State rice deal with
China set for September
11 Aug 2015
NEWSPAPER SECTION: BUSINESS
| WRITER: PHUSADEE
ARUNMAS
A worker drives a forklift to load bags of rice
at a processing plant in Ayutthaya province. The government plans to sign deals
to sell another 2 million tonnes of rice to China. WALAILAK KEERATIPIPATPONG
- +
Thailand
is set to sign a government-to-government deal with China next month to sell 1
million tonnes of rice, with delivery starting in December.Commerce Minister
Chatchai Sarikulya said after his return from China last week that the deal
would be signed on Sept 13 or 14.The grains, which are mainly new 5% white rice
and Hom Mali fragrant rice, are part of 2 million tonnes of rice for which
Thailand and China signed a memorandum of understanding last December.The
contract will be made through the China National Cereals, Oils and
Foodstuffs Corporation, the giant state enterprise that
oversees rice imports, as a way of ensuring transparency.Gen Chatchai
said Thai authorities would discuss further with Chinese counterparts about the
proper period for the deal for the remaining 1 million tonnes to be signed.The
transaction with China is unrelated to an earlier deal for 1 million
tonnes struck by the Yingluck Shinawatra government. Thailand has already
delivered 600,000 tonnes as part of that deal.
The present government has vowed to dispose of
17 million tonnes of rice in state stockpiles accumulated from the
previous government within two years, with 10 million tonnes to be sold this
year.
Since Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha took
office, the Commerce Ministry has held eight bids to speed up disposal of 18
million tonnes of state stocks. It has sold 3.88 million tonnes for 40.9
billion baht.The government now controls 14.3 million tonnes of rice, with 4.6
million categorised as low-quality grains, 1.29 million as rotten and about 8
million dubbed as Grade P, meaning its quality passes Commerce Ministry
certification and it is a mix of Grades A and B.
In the first half of this year, Thailand
shipped 4.457 million tonnes of rice, down by 4.7% to a value of US$2.21
billion.
Nigeria was the largest importer of Thai
rice at 475,362 tonnes, up by 105% year-on-year, followed by the
Philippines at 422,110 tonnes (up 255%), China at 361,106 tonnes (up 9%), South
Africa at 270,291 tonnes (up 17%) and the US at 226,497 tonnes (down 1.8%).
Govt
to ship 10,000 tonne of rice bran after eased restrictions on its bulk sale
Aug 11, 2015
Following to the eased restrictions on rice bran oil bulk sale,
Government is expecting to ship 10,000 tonne of rice bran oil this financial
year which will be a boost to small rice millers.SEA Executive Director B V
Mehta stated: “Lifting of the government restriction is a great boost to the
industry and will help small rice millers across the country. We expect to
export 10,000 tonne rice bran oil during this financial year”.Mehta said SEA is
now looking at new export destination for shipping of rice bran oil, which
fetches a premium over other edible oils.Also rice bran oil is considered
healthier and meets the recommendation of a well blended combination of SFA,
MUFA and PUFA.
“There has been very good demand from countries like Japan and Thailand. We will also start exploring new destinations like Australia, New Zealand, the US for exports of rice bran oil,” he added.India was the highest producer of rice bran oil with an output of 9.5 lakh tonne in 2014-15, followed by China with 2 lakh tonne and Japan 80,000 tonne.
“There has been very good demand from countries like Japan and Thailand. We will also start exploring new destinations like Australia, New Zealand, the US for exports of rice bran oil,” he added.India was the highest producer of rice bran oil with an output of 9.5 lakh tonne in 2014-15, followed by China with 2 lakh tonne and Japan 80,000 tonne.
Chef Chele Gonzalez Takes Back and
Elevates the Humble Paella
BY CAI SUBIJANO
AUGUST 11,
2015
The way people talk about carbs is
kind of a bummer. And in a carbs-obsessed country like the Philippines, it’s
difficult to adjust to the concepts of gluten-free, wheat-free, and protein-rich.
