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For Blog & News Letter Advertisment contact to write : Mujahid Ali mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com

www.ricepluss.com & www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com

Daily Global Rice e-Newsletter

Aug ,2015

Vol 5,Issue XIII

August 18 ,2015

Vol 5,Issue XIII

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Application Note: The Use of HRMS and Statistical Analysis

in the Investigation of Basmati Rice Authenticity and

Potential Food Fraud 18 Aug 2015

There is increased concern regarding the authenticity of basmati rice throughout the world. In

Britain, the Food Standard Agency found in 2005 that about half of all basmati rice sold was

adulterated with other strains of long-grain rice. A proof of principle method has been

established to assess the authenticity of basmati rice using ‗off the shelf‘ supermarket samples

with the latest advances in high resolution GCMS hardware and informatics. In this application

note, Volatile compounds of interest were extracted from heated dry rice via SPME/headspace.

Following a generic GC separation, detection was performed using a SYNAPT G2-Si run in

HDMSE mode. Progenesis® QI, the latest OMICS informatics package from Waters®, is

designed to utilise the 4-dimensional data produced during a HDMSE acquisition.

Rice growers, dealers demand realistic polices

August 18, 2015

Our Staff Reporter

HAFIZABADThe paddy growers and rice dealers belonging to the district have been grappling

with a severe crisis due to the government ‗unrealistic‘ policies on rice export.The growers and

dealers have stocked rice worth billions of rupees for the last two years but due to absence of a

clear policy to export rice.Addressing a meeting of the growers and rice dealers on Monday,

Kissan Board Gujranwala Division president Aman Ullah Chattha said that due to unrealistic

policies of the government the growers and rice dealers were on the verge of bankruptcy. He

called upon the government to ensure early export of old stock of rice and ensure announcement

of support prices of Basmati paddy at Rs2,500 and non-Basmati at Rs1,200 per 40 kg prior to the

arrival of new crop.

He also reminded the Prime Minister of Pakistan of his promise that Basmati growers would be

paid subsidy of Rs5,000 per acre. He said that despite several requests subsidy has not yet been

paid to them, which, he said, was discouraging. CRUSHED TO DEATH: A young villager was

killed on the spot when a speeding car hit his bike on Pindi Bhattian-Hafizabad Road near Tahli

Goraya. According to police source, Abu Bakar, a resident of Sagar village was on the way to

Pindi Bhattian on a bike. When he reached near Tahli Goraya, a speeding car coming from the

opposite direction, hit his bike causing his death instantly. The car driver sped away after the

mishap. The police are investigating.

http://nation.com.pk/national/18-Aug-2015/rice-growers-dealers-demand-realistic-polices

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Basmati acreage may remain at last year’s levels

TOMOJIT BASU

Prices likely to fall once new supplies hit markets as Iran remains passive

NEW DELHI, AUGUST 18:

Basmati acreage in India for the 2015-16 Kharif season is likely to remain the same as last year

even as prices had dropped considerably to ₹2,000-2,900/quintal in 2014-15 from as much as

₹4,000 the year before.

Area under basmati cultivation touched 2.1 million hectares (mh) last year and sufficient rainfall

across Haryana and Punjab – which account for as much as 70 per cent of basmati output –

through most of the ongoing monsoon season has resulted in consistent planting.India produced

8.3 million tonnes of basmati rice last year.―Acreage should be about 2 mh, the same as last year

at. We don‘t expect a change given the good precipitation in the key basmati-growing areas and

also western Uttar Pradesh which is almost completely irrigated,‖ said AK Singh, who heads the

Genetics Division at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI).Rajen Sundaresan,

Executive Director of the All India Rice Exporters‘ Association, concurred and said ―initial

surveys indicated that acreage this Kharif would match that of last year.‖

Early planting woes Singh, who was the chief breeder of the Pusa-1509 basmati variety, expected a slight decline in

its coverage and an increase in area under Pusa-1121, another popular variety he helped breed

and which accounted for 75-80 per cent of the $4.79 billion earned through basmati exports in

2013-14.

In 2014-15, Pusa-1121 was planted on around one million hectare while Pusa-1509 was covered

between 0.5 and 0.7 mh. ―There has been a slight change this year and 1121 will cover 1.3-1.35

mh while 1509 may slide to between 0.35 and 0.4 mh,‖ he said.A reason for the decline in area

under Pusa-1509 could be the high breakage levels in the grain, which prompted millers in

Haryana to scale back on procurement this year. Early planting was identified as the chief cause

for the breakage.―Last year, farmers planted 1509 on a large scale by June since it had the

qualities of being early maturing and flowered quickly, besides a higher yield. This year, they

were asked to plant it in July so that the problem can be avoided,‖ said Trilochan Mohapatra,

Director, Central Rice Research Institute, Cuttack.

