Anda di halaman 1dari 20

18th April , 2014

TOP Contents - Tailored for YOU Latest News Headlines


At your kirana shop soon: Zinc-rich rice, wheat The rich diversity of birds in rice field ecosystems TDAP urged to ensure transparency in rice export quota Philippines presses bid to keep rice import controls India, China support Philippines' bid to curb rice imports Govt urged to give free-hand to TDAPs new head NACC will not hear more defence witnesses in rice-pledging case against Yingluck Religious rites, rice festival, lots of water flow in weekend Songkran finale Govt may tap budget again to pay farmers Rice customs fees dropped Japan, US reach new compromise on tariff negotiations USA Rice says no confirmation on concession to Japan in TPP talks Book Review: Rice Processing, the Comprehensive Guide to Global Technology and Innovative Products Tips for Managing Rice Seedling Diseases In-Season Use of New Herbicide for Rice The Trouble With Rice China says one-fifth of its farmland is polluted

NEWS DETAILS:
Daily Rice E-Newsletter by Rice Plus Magazine www.ricepluss.com News and R&D Section mujajhid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell # 92 321 369 2874

At your kirana shop soon: Zinc-rich rice, wheat


India looking at bio-fortified crops to tackle malnutrition, allocates $40 million for development CHENNAI, APRIL 17: If efforts of scientists and global organisation working on nutritional health yield results, you will soon be able to buy zinc-rich rice or wheat or even iron-rich millet or maize (corn).India is looking at the option of administering nutrition through crops, especially when millions of children in the country are suffering from malnutrition and under-nourishment.According to MS Swaminathan, Director of MS Swaminathan Research Foundation, India tops globally in the number of children whose growth has been stunted.Growth of 61.7 million children has been stunted in India, he told the second global conference on Biofortification in Kigali, Rwanda, recently.The seriousness of the Indian situation can be gauged from the fact that Nigeria is a distant second with growth of 11 million children stunted.According to Chris Elias, President, Global Development Programmes, Bill and Melinda Gates foundation, India has endorsed the use of nutrient-rich crops. Commercial use It allocated about $40 million to develop and promote commercial cultivation and the supply chain of nutrient-rich products for vulnerable segments of the population, he told the conference.The Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) has taken up the initiative of bio-fortifying seven food crops, including wheat, rice, pearl millet and maize, through its initiative HarvestPlus.Cultivation of iron-rich peal millet was commercialised in India in 2012 and a few hundred acres have been brought under the crop.Next on cards is zinc-rich rice. The Bangladesh Rice Research Institute has developed such a variety and released it last year. According to the Philippines-based International Rice Research Institute, it is leading a collaborative project to develop high-zinc rice for release in India, Indonesia, and the Philippines.This will be followed by efforts to release zinc-rich wheat in India and Pakistan.According to Nirmal Seeds, the Indian firm which is working in Africa in development of iron-rich pearl millet, it is engaged in developing high zinc wheat in India. No GM crops

Daily Rice E-Newsletter by Rice Plus Magazine www.ricepluss.com News and R&D Section mujajhid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell # 92 321 369 2874

The bio-fortified grains will cost only as much as normal grain varieties in retail outlets.These varieties are high-yielding. The price of nutritious staple grains in retail markets will be equal to the price of todays lowernutrient staple grain varieties, said Howarth Bouis, Director of HarvestPlus.All bio-fortified crops are developed through conventional plant breeding. This means no genetic modification has been done. Development of these varieties through plant breeding has relied on the natural variation found in plant varieties collected throughout the world and then preserved in central seed banks, Bouis said.Bill and Melinda Gates Foundations Elias said that the early success with Vitamin A or orange sweet potato has encouraged work on other crops and micro-nutrients. Partnering farmers

Last year, HarvestPlus reached over 1.3 million farmers in seven countries, including India, and by the yearend, the number will top 2.3 million.Efforts are on to develop high-micronutrient varieties of cassava and beans too.In less than three decades, zinc-fortified rice in Bangladesh and India can reduce the zinc deficiency among children under 5 by more than 85 per cent, says Elias.Action is also being taken through the Codex Alimentarius to develop biofortification guidelines, which are essential to national and international adoption and commercialisation.Swaminathan says that moringa (drumstick), sweet potato, nutritious millets besides fruits and vegetables should be cultivated and consumed in India to overcome malnutrition and undernourishment.

We need to introduce agricultural remedies for nutrition maladies. The nutrition-farm movement should be popularised, he says.HarvestPlus targets to reach at least one billion farmers to grow bio-fortified crops in the next 15 years, a roadmap that was approved by the conference.Iamge: Enriched grains The Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research has taken up the initiative of bio-fortifying seven food crops, including wheat, rice, pearl millet and maize, through its initiative HarvestPlus (This article was published on April 17, 2014)

The rich diversity of birds in rice field ecosystems


Rice fields cover 160 million hectares around the world an area more than six times the size of the United Kingdom. They are an important ecosystem for various animals, including a number of birds that can be seen at the experimental paddies run by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI).The IRRI fields in the

Daily Rice E-Newsletter by Rice Plus Magazine www.ricepluss.com News and R&D Section mujajhid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell # 92 321 369 2874

Philippines cover just 250 hectares, but can be considered a microcosm of millions of rice fields globally in which sustainable agricultural practices, such as non-lethal methods of controlling rice-eating birds, are used. These images were part of photography exhibition, Feathers in the Fields: The Birds of IRRI. They show the abundance of birds within a rice field ecosystem. This emphasises the need to carefully manage rice fields and, ultimately, the wildlife that depends on them, as well as the need to prevent their conversion to urban uses. It also offers a way to correct the misconception among many farmers that birds are pests and raise awareness that 90 per cent feed on harmful insects. The birds reduce dependence to pesticides producing greener rice farming.
This article has been produced by SciDev.Net's South-East Asia & Pacific desk.

