Monday, May 13, 2019

13th May,2019 Daily Global Regional Local Rice E-Newsletter


Water efficiency must for rice yield

LAHORE: Enhancing water efficiency is vital for increasing rice production on sustainable basis with a view to improving exports from $2 billion to $5 billion in the next 10 to 15 years, said Sheikh Adnan Aslam, director of the Pakistan Basmati Heritage Association (PBHA).
Speaking at “Khushhal Kissan” seminar, organised by the association for the promotion and preservation of basmati heritage of Pakistan, Adnan highlighted the mission and objectives of Pakistan Basmati Heritage Association for mitigating challenges of basmati production and action plan for the promotion and preservation of basmati in production and exports.
“Our country is facing a looming water crisis and improving water productivity in rice ecosystem is inevitable,” he added.
Malik Imtiaz, director of Punjab Seed Corporation, advised the farmers that the use of certified seed every year will serve as a foundation for increasing yield and quality of basmati.
He appreciated the initiative of PBHA for providing healthy and certified seed on subsidised rates to the farmers.
Chaudhry Masood Iqbal, former chairman of the Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) emphasised that the government should introduce new basmati varieties for ensuring rice productivity and pest resistance. Praising PBHA mission, he termed it a ray of hope for the rice sector.

https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/469966-water-efficiency-must-for-rice-yield

Super rice and c

ricket snacks

Description: Brown rice from The Little Rice Company, tortilla chips made from cricket flour and brownies that release sugar slowly.Brown rice from The Little Rice Company, tortilla chips made from cricket flour and brownies that release sugar slowly.ST PHOTO: PHILIP CHEONG
MAY 12, 2019, 5:00 AM SGT

BD produces 35mmt rice against 29.10m demand

Posted By: daily industryon: May 12, 2019In: BangladeshCorporate,
Description: http://www.dailyindustry.news/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/rice-produces.gifThe govt would provide seeds, fertiliser and cash to farmers those are victims for recent cyclonic strom Fani says Dr Abdur Razzaque
Zahid Hossain Biplob: Bangladesh has made a significant progress in producing rice by developing more rice varieties and appropriate technologies under the effective measures of the incumbent government led by the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The country produced 35 million metric tons of rice in last year against the demand of 29.10 million metric tons this year. Rice production was 32.65 million metric tons in 2017. The production increased by 7.20 percent in the last year. The surplus production is 5.90 million metric tons recorded this year.
Meanwhile, rice production was 34.57 million metric tons in 2016, followed by 34.50 million metric tons in 2015, 34.50 million metric tons in 2014, 34.39 million metric tons in 2013, 33.82 million metric tons in 2012, 33.70 million metric tons in 2011, 31.70 million metric tons in 2010 and 31 million metric tons in 2009, according to the data of agriculture ministry.
Talking to Daily Industry, Agriculture Minister Dr Abdur Razzaque underscored the need for increasing safe food production by taking the newly developed rice varieties and associated technologies to the doorsteps of the farmers under the imitative of the present government.
“We would to take the new rice varieties and technologies to the farmers’ doorsteps along with increased subsidies for ensuring safe food production,” the minister said.
The minister asked the BRRI scientists to develop more rice varieties and appropriate technologies that can withstand adverse environmental effects such as salinity, drought, cold, flood and water resurge.
Talking on the recent victim farmers resulting from the cyclone Fani, he assured the agriculture ministry would provide seeds, fertiliser and cash to the farmers under a rehabilitation programme to be implemented during the 2019-2020 period after making a list of the victims.
Dr Razzaque said the ministry has directed the local administrations to drain out water from croplands and vegetable fields as post-cyclonic short-term steps and help the farmers to harvest Boro paddy.
Terming the government as an agriculture-friendly one, Dr Razzaque said the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) and Agriculture Ministry are jointly working to stand beside farmers.
Consider the bumper production of rice, the government is considering exporting rice to benefit farmers, the minister hinted.
“We are discussing this with the food and commerce ministries. A decision will be taken within 15-20 days after high-level discussions”, he informed.
Razzaque added that only surplus rice would be exported. Rice exports will not affect the market. Last year, we produced 1.3 million tones more than our target. Overall, we have about 2-2.5 million tones of surplus rice each year”, said the minister.
A recent report of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) revealed Bangladesh’s total rice area and production levels in 2019-20 (May-April) are projected to increase slightly to 11.8 million hectares and 35.3 million metric tons, respectively, assuming good weather and increased yield in 2019-20 market year. The US agency’s market year (MY) runs from May to April.
So the projected output is 34.9 million MT higher than 2018-19’s and 32.6 million MT of the previous market year (2017-18), thereby largely making Bangladesh self-sufficient in its staple production.
USDA report says, winter season rice (Boro) area is forecast to increase as farmers are expected to switch to rice from wheat and minor vegetables. It says that farmers will continue cultivating Boro rice considering it to be a comparatively lower risk crop.
According to the Ministry of Food, as of March 19, 2019, public rice stocks are 1.37 MMT, which is approximately 33 percent higher than last year.
Besides, USDA also notes that the government of Bangladesh has a long term plan to expand rice cultivation in Aus rice season (March-August), as it is cultivated during the rainy season when no supplementary irrigation is required.
With the aim of attracting farmers to Aus rice cultivation, the government has announced seed and input support to farmers producing rice.
The government has formed a national taskforce and initiated an emergency contingency plan to work with farmers to raise awareness and train them on integrated pest management techniques, said a senior official of Agriculture minister.
The Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) under Agriculture Ministry is intensively working with farmers to identify and take measures that are followed internationally to eradicate this invasive pest, he added.

Improving water productivity inevitable for sustainable rice production

 

·      RECORDER REPORT

·      MAY 12TH, 2019

·      LAHORE
Improving water productivity in rice ecosystem is inevitable for sustainable rice production and boosting rice exports of Pakistan from current US$2 billion to US$5 billion. Pakistan Basmati Heritage Association (PBHA) Director Sheikh Adnan Aslam made these remarks at 'Khushal Kissan' seminar arranged by the Association for promotion and preservation of basmati rice heritage of Pakistan. Hundreds of rice farmers and key members of PBHA including Chaudary Muhammad Shahzad & Raja Arsallan attended the event.

Sheikh Adnan Aslam while addressing the rice farmers shared the mission & objectives of Pakistan Basmati Heritage Association (PBHA) for mitigating challenges of Basmati Rice production and action plan for promotion and preservation of Basmati rice in production and export. He said our country is facing looming water crisis and improving water productivity in rice ecosystem is inevitable.

Malik Imtiaz Director Punjab Seed Corporation advised the farmers that use of certified seed every year will serve as foundation for increasing yield and quality of Basmati rice. He appreciated the initiative of PBHA for providing healthy and certified seed on subsidised rate to the farmers.

Chaudhry Masood Iqbal Ex Chairman REAP emphasised that the government should introduce new basmati varieties for ensuring rice productivity and pest resistance. Praising PBHA mission, he termed it ray of light for the rice sector of Pakistan. Imran Sheikh coordinator PBHA highlighted the mission of PBHA and advised the basmati rice farmers to adopt global rice standard of Sustainable Rice Platform convened by UNE & IRRI for promoting resource efficiency and sustainability by ensuring food safety.

Pakistan's economy register 3.3 per cent growth in 2018-19 against target of 6.2 per cent: Reports

Pakistan's economy registered a dismal 3.3 per cent growth in 2018-19, achieving just over 50 per cent of its projected target of 6.2 per cent.