And while we do celebrate every new restaurant that champions a healthy
lifestyle, we can’t help but embrace the ones that willfully don’t.ArroZeria’s new menu definitely features more than
its fair share of carbs. According to Chef Chele Gonzalez, he wanted to put the
focus on their paella, while introducing some new dishes, like the Fideua
Callos, a paella cooked with thin noodles, garbanzo beans, pork, and tripe;
Arroz Gratinado Longaniza, house-made longganisa,
broccoli, and garlic-rich aioli in a rice dish that is run under a broiler; a
refreshing and tender Salpicon de Pulpo (octopus) bathed in capsicum and onion
vinaigrette; Pimiento Rellenos, piquillo peppers stuffed with braised oxtail; a
classic Chorizo y Gambas; and Lengua Frita, deep-fried Angus beef tongue coated
in béchamel sauce and breadcrumbs.
ArroZeria opened its doors in Century City Mall earlier this year,
backed by the same team behind Vask and Gallery Vask: Chefs Chele, Ivan Saiz, and Keith Fresnido.At the launch of the
new menu, Chef Chele explained the vast difference between the way Filipinos
enjoy the traditional rice dish in comparison to Spaniards. As he puts it, we
like it “soft and wet,” and chunky with meats and vegetables, while the Spanish
manner is to enjoy it “al dente and thin,” with more rice than meat.
Of course he says, ArroZeria will serve their paella both ways, according to
how their customer likes it.
The Lengua Frita is deep fried angus ox tongue coated in béchamel
and tartar sauce.
The result is paella that tastes as authentic as if you were in
the seaside city of Valencia. As each separate grain of rice glistens, a thin
layer crusts around the bottom and edges of the paellera. There is a bite to the
rice, al dente, each spoonful so
flavorful that meat or seafood are superfluous.
Arrozeria. 4/F, Century City Mall, Kalayaan Avenue, Makati City.
For reservations and inquiries, call (0920) 974-4742 or e-mail info@arrozeriamanila.com.
APEDA INDIA NEWS
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USA Rice Launches New
Online Home
New website screengrab
Home Sweet Home
ARLINGTON, VA - USA Rice officially launched its new online home,
www.usarice.com. The site has a modern look and feel, is greatly slimmed down,
streamlined, and fully functional on mobile devices."We went through more
than 15,000 pages of content to get rid of clutter and organize the information
in a logical way both on the front end for users, but also on the back end for
staff," said Amy Doane who worked on the new site's architecture.
"The new site is light years ahead of where we were and we're excited to
improve this valuable tool for our members."
New Website
New and improved features
"Members told us local weather and market prices are among the
most important pieces of information they look for every day, so we added that
to the home page," explained Katie Maher who led much of the redesign.
"Users click on the weather icon, enter their zip code one time, and the
site will remember that is the weather, radar, and forecasting you want."Maher
explained the site is now organized around the USA Rice Daily, that you are
reading right now.
"The Daily and the tags
associated with each story serve as the backbone of the new site, linking and
organizing information logically," she said. "Not only do we add
stories every day, but we are also working backwards, adding archived stories
to give visitors a full picture of what each issue means for rice and how that
issue has evolved over time."
Maher added that members
only sections, including RMA Online and USA Rice PAC, are up and ready for use,
and that any members having trouble logging in should request a password reset
from their staff liaison.
Contact: Michael Klein (703)
236-1458
Rice exporters worry
about reduced demand from China
VietNamNet
Bridge - China, the biggest Vietnam rice importer since 2012, hsa unexpectedly
reduced imports in the first months of the year, raising controversial
predictions about the level of demand from the world’s most populous country.
With 95 million hectares, China’s food crop growing area accounts
for only 13.1 percent of crop area worldwide, but with an output of 0.5 billion
tons, China makes 20 percent of the total food produced in the world.However,
analysts said China faces three problems with its rice production.First, though
China has stopped the downward trend in the rice growing area and has
maintained high productivity, food security has fallen sharply.In 1970, rice
accounted for 55.3 percent of the ‘food basket’ of the country (rice, wheat and
maize). The proportion dropped dramatically to 29.8 percent in
2014. Counting only rice and wheat, the proportion dropped from 72.5
percent 53.5 percent.Though Chinese favor rice, they now use more wheat, a
factor that has influenced the sharp rise in Chinese rice imports in recent
years.
