December 28 ,2018 Vol 9 ,Issue 12
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Biofortification: the art of improving food By Brian Macleod Published: December 27, 2018 Crops, Farm Living, Livestock
A scientist compares Golden Rice, right, and ordinary rice. Golden Rice is genetically modified to be infused with beta-carotene, a chemical substance responsible in producing vitamin A in the body. The biofortified rice helps prevent vitamin A deficiency, which causes immunity deficiency syndrome and is the leading cause of blindness in children in developing nations. | REUTERS/Erik De Castro photo Examples of biofortification projects include: The potential for crop breeding known as biofortification to direct specific nutrients to people who need them the most is ―huge,‖ but it will take a worldwide effort among many organizations to make that happen, says Adam Heurberger, assistant professor of horticulture and landscape agriculture at Colorado State University.
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Biofortification involves breeding plants with high levels of nutrients, such as vitamin A and B, zinc and iron to help populations that have deficiencies in their diets, but taking the effort to its potential is a big task. ―It‘s a public health problem that we‘re solving through agriculture,‖ said Heurberger. ―We need to integrate our nutrition scientists, epidemiologists, with crop scientists, with growers, with soil scientists to understand what do people need and how can we get there… through breeding, through agronomy, through distribution.‖ Heurberger is focusing on biofortification that involves established breeding techniques, rather than transgenics — or genetic modification — which has become controversial, although the science behind it is generally considered sound. For example, anti-GMO groups have fought vehemently against golden rice, a product of transgenics, which produces rice with higher levels of vitamin A. In parts of the developed world children and pregnant woman suffer from a lack of vitamin A leading to blindness in children and night blindness and hypertension in pregnant women but widespread use of golden rice has been blocked due to opposition to GMOs. Using established plant breeding techniques for biofortification to produce higher levels of nutrients in crops should not experience that kind of backlash, said Heurberger. It‘s thought that malnutrition causes about 30 million deaths annually. Between 20 million and 35 million people are already being provided with biofortified foods in developing countries through the HarvestPlus program, which promotes the initiative. HarvestPlus says 290 varieties of 12 staple food crops have been released or are being tested in 60 countries. Efforts include beans, lentils, corn, casaba, and pearl millet and other crops. It‘s thought that two billion people worldwide do not get enough essential vitamins and minerals in their diets. As a result, certain populations, particularly women and children in underdeveloped countries, suffer from impaired physical and cognitive development, disease, even death, the HarvestPlus website says. The agency estimates the annual gross domestic product loss in Asia and Africa through nutrient deficiencies at 11 percent. In India alone, which has 50 percent of the world‘s undernourished children, almost 60 percent of children between the ages of six months and 59 months are anaemic as a result of iron deficiency, leaving them feeling weak and lacking in energy. Anaemia can lead to problems with the heart and lungs, chronic disease and bone marrow disorders. Many foods are fortified with nutrients at the processing stage, but that is costly and it requires repetitive efforts and considerable co-ordination among health workers, governments and food companies. Limitations in infrastructure in developing countries can also hinder delivery of fortified foods.
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But biofortification has the twin advantages of being cheaper because the process is naturally recurring and since nutrient-enhanced crops can be grown where they are needed the process can target populations with certain deficiencies. ―It‘s much more secure to have someone have feed in their community, in their backyard, that has the nutrients that are needed, as opposed to relying on… government-based public health efforts to add something to a food,‖ said Heurberger. Currently, the biofortification efforts tend to be an international effort in which a network of scientists worldwide share their research, said Heurberger. Since Canada and the United States are both major agricultural exporting countries, there is opportunity for research here to produce more biofortified crops, but it‘s difficult because ―you‘re talking about international public health efforts because there‘s more factors at play than likely exist in the current markets. You‘re talking about working with governments and NGOs.‖ Efforts so far are mainly backed by the public sector. ―To really make this explode you need to have an effort that is not just in the public sector but also in the private sector … and I don‘t know if the incentives are currently there for the private sector the way there is for the public sector. ―It goes back to who‘s doing the breeding in the west and who are they breeding for. Are you breeding for growers or are you breeding for consumers? This is more of a consumer trait than it is a grower trait.‖ The co-operation needed to promote biofortification on a massive scale would likely require a dedicated effort leading the way, he said. ―If there was a program designed to help facilitate those interactions it would be much more achievable.‖ ―It‘s just a matter of getting groups that don‘t normally work together to start working together.‖ Asked what a world that has achieved the full potential of biofortification would look like, Heurberger said, ―I would see it that all of the crops that are consumed by everyone have the best nutritional content that can be possible that is specific for that particular consumer, or that particular community or population.‖ Future generations will have a better handle on the need and potential for biofortified plants, said Heurberger. ―The good news is that, for example, at Colorado State (University) all of the students that come in that with an interest in breeding are exposed to concepts of biofortifiation. … I think it‘s a start. It‘s something that our new breeders are going to have in their minds understanding that this is something that they can do.‖
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Quick facts: Fortification is the practice of adding essential micronutrients such as vitamins and minerals in a food after it has been harvested or processed to improve its nutritional quality. Biofortification is the process of increasing the density of vitamins and minerals in a crop through plant breeding, transgenic techniques, or agronomic practices. Biofortified foods can reach populations where supplementation and conventional fortification activities may be limited or difficult to implement. Examples of biofortification projects include: rice, beans, sweet potato, cassava and legumes with iron biofortification wheat, rice, beans, sweet potato and corn with zinc biofortification sweet potato, corn and cassava with provitamin A carotenoid biofortification sorghum and cassava with amino acid and protein biofortification
Source: World Health Organization https://www.producer.com/2018/12/biofortification-the-art-of-improving-food/
Vietnam works to boost organic farming HO CHI MINH CITY (Bernama) – Vietnam has been making efforts to foster organic farming, including a decree issued last August which should be implemented as soon as possible, experts told a forum in HCM City on Tuesday.According to Le Thanh Hung of the Vietnam Standards and Quality Institute, Vietnam is relatively unfamiliar with the organic farming standards of the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements and its market for organic agricultural products is underdeveloped, Vietnam News Agency (VNA) reported. The government issued Decree 109/2018/NÐ-CP on organic farming regulations, procedures such as certification, traceability and inspections and supporting policies.Besides, the national standards for organic agriculture are being adjusted for more clarity and specific standards for certain products such as rice, tea, shrimp, and milk.
