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20th October,2014 Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine
Daily Rice Global Rice e-Newsletter shared by Riceplus Magazine
Riceplus Magazine shares daily International RICE News for global Rice Community. We publish daily two newsletters namely Global Rice News & ORYZA EXCLUSIVE News for readers .You can share any development news with us for Global readers.
Dear all guests/Commentators/Researchers/Experts ,You are humbly requested to share One/Two pages write up with Riceplus Magazine .
For more information visit (www.ricepluss.com + http://publishpk.net/index.php/riceplus).
Share /contribute your rice and agriculture related research write up with Riceplus Magazine to riceplus@irp.edu.pk , mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com
For Advertisement & Specs mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com
Daily Rice Global Rice e-Newsletter shared by Riceplus Magazine
Riceplus Magazine shares daily International RICE News for global Rice Community. We publish daily two newsletters namely Global Rice News & ORYZA EXCLUSIVE News for readers .You can share any development news with us for Global readers.
Dear all guests/Commentators/Researchers/Experts ,You are humbly requested to share One/Two pages write up with Riceplus Magazine .
For more information visit (www.ricepluss.com + http://publishpk.net/index.php/riceplus).
Share /contribute your rice and agriculture related research write up with Riceplus Magazine to riceplus@irp.edu.pk , mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com
For Advertisement & Specs mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com
Rice imports from Thailand Finland envoy asks traders to benefit from GSP Plus status Japan's 'sacred' rice farms rotting from inside Rice millers in hot water Jute sector battling downhill trends Vistas of national rice breeding and the myth of traditional rice History of rice improvement Hungry for new flavors and some roadtrip adventure?Go to Isabela Eat rice to sleep well
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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter 20 th October, 2014 News Detail.
Radical way of planting rice unveiled Ibrahim M. Alalim. RIYADH: RODOLFO C. ESTIMO JR. Published Saturday 18 October 2014 Last update 18 October 2014 12:03 am A revolutionary way of planting rice for higher yields has been unveiled by the Saudi engineer 70-year-old Ibrahim M. Alalim who invented polymer which is used in agricultural water conservation.With the use of polymer, the seeds germinate and sprout fast, growing to about 13 cm in three days time of planting, he said.He added that it will also make the rice stalks grow faster than rice seedlings planted in an ordinary soil without polymer. For this reason, transplantation is much faster in the Kingdoms agricultural areas like Hofuf and Jazan, Alalim added.He noted that popularizing rice production in the Kingdoms agriculture areas with the use of polymer is one way of further developing Saudi Arabias downstream industry.The polymer called Polykem Hydrogel PagriSAP looks like pieces of salt and absorbs large quantities of water. When mixed in soil, it will absorb 600 times its own weight of water. He also said that there would be more harvest yield because the polykem which contains acrylic acid, acrylimide and potassium makes the rice plants healthy. Rice imports from Thailand
our correspondent Saturday, October 18, 2014 From Print Edition KARACHI: A leading rice trader has started importing the grain from Thailand to cater to its growing demand in Pakistan. High-end consumer rice is being imported from Thailand for the first time, said a statement issued by Matco Rice on Friday.The rice will be sold under the flagship brand of Falak Basmati, it said. The name of the brand will be Falak Jasmine Rice. Thailand is famous for its Thai Jasmine fragrance rice, which is used in Thai, Japanese, Chinese and eastern rice cuisine, it said.Matco has a total annual production capacity of around 150,000 tons of raw rice, exporting rice to more than 65 countries. Finland envoy asks traders to benefit from GSP Plus status October 16, 2014 RAWALPINDI (INP): The ambassador of Finland H.E Rauli Suikkanen has said that his country is keen to enhance bilateral trade relations with Pakistan. Pakistan must take advantages of GSP Plus status awarded by the European Union to enhance trading activities with Finland. Finnish Embassy has successfully reactivated Finland-Pakistan Trade Council that will help to boost mutual relation between two countries.He was exchanging these views with President RCCI Syed Asad Mashadi during his visits to the Chamber on Thursday. Senior Vice President Mian Humayun Parvez, former