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Aug 3, 2015 Vol 5 ,Issue VIII
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Study: Modified Rice Sharpley Curtails Methane Emissions Mon, 08/03/2015 - 9:51am
Andy Szal, Digital Reporter
Rice engineered with genes from barley could substantially cut the amount of methane released
during rice production, according to research by Swedish scientists.Conventional rice grown in
flooded paddies secretes carbohydrates that feed bacteria, which in turn produce methane — a
greenhouse gas far more potent than carbon dioxide.Scientists worry that those methane
emissions could be problematic as the world attempts to address climate change. Rice is a staple
food for millions and could be critical to feeding a growing global population.The
study published in the journal Nature, however, found that the modified rice produced less than
10 percent of the methane from conventional plants in a laboratory and in field tests.
Researchers from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences transferred the barley genes in
an effort to produce starchier crops while generating smaller roots that contribute to methane
emissions.Scientists said more research is necessary to evaluate the results from entire rice
paddies, but a Dutch microbial ecologist wrote in Nature that the study "represents a tremendous
opportunity for more-sustainable rice cultivation."Despite its promise, the modified crop would
need to overcome ongoing concerns about GMOs among governments and consumers alike.
Modified rice currently is not sold anywhere across the globe.
http://www.chem.info/news/2015/08/study-modified-rice-sharpley-curtails-methane-emissions
Judge Decides on GM Rice Retraction
Ethical breaches in a study on the benefits of so-called ―golden rice‖ lead to the paper being pulled from the literature.
By Kerry Grens | August 3, 2015
WIKIMEDIA, INTERNATIONAL RICE
RESEARCH INSTITUTEA Massachusetts
judge has ruled in favor of a journal‘s decision
to retract a paper on a type of genetically
modified rice. The study‘s lead author,
Guangwen Tang of Tufts University,
previously asked for an injuction against the
publisher, who yanked the study from
the American Journal of Clinical
Nutrition because the researchers did not
comply with certain ethical guidelines.
According to the retraction notice, posted online July 29, ―The authors are unable to provide
sufficient evidence that the study had been reviewed and approved by a local ethics committee in
China in a manner fully consistent with NIH [National Institutes of Health] guidelines.‖Tang and
her colleagues tested how well a genetically modified rice, called golden rice, could provide
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children with β-carotene. They found that the rice was just as good as a β-carotene supplement
and better than spinach.According to a Tufts spokesperson who spoke with Retraction Watch, no
one is questioning the validity of the data. The problem instead lies in how the study was
conducted—in particular, a lack evidence that all participants gave full consent. Tufts
investigated the situation in 2012.
―There was no evidence found of falsification or fabrication of the data that underlie the study‘s
primary findings,‖ according to the spokesperson. ―Those reviews did, however, determine that
the research had not been conducted in full compliance with Tufts research policies and federal
research regulations.‖The Clerk of the Massachusetts Superior Court last month (July 17) posted
a notice, which Retraction Watch subsequently shared, about Tang‘s denied request. ―The
requested order would be an unconstitutional Prior restraint on speech as well as an
unconstitutional order compelling speech.‖According to ScienceInsider, ―Adrian Dubock,
executive secretary of the Golden Rice Humanitarian Board in Switzerland disputes that there
were any ethical irregularities and argues that the retraction is not warranted.‖
http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/43656/title/Judge-Decides-on-GM-Rice-Retraction/
Wild Beauty: Winning Ecology Photos Feature Sunbirds and
Zebras by Elizabeth Palermo, Associate Editor | August 03, 2015 07:05am ET
The winning photos from a recent ecology photo contest prove that Mother Nature is always
ready for her close-up.In one photo, a small bird sucks nectar from an exotic flower. In another, a
zebra munches vividly colored grass. And yet another photo captures a tiny beetle displaying its
impressively shaped antennae. These are just a few of the snapshots taken by ecologists all over
the world and submitted to this year's BioMed Central (BMC) Ecology Image Competition.
The winners of the annual contest were recently announced online. Only researchers affiliated
with a university or other research institution were eligible to submit photos, and the portraits
had to fit into one of five categories related to ecology, or the study of how living things interact
with one another and their environments. This year, the journal BMC Ecology invited a guest
judge to select an overall winner for the contest. Ana Porzecanski, director of the Center for
Biodiversity and Conservation at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City,
helped decide which photo would nab a cash prize of $400 and land a spot on the BMC Ecology
website, as well as its print publication.
