Chinese
New Year Spring Fest Held At Pakistan National Council Of The Arts
China
Cultural Centre in Pakistan arranged Chinese Spring Festival here on Thursday to
celebrate the upcoming Chinese New Year with full zeal
ISLAMABAD,
(APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th Jan, 2020 ) :China Cultural
Centre in Pakistan arranged Chinese Spring
Festival here on Thursday to celebrate the upcoming Chinese New
Year with full zeal.
The event was also
co-organized by Overseas Chinese Association
in Pakistan and
Department of Culture and Tourism of Hebei Province of China to
celebrate the New Year for Chinese community
living in Pakistan along
with apprising Pakistanis about the rich cultural heritage of China.
Cultural
Counselor of Embassy of the People's Republic of China to Pakistan Zhang
Heqing, and Dr. Fridous Ashiq Awan, Special Assistant to Prime Minister for
Information and Broadcasting attended the event as the
chief guest.
The event was also
attended by Fouzia Saeed, Director General PNCA, Li Yanxuan, Deputy Director China Cultural
Centre in Pakistan along
with 500-plus diverse audience comprised of Chinese students from different
universities.
Chinese
artists comprising of 35 members who came all the way from Hebei
province of China, displayed
various musical and dance performances including folk dances, instrumental,
acrobatics and singing at Pakistan National
Council of the Arts (PNCA).
Chinese
Spring Festival was the grandest festival in China, with a 7-day
long holiday which was celebrated as the most colourful annual event where the
traditional celebration lasted longer up to two weeks.
China during this period is dominated by
iconic red lanterns, loud fireworks, massive banquets and parades, and the
festival even triggers exuberant celebrations across the globe.
Unlike
the universal New Year observed on January 1, Chinese New
Year is never on a fixed date. In 2020 Chinese New
Year festival falls on Jan. 25. It is the Year of the Rat according to the Chinese zodiac,
which features a 12-year cycle with each year represented by a specific animal.
On
the occasion of Chinese New
Year, every house is decorated with the most favored color, the bright Red � red lanterns, Chinese knots,
Spring Festival couplets, 'Fu' character pictures, and red window paper-cuts.
All Chinese people
manage to make their way home at the latest by New Year's Evening, for a
reunion dinner with the whole family. New clothes
are also believed to bring good luck and start
over fresh. People will add new red clothing to their Spring Festival wardrobe
too.
The
essential course on all Chinese menus
for a reunion dinner will be a steamed or braised whole fish, representing a
surplus every year. Various kinds of meat, vegetable, and seafood are made into
dishes with auspicious meanings. Dumplings are indispensable for northerners,
while rice cakes for southerners. The night is spent enjoying this feast along
with cheerful family talk and
laughter.
Through
such activities, China and Pakistan hope
to boost strong friendly ties and enhance mutual understanding and forthcoming
development between the peoples of the two countries.
https://www.urdupoint.com/en/pakistan/chinese-new-year-spring-fest-held-at-pakistan-812243.html
Pakistan-Africa
Trade Promotion Conference takes off in Nairobi
17Jan 2020
The Guardian
Pakistan-Africa Trade Promotion Conference takes off in
Nairobi
THE government of Pakistan is
organizing “Pakistan-Africa Trade Promotion/Engage Africa Conference” at the
Kenyatta International Conference Centre (KICC) in Nairobi, Kenya, between
January 30 and 31 this year.Pakistan High Commission in Dar es Salaam is working on composing a sizeable private sector business delegation in the relevant sectors for participation from Tanzania.Further details regarding participation can be ascertained from Pakistan High Commission in Dar es Salaam.
Basmati Rice industry is in a panic
since Iran payment concerns. Pending payment of basmati rice export to Iran
increased to more than Rs 1000 crores. Further, the execution of Iran General Qassem
Soleimani created nervousness amongst basmati rice industry. Iran remains
the biggest importer of basmati rice from India.
AIREA
Advises Caution over Exports to Iran
With US-Iran tensions picking up
heat, All India Rice Exporters Association (AIREA) advised exporters to
suspend exports to Iran. Exporters are still waiting for payment of around Rs
900 crores for exports till June 2019. The authority warned the exporters not
to execute any shipments until the situation clears. During April and November
2019, India exported 23.64 lakh tonnes of Basmati rice worth Rs 17,700 crore.
Out of this, only quantity worth Rs 4,500 crores was for Iran. AIREA President
Nathi Ram Gupta stated that even exports of two lakh tonnes of rice ordered by
the Iranian government through the letter of credit is laying on ports. The
trade body predicts around Rs 1500 crore stuck in Iran. The delay in exports
will decrease basmati rice
prices,
result in decreasing farmers income and acutely affect the basmati rice
industry.
Iran
the Biggest Basmati Rice Importer from India
Despite the opening of fresh
tenders of basmati rice by Iran, trade set to severely get affected in 2020.
Rice being Iran’s staple cereal, the country is the biggest importer for Indian
basmati rice. It accounts for more than one-third of the total rice exports of
India. Though Iran imported 1.48 million tonnes of basmati from India in
2018-19, this year the imports are set to fall. Exporters are avoiding taking
any further risk due to hostilities between the US and Iran. Basmati rice
Industry severely affected by the deteriorating relations between the US and
Iran.
Future
of Basmati Rice Industry?
Iran imported half a million tonnes
of rice till October 2019. The growing tension between the US and the Islamic
Republic is likely to hit Indian rice industry. Moreover, the Indian government
is planning for an alternative source of crude oil supply since further sanctions by the USA. The officials are
looking forward to trading with the West Asian region to reduce dependence on
the Gulf countries.
In all, with due payments soaring
high, the basmati rice industry may suffer a fallback amid Iran sanctions and
political tension.
Tags: AIREA, All India Rice
Exporters association, Basmati Rice, basmati rice
industry, basmati rice
payment iran, basmati rice
payments, crude oil, import of
basmati rice, IRan, iran rice import, payments iran, Qassem Soleimani, Qassem Suleimani, tender, tensions US
Iran, US Iran, US sanctions, US sanctions on
iran
India seeks to push sugar, rice
exports to Indonesia
TNN |
Jan 17, 2020, 12:27 IST
The government has sought a deal with Indonesia to push Indian
sugar, rice and bovine meat in return for higher quantity of palm oil imports
from the Southeast Asian country.
(Representative image)
NEW DELHI: The
government has sought a deal with Indonesia to push Indian sugar, rice and
bovine meat in return for higher quantity of palm oil imports from the
Southeast Asian country.
The move comes after the government decided to license the import of refined palm oil, which was meant to signal its displeasure to Malaysia over Mahathir Mohamad’s comments on Kashmir, the Citizenship Amendment Act and his government’s reluctance to extradite controversial preacher Zakir Naik.
