19th november,2013 daily rice e newsletter(global rice news) by riceplus magazine

19th November , 2013

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 Researchers advise Bangladeshis to cut rice consumption  Largest study widens rice, arsenic link in Bangladesh  PH to import rice for buffer stock after Yolanda  New hybrid varieties of rice developed  Rice millers flay Customs’ complicity in rice smuggling  Texas rice farmers may go 3rd year without water  China launches new rice futures  Thai government issues bond as it struggles to pay rice farmers  NFA to import extra 500,000 tons of rice  NFA TO IMPORT 500,000 MT OF RICE  Egypt grants licences to export 102,000 T white rice  TABLE-India Grain Prices-Delhi- Nov 19  Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open- Nov 19  Over 17.5 million tonnes of paddy procured in Punjab and Haryana  UNVDA Targets 75,000 Tons Rice Production UN: Haiyan wiped out a third of PH rice crop Politics of genetically modified foods Rice Consumption In Bangladesh Linked To High Arsenic Exposure & Toxicity Modifying rice crops to resist herbicide prompts weedy neighbors’ growth spurt

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NEWS DETAILS: Researchers advise Bangladeshis to cut rice consumption Published 2013-11-19 07:36:17

PARIS: An unprecedented probe into high levels of arsenic in Bangladesh‘s groundwater has concluded that people living in the affected regions should reduce their rice consumption.The study has strengthened suspicions that eating rice boosts exposure to the poison, scientists warned on Monday.―We recommend people in Araihazar and other parts of Bangladesh, who consume as much as 1.6 kilos of cooked rice daily, to reduce their dependence on rice as their main source of calorie intake, to diversify their diet by, for example, increasing their intake of wheat and consuming rice varieties that are low in arsenic,‖ said Parvez Haris, a specialist in environmental biomedicine at De Montfort University in the central English city of Leicester.Samples provided by 18,470 volunteers living in an arsenic-contaminated district showed that those who ate large amounts of rice had higher levels of arsenic in their urine than those who ate little rice, they said.

In addition, the big rice-eaters also had more symptoms of arsenic toxicity, such as skin lesions.The paper, published in the peer-reviewed journal PLOS One, is the biggest-ever probe into whether arsenic-tainted groundwater in Bangladesh poses a risk for people who consume rice, the staple food.The study demonstrates ―arsenic in water and the food chain is a serious problem‖, said Parvez Haris.―(It) also shows that exposure to arsenic from rice can have harmful effects on human health, as it correlated with increased prevalence and incidence of skin lesions.‖Arsenic in groundwater in parts of Bangladesh is a growing concern, say watchdogs.

The toxic element occurs in water naturally -- the problem is that tens of millions of rural dwellers are exposed to it through shallow wells drilled in the 1970s in ―access-to-water‖ programmes.Most investigations have focused on the risk from drinking water, but there is now widening interest in whether the poison can also be passed on in rice, through irrigated fields.The study was conducted in the district of Araihazar, near Dhaka.Arsenic levels in the local rice were not determined in the study, although contamination of the area‘s water is well known. There are nearly 6,000 wells in an area of just 25 square kilometres.―We have previously shown that rice from (the) Sylhet region of Bangladesh has lower arsenic content as does aromatic rice.‖The work could also have implications for other parts of the world where there can be relatively high levels of arsenic in rice, said the authors. Parts of China, India, Vietnam and Cambodia fall into this category.Haris‘s team previously found a link between arsenic and rice consumption

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among a small number of Bangladeshis who lived in Britain.The new paper takes the exploration farther, as it draws on a much wider sample of people living in Bangladesh itself.

Research carried out among 417 villagers in India‘s West Bengal state, published in July, found signatures of genetic damage in urinary-tract cells.The signatures, called micronuclei, are tiny pieces of DNA that are left over from when a cell replicates and fails to copy its genetic code properly.The more frequently these mistakes occur, the higher the risk of cancer.In the villagers, micronuclei frequency rose with increasing arsenic levels in rice, a trend that held for men and women, and also for tobacco and non-tobacco users.Even small amounts of arsenic, over a long time, can cause cancer of the bladder, kidney, lung or skin, previous research has found.—AFP

Largest study widens rice, arsenic link in Bangladesh An unprecedented probe into high levels of arsenic in Bangladesh's groundwater strengthens suspicions that eating rice boosts exposure to the poison, scientists said on Monday.

PARIS: An unprecedented probe into high levels of arsenic in Bangladesh's groundwater strengthens suspicions that eating rice boosts exposure to the poison, scientists said on Monday.Samples provided by 18,470 volunteers living in an arsenic-contaminated district showed that those who ate large amounts of rice had higher levels of arsenic in their urine than those who ate little rice, they said.In addition, the big rice-eaters also had more symptoms of arsenic toxicity, such as skin lesions.The paper, published in the peer-reviewed journal PLOS One, is the biggest-ever probe into whether arsenic-tainted groundwater in Bangladesh poses a risk for people who consume rice, the staple food.The study demonstrates "arsenic in water and the food chain is a serious problem", said Parvez Haris, a specialist in environmental biomedicine at De Montfort University in the central English city of Leicester."(It) also shows that exposure to arsenic from rice can have harmful effects on human health, as it correlated with increased prevalence and incidence of skin lesions."Arsenic in groundwater in parts of Bangladesh is a growing concern, say watchdogs.The toxic element occurs in water naturally -- the problem is that tens of millions of rural dwellers are exposed to it through shallow wells drilled in the 1970s in "access-to-water" programmes.

Most investigations have focused on the risk from drinking water, but there is now widening interest in whether the poison can also be passed on in rice, through irrigated fields.The study was conducted in the district of Araihazar, Dhaka state.Arsenic levels in the local rice were not determined in the study, although contamination of the area's water is well known. There are nearly 6,000 wells in an area of just 25 square kilometres (9.6 square miles)."We recommend people in Araihazar and other parts of Bangladesh, who consume as much as 1.6

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kilos (3.5 pounds) of cooked rice daily, to reduce their dependence on rice as their main source of calorie intake, to diversify their diet by for example increasing their intake of wheat and consuming rice varieties that are low in arsenic," said Haris.