It is crucial national standards match international standards to help farmers and businesses make appropriate adjustments to their production to enable exports.The area under organic agriculture in Vietnam was 118,000 hectares in 2016, according to the German-based Research Institute of Organic Agriculture. According to Chairman of the Vietnam Organic Agriculture Association Ha Phuc Minh, cities and provinces need to execute the decree and actively develop organic farming.Meanwhile,
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farmers need to identify their markets and the standards they have to comply with, and the government should encourage farmers to adhere to them and carry out stringent inspections, he said.―Distributors and consumers also need to carefully examine the goods they buy,‖ he said. The forum was organised by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development‘s Agro Processing and Market Development Authority https://borneobulletin.com.bn/vietnam-works-to-boost-organic-farming/
Govt. marks up purchase price of rice for emergency reserves by 27.5% The South Korean government said Friday it has decided to mark up the purchase price of rice set aside for emergency reserves to better help local farmers. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said it decided to set this year's price for a 40-kilogram sack of rice at 67,050 won ($59.76), up 27.5 percent from last year's 52,570 won. The government purchased rice from farmers over the October-December period by initially providing 30,000 won per sack in line with its standing reserve policy. It plans to make up the difference within the end of this month. The agricultural ministry added it completed the purchase of 350,000 tons of rice earmarked for 2018. The raise is expected to improve the earnings of local farmers, it added. The emergency reserve system is designed to store staple grains as a contingency against natural disasters or other food supply crises. The government normally purchases around 17 to 18 percent of the annual consumption amount, about two months worth, as backup. http://m.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20181228000083#cb
ECOWAS protocol frustrating Nigerian rice farmersMinister Senator Heineken said that federal government efforts to reduce the importation of foreign rice into the country is frustrated by the activities of neighboring Benin Republic through the abuse of ECOWAS protocol. Lokpobiri, Minister of of state for agriculture and rural development said, the challange that Nigeria is facing with neighbor is due to the extant ECOWAS protocol. https://www.legit.ng/1211983-ecowas-protocol-frustrating-nigerian-rice-farmers-minister.html
Officials see declining 2019 rice shipments The government is confident that Thailand will end the year exporting 11 million tonnes of rice
as targeted, but shipments are forecast to drop to 10 million tonnes next year amid stiff competition and and a domestic drought. Boonyarit Kalayanamit, the commerce permanent
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secretary, said the National Rice Policy Committee chaired by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha met on Thursday and endorsed the figures. As of Dec 11, Thai rice exports ranked second globally at 10.35 million tonnes, following India's 11.37 million.
Vietnam was third with 6.06 million tonnes. "This year, Thai rice shipments were driven by high demand from the Philippines and Indonesia," Mr Boonyarit said. The Commerce Ministry is in the process of delivering 100,000 tonnes of rice to China and 80,000 tonnes to the Philippines under government-to-government deals, he said. https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/news/1601930/officials-see-declining-2019-rice-shipments
PHILIPPINES SEES 2.5-3.5 PCT RISE IN FARM OUTPUT NEXT YEAR 12/26/2018 MANILA, Dec 27 (Reuters) - The Philippine agriculture sector is expected to post a 2.5-3.5 percent growth in output next year after a dismal performance this year, with rice production projected to hit an all-time high, the country's farm minister said on Thursday. Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Pinol painted a more upbeat outlook for the sector than the official 2 percent growth target, saying higher output should be expected in crops and fisheries because of government interventions.
