1st december,2014 daily global rice e newsletter by riceplus magazine

Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine www.ricepluss.com

Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter 1 December 2014

Volume 4 Issue: XI

st

Vol 4, Issue XI

Today’s News Headlines…            

The deepening rice crisis Great Wall of China Held Together with Sticky Rice Love in every grain of rice Pakistan to use satellite data to improve forecasts of crop yields Vietnam Setting Up International Rice Research Institute Office Vast opportunities exist in exports of rice, fruits to Iran Govt to facilitate Iranian rice importers: minister Kalabagh Dam a ray of hope for people of Pakistan–I Cultivation of flood tolerant rice becomes popular in BD Top of the table: eight great cookbooks from 2014 Smuggling raps filed vs top rice importer Govt to facilitate Iranian rice importers

Contact & Visit www.ricepluss.com mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com 7th Floor,Suite 11 Central Plaza New Garden Town Lahore-54600 Landline :92 3584 5551 For Advertisement Specs & Rates: Contact: mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com 92 321 3692874

Contact us for Advertisement & Specs: mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com +92 321 369 2847

Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine News Detail….

The deepening rice crisis Ahmad Fraz Khan

AS paddy prices drop by almost 50pc over last year, the federal government is considering a relief package for basmati farmers. As per different projections being prepared so far, the farmers may get a monetary relief of Rs5,000-7,000 per acre. A noble cause indeed!

But

beyond this temporary handout, if and when it comes, lies the bigger question mark; would this money solve the farmers‘ problem? Probably not!

Especially, if considered in the backdrop of the genesis of the problem. This year‘s price drop has not hit the farmers out of the blue; the situation was built up in the last few years due to a number of factors including: the government‘s policies, gross neglect of basmati rice, dropping exports, cartelisation of domestic market by a few big players and ejection of farmers from the rice trade.

Unless the government sees all this in the bigger picture, this one-off compensation would not help much.The basic basmati statistics make the problem and its causes clear. Pakistan has been producing around 2m tonnes of basmati rice; out of which, 1m tonnes are consumed domestically and the rest are supposed to be exported. Till 2011, the exports were above that figure and domestic stocks were exhausted each year.

From that year onwards, the exports started dropping for a number of reasons.

In 2012, exports dropped to 968,941 tonnes.

Next year, they went down to 630,035 tonnes — leaving a domestic glut of around 350,000 tonnes. Last year, they touched 733,860 tonnes — adding over 250,000 tonnes to the glut.Right now, the country is holding a carry-over of 600,000 tonnes, and fresh crop of 2m has arrived. The prices have dropped because there is no disposal.

The traders and exporters are overwhelmed — both financially and humanly — by carry-over stocks.

The country is holding a carry-over of 600,000 tonnes, and fresh crop of 2m tonnes has arrived. The prices have dropped because of tardy disposal. The traders and exporters are financially overwhelmed by carry-over stocks

Second and the immediate factor this season was added when one of the biggest rice processing units defaulted on bank payments and was driven out of business. The other units either got scared or saw an opportunity for making money, and went slower than normal on procurement. The farmers, on their part, don‘t have holding capacity and are only increasing glut in the market and driving prices further down.While these conditions now define the market, the government is trying to intervene in the market with a paltry package. The economic irrelevance of the official package, if and when it materialises, can also be gauged from another angle.With average yield around 30 maunds per acre and the price falling by almost Rs1,000 per maund — from Rs2,500 per maund to Rs1,500 per maund in some areas; the drop is more in

Contact us for Advertisement & Specs: mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com +92 321 369 2847

Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine other areas — each farmer, on average, has suffered a potential loss of Rs30,000 per acre.

Channel 4 documentary reveals dramatic new details on the Wonder of the World

What sense this Rs5,000-7,000 amount per acre would make to the farmers?