president, members executive committee and other member of the Chamber were also present on the occasion. Ambassador said that two mega events were organized under Finland-Pakistan Trade Council one in Islamabad and the second in Helsinki, Finland to promote trading activities between two countries. He said that Pakistani products especially textiles are very much liked in Finland. He ensured his full cooperation to the President RCCI.Speaking on the occasion , Asad Mashadi said that Pakistan has many investment opportunities and Finnish businessmen community must explore Pakistani market. He said that trade volume between two countries is around $126.6 million and Pakistans major exports are rice, fruits & vegetables, leather, cotton yarn and chemical while imports are electric motors, generators and machinery items. He stressed the need of enhancement of bilateral trade relations. Japan's 'sacred' rice farms rotting from inside 19 Oct4:50 PM Ryugasaki Shuichi Yokota may be the future of Japan's struggling rice industry.The 38-year-old is about half the age of most growers and he relies on cutting-edge technology to cultivate vast paddy fields that eclipse the bulk of the country's rice plots.And Mr Yokota doesn't fear opening up to foreign competition - taboo in a place where rice is a sacred cow that is protected by subsidies and massive tariffs. Rice millers in hot water Several small-time rice millers around the country are dismantling their machines to sell them as scrap at Rs. 42 per kilo. Gamini Kumarasinghe, Co-Chairman and Media Spokesman of the Rice Millers Association said that shortage of paddy, high prices of paddy and the Governments move to import rice have forced many millers to take the drastic decision to sell their machines. Pics by Karunaratna Gamage. Jute sector battling downhill trends
Abu Bakar Siddique The export of raw jute has also experienced a decline in recent years The countrys jute sector is currently undergoing a depression as the result of a gradual decrease in raw jute production, with farmers failing to meet their production costs because of a downhill demand in the domestic and international markets.Over the last four years, the countrys raw jute production decreased by 10 lakh bales, according to the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE). In 2013-14 fiscal, raw jute production at farmers level was 74.36 lakh bales while in 2010-11 it was 84.60 lakh bales. Golam Mohammad, deputy director (jute production) of the DAE, said this years gross raw jute production would also be less than the previous year as the government had failed to cover the desired demonstrated acreage.The farmers are losing their interest to cultivate jute in recent years as they have not been getting fair price of their production because of lessened demand in the market, he said, adding that diminished demands also resulted in farmers often not being able to sell off their production. I usually cultivated jute in my two and a half acres of land each year. However, this year I just cultivated one acre of land and kept the rest of it idle as I counted huge losses last year, said Sajjad Hossain, a farmer from Dinajpur.Quazi Shahabuddin, a professional fellow at Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS), blamed the crisis on the governments failure to timely and appropriately operate and promote the jute sector. The jute mills of state owned-Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation (BJMC) and private owners body Bangladesh Jute Spinners Association are the major consumers of raw jute in the country. But most of the mills did not procure any raw jute from the market in recent years as they remained idle during the time. Less export demand The export of raw jute has also experienced a decline in recent years.According to the Export Promotions Bureau, the export volume came down from $1.11493bn to $824.49m between 2010-11 and 2013-14 fiscal year.Market insiders said the downtrend was caused as the popularity of plastic and other synthetic-made products was outweighing the demand for jute-made products worldwide. Badrul Alam, the chief executive of exporting company Sartaz Trade International, said foreign buyers including major players like China had stopped procuring raw jute and jute-made products from the local market in recent years.BJMC sources also claimed that Middle Eastern countries like Syria, Iran, Egypt and Iraq which were major buyers of jute products from Bangladesh had stopped buying finished jute or jute products because of the political turmoil and instability in their respective countries. Inefficiency in the mills Regarding the local demand of jute, BJMC Director (marketing) Babul Chandra Roy said the government-owned mills have been facing huge fund crunch as well