TDAP urged to ensure transparency in rice export quota


April 18, 2014 KARACHI - The Union of Small and Medium Enterprises (Unisame) has invited the attention of SM Munir chief executive officer (CEO) of Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) to the favoritism in the quota system of rice in Sri Lankan Free Trade Agreement (FTA).It has been observed that TDAP did not update the website and when an exporter goes with Bill of Landing to TDAP, the exporter is informed that quota is already allotted and the website is not updated unfortunately. The TDAP then uses quota for their favoured exporters.It has deprived the SME exporters of their right to obtain a share in the 6000 metric tons annual quota and urged the CEO to ensure transparency and merit in allocation with fairness. The essence and spirit of the Sri Lankan FTA is to benefit the SME importers and exporters in both the countries to accommodate several SME exporters in Pakistan and several SME importers in Sri Lanka. It never intended one big exporter to export 2600 metric tons to Sri Lanka and on the other side one big importer to import 2600 metric tons in this manner and defeat the very purpose of the agreement. He said the union has received a complaint and pointed out that the requirement is that the cargo has to be on board the vessel to qualify for the quota on first come first served basis but unfortunately this system has not been observed and a big exporter was obliged in haste to accommodate the applicant who it is reported obtained the bill of lading (BL) from the shipping company. The Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) and TDAP evolved a joint policy that the quota would be issued only on presentation of BL and cargo shipped on board the vessel.Unfortunately all of a sudden, a big exporter dispatched 2600 MTons of rice to Karachi Port. The very next morning, TDAP issued in newspaper that the quota procedure is as usual on presentation of BL on first come first served basis rejecting REAPs negotiation and setting aside REAPs suggestions. The big exporter presented a BL whose vessel had not

Daily Rice E-Newsletter by Rice Plus Magazine www.ricepluss.com News and R&D Section mujajhid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell # 92 321 369 2874

departed and collected the BL in advance. The TDAP issued the quota to the big exporter for reasons best known to them.It would be in the interest of all rice exporters if the matter is re-examined and decided accordingly and a proper system is developed with transparency and the system of first come first served is observed on merit.

Philippines presses bid to keep rice import controls


Ben O. de Vera Philippine Daily Inquirer Publication Date : 18 -04-2014 The Philippines has renewed its appeal to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to allow Manila to keep its restrictions on rice imports.During the Council for Trade in Goods meeting in Geneva, Switzerland on April 9, the Philippines reiterated its request for a waiver relating to special treatment for rice, the WTO said on its website, referring to the quantitative restriction (QR) being slapped by Manila on the commodity.According to the WTO, the Philippines again emphasised that this request is in the context of its food security needs.In 1995, the WTO allowed the Philippines to impose a 10-year quota system for rice importation. The QR was extended in 2004 and then lapsed in 2012. The Philippines has been requesting the WTO to further extend the QR on rice up to 2017.During the meeting, the Philippine WTO mission cited that it had been working on this matter for the past two years with other members, not only in Geneva but also in Manila and other capitals.So far, China, India, Indonesia and Vietnam have expressed support for the Philippines request and have urged other WTO members that might be affected by a QR extension to conclude consultations with Manila, according to the WTO.As for Australia, Canada, Thailand and the United States, their consultations with the Philippines were still ongoing, the WTO noted.In a letter to Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala last December, Justice Secretary Leila M. Lima thumbed down the Department of Agricultures (DA) position of extending the QR, citing that among the considerations are the possible legal repercussions of the Philippines being perceived to be in breach of its WTO commitments. The DA and the National Food Authority (NFA), however, had insisted that they could still implement the QR while WTO negotiations for its extension were ongoing.Agriculture Assistant Secretary Romeo S. Recide in March expressed confidence that trading partners would support the Philippines bid for an extended QR. We are very positive that we will acquire consensus with interested countries. This will allow us to operate under a new quantitative restriction extension, he had said.The QR is being seen as a measure that would buy time for local farmers to prepare for free trade under the WTO in light of the governments goal of achieving self sufficiency in rice production by end-2015.

India, China support Philippines' bid to curb rice imports


The Hindu Business Line

Daily Rice E-Newsletter by Rice Plus Magazine www.ricepluss.com News and R&D Section mujajhid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell # 92 321 369 2874

Summary India and China have supported the Philippines' request to the World Trade Organisation for continuing its import restrictions on rice in line with its food security needs. The special treatment for rice that the WTO allowed Philippines expired in June 2012. Under the quantitative restriction system, the Philippines is allowed to import 350,000 tonne of rice annually under the Minimum Access Volume (MAV).

Get Veooz 360 for India China, Food Security

Govt urged to give free-hand to TDAPs new head


March 18, 2014

KARACHI : Muhammad Yasin Siddik, Chairman APTMA, has congratulated S M Muneer on taking over the charge of chairman of TDAP. Chairman APTMA said that S. M. Muneerappointment as chairman TDAP by the govt is the right step in the right direction. He urged the government to give a free hand to the newly appointed Chairman TDAP to take concrete steps for the promotion of trade specially exports trade. Siddik is confident that the Chairman TDAP has the will and potential to maximize opportunity of GSP + provided by the EU and lead Pakistan and esp. the Textile and Leather Industries which are the backbone of our economy. towards earning the much needed foreign exchange.He assured full cooperation of the members of APTMA to the Chairman TDAP towards meeting the challenges especially of increase in exports. He is also sure that S. Muneer will spare no effort for the advancement of the textile industry so that it can play its positive role in the progress of Pakistan.

