rice increased to about 80, 81 and 84 per cent respectively, said the
research.
Bangladesh Agricultural
University’s biochemistry and molecular biology professor Tofazzal Hossain
likened the nature of beta carotene to that of soya bean and mustard oils
susceptible to losing strength because of their participation in chemical
reactions in presence of oxygen.
The chemical reaction is known as
oxidation and could be set off by oxygen available in the ambient air or
moisture present in the rice.
Besides oxygen and temperature,
Tofazzal said, beta carotene integrity can also be compromised by light,
humidity, microbial contamination or even by shaking.
‘Scientists need to work on
strengthening golden rice’s anti-oxidant characteristics, increasing its
capacity to hold back more beta carotene,’ said Tofazzal.
That would mean increased
technological intervention and investment, which would certainly make golden
rice more expensive in future, he said.
In the best-case scenario, golden
rice can become an effective source of vitamin A only when it will be eaten
with meals containing fat, which is required for converting beta carotene into
vitamin A.
The targeted golden rice
consumers, the poor in the developing world, can hardly afford fat in their
diets.
Green activists have been
campaigning that Asian countries are abundant in natural sources containing
beta carotene. They are particularly against golden rice for scientists are yet
to know the long-term health impact of genetically modified foods.
According to the Indian research,
100 grams of best quality golden rice can give 2,281 micrograms of beta
carotene, which is roughly the amount found in almost all green leafy
vegetables.
The lowest amount of beta
carotene provided by 100 grams of green leafy vegetable was found to be 2,199
micrograms.
On the other hand, 100 grams of
carrot can provide 8,300 micrograms of beta carotene.
Fruits can provide even more. 100
grams of Alphonso can provide 11,789 micrograms of beta carotene.
Burying the evidence
·
Quad-City Times Editorial Board
Last
year, scientists at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, along with researchers
at the University of Washington, made a pretty important finding: They found
that higher concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere lowered the
nutritional value of rice.
The
study, which also was done in collaboration with researchers from China, Japan
and Australia was important for a number of reasons, not least because rice is
the primary food source for hundreds of millions of people around the world.
An
estimated 600 million people, many of them in Southeast Asia, get more than
half their daily calories or protein from rice.
Published
in Science Advances, the study said these CO2-induced changes would likely
"exacerbate the overall burden of disease and could affect early childhood
development."
One
would think that sort of news would be important to share.
The
U.S. Department of Agriculture apparently didn’t think so — not according
to a Politico investigation, which revealed over the weekend that USDA has
refused to publicize "dozens" of government-funded studies from its
Agricultural Research Service that have warned about the impact of climate
change.
One
of those studies included findings that climate change is likely to increase
agricultural pollution and nutrient runoff in the lower Mississippi Delta.
That's an important issue in agriculture-driven states like Iowa and Illinois.
Another
study that got little notice was a 2019 finding that increased temperature
swings could already be boosting pollen levels. Ask anybody in the Quad-Cities
who's an allergy sufferer whether this is something they'd want to know about.
We
in the Midwest have long known the value of the Agricultural Research Service.
It has been a valuable resource for farming and agribusiness, the foundation of
our economy, for years.
Previous
administrations also have known the value of this agency's work. Under George
W. Bush and Barack Obama, the USDA publicized far more climate-related reports
than it has since Donald Trump became president, according to Politico.
In
2005, during the Bush administration, the ARS published eight articles
involving climate change; in 2007, it was 15. Under the Obama administration,
there were even more. But as of June 7, the Trump administration had just two
such reports this year. There were fewer in the previous two years.
The
studies being buried aren’t about what is causing higher levels of CO2; they
simply are measuring the impact of an undeniable phenomenon.
The
USDA says there is no directive ordering these reports to be squelched. But we
found it interesting that Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue had this to say in
a CNN interview released Tuesday when asked about whether humans cause climate
change: "You know, I think it's weather patterns, frankly. And you know,
and they change, as I said. It rained yesterday, it's a nice pretty day today.
So the climate does change in short increments and in long increments."
It
would be better if Perdue and other administration officials accepted the
science behind what causes climate change.
At
the very least, though, we don't think USDA should be burying solid scientific
studies that document the impact of changes in the atmosphere. People in
southeast Asia need to know about these changes; so do people in southeast
Iowa.
It
is vital that these studies get attention. Hiding the consequences of climate
change doesn’t make it go away; it only delays our ability to fashion
effective, efficient solutions to deal with it
Qatari package to boost investment,
create jobs: Firdous
Qatar had also promised to increase quota for Pakistani workers
soon. — APP/File
ISLAMABAD: Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan,
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting, said
on Monday that Qatar would provide Pakistan $3 billion in the form of direct investment and deposits.
She made the announcement while
talking to the media after attending a meeting of the Council of Pakistan
Newspapers Editors (CPNE).
The minister expressed hope the
Qatari package would create business opportunities in the country and help the
government in its efforts to attract foreign investment.
Terming it the first step to boost
Pak-Qatar relations, she said the amount would help Pakistan overcome its
economic woes and create job opportunities for youth.
She recalled that Prime Minister
Imran Khan had already announced a visa on arrival facility for Qatari
citizens, expressing the hope the initiative would boost tourism in the
country.
Dr Firdous termed a decision by
Qatar to lift the ban on import of Pakistani rice a piece of good news not only
for rice exporters but also for the economy.
Qatar had also promised to increase
quota for Pakistani workers soon.
Dr Firdous said the international
community had now started appreciating the sacrifices made by Pakistan in the
“war on terror” thanks to the prime minister’s “untiring diplomacy”.
“The Pakistan Army, the other law
enforcement agencies and the entire nation has made sacrifices since the 9/11
attacks. Prime Minister Imran Khan tried to make the world recognise these
sacrifices and succeeded,” Dr Firdous asserted.
She said the recent visit of the
Emir of Qatar was a reflection of Imran Khan’s “successful policies”.
Dr Firdous Awan said the prime
minister’s efforts had brought Pakistan out of international isolation.
“The assurance given by Qatar
regarding investment in Pakistan is a manifestation of the confidence it has in
the leadership of Imran Khan.”
In reply to a question, she said
the government did not fear the opposition as its narrative was not clear.
The minister criticised the
opposition for calling Imran Khan a “selected” prime minister, describing it as
an insult of the entire National Assembly.
“As members of parliament, it is a
responsibility of opposition legislators to protect its honour and dignity.”
Published in Dawn, June 25th, 2019
Rice exports face tough time amid
huge global supply
Update: June,
25/2019 - 08:25
Farmers harvesting rice in the
Mekong Delta. Photo english.vietnamnet.vn
HCM CITY — With an abundant global supply
and high inventory in major exporting countries, Việt Nam is expected to
struggle to secure exports of rice in the second half of the year, speakers
said at a conference held in HCM City on Monday.Trần Quốc Khánh, deputy minister of Industry and Trade, said that Việt Nam’s rice exports in the first half of the year experienced great challenges due to a drop in demand from major importers.