as system loss in operating their daily activities.As an example, the BJMC director said it was a burden to pay Tk450 in daily remuneration to the seven lakh labourers at the government-owned mills. In addition, those mills also suffered further losses for using old machineries that had low production capacity. We could improve the production level from the existing 680 tonnes of daily jute products to 900 tonne by adding new equipment, Babul said.Many of the private jute mills were also hurt by the recent downtrend in the market.However, Sheikh Basir Uddin, managing director of Akij Jute Mill Ltd which is the largest in Bangladesh, claimed that they have made a profit in recent years even though the global situation was bad.Blaming inefficiency for the losses at government-owned mills, Basir said the Akij factory alone could produce around 250 tonnes of jute products each day, while all the 27 mills of the BJMC produced only around 50 tonne of daily jute goods combined. Government initiative To promote the jute sector, the government this January enacted the Mandatory Jute Packaging Act 2010 under which all kinds of packaging in the countrys business sector have to be made by jute. But the act is yet to be properly enforced.BJMC sources claimed that the jute sector would regain it strengths overnight, if only the act could be enforced in even 20% of the business sectors.Citing an example of the rice-producing sector, Babul Chandra Roy said the rice millers alone used around 14 lakh sacks annually as packages for their production. If only jute sacks instead of polythene sacks were used in this single sector, the whole situation would change, he claimed. However, Nirod Baran Saha, convener of Naogaon Rice Millers Association, said the price of rice would climb if they tried to use jute sacks, as the jute sacks for 50kg capacity cost around Tk30 more than the polythene sacks that were currently being used by the millers.Meanwhile, in 2010, the government also discovered the genome sequencing of jute which would help develop jute fibre, production of new jute seeds to curb diseases and develop jute industry. Alternative Hope A good number of countries including members of the European Union have recently introduced restrictions on plastic and other synthetic-made products.According to the UK-based Daily Mail Online, European MPs have voted in favour of strict new targets that forced each country to reduce plastic bag use by 80% before 2019. Economist Quazi Shahabuddin said the government could seize this opportunity to create a market for jute products in the countries which imposed restrictions on synthetic-made products.We could create alternative markets instead of sitting idle waiting for the Middle East countries, Shahabuddin said, adding that the government has to take initiative to create multi-dimensional jute products to capture the market and ensure profit for all parties concerned.Akij Jute Mill MD Sheikh Basir Uddin also recommended developing new types of alternative jute products to create new markets and generate demand in both home and abroad. Vistas of national rice breeding and the myth of traditional rice October 19, 2014, 12:00 pm A new improved variety showing short statured plants resistant to lodging and erect leaves A traditional rice variety showing lodging which affects yield and milling quality of grain By Dr Parakrama Waidyanatha The media rhas ecently reported that the government is to embark on a major drive to promote production and consumption of traditional rice. Some 60, 000 ha (150,000 ac.) are to be cultivated this Maha season, that is, nearly 7.5% of the Maha rice extent. To date there is only less than 0.4% of this extent (3000 ha) under traditional rice. Is there adequate amounts of seeds of these varieties for cultivation of such a large extent? Equally importantly, will there be consumer demand for such large quantities given the fact that the price, on average, is double the common rice brands and many of the varieties are low palatibility. Some cursory enquiries from supermarkets indicated that the demand is low. However, some traditional rice varieties may be in demand for diabetic patients and the like because of the high anti-glycation property. There are, however, high yielding new red rice varieties with similar attributes (see Table below), and hence there is no justification to promote traditional varieties. Moreover, increase in the extent under traditional varieties should necessarily cause a concomitant decrease in the total national rice output as the traditional varieties yield on average about half that of newly improved varieties (NIVs). The negative repercussions are obvious. To expand the extent under traditional rice is apparently a decision of the Presidential Taskforce