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The journal's editors chose the contest winners in each of the five ecology-related entry
categories, which were: behavioral and physiological ecology; conservation ecology and
biodiversity research; community, population and macroecology; landscape ecology and
ecosystems; and theoretical ecology and models.The award for best overall photo went to
Mohamed Shebi, an ecologist in the Department of Plant Protection at Suez Canal University in
Egypt. His photo of a Palestinian sunbird sucking nectar from a thistle plant impressed
Porzecanski, who told BMC the image was "truly gorgeous" and that it represented a part of the
world (Saudi Arabia) that is "underappreciated in terms of its biodiversity."It was hard for the
judges to pick just one runner-up for the overall best-picture category — so they picked two. One
of the winning photos was taken at a garbage heap in Guwahati, India, the last refuge for greater
adjutant storks, the world's most endangered stork species.
The photo, taken by Dhritiman Das of the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the
Environment in India, depicts humans and storks foraging for resources right alongside one
another, amidst heaping piles of debris.The other runner-up was a photo taken at Cipó National
Park in southeast Brazil. The photograph shows a small carpenter ant sucking nutrient-rich nectar
from a Coccoloba cereifera, a rare shrub that is a favorite food of leaf-loving animals. The ant's
presence on the leaves of this shrub keeps hungry herbivores at bay, demonstrating a unique,
symbiotic relationship between insect and plant, said the photographer, Daniel Wisbech
Carstensen, a researcher in the Department of Botany at I-UNSESP in Brazil.BMC's competition
yielded many other stunning images, as well. A beautiful beetle with magnificently arching
antenna took first prize in the behavioral and physiological ecology category. The insect's
impressive headgear helps it sniff out a mate, according to the man who took the photo, Bernardo
Segura from the Universidad de Chile.
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Other winning images included a tray full of different varieties of rice. Pritesh S. Roy from the
Central Rice Research Institute, in India, took the photo to draw attention to the fact that many
traditional varieties of rice are being lost because of a lack of research attention. The novel traits
and genes that some rice varieties possess could help ecologists develop better crop-
improvement programs, Roy told BMC.Two adorable baboons also made the cut in the "Editor's
pick" category. The photo, taken by Catherine Markham, an anthropologist at Stony Brook
University in New York, shows one juvenile baboon eating while a fellow baboon checks out the
snack. A solitary zebra won first prize in the community, population and macroecology category.
In that photo, the animal stands, munching grass, near the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa.
Taken by Julia Spaet of the Red Sea Research Center in Saudi Arabia, the photo depicts the
relationships among the zebra, the grass and the climate.
Image: Waterlilies offer an interesting contrast to Baobab trees in Madagascar.
Credit: Kathryn M. Everson
http://www.livescience.com/51722-ecology-photo-contest-2015-winners.html
AP millers promise normal supply of rice SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
Rice mill operators from Andhra Pradesh (AP) under the banner of the East Godavari District
Rice Millers Association held talks with open market wholesale rice traders from the districts of
Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam and Alappuzha here on Monday. Association leaders said the talks
were aimed at instilling confidence in the traders that there would be normal supplies from AP
during the Onam season.The association had decided to stop supplies to Consumerfed and
Supplyco since the State government owned dues of more than Rs.100 crore to the millers of AP.
But after meeting Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Sunday, the association decided to resume
supply to Supplyco, but not to Consumerfed.
Special Correspondent http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/ap-millers-promise-normal-supply-of-
rice/article7497956.ece
12,000 Small Farmers Trained – Engro Foundation Takes A
Far-reaching Approach
12,000 Small Farmers Trained – Engro Foundation Takes A Far-reaching Approach |
PakistanTribe.comKARACHI – Engro Foundation, the CSR arm of Engro Corporation, along
with Engro Eximp Agriproducts, the Company‘s rice processing business, has successfully
concluded its System Productivity Innovative Rice Trainings (SPIRiT) project. The project was a
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first of its kind training program that has successfully introduced innovative and more effective
rice-wheat farming techniques and technologies to smallholder farmers in five districts of
Punjab.The project was supported by the TVET Reform Support Programme, which is funded by
the European Union, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Federal Republic of
Germany and the Royal Norwegian Embassy.
This Programme has been commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic
Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and is being implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft
für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.Using teams of agri-experts, trainers and
mobilizers, the SPIRiT project trained 10,782 farmers & 1,644 agri-farm support persons in the
areas of resource and water conservation, plant population management, improved harvesting &
best crop management practices in the rice–wheat cropping system over a period of 20-months,
from December 2013 to July 2015. The Project areas comprised of 40-50 villages in each
selected pocket of Sheikhupura (Mureedke & Khanqah Dogran), Gujranwala/ Sialkot (Qilla
Deedar Singh & Madiala Tigga) and Mandi Baha Uddin (Gojra).
Teams worked with farmers in the field throughout the whole life cycle of both these major crops
while conducting individual contact activities like farm visits and mass contact activities such as
seminars, farmer meetings, demonstrations, group discussions, field days and briefings along
with literature distribution
. Farmers were introduced to innovative techniques such as Direct Seeding of Rice (DSR),
Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD), Optimum Plant Population Management (OPPM), Zero-
tillage Wheat Sowing and Quality Harvesting of Paddy. Another important component was to
upgrade & install Rice-Harvesting Kits in the combine harvesters being used in the target area.