The move comes after the government decided to license the import of refined palm oil, which was meant to signal its displeasure to Malaysia over Mahathir Mohamad’s comments on Kashmir, the Citizenship Amendment Act and his government’s reluctance to extradite controversial preacher Zakir Naik.
Sources told TOI that senior officials have had a conversation with their Indonesian counterparts where they have suggested that some of the import restrictions that are currently in place should be lifted as Indian traders are expected to increase the amount of palm oil that is imported.
During 2018-19, Indonesia was India’s 10th largest trading partner with exports of $5.2 billion, while imports were estimated at $15.8 billion. Of the overall imports, edible oil and petroleum together added up to $10.6 billion.
India is the
world’s largest importer of edible oil and the import restrictions have
resulted in a sharp decline in futures market prices for the commodity in
Malaysia.
The discussions came even as commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal said the government had not imposed any restrictions on imports from Malaysia and Turkey. “If some of the restrictions impact Malaysia, I don’t think that will be the only country impacted,” he said.
The restriction on palm oil, which will see imposition of licences for import, has been put in place for all countries. Ditto for quality control order for telecom equipment or the proposed checks on import of microprocessors.
Agency reports said on its part, Malaysia is seeking to sort out the conflict through a dialogue, although there have been calls for boycotting Indian goods and restricting the entry of Indian workers and expatriates. “If India, or for that matter other countries, want to boycott our products as a form of retaliation, we should also reconsider our stance towards them,” A Kadir Jasin, Mahathir’s media adviser, said in a Facebook post on Tuesday.
Curbing rice
imports not the solution to farmers’ woes, research group says
Philippine Daily Inquirer / 05:20 AM January
17, 2020
Limiting
the country’s rice imports during the harvest season would not help rice
farmers but would only stir a “disaster,” according to a nongovernmental
economic group.Action for Economic Reform (AER), a group engaged in research
and advocacy, issued the statement after President Duterte promised Filipino
palay farmers that his administration would help them cope with falling palay
prices by controlling the inflow of imported rice during harvest and by buying
their produce even if that would bring losses to the government.
This policy
pronouncement of curbing rice imports will erode the gains from the Rice
Tariffication Law,” AER said. “This will not stabilize prices … it is the
manipulation of import controls that has created volatile and high prices for
the overwhelming majority of Filipinos.”
The group
added that the move would only bring higher prices to farmers over the short
term, but would eventually “aggravate their long-standing problem of
inefficiency and low productivity.”
“If we wish
to really help our farmers, the intervention should be creating the conditions
for our farmers to increase their productivity, to make them competitive, which
in turn will increase their income. To rely on import control will not solve
the problem of weak productivity,” AER said.
It urged
the President “to stay the course in implementing the law,” adding that
resorting to import restrictions would only breed complacency on the part of
the country’s producers.
“President
Duterte got it right when he proposed rice procurement, but to combine this
with import restriction will be a disaster,” it said.
Last year,
the country’s rice imports reached a record of 3 million metric tons (MT) or
more than double the country’s supply gap of around 1.2 million MT, but AER
said the surge was only part of a “process of seeking a new normal” where
importers, buyers and consumers would all benefit.
Nonetheless,
the huge spike in rice imports brought farmer groups to the streets, and they
have continuously appealed to the administration for more meaningful
interventions.
The
country’s economic managers and most industry stakeholders have been sitting on
the extreme sides of the spectrum, with the former wanting the law to be
implemented fully without amendments to it, while the latter has been pushing
for additional tariffs on imported rice to curb its arrival.
Duterte,
despite several pronouncements, has yet to issue an order that would bring his
promises to action.
import curbs big blow to
Malaysian palm oil
Reuters | Jan 17, 2020, 11.57 AM IST
India’s move to restrict palm oil
imports from Malaysia will create a huge challenge for the world’s second
biggest producer of the edible oil as India has been its top market for the
past five years.
Workers loading palm oil fruits onto a truck.
(File photo: AFP)
KUALA LUMPUR:
India’s move to restrict palm oil imports from Malaysia
will create a huge challenge for the world’s second biggest producer of the
edible oil as India has been its top market for the past five years.
India, the world’s largest buyer of edible oils, last week restricted imports of refined palm oil and effectively halted all palm oil purchases from Malaysia in retaliation over the Malaysian Prime Minister's comments on Kashmir.
India, the world’s largest buyer of edible oils, last week restricted imports of refined palm oil and effectively halted all palm oil purchases from Malaysia in retaliation over the Malaysian Prime Minister's comments on Kashmir.
Recommended By
Colombia
Malaysia palm oil exports to top destinations
India has been Malaysia’s top import market since 2014, according to industry data.
Last year, India bought 4.4 million tonnes of palm oil from Malaysia, accounting for 24% of all Malaysian palm oil exports.
The second biggest buyer of Malaysian palm oil, China, bought just 2.4 million tonnes last year, while the third largest buyer was Pakistan with 1.08 million tonnes, according to data from the Malaysian Palm Oil Council.
Malaysia vs Indonesia palm oil exports to India
Malaysia is talking to the Indian government and trade officials in a bid to resolve concerns over New Delhi’s import restrictions, Teresa Kok, Malaysia’s minister in charge of palm oil, said on Thursday.
She has flagged Africa and central Asia as emerging markets for Malaysian palm oil, and said Malaysia will continue efforts to increase share in the Middle East.
India imports of palm oil from Malaysia vs Indonesia
But replacing India and getting other countries to buy Malaysian palm oil may not be easy.
Indonesia, the world’s biggest producer of palm oil, boasts lower production costs and has a bigger share of the market in many palm oil-consuming countries. It has also historically offered palm oil at cheaper prices than Malaysia, although recently Malaysian export prices have slumped below Indonesian rates as Indian buyers retreated from the market.
Malaysian palm oil prices slump to steep discount vs Indonesia amid Indian trade sphere
Leading industry analyst James Fry said India’s restrictions will shift Indian crude palm oil purchases from Malaysia to Indonesia, and Malaysia may end up selling more refined palm oil globally.
Curbing rice
imports not the solution to farmers’ woes, research group says
Philippine
Daily Inquirer /
05:20 AM January 17, 2020
Limiting the country’s rice imports during the harvest
season would not help rice farmers but would only stir a “disaster,” according
to a nongovernmental economic group.
Action for Economic Reform (AER), a group engaged in
research and advocacy, issued the statement after President Duterte promised
Filipino palay farmers that his administration would help them cope with
falling palay prices by controlling the inflow of imported rice during harvest and
by buying their produce even if that would bring losses to the government.
“This policy pronouncement of curbing rice imports will
erode the gains from the Rice Tariffication Law,” AER said. “This will not
stabilize prices … it is the manipulation of import controls that has created
volatile and high prices for the overwhelming majority of Filipinos.”
The group added that the move would only bring higher
prices to farmers over the short term, but would eventually “aggravate their
long-standing problem of inefficiency and low productivity.”