IslamabadPTI | Updated : 10 May 2019, 10:57 PM

Pakistan economy (File Photo)
Pakistan's economy registered a dismal 3.3 per cent growth in 2018-19, achieving just over 50 per cent of its projected target of 6.2, as all key sectors failed to perform in the first year of Prime Minister Imran Khan's government, according to media reports on Friday.
The poor show came as the cash-strapped Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government was negotiating a bail out package from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to tide over the country's economic woes.
The National Accounts Committee, in its 101st meeting chaired by Secretary Planning, Development and Reform Zafar Hasan, to review the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), came out with the growth figures for the year 2018-19.
The government has anticipated 3.8 per cent growth rate in agriculture, 7.6 per cent in industry and 6.5 per cent in services, thus set up a target of 6.2 per cent GDP growth, the Dawn reported.
In a major setback to the government, all these targets fell flat, it said.
“It shows the dismal performance of the overall economy in the first year of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government," the report said.
"The provisional growth of GDP for the year 2018-19 has been estimated at 3.3 per cent. Growth of agricultural, industrial and services sectors is 0.85pc, 1.4pc and 4.7pc respectively," the report said quoting official figures.
Provisional estimates for the year 2018-19 for the GDP and the Gross Fixed Capital Formation (GFCF) have been presented on the basis of the latest data available for six to nine months.
As per the data, acute water shortages during the first half of the 2018 hit the crop segment, as a result only wheat crop showed positive growth of 0.5 per cent while cotton, rice and sugarcane registered a negative growth of 17.5 per cent, 3.3 per cent, and 19.4 per cent, respectively, the report said.
Other crops showed a growth of 1.95pc mainly because of increase in production of pulses and oil seeds.
Livestock sector registered a growth of 4pc while forestry 6.5pc due to increase in production of timber.
Agriculture sector is targeted to grow by 3.8pc on the basis of expected contributions of Important Crops (3pc), other crops (3.5pc), cotton ginned (8.9pc), livestock (3.8pc), fisheries (1.8pc) and forestry (8.5pc).
All these targets were missed except the one related to livestock, Dawn reported.
The overall industrial sector on the other hand showed a growth of 1.4pc while mining and quarrying sector declined by 1.96 per cent.
The large scale manufacturing (LSM) sector, which is driven primarily by QIM data (from July 2018 to February 2019), showed a contraction of 2.1pc, it said.
The country's electricity and gas sub-sector grew by 40.5pc mainly due to better performance of Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) distribution companies and Independent Power Producers (IPPs).
The construction activity decreased by 7.6 per cent.
The country's industrial sector is targeted to grow by 7.6 per cent during 2018-19, while manufacturing sector by 7.8pc with LSM growth rate of 8.1pc, small scale and household manufacturing 8.2pc, construction 10pc and electricity generation and distribution and gas distribution by 7.5pc.
Service sector remained major contributor to economic growth as its value added increased by 4.7pc. Within services sector, wholesale and retail trade sector grew by 3.1pc whereas transport, storage and communication sector has registered a growth of 3.3pc, the report said.
Finance and insurance sector showed an overall increase of 5.1pc on account of positive contributions from scheduled banks (5.3pc), non-schedule banks (24.6pc) and insurance activities (12.8pc) despite decline in central banking by 12.5pc, it said.
General government services has grown by 7.99pc and other private services, a set of computer related activities, education, health and social work, NGOs etc. has contributed positively at 7.1pc, according to Dawn.

India’s 1st rice cargo for Afghanistan arrives at Chabahar Port

  1. Economy
May 11, 2019
Description: https://media.mehrnews.com/d/2019/02/24/4/3056618.jpg
TEHRAN – India’s first consignment of rice to Afghanistan which is due to be delivered through India-Iran-Afghanistan trade route, arrived at Chabahar Port, IRNA reported on Saturday, quoting a deputy with Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Industries (ACCI).
According to ACCI First Vice President Khan Jan Alokozay, the 500-million-ton cargo is the first of its kind and more shipments will be following in the near future.
India launched a trade route to Afghanistan via Iran through shipping its first consignment of wheat to Afghanistan on October 29, bypassing longtime rival Pakistan. 
Also in February, the Afghanistan-Iran-India trade corridor in which Afghanistan will export goods to India through Iran’s southeastern Chabahar Port was inaugurated.
Afghanistan's first 570-ton export cargo included 200 tons of grains and 370 tons of talc stone which was arrived in Chabahar port late February.
Afghanistan is planning to boost is exports revenue to $2 billion this year and according to Afghan officials, a significant share of the country’s exports will be through Iran’s Chabahar Port.
In 2016, Iran, India and Afghanistan decided to jointly establish a trade route for land-locked Central Asian countries.
India has committed $500 million to Chabahar Port development as a way to bypass rival Pakistan and crack open a trade and transport route to landlocked Afghanistan, as well as the resource-rich countries of central Asia.
The country is expanding its economic diplomacy in Afghanistan, seeing itself as a regional power so it has framed its involvement in Chabahar’s development as primarily about establishing a gateway to Afghanistan, more than Iran itself, Indian officials and a Western diplomatic source said.
EF/MA

TAGS

uper rice’ beckons farmers

Chinese institute sends proposal to establish “Bangladesh-China Hybrid Rice Research Institute” for sustainable development of the rice variety in the country
DEEPAK ACHARJEE, DhakaDescription: ‘Super rice’ beckons farmers

Following the work on some mega projects in different sectors of the country, China is now eying to produce ‘super hybrid rice’ in Bangladesh as part of its cooperation in local agriculture. A Chinese rice research institute, Chongqing Academy of Agricultural Science (CQAAS), has sent a proposal to the agriculture ministry to establish a “Bangladesh-China Hybrid Rice Research Institute” for sustainable development of the rice in the country, sources said. The rice is popularly known as ‘super rice’ in China.
After receiving the proposal, the agriculture ministry will sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Chinese authorities in this regard, the sources added. CQAAS president Prof. Tang Hongjun has written to the agriculture secretary, stating that they want to conduct super hybrid rice research and breed high yielding, multi resistance and high amylase (non-sticky) hybrid rice variety in Bangladesh to cater to the local demand by setting up the proposed institute. “Bangladesh is one of the most important ‘Belt and Road’ countries. This would be a good opportunity to establish a formal collaboration between CQAAS and the relevant Bangladeshi agricultural organizations to take our technologies and advantages together to serve the country’s small holder farmers, increase grain yield and ensure food security,” the letter said.
Tang further mentioned that Chongqing Zhong Yi Seed Company, a subsidiary of CQAAS, has implemented a Hybrid Rice Technology Cooperation between China and Bangladesh project (G-G project) in cooperation with Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) to introduce advanced technology and farm machinery.
“In two years of close cooperation, 21 strong heterotic combinations for Boro season and nine strong heterotic combinations for Aman season were selected. Hundreds of new hybrid rice materials were developed, and multi-level technical training and hybrid rice experimental trials were conducted,” the letter said.
However, Md Nasiruzzaman, agriculture ministry secretary, told The Independent that he was doubtful that the Chinese research institute would be able to produce super hybrid rice here. “They claimed that they will be able to produce 17 tonnes of super hybrid rice per hectare. We sent a team to China to see their technology and we requested them to provide their technology to us, but they didn’t,” he said.
“Yes, we need super hybrid rice verities, technology and research. That’s why we want to sign a MoU with the Chinese authorities,” he stated.
“After the MoU, we will sign an agreement to establish the proposed ‘Bangladesh-China Hybrid Rice Research Institute’,” he added.
When contacted, chief scientific officer of the Agricultural Economics Division of Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) Abu Bakr Siddique told this correspondent that the authorities concerned should take immediate and effective steps to produce super hybrid rice in order to make the country
self sufficient in rice production. 
“It will be possible to produce 17 tonnes of super hybrid rice in every hectare of land in the country. At present, the yield of locally-produced hybrid rice in per hectare is near seven tonnes, Boro about six tonnes, Aman over four tonnes and Aus is about 3.50 tonnes,” he said.
The BRRI chief scientific officer also informed that the production cost at initial stage will be a bit higher in comparison to the local varieties as “we need to make and preserve adequate seeds for the super hybrid rice. But after several years when the seeds will be available, the production cost will eventually come down”.
Abu Bakr Siddique explained that per hectare production cost of super hybrid rice will be as high as Tk 1,20,000 while the cost of locally-produced hybrid rice is about Tk 1,10,000, Boro rice Tk 1,00,000, Aman rice Tk 80,000 and Aus is Tk 85,000 per hectare.
“The country’s low-lying areas, especially haor areas, are suitable for the cultivation of super hybrid rice,” he added.  
The Gazipur-based BRRI is a demand driven agricultural research institute in Bangladesh.
Since its establishment, BRRI’s major achievements have been the development of 72 high yielding modern varieties (MV) along with six hybrid rice variety strains adaptable to different ecosystems.

