Embed Size (px)
DESCRIPTION
Riceplus Magazine shares daily International RICE News for global Rice Community. We publish daily two newsletters namely Global Rice News & ORYZA EXCLUSIVE News for readers .You can share any development news for readers. Share your rice and agriculture related research write up with Riceplus Magazine contact [email protected] , [email protected] For Advertisement & Specs [email protected]
Citation preview
All About Rice News
Daily Global Rice E-Newletter
1
For Blog & News Letter Advertisment contact to write : Mujahid Ali [email protected]
www.ricepluss.com & www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com
Daily Global Rice e-Newsletter
Aug ,2015
Vol 5,Issue XIII
August 14 ,2015
Vol 5,Issue XIII
Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter
All About Rice News
Daily Global Rice E-Newletter
2
Unedited Version
Philippines Q2 agricultural output contracts due to El Nino MANILA
Aug 14 Agricultural output in the Philippines shrank 0.37 percent in the second quarter
from a year earlier as "intense heat" from an El Nino weather pattern hurt crops and
fisheries output, the state statistics agency said on Friday.The crop harvest was down
3.05 percent, led by rice and corn, which fell 2.88 percent and 15.76 percent,
respectively. Poultry output grew 4.71 percent and livestock rose 5.2 percent but
fisheries output declined by 1.53 percent, the Philippine Statistics Authority said in a
report.
To view the full report, click on (bit.ly/1L9WfPv) (Reporting by Erik dela Cruz; Editing
by Ed Davies)
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/08/14/philippines-economy-agriculture-
idUSP9N0YW01P20150814
Workers of research institute, farmers suffer illnesses due to toxic pesticides
―Regulation of pesticides in the Philippines is a joke. The Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority
(FPA) is basically controlled by the pesticide industry and their state sponsors and backers,
particularly the United States and European countries.‖
All About Rice News
Daily Global Rice E-Newletter
3
By RONALYN V. OLEA
Bulatlat.com
MANILA — ―Some of our colleagues have already died. Some are battling several diseases.‖
Patricio Layosa Jr., a former employee of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI),
told Bulatlat.com. His long, thin face was painted with sadness and rage.Layosa went on to name
a few. Raymundo Mercado died of a kidney disease in October 2002. Juanito Malbataan died of
kidney and lung disease in 2000. Pantrasio Mercado died of kidney failure, bronchitis and
leukemia in August 2002. Benigno Carandang died in 2001 due to kidney failure. Leoncio
Mercado died in 2005 due to tuberculosis and kidney failure. Last year, Serafio Malbataan died
of prostrate cancer, tuberculosis and kidney disease.
The 55-year-old leader of IRRI’s former union, Brotherhood of IRRI Support Services Group
(Bissig), blamed pesticide poisoning for the deaths and diseases.
In a 2013 documentary entitled ―Feeding Lies,‖ Serafio
Malbataan, former IRRI worker, said he applied toxic
pesticides such as furadan on the rice fields without
protective clothing. He died of prostate cancer,
tuberculosis and kidney disease in 2014. (Screen grab
from the documentary of KI Multimedia)
Many Filipino farmers believe that the use of
pesticides results in high yield of crops. Some of
these pesticides, however, pose dangers to
human health.A 2012 study by University of the
Philippines Manila published by the Journal of Rural Medicine revealed that the widely used
insecticides in the Philippines such as carbofuran, endrin, parathion, and monocrotophos are
extremely hazardous or highly hazardous, according to the classification by the World Health
Organization (WHO).
Records of the Manila-based National Poison Control Management Center (NPCMC) showed
that from 2004 to 2009 alone, there were 632 cases of pesticide poisoning.
Many other incidents of pesticide poisoning among farmers and agricultural workers have not
been recorded.
The IRRI workers’ experience
Does Layosa have basis to blame IRRI?
Dr. Romeo Quijano, one of the country’s
leading toxicologists, conducted a study in 2000
and found out that IRRI used the following
highly toxic pesticides: Endrin(endrin), Azodrin
All About Rice News
Daily Global Rice E-Newletter
4
(monocrotophos) , Furadan (carbofuran), Gramoxone (paraquat), Round-up (glyphosate), Hytox
(isoprocarb), 2-4 D (2-4 D), Methyl bromide, Decis (deltamethrin), Malathion (malathion),
Hopcin (b-p-methylcarbamate), Basudin (diazinon), Machete(butachlor), Thiodan (endosulfan),
Brodan (chlorpyrifos), Benlate(benomyl), Sevin(carbaryl), Brestan (triphenyltin) and
Zinogas(zinc phosphide).
In a 2013 documentary entitled ―Feeding Lies,‖ medical toxicologist Dr. Romeo Quijano discussed the dangers of
toxic pesticides on the health of IRRI workers. (Screen grab from the documentary of KI Multimedia)
In an interview via email, Quijano said endrin has listed initial 12 persistent organic pollutants (POPs)
targeted for global elimination or phase out under the Stockholm Convention. Signed by over 150
countries, the Stockholm Convention is a global treaty to protect human health and the environment from
POPs. According to the Convention, POPs are chemicals that remain intact in the environment for long
periods, become widely distributed geographically, accumulate in the fatty tissue of living organisms and
are toxic to humans and wildlife.
―It [endrin] was used by IRRI even at a time when its extremely toxic properties were already
known and developed countries have already begun to disallow its use,‖ he said.
Quijano said that another extremely toxic pesticide, Thiodan, which is chemically related to
endrin and also a POP, was also being used by IRRI well into the 1990’s – even while some
countries had already banned or restricted its use, and years after the manufacturer had been
found guilty of submitting fraudulent toxicological data to regulatory authorities.
Quijano, also president of Pesticide Action Network (PAN) Philippines, added that even
pesticides identified by the WHO as Class I or extremely hazardous and highly hazardous such
as Azodrin, Furadan, Gramoxone, Zinogas and Methyl Bromide, were being used by IRRI even
when local conditions do not allow ―safe use.‖
Manifestations of pesticide poisoning
In the same study conducted by Quijano, 62 percent of 88 former IRRI workers complained of
severe headache, dizziness, skin rashes, soggy eyes, motion sickness, numbness, muscle pain,
trembling, vomiting, chest pain, cough and hyperacidity.Furthermore, 66 percent of the
respondents said they suffered serious illnesses in the course of their employment at IRRI.
Among those mentioned are: abdominal cyst, bronchitis, pulmonary tuberculosis, paralysis,
Parkinson’s disease, kidney failure, mild stroke, scrotal cyst, loss of hearing, thyroid cyst, kidney
stones and heart disease.
Quijano acknowledged that there might have been other factors, such as cigarette smoking and
the presence of other toxic substances that could have contributed to the illnesses. However, the
research data shows that the use of toxic pesticides contributed the most to the development of
All About Rice News
Daily Global Rice E-Newletter
5
diseases in the respondents.Furthermore, about 23 percent of the respondents have children born
with abnormalities during their stay at IRRI. Among the abnormalities are congenital heart
disease, mental retardation, physical deformity, paralysis, ganglion disease, meningitis, and
rheumatic heart disease.
The study said that while the presence of other factors that could possibly cause the same
abnormalities cannot be excluded, exposure to pesticides known to be embryotoxic, genotoxic,
or endocrine disruptor is the most likely factor that could explain the high occurrence of such
child abnormalities.
Embryotoxic refers to toxic effects on the embryo of a substance that crosses the placental
barrier. Genotoxic are chemical agents that damage the genetic information within a cell causing
mutations. Endocrine disruptors are chemicals that, at certain doses, can interfere with the
endocrine (or hormone) system in mammals. These disruptions can cause cancerous tumors,
birth defects, and other developmental disorders.Quijano said that after the study, PAN
Philippines, along with former IRRI workers, sought a dialogue with IRRI but their request was
ignored.
Quijano said that while IRRI declared later that it is no longer using highly hazardous pesticides
in its research, IRRI has never acknowledged its responsibility in causing adverse health effects
to the workers that it had deliberately exposed to such highly toxic pesticides.