"We have previously shown that rice from (the) Sylhet region of Bangladesh has lower arsenic content as does aromatic rice."The work could also have implications for other parts of the world where there can be relatively high levels of arsenic in rice, said the authors. Parts of Cambodia, China, India and Vietnam fall into this category.Haris's team previously found a link between arsenic and rice consumption among a small number of Bangladeshis who lived in Britain.The new paper takes the exploration further, as it draws on a much wider sample of people living in Bangladesh itself.Research carried out among 417 villagers in India's West Bengal, published last July, found signatures of genetic damage in urinary-tract cells.The signatures, called micronuclei, are tiny pieces of DNA that are left over from when a cell replicates and fails to copy its genetic code properly.

The more frequently these mistakes occur, the higher the risk of cancer.In the villagers, micronuclei frequency rose with increasing arsenic levels in rice, a trend that held for men and women, and also for tobacco and nontobacco users.Even small amounts of arsenic, over a long time, can cause cancer of the bladder, kidney, lung or skin, previous research has found.

In Photo: Bangladeshi children walk along a pipe over water in Dhaka. (AFP/Munir UZ Zaman)

- AFP/ec

PH to import rice for buffer stock after Yolanda

BY RAPPLER.COM POSTED ON 11/19/2013 6:07 PM | UPDATED 11/19/2013 6:10 PM

BUFFER STOCK. The Philippines boosts rice stocks in the aftermath of Typhoon Yolanda. Photo from the International Rice Research Institute MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines will import 500,000 metric tons (MT) of rice for buffer stock in the aftermath of Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan).The National Food Authority (NFA) approved the importation to be done under a government-to-government deal before the end of this year.The imports, which will serve as buffer stock, will be sufficient to cover nearly 15 days based on the nationwide consumption of 34,000 MT per day.NFA spokesman Rex Estoperez said the NFA approved the procurement during a

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meeting last Friday, November 15."We have the production but we need it for buffer stock especially now that we are conducting relief operations," he said.

The government may source rice from Thailand, Vietnam or Cambodia which already have agreements with the Philippines, noted Estoperez. "Our priority is to have a government-to-government procurement, also because private sector importation entails a long process."Yolanda affected 137,225 MT of palay planted in 81,056 hectares of land in Regions VI, VII and VIII. Only half of the volume may still recover, the Department of Agriculture earlier said. Damage to rice lands stood at P2.23 billion.The country currently has a rice stock inventory of 1.7 million MT, around 400,000 MT of which are held in NFA warehouses. The stock is sufficient for 51 days. – Rappler.com

New hybrid varieties of rice developed

By Biju E Paul - ALAPPUZHA Published: 18th November 2013 12:34 PM Last Updated: 18th November 2013 12:34 PM The Centre for Rice Germplasm at the Rice Research Station, Mankombu, under Kerala Agricultural University, has developed new rice varieties with reduced harvesting cycle and increased pest and disease resistance to fight climate change.The centre which aims to preserve rare and near-extinct varieties of rice and create new hybrid types has already collected more than 500 varieties of rice including 110 traditional ones.According to Prof S Leenakumari, who heads the research station, pest attack on paddy is on the rise because of climatic changes. ―Hybridisation is essential if we are to create new varieties that are insect-resistant and can effectively fight climate change,‖ she said. The genetic resources of traditional varieties are used as a donor for developing a new variety.Genes of some rare traditional varieties are like njavara, kaladi aariyan (Wayanad), thavalakannan, vellathil kolappala, kochu vittu (a rare variety from Onattukara), chetti viripu, azhimodan, oru mundakan have been used to develop new varieties suitable for below sea level farming in areas like Kuttanad.

According to Prof R Devika, unpredictable change in climatic conditions that alternates from severe flood to droughts is a challenge for the farmers. ―Good quality seeds are a necessity. So we have developed rice varieties that have reduced harvesting time with high yield potential and tolerance to pest and diseases,‖ she said.The existing varieties of rice take more than 120 days to take to reach the harvest period. ―The aim is to reduce the sowing-reaping cycle to around 100 days, without affecting the yield using seeds that have good resistance power,‖ Devika said. The state government had allotted `5 crore for setting up the germplasm laboratory in the research station, but the finance wing is yet to transfer the fund.The germplasm unit was therefore developed using the fund allotted by Kerala Agricultural University.

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Rice millers flay Customs’ complicity in rice smuggling Written by Femi Ibirogba :Tuesday, 19 November 2013 00:00

Major stakeholders and investors in integrated rice milling across Nigeria have lamented activities of smugglers and alleged complicity of some Customs officials, declaring support for rice transformation agenda of the Federal Government.During a stakeholders‘ roundtable with the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Akin Adesina in Abuja, on Saturday, the group identified the significant change that had taken place in the rice economy in Nigeria, great prospects for locally produced rice and the setbacks that smuggling activities had been causing to the full realisation of the goal of self-sufficiency in rice production.According to a statement made available to the Nigerian Tribune by the Special Assistant to the Minister of Agriculture, Dr Olukayode Oyeleye, the chairman of UMZA Rice, who also doubles as the chairman of the integrated millers group, Honourable Mohammed Abubakar, on behalf of his group, expressed gratitude to the minister for the untiring efforts to free Nigeria from the shackles of import dependency in rice.

According to Abubakar, ―the rice processors of Nigeria are 100 per cent behind the Honourable Minister‘s agricultural transformation agenda.‖Abubakar underscored the millers‘ position, saying that ―our objective is to see Nigeria of today to be self-sufficient in rice and to even export outside the country.‖He expressed the need for a rice federation or a rice council that would regulate and draft policies on rice business activities in Nigeria, bringing together all stakeholders.According to him, ―the problems facing rice business are enormous.‖ He outlined these as production of paddy, availability, price, transportation, storage, seed companies‘ activities, marketing, as well as weights and measures. He advocated more involvement of research and development activities in boosting rice production. ―The father of all problems,‖ Abubakar disclosed, is smuggling. ―Smuggling, today, is our challenge. It affects the small millers, integrated millers, the whole value chain and the national economy.‖ Abubakar added that of the 20 rice-laden ships expected in Cotonou port this November, 13 ships, carrying 350,000 tonnes of rice, were ready to berth.―This is really killing us,‖ he lamented as he wondered how many tonnes of rice were actually consumed in Benin Republic.The minister, in his response, expressed the urgent need to have a strong rural economic development, and stressed that rice could be used to drive rural economic activities. On importation and smuggling, he said that ―rice from Thailand is actually being dumped on Nigeria. You are not dealing with a situation of fair competition, but one of dumping. ‖Dr Adesina announced a number of measures, mutually agreed upon by the millers, which would sustainably grow and develop the rice industry in Nigeria and he proposed the setting up of paddy aggregation and bulking centres to bridge the missing links between farmers and millers in the value chain.Other measures to for

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implementation include loan guarantees for the bulking and aggregation activities, market support to bridge the price at aggregation centres, computerisation of aggregation activities, adjustment of tariffs and levies to give local producers, processors and marketers more competitive advantage over importers, and support for research and development.

