3nd january ,2018 daily global regional local rice e newsletter

Daily Rice E-Newsletter

Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter January 03, 2018 Volume X | Issue I

 Gold out of Industrial Waste? This MumbaiBased Researcher Has the Answer!  USA Rice Welcomes New Staff to Start the New Year  Breakthrough allows wheat stem rust samples to be quickly analyzed  The Rice Capital of Nation  Purchase of paddy may cross target, says Odisha Minister SN Patro  Dhaka City in 2017: Rise in living cost highest in 4yrs  Is GMO opposition immoral?  MCM21 PRICES KOCHI COMMODITIES  Farmer leaders join agri-biotechnology congress  Turn rice imports into subsidy  NFA gearing for a ‘bigger role’ in 2018  Thriving rice sector sees hike in exports  Vietnam’s rice export surges in 2017  Farmer leaders join agri-biotechnology congress  Foods containing GM golden rice can be sold in Australia and New Zealand

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Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter News Detail…

Gold out of Industrial Waste? This Mumbai-Based Researcher Has the Answer!

The spark of inspiration ignited in Shubhi Sachan during her masters’ final project, ‘Traditional Futures’, which dealt with various agricultural waste and their secondary uses.

by Lekshmi Priya SJanuary 3, 2018, 10:15 am

While plastic may take the crown for being the largest component of the global waste produced annually, many other contenders contribute significantly to the evergrowing waste burden of the planet.Take, for instance, industrial waste. Have you ever wondered what happens to the many metric tons of chemical solvents, pigments, sludge, metals, ash, paints, sandpaper, paper products, and radioactive wastes produced by factories, industries, mills, and mines on a daily basis?

In fact, did you even consider the possibility of such materials being classified as waste?

The aforementioned things comprise just the tip of a large iceberg. In fact, every industry has its share of waste products and just like plastics, these find their way to landfills and incinerators, after being rendered useless.

What if, these ‘scraps’ could be put to better use instead of writing them off as waste once and for all?

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One Mumbai-based designer-cum-researcher decided to work www.ricepluss.com / www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com Contact Online Advertisement : mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell: 0321 369 2874

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Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter out how this could be achieved and forayed into the field with the prime focus of making waste materials come to life again.

Shubhi Sachan.

After studying Textile Design at New Delhi and followed by a Masters in Material Futures at Central Saint Martin’s in London, Shubhi Sachan formally began pursuing her research on waste materials and their sustainable repurposing in 2012.

The spark of inspiration ignited in the young woman during her masters’ final project, ‘Traditional Futures’, which dealt with various agricultural waste and their secondary uses and how every single outcome or indigenous use from a farmer’s crop could be made valuable.

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Rice husk ash was the focus of the research, that took Shubhi all the way to Bihar and work on the field with a local company, Husk Power Systems.

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Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter What may be waste for one could be gold for another and Shubhi’s research only corroborated that! Who would have ever thought that materials such skin cleanser or ink could be fashioned out rice husk ash?

In 2015, she went on to conceive the ‘Punāh Project’, which was proposed to Godrej & Boyce, one of India’s major manufacturing conglomerates.

“The project intended to help such a big corporation shift their focus from a linear economy to a circular economy by considering their large-scale industrial waste as a valuable resource,” says Shubhi to The Better India.

Intrigued by the unique approach, which could pave the way for a more sustainable and profitable manufacturing practices, the conglomerate incubated the research at its Innovation & Design Centre.

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For the next two years, Shubhi’s research took her across the country to study waste generation in 39 Godrej & Boyce manufacturing sites and develop alternative applications for non-hazardous industrial waste through material design and research.

A Chair made out of copper wire.Graphite powder turned into conductive tiles.

Garments made out of industrial gloves.

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A wallet and pair of shoes made out of vending machine offcuts.

“As many as 600 materials were part of my study, which I’d undertaken single handedly. Everything that was submitted as a product option under the study had been tried and tested by myself. Apart from a lot of travelling, the research also taught me something very important—about waste comprising materials of whose use hasn’t yet been deciphered.

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Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter <hr size=3 width="100%" align=center> “The proposed material findings or products aim to generate and sustain a dialogue about the latent value in industrial waste materials that can be harvested through traditional crafts. Designed using non-hazardous materials, it explores these materials through objects that resonate with various aspects of our day-to-day lives,” Shubhi mentions.

Basically, from furniture to lifestyle accessories, fashionable garments to technical and intricate surfaces, these materials can be used create handcrafted products from industrial waste. Such works offer indefinite possibilities to industries and organisations, letting them lucratively manage their waste without burdening the already over-mined planet.

Following her stint with Godrej & Boyce, she put together a fashion label – Jambudweep, which showcased its ‘Reincarnations’ collection at Lakmé India fashion week last year.

Shubhi(left) showcasing her collection, Reincarnations, under Jambudweep label at Lakmé India Fashion Week.