In an email interview, IRRI communications specialist Bianca Ferrer said two of their pest
experts who can answer the questions regarding the use of hazardous pesticides are no longer
with IRRI.Ferrer, however, said that between 1993 and 2008, IRRI reduced insecticide use by 96
percent. She said the institute is also promoting ―working with nature’s natural enemies‖ to
prevent pest outbreaks from happening.
Persistent problem
The case of former IRRI workers is not isolated.
A recent study on the pesticide use among farmers in Southern Mindanao published in the
International Journal of the Bioflux Society revealed the use of some of the banned and restricted
pesticides such as endosulfan and monochrotophos. The study found out manifestations of mild
pesticide poisoning among the 701 respondents. These included skin irritation, headache, cough,
dry throat, shortness of breath, dizziness, nausea and eye irritation.
Meanwhile, workers of the Filipinas Palm Oil Plantation Inc. (FPPI) and Agumil Plantation Inc.
(API) in the towns of Rosario and Trento in Agusan del Sur and A. Brown palm oil plantation in
Opol, Misamis Oriental are exposed to highly hazardous pesticides such as paraquat, glyphosate
and furadan.
All About Rice News
Daily Global Rice E-Newletter
6
Furthermore, in a 2012 initial study conducted by PAN Philippines in the DOLE banana
plantation area in Surigao del Sur and the palm oil plantations in Agusan del Sur, signs and
symptoms of paraquat poisoning were observed among the agricultural workers. These included
abnormalities of the skin, mainly on the hands and feet with signs of scarring, discoloration, loss
of melanin pigmentation. Respiratory abnormalities, cardiovascular abnormalities, hypertension,
neurologic signs and symptoms, and eye disturbances were also reported.
Experts have recommended stronger regulation on the use of toxic pesticides.
―Regulation of pesticides in the Philippines is a joke,‖ Quijano said. He said the Fertilizer and
Pesticide Authority (FPA) is ―basically controlled by the pesticide industry and their state
sponsors and backers, particularly the United States and European countries.‖
Such lack of government regulation has claimed the lives of some of the former IRRI workers.
“Ganun-ganun na lang ba? Wala nang mananagot?” (Do we leave this issue just like this? Will
no one be held accountable?) Layosa asked. - See more at: http://bulatlat.com/main/2015/08/15/workers-of-research-institute-farmers-suffer-grave-
illnesses-due-to-exposure-to-pesticides/#sthash.jciz0MTv.dpuf
http://bulatlat.com/main/2015/08/15/workers-of-research-institute-farmers-suffer-grave-illnesses-due-to-
exposure-to-pesticides/
August 14, 2015 4:26 pm
Why everyone deserves a slice of the carrot’s cake Ha-Joon Chang
Share
Author alerts
Clip
Comments
The economist on what the humble carrot can teach us about
knowledge and sharing expertise
All About Rice News
Daily Global Rice E-Newletter
7
©Tim
Lahan
W
hen I first came to Britain nearly three decades ago, one of the (many) things I found
strange was carrot cake. Carrot, for me, was something you pickled with oriental
cabbage in kimchee, boiled in Japanese-style kare or fried with other vegetables
for japchae (Korean glass noodles fried with julienne of vegetables and meat). It was not
something you put in a dessert. Carrot cake is now one of my favourites but initially it
was the equivalent, say, of Brussels sprouts crumble or cabbage cheesecake for a Brit,
proving that so many of our ideas about how a food ingredient should be used are
culturally specific.
Carrot, which originally comes from central Asia (probably Afghanistan), used to be
yellow, white or purple. The orange variety, which is now the dominant one, was
developed in the Netherlands only in the 17th century.
More
IN FOOD & DRINK
The taste test artisan cider
All About Rice News
Daily Global Rice E-Newletter
8
Ha-Joon Chang’s thought for food
Five of the best Chutney and preserve makers
Five of the best bars in London for virgin cocktails
Sign up now
FirstFT is our new essential daily email briefing of the best stories from across the web
The orange colour of the carrot is given by beta-carotene, which turns into vitamin A
when taken internally. In 2000, a group of scientists led by Ingo Potrykus and Peter
Beyer transplanted carrot genes into rice and created the so-called golden rice, which is
rich in vitamin A, unlike natural rice. Poor people in rice-eating countries eat little other
than rice and therefore suffer from vitamin A deficiency, which is estimated to be
responsible for up to two million deaths, half a million cases of blindness and millions of
cases of xerophthalmia, the debilitating eye disease, every year.
Soon after they created the golden rice, the scientists sold the technology to Syngenta,
the multinational agribusiness and biotechnology company, itself a product of corporate
genetic engineering of the highest order. Its roots go back to three Swiss pharmaceutical
companies — Ciba, Geigy and Sandoz — and the British chemical giant Imperial
Chemical Industries. Many people criticised these scientists for selling a valuable public-
purpose technology to a profit-seeking corporation.
The scientists defended their decision by arguing that they would have had to negotiate
licences for more than 100 patents if they were to commercialise golden rice themselves.
All About Rice News
Daily Global Rice E-Newletter
9
©Tim Lahan
The problem here is that the most important input in the production of knowledge is
knowledge. If a lot of pieces of knowledge are patented, it becomes expensive to develop
new knowledge. The problem of “interlocking patents” has always been there. However,
it has recently become worse, as more and more minute pieces of knowledge, down to
the gene level, have become patented, as we see in the case of golden rice. The patent
system, once a powerful spur to technological innovation, is now turning into an
obstacle to it. We have to reform it.
One way would be to shorten the life span of all patents, so that knowledge gets released
into the public domain more quickly. Another may be to use the prize system, in which
the inventor of a technology gets a one-off reward (proportional to its estimated
usefulness) but the technology becomes a public property from then on. We could also
have an international agreement to force patentees to license their technologies at
reduced prices, if they are deemed necessary for developing public-purpose technologies
like the golden rice.
All About Rice News
Daily Global Rice E-Newletter
10
©Tim Lahan
All these proposals may sound radical but they are all based on how things used to be.
When the patent system was first introduced in the 18th and 19th centuries, patents
usually lasted for 14 years, rather than the now-standard 20 years. The prize system was
actively used by countries such as France, which managed to get, for example, the
canning technology through it. Even forcing some patentees to license technologies for
public purpose is not as radical as it sounds. In the past, the US government promoted
the development of nationally important industries such as aircraft (during the first
world war) and semiconductors (in the 1960s) by forcing all companies in the industries
to cross-license all patents to each other.
As with all institutions, we use the patent system because we think its benefits are
greater than its costs. When this stops being the case, we should modify the institution,
however outrageous the modified form may seem at first.
After all, we eat the orange carrot we do today only because someone back in the 17th
century had the outrageous idea that carrots could be orange.
. . .
This is the second in a summer series of columns by Ha-Joon Chang, author of
“Economics: The User’s Guide” (Pelican Books) and a reader at the University of
Cambridge
Illustrations by Tim Lahan
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/1ea98bca-4074-11e5-b98b-87c7270955cf.html
All About Rice News
Daily Global Rice E-Newletter
11
Can Golden Rice, other nutritionally enhanced crops, fulfill promise to reduce
malnutrition? Mary E. Gearing | August 14, 2015 | Science in the News
Despite public health and humanitarian efforts, it is estimated that at least 3.1 million children die each year
and 161 million have stunted growth due to malnutrition. The problem is not only that food is scarce but that
it doesn’t have the nutrients children need.
Many developing nations rely on staple crops – they do not have nutrient fortification programs or access to a
wide variety of nutrient-rich foods. Rice-based diets in particular are a major cause of micronutrient
deficiency. These deficiencies are especially detrimental to children. Vitamin A deficiency (VAD), affecting
one-third of children in the world under age 5, is the leading cause of childhood blindness.
One method to eliminate micronutrient deficiencies is biofortification. Biofortification increases the nutritional
value of crops through either selective breeding or genetic modification. Since it’s a popular staple crop, rice is
a good target for biofortification; however, rice plants do not contain any vitamin A or vitamin A precursors,
so selective breeding of rice cannot be used for biofortification. Scientists instead turned to genetic
modification to reduce VAD, creating Golden Rice.
With VAD as a case study, we can compare traditional fortification/supplementation methods to
biofortification. The arguments in favor of biofortification are cost and feasibility. With Golden Rice, the GM
company Syngenta has agreed to provide free seeds to farmers making less than $10,000 per year (about 99%
of the target population.) Once the farmers have seeds, further investment is unnecessary, as they can continue
planting the seeds year after year.
