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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine
Rice E-Newsletter March 30 , 2015 V o l u m e 5, Issue I
What's new in business news: March 30, 2015 30 Mar 2015 at 14:38 348 viewed0 comments WRITER: JON FERNQUEST
Thai rice researchers introduce new insect-resistant rice, the road to profitability for one digital TV channel & traffic accident deaths in Samui & Pattaya tourist areas. www.ricepluss.com R&D Section: Riceplus Magazine
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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine
Sun striking rice stalks in a paddy field. AGRICULTURE Thai rice researchers to introduce new insect-resistant variety
The Pathum Thani Rice Research Center has developed a new rice variety named Pathum Thani 200 with strong resistance to damaging insects and coolertemperatures. The new variety of rice can be grown all year round and has highyields. The new hybrid variety, also known as Kor. Khor. 57, is suitable for growing not only in irrigated areas in central provinces but also in areas that have cooler weather such as the North. The new variety is also resistant to the brown planthopper, an insect pest that feeds on rice plants damaging rice crops. The rice research center has been working on this new variety for more than adecade. The new variety is a hybrid of the famous Suphanburi 1 and IR 64 varieties. The new variety was given the name "Pathum Thani 200" to celebrate the 200thanniversary of Pathum Thani province. The rice centre is in the process of producing the variety as rice seed to distribute to farmers. At present, the rice department produces about 100,000 tonnes of rice seed for the market every year. However, the amount is far below farmer demand of 600,000 tonnes which is largely supplied by private companies offering higher-pricedhybrid rice seed.
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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine SET-listed Workpoint Entertainment Plc (WORK) saw its net profit drop 92% to 20 million baht. Profit is expected to revive this year and rise to 200 million baht. Thetransition to digital TV has been the major factor contributing to the fall inprofitability. TV ratings have been highly volatile in the first year of digitalbroadcasting but they have become more stable recently. Workpoint has already sold ad air time in advance worth 1 billion baht. This year, it aims to generate 2 billion baht in ad revenue. Workpoint was ranked third in viewership but its viewership is far below that of the two leaders channel 7 and channel 3. Channel 3 had 1.2 and channel 7 1.5 millionviewers per minute on average, while Workpoint had 400,000. Channels 3 and 7 remain the leaders, controlling 50% of the market in terms of viewership and ad spending on TV. The digital TV channel wants to boost figures to 600,000 viewers per minute by adding new content to its digital TV channel later this year. New content will range from popular programmes such as Fan-Pan-Tae and Golden Stage to Let Me In Thailand. However, it must allocate a bigger budget for TVproduction in order to draw in more viewers. The company test-runs TV shows for six months before airing them and then gradually revises its programmes on a weeklybasis in order to stay abreast with rivals who also review their output morefrequently.The company is also looking to produce TV programmes to supply the internationalmarket. Workpoint sold the format of Fan Pan-Tae to a Swedish broadcaster, The Band to a Peruvian TV station, Lightning Puzzle to Asian broadcasters and the Envy Game TV series to a Vietnamese broadcaster. The company has also seen a significantincrease in online viewers.
On Koh Samui island a speeding motorcycle killed a 68-year-old French tourist who was crossing the road to return to her hotel after eating at a nearby restaurant in the Bophut beach area. Witnesses said the spot where the accident took place was not well lighted and the motorcyclist was driving at high speed. The driver of the newly purchased motorcycle was identified Jettipan Yodsoi, 19. Mr Jittipan's family reportedly runs a major auto seat cushion business on the southern tourist island. Police said he would be charged with reckless driving causing death. After a police officer allegedly ran a red traffic light in Pattaya in the early hours of Sunday, a man was killed when his motorcycle was hit by the car. The car driver, Pol Sr Sgt Maj Somyot Champahom, 50, an investigation officer said he and a policeman friend were returning from a party of classmates when the motorcycle suddenly cut in front of his car at the intersection. He hit the brakes hard, but failed to stop in time. The officer insisted he had not driven through a red light and hit the motorcycle. But a person who witnessed the incident, told police that he saw the officer‘s speeding car run the red traffic www.ricepluss.com R&D Section: Riceplus Magazine
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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine light and crash head-on with the motorcycle in the opposite lane. The impact of the crash catapulted the body off the bike and it hit the footpath. The officer was detained for an alcohol test before legal action was to be consideredagainst him. Police will examine footage of closed circuit cameras (CCTV) to find out whether he had driven his car through the red traffic light as alleged
India may export basmati rice, now 'infestation-free', to China from this year Madhvi Sally, ET Bureau Mar 27, 2015, 11.15AM IST
Tags:NPPO|khapra beetle|Infestation|India-China trade|basmati rice
NEW DELHI: India may be able to export basmati rice to China from this year, with riceshelling and exporting units registered with the National Plant Protection Organisation (NPPO) being declared infestation-free.Exporters in India, the world's second-largest rice producer, are targeting the Indian diasporas and Middle Eastern communities, apart from the Chinese that are trying out different cuisines even as they like their rice to be stickier and short grained.y June 30, www.ricepluss.com R&D Section: Riceplus Magazine
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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine the Indian government will send a list of credited Indian rice mills with the NPPO certification of being free from `khapra beetle' infestation. After this, we expect Chinese companies to start placing orders," said Ashok Sethi, president, Punjab Rice Exporters' Association.Trade enquiries have already started coming in, according to millers and company executives.The Chinese government has invited Indian rice exporters to visit the country to see the mar ket and make pre sentations, said Mohinder Pal Jindal, presi dent, All India Rice Exporters' Association.Besides China, South Africa and Mexico are the other new mar kets that Indian companies have been exploring to augment basmati rice exports. At present, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait and United Arab Emirates are the major export destinations for Indian basmati rice.Till January 31, India exported 2.9 million tonne of basmati rice and the figure for the entire financial year to March is expected to touch 3.2 million tonne. This is considerably lower than exports of 3.75 million tonne reported in 2013-14. "It might take us a few years to penetrate China, but the country has potential to become a big market for Indian basmati rice due to its huge population, increasing income levels and openness to try new cuisines," said Anil Kumar Mittal, chairman and MD of KRBL, which sells un der the India Gate brand.Vietnam and Thai land are the leading suppliers of rice to China, followed by Lao, Australia and Pakistan. Vijay Se tia of Chamanlal Setia Exports said Indian traders may be able to take a slice of the share of neighbour Pakis tan, which exports 0.35-0.4 million tonne of rice a year to China. http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2015-03-27/news/60553569_1_basmati-rice-mohinder-paljindal-india-rice-exporters
Scientists have discovered a simple way to cook rice that dramatically cuts the calories Rice, the lifeblood of so many nations' cuisines, is perhaps the most ubiquitous food in the world. In Asia, where an estimated 90 percent of all rice is consumed, the pillowy grains are part of almost every meal. In the Caribbean, where the starch is often mixed with beans, it's a staple too. Even here in the United States, where people eat a comparatively modest amount of rice, plenty is still consumed.Rice is popular because it's malleable—it pairs well with a lot of different kinds of food—and it's relatively cheap. But like other starch-heavy foods, it has one central flaw: it isn't that good for you. White rice consumption, in particular, has been linked to a higher risk of diabetes. A cup of the cooked grain carries with it roughly 200 calories, most of which comes in the form of starch, which turns into sugar, and often thereafter body fat.But what if there were a simple way to tweak rice ever so slightly to make it much healthier? An undergraduate student at the College of Chemical Sciences in Sri Lanka and his mentor have been tinkering with a new way to cook rice that can reduce its calories by as much as 50 percent and even offer a few other added health benefits. The ingenious method, which at its core is just a simple manipulation of chemistry, involves only a couple easy steps in practice. [Scientists have figured out what makes Indian food so delicious]
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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine "What we did is cook the rice as you normally do, but when the water is boiling, before adding the raw rice, we added coconut oil—about 3 percent of the weight of the rice you're going to cook," said Sudhair James, who presented his preliminary research at National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS) on Monday. "After it was ready, we let it cool in the refrigerator for about 12 hours. That's it." How does it work?
To understand what's going on, you need to understand a bit of food chemistry.Not all starches, as it happens, are created equal. Some, known as digestible starches, take only a little time to digest, are quickly turned into glucose, and then later glycogen. Excess glycogen ends up adding to the size of our guts if we don't expend enough energy to burn it off. Other starches, meanwhile, called resistant starches, take a long time for the body to process, aren't converted into glucose or glycogen because we lack the ability to digest them, and add up to fewer calories.A growing body of research, however, has shown that it might be possible to change the types of starches found in foods by modifying how they are prepared. At the very least, we know that there are observable changes when certain foods are cooked different ways. [This surprisingly tough quiz will make you second guess how well you know food] Potatoes, for instance, go from having the right kind of starch to the less healthful kind when they are cooked or mashed (sigh, I know). The process of heating and cooling certain vegetables, like peas and sweet potatoes, can also alter the amount of resistant (see: good) starches, according to a 2009 study. And rice, depending on the method of preparation, undergoes observable chemical changes. Most notably, fried rice and pilaf style rice have a greater proportion of resistant starch than the most commonly eaten type, steamed rice, as strange as that might seem. "If you can reduce the digestible starch in something like steamed rice, you can reduce the calories," said Dr. Pushparajah Thavarajah, a professor who is supervising the research. "The impact could be huge."Understanding this, James and Thavarajva tested eight different recipes on 38 different kinds of rice found in Sri Lanka. What they found is that by adding a lipid (coconut oil in this case, because it's widely used in Sri Lanka) ahead of cooking the rice, and then cooling the rice immediately after it was done, they were able to drastically change its composition—and for the better. "The oil interacts with the starch in rice and changes its architecture," said James. "Chilling the rice then helps foster the conversion of starches. The result is a healthier serving, even when you heat it back up."So far they have only measured the chemical outcome of the most effective cooking method for the least healthful of the 38 varieties. But that variety still produced a 10 to 12 percent reduction in calories. "With the better kind, we expect to reduce the calories by as much as 50 to 60 percent," said James. Cooking that can change the world
www.ricepluss.com R&D Section: Riceplus Magazine
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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine The prospect of lower calorie rice is a big deal. Obesity rates are rising around the world, particularly in the developing world, where people rely more heavily on cheaper food staples. China and India, which are already seeing rising obesity problems, are huge consumers of rice. Rice, of course, is not the sole cause of weight gain. But reducing the amount of calories in a cup of rice by even as little as 10 percent could have an enormous impact for future generations."Obesity has been a problem in the United States for some time," said Thavarajah. "But it's becoming a problem in Asia, too. People are eating larger and larger portions of rice, which isn't good." [Why many restaurants don't actually want you to order dessert] The researchers still have to test the remaining varieties of rice, including Suduru Samba, which they believe will produce the largest calorie reduction. They also plan to experiment with oils other than coconut oil, like sunflower oil.