“If we wish to really help our farmers, the intervention
should be creating the conditions for our farmers to increase their
productivity, to make them competitive, which in turn will increase their
income. To rely on import control will not solve the problem of weak
productivity,” AER said.
It urged the President “to stay the course in
implementing the law,” adding that resorting to import restrictions would only
breed complacency on the part of the country’s producers.
“President Duterte got it right when he proposed rice
procurement, but to combine this with import restriction will be a disaster,”
it said.
Last year, the country’s rice imports reached a record of
3 million metric tons (MT) or more than double the country’s supply gap of
around 1.2 million MT, but AER said the surge was only part of a “process of
seeking a new normal” where importers, buyers and consumers would all benefit.
Nonetheless, the huge spike in rice imports brought
farmer groups to the streets, and they have continuously appealed to the
administration for more meaningful interventions.
The country’s economic managers and most industry
stakeholders have been sitting on the extreme sides of the spectrum, with the
former wanting the law to be implemented fully without amendments to it, while
the latter has been pushing for additional tariffs on imported rice to curb its
arrival.
Duterte, despite several pronouncements, has yet to issue
an order that would bring his promises to action.
https://business.inquirer.net/287216/curbing-rice-imports-not-the-solution-to-farmers-woes-research-group-says#ixzz6BHOImZ7g
Study questions Philippine farmer
interest in planting Golden Rice
Joan Conrow, Mark Lynas | Cornell Alliance for Science |
January 16, 2020
Who might plant Golden Rice?
That question is becoming more
pressing as the crop, which has been genetically engineered to express the
vitamin A precursor beta carotene, moves through the regulatory process in the
Philippines.
Researchers Dominic Glover, Sung Kyu Kim and Glenn Davis Stone
took a sideways approach to addressing this query in a new paper published in the February 2020 issue of Technology
in Science.
The short answer: Commercial rice
farmers are unlikely to plant Golden Rice (GR) in its current varieties, unless
induced to do so. This means that the pathway to poorer consumers, who are the
ones suffering from the vitamin A deficiency (VAD) that GR seeks to address, is
highly uncertain.
The researchers noted that
“families poor enough to be affected by VAD are often landless and unable to
grow rice for themselves. In 2003 the top areas for VAD in the Philippines were
Mountain Province, where rice farmers are unlikely to adopt the lowland
varieties into which the transgenic trait has been bred, and Marikina city,
where virtually no rice is grown. If the grain is to reach populations like
these, GR seeds will need to be grown by commercial rice growers in provinces
like Nueva Ecija.”
But the likelihood of these
farmers choosing to grow GR has not been fully assessed. Indeed, the lack of
research into “specific characteristics of the Philippine rice sector, and
especially Filipino farmers’ seed-selection practices, is a major oversight,”
the researchers assert. “The crucial question of how the rice might
actually enter the food chain remains a black box.”
To shed light on the issue, the
researchers conducted a multiyear study of rice growers in Nueva Ecija province
of Central Luzon, an area known as the “rice bowl” of the Philippines.
They did not, however, directly ask farmers whether they would consider
planting GR. Instead, they interviewed farmers about their planting decisions
regarding currently available hybrid and inbred rice varieties and used this
information to “speculate” on the potential implications for the introduction
and uptake of GR.
The conclusions are intriguing.
The researchers found that despite many years of “didactic” efforts by
government and crop breeding institutes, the majority of farmers had not been
persuaded to switch to hybrid varieties and continued to plant more traditional
inbred lines. However, the choices of which rice varieties to plant did vary,
with farmers switching to newer varieties every few years or so.
This implies, according to the
researchers, that the older lowland rice varieties into which the GR gene has
so far been introgressed – IR64 and Rc82 – are unlikely to be rapidly taken up
by rice farmers, unless they are given specific inducements (like subsidies) to
encourage them to do so. This is especially the case given that the issues of
yield lag and yield drag may affect the new GR varieties when they first become
available.
The researchers write that “to be
commercially viable and attractive to the rice farmers of Nueva Ecija, GR will
have to be introgressed into popular and agronomically high-performing
cultivars” and that the “GR trait would need to be incorporated without
seriously affecting the yield potential or other desirable qualities of the
varieties concerned.”
This does not mean that GR will
necessarily fail, the authors conclude. However, it does mean that “the
prospective uptake of GR by commercial rice farmers in Nueva Ecija is by no
means certain” and that achieving success may take many years.
As one of the researchers, Dominic Glover from the Institute of
Development Studies in the UK, wrote on Twitter: “These
obstacles may be crossed in time. In the meantime, the Philippines has made a
lot of progress in reducing VAD through other measures and programmes. This
raises fair questions about how much difference GR might make, eventually, to
VAD.”
This article originally ran at the Cornell Alliance for Science and has been republished here with permission. Follow the Alliance for Science on
Twitter @ScienceAlly
https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2020/01/16/study-questions-philippine-farmer-interest-in-planting-golden-rice/
Mysterious deaths of Amish kids solved
New research identified a gene that has caused cardiac deaths in
two extended Amish families over the years.
ByJoseph Guzman
Story at a glance
·
Several
Amish children mysteriously died while playing and running around.
·
Medical
examiners have been stumped for years as to why, but now researchers believe
it’s due to a gene called RYR2.
·
The
discovery of the gene could help prevent further sudden deaths.
Researchers believe they have discovered the cause of mysterious
deaths that claimed the lives of several healthy children in two
extended Amish families 15 years ago.
In 2004, two siblings died suddenly
while they were playing, and over the years the same tragedy struck two of the
family’s other children, leaving the community with unanswered questions.
When autopsies for the first two
children did not identify an underlying cause of death, the local medical
examiner’s office reached out to the Windland Smith Rice Sudden Death Genomics
Laboratory at the Mayo Clinic. But the lab, which examines unexpected deaths,
could not determine why the children died.
Over the years, though, the Mayo
Clinic developed better tools, and researchers now say they believe they've
made a major breakthrough in solving the mystery behind the deaths that also
claimed the lives of children from a second family.
In a study published by the lab in Jama Cardiology this month, researchers
examined DNA of the four Amish siblings and found they all had a duplication of
genetic material called RYR2 that put them at risk. Mutations of the gene can
cause a cardiac arrhythmic disorder that can lead to exercise-fainting spells,
seizures or sudden cardiac death.
Researcher said the children had
all inherited the same genetic mutation from both of their parents. Of the 23
young people who had inherited the mutation, 18 had died suddenly. Both
families had an extensive history of having children who either died during
physical activity or who survived cardiac events.
“We finally figured out that it was an autosomal recessive
condition where both bad duplications came from both parents, and those
children were unfortunate to get the double dose, “ Michael Ackerman, director
of the Windland Smith Rice Sudden Death Genomics Laboratory, told CNN.