All About Rice News
Daily Global Rice E-Newletter
12
Some groups, notably Greenpeace, argue that biofortification through genetic modification is not appropriate –
instead we should be helping farmers learn to grow a variety of crops to improve their overall diet. But these
types of programs are expensive and logistically difficult.
Malnutrition represents a silent epidemic in the developing world. Biofortification may not be a perfect
solution to the problem of poverty in these countries, but it could greatly reduce the burden of disease.
Editor’s Note: This post is part of a series on GMOs in a special edition of the online magazine “Signal to
Noise”, produced by Science in the News. You can read the entire series here: Signal to Noise Special Edition:
GMOs and Our Food
The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion and
analysis. Read full, original post: Good as Gold: Can Golden Rice and Other Biofortified Crops Prevent
Malnutrition?
Can Golden Rice, other nutritionally enhanced crops, fulfill promise to reduce
malnutrition? Mary E. Gearing | August 14, 2015 | Science in the News
Despite public health and humanitarian efforts, it is estimated that at least 3.1 million children die each year
and 161 million have stunted growth due to malnutrition. The problem is not only that food is scarce but that
it doesn’t have the nutrients children need.
Many developing nations rely on staple crops – they do not have nutrient fortification programs or access to a
wide variety of nutrient-rich foods. Rice-based diets in particular are a major cause of micronutrient
deficiency. These deficiencies are especially detrimental to children. Vitamin A deficiency (VAD), affecting
one-third of children in the world under age 5, is the leading cause of childhood blindness.
One method to eliminate micronutrient deficiencies is biofortification. Biofortification increases the nutritional
value of crops through either selective breeding or genetic modification. Since it’s a popular staple crop, rice is
a good target for biofortification; however, rice plants do not contain any vitamin A or vitamin A precursors,
so selective breeding of rice cannot be used for biofortification. Scientists instead turned to genetic
modification to reduce VAD, creating Golden Rice.
All About Rice News
Daily Global Rice E-Newletter
13
With VAD as a case study, we can compare traditional fortification/supplementation methods to
biofortification. The arguments in favor of biofortification are cost and feasibility. With Golden Rice, the GM
company Syngenta has agreed to provide free seeds to farmers making less than $10,000 per year (about 99%
of the target population.) Once the farmers have seeds, further investment is unnecessary, as they can continue
planting the seeds year after year.
Some groups, notably Greenpeace, argue that biofortification through genetic modification is not appropriate –
instead we should be helping farmers learn to grow a variety of crops to improve their overall diet. But these
types of programs are expensive and logistically difficult.
Malnutrition represents a silent epidemic in the developing world. Biofortification may not be a perfect
solution to the problem of poverty in these countries, but it could greatly reduce the burden of disease.
Editor’s Note: This post is part of a series on GMOs in a special edition of the online magazine “Signal to
Noise”, produced by Science in the News. You can read the entire series here: Signal to Noise Special Edition:
GMOs and Our Food
The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion and
analysis. Read full, original post: Good as Gold: Can Golden Rice and Other Biofortified Crops Prevent
Malnutrition?
http://www.geneticliteracyproject.org/2015/08/14/can-golden-rice-other-nutritionally-enhanced-crops-
fulfill-promise-to-reduce-malnutrition/
All About Rice News
Daily Global Rice E-Newletter
14
Added Gene Can Make Rice More Climate-Friendly
Posted on Aug 14, 2015
By Tim Radford, Climate News Network
Rice, a staple for billions of people, could soon be more nutritious—and less polluting. (Tri Saputro /
CIFOR via Flickr)
This Creative Commons-licensed piece first appeared at Climate News Network.
LONDON—An international team of scientists has found a way to make rice
more productive, more nutritious and less of a greenhouse gas producer—simply by adding just one gene from the cereal, barley.
The single gene SUSIBA 2—the acronym stands for sugar signalling in barley—makes all the difference. And the importance of the breakthrough is
that rice feeds half the world—but, as it grows, is one of the great sources of the greenhouse gas, methane.
All About Rice News
Daily Global Rice E-Newletter
15
The world’s rice paddy fields release up to 100 million tonnes each year of
methane—possibly 17% of the global total.
Advertisement
And although methane emissions are small compared with carbon dioxide,
each molecule of methane is far more potent a global warmer. The gas is 34 times more potent than CO2 over a century, but 84 times more so over a
much shorter timespan—just 20 years.
Ideal conditions
The conditions ideal for rice—warm and waterlogged, and mud, rich with nutrients—are also ideal for the generation of methane.
The scientists from China, Sweden and the US report in Nature journal that they calculated that if they could do something to encourage the conversion
of sugars to starches in the rice plant, there would be more productivity in the stalk and ears, and less around the roots, where the methane-
generating bacteria flourish.
In their words, this would ―generate a high starch, low methane emission variety‖.
They used transcription factor technology—a form of genetic modification that could soon also deliver better drought tolerance in some important crop
plants – and began tests at the Fujian Academy of Agricultural Sciences in Fuzhou, China, in 2012 and 2013. Transcription factors bind to
genes and turn them on or off.
“As the world’s population grows, so will rice production. And as the Earth warms, so will
rice paddies, resulting in even more methane emissions.”
Earlier experiments in Sweden had helped the team understand how to manage the transcription factors so they could just about dictate which parts
of the plant absorbed more of the carbon taken from the atmosphere by photosynthesis.
The result was a rice variety that yielded more starch, so that it delivered
more energy per spoonful for a hungry household, or that could be converted to more biofuelduring times of surplus.
All About Rice News
Daily Global Rice E-Newletter
16
Japanese scientists, too, have been looking for ways to get all the value they
can out of one of the world’s most vital crops. But the other important outcome, the researchers say, was a near-elimination of methane production
from around the roots.
The next step is to look at what happens in the paddy fields, and try to understand what is going on and what the change could mean for methane-
generating bacteria.
Test variety
The scientists also dried the whole plant once it had ripened to examine what had occurred, and to compare it with control varieties in the same
fields. They found that grains of the test variety contained almost 87% starch, compared with 77% in the control sample.
The research still has a long way to go, but given that global population could sometime this century hit or even surpass 10 billion, and given that
the land available for farming cannot expand, there is pressure to increase yields per field.
Ominously, research so far suggests that global warming—and the
accompanying greater extremes of heat in the growing season—could reduce yields. So plant scientists must make the most of any
advances in the understanding of the biology of growth.
―The need to increase starch content and to lower methane emissions from
rice production is widely recognised, but the ability to do both simultaneously has eluded researchers,‖ says Christer Jansson, a co-author
of the report, and director of plant sciences at the US Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.
―As the world’s population grows, so will rice production. And as the Earth warms, so will rice paddies, resulting in even more methane emissions. It’s
an issue that must be addressed.‖
http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/added_gene_can_make_rice_more_climate-friendly_20150814
All About Rice News
Daily Global Rice E-Newletter
17
BOC expects to raise P186M from rice auction Friday, August 14, 2015
THE Bureau of Customs is set to auction later this month overstaying cargoes including
over 200,000 sacks or about 10 million kilos of rice shipments at the Manila International
Container Port (MICP).
BOC-MICP District Collector Elmir dela Cruz said Friday that with the auction slated on
August 25, the BOC is expected to raise over P186 million non-traditional revenues out of
overstaying shipments and to decongest the container yards.
“The public auction will include the selling of over 10,000 tons of overstaying rice shipments
majority of which are consigned to Silent Royalty Marketing and Starcraft International
Trading that arrived in MICP two years ago,” Dela Cruz said.
According to BOC-MICP Auction and Disposal Division Chief Gerry Macatangay they were
not able to auction off the rice shipments consigned to Silent Royalty and Starcraft earlier
because of court cases that these importers filed against BOC.
BOC seized illegally imported rice shipments of Silent Royalty and Starcraft in 2013 and
filed smuggling charges at the Department of Justice against the top officials and Customs
brokers of the said companies for bringing in rice without the proper government permits.
The responsible officials were also charged for importing rice in excess of the minimum
access volume set by the National Food Authority (NFA).
