30th 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 30 , 2015 V o l u m e 5, Issue I

ECC approves Rs 1.5b for Ramadan package Finance Minister says govt has allowed special price relaxation.

30th April, 2015 Last updated at 20:04 PST The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet has approved 1.5 billion rupees Ramadan package as compared to the 1.4 billion rupees last year.Its meeting held in Islamabad

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine on Thursday was chaired by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar.Dar said the government has allowed the special price relaxation despite already dropping prices owing to low level of inflation.Finance Division would provide upfront payment of one billion rupees to the Utility Stores Corporation to buy the items before Ramadan.

These include flour, sugar, ghee/oil, pulses, baisen, dates, basmati rice, sella rice, broken rice, squashes and syrups, black tea, milk and spices. The ECC allowed levy of 2% regulatory duty on petroleum crude oil, motor spirit oil and furnace oil.Approval was also accorded for imposition of 2.5 % regulatory duty on high speed diesel.Both regulatory duties would be levied with effect from first of June this year. The step is aimed to recoup some of the revenue losses due to persistent fall in petroleum products in the current financial year.The meeting also gave approval for the balance amount of 35.96 million dikkar for induction of 15 aircrafts on dry lease in the PIA fleet. http://www.radio.gov.pk/newsdetail/76167/1

Foundation seed facility close to reality in Arkansas

By Rich Keller, Editor, Ag Professional April 30, 2015 | 5:00 pm The Arkansas Rice Research and Promotion Board (ARRPB) reportedly announced plans to direct $2 million to help construct a seed foundation facility at the Arkansas Rice Research and Extension Center in Stuttgart.One of the goals of the facility will be to assist scientists and researchers to bring new higher yielding, high quality rice varieties to market so that Arkansas farmers can continue to profitably grow rice that meets worldwide demand.The Extension Center is operated by the University of Arkansas System, Division of Agriculture, as will the new Foundation Seed Facility, which will handle rice, soybean and wheat seed. The new facility is expected to cost $8.6 million, and construction will begin this summer and be completed in 12 months, according to a news release.

The promised $2 million is only the latest contribution to the facility construction from the ARRPB. According to a report by KATV television, the $2 million for the new facility will come through tariff rate quota funds generated for domestic rice research from the U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement, which established an annual tariff rate quota for U.S. rice exported to Colombia. The funds are reserved only for research efforts and are allocated by the ARRPB.The facility will contain both seed cleaning and storage capabilities along with the ability to clean seeds to Plant Board specifications.

The facility will be able to handle both genetically modified and non-genetically modified seeds.

Cold storage will be available for long-term seed storage.As noted, the facility will be for rice,

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine soybeans and wheat seed. Contributions for the facility have come from other commodity organizations other than the rice industry.The new facility will continue cooperative research efforts between the promotion board and the Division of Agriculture, which has resulted in the development of new rice varieties and new technologies related to fertility, pest control, irrigation, and weed control.The ARRPB was formed in 1985 by the General Assembly to administer the rice check-off program.

The ARRPB consists of nine rice producers nominated by industry organizations and appointed by the governor.As explained in media news, under the program, rice farmers contribute 1.35 cents per bushel for rice research and the first buyer of rice contributes 1.35 cents per bushel for promotion and market development efforts. The program provides approximately $2.5 million to $3 million annually for research efforts conducted by the University of Arkansas System, Division of Agriculture. http://www.agprofessional.com/news/foundation-seed-facility-close-reality-arkansas

PhilRice Agusan holds Palayabangan: The 10-5 Challenge April 30, 2015

BUTUAN CITY, April 30 (PIA) – The Philippine Rice Research Institute Agusan Experiment Station (PhilRice Agusan) held the Annual Palayabangan: The 10-5 Challenge Field Day and Farmer‘s Forum on Thursday, April 29 at Brgy. Basilisa, RT Romualdez, Agusan del Norte. The 10-5 Challenge aims to raise the rice production standard to 10 tons per hectare yield at P5.00 input cost for every kilogram of Palay produced. The current average yield in the country is about 4 tons/ha while input cost is about P11.00/kg of Palay.―As conceptualized by the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Integration to promote free trade between country members, the initiative also aims to provide opportunities for all players in the rice sector to show what they can do to improve the yield and production cost,‖ said Dr. Corsennie A. Mabayag, Senior Science Research Specialist of PhilRice Agusan. ―Palayabangan: The 10-5 Challenge supports the goal of the Food Staple Sufficiency Program of the country and the advocacies of the National Year of Rice to help increase the farmer‘s productivity, make them globally competitive, and boost their morale,‖ Dr. Mabayag added.

The 4th Palayabangan Challenge reached its largest number of participants this year, as it is joined by nine agriculture-based establishments, namely: Bayer CropScience Inc., Agusan Greenfields Resources and Agrotech Corp., FMC Agricultural Solutions, NextGen Global Alliance Corp., Jeels Masagana Farm Supply, Texicon Agriventures Corp., Global Green Organic Fert. Inc., Syngenta Philippines, and SL Agritech Corporation. All participants were given opportunity to demonstrate products and technologies to the farmers.―On 2014, participants of Palayabangan: The 10-5 Challenge reached the average yield of 6.9 tons/ha and

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine an input cost of PhP 15.00-19.00. We are expecting improvement this year, with the mechanization of their farming methods, ― Dr. Mabayag said. (Lacheln O. Rafallo, PIA-Caraga) http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/1701430356607/philrice-agusan-holds-palayabangan-the-10-5challenge#sthash.Pn8Yycrc.dpuf

Graduate Students Meet Lawmakers in Sacramento UC Riverside‘s Jessica Diaz and Vicente Nunez took part in Graduate Research Advocacy Day 2015

By Iqbal Pittalwala On APRIL 30, 2015

UC Riverside's Vicente Nunez (left) and Jessica Diaz (right) are seen here with California Assemblymember Jose Medina at Graduate Research Advocacy Day.PHOTO CREDIT: UC OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT.