A world where commercially sold rice comes pre-cooked and with much fewer calories might not be that far off. People should already be able to replicate the process at home, although James warns the results might vary depending on the type of rice used. And there's good reason to believe the chemistry could be applied to many other popular but less-than-healthy foods. "It's about more than rice," said Thavarajah. "I mean, can we do the same thing for bread? That's the real question here. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2015/03/25/scientists-have-figured-out-asimple-way-to-cook-rice-that-dramatically-cuts-the-calories/#
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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine
This Scientifically Proven Method For Cooking Rice May Reduce Calories by 60 Percent by Leta Shy 3/27/15
Confession: as much as I know brown rice is the healthier option, I find it hard to pass up a bowl of perfectly steamed white rice. The problem: white rice is stripped of nutrients and high in starch, which converts to sugars that your body uses for energy (glycogen) that can turn to fat if you don't burn it off. Luckily, scientists may have found a way for white-ricelovers like me to have a bowl without the guilt by reducing the amount of starches and calories in rice just by how you cook it. The science behind it is this: white rice is made up of two different starches, digestible starch (glucose, which is what turns into glycogen) and resistant starch, which takes a long time to digest and isn't converted into simple sugars. Cooking certain foods like rice, potatoes, and peas can alter how much of each type of starch exists in a food; in this study, researchers in Sri Lanka found a simple method for cooking rice that may increase the amount of resistant starches and therefore reduce the amount of calories in rice. Their simple solution? Add oil, which interacts with the starches in the rice to convert them to resistant starch, and then chill the cooked rice, which further changes its composition for the better. More research needs to be done on this method, but the scientists hope that this slight modification in how people cook rice will help combat obesity rates around the world. They note that the reduction in calories depends on the type of rice you use. Also, while they tested 38 different varieties of rice, they only measured the results in one variety so far, in which they found a 10 to 12 percent reduction in calories. But the scientists are optimistic that this method may reduce calories by 50 to 60 percent — and since the cooking method sounds both easy and delicious, I'm willing to give it a shot. American Chemical Society
Healthier White Rice Note that the chilling time is 12 hours but is a crucial step in converting the starches, so make a batch ahead of time that you can store in your fridge.
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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine
INGREDIENTS
1 cup white rice 2 teaspoons coconut oil 1 3/4 cups water DIRECTIONS
1. In a pot, bring water to a boil. 2. Add coconut oil to pot, followed by the rice. 3. Cover, lower heat, and cook for 20 to 25 minutes. 4. Let rice cool, then chill in the fridge for at least 12 hours. Reheat as necessary before serving using this reheating method.
http://www.popsugar.com/fitness/How-Make-Healthier-Rice-37167924
Best Foods launches campaign to dispel myths on rice backed by research Saturday, March 28, 2015 08:00 IST Ashwani Maindola, New Delhi
Best Foods Ltd, a leading basmati rice company in India, on Thursday, hosted an interactive session with nutritionist Kavita Devgan in order to dispel myths on rice through its campaign ―I love best rice.‖ A similar initiative was hosted in Kolkata and Hyderabad recently with nutritionists Hena Nafis and Dr Janki B. The campaign, which is being planned across key metros in India, is supported by research findings of TNS Global Research Consultancy, a top research agency. TNS had collated critical data from consumers in key metros on a host of parameters – perception, preference, purchase, price et al, to understand the beliefs & attitude towards rice as a category. The research reveals that while southern part of India tops in consumption of rice, in the northern part including city-state Delhi, rice eating is an occasional happening - once in every three days. Further working women prefer rice cooking more than housewives. Embarking on the new initiative, Dr Aayushman Gupta, chief executive officer, Best Foods Ltd, remarked, ―We, at Best, strongly feel that white rice is a benign fuel source for the body. Hence, it is imperative that we would need to play a pivotal role in addressing this issue to consumers at large who are grappling with the ‗goodness‘ of rice at some point or the other. The objective was www.ricepluss.com R&D Section: Riceplus Magazine
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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine to bring focus to the category yet again and share some interesting facts on rice to consumers and make them fans of rice. Hence, we commissioned TNS which has most comprehensively and extensively covered all issues pertaining to rice on various parameters to provide an insight into this category‖. Dr Gupta elaborated, ―As thought leaders, Best Foods has been providing insightful information about the category and the brand with a view to engage consumers more holistically. Promoting guilt-free consumption of rice and the love for rice, informing consumers of the health and nutritive benefits of rice has been a passion for us. Hailed now as the ICF-certified (accredited by the apex body of Indian‘s most renowned chefs) as best rice brand in the category, we have been setting new milestones. I am confident that these research findings can now assure and motivate consumer to look at rice as not only healthy but more innovatively and incorporate more homogeneously in their diet. White rice is an ancient traditional food and is always hailed as a healthy food. Life on the fast track leaves no time on hand to innovate on foods. Hence we want consumers to explore the versatility of rice as much as they can and incorporate it in all possible ways - as a complete meal, quick snack or an innovative mouth-watering recipe. This campaign is close to my heart and I strongly feel that we will be able to build a huge connect and engage consumers with our brand and category.‖ Ruchita Jain, associate project director, TNS Global Research Consultancy, stated, ―The rice category has a huge potential and hence we had taken minute details on consumer perceptions and apprehensions. The research was concluded in a span of 2-3 months. First a qualitative research was conducted covering men and women groups across key metros followed by a quantitative research covering a sample of 1,330 women across Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Bangalore and Hyderabad. These women were married, in the age-group of 25-45 years, totally involved in cooking. They fell under socio-economic classes A or B and were all non-rejecters of modern trade. Having conducted a research, both intensive and with all target groups who consume and cook rice, we were able to put together all data. ‖ Devgan, on her engagement with Best Foods rice, added, ―Rice is a grain we have been eating forever; it is eaten across the length and breadth of the country and is relished in multiple forms. Lately though an unwarranted guilt factor seems to have creeped in, under the mistaken belief that rice is unhealthy, and that it is fattening, which is not the case. Its actually overeating that causes fattening. Further one cup rice gives more calories than a chapati. Rice is gluten-free and has carbohydrates, which are very essential for the body. Further the glycemic index is also very low in India‘s basmati rice.‖
http://www.fnbnews.com/article/detnews.asp?articleid=37021&sectionid=1
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State-run rice mills fabricating records’ DEVESH K. PANDEY Many government-run rice mills have been allegedly fudging records to show they are supplying the required quantity of rice to the central pool from the paddy delivered to them under custommilling and levy schemes.A study by Gouri Shankar Jain, Right to Information activist, shows that the average output of a mill cannot be more than 55-57 kg of rice per 100 kg of paddy. ―However, they [mills] show supply of 67-68 kg in their accounts, which is mandatory by Food and Public Distribution Department rules,‖ Mr. Jain told The Hindu. Mr. Jain‘s complaint alleging huge corruption in the financial dealings between government institutions and rice mills is part of an ongoing audit by the Comptroller and Auditor-General in eight major rice-producing States.―Interestingly, government-run mills show income from paddy by-products [rice bran, husk and broken rice] in their account books, whereas private mills conceal it. Under such circumstances, it is difficult to understand why the government has not been formally notifying the rates being quoted by its own mills to ensure that private mill owners have to disclose their income accordingly,‖ he said.―The gunny and plastic bags used for packaging do not come under the category of depreciation under the Income Tax Act. However, the government is paying up to 40 per cent depreciation on old and new bags to paddy-purchase institutions and rice millers.‖Another modus operandi of millers has been diversion of rice meant to be procured by government institutions for the public distribution system (PDS) to the black market. The CAG had over a year ago detected financial irregularities in Bihar during 2012-13. The report said non-delivery of custom-milled rice against paddy released to the millers in 38 districts had resulted in a loss of Rs.433.94 crore to the exchequer.The CAG found out that in several cases, paddy was supplied to mill owners without taking back rice for the central pool, as required. Many millers defaulted on supply of rice. In March, the Economic Offences Wing of the Bihar police initiated investigations into the alleged loss of Rs.1,400 crore as millers did not supply rice. The State government identified over 2,000 defaulters. Keywords: Rice mills scam, state-run rice mills, CAG audit
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/staterun-rice-mills-fabricatingrecords/article7044186.ece
Scientists have discovered a simple way to cook rice that dramatically cuts the calories
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Rice is eaten all over the world ROBERTO A. FERDMAN
THURSDAY 26 MARCH 2015
Rice, the lifeblood of so many nations' cuisines, is perhaps the most ubiquitous food in the world. In Asia, where an estimated 90 percent of all rice is consumed, the pillowy grains are part of almost every meal. In the Caribbean, where the starch is often mixed with beans, it's a staple too. Even here in the United States, where people eat a comparatively modest amount of rice, plenty is still consumed.Rice is popular because it's malleable—it pairs well with a lot of different kinds of food—and it's relatively cheap. But like other starch-heavy foods, it has one central flaw: it isn't that good for you. White rice consumption, in particular, has been linked to a higher risk of diabetes. A cup of the cooked grain carries with it roughly 200 calories, most of which comes in the form of starch, which turns into sugar, and often thereafter body fat.But what if there were a simple way to tweak rice ever so slightly to make it much healthier?
