19th August 2019 Daily Global Regional Local Rice E-Newsletter
|
Seasonal Ban on Rice Imports
Lifted
The Ministry of Industries, Mining
and Trade has lifted its seasonal ban on rice imports.
The decision has been communicated to all customs bureaus across
the country in a letter signed by Ali Vakili, the director general of Imports
and Free Trade Zone Department of the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration,
Fars News Agency reported.
Every year, during the rice harvest season, the government bans
rice imports in support of domestic farmers and production.
Referring to the rise in prices of local rice varieties and the
importance of meeting domestic needs, Abbas Qobadi, deputy minister of
industries, mining and trade, underscored the need for allocating subsidized
foreign currency to import rice in a letter to the Central Bank of Iran’s
Governor Abdolnasser Hemmati.
Iranians consume more than 3 million tons of rice per
annum.
“Domestic rice production is expected to reach 2.5 million tons
by the end of the current Iranian year [March 19, 2020],” said Director General
of the Agriculture Ministry's Grains and Essential Goods Department Faramak
Aziz Karimi.
The difference between domestic production and local need is
imported from the UAE, India, Pakistan, Thailand, Turkey and Iraq.
https://financialtribune.com/articles/domestic-economy/99420/seasonal-ban-on-rice-imports-lifted
Pakistanis want land for investment
By
Ashraf Kasirye
Added 14th August 2019 07:14 PM
“The
Pakistan community would equally want to contribute to Uganda’s development by
investing especially in Agriculture produce, but most of them need government
help to ease the process of land acquisition, Nakadama said at the function.
A
section of Pakistan Nationals, some of them with Ugandan citizenship have
expressed concern over the bureaucratic process in Uganda’s land system.
“Sometimes it may take forever” a Pakistan/Ugandan National who preferred anonymity stated. “We hope our consulate will help us solve this problem” He added.
It was during the celebrations of the 14th August Pakistan independence day held by the Pakistan community under the Pakistan Association in Uganda at an only male attended the function at the Pakistan consulate in Ntinda suburbs Kampala.
“Sometimes it may take forever” a Pakistan/Ugandan National who preferred anonymity stated. “We hope our consulate will help us solve this problem” He added.
It was during the celebrations of the 14th August Pakistan independence day held by the Pakistan community under the Pakistan Association in Uganda at an only male attended the function at the Pakistan consulate in Ntinda suburbs Kampala.
Perhaps for fear of retribution, most of the affected Pakistanis were not willing to openly speak but their consular Lukia Nakadama (former minister) did. She expressed government willingness to find a solution and support for the investors.
Her first move was to invite the state minister for Lands Persis Namuganza as the guest of honor at tods colorful independence celebrations.
“The Pakistan community would equally want to contribute to Uganda’s development by investing especially in Agriculture produce, but most of them need government help to ease the process of land acquisition, Nakadama said at the function.
She said Pakistan has many potential investors who would (If given the opportunity) employ a number of Ugandans, but also widen the country’s tax base.
Namuganza
pledged government support towards the Pakistanis’ requests saying that the
government does not discriminate among investors. “We treat all investors in
the same way and we always work towards creating a conducive environment for
every one of them both local and foreign.” She said.
She
added that she has been receiving such requests of assistance especially from
Pakistan rice farmers and she has “Always helped them”. Namuganza urged
the leaders of the Pakistan Association in Uganda to lead their members to her
office which “is always open for everyone” so that they can receive the
necessary assistance.
Meanwhile, Nakadama warned Pakistan businessmen against internal disputes and fights, saying that such conflicts cripple efforts of development for both the Pakistan community but also Uganda’s business community.
She highlighted the fact that she has received several cases in her office related to fights between Pakistan businessmen and although she has tried to settle them amicably, many of them seem to be endless and unsolvable.
“You should accept competition amongst yourselves because it indicates a healthy environment for doing business” She advised them.
On the contrary, Imran Nadeem the Secretary-general of the Pakistan Association of Uganda clarified on what Nakadama referred to as ‘Internal fights’ saying that “What she calls fights is Just competition among ourselves. We do not have any conflicts at all” he stressed.
