India Must Shift Rice Growing
East From Punjab, Haryana To Prevent
India
Must Shift Rice Growing East From Punjab, Haryana To Prevent Desertification
Shifting the major chunk of rice production to India’s central and eastern
states like Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, while encouraging wheat cultivation
through sustainable irrigation in the rice-growing regions of Punjab and
Haryana, could help India prevent an impending water crisis by 2030, according
to a 2018 study by the National Bank for Agriculture & Rural Development
and Indian Council for R Read more at: https://www.bloombergquint.com/economy-finance/india-must-shift-rice-growing-east-from-punjab-and-haryana-to-prevent-desertification
Gene helping rice reduce heavy
metal pollution
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 heavy metal
pollution.
Porous
borders, unending smuggling threaten local rice production
By Sulaimon Salau
28 June 2019 | 4:00
am
Okada rider running away with
smuggled rice at the Same border. PHOTO: SULAIMONE SALAU
Notwithstanding
Federal Government’s efforts to promote the production of rice in Nigeria, the
continuous smuggling of the commodity to the extent of dominating the local
market, is making nonsense of an existing ban with attendant capital flight.
Rice is the most preferred staple food for
Nigerians, and available in different sizes and varieties in major markets
across the country. But the more worrisome is that about 70 per cent of the
products in the local market are foreign parboiled rice, thereby overwhelming
the locally produced ones.
Being the most profitable commodity for
businessmen and smugglers in the market, the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS),
adjudged rice as the most smuggled item through land borders.
On March 21, 2016, the government had announced
the re-introduction of ban on importation of rice through land borders across
the country, following an upsurge in rice smuggling, amid dwindling revenue
from rice imports through the borders, which fell short of the volume of rice
arriving from neighbouring ports.
The Guardian investigations showed that most
consumers also prefer the foreign products, claiming they are cheaper and more
available than the locally-produced rice.
On a visit to the Seme border in Republic of
Benin, where most of these rice products find their way into Nigeria, it was
discovered that the popular market in Seme was dominated by Nigerian traders
and buyers, who smuggle them in through unapproved routes.
It was the same scenario at the Idiroko border,
and Ilaro, both in Ogun State. In fact, Nigerian currency (Naira) was freely
traded and used as a medium of exchange in the Seme market.
Further investigation revealed that the rice
products are conveyed through various means, depending on the capacity of the
smugger. The petty ones use motorcycles popularly known as Okada, which carry
up to four to six bags at once. They move the product across the border under a
‘settlement’ fee of N100 per bag daily. Also, these Okada smugglers sometimes move
in convoy with an escort who interfaces with security agencies.
The bigger smugglers use trucks, but some of
the commodity are confiscated by the Customs at checkpoints. Despite the
numerous seizures, the smugglers appear unperturbed, and up their game, against
all odds and continue to bring in the products.
Ahead of the ban on rice, Government, through
the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), introduced the Anchor Borrowers’ Programme
(ABP), on November 17, 2015, targeted at boosting food security and production
of agricultural commodities including rice, maize, wheat and a host of others
with comparative advantage across all states of the federation.
It also slammed 70 per cent duty on rice
importation from the seaports, to stem the high rate of dependence on foreign
products while conserve the nation’s foreign reserves and encouraging local
production.
Despite the government’s high tariff, the
supply gap is still being plugged by imports. Even worse, importers bypass the
charges by smuggling rice through porous land borders, not minding the inherent
risks.
However, the quality of the smuggled rice
cannot be guaranteed, thereby posing health challenges to unsuspecting
consumers.
In 2016, an alarm was raised on the shipping of
fake rice also known as ‘plastic rice’ into Nigeria from China, until the
Customs the arrested situation. A year later, Government also raised an alarm
of some brands of poisonous foreign rice in circulation.
Having critically examined the items, the
Comptroller-General of Customs, Hameed Ali, described rice imported into
Nigeria as poisonous, and advised Nigerians to stop consuming it.
He said: “A chemical must have been added to
sustain its freshness and that chemical is harmful. Also, it has been re-bagged
with a new date given as the production and expiry date, and that is what we
consume here which causes diseases.
“So, I appeal to Nigerians to please patronise
our own rice; it is available, more nutritious, and if you do that you will
assist Customs by making sure these people are put out of business,” Ali had
said at a news conference in Abuja.
Declaring that Government had not granted any
licence for rice importation, and that any rice not produced in Nigeria, is
smuggled, he said Illegal rice importation remains one of the biggest challenges
facing the Customs Service.
Former Minister of State for Agriculture and
Rural Development, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, had also noted that: “For
imported rice, we don’t know how long it had been in their (exporters) silos.
Recently, one country decided to bring in a shipload of rice into Nigeria so
that we can use it to support the IDPs (Internationally Displaced Persons) in
the North-East, but when we subjected the rice to a test, we discovered that
the rice was actually poisonous.
“This means that most imported rice have been
in silos for 10 to 15 years and have no nutritional value. So what we have told
them is that anybody who wants to support the IDPs or any other person in
Nigeria should please use our local rice.
“The argument is that local rice is more
expensive, but we say even if it means buying half bag, do it. It is better for
us to eat a smaller quantity of nutritious rice than for us to take poisonous
shiploads of rice,” he said.
Nonetheless, foreign rice has continued to
litter and dominate Nigerian markets. From Sango market in Ota, Ogun State, to
Daleko market in Mushin; Mile 2 in Lagos; Utako Market, Abuja; Terminus Market
Jos; Mile 3 Market Port-Harcourt; Main Market, Onitsha; Singer Market in Kano;
Ogbete Market in Enugu, and Jimeta Main Market in Yola, and a host of others
the story is the same.
The Guardian investigation showed that at Sango
market, smugglers arrive as early as 4am to offload the products to dealers,
who usually paid as low as between N12,500 and N13,000 per 50kg bag, and resell
for between N14,000 and N15,000 per bag.
In a chart with The Guardian, a smuggler at
Sango market said: “rice trading” is one of the best businesses one can engage
in, though risky, but has good returns.