NACC will not hear more defence witnesses in rice-pledging case against Yingluck
April 18, 2014 8:29 pm

The National Anti-Corruption Commission will not accept additional witnesses from caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra in the rice pledging case against her, NACC secretary-general Sansern Poljiak said.The NACC members are expected to be able to consider the case early next month, Sansern added.Sansern was speaking to reporters after caretaker Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Kittiratt Na-Ranong testified to the anti-graft panel.Kittiratt spent over four hours giving information to the panel, as defence witness for Yingluck. The Nation

Daily Rice E-Newsletter by Rice Plus Magazine www.ricepluss.com News and R&D Section mujajhid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell # 92 321 369 2874

Religious rites, rice festival, lots of water flow in weekend Songkran finale
Friday, 18 April 2014From Issue Vol. XXII No. 16By Warunya Thongrod After a week of water-based warfare, Pattaya brings its annual Songkran celebration to a close this weekend with official Wan Lai events in Naklua and Pattaya.Each day begins with a modicum of tradition, with 90 monks from Jittapawan Temple assembling at Lan Po Park at 7 a.m. April 18 for religious ceremonies, followed by a parade through the neighborhood. Citizens also paid Songkran respects to 44 community elders.After a week of water-based warfare, Pattaya brings its annual Songkran celebration to a close this weekend with official Wan Lai events in Naklua and Pattaya.Saturday, similar ceremonies play out at Chaimongkol Temple at 7:30 a.m., followed by a Songkran parade down Second Road to Central Road, back along Beach Road and returning to the temple.

The water-splashing fun then kicks off officially at 8 a.m., with Beach Road closed until 8 p.m.Songkran comes to a quieter close on Sunday, when annual rice festivals will be held at Lan Po Park in Naklua and Nongyai Temple in Banglamung.The Naklua rice festival, which starts at 5:30 p.m., features games including slingshots, seaside Muay Thai, little girls falling in water, and oily post climbing. A concert from leading Thai country music artist Yinglee Srijumpol caps the evening.Each day begins with a modicum of tradition, with 90 monks from Jittapawan Temple assembling at Lan Po Park at 7 a.m. April 18 for religious ceremonies, followed by a parade through the neighborhood. Citizens also paid Songkran respects to 44 community elders. After a week of water-based warfare, Pattaya brings its annual Songkran celebration to a close this weekend with official Wan Lai events in Naklua and Pattaya.After a week of water-based warfare, Pattaya brings its annual Songkran celebration to a close this weekend with official Wan Lai events in Naklua and Pattaya.Saturday, similar ceremonies play out at Chaimongkol Temple at 7:30 a.m., followed by a Songkran parade down Second Road to Central Road, back along Beach Road and returning to the temple. The water-splashing fun then kicks off officially at 8 a.m., with Beach Road closed until 8 p.m.Songkran comes to a quieter close on Sunday, when annual rice festivals will be held at Lan Po Park in Naklua and Nongyai Temple in Banglamung.The Naklua rice festival, which starts at 5:30 p.m., features games including slingshots, seaside Muay Thai, little girls falling in water, and oily post climbing. A concert from leading Thai country music artist Yinglee Srijumpol caps the evening.

Daily Rice E-Newsletter by Rice Plus Magazine www.ricepluss.com News and R&D Section mujajhid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell # 92 321 369 2874

Image:After a week of water-based warfare, Pattaya brings its annual Songkran celebration to a close this weekend with official Wan Lai events in Naklua and Pattaya. - See more at:

Govt may tap budget again to pay farmers


The Nation April 18, 2014 1:00 am Yanyong Phuangrach

The government says it will soon discuss borrowing more money from its central budget to pay farmers under the rice-pledging scheme. Deputy Commerce Minister Yanyong Phuangrach said he would discuss with Niwattumrong Boonsongpaisarn, the deputy prime minister and commerce minister, a proposal from the Thai Farmers and Agriculturalists Association for the government to request the Election Committee to approval additional borrowings of Bt40 billion from the central budget. "The association, together with rice farmer representatives from 30 provinces, has submitted a letter to me," Yanyong said. "I have to discuss this issue with the commerce minister first and I may have to invite representatives from related parties to join the discussion to finalise the plan for more borrowings from the central budget."This could be done without the input of the National Rice Policy Committee. It could be forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration."Under the proposal, Yanyong said the Bt40-billion borrowings may not be made in a lump sum, but could be made in two tranches of Bt20-billion each. He believed the Ministry of Commerce would be able to make all of the repayments, as the government had the ability to sell stocked rice. It is expected that the first Bt20-billion tranche, which the EC approved early last month, will be repaid before the May 31 deadline. "Repayment to the central budget is anticipated beforehand," he said. "Recently, about Bt10 billion in excess was paid. This shows the government will not miss its repayment obligation. It would likely use borrowings from the budget to pay farmers. "The original plan was for government borrowings to be used to pay farmers, but it was suspended given the caretaker government's situation. The plan was changed to find money to pay farmers and sell rice at the same time.