RIVERSIDE, Calif. – While they don‘t garner as much public attention as undergraduates, graduate students at the University of California, Riverside are a driving force behind UC‘s leadership in research and education.On April 28, two UC Riverside graduate students – Jessica Diaz and Vicente Nunez – joined 20 other UC graduate students and UC President Janet Napolitano at the state capitol to highlight the value graduate research brings to the state.An annual event, Graduate Research Advocacy Day brings delegates from each campus to the capitol for a day of informal chats with lawmakers. The visits have established valuable relationships between graduate students and elected officials, who have often invited researchers back to Sacramento to tap their expertise on critical issues.Diaz is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Botany and Plant Sciences. In Sacramento, she discussed her dissertation research ―Engineering Rice Plants with a Goal of Improving Yield.‖ She is experimenting with ways to engineer rice plants to make their leaf angles more upright, enabling them to be planted more closely together and yield more rice grains per plot. Leaf erectness is an important agronomic trait in rice and other cereals because plants with erect leaves require less growth space, allowing for higher density planting, which contributes to increased grain yields per acre.

UC Riverside’s Vicente Nunez (left) and Jessica Diaz (right) are seen here with UC President Janet Napolitano at Graduate Research Advocacy Day. PHOTO CREDIT: UC OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT.

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine Diaz expects to graduate from UC Riverside this summer. She received her bachelor‘s degree in biotechnology with a minor in chemistry from California State University, Northridge in 2009, after which she joined UCR. Her research focuses on molecular biology and genetics in plant developmental biology. Her goal is to understand the molecular events that regulate the development of the above ground organs of plants.

She is the recipient of a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, a National Science Foundation ChemGen Integrative Graduate Education Research Trainee (IGERT) Fellowship, and a National Institutes of Health Minority Access to Research Careers (MARC) UStar Fellowship. Her work in plant biology has taken her across the globe with fully funded travel grants to present her graduate and undergraduate research at annual meetings of the American Society of Plant Biologists as well as the International Conference on Arabidopsis Research.

A native Californian (she grew up in the San Fernando Valley) and a first generation student born to Mexican migrant parents, Diaz has fostered various methods to make her research accessible to more than her professional audiences and advocates for accessibility to STEM career paths for underrepresented communities. In 2012, she co-founded UCR‘s Plant Discovery Day in the Department of Botany and Plant Sciences. This yearly outreach event is filled with interactive science demonstrations for local elementary school students. She has also presented her research and discussed her career path annually since 2013 at workshops geared towards teaching and empowering young Latina women to pursue higher education and various career options.

Seen in this photo, from left to right, are California Assemblymember Jose Medina, UCR Graduate Division Dean Joseph Childers, Vicente Nunez, Jessica Diaz and UCR Assistant Vice Chancellor for Governmental and Community Relations Susan McKee.PHOTO CREDIT: UC OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT. Nunez received his Ph.D. inbioengineering in March 2015. In Sacramento, he presented research titled ―Bioinspired Engineering for Microbial Diagnostics and Biomimetic Nanotechnology: The Development of Rapid Bacterial Sensing Methodologies Based on Fluorescence Enhancement and Targeted Nanotransducers for Near Infrared Imaging.‖ This research focused on the development of methods for rapid diagnostics of bacterial pathogens and on the development of biologically inspired nanotechnologies for imaging and treatment of ovarian cancer.

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine Currently, he is a National Institutes of Health Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Harvard University where he has joined the Neurobiology Department with the pursuit of developing high resolution microscopy technologies for investigating blood-brain barrier integrity and to develop novel drug delivery approaches for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer‘s and Parkinson‘s.

Nunez was born in Guadalajara, Mexico, and is a first generation immigrant. He was raised in Palm Springs, Calif. He started his college education at the College of the Desert in Palm Desert, Calif., where he was inspired to pursue an engineering degree with an emphasis on the biological and biomedical fields. He transferred to UC Riverside as a bioengineering major and became a National Science Foundation funded undergraduate researcher under the California Alliance for Minority Participation (CAMP) program. His experiences as an undergraduate researcher in the field of biomolecular engineering further convinced him of pursuing a graduate degree in order to continue to develop his scientific research abilities.

Upon receiving his bachelor‘s degree in bioengineering at UC Riverside, Nunez pursued a doctoral degree at his alma mater. He is a recipient of a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship and is an integral contributor to several peer-reviewed articles and a

patent application.

MEDIA CONTACT

Iqbal Pittalwala Tel: (951) 827-6050 E-mail: iqbal@ucr.edu Twitter: UCR_Sciencenews

ADDITIONAL CONTACTS

Jessica Diaz E-mail: jdiaz017@ucr.edu Vicente Nunez E-mail: vnune004@ucr.edu RELATED LINKS

UC newsroom article

http://ucrtoday.ucr.edu/28909

Punjab Rice Millers Association send food to Nepal 

HT Correspondent, Hindustan Times, Patiala

|



Updated: Apr 30, 2015 22:13 IST

The Punjab Rice Millers Association on Thursday dispatched three trucks of rice to Nepal to help the people affected by the ravaging quake.The association members handed over the relief www.ricepluss.com R&D Section: Riceplus Magazine

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine material to Punjab food and civil supplies minister Adesh Partap Singh Kairon.A member of the association led by president Tarsem Saini also met Kairon and assured him to provide all possible help.Tarsem Saini also appealed to all rice millers of the state to contribute maximum relief material for the Nepal quake victims.He said for the time being three trucks of rice have been handed over to the government, which will be dispatched by air on Saturday.http://www.hindustantimes.com/patiala/punjab-rice-millers-association-send-food-tonepal/article1-1342683.aspx

New saline-tolerant hybrid rice variety developed Updated: April 30, 2015 05:43 IST

Rice cultivators in the brackish water paddy tracts of the northern districts of the State, especially Kattampally here, can now cultivate a new saline-tolerant hybrid organic rice variety developed as part of the organic plant breeding programme of the Regional Agricultural Research Station (RARS) at Pilikkode in Kasaragod. The new rice variety, named Ezhome-4, was released exclusively for cultivation in the brackish water (‗kaipad‘ in local parlance) ecosystem which is being revived in different parts of the northern region, especially in the Kattampally region here.This was one of the two new hybrid organic varieties commercially released by the RARS under the Kerala Agricultural University (KAU) recently.