A great opportunity to put our act together through irrigators associations

0
SHARES
Published May 11, 2019, 10:00 PM
Description: Dr. Emil Q. Javier
Dr. Emil Q. Javier
Now that rice tariffication had been enacted into law (RTA), the hard part of implementation begins. The first objective of making rice more affordable is now being realized as retail prices begin to decline as anticipated. However, attaining the second objective of making our rice farmers more productive and more competitive to protect their incomes will be difficult and drawn out.
The Rice Competitive Enhancement Fund (RCEF) provision in the RTA allocates at least P10 billion every year for the second purpose. A lot depends now on how the agencies will exercise their respective mandates, namely: the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PHilMech) for mechanization, the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) for provision of seeds, the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI), and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) for farmer training and extension, and Land Bank of the Philippines for subsidized credit. The agency intentions and programs need to be clearly spelled out in their respective Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRRs).
All along this column maintains that the key constraint to our agriculture is our small fragmented farms which lack economies of scale to operate. The corporate farms and the better endowed farmers with more land and capital are able to bring together all the factors of production and with their size attain some leverage in the market place. But not so the small, impoverished subsistence farmers.
Hence the imperative to institute measures that will consolidate our small farms into larger management units. This can be achieved through three alternative modes which could be complementary i.e. not mutually exclusive.
First is through contract growing by small farmers with corporate integrators. Second is through farmers’ associations such as cooperatives, irrigators’ associations, seed growers, and agrarian reform beneficiaries associations. Third is through land consolidation through leasing and/or outright purchase.
The last mode would require the lifting of the limits to land ownership imposed by agrarian reform. This will free the land market and thereby encourage more private sector investments in agriculture. However, this is unlikely to happen anytime soon because this is tantamount to reversing agrarian reform which is highly divisive politically.
Convergence of delivery
of inputs and services
The new rice tariffication act generously provides free farm machinery, free seeds, subsidized credit and hopefully better organized extension services. This is a great opportunity to reinforce the second modality by coursing the delivery of these public goods and services not to individual farmers but through organized farmers groups.
The problem is government organized separate institutional platforms for the delivery to the farmers of these important inputs and services. First, we organized Samahang Nayons which later graduated into farmer cooperatives being supervised by the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA). Next, we organized agrarian reform beneficiaries into Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Associations (ARBAs) and Agrarian Reform Communities (ARCs) under the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR). Yet a third organization for farmers in the service areas of irrigation systems i.e. Irrigators Associations under National Irrigation Administration (NIA) (for large irrigation systems) and another set under the Bureau of Soils and Water Management of the Department of Agriculture (BSWM-DA) (for the small irrigation units).
The confusion for sure will get worse as I understand both PhilMech and PhilRice in their draft IRRs of the new RTA are contemplating to organize anew separate farmer clusters to receive, operate, and maintain the free machines (for PhilMech) and seed clusters (for PhilRice).
Thus, a rice farmer in order to receive these legislated free inputs and services must be a member of at least five organizations. This is duplicative, wasteful, and potential source of confusion and conflict. Better that the delivery of these inputs and services be coursed through one rural entity.
Irrigators associations
as most logical conduits
The absolute need for water and for better coordination for the timely and more equitable distribution of this increasingly scarce resource constitute a strong natural communal bond among the rice farmers. Thus, the most logical and most practical conduits are the thousands of irrigators associations organized under the auspices of the NIA (for the large irrigation systems) and of the BSWM-DA (for the small irrigation units).
However in order to succeed, it cannot be business as usual. Hitherto, the responsibility for organizing, providing guidance and supervising the Irrigators Associations rested entirely with the NIA and BSWM-DA. The rest of the DA family of agencies i.e.PhilRice, PhilMech, ATI, the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI), the Regional Offices, the Agricultural Credit Policy Council (ACPC), and DA Marketing Services Division all had nothing to do with the Irrigators Associations. These silos in the DA must be brought down.
*****
Dr. Emil Q. Javier is a Member of the National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) and also Chair of the Coalition for Agriculture Modernization in the Philippines (CAMP).
For any feedback , email eqjavier@yahoo.com.

A great opportunity to put our act together through irrigators associations

0
SHARES
Published May 11, 2019, 10:00 PM
Description: Dr. Emil Q. Javier
Dr. Emil Q. Javier
Now that rice tariffication had been enacted into law (RTA), the hard part of implementation begins. The first objective of making rice more affordable is now being realized as retail prices begin to decline as anticipated. However, attaining the second objective of making our rice farmers more productive and more competitive to protect their incomes will be difficult and drawn out.
The Rice Competitive Enhancement Fund (RCEF) provision in the RTA allocates at least P10 billion every year for the second purpose. A lot depends now on how the agencies will exercise their respective mandates, namely: the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PHilMech) for mechanization, the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) for provision of seeds, the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI), and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) for farmer training and extension, and Land Bank of the Philippines for subsidized credit. The agency intentions and programs need to be clearly spelled out in their respective Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRRs).
All along this column maintains that the key constraint to our agriculture is our small fragmented farms which lack economies of scale to operate. The corporate farms and the better endowed farmers with more land and capital are able to bring together all the factors of production and with their size attain some leverage in the market place. But not so the small, impoverished subsistence farmers.
Hence the imperative to institute measures that will consolidate our small farms into larger management units. This can be achieved through three alternative modes which could be complementary i.e. not mutually exclusive.
First is through contract growing by small farmers with corporate integrators. Second is through farmers’ associations such as cooperatives, irrigators’ associations, seed growers, and agrarian reform beneficiaries associations. Third is through land consolidation through leasing and/or outright purchase.
The last mode would require the lifting of the limits to land ownership imposed by agrarian reform. This will free the land market and thereby encourage more private sector investments in agriculture. However, this is unlikely to happen anytime soon because this is tantamount to reversing agrarian reform which is highly divisive politically.
Convergence of delivery
of inputs and services
The new rice tariffication act generously provides free farm machinery, free seeds, subsidized credit and hopefully better organized extension services. This is a great opportunity to reinforce the second modality by coursing the delivery of these public goods and services not to individual farmers but through organized farmers groups.
The problem is government organized separate institutional platforms for the delivery to the farmers of these important inputs and services. First, we organized Samahang Nayons which later graduated into farmer cooperatives being supervised by the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA). Next, we organized agrarian reform beneficiaries into Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Associations (ARBAs) and Agrarian Reform Communities (ARCs) under the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR). Yet a third organization for farmers in the service areas of irrigation systems i.e. Irrigators Associations under National Irrigation Administration (NIA) (for large irrigation systems) and another set under the Bureau of Soils and Water Management of the Department of Agriculture (BSWM-DA) (for the small irrigation units).
The confusion for sure will get worse as I understand both PhilMech and PhilRice in their draft IRRs of the new RTA are contemplating to organize anew separate farmer clusters to receive, operate, and maintain the free machines (for PhilMech) and seed clusters (for PhilRice).
Thus, a rice farmer in order to receive these legislated free inputs and services must be a member of at least five organizations. This is duplicative, wasteful, and potential source of confusion and conflict. Better that the delivery of these inputs and services be coursed through one rural entity.
Irrigators associations
as most logical conduits
The absolute need for water and for better coordination for the timely and more equitable distribution of this increasingly scarce resource constitute a strong natural communal bond among the rice farmers. Thus, the most logical and most practical conduits are the thousands of irrigators associations organized under the auspices of the NIA (for the large irrigation systems) and of the BSWM-DA (for the small irrigation units).
However in order to succeed, it cannot be business as usual. Hitherto, the responsibility for organizing, providing guidance and supervising the Irrigators Associations rested entirely with the NIA and BSWM-DA. The rest of the DA family of agencies i.e.PhilRice, PhilMech, ATI, the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI), the Regional Offices, the Agricultural Credit Policy Council (ACPC), and DA Marketing Services Division all had nothing to do with the Irrigators Associations. These silos in the DA must be brought down.
*****
Dr. Emil Q. Javier is a Member of the National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) and also Chair of the Coalition for Agriculture Modernization in the Philippines (CAMP).
For any feedback , email eqjavier@yahoo.com.