Texas rice farmers may go 3rd year without water Associated Press Posted on November 20, 2013 at 2:32 AM

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A Texas water supplier voted Tuesday to ask the state to allow it to withhold irrigation water from downstream rice farmers for a third year in a row.The Lower Colorado River Authority voted 8-7 to require its two key reservoirs near Austin to be filled to 55 percent of their capacity by March before releasing water downstream for rice farmers. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality will have the last word on the issue.The LCRA had required Lake Buchanan and Lake Travis to be 42 percent full if rice farmers were to draw irrigation water from them. Those Highland Lakes didn't reach that threshold in either of the past two years.

The lakes are now at 36 percent of capacity.If approved by the state, the drought-related emergency plan would require the authority's two key reservoirs near Austin to have 1.1 million acre-feet of water on March 1 before making any water available to farmers, higher than the 850,000 acre-feet threshold used in the past two years.Each acre-foot is the amount of water needed to flood an acre to a depth of 1 foot. As of Friday the two reservoirs, Lake Buchanan and Lake Travis, held about two-thirds the water required under the proposed plan.

The lakes haven't reached the proposed threshold since July 2011.

Texas is one of the largest rice growers in the nation.The emergency plan also will require Austin and other municipal customers to restrict water use for the first time.Lakes Buchanan and Travis, collectively called the Highland Lakes, are now at 36 percent of their capacity, and LCRA officials said it would be unlikely that the lake levels will reach the proposed threshold in time to be of benefit to the rice farmers of Colorado, Matagorda and Wharton counties.The vote came after more than six hours of comment and debate, including impassioned appeals from rice farmers not to deny their crops irrigation for a third year running.That threshold is too high and unnecessary, said Ronald Gertson, a fifth-generation Wharton County rice farmer. "When I read this recommendation, I came unglued," he said at the board meeting.A third consecutive year without water from the Highland Lakes could be the last straw for many growers and related businesses. However, the authority says the higher threshold is needed to give the lakes additional time to recover from the drought.

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"This is a truly distressing vote for me, but I've got to take the whole (Colorado River) basin into account," LCRA Chairman Tim Timmerman said.The higher threshold is not enough for some critics. If approved by the state, the higher threshold for water releases from the Highland Lakes dams will mean "Greatly diminished flows again in 2014" into the lower river basin and Matagorda Bay, which depends on freshwater flows to balance the salinity sufficiently for oyster beds and other fisheries, said Myron Hess, manager of Texas water programs for the National Wildlife Federation.However, an LCRA board vote Tuesday to restrict lawn watering to once weekly in Austin and other municipalities is "a faint silver lining," said Jennifer Walker, water resources coordinator for the Lone Star Chapter Sierra Club.In the meantime, the LCRA is proceeding with plans for a new Wharton County reservoir to serve the rice farmers and aims to have it ready by 2017.

China launches new rice futures CCTV correspondent Yin Yue

China has launched two more rice futures contracts for short-grain rice and late Indica rice starting Monday on the Zhengzhou Commodity Exchange. China also has trade on early Indica rice futures, which was launched in 2009.China is expanding its commodity futures to have a bigger say in the pricing of major commodities. The country is the world's largest rice producer and consumer. More futures could offer companies extra hedging tools and attract more market activity.Rice is synonymous with Chinese farming and the Chinese diet, but China doesn't have pricing power of the grain. In the global rice market, the player who participates more, calls the tune."China is a large producer and consumer of rice. The rice future will help us get a bigger say in terms of pricing in the global rice market," Wei Lixiang, Vice Chairman of Zhengzhou Securities Exchange, said.Now the Chicago board of trade is leading the pricing system for grain.

SBut the United States itself is not a competitive producer, which leads to the weak performance of rice futures on the board of trade."If China could put all its grain products into the futures market, then China will be playing a major role in pricing the futures for grains," Zhao Boya, CEO of Chinatex Corporation, said.Given the current global trading situation of rice futures, China's abundant production of rice would be a terrible thing to waste.

Editor:James |Source: CCTV.com

Thai government issues bond as it struggles to pay rice farmers

BY APORNRATH PHOONPHONGPHIPHAT BANGKOK Tue Nov 19, 2013 12:55pm IST

(Reuters) - The Thai government will issue a 75 billion baht ($2.38 billion) bond to help fund a rice subsidy scheme that has not paid out to farmers since October 1, a delay that risks alienating key supporters of Prime Minister

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Yingluck Shinawatra.The government has in recent weeks been facing the biggest protests since it swept to power in 2011 as its traditional foes from the urban elite step up their opposition.But now it faces the prospect of a traditional bastion of support - farmers - joining the anti-government protests over the failure to pay them for their rice.The government has been buying rice at 15,000 baht a tonne, well above market prices, but it has struggled to sell enough to keep the subsidy scheme afloat.Thousands of farmers have complained that they have not been paid, according to the Rice Farmers Association.

"They are very angry and many of them have already joined a mass rally against the government in Bangkok," Prasit Boonchoey, head of the rice association, told Reuters.The Commerce Ministry has said it will spend 270 billion baht to buy 16.5 million tonnes of rice in the year that started in October. But since then it has taken 2 million tonnes of rice, worth about 30 billion baht, without paying for it, according to the state-backed agricultural bank that funds the scheme.Farmers have been among the biggest backers of the government, largely because of their support for Yingluck's brother, populist former premier Thaksin Shinawtra, who has been in self-exile since 2008 but is now eyeing a return.

The farmers' willingness to join the recent anti-Thaksin protests is a measure of their anger.Some farmers said they would block traffic in their areas in protest to press for payment, an echo of action by rubber farmers in September.

Others said they would march to Bangkok."My group will go to Bangkok to ask the Commerce Minister why we're not paid," said Vichien Phuanlamjiak, head of a farmers' group in Ayutthaya province, a major rice area north of Bangkok.A government spokesman declined to comment on the late payments.