Daily Rice E-Newsletter by Rice Plus Magazine www.ricepluss.com News and R&D Section mujajhid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell # 92 321 369 2874

"The Ministry of Commerce said Vichian Phuanglamjiak, president of the Thai Farmers and Agriculturalists Association, had submitted the letter to Yanyong urging the government to continue with the rice-pledging scheme and consider requesting the extra Bt40 billion to help cover the Bt95 billion payment due to farmers. Meanwhile, Thailand will seek new and less price-competitive markets to export rice after an opportunity to export 800,000 tonnes of rice to the Philippines was stymied by Vietnam offering a lower price.According to the Department of Foreign Trade's director-general, Surasak Riangkrul, Vietnam offered the Philippines at an auction held on Tuesday a CIF (cost, insurance, freight) export price of US$440 per tonne for 15 per cent white rice, which is likely to kill Thailand's chance of exporting 800,000 tonnes to the Philippines at $475 per tonne CIF price.

It is unlikely that Thailand can secure the bid as the price offered by Thailand is higher because 2-3 private Thai rice exporters proposed 5 per cent higher quality white rice. Vietnam will announce the auction result on April 23. In any case, Thailand will have seek other markets to export better quality, higher-priced Thai rice to avoid a price war with Vietnamese rice and to preserve the quality of Thai rice. Meanwhile, Malaysia is currently negotiating to import several hundreds of tonnes of Thai rice. As for the distribution of rice stocks from state warehouses, 520,000 tonnes of rice will be allocated for general auction and for direct export sales, in addition to another 60,000 tonnes from the Suphan Buri rice auction, which will have to be approved later by Niwatthamrong, Surasak said. According to the Thai Rice Exporters Association, on FOB (free-on-board) terms, the export price of Thai rice is $380/tonne. Vietnam 's FOB export price is unknown as their rice production cost is not known. It is not unusual for Vietnam to offer a very low price, as they really want to win the Philippines export contract. The Commerce Ministry reported that the FOB export price of 15 per cent Thai rice was $377/tonne compared to Vietnam's $365/tonne, a difference of $10-$12 per tonne.

Rice customs fees dropped


The majority of Cambodias of rice is exported annually via Sihanoukville Port in an estimated 15,750 shipping containers. Heng Chivoan

The Ministry of Economy and Finance (MoEF) will scrap customs fees for rice exporters from May 1 in an effort to reduce production costs and boost Cambodias competitiveness in the sector, according to a lett er obtained by the Post.[The ministry] has agreed to eliminate charges relating to customs processing fees for

Daily Rice E-Newsletter by Rice Plus Magazine www.ricepluss.com News and R&D Section mujajhid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell # 92 321 369 2874

exporters of rice in order to boost the rice export industry, said the letter, signed by Department of Customs and Excise officials.The letter goes on to say that the fee changes will become effective on May 1, in less than two weeks time.The governments changes to the customs tariff scheme have been welcomed by rice industry officials and economists.Kim Savuth, president of the Federation of Cambodian Rice Exporters (FCRE), said the governments move will help cut production and export costs by at least $15 per shipping container.With about 379,000 tonnes of Cambodian rice exported in 2013 via about 15,750 shipping containers, the MoEFs decisio n could potentially save the industry more than $236,000 annually.This decision is like an invisible assistant to strengthen our competitiveness and boost our export, Savuth said.Savuth said all stakeholders in the rice sector, including exporters, millers and farmers stand to benefit from the fee cut.The FCRE president added that gradual decreases in over-land transport charges between Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville Port were also contributing to the sectors cost-cutting measures.

Srey Chanthy, an independent agricultural analyst, welcomed the MoEFs decision to eliminate all customs processing fees, saying it will save not only money but time for rice exporters.It creates an easier scheme for doing business and that is truly a big help in luring more investors to the country,he said.The government may lose a small amount of revenue from fees, but they will gain a lot of benefits.The move is the latest in a suite of changes to the Kingdoms customs and export process. In an effort to cut red tape and automate processes for Cambodian exporters, the Ministry of Commerce earlier this year relaxed requirements relating to certificate of origin.Just last week, the MoC also confirmed it was undergoing an internal shake-up to streamline the export process for all industries. Contact author: Hor Kimsay

Japan, US reach new compromise on tariff negotiations


Apr 18, 2014 Ida Torres Politics No Comments

Sources are saying that officials from Japan and the United States have finally reached a breakthrough over the tariff negotiations ahead of US President Barack Obamas visit next week. The US has reportedly allowed the retention of tariffs on rice and wheat but will require Japan to have a system that will increase the importation of rice from the US.

Daily Rice E-Newsletter by Rice Plus Magazine www.ricepluss.com News and R&D Section mujajhid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell # 92 321 369 2874

The two countries have been having a tough time reaching a compromise on the issue of tariffs on the five sacred farm category products (rice, wheat, beef and pork, dairy products and sugar) which both want to protect. But this has caused a delay in the finalization of the US-led Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade agreement, which also involves 10 other countries. They are pushing to resolve these issues before the April 24 summit between Obama and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Now it looks like the only thing left to finalize is the tariff on beef and pork, as sources say they have also reached a compromise on sugar and dairy products, which will most likely be exempted from the tariffs as well. Japan imports around 770,000 tons of rice every year under the tariff-free state trading but then imposes a 778% tariff on those importations that go beyond the minimum access framework that is part of the World Trade Organization deal. The TPP compromise would let the US export more tariff-free rice under private trading. Japan is also expected to drastically lower the current maximum 45.2 per kilogram import markup on US wheat. The US was initially looking at removing the tariffs on rice and wheat but then such a move would also increase rice exports to Japan of their competitors Canada and Australia.