Rice Crop decreases in county

·      

·       May 11, 2019

·        0
L-N Photo by Melony Overton
With rice planting almost complete in the county, William “Bo” Garrett, of El Campo, uses a shovel to allow water into the next bench in his rice field Thursday in the community of Speaks in Lavaca County. Garrett planted his rice on time despite rains, and will fully irrigate his fields soon. Low prices didn’t keep Garrett from planting the same amount of rice he did in 2018.
Most of the rice crop is planted in Texas, but it looks as if less rice will go in the ground in Wharton County this year, according to local ag experts.
The Texas A&M AgriLife Research Center at Beaumont’s Texas Rice Crop Survey estimates 93 percent of the 2019 rice crop has been planted, according to Corrie Bowen, Wharton County Extension Agent.

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Brazil and Mexico add rice and beans to their trade menus

Description: https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/_NXDTc3Xd9dmtgd_A.KyVQ--~A/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjtzbT0xO3c9ODQ7aD04NA--/https:/media-mbst-pub-ue1.s3.amazonaws.com/creatr-uploaded-images/2018-12/5be41ec0-ff0b-11e8-adef-442891c98066
ReutersMay 11, 2019
SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Mexico will allow imports of Brazilian rice and Brazil will allow imports of Mexican beans, the two countries said in a statement on Saturday as top agriculture officials from both countries met in Japan.
"The decision reinforces Brazil's position as one of the top 10 global exporters of rice and represents an important step to diversify commercial relations with Mexico, a country with over 120 million people that imports over 80 percent of the rice it consumes," the Brazilian government said in a statement.
Rice and beans are essential ingredients to the cuisines of both countries.
"We will receive Mexican beans to complete our main dish in Brazil which is rice and beans," said Brazil's agriculture minister, Tereza Cristina Dias, in a video posted to Twitter.



(Reporting by Marcelo Rochabrun; Editing by Steve Orlofsky)

BD produces 35mmt rice against 29.10m demand

Posted By: daily industryon: May 12, 2019In: BangladeshCorporateDistrictNo Comments
Description: http://www.dailyindustry.news/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/rice-produces.gifThe govt would provide seeds, fertiliser and cash to farmers those are victims for recent cyclonic strom Fani says Dr Abdur Razzaque
Zahid Hossain Biplob: Bangladesh has made a significant progress in producing rice by developing more rice varieties and appropriate technologies under the effective measures of the incumbent government led by the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The country produced 35 million metric tons of rice in last year against the demand of 29.10 million metric tons this year. Rice production was 32.65 million metric tons in 2017. The production increased by 7.20 percent in the last year. The surplus production is 5.90 million metric tons recorded this year.
Meanwhile, rice production was 34.57 million metric tons in 2016, followed by 34.50 million metric tons in 2015, 34.50 million metric tons in 2014, 34.39 million metric tons in 2013, 33.82 million metric tons in 2012, 33.70 million metric tons in 2011, 31.70 million metric tons in 2010 and 31 million metric tons in 2009, according to the data of agriculture ministry.
Talking to Daily Industry, Agriculture Minister Dr Abdur Razzaque underscored the need for increasing safe food production by taking the newly developed rice varieties and associated technologies to the doorsteps of the farmers under the imitative of the present government.
“We would to take the new rice varieties and technologies to the farmers’ doorsteps along with increased subsidies for ensuring safe food production,” the minister said.
The minister asked the BRRI scientists to develop more rice varieties and appropriate technologies that can withstand adverse environmental effects such as salinity, drought, cold, flood and water resurge.
Talking on the recent victim farmers resulting from the cyclone Fani, he assured the agriculture ministry would provide seeds, fertiliser and cash to the farmers under a rehabilitation programme to be implemented during the 2019-2020 period after making a list of the victims.
Dr Razzaque said the ministry has directed the local administrations to drain out water from croplands and vegetable fields as post-cyclonic short-term steps and help the farmers to harvest Boro paddy.
Terming the government as an agriculture-friendly one, Dr Razzaque said the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) and Agriculture Ministry are jointly working to stand beside farmers.
Consider the bumper production of rice, the government is considering exporting rice to benefit farmers, the minister hinted.
“We are discussing this with the food and commerce ministries. A decision will be taken within 15-20 days after high-level discussions”, he informed.
Razzaque added that only surplus rice would be exported. Rice exports will not affect the market. Last year, we produced 1.3 million tones more than our target. Overall, we have about 2-2.5 million tones of surplus rice each year”, said the minister.
A recent report of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) revealed Bangladesh’s total rice area and production levels in 2019-20 (May-April) are projected to increase slightly to 11.8 million hectares and 35.3 million metric tons, respectively, assuming good weather and increased yield in 2019-20 market year. The US agency’s market year (MY) runs from May to April.
So the projected output is 34.9 million MT higher than 2018-19’s and 32.6 million MT of the previous market year (2017-18), thereby largely making Bangladesh self-sufficient in its staple production.
USDA report says, winter season rice (Boro) area is forecast to increase as farmers are expected to switch to rice from wheat and minor vegetables. It says that farmers will continue cultivating Boro rice considering it to be a comparatively lower risk crop.
According to the Ministry of Food, as of March 19, 2019, public rice stocks are 1.37 MMT, which is approximately 33 percent higher than last year.
Besides, USDA also notes that the government of Bangladesh has a long term plan to expand rice cultivation in Aus rice season (March-August), as it is cultivated during the rainy season when no supplementary irrigation is required.
With the aim of attracting farmers to Aus rice cultivation, the government has announced seed and input support to farmers producing rice.
The government has formed a national taskforce and initiated an emergency contingency plan to work with farmers to raise awareness and train them on integrated pest management techniques, said a senior official of Agriculture minister.
The Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) under Agriculture Ministry is intensively working with farmers to identify and take measures that are followed internationally to eradicate this invasive pest, he added.