Except for the Philippines, the country’s three major traditional rice importing countries such as China, Indonesia and Bangladesh all imported much less in the first half of the year.
image: http://image.vietnamnews.vn/uploadvnnews/Article/2019/6/25/20634_HP1.jpg
Speakers at a conference held
yesterday in HCM City discuss the status of Viet Nam's rice
exports in the first half of the year. VNS Photo Bồ Xuân Hiệp
The trend is expected to continue for the rest of the year because of the high inventory in China, an election year in Indonesia, and Bangladesh’s ongoing recovery from flooding, Khánh said.
The decline in imports from these markets has also affected two other leading rice exporters, India and Thailand.
In the first five months, Việt Nam exported a combined 239,000 tonnes of rice to China, Indonesia and Bangladesh, compared with 1.44 million tonnes over the same period last year, according to the Export and Import Department under the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
In recent years, many rice importing countries have imposed rice tariffs and allowed other rice suppliers to participate in the G2P (government-to-private) tenders in order to buy rice of higher quality at more competitive prices.
Meanwhile, countries such as Myanmar, Cambodia, and Pakistan are trying to increase their rice export output.
In addition, China is not only the largest rice importer, but also one of the world’s major rice exporters.
Solutions
The Ministry of Industry and Trade is working with agencies such as Việt Nam Food Association and rice exporters to implement solutions, such as reviewing policies of foreign markets, according to Deputy Minister Khánh.
While negotiating bilateral and multilateral free trade agreements, the ministry has discussed with foreign partners about tax reductions and removal of trade and technical barriers for Vietnamese rice products.
The ministry has also updated information for local enterprises and associations about regulations on food hygiene and safety, quality control and traceability.
Many programmes on trade promotion and brand development have been luanched, including trade fairs in mainland China, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong, as well as France, the Netherlands, Ghana, Ivory Coast and the US.
To assist businesses in studying customer demand and promoting exports, the ministry has worked with localities that produce high outputs of rice, such as An Giang, Long An, and Kiên Giang provinces, Cần Thơ City, and HCM City.
Experts have recommended that Vietnamese exporters diversify export and import markets and avoid dependence on only certain markets.
New decree
Taking effect in October last year, Decree 107/2018/ND-CP, which replaced an older decree, aims to remove legal barriers for rice businesses to expand to foreign markets.
According to the new decree, rice-exporting businesses will no longer be required to own rice storage or paddy milling and grinding facilities with processing capacities of 5,000 tonnes of rice and 10 tonnes of paddy per hour, respectively.
Instead, they now can rent such facilities from other agencies and organisations. The capacity volume requirements have also been removed.
Trần Văn Công, deputy director of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development’s Agro Processing and Market Development Authority, said the new decree would help rice traders cut costs significantly.
Khánh said the decree was a breakthrough in institutional policy regarding rice export activities, removing difficulties for rice firms.
The decree also stipulates additional regulations on the responsibilities of ministries, sectors and localities in rice export management.
According to the General Department of Customs, Việt Nam’s rice exports reached 2.76 million tonnes in the first five months, down 6.3 per cent compared to the same period last year. The country earned US$1.18 billion worth of exports in the period, a decline of 20.4 per cent over the same period last year.
The country’s rice products are exported to 150 countries and territories, including the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, mainland China, Cuba, Hong Kong, Singapore, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Ghana and Mozambique. — VNS
Bilawal
dubs debt commission ‘unconstitutional, undemocratic’
Quoting excerpts from Rice’s book in NA, Murad Saeed alleges
Benazir approached US seeking an end to her cases. — dawnNewsTV/File
ISLAMABAD: Dubbing the
recently-formed Commission of Inquiry to probe the utilisation of foreign debts
by the two previous governments over the past 10 years as “ridiculously
unconstitutional and undemocratic”, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman
Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Monday categorically declared on the floor of the
National Assembly that they would not subject themselves before this
commission.
“Budgetary decisions, including
debt, are the sole domain of the National Assembly. We will not subject
ourselves before any institution, let alone some debt commission. This is
absolutely undemocratic and unconstitutional,” said Mr Bhutto-Zardari while
taking part in the debate on the federal budget amidst desk-thumping by the
opposition members, including his father Asif Ali Zardari.
“After undermining our political,
human and democratic rights, they (government) now want to undermine the
sovereignty of the parliament,” he said, questioning as to how could the
collective wisdom of this House be questioned by National Accountability
Bureau, Inter-Services Intelligence or Military Intelligence?
“These all institutions are
answerable to this House. This House is not answerable to any institution,” he
went on saying while referring to the inclusion of the officials of the
intelligence agencies in the 11-member inquiry commission.
Quoting excerpts from Rice’s book
in NA, Murad Saeed alleges Benazir approached US seeking an end to her cases
Mr Bhutto-Zardari also questioned
the need for constituting a National Development Council (NDC) and inclusion of
the army chief in it, though he did not name him. He said the armed forces of
the country should be kept away from politics and economy.
He questioned the “legal basis” of
the NDC in the presence of the constitutional forum of National Economic
Council to discuss economic issues.
‘Selected PM’
The controversy over the use of the
term “selected” for Prime Minister Imran Khan continued in the house as the
opposition members not only criticised Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri for barring
them from using this word, but also continued to call Mr Khan the “selected PM”
and used some alternative words like “handpicked” and “chosen” for him during
their speeches.
The issue was first raised by Dr
Nafeesa Shah of the PPP who asked the deputy speaker to clarify if he had
issued a ruling on the matter as reported by some newspapers. She was of the
view that if he had issued a ruling then it must be binding upon all. Secondly,
she said, if the deputy speaker barred the use of the term “selected” then he
would also have to bar the use of “thieves and robbers” by the treasury members
for the opposition leaders.
In response, the deputy speaker
said he had requested the members to “let this beautiful democracy remain as it
is because they all have been elected due to democracy”. He said he had
requested the members not to use such words which brought disgrace to this
house.
Mr Suri said this was a democratic
house and all the members should respect the house by not uttering
unparliamentary words.
Later, Mr Bhutto-Zardari, who had
coined this term in his first speech in the house in the presence of Prime
Minister Imran Khan in August last year, regretted that the deputy speaker in
his absence had expunged the word “selected” and banned it, despite the fact
that Mr Khan had thumped the desk when he was called the “selected PM” the
first time in this very parliament.
“If Imran Khan is not a selected
prime minister then why committee for election rigging was formed?” he asked.
“This censored Pakistan is
unacceptable. An independent Pakistan is the solution not a censored Pakistan,”
he said.