www.ricepluss.com R&D Section: Riceplus Magazine
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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine An undergraduate student at the College of Chemical Sciences in Sri Lanka and his mentor have been tinkering with a new way to cook rice that can reduce its calories by as much as 50 percent and even offer a few other added health benefits. The ingenious method, which at its core is just a simple manipulation of chemistry, involves only a couple easy steps in practice. "What we did is cook the rice as you normally do, but when the water is boiling, before adding the raw rice, we added coconut oil—about 3 percent of the weight of the rice you're going to cook," said Sudhair James, who presented his preliminary research at National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS) on Monday. "After it was ready, we let it cool in the refrigerator for about 12 hours. That's it." How does it work? To understand what's going on, you need to understand a bit of food chemistry. Not all starches, as it happens, are created equal. Some, known as digestible starches, take only a little time to digest, are quickly turned into glucose, and then later glycogen. Excess glycogen ends up adding to the size of our guts if we don't expend enough energy to burn it off. Other starches, meanwhile, called resistant starches, take a long time for the body to process, aren't converted into glucose or glycogen because we lack the ability to digest them, and add up to fewer calories. A growing body of research, however, has shown that it might be possible to change the types of starches found in foods by modifying how they are prepared. At the very least, we know that there are observable changes when certain foods are cooked different ways. Potatoes, for instance, go from having the right kind of starch to the less healthful kind when they are cooked or mashed (sigh, I know). The process of heating and cooling certain vegetables, like peas and sweet potatoes, can also alter the amount of resistant (see: good) starches, according to a 2009 study. And rice, depending on the method of preparation, undergoes observable chemical changes. Most notably, fried rice and pilaf style rice have a greater proportion of resistant starch than the most commonly eaten type, steamed rice, as strange as that might seem. "If you can reduce the digestible starch in something like steamed rice, you can reduce the calories," said Dr. Pushparajah Thavarajah, a professor who is supervising the research. "The impact could be huge." Understanding this, James and Thavarajva tested eight different recipes on 38 different kinds of rice found in Sri Lanka. What they found is that by adding a lipid (coconut oil in this case, because it's widely used in Sri Lanka) ahead of cooking the rice, and then cooling the rice
www.ricepluss.com R&D Section: Riceplus Magazine
Page 13
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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine immediately after it was done, they were able to drastically change its composition—and for the better."The oil interacts with the starch in rice and changes its architecture," said James. "Chilling the rice then helps foster the conversion of starches. The result is a healthier serving, even when you heat it back up." So far they have only measured the chemical outcome of the most effective cooking method for the least healthful of the 38 varieties. But that variety still produced a 10 to 12 percent reduction in calories. "With the better kind, we expect to reduce the calories by as much as 50 to 60 percent," said James. Cooking that can change the world The prospect of lower calorie rice is a big deal. Obesity rates are rising around the world, particularly in the developing world, where people rely more heavily on cheaper food staples. China and India, which are already seeing rising obesity problems, are huge consumers of rice. Rice, of course, is not the sole cause of weight gain. But reducing the amount of calories in a cup of rice by even as little as 10 percent could have an enormous impact for future generations. "Obesity has been a problem in the United States for some time," said Thavarajah. "But it's becoming a problem in Asia, too. People are eating larger and larger portions of rice, which isn't good." The researchers still have to test the remaining varieties of rice, including Suduru Samba, which they believe will produce the largest calorie reduction. They also plan to experiment with oils other than coconut oil, like sunflower oil. A world where commercially sold rice comes pre-cooked and with much fewer calories might not be that far off. People should already be able to replicate the process at home, although James warns the results might vary depending on the type of rice used. And there's good reason to believe the chemistry could be applied to many other popular but less-than-healthy foods. "It's about more than rice," said Thavarajah. "I mean, can we do the same thing for bread? That's the real question here." http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/scientists-have-discovered-a-simple-way-to-cook-rice-that-dramatically-cuts-the-calories10137508.html
Scientists discover new way of cooking rice to reduce calories by 50% March 26, 2015
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How many use coconut oil to cook rice? By Raif Karerat WASHINGTON, DC: An undergraduate student at the College of Chemical Sciences in Sri Lanka has discovered a new way to cook rice that can reduce its calories by as much as 50 percent
and
even
add
other
health
benefits.―What we did is cook the rice as you normally do, but when the water is boiling, before adding the raw rice, we added coconut oil—about 3 percent of the weight of the rice you‘re going to cook,‖ said Sudhair James, who presented his preliminary research at National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS) on Monday. ―After it was ready, we let it cool in the refrigerator for about 12 hours. That‘s it,‖ he told the Washington Post. A growing field of research has shown it might be possible to modify the types of starches found in food by changing up how they‘re prepared. Potatoes, for instance, are a healthy, starchy food, but when they‘re cooked or mashed the starch turns into the less healthy kind.―If you can reduce the digestible starch in something like steamed rice, you can reduce the calories,‖ Dr. Pushparajah Thavarajah, a professor who is supervising the research, explained to The Washington Post. ―The impact could be huge.‖With their specific goal in mind, James and Thavarajva tested eight different recipes on 38 different varieties of rice found in Sri Lanka. What they found is that by adding a lipid, such as coconut oil, before cooking the rice, and then cooling the rice immediately after it was done, they were able to drastically change its starch composition for the better.―The result is a healthier serving, even when you heat it back up,‖ James beamed.With obesity rates around the world skyrocketing, calorically reduced food may well hold the key to the healthier future.
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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine ―Obesity has been a problem in the United States for some time. But it‘s becoming a problem in Asia, too. People are eating larger and larger portions of rice, which isn‘t good,‖ Thavarajah told the Post.―It‘s about more than rice,‖ he continued. ―I mean, can we do the same thing for bread? That‘s the real question here.‖
http://www.americanbazaaronline.com/2015/03/26/scientists-discover-new-way-ofcooking-rice-to-reduce-calories-by-50/
MPCA releases draft recommendations for protecting wild rice from excess sulfate ST. PAUL – The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency is releasing its proposal for protecting wild rice from excess sulfate. Rather than relying on a single sulfate level for all wild rice waters in the state, the agency proposes to calculate a sulfate level for each wild rice water, based on location-specific factors.The MPCA‘s study of how sulfate affects wild rice, which began in 2012, finds: • In the sediment rooted, sulfate from converted to sulfide by bacteria
in the
which water
wild
rice above
is is
• Higher levels of sulfide in the sediment create an environment that is less hospitable to wild rice However, certain factors change the rate at which sulfate is converted to sulfide. Most significantly, higher levels of iron can lead to less sulfide, and higher levels of organic carbon can lead to more sulfide.To take these variables into account, the MPCA developed an equation that can determine a sulfate level that will protect wild rice for a specific water body. The agency proposes collecting sediment samples in wild rice stands, measuring the iron and organic carbon concentrations in the sediment, and then plugging the data into the equation to calculate a protective sulfate concentration for that particular wild rice water.The MPCA will be scheduling meetings with interested stakeholders to further describe and get input on its proposal. The agency will continue to refine the proposal based on feedback and any new data. At the same time, the MPCA will consider how the study‘s findings will inform regulatory decisions and develop the data collection protocol needed to implement the proposal. The MPCA plans to go through formal rulemaking to change the existing standard later this year. The rulemaking will also include listing specific wild rice waters that are subject to the standard.The MPCA has compiled a draft list of wild rice waters, along with a process to add waters to the list over time. The list and process are available on the MPCA's draft proposal for wild rice webpage. The
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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine MPCA also proposes that a sulfate standard is not needed to protect commercial wild rice paddies. About the study In 2012, the MCPA contracted with scientists at the University of Minnesota‘s Duluth and Twin Cities campuses to study the relationship between sulfate, sulfide, and wild rice with field surveys and laboratory and outdoor container experiments. The agency integrated and analyzed the data with input from the study‘s advisory committee, and developed a draft analysis that was subject to scientific peer review in summer 2014. The analysis was then refined based on the peer reviewers‘ recommendations.For more information A report on the study‘s findings is available on the MPCA's draft proposal for wild rice webpage.
http://www.hometownfocus.us/news/2015-0327/News_Briefs/MPCA_releases_draft_recommendations_for_protecting.html
Ban on inland rice imports not effective – PFAG The Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana (PFAG) has alleged massive importation of rice through the inland borders of the country in spite of the government ban on the practice. According to them, the alarming phenomenon was defeating the purpose for which the ban was imposed which included reduction in the importation of foreign rice in order to increase the production and consumption of local rice.It was also expected to get accurate statistics of the cereal imported into the country, while ensuring that the right taxes were slapped on it to make the price competitive on the local market.Speaking in separate interviews on the impact on the directive on the importation of rice through the inland borders on the local rice production and consumption, the Programme Co-ordinator of the Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana (PFAG), Ms Victoria Adongo and Mr Kweku Amoak, a rice farmer, told the GRAPHIC BUSINESS in Accra they claimed that ―The ban on rice import has only remained on paper since it was announced years ago‖. ―There is still massive importation of rice through the inland borders of the country,‖ Ms Adongo said.She argued that if the government was genuinely serious about the directive, ―it should have placed the ban of the rice through the port because it is there that huge tons of rice are imported into the country".The Trade Ministry served notice to rice importers in October 2013, indicating that "with effect from 1st November, 2013, all imports of rice shall be done only through the Kotoka International Airport, Tema and Takoradi Ports".According to the then Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr Haruna Iddrisu, the ban was to check the rampant smuggling of the cereal and also enable the government to get reliable statistics on imports of rice. www.ricepluss.com R&D Section: Riceplus Magazine
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Meanwhile, it is estimated that the government of Ghana imports between US$200 million and US$400 million worth of rice annually.The amount is said to be one of the key contributors to the government heavy import bill which also has an effect on the strength of the cedi against the foreign currencies, particularly the United States dollar.