Second, the measures taken to restore the rice growing area to
ensure food security has turned China into a big rice importer as the world’s
rice price falls.According to the US Department of Agriculture, in 2005 China
spent $2.559 billion to support domestic food production. Meanwhile, the
figure soared to $30.21 billion in 2011 and $29.562 billion in 2014.A report
showed that Chinese direct support to its farmers has increased rapidly from $1.94
billion to $2.5 billion, which has contributed to the rise in rice prices.The
Chinese government has also supported Chinese farmers by raising the purchasing
price of Japonica rice 2.56 times over an eight year period. As the domestic
price is on the rise, Chinese are importing more rice from other
countries.Third, Chinese seem to favor less Chinese rice as imports are more
competitively priced.
Are there great opportunities for Vietnam rice?
Are there great opportunities for Vietnam rice?
It’s unclear if China will increase imports from Vietnam in the upcoming months. But according to FAO’s and USDA’s prediction, the answer would be ‘yes’ for two reasons. First, the rice sale prices are now at the deepest low. Second, El Nino is expected to be stronger in upcoming months.However, a source said that the government of China may not act as people assume. Since it failed to auction its rice stock recently, it will force Chinese importers to commit to buy rice stocks in exchange for import quotas.
Dan Viet
http://english.vietnamnet.vn/fms/business/138308/rice-exporters-worry-about-reduced-demand-from-china.html
Marketing with Cuban flavor and first look at 2015 crop next
webinar topics
Aug 10, 2015Delta
Farm Press
Terry Harris has been selling rice for Riceland Foods’ members
for more than 30 years. During that time, he has made several trips to Cuba and
other U.S. rice-consuming countries, trying to find more markets for his
farmers’ product.
Terry Harris has been selling rice for Riceland
Foods’ members for more than 30 years. During that time, he has made several
trips to Cuba and other U.S. rice-consuming countries, trying to find more
markets for his farmers’ product.
Eugene Young hasn’t been around quite as long as Harris, but he
has quickly learned the ropes of forecasting acreage and production for the
USDA National Agricultural statistics Service operation in Arkansas and, more
recently, in the newly-created Delta Region. ogether, they will be the presenters for the next in the series
of Food and Agribusiness webinars being conducted by the University of
Arkansas’ Division of Agriculture. Since 2014, the University’s Department of
Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness has conducted more than 40 webinars on
topics ranging from the 2014 farm bill to the impacts of the El Nino
phenomenon.The next webinar, which will have the dual title of “Rice Marketing
with a Cuban Flavor and other potential trade opportunities with Terry Harris”
and “A Look at the First Yield Forecast for the 2015 Crop Year Production with
Eugene Young,” will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday (Aug. 13).
Terry Harris joined Riceland Foods in 1975 as a member of the
Quality Control team. He held several positions in the areas of quality
control, quality assurance and mill scheduling until being named export sales
manager in 1981.He served in this position until 1990 when he was named vice
president export sales and marketing. In 2010, Harris was elected to the
position of vice president rice sales with responsibility for all rice sales
for the cooperative. In October 2014, he was named senior vice president for
marketing and risk management, with responsibility for sales of all commodities
of the company as well as commodity risk management.