The young man, who identified himself as Taiwo
Abe, said: “I don’t know why government will ask us not to import rice. We are
into business, after all, we don’t kill and we are not stealing. We make
meaningful income from this business and that is what I use to sustain my
family. I have wife and children that I also need to feed and I cannot do
rituals, I can’t do Internet fraud (yahoo yahoo). But, the business of
smuggling pays. I am a carpenter, but no patronage, no sales, so I need to look
for alternative means of survival, and rice smuggling has helped me a lot,”
On the risk involved, he said: “There is no
business that is not risky. I was nurtured on the street, and I was trained to
hustle. I use unapproved routes where no Customs officer will disturb you.
Besides, we have some contacts that guide our movement, so, to me it’s not a
big deal.”
A saleswoman, who simply identified herself as
Risikat, said it is cheaper to patronise smugglers than the local rice millers,
adding that even the customers prefer foreign rice.
“The only Nigerian rice that customers demand
for is Ofada rice, and I don’t sell it. It is cheaper to buy from smugglers and
I make more profit,”
She decried a situation whereby the Customs
raid their shops and seized their stocks last year, and called on the Federal
Government to also create a conducive environment for businesses to thrive,
adding that the bad economy is forcing people to look for alternative means of
survival.
For the Nigerian Customs, it is an unending
struggle; the officers are still overwhelmed by rice smugglers, as they face
reprisal attacks and brutal retaliation on daily basis. For example, a Customs
Assistant 1, Hamisu Sani, was killed in one of such encounters at Asero area of
Abeokuta, Ogun State, while Tunde Wasiu Abdul’Azez was killed on Palace Road,
Gumel Local Government Area of Jigawa State.
However, the battle continues and the seizures
are increasing, as the Customs warehouses are filled to the brim. The Service
said it seized 497,279 bags of imported rice between 2015 and August, 2017,
with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of about N3.8 billion. The Customs’ effort
notwithstanding, the figure only represents a fraction of the value of rice
smuggled into the country within the review period.
In 2018, the Customs seized about 238,094
(50kg) bags of rice across the country from January to November, which its
Public Relations Officer, Joseph Attah, said was worth N4.05 billion.
In the Ogun State Area Command, about 44,615
bags of foreign rice were seized between the period, while the Area II Command,
Onne, Rivers State confiscated 118 containers loaded with foreign rice. Seme
Command seized 37,568 bags of 50kg foreign rice, which is equivalent to over 63
trailers, with DPV of N876 million in 2018.
In the first quarter 2019, the FOU Zone A
intercepted 16,117 bags of 50kg parboiled rice; The Nigerian Navy, Forward
Operating Base (FOB) in Akwa Ibom, also seized 2,044 bags of rice in April. The
Commanding Officer at, Ibaka, Captain Toritseju Vincent, said: “These
anti-smuggling activities are inimical to the growth of our own rice industry.
So we will continue to do our duty to make sure we nip it in bud, and bring it
to a complete halt.”
He said the commodity was brought in with a
boat, while the suspects abandoned the boat, the products, and their pumping
machine and fled.
Controller, Seme Command of Customs, Mohammed
Uba Garba, who also condemned the spate of rice smuggling into Nigeria, said:
“Government allowed the importation of fertiliser duty free with the aim to
boost agricultural production. You are also aware that government has engaged
some individuals with a view to stimulating local production of rice. This
comes with benefits such as employment generation, preservation of foreign
exchange, and food security among others.
“No nation can develop under hunger. People can
se0ek advice on proposed ideas when they are properly fed. It is along this
line that we are so much committed against the smuggling of foreign rice. Part
of the danger of foreign rice is that it would deplete our foreign exchange.
Besides, nobody knows the duration of when the rice was produced, but people
will buy and consume it. It is hazardous to health,” he stated.
Controller Federal Operation Unit (FOU) Zone A,
Aliyu Mohammed, said: “Nobody will grow our economy for us, we must work
together to make Nigeria great. If you go to Cotonou now, over N1 trillion bags
of rice are waiting there and they must enter Nigeria. How many officers are in
Customs? With all our efforts, some of them will find their way. We can’t
eradicate it completely because of the nation’s porous borders. Besides, we
don’t have friends; people are always working against us. If you go out now and
see them beating a Customs officer, you will join them to beat him. It is
unfortunate. The smugglers are seeing it as their birth right to smuggle. They
claimed they couldn’t go to school and start looking for job after graduation,
so they are looking for quick means of making money.”
He equally alleged that rice smuggling is also
being perpetrated by the rich, who see it as a booming business, saying: “A
poor man cannot use the small money he has to buy rice, but a rich man will buy
it and use the poor man to smuggle it. They are using innocent people to enrich
themselves. We should all work to support government policies. Go to Benin
Republic, visit the roundabout area, you will discover that prices of houses
have soar, because they have turned most of their residential buildings to
warehouses where they keep rice and earn higher income. So, they get more money
for keeping rice than rent it as residential.”
He also warned against the poor quality of the
imported rice compared to the local rice and its health benefits, saying: “Go and
get the foreign rice and cook it. If you are a Hausa man, I will tell you to
make Tuwo shinkafa. Then, get Kebbi or Abakaliki rice and make the same Tuwo
shinkafa. Cover it throughout the day and open it in the morning. You will
discover that the foreign rice will scatter because it is chemical rice, but
our local rice will be intact and the aroma will be enticing. Then, you will
never eat foreign rice again.
“Those who are saying that the local rice is
not enough are the real smugglers because they don’t want you to know the
secret. Go to Bida, Abakaliki, Adija, you will see the large expanse of land
used in harvesting rice. We need to help our leaders. We need to help this
country,” he said.
Despite the Nigerian government’s policy on
domestication of the rice industry, and the war against its illegal
importation, seaports of West African countries are still receiving large
quantities of the commodity, apparently for onward shipment to Nigeria through
the land borders. Consequently, the commodity still tops the smuggling chart of
seized items by the Nigeria Customs, while poultry products and vehicles occupy
the second and third highest smuggled items.
Economic Confidential, in a three-week survey
on the rice market across the six geopolitical zones in Nigeria, observed that
foreign rice such as Mama Gold, Royal Stallion, Rice Master, Caprice, Falcon
Rice and Basmati are sold alongside Nigerian brands like: Umza and Fursa Crown
from Kano. Others are Mama Happy from Niger, Labana Rice from Kebbi, Olam Rice
from Nasarawa, Abakaliki Rice from Ebonyi, Ofada Rice from Ogun State, Swomen
Dama from Plateau, Lake Rice of Lagos/Kebbi States among others.
