Nearly
4,000 hybrid rice varieties grown in China
(Xinhua) 21:23,
September 22, 2020
CHENGDU,
Sept. 22 (Xinhua) -- Agronomists have planted about 4,000 rice varieties in a
hybrid experimental rice base in southwest China's Sichuan Province to acquire
the ideal seeds for large-scale plantation.
The
hybrid rice science park, which opened in May in the Pidu District in the
provincial capital of Chengdu, was named after China's renowned agronomist Yuan
Longping. It has 9,087 square meters for the first phase of construction, along
with 133.33 hectares of outdoor farmland.
This
year, nearly 4,000 rice varieties, each with 50 to 100 stems, have been grown
in the one-hectare experimental field, said Kuang Yinglong, breeding department
manager of the Chengdu branch of the China National Hybrid Rice R&D Center.
The
rice seeds will be obtained roughly 20 days after pollination, and the seeds
will be grown in November in Sanya, Hainan Province. The harvesting conditions
can be observed next March, said Kuang.
He
said researchers will further hybridize those with better characters to get the
ideal varieties that are genetically stable.
"Only
one-thousandth of the varieties planted every year may finally become rice seeds,
which can enter the market for farming only if they are examined and approved
by authorities," he said.
Tuesday
marked the Chinese farmers' harvest festival.
http://en.people.cn/n3/2020/0922/c90000-9763219.html
Malaysian comedian Uncle Roger
impressed with Gordon Ramsay’s recipe for Indonesian fried rice
. Picture: YouTube screenshot
WATCH:
Malaysian comedian Uncle Roger impressed with Gordon Ramsay’s Indonesian fried
rice
Malaysian comedian and YouTuber Nigel Ng aka Uncle Roger, has
given a thumbs up to British chef Gordon Ramsay’s recipe for Indonesian fried
rice.
Ng initially had low expectations of Ramsay’s skills but was
pleasantly surprised to see him using traditional methods, including using
leftover rice, local ingredients, and a wok.
He recently took on Ramsay by reviewing his method for making egg
fried rice and dismissed it as “all wrong”. Ng criticised the recipe and
questioned its authenticity.
Some of the things he disapproved was the use of a saucepan
instead of a wok, the extensive use of olive oil, frying sliced spring onions
instead of using them as a garnish, using pre-cooked rice, pouring chilli jam
into the rice, and adding a splash of water during cooking. The comedian also
stressed that if rice was too dry or too wet, the dish would be ruined. But
this time around he was very impressed.
In a video posted on his YouTube channel, Ng said he approved of
Ramsay cooking outside. He said Asian people had two kitchens, an outside
kitchen and an indoor kitchen and that indoor kitchens were only used to
impress guests and chop mangoes. He also praised Ramsay for using authentic
Indonesian spices in his fried rice.
"Oh, he knows about galangal. Not many white people know
about galangal. A bad chef would just use ginger or chilli jam,” said Ng.
Cruise giants team up and present a
scientific report on control of the pandemic on ships; CDC decision this week
Tuesday, September 22nd 2020 - 07:48 UTC
The Healthy Sail Panel
submitted its recommendations --including 74 detailed best practices– on Monday
to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
A
panel of leading scientists and medical experts convened by two of the world's
biggest cruise companies -- Royal Caribbean Group and Norwegian Cruise Line
Holdings -- has concluded that the public health risk associated with the
pandemic can be controlled on a ship.
The
Healthy Sail Panel submitted its recommendations -- including 74 detailed best
practices -- on Monday to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
in response to a CDC request for public comment.
The
CDC, which is due to make a decision on the resumption of cruising from U.S.
ports this week, will use the report to inform future public health guidance
and preventative measures relating to travel on cruise ships. Currently, the
CDC sail order is in force until September 30.
“We
understand our responsibility to act aggressively to protect the health and
safety of our guests and crew, as well as the communities where we sail, and we
asked the panel to help us learn how to best live up to that responsibility,”
Chairman and CEO of Royal Caribbean Group Richard D. Fain said in a statement.
“We
were inspired by the depth of the panel's work and their determination to help
us establish the strongest protocols in the travel industry.”
The
work from the panel represents a rare collaboration between two otherwise
competing cruise lines, who united behind an effort to ensure cruising remained
safe and healthy and that ships could return to sailing.
“The
Healthy Sail Panel's recommendations are robust and comprehensive, and they
reflect the intense focus the panelists brought to their work,” President and
CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. Frank Del Rio said.
“We
know that both authorities around the globe and consumers expect cruise lines
to provide the safest, healthiest vacations we can, and this work demonstrates
our commitment to doing just that.”
Both
companies have lost billions of dollars since the pandemic forced a pause in
cruise ship operations worldwide.
A
few days after the Executive Management Committee (Gecex) of the Chamber of
Foreign Trade (Camex) zeroed the import duty on rice in an attempt to lower the
price of the product to the final consumer, the United States reported the sale
of 30,000 tons of the product to Brazil on Friday, September 18, according to
information published by Reuters. The quota establishes that until December
this year, 400,000 tons of rice may be imported from countries outside
Mercosur.
Study zeroes in
on target plant hormone to improve potassium deficiency in rice
Plants deficient in Potassium more susceptible to salt, drought,
chilling and other stresses
Study zeroes in on target plant
hormone to improve potassium deficiency in rice
By Sunderarajan Padmanabhan
Last
Updated: Tuesday 22 September 2020
Targeting a specific plant
hormone would help rice plants have greater tolerance to potassium deficiency,
in turn, improving rice productivity, a new study has suggested.
The plant hormone called Jasmonate (JA) is often associated
with the plant’s defence against biotic factors like insects, pests and other
pathogens.
The overexpression of a gene
called OsJAZ9 helped make rice plants more tolerant of potassium deficiency,
the study noted. It was conducted by a team of scientists at the Department of
Biotechnology’s New Delhi-based National Institute of Plant Genome Research
(DBT-NIPGR).
There was an enhanced
accumulation of JA-Ile — a bioactive form of the hormone, in rice on potassium
deficiency, the scientist found. The JA-Ile then activates potassium
transporters for its uptake from the media.
The Green Revolution of the 1960s
was driven by another plant hormone called Gibberellins (GA). The new study
suggests that future research could be targeted towards JA that could help
achieve both, nutrient- efficient crops and protection against pests.
Potassium is one of the most
important macronutrients for plants. Plants require, among other things, a high
and relatively stable concentration of potassium ion to activate many enzymes
that are involved in respiration and photosynthesis. Potassium is also involved
in key cellular processes such as energy production, and cell expansion.
However, despite being among the most abundant minerals in the
soil, its availability to plants is limited. This is because most of the soil
potassium (about 98 per cent) is in bound forms and its release into the soil
solution is far slower than the rate of its acquisition by the roots.
The availability of potassium in
the soil solution or exchangeable form depends on multiple factors like soil
acidity, presence of other monovalent cations like sodium and ammonium ions and
the type of soil particles.
Deficiency in potassium affects
plants by inhibiting the growth of the roots and the shoots. Studies have shown
that plants that are deficient in potassium are more susceptible to salt,
drought, chilling and other abiotic and biotic stresses.
“Future agriculture has to be
input efficient rather than input intensive. This study adds to the
molecular/genetic resources for improving fertiliser use efficiency in rice
which is of prime value for achieving sustainable agriculture,” senior author
of the paper, Jitender Giri, said.
Besides Giri, other members of
the research team included Ajit Pal Singh, Bipin K Pandey, Poonam Mehra and
Thierry Heitz. They have published a paper on their work in the Journal of Plant Molecular Biology. (India Science Wire)
Scientists
develop salt-resistant rice variety
Sep.
22 06:00 am JST
TOKYO
A Japan-based team of biological
scientists has developed a new rice variety through genetic improvement in an
attempt to increase crop yields in a salty paddy field.