USA Rice says no confirmation on concession to Japan in TPP talks


By Aarian Marshall Copyright Agri-Pulse Communications, Inc. According to the reports, Japan agreed to allow increased access for U.S. rice in exchange for taking full elimination of Japan's import duties off the table."We have advocated since the beginning of TPP for a significant increase in the quantity and quality of access for U.S. rice in Japan, USA Rice Federation CEO Betsy Ward said in a post on the group's website. This means new access for U.S. rice sold in Japan free of interference by the Japanese government." She said the group remains in contact with U.S. negotiators to press industry priorities.Currently, Japan imposes a 770,000-ton import quota on rice, all of which is tariff-free. Beyond that, though, the country places a prohibitive 778 percent tariff on foreign rice. We understand the political sensitivity of rice in Japan and we seek a pragmatic solution, Ward said, adding, We take nothing for granted. According to a number of trade and business groups, the 12-nation TPP talks are currently stymied by U.S.Japan disagreements. At issue are tariffs and quotas for agriculture products and automobiles.U.S. and Japanese officials just completed another round of negotiations in Washington, D.C., which United States Trade Representative Michael Froman called focused but difficult.We have worked to be as creative as possible to

Daily Rice E-Newsletter by Rice Plus Magazine www.ricepluss.com News and R&D Section mujajhid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell # 92 321 369 2874

address Japan's political sensitivities, while pursuing the overall objective of achieving meaningful access to its market - a goal that all TPP partners share, Froman during a meeting with Akira Amari, the Japanese minister for economic and fiscal policy. We look to Japan to make similar efforts. This story was updated at 4:30 pm.

Book Review: Rice Processing, the Comprehensive Guide to Global Technology and Innovative Products
Rice Processing gives up-to-date, comprehensive information about rice processing around the world, whether in a small, hand-fed village mill or a highly sophisticated mill that uses the latest equipment and technology.

"Just like I read in the book..."

The book is a compilation of chapters by authors from academia and industry, and is intended to serve as a reference on both the practical and scientific aspects of rice processing.Edited by Joachim Sontag, a rice technology consultant who worked for Buhler for more than twenty years, the book follows the logical sequence of rice processing. The first two chapters offer background on the history, agronomy, and morphology of rice and an overview of world trade and consumption of the world's single most important staple food. Subsequent chapters are more technical discussions of topics such as drying and cooling, storage, color sorting, parboiling, and food safety.Professor Terry Siebenmorgen, director of the University of Arkansas Rice Processing Program, contributed a chapter on the assessment of rice milling quality. Dr. Siebenmorgen is a member of the USA Rice Federation's Rice Marketability and Competitiveness Task Force and often provides USA Rice with technical expertise on rice industry research. Rice Processing is an easy-to-read reference resource that promises answers to everything you wanted to know about rice processing and weren't afraid to ask. The book can be ordered online from the publisher at www.erling-verlag.com. Contact: Deborah Willenborg, (703) 236-1444 CME Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures CME Group (Final): Closing Rough Rice Futures for April 17

Month

Price

Net Change

Daily Rice E-Newsletter by Rice Plus Magazine www.ricepluss.com News and R&D Section mujajhid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell # 92 321 369 2874

May 2014 July 2014 September 2014 November 2014 January 2015 March 2015 May 2015

$15.360 $15.455 $14.330 $14.375 $14.570 $14.810 $14.810

- $0.025 - $0.035 - $0.030 - $0.010 - $0.010 - $0.010 - $0.010

Tips for Managing Rice Seedling Diseases


BY YESHI WAMISHE, EXTENSION RICE PLANT PATHOLOGIST, ON APRIL 17TH, 2014 Seedling diseases can prevail in any rice field. However, their likelihood can be reduced with proper management. Seed rots and seedling diseases are generally complex meaning there can be more than one causal agent in a field. In fields with seedling problems, pathogen structures such as mycelia may easily be detected on the collar of infected seedlings or may be seen radiating from rotted seeds. Rotting seeds become mushy and may be surrounded by gooey substances or white moldy growth as a result of primary microbial activities. Moreover, secondary infection from soil or water microbes may also enhance rotting. Problematic seedlings may also show brownish discoloration below or above the soil line and this is referred as seedling blight. When the disease is severe seedlings are stunted, turn yellow, and eventually could die. Seedlings may also have darker rot at the base of the plant. For all these symptoms multiple factors may be responsible. In addition to seedborne and soilborne microbes, temperature and wet conditions can make soil condition worse. Cool temperatures at or shortly after planting aggravate seedling problems. It is important to note that some fungi can also be favored by warmer temperatures under wet conditions. Therefore, we need to be diligent with our management at all times. Water-seeded rice fields may have reduced plant stands with less seedling vigor due to seedling disease complex. Seedling diseases, particularly water molds, are worse in water-seeded rice than drill-seeded rice. Emerging seedlings which encounter freezing nights in early spring often show white