November 30, 2014 16:17 BST

Even if the government thinks that compensation to farmers is necessary, it should initiate a process of concessional loans to traders and freight subsidy to exporters. The Trading Development Authority of Pakistan and the federal ministry of commerce should step in to help exports.Luckily, the Iranian government has very recently allowed its private sector to import rice and the Iranian importers are currently in Pakistan for inspecting rice processing units What makes rice, especially basmati, unique, is the fact it is essentially an export crop.If India can jump from 1.2m tonnes of export to 3.2m tonnes in the last few years, there is no reason why cannot Pakistani exporters catch up with their Indians colleagues with a right set of policies.

Published in Dawn, Economic & Business, December 1st , 2014

Great Wall of China Held Together with Sticky Rice

Drones were used to examine the Great Wall of China(Channel 4) The Great Wall of China is not actually one wall, but a series of overlapping fortifications held together with sticky rice.

A Channel 4 documentary, The Great Wall of China: The Hidden Story, has shed new light on the millennium-old structure through state-of-the-art drones and cuttingedge chemistry.Over a five-year survey of

the wall, scientists have discovered that it is made up of overlapping buttresses that extend over 13,000 miles – almost twice as long as previously thought.

The wall is held together with sticky rice, scientists discovered(Channel 4) The team has also decoded its complex signal system and explain how the wall is held together with a sticky rice soup that made it more resistant to water.Scientists first discovered that builders mixed the sticky rice with standard mortar ingredients in 2010.Published in the American Chemical Society Journal Accounts of Chemical

Contact us for Advertisement & Specs: mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com +92 321 369 2847

Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine Research, researchers found that construction workers in ancient China first developed the sticky rice mortar about 1,500 years ago.

performance of this kind of organic-organic mortar."

The documentary decodes the wall's complex signalling system(Channel 4) Led by Bingjia n Zhang from the Zhejian g Univer sity in Hangzhou, they found the mortar was stronger and more water resistant than pure lime mortar. This mix was used to construct important buildings including tombs, pagodas and city walls – some of the structures were so strong they could withstand powerful earthquakes.The scientists wrote at the time: "Analytical study shows that the ancient masonry mortar is a kind of special organic-inorganic composite material.

The inorganic component is calcium carbonate, and the organic component is amylopectin, which comes from the sticky rice soup added to the mortar."Moreover, we found that amylopectin in the mortar acted as an inhibitor: The growth of the calcium carbonate crystal was controlled, and a compact microstructure was produced, which should be the cause of the good

The wall is a series of overlapping fortifications, rather than one structure, findings show(Channel 4) Findings also suggest the ancient mortar mix is still the best available material for restoring ancient buildings: "The test results of the modelling mortars shows that sticky rice-lime mortar has more stable physical properties, has greater mechanical strength, and is more compatible, which make it a suitable restoration mortar for ancient masonry."

The Great Wall of China: The Hidden Story - Secret History is on Channel 4 on 30 November at 8pm.

Love in every grain of rice

BY MELIZARANI T.SELVA

GOING in search of good briyani and trying to find the best in town can be quite challenging.Fortunately, briyani connoisseur and restaurateur Iqbal Gani has brought

Contact us for Advertisement & Specs: mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com +92 321 369 2847

Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine Iqbal.Under the culinary expertise of briyani specialist

Rehman

Sharieff,

tandoor

specialist Pavan Singh from Delhi and South Indian curry specialist Muthukrishnan, Taj Biryani House serves 50 dishes, including the signature Hyderabadi Dum Biryani in four styles — chicken, mutton, fish and together the best elements of this diverse dish at Taj Biryani House to offer his interpretation of the what makes a good briyani meal.Iqbal, who is from Slim River, Perak, said his deep affection for the dish is rooted back to his childhood.

prawn.

―When I was about seven years old, my late

cubes.Garnished with raisins, the curried

father used to take me to Bilal or Kassim

briyani rice is an explosion of flavours,

restaurant in Jalan Masjid India in Kuala

making the chicken in the dish an equal star

Lumpur for briyani. He would drive all the

of the spread.Although, it can be quite

way from Perak just to eat briyani.―Now I

costly, I do not compromise on quality. I

am able to travel to Qatar, Dubai and

have made sure that all the cooking utensils

various parts of India to try their briyani

and ingredients are imported from India,‖

whether it is in the Middle Eastern, North

Iqbal said, adding that the tandoor clay oven

Indian or South Indian style, I will mark

and dum briyani pot were also specially

these travel destinations just to sample the

chosen by the cooks to ensure the dishes

briyani.‖Iqbal, a former food and beverage

were cooked to perfection.