The team, led by the National
Agriculture and Food Research Organization, has said it succeeded in finding a
gene that determines the angle of root growth, hoping the discovery will lead
to more new rice varieties amid the growing risk of salt damage as a result of
frequent high tides and typhoons due to global warming.
Salt damage is predicted to affect
about half the world's existing arable land by 2050, with coastal areas in
Japan and some other countries, including Bangladesh and Vietnam, already
facing challenges, according to the team.
"By using this gene it may be
possible to design how rice roots grow to suit farmland conditions," said
Yusaku Uga, a principal scientist at the organization.
The gene was found in one type of
Indonesian rice, whose roots grow along the surface of the ground.
Just as in a drought, soil with
high levels of salinity hinders plants to uptake water. Moreover, the soil
becomes too firm as a result of a large amount of salt, making them depleted of
oxygen.
Presuming that rice would also be
more resilient if its roots can grow along the surface of the soil, the team
spent four years from 2015 monitoring how the Japanese rice Sasanishiki
crossbred with the Indonesian variety produces grains in a salty paddy field,
compared with ordinary Sasanishiki.
The scientists said the genetically
improved rice saw a 15 percent increase in harvest in salty water. Meanwhile,
it showed no difference in growth performance in a normal paddy field.
Shallower roots are also said to be
advantageous for plants to uptake phosphorus which is an essential nutrient,
suggesting the method could be beneficial for farmers in poverty-stricken
countries and regions where fertilizers are not easily available, Uga said.
The 45-year-old scientist said the
findings hold promise for other crops including corns and soybeans as they have
similar genes that determine the angle of root growth.
"With further research and
experiment, non-Japanese varieties resilient to salt damage could be developed,
which will likely help farmers in different parts of the world who are
threatened by natural disasters," he said.
© KYODO
In
Memory: Kenny & Missy Hix
|
USA
Rice extends condolences to the family and friends of Kenneth Lloyd Hix and
his wife, Missy Lynn Toups, both 59, who died on September 20, in a plane
crash near Waco, Texas. Survivors include their two sons, Austin J. Hix
and Connor J. Hix of Lafayette, Louisiana. Latest
US rice domestic usage report now Available |
|
Latest
U.S. Rice Domestic Usage Report Now Available ARLINGTON,
VA -- USA Rice released the annual U.S. Rice Domestic Usage Report today,
tracking domestic shipments and consumption of U.S. milled rice from August
2018 to July 2019. According to the report, U.S. rice mills shipped
108.4 million cwt of rice to domestic and foreign markets, an increase of 1.6
percent over the 2017-18 market year. |
House Passes Continuing Resolution,
Including CCC Replenishment
By Jamison Cruce
WASHINGTON, DC -- Last night, the
U.S. House of Representatives passed a stopgap funding measure by an
overwhelmingly large margin that included replenishment of the Commodity Credit
Corporation (CCC). USA Rice strongly
advocated for the inclusion of this provision to eliminate funding disruptions
for farm safety net and other critical programs.
"The inclusion of CCC
replenishment is by and large appreciated by rice farmers across the
country," said Nicole Montna Van Vleck, California rice farmer and chair
of the USA Rice Farmers. "The
certainty this provides us in such an unprecedented year is necessary." 
The Senate must now consider the
funding measure, and the White House must sign off on the bill. If passed by midnight on September 30, the
government will be funded through December 11, 2020, at which time additional
funding will be needed to avoid a government shutdown and keep the government
funded through the remainder of fiscal year 2021.
"It is our hope the Senate and
White House will swiftly approve this Continuing Resolution which will ensure
that our rice farmers have access to the farm safety net and conservation
programs mandated by the farm bill," said Ben Mosely, USA Rice vice
president of government affairs.
gal
Shobha Roy Kolkata | Updated
on September 23, 2020 Published
on September 23, 2020
Expectations of a bumper output, drop in
export to Bangladesh weighing on prices
West Bengal is likely to record a
bumper production of kharif paddy this year. But this is no good news for
farmers of the State as prices have already started moving south. Lacklustre
demand in the domestic market plus drop in export to neighbouring Bangladesh
are weighing on market sentiments.
In April, the prices of paddy in
West Bengal surged in the wake of the pandemic by nearly ₹100 a quintal to ₹1,616. By July-August, the prices
moved to nearly ₹1,770 a quintal on the back of steady procurement (of the winter
crop) by the government.
However, with the distribution of
free rice by the State and Centre in the subsequent months, the prices in the
open market started inching down. As on date, paddy price in the open market is
around ₹1,617 a quintal against MSP of ₹1,868. According to trade
sources, the open market price of paddy is likely to decline further as fresh
arrivals start next month; also, there is uncertainty over exports to
Bangladesh.
“Between September and February
every year (9 lakh tonnes last year), a good quantum of non-basmati rice is
exported to Bangladesh and this keeps prices firm in the domestic market.
However, this year the Bangladesh government has levied 55 per cent import
duty, and hence there has been no orders. This is what is putting prices under
pressure,” said Suraj Agarwal, CEO, Tirupati Agri Trade.
Procurement, output
West Bengal, which produces close
to 15-16 million tonnes of paddy each year across the three seasons and
accounts for nearly 14 per cent of the country’s total production, is likely to
witness higher crop this year. The “better than optimum” rainfall received
during the season is likely to push up the yield of the crop this year, said
sources in the State agri department.
Pradip Kumar Mazumder, Chief
Advisor (Agriculture) to the Chief Minister, said, “In terms of area under
cultivation, we are already saturated, so there is no increase, but given the
supportive weather, the yield this year is likely to be higher than previous
year.”
That said, procurement in Bengal
is not likely to be any higher this year, say trade sources.
The State has always seen only
limited procurement; 70 per cent or more of it is actually only sold in the
open market where prices fluctuate depending on demand and quality. According
to Sushil Kumar Choudhury, President, Bengal Rice Mills Association, the
procurement by the State government last year was 49 lakh tonnes (lt) against
the target of 52 lt. This year too, he says, not more than 50-52 lt may be
procured.
Given that the production is
likely to be higher than last year, prices are likely to fall further unless
the government steps up its procurement this year, a rice mill owner said on
conditions of anonymity.
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Farm Bills
impact: Punjab, Haryana cut market fee for basmati and cotton
Madhya Pradesh to give PM-KISAN beneficiaries
additional Rs 4,000 per year
Topics
Punjab farmers | Haryana | Basmati
Sanjeeb Mukherjee
| New Delhi Last Updated at September 23, 2020 01:00 IST
However, basmati prices in some parts of the state were trading at
Rs 500-600 per quintal less than last year’s price of Rs 2,400 a quintal.
·
ALSO READ
Days after the Centre passed three
farm Bills in Parliament, enraging some farmer organisations, major grain
producing states reacted to the changed scenario.
On Tuesday, Punjab lowered the
market fee and rural development fee for basmati traders and millers from 2 per
cent to 1 per cent to provide a level playing field in comparison to
neighbouring Haryana.
“Chief Minister (Capt Amarinder
Singh) announces reduction in market and rural development fee for Basmati. Move to provide level playing
field for Punjab Basmati Traders and
millers with other states in light of farm Bills,” the Punjab CM’s office
tweeted. Punjab also allowed the premises of rice millers to be considered
mandi yards along with host of other changes to the custom milling policy,
which it said was meant to ensure seamless procurement of paddy that will start
in the next few weeks.
Though basmati is not among the
crops that are procured under the minimum support price (MSP) system, basmati
exporters were reported to be on the warpath demanding lower taxes to remain
competitive with their counterparts in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.
ALSO READ: Nitish hails new farm laws, says it
won't have adverse impact on mandis
However, basmati prices in some
parts of the state were trading at Rs 500-600 per quintal less than last year’s
price of Rs 2,400 a quintal.
Haryana
Haryana, too, announced a reduction
of market fees and rural development fee on cotton and barik dhan (a paddy
variety) from 2 per cent to 0.5 per cent.
Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar
said it was also decided after a meeting with the association of commission
agents that the state will clear labour dues to commission agents within 15
days of closure of procurement or else pay a 12 per cent annual interest on the
dues.
Commission agents in the state have
been on strike over the past few days, demanding a reduction in market fees.
Farmers in Punjab and Haryana have been at the forefront of
agitation against the three Acts that allow outside mandi transactions, provide
a framework for contract farming, and amend the Essential Commodities Act by
delisting some fruits and vegetables. On Monday, the Centre marginally hiked
the MSP of wheat by 2.6 per cent, the lowest in 10 years.
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister
Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced that all the existing farmer-beneficiaries of
Prime Minister Kisan Samman Nidhi will get an additional cash transfer of Rs
4,000 in their bank accounts in two equal installments in a financial year.
This, according to local reports, will be in addition to the Rs 6,000 per year
installment under the PM-KISAN scheme.
Punjab lowers market fee on basmati
rice
Sep 22, 2020 (MENAFN via COMTEX) --
(MENAFN - IANS)
Chandigarh, Sep 22 (IANS) Paving
the way to provide a level-playing field for basmati traders and millers from
within and outside Punjab, especially in the light of the provisions of the new
agriculture Bills, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday announced
reduction in the market development fee and the rural development fee rates,
from two to one per cent each.
The move, which will also help keep
Punjab basmati competitive in the international markets, will provide relief to
the tune of Rs100 crore to traders and millers, according to an official
spokesperson.
However, the change comes with the
caveat that no refund of any fee will be allowed to any paddy, rice dealer,
miller or trader for export of the basmati paddy or rice to
other countries from the state.
The Chief Minister's announcements
came in response to a proposal of the Punjab Mandi Board, made after thorough
examination of the representations received from the Punjab Rice Millers and
Exporters Association and the Punjab Basmati Rice Millers and Exporter
Association.
The Punjab Rice Millers and Exporters
Association had submitted that with the farm ordinances coming into force, the
disparity in fees and other charges among the basmati producing states would be
around four per cent, thus making the rice industry
in Punjab economically unviable as it would be unable to compete with rice exporters
in Haryana, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, which had totally exempted the market fees
from agricultural produce.
They had also pleaded that
Punjab-based exporters would not be able to cover the additional cost of taxes,
which is four per cent plus, thus making it extremely difficult for them to
remain in business.
This trend may force them to purchase
paddy from other states to remain in competition.
Pointing to the excellent Mandi
infrastructure network of the Punjab Mandi Board, the Association had urged the
state government to implement 0.35 per to one per cent usage charges or mandi
fees on the first purchase instead of all other charges that are currently
levied, in order to keep the Punjab rice industry
competitive viz-a-viz other states.
--IANS
vg/rt
MENAFN2209202002310000ID1100838297
Mandi fee cut
by Haryana, Punjab to benefit basmati trade
TV Jayan New Delhi | Updated
on September 23, 2020 Published
on September 23, 2020
Gujarat APMC workers fear lay-offs, seek pay-protection
‘Move will ensure level playing field’
Rice millers and exporters would
benefit significantly from a recent move by Haryana and Punjab governments to
slash market fee levied on basmati rice by 50 per cent or more.
The decision was announced by
respective State governments on Tuesday within two days of the Centre passing a
farm Bill that allows direct trade of agricultural produce outside recognised
grain mandis across the country without any cess. The move is expected to save
hundreds of crores of rupees for agri-business firms dealing in basmati rice.
While Punjab government announced
it would reduce market development fee (MDF) and rural development fee (RDF)
from 2 per cent to 1 per cent each, Haryana slashed them from 2 per cent each
to 0.5 per cent each, respectively.
Currently, rice mills and
processing units pay 4 per cent for buying basmati crop from designated
Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) mandis in these two States.
According to an official spokesperson
for Punjab government, this is being done to open up a level-playing field and
the decision is expected to give millers and traders a relief of ₹100 crore in Punjab alone.
GPS Randhawa, General, Manager
(Projects), at the Punjab State Agricultural Marketing Board, said they are yet
to receive a notification from the government, but added that the information
is correct.
“This is being done to help
millers and exporters from the State retain their competitive edge as the
neighbouring States have reduced the fee,” Randhawa said.
However, Bal Kishan Bali,
President of Punjab Rice Millers and Exporters Association, said their demand
was to reduce MDF and RDF to 0.5 per cent each as was done by Haryana.
“We would like to procure basmati
from grain mandis. Moreover, unlike other States such as Haryana, Uttar
Pradesh, and Rajasthan, Punjab has not allowed trade outside mandis after the
Centre brought in the ordinances, which have now become a Bill after the
parliament passing them,” Bali said.
According to him, the State
government may have to do this if Punjab has to retain its pole position as the
State with highest basmati exports. India exports over 4 million tonnes of the
aromatic rice annually on an average of which more than 40 per cent comes from
Punjab, he said.
Market fee income
Sanjeev Kaushal, Additional Chief
Secretary to the Haryana government, who has the charge of Department of
Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, said the State has reduced MDF on most rice
varieties other than PR varieties and cotton from 2 per cent to 0.5 per cent.
“Besides, the law is being
amended by the Department of Development and Panchayats to bring down HRDF
(Haryana RDF) to 0.5 per cent from existing 2 per cent with retrospective
effect,” Kaushal said.
In 2018-19, total income from the
collection of market fee was nearly ₹820 crore and HRDF, too, yielded
an income which is slightly less than this, according to information available
from the Haryana State Agricultural Marketing Board.
Six O’Clock
Solution: Middle Eastern dishes made easy by Sabrina Ghayour
This recipe for pomegranate
molasses and honey-glazed meatballs is among more than 100 in the Tehran-born,
London-based chef's book Simply: Easy Everyday Dishes.
Author of the article:
• Special
to Montreal Gazette
Publishing date:
Sep 22, 2020 • Last
Updated 1 day ago • 2 minute read
Sabrina
Ghayour's pomegranate molasses and honey-glazed meatballs can be served with
basmati rice. PHOTO BY KRIS KIRKHAM
Article content
Economical Middle Eastern cuisine is the topic of Simply: Easy
Everyday Dishes (Interlink Publishing/Canadian Manda Group, $38.99) by
Tehran-born, London-based chef and cooking teacher Sabrina Ghayour. She is
among the food writers whose books have increased the popularity of Middle
Eastern cuisine and led to the wider availability in our stores of such
products as za’atar, sumac, fenugreek, pomegranate molasses and preserved
lemons.
Ghayour’s fifth book is a beauty, thanks to the photographs of
Kris Kirkham. The big plus over some Middle East cookbooks is the simplicity of
the 100-plus recipes. Imagine this succulent meatball dish paired with a salad
of romaine and preserved lemon, plus hazelnuts for crunch. Another winner is
fried chicken wings glazed with a sweet and sour sauce containing harissa, the
Tunisian hot pepper paste. Or eggplant slices grilled and topped with a red pepper
sauce, with walnuts as an accent.
Six O’Clock
Solution: Middle Eastern dishes made easy by Sabrina Ghayour
Advertisement
Article content continued
Serve these meatballs with basmati rice — either plain or combined
with onions, garlic and tomato paste, another of Ghayour’s easy recipes.
Pomegranate
Molasses and Honey-Glazed Meatballs
Serves 6
1 1/4 pounds (625 g) ground beef
1 onion, very finely chopped (or mince the onion in a
food processor and drain off any liquid)
1 cup (250 mL) fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely
chopped
1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
1 teaspoon (5 mL) ground cumin
1 teaspoon (5 mL) ground coriander
1 teaspoon (5 mL) ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon (5 mL) sea salt flakes, crumbled, or to
taste
Vegetable oil
1/4 cup (60 mL) pomegranate molasses
2 tablespoons (30 mL) liquid honey
Put ground beef in a large mixing bowl, breaking up clumps with a
fork or your hands. Blend in the onion, parsley, garlic, cumin, coriander,
cinnamon and salt. Keep blending until you have a smooth mixture.