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Agriculture, which accounted for around a tenth of the country's gross domestic product in recent years, grew a marginal 0.15 percent in the first three quarters of 2018 from a year ago, partly due to massive typhoon damage to crops. Paddy rice output next year is expected to reach a record 20 million tonnes, from a projected harvest of 19.2 million tonnes this year, Pinol said in a statement. He said the government will boost funding to provide farmers with machinery and equipment, high-yielding seeds and credit with an annual allocation of 10 billion pesos ($190 million) from tariffs when rice importation is liberalised by next year. (Reporting by Enrico dela Cruz; Editing by Sunil Nair)
Piñol assures enough rice supply in 2019 A rice stall at the public market of Bago City selling the commodity based on the suggested retail prices set by the National Food Authority Council starting November this year. (Contributed photo) ERWIN P. NICAVERA December 27, 2018 AGRICULTURE Secretary Emmanuel Piñol has assured that there will be enough supply of rice in the country in 2019 as there will be no repeat of this year's mistake. It can be recalled that NFA rice stocks sold at P27 per kilogram in the market were depleted because of delayed importation resulting in speculation that caused the prices of rice to surge. Piñol, also the chairman of the National Food Authority (NFA) Council, in his Facebook post Wednesday, December 26, said that in preparation for the lean months, the NFA has established a stock inventory of 750,000 metric tons of imported rice. The volume, he said, will ensure an eight-month supply of government-subsidized rice at 10 percent market participation. ―In addition to the P7 billion worth of ‗palay‘ which will be procured by the NFA from local farmers, the NFA has given the assurance that there will be enough supply of governmentsubsidized rice in the market next year,‖ the agriculture chief said. In Negros Occidental, a thin supply of the P27 per kilogram government rice was experienced starting April this year. This was only addressed when the province received its first import allocation of 80,000 bags in July. Though, it only lasted until October. While waiting for its additional import allocation of 100,000 bags, NFA-Negros Occidental
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requested for an augmentation of 20,000 bags from its counterpart in Iloilo. The second importation, also from Thailand, arrived in the latter part of November. Given the province daily consumption of 20,600 bags, it can only last for about five days if the NFA supplies the entire requirement. But if based on NFA rice‘s 10 percent consumption share, the additional stocks will be good for more than a month, or about 39 days. Piñol further posted that NFA acting administrator Tomas Escarez reported that the approval by the NFA Council of the importation before the end of the year provides an assurance that the market will not see a repeat of what happened earlier this year. The 750,000 metric tons of imported rice will be sold at P27 per kilo. Piñol, however, said the NFA will seek guidance on the selling price of the locally procured paddy rice since this will be bought at P17 per kilo on top of the P3.70 per kilogram incentive. Early this year, prices of commercial rice rose to unprecedented levels after NFA rice stalls ran out of stocks sold at P27 per kilogram, he recalled. In Negros Occidental, market prices went up to P60 per kilogram of commercial rice. ―It resulted from the disagreement between the NFA Council and the NFA on what mode of importation to use in buying the imported rice,‖ the official added. Moreover, with the return of the NFA to the Department of Agriculture (DA), the NFA Council implemented the Suggested Retail Price Program setting a cap on the prices of rice. President Rodrigo Duterte also issued an Executive Order easing the process for importation which allowed the entry of imported rice which greatly stabilized the supply in the market, Piñol said. By the end of the year, Piñol said, the country will have a 134-day buffer stock of rice in the warehouses of both the NFA and private traders, and in household storage facilities. It is said to be the highest buffer stock in recent years. ―The country currently produces 93 percent of the national rice requirements,‖ he said, adding that with the impending implementation of the Rice Tariffication Program, however, the local production is expected to increase to an estimated 95 percent of the national consumption by 2020. https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1780249/Bacolod/Business/Piol-assures-enough-rice-supply-in-2019
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Over 120,000 tonnes of rice sent as relief to needy localities VNA THURSDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2018 - 17:50:00 PRINT
Illustrative photo (Source: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – The General Department of State Reserve under the Ministry of Finance has provided 120,428 tonnes of rice worth about 1.18 trillion VND (50.74 million USD) to needy people in localities nationwide throughout 2018. Speaking at a press briefing on December 27, Vice Director Le Van Thoi said that the authority has received requests for rice relief aid for the upcoming Lunar New Year (Tet) festival from the northern mountainous province of Yen Bai (380 tonnes for 25,354 people), the central province of Nghe An (1,264 tonnes for 84,324 people), and the south-central province of Ninh Thuan (979 tonnes for 53,152 people). According to Thoi, each year, about 16 provinces send in requests for rice to help locals ahead of Tet and in between-crop period. The total requested volume is about 12,000 tonnes for about 1 million people.
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He said that rice of the national reserve is always available in all localities and will reach the needy within three days after the Prime Minister issues the decision. Meanwhile, he reported that about 302.35 billion VND (13 million USD) worth of various kinds of materials and equipment has been provided to localities in 2018.-VNA https://en.vietnamplus.vn/over-120000-tonnes-of-rice-sent-as-relief-to-needy-localities/144268.vnp
India's rice export prices up four-month peak on rising procurement costs; Thailand rates dip on fall in demand Business Reuters Dec 27, 2018 18:46:32 IST
Bengaluru: Rice export prices in India rose for a second straight week to the highest in four months on higher procurement costs for paddy, while Thai rates eased with no fresh demand in sight. Top exporter India‘s 5 percent broken parboiled variety was quoted around $378-$384 per tonne this week, up from last week‘s $375-$382. The central state of Chhattisgarh, a leading rice producer, recently raised minimum paddy buying price to 2,500 rupees per 100 kg from Rs 1,750 earlier.