In her hard-hitting speech, PML-N’s
Marriyum Aurangzeb used the term “handpicked” for the government when she was
asked by the deputy speaker not to use the term “selected”. Former deputy
speaker and PML-N leader Murtaza Javed Abbasi in his speech again called Mr
Khan a “selected” PM.
A number of speakers, including the
PPP chairman, criticised Speaker Asad Qaiser for not issuing production orders
of the two arrested MNAs from Waziristan, Mohsin Dawar and Ali Wazir.
Mr Bhutto-Zardari urged the speaker
to issue production orders of the two MNAs so that all opposition members were
able to vote on the budget.
“Mr Speaker, I hope that by
tomorrow... when the opposition needs to have its full numbers, you will issue
the production orders of the MNAs of Waziristan. Otherwise, accusations will be
made that this is nothing short of rigging the budget,” he said.
Speaker Asad Qaiser clarified that
he had received the formal application for the issuance of the production order
on June 22 and he would make the decision after getting a legal opinion from
the law ministry.
Mr Bhutto-Zardari, however, said
the speaker did not need any advice and he had the powers to issue the
production orders.
The daylong proceedings were
dominated by the fiery speeches of the opposition members.
Communications Minister Murad Saeed
in his usual style responded to the PPP chairman’s speech. The focus of his
speech, however, was the alleged corruption committed by the two opposition
parties in the past.
The communications minister asked
the opposition members to get themselves cleared from courts if they are
innocent.
Giving references from the book
written by former US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, he alleged that slain
PPP leader Benazir Bhutto had approached the US for seeking an end to her cases
and for lifting a constitutional bar on her becoming prime minister for a third
time.
According to APP, Mr Saeed recalled
that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif claimed that he did not take any
salary, but actually his $327,000 medical expenses and travel expenses were
paid from the national exchequer in the year 2016.
An amount of Rs1,000 million of
public money was spent by Nawaz Sharif on the security and fencing of his Jati
Umra residence, while 2,700 policemen were deployed for the security of his
residence and Rs2,000m was spent on that account.
The Punjab government issued
notifications declaring four houses in Model Town, Jati Umra and Defence
Housing Authority as camp offices of Shahbaz Sharif, he added.
Meanwhile, some members of the PPP
and PML-N met Maulana Asad Mehmood of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) and
requested him to delay the multiparty conference convened on Wednesday as they
would be busy in voting on cut motions during the passage of the budget.
Maulana Asad, who is the son of
JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, said he would respond to the request after
consulting his father on Tuesday.
Published in Dawn, June 25th, 2019
May exports down 1.72 percent YoY
The country's exports in May 2019 witnessed a decline of 1.72
percent against the exports of May 2018. Exports reduced from $2.14 billion to
$2.10 billion, Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) said. According to
provisional trade figures released by PBS Tuesday, over the same period the
country's imports also registered a negative growth of 12.8 percent from $5.7
billion to $5.04 billion.
Main commodities of exports during May 2019 were knitwear, Rs 39.9 billion, readymade garments, Rs 36.86 billion, bed wear, Rs 27.44 billion, cotton cloth, Rs 24.38 billion, rice others, Rs 20.5 billion, cotton yarn, Rs 15.55 billion, rice Basmati, Rs 12.02 billion, towels, Rs 10.6 billion, fish & fish preparations, Rs 8.5 billion, and made-up articles (excl. towels & bed wear), Rs 8.5 billion. According to PBS, over the year the Pakistan rupee exchange rate against US dollar has witnessed a decline of 26.21 percent as US dollar exchange rate against Pakistan rupee in May 2018 was (1$=Rs 115.446880) which in May 2019 reached (1$=Rs 145.692250). The country's trade deficit over the period under review also registered a negative growth as it declined by 19.3 percent from $3.64 billion to $2.94 billion.
According to PBS, Pakistani exports during July-May 2018-19 as compared with July-May 2017-18 also witnessed a decline of 0.30 percent from $21.33 billion to $21.26 billion. While over the period Pakistani imports also dropped by 8.47 percent from $55.14 billion to $50.14 billion. The trade deficit over July-May 2018-19 against same period of the last year registered a decline of 13.6 percent from $33.8 billion to $29.2 billion.
Main commodities of imports during May 2019 were petroleum products, Rs 73.3 billion, aircraft, ships and boats, Rs 64.5 billion, petroleum crude, Rs 55.3 billion, natural liquefied gas, Rs 49 billion, plastic materials, Rs 31.4 billion, iron & steel, Rs 28.82 billion, palm oil, Rs 24.3 billion, electrical machinery and apparatus, Rs 21.73 billion, power generating machinery, Rs 21 billion, and iron and steel scrap, Rs 17.5 billion.
On month-on-month basis, the country's exports witnessed a slight increase of 0.38 percent from $2.09 billion in April 2019 to $2.1 billion in May 2019. On the other hand, the imports also jumped up by 6.08 percent from $4.75 billion in April to $5.04 billion in May 2019, the data revealed.
Main commodities of exports during May 2019 were knitwear, Rs 39.9 billion, readymade garments, Rs 36.86 billion, bed wear, Rs 27.44 billion, cotton cloth, Rs 24.38 billion, rice others, Rs 20.5 billion, cotton yarn, Rs 15.55 billion, rice Basmati, Rs 12.02 billion, towels, Rs 10.6 billion, fish & fish preparations, Rs 8.5 billion, and made-up articles (excl. towels & bed wear), Rs 8.5 billion. According to PBS, over the year the Pakistan rupee exchange rate against US dollar has witnessed a decline of 26.21 percent as US dollar exchange rate against Pakistan rupee in May 2018 was (1$=Rs 115.446880) which in May 2019 reached (1$=Rs 145.692250). The country's trade deficit over the period under review also registered a negative growth as it declined by 19.3 percent from $3.64 billion to $2.94 billion.
According to PBS, Pakistani exports during July-May 2018-19 as compared with July-May 2017-18 also witnessed a decline of 0.30 percent from $21.33 billion to $21.26 billion. While over the period Pakistani imports also dropped by 8.47 percent from $55.14 billion to $50.14 billion. The trade deficit over July-May 2018-19 against same period of the last year registered a decline of 13.6 percent from $33.8 billion to $29.2 billion.
Main commodities of imports during May 2019 were petroleum products, Rs 73.3 billion, aircraft, ships and boats, Rs 64.5 billion, petroleum crude, Rs 55.3 billion, natural liquefied gas, Rs 49 billion, plastic materials, Rs 31.4 billion, iron & steel, Rs 28.82 billion, palm oil, Rs 24.3 billion, electrical machinery and apparatus, Rs 21.73 billion, power generating machinery, Rs 21 billion, and iron and steel scrap, Rs 17.5 billion.
On month-on-month basis, the country's exports witnessed a slight increase of 0.38 percent from $2.09 billion in April 2019 to $2.1 billion in May 2019. On the other hand, the imports also jumped up by 6.08 percent from $4.75 billion in April to $5.04 billion in May 2019, the data revealed.