Both Starcraft and Silent Royalty filed charges against the BOC claiming that private
importers could bring in rice without security permits as import restrictions had already been
lifted through a World Trade Organization agreement in 2012.
The BOC, however, argued that under the Philippine law only the NFA can import rice and
companies who wish to do the same must secure an import permit from the agency.
Macatangay said even if there are charges pending in court, the BOC will pursue with the
auction and the proceeds that will come from the sale of these shipments will be held in
trust pursuant to Section 2607 of the TCCP.
Other items up for auction are rice shipments from Greyvoid Corporation and
Intercontinental Grains; assorted motorcycle parts, bicycles from Panda Vine International
Trading; assorted apparel from Pie Link Trading; 1 unit 2006 Toyota RAV4 from Juan
Ballinan Jose; and used speakers, piano, refrigerator, furniture, kitchenwares, toys,
bicycles, from Marilou Vidal Surplus Enterprise.
All About Rice News
Daily Global Rice E-Newletter
18
Public viewing of merchandise and pre-bid conference for all qualified bidders will be on
August 24. (SDR/Sunnex) http://www.sunstar.com.ph/manila/local-news/2015/08/14/boc-expects-raise-p186m-rice-auction-
424574
Myanmar halts rice exports as floods hit crop
14 Aug 2015 at 11:37 2,927 viewed2 comments WRITER: BLOOMBERG NEWS
A man sits on the roof of his home in a flooded village at Kawlin township, Sagaing division,
Myanmar, on July 22, 2015. (Reuters photo)
- +
All About Rice News
Daily Global Rice E-Newletter
19
Related Stories
Beijing protests Myanmar jailing 153 Chinese loggers for life Thai firms advised to tap potential in Myanmar Myanmar celebrates Thingyan water festival
Myanmar halted rice shipments after floods over the past month inundated farmland, raising the
specter of supply disruptions in the sixth-biggest exporter.
The Myanmar Rice Federation voluntarily suspended exports to prevent an increase in prices
after more than 200,000 acres (about 81,000 hectares) of paddy fields were damaged by floods,
Thaung Win, the federation’s central executive committee member, said by phone.
The federation represents rice farmers, exporters and millers. The suspension will last until mid-
September, he said.
Heavy monsoon rains coupled with the arrival of Cyclone Komen late last month inundated parts
of northern and western Myanmar, according to the United Nations’ Food & Agriculture
Organization. The floods may see exports fall short of its target, according to the federation’s
Win.
"A downward production revision might be warranted," said Concepcion Calpe, a senior
economist at the Rome-based FAO. "We still have to understand the true scale of the inundations
to see whether they will dent the overall outlook."
More than 1.2 million acres of farmland have been flooded and over 1 million people have been
critically affected, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
reported on Aug 12, citing the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation. The loss of stored food and
livestock, coupled with internal trade disruptions, may see food security in affected areas
deteriorate, the FAO said in an Aug 10 report.
Export Target
Declining supply from Myanmar may help boost global rice prices by about $10 a tonne, said
Kiattisak Kanlayasirivat, a Bangkok-based director at Ascend Commodities SA, which trades
about 500,000 tonnes of rice annually. Any impact may be limited as other exporters such as
Thailand can fill the market, said Samarendu Mohanty, head of the social sciences division at the
Los Banos, Philippine-based International Rice Research Institute.
Thai 5% broken white rice, a regional benchmark, has dropped 9.8% this year to $377 a tonne.
Myanmar will probably miss its export target of 1.5 million tonnes in the year through March
2016, according to the rice federation’s Win. Milled production is forecast to increase 1.6% to
12.8 million tonnes in 2015-2016, according to the US Department of Agriculture. The agency
estimates that exports may climb 18% to 2 million tonnes in 2015.
All About Rice News
Daily Global Rice E-Newletter
20
Rice and UTHealth scientists awarded $1.02 million
NSF grant to examine how the brain processes
language Published on August 14, 2015 at 3:27 AM · No Comments
inShare
1
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded a $1.02 million grant to scientists at
Rice University and the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth)
Medical School to study how the brain processes language. The joint research may one day
help people who lose the ability to communicate.
The grant is part of a $13.1 million initiative announced by NSF today to support
integrative, fundamental research for the federal Brain Initiative introduced by President
Barack Obama in 2013. The grant will support the analysis of data from intracranial
recordings in patients with epilepsy who undergo brain surgery at the Memorial Hermann
Mischer Neuroscience Institute at the Texas Medical Center.
A language team led by Rice electrical and computer engineer Behnaam Aazhang has a
long-term goal to design and prototype wireless, inductively charged implants that could
enable neurosurgeons like Dr. Nitin Tandon of UTHealth and Memorial Hermann help
patients regain a way to communicate through a computer interface.
"The human language system is amazing," Aazhang said. "We're the only animal that can
produce language at such high speed. Our vocabulary is large, and the speed with which we
can grab words and put them together is incredible - and not very well understood."
The labs of Aazhang, Tandon and Rice electrical and computer engineer Aydin Babakhani
will first collect and analyze data from patients under Tandon's care who volunteer for the
study.
Tandon, the director of epilepsy surgery at the Mischer Neuroscience Institute, has
performed hundreds of surgeries to implant electrodes in patients with epilepsy to monitor
and treat their conditions. "While our patients are in the hospital waiting for seizures to
happen so we can localize their epilepsy, we ask them to participate in a variety of language
experiments so we can study how brain regions are engaged in this process," he said.
Electrodes that monitor signals produced by neurons provide only coarse data from a limited
region of the brain and require connections that pass through the skull. By the end of the
All About Rice News
Daily Global Rice E-Newletter
21
three-year project, the team hopes to develop a wireless implant prototype that will
transmit data from hundreds of deep-brain and subsurface electrodes.
"Our goal in the early stages will be to focus on a small region of the brain, but in high
resolution," Aazhang said.
"People often want to know, 'What does this do? What does that do?' in your brain," Tandon
said. "But nothing in the brain does anything by itself. The parts that can load an abstract
concept into a word and then tell your mouth to move are not all in one spot. And they have
to talk to each other. We want the ability to intercept and translate those signals."
While data collection will be limited to a relative few of the brain's 100 billion neurons, it will
be enough to greatly advance knowledge of how they communicate, he said.
Related Stories
BRCA gene mutations and ovarian cancer: an interview with Dr Matulonis, Harvard
Medical School
FASEB honors Max Planck Florida scientist with Glaxo Smith Kline Neuroscience
Discovery Award
DISC-1: schizophrenia's "Rosetta Stone" gene? An interview with Professor Kevin Fox
"Obviously we would love to know what's happening in every cell in our brains," Tandon
said. "From an ethical as well as practical standpoint, that's impossible." Data from his
volunteers will be used to build a large database about language-processing networks.
"We can only get a small sample from each person, but if we get hundreds of people
together, we will get enough data from all parts of the brain to make a composite map, an
atlas, of brain function during speech production," he said.
"We hope to learn what regions cause other regions to generate speech and use tools
developed for network analysis in other fields to understand the interactions between these
regions," Aazhang said.
Tandon said as many as 100,000 Americans a year suffer brain injuries that impair speech.
"We hope one day to be able to provide wireless brain implants that will help these patients
communicate via computer programs," he said.
"Using the incomplete language network that remains, these prosthetics would reconstruct
speech and allow folks to communicate their basic needs and emotions," he said. "A
computer would try to understand what the person wants to say and create a response.
That individual would then agree or disagree with the response."
All About Rice News
Daily Global Rice E-Newletter
22
The first step will be the low-power prototype to acquire neural signals and stimulate
neurons. "We have extensive experience designing, building and testing integrated
analog/radio frequency chips for signal acquisition and stimulation," Babakhani said.
Tandon said Rice, UTHealth and Baylor College of Medicine scientists have worked closely in
recent years to form neural engineering collaborations. "This grant is part of a greater effort
by us to create in the Texas Medical Center the best place to develop neural devices," he
said. "We have a long track record of innovation in cardiology and cardiothoracic surgery.
It's now time for this to happen in the neurosciences."
Aazhang is the J.S. Abercrombie Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Rice.