According to RARS researchers, Ezhome-4 is the result of the series of hybridisation programmes conducted in 2002. ―The new variety is equally suited for saline-prone naturally organic Kaipad paddy tracts and non-saline flooded tracts during first crop season and also for ordinary wetlands,‖ T. Vanaja, Principal Breeder and Investigator under the programme told The Hindu .―It gives high yield in traditional kaipad tracts as well as in newly rejuvenated Kattampally tracts,‖ she added. It gives an average yield of 5.1 tonne/hectare in the medium saline organic kaipad ecosystem with an average straw yield of 10 tonne/ha, Dr. Vanaja said. The other new organic rice variety, ‗Jaiva‘ is for ordinary non-saline wetland tracts.

Dr. Vanaja said that the organic rice variety was first put forward in an international conference on organic agriculture system when a paper on it was presented. She said that the paper was also published in the international Journal of Organic Farming in 2013. ‗Jaiva‘ is also the result of the hybridisation programme conducted 13 years ago, she said adding that the variety was successful in experimental trials in farmers‘ fields. Its average grain yield is 5.2 tonne/ha and straw yield is nine tonnes/ha under organic management. The research on the two new varieties spanning over a period of 13 years had been carried out at the RARS and in the Pepper Research Station at Panniyur here.

Ezhome-4 released for cultivation in the brackish water ecosystem.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/new-salinetolerant-hybrid-rice-varietydeveloped/article7156617.ece

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VCU Rice Rivers Center receives $2.3 million gift from Inger Rice ALEXA WELCH EDLUND/TIMES-DISPATCH VCU students and faculty arrived May 25, 2014, at the Rice Rivers Center, a mostly wild tract along the James River in Charles City County, as part of a month-long course in biology and history.Posted: Wednesday, April 29, 2015 2:31 pm.

Inger Rice has made a $2.3 million gift to support the Virginia Commonwealth University Inger and Walter Rice Center for Environmental Life Sciences to fund a multi-building overnight lodge and to contribute to the construction of a research laboratory on the property, according to a release.A $1.8 million portion of the gift will finance the construction of the overnight facility, which will have up to 30 beds where students and researchers will stay while they work at the living laboratory in Charles City County.The other $500,000 will go toward the $6.7 million campaign to fund construction of a state-of-the-science building that will enable the scientists at the center to conduct all of their research and analysis on-site. Both buildings will be funded entirely by private resources.

In 2000, Rice gave 342 acres of land along the lower James River to VCU as a location for the university to build an environmental research and education center. In the subsequent 15 years, Rice has continued to financially support the center.In 2007, she donated $2 million for construction of the 4,900-square-foot Walter L. Rice Education Building, which is the first LEED platinum-certified building in Virginia.In 2009, Rice donated $1.2 million in recognition of the beginning of the tenure of VCU President Michael Rao, Ph.D., at the university and to establish the Inger Rice Endowment Fund, which supports maintenance of the center‘s grounds and the education building.

Current research at the center includes highly recognized programs focused on analyzing water quality in the James River and helping to restore the federally endangered Atlantic Sturgeon in the river. The VCU Rice Rivers Center is also home to one of the most significant wetland www.ricepluss.com R&D Section: Riceplus Magazine

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine restoration projects on the East Coast. The center stands as a leader in river ecosystem science, addressing pressing water resource issues vital to society and the natural environment http://www.richmond.com/outdoors/article_faa0872e-ee9d-11e4-b02b-cb4579d5fd1a.html

Fusión Revolution Posted on April 29, 2015 06:51:00 PM

By Pola Esguerra del Monte, High Life staff writer A SQUAB LIES in the middle of the plate, its stiffened neck and dried-out eyelids a portrait of death. In place of the young pigeon’s heart is head of garlic, standing on a pitch-black streak of charred eggplant puree. Skull and bones are scattered on a beetroot gastrique where the “innards” are dispelled: morsels of latik and cashew. The dish harks, in a gustatory manner, to the colonial Spaniards’ execution of national hero José Rizal. ―Noli Me Tangere,‖ a dish by The Goose Station‘s chef Rob Pengson, was flashed on a screen in front of Spaniards and Filipinos who sat side-by-side, wetting their lips. In another lifetime, friars would have flinched.But the year is 2015. A century has passed since the American ships‘ guns fired upon Spanish ships in Manila Bay, and today the bright orange sun warms the calm waters. On April 24, Pasay‘s coconut trees, skyscrapers, and ubiquitous coffee shops were the backdrop to a new revolution in Manila, the city where 350 delegates to the three-day Madrid Fusión Manila listened as 20 chefs from la madre patria and the former colony discussed the future. More specifically, the future of food.

NEW CUISINE There is much to learn from Spain in terms of gastronomy. Spain is one of the countries at the center of the world of gastronomy, teeming with Michelin-starred chefs. Meanwhile, the Philippines, whose dishes are infused with traditional Spanish elements inherited from 300 years as Spain‘s colony, has yet to discover how to move on from morcon to degustacion.

One of the most influential chefs in Spain, Andoni Luis Aduriz, who gave a talk entitled ―Open Creativity,‖ defined the ―new‖ as criticism. Sitting down with BusinessWorld before the congress began, the chef of Mugaritz said: ―We think about how we can do what we do now in another way. An innovative way.

Gastronomy derives meaning within a context, but the context is changing.‖The chef has followed in what seems to be a tradition of creativity in modern Spanish restaurants. He learned www.ricepluss.com R&D Section: Riceplus Magazine

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine this from Ferran Adrià, considered one of the best chefs in the world, who put Mr. Aduriz in elBulli‘s ―creativity area‖ for three years. When the apprentice left his master, Mr. Adrià‘s parting words were: ―You have a gift in creativity. It has to be a center of your work.‖ At his two-Michelin starred restaurant Mugaritz, the top floor is dedicated to creativity. There‘s a special kitchen where a team of seven people -- two chefs, a chemist, and four people doing research on gastronomy -- work on different projects all year, all-day long.Francis Paniego of the two-starred Echaurren has a similar system. For two months, four people convene in a special kitchen to contemplate trends for the next year. Speaking onstage at Madrid Fusión Manila, he likened the creative process to a mother delivering a child. ―I don‘t know how that feels but it must be painful. Creating has to be painful. It has to stress you. But then suddenly, eureka! It‘s 2 a.m. and we‘re working,‖ he breathed. ―It‘s amazing.‖