BOND ISSUE The government will issue a three-year bond worth 75 billion baht to raise funds for the rice-buying scheme, a senior official at the Finance Ministry's Public Debt Management Office (PDMO) said on Tuesday."The bond will be offered for the public by November so that we can raise funds on time as farmers have started harvesting," said PDMO deputy director Suwit Rojanawanich.Bangkok has spent 680 billion baht on rice since October 2011, but has only sold enough to get 156 billion baht to pay the Bank of Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC) for the loans that fund the scheme."We did not decline to pay the farmers, but we have some glitch with the legislative process that is beyond my authority. It needs to be approved by the cabinet," said Supat Eauchai, a BAAC vicepresident.The government set aside 82 billion baht from the 2013/14 fiscal budget to offset losses from its agricultural subsidy schemes, of which 50 billion baht could be used to meet outstanding payments, a finance ministry source said.

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BAAC loans to pay for the subsidy scheme are guaranteed by the Finance Ministry, which is balking at backing more because the Commerce Ministry has not sold enough rice to repay the outstanding debt, the finance ministry source told Reuters."That was a limited budget given to the BAAC to offset losses and prevent the bank from having liquidity problems. It should not be used to prop up the scheme's shortcomings," said the Finance Ministry official, who asked not to be named.Thailand has struggled to cut its massive rice stockpiles, estimated at 15 million tonnes.

Earlier claims of rice sales to China and other countries were greeted with scepticism by traders because there was no evidence of shipments.

The International Monetary Fund last week called on Thailand to scrap the rice subsidies and scale back on other fiscal stimulus measures in order to balance the budget and contain rising public debt."They just told me the government has no money. I'm concerned I won't earn a living," said Kitti Boonraud, 38, who farms 6 hectares of paddy. He said he had not been paid for 20 tonnes of rice sold to the government since October.

(Editing by Tom Hogue and Michael Urquhart)

NFA to import extra 500,000 tons of rice THE NATIONAL Food Authority (NFA) will import up to 500,000 tons of rice from neighboring countries, possibly before the end of the year, as it replenishes stocks that have been depleted by the ongoing typhoon relief efforts.THE COUNTRY needs to replenish stocks depleted by ongoing storm relief efforts. -- AFP These imports by the Philippines, which are in addition to the 205,000 tons shipped in before Typhoon Haiyan struck on Nov. 8, should help shore up Asian rice prices which have been held down by Thailand‘s record high stocks."The NFA Council approved the additional rice importation in an emergency meeting last Friday," Dennis Arpia, NFA senior executive assistant, said in an interview on Tuesday. "Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia are qualified to make an offer."NFA Spokesman Rex C. Estoperez, in a separate phone interview, said the state grains agency needs to boost its buffer stock while its relief efforts in areas hit by Haiyan continue.Thailand has already donated 5,000 tons of rice from government stocks to the Philippines and is considering selling more rice to Manila.The Philippines, the world‘s biggest rice buyer in 2010, had reduced imports to 1 million tons in 2012/13, according to US Department of Agriculture data, in line with its drive for self-sufficiency by 2014.

ESTIMATES

In the 2012/13 marketing year, between 400,000 and 600,000 tons of rice could be smuggled into the Philippines, according to a report released early this year by the United States Department of Agriculture, citing

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local industry estimates."We need to make sure we have a healthy buffer stock," said Mr. Estoperez.At the same time, however, he added that the NFA still has to make further assessment to figure out if it will have to buy more after importing an extra 500,000 tons."We need to know what our inventory will be at the end of the year."Unmilled rice production in the entire year is forecast to reach 18.58 million tons, the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics said in a report on Friday last week.That, in turn, is below the government‘s target of 20.4 million tons under its rice self-sufficiency program.Actual rice output for the year, however, may fall below the latest forecast, taking into account crop losses in the fourth quarter, including those in storm-ravaged regions of central Philippines. -- Reuters

NFA TO IMPORT 500,000 MT OF RICE Submitted 8 hours 48 min ago by Anonymous.

The National Food Authority (NFA) Council yesterday said it has approved the importation of 500,000 metric tons of rice to boost country‘s buffer stocks.NFA Spokesperson Rex Estoperez said in an interview that rice would be imported on a government-togovernment basis.He said the NFA has to boost inventory as it continues to supply rice to other government agenciesconducting the relief operations. ―Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia are qualified to make an offer. We have procurement agreements these countries,‖ he said. ―The NFA Council will decide next week when we will import the rice,‖ he added.The Philippines as of November 15, has a total rice inventory of 1.728 million MT of rice – Of which, some 400,000 MT were in government warehouses. Total nationwide rice stock will be enough for 51 days, with consumption placed at 34,000 MT per day.At one point the world‘s biggest rice importer, Philippines imported 500,000 MT last year.

Of the total, 120,000 MT was purchased by the NFA to serve as buffer stock during the lean season.

Category: Business News

Egypt grants licences to export 102,000 T white rice Reuters Middle East – 23 hours ago

ABU DHABI, Nov 19 (Reuters) - Egypt has granted licences allowing exporters to sell 102,000 tonnes of white medium grain rice, the head of the rice committee of Egypt's Agricultural Export council said on Tuesday."The licences have been granted through a tender to 39 exporters," Mostafa el-Naggari told Reuters over the telephone.Egypt has an exportable surplus of around 800,000 tonnes of white rice this year, he added."We have

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to wait and watch the market and see whether other tenders will be issued for more licences," Naggari said.The Ministry of Trade and Industry had announced earlier this month it was holding a tender to sell export licences for the rice.Each exporter will have to pay an export fee of 1,000 Egyptian pounds ($145) a tonne, Naggari said.The licences are for the export of rice for the period starting Tuesday until Jan. 15.

Egypt's local consumption stands at around 4 million tonnes of white rice a year, of which around 1.1 million tonnes are used for the country's subsidised rice programme.The Ministry of Supply holds tenders to buy rice for the country's subsidy programme. Rice is sold at the price of 1.5 pounds a kilo to over 60 million Egyptians under that system.The restrictions on Egyptian rice exports are meant to keep prices in the local market stable but rice exporters have complained that the ban on free exports has led to the rise of a contraband trade with a vast price difference between the local and export markets. (Reporting By Maha El Dahan; editing by James Jukwey and Keiron Henderson)

TABLE-India Grain Prices-Delhi- Nov 19 Tue Nov 19, 2013 3:16pm IST 0 COMMENTS Rates by Asian News International, New Delhi Tel: 011 2619 1464 Indicative Previous Grains opening close (in rupees per 100 kg unless stated) ---------------------------------------------------------Wheat Desi 2,300-2,600 2,300-2,600.