Millers, retailers in pact to tame price madness

 11 MAY, 2019 - 00:05

 2 COMMENTS 1 IMAGES
   
Description: Millers, retailers in pact to tame price madnessMr Musarara
Kudakwashe Mhundwa and Michael Tome
THE Grain Millers’ Association of Zimbabwe (GMAZ) and the Confederation of Zimbabwe Retailers (CZR) yesterday signed a Memorandum of Understanding for self-regulatory mechanisms to rein in wanton price increases.
As part of the agreement, GMAZ and CZR said they will deploy a team of 150 people across the country starting Monday to monitor prices of basic products such as salt, flour, rice and mealie-meal to ensure shop owners adhere to agreed prices.
Addressing journalists in Harare yesterday, GMAZ president Mr Tafadzwa Musarara said the milling industry has always published recommended prices of mealie-meal, rice, flour and salt, but consumers have remained vulnerable to some unscrupulous retailers who are bent on profiteering.
Mr Musarara said the milling industry had tried to be considerate in terms of costing.
“You may recall that we have also set our recommended prices that are prices quoted by the miller to the wholesaler and to the retailer, which we have dubbed the maximum recommended prices,” he said.
The maize-meal recommended price for the miller is RTGS$10,50 for a 10kg packet while the retail price is RTGS$11,85.
Prices for rice and self-raising floor have also been computed and agreed on.
Mr Musarara said recommending prices on its own is not enough without actually “monitoring the prices, (and) without ensuring compliance and protecting the consumer”.
“We have gone further to introspect and come up with the committee that is going to look at the enforcement or monitoring of these prices nationwide,” he said.
Retailers and wholesalers would be allowed to put a mark-up of between 12 percent and 20 percent, including the 2 percent tax, on their selling price.
Maize-meal and self-raising flour attract a mark-up of 12 percent and 20 percent respectively, including the 2 percent tax.
CZR president Mr Denford Mutashu said the initiative was meant to introduce self-regulation within the value chain without the need for Government intervention.
Mr Mutashu said the mark-the ups stipulated in the MOU were set considering business viability.
The agreement also demands that the supply of the millers’ products be done through formal retail outlets as informal retailers were overpricing in an environment of stagnant salaries and wages.
Mr Mutashu implored other manufacturing sectors to follow the example set by GMAZ and CZR to self-regulate on retail prices of goods they manufacture.

   
Description: Millers, retailers in pact to tame price madnessMr Musarara
Kudakwashe Mhundwa and Michael Tome
THE Grain Millers’ Association of Zimbabwe (GMAZ) and the Confederation of Zimbabwe Retailers (CZR) yesterday signed a Memorandum of Understanding for self-regulatory mechanisms to rein in wanton price increases.
As part of the agreement, GMAZ and CZR said they will deploy a team of 150 people across the country starting Monday to monitor prices of basic products such as salt, flour, rice and mealie-meal to ensure shop owners adhere to agreed prices.
Addressing journalists in Harare yesterday, GMAZ president Mr Tafadzwa Musarara said the milling industry has always published recommended prices of mealie-meal, rice, flour and salt, but consumers have remained vulnerable to some unscrupulous retailers who are bent on profiteering.
Mr Musarara said the milling industry had tried to be considerate in terms of costing.
“You may recall that we have also set our recommended prices that are prices quoted by the miller to the wholesaler and to the retailer, which we have dubbed the maximum recommended prices,” he said.
The maize-meal recommended price for the miller is RTGS$10,50 for a 10kg packet while the retail price is RTGS$11,85.
Prices for rice and self-raising floor have also been computed and agreed on.
Mr Musarara said recommending prices on its own is not enough without actually “monitoring the prices, (and) without ensuring compliance and protecting the consumer”.
“We have gone further to introspect and come up with the committee that is going to look at the enforcement or monitoring of these prices nationwide,” he said.
Retailers and wholesalers would be allowed to put a mark-up of between 12 percent and 20 percent, including the 2 percent tax, on their selling price.
Maize-meal and self-raising flour attract a mark-up of 12 percent and 20 percent respectively, including the 2 percent tax.
CZR president Mr Denford Mutashu said the initiative was meant to introduce self-regulation within the value chain without the need for Government intervention.
Mr Mutashu said the mark-the ups stipulated in the MOU were set considering business viability.
The agreement also demands that the supply of the millers’ products be done through formal retail outlets as informal retailers were overpricing in an environment of stagnant salaries and wages.
Mr Mutashu implored other manufacturing sectors to follow the example set by GMAZ and CZR to self-regulate on retail prices of goods they manufacture.

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Plants and the Art of Microbial Maintenance

Fri, 05/10/2019 - 4:30pm
by John Innes Centre
Description: https://abm-website-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/laboratoryequipment.com/s3fs-public/styles/content_body_image/public/embedded_image/2019/05/190508%20plants.jpg?itok=IfN9pDKN
It's been known for centuries that plants produce a diverse array of medically-valuable chemicals in their roots.
The benefits for human health are clear, but it's been less apparent how and why plants expend 20 percent of their energy building these exotic chemicals. Is it for defense? Is it waste? What is it for?
A joint study from the John Innes Centre and the Chinese Academy of Sciences has shed new light on this fundamental question of plant specialized metabolism.
Appearing in the journal Science, the study reveals that plants use their root-derived chemicals to muster and maintain communities of microbes. It suggests that across the plant kingdom diverse plant chemistry may provide a basis for communication that enables the sculpting of microbial communities tailored to the specific needs of the host plant, be that a common weed or major crops such as rice or wheat.
The findings provide researchers with a gateway to engineering plant root microbiota in a range of major crops.
"This question has fascinated people for hundreds of years and we've found this chemistry enables plants to direct the assembly and maintenance of microbial communities in and around the roots," Anne Osbourn of the John Innes Centre, a co-author of the study, said. "We assume that the plant is shaping the root microbiota for its own benefit. If we can understand what the plant is doing and what kind of microbes are responding to it and what the benefits are then we may be able to use that knowledge to design improved crops or to engineer the root microbiome for enhanced productivity and sustainability and to move away from fertilizers and pesticides."
In this study, the team uncovered a metabolic network expressed in the roots of the well-known model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. This network, organized primarily around gene clusters, can make over 50 previously undescribed molecules belonging to a diverse family of plant natural products called Triterpenes.
The researchers generated plants altered in the production of these root-derived chemicals and working with Professor Yang Bai of the Chinese Academy of Sciences grew these plants in natural soil from a farm in Beijing.
The results showed clear differences in the types of microbial communities that these plants assembled compared with the wild plants.
In further experiments the group synthesized many of these newly-discovered chemicals and tested their effect on communities of cultured microbes in a laboratory re-enactment of plant-microbial interactions in the soil.
"Using this approach, we can see that very small differences in chemical structures can have profound effects on whether a particular molecule will inhibit or promote the growth of a particular bacteria. Taken together we can clearly see that very subtle, selective modulation of microbes by this cocktail of chemicals," Dr. Ancheng Huang, first author of the paper, said.
Comparisons with root bacterial profiles in rice and wheat that do not make these Arabidopsis triterpenes demonstrated that these genetic networks were modulating bacteria towards the assembly of an Arabidopsis-specific root microbiota.
The next steps for the researchers is to explore further the benefits of this sculpting of the microbial community for the plant and observe other influences on plant chemistry such as nutrient limitation and pathogen challenge.

Indian rural folk getting fat faster than urbanites

The NIN study is part of a global multi-country study led by Imperial College, London, and published in the prestigious journal ‘Nature’ on May 8.

By AuthorM. Sai Gopal  |  Published: 11th May 2019  12:12 amUpdated: 10th May 2019  10:58 pm

Hyderabad:Contrary to the popular opinion that affluent families in urban centres struggle with obesity and overweight, a new nationwide study conducted by Hyderabad-based National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) revealed that Body Mass Index (BMI) of population in rural areas is rising at a faster rate compared to cities in India.
The NIN study is part of a global multi-country study led by Imperial College, London, and published in the prestigious journal ‘Nature’ on May 8. Globally, the study said rising rural BMI was the main driver of a variety of ailments among adults.
According to the Indian study, which was conducted by NIN, among 1.2 lakh people across all Indian States, the mean BMI among rural men and women in 1975-79 was 16.5 kg/m2 (kg denoting weight in kilograms and m2 denotes height in square metres). But, by 2012, the mean BMI among rural men and women in India increased to 18.5.
The study indicated that BMI was more among rural men and women in the two Telugu-speaking States by 2.6 kg/m. The rise in obesity and overweight in the last 33 years globally is due to increase in BMI in rural areas. “In the last decade or so, the lifestyle of people in rural areas has changed. There has been reduced agricultural work, changing eating habits because of access to subsidised rice and lack of physical labour. There was a time when
millets was the staple food, but now it has been replaced by subsidised rice,” explains Dr A Laxmaiah, Scientist G and head of Public Health Nutrition Division, ICMR-NIN, one of the writers of the global BMI study.
The researchers studied BMI of more than 112 million adults across urban and rural areas of 200 countries, involving a network of more than 1,000 researchers across the globe. It was found that from 1985 to 2017, BMI rose by an average of 2.0 kg/m2 in women and 2.2 kg/m2 in men globally, equivalent to each person becoming 5-6 kg heavier.
People are consuming low quality calories that do not have nutrient-rich foods such as fruits, vegetables nuts, milk etc. “This has become a major driver of obesity, stunting and anaemia. This is the right time to focus on nutrition security as well to halt the increasing disease burden in India,” said Dr R Hemalatha, Director, ICMR-NIN.
The study said rural areas have seen shifts towards higher incomes, better infrastructure, more mechanised agriculture, all of which bring numerous health benefits, but also lead to lower energy expenditure and more spending on low-quality processed food.
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A plant hormone that speeds root growth could be a new agricultural tool