The project distributed 200 uniquely designed quality rice-harvesting kits that can be installed in
the combine harvesters, facilitating quality harvesting of paddy with minimum harvesting losses.
Other innovations introduced by the project on an unprecedented scale in Pakistan were the
Direct Seeding of Rice (DSR) and Zero-tillage Wheat Sowing technologies.
To develop an enabling
environment for
sustainable proliferation
and adoption of SPIRiT
Project concepts even
after the closure of the
Project, 525 early adopter
farmers were intensively
trained to become
anchors of the innovative
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farming techniques within their communities and continue training their fellow farmers.SPIRiT
on-field training program has enabled smallholder rice farmers to boost productivity by 8%-15%
per acre per rice season, while conserving 25%-35% water and agricultural resources along with
other benefits like skill enhancement, improvement in farmers‘ income & livelihoods. However,
millions of rice farmers across Pakistan are still utilizing ineffective and outdated methods. The
SPIRiT project concept holds huge potential to improve livelihoods and food security.
Indonesia bracing for worse impact of El Nino 3 Agustus 2015 08:22 WIB |
Pewarta: Ahmad Wijaya
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The weather phenomenon El Nino has started to take toll in some
parts of Indonesia. Harvest failures were already reported in a number of areas such as Lebak in
Banten and haze from forest and bush fires caused breathing difficulty in Riau and Jambi
Provinces. The worst is yet to come in October this year, the authorities said. "Strong El Nino
could cause lengthy drought, harvest failure, forest and bush fires and outbreak of dengue,
although it could also cause good fish harvest in certain areas," head of the Meteorology and
Geophysics office Andi Eka Sakya said in a meeting headed by the coordinating Minister for
Maritime Affairs Indroyono Soesilo here on July 28.
Worrisome warnings have been issued by US, Japanese and Australian meteorology or weather
forecasting agencies as well Indonesian Meteorology and Geophysics office.President Joko
Widodo (Jokowi) has also expressed concern with the unseen climatic monster to food
security.The president called a special meeting of related cabinet ministers to address the
problem. "We must take the threat seriously," the president said at the limited cabinet meeting
attended by Vice President Jusuf Kalla, senior cabinet ministers, the national military chief
Gen.Gatot Nurmantyo and police chief Gen. Badrodin Haiti.Jokowi said El Nino is getting
stronger between August and December causing drought in wide areas.
"Drought already hits Java, Sulawesi, Lampung, Bali, East Nusa Tenggara beginning in May,"
he said. The president asked his ministers to find way to avert worse impact of El Nino or
mitigate the damage. "This afternoon we are discussing and trying to find a way out especially to
deal with the hot spots and potential forest and bush fires," he said.
He said the government has to protect the livelihood of farmers, fishermen. The National
Disaster Control Agency (BNPB) recorded drought has hit at least 102 regencies all over the
country.BNPB spokesman BNPB Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said those areas had a deficit of 20
billion cubic meters of water."Currently drought has hit 102 regencies in 16 provinces all over
Indonesia," Sutopo said.The 16 provinces include Banten, West Java, Central Java, Yogyakarta,
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East Java, Bengkulu, Papua, East Nusa Tenggara, West Nusa Tenggara, South Sumatra, South
Sulawesi, Lampung, Riau, South Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan and Bali. "The hardest hit are
Central Java, West Java, East Java, Lampung, South Sumatra and Bali," he added. Extreme dry
season has also dam, aged crops over at least 111,000 hectares of farmlands and the impact is
feared to hit wider areas, he said.
In fact the country already suffered the impact of drought for over a decade, he said. "A study by
the National Development Planning Board (Bappenas) in 2003 said every year, 92 regencies in
Java suffer a deficit in water supply for a week up to 8 months," he said.Attempts to cope with
the drought The agriculture ministry hopes to complete construction of 1,000 water reservoirs
and cultivate 2.6 million hectares of rain fed rice fields with second crops. The Public Works
Ministry said five of 16 major dams have been short of water, therefore, the ministry would use
760 water pumps for irrigation. The five dams include Keuliling in Aceh, Batutegi in Lampung,
Saguling in West Java, Wonogiri in Central Java and Bening in East Java. Meanwhile, the
Forestry and Environment Ministry is optimizing the use of water canons and retardant
chemicals to extinguish forest and bush fires.
Director General of Water Resources Mudjiadi said the government through the Public Works
and Housing Ministry has taken steps to forestall worse impact of drought in various areas
brought about by the weather phenomenon this year. He said water pumps have been made
available for irrigation in areas where surface water has stopped flowing.He said efficiency
would be improved in the use of water. Dam water would be prioritized for household
consumption, irrigation and industry. "Fort the time being we stop using dam water for other
purposes," he said. Agriculture Minister Amran Sulaiman said the damaged to rice fields
inflicted by drought this year was less extensive than last year. In the period of October, 2013 to
July 2014 drought caused 159,000 hectares of rice field without water as against only 57,000
hectares in the period of October 2014- July 2015.