Wheat Dara 1,750-1850 1,700-1800.

Atta Chakki (per 10 Kg) 215-240 215-240.

Roller Mill (per bag) 1,770-1870 1,770-1870.

Maida (per bag) 1,900-1,950 1,810-1,910.

Sooji (per bag) 1,800-1,900 1,800-1,900.

Rice Basmati(Sri Lal Mahal) 12,000 12,000.

Rice Basmati(Lal Quila) 11,500 11,500.

Rice Basmati(Common) 7,300-7,800 7,300-7,800.

Rice Permal 2,450-2,600 2,400-2,000.

Rice Sela 3,200-3,300 3,200-3,300.

I.R.-8 2,350-2,450 2,300-2,450.

Gram 3,400-3800 3,400-3,800.

Peas Green 3,400-3,550 3,400-3,550.

Peas White 2,600-2,700 2,650-2,715.

Bajra 3,170-3,370 3,170-3,370.

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Jowar white Maize Barley Guwar

2,450-2,650 2,450-2,650.

1,600-1,650 1,600-1,650.

1,325-1,455 1,325-1,455.

3,325-3,900 3,325-3,900.

Source: Delhi grain market traders.

Nagpur Foodgrain Prices Open- Nov 19 Tue Nov 19, 2013 3:11pm IST Nagpur, Nov 19 (Reuters) - Gram and tuar prices in Nagpur Agriculture Produce and Marketing Committee (APMC) reported strong on increased buying support from local millers amid thin arrival from producing regions. Fresh rise in Madhya Pradesh pulses and reported demand from South-based millers also jacked up prices, according to sources. *

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FOODGRAINS & PULSES GRAM * Gram varieties ruled steady in open market here but demand was poor.

TUAR * Tuar gavarani recovered further in open market on renewed demand from local traders amid tight supply from producing regions. * Udid varieties and Batir dal zoomed up in open market on good buying support from local traders amid weak supply from producing belts. * Major rice varieties reported shot up in open market on renewed marriage season demand from local traders amid thin supply from producing regions like Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. * In Akola, Tuar - 4,300-4,450, Tuar dal - 6,500-6,700, Udid at 4,800-5,100, Udid Mogar (clean) - 5,700-6,000, Moong - 6,200-6,600, Moong Mogar (clean) 7,400-7,600, Gram - 3,300-3,500, Gram Super best bold - 4,400-4,600 for 100 kg. * Wheat and other commodities remained steady in open market in thin trading activity, according to sources.

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APMC auction/open-market prices in rupees for 100 kg FOODGRAINS Available prices Previous close Gram Auction 2,500-2,940 2,500-2,870 Gram Pink Auction n.a.

2,100-2,600 Tuar Auction 3,850-4,150 3,790-4,150 Moong Auction n.a.

4,300-4,500 Udid Auction n.a.

4,300-4,500 Masoor Auction n.a.

2,600-2,800 Gram Super Best Bold 4,400-4,800 4,400-4,800 Gram Super Best n.a.

Gram Medium Best 4,000-4,300 4,000-4,300 Gram Dal Medium n.a. n.a.

Gram Mill Quality 3,700-3,750 3,700-3,750 Desi gram Raw 3,500-3,550 3,500-3,550 Gram Filter Yellow n.a. n.a.

Gram Kabuli 7,700-9,900 7,700-9,900 Gram Pink 7,700-8,100 7,700-8,100 Tuar Fataka Best 6,900-7,100 6,900-7,100 Tuar Fataka Medium 6,600-6,700 6,600-6,700 Tuar Dal Best Phod 6,300-6,400 6,200-6,300 Tuar Dal Medium phod 6,100-6,200 6,100-6,200 Tuar Gavarani 4,450-4,550 4,400-4,500 Tuar Karnataka 4,650-4,750 4,650-4,750 Tuar Black 7,000-7,100 7,000-7,100 Masoor dal best 5,200-5,300 5,200-5,300 Masoor dal medium 4,800-4,900 4,800-4,900 Masoor n.a. n.a.

Moong Mogar bold 8,000-8,400 8,000-8,400 Moong Mogar Medium best 7,700-7,900 7,700-7,900 Moong dal super best 7,000-7,200 7,000-7,200 Moong dal Chilka 6,400-6,750 6,400-6,750 Moong Mill quality n.a. n.a.

Moong Chamki best 7,000-7,200 7,000-7,200 Udid Mogar Super best (100 INR/KG) 6,500-6,800 6,100-6,500 Udid Mogar Medium (100 INR/KG) 5,900-6,300 5,600-6,100 Udid Dal Black (100 INR/KG) 5,400-5,700 5,100-5,300 Batri dal (100 INR/KG) 3,800-4,000 3,600-3,700 Lakhodi dal (100 INR/kg) 2,900-3,000 2,900-3,000 Watana Dal (100 INR/KG) 3,350-3,450 3,350-3,400

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Watana White (100 INR/KG) 3,300-3,400 3,250-3,400 Watana Green Best (100 INR/KG) 8,100-8,500 8,100-8,500 Wheat 308 (100 INR/KG) 1,600-1,700 1,600-1,700 Wheat Mill quality(100 INR/KG) 1,700-1,750 1,700-1,750 Wheat Filter (100 INR/KG) 1,700-1,900 1,600-1,800 Wheat Lokwan best (100 INR/KG) 1,850-2,300 1,850-2,300 Wheat Lokwan medium (100 INR/KG) 1,700-1,900 1,700-1,900 Lokwan Hath Binar (100 INR/KG) n.a. n.a.