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Representational image. Reuters Demand is negligible due to higher prices and as most traders are on vacation, said an exporter based at Kakinada in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh. Meanwhile, neighbouring Bangladesh, which became a major rice importer in 2017 after floods depleted domestic stocks, has dropped a plan to buy 700,000 tonnes of the staple in the year to June 2019, a food ministry official said. ―We had kept a budget for imports of 700,000 tonnes as a precaution, but fortunately, we won‘t need to go for international markets as production improved this year.‖ The country‘s production for 2018/19 is expected to recover to 34.7 million tonnes, up 6.3 percent year-on-year, according to estimates from the US department of agriculture attaché in Bangladesh. In Thailand, benchmark 5-percent broken rice prices eased to $380-$390 per tonne, free on board Bangkok, from $390-$391 last week, due to the lack of fresh demand in the market, which is expected to remain quiet until after the new year period, traders said. While the December-January period is usually the rice harvest season, this year, there has been a delay in harvesting in some parts of the country, a trader in Bangkok said. ―Supply will gradually increase in early February and that could push down the price further if there is no fresh demand.‖ In Vietnam, rates for 5 percent broken rice were unchanged at $385 a tonne. ―Trade is very slow amid the holiday season and I think it won‘t pick up until March, when output of the winter-spring crop is available,‖ said a trader based in Ho Chi Minh City. ―Though domestic inventory is nearly empty, I don‘t think price can go up in the short term due to weak demand. It may even go down in the coming months due to China‘s move to limit shipments from Vietnam.‖
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Vietnam‘s rice shipments to China in the first 11 months of this year fell 40 percent from a year earlier to 1.3 million tonnes, state media reported, citing Nguyen Ngoc Nam, chairman of Vietnam Food Association. China has put a cap on the number of Vietnamese companies eligible to export rice to China at 21, and Vietnam is asking China to add more firms to the list, reported the Nong Nghiep Vietnam newspaper. https://www.firstpost.com/business/indias-rice-export-prices-up-four-month-peak-on-rising-procurementcosts-thailand-rates-dip-on-fall-in-demand-5800691.html
Rice export rates scale four-month high on rising procurement costs The central state of Chhattisgarh, a leading rice producer, recently raised minimum paddy buying price to Rs 2,500 per 100 kg from Rs 1,750 rupees earlier
Photo: Reuters
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Bengaluru: Rice export prices in India rose for a second straight week to the highest in four months on higher procurement costs for paddy, while Thai rates eased with no fresh demand in sight. Top exporter India‘s 5 percent broken parboiled variety was quoted around $378-$384 per tonne this week, up from last week‘s $375-$382. The central state of Chhattisgarh, a leading rice producer, recently raised minimum paddy buying price to 2,500 rupees per 100 kg from 1,750 rupees earlier. Demand is negligible due to higher prices and as most traders are on vacation, said an exporter based at Kakinada in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh. Meanwhile, neighbouring Bangladesh, which became a major rice importer in 2017 after floods depleted domestic stocks, has dropped a plan to buy 700,000 tonnes of the staple in the year to June 2019, a food ministry official said. ―We had kept a budget for imports of 700,000 tonnes as a precaution, but fortunately, we won‘t need to go for international markets as production improved this year.‖ The country‘s production for 2018/19 is expected to recover to 34.7 million tonnes, up 6.3 percent year-on-year, according to estimates from the US Department of Agriculture attaché in Bangladesh. In Thailand, benchmark 5-percent broken rice prices eased to $380-$390 per tonne, free on board Bangkok, from $390-$391 last week, due to the lack of fresh demand in the market, which is expected to remain quiet until after the new year period, traders said. While the December-January period is usually the rice harvest season, this year, there has been a delay in harvesting in some parts of the country, a trader in Bangkok said. ―Supply will gradually increase in early February and that could push down the price further if there is no fresh demand.‖ In Vietnam, rates for 5 percent broken rice were unchanged at $385 a tonne. ―Trade is very slow amid the holiday season and I think it won‘t pick up until March, when output of the winter-spring crop is available,‖ said a trader based in Ho Chi Minh City.