Iqbal‘s love for the rice dish is clearly evident in every spoon of the mutton briyani, made from the finest quality long grain basmati rice and succulent mutton

manager at a hotel, decided to channel his experience and expertise into his long-time dream of starting a briyani restaurant.―I finally found a cook who makes it just right during my trip to Hyderabad, last year.

Some of the North Indian courses that are sure to excite the taste buds are the clay oven baked chicken skewers or Murgh Tandoor while Reshmi Kebab is boneless cubes of chicken cooked in cashewnut

―Unlike the Middle Eastern version or the

gravy.The most interesting tandoor dish has

Calcutta version of briyani, the Hyderabadi

to be the baked salmon cubes in a dish

dum style has gravy and is not dry which is

called Machili Cashew Tikka, with tender

how most Malaysians enjoy their rice,‖ said

meat

skewers

atop

a

salad

Contact us for Advertisement & Specs: mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com +92 321 369 2847

Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine accompaniment.Vegetarians will not feel left out from the generous tandoor menu with vegetarian kebabs or skewers of spiced broccoli

and

cauliflower,

which

complements the roti and Dal Tadka (yellow lentils curry).

The restaurant‘s Gajar ka Halwa, a pudding made from finely grated carrots cooked in condensed

milk

and

seasoned

with

cardamom, is a great way to end your

Pakistan has launched a new system to more accurately forecast crop yields using satellite

meal.The Petaling Jaya restaurant is the first

data,

the

government

announced.The

branch in Malaysia with two other eateries

government will use satellite remote sensing and

in Kuala Belait, Brunei and Usman Road,

geographic information systems to collect crop

Chennai.

data. It will be able to calculate crop yields and also forecast losses from natural disasters.

■ TAJ BIRYANI HOUSE, B-09-01, Jalan 19/1, Section 19, 3 Two Square, Petaling Jaya.(Tel: 03-7932 2525). Business hours: 7am to 10pm, daily.

This is the writer’s personal observation and is not an endorsement by StarMetro Image:From left (clockwise) Strawberry milkshake, mojito mint mocktail and dessert ‗gajar ka halwa‘ (carrot cooked in condensed milk

Pakistan to use satellite data to improve forecasts of crop yields New system to allow more accurate calculations of forecasts and reduce cost of data collection.

01/12/2014

The new system will replace the previous manual calculation of crop yield forecasts and will decrease the costs of data collection, the government said.The system was installed by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and funded by the United States Department of Agriculture.

The project will start with two provinces Punjab and Sindh. Pakistan will take satellite imagery twice a year and will conduct field surveys during the two cropping seasons, local media reported.Crop yield forecasting is important for the government to plan the country‘s export targets and ensure food security, especially for the two major crops, wheat and rice, said Patrick Evans, FAO representative for Pakistan. If the government knows that the yield of wheat or rice is going to be low, it can take measures to prevent any shortages.

By Medha Basu

Contact us for Advertisement & Specs: mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com +92 321 369 2847

Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine http://www.futuregov.asia/articles/5822-pakistan-touse-satellite-data-to-improve-forecasts-of-crop-yields

Vietnam Setting Up International Rice Research Institute Office HANOI, Nov 28 (Bernama) - Vietnam and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) have signed a document on establishing an IRRI office in the country, Vietnam News Agency (VNA) reported.The document was signed by Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Cao Duc Phat and IRRI director general Robert Zeigler here Thursday during a conference on restructuring the rice sector to boost rural development."The setting up of the office shows the determination and commitment of Vietnam and IRRI to work together to improve the rice and agriculture sectors," Phat said.