Eugene Young currently serves as regional deputy director for
the USDA-NASS Delta Regional Office. In 2010, he was promoted to the Arkansas
field office deputy director.In 2013, with NASS moving to a regional field
office structure, he was promoted to regional deputy director in charge of the
estimation program for the Delta Regional office serving Arkansas, Louisiana,
and Mississippi.
http://deltafarmpress.com/rice/marketing-cuban-flavor-and-first-look-2015-crop-next-webinar-topics?utm_source=USA+Rice+Daily%2C+August+11%2C+2015&utm_campaign=Friday%2C+December+13%2C+2013&utm_medium=email
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Thailand says to sell 1 million tonnes of rice to China
Mon Aug 10, 2015 7:48am GMT
BANGKOK Aug 10 (Reuters) - China will buy 1 million tonnes of rice from
Thailand, the Thai commerce minister said on Monday, easing pressure on a
military government struggling to shift stockpiles of the grain accumulated
under a previous farm-subsidy programme.Thai Commerce Minister Chatchai
Sirikalya, following a visit to China last week, said the country agreed to buy
1 million tonnes of rice to be delivered at year-end.
Thailand, the world's second-largest rice exporter, has about 14.5
million tonnes of rice in stockpiles built up under a generous rice subsidy
scheme run by a government that was overthrown by the military in May 2014.The
rice will be sold to China at market prices, said Chatchai, adding that the
sale involved Hom Mali, or Thai jasmine rice, and Thai 5-percent broken white
rice."In the past week the commerce ministry travelled to China and agreed
with the Chinese government to do a government-to- government sale and agreed
to officially sell rice (to China)," Chatchai told reporters.Chinese
government officials did not immediately respond to emailed requests for
comment.
In December, Thailand said China would buy 2 million tonnes of
rice after the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding during a
two-day regional summit in Bangkok.The deal announced on Monday was part of
that agreement, said Chatchai, adding that negotiations for the sale of a
further 1 million tonnes would begin in September.He said Thai government
officials would travel to Iran at the end of August to try to strike similar
deals."Iran has expressed interest in buying rice at the end of
August," said Chatchai.
(Reportin
http://af.reuters.com/article/nigeriaNews/idAFL3N10L2KQ20150810?sp=true
Why is China Buying One Million Tons of Rice from Thailand?
By Prashanth Parameswaran
Beijing is helping Thailand
ease a large burden.
BANGKOK: — On August 10,
Thailand’s Commerce Minister Gen Chatchai Sarikalya announced that China and
Thailand had reached a government-to-government agreement for Beijing to buy
one million tons of Thai rice.
The agreement is part of a broader memorandum of understanding
(MoU) the two countries reached last December for China to buy two million tons
of rice from Thailand (See: “Thailand Turns to China”). According to Chatchai, this
particular sale involves Thai jasmine rice and Thai-5 percent broken white rice
and would be done using market prices. Negotiations for the sale the other 1
million tons of rice to China under the MoU are expected to begin in September.
The deal is significant because it would allow Thailand –
currently the world’s second largest rice exporter – to begin to ease the
stockpiles of grain it accumulated under a graft-ridden rice-pledging program
under former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra…
Full story:
http://thediplomat.com/2015/08/why-is-china-buying-one-million-tons-of-rice-from-thailand/
http://news.thaivisa.com/thailand/why-is-china-buying-one-million-tons-of-rice-from-thailand/111095/
Mozambique has annual deficit of 360,000 tons of rice
AUGUST
11TH, 2015
Valá also said that use of traditional technologies, low water
management capacity for water management, weak soil levelling, adverse weather
such as floods and drought are other factors that have affected Mozambican rice
production.Mozambique has 900,000 hectares of land for potential rice
production, of which only about 310,000 are being used, and more than half of
this potential is in Zambezia and Sofala provinces in the central region of the
country.About 90% of rice production is carried out by smallholders in rainfed
conditions, with an average productivity of 1.0 to 1.2 tons per hectare in
rainfed systems and 2.8 and 3.5 tons per hectare when the land is irrigated,
noted Valá.Last week, farmers and the managers of hydraulics company Hidráulica
de Chókwè, in Gaza province, gathered in meeting to mark the end of the current
rice production season, in which they harvested about 15,000 tons.Of this
amount just over 10,000 tons came from rice sector producers while the
remaining 5,000 tons were produced by family farmers, through numerous small
units in that area of Gaza province. (macauhub/MZ)
http://www.macauhub.com.mo/en/2015/08/11/mozambique-has-annual-deficit-of-360000-tons-of-rice/
Lack of rice supply from AP not
to cause shortage: Minister
STAFF REPORTER
Food and Civil Supplies Minister Anoop Jacob with
Mayor K. Chandrika during the inauguration of the Onam Metro Peoples Bazaar
2015 organised by the Supplyco in the city on Monday.— Photo: S. Mahinsha
Minister for Food and Civil
Supplies Anoop Jacob has denied reports that lack of supply of rice from Andhra
Pradesh (AP) will cause shortage of rice during Onam festival.Inaugurating the
Onam metro fair of the Kerala State Civil Supplies Corporation (Supplyco) here
at Putharikandam Maidanam on Monday, he said that the State government had
completed procurement of 37,000 tonnes of rice for the season.
