20th april,2015 daily global rice e newsletter by riceplus magazine

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine

Rice E-Newsletter April 20, 2015 V o l u m e 5, Issue I

PARC INTRODUCES 11 NEW HIGH-YIELDING RICE VARIETIES Saturday, April 18, 2015 - Islamabad—The Pakistan Agriculture Research Council (PARC) approved eleven new high-yielding rice varieties including seven (7) hybrid and four (4) Open-Pollinated (OP) seed for cultivation in various ecologies. The Variety Evaluation Committee (VEC) on Rice was held here at PARC headquarters under the Chairmanship of Member Plant Sciences Division, Dr. Muhammad Shahid Masood. In total nineteen (19) rice varieties were presented before the VEC including 14 hybrid and 5 OP varieties, out of which 11 were approved and 8 rejected due to Bacterial-Leaf-Blight (BLB) disease susceptibility and poor grain quality performance. The approved varieties have been recommended to National Seed Council.

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine Details show that the hybrid varieties approved by the VEC have yield potential up to 92 mound per acre whereas the OP rice varieties have potential to produce much yield than the existing IRRI-6 and KSK-133 varieties. The OP varieties have been developed from the Green Super Rice (GSR) germplasm provided by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) Philippines to PARC and National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (NIBGE).

These OP varieties have high yield potential and also submergence, salinity and water stress tolerance characters. “With theaddition of new recommended hybrids of rice in the national system of the country, it is expected that there will be a significant improvement in rice production in Pakistan,” Dr. M. Shahid Masood Chairman VET said. He appreciated role of the stakeholders for taking interest in rice research and development and working in close collaboration with the public sector.

The VEC meeting, among others, was attended by twenty technical members of the committee from National AgricultureResearch System (NARS) of the country including rice breeders, agronomists, entomologists, pathologists, seed experts, policy-makers, private seed companies‟ representatives and provincial seed cooperation representatives. It is pertinent to mention here that the VEC on wheat recently released four new rust resistant wheat varieties including a bio-fortified variety having 50 percent Zinc (Zn) contents. The bio-fortified variety is the first-ever such introduction in the list of recommended varieties for farmers‟ choice in any agro-ecology.

Meanwhile, Chairman PARC, Dr. Iftikhar Ahmad lauded the efforts of the scientists and other stakeholders for introducing new rice varieties. “I expect that the introduction of new rice varieties would not only produce promising crop yield but wouldalso help farmers to raise their incomes to improve their livelihood and ultimately play role in building of overall economy of the country,” he remarked. —INP

Chinese businessmen team visits FPCCI zonal office April 19, 2015 RECORDER REPORT

A 10-member entrepreneurs' delegation from the Qinghai Province of China, headed by Qinghai Provincial Commerce Department Director General Yu Xiao visited the zonal office of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) on Saturday to talk about business opportunities.

In his comments, Director General Xiao said the delegation's visit was to find out business partners in different sectors like halal food products, agriculture, leather, handmade carpet, rice and dry fruit and also invited Chamber Zonal Chairman Khawaja Zarar Kaleem to the Qinghai Province to attend two upcoming events being held in year 2015- International Halal Food and Products Fair and China (Qinghai) International Carpet Exhibition. Zonal Chairman Kaleem said, in turn, that Pakistan and China had had good relations and exchange of trade delegations would strengthen them. "Trainings and joint ventures will not only increase the bilateral trade but also support the transfer of high technology," he said. About the key business opportunities available in Pakistan, he said, "There are ample opportunities available which can be put into www.ricepluss.com R&D Section: Riceplus Magazine

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine practice and informed the delegates that Pakistani businessmen are specifically interested in joint ventures relating to Halal food products, agriculture sector, rock salt, the leather and hand-made carpet sectors and rice and dry fruit. The best quality of rice is produced in Pakistan and available at a reasonable rate." He also suggested arrangements of free pavilion for Pakistani exhibitors to display their products in the upcoming exhibitions and that the establishment of his chamber's Special Trade Committee between Pakistan and Qinghai province could strengthen the relations.