"That means we succeeded in saving 102,000 hectares of rice field from the threat of drought,"
Amran said. The minister said the government has made available Rp100 billion to build water
reservoirs anticipating extreme dry season. The reservoirs would be built in areas where lengthy
drought is more endemic, he said, adding there are around 200,000 hectares of farm lands prone
to drought and 25,000 hectares of then often face crop failure. He said the government has set
aside Rp880 billion to cope with El Nino inflicted damage this year.
The ministry has also asked governors, regents, city majors to use fund for special allocation of
Rp2 trillion from the state budget to build water reservoirs. "We have expected the drought since
early January and we have taken preparatory steps such as by building and improving irrigation
systems and other infrastructure, distributing water and other farming tools," the minister
said.Therefore, the government is confident that food security could remain safe, he
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said.Meanwhile, the state owned Board of Logistic has held 2.5 million tons of rice in stock, a
provision against scarcity in supply.(*)
http://www.antaranews.com/en/news/99736/indonesia-bracing-for-worse-impact-of-el-nino
Trans-Pacific Trade Talks End Without Deal
Negotiations on a major trade deal have ended for now without agreement. At a news conference
late Friday, however, U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman said the 12 nations involved
have made significant progress and are more confident than ever that a deal is within
reach."After more than a week of productive meetings we've made significant progress and will
continue to work on resolving a limited number of remaining issues, paving the way for the
conclusion of the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations," Froman said.
Negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership have been underway for years, and the deal was
thought to be close to completion.This week, trade ministers gathered in Hawaii to move the
complex deal forward. The TPP could cover 40 percent of the global economy. No date has been
set for the next meeting on the agreement, but the trade ministers said work on resolving the
problem areas will go forward. The issues are politically sensitive, including efforts to allow
more imports of rice to Japan, more imports of sugar to the United States, greater access to
Canada's dairy market, and expanding patent protection to a new class of promising drugs for 12
years.Previous trade agreements focused on cutting tariffs to encourage trade by making it
cheaper.
The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Ministers hold a press conference to discuss progress in the
negotiations in Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii on July 31, 2015. /Reuters
◆ Intellectual Property Issue
Japanese Economy Minister Akira Amari said Friday each nation's interests clashed over an
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intellectual property issue, preventing completion of a deal."The participating nations interests
were at odds over the issue intellectual property and could not complete negotiations to come to
a deal," Amari said in a separate news conference following the joint news conference a few
hours before.He also said trade ministers shared a view that they will continue to make efforts
toward an early agreement.
"The participating nations share the belief that they will continue to work towards an agreement
soon," Amari said, adding the next meeting could be by the end of the month."I feel that with
one more meeting of the ministers we will be able to come to a conclusion on the talks," he
added.TPP supporters said this proposed pact would harmonize rules and laws between trading
partners to make it easier to sell goods and services around the world.Attorney Tim Brightbill,
who litigates trade cases, said a well-constructed deal would be a "big positive" for all the
countries involved. But he warned that a deal that does too little to help U.S. manufacturing and
jobs would not be approved by Congress.
Other nations have other major goals, and their own approval process.
◆ Keep Working
A researcher who monitors Asian economic, trade and political issues said if officials cannot get
a deal done now, they will "kick the can down the road," and keep working.Charles Morrison,
president of the East-West Center in Hawaii, said there is a lot of political will behind the talks
and "nobody wants the deal to fail."The TPP has sparked demonstrations in some TPP nations
and is controversial in the United States. The U.S. Congress saw a related trade issue pass by a
narrow margin after a major political squabble.
Failure to seal the agreement is a setback for U.S. President Barack Obama. The pact is seen as
the economic arm of the administration's pivot to Asia and an opportunity to balance out China's
influence in the region.The Maui talks were also seen as the last chance to get a deal in time to
pass the U.S. Congress this year, before 2016 presidential elections muddy the waters.
Some material for this report came from Reuters. VOA News / Aug. 03, 2015 07:52 KST
http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2015/08/03/2015080300531.html
El Niño spells more losses for rice farmers By Czeriza Valencia (The Philippine Star) | Updated August 2, 2015 - 12:00am
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The Philippines is currently experiencing mild El Niño. AP
MANILA, Philippines - Rice farmers whose fields are serviced by the Angat Dam are seen to
sustain P3.82 billion worth of production losses in the succeeding quarters as a result of the
prevailing dry spell that is expected to peak in the last quarter of the year, the National Irrigation
Administration (NIA), said.Despite the occurrence of rains, the National Water Resources Board
(NWRB) is keeping a reduced water allocation for Metro Manila and zero water allocation for
irrigation to surrounding provinces until the water level in the reservoir reaches a secure level for
irrigation, municipal and power needs.