on the Prevention of the Chronic Kidney Disease of Unknown Aetiology (CKDU) that is plaguing the Rajarata and some adjoining areas, killing 13 people, on average, a day and some 60, 000 people are said to be afflicted by it. Two of the recommendations of this Taskforce, apparently to combat the disease, as reported in the media, are promotion of "kola kanda" among children and consumption of traditional rice! It is also purported that this rice is to be grown organically without the application of chemical fertilizers and pesticides as they are implicated by some in the causation of CKDU. Acceptable scientific evidence for this implication, however, is yet to come. Be that as it may, can such large quantities of organic fertilizer be found in the cultivation areas? If they are to be transported from outside, what are the costs? Think before leaping! It is also argued that anaemia is on the rise in local populations, and traditional rice with higher levels of iron than in the modern varieties is an answer to it. The Ministry of Economic Affairs is said is to embark on re-cultivating abandoned paddy tracts in the Wet Zone, most of which had been left out because of low productivity and iron toxicity, with traditional varieties resistant to iron toxicity, and greater propensity for iron accumulation in the grain. Arent there new varieties with similar attributes and much higher yields? Are rice scientists of the Department of Agriculture consulted in these matters? History of rice improvement The promoters of traditional rice should do well to glean a little into the history of rice breeding and selection and the potential of new improved varieties(NIVs) before retrogression into traditional rice! Rice breeding is an unprecedented success story in the annals of research in Sri Lanka on account of highly dedicated rice breeders and other rice scientists that has made the country self-sufficient in rice. Had we continued with traditional varieties we would not have produced today even a quarter of the national demand! Perhaps a PhD study (Niranjan, 2004) at the Postgraduate Institute of Agriculture, Sri Lanka tells it in a nutshell. This study on return on investment for the 40 year period, 1959 to 1999 on rice breeding and varietal selection reveals that a 1% increase in research investment increased national rice production by 0.37%. The benefit cost ratio and the internal rate of return were remarkable, being 2311 and 174% respectively. The average yield of traditional rice varieties in about 1900 was about 0.65 t/ha (13 bushels/ac) and over the ensuing 100 years, rice scientists have been able to increase it over 7 fold. In fact, there are now rice varieties with potential yields exceeding 11t/ha and the national average yield is now approaching 5t/ha. In the early 20th century, the government gave priority to plantation crops to the neglect of rice research and development. However, in about 1920 initial pure line selection, that is selection of individual plants from populations of traditional varieties for grain yield and other desirable attributes, gave only a 15% increase in yield. The rice researchers soon realised that the quickest way of increasing yield was through application of chemical fertilizer. This was by then practised elsewhere, particularly in Europe. However, there was a problem in Sri Lanka. Most indigenous varieties were susceptible to lodging and diseases, especially the blast disease, and the susceptibility to both these conditions were aggravated by application of nitrogen fertilizer. Some resistant varieties, unfortunately, were not responsive to fertilizer. A pure line selection Murungakayan 302, a popular variety then, with resistance to leaf blast disease was also reasonably responsive to nitrogen fertilizer, but because of its excessive vegetative growth ,was susceptible to lodging. In general, therefore, these weaknesses of the traditional varieties, susceptibility to lodging and diseases and poor response to chemical fertilizer, necessitated breeding new varieties devoid of these weaknesses. Such varieties, namely, the H series emerged in the mid 1950s with the breeding efforts that commenced in the late 1940s. The H varieties were characterised by resistance to leaf blast and good response to applied chemical fertilizer. The H 4 variety , which later became very popular recorded the highest experimental yield of 7.1 t/ha as against the pure lines of traditional varieties of Murungakayan (M302) and Vellaiperumal (VP 2874) with maximum yields of 4.0 and 3.6 t/ha respectively. However, with heavy fertilizer use even H varieties were susceptible to lodging leading to crop losses and poor milling quality of grain. Hungry for new flavors and some roadtrip adventure? Go to Isabela I never thought