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―Though domestic inventory is nearly empty, I don‘t think price can go up in the short term due to weak demand. It may even go down in the coming months due to China‘s move to limit shipments from Vietnam.‖ Vietnam‘s rice shipments to China in the first 11 months of this year fell 40 percent from a year earlier to 1.3 million tonnes, state media reported, citing Nguyen Ngoc Nam, chairman of Vietnam Food Association. China has put a cap on the number of Vietnamese companies eligible to export rice to China at 21, and Vietnam is asking China to add more firms to the list, reported the Nong Nghiep Vietnam newspaper. (This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed) https://www.livemint.com/Politics/mFwcdNjqpED3H5uboj1RhM/Rice-export-rates-scale-fourmonthhigh-on-rising-procuremen.html
Rice Prices as on : 27-12-2018 11:32:03 AM Arrivals in tonnes;prices in Rs/quintal in domestic market. Arrivals Current
Price % change
Season cumulative
Modal
Prev. Modal
Prev.Yr %change
Rice Barhaj(UP)
130.00
44.44
6454.00
2300
2290
-
Ballia(UP)
90.00
NC
2190.00
2370
2410
11.01
Ghaziabad(UP)
60.00
-33.33
6230.00
2725
2725
1.87
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Lakhimpur(UP)
30.00
-30.23
1701.00
2270
2260
4.61
Maharajganj(UP)
20.00
-
40.00
2250
-
-
Sheoraphuly(WB)
10.00
-1.96
196.60
3100
3100
-1.59
Soharatgarh(UP)
9.50
11.76
317.00
2255
2235
8.15
Tamkuhi Road(UP)
7.00
7.69
1150.00
2150
2140
NC
Mirzapur(UP)
6.00
20
1102.00
2270
2270
-
Alibagh(Mah)
3.00
200
41.00
7200
2250
60.00
Murud(Mah)
3.00
200
40.00
7200
2250
105.71
Sehjanwa(UP)
3.00
NC
285.70
2160
2160
-
Amroha(UP)
2.00
NC
131.82
2600
2600
5.26
Mau(Chitrakut)(UP)
2.00
-47.37
146.20
1775
1815
-
https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/rice-prices/article25840264.ece
Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open- DEC 27, 2018 DECEMBER 27, 2018 / 1:04 PM Nagpur Foodgrain Prices – APMC/Open Market-December 27, 2018 Nagpur, Dec 27 (Reuters) – Gram prices reported higher in Nagpur Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) on increased seasonal demand from local millers amid weak supply from producing regions. Fresh rise in Madhya Pradesh gram prices and enquiries from South-based millers also helped to push up prices. About 150 bags of gram reported for auctions in Nagpur APMC, according to sources. GRAM * Gram varieties ruled steady in open market here but demand was poor. TUAR * Tuar gavarani recovered in open market on good seasonal demand from local traders.
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* Rice Chinnor reported down in open market here on lack of demand from local traders amid increased arrival from producing regions. * In Akola, Tuar New – 4,200-4,600, Tuar dal (clean) – 7,000-7,300, Udid Mogar (clean) – 7,300-8,200, Moong Mogar (clean) 7,800-8,300, Gram – 4,600-4,700, Gram Super best – 6,700-6,900 * Wheat, other varieties of rice and other foodgrain items moved in a narrow range in scattered deals and settled at last levels in weak trading activity. Nagpur foodgrains APMC auction/open-market prices in rupees for 100 kg FOODGRAINS Available prices Previous close Gram Auction 3,600-4,360 3,600-4,240 Gram Pink Auction n.a. 2,100-2,600 Tuar Auction n.a. 3,800-4,000 Moong Auction n.a. 3,900-4,200 Udid Auction n.a. 4,300-4,500 Masoor Auction n.a. 2,600-2,800 Wheat Mill quality Auction 1,950-2,022 1,950-2,100 Gram Super Best Bold 6,700-7,000 6,700-7,000 Gram Super Best n.a. n.a. Gram Medium Best 6,300-6,600 6,300-6,600 Gram Dal Medium n.a. n.a Gram Mill Quality 4,700-4,800 4,700-4,800 Desi gram Raw 4,250-4,350 4,250-4,350 Gram Kabuli 8,300-10,000 8,300-10,000
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Tuar Fataka Best-New 7,100-7,300 7,100-7,300 Tuar Fataka Medium-New 6,800-7,000 6,800-7,000 Tuar Dal Best Phod-New 6,400-6,600 6,400-6,600 Tuar Dal Medium phod-New 6,000-6,300 6,000-6,300 Tuar Gavarani New 4,650-4,750 4,600-4,700 Tuar Karnataka 4,900-5,100 4,850-5,050 Masoor dal best 5,200-5,400 5,200-5,400 Masoor dal medium 4,700-4,900 4,700-4,900 Masoor n.a. n.a. Moong Mogar bold (New) 8,200-8,800 8,200-8,800 Moong Mogar Medium 6,500-7,500 6,500-7,500 Moong dal Chilka New 6,600-7,600 6,500-7,500 Moong Mill quality n.a. n.a. Moong Chamki best 7,500-8,500 7,500-8,500 Udid Mogar best (100 INR/KG) (New) 8,000-8,500 7,800-8,500 Udid Mogar Medium (100 INR/KG) 5,500-6,500 5,500-6,500 Udid Dal Black (100 INR/KG) 4,000-4,400 4,000-4,400 Batri dal (100 INR/KG) 5,500-5,600 5,500-5,600 Lakhodi dal (100 INR/kg) 4,850-4,950 4,850-4,950 Watana Dal (100 INR/KG) 5,550-5,650 5,550-5,650 Watana Green Best (100 INR/KG) 5,800-6,100 5,800-6,100 Wheat 308 (100 INR/KG) 2,200-2,300 2,200-2,300 Wheat Mill quality (100 INR/KG) 2,100-2,200 2,100-2,200