Mario Sandoval, who holds the record as the youngest chef to be given a Michelin star, seconds this. ―It‘s very difficult to create new things,‖ he said. ―New items are few. There‘s a lot of copying. To create new avenues is difficult.‖ The key, according to him: ―You have to be intelligent.‖For celebrated pastry chef Paco Torreblanca, ―Art has to be provocative but if you don‘t have the knowledge, it‘s useless.‖ However, he considers the new as simply a reimagining of the past. In his lecture ―Sweet World, Happy Ending,‖ he sculpted isomalt, a sugar substitute, into futuristic cylinders for dessert. Garnering a standing ovation, he said that what has been done doesn‘t interest him anymore. Before turning his back on the crowd, he said firmly, ―We have to move on, move on, move on.‖

NEW FILIPINIANA There was a recurring theme among the Filipino chefs‘ lectures at the conference, peppered with references to the Philippine revolution against Spain. Paintings of yesteryears‘ battles were flashed on the screen, followed by anecdotes on moving forward. It was in stark contrast to the Spanish chefs, who, if they ever even mentioned our shared history, would refer to the those 300 years as a ―fraternity.‖Mr. Pengson, who crafted a tasting menu that retells the story of the national hero, is perhaps one of the more provocative Filipino chefs. Sticking to his belief that Filipinos should rediscover history through food -- a movement he calls New Filipiniana -- he dedicated his hour to talking about creating food around Rizal‘s execution.

On the other hand, another Filipino restaurateur Margarita Forés, the lady behind Lusso and Cibo, raised the country‘s flag by presenting uniquely Filipino food ingredients. Her philosophy, using the best local ingredients and putting them beside the best in the world, was reflected in her dishes which featured balut (fertilized duck eggs) and sperm bags from local tuna.Claude Tayag of Bale Dutung discussed Philippine adobo, differentiating it from Spanish or Mexican adobo, and emphasizing that adobo is not so much a dish but a cooking technique that has been around www.ricepluss.com R&D Section: Riceplus Magazine

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine even before the Spaniards arrived. That the technique persists today and creates versions as varied as the number of households in the country -- or even more -- signifies resilience.

NEW REVOLUTION As the chefs discussed their theories at the congress, next door was the trade exhibition, a festival of sorts. Booths overflowed with their respective products -- chili ice cream, nachos,caldereta, bread, wine, olive oil, rice, chocolate, liquor, blenders, candies, wine refrigerators, etc. The companies had all placed their bets on the gastronomical revolution that Madrid Fusión Manila was about to spark.

The International Rice Research Institute‘s (IRRI) Casiana Vera Cruz, the head of the Heirloom Rice project of the Los Baños-based organization, has high hopes that interest in gastronomy would influence consumers to patronize heirloom rice. Heirloom rice -- black, brown, red, and varying in texture and flavor -- are varieties handed down through generations of small landholders, mostly in the Cordilleras.

Currently, there‘s a niche that patronizes heirloom rice, which costs at least three times the price of regular white rice. Chefs like Chele Gonzales of VASK and Robby Goco of Cyma have picked up the grains due to their rarity and uniqueness that makes them perfect for degustation menus. ―They are the local champions,‖ Dr. Vera Cruz declared. The chefs are the influencers who will open doors for consumers to partake of the previously unknown varieties. The future of the heirloom rice varieties is shaky. With changing times and more opportunities, farmers‘ children are less willing to take up the family business. The lack of understanding on how to make an enterprise out of heirloom rice, which traditionally is grown by farmers to feed themselves and not sold commercially, also poses a risk in the continuity of the varieties.

IRRI is thus working to provide assistance to farmers so they can create a market for heirloom rice, and eventually learn to thrive on its business.The future of Philippine gastronomy is also shared by the Spanish food industry. On the occasion of Madrid Fusión Manila, Jose M. Ferrer, chief executive officer of Wingara Wine Group and maker of Freixenet Cava, is releasing the fruity sparkling wine produced in Catalonia. With more sophisticated palates for food, more sophisticated palates for wine are expected to develop.Meanwhile, Spanish capa blanca, or white pork, is also expected to enjoy continued patronage. According to the Interprofessional Organization for Capa Blanca Pork, meat comprises a dominant section of the Spanish food and drink industry and around a million tons of pork, worth about €2.3 billion, is currently being exported.

To promote white pork, the group invited Kisko Garcia of Michelin-starred restaurant Choco to cook a pork dish. While there is nothing new about cooking pork, Mr. Garcia, like the other chefs at the congress, sought to inspire. He cautioned, however, that inspiration barely means anything.―Today it‘s with you. Tomorrow it‘s gone,‖ he said of inspiration. To him, innovation www.ricepluss.com R&D Section: Riceplus Magazine

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine is simply two things -- knowledge of the product and mastery of technique -- but ―it takes a long time to become what one will become.‖The long-term effect of Madrid Fusión Manila rests in the hands and minds of the youth.

On the sidelines of the event, students from the Magsaysay Center of Hospitality and Culinary Arts, Enderun Colleges, and other culinary schools were scanning IDs, ushering delegates, and from time to time, asking for photographs with the stellar foreign chefs who may only pass this way once. ―This is heaven,‖ remarked one of them, as she followed the path of her culinary gods.It‘s a far cry from what Rizal might have imagined the future to be when he stood in front of the firing squad. Yet isn‘t this what modernity is supposed to be? ―Move on, move on, move on,‖ Mr. Torreblanca urged. But the revolution continues, the lives of squabs being sacrificed as a reminder that we are still the same nation the heroes left behind. http://www.bworldonline.com/content.php?section=Arts&Leisure&title=fusin-revolution&id=107031

Budget Conference Report Reveals No Farm Bill Cuts WASHINGTON, D.C.-The House and Senate Agriculture Chairmen received welcome, but not entirely unexpected news when they reviewed the 2016 budget conference report. The report stated that neither the House nor the Senate Agriculture Committees are required to trim money from the Farm Bill. "The conference report as it relates to agriculture is a clear indication that Congress recognizes that the Agriculture Committees stepped up to the plate by reducing spending through the Farm Bill signed into law last year," said USA Rice's vice president of Government Affairs Ben Mosely. According to reports, even though the no-cut decision was anticipated, it was still appreciated. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), a Senate Budget conferee and ranking Democrat on Senate Agriculture, credits the backing of 400 different groups for their efforts in keeping House reconciliation directions for cuts to agriculture out of the budget conference reports.