Isabela would be home to varying and wonderful collection of culinary delights but I discovered it is. My recent trip filled my head with new and happy memories. Getting there Going to Isabela is easier these days. Daily flights are available and from the airport in Cauayan City you can be in the heart of Isabela in less than an hour. Or you can take the cheaper way by bus from Manila (which I did) which will take about eight hours. A first-class ticket from Victory Liner costs P660 and you get a bus with reclining seats and its own comfort room. My ride from Pasay City began at 6:30 pm and I arrived in Cauayan City at 4 a.m. I slept through the entire trip and woke up just as we stopped in front of our hotel. The Tour Isabela has the atmosphere of a genteel provincial town. I turned nostalgic. It reminded me of my moms hometown of Sta, Rosa, Laguna. History buffs will definitely love Isabelas old churches with their unique brick facades and ornate designs. Homemade croissant crusted pizza Rice farming and milling are an integral part of the Isabelinos commerce and culture. Visit the Philippine Rice Research Institute in San Mateo to support and learn more about their advocacies in developing new strains of more productive, higher yielding rice. Go to Ilagan to see the worlds largest butaka. Narra sourced from surrounding towns was used to make this giant testament to Filipino craftsmanship and ingenuity. Ilagan is dubbed the Furniture Capital of the province. Its most famous attraction is a butaka that stands more than 11 feet high and weighs a massive 2,368 kilos- a true testament to Filipino artistry. You get the feel of a town once you taste its food. Isabelas towns have a diverse range of new and old food establishments too many to explore in just a few days. Where there are people and development, there will be SM SM has opened a mall in this remote area of the Philippines, the first in Region II. It has a very unique al fresco feel that is environment-friendly, unlike the usual boxy mall designs of other SM branches. The open design means little electri power is consumed for air conditioning and light. It has brightly colored louvers which also act as sun shades. People from nearby Cagayan, Nueva Viscaya and Quirino travel all the way to Cauayan City to shop at SM for a complete shopping experience: SM Cinemas, SM Department Store, SM Supermarket, ACE Hardware and SM Appliance. It even has Cyberzone for the kids. Coffee impressarios in Manila better watch out; the Isabelinos take their coffee very seriously. SM City Cauayan plays host to the regions most well-known coffee and foodie stops: Yah! Coffee The brainchild of Carlo Raphael Diokno, a nephew of the cafe owner Edith Cabang, Yah! Coffee (or Yet Another House of Coffee) is a uniquely designed and conceptualized coffee store. Authentic coffee beans used are from Sagada and appeal to the growing tastes of the Isabelinos youth culture. The only coffee shop in my book which also serves beer and sisig, Yah! Coffee was conceptualized when Diokno was still a student in Manila. He noted how friends emerging from a night of drinking would go to the nearest coffee shop for snacks and coffee. This inspired Cabang to open a coffee shop that also serves popular bar/grill food. Yah! Coffee already has three branches in Isabela, proof that this unique concept of coffee shop/pub grill is a smash. Caf Isabela The first Caf Isabela opened on Dec. 22, 2009 in Roxas St., Cauayan City. Couple Raymond and Donna Tan initially thought of a cafe with an intimate ambience where families and friends could meet and have good food and coffee.
Cafe Isabela Interior Their shared passion for coffee and food pushed them to look for a place where friends could unwind. This led to the creation of the now famous Caf Isabela that brings a Manila-esque caf feel to Isabelinos. The name itself is a homage to the province where the couple grew up. The caf offers cheese steak burritos and native Isabela delicacies like moriecos (a sticky rice cake stuffed with latik), coconut milk curds steamed and wrapped in banana leaf, malunggay calamansi juice and bignay juice indigenous to Isabela. Chocolate Coffeeline Baristas here take their craft seriously and the best have already won the first and second runner-up titles in this years Philippines Barista Challenge. Order their carefully cupped and selected blends of coffee beans and see the baristas prepare your unique and customized cup right at your table. Be it siphon brewed, aeropressed or traditionally dripped down a carafe, the Coffeeline baristas brew their special blend while you watch. Restaurant hopping With a fine mix of new and old restaurants in Cauayan City and neighboring towns, youll never spend a day without tasting something new. The Marco