Advertisement
Article content continued
Shape the mixture into 24 to 28 evenly sized meatballs.
Heat a large, heavy frying pan (or two pans) over medium-high
heat. Once pan is hot, add enough vegetable oil to coat the bottom.
When oil is hot, fry meatballs in batches for eight to 10 minutes,
turning to brown well on all sides. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked
meatballs to drain on a tray or platter covered with paper towels.
Make glaze by combining the pomegranate molasses and honey in a
cup.
Wipe out pan with paper towels and return to the stove over medium
heat. Return cooked meatballs to the pan and drizzle all over with the glaze,
rolling the meatballs in the glaze to coat all sides.
Cook for two to three minutes until the glaze has reduced to a
sticky coating. Serve hot.
Mars drops Uncle Ben’s, reveals
new name for rice brand
By
September 23, 2020 at
4:02 AM EDT
NEW YORK — The Uncle Ben’s rice brand is getting a new name:
Ben’s Original.
Parent firm Mars Inc. unveiled the change Wednesday for the
70-year-old brand, the latest company to drop a logo criticized as a racial
stereotype. Packaging with the new name will hit stores next year.
“We listened to our associates and our customers and the time is
right to make meaningful changes across society,” said Fiona Dawson, global
president for Mars Food, multisales and global customers. “When you are making
these changes, you are not going to please everyone. But it’s about doing the
right thing, not the easy thing.”
Several companies have retired racial imagery from their
branding in recent months, a ripple effect from the Black Lives Matters
protests over the police killing of George Floyd and other African Americans.
AD
Quaker Oats announced in June that it would drop Aunt Jemima
from syrup and pancake packages, responding to criticism that the character’s
origins were based the “mammy,” a black woman content to serve her white
masters. Quaker said packages without the Aunt Jemima image will start to
appear in stores by the end of the year, although the company has not revealed
the new logo.
The owner of Eskimo Pie has also said it will change its name
and marketing of the nearly century-old chocolate-covered ice cream bar. Beyond
food brands, the Washington NFL franchise dropped the “Redskins” name and
Indian head logo amid pressure from sponsors including FedEx, Nike, Pepsi and
Bank of America.
Geechie Boy Mill, a family-owned operation in South Carolina
that makes locally-grown and milled white grits, is also planning a name
change. Geechie is a dialect spoken mainly by the descendants of
African-American slaves who settled on the Ogeechee river in Georgia, according
to Merriam-Webster.com.
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“We are in the process of changing our name and have developed a
whole new brand. We look forward to sharing it with the public,” said Greg
Johnsman, owner of Geechie Boy Mill.
Mars had announced in the summer that the Uncle Ben’s brand
would “evolve.”
Since the 1940s, the rice boxes have featured a white-haired
Black man, sometimes with a bow tie, an image critics say evokes servitude.
Mars has said the face was originally modeled after a Chicago maitre d’ named
Frank Brown. In a short-lived 2007 marketing campaign, the company elevated
Uncle Ben to chairman of a rice company.
Dawson said months of conversations with employees, customer
studies and other stakeholders led the company to settle on “Ben’s Original.
She said the company is still deciding on an image to accompany the new name.
Mars also announced several other initiatives, including a $2
million investment in culinary scholarships for aspiring Black chefs in
partnership with the National Urban League. It also is planning a $2.5 million
investment in nutritional and education programs for students in Greenville,
Mississippi, the majority African-American city where the rice brand has been
produced for more than 40 years.
Mars said it has set a goal of increasing the ranks of racial
minorities in U.S. management positions by 40%. The company did not give a
timeframe for reaching that number.
___
AP Writer Dee-Ann Durbin in Detroit contributed to this story.
Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This
material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without
permission.
Fürstenhof
Delivers on Fine Dining
Curious Kitchen | 2020-09-22Page no:
3
by Martha Mukaiwa
Photo: Martha Mukaiwa
WHEN
your lunch delivery arrives precisely on time, it's reasonable to assume the
frantic drive over will have left your food looking like the dog's breakfast.
Not so
if you've been sage enough to order from Protea Hotel Fürstenhof in Windhoek.
Instead your food will appear warm, delicious and presented more beautifully
than one would imagine given the uninspiring limits of basic, landfill-destined
polystyrene.
Arriving masked, polite and with the convenience of a card machine,
Fürstenhof's delivery driver brings the brown-bagged goods. An order of beef
lasagne and crisp salad, a gigantic chicken burger topped with onion marmalade,
bacon and cheddar, succulent herb grilled calamari, a sweet square of baked
vanilla cheesecake with blueberry compote as well as complimentary mini malva
pudding.
Windhoek's flourishing post-Covid-19 delivery industry is touch and go, so
expectations are kept cautiously low but Fürstenhof doesn't disappoint.
The portions are more than generous and excellent value for money. When
Furstenhof says calamari, they don't mean rings, they mean a tower of steaks.
The presentation mimics the gourmet plates one would find in the sparkling
hotel and everything, including the side salads, is fresh and fabulous.
“We decided to launch this affordable takeaway initiative because of the
Covid-19 restrictions. As Protea Hotel by Marriott Fürstenhof has a restaurant,
we wanted people across Windhoek to be able to enjoy fine dining in the comfort
of their homes,” says the hotel's marketing executive, Soini Andreas.
“We also offer free delivery services to ease the stress of spending too much
on great meals during the pandemic.”
Also offering a modest but satisfying selection of Greek and chicken salad,
flame-grilled beef and chicken hamburgers, wraps, pasta, chicken wings, pork
chops, lamb, 10-person party platters and sides of baked roast potatoes,
basmati rice, roasted vegetables and seasonal garden salad, Fürstenhof has you
covered for hearty cuisine with a touch of class.
“People eat with their eyes so our meals are packaged to create a mouthwatering
experience for our customers. The food is simple yet delicious and homey,”
says Andreas, who recommends the takeaway and delivery service for everyday use
or special nights in.
“We cater to everyone across the city but especially corporate individuals who
want a quick bite for lunch. The service is also great for family and friends
who don't have time or are too lazy to cook but want to indulge in a great
meal, professional group gatherings and meetings as well as couples who want to
have an indoor date night.”
Upping the takeaway game in terms of service (thank you, Alexia!), taste, bang
for buck and presentation, Protea Hotel Fürstenhof definitely delivers on fine
dining.
Follow Fürstenhof Restaurant and Bar on Instagram and Facebook for menus and
delivery details or call 061 237 380 to place your order.
– martha@namibian.com.na; Martha Mukaiwa on Facebook, Twitter and
Instagram;marthamukaiwa.com
https://www.namibian.com.na/94936/read/F%C3%BCrstenhof-Delivers-on-Fine-Dining
SEPTEMBER 21, 2020 00:02 IST
There is good reason why opposition to the agriculture Bills may
be a reflection of the genuine concerns of farmers
In a virtual rally, the Prime
Minister blamed the Opposition parties for misleading farmers about
the three Bills on agriculture, in Parliament.
While the Opposition may have taken up the cudgels recently, the fact is that
farmers have been protesting against the Bills ever since it was promulgated as
ordinances in June. These are The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce
(Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and
Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020, and the
Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020. The resignation of Food Processing Industries Minister (and
Shiromani Akali Dal MP), Harsimrat Kaur Badal, from the Union Cabinet, and
dissenting voices from various mass organisations affiliated to the Rashtriya
Swayamsevak Sangh suggest that the opposition to the Bills may not be
politically motivated; rather, it may be a reflection of the genuine concerns
of farmers.