NIA spokeswoman Filipina Bermudez said in areas serviced by Angat-Maasin River Irrigation
System (AMRIS) – including Bulacan and Pampanga – farmers would be foregoing a harvest of
225,000 metric tons (MT) in the succeeding quarters. This covers 49, 750 hectares.Farmers, she
said, are still able to plant as monsoon rains provide water to fields.The reduced water allocation
from Angat Dam for municipal use, however, is not likely to lead to water scarcity in Metro
Manila, said NWRB executive director Sevillo David Jr.He said an allocation of 41 cubic meters
per second would continue to be imposed until the end of the month, at least, when the board
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makes an assessment about the impact of the El Nino phenomenon on water supply in Metro
Manila.Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1
Theboard also is also keeping a zero allocation for irrigation until then.―This water supply level
that we are using can be managed until summer next year. But we need to supply water for
irrigation so we are monitoring this,‖ he said.The NWRB slashed in June the water allocation for
metro water concessionaires-Manila Water Co. (East Zone) and Maynilad Water Services (West
Zone) – to the prevailing 41 cms from 43 cms in May after the water level in the Angat Dam fell
below the critical level.
Protocol dictates that once the water supply in the dam – where Metro Manila obtains 90 percent
of its water supply – falls below the critical level, supply to irrigation is immediately cut
followed by supply for power if the water level continues to fall.Pagasa senior weather specialist
Anthony Lucero said the rains experienced in Metro Manila may only last until September
before a ―stronger El Nino‖ is felt in the last three months of the year.The effects of the stronger
El Nino, he said, may be felt until summer of next year.The water level in the Angat Dam is now
placed around 180 meters. This is still 29.27 meters short of the normal water level of 210
meters. A water level below 180 meters is considered critical.
Under normal dam level conditions, NWRB‘s allocation for agriculture ranges from 20 cms to
30 cms.―For now, we are still not within the comfortable level. We are reviewing the allocation
for irrigation but for now, farmers still gain from the rains,‖ said David. ―By the end of August,
we think we can decide on what the allocation for the rest of the year will be.‖The provinces of
Bulacan and Pampanga depend mainly on rainwater for their agricultural lands but would need
an irrigation allocation once the monsoon rains stop.David said the metro water concessionaires
have committed to implement measures to manage the reduced water resource. The National
Irrigation Administration (NIA), he said, has also come up with a contingency plan.―The
concessionaires are ensuring that their facilities are in good operating condition to avoid
downtime. More water reservoirs have also been constructed particularly in elevated areas.
Standby facilities for supply augmentation such as deep wells are also being prepared and will be
operated when needed,‖ said David.
http://www.philstar.com/business/2015/08/02/1483465/el-nino-spells-more-losses-rice-farmers
Drought Leaves No Choice but to Import Rice Posted On 03 Aug 2015
By : Leo Jegho
Tag: agriculture, Import, in-depth, Rice
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Illustration of imported rice stocks being loaded for transport. (Photo source: beritasatu.com)
In-depth
Jakarta, GIVnews.com – While President Joko ‗Jokowi‘ Widodo had repetitively expressed his
resoluteness to stop rice imports, his government is facing a stark reality in which it may be
forced to import the staple food.Following reports about wide-spreading droughts in the country,
government officials will decide this week whether to import rice. The government had carefully
monitored and studied the impacts of the current drought, said Coordinating Minister for the
Economy Sofyan Djalil. ―Until today we still have enough stocks. But, we will carry out further
study next week before deciding whether or not we import rice. Until today, no,‖ Sofyan told
reporters after a limited cabinet meeting at the State Palace last Friday (31/7) as reported
by Detik.com.
The minister had shared that until year end, the State Logistics Agency (Bulog) must have
minimum rice stock of 1.5 million tons. Lower stock may only force Bulog to import rice, he
noted.―If we have got less, we import. It is not ‗haram‘ (forbidden) because it goes with our
need. We need (imports) because of El Nino,‖ Sofyan said.Sofyan‘s remarks clearly echoed
President Jokowi‘s ambitious plan of stopping rice imports. Since last year‘s presidential
campaign and even after his election as president, Jokowi had declared his resoluteness to make
Indonesia self-sufficient in rice.Minister Sofyan said last Friday the government had allocated
Rp 3.5 trillion for this year‘s reserve fund for food stock.