Due to the high demand for the cereal, particularly the perfumed brands, many business people have found rice importation as a lucrative venture and are importing from all sources around the world.On another hand, the government has also found it an easy source to make some revenue through the charging of import duties.According to the Food Security Ghana, among the major reasons for smuggling rice into the country has to do with the high import tariffs.One of the main reasons Ghanaians prefer imported rice over the locally grown ones is because of quality and packaging. The perception created in the minds of consumers was that the imported rice was well polished and perfumed as compared to the local ones, hence the high demand.Ms Adongo, however, called on rice farmers and millers to ensure good processing practices such as grading, labelling, milling and good packaging that would help consumers to develop the appetite for local rice.―Presently, the government has reduced subsidy on fertiliser from 50 per cent to 20 per cent at the same time the world price of fertiliser has gone up and this has tremendously affected the farmers in producing more to support the sector‖, Mr Amoak noted.He said one of the biggest problems affecting rice farmers in the country was access to credit because the Export Development Agriculture Investment Fund (EDAIF) had refused to support the sector http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/business/artikel.php?ID=352164
INDIAN BASMATI RICE EXPORTS LIKELY TO GROW IN FY 2015-16 After Iran, now it’s China that is expected to import Basmati Rice from India in the new financial year. Besides, Indian rice exporters are also looking at new markets like South Africa and Mexico. The Dollar Business Bureau
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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine The Indian exporters of Basmati Rice are likely to get a boost in the new financial year with a few of the global economies mulling to import the same from India.After a brief-break since October 2014, Indian Basmati Rice exporters are expected to get market entry into Iran, which is likely to start in April 2015.
With perennial rice at hand, is perennial wheat far behind? Matthew Weaver Capital Press
Published:March 27, 2015 11:45AM
A farmer walks near cultivated rice laid on a paddy field during the rice harvesting season in Samroang Kandal village on the outskirts of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Monday, Jan. 26. researchers will soon introduce a perennial variety of rice in China and elsewhere. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith) Researchers in China and Australia are close to releasing a perennial rice. U.S. researchers are mixed on how long it will take to release a perennial wheat.
Perennial rice may soon become available to farmers in China and Australia, but researchers say perennial wheat is a decade or more from introduction.Perennial rice is bred to regrow after harvest over several growing seasons, said Tim Crews, director of research at the nonprofit Land www.ricepluss.com R&D Section: Riceplus Magazine
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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine Institute in Salina, Kan.A perennial rice crop would reduce labor, input costs and weed pressure, he said.―We don‘t know how many seasons the current lines will produce, but we know that at least four currently is what‘s been achieved,‖ Crews said. ―The long-term goal would be to have them produce for quite some time, repeatedly, year after year.‖The institute provided some funding for research and visited test sites to monitor progress at the Food Crops Research Institute of the Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences in China.Perennial rice may soon be released in China, said Len Wade, strategic research professor at Charles Sturt University in Australia. He is also involved in the rice trials.A long-standing goal for the grains industry, perennial wheat, is still under development, Wade said. The wheat genome is far more complex than that of rice.
In the United States, Stephen Jones, director of Washington State University‘s Research and Extension Center in Mount Vernon, Wash., estimated perennial wheat will become available in 10 to 15 years. Jones‘ team is looking at the forage value of perennials. He is involved in a perennial wheat project headed by University of Georgia researchers.Perennial rice research is also underway at the University of Illinois.Crews said the researchers‘ approaches are similar, but there‘s no direct link between perennial wheat and perennial rice.However, any progress in one project informs the other, he said, noting the Chinese institute is also making good strides on perennial wheat.―The more people thinking about both of the crops, the better,‖ he said.―(Perennial wheat) could quickly accelerate if we understood some things about it that we don‘t quite yet understand,‖ Crews said. ―It could have a quantum leap or it could actually take quite a bit more time.‖ http://www.capitalpress.com/Research/20150327/with-perennial-rice-at-hand-is-perennial-wheat-farbehind
Adding coconut oil and using a fridge can cut the calories of rice by more than half by Evan Bartlett in news
Adding fat to rice and then letting it cool can cut the calorific content of a portion by more than half, new research shows. According to Time magazine, the College of Chemical Sciences in Sri Lanka has found that using just a teaspoon of coconut oil and a refrigerator can cut calories by up to 60 per cent.Rice has two types of starch - digestible and resistant - the latter of which cannot be properly digested by the stomach and is
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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine therefore not broken down into sugar and absorbed into the bloodstream like digestible starch.However, by testing out 38 different types of rice, researchers discovered they could make some of that digestible starch more resistant and therefore make it less calorific.Unfortunately for those of you trying to watch your weight, their method is rather time consuming.The researchers found that the most effective way of reducing calories was to drop a teaspoon of coconut oil into a pan of boiling water, add half a cup of non-fortified white rice for 40 minutes and then to refrigerate it for 12 hours. This increased the levels of resistant starch ten-fold. The fat molecules were said to wedge their way between the starch molecules and act as an extra layer of protection against quick digestion. http://i100.independent.co.uk/article/adding-coconut-oil-and-using-a-fridge-can-cut-the-calories-of-rice-by-more-than-half--xJJRuT2uRe
Data on millers’ profits not given by States DEVESH K. PANDEY ‘Rs. 200 crore of black money is made every day through sale of by-products’ Nine rice-producing States, some of which had been requesting revision of milling charges in favour of millers, did not provide the requisite data to the Department of Food & Public Distribution to facilitate feasibility study despite repeated reminders, according to an RTI reply.The data sought also included audited accounts of the mills showing profits made from sale of paddy by-products. ―The hesitation to share complete information on money being made by millers by selling byproducts (rice bran, husk and broken rice) is a clear indicator of how big the scam is,‖ said RTI activist Gouri Shankar Jain, whose complaint has been made part of the CAG audit into financial dealings of government institutions with rice mills in eight States.Mr. Jain has alleged that Rs. 200 crore of black money is being generated every day through non/under-reporting of earnings from rice by-products by unscrupulous millers in collusion with tax assessing officials. It was two back-to-back letters from Mr. Jain cautioning the Prime Minister‘s Office, in December 2011 and January 2012, about wrong policy on custom milled paddy rice, that had prompted the PMO to alert the Department of Food and Public Distribution for action.An RTI reply to Mr. Jain revealed that in January 2014, the Department wrote to Secretaries of Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal highlighting the problems faced by the Tariff Commission in conducting a fresh study into requests for revision of milling charges. Stating that the Commission was unable to make any recommendation for want of information or cooperation from State governments/millers, the department said there was no response despite repeated reminders. In the same letter, the Department mentioned Mr. Jain‘s representation about ―non-consideration of value of paddy by-products while fixing the milling charges and also huge profit-making by millers on this account.‖The department took up the issue with the Tariff Commission, which pointed out that only seven of the 15 States had furnished details, which www.ricepluss.com R&D Section: Riceplus Magazine
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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine were grossly inadequate for the study. Frustrated over poor response, the Commission gave up and had passed its recommendation in February 2012. In the same letter, the department said while Mr. Jain complained of profiteering by millers, some States and millers would regularly seek increase in the milling charges stating it had not been revised since 2003.The Department again asked the States to provide requisite data immediately, asking them to pursue the millers to furnish information required by the Commission for a fresh study. ―In case selected millers are not willing to cooperate in the study, then State government concerned will be asked to take appropriate punitive action against them.‖―However, it did not make much difference and the unscrupulous millers continued to make huge profits, causing losses to the exchequer,‖ alleged Mr. Jain. Keywords: Rice Mill scam, Black Money, CAG audit, rice scam, rice mills, paddy by-products, tax evasion, RTI query, Gouri Shankar Jain
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/data-on-millers-profits-not-given-by-states/article7041512.ece
WELBEING
Cut calories when cooking rice Friday, 27 March 2015 Scientists have found a way to cut the calories in rice during cooking.Some things are notoriously hard to cook - soufflés, risottos and the perfect steak spring to mind. But rice? Well, you just stick it in a pan with some water, give it a stir and you're done. Or so you might think... One of the issues with rice is that although it's cheap and easy to prepare, it has a lot of calories. That's because they come from the starch they convert into sugar and can be stored by the body as fat. This is why some new research is interesting, as a student at the College of Chemical Sciences in Sri Lanka claims to have found a way to cook it without the calories."What we did is cook the rice as you normally do, but when the water is boiling, before adding the raw rice, we added coconut oil - about three per cent of the weight of the rice you're going to cook," Sudhair James, who presented his preliminary research at National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS) on Monday, explained. "After it was ready, we let it cool in
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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine the refrigerator for about 12 hours. That's it."He claims this reduced calories by as much as 50 per cent, but how does it work? The issue is that some starches make us put on weight, whereas others can't be digested as well so don't. Research has found that the process of cooking can alter the kind of starch in some foods, which is what happens here.Dr. Pushparajah Thavarajah supervised James' experiment, which saw 38 types of rice used in eight recipes. It was discovered that adding something like coconut oil - known as a lipid - before cooking and then letting the rice go cold straight after it's off the heat helped the change take place.The oil interacts with the starch in rice and changes its architecture," James explained. "Chilling the rice then helps foster the conversion of starches. The result is a healthier serving, even when you heat it back up."In part the results depended on the type of rice used and it's hoped the technology could be transferred to other foods.But don't go thinking you're fine to use this method and then add a creamy curry to your rice. it's still important to make healthy choices with the rest of your meal, so try getting a good portion of your five a day by having a vegetable ratatouille or tagine as well.It's also worth noting that you must be careful when reheating rice. Many think doing this causes food poisoning, but it's actually how you store cooked rice once it's cooled which can be problematic. The longer you leave it standing at room temperature the more likely it is that bacteria linked to food poisoning will develop, so you should cool it as quickly as you can after it's been cooked and then pop into the fridge. Plus you can only reheat it once.