National Deputy President, Rice Farmers
Association of Nigeria (RIFAN), Segun Atho, told The Guardian that smuggling is
a major threat to rice production, but all hands are on deck to ensure that the
nation feeds itself through sustainable local production.
“Rice smuggling is another virus in the content
of Nigeria, because if you look at the rate at which people smuggle rice, it is
alarming. There are some cartels behind it that are not ready to sheath their
swords. Rice is being produced by almost every nation, and it has become a
staple food, which is important to every nation that wants to survive.
“When we complain about smugglers, what about
the Customs that are support instead of prevent them? They are there when the
women carry small bags containing rice into the country. They are there when
some people use bad vehicles to convey smuggled goods; what are they looking
at? Although, some the Customs officers are good, while they still have some
bad elements among them. They will collect money from the smugglers and allow
them to go.
“Also, the border communities see smuggling as
their national cake, and this is unfortunate. It is a serious situation. We
have to fight together, if Nigeria wants to attain self-sufficiency and
sustainability in rice production.
“Farmers are doing their best, and I can see
that smuggling is reducing. I am talking from the farm, and all over the
country, farmers are producing, and we are trying to mop up the production for
processing and for marketing, and all hands are on deck.
Furthermore, he said the CBN’s Anchor Borrowers
Programme has helped farmers a lot.
Denying the claims that foreign rice is more
readily available in the market than local rice, Atho said: “That is not true.
What we have is that some rice sellers re-bag local products into foreign sacks
and sell as imported rice. This is because of the consumption pattern of Nigerians,
and we really need to change that. We need to patronise locally made goods. You
have been eating Nigerian rice but you don’t know. Go to the integrated rice
mills in Kano, Kebbi, Wakot, Benue, Abakaliki. Coscharis, Dangote, and Sam Egwu
are all bagging rice now.”
Similarly, Rice Processors Association of
Nigeria (RIPAN), had earlier raised an alarm that over one million metric
tonnes of rice had been smuggled into Nigeria in the last three months.
The Chairman of RIPAN, Mohammed Abubakar
Maifata, who made this revelation in Abuja, said: “Investors in Nigeria have
made enormous financial commitment in the rice sub-sector. Unfortunately, the
only threat to the industry’s total development, is smuggling.
“Over one million metric tonnes of rice, which
is equivalent to about 20,000,000 bags of 50kg rice, have been smuggled into
Nigeria in the last three months.
“Nigeria currently loses huge revenues, foreign
exchange, and jobs to this menace, as Nigeria rice processing companies are
shutting down because of their inability to gain market access.
“More painfully, millions of smallholder
farmers are stuck with their paddy because the millers can no longer afford to
buy from them.”
He said investigations conducted by the
Association in the last few months indicated that, “all our international
borders have been converted to smugglers route, and our markets are filled with
smuggled foreign rice.”
But he cautioned that, “there is the need for
urgent action to avert eventual national food emergency by combating smuggling
so that we can continue to grow our local rice industry and the economy.”
Meetings
Convene Against Backdrop of Grower Concern
By
Deborah Willenborg
KAPLAN
& CROWLEY, LA -- You'd need quite a chisel plow to cut the tension in the
air in rice country these days, but despite the mood and uncertainty, for the
past two days, growers flocked to field days here. First at the HorizonAg Field Day on the farm
of Christian Richard in Kaplan, and then for the 110th Annual Rice Field Day at
the H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station in Crowley.
On
display at Richard's was Clearfield and the Provisia Rice System that looks
promising, particularly the improved yield potential for PVL02, the second
Provisia variety released.
"Over
multiple years of testing, PVL02 has shown a 10 percent yield advantage to
PVL01, and is seven days earlier in maturity which is important in South
Louisiana," said Dr. Tim Walker, HorizonAg general manager. "PVL02 results in higher head rice
yields as well."
Walker
thanked the growers and consultants for attending the event and spoke
passionately about the need for the U.S. rice industry to regain the trust of
international customers.
Latest
research findings keep everyone up to date
"We
as an industry gave them a reason to look elsewhere, and that's on all of
us," he said. "Now we need to
get them back, and it's never easy, but I know we have the quality to do
it."
A
nice cloud cover settled over Crowley on Wednesday for the LSU Field Day,
keeping temperatures in check as several hundred people cycled through the five
stations positioned around the Rice Research Station.
Attendees
heard first from LSU AgCenter Rice Breeder Dr. Adam Famoso about the Provisia
varieties as well as Clearfield varieties 2097 and 2195 that he says hold
promise in terms of yield and grain quality, one of which could see commercial
release next year. Dr. Brijesh Angira
explained the DNA marker work he is pursuing in support of the varietal development
program at the LSU AgCenter.
Dr.
Eric Webster and Dr. Don Groth provided updates on rice weed control and
disease research, including varietal resistance, cultural management, and
chemical means of dealing with challenges.
LSU
AgCenter entomologist Dr. Blake Wilson shared signs of rice water weevil
infestations and a newer threat to Louisiana rice fields - apple snails - so
named because they can get as large as apples.
Apple
snails: Don't touch, "escargot
away"
"The
snails can survive months in totally dry conditions and can actually clog up
crawfish traps, rendering a pond unusable," Wilson warned. "Egg masses contain neurotoxins that can
irritate the skin and eyes, so don't touch them with your bare skin, and if you
do come across them, you should knock them into the water carefully."
And
despite how big they get and Cajun ingenuity, Wilson advised against eating
them.
"The
females can contain parasites that can get into your brain and actually be
fatal," he said.
Dr.
James Oard asked attendees to think about the pros and cons of growing hybrid
rice, explaining that growers need to consider several factors before deciding
one way or another on them.
"Hybrids
typically have a higher yield and require less inputs, but the seed can cost
three or four times more than conventional seed," he said. "Hybrids can have higher chalk, but work
much better in row rice systems that are becoming very popular. Every farmer is going to need to conduct the
analysis and make their own decision on hybrids."
LSU
AgCenter Extension Specialist Dr. Dustin Harrell rounded out the tours by
discussing some key takeaways from his agronomic research, including efficient
use of fertilizer and, where appropriate, urease inhibitors to prevent ammonia
volatilization that can cost growers 30 percent of their nitrogen budget.
"If
you use best management practices, rice can be one of the most efficient users
of nitrogen fertilizer, bar none," he said. "But without those practices, rice can
easily be one of the least efficient users."