Researchers said the Amish
community could be more vulnerable to the conditions because they come from a
small number of ancestors who tend to intermarry.
Knowing about the genetic marker
can help medical professionals take preventive steps to avoid similar
deaths by testing an individual for the presence of the mutation, researchers
said.
https://thehill.com/changing-america/well-being/prevention-cures/478632-mysterious-sudden-deaths-of-amish-kids-solved
Seawater
Rice: The future of food security?
By
Tianran He, Zhang Xiaochen
Yuan Longping is something of a
celebrity in China. He is the "Father of Hybrid Rice" – a man whose
work has helped the country more than triple its annual rice output since the
1970s. With food shortages in China now a distant memory, Yuan has set his
sights on a new target: food security. Although he'll be turning 90 this year,
he's showing no signs of wanting to retire.
China must feed almost a fifth of the world's population from
just seven percent of its arable land. So, achieving food security – ensuring
the availability of adequate food supplies – is a major challenge.
However, hope is on the horizon: Yuan Longping and his research
team are working to perfect a species of rice that can thrive in the country's
100 million hectares of saline and alkaline land, an area roughly the size of
Egypt where crops cannot grow. Why? Because the soil's high salt content
cripples a plant's ability to absorb water, while high alkalinity causes
membranes to form around its roots, effectively suffocating it. This infertile
soil has devastated rural economies and left countless farmers out of pocket.
In coastal Qingdao, formerly barren
land has been transformed into rice paddies. /CGTN Photo
The team call this new species "seawater rice,"
although technically it should be "saline-alkali soil tolerant rice,"
or "saltwater rice" for short. It's also nothing new – Chinese
scientists have been researching it for several decades.
The problem had always been the yield; there's no incentive for
farmers to plant saltwater rice if they can't grow enough to earn a living from
it. However, by crossbreeding high-yield rice with strains that possess high
salt and alkali tolerance, Yuan's researchers were able to create a new
super-species.
Saline-alkali soil is normally
incapable of sustaining plant growth. /CGTN Photo
Normal rice cannot grow in water containing more than 0.3
percent salt. By comparison, Yuan's best-performing strain of saltwater rice
can grow in water with double that salinity, and has yielded 9.3 tonnes per
hectare. This is fantastic news for rice farmers, who typically require a yield
of 4.5 tonnes per hectare to break even. It's also a tantalizing prospect for
China. If just a tenth of the country's saline-alkali soil were planted with
saltwater rice, it could boost national rice production by almost 20 percent –
enough to feed 200 million people.
Yuan's team have planted saltwater
rice in countries including the UAE, Russia, and Madagascar. /CGTN Photo
Saltwater rice is making waves abroad, too. In 2018, Yuan's team
successfully grew rice in the desert outside Dubai, yielding an impressive 7.5
tonnes per hectare – double the global average. They now plan to further expand
this experimental plot, with the eventual goal of covering 10 percent of the
United Arab Emirates in paddy fields.
Though saltwater rice has had some initial success, it's still at the experimental stage. A lot of work needs to be done before it can become commercially viable. But the clock is ticking.
Though saltwater rice has had some initial success, it's still at the experimental stage. A lot of work needs to be done before it can become commercially viable. But the clock is ticking.
Worldwide, a billion hectares of land has already been lost to
salinisation, and it's estimated that 10 million hectares more are becoming
saline every year. If saltwater rice really is able to transform these areas
into fertile land, then it will not only ensure China's national food security,
but also go a long way towards achieving zero hunger on a global scale.
"Rediscovering China" is a 30-minute feature program offering in-depth reports on major issues facing China today. It airs at 10:30 a.m. and 11:30 p.m. on Sundays, 8:30 a.m. on Mondays and 1:30 p.m. on Fridays (Beijing Time).
"Rediscovering China" is a 30-minute feature program offering in-depth reports on major issues facing China today. It airs at 10:30 a.m. and 11:30 p.m. on Sundays, 8:30 a.m. on Mondays and 1:30 p.m. on Fridays (Beijing Time).
https://news.cgtn.com/news/2020-01-16/Seawater-Rice-The-future-of-food-security--NiGUgtQlEc/index.html
Senate Passes USMCA
By Jamison Cruce
WASHINGTON, DC -- Today, the
U.S. Senate passed the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) by an
overwhelmingly bipartisan vote of 89-10.
The U.S. House of Representatives passed the agreement on December 19 by
a vote of 385-41. This agreement
replaces the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and is expected to be
signed into law by President Donald Trump in the near future.
In order for the agreement
to take effect, all three partner countries must ratify the agreement, and thus
far, Mexico and the U.S. have done so.
It is expected that the Canadian Parliament's House of Commons will vote
on the agreement later this month when it reconvenes.
"USA Rice thanks our
allies and friends in Congress who voted in favor of USMCA, and anticipates the
complete ratification of the 
agreement," said Ben Mosely,
USA Rice vice president of government affairs.
"With Mexico as our number one export market and Canada in the top
five, we look forward to getting back to business as usual and strengthening
our trading relationships for U.S. rice with our North American
neighbors."
FAS Leads Information Sessions on E-Commerce in China
By Jim Guinn
SHANGHAI, CHINA -- Late last
week the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS)
hosted two informational sessions on the opportunities, requirements, and
challenges of e-commerce in China.
The opportunities were described as
tremendous. With 586 million on-line shoppers in 2019, e-commerce
represents 17 percent of total retail sales in China. For example, last
year on Singles Day, November 11, the Chinese shopping holiday that originated
as an unofficial holiday for bachelors, on-line shoppers spent $30 billion.
There are two forms of e-commerce in China, the
traditional approach similar to the Amazon model in the U.S., and cross-border
e-commerce (CBEC), which is growing rapidly and used primarily for food-related
purchases. CBEC purchases are free from most regulatory compliance and,
notably not subject to retaliatory tariffs, but include basic import tariffs
and value added taxes.
On-line purchases are paid using a "digital
wallet," similar to Paypal, linked to bank accounts only in China.
They are now being accepted in other countries in the region, such as Thailand.
Weak intellectual property laws are a
significant concern for product marketers both on-line and off-line in China
because trademark registration is different than that in the U.S., which is
based on a "First to Use" doctrine while China recognizes a
"First to File" approach. Consequently, many registered
trademarks in the U.S. have been "pirated" by unscrupulous actors,
who then either use the trademarks themselves or ransom them back to the
rightful owners.
The FAS panel recommended that trademarks be
registered in China. The filing process usually takes five months to get
approval and costs less than US$50, plus legal fees. Enforcement is
sometimes lax but there are both civil and criminal remedies for misuse of
trademarks registered in China. The U.S. has three Patent and Trade
Office attachés based in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou to assist U.S.
exporters with questions related to trademark registration and also has a website to offer assistance to U.S.
exporters.