Rice
Farmers Recognized for Sustainability, Innovation
OAK BROOK, IL -- Field to Market, the Alliance for
Sustainable Agriculture, convened here this week for their summer plenary, and
to announce the 2019 Farmer Spotlights, an award recognizing innovative farmers
engaging in continuous improvement and utilizing Field to Market's Field Print
Calculator.
Each month Field to Market highlights one of the Farmer Spotlights with a press release and media push to bring attention to the individual efforts of each winner. Two of the six 2019 Spotlights are U.S. rice farmers: Timothy Gertson of Lisse, Texas, and Charlie Fontenot of Palmetto, Louisiana.
"The Field Print Calculator helps me make sure that I'm always moving forward, not stagnant, and never moving backwards," said Gertson when he accepted his award. Fontenot was not able to attend the meetings in person but was featured in a video produced by Field to Market highlighting what sustainability means to him and his operation.
Following the meeting, USA Rice, Riceland, Syngenta, and Nestle Purina hosted a dinner to honor the award-winning rice farmers.
Each month Field to Market highlights one of the Farmer Spotlights with a press release and media push to bring attention to the individual efforts of each winner. Two of the six 2019 Spotlights are U.S. rice farmers: Timothy Gertson of Lisse, Texas, and Charlie Fontenot of Palmetto, Louisiana.
"The Field Print Calculator helps me make sure that I'm always moving forward, not stagnant, and never moving backwards," said Gertson when he accepted his award. Fontenot was not able to attend the meetings in person but was featured in a video produced by Field to Market highlighting what sustainability means to him and his operation.
Following the meeting, USA Rice, Riceland, Syngenta, and Nestle Purina hosted a dinner to honor the award-winning rice farmers.
One of the
lowest rice crops ever in Riverina
Resilience
and expertise ... Offering slight relief for rice growers were great results in
yield from the far smaller crop sizes.
Riverina rice growers have
delivered one of the lowest rice crops in their history.
The 54000 paddy tonnes of rice
harvested represents less than 10 per cent of the 2018 crop of 623000.
And of the 54000 tonne delivered
this season, only 25.7 per cent came from the NSW Murray Valley.
It is a result of zero general
security water allocation for NSW Murray irrigators.
Offering slight relief was great
results in yield from the far smaller crop sizes.
SunRice global agribusiness and
sustainability general manager Tom Howard said despite water-related challenges
and seasonal conditions fluctuating from extreme heat to the occasional cold
snap, Riverina growers had once again shown their resilience and expertise.
‘‘Given the difficult conditions,
we’re appreciative of those who grew rice this year and thank them for their
ongoing support of the industry,’’ Mr Howard said.
‘‘Overall yields were above the
five-year average, with a grower in the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area achieving
a standout 15.4 tonnes per hectare for a medium-grain Reiziq crop — 30 per cent
above the region’s five-year average of 11.8 tonnes per hectare.
‘‘This season also saw the best
Doongara (low GI) yield recorded.’’
Grown in the MIA by Willbriggie
farmer Robert Andreazza, the crop yielded 14tonnes/ha, far outstripping the
region’s five-year average of 11.3tonnes/hectare.
‘‘Both these crops were drill
sown, a technique that is growing in popularity and was used across 70 per cent
of the area grown to rice this year,’’ Mr Howard said.
‘‘A combination of improved
irrigation layouts, machinery technology and available weed-control options
ensured drill sowing has delivered top yields with decreased water use.’’
The top crops highlighted
Australian rice growers’ reputation as the world’s most water efficient.
The high-yielding Reiziq crop was
grown using 12.4Ml/ha and the Doongara crop used 11.6Ml/ha, with both crops
exceeding the targeted industry benchmark of one tonne/Ml.
SunRice said there were once again
exceptional results achieved on a gross return per megalitre and hectare.
The Reiziq crop generated an
estimated gross profit margin of $6270/ha (or $505/Ml) and the Doongara crop
delivered an estimated $6270/ha (or $539/Ml).
Ricegrowers’ Association of
Australia president and Moulamein grower Jeremy Morton said the harvest numbers
were really significant for local and farming communities.
‘‘You can’t have a 90 per cent
reduction in your income without having a significant impact both for the
grower and the community,’’ Mr Morton said.
‘‘It is a concerning outlook but
what we do know from past experience is things can turn around very quickly.
‘‘If it turns wet, we get rain
that fills the dams and good water allocation; farmers will respond very
quickly and plant a crop.
‘‘We remain optimistic that
things will improve and we will get to plant a crop (next season).’’
Rice farmers in grave danger
05:02 AM June 26, 2019
At the
recent Department of Agriculture budget review presented to the legislated
public-private Philippine Council for Agriculture and Fisheries, it became
evident that rice farmers are in grave danger. This is mainly due to the rice
tariffication law, with a low 35 percent tariff on rice imports. Rice experts
predicted that least 45 percent of rice farmers would not be able to survive
this tariff. The prediction has come true.
The table below uses data for Region II rice farmers as well as retail prices nationwide for the first week of June as reported by the Philippine Statistics Authority.
The table below uses data for Region II rice farmers as well as retail prices nationwide for the first week of June as reported by the Philippine Statistics Authority.
Note that farm gate prices fell by 37
percent for fresh palay and 29 percent for dry palay. However, retail prices
hardly moved, falling by 2 percent for well-milled rice and 4 percent for
regular milled rice. More than 80 percent of rice farmers sell fresh palay
while more than 80 percent of consumers buy well-milled rice. Therefore, the
great majority shows a 37-percent decrease in farmgate and only 3-percent
decrease in retail prices. If we reduce the farmer’s reported P30,000 average
income per hectare of rice in 2018 by 37 percent, his income will go down to
only P18,900 this year. This is grave danger.
It is the trader who is making profit at
the expense of both the farmer and the consumer. A study on the suggested
retail price (SRP) for rice in specific locations should be made to address
this problem.
However, the emphasis, should be on helping the rice farmer survive. The low numbers cited here are the averages, which means that about half get below those numbers. Unfortunately, even with the proposed huge 2020 DA budget, the target is for the rice farmer to get a net income per hectare for 2020 of P28,703. This is less than his income in 2018. In the 2020 budget, there is no significant support for fertilizers and good seeds. These are two major components that our farmers lack, which also happen to be the critical factors in raising their productivity and incomes.
However, the emphasis, should be on helping the rice farmer survive. The low numbers cited here are the averages, which means that about half get below those numbers. Unfortunately, even with the proposed huge 2020 DA budget, the target is for the rice farmer to get a net income per hectare for 2020 of P28,703. This is less than his income in 2018. In the 2020 budget, there is no significant support for fertilizers and good seeds. These are two major components that our farmers lack, which also happen to be the critical factors in raising their productivity and incomes.