MP Sharbati Best (100 INR/KG) 3,100-3,600 3,100-3,600 MP Sharbati Medium (100 INR/KG) 2,600-2,900 2,600-2,900 Wheat 147 (100 INR/KG) 1,400-1,500 1,400-1,500 Wheat Best (100 INR/KG) 1,500-1,600 1,500-1,600 Rice BPT (100 INR/KG) 3,000-3,300 2,700-3,200 Rice Parmal (100 INR/KG) 2,200-2,500 2,200-2,500 Rice Swarna Best (100 INR/KG) 2,300-2,500 2,300-2,500 Rice Swarna Medium (100 INR/KG) 2,000-2,200 2,000-2,200 Rice HMT (100 INR/KG) 4,100-4,400 4,000-4,200 Rice HMT Shriram (100 INR/KG) 4,700-5,000 4,700-5,000 Rice Basmati best (100 INR/KG) 9,000-13,500 9,000-12,500 Rice Basmati Medium (100 INR/KG) 6,100-7,600 6,000-7,500 Rice Chinnor (100 INR/KG) 5,000-5,400 4,950-5,150 Rice Chinnor Medium (100 INR/KG) 4,800-5,000 4,600-4,800 Jowar Gavarani (100 INR/KG) 1,500-1,650 1,500-1,650 Jowar CH-5 (100 INR/KG) 1,800-1,900 1,800-1,900 WEATHER (NAGPUR) Maximum temp. 30.3 degree Celsius (86.5 degree Fahrenheit), minimum temp.

12.3 degree Celsius (54.1 degree Fahrenheit) Humidity: Highest - n.a., lowest - n.a.

Rainfall : nil FORECAST: Mainly clear sky. Maximum and Minimum temperature likely to be around 30 and 11 degree Celsius respectively.

Note: n.a.--not available (For oils, transport costs are excluded from plant delivery prices, but included in market prices.)

Over 17.5 million tonnes of paddy procured in Punjab and Haryana

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Out of the total procurement, 12.53 mn tonnes of paddy was procured from Punjab

The Government agencies and private millers procured more than 17.5 million tonnes of Paddy in Punjab and Haryana. While in Punjab the total procurement was over 12.5 million tonnes, whereas in Haryana the agencies and traders procured about 5 million tonnes of Paddy till last evening.In Punjab, out of total procurement of 12.53 million tonnes of paddy in all the procurement centers of the state, the Government agencies procured 11.90 tonnes of paddy (95.1%) till date whereas private traders procured 6.15 lakh tonnes (4.9%) of paddy. Till November 18, Goverment agencies like PUNGRAIN had procured 3.62 million tonnes (30.4%) whereas MARKFED procured 2.77 million tonnes (23.3%). PUNSUP procured 2.67 million tonnes (22.4%), PSWC procured 1.16 million tonnes (9.8%) whereas PAFC was able to procure 1.22 million tonnes (10.2%) of paddy. The Central Government agency FCI had been able to procure 4.5 lakh tonnes (3.8%). The spokesperson added that District Sangrur with 1.54 million tonnes of procurement was leading in procurement operations whereas District Ludhiana with 1.46 million tonnes of procurement was at second slot and district Patiala 1.20 million tonnes of procurement ranked at third position.

As far Haryana is concerned, about 4.98 million tonnes of paddy has so far arrived in various mandis during the current procurement season as compared to arrival of over 4.70 million tonnes of paddy during the corresponding period last year.While stating this here today, a spokesman of the Food and Supplies Department said the Government agencies have purchased over 3.56 million tonnes of paddy. He said that Food and Supplies Department has purchased over 1.44 million tonnes of paddy, HAFED over 1.00 million tonnes, Agro Industries Corporation over 5.80 lakh metric tonnes, Haryana Warehousing Corporation over 3.42 lakh metric tonnes, CONFED over 1.64 lakh metric tonnes and Food Corporation of India had purchased 13,166 metric tonnes of paddy, he added.

He said that district Karnal is leading in the paddy arrival where over 9.35 lakh metric tonnes of paddy has arrived in the mandis, followed by Kurukshetra with over 8.80 lakh metric tonnes. District Kaithal ranks third in the paddy arrival where over 7.76 lakh metric tonnes of paddy has arrived in the mandis, in district Fatehabad over 5.22 lakh metric tonnes of paddy has arrived. Similarly, in Ambala over 5.22 lakh metric tonnes of paddy has arrived in the mandis, in Yamunanagar over 3.38 lakh metric tonnes, in Panipat over 1.65 lakh metric tonnes, in Sonipat over 1.53 lakh metric tonnes, in Palwal over 1.28 lakh metric tonnes, in Sirsa over 1.24 lakh metric tonnes, in Panchkula 83,499 metric tonnes, in Rohtak 26248 metric tonnes, in Faridabad 21,959 metric tonnes and in Hisar 18,702 metric tonnes of paddy has arrived in the mandis.

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UNVDA Targets 75,000 Tons Rice Production Tags: UNVDA,Rice production,Board Meeting,North West Governor (Business

in Cameroon) - The Upper Nun Valley Development Authority (UNVDA) is seeking ways of maximizing its potential of 15,000 hectares of surface area covered to produce 75,000 metric tons of rice to meet growing national demand.The 35- year old agro- industry on November 12 and 13, 2013 held its 45th session and focus was on developing strategies to help them turn full circle towards meeting the nation‘s expectations in rice production.According to Cameroon Tribune, the UNVDA Board meeting also took members crisscrossing rice farms spread in the five sectors of Monoun, Bangolan, Babungo and Bamunka. It was to size up the potentials of the Ndop plain in the production of rice, government efforts to promote rice production, encouragement of farmers and problems that affect production.Records show that UNVDA has in recent times made enormous progress on the surface area cultivated with 1,534 hectares of developed land to show in 2013 against 1,499 in 2012 and 1,351 in 2011. The Director of production, Azomba Abena Simon says UNVDA operates with a rice farming population of 11,962 and the agro- industry is expected to produce 19,600 tons of paddy rice in 2013.

UNVDA contributes 10.8 per cent to the national production of rice. The challenge is to step up production by introducing two cropping.

UN: Haiyan wiped out a third of PH rice crop

BY AGENCE

FRANCE-PRESSE

POSTED ON 11/20/2013 6:29 AM

ROME, Italy – Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) wiped out one-third of the Philippines' rice-growing areas, the UN food agency said, calling for "urgent assistance" to farmers who need to sow new seeds."Regions most severely affected by the typhoon account for one-third of the total rice production in the country," the UN Food and Agriculture Organization said in a statement.Hundreds of thousands of farmers in the Philippines whose crops were destroyed by Typhoon Haiyan need urgent assistance to sow new seeds before the end of the current planting season," it said.The main-season harvest of the staple grain was well under way in the central Philippines when the typhoon hit, also "badly disrupting" ongoing planting for the secondary season, the FAO said.