Finally, to be successful in the Chinese
e-commerce realm, U.S. exporters need to have a presence on social media
platforms such as WeChat or Weibo to reach and promote products to prospective
customers. USA Rice has had a Weibo account for more than a year to
introduce U.S. rice and the U.S. rice industry to social media users in China.
New rice variety developed
Adverse
weather conditions, especially rising temperatures, have had a significant
impact on rice in recent years. Scientists have been working to develop
different varieties of rice to tackle these conditions and the University of
Arkansas Division of Agriculture recently announced that a new type of long
grain, Clearfield rice, CLL 16, will soon be available to farmers in 2021.
Karen
Moldenhauer, professor and rice breeder for the Division of Agriculture’s
Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, said CLL16 has excellent rough rice
yields, averaging 205 bushels per acre, slightly better than Diamond, which
averages 204 bushels per acre.
“Horizon
Ag is excited to market CLL16, developed in partnership with the University of
Arkansas System Division of Agriculture and BASF,” said Dr. Tim Walker, Horizon
Ag general manager. “This variety promises a step change in yield potential,
while offering industry leading blast tolerance and a milled product that
continues to bring back the Gold Standard rice the Southern USA has
historically produced.”
CLL16
is resistant to blast in Arkansas growing conditions, Moldenhauer said. It has
demonstrated good milling yields, averaging 63% whole kernel and 69% total
milled rice for samples from Arkansas Rice Performance Trials across the state.
“We
recognize that the Clearfield technology continues to offer significant
benefits and ROI potential to rice farmers in the region, particularly when
combined with top-performing varieties like CLL16. Horizon Ag is proud to
continue to partner with the elite university breeding programs which benefit
the industry immensely,” he added.
CLL16
is a very stable cultivated variety with an early maturity date, averaging 86
days to 50% heading, similar to CL172 and Wells and about four days earlier
than Roy J, Moldenhauer said. The plant is standard height with a 36-inch
canopy, similar to Diamond.
“Grain
weight and size are similar to Diamond with nice long, plump kernels,”
Moldenhauer said. “It has typical southern U.S. long-grain cooking quality. The
plants have very strong straw, indicating good lodging resistance. It is rated
moderately susceptible to false smut and susceptible to sheath blight and
bacterial panicle blight.”
Nitrogen
fertilizer requirements were 135 pounds per acre in performance trials, she
said.
Clearfield
rice was developed at Louisiana State University from a breeding line of rice
with a naturally occurring genetic mutation that was tolerant to the
imidazoline family of herbicides, said Bob Scott, Rice Research and Extension
Center director.
Scientists
at LSU licensed the original Clearfield lines to American Cyanamid, now BASF,
which later shared the breeding material with the Division of Agriculture,
Scott said. Horizon Ag is a seed technology company licensed by BASF to market
Clearfield rice varieties.
Breeder
seed for CLL16 will be maintained at the Rice Research and Extension Center. It
will be distributed to growers by Horizon Ag.
https://talkbusiness.net/2020/01/new-rice-variety-developed/
Rice shipments
set to halve, may hit farm export aim
Cogencis, Thursday, Jan 16
By Sampad Nandy
NEW DELHI – In 2018, the government had set an
aim to double India's farm exports by 2022. But a year later, overseas
shipments of rice, the biggest farm export commodity of the country,
are set to halve.
Exports of rice, which accounts for over half
of India's overseas farm shipments, are likely to fall 40% in 2019-20 (Apr-Mar)
due to uncompetitive prices and as Iran, the biggest buyer of basmati rice,
grapples with new sanctions.
FOCUS
India had exported 12.0 mln tn rice in 2018-19
(Apr-Mar) of which 4.4 mln tn was basmati and 7.6 mln tn non-basmati rice. Rice
exports last year accounted for more than half of the country's total farm
product exports of 23.1 mln tn, according data released by Agricultural
Processed & Food Products Development Authority.
Traders fear that overall rice exports could
drop to barely 7 mln tn this year.
Exports data so far already paints a bleak
picture. In the first seven months of this financial year--the latest data
available with APEDA--India's rice exports declined 27% on year to 4.9 mln tn,
and the situation is likely to remain grim at least till March. Non-basmati rice
exports declined 37% on year to 2.8 mln tn in Apr-Oct, primarily due to lower
demand from Africa.
Traders said India's non-basmati rice exports
to African countries are facing tougher competition from China and Vietnam this
year, as Indian prices are uncompetitive due to high domestic support prices.
Prices of the Indian variety of non-basmati
rice have risen sharply in recent years due to a rise in the minimum support
price and fertiliser and labour costs, Vijay Sethia, former president of All
India Rice Exporters Association said.
The government had hiked the minimum support
price for rice by nearly 4% to 1,815 rupees per 100 kg in 2019-20 (Jul-Jun).
This rise in the support price coupled with logistics cost has made India's
rice exports unviable in the global market, Punjab Rice Millers' Association
Tarsem Saini said.
While India is offering 25% broken non-basmati
rice at $400-450 per tn, free on board, China is offering a similar quality at
$300-350 a tn and Vietnam at $330-340 a tn, Rajiv Kumar, executive director of
The Rice Exporters Association said.
"China has eaten into a huge portion of
Indian non-basmati exports this year due to lower export prices," Kumar
said.
The fall in Indian shipments to African nations
have hit the country's exports severely and China has started filling in the
gap by selling its older stocks, Bengaluru-based miller and exporter A.
Manjunath said.
During Apr-Oct, exports to Senegal slumped 93%
to 38,592 tn while that to Republic of Cote d'Ivoire fell nearly 30% to 168,127
tn, according to APEDA. Senegal and Republic of Cote d'Ivoire were the largest
buyers of Indian basmati in Africa.
Lower demand from Bangladesh and Sri Lanka,
which are expected to harvest larger rice crops this year, too has made a dent
in India's non-basmati rice exports, Sethia said. The neighbouring countries
were major importers of Indian non-basmati rice in 2018-19 and 2017-18, when
their crops had shrunk due to drought and floods.
During Apr-Oct, India's non-basmati rice
exports to Bangladesh fell a whopping 97% on year to 11,208 tn, and to Sri
Lanka to barely 2,883 tn, about 89% lower on year.
Going by the trend so far, India's overall
non-basmati exports are unlikely to touch even 4 mln tn this year, a
Kakinada-based exporter said.
BASMATI BLUES
Basmati exports, too, have slowed down. In
Apr-Oct, India exported 2.06 mln tn basmati rice, down over 10% on year, after
the US tightened sanctions on Iran in May.
Iran was the largest importer of Indian basmati
and accounted for almost one-third of India's overall basmati exports in
2018-19 (Apr-Mar).
In November 2018, the US had imposed sanctions
on Iran to curtail its crude oil exports. In 2019, receipts against Indian
exports were adjusted against the payment for import of crude oil from Iran.