Paulo Caf and SaLido Restaurant offer fine Manila dining to locals and exacting travelers who demand more familiar food. Kabayans Grill and Restaurant offers grilled food and beer. Aling Lurings Gotohan and Serkele is a veritable institution famous for these fare. Aling Kikays Pancit Cabagan is the best place for authentic eats and a healthy dose of cholesterol. Marco Paulo Cafe interiorsMarco Paulo Caf Taste its authentic Shabu Shabu. The very modern ambiance evokes luxury and class. The menu includes salad, wine-soaked braised beef and salmon sashimi. With space for business meetings and a boutique hotel coming up, the owners of Marco Paulo Caf have high hopes for their hotel and restaurant business. SaLido Restaurant SaLido is a town favorite and is packed at all hours of the day. It has quality Chinese food that uses locally sourced ingredients. The owner is working on pairing his restaurant with a boutique hotel. Kabayans Grill and Restaurant Traditional all-around Filipino grilling goodness means kare-kare, sinigang na baboy, sisig and perfectly grilled chicken and pork liempo. Kabayans Grill and Restaurant uses modern red volcanic rock technology for its grills and was awarded by the health department as the Best Healthy Eating Place in Region 2. Grilling with volcanic rocks is believed to deter cancer- causing chemicals from entering food. Aling Lurings Gotohan and Serkele Serkele is a traditional blood stew dish in Isabela. Think of an all-innard dinuguan. Locally sourced and fresh, it is the tastiest blood stew I have ever had. The owners take pride in checking the quality of their ingredients daily. Former president Joseph Estrada frequently stops over Aling Lurings whenever he visits Isabela. And the Serkele is his favorite dish. The goto with its distinct bright yellow color is another must-try. Other delicacies such as puto, okoy and fried lumpia complete this Isabelino institution. Aling Kikays Pancit Cabagan Never leave Isabela without tasting Aling Kikays pancit Cabagan. The noodles are freshly made every day and the thick sauce has a distinct salty-sweet, umami taste. The toppings of chicharon, carbeef and eggs and onions provide a perfect balance. Another dish called Batil Patong is basically a soupier version of the original pancit Cabagan. Chef Cocoy Ventura and Corlyn Gardens. Gentleman farmer and chef extraordinaire .Chef Cocoy Ventura served Al Pacino, Sharon Stone and President Barrack Obama while working in the US. Chef Cocoy also worked at the Rubicon Estate, Francis Ford Coppolas winery. Aling Kikay herself, still helping out in the kitchen Chef Cocoy has always rooted for Filipino dishes during his stint abroad and returned to Isabela with a dream to showcase all the native dishes of Isabela and the Philippines. He uses organic ingredients harvested from Corlyn Farms. Corlyn Farms private dining service was a great treat and definitely the highest point of our trip. Chef Cocoys exquisite five-course meal was the perfect end of our Isabela tour. By gathering all the native ingredients on his farm and serving them to us in his special dinner event, Chef Cocoy was able to create the best Isabela has to offer. Different varieties of rice, seasonings and vegetables used were all grown in their family farm, including the cocoa beans used for our hot cocoa. The culmination of the dinner was native brewed coffee and great conversations. Expect Chef Cocoy to rock the culinary world with his future creations. Going home? Bring a piece of Isabela back Drop by Pasalubong Center in San Mateo, Isabela, for its unique all-monggo creations. Known as the monggo capital of the Philippines, San Mateos Pasalubong Center has all the popular pasalubong made from monggo, considered the towns black gold. The Pasalubong Center sells monggo flour, monggo grits, monggo noodles, monggo coffee, monggo polvoron and monggo chips. A rare homemade treat Look for Aling Francings homemade moriecos available in most shops. Aling Francings Moriecos started as a family business. The pastry is suman made with galapong (ground glutinous rice mixed with water) with a latik sweet filling. Eat rice to sleep well Last updated: Saturday, October 18, 2014 6:43 PM With regard to the article "40% of residents in Kingdom have trouble sleeping" (Oct. 17), if you can't sleep at night, it might be worth changing what you have for dinner. Scientists have discovered that eating lots of rice can trigger a deep slumber, while pasta and noodles can actually hinder sleep. The Japanese researchers also found that eating bread products including white bread, pancakes and pizza had no effect on the quality of sleep. They say eating food high on the glycemic Index (GI) such as rice was found to be associated with a good quality sleep.Abu Sabri, Online response