“The idea that waste can’t be developed to something usable has to evolve. If one does not know a dress or an accessory is made out of industrial waste, it would be quite hard for anyone to figure the underlying fact just by glancing at the finished product. From runway accessories crafted out of ceiling fan waste to costumes

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Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter fashioned out of slaughterhouse waste, we have turned waste into fashion and thus giving life to materials that are cast away,” she explains.

<hr size=3 width="100%" align=center> Shubhi’s research has already garnered appreciation at various global platforms, besides mentoring at S.T.E.A.M school. She plans to extend it forward as an impactcentric approach.

“From here, what I have in mind is a three-fold route. While consultancy and making products are already underway, what could be even more impactful is to take it to academia. If the coming generations grow up with awareness about waste and how it could be repurposed with viable options, youngsters would consciously strive towards better concepts to tackle the same,” Shubhi adds.

To know more of Shubhi Sachan’s research, you can check her website. You can write to her at shubhi@shubhisachan.com. https://www.thebetterindia.com/126455/gold-industrial-waste-mumbai-based-researcher-answer/

USA Rice Welcomes New Staff to Start the New Year

By Lesley Dixon ARLINGTON, VA -- USA Rice has announced the arrival of three new staff members to start off the new year.Melissa Medina joins the Finance team as Accounting Manager. She has been working at USA Rice since mid-October, helping during the busy year-end financial season, and has already picked up Accounts Payable responsibilities. Melissa has more than 20 years of experience in finance and accounting.

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Diana Hill is the new point-of-contact for everyone visiting, calling, or emailing the Arlington office. As Assistant Office Manager her duties are widespread and include administration, finance, office management, and Human Resources. Diana has comprehensive experience in all these fields from previous positions with The Plaza Condominium in Alexandria, Virginia, Veterans United Home Loans, and First Command Financial services.

Asiha Grigsby, a recently returned Peace Corps volunteer, is the new USA Rice Manager of International Promotion and will be assuming responsibility for western hemisphere activities. Asiha has a wealth of international expertise, is fluent in Spanish, and has a Masters of Public Administration, International Public Service, and Development from Rutgers University.

"The addition of Asiha, Diana, and Melissa to our team is a great opportunity for USA Rice to start 2018 off strong," said Betsy Ward, USA Rice President & CEO. "They bring a broad range of skills and perspectives to the table, and we're excited to see what they will accomplish here."

USA Rice Daily

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Breakthrough allows wheat stem rust samples to be quickly analyzed Scientific breakthrough has potential to save crops.

Jan 03, 2018 In a world first, science has leaped a step ahead of an old foe that has recently re-emerged in some parts of the world, where it has devastated crops because of its ability to evolve, undoing much of the hard work that began in earnest with the Green Revolution – using natural techniques to isolate the first rust pathogen gene that wheat plants detect and use to ‘switch on’ in-built resistance.

The breakthrough in research targeting the stem rust foe – historically the most dangerous pathogen of wheat – will mean suspect samples could be analyzed within hours in an emergency rather than weeks, potentially saving crops from being destroyed.

“For the first time, it will be possible to do DNA testing to identify whether a rust in a wheat crop anywhere in the world can overcome a rust-resistance gene, called Sr50, which is being introduced in high-yielding wheat varieties,” said Professor Robert Park, corresponding author from the University of Sydney.

“This will indicate whether or not a given wheat crop needs to be sprayed with expensive fungicide quickly to protect against rust – which would otherwise devastate the crop in a matter of weeks.”

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Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter Rust disease epidemics have emerged at times in tandem with carefully refined selective breeding in cereals; the disease is once again extremely damaging in East Africa and is making a comeback in Europe.

The new findings are being published in one of the world’s leading journals, Science.

Jiapeng Chen, a PhD candidate from the University of Sydney who initiated the work by sequencing and analyzing the genome of a virulent rust isolate, said this was the first important step in addressing the diagnostic challenges posed by ever-changing fungi, which result in new rust pathogen strains. http://www.deltafarmpress.com/wheat/breakthrough-allows-wheat-stem-rust-samples-be-quicklyanalyzed

The Rice Capital of Nation

By Nick Fouriezos THE DAILY DOSEJAN 02 2018 The Brantleys are a century farm family, having raised crops in Arkansas for decades. Today, Dow Brantley, the 44-year-old manager of the family’s farming company, is driving a pickup across land the Brantleys have long cultivated. It’s fall, which means his daughters are preparing for cotillion balls, and the harvest is over. Fields once spiked with rice shoots are now a shimmering lake — each year rice farmers here flood their lands and transform them into quail hunting grounds for paying customers. As Brantley drives along the shoreline, dozens of geese and ducks launch off the water and flutter into the sky in perfect sync.