In brief, the Bills aim to do
away with government interference in agricultural trade by creating trading
areas free of middlemen and government taxes outside the structure of
Agricultural Produce Market Committees (APMCs) along with removing restrictions
of private stockholding of agricultural produce. Attempts to reform the APMC
are not new and have been part of the agenda of successive governments for the
last two decades. Most farmer organisations also agree that there is excessive
political interference and there is need for reform as far as functioning
of mandis are concerned.
No consultation
Several reforms at the level of
the central government as well as at the State level have been introduced and
welcomed by farmers. However, in this particular case, the issue is not about
the Bills; it is also about the process of their introduction. As was pointed
out by Ms. Badal, the government has failed to have or hold any discussion with
the various stakeholders including farmers and middlemen. This is also true
when it comes to consultation with State governments even though the subject of
trade and agriculture are part of subjects on the State list. The attempt to
pass the Bills without proper consultation adds to the mistrust among various
stakeholders including State governments. While the lack of consultation has
certainly added to the element of mistrust between the government and farmers,
some of the issues raised by farmer organisations are also genuine; recent
trends in agricultural prices and incomes have only confirmed these fears.
While farmer organisations see
these Bills as part of the larger agenda of corporatisation of agriculture and
a withdrawal of government support, the immediate concern has been the attempt
to weaken the APMC mandis and eventual withdrawal of the Minimum Support Prices
(MSP) guaranteed by the government. Although the government has clarified that
these Bills do not imply withdrawal of procurement by the State at MSP, there
is a genuine fear among farmers about the true intentions of the government.
The mistrust is not unfounded given the track record of this government on many
issues including demonetisation of 2016, the introduction of Goods and Services
Tax and so on. There may not be direct evidence of crony capitalism, but the
entry, in a big way, of two of the biggest corporate groups (Adani and
Reliance) in food and agricultural retail and the timing of the Bills have not
gone unnoticed.
Reflects poor understanding
The idea of allowing greater
participation of traders and farmers outside the APMC has already been in place
in different form. Even otherwise, APMCs account for less than a fourth of
total agricultural trade. But APMCs do play an important role of price
discovery essential for agricultural trade and production choices. The
vilification of APMCs and the middlemen who facilitate trade in these mandis is a poor reflection of the
understanding of functioning of agricultural markets. The middlemen are a part
of the larger ecosystem of agricultural trade, with deep links between farmers
and traders. Most farmers are familiar with the functioning of mandis and see it as an essential
part of agricultural trade despite shortcomings. While the proposed Bills do
not do away with the APMC mandis, the preference for corporate interests at the cost of farmers’
interests and a lack of regulation in these non-APMC mandis are cause for concern. The
absence of any regulation in non-APMC mandis is being seen as a precursor to the withdrawal of the guarantee
of MSP-based procurement.
The Bihar example
The dominant concern in this
regard has been expressed by farmers in Punjab and Haryana. Farmers in these
States have genuine concern about the continuance of the MSP-based public
procurement given the large-scale procurement operations in these States. These
fears gain strength with the experience of States such as Bihar which abolished
APMCs in 2006. After the abolition of mandis, farmers in Bihar on average received lower prices compared to
the MSP for most crops. For example, as against the MSP of ₹1,850 a quintal for maize, most
farmers in Bihar reported selling their produce at less than ₹1,000 a quintal. Despite the
shortcomings and regional variations, farmers still see the APMC mandis as essential to ensuring
the survival of MSP regime.
While retail prices have remained
high, data from the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) suggest a deceleration in farm
gate prices for most agricultural produce. This has happened despite increased
procurement through the MSP-based regime for paddy and wheat. Decline in basmati rice prices by more than
30% and despite higher international prices suggests the limitation of market
intervention in raising farm gate prices. For most crops where MSP-led
procurement is non-existent, the decline has been sharper. Even cash crops such
as cotton have seen a collapse in prices in the absence of government
intervention. With rising input costs, farmers do not see the market providing
them remunerative prices. At the same time, ad hoc interventions by government such
as raising import duties on masur and a ban on onion exports also raise suspicion about the
intent of the government to leave the price discovery mechanism on the market.
The protests by farmers are essentially a reflection of the mistrust between
farmers and the stated objective of these reforms.
Himanshu is Associate Professor, Centre for Economic Studies and
Planning, School of Social Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New
Delhi
Related Topics
https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/its-a-no-green-signal-from-the-farm-world/article32655181.ece
Rise of rice farming in Asia
3,000 years ago explained in UH research
UH
News » Research » Rise of rice farming…
·
September
22, 2020
·
UH News
Coastal rice fields in Fujian, China
New research has shed light on how paddy field rice farming
rapidly expanded along Asia’s coastline 2,000–3,000 years ago after freshwater
conditions improved, according to an international team of earth sciences
researchers that includes a University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
archaeology professor. The findings were featured
in an article in Proceedings of the National
Academy of Science.
Barry V. Rolett
“Rice is the foundation of Asian civilizations, and our study
reveals a remarkable relationship involving late Holocene coastal evolution and
the rise of rice agriculture across coastal Asia,” said Professor Barry V. Rolett in the College
of Social Sciences. “This model helps explain
ancient DNA evidence suggesting a major Bronze Age demographic
expansion of rice farmers of northern East Asian descent.”
Although rice history is well
documented in the lower Yangtze homeland area, the early southward expansion of
paddy rice farming was poorly known. The study investigated the process using a
compilation of paleoenvironmental proxies from coastal sediment cores from
Southeast China to Thailand and other areas of Southeast Asia.Rolett explained
that the emergence of coastal plains under enhanced freshwater conditions
created expansive areas suitable for rice. As a result, over the past three
millennia, the extent of coastal land suitable for wetland rice cultivation
grew from about 16,000 to 96,000 square kilometers, or 9,941 to 59,651 square
miles.
The research was supported by
grants from the National Key Research and Development Program of China,
National Natural Science Foundation of China and the Andover Foundation for
Archaeological Research. Rolett’s fellow researchers were Ting Ma and Zhuo
Zheng at Sun Yat-Sen University in Guangzhou, and Yongqiang Zong at the
University of Hong Kong.
https://www.hawaii.edu/news/2020/09/22/rice-farming-asia-3000-years-ago/
Indonesia starts developing
controversial food estate project
SEPTEMBER 23, 202011:35 AMUPDATED JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesia
has started developing a food estate to grow rice, corn and other crops that
should eventually span the archipelago and aims to curb reliance on food
imports in the world’s fourth most populous country, President Joko Widodo said
on Wednesday.
FILE PHOTO: Indonesia's President Joko Widodo attends an ASEAN
leaders summit with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, in
Bangkok, Thailand November 3, 2019. REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun
The project, which is spearhead by the president’s former rival
turned minister Prabowo Subianto, is expected to cover an area of 770,000
hectares (1,903,000 acres), or more than ten times the size of Singapore.
The estate will allocate 148,000 hectares to rice and 622,000
hectares of non-irrigated land for crops like maize, said the president, who is
widely known as Jokowi.
The food estate will be first located in Central Kalimantan on
Borneo island and in North Sumatra, and will be extended to West Papua, East
Nusa Tenggara and South Sumatra, Jokowi said in a televised cabinet meeting.
“Infrastructure support and road access will also be carried out
in the field immediately so that... large modern agricultural tools will not
experience difficulties,” he said.
Self-sufficiency in food, sometimes via ambitious projects, has
long been a target for Indonesian politicians, given the country is a top
importer of wheat and rice.
In the case of rice, a high-profile attempt by former autocrat
Suharto to restore Indonesia’s self-sufficiency in the 1990s under Central
Kalimantan’s Mega Rice Project proved disastrous due to the ill-suited peat
land.
Green groups have also criticised the latest plan and warned of
the risk that dried out peatland could trigger devastating forest fires.
Defense minister Prabowo said after the announcement the project
was needed now due to food scarcity warnings by the Food and Agriculture
Organisation of the United Nations amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
He also said the government wanted to “ensure that we don’t
depend on foreign supplies”.