IRRI has been recognised by the Vietnamese government as its first international agriculture study facility.IRRI will assist exchanges between Vietnamese scientists and IRRI experts in contributing to realising the national rice strategy.At the conference, the ministry and IRRI agreed on overall cooperation strategies and programmes and technical support to turn the rice sector as an important driver of Vietnam's economic growth.Phat said over 80 percent of rice varieties cultivated in the Mekong Delta region originated from research carried out

by IRRI. "Restructuring the rice sector is significant to raising farmers' incomes and agricultural value as rice accounts for nearly half of the

value generated by farm products," he said.Vietnam has around 10 million farming households in rural areas and 70 percent of the population is involved in agriculture.

-- BERNAMA http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v7/w n/newsworld.php?id=1089238

Vast opportunities exist in exports of rice, fruits to Iran November 28, 2014 RECORDER REPORT Pakistani agricultural commodities especially rice, kinnow, potato and mango are in high demand in Iranian markets thus offering huge potential to increase exports of these commodities manifold between the two neighbouring countries. The Punjab government is taking many steps for enhancing the bilateral trade especially export of agricultural commodities to Iran which include steps to save these commodities from pests and different diseases in line with the international standards.

This was disclosed by the Punjab Minister for Agriculture Dr Farrukh Javed while addressing 'Rice Exporters Conference' held here on Thursday. The conference was also participated by a 14-member Iranian trade delegation and Iranian Consul General to Lahore Agha Bani Asadi. The Iranian delegation includes Iranian members of the parliament Dr Fatahi, Dr Abidi and Dr Tameeni, rice importers and agricultural experts while conference was also attended

Contact us for Advertisement & Specs: mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com +92 321 369 2847

Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine by the Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) members including Pir Nazam Hussain Shah. Rice Research Institute (RRI) Kala Shah Kaku Director Dr Akhtar, Dr Ashfaq and Deputy Food Commissioner Dr Waseem also participated in the conference.

The Punjab Minister said both Iran and Pakistan were enjoying brotherly relations and also gave importance to increasing bilateral trade. He said that Iranian agricultural experts were welcomed in the fields and orchards of Punjab province to explore the potential of enhancing trade of agricultural commodities. Dr Farrukh Javed stressed the need for installing quarantine set-up at Pak-Iran border to allow agricultural commodities import and export after proper inspection according to hygiene principles.

He said only healthy citizen could play their role in the development and progress of the country and bringing agricultural production in line with principles of health we could not only meet food requirements but also promote a healthy society. Iranian Consul General Agha Bani Asadi speaking on this occasion said that he is advocate of strong and durable relations with Pakistan and trade of agricultural commodities could play an important role in strengthening brotherhood bond between the two nations. Members of the Iranian Parliament speaking on this occasion expressed their pleasure on visiting Lahore and said they enjoyed Pakistani hospitality a lot. Iranian delegation is on a three-day visit to Pakistan during which they met government representatives, exporters

and also visited different rice mills and allied industrial wings.

Govt to facilitate Iranian rice importers: minister Staff Report November 29, 2014

LAHORE: Federal Minister for Commerce Khurram Dastagir has said that the government would provide all necessary assistance to the Iranian rice importers to enhance export of rice and other food commodities.The delegates apprised the minister about the prospects of Pakistani rice in the Iranian market. Pakistan produces fine quality of rice and could cater to huge demand of rice in the Iranian market, said Iranian Rice Importers Association (IRIA) delegation during their meeting with the minister, following their interactive meetings and field visits to the various rice units in Punjab.

A spokesman of Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) said that during their interactive sessions with the representatives of Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP), the stakeholders discussed potential of exploring new opportunities of rice import from Pakistan. They also visited PCSIR Laboratories in Lahore where they were apprised about the facilities available with with regard to rice standardisation and other health related issues of rice. The delegates

Contact us for Advertisement & Specs: mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com +92 321 369 2847

Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine discussed with the rice experts about various precautionary measures and food safety mechanisms on rice. They also attended rice exporters‘ conference which was addressed

by Punjab Minister for Agriculture Dr Farrukh Javed.