Adequate steps
It had also taken adequate steps
for open market intervention to stabilise the price of the commodity.If
sufficient Jaya rice was not available from Andhra, Matta rice will be
distributed, he said.
Price reduced
APL card-holders
Above Poverty Level cardholders
attached to the South City Rationing Office will get 7 kilo of parboiled rice
and 2 kg of raw rice at Rs.8.90 per kilo this month, the Minister added.The
cardholders will also get 2 kg of wheat at Rs.6. 70 per kilo.APL subsidy
cardholders will get 6 kg of parboiled rice and 2 kg of raw rice at Rs.2 per
kg, and 2 kg of wheat at Rs.6.70 per kg.
River Indus
continues to run in high flood
ISLAMABAD: Federal Flood Commission (FFC) has said that River
Indus is flowing in High Flood in "Guddu-Sukkur" &
"Sukkur-Kotri" Reaches.According to daily FFC report on Tuesday, it
is at Medium Flood Stage in "Chashma-Taunsa" Reach and Low Flood in
"Tarbela - Kalabagh Reach".River Kabul continues to flow in Low Flood
in "Warsak - Nowshera Reach", while River Swat is flowing in Low
Flood at Charsadda Road. Other main rivers including Rivers Jhelum, Chenab,
Ravi and Sutlej are flowing normal.
Due to High Flood Situation in "Guddu-Sukkur" &
"Sukkur-Kotri" Reaches, the low lying/riverine areas along River
Indus in Sindh Province would be affected.According to the Flood Forecasting
Division, Lahore, flow in River Sutlej at Ganda Singh Wala is likely to
increase from 45,000- 55,000 cusecs on Thursday (afternoon).The actual river
flows and reservoir elevations indicates that Tarbela Dam is at Maximum
Conservation Level of 1550.00 feet, whereas Mangla Dam is at elevation of
1237.85 feet, which is 4.15 feet below its Maximum Conservation Level of
1242.00 feet.
According to Flood Forecasting Division, Lahore, Seasonal Low
continues to prevail over Northwestern Balochistan. Weak moist current is
penetrating into Punjab & Kashmir upto 3000 feet.As predicted by the Flood
Forecasting Division, Lahore, mainly dry weather is expected over most parts of
the country during the next 24 hours.
However, isolated thundershowers may occur over Punjab
(Rawalpindi, Lahore, Sargodha, Gujranwala & D.G. Khan Divisions), Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa (Kohat, Bannu & D.I. Khan Divisions) and Northeastern
Balochistan including upper catchments of Rivers Indus, Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi
and Sutlej during the same period.Significant rainfall events as reported by
the Flood Forecasting Division, Lahore during the past 24 hours include; Zhob
& Faisalabad = 25 mm each, Lahore (Gulshan-e-Ravi = 24 mm, Shahi Qilla = 20
mm, Upper Mall = 17 mm, Shahdara = 15 mm, Mughalpura = 12 mm & Misri Shah =
11 mm) and Sargodha (Airport) = 11mm. - APP
http://www.samaa.tv/pakistan/11-Aug-2015/river-indus-continues-to-run-in-high-flood
Rains over East as ‘low’ pops up in Bay
VINSON KURIAN
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, AUGUST
11:
As predicted, a low-pressure area
has formed in the Bay of Bengal off the Andhra Pradesh-Odisha coasts on Tuesday
whose behaviour and lateral movement will be closely watched.India Met Department
expects the system to cross the Andhra Pradesh coast and in fact drive up the
monsoon flows for a couple of days (Thursday and Friday).