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This is just one glimpse of life along the western edge of the Mississippi Delta in Arkansas, where the soil is rich with nutrients yet also waterlogged, making it difficult to cultivate anything but rice. The Riceland Foods Cooperative, based in Stuttgart, has grown into a powerful economic force in the region, employing 1,500 people, bringing in more than $1 billion in annual revenue and operating seven rice mills, including the largest in the world, in Jonesboro. With around 5,500 member farms, the cooperative’s products are shipped to more than 60 countries.

In all: ARKANSAS RICE ACCOUNTS FOR HALF OF THE AMERICAN CROP, WITH MORE THAN 500,000 ACRES IN CULTIVATION. Nationally, the rice industry is at a pivotal juncture. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently reported that rice consumption, exports and stocks will likely see declines this fiscal year.

Reports show that rice production has dropped by a fifth so far, with the major culprits being the hurricanes that battered the Gulf of Mexico, rustling rice farms in Texas and Louisiana — although, as Brantley notes, most of the damage was done after the harvest. The U.S. already is at a disadvantage when it comes to rice output: It doesn’t even make the top 10 of major rice producers, a list dominated by such countries as China, India and Indonesia. Yet the nation consistently punches above its weight, often ranking among the top five global exporters of the grain.

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Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter Globally, rice is a controversial crop. Nearly half of the world’s countries rely on it as a major dietary staple, but that also makes nations fearful of opening their domestic product to outside competition. “Rice is the most politically sensitive crop,” says Brantley. But there is hope on the horizon for some Arkansas farmers trying to compete more on the global stage. This summer China agreed to a protocol that would allow the U.S. to export rice to the world’s largest importer of rice.

American production is small compared to Chinese consumption — China could consume “our entire rice crop in two weeks,” says Mike Preston, executive director of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission — but it would be a boon for U.S. farmers. “We’re still waiting on the regulators from China to come through and do the inspections they need to, but we have talked to our rice brokers here, and they’ve already put orders in to China,” Preston says.

Grain storage and processing facilities flank a rice field in eastern Arkansas.

SOURCE DLEWIS33/GETTY It’s an example of how Donald Trump has aided his voter base in other ways than just tax reform. Rice farmers raised the protocol issue to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, Brantley says, and he feels like the Trump administration listened in a way the Obama-era secretary did not. “Tom Vilsack just couldn’t get it done — and didn’t seem to have much interest in doing it,”

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Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter Brantley gripes. That sentiment is reflected across Arkansas, where 60 percent of voters backed Trump on Election Day 2016.

Here in Arkansas, conservation is at the top of the minds of rice farmers like Brantley. The state has an abundant supply of both underground water and surface streams, but aquifers are becoming depleted. Both Arkansas and the feds have invested hundreds of millions of dollars in the BioMedia and White River irrigation projects to alleviate the problem. Guiding his pickup truck along a worn path, Brantley drives past his latest project, a reservoir that will cost him half a million dollars to complete but which he says is worth it. After all, it will be more sustainable, replacing groundwater with enough irrigated water to supply more than 1,000 acres of farmland.

“We’re trying to think a generation ahead,” he says, “while not knowing who that next farming generation will be. http://www.ozy.com/acumen/the-rice-capital-of-the-nation/82114

Purchase of paddy may cross target, says Odisha Minister SN Patro

By Express News Service | Published: 03rd January 2018 04:22 AM | Last Updated: 03rd January 2018 10:08 AM |

Image for representational purpose only.

BHUBANESWAR: The State Government has procured 14.32 lakh tonnes of paddy from over 2.32 lakh registered farmers in the current kharif marketing season (KMS).

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Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter Notwithstanding crop loss due to due to scanty rainfall, pest attack and unseasonal rains, the State Government is expecting a bumper harvest of paddy. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We hope that the paddy procurement will cross the target set by the Government for the current KMS. Paddy production is more than expectations in areas not affected calamities,â&#x20AC;?

Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister SN Patro told reporters.

The State Government has set a target to procure 53 lakh tonnes of paddy during khraif marketing season.

Replying to a question on alleged non-cooperation of rice millers in lifting paddy from mandis in time, the Minister said millers have been asked to speed up milling process and create additional storage space for stocking paddy.

The Minister said district official of the department have been instructed not to involve millers who have failed to return custom milled rice (CMR) of last KMS to Odisha State Civil Supplies Corporation (OSCSC).

Procurement of paddy for the current kharif marketing season which started from November 1 will continue till March 31. The Food Corporation of India (FCI) will not accept rice from the paddy procured beyond the stipulated time frame.

Nabard has provided a credit support of Rs 3,085 crore to OSCSC for paddy procurement during the current financial year. http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/odisha/2018/jan/03/purchase-of-paddy-may-cross-target-saysodisha-minister-sn-patro-1743167.html 12:00 AM, January 03, 2018 / LAST MODIFIED: 10:28 AM, January 03, 2018

Dhaka City in 2017: Rise in living cost highest in 4yrs Last year saw 8.44pc increase, says CAB analysis

Staff Correspondent

The cost of living in the capital hit a four-year high in 2017 due to spiralling prices of rice, vegetables, electricity, gas and other services as well as rising house rent, the Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) said yesterday.