Meanwhile, Vice President Jusuf Kalla had in May informed about possible rice imports this
year due to significant drop in domestic rice production. He mentioned drought and low quality
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rice seeds as the main factor behind low production.Also in May, as shared by Minister of Trade
Rachmat Gobel, the government already prepared a permit for Bulog to import rice, notably in
anticipation of this year‘s Eid al-Fitr holidays, which fell on July 17. The permit, however, had
not yet been finalized, according to Rachmat Gobel.Yet, on the day Minister Rachmat disclosed
about rice import permit, President Jokowi said Indonesia no longer needed rice imports. ―We
need not import rice any more. We have to be able to fulfill our need for rice (with local
product). How come we keep importing rice, corn … How come we import everything?‖ Jokowi
said during his visit to Maluku as reported by CNN Indonesia.
Thailand and Vietnam were Indonesia‘s largest rice suppliers in the past years.
111,000 Hectares Hit
Kompas daily reported that prolonged drought had hit about 111,000 hectares of rice fields
across the country from January to July of this year. The 111,000 hectares were below the
200,000 hectares in the same period of last year, the newspaper quoted Minister of Agriculture
Andi Amran Sulaiman as saying. He had shared this during a visit to Sidoarjo in East Java last
Thursday (30/7).According to Amran, the government had taken more serious anticipatory
measures so that only 111,000 hectares of rice fields had been affected as compared with last
year. The measures included the reparation of irrigation ditches and the distribution of water
pumps to farmers.
Still, there are fears that El Nino will continue until December 2015, which means more rice
fields will be hit. Clean water scarcity in many regions will pose another serious problem.A
prolonged drought will pose a big challenge to the government‘s program of holding this
December simultaneous regional elections (Pilkada) across the 9 provinces, 269 districts and 36
cities. These simultaneous elections will be the first of the total seven rounds until 2017. They
aim to ensure more effective and more efficient democratic life in Indonesia http://www.globalindonesianvoices.com/21879/drought-leaves-no-choice-but-to-import-rice/
http://www.news.lk/news/business/item/8960-sown-extent-of-paddy-for-yala-2015-is-highest-ever-
reported
Government to rope in private players for kharif rice
procurement
By PTI | 2 Aug, 2015, 12.48PM IST
The Union Food Ministry has prepared a policy acting on the recommendations of the high-level
commitee of the state-owned Food Corporation of India (FCI).
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NEW DELHI: Faced with inadequate storage
facility, the Centre has decided to engage
private players during the current kharif season
for procurement of rice in Uttar Pradesh and
four other eastern states. The Union Food
Ministry has prepared a policy acting on the
recommendations of the high-level committee
of the state-owned Food Corporation of India
(FCI). Rice procurement for the 2015-16 kharif
season would begin from October. And the
government has kept a total procurement target
of 30 million tonnes (MT) for the season.
"The procurement policy has been finalised for Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal
and Assam. Private players will be roped in for rice procurement wherever necessary in these
states," a senior Food Ministry official told PTI. These five states contribute over 40 per cent of
the country's estimated total rice production of over 102 MT, but the procurement has been very
"negligible", the official said. In 2014 kharif season, 5.13 MT of rice was procured in these
states. Despite West Bengal being the top rice producing state at 15.1 MT, procurement here was
only 1.80 MT in the said period.
As per the proposed plan, the official said Bihar and West Bengal that follow a decentralised
procurement policy (DCP) would be permitted to engage private players either independently or
on behalf of the state agencies. In other non-DCP states, FCI would step up procurement
operations at the minimum support price (MSP). "Where FCI and state governments are not able
to open procurement centres, private agencies will be engaged," the official said, adding that
private agencies would be selected via tenders. DCP states are those where FCI is not involved in
procurement. States procure foodgrains on their own and supply to the PDS. The Centre, in turn,
bears the difference in the margin between the issue price and the economic cost for the states.
Any surplus food stocks after catering to the PDS is picked up by the central pool.
The north eastern states with inadequate infrastructure for procurement have traditionally not
been on the FCI radar, even though farmers in the states are often compelled to sell their produce
below the MSP. The FCI restructuring panel, headed by former food minister and veteran BJP
leader Shanta Kumar, had in its report suggested the government to focus more on north-eastern
states to ensure farmers in the states benefit from Centre's price support mechanism.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/agriculture/government-to-rope-in-private-players-
for-kharif-rice-procurement/articleshow/48315864.cms
Indonesian drought will not cause rice shortage
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Senin, 3 Agustus 2015 14:49 WIB
Pewarta: Andi Abdussalam
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The ongoing drought affecting various parts of Indonesia will not
cause shortage of rice this year as the government has taken anticipatory steps to reduce its
impacts on rice fields.Indonesia has set its rice production target for 2015 at 46.14 million tons
while its annual rice requirement is only about 28.5 million tons. The Ministry of Agriculture has
forecast that it will reduce the impact of drought on rice farms from 200 thousand hectares in
2014 to 100 thousand hectares this year.