There has been a long-standing concern that
the government largely uses a single commodity approach, instead of focusing on
the farmer who should do other products. Thus, the coconut farmer can raise his
income by intercropping a product like cacao in the 2 million hectares of
coconut trees that have nothing in between them. His income can go from P20,000
per hectare to more than P80,000. The rice farmer can plant other products like
vegetables and other crops. The rice plan should go beyond rice for the farmer
but extend to other alternative income sources.
The 2020 budget should include the
reorientation of 17,000 agriculture extension workers who have been devolved to
local government units and are not equipped to help farmers. Farmer in dire
straits should now qualify for cash transfers. They can use these transfers to
purchase fertilizers, seeds and other inputs.
At the budget review, an Alyansa
Agrikultura leader suggested that the 2020 DA budget become more strategic. It
should fund the formulation of farmer and commodity roadmaps, and management
systems to ensure effective implementation. Both are sorely lacking, with few
well studied roadmaps and some of DA’s 27 organizational units having an ISO
9000 management system.
The 2020 budget should support a different
kind of plan, and the priority should be to get our rice farmers out of the
grave danger
BRRI introduces 3 new rice varieties
| Update: 12:14, Jun 26, 2019
Bangladesh
Rice Research Institute (BRRI) has developed three varieties of highbred rice
for the cultivation in Aman and Boro seasons. These are the premium quality of
Ropa Aman BRRI Rice-90, variety of Bona Aman, BRRI Rice-91 and cost effective
varieties of Boro season, BRRI Rice-92.
The average yield of BRRI Rice-90 is 5 tonnes per hectare. Its yield is 1 to 1.4 tonnes more per hectare than of BRRI Rice-34, one of the popular varieties of the Aman season.
Incidentally, Aman rice is planted in mid July while it is harvested between mid November and mid December.
Average yield of BRRI Rice-91 per hectare is 2.37 tonnes, which is 1.5 tonnes more than that of the local variety, Fhulkori rice. And the average yield of BRRI Rice-92 is 8.3 tonnes per hectare.
The varieties were approved for cultivation in the National Seed Board meeting presided by agriculture ministry secretary Md Nasiruzzaman.
BRRI director general Shahjahan Kabir and scientists hope, the new varieties will be popular at three farmers’ level boosting the overall rice production.
BRRI scientists said, BRRI Rice-90 has all the properties of latest high yielding rice. It is rich in high protein and it has the similar granular shape and slight aroma like BRRI Rice-34. The amount of amylose in this rice is 23.3 per cent and protein is 10.3 per cent.
The feature of BRRI Rice-91 is that its leaves are dark green and steeper. The average height of this rice variety is 180 centimeters and does not easily tilt. Its average life time is 156 days, which is 10-15 days ahead of local Joly Aman rice. The varieties catch less disease and insects attack.
BRRI Rice-92 can be cultivated using less water. For that, in the Barendra region where the water level goes down in the dry season, it can be cultivated easily.
The
lifetime of this species is equal to BRRI 29 which means 156-160 days. There
are 26 per cent amylose in this rice varieties.
Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open- JUNE 27, 2019
JUNE 27, 2019 / 2:04
* * * * * *
Nagpur Foodgrain Prices – APMC/Open Market-June 27, 2019 Nagpur,
June 27 (Reuters) – Gram and tuar prices showed weak tendency in Nagpur
Agriculture Produce and Marketing Committee (APMC) on lack of demand from local
millers amid good supply from producing regions. Fresh fall on NCDEX in gram,
downward trend in Madhya Pradesh pulses and release of stock from stockists
also pushed down prices. About 700 bags of gram and 100 bags of tuar reported
for auction, according to sources.
GRAM
* Gram varieties ruled steady in open market here on subdued
demand from local
traders amid ample stock in ready position.
TUAR
* Tuar gavarani reported down in open market here in absence of
buyers.
* Watana green recovered strongly in open market on good
seasonal demand from
local traders amid tight supply from producing belts.
* In Akola, Tuar New – 5,900-6,100, Tuar dal (clean) –
8,400-8,600, Udid Mogar (clean)
– 7,200-7,900, Moong Mogar (clean) 7,800-8,500, Gram –
4,500-4,600, Gram Super best
– 6,200-6,400 * Wheat, rice and other foodgrain items moved in a
narrow range in
scattered deals and settled at last levels in weak trading
activity.
Nagpur foodgrains APMC auction/open-market prices in rupees for
100 kg
FOODGRAINS Available prices Previous close
Gram Auction 3,900-4,160 3,900-4,200
Gram Pink Auction n.a. 2,100-2,600
Tuar Auction 4,750-5,575 4,750-5,680
Moong Auction n.a. 3,950-4,200
Udid Auction n.a. 4,300-4,500
Masoor Auction n.a. 2,200-2,500
Wheat Lokwan Auction 1,850-1,948 1,800-1,940
Wheat Sharbati Auction n.a. 2,900-3,000
Gram Super Best Bold 6,400-6,600 6,400-6,600
Gram Super Best n.a. n.a.
Gram Medium Best 6,000-6,200 6,000-6,200
Gram Dal Medium n.a. n.a
Gram Mill Quality 4,400-4,500 4,400-4,500
Desi gram Raw 4,400-4,500 4,400-4,500
Gram Kabuli 8,300-10,000 8,300-10,000
Tuar Fataka Best-New 8,700-8,800 8,700-8,800
Tuar Fataka Medium-New 8,300-8,500 8,300-8,500
Tuar Dal Best Phod-New 7,800-8,200 7,800-8,200
Tuar Dal Medium phod-New 7,200-7,600 7,200-7,600
Tuar Gavarani New 5,800-6,000 5,850-6,050
Tuar Karnataka 6,200-6,400 6,200-6,400
Masoor dal best 5,400-5,600 5,400-5,600
Masoor dal medium 5,200-5,300 5,200-5,300
Masoor n.a. n.a.
Moong Mogar bold (New) 8,000-8,800 8,000-8,800
Moong Mogar Medium 7,000-7,500 7,000-7,500
Moong dal Chilka New 6,800-7,800 6,800-7,800
Moong Mill quality n.a. n.a.
Moong Chamki best 8,000-9,000 8,100-9,000
Udid Mogar best (100 INR/KG) (New) 7,500-8,200 7,500-8,200
Udid Mogar Medium (100 INR/KG) 5,700-6,500 5,700-6,500
Udid Dal Black (100 INR/KG) 4,200-4,500 4,200-4,500
Mot (100 INR/KG) 5,100-6,600 5,100-6,600
Lakhodi dal (100 INR/kg) 4,700-4,900 4,700-4,900
Watana Dal (100 INR/KG) 5,500-5,600 5,500-5,600
Watana Green Best (100 INR/KG) 6,800-7,000 6,700-6,900
Wheat 308 (100 INR/KG) 2,100-2,200 2,100-2,200
Wheat Mill quality (100 INR/KG) 2,000-2,100 2,000-2,100
Wheat Filter (100 INR/KG) 2,500-2,600 2,500-2,600
Wheat Lokwan best (100 INR/KG) 2,400-2,800 2,400-2,600
Wheat Lokwan medium (100 INR/KG) 2,200-2,300 2,200-2,300
Lokwan Hath Binar (100 INR/KG) n.a. n.a.