Ghana Trade Ministry asked to deal fairly with rice importers Category: General News APRIL 19, 2015 The Bureau for Internal Affairs (BIA), an anti-graft organisation, has called on the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MOTI), to ensure a balanced assessment of taxes paid by small scale and large-scale rice importers.It claimed that MOTI in a media report accused the Small Scale Rice Dealers Association of Ghana (SSRIDA) of tax evasion and smuggling of rice despite the ban on its activities since 2013.A statement issued by Mr Godfred Nkrumah, Coordinating Director of BIA at the weekend and copied to Ghana News Agency in Accra, said despite the allegations on January 28, 2014, MOTI received a report from the Customs Division of Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), about rice imports through the Western Frontier-Sunyani Collection.

The statement said the report, which was addressed to the Chief Director at the ministry was headlined: “Authenticating copies of SAD forms and assessing impact of rice imports through the Western FrontierSunyani Collection.”It claimed that the exercise, which targeted SSRIDA members took the team members to Gonokrom, Kofi Badukrom, Nkrakwanta and Osei Kojokrom.“All copies of entry forms submitted by the MOTI for verification were genuine and originated from the stations indicated; all relevant taxes were paid; values applied conformed to values given by Commissioner per memorandum of August 3, 2013, and revenue from rice imports is a major source of tax for the Sunyani Collection,” the statement said.BIA said to avoid any doubt in the minds of the public the Trade Ministry should published the full GRA report.

It said an independent investigative team set up by MOTI has revealed that members of SSRIDA used unapproved routes to bring their goods and only import broken rice, in order to attract a paltry amount of tax.It said if the independent investigation was undertaken to check tax evasion by SSRIDA, then the same measure should be extended to the large-scale rice dealers to ensure a balanced overview of the current state of rice importation.The statement said BIA had called for forensic auditing of rice imports to promote transparency and accountability by those in the industry especially the major players, who import the commodity on large scale and store them in bonded warehouses.“Transparency and accountability should be the number one priority of the Trade Ministry in importation of rice, be it small or large scale,” the statement said.The BIA asked Dr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, the Trade Minister to call on the Bureau of www.ricepluss.com R&D Section: Riceplus Magazine

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine National Investigations, to probe the activities of both small and large scale importers for the citizenry to know the whole story about rice importation.It said MOTI should also put in place measures, which could be undertaken to effectively aid and stabilise the rice industry to boost the economy to benefit the citizens.The statement said since the ban was slapped on small scale importers from November 1, 2013, SSRIDA members have been denied the right to do business but what shows that those allowed to do so are serving the national interest?�

Source: GNA

Scientists behind 'golden rice' GM crop to receive humanitarian award from the White House The rice could become a staple food that saves millions of lives STEVE CONNOR SCIENCE EDITOR SUNDAY 19 APRIL 2015

The scientists who invented vitamin-enriched “golden rice� will receive a humanitarian award tomorrow from the White House in Washington for developing a staple food that could save the lives of millions of people in the developing world.Golden rice is genetically manipulated to turn on the genes for making beta-carotene, a nutritional precursor the body needs to manufacture its own vitamin A. These genes are switched off in ordinary white rice which can lead to severe vitamin A deficiency causing tens of millions of cases of blindness and death each year, mainly in South East Asia.Environmental campaigners opposed to golden rice have organised the

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine destruction of experimental field trials on the grounds that the GM rice represents a high-tech “quick fix” to vitamin A deficiency without addressing the underlying problems of poverty and poor nutrition.“Genetically engineered „golden‟ rice is environmentally irresponsible, poses risk to human health and could compromise food, nutrition and financial security,” said Greenpeace, which has led the opposition to the crop for the past two decades.

However, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and the US Patent and Trademark Office have awarded the inventors of golden rice the prestigious Patents for Humanity Award, which will be presented to Adrian Dubock, who as a former scientist at the agro-chemicals company Syngenta helped to arrange for the intellectual property behind the research to be made available free of charge to developing countries.Dr Dubock, who will accept the award in Washington, shares the prize with its two co-inventors, Professor Ingo Potrykus of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich and Peter Beyer of the University of Freiburg in Germany, who granted Syngenta the rights to develop the technology.