The city residents saw their living costs go up by 8.44 percent last year compared to that in the previous year, it said.

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The voluntary organisation urged the government to form a separate wing or division under the Prime Minister's Office or the commerce ministry to keep prices of 12-15 essentials within the reach of the lowincome and poor families. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Most of the people were deprived of the fruits of the country's overall development because of the price hike of essentials, including rice, in 2017. Many people are suffering due to high food prices. Savings of many families are falling. An urgent remedy is necessary,â&#x20AC;? CAB President Ghulam Rahman said while presenting the CAB report on living cost in 2017 at the Dhaka Reporters Unity.

Living cost of the two crore city dwellers hit the highest since 2014 when it rose by 6.82 percent, according to the CAB. The CAB report is based on price data on 114 food items and 22 everyday products collected from 15 markets in the capital. It also took into account the prices of 14 services, including gas, electricity and water.

The report, however, did not include the education and health expenses of the city residents.

Earlier in 2013, the cost of living had shot up by 11 percent compared to that in the previous year because of increase in the prices of fish, spices, rice, pulses, onion, electricity and petroleum, said the CAB.

18 Prof Shamsul Alam, energy adviser to the CAB, said around 12 crore of the country's 16 crore people earn $2 a day, and price hike of essentials seriously affected the lives of this section of the population who represents the low-income and poor people.

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Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter â&#x20AC;&#x153;The soaring cost shows lack of competition in the market, high profit motive, corruption and extortion in almost every stage of the supply chain of commodities,â&#x20AC;? he said at the press conference.

The CAB said the average price of rice soared by 20.4 percent in 2017 -- the highest since 2011 -- from that a year ago. And prices of coarse rice rose higher than that of fine rice.

Architect and CAB's complaint cell convener Mubasshar Hussain said the increase in prices of coarse rice has hit the poor and low-income people hard.

The CAB noted that rice millers and big traders hiked prices of the staple, cashing in on flood-induced losses of crops and depleting stockpile at public granaries last year.

They would not have got the scope for increasing prices by creating an artificial supply shortage if the government had built adequate stocks of rice, said the consumer rights organisation.

Onion saw the highest price hike last year, followed by other vegetables, household gas, rice, liquid milk and beef. Besides, house rent soared by 8.14 percent and electricity by 6.44 percent in 2017 from that a year ago.

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Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter However, prices of some items such as lentil, egg and potato fell last year compared to that in the previous year.Referring to the hike of gas and electricity prices by the government, it said, “The CAB thinks the decision to increase prices was not logical and justified.”

Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission increased the electricity price in November, and the new rate became effective from December last year.

On transport, the CAB said there was no mentionable improvement in public transport last year.

It also mentioned that healthcare facilities have increased but questions still remain about the quality and costs of healthcare.

The report also touched on the issue of repeated leaks of question papers of various examinations last year.

The CAB noted that Bangladesh's economy is growing more than 7 percent annually and per capita income has exceeded $1,600.

The number of poor people has also declined remarkably. Yet, around two crore people are still suffering from poverty, said the non-profit organisation.

“There is no alternative to keeping the prices of essentials within the reach of the poor,” added the CAB president.

http://www.thedailystar.net/frontpage/dhaka-city-2017-rise-living-cost-highest-4yrs-1514119

Is GMO opposition immoral?

A bushel of soybeans in the Monsanto research facility in Creve Coeur, Mo. (Tom Gannam/Reuters) January 1

In his deeply flawed argument castigating opposition to genetically altered crops as anti-science and immoral, Mitch Daniels failed to mention the trove of scientific research documenting the harmful effects of the billions of pounds of the pesticide

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glyphosate that have been dumped on genetically modified crops and into our food chain [“Anti-GMO arguments are immoral,” op-ed, Dec. 28].

Evaluation of GMO crops that emphasizes independent science — rather than nonpublic research by pesticide companies — reflects that in 2015, the research arm of the World Health Organization analyzed all published glyphosate studies and determined the pesticide was a probable carcinogen. That finding prompted California to add glyphosate to its list of cancer-causing chemicals.

Escalating use of GMO crops and glyphosate has triggered the growth of glyphosateresistant superweeds across nearly 100 million acres in 36 states. To combat that, pesticide companies are now pushing use of the highly toxic, drift-prone pesticide dicamba on a new generation of GMO crops that tolerate both dicamba and glyphosate.

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Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter And the majority of GMO crops fuel environmentally destructive livestock production to feed the world’s unsustainable increase in meat consumption.

Nathan Donley, Olympia, Wash.

The writer is a senior scientist at the Center for Biological Diversity.