Daily Rice E-Newsletter by Rice Plus Magazine www.ricepluss.com News and R&D Section mujajhid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell # 92 321 369 2874

bands (rings) (Arkansas Rice Update 4-12-14). The white bands generally are formed at the leaf portions near the soil line. The whitened portion of the leaf remains white in the growing young leaf blade without affecting the seedling stand. Moreover, all cultivars do not emerge equally well in different soil types. Our preliminary greenhouse experiment in 2013 showed quite a difference in emergence among eleven cultivars tested on heavy clay soil. Seeds from each cultivar in this test were healthy but none were chemical treated. To read more on this go to Plan ahead to minimize rice seedling diseases. Therefore, knowing your field history in relation to cultivar emergence is useful to match the right cultivar with the right soil type. The faster the seeds germinate and emerge, the higher the chance to escape the early-season disease complex. Furthermore, young and tender seedling tissues could suffer considerably from herbicide and insect damage. The white band (ring) formed due to freezing is sometimes confused with symptoms caused by herbicide damage such as Command. In past years, the damage we observed due to herbicide (drift or direct) effect in ricepossiblywas much higher than damage due to seedling diseases (Cold, wet weather optimal for herbicide injury; Herbicide drift from GE crops). Wet and cool conditions in 2013 were tougher on seedlings than the previous hot and dry year. Zinc deficiency could also show early on seedlings with a distinct leaf bronzing symptom. Zinc deficiency affects plant growth. Although the symptoms may develop early in the season, the problem will continue throughout the growth cycle of the crop ultimately affecting the grain yield unless corrected. To see symptom pictures and read more on zinc deficiency go to chapter 9 Pages 91-93 in MP192. Management tips to reduce rice seedling disease complex

To ensure field germination, avoid using seeds stored inadequately for lengthy period. Seeds stored under high moisture and temperature can lose their viability. Germination testing before planting could help. To tackle the seedling disease complex, higher rates of seed treatment containing mefenoxam, fludioxonil, metalaxyl, trifloxystrobin, either individually or in combinations of two fungicides need to be used for early planting or severe disease situations. To read more go to (Plan ahead to minimize rice seedling diseases). To minimize seed rotting and encourage emergence, plant high-quality seed treated with appropriate fungicides and insecticides. To maximize seed treatment value, make sure seeds are treated uniformly. To increase emergence and seedling vigor, particularly with cultivars with weak seedling vigor, Gibberellic acid seed treatment may be considered. To speed up emergence, avoid using poor quality seed. To have uniform emergence, correct low areas that puddle in your field. To maximize crop tolerance to diseases, correct nutrient deficiencies timely.

Daily Rice E-Newsletter by Rice Plus Magazine www.ricepluss.com News and R&D Section mujajhid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell # 92 321 369 2874

To maintain active crop growth, temperatures need to be adequate for rice (leave this part for nature). This year, as rain continues to delay planting, cool temperatures also can reduces seedlings vigor which means germination will be retarded and crop growth will be slowed.

In-Season Use of New Herbicide for Rice


APRIL 16, 2014 By: University News Release Residual control of Palmer amaranth with Sharpen at 2 oz/A. Area on right treated with Sharpen. Area on left nontreated. Supplemental labeling will allow in-season applications to rice in 2014 By Jason Bond, Research/Extension Weed Scientist, Mississippi State University Currently, few broadleaf herbicides that exhibit soil residual activity are available for rice. Sharpen is a group 14 or protoporphyrinogen oxidase (PPO) inhibiting herbicide manufactured by BASF Corporation. Supplemental labeling will allow in-season applications to rice in 2014.Sharpen efficacy in rice has been evaluated at the Delta Research and Extension Center in Stoneville since 2010. From 2012 to 2013, this research was coordinated by Garret Montgomery, a Masters student at Mississippi State University housed at the Delta Research and Extension Center. This research has examined multiple aspects of Sharpen use in rice.Initially, the most important use pattern for Sharpen application in Mississippi rice will be targeting Palmer amaranth. In Mississippi research, Sharpen at 1 ounce per acre and RiceBeaux at 3 quarts per acre provided similar control of small (one to three inches) Palmer amaranth. Furthermore, Sharpen at 1 ounce per acre controlled Palmer amaranth better than Aim at 2 ounces per acre following early- and late-postemergence applications.Residual control of Palmer amaranth with Sharpen at 2 oz/A. Area on right treated with Sharpen. Area on left nontreated.As a preemergence application, Sharpen at 2 ounces per acre has consistently controlled Palmer amaranth better than Sharpen at 1 ounce per acre. Soil texture is an important point to consider when applying Sharpen preemergence targeting Palmer amaranth. Most rice in Mississippi is grown on fine-textured, clay soils. These soils are aptly referred to as "buckshot" due to their tendency to produce small clods after tillage, particularly if worked before the soil is completely dry. Palmer amaranth only emerges from the top one-quarter to one-half inch of the soil profile. Residual control of Palmer amaranth with Sharpen has been reduced when applications were made to fields that were somewhat rough (cloddy) at application. This was likely due to the

Daily Rice E-Newsletter by Rice Plus Magazine www.ricepluss.com News and R&D Section mujajhid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell # 92 321 369 2874

fact that the rainfall or surface irrigation needed for incorporation moved the herbicide below the germination zone for Palmer amaranth.Supplemental labeling for rice in 2014 will allow Sharpen applications at 1 to 2 ounces per acre as a preplant and/or preemergence application up to three days after planting. Preplant applications should include the previously labeled Sharpen adjuvant system of methylated seed oil plus ureaammonium nitrate. Postemergence applications of Sharpen at 1 ounce per acre should be made from the two-leaf rice stage up to internode elongation. Crop oil concentrate is the only adjuvant allowed during postemergence applications of Sharpen to rice. Sequential applications are labeled but should be made at least 14 days apart.Sharpen should contribute to the rice herbicide arsenal for broadleaf weeds. However, like all other herbicides, it is just a tool. It is not perfect. Sharpen is primarily a contact herbicide when applied postemergence, so application timing is critical. Although it has not reduced yield in Mississippi research, Sharpen can potentially cause rice injury if application conditions are poor. Finally, Sharpen is not labeled for postemergence application in any other crop grown in the rice-producing area of the Midsouth, so all necessary precautions should be taken to avoid off-target
movement to adjacent crops.