MP Sharbati Best (100 INR/KG) 3,000-3,600 3,000-3,600
MP Sharbati Medium (100 INR/KG) 2,700-2,900 2,700-2,900
Rice Parmal (100 INR/KG) 2,100-2,200 2,100-2,200
Rice BPT best (100 INR/KG) 3,000-3,600 3,100-3,600
Rice BPT medium (100 INR/KG) 2,400-2,900 2,500-3,000
Rice BPT new (100 INR/KG) 2,800-3,200 2,800-3,200
Rice Luchai (100 INR/KG) 2,900-3,000 2,900-3,000
Rice Swarna best (100 INR/KG) 2,500-2,700 2,500-2,700
Rice Swarna medium (100 INR/KG) 2,300-2,400 2,300-2,400
Rice HMT best (100 INR/KG) 4,000-4,400 4,000-4,400
Rice HMT medium (100 INR/KG) 3,500-3,700 3,500-3,700
Rice HMT New (100 INR/KG) 4,000-4,400 4,000-4,400
Rice Shriram best(100 INR/KG) 5,500-5,700 5,500-5,700
Rice Shriram med (100 INR/KG) 4,500-4,700 4,500-4,700
Rice Shriram New (100 INR/KG) 4,800-5,100 4,800-5,100
Rice Basmati best (100 INR/KG) 8,500-13,500 8,500-13,500
Rice Basmati Medium (100 INR/KG) 5,000-7,000 5,000-7,000
Rice Chinnor best 100 INR/KG) 6,500-7,200 6,500-7,200
Rice Chinnor medium (100 INR/KG) 6,200-6,400 6,200-6,400
Rice Chinnor New (100 INR/KG) 4,800-5,000 4,800-5,000
Jowar Gavarani (100 INR/KG) 2,350-2,550 2,350-2,550
Jowar CH-5 (100 INR/KG) 2,050-2,250 2,050-2,250 WEATHER (NAGPUR)
Maximum temp. 39.9 degree Celsius, minimum temp. 24.9 degree Celsius Rainfall :
1.7 mm FORECAST: Partly cloudy sky. One or two spells of rains or
thunder-showers likely. Maximum and minimum temperature likely to be around 38
degree Celsius and 25 degree Celsius respectively. Note: n.a.—not available
(For oils, transport costs are excluded from plant delivery prices, but
included in market prices)
Iran Gov't Approves Rice Cultivation
Restrictions Due to Water Shortage
Iran Gov't Approves Rice Cultivation Restrictions Due to Water
Shortage
Restrictions will be imposed on
rice cultivation in Iranian provinces other than the two northern provinces of
Gilan and Mazandaran.
According to deputy agriculture
minister for water and soil affairs, the decision has been made by the Cabinet
and conveyed to provinces across the country for implementation.
"Rice cultivation will first
be restricted for three years, as farmers will receive no facilities or support
from the government in provinces other than Gilan and Mazandaran during this
period,” Alimorad Akbari was also quoted as saying by Mehr News Agency.
Feature: Chinese rice farm helps boost food
security, employment in central Uganda
Source:
Xinhua| 2019-06-26 20:11:56|Editor: Liangyu
KALUNGU, Uganda, June 26 (Xinhua) -- A large expanse of lush green
rice paddies is a major highlight along the highway from Uganda's capital
Kampala to the southern part of the country.
The 3,000 acre rice farm, with a target of reaching 6,000 acres
here in the central district of Kalungu, is owned by Zhong's Industries Ltd, a
private Chinese enterprise.
At the farm, workers from across the east African country are
busy working.
At the section of ready to harvest rice, dozens of youths battle
with swarms of birds that come to feed on the rice. As a daily task, they whistle,
shout and flap to scare away the birds.
"I wake up at six in the morning to go and scare away the
birds. We are a group of several youths who do this," 24-year-old Brown
Mfitundinda told Xinhua in a recent interview.
Several hundreds of meters away, combined harvesters are busy as
tractors ferry the harvested rice to the rice processing facility also located
on the farm.
At the facility, there are huge sun drying areas where the rice
from the field is spread out on cemented floors by several dozens of youths
mostly women.
After the drying the rice is ferried into the processing
facility where it is milled before it is packed in 50kg bags with inscriptions
"Zhong Yi" rice.
Zhong Shuangquan, managing director Zhong's Industries Ltd, told
Xinhua in a recent interview that there are over 1,200 local employees and five
Chinese working on the farm.
The Chinese largely offer technical expertise especially in
preparing the land for cultivation, technology, machinery and sales, according
to Zhong.
He said planting, cultivation, harvesting and processing and
sales goes on throughout the year. On average the farm makes daily sales of up
to 40 tons of rice per day.
Zhong said the company plans to also use the out-grower model
where millions of acres of land will be opened up for rice farming across the
country.
In Uganda, rice growing is considered strategic as it has the
potential to contribute to increasing rural incomes and improving food and
nutrition security.
Some of the rice of the country has been exported to regional
markets like neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundi.
Experts say the demand for rice is continuing to grow because of
the increasing population.
CHINA BOOST
China through a tripartite agreement with the United Nations
Food and Agriculture Organization and some member countries has over the years
been sending technical experts to Africa through the South-South Cooperation
Program.
Uganda is one of the countries that have benefited from this
on-the-farm training of small scale farmers to boost production.
At the end of the second phase of the program in 2017, about
3,000 farmers were trained in cereals, horticulture, aquaculture and livestock
in Uganda, according to the ministry of agriculture.
During the project, the Chinese technicians introduced the
growth of Chinese hybrid rice. Official studies showed that the hybrid rice can
yield up to 10 metric tons per hectare compared to the conventional rice which
yields 4.5 metric tons per hectare.
Farmers in eastern Uganda, a region renown for rice growing,
have already taken on growing the Chinese hybrid rice to boost their household
income.
Uganda also established the 220-million-dollar Kehong
China-Uganda Agricultural Industrial Park. The park, according to the Ugandan
government, will be critical in transforming the country's economy which is
largely dependent on agriculture.
When fully operational, Kehong China-Uganda Agricultural
Industrial Park is expected to produce about 600,000 tons of agro-products
annually to meet the domestic and regional market demands. Among the
agro-products include rice.