The Rome-based agency added: "There is concern that many storage facilities may have been destroyed, along with their contents."Dominique Burgeon, head of FAO's Emergency and Rehabilitation Division, said in the

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statement: "If we want to avoid entire regions of the country having to rely on food aid, we need to act now to help vulnerable families to plant or replant by late December."The agency plans to supply seeds for rice and maize as well as tools, fertiliser and irrigation equipment, it said."Families will also receive vegetable seeds to help bridge the gap before the next harvest," it added.Some 13 million people were affected by Haiyan, one of the most powerful typhoons ever recorded, which struck the Philippine archipelago on November 8, claiming at least 4,000 lives.Four million people were displaced, according to the UN humanitarian agency OCHA.An estimated 2.5 million are in need of food aid. – Rappler.com

Politics of genetically modified foods November 19, 2013 admin Health, News David Burnham/ Brock Press

Stephen Chartrand- The Brock Press On Aug. 8, 2013, an experimental field of genetically modified rice in Camarines Sur, Philippines was attacked by a group of local farmers. The 400 or so angry farmers uprooted the field and damaged the research facility field testing the crop. According to reports published by the BBC and the New York Times, the farmers feared that contamination by genetically modified organisms (GMOs) would destroy their traditional crops.

Anti-GMO activist organizations like Greenpeace and the Peasant Movement of the Philippines (KMP) said the attack against the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) was a justified ―direct action‖. Wilfredo Marbella, deputy secretary general of KMP, said ―Golden Rice is a poison‖ and according to a Greenpeace report published in October, genetically modified foods like Golden Rice are not only threatening ―sustainable systems‖ of food supply but creating ―long-lasting‖ problems to food security and biodiversity.No one knows whether the story is true or not – reports coming from the Philippines now say that the attack was not led by a group of angry farmers but by 50 or so anti-GMO activists. Regardless, it highlights a very contentious issue between environmentalists, biotechnology firms and the broader scientific community: do genetically modified foods threaten biodiversity and are they proven safe for consumption?.Genetically modified foods have been commercially available since 1994; cash crops like maize or soybean products and some fruits and vegetables have been genetically modified but what is popularly known as ‗Golden Rice,‘ a biosynthesized strain of Oryza sativa rice, has become the most hotly contested.

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Ingo Potrykus of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology and Peter Beyer of the University of Freiburg spent eight years researching and developing the crop. Their scientific results were first published in January of 2000 in the journal American Association for the Advancement of Science. They believed that gene technology was a potential solution to much of the public health problems associated with malnutrition in the developing world; particularly in Latin America, Asia, and Africa. Since a large portion of the population in these areas — approximately 3 billion people — rely on rice as their staple food, millions are afflicted by a condition called vitamin A deficiency (VAD).According to New Scientist, VAD ―kills up to 2 million people and causes blindness in 500,000 children worldwide each year. ‖ By ―engineering the provitamin A (beta-carotene) biosynthetic pathway into (carotenoid-free) rice endosperm,‖ Potrykus and Beyer believed a solution to VAD had been discovered. But activist organizations like Greenpeace have never accepted their conclusion that genetically engineered (GE) golden rice or the introduction of other genetically modified foods are a viable solution to VAD and other malnutrition problems throughout the developing world.According to two reports Greenpeace published in October, ‗Golden Illusion‘ and ‗Lack of Luster‘, ―GE Golden Rice is highly likely to contaminate non-GE rice, if released to the environment‖ and the biotechnology firms and governments imposing GE rice on countries like the Philippines are threatening the ―traditional, conventional and organic‖ markets of local rice farmers.But does the scientific community support this conclusion?

An EU commissioned study looking at the safety of GMOs, published in 2010, concluded that ―there is, as of today, no scientific evidence associating GMOs with higher risks for the environment or for food and feed safety than conventional plants and organisms.‖ The U.S. National Academy of Sciences similarly states: ―to date, no adverse health effects attributed to genetic engineering have been documented in the human population.‖Though the absence of observable and documented evidence does not rule out the possibility that GMOs are adversely impacting the environment or the health of those who consume them, many government reviews of GMOs have found that there are no side effects or risks.

Rice Consumption In Bangladesh Linked To High Arsenic Exposure & Toxicity Health & Medicine November 20, 2013

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A study of more than 18,000 people in Bangladesh has established a link between rice consumption and arsenic exposure and toxicity.AsianScientist (Nov. 20, 2013) – A study of more than 18,000 people in Bangladesh has established a link between rice consumption and arsenic exposure and toxicity.The study, which was published in the journal PLOS ONE, was led by Dr. Habibul Ahsan from the University of Chicago with co-authors from Columbia University, UChicago Research Bangladesh Ltd and De Montfort University (DMU).Tests carried out on those who ate large amounts of rice showed higher levels of arsenic in their systems compared to those who did not. Furthermore, those who ate more rice had more symptoms such as skin lesions, a sign of arsenic toxicity in the body.Scientists believe the results have implications for people whose diet is heavily rice-based, particularly those in Bangladesh and parts of Cambodia, China, India and Vietnam where rice intake is high and the population is also exposed to arsenic through contaminated drinking water. ―Although we were the first to demonstrate that there is a correlation between arsenic exposure and rice consumption, our study was restricted to analysis of urine samples from a small number of Bangladeshi residents in the United Kingdom,‖ said co-author Dr. Parvez Haris, head of the Biomedical Environmental Health Group at DMU.―The current study supports our previous findings but with a much larger population of Bangladeshis residing in Bangladesh, where the problem of arsenic in water and the food chain is a serious problem,‖ he said.The study is based on data from the Health Effects of Arsenic Longitudinal Study (HEALS) in Araihazar, Bangladesh. It used the urinary and dietary analysis of 18,470 Bangladeshis.The problem in Bangladesh is more pronounced because the groundwater in the country is contaminated with arsenic, a naturally-occurring element, Dr. Haris said.