Former
AgCenter Director Dr. Steve Linscombe, now director of The Rice Foundation,
shared the great results found in the U.S. Rice Industry Sustainability
Report. The comprehensive report, funded
in part by a grant from the Natural Resources Conservation Service, looked at
36 years of data to demonstrate the outstanding commitment to long-term
sustainability of the U.S. rice industry.
USDA's
Richard Fordyce and USA Rice's Betsy Ward
Following
the field tours, station visitors heard ag and policy updates from Louisiana
Department of Agriculture and Forestry Dr. Mike Strain and USA Rice President
& CEO Betsy Ward. The AgCenter's
Vice President for Agriculture Dr. William Richardson and Associate Vice
President Dr. Rogers Leonard also addressed the crowd, thanking attendees and
sponsors.
Two
special guests brought words of encouragement from Washington, DC. Congressman Ralph Abraham spoke about his
commitment to helping Louisiana's farmers and rice industry specifically,
including the invaluable work he's done to encourage Iraq to purchase U.S. rice
and his efforts to push Congressional adoption of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada
Agreement that is intended to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement.
USDA
Farm Service Agency Administrator Richard Fordyce talked about the commitment
of U.S. farmers and the hard work they do feeding America and the world.
Louisiana
farmers Richard Fontenot, chair of the Louisiana Rice Research Board, and John
Owen, chair of the Louisiana Rice Promotion Board, also spoke, thanking members
who were rotating off the boards after many years of dedicated service and
welcoming new members.
Later
that day, the Louisiana Rice Promotion Board heard presentations from USA
Rice's Ward and Vice President International Sarah Moran and Vice President of
Domestic Promotion Michael Klein, and approved the funding request for the USA
Rice Council for the 2019-20 year.
GMO crop not a
prudent plan
Jun 28,2019
THE agriculture minister on January
31 said that golden rice was to be commercially released soon. But the
authorities should have considered the studies that have showed that vitamin A,
converted from beta carotene, is very low in genetically modified golden rice
and that the rice is also unable to hold the biochemical element for long after
harvest. Unless preserved in a refrigerated condition in vacuum packaging as
paddy, golden rice loses up to 84 per cent of its beta carotene in six months,
as research shows.
The degradation of beta carotene level, as New
Age reported on Thursday, gets faster with processing and the degradation is
the highest in polished golden rice, a research published in the British
journal Food Chemistry says. The research notes that rice is always eaten after
processing and it is in this state that rice is stored in Asian countries. High
temperature and humidity also accelerate the rate of degradation of beta
carotene. Besides, cooking can destroy up to 25 per cent of beta carotene.
The national committee on
biosafety approved five genetically modified agricultural crops, including
rice, potato and cotton, for confined trial farming after the commercial
farming of Bt brinjal. But the authorities need to note that besides the recent
findings, a biotechnology professor in Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
Agricultural University also said that beta carotene was generally considered a
highly stable biochemical element but now it was clear that beta carotene gets
degraded rapidly. Such findings show that golden rice campaign to help to fight
vitamin A deficiency would not work. Green activists also campaign that Asian
countries are abundant in natural sources containing beta carotene. They are
particularly against golden rice and other genetically modified crops and say
that scientists are unaware of the harmful impact of such crops on public
health. Even the food and health regulators the developed countries have found
beta carotene concentration in golden rice to be very low, refusing to accept
it as a nutritious grain. All these genetically modified crops were originally
developed by the US-based seed giant Monsanto and BARI received the technology
from India’s Mahyco that is affiliated to Monsanto.
It is unacceptable that when GM
crops and foods based on them are barred from entering the US and EU markets
and the farming of these crops are banned in India and the Philippines, the
government is serving the interest of Monsanto and Mahyco at the expense of
Bangladesh’s poor population. Conscious sections of society need to mount
pressure on the government to rethink its harmful move to cultivate these
crops, including golden rice.
Dr. Lourdes J. Cruz: The Pinay Biochemist Who Studied A Deadly Snail
•Born on May 19,
1942, Dr. Lourdes J. Cruz is lauded for her research on Conus
geographus, a marine snail found in the Philippines.
•Working alongside fellow experts, she studied the properties of the snail’s
venom, which were largely unknown at the time.
•Their research paved the way toward finding practical uses for conotoxins,
leading to breakthroughs in neuroscience and medicine.
Your central nervous system–your
brain, spinal cord, and complex network of nerves–is your body’s highway for
passing information and control. Your every movement, feeling, and involuntary
action is made possible by information that is processed and passed along
tissues in your brain and nerves.
The study of the nervous system
is of high importance in the field of medicine and surrounding sciences. Such
research has led to many practical treatments for neurological diseases.
Interestingly, such medical
breakthroughs may come from the strangest of places. Sometimes, even venomous
marine snails.
A sharp mind
Dr. Lourdes J. Cruz was born on
May 19, 1942. She took up Chemistry at the University of the Philippines
Diliman, earning her bachelor’s degree in 1962. Her undergraduate thesis
explored trypsin inhibitors, a protein that controls enzymes involved in
digestion.
Right after she graduated and got
her license as a registered chemist, Dr. Cruz worked for a year as a research
aide at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI). Her career in research was off to a promising start, with her
co-authorship of three publications on the physicochemical properties of rice
proteins.
Dr. Cruz pursued postgraduate
studies in Biochemistry at the University of Iowa, while working as a graduate
assistant. She completed her master’s degree in 1966 and her Ph.D. in 1968.
Upon returning home to the
Philippines, IRRI authorized Dr. Cruz as an Assistant Biochemist. In her new
role, she conducted pioneering studies on the biochemical factors affecting the
increasing levels of protein in rice.
After her work at IRRI, she
pursued a 5-month postdoctoral study at the Kansas State University.
Snail’s pace
Armed with her decorated
educational background, Dr. Cruz accepted the position of Assistant Professor
at the UP College of Medicine in 1970. It was there that she began working with
other biochemists in exploring the biochemical properties of a marine predator.
Found in the waters of Marinduque
and Mindoro, Conus geographus is a venomous
fish-hunting species. At the time, it was well-known for its sting, which could
cause illnesses and even death among fishermen. Dr. Cruz and her colleagues
worked on isolating peptides (short chains of amino acids, the building blocks
of protein) from the conotoxins in the snail’s venom. At the time, the
properties of these conotoxins were largely unknown. Moreover, they affected
the central nervous system in rather surprising ways. They caused muscular
paralysis, sleepiness or drowsiness, involuntary motion, and more.