Hence, based on the five-ton rice production in every hectare of land, the drought this year will
reduce rice production by only five thousand tons of the targeted 46.14 million tons. Of the 8.61
million hectares of rice fields in Indonesia, about 3.3 million hectares of rain-fed rice fields are
prone to drought.However, Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman has made assurance that
the current drought will not affect the rice production, which will remain adequate. The
government has even managed to successfully save Rp2 trillion worth of rice this year until July
this year.
Some 198 thousand hectares of land across Indonesia is hit by drought every year."Last year, the
drought affected 200 thousand hectares of rice fields. It is forecast that it will affect only 100
thousand hectares this year. This means that we will save 100 thousand hectares," Minister
Sulaiman noted in Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), on Friday, July 31. He affirmed that
during the period between October 2013 and July 2014, 159 thousand hectares of rice fields were
affected by drought across the country, while during the same period this year, only 57 thousand
hectares bore the brunt of the drought."Hence, we managed to save 102 thousand hectares of rice
fields from the drought," he affirmed.If one hectare of paddy field could produce five tons of
rice, the ministry has successfully saved 500 thousand tons of paddy worth Rp2 trillion, he
pointed out.
Calculations made by the Ministry of Agriculture had previously revealed that the per capita
consumption of rice in Indonesia is 124 kilograms per annum. Hence, the government based its
rice production target on the per capita consumption of 124 kilograms.However, a joint
assessment conducted by the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) and the Ministry of Trade
showed that Indonesias per capita consumption of rice is only 114 kilograms per annum.National
Development Planning Minister/Head of the National Development Planning Board (Bappenas)
Andrinof Chaniago stated last March that by taking the per capita rice consumption of 114
kilograms into account, the total annual rice consumption of Indonesians stood at 28 million
tons.In 2014, the total production of dried unhulled rice reached 70 million tons, which was
equivalent to about 43 million tons of rice.
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This year, the Ministry of Agriculture has set itself a target of increasing the output by 3.84
million tons, with the total production of unhulled rice reaching 73.40 million tons, or equal to
46.14 million tons of rice.With the target of 46.14 million tons of rice, the impact of drought on
rice production, which is forecast at five thousand tons, is insignificant.Therefore, Agriculture
Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman disagreed to reports that Indonesias rice production this year will
significantly decline, as his ministry had taken anticipatory steps to overcome the impact of the
dry spell.The Ministry of Agriculture will provide more than Rp884 billion for the procurement
of supporting agricultural equipment to overcome the dry spell. It is developing agricultural
irrigation infrastructure, dams, and water pumps.Besides providing 82 thousand water pumps,
the government is also developing irrigation networks.
"So far, it has developed 1.3 million water channels across the country," the minister
confirmed.Sulaiman pointed out that the government had set aside Rp2.2 trillion as funds to
implement the program to build retention reservoirs and deep/shallow wells near rain-fed rice
fields."The funds have been taken from the Ministry of Agriculture and the Special Allocation
Fund scheme," the minister added.In East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), for instance, the government
will develop seven dams for holding water during the rainy season and supplying it to the people
during the dry spell.One of these reservoirs is the Raknamo Reservoir, some 35 kilometers east
of Kupang city. It has been built to supply water to the urban areas and to irrigate around 841
hectares of farmlands in the district of Kupang."NTT has considerable water problems,"
President Joko Widodo stated while inspecting the development of the Raknamo Reservoir on
Saturday (July 25).The Raknamo Reservoir is one of the seven dams to be built by the
government in this region.
The seven reservoirs are Lambo Reservoir in Nagekeo district, Kolhua in Kupang city, Raknamo
and Manikin in Kupang district, Rotiklot in Belu district, Temef in Timor Tengah Selatan
district, and Napunggete in Sikka district.According to Chairisal Manu of the Directorate
General of Natural Resources, Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing, the central
government has set aside funding worth Rp6 trillion to develop six dams in NTT.According to
data revealed until June 30, five of the 16 main dams in the country that had run short of water
were the Keuliling Dam in Aceh, the Batutegi Dam in Lampung, the Saguling Dam in West
Java, the Wonogiri Dam in Central Java, and the Bening Dam in East Java.
National Disaster Mitigation Agency official Sutopo Purwo Nugroho noted that the ongoing
drought in several regions in Indonesia will peak in October or November.The drought is
triggered by a moderate El Nino phenomenon, the impacts of which are felt in regions south of
the equator. In Indonesia, it will affect West Sumatra, Bengkulu, Jambi, South Sumatra, Bangka-
Belitung, Java, Bali, NTB, NTT, and Maluku.(*)
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http://www.antaranews.com/en/news/99742/indonesian-drought-will-not-cause-rice-shortage
Golden Rice—a star among GMO foods—has a major study
retracted
The golden child of the pro-GMO advocates just got a little tarnished. (Reuters/Erik de
Castro) WRITTEN BY
Deena Shanker
August 03, 2015
Golden Rice, often touted as a shining example of the benefits of genetic engineering, might not
be as golden as originally thought.The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has issued a
retraction to a 2012 paper on Golden Rice because of insufficient evidence of consent from the
parents of the children involved in the study, The Ecologist reports. And, perhaps more
significantly, the retraction provides the opportunity to re-raise another question regarding the
validity of the AJCN trial: The diets fed to the children in the trial were, according to critics,
unrealistically high in fat. (Because vitamin A, the primary benefit of Golden Rice, is fat soluble,
the body needs fat to absorb it.)