Rice is the staple food for over three billion people, approximately half the world‘s population.―It is also the cereal that is fed most widely to babies in their first year of life and is often the cereal of choice for people with Celiac disease who are sensitive to gluten. The bad news for rice consumers is that we and others have shown that it contains high concentration of arsenic, especially the toxic forms of this element known as inorganic arsenic,‖ he said.Dr. Haris added that most Bangladeshis are heavily dependent on rice for their nutrition and caloric intake. They consume on average 1,645 g of cooked rice daily and hence are at greater risk from arsenic exposure. The situation is further worsened by the fact that they also consume arsenic contaminated water at levels well above the limits set by the World Health Organization.

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―Although the PLOS ONE paper did not determine the content of arsenic in rice consumed by the study group, we have analyzed more than 100 rice samples from Bangladesh and have detected inorganic arsenic and other arsenic species in rice types that are commonly consumed by people in Bangladesh,‖ he said.Dr. Haris recommends that people in Araizhar and other parts of Bangladesh reduce their dependence on rice as their main source of calorie intake, and to diversify their diet by for example increasing their intake of wheat and consuming rice varieties that are low in arsenic. The team previously showed that rice from the Sylhet region of Bangladesh has lower arsenic content, as does aromatic rice.

The article can be found at: Ahsan H et al. (2013) Urinary and Dietary Analysis of 18,470 Bangladeshis Reveal a Correlation of Rice Consumption with Arsenic Exposure and Toxicity.

Source: De Montfort University.

Disclaimer: This article does not necessarily reflect the views of AsianScientist or its staff.

Modifying rice crops to resist herbicide prompts weedy neighbors’ growth spurt Study shows 1 method gives weeds fitness benefits even without herbicide trigger COLUMBUS, Ohio – Rice containing an overactive gene that makes it resistant to a common herbicide can pass that genetic trait to weedy rice, prompting powerful growth even without a weed-killer to trigger the modification benefit, new research shows.Previously, scientists have found that when a genetically modified trait passes from a crop plant to a closely related weed, the weed gains the crop‘s engineered benefit – resistance to pests, for example – only in the presence of the offending insects.This new study is a surprising example of gene flow from crops to weeds that makes weeds more vigorous even without an environmental trigger, researchers say.The suspected reason: This modification method enhances a plant‘s own growth control mechanism, essentially making it grow faster – an attractive trait in crops but a recipe for potential problems with weedy relatives that could out-compete the crop.―Our next question is whether this method of enhancing plant growth could be developed for any crop.

We want to know whether growers could get higher yields in the crop and then, if it happened to cross with a related weed, whether it might make the weed more prolific as well,‖ said Allison Snow, professor of evolution, ecology and organismal biology at The Ohio State University and a lead author of the paper.―It‘s unusual for

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any transgene to have such a positive effect on a wild relative and even more so for herbicide resistance,‖ she said. ―But we think we know why: It‘s probably because the pathway regulated by this gene is so important to the plant.‖The work is the result of Snow‘s longtime collaboration with senior author Bao-Rong Lu, a professor at Fudan University in Shanghai. Their publication appears online in the journal New Phytologist.The weedkiller glyphosate, sold under the brand name Roundup, kills plants by inhibiting a growth-related pathway activated by the epsps gene. Biotech companies have inserted mutated forms of a similar gene from microbes into crop plants, producing ―Roundup Ready‖ corn and soybeans that remain undamaged by widespread herbicide application.But in this study, the researchers used a different method, boosting activation of the native epsps gene in rice plants – a process called overexpressing – to give the plants enough strength to survive an application of herbicide. Because companies that genetically modify commercial crops don‘t fully disclose their methods, Snow and her colleagues aren‘t sure how prevalent this method might be, now or in the future.―This is a relatively new way to get a trait into a crop: taking the plant‘s own gene and ramping it up,‖ Snow said. ―We don‘t know yet if our findings are going to be generalizable, but if they are, it‘s definitely going to be important. ‖To overexpress the native gene in rice, the scientists attached a promoter to it, giving the plant an extra copy of its own gene and ensuring that the gene is activated at all times.The researchers conducted tests in rice and four strains of a relative of the same species, weedy rice, a noxious plant that infests rice fields around the world. By crossing genetically altered herbicide-resistant rice with weedy rice to mimic what happens naturally in the field, the researchers created crop-weed hybrids that grew larger and produced more offspring than unaltered counterparts – even without any herbicide present.In regulated field experiments, the hybrids containing the overexpressed gene produced 48 percent to 125 percent more seeds per plant than did hybrid plants with no modified genes.

They also had higher concentrations of a key amino acid, greater photosynthetic rates and better fledgling seed growth than controls – all presumed signs of better fitness in evolutionary terms.―Fitness is a hard thing to measure, but you can conclude that if a gene gives you a lot more seeds per plant compared to controls, it‘s likely to increase the plants‘ fitness because those genes would be represented at a higher percentage in future generations,‖ Snow said.When Snow and Lu set out to study this new genetic engineering method, they didn‘t know what to expect.―Our colleagues developed this novel transgenic trait in rice and we didn‘t know if it would have a fitness benefit, or a cost, or be neutral,‖ Snow said. ―With most types of herbicide resistant genes, there‘s no benefit to a wild plant unless the herbicide is sprayed.

A lot of transgenes in crop plants are either selectively neutral in wild plants or, if they have a benefit, it depends on environmental factors like insects, diseases or herbicides being present.‖Snow has a history in this area of research. She has found that genes from crop plants can persist in related weeds over many generations.

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In 2002, she led a study that was the first to show that a gene artificially inserted into crop plants to fend off pests could migrate to weeds in a natural environment and make the weeds stronger. She also has served on national panels that monitor and make recommendations about the release of genetically engineered species into the environment.She is interested in identifying new possible outcomes of the growth of crop-weed hybrids that contain genetic modifications, but she doesn‘t take sides about possible risks and benefits of genetically modified crops.―It‘s not always the end of the world if a weed starts to become a lot more common after acquiring a new trait – there may be effective ways to manage that weed,‖ Snow said. ―You just can‘t make sweeping generalizations about genetic engineering, and knowledge from ecological studies like ours can help inform risk assessment and biosafety oversight.‖This work was supported by the Natural Science Foundation of China, the ―973″ program, the National Program of Development of Transgenic New Species of China and Ohio State University.Additional co-authors are Wei Wang, Hui Xia, Xiao Yang, Ting Xu, Hong Jiang Si and Xing Xing Cai of Fudan University, and Feng Wang and Jun Su of Fujian Academy of Agricultural Sciences in Fuzhou, China. http://researchnews.osu.edu

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