The company announced in 2004 that it had no continuing interest in the commercial exploitation of golden rice but would continue to support its development as a humanitarian project.Vitamin A deficiency is a leading killer of children globally, accounting for between 2m and 3m deaths per year, as well as causing about 500,000 cases of blindness annually. White rice is the main daily staple crop for about 3.5bn people in the world, even though it is deficient in vitamin A, which is typically found in meat and leafy vegetables.Supporters of golden rice said that it could have been introduced a decade ago but opposition by environmentalists has held up its regulatory approval, leading to the preventable death and blindness of tens of millions of people.

Trade Ministry should deal fairly with rice dealers - BIA The Bureau for Internal Affairs (BIA), an anti-graft organisation, has called on the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MOTI) to ensure a balanced assessment of taxes paid by small-scale and large-scale rice importers.It claimed that MOTI in a media report accused the Small-Scale Rice Dealers Association of Ghana (SSRIDA) of tax evasion and smuggling of rice despite the ban on its activities since 2013.A statement issued by Mr Godfred Nkrumah, Co-ordinating Director of BIA at the weekend and copied to the Ghana News Agency in Accra, said despite the allegations on January 28, 2014, MOTI received a report from the Customs Division of Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) about rice imports through the Western Frontier-Sunyani Collection.

The statement said the report, which was addressed to the Chief Director at the ministry was headlined: “Authenticating copies of SAD forms and assessing impact of rice imports through the Western Frontier-Sunyani Collection.”It claimed that the exercise which targeted SSRIDA members took the team members to Gonokrom, Kofi Badukrom, Nkrakwanta and Osei Kojokrom.“All copies of entry forms submitted by the MOTI for verification were genuine and originated from the stations indicated; all relevant taxes were paid; values applied conformed to values given by Commissioner per memorandum of August 3, 2013, and revenue from rice www.ricepluss.com R&D Section: Riceplus Magazine

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine imports is a major source of tax for the Sunyani Collection,” the statement said.BIA said to avoid any doubt in the minds of the public, the Trade Ministry should publish the full GRA report.It said an independent investigative team set up by MOTI has revealed that members of SSRIDA used unapproved routes to bring their goods and only import broken rice in order to attract a paltry amount of tax.

It said if the independent investigation was undertaken to check tax evasion by SSRIDA, then the same measure should be extended to the large-scale rice dealers to ensure a balanced overview of the current state of rice importation.The statement said BIA had called for forensic auditing of rice imports to promote transparency and accountability by those in the industry especially the major players who import the commodity on large-scale and store them in bonded warehouses.“Transparency and accountability should be the number one priority of the Trade Ministry in importation of rice, be it small or large-scale,” the statement said.The BIA asked Dr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, the Trade Minister, to call on the Bureau of National Investigations to probe the activities of both small and large-scale importers for the citizenry to know the whole story about rice importation.It said MOTI should also put in place measures to effectively aid and stabilise the rice industry to boost the economy to benefit the citizens.The statement said since the ban was slapped on small-scale importers from November 1, 2013, SSRIDA members have been denied the right to do business but what shows that those allowed to do so are serving the national interest?”

In Spanish culinary event, a trade angle on PH’s gustatory delights AN ARTIST’S rendering of the booths the Department of Agriculture will put up at Madrid Fusion Manila.

Reading Inquirer‟s food page last Thursday, I noticed that 70 percent of the articles were on Madrid Fusion Manila (MFM). April has become one huge fiesta with events promoting Spanish food in various restaurants and malls. (For skeds, see margauxlicious.com or the Lifestyle Guide to Madrid Fusion Manila by Raoul Chee Kee at http://lifesty le.inquirer.net/190580/lifestyle-guide-to-madrid-fusionmanila-a-fiesta-like-no-other.).But during the Madrid Fusion in Spain

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine

last February, the chefs who will speak at Madrid Fusion Manila on April 24-26 reveal that they are looking forward to discovering Philippine products.

Curious chefs “I would like to discover Filipino ingredients that I hope to use (in my kitchen),” said Chef Paco Torreblanca, one of Spain‟s most celebrated pastry chefs. He was delighted when Chef Claude Tayag gave him a pack of pili nuts when he visited the Philippine booth at Madrid Fusion.Elena Arzak, who will be speaking on Day 1 of the Congress, shares the same enthusiasm for discovery. Watching her receive the bottle of Manille liqueur I presented to her and her father, legendary Chef Juan Mari Arzak, at Restaurant Arzak in San Sebastian, I couldn‟t help but notice that her beautiful Spanish eyes lit up. She looked like a kid who had found a new toy to play with.