Golden Rice, first introduced in a 2000 study in Science, is genetically engineered rice that‘s
extra high in beta-carotene, a precursor to vitamin A. It was developed as a potential solution to
vitamin A deficiencies in children around the world, especially those in highly populated,
impoverished areas. In 2005, a paper in Nature Biotechnology introduced Golden Rice 2, which
had 23-times more beta-carotene than its predecessor. In the 2012 American Journal of Clinical
Nutrition study, the beta-carotene in Golden Rice 2 (now just Golden Rice) was found to be as
effective as pure beta-carotene in a capsule, and even more effective than spinach in providing
children with vitamin A.
Golden Rice was the golden child of pro-GMO interests.Even though the private sector was
involved in the development of Golden Rice, and companies including Syngenta and Monsanto
have proprietary rights in it, they emphasize that they do not make money from the marketing or
sale of Golden Rice, and the efforts are coordinated not by them, but by the International Rice
Research Institute.Golden Rice‘s real value to these companies is in publicity. Though there have
been protests about its use from environmental groups like Greenpeace, the nutritional qualities
of Golden Rice have overshadowed the complaints.
All that may now come into question if the study‘s validity is challenged beyond the consent
issue. The children in the trial ate meals that were 20% fat by calories, and included both pork
and egg—foods not usually available in large quantities, if at all, to the target population of poor
children. Without it, much of the vitamin will go to waste. (The AJCN did not include this
critique in its decision to retract the paper.)
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Syngenta did not immediately respond to request for comment. Monsanto directed inquiries to industry
group BIO, which declined to comment.
http://qz.com/470261/golden-rice-a-star-among-gmo-foods-has-a-major-study-retracted/
TPP Ministerial Yields No Agreement
TPP
No deal yet
MAUI, HI - Trade ministers from twelve countries met for several days here last week, but failed
to reach agreement on the broad and far reaching Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement.
USA Rice was present at the meeting to press for greater market access for U.S. rice and to
protect existing U.S. rice markets. Obstacles on agriculture market access, particularly dairy,
sugar, and rice, as well as on auto trade, among key TPP players are behind the lack of
agreement.
"Despite a reasonable and commercially viable U.S. negotiating position on rice market access to
Japan, Japan is offering new access equivalent to less than one percent of Japan's market," said
Michael Rue, a California rice farmer who attended the Ministerial. "Additionally, the
government of Japan is seeking to continue a very heavy-handed management of imports that
prevents direct access to Japan's consumers."
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Rue is also the chairman of USA Rice's Asia Trade Policy Subcommittee and believes the
current deal is ultimately unacceptable to the U.S. rice industry.
"We are also concerned about the
competitive status of U.S. rice if
under this agreement Vietnam
achieves duty-free status for milled
rice in Mexico," he said. "We will
look at any agreement as a whole,
but an agreement without meaningful
improvement in the quantity and
quality of market access for U.S. rice
in Japan and preservation of existing
market access overall is an
agreement that we have no choice
but to oppose." "We will redouble
our efforts with administration
officials and Congress to educate
them on the critical importance of not settling for an agreement that provides substandard
benefits for U.S. rice," said Bob Cummings, USA Rice COO who also attended the Ministerial.
Cummings said another Ministerial could be planned for later this summer, and USA Rice would
continue to participate to represent the U.S. industry.The twelve TPP participants are Australia,
Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the
United States, and Vietnam.
Contact: Kristen Dayton (703) 236-1464
Crop Progress: 2015 Crop 63 Percent Headed
WASHINGTON, DC -- Sixty-three percent of the nation's 2015 rice acreage is headed, according to
today's U.S. Department of Agriculture's Crop Progress Report.
Rice Headed, Selected States
Week Ending
State August 2,
2014
July 26,
2015
August 2,
2015
2010-2014
average
Percent
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Arkansas 46 45 65 59
California 46 20 25 24
Louisiana 91 91 94 92
Mississippi 65 72 81 76
Missouri 56 42 58 43
Texas 88 79 84 89
Six States 57 51 63 59
CME Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures
CME Group (Preliminary): Closing Rough Rice Futures for August 3
Month Price Net Change
September 2015 $11.395 - $0.120
November 2015 $11.660 - $0.115
January 2016 $11.935 - $0.115
March 2016 $12.135 - $0.120
May 2016 $12.320 - $0.120
July 2016 $12.320 - $0.120
September 2016 $11.830 - $0.120