I have long been perplexed that so many people continue to condemn foods made from genetically modified organisms that have been consumed by Americans and others for decades with no deleterious effects. My organization, the DKT Liberty Project, has been providing assistance to scientists and managers who are developing golden rice in the Philippines. Golden rice is a GMO that infuses ordinary rice with vitamin A and, if made available widely, could save the lives and eyesight of millions of Asian children. Yet malicious zealots have torn up and destroyed the experimental rice paddies where this lifesaving food is being developed.

Mitch Daniels was right: Depriving others, especially in the developing world, of bountiful and nutritious GMO foods is a moral travesty.

Phil Harvey, Washington Mitch Daniels rightly framed as “immoral” the scientifically baseless yet “concerted, deep-pockets campaign” to persuade “a high percentage of Americans and Europeans to avoid GMO products” and “inflict their superstitions” on the world’s poor and hungry.

That “ ‘organic’ foods” industries help fund this anti-GMO hoax is no surprise. But readers may not know that some personal-injury lawyers are knee-deep in this manure pile, too. Just as elements of the plaintiffs’ bar financed a since-debunked 1998 study

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Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter that falsely linked childhood vaccines to autism, helping measles make a comeback, trial lawyers’ deep pockets have also helped sustain anti-GMO mania as a means to precondition jury pools for the growing number of lawsuits they’ve filed against the critically important agricultural technology sector since early last decade.

Apparently, winning market share and lawsuits is more important to some people than feeding a hungry planet.

Darren McKinney, Washington The writer is director of communications for the American Tort Reform Association. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/is-gmo-opposition-immoral/2018/01/01/2c9e6a54-ecc3-11e7956e-baea358f9725_story.html?utm_term=.834da944fee9

MCM21 PRICES KOCHI COMMODITIES

By PTI | Published: 02nd January 2018 06:14 PM | Last Updated: 02nd January 2018 06:17 PM Kochi, JAN 02 (PTI): Ginger (Inferior) Rs.11,000/-, Ginger (Medium) Rs.12,500/-, Ginger (Best) Rs.13,500/-, Turmeric Salem Rs.8,500/- Turmeric-Erode(Agmark) Rs.9,200/- Nuxvomica Rs.1850/-Ambahaldhar Rs.7000/- Kolinjan Rs.4300/- Kachura Rs.4,000/-Kapurkatchili Rs.14,000-17,000/- Betelnuts (Old) Rs.Nil, Betelnuts (New) Rs.20,000-21,000/- Rice Raw (No.1) Rs.3,600/- Rice Raw (No.2) Rs.2,400-3150/- Rice Boiled (Surekha) Rs.3,400-3,700/Rice Jaya (Boiled) Rs.3,700-3,750/- Rice Broken Rs.2200-2600/- Wheat Rs.2,550-2,600/- Chola Rs.1500-1550/-,Chillies Rs.8,000-15,000/-, Bengal Gram Rs.5,500-6,500/- Black Gram Rs.6,500-7,000/- Gingelly Rs.11,000/- Green Gram Rs.6,500-7,300/-, Horse Gram Rs.6,900/-, Peas Dal Rs.3,350-4,100/-, Toor Dal Rs.5,200-6,300/- Pepper New Rs.43,400/-, Pepper light Rs.40,000.00, Pin Heads (Cheer)Rs.15,000.00, Sugar (per bag) Rs.3,700/-(All rates per quintal).

COIR YARN : Cochin Parur Thin (85 M/Kg) Rs.3,600/- Vycom ThIck 200/Kg) Rs.3,900/-, Choriwal Thin Rs.5,000/- PTI VHN RBS . http://www.newindianexpress.com/pti-news/2018/jan/02/mcm21-prices-kochi-commodities1742624.html 23

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Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter Farmer leaders join agri-biotechnology congress Tuesday, January 02, 2018 By LAUREN ALIMONDO Advancing biotechnology in the country, some 200 farmer leaders from different regions in the country convene for the National Agri-biotechnology Farmers Congress recently. The conference theme, "Share the bounty of Agri-biotechnology through mutual coexistence and Responsible Stewardship" highlighted sessions of the conference which include biotechnology updates, golden rice, science communication, Food Safety Act of 2013, and plant biotech. "We want to let all our farmers know that biotechnology is very useful. Magagamit natin sa pagsasaka dahil ngayon lumiliit na iyong sakahan kaunti lang ang aanihin natin. But the aim of the technology is, sa kaunting lupa, malaki ang aanihin kasi marami na tayong populasyon so kailangan nating magproduce ng maraming pagkain," Philippine Farmers Advisory Board President Edwin Paraluman said. The activity, with series of interactive lectures on biotechnology, seeks to help farmers' awareness of the challenges faced by agricultural biotechnology. It also aims to enhance farmersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; knowledge on the policy issues, based on the stakeholders' experiences with agricultural biotechnology, and gave farmer-level experiences with biotechnology crops. Asian Farmers Regional Network Philippines (ASFARNET) country president Reynaldo Cabanao said the conference is much relevant also to the Cordilleras, especially all major type of vegetables are from the highlands supplying Manila areas. Biotechnology involves any technique that uses whole or part of a living thing to make new products, improve or develop plants and animals. Potentials of biotechnology include fighting diseases, increasing yield, safer crops, nutritious food, safer crops, environmental friendly, and better industry. The event highlights include the declaration of support for the application of biotechnology in Agriculture.