Tandon is an associate professor in the Vivian L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery at
UTHealth and a neurosurgeon with the Mischer Neuroscience Institute. Babakkhani is an
assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at Rice.
NSF also awarded a Brain Initiative grant to Rice researchers Amina Qutub, Jacob Robinson
and Dan Wagner, who are working to develop a robust theory of how single neural cells
form electrically active networks. That research will be the discussed in a future news
release. Qutub is an assistant professor of bioengineering, Robinson is an assistant
professor of electrical and computer engineering and Wagner is an associate professor of
biochemistry and cell biology.
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20150814/Rice-and-UTHealth-scientists-awarded-24102-million-
NSF-grant-to-examine-how-the-brain-processes-language.aspx
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/aug/16/clouds-and-rain-make-for-lower-rice-yields-in-
loui/
Adelaide’s best vegan and vegetarian
dishes: here’s where you’ll find 25 of
our favourite dishes AUGUST 14, 2015 2:40PM
3 DAYS AGO AUGUST 14, 2015 2:40PM
All About Rice News
Daily Global Rice E-Newletter
23
Greens never looked so good! Check out this vege stack from the Fleurieu Pantry. Picture: Roger Wyman Source: News Corp
Australia
FEELING peckish? How about a yiros pizza, cheeseburger pie, tostaditas
or piece of salted caramel slice with a twist?
The twist being, you’ll find each of these delicious treats on vegetarian and
vegan menus across Adelaide.
You can also get an amazing vege stack, field mushroom and haloumi burger,
zucchini pasta, vegan buffalo wings and potato gnocchi.
Here is where to head for 25 of the best vegan and vegetarian dishes across the
metropolitan area, in the city as well as Adelaide’s east, west, north and south.
Don’t forget to share your favourite — and tell us about any we’ve missed!
In the East By Celeste Villani
Argo, 212, The Parade, Norwood
Tofu scramble
ARGO cafe owner Daniel Milky says a vegan diet should not mean missing out
on a breakfast staple.
Argo’s tofu scramble — which looks just as good as the egg-based classic —
includes sauteed kale, capsicum and zucchini, which is then sprinkled with
zaatar, a Middle Eastern spice mix.
All About Rice News
Daily Global Rice E-Newletter
24
Match it with a delicious fruit smoothie or a piece of raw cake and there will be
no need for lunch afterwards.
Tofu scramble $14.90.
Papa Mias Wood Oven Pizza, 3/503 Goodwood Rd, Colonel Light Gardens
Yiros Pizza
Don’t be fooled by its name. This pizza from Papa Mias Wood Oven Pizza that Kamila Wedanka is holding really is vegan!
Picture: Calum Robertson Source: News Limited
IT sounds like the perfect combo after a Saturday night out, but Papa Mias’
owner Michael Badr says his yiros wood-oven pizza is a family favourite.
Mock mince, made of wheat, replaces lamb, while dairy and egg-free
alternatives replace cheese and garlic sauce.
Gluten-free and takeaway options are available.
Prices start at $11.50.
Natures Providore, 88 Duthy St, Malvern
Zucchini pasta
NATURES Providore owner Kate Allen says fan-favourite dish, zucchini pasta,
ticks all the right boxes for vegetarian and gluten-free eaters.
The organic cafe’s take on a typical pasta dish includes long, curly strands of
zucchini topped with a fresh basil pesto sauce, sun-dried tomato and feta.
Zucchini pasta $17.50.
All About Rice News
Daily Global Rice E-Newletter
25
Cheery Darlings Bakehouse, 5 Aroha Tce, Forestville
Cheeseburger Pie
WHAT do you get when you cross a cheeseburger, a pie and a vegetarian?
Cherry Darlings Bakehouse sells around 200 cheeseburger pies a week, making
it one of the eatery’s most popular items.
The filling is made of mock mince, made from vegetable protein, and mixed
with homemade cheese, made of a fermented soy yoghurt.
Cheeseburger pie $7.
Creative Fusion Cafe & Organic Store, 377 Magill Rd, St Morris
Vietnam omelette wrap
AFTER leaving a government job two months ago to spend more time with his
daughter Reefe, 4, Creative Fusion owner Meil Liu decided to enter the world of
hospitality.
His shop, which has been open for about three weeks, prides itself on its wide
range of vegan and vegetarian dishes.
Mr Liu recommends the omelette wrap filled with pickled carrots, lettuce,
cucumber and a hint of chilli and coriander. Wrap $9.90.
In the West By Amy Moran
The Organik Store, 37 Broadway, Glenelg South
Salted caramel slice
HEARTS were heard breaking across Adelaide when vegan institution the
Chocolate Bean closed a little over a year ago.
But fear not, vegan cake lovers.
Genius dessert maker Ainslee deWet is behind one of the Organik Store’s most
popular sweets, the salted caramel slice.
The cafe prides itself on providing delicious options for vegetarians, vegans and
people with other special dietary requirements.
Salted caramel slice, $5.90
Nettle Raw Cafe, 10 Rosetta St, West Croydon
Vegan burger and kale chips
NETTLE Raw Cafe is Adelaide’s first raw eatery and has converted many to its
deliciously seasoned dehydrated kale chips and healthy outlook.
Its vegan burger is popular fare among regulars, standing out on a menu of
colourful, delicious and textured food. It’s complete with a tasty quinoa, sweet
All About Rice News
Daily Global Rice E-Newletter
26
potato and black bean pattie, Mexican slaw, harissa and avocado on a sourdough
or gluten-free, housemade, raw bread.
Vegan burger and kale chips, $16
The Annex Cafe, 3 Waterloo St, Glenelg
Soul bowl
Cheers to a hearty meal of Soul bowl salad and mixed juice. Pictured is Annex Cafe owner Tina Williams. Picture: Tom
Huntley Source: News Corp Australia
GETTING a bit of colour on your fork will be easier than ever with the Annex
Cafe’s Soul Bowl.
The enormous serving of vegan-friendly salad is packed with marinated
mushroom and kale, beetroot, alfalfa, tomato, avocado, cucumber, mung beans
and topped with homemade hummus. Haloumi can be added for $3.
If you are not full after devouring this bowl, there is a fridge full of delicious
raw desserts to finish off the meal.
Soul bowl, $15
Zenhouse Vegetarian Fusion, 462 Port Rd, West Hindmarsh
Yum Cha
ZENHOUS is a city mainstay that has graced the western suburbs with its
presence on Port Rd. The menu is huge — feast on dumplings, steamed buns,
spring rolls and mock-chicken satay skewers — while your friend goes the
All About Rice News
Daily Global Rice E-Newletter
27
veggie burger and chips option. There’s no salt and pepper squid here, but the
tofu option is fantastic, lightly battered and seasoned to perfection.
Yum Cha, about $5.50 per plate
Sarah’s Sister’s Sustainable Cafe, 117 Semaphore Rd, Semaphore
Peasant Foragers lasagne
THIS cafe has gone the extra mile in making wholesome vegan and vegetarian
dishes as sustainable as possible.
Local foodies will love the Peasant Foragers lasagne, which features layers of
delicious vegetables and chilli with ricotta, or bean curd for the vegan option.
Kale, stinging nettles, purslane and herbs grown by local schools can all be
found in this dish. Nearby schools put together mystery boxes of produce grown
in their gardens for the cafe so the lasagne varies from day to day. Served with a
side salad.
Peasant foragers lasagne, $18
The City By Sophie Perri
Vego & Loven It, 240 Rundle St
Absolutely Fabulous burger ($16) at Vego & Loven It, 240 Rundle St
THIS is one wholesome, jam-packed burger. Put it this way: if you were buying
all the ingredients for this at the grocery store, you’d only just make the cut for
the 10 items or less lane.
Crammed with a falafel patty, hummus, avocado, tomato, carrot, tahini, sweet
chilli sauce, lettuce and lemon juice, this burger is the biggest hit of Robin
Eastwood’s 27-year-old business.
It started as a vegetarian haunt, and is now completely vegan (except for the
gluten-free bread). Other items on the menu include wraps, curry and soup of
the day. And of course, salad.