Pre-monsoon dry spell in Bihar sets off Kharif worries
The delay in monsoon and
aberrations in normal rains are likely to impact the cultivation of paddy in
Bihar, one of the leading rice producing states in the country.
A depleting groundwater
table, coupled with the absence of pre-monsoon showers this year, has set alarm
bells ringing for Bihar ahead of kharif production.(AFP/Represenative Image )
Updated: Jun 26, 2019 10:46 IST
A depleting groundwater table,
coupled with the absence of pre-monsoon showers this year, has set alarm bells
ringing for Bihar ahead of kharif production.The delay in monsoon and aberrations in normal rains are likely to impact the cultivation of paddy in Bihar, one of the leading rice producing states in the country.
As the Indian meteorological department (IMD) has foreseen a below normal monsoon this year across the country, a wary Bihar government is now contemplating resumption of diesel subsidy to farmers for paddy seedling. “The government may dole out cash subsidy on diesel purchase by farmers for paddy seedling if rains continue to play truant any further,” said agriculture minister Prem Kumar.
An agriculture expert of the department, not willing to be named, said that the state had been receiving annual rainfall about 20-28% below normal, which is around 1000 mm. “Last year, it rained 771 mm that led to declaration of drought in about 280 out of 534 blocks in 25 districts the state. Subsequently, rice production had dipped to 60.42 lakh tonnes. This year’s situation is also not auguring well for farmers to go for massive transplantation of paddy,” he said.
At a recent meeting held by chief minister Nitish Kumar over the scarcity of potable water, it came to light that the groundwater table had declined by 10-12 feet in most of the paddy growing districts in the state. This was seen as an alarming development, as usage of groundwater for paddy cultivation is a popular practice across paddy growing regions in the state. “In a few areas of Gaya, Aurangabad and Jehanabad, groundwater table has gone down by 20 feet this summer and has affected paddy seedling to a large extent,” said the agriculture expert.
Patna-based weather experts of IMD, however, predicted normal monsoon, but the state agencies are apprehensive of less than average rains again. The minister said that the diesel subsidy, which was discontinued after the rabi season, would start in a day or two, as the proposal has been sent to the state cabinet for approval.
Farmers of paddy growing districts, which include four in Bhojpur region, have kept their fingers crossed even after monsoon hit the state on June 21, 11 days behind the normal schedule.
“Irrigation networks, consisting of dams, barrages and canals in paddy producing areas hardly get sufficient water if adjoining states like Madhya Pradesh do not receive surplus monsoon rain,” said Yogendra Rai, a farmer from Jehanabad.
First Published: Jun 26, 2019 10:45
IST
Chinese
researchers discover gene helping rice reduce heavy metal pollution
Xinhua | Updated: 2019-06-26 18:53
[Photo/IC]
BEIJING -- Chinese researchers
have discovered a gene which plays an important role in cadmium accumulation in
rice, providing a reference for the cultivation of low-cadmium rice varieties.
Cadmium, a kind of toxic heavy
metal, can be easily absorbed and enriched in rice, and then enters the human
body through the food chain, thus posing a serious threat to human health.
By using the genome-wide
association study technology and gene annotation system, researchers from the
Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences and China Agricultural
University successfully identified a rice grain cadmium accumulation related
gene called OsCd1.
OsCd1 was a plasma membrane
protein in root and the disruption of OsCd1 resulted in a decrease of cadmium
accumulation in rice, indicating OsCd1 may mediate the cadmium uptake in rice
root and, ultimately, contribute to grain cadmium accumulation.
The study further analyzed
different molecular mechanisms of cadmium accumulation in indica and japonica
rice, the two Asian cultivated rice subspecies. Indica rice is mainly
cultivated in southern China and is more vulnerable to cadmium pollution.
The research has great potential
for application in low-cadmium rice breeding, especially in indica rice,
according to the research team.
The research was published in the
journal Nature Communications.
Burying the evidence
·
·
Last year, scientists at the U.S. Department of Agriculture,
along with researchers at the University of Washington, made a pretty important
finding: They found that higher concentrations of carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere lowered the nutritional value of rice.
The study, which also was done in collaboration with researchers
from China, Japan and Australia was important for a number of reasons, not
least because rice is the primary food source for hundreds of millions of
people around the world.
An estimated 600 million people, many of them in Southeast Asia,
get more than half their daily calories or protein from rice.
Published in Science Advances, the study said these CO2-induced
changes would likely "exacerbate the overall burden of disease and could
affect early childhood development."
One would think that sort of news would be important to share.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture apparently didn’t think
so — not according to a Politico investigation, which revealed over the
weekend that USDA has refused to publicize "dozens" of
government-funded studies from its Agricultural Research Service that have
warned about the impact of climate change.
One of those studies included findings that climate change is
likely to increase agricultural pollution and nutrient runoff in the lower
Mississippi Delta. That's an important issue in agriculture-driven states like
Iowa and Illinois.
Another study that got little notice was a 2019 finding that
increased temperature swings could already be boosting pollen levels. Ask
anybody in the Quad-Cities who's an allergy sufferer whether this is something
they'd want to know about.
We in the Midwest have long known the value of the Agricultural
Research Service. It has been a valuable resource for farming and agribusiness,
the foundation of our economy, for years.
Previous administrations also have known the value of this
agency's work. Under George W. Bush and Barack Obama, the USDA publicized far
more climate-related reports than it has since Donald Trump became president,
according to Politico.
In 2005, during the Bush administration, the ARS published eight
articles involving climate change; in 2007, it was 15. Under the Obama
administration, there were even more. But as of June 7, the Trump
administration had just two such reports this year. There were fewer in the
previous two years.
The studies being buried aren’t about what is causing higher
levels of CO2; they simply are measuring the impact of an undeniable
phenomenon.
The USDA says there is no directive ordering these reports to be
squelched. But we found it interesting that Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue
had this to say in a CNN interview released Tuesday when asked about whether
humans cause climate change: "You know, I think it's weather patterns,
frankly. And you know, and they change, as I said. It rained yesterday, it's a
nice pretty day today. So the climate does change in short increments and in
long increments."
It would be better if Perdue and other administration officials
accepted the science behind what causes climate change.
At the very least, though, we don't think USDA should be burying
solid scientific studies that document the impact of changes in the atmosphere.
People in southeast Asia need to know about these changes; so do people in
southeast Iowa.
It is vital that these studies get attention. Hiding the
consequences of climate change doesn’t make it go away; it only delays our
ability to fashion effective, efficient solutions to deal with it
We need to talk about chloramphenicol -- how does this antibiotic cause
damage to eukaryotes?
For the first time scientists demonstrate the molecular events
underlying the effects of chloramphenicol on eukaryotic cells
A group of scientists from Japan--led by Prof Takashi
Kamakura of Tokyo University of Science--has demonstrated, for the first time,
the molecular and cellular basis of the "adverse" effects of the
antibiotic chloramphenicol on eukaryotic cells. Concluding their study
published in Scientific Reports, they state, "Identification of
the molecular target of chloramphenicol may lead to better elucidation and
resolution of its side effects in humans."