Dr Javed said during their meeting with the banking authorities the delegates raised the intra-banking transaction issues between the two countries and emphasised to sort out an amicable payment mechanism. Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan hosted a

dinner in honour of the Iranian delegation which was attended by a large number of leading rice exporters and prominent businessmen. Pakistan being the fourth largest exporter of rice in the world has the potential to increase the graph of rice export to Iran.The Iranian delegation‘s visit was facilitated by the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/business/29Nov-2014/govt-to-facilitate-iranian-riceimporters-minister

Kalabagh Dam a ray of hope for people of Pakistan–I November 30, 2014

Lt Col (R) Abdul Razaque Bugti

After Indus water treaty of 1960, Pakistan is left with River Kabul, River Indus, River Jhelum and River, Chenab having total water resources: Kabul River at Attock 27.06 MAF, Indus River at attock 65.66 MAF. Sub total 92.61 MAF, Jhelum River at Mangla 22.93 MAF, Chenab at Marala 25.64 MAF, Others 5.00 MAF. Total 146.18 MAF (average flow from 1922 to 1963.Source: report of Chas.

T. Main IntI Inc. USA 1967) Kalabagh Dam is to be constructed on main stem of River indus. River Indus originates from Monsrover Lake located at 15060 feet above sea level in Tibet China. Monsrover lake is bounded by Kailash mountains on one side and Himaliya Mountains on the other. River Indus starts with the confluence of River Sengge Chu and Garr. It passes through Laddakh in IHK where it is joined by River Zanskar from south at Nimmu near Leh (IHK) and river Shoyok from north in Pakistan at Keres near Khaplu. Indus flows through Glaciers and a region highly seismic Contact us for Advertisement & Specs: mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com +92 321 369 2847

Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine sensitive till it reaches the foot hills of Himalays at Tarbela where after River Indus flows through plains till it reaches Attock. From Attock to Kalabagh Indus river flows through a gorge and After Kalabagh it flows through plains till Keti bunder which is its last destination. The total length of river Indus is 3200 KM. The flow of Indus river is fluctuating from 76 MAF as lowest and 110 MAF at peak flows. *The lowest combined flow of water in Rivers Indus, Kabul, Jhelum, and Chenab was experienced within last 40 years was 11.6 MAF in 1961-62 (*Report: Chas T Main USA, 1967). Upto Tarbela; Indus waters are Glacier melt and Snow melt; while down stream Tarbela; Indus river contains rain water harvest from 110,500 Square miles of Hindu Kush and plains.

The main concern is rain water which floods plains of Pakistan. This flood water is to be contained and kept in reservoirs of sufficient capacity so as to alleviate floods in the irrigated plains. The reservoir waters then be used for irrigation of cultivable desert land of Pakistan.

Incidents of some major floods in current past are: Year 1973/74 -1978/79 -1990/91 Flow 166.88 150.10 153.64 (Source WRMD.

-1991/92 161.70

-1992/3 159.34 WAPDA

-1994/95 152.86

-2010/2011 (MAF) 152.39 Pakistan)

Average Monthly flow of water in Rivers at rim stations iri MAF (1922-1963) KharifCrop season: .

Month Indus+Kabul Jhelum Chenab Total April 4.30 2.58 1.36 8.24 May 8.38 3.61 2.23 14.22 June 15.49 3.69 3.55 22.73 July 22.57 3.79 5.68 32.04 August 19.81 2.97 5.61 28.39 September 8.65 1.60 2.94 13.19 Total 118.81 Canal Draw down 2012-2013 57.7 In reservoirs on River Indus & Jhelum (2012-13) 11.23 Surplus 49.88 Rabi crop season Month Indus+Kabul Jhelum Chenab Total October 3.62 0.85 1.04 5.51 November 2.14 0.54 0.52 3.20 December 1.87 0.48 0.46 2.81 January 1.71 0.53 0.53 2.77 February 1.61 0.73 0.66 3.01 March 2.45 1.56 1.06 5.07 Total 22.37 Canal draw down 2012-2013 31.9 Short fall 9.53 Average flow/Canal draw down (1961-62 to 2010-11 source: WRMD. WAPDAPakistan) Average flow at rim stations: Max 166.86 MAF Min 130.47 MAF Average Canal Withdrawals: Max 114.10 MAF; Min 82.63 MAF

Contact us for Advertisement & Specs: mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com +92 321 369 2847

Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine *

Canal

draw

down

is

subject

to

availability

of

water

in

rivers/dams.