Absolutely Fabulous burger, $16
Bliss Organic Cafe, 7 Compton St
Tofu scramble ($16) at
All About Rice News
Daily Global Rice E-Newletter
28
Bliss Organic Cafe’s Ray Wang with a serve of tofu scramble. Picture: Stephen Laffer Source: News Corp Australia
OWNER Ray Wang took over this popular cafe towards the end of last year, but
the menu remains the same. Its signature item is still the breakfast favourite:
tofu scramble.
The colourful dish includes white mushrooms, potato chunks, grated carrot,
baby spinach, tomato, raisins, pepitas and sunflower seeds, finished with a
sprinkle of fresh herbs, flaxseeds and sesame seeds.
Complement it with a latte using coconut, rice or almond milk. The default milk
used is an organic, non-dairy soy milk.
Tofu scramble, $16
Joy Discovery, 13 Bent St
Sweet potato, zucchini, cauliflower and spinach curry
THERE’S always a curry of the day special at this spacious cafe off Rundle St,
but it’s this sweet potato version that has proven to be the favourite.
The woman behind the 11-year-old cafe, Sipra Lloyd, also makes a range of
burgers (tempeh, tofu, falafel and red kidney bean), frittatas and moussaka, as
well as desserts such as raw vegan chocolate cheesecake.
She tends to work more with vegetables than fake meats, so the only meaty
menu item is the ―Not Dog‖, a soy hot dog on a sourdough roll.
All About Rice News
Daily Global Rice E-Newletter
29
Head next door to vegetarian yum cha eatery Zenhouse if you want more meat-
like options. Lloyd meditates for five minutes before she cooks each day, so you
could say she puts the om in nom.
Sweet potato, zucchini, cauliflower and spinach curry, $15-$17
Veggo Sizzle, 358 King William St
Vegan buffalo wings
PRATIK Panchal mixes flour, sauces and a bunch of spices together and
somehow gets it to taste like chicken.
It works, because these buffalo wings have quickly become the big hit of
Panchal’s varied vegan menu.
Panchal opened this eatery down the quiet end of King William St about two
months ago, after moving from Melbourne in January.
He makes everything, including the sauces. Other dishes include fried rice with
vegan chicken, rice noodles, sizzling eggplant and spaghetti. For dessert, try the
chocolate or caramel mug cake.
Vegan buffalo wings, $8
Two Bit Villains, Adelaide Arcade balcony (facing Rundle Mall)
Cheeseburger ($11.50)
THE meats listed on this menu all come dressed in quotations, so expect to see
the cheeseburger listed with a ―beef‖ patty, or the sloppy joe with savoury
―mince‖.
An entirely vegan menu means the meats here are made with soy, though this
doesn’t compromise on flavour.
Customers go nuts over the cheeseburger with a soy patty, pickles, cheese,
onion, sauce and mustard. Other favourites include the chilli cheese fries, veggie
burger and mac and cheese. All except five menu items are available gluten-
free.
Cheeseburger, $11.50
In the South By Michael Milnes
The Cottage Bakery, 196 Main Rd, McLaren Vale Vegetarian quiche
DINE in or takeaway, with or without a side salad, the vegetarian quiche is a
standout favourite among her customers, co-owner Mel Hage says.
―Everyone loves our quiche,‖ she says.
All About Rice News
Daily Global Rice E-Newletter
30
―It is loaded with chargrilled capsicum, sun-dried tomatoes, roast pumpkin,
Danish fetta and baby spinach.
―It is really delicious.‖
Ms Hage says the bakery uses locally sourced, fresh produce when possible, and
offers a wide range of meat-free options, including frittata, wraps, focaccias,
soups and bliss balls.
She says in the three years since the bakery opened on Main Rd, it has built up a
large following of locals and tourists.
Family size vegetarian quiche, $18.
Agatha’s Cafe, 1 Gawler St, Port Noarlunga
The Vego breakfast
OWNER David Racher says the cafe’s vegetarian breakfast option has been a
favourite on the menu for more than three years.
―The Vego breakfast is poached eggs, spinach and avocado with a beetroot and
riccota spread on rye toast and you can add dukkah if you like,‖ he says.
―It is big with vegetarians and also with customers that aren’t.‖
The Vego, $16.
Fleurieu Pantry, 18-20 Gawler St, Port Noarlunga
Vege stack
The Fleurieu Pantry’s Karly Hall with a Vege stack. Picture: Roger Wyman Source: News Corp Australia
All About Rice News
Daily Global Rice E-Newletter
31
THIS Port Noarlunga restaurant specialises in vegetarian and vegan meals.
―Our most popular vegetarian dish would be our vege stack,‖ owner Karly Hall
says.
―It starts with a roasted sweet potato mash, field mushrooms, roast capsicum,
steamed broccolini and finished with a pesto sauce and roasted almonds.‖
She says to switch the dish to vegan, the pesto is swapped with chilli jam.
Vege stack, $18.
Oh! Calcutta, 171 Main South Rd, Morphett Vale
Aloo Baigan
OWNER and chef Prag Bansal says the Aloo Baigan dish is found in most
regions of his native India.
―It is pan fried eggplant and potatoes cooked with onion, garlic with my own
spices and is very popular,‖ he says.
―It can be mild, medium or hot, you just have to ask.
―We have a new menu with a lot more vegetarian dishes.‖
Aloo Baigan, dine in $14.50, take away $11.50.
The Tin Shed, 225 Main Rd, McLaren Vale
Field mushroom and haloumi burger
THIS dish is a favourite with lunch time diners, manager Barry McGuigan says.
―We use a whole field mushroom as a replacement to the burger patty along
with
deep fried chilli-crumbed haloumi cheese and roasted capsicum aioli,‖ he says.
―Everything is made in-house and it is a very popular burger.‖
Mr McGuigan says more vegetarian and vegan options have been added to the
menu in the past year.
―Our menu is very well balanced between seafood, burgers and vegetarian
meals,‖ he says.
Field mushroom and haloumi burger, $19.90
In the North By Sarah Rohweder
Tostaditas
Coffee Amigo, 36 John St, Salisbury
WE are all looking for something to spice up our life and these tostaditas are the
perfect way to do just that. Straight from the heart of Mexico comes a delicious,
flavoursome meal that features fresh tortillas topped with fried beans,
All About Rice News
Daily Global Rice E-Newletter
32
guacamole, red cabbage, and cheese. The vegan option comes with dairy-free
Biocheese. They are accompanied by two homemade salsa dips.
Tostaditas $13 for two serves.
The Watershed Cafe, 665 Salisbury Highway, Mawson Lakes
Haloumi stack
Hungry yet? You won’t be after eating this haloumi stack from the Watershed Cafe. Picture: Nick Clayton Source: News Corp
Australia
FEELING like something seriously mouth-watering and fulfilling?
The Watershed Cafe’s vegan haloumi stack really is enough to satisfy anyone.
The chargrilled cheese lays atop a bed of roquette, accompanied by marinated
zucchini and eggplant, topped with golden fried leek and a side of beetroot
chutney.
Haloumi stack $21.50.
Little Joey’s Pizza, 110 Philip Highway, Elizabeth
Vegetarian pizza
YOU can’t go wrong with a pizza topped with all your favourite vegetables and
herbs.
Little Joey’s offers a delicious pizza base smeared with tomato sauce that is
covered with mushrooms, capsicum, olives, pineapple, onion, herbs and fresh
All About Rice News
Daily Global Rice E-Newletter
33
garlic, with a sprinkle of cheese. You can order a side of garlic bread and 1.25L
drink for an extra $6.90.
Vegetarian pizza regular $11.90, large $14.90.
Surya Indian Cuisine, Shop 2, 66 Reservoir Rd, Modbury
Vegetable biryani
THERE is a reason why this dish has been labelled the Chef’s Special: Your
tastebuds will be hit with an explosion of flavour with the dish, which is served
on a bed of aromatic long grain basmati rice, stirred through fresh vegetables,
saffron, sultanas, coriander, and cashew nuts.
It also comes with a small side of fresh Indian yoghurt known as raita.
Vegetable biryani $13.90.
Fox and Firkin, 1370 North East Rd, Tea Tree Gully
Potato gnocchi
THE Fox and Firkin’s pub menu boasts an amazing Italian dish that is suitable
for any vegetarian or patron who just doesn’t feel like a juicy steak.