Antibiotics are often the treatment of choice for bacterial or
fungal infections. Chloramphenicol is an example of a broad-spectrum antibiotic
that's active against most bacteria and widely used in human and veterinary
medicine. However, it has varied side effects--such as human aplastic anemia,
bone marrow suppression, and gray baby syndrome--which limit its prescription.
A drug's side effects are usually thought to be due to its interaction with
entities other than the "target" molecules. The causes of the side
effects of chloramphenicol have remained unknown to date, but this team of
scientists from Japan has demonstrated one of the possible mechanisms of the
effect of chloramphenicol on eukaryotic cells. The researchers state,
"High doses of chloramphenicol have been known to cause mitochondrial
damage in eukaryotes," but also go on to say, "Our study shows that
drugs have novel secondary targets in eukaryotes."
As the model eukaryotic organism for the study, they used the
rice blast fungus Pyricularia (Magnaporthe) oryzae. When asked about the
significance of this model organism, Prof Kamakura says, "The rice blast
fungus is an economically important pathogen that causes destructive disease in
rice, which is the staple food of Japan. Thus, from the perspective of food
security, it is important to understand the infection strategy of this pathogen
and implement ways to control the damage to crops." He also cites another
interesting fact, "the genome of this fungus has considerably less 'junk'
DNA--the 'noncoding' part of the genome that does not code for any functional
proteins. This, along with the low number of targetable functional proteins,
makes the rice blast fungus an ideal model for the screening of novel molecular
targets of drugs."
The rice blast fungus uses a peculiar structure called the
"appressorium," which functions in surface recognition, binding, and
subsequent infection. The fungus infects the plant using a 3-cell structure
called "conidium," which has a "germ tube" with the
appressorium at the end. The appressorium initiates contact with the host
(plant) cell and is crucial in the infection cycle. This entire process is
known to be dependent on the mitotic division of the single-cell germ tube and
cell differentiation. Given the fact that cell differentiation depends on
several different molecular components, these molecules can also be
"targets" of several drugs. It is this principle, validated by previous
studies in the field, that was exploited by the research team led by Prof
Kamakura.
The researchers first exposed a suspension of the fungal
"conidia" to different concentrations of chloramphenicol. After 6
hours, they found via microscopic observation that the germination of the
conidia or the length of the germ tube remained unaffected, but the percentage
of appressorium formation significantly dwindled. Prof Kamakura's team thus
concluded that chloramphenicol specifically targets appressorium formation in
the rice blast fungus, which is a novel finding.
Next, they "screened" for chloramphenicol targets in
the entire genome of the rice blast fungus. Of the 86 peptides that were
targeted, 14 were known rice blast fungus peptides, and only 2 were functionally
active proteins (proteins from the "coding region" of a gene). One of
these was extremely similar to a highly conserved eukaryotic protein called
Dullard, and the researchers termed this "MoDullard." The Dullard
protein is known to play a role in cell differentiation in eukaryotes. The
researchers found that MoDullard was expressed the most at the appressorium
formation stage. They also performed functional analysis by "knocking
out" the MoDullard gene, and found that mutants with no MoDullard were not
able to produce the appressorium, but were also resistant to chloramphenicol.
This confirmed that chloramphenicol targets this protein.
Finally, to determine the target in humans, they identified 5
candidate peptides from the human genome that bore resemblance to MoDullard.
They isolated the gene for each of these peptides and transferred it into the
MoDullard-knockout mutant. They found that one of the peptides, called CTDSP1,
complemented the "lost" function of MoDullard in the mutant cells--meaning
that the cells with CTDSP1 introduced were able to produce appressorium.
Chloramphenicol was again found to block the formation of this appressorium,
which led the researchers to confirm that CTDSP1 is indeed a target of
chloramphenicol in humans.
To put these results into perspective, Prof Kamakura states,
"A more detailed analysis of the mechanism of inhibition of appressorium
formation revealed for the first time here may lead to the development of new
control methods for the rice blast fungus. Also, drug screening using the rice
blast fungus may lead to the elucidation of yet-unknown side effects or drug
repositioning to discover novel effects of existing drugs whose safety profiles
have been confirmed."
###
About The Tokyo University of
Science
Tokyo University of Science (TUS) is a well-known and respected
university, and the largest science-specialized private research university in
Japan, with four campuses in central Tokyo and its suburbs and in Hokkaido.
Established in 1881, the university has continually contributed to Japan's
development in science through inculcating the love for science in researchers,
technicians, and educators.
With a mission of "Creating science and technology for the
harmonious development of nature, human beings, and society", TUS has
undertaken a wide range of research from basic to applied science. TUS has
embraced a multidisciplinary approach to research and undertaken intensive
study in some of today's most vital fields. TUS is a meritocracy where the best
in science is recognized and nurtured. It is the only private university in
Japan that has produced a Nobel Prize winner and the only private university in
Asia to produce Nobel Prize winners within the natural sciences field.
About Professor Takashi Kamakura
from Tokyo University of Science
Dr. Takashi Kamakura is a Professor in the Department of Applied
Biological Science, Faculty of Science and Technology at the Tokyo University
of Science. He is a distinguished researcher with over 55 publications, and is
also the corresponding author of this paper. He has been associated with the
Japan Society for Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Agrochemistry and the
Pesticide Science Society of Japan in the past. His areas of research include
molecular biology, microbial toxicology, applied genetics, molecular pathology,
applied microbiology, and agricultural science.
To receive news releases from the Tokyo University of Science,
contact mediaoffice@admin.tus.ac.jp
Rice Farmers Recognized for Sustainability, Innovation
By Mark Isbell
OAK BROOK, IL -- Field to Market, the
Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture, convened here this week for their summer
plenary, and to announce the 2019 Farmer Spotlights, an award recognizing
innovative farmers engaging in continuous improvement and utilizing Field to
Market's Field Print Calculator. Each month Field to Market highlights one of the Farmer Spotlights with a press release and media push to bring attention to the individual efforts of each winner. Two of the six 2019 Spotlights are U.S. rice farmers: Timothy Gertson of Lisse, Texas, and Charlie Fontenot of Palmetto, Louisiana.
"The Field Print Calculator helps me make sure that I'm always moving forward, not stagnant, and never moving backwards," said Gertson when he accepted his award. Fontenot was not able to attend the meetings in person but was featured in a video produced by Field to Market highlighting what sustainability means to him and his operation.
Following the meeting, USA Rice, Riceland, Syngenta, and Nestle Purina hosted a dinner to honor the award-winning rice farmers.
India Must Shift Rice
Growing East From Punjab & Haryana To Prevent Desertification
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