http://www.tv3.ie/entertainment_article.php?locID=1.803.1098&article=162714
Major milestone in Sri Lankan Genomics Research The ‗Synthetic Biology Team‘ at the Human Genetics Unit: (From Left to Right) Chathura Wijesinghe (Bioinformatician); Dilini Gunawardana (Scientist); Dr. Sanjeewa Sinhabahu (Lead Scientist); Prof. Vajira H W Dissanayake (Director HGU and Principal Investigator).
The Human Genetics Unit (HGU), Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo together with John Keells Research (JKR), a unit established by John Keells Holdings PLC (JKH) to carryout futuristic scientific research, are pleased to announce the successful sequencing of the entire genome of goda wee - an indigenous rice variety. This is the first time that such a feat in the field of science was achieved within the country in Sri Lanka. Sequencing of goda wee was done in
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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine the only genome sequencing facility in Sri Lanka located at the HGU. This facility was established in 2014 with research grants from the University Grants Commission of Sri Lanka and other funding agencies. The work was carried out by Prof. Vajira H. W. Dissanayake MBBS, PhD, FNASSL (Director HGU and Principal Investigator), Dr. Sanjeewa Sinhabahu PhD (Lead Scientist), Dilini Gunawardana MSc (Scientist) and Chathura Wijesinghe BSc (Bioinformatician) from the Synthetic Biology Group at the HGU which was established in 2014 in collaboration with JKR as a University-Industry partnership.Prof. Vajira H. W. Dissanayake who is also a member of the National Biotechnology Council of the Coordinating Secretariat for Science Technology and Innovation (COSTI) as well as the Biotechnology Committee of the National Science Foundation (NSF) commenting on this achievement stated that ―This is a unique milestone in the annals of Science and Technology in Sri Lanka. We have proved that Sri Lanka now has the capability to protect and preserve our biodiversity within the country. This will also open up the opportunity for Sri Lanka to build a new wave of scientific enterprise based on local knowledge and innovation creating wealth for the country. That would in turn create new job opportunities for Sri Lankan science graduates, most of whom now leave the country or leave science and join other fields due to lack of scientific jobs.‖Head of John Keells Research, Dr. Muditha D. Senarath Yapa PhD stated that JKR is proud to be a part of this nationally important milestone which opens the door to many futuristic commercial applications. This proves the ability of Sri Lankan scientists to carryout groundbreaking research which can contribute to national development. The team from JKR also comprise of Ms. Madushani Kannangara MSc (R & D Scientist).The HGU and JKR would like to acknowledge the support given from the Rice Research and Development Institute (RRDI) at Batalagoda, especially Dr. Kapilasiri Udawela PhD under the direction of Dr. Amitha
Whole
Genome
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Bentota PhD Director, RRDI.The Importance of Goda wee
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Achievement The Human Genetics Unit at the Faculty of Medicine, Colombo in collaboration with John Keells Research has sequenced a whole genome of the above rice variety. This is the first time such a feat was achieved in the field of science within the country in Sri Lanka. Whole genome sequencing is a laboratory process that determines the complete DNA sequence of an organism's genome at once. Genome sequencing results in a massive amount of data which explains how the entire plant works. This achievement has scientific, national and commercial advantages which are listed below.
Scientific Whole genome sequencing is important 1.In finding novel genes, transcription factors, promoters, etc.2.In finding markers and SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms) related to stress tolerance, pest and herbicide resistance, crops with higher yield etc., quicker than conventional methods and eventually improving crops through breeding or transgenic programs. 3. To compare genes from related species and study their divergence and evolution in order to find genes which have related traits of interest. 4. To identify mutations that can be adopted for high throughput genotyping.5. For targeted genome editing. National 1. Goda wee is an indigenous salt tolerant rice variety and the Synthetic biology group at the HGU is the first to sequence its whole plant genome in Sri Lanka. 2. Ability to sequence the whole genome in Sri Lanka will allow the safeguarding of endemic biodiversity. Commercial 1.Identification of genes enables the improvement of economically important plants o to increase crop yield in a significant manner o enable the use of disease resistant traits o enable the use of drought/salinity resistant traits o enable the use of pest/weed resistant traits o enable management of crop ripening and other post-harvest activities 2. The knowledge gained will allow development of products valuable in fields such as the pharmaceutical industry and energy production (biofuel), and production of value added products www.ricepluss.com R&D Section: Riceplus Magazine
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fiber)
using
plants.
3. Knowledge of the genome sequences will enable the use of Genome editing techniques to improve various qualities of the plant thus preventing the plant being labelled as ‗genetically modified‘ (Biotechnology Companies, like Cellectis, is using new genome-editing techniques that can change the plant‘s existing DNA rather than inserting foreign genes. Cibus, a privately held San Diego company, has started to sell herbicide-resistant canola developed using this method. It is not labeled as genetically modified. This enables the gain of positive public perception when it comes to genetically modified food.) http://www.nation.lk/edition/insight/item/39492-major-milestone-in-sri-lankan-genomicsresearch.html#sthash.KBK3xYBW.dpuf
Vietnam rice boom heaping pressure on farmers, environment Cat barton 29 march 2015 7:02 AM
View gallery
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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine Rice farmer Nguyen Hien Thien is so busy growing his crops that he has never even visited Can Tho, a town only a few miles from his farm in the southern Mekong Delta."When I was a child, we grew one crop of rice per year -- now it's three. It's a lot of work," 60-year-old Thien, who has been farming since he was a child, told AFP on the edge of his small paddy field.Experts say Vietnam's drive to become one of the world's leading rice exporters is pushing farmers in the fertile delta region to the brink, with mounting costs to the environment. The communist country is already the world's second largest exporter of the staple grain. But intensive rice cultivation, particularly the shift to producing three crops per year, is taking its toll on farmers and the ecosystem."Politicians want to be the world's number one or two rice exporter. As a scientist, I want to see more being done to protect farmers and the environment," said Vietnamese rice expert Vo Tong Xuan.A major famine in 1945 and food shortages in the post-war years led to the government adopting a "rice first" policy.This now generates far more of the crop than needed to feed Vietnam's 90 million population and has catalysed a thriving export industry. Workers load paddy onto a boat for a customer at Co Do Agriculture Company in the southern Mekong de ‌
Rice yields have nearly quadrupled since the 1970s, official figures show, thanks to high-yield strains and the construction of a network of dykes that today allow farmers to grow up to three crops per year.The amount of land under cultivation in the Mekong Delta has also expanded and quotas are in place to prevent farmers from switching to other crops.But experts are questioning who really benefits.According to Xuan, farmers don't reap the rewards of the three crop system -the rice is low quality and they spend more on pesticides and fertilisers, which become less effective year by year. - Falling quality He argues the delta would be better off if farmers cultivated a more diverse range of crops, from coconuts to prawns, with just the most suitable land used to grow rice. View gallery
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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine A farmer throws fertilizer on his family rice field in the southern Mekong delta province of Can Tho ‌
The country should consider abandoning the third crop and focus on improving quality and branding to sell Vietnamese rice at higher prices, he said. Currently, the bulk of Vietnam's rice is exported at cut-price costs on government-to-government contracts through large state-owned enterprises (SOEs) like the Southern Food Corporation, known as Vinafood 2."Over the last five years, the trend is towards lower-quality rice," admitted Le Huu Trang, deputy office manager at the firm. Some argue that such SOEs have a vested interest in maintaining the status quo as they earn lucrative kickbacks from the huge contracts.But even as salt water intrusion, drought and flooding increase in the delta -- to say nothing of agricultural chemical pollution -- it is also hard to convince farmers to change."The prevailing mindset is to grow three crops... we have to explain two crops is better," said Nguyen Tuan Hiep from the Co Do Agriculture company.View galler Nguyen Thi Lang walks among new rice varieties she is developing at the Vietnam Rice Research Instit ‌
Over the last 20 years, Co Do -- which is state-run but a flagship model of how the industry could evolve -- has identified the best rice-growing land in the delta and helped farmers expand their farms.They now work with 2,500 families on 5,900 hectares (14,600 acres) of land, enough for each family to make a living -- typically the average rice farm in the delta spans less than one hectare. The firm invests heavily in high-quality seeds and improving irrigation, while also advising farmers on the best chemicals to use."Two crops is more sustainable long term -- the soil is not degraded, the environment isn't polluted, and value of the rice increases," Hiep said.