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Wheat Filter (100 INR/KG) 2,500-2,600 2,500-2,600 Wheat Lokwan best (100 INR/KG) 2,400-2,600 2,400-2,600 Wheat Lokwan medium (100 INR/KG) 2,200-2,300 2,200-2,300 Lokwan Hath Binar (100 INR/KG) n.a. n.a. MP Sharbati Best (100 INR/KG) 3,600-4,000 3,600-4,000 MP Sharbati Medium (100 INR/KG) 2,600-3,000 2,600-3,000 Rice Parmal (100 INR/KG) 2,100-2,200 2,100-2,200 Rice BPT best (100 INR/KG) 3,200-3,800 3,200-3,800 Rice BPT medium (100 INR/KG) 2,600-3,000 2,600-3,000 Rice Luchai (100 INR/KG) 2,900-3,000 2,900-3,000 Rice Swarna best (100 INR/KG) 2,600-2,750 2,600-2,750 Rice Swarna medium (100 INR/KG) 2,500-2,600 2,500-2,600 Rice HMT best (100 INR/KG) 4,000-4,400 4,000-4,400 Rice HMT medium (100 INR/KG) 3,500-3,900 3,500-3,900 Rice Shriram best(100 INR/KG) 5,200-5,500 5,200-5,500 Rice Shriram med (100 INR/KG) 4,800-5,000 4,800-5,000 Rice Basmati best (100 INR/KG) 9,500-14,000 9,500-14,000 Rice Basmati Medium (100 INR/KG) 4,800-7,000 4,800-7,000 Rice Chinnor best 100 INR/KG) 6,600-7,000 6,800-7,300 Rice Chinnor medium (100 INR/KG) 6,200-6,500 6,500-6,700 Jowar Gavarani (100 INR/KG) 2,350-2,550 2,350-2,550 Jowar CH-5 (100 INR/KG) 2,050-2,250 2,050-2,250 WEATHER (NAGPUR) Maximum temp. 30.2 degree Celsius, minimum temp. 10.9 degree Celsius Rainfall : Nil FORECAST: Mainly clear sky. Maximum and minimum temperature likely to be around 31 degree Celsius and 9
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degree Celsius. Note: n.a.—not available (For oils, transport costs are excluded from plant delivery prices, but included in market prices) https://in.reuters.com/article/uk-bangladesh-election-violence-insight/ahead-of-bangladesh-voteopposition-says-it-has-been-silenced-idINKCN1OR0L1
Asexual reproduction in rice, turns agricultural dream into reality Number of researchers, institutions, particularly in Europe, boycott GMOs Mohammed El-Said
What do you think of when you hear the phrase ‗asexual reproduction‘? And how can this technique serve as a solution for our food crisis? For the past 10,000 years, the major world food crop, rice, has reproduced sexually, rearranging its DNA with each generation, and often losing desirable traits until now. For a long time, scientists, researchers, and agricultural experts have recognised that enabling asexual reproduction in major world food crops would lead a great shift in global agriculture. The research comes amid an international food crisis, as well as the heavy burden of the impacts of climate change and water shortage.
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It was an aspiration to enable rice to reproduce asexually, but recently the agricultural dream has come true, as a team of plant scientists, led by professor Venkatesan Sundaresan from the US University of California Davis, have found a way to make rice reproduce asexually. According to a study which was published last week in the Nature science journal, it is currently possible for a rice plant to produce seeds that grow into its parent‘s clone. The new method will eventually allow farmers to plant and replant seeds from the best plant varieties, all without losing any of their valuable traits, most notably the produce or yield. Rice provides over 50% of the daily calories for half of the world‘s population. Daily News Egypt published a review about the extraordinary advance in agriculture, but this week we introduce the study in detail, with comments of the lead author, professor Sundaresan. According to the paper, many crops that are grown by farmers worldwide are produced by genetically crossing two inbred parent seeds to produce what is scientifically called ‗hybrid seeds‘. What is significant about that is that the resultant seeds surpass both parents, a phenomenon of biological synergy known as ‗hybrid vigour,‘ sometimes producing twice as much grain yield. Hybrid vigour is a phenomenon that can occur when crossbreeds of two genetically distinct parents result in an offspring that are more productive than either parent. Such hybrids have been the foundationY of many substantial yield increases in crops such as maize. Unfortunately, the next generation after these crossbreeds will not consistently maintain this hybrid vigour, so the crossbreeds have to be renovated each year. However, if these hybrid plants could be propagated as clones, then breeders would only have to make the cross once, and then they could faithfully maintain the hybrid vigour each generation. This would greatly ease the ability of plant breeders to develop such hybrids for a wide variety of crop species. The study of a rice gene called ‗Baby Boom 1,‘ abbreviated as BBM1 in Sundaresan‘s laboratory was the original idea behind this progress. The study showed that this gene is active in a rice
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plant‘s sperm cells, and it serves as a trigger for the fertilised egg to start developing into an embryo and eventually into a whole seed. The researchers reasoned that if they could turn the gene on in an egg cell, they might be able to bypass the fertilisation step, triggering embryo growth without sperm, a process called parthenogenesis, according to the lead author of the paper. After disabling meiosis and introducing BBM1, the egg cells grew into embryos identical to the parent rice plant, eventually forming clonal seeds. These clonal seeds were planted to grow a full rice plant, then they planted its seeds, and continued the process over three generations. Working on the study took five years, and over 15 years on the general problem of ‗asexual reproduction‘ in rice and other cereal crops. Speaking to Daily News Egypt via email, professor Sundaresan illustrated that his research aimed to understand the mechanism by which embryos are initiated after fertilisation, and then use this knowledge to produce seeds without fertilisation. He believes that what renders the conclusions of his paper important is that it makes the production of hybrid seeds affordable to poor farmers. ―If robust hybrids plants could be easier to breed, propagate, and distribute, their cost would be reduced, making them accessible to