"After thorough discussion with the scientists, experts, and farmer resource persons on the various issues confronting Filipino farmers in food production, problems on hunger and poverty as well as the science, safety, and potential and actual benefits of modern biotechnology," stated in the declaration. "We believe that biotechnology will reduce dependence and indiscriminate heavy use of pesticides and other agricultural chemicals that are harmful to humans, animals and the environment." Conceived in 2003, ASFARNET-Philippines is composed of farmer-leaders and key stakeholders from 15 regions of the country. Most of the members of ASFARNET- Philippines are adoptors of biotech corn since 2003, and are actively involved in advocating the use of the technology. About 100,000 small-scale Filipino farmers planted biotech corn in more than 350,000 hectares in 2008 http://www.sunstar.com.ph/baguio/business/2018/01/03/farmer-leaders-join-agri-biotechnology-congress582128

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Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter Turn rice imports into subsidy Philippine Daily Inquirer / 05:12 AM January 03, 2018

Dear President Duterte, If we convert a portion of the budget for 800,000 metric tons of rice earmarked for importation under Executive Order No. 23 into rice subsidy, we will dramatically improve our local production toward self-sufficiency. This is the key to emancipation from agricultural slavery under the WTOâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;more subsidies to local farmers, less imports.

Vietnam and Thailand, our major sources of rice imports, have rice subsidies for farmers that is why they have surpluses for export. Their subsidies have reduced cost of production by about 40 percent less than ours by addressing cheaper fertilizer, as in Vietnam, and by turning to semiautomation. Unlike us, Vietnam has the capability to make their own agricultural machineries. Our problem is the wrong mindset of restricting the hand that feeds us, namely the rice farmers.

It is an irony that the buying spree of foreign rice may trigger mass hunger by inducing a glut detrimental to 3 million rice farmers. If we include their families, farm workers, and downstream industries, the effect is on 42 million Filipinos, more than a third of the population.

This is not surprising, considering that 70 percent of our economy depends on agriculture. In truth, estimates of the dynamic over/under supply of rice are guess work.

The government tends toward overimportation because a shortage is political disaster.

The culprit is the WTO, whose rules were imposed by developed countries to control the economy of developing countries under threat of being outside the global trade loop. The WTO logic is to untie trade restrictions which protect Third World economies. The Philippine Institute for Development Studies is the voice of the WTO.

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Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter Their studies root for total WTO compliance such as removal of all rice quotas. They are a government agency funded by the World Bank, the WTO’s partner in crime.

There are also key Western-educated henchmen in government who have adopted the WTO mindset. Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia is one. He says competition from rice imports will “encourage local farmers to improve efficiency and bring down local prices.”

First, it will not “encourage” but kill farmers. Production efficiency is achievable by cheaper fertilizer and availability of farm equipment through the subsidy.

Second, “bringing down prices” will also kill the farmer in favor of the consumer. He also said competition will make rice farmers diversify into other agricultural crops, which means he wants to discourage rice production, which is the heart of our food security.

We are stuck with the oppressive WTO. We have no choice but to comply. But we can maneuver around economic slavery by instituting a rice subsidy, which all our Asean neighbors are doing. We are the only one left without a subsidy policy because our government officials fleece rather than uplift the Filipino.

https://opinion.inquirer.net/109961/turn-rice-imports-subsidy#ixzz5372lmYE5

NFA gearing for a ‘bigger role’ in 2018 January 2, 2018, 10:00 PM

By Madelaine B. Miraflor Even if there’s no finality yet when it comes to injecting new functions to National Food Authority (NFA), the state-run grains agency is now anticipating a busy 2018 for possible transitions that may happen.

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Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter “The NFA is expected to play a bigger role in 2018 after President Rodrigo Duterte proposed that the agency handles other agricultural commodities aside from rice,” NFA said in a statement.

This, as it announced that good housekeeping became the guidepost for all aspects of its operations this year while complying with the mandates of food security and stabilization despite very low buffer stock inventory felt throughout of 2017.

It was in November when Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said he wants to make sure that National Food Authority (NFA) won’t run out of things to do when the country already reduced its dependence on imported rice.

It was him who personally recommended to President Rodrigo Duterte to give NFA “bigger role” in ensuring stable food supply in the market while at the same time allowing farmers and fisher folks access to the market.

“The NFA should no longer be just a rice importing agency, especially so since we expect to produce enough supply by the year 2020,” Piñol said.