Rains spread
Overall deficit
This will continue in varying
intensities over north, north-west and east India until the weekend, according
to the US Climate Prediction Centre.What this means is that large parts of
peninsula, which is reeling under a deficit of 21 per cent as of Tuesday, will
be bereft of any significant rain although isolated showers are forecast for
some.The overnight rain over Telangana, Kerala and coastal Karnataka has
prevented the deficit for the country as a whole from deteriorating from the nine
per cent of the previous day.In fact, the peninsula managed to cut its
shortfall by one percentage point to 21 per cent. The deficit in central India
is at nine per cent and in east and northeast India, 11 per cent.
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/industry-and-economy/agri-biz/rains-over-east-as-low-pops-up-in-bay/article7526799.ece
Myanmar Flood Death Toll Tops 100, One Million
Affected
File Photo: Apartments are
destroyed following a landslide due to heavy rain in Harkhar, Chin State of
Myanmar on July 30, 2015. (Agence France-Presse)
HINTHADA, MYANMAR: The
death toll from severe flooding across Myanmar has topped 100, state media
reported today, with nearly one million people affected as fears intensify for
the country's crucial rice bowl region.Floods from a heavy monsoon season have
cut through swathes of South and Southeast Asia in recent weeks, claiming
hundreds of lives and displacing millions.
Myanmar, one of Asia's most impoverished countries, has been hit particularly hard by weeks of torrential rain with 12 out of 14 states and regions suffering flooding.International aid has been stepped up in recent days following an official government request for help.The Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper today gave updated government figures, of "more than 100" dead and "nearly one million" people affected nationwide by the inundations.More than 1.2 million acres (486,000 hectares) of rice fields are currently under water, with more than 430,000 acres destroyed by the floods, the paper added.
Myanmar, one of Asia's most impoverished countries, has been hit particularly hard by weeks of torrential rain with 12 out of 14 states and regions suffering flooding.International aid has been stepped up in recent days following an official government request for help.The Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper today gave updated government figures, of "more than 100" dead and "nearly one million" people affected nationwide by the inundations.More than 1.2 million acres (486,000 hectares) of rice fields are currently under water, with more than 430,000 acres destroyed by the floods, the paper added.
Four regions have been designated disaster zones, with the cyclone-battered western state of Rakhine particularly hard hit.In recent days fears have grown for rising waters in the the more downstream areas of the Irrawaddy basin and its delta, two key agricultural areas close to the commercial hub Yangon.Citing the weather bureau, the Global New Light of Myanmar said river levels had dropped slightly on Sunday but "still remained above their designated danger levels".
Myanmar's previous junta government was accused of indifference in its sluggish response to Cyclone Nargis in May 2008, a crisis which at least 138,000 people dead or missing.The country is set for a general election in November and the floods have taken on a political dimension, with both the quasi-civilian government and opposition -- led by Aung San Suu Kyi -- at pains to show they are reacting speedily to the floods.
President Thein Sein was pictured visiting relief efforts on Sunday in the Irrawaddy region as army chief Min Aung Hlaing made trips to the western states of Sagaing and Chin.But many of those hit by the flooding appear not to be relying on government help, either trying to cope alone or turning to local monasteries or community groups.Authorities have insisted that the election set for November 8 will go ahead despite the floods, even as they try to assess the scale of the damage.
http://www.ndtv.com/world-news/myanmar-flood-death-toll-tops-100-one-million-affected-1205658
Joynagarer Moya wins G I tag
KOLKATA : Here's a first from the world of
Bengali sweets. Our very indigenous Joynagarer Moya, sweet roundels made of a
special kind of puffed rice and bound with jaggery, has won the coveted G I
(geographical indication) tag. While the decision was firming up since April, the state
government, which has been championing the cause of the moya, has just been
intimated about the crown. Naturally, the moya makers of South 24 Parganas
Joynagar, are rejoicing. This authentication tag attaches great prestige to the
special sweet with a very short life that makes its annual appearance only in
winter.