Contact: Michael Klein (703) 236-1458

USA Rice Promotions: A Hit in Haiti PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI- The island nation of Haiti, a little more than 1,000 miles from the United States, has long been an important market for U.S. rice. However, in U.S. rice and Haiti have similar goals December 2012, the Government of Haiti signed an agreement with the government of Vietnam allowing the purchase of 300,000 MT of milled long grain rice; at that time, the U.S. had a 97 percent market share in Haiti.

In 2013, a total of 66,000 MT of Viet rice was imported to Haiti, displacing U.S. rice and reducing our market share to 78 percent. During the summer of 2013, USA Rice commenced a promotions program here with the goal of returning U.S. rice exports to their prior level. While there is a price differential between Vietnamese and www.ricepluss.com R&D Section: Riceplus Magazine

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine U.S. rice (typically $3-$5 per 25kg bag), Haitians have shown their desire for good quality rice.

"Viet rice, while cheaper, has a bad image - if it is not consumed right after it's cooked, then it becomes very hard and difficult to eat. American rice does not have that reputation," says IvesMarie Channel, USA Rice's marketing representation in Haiti. "USA Rice promotions in Haiti stress the high quality, reliability and excellent cooking characteristics of U.S. rice, or as many Haitians know it, Miami rice."After compiling an extensive list of the rice trade in Haiti and consulting with the major players, USA Rice began conducting 1,000 radio promotions and four 15-minute radio programs which discussed rice in depth.

The most visible activity last year were TV and radio spots broadcast during the World Cup. USA Rice broadcast 5,166 spots on 10 radio stations and 1,760 commercials were broadcasted on 6 television stations. In 2014, Haiti brought in less than 20,000 MT of Viet rice and the U.S. market share rose back up to 96 percent. There have not been any reports of Viet rice imports into Haiti in 2015 thus far. USA Rice is continuing its successful promotions in 2015, including sponsoring a local soccer team which will place U.S. rice posters in their stadiums, strengthening the positive image of U.S. rice, encouraging continued consumption, and protecting U.S. market share. Haiti consistently ranks among the top three markets for U.S. rice and the largest market for milled rice. Haiti was the second largest single destination for U.S. rice last year (361,578 MT) and the third largest value market ($185 million).

Contact: Sarah Moran (703) 236-1457

Weekly Rice Sales, Exports Reported WASHINGTON, DC --Net rice sales of 112,800 MT for 2014/2015 were up 72 percent from the previous week and up noticeably from the prior four-week average, according to today's Export Sales Highlights. Increases were reported for Libya (22,000 MT), Haiti (20,500 MT), South Korea (17,000 MT), Colombia (14,900 MT), and Mexico (12,100 MT).

Exports of 58,100 MT were down 25 percent from the previous week and 18 percent from the prior four-week average. The primary destinations were Colombia (34,800 MT), Haiti (10,000 MT), Mexico (3,600 MT), Canada (2,700 MT), and Jordan (1,700 MT).

This summary is based on reports from exporters from the period April 17-23.

CME Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures CME Group (Prelim): Closing Rough Rice Futures for April 30

Month

May 2015

July 2015

www.ricepluss.com R&D Section: Riceplus Magazine

Price

Net Change

$10.030

- $0.130

$10.295

- $0.135

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine

September 2015

$10.565

- $0.135

November 2016

$10.815

- $0.140

January 2016

$11.065

- $0.140

March 2016

$11.115

- $0.140

May 2016

$11.115

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Japanese leader says trade deal 'near,' pledges farm policy reform

By Philip Brasher WASHINGTON, April 29, 2015 - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, in an historic address to a joint meeting of Congress, assured lawmakers he was ready to remove protections for his country's farmers and was close to finalizing a trade deal with the United States.The U.S. demand that Japan end its stiff tariffs on rice and other agricultural commodities is one of the major hangups to concluding the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement.―The goal is near,‖ Abe said of the U.S.-Japan talks, speaking in halting English. ―Let us bring the TPP (to) successful conclusion through our joint leadership.‖Abe didn't talk at all about the specifics of the negotiations, and White House officials said ahead of his visit that the negotiations wouldn't be finished this week.But Abe told the lawmakers he had reversed the thinking he had 20 years ago when he joined a farmer rally to protest lowering protections to Japanese agriculture. ―I was much younger and like a ball of fire and opposed to opening Japan's agricultural market,‖ he said.Since then, Japanese agriculture ―has gone into decline‖ with the average age of farmers now 66, he said. ―In order for it to survive,‖ Japanese agriculture ―has to change now.‖He said Japan was pursuing ―sweeping reform‖ to its farm policy, which is one of the most lucrative for producers in the world. More than 45 percent of the value of Japan's agricultural production comes from trade barriers or subsidies. Commodities such as rice and dairy products are protected through quotes and prohibitively high tariffs, and there are duties on beef, vegetable oil and oranges. Pork is protected through a minimum import price, or ―gate price.‖ Earlier the year, Abe moved to overhaul the Japan Agricultural Cooperatives, a giant entity that controls distribution of farm commodities. After Abe's speech, Rep. Adrian Smith, R-Neb., said he senses ―momentum‖ in the TPP negotiations. ―I see him in a good position to get some reforms done. It's vital to the success of the TPP. ―Abe's speech came as the House and Senate are preparing to debate fast-track bills that would ensure that the TPP agreement would receive an up-or-down vote in Congress with no chance of amendment. The legislation could be on the Senate floor as early as next week.

The administration said the legislation is critical to getting Japan and Canada to make their final concessions in the TPP talks. The United States is demanding that Canada remove barriers on www.ricepluss.com R&D Section: Riceplus Magazine

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine dairy and poultry products.Abe also sought to make a case to the lawmakers for the TPP, which he said was important both for security of the two nations as well as to increase economic growth. ―We must take the lead to build a market, pure dynamic, sustainable, and (that) is also free from the … arbitrary intentions of any nation,‖ he said.