The potato gnocchi dish is served with roast pumpkin pieces, blue cheese, pine
nuts and a handful of rocket leaves. It is fresh, tasty and incredibly filling.
Potato gnocchi $25
U.S. Flag Flies Over New Cuban Embassy
Powerful symbol
HAVANA, CUBA -- Today, the U.S. flag was raised over the newly established U.S. embassy here.
Secretary of State John Kerry attended the ceremony heralding further diplomatic engagement with
Cuba. The flag-raising follows a similar event in Washington, DC last month, where the Cuban flag now
All About Rice News
Daily Global Rice E-Newletter
34
flies over their corresponding embassy.
Despite the symbolic nature of these two ceremonies, relations between the United States and Cuba
have not been normalized, and while ending the embargo has the biggest potential to transform the
relationship, it requires Congress to change the laws that put the embargo in place.
There has been a strong push by the U.S. agricultural community to normalize trade relations with Cuba,
and give producers and businesses access to what is naturally a key export market. The U.S. rice
industry is poised to benefit from re-engaging trade with Cuba, and USA Rice has joined a coalition of
other agricultural organizations to urge congressional action on this front.
USA Rice is a founding member of the U.S. Agriculture Coalition for Cuba (USACC), and CEO Betsy Ward
spoke at the public launch of the group in January of this year. The coalition formed prior to the
December 17, 2014, announcement by President Obama of a change in U.S. policy towards Cuba after
half a century. Since that time, USA Rice and USACC have promoted the coalition's key goal: a return to
normal commercial relations between the United States and Cuba.
All About Rice News
Daily Global Rice E-Newletter
35
"We are encouraged by this news and the Secretary's remarks at the flag-raising today in Havana," said
Ward. "We will continue to engage with Congress and actively support the bills in both chambers, which
take steps to normalize relations with Cuba."
Contact: Kristen Dayton (703) 236-1464
CME Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures
CME Group (Prelim): Closing Rough Rice Futures for August 14
Month Price Net Change
September 2015 $11.820 - $0.080
November 2015 $12.095 - $0.080
January 2016 $12.390 - $0.075
March 2016 $12.625 - $0.060
May 2016 $12.865 - $0.065
July 2016 $12.865 - $0.065
September 2016 $11.885 - $0.065
Interest in New Rice Varieties at USA Rice Seminar in Taiwan
All About Rice News
Daily Global Rice E-Newletter
36
Bill Farmer (second from left) and
John Valpey (second from right)
get thumbs up for U.S. rice
TAICHUNG, TAIWAN -- Despite the imminent arrival of Super Typhoon Soudelor, 93 rice importers,
millers, food processors, and food service representatives turned out for a USA Rice trade seminar on
August 7th in this city in the middle of Taiwan's rice country.
All types and forms of U.S. rice are routinely displayed and sampled as part of all USA Rice seminars, but
with the first-time importation of southern medium grain and long grain rice into Taiwan in the fall of
2014, trade interest in these new U.S. rice imports is growing.
USA Rice coordinated with the Taiwan government in the fall of 2014 to have samples of southern
medium grain and long grain rice sent for evaluation for possible importation. Based on that evaluation,
Taiwan lifted its years-long ban on U.S. long grain imports and subsequently purchased an estimated
23,000 tons of the southern medium grain Jupiter and 11,000 tons of southern long grain that has
recently arrived in the market.
All About Rice News
Daily Global Rice E-Newletter
37
USA Rice provided an overview of the U.S. rice industry and talked about the cooking qualities of the
multiple rice varieties on display and sampled by the audience. Professional chefs from the Taichung
All About Rice News
Daily Global Rice E-Newletter
38
Splendor Hotel created a total of fifteen dishes with the rice and some of the varieties were also
featured in extruded, sushi, and frozen applications at the seminar.
Bill Farmer, director of Asia Programs for USA Rice, and John Valpey, chairman of the USA Rice
International Promotion Committee, represented USA Rice at the seminar. Audiences and speakers had
a good interaction during the three-hour event.
Contact: Jim Guinn (703) 236-1474
U.S. Rice and Wine in Japan - A Winning Combination
Chef Ko
Master at work
TOKYO, JAPAN - Last week, USA Rice conducted the final competition at the 3rd annual U.S. Medium
Grain Recipe Contest where eight professional chefs, selected out of 166 entrants, were vying to create
the best dish pairing U.S.-grown medium grain rice with wine.
First prize was awarded to Mr. Yo Ko of the Conrad Tokyo China Blue for his "Five Kinds of Dim Sum."
Dim Sum are small dumplings that can be steamed or fried, and Chef Ko's entry was enhanced with
special sauces using sweet wine for the steamed dumplings and dry wine for the fried. Second place was
a tie between a red wine and rice terrine appetizer, and a risotto baked in a waffle maker.
All About Rice News
Daily Global Rice E-Newletter
39
Bill Farmer, USA Rice director of Asia programs, and Rachael Nelson, director of the U.S. Embassy
Agricultural Trade Office here, were on hand to present Chef Ko with the 300,000 yen ($2,500) grand
prize, and the 50,000 yen ($400) prizes awarded to the two second place winners.
Contest entrants
All About Rice News
Daily Global Rice E-Newletter
40
World Class
"Through contests and activities like this we familiarize professional chefs with the attributes of U.S.
medium grain rice," said Farmer. "It's impressive to watch them create menus on-the-spot that will
appeal to our target consumer audience in Japan."
Contact: Deborah Willenborg
Weekly Rice Sales, Exports Reported
WASHINGTON, DC -- Net rice sales of 51,200 MT were reported for 2015/2016 marketing year, which began
August 1, according to today's Export Sales Highlightsreport. Increases reported for Venezuela (30,000 MT),
Panama (5,000 MT), Saudi Arabia (3,100 MT), Guatemala (3,100 MT, including 1,900 MT switched from unknown
destinations), and Mexico (2,700 MT), were partially offset by decreases for unknown destinations (1,900 MT). A
total of 389,700 MT in sales were outstanding on July 31 and carried over to 2015/2016.
Accumulated exports in 2014/2015 totaled 3,267,000 MT up 7 percent from the prior year's total of 3,040,700
MT. Exports for 2014/2015 totaled 56,100 MT and were primarily to Mexico (26,700 MT), Panama (20,200 MT),
Saudi Arabia (8,000 MT), and Canada (800 MT).
This summary is based on reports from exporters from the period July 31 - August 6, 2015.
CME Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures
CME Group (Prelim): Closing Rough Rice Futures for August 6.
Month Price Net Change
September 2015 $11.440 - $0.100
All About Rice News
Daily Global Rice E-Newletter
41
November 2015 $11.700 - $0.100
January 2016 $11.990 - $0.090
March 2016 $12.225 - $0.060
May 2016 $12.405 - $0.065
July 2016 $12.405 - $0.065
September 2016 $11.885 - $0.065
Arkansas governor plans to travel to the island to promote rice exports
Submitted by: Juana
o Business and Economy
08 / 12 / 2015
All About Rice News
Daily Global Rice E-Newletter
42
Arkansas Governor, Republican Asa Hutchinson, will travel in September to the island,
which will make him the first US governor to visit Cuba since the official establishment
of diplomatic relations between Washington and Havana last July.
Arkansas is one of the leading exporter states of agricultural products on the island,
mainly chicken, and seeks to increase the sale of rice.
"As Cuba expands its markets and tourist opportunities, something that will happen in
the coming days, there will be greater demand for rice. Arkansas needs to be on the table
and become number one in exports to Cuba," Hutchinson said in a conference at a rice
fair in Stuttgart, Arkansas.
source: www.cibercuba.com
http://www.cubaheadlines.com/2015/08/12/p13/arkansas-governor-plans-to-travel-to-the-island-to-
promote-rice-
exports.html?utm_source=USA+Rice+Daily%2C+August+13%2C+2015&utm_campaign=Friday%2C+Dece
mber+13%2C+2013&utm_medium=email
Jeffery Sylvester chosen as Rice Farmer of the
Year by International Rice Festival
All About Rice News
Daily Global Rice E-Newletter
43
Press release- courtesy of Crowley Today
All About Rice News
Daily Global Rice E-Newletter
44
KLFY NewsroomPublished: August 12, 2015, 4:20 pm Updated
All About Rice News
Daily Global Rice E-Newletter
45
All About Rice News
Daily Global Rice E-Newletter
46
Jeffery Sylvester of Ville Platte will be honored as Rice Farmer of the Year during the 79th
International Rice Festival Oct. 15-18, according to Troy Perry, festival president.