Over the course of two decades,
Dr. Cruz and her co-researchers worked on these findings.
The marine snail known as Conus
geographus. (Image: Michigan Science Art)
(S)nailing it
Today, the conotoxin peptides are
important, extensively used biochemical probes. For example, ω-Conotoxin is
used for testing calcium channels in neurons. Another one, µ-Conotoxin, is used
as a prohibitor of muscular movement when inspecting actions at synapses.
A total of seven Conus
venom-based therapeutic products for pain, epilepsy and myocardial infarction
reached Phase 1 and preclinical trials on non-human subjects in
2006. Additionally, Dr. Cruz and fellow biochemist Dr. Baldomero “Toto”
Olivera received 13 patents for numerous conotoxins or conotoxin peptides and
their applications.
Dr. Cruz’s research brought her
much acclaim and recognition. Among the awards she received were the
Outstanding Young Scientist Award by the National Academy of Science and
Technology (1981), the Achievement Award in Chemistry by the National Research
Council of the Philippines (1982), the Ten Outstanding Women in the Nation’s
Service (TOWNS) in 1986, a Medal of Distinction from the Philippine
Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (1994), and the Outstanding
ASEAN Scientist and Technologist Award (2001).
In 2006, she officially joined
the roster of the Philippines’ National Scientists.
Dr. Lourdes J. Cruz. (Image: National Academy of Science and
Technology Philippines)
Can do, can teach
Dr. Cruz has had a prolific
career in research, having published over 130 academic papers. As a
student, she had remarkable teachers to train her, including National Scientist
Dr. Clara Y. Lim-Sylianco (for her undergraduate thesis), National Scientist
Dr. Bienvenido O. Juliano, and internationally acclaimed biochemist Dr.
Clarence P. Berg at the University of Iowa.
Unsurprisingly, Dr. Cruz is an
educator herself. She served as an assistant professor in the UP College of
Medicine’s Department of Biochemistry, becoming the department chairperson from
1970 to 1986. She also joined the University of Utah Department of Biology’s
faculty as a research professor from 1987 to 2004. At present, she teaches at
the UP Marine Science Institute.
Dr. Cruz also reaches beyond the
walls of the classroom by extending her knowledge to under-served sectors of
society. She founded the Rural Livelihood Incubator in Bataan, an initiative
that supports the education of poor rural communities in science and
technology.
Additionally, Dr. Cruz has been
the president of the Center for BioMolecular Science Foundation since 1994, a
DOST-approved foundation that applies bioscience to protect forests, seas, and
their surrounding communities.–MF
Cover photo: www.ubudbotany.com, Presidential Museum and Library PH (2010-2016)
References
- Tecson-Mendoza, E. (2017) Biosketches:
Filipino Trailblazers in Science and Technology. Taguig, Philippines.
National Academy of Science and Technology Philippines.
- https://www.researchsea.com/html/experts.php/eid/489/research/lourdes_j._cruz.html
- http://philsciletters.org/2010/20104.pdf
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/trypsin-inhibitor
- http://www.famousfilipino.com/content/view/45/118/
- http://www.msi.upd.edu.ph/faculty/lourdes-j-cruz-ph
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0003986169905487
- http://cbmsf.blogspot.com/p/about-cbmsf.html
Amir's $3bn support lauded by
Pakistan PM
26 Jun 2019 - 9:58
QNA
Doha: Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani
yesterday received a telephone call from Prime Minister of the Islamic
Republic of Pakistan, Imran Khan.
During the call, Imran Khan expressed gratitude to H H the
Amir for his directives to support Pakistan’s economy with $3bn in deposits and
investments, adding that this directive and H H the Amir’s recent visit to
Pakistan reflect the deep relations and ties between both countries and
peoples.
For his part, H H the Amir expressed thanks and appreciation for
the warm hospitality accorded to him during his visit to Pakistan.
In a related development, Pakistani media reacted positively with
the announcement that H H the Amir issued directives to support the Asian
country’s economy with $3bn worth of deposits and direct investments.
News media outlets in Pakistan reported that the move will support
the growing bilateral ties, following the historic visit carried out by H H the
Amir. Special Assistant to Prime Minister Imran Khan on Information and
Broadcasting, Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, thanked the Amir and the cabinet for the
support, Radio Pakistan reported.
She said that this amount will help Pakistan overcome its economic
challenges, adding that Prime Minister Imran Khan’s announcement to grant visa
on arrival for Qatari citizens will develop tourism sector in Pakistan. She
also hailed Qatar’s lifting of the ban on Pakistani rice, saying it was good
news for rice exporters and the economy of the country.
Express Tribune said that the Qatari announcement came three days
before Pakistan was scheduled to make about $700m in repayments to its
international creditors, which was going to hit its already low reserves. The
paper noted that the visit of H H the Amir to Pakistan concluded with no
mention of the $3bn aid package in the official handout. The paper also
highlighted that Qatar and Pakistan had also signed three memoranda of
understanding (MoU). They touched a wide range of fields that included trade,
investment, and tourism.
Dunya News TV channel meanwhile quoted Awan as saying that the
investments will create new business opportunities in Pakistan, and will also
strengthen the investment initiative of the government. She added that the
announcement was proof of international leaders confidence in the current
government led by Prime Minister Imran Khan. She also said this was a first
step to further boost bilateral ties between Qatar and Pakistan
India gets
24% below-average rainfall this week: weather office
JUNE 27, 2019 /
11:11
Children play
in a puddle of water as it rains at a sea front in Kochi, India June 9, 2019.
REUTERS/Sivaram V
MUMBAI
(Reuters) - India’s monsoon rains were 24% below average in the week ended June
26, the weather office said on Thursday, as the seasonal rainfall was scanty
over central and western parts of the country.
The rains are
crucial for farm output and economic growth as about 55% of the south Asian
nation’s arable land is rain-fed, and the farm sector makes up about 15% of a
nearly $2.5-trillion economy that is Asia’s third-biggest.
The
below-average rainfall has delayed sowing of summer-sown crop such rice,
soybean and corn and threatens to curtail crop yields.