Joynagarer Moya had to go through a stringent test and documentation process for two and a half years before finally wresting the crown from the G I scientists in Chennai, who work as a wing of the ministry of commerce and industries. The state department of science and technology, which had applied for the G I tag is now enthused about winning the tag for its other two applications - Mihidana and Sitabhog of Burdwan, which are presently being evaluated for a final declaration towards the later part of the month. A GI tag is a name or sign used on certain products which corresponds to a specific geographical location or origin.
India as a member of the WTO enacted the GI Act
in 1999, which came into effect in September 2003. The GI tag ensures that none
other than those registered as authorised users (or at least those residing
inside the geographic territory) are allowed to use the popular product name.
Darjeeling tea became the first GI tagged product in India. The Joynagarer moya
was invented in 1929 by two confectioners of Bahura and Charan near Joynagar -
Purna Chandra Ghosh and Nitya Gopal Sarkar who sold their creation at their Sri
Krishna Mistanna Bhandar. The secret lay in the use of kanakchur rice, which is
a special variety of winter rice grown locally.
This rice has a distinct aroma that is heightened when this rice is puffed up. Special gawa ghee and nolen gur, also collected fresh locally, are then used to bind the khoi (puffed rice) into a moya. Kanakchur rice cannot withstand chemical fertilizers. "Initially the Joynagar moya makers, threatened by the plethora of fake and cheaper varieties that flood the market in winter, tried to apply for the G I status on their own but faced several hurdles. So they approached the state government for help.
This rice has a distinct aroma that is heightened when this rice is puffed up. Special gawa ghee and nolen gur, also collected fresh locally, are then used to bind the khoi (puffed rice) into a moya. Kanakchur rice cannot withstand chemical fertilizers. "Initially the Joynagar moya makers, threatened by the plethora of fake and cheaper varieties that flood the market in winter, tried to apply for the G I status on their own but faced several hurdles. So they approached the state government for help.
We documented the regional history, lore,
ingredients, authentic recipe, the formulae used by the inventors and the list
of makers at Joynagar who still follow the original process. The G I scientists
inquired and tested random samples for consecutive years before agreeing to
give the Joynagar er moya the coveted GI tag,""said Mahua Hom
Chowdhury, scientist of the Patent Information Centre of the WB State Council
of Science and Technology, which is a wing of the state's department of science
and technology.
A total of 150 moya shops have been included in
the G I tag as the only authentic makers. It implies that the rest of the shops
across the state who will still sell the moya are selling fake stuff. It was
after submitting the application for Joynagarer Moya that the state government
received appeals from the makers of sitabhog and mihidana of Burdwan too.
"Our scientists actually camped in Burdwan for months and along with
officials of the district administration, prepared separate dossiers for both
mihidana and sitabhog.
We were stunned by the details," said an
excited state minister for science and technology, Rabiranjan Chatterjee. He
was found basking in the glory of the Joynagarer Moya. "This is our first
sweet GI. We have also received GI for three Bengal varieties of mangoes -
fazli, himsagar and lakshman bhog," he said. The document prepared for mihidana and Sitabhog
and submitted to the GI office says that On February 10, 1904, Viceroy Lord
Curzon visited Burdwan to confer the title of maharaja on then king of Burdwan
Vijaychanda. Bhairav Chandra Nag, a local sweet-maker, had made the sitabhog
and mihidana to mark the occasion. Mihidana is made from Kaminibhog,
Gobindabhog or Basmati rice.
The rice is mixed with besan and saffron and
blended. The mix is poured into hot ghee through a brass ladle with holes. The
deep-fried saffron grains are then dunked in sugar syrup. Sitabhog on the other
hand is, cottage cheese or chhana and powdered rice rolled into a dough. It is
broken into tiny bits and fried in ghee, then soaked in sugar syrup.
THE TIMES OF INDIA
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