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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine - 'Ground zero' Climate change is another factor threatening the delta, according to the World Bank Group's vice president and special envoy for climate change Rachel Kyte."This is really ground zero for some of the most difficult adaptation, planning challenges that any country in the world has," she said.Ultimately Vietnam has tough choices to make, including whether to help people transition from a rice-based economy to aquaculture (fish or shellfish farming) or other crops, Kyte added.The environmental costs of maintaining Vietnam's current level of rice production are also rising.The system of dykes, which blocks flood water, are preventing soil nutrients from flowing freely and over time "soil fertility will fade", said Tran Ngoc Thac, deputy director of Vietnam's Rice Research Institute. Scientists there are busy trying to breed new strains of rice that require fewer fertilisers and can survive in extreme weather."If farmers don't change, if we can't find a suitable new rice strain, pollution will continue and incomes will drop," Thac said, adding these measures were essential to save the delta http://news.yahoo.com/vietnam-rice-boom-heaping-pressure-farmers-environment-110242794.html
THIS UNIVERSITY STUDENT FOUND A WAY TO CUT THE CALORIES OF RICE IN HALF, AND IT JUST MIGHT CHANGE THE WORLD CONTRIBUTOR
by Chloe Olewitz in Startups on Monday 30 March 2015
It‘s no accident that rice is such a prevalent world food staple – it‘s both inexpensive and easy to prepare, but it‘s also generally unhealthy. Rice is packed with calories and has been linked to diabetes as those calories are so quickly converted to body fat. But what if you could cut the calories in half? Sudhair James is an undergraduate student at Sri Lanka‘s College of Chemical Sciences, and alongside his mentor, Dr Pushparajah Thavarajah, he could very well be changing the way we‘ll cook rice forever. www.ricepluss.com R&D Section: Riceplus Magazine
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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine These two scientists set out to discover whether altering the basic preparation of something as simple as rice could help make people healthier.The caloric value of rice is a bigger deal than you might realise. China and India are two of the world‘s main consumers of rice, and rates of obesity in those countries have been rising dramatically (while the Western world‘s obesity epidemic fades into the latest diet trend). Obviously, it‘s not all rice‘s fault. But if rice is cheap and accessible in parts of the world that are overdue for a leg-up in the broader category of health, why not start there? James and Dr Thavarajah conducted tests on 38 different strains of rice using eight different recipes. While results varied depending on the kind of rice they tested, the solution that the pair is proposing couldn‘t be much simpler.―What we did is cook the rice as you normally do, but when the water is boiling, before adding the raw rice, we added coconut oil — about three per cent of the weight of the rice you‘re going to cook,‖ James said at the 249th National Meeting and Exposition of the American Chemical Society in Denver, Colorado. ―After it was ready, we let it cool in the refrigerator for about 12 hours. That‘s it.‖The science is based on the chemical makeup of starches, and the way different starches break down in the body. Digestible starches are processed quickly by the digestive system, but they end up as glucose, which becomes glycogen and in turn increases body fat. Resistant starches, on the other hand, take much longer to break down in the body, skip the glucose and glycogen phases, and account for fewer calories. Since the specific type of starch in any food can change based on preparation, James and Dr Thavarajah set out to find a new recipe to increase the resistant starches that occur naturally in rice. They used coconut oil, a local favourite in Sri Lanka, to introduce a lipid (a.k.a. fat) into the preparation of the rice. All it took was this simple addition and the step to cool the rice immediately after removing it from heat.The chemical composition of the rice changed dramatically, in this case from (bad) digestible to (good) resistant. And yes, even if you reheat the cooked rice, the calorie count stays low. Depending on the specific kind of rice, their results range from a 10 per cent reduction in calories to as much as a 60 per cent decrease.James and Dr Thavarajah have more types of rice to test and also plan to experiment with different lipids in place of coconut oil.While the success with rice here would make an enormous contribution to the state of global health, Dr Thavarajah has his sights set even higher: what if the same approach could be used to cut calories in other starches like potatoes, or even bread? Via Washington Post ABOUT THE AUTHOR Chloe is a writer from New York with a passion for technology, travel and playing devil‘s advocate. She recently relocated to Sydney from Ibiza, which obviously means she works way too hard www.ricepluss.com R&D Section: Riceplus Magazine
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New Rice-Cooking Technique Cuts Calories by Half Soon, you won‘t have to feel guilty for having that extra rice or use the technique to lose weight without going on a no-rice diet. By Julie Sabino julie.s@hngn.com | Mar 29, 2015 07:46 PM EDT
Soon, you won‘t have to feel guilty for having that extra rice or use the technique to lose weight without going on a no-rice diet.
There are 204 calories in a cup of cooked white rice, but a new cooking technique developed by Sri Lankan scientists was able to cut it in half. Soon, you won‘t have to feel guilty for having that extra rice or use the technique to lose weight without going on a no-rice diet.Researchers at the College of Chemical Sciences, Colombo, Western, Sri Lanka wanted to find a way to help curb obesity in areas where rice is a staple. They know that rice contains starch and that starch is the source of the calories, so they developed a new technique of cooking rice that can reduce the calories.
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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine Resistant starch (RS) in the rice was the target in the study because the small intestine can't break it down. As a result, starch is absorbed by the body, which translates to lower calorie intake. The researchers experimented with 38 kinds of rice with the objective of increasing the RS. The new cooking method added a teaspoon of coconut oil to boiling water for every half cup of rice. The team simmered the rice for 40 minutes and refrigerated it for 12 hours. This technique successfully increased the RS by 10 times, compared to the traditionally cooked rice, by converting the digestible starch to RS. "Because obesity is a growing health problem, especially in many developing countries, we wanted to find food-based solutions," Sudhair A. James, study leader from the College of Chemical Sciences, Colombo, Western, Sri Lanka, said in a press release."We discovered that increasing rice resistant starch (RS) concentrations was a novel way to approach the problem. If the best rice variety is processed, it might reduce the calories by about 50-60 percent." Not everyone would love to eat cold rice, but the good news is that even if you reheat the rice, the RS will not revert back to its original form.The study was presented at the 249th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS) held in Denver, Colo. http://www.hngn.com/articles/81022/20150329/new-rice-cooking-technique-cuts-calories-by-half.htm
Rice Shipments tipped to slip in next quarter amid slowdown Petchanet Pratruangkrai The Nation March 30, 2015 1:00 am Thai rice shipments will continue falling into next quarter due to tougher competition, while importing countries are facing a sluggish economy and volatile EXCHANGE RATES , causing Thailand to lose its crown to India as the world's largest rice exporter, according to industry reports.Chareon Laothamatas, president of the Thai Rice Exporters Association, said Thai rice shipments in March would amount to 750,000-800,000 tonnes, down from the third month of last year due to some countries turning to other suppliers that are cheaper. Orders this month will come from the government-to-government contracts issued by the Philippines. Thailand won about 250,000 tonnes, and received orders from African countries for parboiled rice and white rice. However, orders from African countries would not be as much as last year because most African countries trade in the euro. Currency volatility has caused trouble for them to quote prices, so importers would only place orders for a short period.
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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine Some importers in Africa have turned to buying rice from India and Pakistan due to cheaper prices. With the impending rice harvest in Vietnam, more rice would hit the market and the price of Vietnamese rice would be lower than Thai rice.With the uncertainty over supply and fluctuating currencies, rice-buying nations have delayed importing rice, or will only order "hand to mouth" for a short period out of fear of losses on huge stocks. The Commerce Ministry has reported Thai rice shipments in the first two months dropped by 4.7 per cent in volume and 7.1 per cent in value to 1.34 million tonnes worth Bt22.85 billion.Thailand took over as the world's second largest rice exporter after India's exports surged 57 per cent to 1.48 million tonnes from January to February. Pakistan is the world's third largest exporter at 970,000 tonnes, followed by Vietnam at 800,000 tonnes and the US at 540,000 tonnes.Facing many problems over rice stocks and sales, the Rice Policy and Management Committee, chaired by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, has recently instructed the Commerce Ministry to set up a committee to probe the rice-selling contracts of previous governments to ensure transparency. Chutima Bunyapraphasara, permanent secretary of the ministry, said with fear of illegal rice sales, while facing many problems with rice in the government's stocks, the committee will make an in-depth investigation into rice selling contracts to see whether they are transparent and legal.The panel will investigate rice-selling contracts from 2008 to last year http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/Rice-Shipments-tipped-to-slip-in-next-quarter-amid30256997.html
Local Baha’is celebrate the new year with festivities near Mill Creek Ian Terry / The Herald Deeana Nasrulai, of Bothell, looks through the contents of a traditional Haft-Seen table at a gathering of local Baha‘i‘s to celebrate Naw Ruz, the Persian New Year, at Willis Tucker Park in south Snohomish on Saturday. The table features seven items all beginning with the same ―s‖ sounding letter of the Persian alphabet, with each symbolizing different hopes for the new year.
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Ian Terry / The Herald Pegah Ouji, of Tacoma, talks with friends at a gathering of local Baha‘i‘s to celebrate Naw Ruz, the Persian New Year, at Willis Tucker Park in south Snohomish on Saturday. Ouji, who left Iran with her family in 2006, works as the regional coordinator for the Ruhi Institute whose mission is to promote and research education opportunities for those of the
Baha‘i faith.
Ian Terry / The Herald Farzan Seilani (right) serves up a plate of reshteh, a traditional Persian dish comprised of rice, saffron and chicken, at a gathering of local Baha‘i‘s to celebrate Naw Ruz, the Persian New Year, at Willis Tucker Park in south Snohomish on Saturday.