Monsoon has
delivered 36% lower-than-normal rainfall since the start of the season on June
1, due to a delay in the onset of monsoon rains, according to data compiled by
India Meteorological Department.
Monsoon rains arrived in the southern state of Kerala on June 8.
However, Cyclone Vayu developed in the Arabian Sea drew moisture from the
monsoon and weakened its progress.
Govt may lower rice offer price in
open mkt sale plan to clear stock
Wednesday, Jun 26
By Sampad Nandy
NEW DELHI – The government may
reduce the offer price of rice under the open market sale scheme to attract
private players as its bids to clear out stocks from its burgeoning inventory,
sources close to the development said.
The offer price may be lowered to
2,100-2,200 rupees per 100 kg to make the commodity attractive for private
players, the sources said. A call on the final offer price, however, would be
taken after the government decides the minimum support price of paddy for
2019-20 (Oct-Sep).
The government is offering 5 mln
tn rice from its stock under the open market sale scheme at a flat price
of 2,785 rupees per 100 kg this year. Offtake from the scheme has been
slow so far as states are the only buyers. Private players are keeping
away from the sale as wholesale prices in most markets are lower than the
government's offer price. In Karnataka's Davangere, a key market, rice was
today sold at 2,300-2,400 rupees per 100 kg.
"Although the sale looks
robust so far, only states have picked up stocks till now. Private purchases
are in fact nil. In this situation we will not be able to liquidate enough
stocks before the new marketing season starts in October," one of the
sources said.
The government had earlier
reduced the required minimum bid for rice to 50 tn from 100 tn this year to
encourage private participation. It is also thinking of making it simpler for
consortiums of traders to make single bids instead of one buyer bidding for the
entire quantity of 50 tn, the official said.
The government, staring at record
rice procurement of around 45 mln tn this year, is keen to lower its stocks to
a more manageable level before the next kharif marketing season starts in
October as it is running out of storage space.
If rice sales under the open
market sale scheme fail to take off, the government will have nearly 28.6 mln
tn rice in stocks at the start of the new procurement season, nearly three
times the combined buffer and strategic stock requirement of 10.8 mln tn.
The food ministry has also
proposed allocating extra food grain to beneficiaries of public distribution
schemes for some time to liquidate stocks from the central pool. End
Edited by Subham Mitra
Cogencis Tel +91 (11) 4220-1000
Send comments to
feedback@cogencis.com
India's monsoon rains below average levels for a fourth week
JUNE 27, 2019 /
6:12 PM
(Reuters) - India’s
monsoon rains were below average for a fourth straight week due to scant
seasonal rainfall over central and western parts of the country, raising
concerns about production of summer-sown crops such as rice, soybeans and
cotton.
FILE PHOTO:
Women plant rice saplings at a paddy field in a village in Nagaon district, in
the northeastern state of Assam, India, July 3, 2018. REUTERS/Anuwar Hazarika
The monsoon -
which accounts for 70% of India’s annual rainfall and is the lifeblood of its
$2.5 trillion economy - has delivered 36% lower-than-normal rainfall since the
start of the season on June 1, according to data compiled by the India
Meteorological Department.
(GRAPHIC:
India's rainfall deficit - tmsnrt.rs/2YkskQE)
However, the
deficit has narrowed to 36% from last week’s 43%, the data showed.
(GRAPHIC:
India's rainfall distribution by subdivisions - tmsnrt.rs/2FyvtEX)
Sowing of
summer crops such as cotton, rice, soybeans, corn and pulses has been lower
than last year due to the late arrival of monsoon rains this year.
(GRAPHIC:
India's sowing levels - tmsnrt.rs/2YpaUm9)
A decent
improvement in rainfall in the coming weeks remains critical for the sowing of
summer crops, analysts said.
If there isn’t
a turnaround in conditions, agricultural output could be hit badly and hurt an
already slowing economy as rural demand sags.
(GRAPHIC: Weighting of agri-commodities in India's CPI -
tmsnrt.rs/2FB5gWG)
White rice varieties of Padang
Pariaman Anai tested
27th June 2019
The atmosphere of the session of the evaluation of the varieties
of Padi Putiah food crops in Padang Pariaman Anai in Bogor on Thursday. (Antara
of West Sumatra / Aadiaat MS)
The tests on the white rice were conducted in Bogor from
Wednesday, June 26 to Friday, June 28, and if found suitable, it would be
approved for planting in all regions of Indonesia.
Parit Malintang, (ANTARA) - The Directorate General of Food
Crops, Ministry of Agriculture, assessed the white rice variety of Padang
Pariaman Anai (Papanai) which had been tested, to decide whether it should be
distributed and planted nationally. "This variety is the result of the
development of the Padang Pariaman Agriculture Office and is a superior food
crop," said Padang Pariaman Head of Agriculture and Food Security Yurisman
Jacob at Parit Malintang, Thursday.
The tests on the white rice were conducted in Bogor from Wednesday, June 26 to Friday, June 28, and if found suitable, it would be approved for planting in all regions of Indonesia, he said.
This variety is suitable to be distributed throughout Indonesia because it has a number of advantages, he believed.
The advantages it has is that it is resistant to brown planthopper pests, blast disease, high production with an average of 7.28 tons per hectare, whiter, and tastes good.
Currently, rice is only being developed and cultivated in three sub-districts in Padang Pariaman, namely Lubuk Alung, Kampung Dalam, and Sungai Limau, he said.
"About 40 percent of our production is made into seeds so that it can be developed into other regions, while the rest is consumed by the public," he said.
The Papanai variety of rice gets its name from the area in Padang Pariaman and Anai is the name of the Anai dam which supplies 25 percent of water for agriculture in the area.
The variety is purified from white rice and has received a certificate from the Ministry of Agriculture in February 2019.
The presence of the Papanai white had really benefited the farmer because a number of other types of rice, namely IR 42 and Batang Piaman had fallen prey to the brown planthopper, he revealed.
Previously, five local varieties from Kabupaten Padang Pariaman that farmers could use to improve the economy, had been recognized by the Ministry of Agriculture.
"The acknowledgment is to state that the variety only exists in Padang Pariaman," he said.
The five local varieties from Padang Pariaman district are Papanai white rice, Talantam durian fruits of Kayu Tanam, durian of Kunyik Patamuan, Ampaweh guava, and fragrant areca nut.