Description: plant rootsCredit: CC0 Public Domain
A molecule sold as a food additive has an underground role, too: helping roots grow faster.
When added to soil, the molecule, called beta-cyclocitral, speeds root growth in rice and tomato plants, scientists report May 8, 2019, in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. It also makes rice plants resistant to salty soil, which usually turns plants sickly and stunted. The molecule, a hormone found naturally in plants, could be a useful tool for farmers seeking healthier and more drought-resistant crops.
For centuries, plants have been bred for vigorous foliage and other easily visible traits. Because roots are hidden underground, "they've been largely ignored," says developmental biologist Philip Benfey, a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator at Duke University.
And yet, roots make up half the plant, points out coauthor Jazz Dickinson, also at Duke. She and Benfey wanted to find plant hormones that affected root development. Their previous research had hinted that some molecule chemically related to carotenoids – the pigments that give carrots their vibrant orange hue – might be important. But the researchers weren't sure exactly which one, Dickinson says.
These racing roots show the effects of beta-cyclocitrical, a plant hormone that boosts root growth. The rice plants on the left are growing in a gel that contains the hormone, but the ones on the right aren’t getting any help. Credit: Benfey Lab/Duke University/Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Many of these carotenoid relatives have been repurposed and are available commercially as food additives or dietary supplements. Dickinson rounded up about 20 and tested their effects on a common lab plant, Arabidopsis. She added each compound to the clear agar gel in which the plants were growing – a setup that let her easily see the roots – and monitored what happened over 10 days.
"Beta-cyclocitral stood out," she says. It made the roots grow faster and also branch out more. And it had the same effect in rice and tomato plants, follow-up tests showed.
In rice plants, the team noticed an even more striking effect: the plants could also withstand salty soil. Irrigation of farm fields can make soil saltier, especially near the top. The team mimicked those conditions in the lab, and then watched how rice plants grew. "Untreated rice plants were very unhappy with that level of salt," Benfey says. But with beta-cyclocitral added, the plants didn't seem perturbed.
It's possible that the compound helped the roots push down through the salty topsoil to reach the deeper, less-salty soil more quickly, Dickinson proposes.
The researchers hope that beta-cyclocitral will be useful agriculturally, either added to soil or sprayed onto crops. And since the molecule worked in both rice and tomatoes – two very different plants – it may boost root growth in crops more broadly.

Basmati body calls for boosting rice exports to $5b

Published: May 11, 2019
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Description: Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan former chairman Chaudhry Masood Iqbal emphasised that the government should introduce new basmati varieties for ensuring better rice productivity and pest resistance. PHOTO: FILE
Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan former chairman Chaudhry Masood Iqbal emphasised that the government should introduce new basmati varieties for ensuring better rice productivity and pest resistance. PHOTO: FILE
LAHORE: Improving water productivity in the rice ecosystem is inevitable for sustainable rice production and boosting rice exports of Pakistan from the current $2 billion to $5 billion, said Pakistan Basmati Heritage Association (PBHA) Director Sheikh Adnan Aslam.
He was speaking at the Khushal Kissan seminar arranged by the association for the promotion and preservation of basmati rice heritage of Pakistan.
Citing that PBHA was aimed at mitigating challenges to Basmati rice production, he lamented that Pakistan faced a looming water crisis and stressed the need for improving water productivity in rice fields. He shared the PBHA’s action plan for the promotion and preservation of Basmati rice for export.
Punjab Seed Corporation Director Malik Imtiaz, who was present in the seminar, advised farmers to use certified seeds every year which would served as a foundation for increasing the yield and quality of Basmati rice. He appreciated the initiative of PBHA for providing healthy and certified seeds at subsidised rates to the farmers.
Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan former chairman Chaudhry Masood Iqbal emphasised that the government should introduce new basmati varieties for ensuring rice productivity and pest resistance. Praising PBHA’s mission, he termed it the ‘ray of light’ for the rice sector in Pakistan.
PBHA Coordinator Imran Sheikh elaborated the PBHA’s mission and advised Basmati rice farmers to adopt global rice standards of the Sustainable Rice Platform convened by the International Rice Research Institute for promoting resource efficiency and sustainability by ensuring food safety.
Fauji Fertiliser Senior Manager and Head of Advisory Services Rao Muhammad Tariq shared his views about balanced use of fertilisers and the importance of potash and micronutrients in boosting rice productivity, quality and profitability.
Engro Fertilisers Manager North Naeem Farukh emphasied the balanced use of fertilisers through 4R Principles (right type, right dose, right place and right time).
On-Farm Water Management Deputy Director Tariq Maqbool briefed the participants regarding dwindling water resources of Pakistan and underlined the importance of precision land levelling for improving water efficiency, yield and income.
Rice Research Institute Kala Shah Kaku Research Officer and Weed Scientist Dr Tahir Hussain Awan shared his experience of direct seeding and introduced a set of new technology for weed management.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 11th, 2019.
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KUFOS scientists identify new fish

DECCAN CHRONICLE.
PublishedMay 11, 2019, 1:31 am IST
UpdatedMay 11, 2019, 1:31 am IST
Ajeer, fish hobbyist, stumbled upon this interesting fish on his rice field near Vengara in Malappuram District of Kerala.
Description: Aenigmachanna gollum
 Aenigmachanna gollum
Kochi: A research team of Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS) along with British scientists have found a new species of 'snakehead fish' in the subterranean waters of Kerala. The scientific paper reporting the finding, made by Dr. Rajeev Raghavan, assistant professor at the Department of Fisheries Resource Management, Kufos, and  V.K. Anoop, a research student under him, will be published in the international animal taxonomy journal Zootaxa, published form Auckland.
The fish has been named Aenigmachanna gollum (Gollum Snakehead- common name) after 'Gollum', a character from the 'The Lord of the Rings', a creature that changed its morphological features. The new fish has been identified as new genus of the snakehead family Channidae (which is currently represented by two other genera, Channa in Asia, and Parachanna in Africa).

Snakehead fishes (varaal - in Malayalam) of the family Channidae are predatory freshwater fish comprising 50 valid species, many of which are important edible fishes. Although readily recognised as a member of the family Channidae, the new species shows several morphological features that are highly unusual or even unique in comparison to its closest relatives. Aenigmachanna gollum also represents the first species of snakehead to be recorded from subterranean waters.
Ajeer, fish hobbyist, stumbled upon this interesting fish on his rice field near Vengara in Malappuram District of Kerala. "The fish had a strikingly distinct morphology from any other species found in India, and the fact that it represented a new species was evident from the moment I saw the specimens" said Mr Anoop, a co-author of the paper.