Prabowo said the project would initially grow 30,000 hectares of
cassava and this would rise to 1.4 million by the end of 2025 with its flour
used as an ingredient of staples like bread and noodles.
Reporting by Maikel Jefriando; Writing by Fathin Ungku; Editing
by Ed Davies
Defer rice imports, Imee urges gov’t
Published September 23, 2020, 3:56 PM
Sen. Imee R. Marcos, chairwoman of the
Senate Committee on Economic Affairs, has urged the government to defer rice
importation until after the peak of the wet season harvest in October, to
enable farmers to recover from farmgate prices being kept low by rice traders.
Senator
Imee R. Marcos (Senate of the Philippines / MANILA BULLETIN)
Marcos warned that farmgate prices of palay
might again plunge from the present P12 to P15 per kilo to P7 to P8, as it did
last year when rice imports caused an oversupply and dragged down prices.
“Importation does not mean the end of all
regulation,” Imee said.
“Scheduling importation is one way of
helping our local rice farmers while the rice tariffication law remains in
place,” she added.
Marcos urged the Bureau of Customs to “go a
step further” after it exposed rice traders who misdeclared and undervalued
their imports last year by more than P1 billion.
“Beyond collecting deficient payments on
import duties and taxes, cancel the permits of this brazen cartel of importers
and reshuffle or remove Customs officials who allowed this to happen,” she
said.
Marcos added that tariff collections must
be protected to augment the budget of the Department of Agriculture (DA) budget
which faces a deep cut for next year, limiting the ability to procure more rice
from local farmers and provide them more drying machines, tube wells,
higher-yielding hybrid seeds, and fertilizer.
Local rice farmers remain on edge, as
neighboring countries resume exports after a brief lull during the early months
of the COVID-19 pandemic, Marcos said.
“Our food security should not depend on
imports, though they lower prices for the consumer. We must support our own
rice supply chain,” Marcos said, emphasizing that local farmers are capable of
providing 93 percent of national supply and that only seven percent needs to be
imported.
https://mb.com.ph/2020/09/23/defer-rice-imports-imee-urges-govt/
Rice-crab
commensal eco-agriculture mode helps increase people's income in Hebei
Source:
Xinhua| 2020-09-23 07:18:14|Editor: huaxia
Photo taken on Sept. 22, 2020 shows the crabs raised in paddy
fields in Lingtou Village, Lutai Economic Development Zone of Tangshan City,
north China's Hebei Province. In recent years, local authorities of Lutai have
put efforts into the organic rice production. People here developed a rice-crab
commensal eco-agriculture mode that river crabs are bred in growing rice. This
mode has created a new method for farmers planting rice to increase incomes.
(Xinhua/Mu Yu)
http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2020-09/23/c_139389179.htm
Pakistan to challenge India’s claim
on Basmati
Senate panel told India has challenged GI law in EU market
Our
CorrespondentSeptember 23, 2020
ISLAMABAD:
India has claimed its rights over Basmati rice
in the European Union market and has challenged the Geographical Indication
(GI) law, Commerce Secretary Muhammad Sualeh Ahmad Faruqui informed a
parliamentary panel on Tuesday.
He told the Senate Standing Committee on
Commerce and Trade that India had challenged the GI law aimed at protecting
Pakistani-origin products. Intellectual Property Organisation (IPO) Chairman
Mujeeb Ahmed Khan revealed that India had challenged Pakistan’s Basmati rice in
the EU on September 11 but it did not challenge the entire law.
He said that India had applied for tagging of
Basmati rice in the EU market. The EU has uploaded the information on its
website so that if any country has any objection it can make a request within a
specific time period. The IPO chairman added that Pakistan would challenge the
claim, saying that India had manipulated facts in its application and its case
was based on weak grounds.
Speaking on the occasion, Committee Chairman
Senator Mirza Muhammad Afridi said that smuggling had gone down substantially
due to the effective measures taken for its eradication, which supported the
domestic industry and would be instrumental in promoting economic activities
and businesses in the country. Afridi appreciated the measures, saying that
sick units needed to be facilitated to ensure their revival.
The committee was also apprised of the
problems faced by farmers due to inadequate prices of tomato and onion despite
a good harvest during the current season.
It was briefed about the steps being taken for
exploring new markets for dates, tax evasion on computer, laptops and other IT
equipment as well as issues related to under-invoicing.
Committee chairman and its members said that
the basic purpose was to protect the domestic industry and its production for
overall progress of the country. Senator Mir Kabeer Ahmad Muhammad Shahi said
that due to import of fruits and vegetables from neighbouring countries,
farmers of Balochistan did not get fair prices for apple, grapes, onion and
tomato.
He said that the Ministry of Commerce and
Trade should take measures for the protection of farmers and ensuring
utilisation of domestic produce before importing such commodities.
Responding to that, the commerce secretary
assured the committee that the issues would be resolved in collaboration with
the Ministry of National Food Security and the committee would be apprised
accordingly.
Talking about Afghan transit trade, Senator
Dilawar Hussain said that due to the deficiency of trackers, there was a huge
pressure on transit points. He asserted that an appropriate solution should be
found.
Elaborating, the committee chairman said that
trade was the backbone of the national economy and an appropriate strategy
should be framed to promote business activities in the country.
Adviser to Prime Minister on Commerce Abdul
Razak Dawood apprised the committee that the State Bank of Pakistan had been
approached for the provision of easy loans to small and medium industries and
consultation process for the IT sector was in progress, which would yield
positive results.
The commerce secretary informed the committee
that an e-commerce policy had been introduced and the committee, in its next
meeting, would be informed about the framework in that regard.
Afridi appreciated the measures but he
emphasised that sick units should be supported so as to cater to local
requirements as well as export-oriented units. Senator Dilawar informed the committee
that the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) could not hold even a
single meeting so far. He said that he had sought different details from TDAP,
which had not been provided yet.
Senator Afridi said that TDAP was an important
organisation and its board should hold regular meetings to proceed on different
issues and the people of Pakistan should have access to information. He said
that a question had been raised about the trade and commercial attachés posted
in different countries. He added trade and commercial attachés should improve
their efficiency and awareness must be created about Pakistani products in
foreign countries.
The committee also insisted on the provision
of facilities and capacity building of tobacco farmers in Mardan, Charsadda and
Swabi districts. Senator Dilawar emphasised that all stakeholders must be taken
into confidence as quality tobacco was produced in those areas and the national
exchequer got taxes worth billions of rupees.
About the export of dates, the committee was
informed that 70% of dry dates had been exported to India but due to suspension
of trade with Delhi, farmers were facing huge losses.
Published in The Express
Tribune, September 23rd, 2020.
Like Business on Facebook, follow @TribuneBiz on Twitter to stay informed and join in
the conversation.
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2265216/pakistan-to-challenge-indias-claim-on-basmati
Paddy prices
under pressure in West Bengal
Shobha Roy Kolkata | Updated
on September 23, 2020 Published
on September 23, 2020
Kharif area up, but rains hit standing crops in 15 states
Expectations of a bumper output, drop in
export to Bangladesh weighing on prices
West Bengal is likely to record a
bumper production of kharif paddy this year. But this is no good news for
farmers of the State as prices have already started moving south. Lacklustre
demand in the domestic market plus drop in export to neighbouring Bangladesh
are weighing on market sentiments.
In April, the prices of paddy in
West Bengal surged in the wake of the pandemic by nearly ₹100 a quintal to ₹1,616. By July-August, the prices
moved to nearly ₹1,770 a quintal on the back of steady procurement (of the winter
crop) by the government.
However, with the distribution of
free rice by the State and Centre in the subsequent months, the prices in the
open market started inching down. As on date, paddy price in the open market is
around ₹1,617 a quintal against MSP of ₹1,868. According to trade
sources, the open market price of paddy is likely to decline further as fresh
arrivals start next month; also, there is uncertainty over exports to
Bangladesh.