Ian Terry / The Herald Siblings Navid (left) and Olivia Rahbin dance together at a gathering of local Baha‘i‘s to celebrate Naw Ruz, the Persian New Year, at Willis Tucker Park in south Snohomish on Saturday. Ian Terry / The Herald A guest at a gathering of local Baha‘i‘s to celebrate Naw Ruz, the Persian New Year, is seen in a mirror placed on a traditional Haft-Seen table at Willis Tucker Park in south Snohomish on Saturday. By Noah Haglund, Herald Writer @NWHaglund MILL CREEK — Everyone who entered the room for the night‘s celebration passed a table set with a curious array of objects. ________________________________________ www.ricepluss.com R&D Section: Riceplus Magazine
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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine The apples symbolized fertility and beauty, the mirror wisdom and creativity. There were decorated eggs, a plateful of coins and a bowl with live goldfish. ________________________________________ The name for each item on the traditional Haft Sin table began with the letter ―s‖ — not in English, but in Persian, the main language of Iran. ________________________________________ ―It‘s a culture we brought from back home,‖ said Shiva Badie, a Tehran native who now lives in Bothell. ―This is to show a little bit of our Persian new year.‖ ________________________________________ Fragrant hyacinth flowers, spiced basmati rice and chords on a 12-string acoustic guitar suffused the Willis Tucker Park conference room on March 21. ________________________________________ Badie, like most of the dozens of people gathered there, is a member of the Baha‘i faith. They were celebrating Naw-Ruz, a new year‘s holiday observed by Baha‘is and other religious groups around the time of the spring equinox. ________________________________________ The ancient tradition is common throughout the Middle East and Central Asia. It‘s a time of fasting, of spring cleaning and of buying new clothes — generally of setting the tone for the year to come. Like Easter for Christians, it incorporates symbols of renewal. ________________________________________ As befits a religion that seeks to unify humanity, local Baha‘is welcomed everyone to the local Naw-Ruz celebration. ________________________________________ The festivities began with prayers in English, Spanish, Arabic and Persian. People queued up for a potluck dinner and later hit the dance floor to the sound of pop music. ________________________________________ The Baha‘i religion was founded in mid-19th-century Persia by Baha‘u‘llah. There are believed to be more than 5 million adherents today, present in almost every country in the world. ________________________________________ They recognize figures from other religious traditions as prophets, among them Moses, Jesus Christ, Mohammed, Buddha and Krishna.
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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine ________________________________________ The religion emphasizes the equality of men and women. It opposes discrimination and places a high value on education. ________________________________________ If a Baha‘i family is forced to choose between sending a boy or a girl to school, the preference is to send the girl. That‘s because they consider mothers to be the first educators of children. ________________________________________ To explain her faith, Pegah Ouji, a 24-year-old woman who lives in Tacoma, quoted a passage from Abdu‘l-Baha, the eldest son of the religion‘s founder: ―To be a Baha‘i simply means to love all the world; to love humanity and try to serve it; to work for universal peace and universal brotherhood.‖ ________________________________________ Some local Baha‘is are American-born, having converted as adults. ________________________________________ ―I grew up very Catholic, played the church organ,‖ said Mary Ellen Wood, of Edmonds. ________________________________________ Wood found her new faith about 40 years ago, while a college student in Illinois. ________________________________________ Many local Baha‘is, though, are religious refugees from the Islamic Republic of Iran, where they face fierce government persecution. Baha‘is there cannot pursue higher education or have government jobs. ________________________________________ Badie, the woman from Bothell, came to the U.S. with her sister in 1989 to attend university, an opportunity that would have been denied to them in Iran. ________________________________________ Ouji also arrived in the U.S. with her family, in 2006, so she could pursue higher education. ________________________________________ ―We wanted to send her to a private school and they wouldn‘t accept her because of her religion,‖ said her father, Farzan Seilani, of Lynnwood. ________________________________________
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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine Seilani said people of other faiths in Iran, including the majority Shia Muslims, also suffer persecution if they stray from the government line. Baha‘is, however, face worse religious discrimination from the Islamic government than even Iran‘s small communities of Jews and Christians, he said. ________________________________________ Seilani was a panelist for a screening of the documentary ―To Light a Candle‖ earlier this month at Edmonds Community College. The film, by Iranian-Canadian director Maziar Bahari, depicts the plight of Baha‘is in Iran. A website, www.educationisnotacrime.me, provides more information about their situation and a campaign to protect their human rights. ________________________________________ Noah Haglund: 425-339-3465, nhaglund@heraldnet.com. Twitter:@NWhaglund.
Best Foods and TNS Global unveils new findings about rice Expert Talk ! Life on the fast track, chasing deadlines, and sedentary lifestyle and esp. food that are stripped of fiber, there has been considerable debate on key parameters – nutrition, easy-to-cook and convenient to carry. Since rice is our staple food, its implications have been generating a lot of buzz such as - its consumption quantity, quality, nutritious content etc. The goodness of rice as a staple food is seldom challenged and yet a lot of substantiation through research needs to be conveyed to consumers to position rice as food that is loved, enjoyed and relished!Riding this wave, Best Foods Ltd., one of the leading premium basmati rice companies in India , today hosted an interactive session in New Delhi with reputed nutritionist Ms. Kavita Devgan to dispel glaring myths on rice through an innovative campaign ― ‖. A similar initiative was successfully hosted in Kolkata & Hyderabad recently with renowned nutritionist Hena Nafis and Dr. Janki B. The campaign which is being planned across key metros in India is supported by the research findings of the renowned TNS Global Research Consultancy, India‘s top Research Agency which had collated critical data from consumers in key metros on a host of parameters – perception, preference, purchase and price et al to understand the beliefs & attitude towards rice as a category.Embarking on the new initiative – ―‖, Dr Aayushman Gupta, Chief Executive Officer, Best Foods Ltd., remarked, ―We at Best strongly feel that white rice is a benign fuel source for the body. Hence, it is imperative that we would need to play a pivotal role in addressing this issue to consumers at large who are grappling with the ‗goodness‘ of rice at some point of the other. The objective was to bring focus to the category yet again and share some interesting facts on rice to consumers and make them fans of rice. Hence, we commissioned TNS which has most comprehensively and extensively covered all issues pertaining to rice on various parameters to provide an insight into this category‖.Detailing further, Dr Gupta elaborated, ―As thought leaders, Best Foods has been providing insightful information about the category and the brand with a view to engage consumers more holistically. Promoting guilt free consumption of rice &
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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine the love for rice informing consumers of the health and nutritive benefits of rice has been a passion for us. Hailed now as the ICF certified (accredited by the Apex body of Indian‘s most renowned Chefs) as best rice brand in the category, we have been setting new milestones. I am confident that these research findings can now assure and motivate consumer to look at rice as not only healthy but more innovatively and incorporate more homogeneously in their diet. White rice is an ancient traditional food and is always hailed as a healthy food. Life on the fast track leaves no time on hand to innovate on foods. Hence we want consumers to explore the versatility of rice as much as they can and incorporate it in all possible ways - as a complete meal, quick snack or an innovative mouth-watering recipe! This campaign is close to my heart and I strongly feel that we will be able to build a huge connect and engage consumers with our brand and category.‖ Webnewswire
Best Foods to expand footprint across 350 centres TOMOJIT BASU NEW DELHI, MARCH 26:
Basmati rice seller Best Foods Ltd. (BFL), which owns the ‗Best Rice‘ label, is seeking to expand its footprint across the domestic market in the upcoming fiscal to strengthen its position in the packaged basmati segment, which is growing at almost 30-35 per cent a year.―We will continue expanding aggressively in India where we understand the retail format. We are already present in 250 cities and towns around the country and will cover about 350 by the end of the next fiscal,‖ said Aayushman Gupta, Chief Executive Officer, BFL, on the sidelines of the ‗I Love Best Rice‘ campaign here on Thursday. ―We will retail mainly through modern retail stores since it‘s difficult to reach consumers buying packaged basmati through mom-and-pop shops. Penetration is also higher in cities and towns since conversion of loose to packaged formats is far higher,‖ Gupta said.The campaign, earlier held in Kolkata and Hyderabad, highlights the ―goodness‖ of rice as a staple and is supported by TNS Global Research Consultancy, a market research firm, which collated responses regarding consumption patterns and consumer perception, apprehension and preferences over three months. Iran ban Bulk trade accounts for most of the four-year-old company‘s sales. At present, BFL exports 70 per cent of its basmati stock to markets, such as West Asia and the European Union. Asked if Iran‘s temporary ban since last October had impacted the company, Gupta said it was limited.―Domestic consumption of basmati is quite low, so most of it is exported. Our markets are diversified, so we did not depend on Iran entirely. The growth in the segment, however, slowed a little due to the ban, which affects the industry as a whole,‖ said Gupta.―Buyers there
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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine were unable to get permissions for imports, but we possessed the norms of certification the Iran government had required, something that quite a few exporters don‘t have,‖ he added. India exported 2.57 million tonnes (mt) of basmati rice between April and December of this fiscal, a decline of 6.19 per cent from the corresponding period last year. Iran, the largest importer accounting 60-65 per cent of India‘s basmati exports, had clamped down on issuing import permits due to a large carryover stock resulting from record domestic production and heavy imports from two years previously. (This article was published on March 26, 2015)
http://agriculture.einnews.com/article/256874732/jD5sKO3InmYTSE26
DA adopting measures to keep record palay output Ronnel W. Domingo Philippine Daily Inquirer 12:44 AM | Monday, March 30th, 2015 The Department of Agriculture has launched a program that promotes the propagation of highyield rice varieties amid efforts to maintain the yearly growth of domestic output.The DA expects that, through the High Yielding Technology Adoption (HYTA) program, the country may inch closer to the goal of self sufficiency in rice production.Promoted under the HYTA program is the use among farmers of hybrid rice, certified inbred seeds, and the so-called Green Super Rice (GSR).According to the International Rice Research Institute, the GSR is a mix of more than 250 different potential rice varieties and hybrids variously that are adapted to difficult growing conditions such as drought and low inputs, including no pesticide, less fertilizer and less herbicides. Agriculture Undersecretary Antonio Fleta, who heads the DA‘s national rice program, said the HYTA program expects high yielding seeds to be planted in more than 560,000 hectares of rice fields all over the country.―The HYTA program will help the country attain the 622,000-metricton palay production target for 2015, and more than 1 million MT palay for 2016,‖ Fleta said in a statement.He said the program will be implemented in areas with good irrigation and where farmers‘ organizations are ready to adopt ―high yield rice technology like hybrid and certified seeds,‖ he added.Fleta added that while the average growth rate in palay production from 2011 to 2013 was 3.2 yearly, target for 2015 is 5.35 percent and for 2016 2.1 percent. Earlier this month, the DA signed a memorandum of agreement with the German Federal Enterprise for International Cooperation (GIZ) on a three-year project to improve education support for rice farmers, dubbed Better Rice Initiative Asia-Fostering Agriculture and Rice Marketing by Improved Education and Rural Advisory Services (Bria-Farmers).Alcala explained that the P90-million Bria-Farmers is meant to help enhance food security through improved education and advisory services for some 8,000 farmers in the provinces of Aurora, Iloilo and Southern Leyte.