Berna Romulo Puyat of the Department of Agriculture Chef Andoni Luis Aduriz of Mugaritz, currently No. 6 on the list of World‟s 50 Best Restaurants, takes it a step further, seeking not only new flavors but products that represent Filipino culture.He explains that a successful restaurant is “not just about good techniques but also about good products,” and that you need both to succeed.He is in pursuit of unique flavors that reflect cultural identity.“Sweet, sour, fermented products … these all have something to do with culture. These are the products I am curious about and want to understand,” Aduriz said.I www.ricepluss.com R&D Section: Riceplus Magazine

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine told him he would have to go to the Philippine countryside to experience this.“Nah,” he replied smiling, “Chele (Gonzalez of Gallery Vask, who had worked at Mugaritz) will just bring them to his restaurant.”

Showcase Vask, in fact, has done its own research and will be presenting Gonzalez‟s finds and interpretations during a dinner entitled “Kulinarya” on April 25, Saturday (for reservations, call +63917-5461673).But a more expansive display may be found at the MFM halls. The Department of Agriculture (DOA), through the efforts of Undersecretary Berna Romulo Puyat, will be setting up several booths that will showcase the best of Philippine products and produce.

There will be mangoes and coconuts, of course, but the list also includes products that even Filipinos are not familiar with.

Adlai An example is “adlai,” a tall, hardy, grain-bearing plant of the grass family that pre-Spanish Filipinos supposedly ate.It may not be for mass production because the plant thrives in the highlands. But chefs will love the fact that it is a grain superior to rice and corn due to its higher protein and carbohydrate content. Chef Margarita Fores, in fact, loved the product so much upon hearing about it from Puyat that she used it in her presentation of Filipino food when she was guest chef of Hotel Ritz in Madrid last February.The DOA will also be presenting heirloom rice varieties such as Imbuucan, Lasdakan, Ominio, Tinawon, Unoy, Ulikan, Balatinaw, Jekyot and Chong-ak from our 2,000-year old rice terraces in the Cordillera Autonomous Region and parts of Mindanao (Arakan Valley Complex and Lake Sebu in Cotabato).The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) notes that heirloom rice varieties are more flavorful, aromatic, and have exceptional nutritional value when cooked. Foreign chefs have actually been visiting IRRI on their own, looking for unique varieties of rice from the Philippines.These varieties are extra special because they are grown on ancestral lands and harvested using age-old techniques passed on from generation to generation.

Berna Romulo Puyat of the Department of Agriculture According to Puyat, 90 percent of farmers of heirloom rice are women.

Calamansi and cacao

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine “So, every time you buy, you not only help our women farmers, you also help save the rice terraces,” she said.A Filipino produce that has been the darling of the international food scene lately is calamansi. The DOA will present this at MFM, along with the Manille line of lime liqueurs (calamansi and dalandan) now celebrated here and abroad.At a recent visit to Singapore during the Asia‟s 50 Best Restaurant Awards, I noticed that Osteria Mozza uses calamansi in their cocktails.

Pizzeria Mozza executive chef Karla Mendoza shared that the wife of their cocktail master is Filipino and once brought Manille calamansi liqueur. They loved it so much that they have been making their own liqueur of fresh calamansi since.The DOA will also be showcasing suha (pomelo), dalandan, sampaloc (tamarind), kamias, batuan, tabon-tabon and sua (markut lime).

There will also be displays of cocoa and coffee from around the country.Finally, as we anticipate the victory of Manny Pacquiao over Floyd Mayweather, the DOA will also be presenting tuna from General Santos, Manny‟s hometown before claiming Saranggani as his residence.

Proudly Filipino As Puyat made her rounds to various provinces in search of products to showcase, she realized how “we have everything in the Philippines.”She cited green honey, cacao and pili nuts, which drew crowds in trade fairs in various countries.The impact of the promotion of Filipino products to the world is huge. The agriculture industry accounts for 12 percent of the country‟s gross domestic product (GDP), and employs 32 percent of the Philippine workforce. So, while the agricultural industry grew by 4.8 percent in the fourth quarter of 2014, it is important to continue pushing for greater growth.