Three homers lift USM over Rice

Three homers lift USM over Rice
By Taylor Curet | May 10, 2019 at 11:13 PM CDT - Updated May 10 at 11:13 PM
HATTIESBURG, MS (WDAM) - Three home runs and another solid pitching performance by Walker Powell lifted Southern Miss to a 6-3 win at Rice on Friday.
The Golden Eagles (32-15 overall, 19-6 C-USA) stay one game ahead of FAU atop the Conference USA standings with five conference games left.
Powell struck out five, gave up just two runs and seven hits in seven innings.
Matt Wallner, Gabe Montenegro and Danny Lynch all left the yard – marking freshman Lynch’s first career homer. Wallner recorded his 50th career home run, tying Jeff Cook for second on USM’s all-time list. Marc Maddox holds the record with 53.
Game two between the Owls and Eagles is scheduled for Saturday at 2 p.m.

Basmati body calls for boosting rice exports to $5b

Published: May 11, 2019
Description: Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan former chairman Chaudhry Masood Iqbal emphasised that the government should introduce new basmati varieties for ensuring better rice productivity and pest resistance. PHOTO: FILE
Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan former chairman Chaudhry Masood Iqbal emphasised that the government should introduce new basmati varieties for ensuring better rice productivity and pest resistance. PHOTO: FILE
LAHORE: Improving water productivity in the rice ecosystem is inevitable for sustainable rice production and boosting rice exports of Pakistan from the current $2 billion to $5 billion, said Pakistan Basmati Heritage Association (PBHA) Director Sheikh Adnan Aslam.
He was speaking at the Khushal Kissan seminar arranged by the association for the promotion and preservation of basmati rice heritage of Pakistan.
Citing that PBHA was aimed at mitigating challenges to Basmati rice production, he lamented that Pakistan faced a looming water crisis and stressed the need for improving water productivity in rice fields. He shared the PBHA’s action plan for the promotion and preservation of Basmati rice for export.
Punjab Seed Corporation Director Malik Imtiaz, who was present in the seminar, advised farmers to use certified seeds every year which would served as a foundation for increasing the yield and quality of Basmati rice. He appreciated the initiative of PBHA for providing healthy and certified seeds at subsidised rates to the farmers.
Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan former chairman Chaudhry Masood Iqbal emphasised that the government should introduce new basmati varieties for ensuring rice productivity and pest resistance. Praising PBHA’s mission, he termed it the ‘ray of light’ for the rice sector in Pakistan.
PBHA Coordinator Imran Sheikh elaborated the PBHA’s mission and advised Basmati rice farmers to adopt global rice standards of the Sustainable Rice Platform convened by the International Rice Research Institute for promoting resource efficiency and sustainability by ensuring food safety.
Fauji Fertiliser Senior Manager and Head of Advisory Services Rao Muhammad Tariq shared his views about balanced use of fertilisers and the importance of potash and micronutrients in boosting rice productivity, quality and profitability.
Engro Fertilisers Manager North Naeem Farukh emphasied the balanced use of fertilisers through 4R Principles (right type, right dose, right place and right time).
On-Farm Water Management Deputy Director Tariq Maqbool briefed the participants regarding dwindling water resources of Pakistan and underlined the importance of precision land levelling for improving water efficiency, yield and income.
Rice Research Institute Kala Shah Kaku Research Officer and Weed Scientist Dr Tahir Hussain Awan shared his experience of direct seeding and introduced a set of new technology for weed management.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 11th, 2019.

Water efficiency essential for sustainable rice production: PBHA director


Improving water efficiency is essential for sustainable rice production and boosting rice exports of Pakistan from the current US$2 billion to US$5 billion, according to the Director of Pakistan Basmati Heritage Association (PBHA). Sheikh Adnan Aslam was speaking at ‘Khushal Kissan’ seminar arranged by the Association for promotion and preservation of basmati rice heritage of Pakistan. Hundreds of rice farmers and key members of PBHA including Chaudary Muhammad Shahzad & Raja Arsalan attended the event.
Sheikh Adnan Aslam while addressing the rice farmers shared the mission & objectives of Pakistan Basmati Heritage Association (PBHA) for mitigating challenges of Basmati Rice production and action plan for promotion and preservation of Basmati rice in production and export. He said our country was facing a looming water crisis and improving water productivity in rice ecosystem is inevitable.
Punjab Seed Corporation Director Malik Imtiaz advised the farmers that use of certified seed every year will serve as the foundation for increasing yield and quality of Basmati rice. He appreciated the initiative of PBHA for providing healthy and certified seed on the subsidized rate to the farmers.Chaudhry Masood Iqbal Ex-Chairman REAP emphasized that the Government should introduce new basmati varieties for ensuring rice productivity and pest resistance. Praising PBHA mission, he termed it light a ray for the rice sector of Pakistan.
Imran Sheikh Coordinator PBHA highlighted the mission of PBHA and advised the basmati rice farmers to adopt global rice standard of Sustainable Rice Platform convened by UNE & IRRI for promoting resource efficiency and sustainability by ensuring food safety.
Rao Muhammad Tariq Senior Manager & Head Advisory Services FFC shared his views about balance use of fertilizers and importance of potash & micronutrients in boosting rice productivity, quality and profitability. Naeem Farukh Zonal Manager North Engro Fertilizers highlighted the balanced use of fertilizers by following 4R Principles (right type, right dose, right place & right time).
Tariq Maqbool, Deputy Director On-Farm Water Management briefed the participants regarding dwindling water resources of Pakistan and highlighted the importance of precision land leveling for improving water efficiency, yield & income. Dr. Tahir Hussain Awan Rice Research Institute KSK shared his experience about Direct Seeding Rice and shared the set of new technology for weed management in DSR.

ak food, textile products have huge market in Saudi Arabia: Envoy

Description: Pak food, textile products have huge market in Saudi Arabia: Envoy
May 11, 2019

ISLAMABAD   -    Ambas­sador of Pakistan to Saudi Arabia Raja Ali Ejaz has said that Pakistani food and tex­tile products have a huge market in Saudi Arabia. Ac­cording to a news report published in Saudi Gazette on Friday, the ambassador said, “We are encouraging our exporters to take ad­vantage of this market.” In a meeting with Jeddah-based Pakistani journalists, he said that a recent visit of a delega­tion of Rice Exporters Associ­ation of Pakistan has enabled our rice exporters to expand their reach in Saudi Arabia.
Responding to a question regarding the problems be­ing faced by Pakistani work­ers in some companies, the ambassador said that he was personally in contact with the heads of these companies and assured that the inter­est of Pakistani workers will be safeguarded. Answering another query on labor re­quirement in the Kingdom, he said that Saudi Arabia is a fast growing economy and its need for labor has not decreased. He said the coun­try has diversified its labor requirement from unskilled to skilled labor, adding “We need to send more quali­fied and skilled worker to Saudi Arabia”. The Ambassa­dor said that the transfer of prisoner agreement with the Saudi government is in pro­cess and we hope that it will be finalized soon.

TDAP advocates trade agreements

KARACHI: The Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) has recommended the government to negotiate preferential trade agreements (PTA) with growing African economies, which offer huge trade potential.
The authority in a report said African markets offered easy entry and tariff, which can be capitalised through joint working groups and participation in trade fairs.
The report also notes that Tanzania, the fastest growing African economy, is a lucrative market to conduct trade for Pakistan. Dar Es Salaam port serves six landlocked countries, including Malawi, Zambia, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda and Eastern DRC, and it can be an strategic destination for transshipments.
Total trade volume of Africa is around $1 trillion, but Pakistan's total trade with Africa hovers around $3 billion. TDAP advocates incentives to private sector for organising exhibitions in African countries to introduce more Pakistani products in the region.
Pakistan's exports to Africa are confined to a few products, including rice, pharmaceuticals, cement, textiles, surgical and sports goods.
An official said new commercial sections should be opened in Africa and Pakistan should offer PTAs / FTAs on bilateral basis and with African trading blocks to promote its trade and exports. Moreover, local trade development officers should be appointed in African countries where resident missions were not stationed.
The official said bilateral trade with Africa could be doubled from the existing $3 billion to $6 billion in the next five years.