“Between September and February
every year (9 lakh tonnes last year), a good quantum of non-basmati rice is
exported to Bangladesh and this keeps prices firm in the domestic market.
However, this year the Bangladesh government has levied 55 per cent import
duty, and hence there has been no orders. This is what is putting prices under
pressure,” said Suraj Agarwal, CEO, Tirupati Agri Trade.
Procurement, output
West Bengal, which produces close
to 15-16 million tonnes of paddy each year across the three seasons and
accounts for nearly 14 per cent of the country’s total production, is likely to
witness higher crop this year. The “better than optimum” rainfall received
during the season is likely to push up the yield of the crop this year, said
sources in the State agri department.
Pradip Kumar Mazumder, Chief
Advisor (Agriculture) to the Chief Minister, said, “In terms of area under
cultivation, we are already saturated, so there is no increase, but given the
supportive weather, the yield this year is likely to be higher than previous
year.”
That said, procurement in Bengal
is not likely to be any higher this year, say trade sources.
The State has always seen only
limited procurement; 70 per cent or more of it is actually only sold in the
open market where prices fluctuate depending on demand and quality. According
to Sushil Kumar Choudhury, President, Bengal Rice Mills Association, the
procurement by the State government last year was 49 lakh tonnes (lt) against
the target of 52 lt. This year too, he says, not more than 50-52 lt may be
procured.
Given that the production is
likely to be higher than last year, prices are likely to fall further unless
the government steps up its procurement this year, a rice mill owner said on
conditions of anonymity.
Bumper Aman production likely in Rangpur region
Published at 05:16 pm September 23rd,
2020
Map of Rangpur Dhaka
Tribune
A number of
farmers of different villages said their tender Aman rice plants were growing
superbly amid favourable climatic conditions
Officials of
the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) are expecting a bumper Aman rice
production as farmers exceeded its fixed farming target and tender rice plants
are growing superbly in Rangpur agriculture region.
The DAE
officials said frequent rainfalls are working as energizers for excellent
growth of the tender plants on vast tracts of crop lands giving those an
eye-catching look and making farmers happy in all five districts of the region.
“Farmers have
finally cultivated Aman rice on 6,06,852 hectares of land exceeding the fixed
farming target by 1,712 hectares or 1.21 percent in the region this season,”
Additional Director of the DAE for Rangpur region Muhammad Ali said yesterday.
Earlier, the
DAE had fixed a target of producing 16, 97,795 tones of clean Aman rice (25,
46,693 tons of paddy) from 6, 05,140 hectares of land for all five districts in
Rangpur agriculture region.
“Against a
requirement of preparing Aman rice seedbeds on 30,391 hectares of land to
produce seedlings for transplantation on 6,05,140 hectares, farmers prepared
the same on 34,427 hectares, higher by 4,036 hectares than required,” Ali said.
However, the
recent floods damaged Aman rice seedbeds on 1,266 hectares of land causing
losses to seedlings worth Taka 18.76 crore affecting 41,230 farmers of the
region.
Besides, the
floods damaged the transplanted Aman rice crop on 111 hectares of land causing
production losses of 320 tons of rice worth Taka 1.16 crore and affecting 1,222
farmers.
The government
instantly undertook huge post-flood agri-rehabilitation programmes to assist
flood-hit farmers who have finally exceeded the fixed farming target for Aman
rice after recession of floodwaters also braving the coronavirus pandemic.
“Farmer
completed re-transplantation of late varieties of Aman rice seedlings and
broadcasting of seeds by September 15 last successfully recouping losses caused
to the crop by recent floods in the region,” Ali added.
The government
through the DAE effectively implemented the post-flood agriculture
rehabilitation programs spending Tk 1,15,35,840 and distributed specially
prepared Aman rice seedlings among 15,131 flood-hit farmers of the region.
“The seedlings
were prepared on 221 acres of land at community levels, on 500 floating
seedbeds and seedlings on 9,568 floating trays and distributed among
flood-affected farmers who have re-transplanted those on one bigha of land
each,” Ali said.
Besides, late
variety Aman rice seeds were distributed free of cost among many flood-hit
farmers who have already broadcasted those on their affected croplands.
“Many flood-hit
farmers have also cultivated late ‘Ganjia’ varieties of Aman rice using seeds
from their own stocks in affected areas,” Ali added.
A number of
farmers of different villages said their tender Aman rice plants were growing
superbly amid favourable climatic conditions.
Farmers Ariful
Haque Batul of village Najirdigar, Manik Mian of village Darshona and Aiyub Ali
of village Kathihara in Rangpur said that their growing Aman rice plants would
not require supplementary irrigation following frequent seasonal rainfalls.
“The superbly
growing tender Aman rice plants have created greenish blankets on vast tracts
of crop fields all-around now. We are expecting a bumper rice production
despite damages caused by recent floods to the crop this season,” said farmer
Ariful.
Exporters
bank on EU trade pact for pandemic relief
By Dat Nguyen September 23, 2020 |
11:01 am GMT+7
Farmers harvest rice in southern Soc Trang Province, March 10,
2020. Photo by VnExpress/Nguyet Nhi.
Vietnamese rice, fruit and seafood exporters
are banking on the European market for relief from difficulties imposed by the
Covid-19 pandemic.
Trung An Hi-Tech Farming Jsc in the
Mekong Delta city of Can Tho exported its first batch of Vietnamese rice to the
E.U. last month with zero tariffs under the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement
(EVFTA) that took effect August 1.
It shipped 150 tonnes out of a
total 3,000 tonnes that will be delivered to Germany and France this year.
Buyers paid $1,000 for a ton of the
company’s ST20 rice grown in the southern province of Soc Trang. This is the
highest price ever recorded for Vietnamese rice.
Another exporter, Thoai Son Food in
the southern province of An Giang, plans to export 126 tonnes of Jasmine 85
rice to the E.U. by the end of this month.
At least six other companies have
registered to export 4,300 tonnes of rice to the E.U. this month, according to
the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
The rising number of orders from
the E.U. follows the EVFTA giving Vietnam a tariff-free rice export quota of
80,000 tonnes a year.
Other types of agriculture produce
also enjoy reduced or zero duties under the pact.
Several exporters this month have
announced or shipped their first batch of coffee, passion fruit, coconut, green
grapefruit and dragon fruit to the E.U.
One of them, the Vina T&T Group
in Ho Chi Minh City, plans to export 20,000 coconuts, 12 tonnes of grapefruit
and three tonnes of dragon fruit to the bloc soon.
Rising orders
Its CEO Nguyen Dinh Tung said the
company will export about 20 tonnes of fruits weekly to the E.U. from now on.
He said that since the trade pact was implemented, there has been an increase
in the number of orders from this market.
The trade pact has helped lower the
prices of Vietnamese fruit, making them more competitive than those from
Thailand, Indonesia, China and Malaysia, he added.
Seafood exporters are also reaping
benefits of the new trade agreement. Shrimp exports to the E.U. rose nearly 16
percent year-on-year in August to $58.8 million after duties on the giant tiger
prawn were eliminated, according to the Vietnam Association of Seafood
Exporters and Producers (VASEP). Earlier the duties stood at 4.2 percent.
Nguyen Van Kich, CEO of Cafatex
Fishery Jsc in the Mekong Delta province of Hau Giang, said since the trade
pact took effect, many buyers have started to place orders again after months
without any major activities due to Covid-19 impacts.
He added Vietnamese shrimp quality
is higher than that of India, Thailand and China, and therefore the zero tariff
will give exporters a major advantage.
"The EVFTA could urge European
buyers to replace shrimp from Thailand, India and China with that from Vietnam.
We expect increasing number of customers."
VASEP said rising exports of shrimp
to the E.U. will contribute to a total shrimp export growth of 8 percent this
year to $3.6 billion.
The recent increase in exports to
the E.U. bloc has been a fillip to Vietnamese agriculture and seafood producers
who were hurting from travel restrictions and dwindling global demand as a
result of the pandemic.