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APEDA COMMODITY PRICE NEWS Market Watch Commodity-wise, Market-wise Daily Price on 28-03-2015 Domestic Prices Product
Unit Price : Rs/Qtl Market Center
Variety
Min Price
Max Price
Jowar(Sorgham) 1
Jhagadiya (Gujarat)
Other
1410
1760
2
Theni (Tamil Nadu)
Other
1250
1350
3
Vaduj (Maharashtra)
Other
2200
2400
1
Dehgam (Gujarat)
Other
1200
1425
2
Bellary (Karnataka)
Local
1209
1266
3
Deoli(Rajasthan)
Other
1100
1350
1
Alappuzha (Kerala)
Other
3800
4000
2
Nabha(Punjab)
Other
2500
3500
3
Rohtak(Haryana)
Other
1200
2000
1
Chala (Kerala)
Other
1800
1850
2
Bonai (Orissa)
Other
1500
2000
3
Gumla(Jharkhand)
Other
1400
1500
Maize
Mousambi
Cabbage
Source: agmarknet
for more products
Egg
Rs per 100 No. Price on 27-03-2015
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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine Product
Market Center
Price
1
Pune
295
2
Mysore
290
3
Nagapur
260
Source: e2necc.com
International Benchmark Price Price on: 27-03-2015
Product
Benchmark Indicators Name
Price
Garlic 1
Chinese first grade granules, CFR NW Europe (USD/t)
1800
2
Chinese Grade A dehydrated flakes, CFR NW Europe (USD/t)
2000
3
Chinese powdered, CFR NW Europe (USD/t)
1300
1
Chinese sliced, CIF NW Europe (USD/t)
4600
2
Chinese whole, CIF NW Europe (USD/t)
3
Indian Cochin, CIF NW Europe (USD/t)
3000
1
Indian 100 mesh 3500 cps, FOB Kandla (USD/t)
2250
2
Indian 200 mesh 3500 cps basis, FOB Kandla (USD/t)
1700
3
Indian 200 mesh 5000 cps, FOB Kandla (USD/t)
2775
Ginger
5100
Guar Gum Powder
Source:agra-net
for more products
Other International Prices
Unit Price : US$ / package Price on 27-03-2015
Product
Market
Origin
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Variety
Page 41
Low
High
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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine Center Package: 50 lb cartons
Potatoes 1 2 3
Atlanta
Idaho
Baltimore Detroit
Oregon Wisconsin
Russet
Russet Russet
23.50
24.50
14
15
17
17.50
Package: 20 1-lb film bags
Carrots 1 2 3
Atlanta
California
Baby Peeled
Chicago
California
Baby Peeled
Dallas
Arizona
Baby Peeled
17.50
21
17
17.50
17.75
18
Package: 7/10 bushel cartons
Grapefruit 1
Atlanta
Red
Mexico
Research shows a way to make white rice healthier - by adding coconut oil, and cooling PUBLISHED ON MAR 30, 2015 4:03 PM
Adding coconut oil while cooking white rice and cooling it in the refrigerator for 12 hours has been shown to reduce its calories by as much as 50 per cent, according to research done at the College of Chemical Sciences in Sri Lanka. -- PHOTO: ST FILE BY JALELAH ABU BAKER
SINGAPORE- White rice has been denounced by many for its link to a higher risk of diabetes, but research in Sri Lanka shows there is a way to make it healthier.Mr Sudhair James, an undergraduate student at the College of Chemical Sciences, and his professor Pushparajah Thavarajah believe they found a way to cook white rice that can reduce its calories by as much as 50 per cent. The new method involves adding coconut oil to water while it is boiling, before adding raw rice, then cooling the rice in a refrigerator for about 12 hours. "We added coconut oil-about three per cent of the weight of the rice you're going to cook," Mr James told Washington Post. He said that heating it up again does not undo the benefits of this cooking method.He presented his preliminary research at the National Meeting and Exposition of the American Chemical Society on March 23.
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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine In explaining the food chemistry behind the research, Washington Post said that this way of cooking changes the starch in white rice into "resistance starch," which cannot be digested by the body. Such rice therefore contributes fewer calories. There are typically 200 calories in a cup of cooked white rice.Nutritionist Pooja Vig, who runs The Nutrition Clinic at Camden Medical Centre , said that research into such resistant starch has been ongoing for five to eight years.
"Given that the same thing can be done with potato, this is not surprising," she told The Straits Times. She said that the fat in the rice will not make it unhealthy, considering the small amount that needs to be used.Ms Vig, who has been a nutritionist for 10 years, said another benefit of resistant starch is that it "feeds" probiotics, which are good bacteria in the gut. Probiotics aid in good digestion and immunity, and manufacture vitamins, she said.While the research shows that white rice can be healthier, she cautioned that people in Singapore already eat too much rice, and should cut down on their intake. jalmsab@sph.com.sg
Researchers tout rice that thwarts pests 30 Mar 2015 at 08:05 NEWSPAPER SECTION: BUSINESS
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Pathum Thani 200 is resistant to the brown planthopper. PONGPAT WONGYALA The Pathum Thani Rice Research Center has developed a new rice variety that boasts strong resistance to insects and cooler temperatures.Called Pathum Thani 200 to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the province, the strain can be grown all year round and has high yields, centre director Apichart Lawanprasert said.He said that the rice centre, a unit of the Rice Department, has taken more than a decade to develop the strain, a hybrid of the famous Suphanburi 1 and IR 64 strains.The hybrid variety is resistant to the brown planthopper, a pest that feeds on rice plants and always causes severe damage to rice farming. The new variety, also known as Kor. Khor. 57, is suitable for growing not only in irrigated sites in central provinces but also in areas that have cooler weather such as the North.The rice centre is in the process of producing the strain as rice seed before distribution to farmers.Mr Apichart said Pathum Thani 200 white rice is ideal not only for the dining table but for making raw material such as rice flour, which could provide higher value. But the new development might not reduce the problem of seed shortfalls for the Rice Department.At present, the department produces about 100,000 tonnes of rice seed for the market every year. However, the amount is far below demand of 600,000 tonnes. The balance is filled by product
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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine s from private companies offering high-priced hybrid rice seed.The sales prices for rice seed from the department are low at 25 baht a kilogramme for Hom Mali rice seed, 16-17 baht/kg for white rice and 22 baht/kg for glutinous rice.Mr Apichart suggests farmers grow the new strain and process it because the rice seed has greater value than regular paddy seed.Get full Bangkok Post printed newspaper experience on your digital devices with Bangkok Post e-newspaper. Try it out, it's totally free for 7 days.
Pakistan Farmers Challenge GI tag for Basmati rice By Express News Service Published: 30th March 2015 06:00 AM Last Updated: 30th March 2015 03:49 AM
CHENNAI: The Intellectual Properties Appellate Board (IPAB), Chennai, has adjourned to July 8 the hearing on an application filed by a Pakistan-based farmers organisation challenging the grant of geographical indication (GI) tag for Basmati rice to certain Indian areas in the himalayan foothills spread between Punjab and Uttar Pradesh.The Basmati Growers Association from Lahore has challenged the GI tag secured by Agricultural and Processed Food Products Exports Development Authority (APEDA), an autonomous body under the Commerce Ministry, for the himalayan foothill areas located in India. The GI tag would mean that rice produced in any other areas cannot be marketed as Basmati, as per international trade treaties. While the appeal was dismissed by Assistant Registrar, GI, on December 31, 2013, it has now filed the appeal in the board at Chennai. In its petition, the BGA contended that Basmati was name for slender, aromatic and long grain variety of rice grown in specific geographical areas in the foothills of Himalayas in Pakistan. These parts of Indo-Gangetic plain are traditional Basmati rice yielding areas. The organisation referred to Punjab poet Syed Waris Shah‘s master piece ‗Heer‘ in which he mentions about Basmati grown in Punjab those days, whose areas now fall within the jurisdiction of Pakistan. The petition said Basmati is protected under section 24 (9) of Agreement on TradeRelated Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), an international agreement administered by the World Trade Organisation (WTO).BGA has contended that the GI tag for Indian areas would affect farmers in Pakistan, who are the legitimate cultivators of Basmati traditionally. Shafiullah Khan of Chanakyapuri, New Delhi, had filed the petition on behalf of BGA. When the case came up for hearing in February last week, the IPAB bench comprising the board‘s chairman Justice K N Basha adjourned the matter to July 8.
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