Improving water productivity vital for sustainable rice production

OUR STAFF REPORT

May 11, 2019

LAHORE   -   Improving water productivity is vital for sustainable rice production and boosting rice exports from the current $2 billion to $5 billion. Pakistan Basmati Heritage Association (PBHA) Director Sheikh Adnan Aslam made these remarks at ‘Khushal Kissan’ seminar. Rice farmers from Jhang district and key members of PBHA including Ch Muhammad Shahzad & Raja Arsalan attended the event.
Sheikh Adnan Aslam shared the mission & objectives of PBHA for meeting challenges and action plan for promotion and preservation of basmati rice in production and export. He said the country was facing a looming water crisis.Director Punjab Seed Corporation Malik Imtiaz advised the farmers to use certified seed for increasing yield and quality of rice. He appreciated the initiative of PBHA for providing healthy and certified seed on subsidized rate to the farmers.
Former Chairman REAP Ch Masood Iqbal urged the government to introduce new basmati varieties for ensuring productivity and pest resistance. Praising PBHA mission, he termed it a ray of hope for the rice sector. Coordinator PBHA Imran Sheikh advised the farmers to adopt global rice standard of sustainable rice platform convened by UNE & IRRI for promoting resource efficiency and sustainability.
Senior Manager & Head Advisory Services FFC Rao Muhammad Tariq shared his views about balanced use of fertilizers and the importance of potash & micronutrients in boosting rice productivity, quality and profitability. Zonal Manager North Engro Fertilizers Naeem Farukh highlighted the balanced use of fertilizers by following 4R principles (right type, right dose, right place & right time). Deputy Director On-Farm Water Management Tariq Maqbool briefed the participants about dwindling water resources and highlighted the importance of precision land leveling for improving water efficiency, yield & income.

Fariha Naqvi-Mohamed: What Ramadan means to practising Muslims around the world

Fasting for 30 days teaches us how little we need. It is an excellent opportunity to practise self-discipline while being charitable toward others.
Updated: May 10, 2019
Description: Muslims celebrate the end of Ramadan with a prayer service in Edmonton in this file photo from a previous year.
Muslims celebrate the end of Ramadan with a prayer service in Edmonton in this file photo from a previous year.DAVID BLOOM / DAVID BLOOM/EDMONTON SUN/QMI AGENCY
The month of Ramadan started earlier this week.
It is an incredible time of year for those of us who observe it: a time of fasting, gathering as a community and giving charity. With our current political climate, I have had enough of others talking about Muslims or for Muslims, so as a Muslim who proudly honours my faith, I figured I would seize the opportunity to take the proverbial mic. While the fasts may be long, my patience is short when it comes to being spoken for or being told what my faith preaches.
Muslims follow a lunar calendar that moves ahead by about 10 days every year. It also means that while Ramadan was in the winter months when I was in school, it is in the summer now. At this time of year in Canada, the fasts — no eating or drinking, no smoking and, yes, not even water — are about 18 hours long.
While this may sound extreme, the fast is intended for those who are in good health. It excludes pregnant or nursing women, the elderly, children; and for women of a certain age, there will be a few days a month when they will be exempt from fasting. It’s a deeply personal thing. So if you see a visibly Muslim person eating during Ramadan, that does not necessarily mean they are in violation of religious rules. In any case, it is their decision.
Ramadan is also a time to empathize with those less fortunate than ourselves. When you feel hunger and thirst, it makes empathy that much more real.
Growing up, the Iftar (meal to break the fast) would be filled with a spicy fruit salad (South Asians can find a way to make just about anything spicy), homemade spring rolls, crispy beef samosas, spicy chickpeas, a plethora of vegetable pakoras (think thinly sliced vegetables coated in a light and spicy batter) and a variety of chutneys. Next, we would participate in the evening prayer, then return to the table for a smaller meal typically consisting of curries, salad, freshly made roti and fragrant, fluffy basmati rice.
After a day of fasting, we’d look forward to the meal and to gathering together as a family. But not everyone has a meal or family gathering to look forward to. Ramadan is also a time to empathize with those less fortunate than ourselves. When you feel hunger and thirst, it makes empathy that much more real.
Fasting for 30 days also teaches us how little we need. It is an excellent opportunity to practise self-discipline while being charitable toward others. For those who choose to practise their faith, it is a beautiful time of year. If you celebrate Christmas, think about the feeling you get on Christmas Eve: the excitement, the happiness, the joy. That’s what Ramadan is like. Thirty days of that feeling.
Muslims live in every part of the world, so there are no traditional Ramadan foods; there are foods familiar to different regions. As the Canadian-born child of South Asian parents, I enjoy a good curry, but our go-to meals usually consist of grilled meats and veggies, hummus and a big salad. I’ve learned over the years that consuming yoghurt is an excellent way to stay hydrated. In the summer months, we have an Iftar-becue.
There are so many amazing traditions centred on charity, community and family in the holy month of Ramadan and the Islamic faith. I wish that those who are afraid of Muslims or feel that we are somehow a problem would take the time to learn more about us.
Living together in harmony is about celebrating our differences and appreciating the shared values that are at the root of the different practices and traditions we hold dear.
Fariha Naqvi-Mohamed is the founder and editor in chief of CanadianMomEh.com, a lifestyle blog. Twitter.com/canadianmomeh

Agri, processed food exports up 7% in FY19

​​Overall agri and processed food exports rose to Rs 1.28 lakh crore in financial year 2019 from Rs 1.20 lakh crore in the 2017-18 fiscal.

By
, ET Bureau|
May 11, 2019, 07.49 AM IST
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Agencies
While exports of Basmati rice grew, there was a steep decline in the export value of non-Basmati rice.
NEW DELHI: India exported 7% more agricultural and processed food products in value terms in the just concluded fiscal year, driven by doubledigit increases in dairy products and pulses, although there was muted growth in wheat and non-Basmati rice shipped out of the country.

Overall agri and processed food exports rose to Rs 1.28 lakh crore in financial year 2019 from Rs 1.20 lakh crore in the 2017-18 fiscal, according to data from the Agricultural and Processed Food Products
Export Development Authority (APEDA), the nodal agency for promotion of food exports.

Dairy products saw a 72% increase to Rs 3,376 crore from Rs 1,955 crore, while pulses went up a little over 22% to Rs 1,795 crore from Rs 1,470 crore. “The growth in pulses exports was due to back-to-back bumper crop-…but this year, there will be a drop in pulses exports as there is considerable dip in production due to droughtlike conditions in Maharashtra and Gujarat,” said an
agriculture department official.



While exports of
Basmati rice grew, there was a steep decline in the export value of non-Basmati rice and wheat. Export of Basmati rice rose to Rs 32,806 crore from Rs 26,871 crore in 2017-18, but that of the non-Basmati varieties slipped to Rs 20,903 crore from Rs 23,437 crore.

Wheat exports dropped to Rs 369 crore from Rs 624 crore. A glut in global wheat production made prices of Indian wheat uncompetitive. “Wheat from Russia and Brazil was traded more in global platforms due to their low cost. Indian surwheat took a beating as it is more remunerative to sell in local markets,” said an APEDA official.

The sector is, however, eyeing overall growth in farm exports following the introduction of a new agriculture export policy in December. The policy recommends diversification of the exports basket, and seeks to boost high-value and value-added agricultural exports, including perishables.

“The share of high-value and valueadded products is less than 15%, compared to 25% in the US and 49% in China. The focus is now on exporting processed food products, which can fetch high value in global markets,” the agriculture department official said.

India is also looking at promoting exports of organic products, which grew 39% in 2017-18. State governments should align their organic production programme with products that have export potential, an official said.