According to him, NFA should be tasked to consolidate all food products such as fruits, vegetables, meats, and fish and ensure they go to areas where they are needed the most.

For this year, NFA administrator Jason Aquino said the agency was still successful in performing its mandate despite thin supply and the limitation set on the amount of rice that could be imported.

To judiciously allocate scarce resources, Aquino said he instructed all NFA field officers to prioritize the release of government subsidized NFA rice for victims of calamities or emergencies, whether natural or manmade.

“Despite our very thin supplies, we had to ensure that calamity victims will always be food secure,” Aquino said.

The NFA Council only allowed the agency to import of 250,000 metric tons (MT) of rice, which pushed its buffer stock inventory to very low levels during the lean months of July to September.

https://business.mb.com.ph/2018/01/02/nfa-gearing-for-a-bigger-role-in-2018/

Thriving rice sector sees hike in exports A man operates a forklift to move sacks of rice in a local warehouse. KT/Chor Sokunthea Exports of Cambodian rice rose by more than 17 percent this year, moving from just over 542,000 tonnes in 2016 to more than 635,600 in 2017, according to the latest report from the Ministry of Agriculture.

Srey Vuthy, the director of the department of planning and statistics at the ministry, told Khmer Times that 2017 had been a great year for the rice sector, particularly for exports. He said that 10 million tonnes of paddy were produced in the country, generating a surplus of five million tonnes. A significant portion

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Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter

of that surplus was sent abroad, with Cambodia still lacking the infrastructure to store such large amounts of produce. “When the new storage and processing facilitates are finished we hope to increase those exports, as we will be able to purchase more rice, store it and process it,” Mr Vuthy said. “We could achieve a 15 percent growth in exports next year if those facilities are in place.” Last year the government approved the disbursement of several loans, amounting to a total of $30 million, to build warehouses and silos to store rice across the country.

The Cambodia Rice Bank was one of the associations selected as a recipient and will be building storage facilities in Battambang that could be used by farmers in Banteay Meanchey, Pailin and Pursat. Song Saran, the CEO of Amru Rice, said the biggest markets for Cambodian rice in 2017 were China and the European Union. Both China and the EU have a preference for Cambodian fragrant rice, he said, with the price of the commodity abroad now being very attractive for exporters. “With demand for fragrant rice rising, we are happy this year we had a significant surplus,” he said, adding that the government will achieve its goal of reaching one million tonnes in rice exports in upcoming years if it continues its financial support for the sector.

“We need time to build our supply chain by reducing costs and increasing productivity and production,” he said. “We need lower electricity bills and better logistics infrastructure.” Speaking during a competition to determine the best paddy in the country held last month, Sok Puthyvuth, the president of the Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF), said the rice sector continues to be at the top of governmental priorities, and added that the industry is on a clear path towards more development and further

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Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter mechanisation. “This year we surpassed the 600,000 tonnes mark, which is a great accomplishment. Now our focus is to find new markets,” Mr Puthyvuth said. “To continue on growing and to reach new markets, we need a concerted, sector-wide effort, in which all the relevant stakeholders do their part. “We need to modernise the industry and become more competitive in the international marketplace,” he said, adding that the CRF is planning a number of initiatives in cooperation with the Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Agriculture to bolster the capabilities of the association. http://www.khmertimeskh.com/5099246/thriving-rice-sector-sees-hike-exports/

Vietnam’s rice export surges in 2017 HANOI, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam exported roughly 5.9 million tons of rice worth nearly 2.7 billion U.S. dollars in 2017, posting respective year-on-year rises of 20.5 percent and 20.8 percent. Of the rice volume, nearly 40 percent went to China, and 9.3 percent to the Philippines, according to the General Department of Vietnam Customs on Tuesday. Vietnam is likely to export 6.3 million tons of rice in 2018, mainly due to high demand from the Southeast Asian market, especially the Philippines, local traders predicted. Vietnam's paddy rice-growing area was over 7.7 million hectares in 2017, down 26,100 hectares against 2016, said the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. As a result, the country's paddy rice output dropped for the first time over the past 20 years to 42.8 million tons in 2017. http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-01/02/c_136867001.htm

Farmer leaders join agri-biotechnology congress Tuesday, January 02, 2018 By LAUREN ALIMONDO Advancing biotechnology in the country, some 200 farmer leaders from different regions in the country convene for the National Agri-biotechnology Farmers Congress recently. The conference theme, "Share the bounty of Agri-biotechnology through mutual coexistence and Responsible Stewardship" highlighted sessions of the conference which include biotechnology updates, golden rice, science communication, Food Safety Act of 2013, and plant biotech.

"We want to let all our farmers know that biotechnology is very useful.