The tests on the white rice were conducted in Bogor from Wednesday, June 26 to Friday, June 28, and if found suitable, it would be approved for planting in all regions of Indonesia, he said.
This variety is suitable to be distributed throughout Indonesia because it has a number of advantages, he believed.
The advantages it has is that it is resistant to brown planthopper pests, blast disease, high production with an average of 7.28 tons per hectare, whiter, and tastes good.
Currently, rice is only being developed and cultivated in three sub-districts in Padang Pariaman, namely Lubuk Alung, Kampung Dalam, and Sungai Limau, he said.
"About 40 percent of our production is made into seeds so that it can be developed into other regions, while the rest is consumed by the public," he said.
The Papanai variety of rice gets its name from the area in Padang Pariaman and Anai is the name of the Anai dam which supplies 25 percent of water for agriculture in the area.
The variety is purified from white rice and has received a certificate from the Ministry of Agriculture in February 2019.
The presence of the Papanai white had really benefited the farmer because a number of other types of rice, namely IR 42 and Batang Piaman had fallen prey to the brown planthopper, he revealed.
Previously, five local varieties from Kabupaten Padang Pariaman that farmers could use to improve the economy, had been recognized by the Ministry of Agriculture.
"The acknowledgment is to state that the variety only exists in Padang Pariaman," he said.
The five local varieties from Padang Pariaman district are Papanai white rice, Talantam durian fruits of Kayu Tanam, durian of Kunyik Patamuan, Ampaweh guava, and fragrant areca nut.
LSU AgCenter rice, soybean tour set for July 9 in St. Joseph
A row rice and soybean tour will
be held July 9 at the LSU AgCenter Northeast Research Station at 4589 Hwy. 605
in St. Joseph.
“This event offers a focused
programming effort targeting row rice production methods, which have gained
interest in the northern part of the state, while providing crop management
updates that producers need at this time,” said AgCenter regional director Melissa
Cater.
Registration opens at 4:30 p.m.
at the main office building, where guests are invited to participate in a
self-guided tour of station projects.
“This is a great opportunity for
producers to get a closer look at the latest research being conducted by
AgCenter experts in the northeast region,” said resident coordinator Donnie
Miller.
A field tour will begin at 5:30
p.m. followed by a sponsored dinner.
Featured topics include row rice
nitrogen management, soybean rotation for row rice weed control, new soybean
technologies and variety selection, and disease, insect and weed control. Cover
crops for post-harvest in corn will also be discussed.
The tour will include
presentations from a panel of local growers about their experiences with
holding versus not holding of tailwater in row rice production.
For more information on the
event, contact Donnie Miller at dmiller@agcenter.lsu.edu or
318-766-3769.
Rice prices in North Korea have risen
by more than a quarter in two months. Why?
·
JUNE 27, 2019
Asia
Rice-Indian demand perks up, Thai prices rise on stronger baht
Eileen Soreng
· JUNE 27, 2019 / 4:49
*
Bangladesh unable to strike deal since lifting export ban in May
* Indian prices rise to $369-$372/T vs $367-$370/T last week
* New batch of rice to enter Thai market around August - trader
* Vietnam starts shipping rice to Iraq - trader
By Eileen Soreng
BENGALURU, June 27 (Reuters) - Rice export prices in India edged
higher this week, helped by an uptick in demand, while a strong Thai baht
propped up prices in the world’s second largest rice exporter amid subdued
consumption.
In India, the top exporter of the staple grain, 5 percent broken
parboiled variety RI-INBKN5-P1 was quoted around $369-$372 per tonne this week,
up from last week’s $367-$370.
“We are seeing interest building up from west African markets,”
said Nitin Gupta, vice president for Olam India’s rice business.
Farmers have planted summer-sown rice on 630,000 hectares as of
June 21, down 32% compared with the same period a year ago, according to
provisional data from the Ministry of Agriculture, as the monsoon delivered
less-than-average rainfall.
Meanwhile, neighbouring Bangladesh had been unable to strike a deal
since its ban on rice exports was lifted a month ago, officials said.
“So far there is no progress in making any deal. We are exploring
markets. Let’s see,” a senior food ministry official said.
Bangladesh lifted its longstanding ban on rice exports in May,
aiming to sell as much as 1.5 million tonnes to support farmers following a
drastic drop in domestic prices.
Thailand’s benchmark 5 percent broken rice RI-THBKN5-P1 prices rose
to $395-$415 a tonne, free on board Bangkok (FOB), compared with $390-$407 last
week.
Traders attributed the price increase to a firm Thai baht, which
has strengthened more than 5% against the greenback so far this year.
Traders say supply of Thai rice is also gradually decreasing during
the rainy season, while demand remained flat.
“There were concerns about drought earlier this year which has
caused a delay to the new crop,” a Bangkok-based rice trader said.
“We are now expecting a new batch of rice to enter the market
around August or slightly later.”
In Vietnam, the third biggest rice exporter after Thailand, rates
for 5 percent broken rice RI-VNBKN5-P1 were unchanged from last week at
$340-$345 a tonne.
“We have begun delivering rice to Iraq under a contract signed
earlier for 150,000 tonnes for delivery this month and next,” a trader based in
Ho Chi Minh City said.
However, Vietnam’s rice exporters will continue to face difficulty
clinching new deals during the rest of this year on weaker demand from China,
its largest rice export market, the ministry of industry and trade said in a
statement this week.
Vietnam’s rice shipments to China in the first five months of this
year fell 74% from a year earlier to 223,078 tonnes due to China’s rising
inventories and its move to impose stricter non-tariff barriers, according to
the statement. (Reporting by Panu Wongcha-um in Bangkok, Khanh Vu in Hanoi,
Rajendra Jadhav in Mumbai, Ruma Paul in Dhaka; Editing by Jan Harvey)
Cheaper rice, fuel to cap June inflation, says
BSP
By: Daxim L. Lucas - Reporter / @daxinq
Inquirer Business / 05:01 PM June 28, 2019
MANILA, Philippines — Prices of consumer goods and services are expected to
have risen between 2.2-3 percent in June – lower than the previous month’s
faster pace – due to the combined effects of lower rice and petroleum prices,
central bank economists said Friday.
The Department of Economic
Research of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said in a statement that the
June inflation rate, which follows the 3.2-percent pace of price increases in
May, could also be restrained by a downward adjustment in electricity rates.