For foodies, it may be all about flavor, but demand for Philippine products can translate to an increase in income for farmers and better quality of life for all. So as we rekindle our relations with Spain through recipes they left behind, let us also remember that this event is one great opportunity to promote Filipino flavors to the world.Mugaritz‟s Aduriz once told me something promising: “The Philippines will be the center of the gastronomic revolution in Asia.”Let‟s hope this prediction comes true.

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PARC INTRODUCES 11 NEW HIGH-YIELDING RICE VARIETIES Saturday, April 18, 2015 - Islamabad—The Pakistan Agriculture Research Council (PARC) approved eleven new high-yieldingrice varieties including seven (7) hybrid and four (4) OpenPollinated (OP) seed for cultivation in various ecologies. The Variety Evaluation Committee (VEC) on Rice was held here at PARC headquarters under the Chairmanship of Member Plant Sciences Division, Dr. Muhammad Shahid Masood. In total nineteen (19) rice varieties were presented before the VEC including 14 hybrid and 5 OP varieties, out of which 11 were approved and 8 rejected due to Bacterial-Leaf-Blight (BLB) disease susceptibility and poor grain quality performance.

The approved varieties have been recommended to National Seed Council.Details show that the hybrid varieties approved by the VEC have yield potential up to 92 mound per acre whereas the OP ricevarieties have potential to produce much yield than the existing IRRI-6 and KSK133 varieties. The OP varieties have been developed from the Green Super Rice (GSR) germplasm provided by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) Philippines to PARC and National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (NIBGE).These OP varieties have high yield potential and also submergence, salinity and water stress tolerance characters. “With the addition of new recommended hybrids of rice in the national system of the country, it is expected that there will be a significant improvement in rice production in Pakistan,” Dr. M. Shahid Masood Chairman VET said.

He appreciated role of the stakeholders for taking interest in rice research and development and working in close collaboration with the publicsector.The VEC meeting, among others, was attended by twenty technical members of the committee from National Agriculture Research System (NARS) of the country including rice breeders, agronomists, entomologists, pathologists, seed experts, policy-makers, private seed companies‟ representatives and provincial seed cooperation representatives.

It is pertinent to mention here that the VEC on wheat recently released four new rust resistant wheat varieties including a bio-fortified variety having 50 percent Zinc (Zn) contents. The biofortified variety is the first-ever such introduction in the list of recommendedvarieties for farmers‟ choice in any agro-ecology.Meanwhile, Chairman PARC, Dr. Iftikhar Ahmad lauded the efforts of the scientists and other stakeholders for introducing new rice varieties. “I expect that the introduction of new rice varieties would not only produce promising crop yield but would also help farmers to raise their incomes to improve their livelihood and ultimately play role in building of overall economy of the country,” he remarked. —INP

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saffron 20 FEBRUARY 2015 03:00 AM

INGREDIENTS When Mopsy got ear mites, her sisters had to be treated too There's no vaccine for a cat like Louis, who guards his territory How to keep children happy when coping with travelling this Easter

400g basmati rice Salt and white pepper 110g unsalted butter 100g whole Zaytoun almonds, skin on, roughly chopped 80g Zaytoun Medjoul dates, roughly chopped 1/4 tsp saffron threads soaked in 2 tbsp hot water Serves 4 METHOD Rinse the rice well under running cold water, then put it in a large bowl, cover with lukewarm water and stir through two tablespoons of salt.Leave it to sit for one to two hours, then drain and wash again, this time with lukewarm water.Bring a medium pot of water to a boil, add two more tablespoons of salt, then add the rice and boil gently for three to four minutes, until almost cooked.Check by trying a grain - it should still have a bit of bite to it.

Drain, rinse under lukewarm water and set aside to drain.In the same pan, melt 80g of the butter and sautĂŠ the almonds for four minutes, until slightly golden. Add the dates, cook for a couple of minutes more, then stir through half a teaspoon of white pepper, a quarter-teaspoon of salt and half the rice. Gently flatten this down, then spoon the remaining rice on top.Melt the remaining butter and pour over the top, along with three tablespoons of water. Cover the pan with a tight lid and cook on the lowest possible heat for 35 minutes.Turn off the heat, spoon over the saffron and its water, cover with a tea towel, put the lid back on and set aside for 10 minutes.Serve hot, using a large spoon so that you hav portions in which the two layers are distinct and separate.

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