However, the window was closed in May after India had to stop import of oil
following US sanctions.
"India's basmati exports to Iran have
stopped completely due to the recent escalation in tensions between the US and
Iran and are unlikely to resume soon," an official with a major basmati
exports firm said.
Exports have been hit also due to tighter
quality norms for consignments meant for the European Union and Saudi Arabia,
Sethia said.
This year basmati exports are not seen topping
3.0 mln tn as shipments to the biggest buyer have remained subdued, an official
with another major domestic trade house said.
Going by the current scenario, the
government's aim to reach $60 bln in overall farm exports by 2022 seems to
be a distant dream. End
Edited by Vandana Hingorani
http://www.cogencis.com/newssection/chome/rice-shipments-set-halve-puts-farm-export-aim-risk/
Navy Nabs Six Rice Smugglers In A’Ibom
January 17, 2020
The
Nigerian Navy Command has arrested six suspected rice smugglers in Akwa Ibom
State.
The Navy Forward Operating Base (FOB) also impounded 1,439 bags of smuggled rice between December 2019 and January 2020.
This was made known by the Commanding Officer, Forward Operating Base, in Ibaka, Mbo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, Peter Yilme, in a statement last Wednesday.
Yilme said the suspects and the items impounded had been handed over to the Nigeria Customs Service in Mbo Local Government Area of the State.
The commanding officer, however, said some of the suspects escaped on sighting the Navy gunboats.
He said the command would remain steadfast in fighting illegalities on the waterways in line with the directives of the Chief of Naval Staff, Ibok Ibas.
Yilme said the arrests were made along the Unyenge, Effiat, and Mendoro creeks between December 2019 and January by Navy officers and men on routine patrol in their gunboats.
“I handed over 1,439 bags of rice and six suspects to the Superintendent of Customs, Garuba Hassan, in line with the directives of the Chief of Naval Staff.
“We are committed to rid the waterways of all forms of illegalities.
“I commend the untiring efforts of the officers and ratings in ensuring the mandate and tasks of the Base are achieved.
“I also appreciate the immense efforts of the Chief of Naval Staff, for providing the necessary platform and logistics support for the Base to carry out its operations,” Yilme said.
Confessing to the crime, a suspect from Bayelsa, Wede John, said that he usually transported fish and was carrying rice for the first time when he was arrested.
“I don’t know the owner of the rice and didn’t know that rice was loaded into the boat. This is my first time of carrying rice.
“I usually transport crayfish and dry fish to Oron Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom. I was carrying rice from Bakassi to Unyenge when I was arrested,” he said.
Also speaking, a suspect and boat driver, Awagoyi Philip, said the owner of the rice promised to pay him N20,000 for carrying the rice but that he was yet to collect the money.
“I drive boats and I was paid to drive the boat that carried the rice. This is my first time. The owner of the rice promised to pay me N 20,000 and is aware that I have been arrested”, he said.
The Navy Forward Operating Base (FOB) also impounded 1,439 bags of smuggled rice between December 2019 and January 2020.
This was made known by the Commanding Officer, Forward Operating Base, in Ibaka, Mbo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, Peter Yilme, in a statement last Wednesday.
Yilme said the suspects and the items impounded had been handed over to the Nigeria Customs Service in Mbo Local Government Area of the State.
The commanding officer, however, said some of the suspects escaped on sighting the Navy gunboats.
He said the command would remain steadfast in fighting illegalities on the waterways in line with the directives of the Chief of Naval Staff, Ibok Ibas.
Yilme said the arrests were made along the Unyenge, Effiat, and Mendoro creeks between December 2019 and January by Navy officers and men on routine patrol in their gunboats.
“I handed over 1,439 bags of rice and six suspects to the Superintendent of Customs, Garuba Hassan, in line with the directives of the Chief of Naval Staff.
“We are committed to rid the waterways of all forms of illegalities.
“I commend the untiring efforts of the officers and ratings in ensuring the mandate and tasks of the Base are achieved.
“I also appreciate the immense efforts of the Chief of Naval Staff, for providing the necessary platform and logistics support for the Base to carry out its operations,” Yilme said.
Confessing to the crime, a suspect from Bayelsa, Wede John, said that he usually transported fish and was carrying rice for the first time when he was arrested.
“I don’t know the owner of the rice and didn’t know that rice was loaded into the boat. This is my first time of carrying rice.
“I usually transport crayfish and dry fish to Oron Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom. I was carrying rice from Bakassi to Unyenge when I was arrested,” he said.
Also speaking, a suspect and boat driver, Awagoyi Philip, said the owner of the rice promised to pay him N20,000 for carrying the rice but that he was yet to collect the money.
“I drive boats and I was paid to drive the boat that carried the rice. This is my first time. The owner of the rice promised to pay me N 20,000 and is aware that I have been arrested”, he said.
http://www.thetidenewsonline.com/2020/01/17/navy-nabs-six-rice-smugglers-in-aibom-2/
Boracay beach food crawl—but without leaving
one’s hotel
‘Fastest pizza’ on the
island, chocolate fare at sunset, a fusion of Korean and Japanese favorites—the
choices suit various tastes
Cabanas and lounge chairs for chilling at Sol Marina Beach Club
—PHOTOS BY IRENE C. PEREZ
One can do beach food crawl in
Boracay without leaving the comfort of one’s hotel.
Mövenpick Resort & Spa
Boracay has seven concept restaurants to meet various tastes.
Situated on Punta Bunga Cove away
from the crowded White Beach, it gives guests privacy and exclusivity, but
still with the view of the glorious Boracay sunset.
The flight to Boracay (Caticlan
airport) is around an hour from Manila on Air Asia, which arranged the tour of
Mövenpick’s restaurants.
‘Fastest
pizza’
At Brezza Italian restaurant, the
staff takes pride in serving the “fastest pizza” on the island. They can
demonstrate how to make handmade pizza from scratch, and bake it for less than
a minute at the special wood-fired oven—nicknamed “The Beast”—imported from
Naples, Italy.
Pizza Quattro Formaggi, with four
kinds of cheese and crushed black pepper, is simple but tasty. L’invidiosa has
fresh burrata, ham, pistachios and cherry tomatoes.
The half-moon Calzone is a filling
pizza pocket with ham, mushroom and mozzarella. Then there’s the Seafood
Overload Pizza, a seasonal treat.
The pizzas are for sharing although
one can eat them whole —they’re that good.
Brezza’s festive look is inspired
by the rustic restaurants in the coastal region of Liguria. Apart from pizza
and pasta, Brezza’s menu includes Antipasti (appetizer), Insalate (salad),
Zuppe (soup), Secondi (mains) and Aperitivo (drinks).
The La Breza salad with Parma ham,
burrata and artichokes is a generous plate. My Chicken Salad has smoked chicken
breast and “light devil dressing,” a cream-based spicy sauce.