At the same time, domestic
prices of basic goods and services are also expected to feel the benefits of a
strong peso, which makes imported raw materials denominated in foreign
currencies cheaper to buy, the central bank’s economists said.
The expected June inflation
range is lower than BSP’s forecast of 2.8-3.6 for May, which preceded the
government’s official announcement of a slightly faster inflation rate a few
days later.
If confirmed, the benign price
regime being expected for this month will allow BSP Governor Benjamin Diokno to
resume the monetary easing that was put on hold last week after the surprise
uptick in the inflation rate.
This latest forecast jibes with
an earlier statement made by outgoing Deputy Governor Diwa Guinigundo who said
the monetary regulator was expecting inflation rate for 2019 to come in at an
average of 2.7 percent, revising the 2.9 percent forecast set just last month.
The forecast for the range of
increase of prices of basic goods and services for 2020 was also cut slightly
to 3 percent, from the previous expectation of a 3.1-percent average.
Meanwhile, banks’ reserve
requirement ratio – currently the highest level in the region – is in the
middle of a staggered process of being lowered from May to July to 16 percent
from 18 percent.
BSP’s overnight borrowing rate,
which influences the prices that banks charge on their retail and wholesale
loans, was cut in early May by 25 basis points to 4.5 percent. The country’s
monetary policy direction was reversed that month after being tightened by 175
basis points last year to fight off inflation.
“Going forward, the BSP will
remain watchful of the evolving inflation environment to ensure that the
monetary policy stance remains consistent with the [central bank’s] price
stability mandate,” the economists said.
The Philippine Statistics
Authority is scheduled to release the inflation data for June on July 5,
Friday.
Precious drops
Editorial27 Jun 2019 9:22 PM
Water scarcity has rocked the nation and sprung the
government machinery into action. Vivid discussions across political and
administrative domains are echoing as statistics paint a dismal picture. In a
discussion on water crisis in Rajya Sabha, CPM's T K 
Rangarajan pronounced that "gold is
cheaper than water" in Chennai. While Chennai strives to recharge its
water reservoirs anticipating the already delayed monsoon, other metropolises
are not too far from meeting a similar fate. NITI Aayogy's report last year
titled Composite Water Management Index (CWMI) cites how as many as 21 major
Indian cities are edging towards zero groundwater levels by 2020.
Rangarajan pronounced that "gold is
cheaper than water" in Chennai. While Chennai strives to recharge its
water reservoirs anticipating the already delayed monsoon, other metropolises
are not too far from meeting a similar fate. NITI Aayogy's report last year
titled Composite Water Management Index (CWMI) cites how as many as 21 major
Indian cities are edging towards zero groundwater levels by 2020.
This will have a
direct impact on water accessibility for more than 100 million people. As
Chennai reels under the unprecedented water crisis, the onus of systematic
changes rests on the Central dispensation. Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra
Shekhawat asserted the provision of piped drinking water to every household by
2024. As ambitious as this objective remains, especially these times of
impending crisis, drinking water is not sole issue, it comprises hardly five
per cent of the total availability with 15 per cent used for industrial
purposes and the remaining 80 per cent for agricultural use.
Groundwater has been stressed to alarming levels more for
satisfying agricultural demand rather than drinking purposes. That definitely
gives the dispensation a headway as to where exactly innovation is
required—agricultural sector. But while the government is comprehensively
discussing water crisis to derive measures, it must pay heed to recharge the
ecology—aquifers. Switching to water conservation policies is definitely a step
in the right direction but that alone will not suffice.
Water reuse, efficient irrigation as well as a shift from
water-intensive crops such as sugarcane and rice will help in maintaining
desired groundwater levels while ameliorating the overexploited ones. Many
sources indicate that water requirement will be double the current supply by
2030 and at the current pace, India will not be able to sustain the leap. In
2014-15, Indian farms consumed 10 trillion litres of water to produce 3.7
million tonnes of basmati rice for export which brings attention to how India
utilises a tremendous amount of groundwater to produce water-intensive crops
such as wheat and rice in Punjab and Haryana which boast of drought-resilient
farmlands largely due to extensive investments in irrigation and electricity
infrastructure as well as government subsidies on water and power consumption.
How can we afford to export groundwater when the water crisis is more real than
Climate Change, considering how the latter is widely underacknowledged despite
being real.
A likely suggestion based on the joint study conducted by the
National Bank for Agriculture & Rural Development (NABARD) and Indian
Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER) urges a shift
in crop pattern for maximising crop productivity per unit of irrigation in
addition to land productivity. For instance, shifting rice cultivation towards
central and eastern states where economical use of groundwater in the absence
of government subsidies is favourable for crop productivity. So the
north-western state of Punjab and Haryana could go for water-efficient crops
such as maize and pulses. Farmers in the north-western region are aware of
depleting groundwater levels but a shift to water-efficient crops would require
state-assured procurement policy similar to that for rice and wheat in order to
cover the market risk.
Incentivising water-efficient crop production is another
state-initiated method to promote crop shift pattern. Amidst policy-level
changes and revising commitments in agricultural use of water comes the
traditional water-conservation method of rainwater harvesting. Chennai had
initiated a drive to generalise rainwater harvesting during Jayalalithaa's era
in the early 2000s but that did not work out well with implementation and today
we have a haphazardly put together rainwater harvesting network. Learning from
the rainwater harvesting failure that Chennai faced, the pan-India initiative
to implement rainwater harvesting network must ensure sustainability otherwise
it would become a debacle. As the Jan Shakti Abhiyan kicks in from July 1 for
areas receiving rainfall due to the south-west monsoon, paying attention to
peculiarities regarding water conservation and rainwater harvesting would
ensure minimal gaps in the ministry's bid to ameliorate the situation of the
255 identified water-starved districts.
The pan-Indian team of concerned officials will have to
combat excessive groundwater pumping, inefficient as well as wasteful water
management and rain-deficit situation. There are hefty policy changes which
need to be implemented alongside increased awareness in order to reach to
people with the crisis update and ensure compliance in government initiated
remedial measures. Water is the most essential resource and with the crisis, it
is best to make a concerted effort in stabilising groundwater levels besides
adopting sustainable practices.
http://www.millenniumpost.in/editorial/precious-drops-360273
http://www.millenniumpost.in/editorial/precious-drops-360273
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