Meanwhile, Nakadama warned Pakistan businessmen against internal disputes and fights, saying that such conflicts cripple efforts of development for both the Pakistan community but also Uganda’s business community.
She highlighted the fact that she has received several cases in her office related to fights between Pakistan businessmen and although she has tried to settle them amicably, many of them seem to be endless and unsolvable.
“You should accept competition amongst yourselves because it indicates a healthy environment for doing business” She advised them.
On the contrary, Imran Nadeem the Secretary-general of the Pakistan Association of Uganda clarified on what Nakadama referred to as ‘Internal fights’ saying that “What she calls fights is Just competition among ourselves. We do not have any conflicts at all” he stressed.
Nadeem, however, contradicted himself with a rejoinder to his statement that “All business communities compete and sometimes disagree, Coca-Cola competes with Pepsi and you can’t call that fighting. I can’t say that she was lying but I believe we don’t fight; we only compete” seemingly confirming Nakadama’s claim.
Namuganza also reiterated Nakadama’s words by advising members of the Pakistan community to love one another even if they are competitors in the same business, but also love all other races including Ugandans and other foreign Nationals.
About the Kashmir conflict
Commenting about the ongoing conflict between India and Pakistan over Kashmir territory on the borders of the two countries, Nadeem and other leaders of the Pakistan community in Uganda expressed agony over what they call “Inhuman acts committed against Kashmir residents by the Indian government of India”.
“We stand together in solidarity with our brothers, sisters and children in Kashmir, while calling upon the Indian government to respect the United Nations council resolution which states that the people of Kashmir have the right to decide whether they belong to Pakistan or India” Nadeem added.
https://www.newvision.co.ug/new_vision/news/1505538/pakistanis-land-investment
7 newly
conferred, upgraded scientists take their oath
August 18, 2019 
The 2019 newly conferred and upgraded scientists
(from left): Mario V. Navasero, MSc; Imelda Angeles Agdeppa, PhD; Fe M. de la
Cueva, PhD; Olivia P. Damasco, PhD; Charito Tranquilan-Aranilla, MSc; Sofronio
C. Camacho, MSc; and Reynante L. Ordonio, PhD.
The 2019 newly conferred and upgraded scientists
(from left): Mario V. Navasero, MSc; Imelda Angeles Agdeppa, PhD; Fe M. de la
Cueva, PhD; Olivia P. Damasco, PhD; Charito Tranquilan-Aranilla, MSc; Sofronio
C. Camacho, MSc; and Reynante L. Ordonio, PhD.
The Science Career System (SCS)
held its 2019 oath-taking of newly conferred and upgraded scientists on August
9 at a hotel in Quezon City.
The oath-taking was hosted by the
SCS and National Academy of Science and Technology, Philippines (NAST PHL).
The Civil Service Commission
(CSC) and the Department of Science and Technology conferred the Scientist rank
to six new researchers and upgraded the rank of one scientist from the
University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), the Department of Agriculture
(DA) and DOST.
The newly conferred and upgraded
scientists are:
1.For Sofronio C. Camacho, Scientist
I from the Forest Development Center. He conducted significant researches
for more than three decades in the areas of community-based forest management,
citronella production and processing, bamboo production and harvesting, forest
traditional knowledge, mangrove ecosystems, forest certification and climate
change.
His researches contribute greatly
to the development of human communities and help promote sustainable and
equitable forest management and rehabilitations/restoration of degraded areas in
our country.
2. Dr. Fe M. de la Cueva,
Scientist I from the Institute of Plant Breeding (IPB) is the principal
investigator for many research projects with outputs that are now being used by
several relevant industries and stakeholders.
Among her contributions that
created an impact to the national economy or pest industry include the
development of virus using antibody-based and nucleic acid based detection
techniques, which subsequently made the Plant Laboratory of IPB as the National
Virus Indexing Lab for banana by Bioversity International.
3. Dr. Olivia P. Damasco,
Scientist I also from IPB, pioneered the banana tissue culture, a breakthrough
technology that contributed tremendously in value of clean planting materials
needed by the banana industry.