Opponents of the fast-track legislation seized on the lack of a U.S.-Japan deal this week as evidence that it was premature for Congress to pass the measure.―The failure to reach a final accord during Prime Minister Abe's visit is another reminder about the key sticking points that remain before TPP can be finished - and why ‗fast tracking' this underlying agreement before it's finished and we can see the text is a bad idea,‖ according to a statement by the Coalition to Stop Fast Track, which is backed by labor unions and environmental groups. http://www.agri-pulse.com/Abe-trade-deal-is-near04292015.asp?utm_source=USA+Rice+Daily%2C+April+30%2C+2015&utm_campaign=Friday%2C+December+13%2C+2013&utm_medium =email

Eating rice with chopsticks lowers one's blood sugar level: Local study PUBLISHED ON MAR 5, 2015 3:18 PM

If you want to control your blood sugar levels, one effective way could be to eat rice with chopsticks, say local nutrition experts. -- ST PHOTO: JAMIE KOH

BY LEE XIN EN

SINGAPORE - If you want to control your blood sugar levels, one effective way could be to eat rice with chopsticks, say local nutrition experts.According to Chinese newspaper Lianhe Zaobao, a local study jointly carried out by the Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, the National University of Singapore and the Clinical Nutrition Research Centre (CNRC) investigated the eating habits of 11 people, studying the differences between those who use chopsticks, spoons and hands to eat.They found that those who use chopsticks to eat white rice experienced significantly lower glucose response, meaning that they had lower rates of increase in their blood sugar levels, compared to those who used spoons and hands.CNRC director Jeyakumar Henry said he was inspired to carry out the study while sitting in kopitiams.

He said: "I lived in England for more than 30 years, and everyone used spoons to eat, but in my three years in Singapore, I realised that the multi-ethnic population here had their own unique www.ricepluss.com R&D Section: Riceplus Magazine

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine ways of eating. This made me think about whether the way we eat affects our glucose response.""I'm pleased that our survey showed that eating rice with chopsticks results in a lower glucose response. I think it's because when one uses chopsticks, the amount of rice grains picked up is smaller than if one uses his hands or a spoon. As a result, one eats less in a mouthful, and increases the time it takes to eat."

He further explained that when people eat less and chew less, slowly-eaten or incompletely digested carbohydrate particles are larger and take longer to digest, which result in a lower increase in blood sugar after eating.

"For example, you take about 43 mouthfuls to finish a bowl of rice if you're using a pair of chopsticks," he added. "If you use a spoon or your hands, you can finish the equivalent in between 17 and 20 mouthfuls. When you take a longer time to finish eating, it's effective in lowering your glucose response."He emphasised that a slower rate of glucose response was more effective in reducing the risk of Type 2 diabetes.

The study was published last December in the journal, Physiology and Behaviour. Dr Henry also clarified that international research standards relating to glucose response require only between nine and 12 participants for the results to be significant.For those who do not have a habit of using chopsticks, Mr Henry said that the message for them is to "enjoy their food slowly, and to eat less in each mouthful".He highlighted that the result of the study is based on those who use chopsticks to pick up their rice by the mouthful, and is not applicable to those who bring their rice bowls close to their mouths while using chopsticks to 'shovel' the food into their mouths.Dr Henry also suggested other ways of lowering glucose response, such as eating foods which are low in glycemic index (GI), such as basmatic rice. GI refers to the extent to which a carbohydrate-containing food raises blood glucose.

He also recommended eating rice as part of a meal that includes meat and vegetables, which he said will result in a lower glycemic response compared to consuming white rice on its own.

Waiting for hot rice to cool slightly before eating, could also help with lowering glucose response, he added. xinen@sph.com.sg http://www.straitstimes.com/news/singapore/health/story/eating-rice-chopsticks-lowers-ones-blood-sugar-level-local-study2015030#sthash.KcLkk6ip.dpuf

Paddy price fall worries Patuakhali farmers

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine They suffer loss as per maund of boro sells at Tk 400-450 in local market

Harvested boro paddy lies stacked beside a field of Pakhimara village in Kalapara upazila under Patuakhali district that sees good yield of the crop this season.

Boro farmers in the district are unhappy because of the low price of the paddy even though there has been a bumper production this year.Paddy is selling at only Tk 400 to Tk 450 per maund in the local market, while the price was Tk 600 to Tk 700 last year. Because of this, farmers are reluctant to reap the paddy as they have to suffer loss.Farmers of different areas under Kalapara upazila, which saw the highest boro production in the district this year, had to spend about Tk 7,000 per bigha of land to cultivate boro paddy, but the produce, 15 to 16 maunds of paddy, sells for Tk 6,000 to Tk 6,400."We have to suffer loss as the price of boro paddy in the local market is very low this year," said Masum Chowdhury, a boro farmer of Kumirmara village under Kalapara upazila. He cultivated boro on two acres of land.

"We had to preserve sweet water in canals, ditches and others water bodies by building dams on voluntary basis to save the land from saline water to cultivate boro paddy," said Md Sultan Gazi, chairman of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Club, a social unit of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) of Nilganj union under the same upazila. "Boro seedlings were planted in January or early February, and over 200 acres of land in Nilgonj union were brought under its cultivation," he said.

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine "The government is not buying boro paddy from local market, so local buyers fix the rate in different haats and bazaars in the areas. Farmers will be encouraged to cultivate boro paddy if the government ensures good market price and subsidy for fertilisers and other relevant inputs, otherwise they will lose interest in farming the paddy," said farmer Dulal Chowdhury.

When contacted, Md Moshiur Rahman, Kalapara upazila agriculture officer, said about 1,000 acres of land in the upazila were brought under boro cultivation this year. Farmers got bumper production due to favourable weather and timely rainfall.Patuakhali district DAE office sources said over 5,000 acres of land were brought under boro cultivation this year in five of the eight upazilas under the district. http://www.thedailystar.net/country/paddy-price-fall-worries-patuakhali-farmers-79998

Bangladesh, India to cooperate on high-yielding rice seeds Seed bodies of India and Bangladesh yesterday formalised a move to cooperate on expediting trade of high-yielding varieties (HYV) of rice seeds for the benefit of the farmers of the two countries, and help boost food security.Syed AKM Asadul Amin Dadan, general secretary of the Bangladesh Seeds Association (BSA), and Kalyan Goswami, executive director of the National Seed Association of India (NSAI), signed a memorandum of understanding at a meeting organised by CUTS International, at the conclusion of a two-year research and advocacy project.