Our water resources are to the tune of an average of 130.47 MAF to a maximum of 166.86 MAF and the canal draw down figures confirm that we do have surpluses of water any way. Therefore we must construct Dams to store water to; alleviate floods and to bring more cultivable arid land into cultivation.

Agriculture and Irrigation System of Pakistan: Our crops sowing season viz a viz best crop yield also dictate the need to store waters in reservoirs and regulate it in a manner that sufficient water is made available for planting/sowing Kharif/ Rabi crops in due time and further demands of water for growing Kharif/ Rabi crops are meet with provision of sufficient water. Our major kharif crops are rice and cotton.

Rice sowing periods are fluctuating from Province to Province. In Sindh; Rice is sown in mid May to mid June and in Punjab rice is sown in July. Due to shortage of water Sindh province was provided water for sowing/ planting of rice on 3rd July 2014. As a result the farmers of Sindh abandoned growing Irri kind of Rice and instead they have grown Hybrid Rice of China origin.

The seed of Hybrid kind of rice is very expensive yet it yields between 3200 kg to 4000kg per acre (with timely use of fertilizers and anti larva spray) as compared to Irri kind of rice which yields between 2400 kg to 3000 kg per acre (given same treatment). Thus farmers of Sindh got a better option and also countered the disadvantage of late delivery of canal water. Punjab Farmers however did not face any problems of shortage or late delivery of water for pre-planting/sowing of Rice crop. " To secure best flowering and ball formation, cotton needs to ripen when temperatures ar~ still moderately high, when days are long but nights are still cool. Cotton does best in Sindh, therefore when planted relatively early, between late April and late May. Earlier planting results in best harvest.

In Rabi crops wheat is sown in October. Final watering are being given to wheat crop in March.

Wheat is staple food for people of Pakistan and with growing population we need more wheat; hence we must plan to bring more acreage under cultivation of wheat for which we need more water for Rabi season i.e. October to March.The critical periods for water supply remain a few months in the year particularly those around the beginning of each season when water is required for pre-planting 'and sowing and at the end of each season when water is required for final Contact us for Advertisement & Specs: mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com +92 321 369 2847

Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine maturing of crops. March is critical month because final watering are being done to wheat crop.

While October is critical when Kharif crop are maturing and many Rabi crops particularly wheat are beginning to be sown. * Substantial changes in irrigation system have resulted from the implementation of the Indus water Treaty 1960; when three eastern rivers, Ravi, Beas and Sutlej with total annual flow of 25 MAF water were given to India and Pakistan was left with four rivers with annual flow of 142 MAF of water (*Report of Chas T Main 1967). To resolve this problem we have'to store an appropriate quantity of water by constructing dams on main stem of rivers and off the channer of rivers. The dams can only be built at selected sites. We have constructed Mangla dam on main stem of river Jhelum with live storage capacity of 5.34 MAF and Tarbela dam on main stem of River Indus with live storage capacity of 9.7 MAF. Both these dams have considerably been sedimented and our total live storage capacity of both dams has been reduced from 15.04 MAF to 10.97 MAF. Height of Mangla dam was raised by 40 feet (30 feet to be used for storage of water) which adds 2.88 MAF water but the larger Mangla dam needs assistance of Kalabag Dam to get filled. Without Kalabagh dam Mangla dam remains at depleted level i.e. 4.52 MAF except when high floods occur in river Jhelum .The most suitable site selected for a mega dam on main stem of River Indus is about 10 KM down stream of IndusSoan confluence near Kalabagh from where River Indus passes through a narrow gorge between two mountains.