More recently, as the principal
investigator, she initiated the in vitro conversation of the Philippine
sugarcane germplasm collections. In an environment highly vulnerable to natural
calamities, climate change, and urbanization, the in vitro gene bank offers
assurance of security and safety of valuable plant genetic resources.
4. Dr. Reynante L. Ordonio,
Scientist I from the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) of the DA,
found for the first time in sorghum that gibberellin (GA) is crucial for the erectness
of its culum.
He showed that GA deficiency
resulting from any loss-of-function mutation in four genes involved in the
early steps of GA biosynthesis not only results in severe dwarfism but also
abnormal culm bending in sorghum.
5. Dr. Imelda A. Agdeppa,
Scientist II from the Food and Nutrition Research Institute of the DOST,
conducted numerous researches, which were considered as basis for crafting laws
and policies for the improvement in nutritional status of Filipinos.
They include the “Integrated
Model on School-Based Gardening, Nutrition Education and Supplementary Feeding”
which became the reference of the recently released National Supplementary
Feeding Act, and the “Pilot-Scale Commercialization Iron Fortified Rice” that
led to the release of local ordinances for the sale and consumption of
iron-fortified rice (IFR) in numerous local government units (LGUs).
This intervention model has been
fully adopted for implementation in different parts of the country. IFR is
included as a food commodity in the Family Food Packs of the Department of
Social Welfare and Development; used in the supplementary feeding program of
the Department of Education, and has attracted adopters of the technology
resulting to wider distribution of IFR.
6. Charito T. Aranilla, Scientist
I of Philippine Nuclear Research Institute, conducted significant researches in
the fields of radiation chemistry and radiation processing, utilizing ionizing
radiation like gamma radiation and electron beam to modify polymeric materials for
various applications.
She pioneered the
carboxymethylation of kappa-carrageenan (CMKC) and opened doors to more nonfood
applications of the polysaccharide. Carboxymethylation transformed
k-carrageenan from degrading to radiation crosslinking-responsive polymer.
The CMkC can be used as a
stand-alone material for developing crosslinked and sterile hydrogel for wound
care management. The crosslinked hydrogel also demonstrated super-absorbency
and biodegradability that can be utilized to ameliorate sandy soil and improved
water holding capacity to make suitable for crop cultivation.
7. Mario V. Navasero, Scientist
II from the National Crop Protection Center of UPLB, is notable for his
achievements during the period for his upgrading (2013-2015), which included
the discovery and use of Comperiella calaunica (Hymenoptera: Encytridae), an
efficient biological control agent and specific parasitoid, that contributed to
the cessation of outbreak of invasive cocolisap Aspidiotus Rigidus Reyne (Hemiptera:
Diaspididae), elucidate the chemical bases of repellency of some
plants to some major pests of rice and eggplant, and assessment of potential
impact of Bacillus thuringiensis eggplant,
the first insecticide-protected plant being developed in the country, on
nontarget arthropods.
The scientists were sworn in by
CSC and SCC Chairman Alicia de la Rosa-Bala; Science Secretary Fortunato T. de
la Peña; NAST PHL President Acd. Rhodora V. Azanza; National Research Council
of the Philippines (NRCP) President Dr. Ramon A. Razal, NAST PHL Director IV
Luningning E. Samarita-Domingo, Chairman of Special Technical Committee on
Natural Sciences, Acd. Fabian M. Dayrit, chairman of Special Technical
Committee on Agricultural Sciences, Acd. Eufemio T. Rasco Jr. and Chairman of
Special Technical Committee on Social Sciences Dr. Maria Cynthia Rose B.
Bautista.
The conferred scientists are
ranked to receive the corresponding salary grade. They are also entitled to
representation and travel allowances; Magna Carta benefits; membership in international
scientific organization and/or subscription to scientific journals; publication
assistance; and foreign travel assistance for oral paper presentation of $3,000
per scientist every two years.
With this development, the roster
of scientists conferred under the system brings the total number to 168 since
it was institutionalized in 1983 by then-President Ferdinand E. Marcos. The
system is the government’s effort for personnel in the government institutions
with limited number of available higher plantilla positions.