The memorandum aims to aid traders, exporters and importers of both the countries to initiate cross-border trade in HYV rice seeds, as well as enable a favourable environment for knowledge-sharing in HYV rice seeds production and trade, CUTS International said in a statement.It will also catalyse closer ties between the two South Asian nations, particularly between Bangladesh and the eastern states of India, and help boost food security in the region.The Addressing Barriers to Rice Seeds Trade between India and Bangladesh project was supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.―Due to non-existence of formal trade of HYV of rice seed, steps can be taken to formalise rice seeds trade and knowledge-sharing which will ensure greater cooperation in agriculture between Bangladesh and India,'' said Salahuddin Noman Chowdhury, Bangladesh's deputy high commissioner in India.

Many new and promising rice varieties have been developed in India and Bangladesh, and farmers in the region can benefit if varieties released in one country can be cultivated quickly in neighbouring countries with similar agro-climatic conditions, said Rajesh Kumar Singh, joint secretary (seeds) of the Indian agriculture ministry. In Bangladesh and India, serious problems with making a variety of rice seeds available and accessible to farmers prevail as a significant gap exists between demand and supplies of most desired and adaptable varieties, said Bipul Chatterjee, deputy executive director of CUTS International.

The demand-supply gap often results in the use of regenerated rice seeds for several years, compromising rice yield and productivity and leads to informal rice seeds trade, he www.ricepluss.com R&D Section: Riceplus Magazine

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine said. ―Increased cooperation between the two countries can significantly improve the situation,‖ he added.The countries now need to map the processes of releasing one country's rice varieties in others, so that formal trade and cooperation can be realised efficiently, a point demonstrated by Suresh P Singh, policy analyst CUTS International, and Mahfuz Kabir, senior research fellow of Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies, at the meeting. http://www.thedailystar.net/business/bangladesh-india-cooperate-high-yielding-rice-seeds-80013

More fallowing expected as rice planting gets underway A farmer tills the land in preparation to plant rice as a crop duster spreads rice seeds in a prepared in neighboring

plot Monday in Richvale.

By Ching Lee, California Farm Bureau Federation POSTED: 04/29/15, 5:18 PM PDT |

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Land tilled for rice planting Monday in Richvale.Emily Bertolino — Enterprise-Record California rice farmers say deeper water cutbacks this year will not only force many of them to fallow more ground, but there will be less water available to transfer to other farmers and areas facing shortages.Helped by storms in December and February, water supplies in the Sacramento Valley are in better shape than other parts of the state, said David Guy, president of the Northern California Water Association. But every part of the region will still see water reductions this year, he added, ranging from 25 percent to 100 percent. ―Everyone is going to suffer in some fashion,‖ Guy said.As rice planting begins in the Sacramento Valley, farmers with senior water rights along the Sacramento River received final word that they will have 75 percent of their supply for the second year in a row. Those who divert from the Feather River will have their water cut by 50 percent. Farmers on the east side of the valley will face cuts from 30 percent to 60 percent, while those who buy water from the federal Central Valley Project will get no water for a second straight year.

At a media briefing recently to discuss impacts of the four-year drought on rice growers, the California Rice Commission said it expects more land will be idled this year, but exactly how much won‘t be known until later this spring. Growers planted 23 percent less rice acreage in 2014 than in 2013, according to the commission.About 200,000 acre-feet of water from the Sacramento River will be available this year to transfer to water-short districts north and south of the delta, at a price ranging from $400 to $665 per acre-foot.

Water sales have gone down significantly since the early 1990s, when transfers were in the magnitude of about a million acre-feet compared to this year‘s 200,000 acre-feet, Guy said.Today, more of that water is kept in the region for farming and environmental requirements. www.ricepluss.com R&D Section: Riceplus Magazine

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Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine State regulations restrict how many contiguous acres can be fallowed, to protect habitat for the giant garter snake that lives and hunts in rice fields and adjacent ditches, according to the Rice Commission.With supplies to Feather River settlement contractors being cut 50 percent, Bryce Lundberg, vice president of agriculture at Lundberg Family Farms, said his farm will grow as much rice as it needs to meet customer expectations and then fallow the rest. http://www.chicoer.com/general-news/20150429/more-fallowing-expected-as-rice-planting-getsunderway

Rice prices down by P2/kilo

By Carlo S. Lorenciana (The Freeman) | Updated May 1, 2015 - 12:00am CEBU, Philippines - Prices of commercial rice in public markets are down by at least P2 per kilo while costs of other basic consumer goods are stable as of this time.In a market inspection on Wednesday afternoon, rice sellers at the Carbon Public Market, the biggest public market in Cebu City, told The FREEMAN that the decrease in rice prices has prevailed for a week already. For instance, Ganador is currently sold at P52 per kilo from P54 before, Lion Ivory is selling at P48 a kilo from P50 and Champion is now at P44 per kilo from P46. Prices of other rice varieties are also down by at least P1 to P2.

However, rice traders said the slight decrease might just be temporary as rice production is entering the lean months. According to the National Food Authority (NFA), the lean period for rice production starts in May to July while the harvest season is expected in August. By then, rice prices are also expected to go down.Freeman ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch:The government is selling cheaper rice called the NFA rice at P27 for regular milled rice and P32 for well milled rice.