Source :http://nation.com.pk/business/30-Nov-2014/kalabagh-dam-a-ray-of-hope-for-people-of-pakistan

Cultivation of flood tolerant rice becomes popular in BD Cultivation of flood-tolerant variety rice has already become popular among the farmers to change their fortune as its harvest is nearing completion with bumper yield in the country during the Aman season. The growing plants of flood tolerant BRRI dhan 51, BRRI dhan 52, BINA dhan 11 and BINA dhan 12 rice survived submergence for over two weeks during recent floods and resumed normal growth again to give better

yield. Agriculture and Environment Coordinator of RDRS Bangladesh Mamunur Rashid said farmers have already completed harvest of BINA dhan 11 and BINA dhan 12 rice and they are now harvesting BRRI dhan 51 and BRRI dhan 52 variety rice with excellent yield rate.

The Stress Tolerant Rice for Africa and South Asia (STRASA) Project, being funded

by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), extends assistance for cultivation of stress tolerant rice with GO-NGO collaboration through the International Rice

Contact us for Advertisement & Specs: mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com +92 321 369 2847

Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine Research Institute (IRRI), according to a news agency. www.thefinancialexpressbd.com/2014/11/28/68324

Top of the table: eight great cookbooks from 2014 Rose Prince gives us a feast for the eye and the palate in her round-up of the year’s cookery books Rose Prince 29 November 2014

The people behind the people are the ones to watch for, and we have all been waiting for a book by Anna Jones. Who? Well, if you are a fan of Jamie Oliver, you will have read a lot of Jones. For seven years she worked as his ‗stylist, writer and food creative,‘ which means, we guess, that she was behind the curtain busily pulling levers for the great wizard. He has written the foreword to his protégée‘s first book, and says he‘s is ‗super proud‘.

But so he should be, for A Modern Way to Eat (Fourth Estate £25, Spectator Bookshop, £20) is a beautiful and inspiring one, and thankfully devoid of Jamie-speak — that is, nothing is described as ‗smashing.‘.It is a book of vegetarian recipes, but carnivores, do not be put off. Let‘s say it is a book of deliciously invigorating dishes that happen not to contain any flesh. Among the recipes I shall be cooking from it are the restorative coconut broth with lemongrass, lime and greens (Jones is very strong on soup); also the lemon ricotta cloud pancakes and the dosa potato cakes.Then I shall have some meat, probably choosing a recipe from Tom Parker Bowles‘ s Let’s Eat Meat (Pavilion £25, Spectator Bookshop, £20) which is a manifesto for eating better meat less often, but essentially a world tour of what you could call flesh pots from Cajun jambalaya to bun cha from Vietnam. Parker Bowles is a great traveller, and at his best unearths authentic global recipes.

The London restaurant Dabbous (in Whitfield Street) apparently stunned critics and diners when it opened in 2012. I cannot say why from personal experience, because the current waiting list for a table is four months. Presumably one purpose of publishing a book about a restaurant few can go to is to enable readers to cook the chef Ollie Dabbous‘s food and bloody difficult.The central claim is that Dabbous does it better, from recognisable mash and

Contact us for Advertisement & Specs: mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com +92 321 369 2847

Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine gravy to a mysterious nugget of ‗iced sorrel‘.

I believe it, not just because there are combinations I would try in simpler form (such as scallop tartare with eucalyptus), but because of Barnyard — Ollie Dabbous‘s Charlotte Street diner, where you can get in, if you queue — which serves the best comfort food I have ever eaten. The price of Dabbous (Bloomsbury, £50, Spectator Bookshop, £40) is inflated by some very expensive and unnecessary photos of the restaurant‘s interior fittings, lightbulbs, electric sockets etc. But for many, it is the closest we‘ll ever get.

Thanks with source:The Spectator at home.

Hesitate before doing so, however, because this is very much modern gastronomy; gamechanging, esoteric, brave http://www.spectator.co.uk/

Smuggling raps filed vs top rice importer Tarra Quismundo Philippine Daily Inquirer 7:59 AM | Saturday, November 29th, 2014 MANILA, Philippines—The Bureau of Customs (BOC) on Friday filed in the Department of Justice (DOJ) separate complaints of smuggling against a top rice importer, its officials and customs brokers for bringing into the country P1.8 billion worth of rice through three key ports last year.Acting BOC district collectors in

Manila, Davao and Cebu filed four criminal complaints against officials of Starcraft International Trading Corp. before the DOJ for alleged violations of the Tariff and Customs Code of the Philippines and regulations enforcing import quotas on the supply of staple food.