The Trouble With Rice


By DEBORAH BLUM APRIL 18, 2014, 4:40 PM Nicky Loh/ReutersAs a plant, rice is particularly prone to absorbing certain toxic metals from the soil.

POISON PEN Deborah Blum writes about chemicals and the environment. For the past few years, Mary Lou Guerinot has been keeping watch over experimental fields in southeast Texas, monitoring rice plants as they suck metals and other troublesome elements from the soil.If the fields are flooded in the traditional paddy method, she has found, the rice handily takes up arsenic. But if the water is reduced in an effort to limit arsenic, the plant instead absorbs cadmium also a dangerous element.Its almost either-or, day-and-night as to whether we see arsenic or cadmium in the rice, said Dr. Guerinot, a molecular geneticist and professor of biology at Dartmouth College.

Daily Rice E-Newsletter by Rice Plus Magazine www.ricepluss.com News and R&D Section mujajhid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell # 92 321 369 2874

The levels of arsenic and cadmium at the study site are not high enough to provoke alarm, she emphasized. Still, it is dawning on scientists like her that rice, one of the most widely consumed foods in the world, is also one of natures great scavengers of metallic compounds.Consumers have already become alarmed over reports of riceborne arsenic in everything from cereal bars to baby food. Some food manufacturers have stepped up screening for arsenic in their products, and agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration now recommend that people eat a variety of grains to minimize potential adverse health consequences from eating an excess of any one food.But its not just arsenic and cadmium, which are present in soil both as naturally occurring elements and as industrial byproducts. Recent studies have show that rice is custom-built to pull a number of metals from the soil, among them mercury and even tungsten. The findings have led to a new push by scientists and growers to make the grain less susceptible to metal contamination.The highest levels often occur in brown rice, because elements like arsenic accumulate in bran and husk, which are polished off in the processing of white rice. The Department of Agriculture estimates that on average arsenic levels are 10 times as high in rice bran as in polished rice.Although these are mostly tiny amounts in the part per billion range chronic exposure to arsenic, even at very low levels, can affect health. The F.D.A. is now considering whether a safety level should be set for arsenic in rice.Rice is a problem because its such a widely consumed grain, said Rufus Chaney, a senior research agronomist with the U.S.D.A.s Agricultural Research Service, who is leading a investigation of metal uptake by food crops. But its also a fascinating plant.Like people, plants have systems for taking up and absorbing necessary nutrients. In plants, these transporter systems work to pull minerals such as iron, calcium, zinc and manganese from the soil.The rice plant has a well-designed system for taking up silicon compounds, or silicate, which help strengthen the plant and give stiffness and shape to its stems. Tissues generally referred to as phloem move such water-soluble nutrients throughout the plant. But that delivery system also inclines the plant to vacuum up arsenic compounds, which are unfortunately similar in structure to silicate. And the traditional methods of growing rice, which often involve flooding a field, encourage formation of a soluble arsenic compound, arsenite, that is readily transported by the rice plant.The issue with the rice plant is that it tends to store the arsenic in the grain, rather than in the leaves or elsewhere, said Jody Banks, a plant biologist at Purdue University, who studies arsenic uptake in plants. It moves there quite easily.The highest concentrations of arsenic in rice-growing regions are mostly found in parts of Asia including Bangladesh and India where the underlying arsenic-rich bedrock contaminates groundwater used for both drinking and irrigation of rice fields. But arsenic at lower levels is found in all soils, including American fields. The fertile soils fanning out across the Mississippi River floodplain are up to five times as high in arsenic as other parts of Louisiana, Mississippi and Arkansas, according to studies done by the United States Geological Survey. Its for that reason, as well as for water conservation, that scientists have experimented with reducing the amount of water used for rice fields. But as Dr. Guerinot has found, that makes cadmium more available to the plant instead.Other plants also take up cadmium, Dr. Chaney noted, usually by the channels normally used to acquire zinc from the soil. But the rice plant, curiously, absorbs nearly all of its cadmium through a manganese transport system. And this route discovered by a determined group of Japanese researchers brings a new set of complications.

Daily Rice E-Newsletter by Rice Plus Magazine www.ricepluss.com News and R&D Section mujajhid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell # 92 321 369 2874

While zinc is relatively common in soil, soluble manganese is less readily found. So cadmium has little competition in the rice plants transport system meaning that it is accumulated with apparent enthusiasm.The association between cadmium in rice and human disease goes back decades. Most scientists cite the identification of itai-itai (ouch-ouch) disease in Japan during the 1960s as the first recognition of this problem. The name comes from the painful effects of bone fractures, one of many health problems related to cadmium exposure.Researchers eventually discovered that cadmium pollution from mines and other industry had spread into rice farming areas in Japan, causing the grain to be loaded with the toxic metal. A host of similar problems have occurred in China, setting off an uproar over tainted rice last year.