Chicken prices On the other hand, current chicken prices in the public market are lower compared before after the government imposed a suggested retail price (SRP) for chicken. The SRP for chicken just returned to P135 a kilo this week after the Department of Agriculture cancelled its initial suggestion to lower chicken price to P110 per kilo due to abundant supply. As of Wednesday, The FREEMAN learned that whole dressed chicken is selling at P110 in Carbon Market while choice cuts of chicken could range from P125 to P135 per kilo. ―Daghan mang supply sa manok unya nius-os sab ang farm gate price,‖ retailer Marlou Hegera said. Pork prices are also ranging from P170 to P195, depending on the cuts. As of this time egg costs are stable, ranging from P3.50 for the smallest and P6 for the largest. (FREEMAN) http://www.philstar.com/cebu-business/2015/05/01/1449931/rice-prices-down-p2/kilo

Local rice production to increase Apr 30, 2015 at 3:44pm

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About 800 metric tons of rice seeds have been produced across the Rice Sector Support Programme (RSSP) regions for planting in the 2015 farming season, Dr Wilson Dogbe, Research Coordinator of RSSP has announced.He said the available 800 metric tons of rice seeds would cover 16,000 hectares of rice fields, which would increase domestic rice production to meet the rising demand for rice in the country.Dr Dogbe announced this at the 2015 Annual Rice Seed Stakeholders Meeting organised by the Savanna Agricultural Research Institute of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR – SARI) at Nyankpala in the Northern Region.

The meeting brought together stakeholders from Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), development partners including United States Agency for International Development, rice seed companies, input dealers, seed producers, researchers, rice related projects among others.It was to take stock of the rice seed situation in the four RSSP regions for this year, which included Volta, Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions, and to plan the seed needs for 2016, as well as to identify the roles of the various actors on the rice seed value chain.

The RSSP is an initiative of MoFA to amongst others, support lowland rice production to improve livelihood of poor farmers in the targeted regions through the development of a sustainable economic activity based on the natural potential of the regions.Dr Dogbe, who is also Principal Research Scientist at SARI, said there are challenges of seed quality in terms of red rice, which must be addressed to improve the quality of the crop produced.

He mentioned some of the measures taken to reduce red rice levels in the seeds produced, which included reducing acreages to manageable levels, moving away from broadcasting of rice seed farms, and bonding of fields.Dr Dogbe gave the assurance that rice produced by local farmers is of high quality and therefore urged consumers to purchase and consume locally produced rice.Mr Raphael Dinku, Field Officer of GANORMAH, an input dealer, expressed the need for quality www.ricepluss.com R&D Section: Riceplus Magazine

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Kharif 2015-16: Seven million tons of sugarcane, 0.7 million tons of rice output proposed April 30, 2015 FAZAL SHER

The government has proposed to set sugarcane production target at 7 million tons and rice 0.7 million tons for Kharif 2015-16, it is learnt. According to an official document of Ministry of National Food Security and Research (MNFS&R), the MNFS&R in consultation with all the provincial agriculture departments has proposed 7 million tons sugarcane, 0.7 million tons rice, 371000 tons Maize and 100,000 tons of chillies production target for Kharif 2015-16. The meeting of Federal Committee on Agriculture (FCA) which will be held today (Thursday) will give final approval to proposed production targets of major Kharif crops, an official said.

He said that federal minister for National Food Security and Research Sikandar Hayat Bosan will preside over the meeting. Provincial ministers for secretaries, federal secretaries, representatives from federal and provincial agriculture departments, Indus River System Authority (IRSA), Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA), Pakistan Agriculture Storage and Services Corporation (PASSCO) and State Bank of Pakistan SBP will also attended the meeting. The document further said that according to the provincial data sugarcane area, yield and production during 2014-15 decreased by (-4.1,-1.1 and -5.2 percent) against 2013-14. Country's sugarcane growers and sugar industrialists have conflicting interests.

Sugarcane grower consider that price of sugarcane is low while sugar industry feels price is high and writ petitions are launched by a number of sugar mills against the indicative price announced by the provincial government. It said that due to persistent shortage of electricity tube wells water use has considerably reduced due to which sugarcane cultivation is shrinking and the area is diverting to maize crops. It needs to be considered that demand for sugar in comparison with maize is more strong and if sugarcane crop have so much difficulties for maize it seems hard to sustain after a couple of years, it said.

The problems like under wieghment, quality deduction and exploitative role of the middlemen are inherent to sugarcane crop. Rice position as second amongst the staple food grain crops in Pakistan and it has been leading source of foreign exchange earning in the recent years.

According to the second estimates provided by the respective provincial agriculture departments rice production at national level is estimated at 6.9 million tons in 2014-15, higher 1.5 percent than last years production of 6.8 million tons. The increase in production has mainly resulted in by increase in area by 2.1 percent seeing that yield has decreased rather by 0.5 percent, it said. The official said that FCA would also review the Rabi crop production position of wheat, gram, lentil, potatoes and onion. The committee would also review the overall position of agriculture input for Kharif crops 2015-2016 including seeds, fertilisers, irrigation water and agriculture credit, he said.

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http://www.brecorder.com/agriculture-a-allied/183/1181554/

New targets set for rice, sugarcane crops The Newspaper's Reporter — Published May 01, 2015 06:20am

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Committee on Agriculture (FCA) on Thursday set the fresh production targets for sugarcane and rice crops.The target for sugarcane was fixed at 68 million tonnes from an area of 1.40m hectares as compared to last year‘s production of 63.9m tonnes.The target for rice is 7m tonnes from an area of 2.8m hectares, whereas for the maize crop, the target is 4.6m tonnes.The representatives of provincial agricultural departments urged the federal government to ensure adequate supply of urea and phosphate fertilisers during the season.

Speaking at a news conference after the FCA meeting, Minister for National Food Security and Research Sikandar Hayat Khan Bosan stated that production of main crops, including rice, cotton, sugarcane and potatoes had increased. It had helped the government stabilise prices of essential commodities. He was of the view that farmers took a hit due to falling global prices of rice and cotton.As far as irrigation water is concerned, the meeting was informed that availability of water would be satisfactory except for some areas of Sindh.The Met Office reported the IRSA data that water levels in the reservoirs were better as compared to last year. Additionally, the Met Office was optimistic about prospects of rains in all parts of the country.

The committee was informed that the availability of certified seeds had increased during the Kharif sowing season. The representative of State Bank informed the meeting that allocation of institutional credit for agriculture has substantially increased. Wheat production has been estimated at 25.03m tonnes from an area of 9.17m hectares. The revised estimates have reduced the production target from 25.48m tonnes in view of slight damage to wheat crop owing to freak weather conditions.The current production of gram crops has been estimated at 4.2m tonnes. The

committee also reviewed production achievements of other crops, such as maize, chillies and pulses.

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