Exports to the E.U. in the first
eight months fell 8.9 percent year-on-year to $29 billion, with declining value
in smartphones, textile and garment and agriculture produce, according to
Vietnam Customs.
J:https://e.vnexpress.net/news/business/economy/exporters-bank-on-eu-trade-pact-for-pandemic-relief-
Pakistan to oppose Indian
application for GI tag of basmati in EU
ISLAMABAD: Taking
serious notice of the Indian move of demanding exclusive rights of claiming
Geographical Indication (GI) tag to Basmati rice in the European Union (EU),
Pakistan has decided to oppose the application soon. During a meeting of the
Senate Standing Committee on Commerce, Intellectual Property Organisation (IPO)
Chairman Mujeeb Ahmed Khan informed that Pakistan is preparing its objection to
the said Indian Application and will be submitted within the stipulated time
frame. The meeting was attended by Senators Mir Kabeer Ahmad Muhammad Shahi,
Zeeshan Khanzada, Nuzhat Sadiq, Dilawar Khan, Rana Mehmood ul Hassan, Advisor
to Prime Minister for Commerce, Secretary Commerce and other senior officials
of relevant departments. He said India has applied for GI tag in European Union
for BASMATI rice under Article 50(2)(a) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the
European Parliament and of the Council on quality schemes for agricultural
products and foodstuffs, mentioned in the EU official journal dated September
11, 2020. According to Mujeeb Ahmed, the Indian application mentions
Basmati rice as an Indian origin product, despite the fact that similar rice is
widely produced in Pakistan. The application is based on half-truth and
frivolous grounds having no legal and factual backing. Pakistan exports 500,000
to 700,000 tons of basmati rice to various countries. Out of that, 200,000 to
250,000 tones are shipped to European countries. The European Union is a
massive destination for local rice exporters and therefore it is a crucial
issue for Pakistan. EU regulation No 972/2006 of June 29, 2006, lays down
special rules for imports of Basmati rice and a transitional control system for
determining their origin has recognized Basmati as a joint product of Pakistan
and India. Basmati is already recognized as a product of both India and
Pakistan under the said European Regulation and its Duty-Free Regime, making it
illegal for India to claim exclusive rights of Basmati in the EU. According to
EU’s official journal, any country can oppose the application for registration
of a name pursuant to Article 10 and Article 50(2) (a) of Regulation (EU) No
1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council on quality schemes for
agricultural products and foodstuffs within three months from the date of
publication. On Tuesday, the Ministry of Commerce, according to officials, has
also held a meeting on the same subject to discuss the filling of objections in
the EU besides taking other steps regarding protecting Pakistani products as
per the GI law made by the government this year. Meanwhile, Committee Chairman
Senator Mirza Muhammad Afridi also directed the officials of the ministry and
IPO to immediately respond to the Indian application as the move may damage
Pakistani exports. Discussing another agenda of the meeting regarding
smuggling, he said that the illegal trade has reduced substantially due to
effective measures for its eradication which has supported the local industry
and would be instrumental for promoting economic activities and businesses in
the country. He expressed these views while presiding over the SSC on
Commerce & Trade here at Parliament House on Tuesday. Afridi appreciated
the measures taken in this regard and said that the sick units need to be
facilitated to ensure their revival. The committee was apprised about the
problems faced by the farmers due to inadequate prices of tomato and onion despite
good production during the current season.
The
committee was also briefed about the steps being taken for exploring new
markets for dates, tax evasion on computers, laptops and other IT equipment, as
well as the issues of under-invoicing. The chairman and members of the
committee said that the basic purpose is to protect the local industry and its
production for the overall progress of the country. Senator Mir Kabeer
Ahmad Muhammad Shahi said that due to the import of the fruits and vegetable
from neighbouring countries, the local farmers from Balochistan do not get
adequate prices of apple, grapes, onion and tomatoes. He said that the ministry
of commerce and trade should take measures for the protection of local farmers
and the utilization of local production before importing such items. The
Ministry of Commerce secretary assured the committee that the issues would be
resolved in collaboration with the ministry of food security and the committee
would be apprised accordingly. Senator Dilawar Hussain, while talking
about Afghan Transit Trade, said that due to the deficiency of trackers, there
is huge pressure on transit points. He asserted that an appropriate solution to
this should be sorted out. Afridi said that trade is a backbone of the national
economy and an appropriate strategy should be followed to promote business
activities in the country. Advisor to the Prime Minister on Commerce Abdul
Razzak Dawod apprised the committee that State Bank of Pakistan has been
approached for provision of an easy loan through small and medium industries
and consultation process for the IT sector is in progress, which will bear
positive results. Secretary Commerce informed the Committee that
E-Commerce policy has been introduced and the committee in its next meeting
will be informed about a framework in this regard. Chairman of the
committee appreciated these measures, however, he emphasized that sick units
need to be supported so as to cater to the local requirements and as well as
the export orientation from such units. Senator Dilawar Khan
informed the committee that the Trade and Development Authority (TDAP) could
not hold even a single meeting so far. He further informed that he had
sought different details from TDAP which have not been provided yet. Senator
Mirza Afridi said that TDAP is an important organisation, its board should hold
regular meetings to proceed on different issues and the people of Pakistan
should have access to information. He further said that question
has been raised about Trade and Commercial Attaché posted in different
countries. He said that Pakistan produces high-quality tobacco. Trade and
commercial attaché should improve their efficiency and awareness must be
created about Pakistan products in foreign countries. The committee
insisted on the provision of facilities and capacity building of the tobacco
farmers in Mardan, Charsadda and Swabi districts. The committee was further
informed that a project in collaboration with Swabi University has moved
ahead. Senator Dilawar Khan emphasised that all the stakeholders must be
taken into confidence as quality tobacco of the country is produced in these
areas and national exchequer gets taxes of worth billions of rupees.
About the export of the dates, the committee was informed that 70pc of dry
dates were exported to India and due to suspension of trade with India, farmers
have to face huge losses. However, efforts are being made to explore
alternative markets for export of the dates and different countries have been
contacted in this regard. The chairman of the committee emphasized that
these efforts must be expedited to avoid losses to the farmers. Senator Rana
Mehmood ul Hassan suggested that a policy for installation of small sugar mills
should be introduced to promote compatibility in the market. Secretary
Commerce informed the committee that such a proposal is already under consideration
in different ministries. The committee was also apprised about clearance
of containers at Port Qasim as well as money laundering issues in the
country.
Date: 23-Sep-2020
United States rice for Brazil:
30,000 tons according to USDA
The
quota establishes that until December this year, 400,000 tons of rice may be
imported from countries outside Mercosur without any tariffs.The United States
reported last week the sale of 30,000 tons of rice to Brazil. This follows on
the decision from the Brazilian Chamber of Foreign Trade (Camex) to slash
tariffs on rice to zero, helping to reduce the price of the grain for
consumers. The quota establishes that until December this year, 400,000 tons of
rice may be imported from countries outside Mercosur without any tariffs. Black
beans and rice are staple for the majority of Brazilians, and despite an
excellent harvest of rice, the country exported most of it, putting the local
market in a bind, and retail prices more than doubled. Normally the main
suppliers of rice to Brazil are Mercosur trade partners, Argentina and Uruguay,
(with no tariffs) and so has been the case this year, to which must be added
Italy, Panama and Vietnam, among others. The purchase made on Sept. 18th is
similar to the volume of 35,500 tons registered for sale by the USA to Brazil
throughout 2010. In May of this year, however, Brazil imported 40,000 tons of
rice, with tariff, from the US. According to data from the US Department of
Agriculture (USDA), the largest annual volume of purchases of American rice
made by Brazil occurred in 2003 (486,000 tons).
https://en.mercopress.com/2020/09/22/united-states-rice-for-brazil-30-000-tons-according-to-usda
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