farmers in developing countries, who are most in need of the extra food,‖ he said. Responding DNE‘s inquiry about the advantages of the asexual engineered rice, Sundaresan explained that hybrids have 50% or more increase yields due to favourable gene combinations. In sexual reproduction, the genes and chromosomes are shuffled, therefore, the progeny of high yielding hybrids can have low yields. Hence, farmers have to buy new hybrid seeds every planting season. But if the hybrid reproduces asexually, the progeny will also have the same favourable gene combinations, and will also be high yielding, enabling poorer farmers to afford planting hybrids in following seasons. According to the lead author, the results of the study can be applied to any hybrid variety that has been developed for any special condition. He also said that the produced rice will consume the same amount of water as the parental hybrid.
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Chad Niederhuth, an assistant professor of Plant Biology at Michigan State University in the US, described the study as impressive. He told DNE that the study formulates an important development in our basic scientific understanding of the mechanisms regulating plant embryogenesis, the process by which embryos are formed and develop. ―After fertilisation, a new rice embryo is diploid, meaning it has two copies of its genome, one comes from the mother and one from the father. Some of the genes that are ‗expressed‘, or turned on, come exclusively from the mother‘s part of the genome, while some come exclusively from the father‘s part,‖ he explained. He further added that we do not fully understand how these parent-specific patterns of expression drive embryo development. But what this study shows is the important role of the BBM1gene in contributing towards regulating embryo development, which early on is expressed only from the father‘s part of the genome. They further show that two other similar genes, Baby Boom2 (BBM2) and Baby Boom3 (BBM3) have a somewhat redundant role in this process. Praising the effort of the researchers of the study, Niederhuth said that the authors executed an extraordinary additional progress and altered the normal pattern of BBM1 expression by turning on the mother‘s copy of the gene before fertilisation from the father occured. When they did this, the embryo development proceeded, resulting in haploid plants, which have only one copy of the genome. In this case that one copy of the genome comes from the mother. Methods of creating such haploid plants are a valuable tool for plant breeding. ―They did not stop there however, the next thing they did, I think was truly ingenious,‖ he said. ―There are two types of cell divisions that occur in plants and animals. Mitosis is how most cells in plants and animal bodies develop and it creates new cells with copies of genomes from both parents,‖ he added. Niederhuth explained further that ―the second type of cell division, called meiosis, creates the reproductive cells of the egg (mother) and pollen (father). These cells are haploid. Previously, a method called ‗MiMe‘ was developed that substitutes mitosis for meiosis, which creates reproductive cells that are diploid. like the parent plant.‖
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He added that by combining the BBM1 expression method with this MiMe method, the authors showed that in some cases they could skip normal sexual reproduction and instead reproduce rice asexually. This results in the production of seeds is ultimately a clone of the parent plant. Such clonal reproduction has been known to occur in certain plant species, but plant scientists have been trying to find methods of engineering it in crop plants for a long-time, as it would be extremely useful for growing hybrid plants, according to Niederhuth. ―While we don‘t know for certain if it can be applied in other crops, it most likely can be. These same genes are found across a wide range of crops. Hence, it should be possible to effect the same changes in different crops. However, this needs to be tested,‖ he said, adding that ―while this study represents a major breakthrough, it should be recognised that it didn‘t work all the time. Therefore, the method will require further development and refinement.‖ But the method of genetic engineering which the study has depended on is not internationally accepted, and there are considerable concerns about the use of genetically engineered foods. Ahmed Abdel Gawad, assistant professor of Botany at Mansoura University said that wildlife plants could be a safer passage rather than reproducing engineered crops which could have negative impact on our health and environment. Abdel Gawad told DNE that there is an international trend to boycott and general unease towards genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Despite the revolutionary role of genetic engineering in producing cereal crops, several researchers and institutions particularly in Europe (France for example) are boycotting these products. In Egypt, rice crop is constrained to the Nile Delta, which is webbed by a network of canals and channels. Most of the rice crop is irrigated through agricultural drainage water, and not water directly sourced from the Nile, according to a study by the US Department of Agriculture. The country has lately reduced the area dedicated to planting rice in the Nile Delta to cope with the shortage of water. However, there are other alternatives such as Oraby rice, which uses