Magagamit natin sa pagsasaka dahil ngayon lumiliit na iyong sakahan kaunti lang ang aanihin natin. But the aim of the technology is, sa kaunting lupa, malaki ang aanihin kasi marami na tayong populasyon so kailangan nating magproduce ng maraming pagkain," Philippine Farmers Advisory Board President Edwin Paraluman said. The activity, with series of interactive lectures on biotechnology, seeks to help farmers' awareness of the challenges faced by agricultural biotechnology. It also aims to enhance farmers’ knowledge on the policy issues, based on the stakeholders' experiences with agricultural biotechnology, and gave farmer-level experiences with biotechnology crops. Asian Farmers Regional Network Philippines (ASFARNET) country president Reynaldo Cabanao said the conference is much relevant also to the Cordilleras, especially all major type of vegetables are from the highlands supplying Manila areas.

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Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter Biotechnology involves any technique that uses whole or part of a living thing to make new products, improve or develop plants and animals. Potentials of biotechnology include fighting diseases, increasing yield, safer crops, nutritious food, safer crops, environmental friendly, and better industry. The event highlights include the declaration of support for the application of biotechnology in Agriculture. "After thorough discussion with the scientists, experts, and farmer resource persons on the various issues confronting Filipino farmers in food production, problems on hunger and poverty as well as the science, safety, and potential and actual benefits of modern biotechnology," stated in the declaration. "We believe that biotechnology will reduce dependence and indiscriminate heavy use of pesticides and other agricultural chemicals that are harmful to humans, animals and the environment." Conceived in 2003, ASFARNET-Philippines is composed of farmer-leaders and key stakeholders from 15 regions of the country. Most of the members of ASFARNET- Philippines are adoptors of biotech corn since 2003, and are actively involved in advocating the use of the technology. About 100,000 small-scale Filipino farmers planted biotech corn in more than 350,000 hectares in 2008.

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/baguio/business/2018/01/03/farmer-leaders-join-agri-biotechnologycongress-582128

Foods containing GM golden rice can be sold in Australia and New Zealand

By Gary Scattergood 03-Jan-2018 - Last updated on 03-Jan-2018 at 06:34 GMT 17

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Golden rice, with beta-carotene, can be sold in Australia and New Zealand, which also means there will be no increase in price of food with co-mingled rice. ŠGettyImages Products containing traces of golden rice, which is genetically modified to produce beta-carotene, should be able to be sold in Australia and New Zealand, regulators have ruled.

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Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter

It follows an application to Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) from the humanitarian organisation International Rice Research Institute, which cultivated the GR2E rice line to mitigate vitamin A deficiency in developing countries.

The regulator stressed the application was based on trade issues and did not permit the rice to be grown in Australia or New Zealand.

“The Institute intends for Golden Rice to be grown in developing countries. Permitting Golden Rice in the [Australian] Food Standards Code would mean if small amounts were present in other shipments of imported rice there would be no trade issues,” it noted.

What this means This means that there would be no cost involved in having to exclude GR2E grain from comingling and hence that there would be no consequential need to increase the prices of foods that are manufactured using co-mingled rice grain, said the regulator.

In approving the application, FSANZ stated that food derived from Golden Rice would have to be labelled as ‘genetically modified’ because it would contain novel DNA and novel protein.

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Daily Global, Regional and Local Rice E-Newsletter “FSANZ has determined that Golden Rice would contain novel DNA and novel protein, as well as an altered nutritional profile (contains beta-carotene), and would be required to carry the mandatory statement ‘genetically modified’ on the package label,” it stated.

“This requirement would apply to rice sold as a single ingredient food (e.g. a package of rice) and when the rice is used as an ingredient in another food (e.g. rice flour, rice milk).

Another product from the rice is rice bran oil. Under the labelling provisions, rice bran oil derived from Golden Rice would be unlikely to require labelling because it would not contain novel DNA or novel protein, or have an altered nutritional profile because beta-carotene would not be present.

The need for functional food The Institute wants the GR2E rice to be cultivated for humanitarian purposes in developing countries including Bangladesh, Indonesia and the Philippines which are at high risk of vitamin A deficiency (VAD) and where 30–70% of energy intake is derived from rice.

While acknowledging that GR2E rice will not solve the issue of population-based VAD for these countries, it believes it can be a major part of an overarching strategy to reduce deficiency.

Countries wishing to adopt the Golden Rice technology are free to introduce the GR2E event into preferred varieties that suit the local environment and meet certain criteria outlined in a Humanitarian Use Licence Agreement, subject to local regulatory arrangements.

In 2013 Australia imported 145,370 tonnes of milled rice (representing around 45% of the rice consumed). The main suppliers were Thailand (49%), India (19%) and Pakistan (13%) (FAOSTAT 2017). In the same year, New Zealand imported 42,381 tonnes of milled rice with the main suppliers being Australia (39%), Thailand (26%), and the US (13%).

The Australia and New Zealand Ministerial Forum on Food Regulation has been notified of FSANZ’s decision.

Similar applications are currently under review in the USA, Canada and the Philippines.

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