Sylvester was born in December 1958. As a young boy, he started his agricultural education and
career in the family dairy. As a teenager, he worked hard in his dad’s field along with his
brothers, growing rice, soybeans, and crawfish.
He graduated from high school in 1977, and attended USL until 1980, when his dad offered him
a piece of land to farm on his own.
Seven years later at the age of 28, Sylvester formed a partnership with two of his brothers and
they began farming 900 acres of rice, crawfish, and soybeans. Ten years after that the partnership
was honored as the Parish Conservation Farm of the Year, through (at that time), the local soil
conservation service, now the NRCS office.
This partnership continues today in their 29th year, with the cultivation of 5,500 acres of rice,
crawfish, and soybeans.
That type of continued alliance in agriculture production, takes an extreme amount of effort,
dedication, and especially cooperation, on each partner.
Agriculture, to our nominee, is not only career, it’s a lifestyle for Sylvester. Farming in his
family has now entered its fourth generation. It provides a family environment that allows him to
cultivate and instill discipline and responsibility in himself as well as in his family.
Agriculture allows him to express creativity and innovation in production and management
decisions and to produce a product that is the cornerstone of our nation, while protecting and
nurturing the environment for generations to come.
Sylvester says agriculture is the key to our country’s success and survival. He has put into place
many EQUIP practices on the farm, including precision land leveling, drainage structures, weirs,
and irrigation pipelines, and also erosion control structures on most of the farm’s acreage.
During the winter months, he also holds water in the rice fields for water fowl to winter in a
program called ―Operation Quackback.‖
Sylvester’s desire to constantly learn and improve with new agricultural technologies, led to his
cooperation with the LSU AgCenter in several programs. He has participated in the LSU Rice
Research Verification program with Dr. Johnny Saichuk for four years. He has also participated
in the Soybean Verification program in the past with two different soybean specialists.
Sylvester has planted early soybean test plots for the Asian Soybean Rust detection program to
assist in monitoring the potential presence and progression of this disease. Their farmland has
always had an open door policy to any and all AgCenter programs, as well as other agency
programs, such as Ducks Unlimited, NRCS, and the La. Dept. of Agriculture.
All About Rice News
Daily Global Rice E-Newletter
47
Another goal Sylvester has worked toward is to become an advocate and trusted spokesman for
the rice industry and agriculture, whether it is working and developing skills for himself and
others within his field, or promoting various business or commodity issues, not just locally but
on a regional and national level as well.
While in his 20s, Sylvester was a member of the Louisiana Young Farmers and Ranchers. In
1994, at the age of 35, he was selected to attend the LSU Agricultural Leadership Program, and
graduated from that program in 1996. A few months later, he was selected to participate in the
USA Rice Leadership program.
Since then he has served in a leadership role for several organizations. He has become a regional
contact person for issues and has been involved with state and national issues and in policy
development. He has served on the local Parish Water Conservation Board. He was on the board
for the local Farmer’s Co-Op for six years (1991-1997), and the Louisiana Soybean Board for
four years.
Sylvester served on the Louisiana Rice Council for four years from 1998-2002. He has served as
president of his parish Rice Growers for the past 15 years and has been an officer for Louisiana
Rice Growers for the past 10 years, first as secretary-treasurer, then as vice-president, and he is
beginning his second year as president of Louisiana Rice Growers.
In 2012 he helped to start the Cenla Rice Growers Association, even hosting their first meeting
in his outdoor kitchen. Also in 2012, USA Rice selected him to be a member of the International
Rice Leadership Team traveling to Brazil and Uruguay.
As Louisiana Rice Grower’s President he recently returned from the 2015 Government Affairs
Conference in Washington, D.C., meeting with our Senators and Congressmen. He is also a
founding member of Louisiana Rice PAC and serves on that board.
Sylvester has been married for 34 years, and has six children and three grandchildren. He and his
family attend Sacred Heart Catholic Church.
In addition his children all attend or attended the Catholic school affiliated with the Church,
where he has also served on the board of directors in the past.
He has always been an advocate of promoting and developing leadership in youth, through
several different programs. He is known to many students of local parish schools as ―Coach,‖
having been a volunteer coach of elementary basketball for 25 years, baseball for six years and
elementary football for four years.
For many years Sylvester has promoted rice and the rice industry locally through the parish 4-H
program. He has sponsored awards and assisted in judging the 4-H Rice Poster and the 4-H Rice
Cookery contests. He has also assisted the 4-H Jr. Leadership club by donating sacks of crawfish
to be raffled off for Jr. Leadership fundraisers, as well as a guest speaker at 4-H Jr. Leadership
officer training meetings.
All About Rice News
Daily Global Rice E-Newletter
48
Spending time with his family when not busy on the farm is one of his favorite past times. In
addition to this he enjoys family time spent duck hunting, and following LSU football,
basketball, and baseball.
Sylvester was nominated by the Evangeline Parish Rice Growers Association as ―a man who we
feel depicts, represents, and stands for all the qualities and values of an all-American rice farmer,
a devoted family man of God and a steward of the land.‖
The International Rice Festival will honor Sylvester at the Honoree Social and Queen’s Ball to
be held Sept. 19 at the Rice Festival Building.
http://klfy.com/2015/08/12/jeffery-sylvester-chosen-as-rice-farmer-of-the-year-by-international-rice-
festival/?utm_source=USA+Rice+Daily%2C+August+13%2C+2015&utm_campaign=Friday%2C+Decembe
r+13%2C+2013&utm_medium=email
Faces of the 2015 Arkansas Rice Expo
Aug 10, 2015 David Bennett | Delta Farm Press
COMMENTS 0
Next
Prev
Advertisement
Next
Prev
All About Rice News
Daily Global Rice E-Newletter
49
o Share Image
o fullscreen
1 of 9
Among those attending the Rice Expo were, from left, Spencer Dickson, Dee Dickson, and Spencer Donaldson, all from Stuttgart, Ark.
Next
Prev
All About Rice News
Daily Global Rice E-Newletter
50
o Share Image
o fullscreen
2 of 9
Twin time! Liam and Ava Ruth Ross are the children of Jeremy Ross, Arkansas Extension soybean specialist.
Next
Prev
All About Rice News
Daily Global Rice E-Newletter
51
o Share Image
o fullscreen
3 of 9
Rob Phillips of Arkansas County took advantage of a Red Ryder BB shooting range.
Next
Prev
All About Rice News
Daily Global Rice E-Newletter
52
o Share Image
o fullscreen
4 of 9
Ethan Holzhauer from Gillette improves his archery skills under the tutelage of Randy Smith, right, of 4-H Lonoke County Shooting Sports.
Next
Prev
All About Rice News
Daily Global Rice E-Newletter
53
o Share Image
o fullscreen
5 of 9
Dustin North and Maurice Blocker from the Stuttgart ARRREC.
Next
Prev
Advertisement
Next
Prev
All About Rice News
Daily Global Rice E-Newletter
54
6 of 9
Despite the heat and humidity, the expo drew a huge crowd including, from left, Hazelene McCray of Monticello, Demeytres Henderson of Stuttgart, and Haley Burnett of Monticello.
o Share Image
All About Rice News
Daily Global Rice E-Newletter
55
o fullscreen
7 of 9
The University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture had a large contingent on hand. Among them: Diane Mashburn, Lee Riley and Julie Robinson, all of Little Rock.
Next
Prev
o Share Image
o fullscreen
8 of 9
May York and Harley Malone of Monroe County.
Next
Prev
All About Rice News
Daily Global Rice E-Newletter
56
Judy Beaty and Karen Kirkpatrick traveled to Stuttgart from their hometown of Arkadelphia.
http://deltafarmpress.com/rice/faces-2015-arkansas-rice-expo#slide-0-field_images-
127801?utm_source=USA+Rice+Daily%2C+August+13%2C+2015&utm_campaign=Friday%2C+December
+13%2C+2013&utm_medium=email