Caciuccio is fresh seafood soup in
tomato broth. Zucca is smooth pumpkin soup with a touch of cinnamon, while
Pomodoro Piccante is Tuscan-style tomato soup.
Brezza’s popular meat dish is the
Manzo Grigliato—grilled Angus beef with potato, baby carrots and tomatoes.
There’s also Pollo alla cacciatora, slow-cooked chicken in herbed tomato sauce,
and the zesty Dentice alle erbe red snapper with Chardonnay sauce.
Unlimited sweets during Chocolate Hour at The Café
Chocolate Hour
The Café is Mövenpick’s in-house
coffee shop that holds daily Chocolate Hour.
Every 5 p.m., guests can enjoy
unlimited chocolates as they watch the sunset—a chocolate lover’s dream. Choose
from chocolate barks, decadent truffles, fondue and strawberry-dipped
chocolates, plus macarons and cream puffs.
Filipino food,
too
Breakfast buffet is served at The
Market—an international menu for various tastes, but really, how can one go
wrong with bacon and eggs, warm bread and waffles?
À la carte entreés can be ordered
throughout the day, such as Adobo, Kare-Kare, Beef Fillet with Red Cabbage,
Seafood Casimir with basmati rice.
Ssäm, meanwhile, specializes in
Korean and Japanese fusion. It offers gogigui, or Korean BBQ on tabletop
grills. Other items: beef burger with kimchi, sushi and sashimi, plus Japanese
rice sets best paired with sake and soju.
Sol Marina Beach Club is a
beachfront happy-hour hangout, complete with cabanas and sun beds. Go for the
Mediterranean dishes: Seafood Soup with tarragon pistou (pesto without the pine
nuts), Tagliolini pasta with basil walnut pesto, and Ahi Tuna with olive and
eggplant pesto.
Fun Pub is Mövenpick’s sports bar
for groups that just can’t miss their favorite games. It has a karaoke room for
private parties, by reservation.
Beer and cocktails are available at
the Pool Bar.
Sunset without the crowds at Mövenpick Boracay
Herbal ‘hilot’
Full? Cap the beach holiday with a
hilot massage incorporating herbal tuba-tuba leaves at Sagay Spa for better
digestion.
Mövenpick Resort & Spa
Boracay is an upscale low-rise resort on a secluded beach stretch, with
multilevel pool and kid’s play area. There are over 300 rooms, making it ideal
for weddings and family celebrations.
www.movenpick.com/boracay
Related
https://lifestyle.inquirer.net/355473/boracay-beach-food-crawl-but-without-leaving-ones-hotel/
Nigeria’s Rice
Import Declines By 3.7MMT – NEPC
By Economic
Confidential
-January 16, 2020 NEPC Executive Director Mr
Olusegun Awolowo Nigeria’s Rice Import Declines By 3.7MMT – NEPC
Nigeria’s import of foreign rice must have declined by 3.7 million metric
tonnes, the Nigeria Export Promotion Council has said. The Chief Executive
Officer of NEPC, Mr Segun Awolowo, said in Jos, Plateau State, on Wednesday
that with Nigeria’s rice production put at 4.9MMT, dependence of the country on
foreign rice must have declined from 4.5MMT to 800,000MMT. Awolowo said this in
an address to Plateau farmers at a workshop in Jos, the state capital. He was
represented by the Director, National Export Office, Abuja, Mrs Gertrude
Ukoanam. He noted that Nigeria was among the top 16 rice producers in the world
with production valued at N684bn. He said with the country’s latest production
record which surpassed other African countries, Nigeria’s annual rice import
would have reduced from 4.5MMT to 800,000MMT. Awolowo said, “We gathered that
Nigeria attained about 4.9MMT in rice production in 2019, which makes it the
largest producer in Africa, surpassing Egypt which produced 4.3 million metric
tonnes annually. “With Nigeria’s latest production record, annual import would have
drastically reduced from 4.5MMT to 800,000MMT. “For us at NEPC, it is our
fervent belief that together, we can succeed not only in the diversification of
the economic base by moving the country from a mono-product foreign exchange
earner to a multiproduct foreign exchange earner through rice production from states.”
Nigeria is reportedly leading in rice production in Africa. Reports from
organisations and websites such as the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the
United Nations, Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria, Federal Ministry
Agriculture and Rural Development, waystocap.com, allafrica.com, put Nigeria as
the largest producer of the staple in recent times. Madagascar is an island
nation that also boasts a relatively high production capacity, especially
considering its size. The estimated rice production level for Madagascar in
2017 was 3.5MMT. Tanzania is the most important rice production zone in East
Africa. Reports stated that in 2017, production rates for some farmers almost
tripled as some got up to 45 bags of rice per acre instead of the previous 15
bags. The National President, RIFAN, Aminu Goronyo, told our correspondent in
Abuja that findings by the association showed that virtually all rice consumed
across the country were cultivated and processed locally.
https://economicconfidential.com/2020/01/nigeria-rice-import-declines-nepc/
JANUARY 16, 2020 / 10:56 AM / A
DAY AGO
Thailand's 2020 rice exports
forecast to fall to lowest in seven years
Patpicha Tanakasempipat,
Panarat Thepgumpanat
3 MIN READ
BANGKOK, Jan 16 (Reuters) -
Thailand’s rice exports in 2020 are forecast to drop to their lowest in seven
year, the country’s rice exporters group said on Thursday, as the strong baht
reduces the competitiveness against other shippers.
Exports from Thailand, the
world’s second-biggest exporter of the commodity after India, are expected to
drop to 7.5 million tonnes this year, the Thai Rice Exporters Association said.
That would be the lowest volume since Thailand exported 6.6 million tonnes of
rice in 2013.
The grim forecast came after
Thailand fell short of its initial 2019 target by exporting 7.8 million tonnes
of rice last year.
Thai rice export volumes
have declined for two consecutive years since hitting a record 11.60 million
tonnes in 2017.
“We’re being optimistic when
we give the 7.5 million tonnes forecast,” Chookiat Ophaswongse, honorary
president of the exporters association, told Reuters.
“This year looks worse than
the last, because of even more apparent price differences.”
Thai benchmark 5% broken
rice RI-THBKN5-P1 prices have remained high well into 2020, after trading
significantly higher than the Vietnamese variety throughout 2019 mainly because
the baht rose in value relative to other currencies. Thai prices were about $75
a tonne higher than Vietnamese cargoes last week.
The baht was Asia’s
strongest-performing currency in 2019, appreciating by nearly 9%. It is
currently trading near the highest in more than six years.
Drought - which has been
declared in 18 provinces in the central, northern and northeastern farming
regions - also threatens to reduce supply in 2020, driving up local rice
prices.
Thailand’s dry season
started in November and usually lasts through April, although authorities said
it could go on through June this year.