The bureau said Starcraft had imported without permits a total of 45,000 metric tons of rice from Vietnam, Thailand, China and Singapore from June to November last year through the ports of Manila, Cebu and Davao.The import volume was equivalent to 3,700 percent of what Starcraft was allowed to bring into the country, the BOC said. The firm only had a permit to import 1,176 metric tons of rice through Manila.The bureau said Starcraft earlier filed court cases to argue that private importers could bring in rice without security permits as import restrictions had already been lifted through a World Trade Organization agreement in 2012.But the BOC reiterated the Philippine law, where ―only the NFA can import rice and companies who wish to do the same must secure an import permit from the agency. ‖―Our laws were not changed. Import permits for rice were still required. Starcraft cannot unilaterally interpret the laws by itself. Regulation of rice is critical because millions of farmers‘ livelihoods depend on rice farming,‖ said Customs Commissioner John Sevilla in a statement.Starcraft is the fifth large-scale importer to face smuggling charges this year, the BOC said.Together, the five top importers—Starcraft, Intercontinental Grains International Trading Inc., Bold Bidder Marketing and General Merchandise, Silent Royalty Marketing and Medaglia De Oro Trading— accounted for 75 percent of the 200,000 metric tons of rice smuggled through various Philippine ports last year, the BOC said.

Contact us for Advertisement & Specs: mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com +92 321 369 2847

Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine Those charged on Friday include Starcraft president Jeffrey Daradal, its Board of Directors Eugene Pioquinto, Aveleo Godoy, Anna Orqueta, Brendal Daradal, Jessie Bantula, and company representative Hanlie Solema.Also charged ―for facilitating the unlawful importation of rice‖ were custom brokers Denise Kathryn Rosaroso, John Kevin Cisneros, Emilio Chio, Eduardo Borje III, Rosemarie Arciaga, Gerald Villarosa, Jennifer Ann Reyes, Elbert Lusterio, Dianne Dizon-Tapia, Laila Silvestre, Francis Rudolph Forneste and Kenneth Quial.

More Stories

Read more: http://business.inquirer.net/182754/sm uggling-raps-filed-vs-top-riceimporter#ixzz3KV9SBMDe

Govt to facilitate Iranian rice importers: minister Staff Report November 29, 2014

LAHOR: Federal Minister for Commerce Khurram Dastagir has said that the government would provide all necessary assistance to the Iranian rice importers to enhance export of rice and other food commodities.The delegates apprised the minister about the prospects of Pakistani rice in the Iranian market.

Pakistan produces fine quality of rice and could cater to huge demand of rice in the Iranian market, said Iranian Rice Importers Association (IRIA) delegation during their meeting with the minister, following their interactive meetings and field visits to the various rice units in Punjab.

A spokesman of Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) said that during their interactive sessions with the representatives of Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP), the stakeholders discussed potential of exploring new opportunities of rice import from Pakistan.

They also visited PCSIR Laboratories in Lahore where they were apprised about the facilities available with with regard to rice standardisation and other health related issues of rice. The delegates discussed with the rice experts about various precautionary measures and food safety mechanisms on rice. They also attended rice exporters‘ conference which was addressed by Punjab Minister for Agriculture Dr Farrukh Javed.

Dr Javed said during their meeting with the banking authorities the delegates raised the intra-banking transaction issues between the two countries and emphasised to sort out an amicable payment mechanism. Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan hosted a dinner in honour of the Iranian delegation which was attended by a large number of leading rice exporters and prominent businessmen.

Pakistan being the fourth largest exporter of rice in the world has the potential to increase the graph of rice export to Iran.

The Iranian delegation‘s visit was facilitated by the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/business /29-Nov-2014/govt-to-facilitateiranian-rice-importers-minister

Contact us for Advertisement & Specs: mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com +92 321 369 2847