Scientists say that the cadmium occurring naturally in American soil is not high enough to cause acute disease. Still, because rice is such an important food crop, scientists are searching for ways to block its metal-acquiring tendencies.There are efforts to breed rice plants that transfer more zinc and iron into the grain, which would both increase nutritional quality and reduce toxicity. There are also programs, including the experiment in Texas, that try to breed improved rice cultivars less prone to absorb toxic minerals. And researchers have explored the idea of genetic engineering to make the plants transport systems more precise so that cadmium or arsenic is filtered out.Finally, they are looking into using other plants to reduce the toxic elements in the soils themselves, a process called phytoextraction. Dr. Banks, for instance, is studying a fern that deftly pulls arsenic from the soil and stores it in the fronds.The plant, known as a Chinese brake or ladder fern, is so talented in this regard that the Chinese have approached American scientists about the feasibility of using it to clean up contaminated soils. Of course the ferns eventually have to be incinerated or taken to a toxic disposal site. You definitely wouldnt want to eat them, said Dr. Banks.

China says one-fifth of its farmland is polluted


By IAN MADER, Associated Press Updated 6:56 am, Friday, April 18, 2014 BEIJING (AP) Faced with growing public anger about a poisonous environment, China's government released a yearslong study that shows nearly one-fifth of the country's farmland is contaminated with toxic metals, a stunning indictment of unfettered industrialization under the Communist Party's authoritarian rule.The report, previously deemed so sensitive it was classified as a state secret, names the heavy metals cadmium, nickel and arsenic as the top contaminants.It adds to widespread doubts about the safety of China's farm

Daily Rice E-Newsletter by Rice Plus Magazine www.ricepluss.com News and R&D Section mujajhid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell # 92 321 369 2874

produce and confirms suspicions about the dire state of its soil following more than two decades of explosive industrial growth, the overuse of farm chemicals and minimal environmental protection. It also points to health risks that, in the case of heavy metals, can take decades to emerge after the first exposure. Already, health advocates have identified several "cancer villages" in China near factories suspected of polluting the environment where they say cancer rates are above the national average.The soil survey was conducted from 2005 until last year, and showed contamination in 16.1 percent of China's soil overall and 19.4 percent of its arable land, according to a summary released late Thursday by China's Environmental Protection Ministry and itsLand and Resources Ministry. "The overall condition of the Chinese soil allows no optimism," the report said. Some regions suffer serious soil pollution, worrying farm land quality and "prominent problems" with deserted industrial and mining land, it said. Contamination ranged from "slight," which indicated up to twice the safe level, to "severe."The report's release shows China's authoritarian government responding to growing public anger at pollution with more openness, but only on its own terms and pace. Early last year, Beijing-based lawyer Dong Zhengwei had demanded that the government release the soil findings, but was initially rebuffed by the environment ministry, which cited rules barring release of "state secrets. "That led to criticism from the Chinese public, and even from some arms of the state media. The Communist Party-run People's Daily declared that, "Covering this up only makes people think: We're being lied to." The ministry later acknowledged the information should be shared, said Dong, who attributed this week's release of the report to public pressure.Without a release of the information, "the public anger would get stronger, and soil contamination would deteriorate, while news of cancer villages and poisonous rice would continue to spring up," Dong, an anti-trust lawyer, said in an interview Friday. Because some of the samples in the survey, which is the first of its kind in China, date back nearly a decade, the results would likely be much worse if tests were taken today, Dong said.He said the government should conduct soil surveys and release the results on an annual basis and respond with immediate remediation measures.China's leaders have said they are determined to tackle the country's pollution problem, though the threat to soil has so far been overshadowed by public alarm at smog and water contamination. However, recent scandals of tainted rice and crops have begun to shift attention to soil.A key concern among scientists is cadmium, a carcinogenic metal that can cause kidney damage and other health problems and is absorbed by rice, the country's staple grain.Last May, authorities launched an investigation into rice mills in

Daily Rice E-Newsletter by Rice Plus Magazine www.ricepluss.com News and R&D Section mujajhid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell # 92 321 369 2874

southern China after tests found almost half of the supplies sold in Guangzhou, a major city, were contaminated with cadmium.In early 2013, the newspaper Nanfang Daily reported that tens of thousands of tons of cadmiumtainted rice had been sold to noodle makers in southern China since 2009. It said government inspectors declared it fit only for production of non-food goods such as industrial alcohol but a trader sold most of the rice to food processors anyway.The worst pollution detailed in this week's report centers around the country's most industrialized regions, the Yangtse and Pearl River deltas in southern China, as well heavily industrial portions of the northeast.The summary of findings gave no detailed breakdown of contamination by region. It said most of the contaminated soil had levels of pollutants ranging from just above the allowable limit to double the limit, while for 1.1 percent of the country's soil the contaminants were at five times the safety limit or more.Lu Yizhong, a soil contamination expert at China Agricultural University, said soil surveys must become more frequent, with detailed results published regularly. More legislation is needed to control the problem, he said. Warning that food safety was emerging as a "thorny issue" for China, Lu said the effects of the gradual accumulation of toxic metals in the bodies of people who eat contaminated produce can take years to unfold. "Sometime it can take 10 to 30 years to develop serious disease."China must step up efforts to monitor and regulate soil contamination "otherwise the speed of new contamination will surely outpace efforts to rein it back," he said. _____ News assistants Zhao Liang and Yu Bing in Beijing contributed.

For Advertising SPECS & RATES

Contact: Advertising Department Mujahid Ali mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com 0321 3692874 Daily Rice E-Newsletter by Rice Plus Magazine www.ricepluss.com News and R&D Section mujajhid.riceplus@gmail.com Cell # 92 321 369 2874

Anda mungkin juga menyukai