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considerably less amounts of water than the known species of rice in Egypt, according to Said Soliman, professor of Genetics at the Faculty of Agriculture, Zagazig University. Soliman previously told DNE that he has developed a rice species called Oraby, whose age takes about 120 days compared to145 days for normal rice. He added that Oraby rice could be cultivated twice a year and consumes less amounts of water. https://dailynewssegypt.com/2018/12/26/asexual-reproduction-in-rice-turns-agricultural-dream-intoreality/
Sandiganbayan acquits ex-SPDA heads BY GLEE JALEA DECEMBER 27, 2018
SANDIGANBAYAN ACQUITS EX-SPDA HEADS The Sandiganbayan Fourth Division acquitted former Southern Philippines Development Authority (SPDA) officials of two graft charges due to insufficient evidence that they are guilty beyond reasonable doubt. Former SPDA administrator Ali Mindalano, deputy administrator Esa Bayani, legal officer 3 Thomas Ballesteros, officer in charge Sultan Dic Kah Manalundung, operations and planning chief Rodolfo Sudario, general services chief James Cautivar, accounting chief Charlene Damuy, Kidapawan Mercantile Inc. & Major Tractors & Equipment contractor Loreto Nicolas, and a John Doe were accused of violating Section 3 (g) of Republic Act (RA) 3019 or the ―Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.‖ The said officials allegedly conspired with each other for the anomalous purchase of agriculture equipment amounting to P35.325 million including 10 tractors for a total of P26.77 million, 10 rice millers worth P2.934 million, 10 power tillers at P1.758 million, 10 rice threshers at P1.517 million, 10 turtle power tillers at P819,000, and 10 corn shellers at P1.520 million. The public officials were initially in question for giving unwarranted benefits to Nicolas and a certain John Doe and for releasing at least P20.420 million as there was no delivery of the equipment despite payment made by the SPDA. However, the court claimed the evidence of the prosecution was insufficient due to deficiencies in sales invoices and delivery receipts.
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―No evidence was presented to substantiate the allegations in the Information pertaining to the non-delivery of the rice millers, rice threshers, turtle power tillers and corn shellers,‖ a portion of the 29-page decision read. The anti-graft court added the prosecution made no attempt to identify the said John Doe or to submit evidence of an actual transaction with Rubbar Marketing Center. ―The prosecution‘s evidence does not sufficiently prove that accused public officers rigged the bidding for the subject new agricultural equipment to favor accused Nicolas or Major Tractors, Kidapawan Mercantile, or Rubbar Marketing Center. On the contrary, it would appear that the accused public officers complied with the requirements of the bidding and carried it out properly,‖ it added. https://www.manilatimes.net/sandiganbayan-acquits-ex-spda-heads/488097/
Relax delivery norms, state rice millers urge Khattar
CM Manohar Lal Khattar addresses rice millers and arhtiyas in Karnal on Wednesday. Tribune photo
Tribune News Service Karnal, December 26 26 | w w w . r i c e p l u s m a g a z i n e . b l o g s p o t . c o m mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com
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Rice millers on Wednesday urged Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar to give them relaxation of three months for delivering rice to the Food Corporation of India (FCI) after milling without any holding charges. The CM was at the grain market here to interact with rice millers and arhtiyas. The government has fixed the deadline of March 30 for the complete delivery, after which it will take holding charges. The millers sought a deadline of June 30. Hansraj Singla, state president of the Haryana Rice Millers‟ and Dealers‟ Association; Vinod Goel, senior vice-president of the association; and Vijay Thakkar, district president, Karnal Rice Millers‟ Association, and others requested the CM to reduce the criteria for returning custom milled rice. They handed over a memorandum to the CM. “Untimely rain has affected paddy quality. A miller who procures paddy has to return 67-kg rice per quintal to the FCI, but millers have poor quality grain, so we have requested the CM to relax the yield after milling to 64 kg per quintal. The UP Government has recently relaxed the norms and reduced it to 64-kg rice per quintal,” said Goel. Besides, arhtiyas demanded the CM to give them ownership of 92 shops, which were allotted to them in 2002. Goel informed the CM that these shops were given for Rs 20.32 lakh each, but the price should have been Rs 16.3 lakh. The CM assured them that all issues would be discussed with the authorities concerned soon. He asked them to come over to Chandigarh with documents pertaining to the issues. He refused to waive off the property tax being charged by the Karnal Municipal Corporation. Reacting to a complaint regarding Rs 30 being charged from each vegetable vendor for setting up „rehri‟ in the vegetable market, the CM asked the officials concerned to look into the issue. https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/haryana/relax-delivery-norms-state-rice-millers-urgekhattar/704479.html
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