Earlier this month, the U.S.
Department of Agriculture estimated Thailand’s total output this year at 18.5
million tonnes of milled rice, down 9% from last year.
Last year, Thailand’s
commerce ministry gave a similar forecast for 2020 rice exports of 8 million
tonnes. (Reporting by Patpicha Tanakasempipat and Panarat Thepgumpanat; Writing
by Patpicha Tanakasempipat; Editing by Christian Schmollinger)
https://www.reuters.com/article/thailand-rice/thailands-2020-rice-exports-forecast-to-fall-to-lowest-in-seven-years-idUSL4N29L18V
RPT-Asia Rice-Thai rates climb to
near 2-year high as drought persists
JANUARY 17, 2020 / 6:35
Shreyansi Singh
(Repeats item first
published on Thursday with no changes to text)
* Possible deal from Cotonou
boosts India market - dealer
* Vietnam prices slip to
$345 a tonne
* Philippine buyers eye
upcoming Vietnamese harvest
* Thai exports forecast to
drop to 7-year low in 2020
By Shreyansi Singh
BENGALURU, Jan 16 (Reuters)
- Thai rice export prices scaled a more than 20-month peak this week as a
persistent drought heightened supply concerns, while improved demand from
African countries drove an uptick in rates for the Indian variety.
Thailand’s benchmark 5%
broken rice RI-THBKN5-P1 prices rose to their highest since late April 2018 at
$435-$445, compared with $425-$435 last week.
Risks to supply from the
ongoing drought, coupled with a strong baht have supported Thai prices, traders
said.
Exports from Thailand, the
world’s second largest rice exporter after India, are forecast to drop to their
lowest in seven years, at 7.5 million tonnes, in 2020, the country’s rice
exporters group said.
The baht, Asia’s
strongest-performing currency in 2019, is currently trading near a more than
six-year high.
In India, 5% broken parboiled
rice RI-INBKN5-P1 rose to $364-$368 per tonne from $362-$366 last week, on
increased demand from buyers in Africa.
“Rice demand has finally
seen some uptick as the news of a Cotonou (Benin) order opening soon has seen
some trade happening,” said Nitin Gupta, vice president for Olam India’s rice
business.
In neighbouring Bangladesh,
the state is providing a subsidy to reduce production costs and boost domestic
output, Agriculture Minister Abdur Razzak told Reuters on Thursday.
Dhaka has failed to clinch
any overseas deals since a long-standing export ban on the common variety was
lifted in May, as its rice competes with lower-prices for the grain from India
and Thailand.
Meanwhile in Vietnam, rates
for 5% broken rice RI-VNBKN5-P1 fell to $345 a tonne on Thursday from $355 a
week earlier.
“Buyers have slowed their
purchases to wait for fresh rice from the upcoming winter-spring harvest
available from next month,” said a trader based in the Mekong Delta province of
An Giang.
The trader also said multiple
buyers from the Philippines had shown interest in the winter-spring rice.
Vietnamese customs data
released earlier this week showed Vietnam exported 6.4 million tonnes of rice
in 2019, up 4.2% from 2018.
Earlier this week, a
Malaysian buyer purchased 40,000 tonnes of Vietnamese 5% broken rice for around
$340 per tonne, to be delivered in January and February, traders said.
(Reporting by Rajendra Jadhav in Mumbai, Ruma Paul in Dhaka, Khanh Vu in Hanoi
and Patpicha Tanakasempipat in Bangkok; Editing by Arpan Varghese and Alex
Richardson)
https://in.reuters.com/article/asia-rice/rpt-asia-rice-thai-rates-climb-to-near-2-year-high-as-drought-persists-idINL4N29L3GC
Exports of processed rice goods up 20 pct in 2019
By Kang Yoon-seung
SEOUL, Jan. 16 (Yonhap) -- South
Korea's outbound shipments of processed rice products shot up last year amid
the booming popularity of Korean dramas, K-pop and other cultural assets
abroad, data showed Thursday.
Exports of these products reached
US$106 million in 2019, marking a sharp rise from $89 million posted a year
earlier, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. It
also nearly doubled from $55 million posted in 2015.
These products cover a wide range
of foodstuff, such as snacks, noodles, drinks, and ready-to-eat meals.
This undated file photo shows a
variety of ready-to-eat steamed rice products displayed at a supermarket in
Seoul. (Yonhap)
hide caption
Outbound shipments of rice cakes
and related products, such as "tteokbokki" -- rice cakes in chili
pepper sauce -- soared nearly 40 percent to $34.3 million over the period, the
ministry data showed.
Exports of microwavable rice also
shot up 36 percent on-year last year to $34.6 million. South Korea's exports of
rice-based alcoholic beverages, on the other hand, slipped 2.1 percent over the
period to $13.7 million.
By country, exports to Vietnam
increased 25.2 percent to $13 million, with shipments to the United States and
Japan also rising 19 percent and 18 percent, respectively, to $36 million and
$16 million, it added.
Other major destinations included
China, the Philippines, Hong Kong and Australia, according to the ministry.
Rice is a key staple food for
Koreans, but its consumption has been on a steady decline in recent decades due
mainly to changes in diet and eating habits. South Korea has been making
efforts to foster its rice-processing businesses to increase the demand and
exports.
On the back of such efforts, the
country's consumption of rice for processed goods reached 568,000 tons in 2018,
rising 5.6 percent on average over the past five years.
The local market for processed rice
products was estimated at 5.3 trillion won (US$4.57 billion) in 2018, the
ministry said.
colin@yna.co.kr
(END)
(END)
Keywords
https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20200116002300320
New variety of long-grain rice developed
Thursday, January 16th 2020
Rice.
(Photo: Pixabay)
LITTLE ROCK (KATV) — Adverse weather conditions, especially rising temperatures, have
had a significant impact on rice in recent years. Scientists have been working
to develop different varieties of rice to tackle these conditions and the
University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture recently announced that a new
type of long-grain, Clearfield rice, CLL 16, will soon be available to farmers
in 2021.
Karen Moldenhauer, professor and
rice breeder for the Division of Agriculture’s Arkansas Agricultural Experiment
Station, said CLL16 has excellent rough rice yields, averaging 205 bushels per
acre, slightly better than Diamond, which averages 204 bushels per acre.
“Horizon Ag is excited to market
CLL16, developed in partnership with the University of Arkansas System Division
of Agriculture and BASF,” said Dr. Tim Walker, Horizon Ag general manager.
“This variety promises a step-change in yield potential while offering
industry-leading blast tolerance and a milled product that continues to bring
back the Gold Standard rice the Southern USA has historically produced.”
CLL16 is resistant to blast in
Arkansas growing conditions, Moldenhauer said. It has demonstrated good milling
yields, averaging 63% whole kernel and 69% total milled rice for samples from
Arkansas Rice Performance Trials across the state.