Exports to Iran With Iran unlikely to buy as much basmati rice as it did two years ago, prices could take a

beating when the new crop hits the market, said analysts. ―If production is consistent with last

year, prices are likely to be down since Iran is not buying much rice,‖ said Tejinder Narang, a

grains trade expert.

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Exports to Iran fell to 0.93 million tonnes (mt) last year from 1.4 mt the year before, according to

data provided by the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority.

(This article was published on August 18, 2015) http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/industry-and-economy/agri-biz/basmati-acreage-may-remain-at-

last-years-levels/article7554348.ece

El Nino shadow looms large over South, Gangetic plains VINSON KURIAN

Subdivisions in the East and North-East seem to be less influenced by an El Nino, while some of

the subdivisions in North-West are betting on a bumper July

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, AUGUST 18:

With the signature of a growing El Nino written large over the Indian monsoon, which are the

Met subdivisions vulnerable to rain deficits during this month (August)?

The Gangetic Plains of North India show their susceptibility during an El Nino year such as this,

says K Srikanth, a Chennai-based blogger.

July events Srikanth analysed the scenario to reassess the vulnerability of various Met subdivisions after

factoring in the actual sequence of events in July.Both East Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are, more

often than not, highly vulnerable for failure in August when the preceding July has left behind a

deficit.The drought-prone subdivisions of Marathwada and Rayalaseema also fit the bill during

August after a below-normal July.Most of the West Coast except Kerala falls into deficit once

July and August have delivered below par.Subdivisions in the East and North-East India seem to

be less influenced by an El Nino with most, except Bihar, showing lesser chances for poor rain in

August.

Strong influence

Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland-Manipur-Mizoram-Tripura normally ride their luck on a strong

showing in June.

On the other hand, some of the subdivisions in

North-West India are betting on a bumper July to

end the season with a decent rain record.In the

South, almost all subdivisions are faced with the

prospect of a poor August and thereby a poor season

overall indicating a potentially stronger El Nino

influence over this part of the country.An earlier

study by Srikanth in early July had shown how

critical July rainfall is for the prospects of monsoon

season as a whole. It listed out subdivisions

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vulnerable to deficit rain during El Nino years.The final July numbers are in sync with the

expectations from a study for 12 sub divisions, Srikanth toldBusinessLine. Of these, eight had

been identified as highly vulnerable.All of them have ended up with a deficit. Thirteen other

subdivisions marked out as less or moderately vulnerable also ended up in the red.

But five, picked out for being moderate-to-highly ulnerable, turned in a surplus after they

received isolated heavy rainfall of high intensity.

(This article was published on August 18, 2015)

The Hindu

Fear of the future makes people seek out spiritual gurus in search of reassurance. And that is

why a thousand Radhe Maas flourish

India is famous for Basmati rice, yoga, Gandhi and, of course, spiritualism.Sadhus and sants dot

the country, ranging from the lone, bearded baba under the village tree to swamis who live

luxurious lives with a battery of attendants and devotees doing their bidding. Clairvoyant,

spiritual guru, representative of god — godmen and women in India have been called these and

much more. They are in the news again, thanks to Radhe Maa of Mumbai who has been accused

by a woman of instigating her in-laws to harass her for dowry.All of us have heard from friends,

relatives, acquaintances, even strangers, of how they met baba ormataji and their lives changed

forever. Their businesses picked up, the childless got a child, ‗problems‘ sorted themselves out…

in short, it was happiness all the way.

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Most seek the help (guidance?) of godmen not for spiritual purposes but for improving their

material lives. Will I get a promotion or will my colleague beat me to it; will I get the party ticket

to contest elections, if yes, will I win; will my new venture make profits — these are some of the

typical ‗problems‘ for which people seek ‗guidance‘ or answers.These issues stem from fear –

fear of the uncertain. Humans love to peep into the future and when they are assured by

their baba or mataji that all will be well (if not today, then tomorrow), they heave a sigh of relief.

When some of their problems are resolved, thanks to some luck and the normal course of things,

they attribute it to miracles (‗even the doctors had given up hope‘) and the protective hand of the

guru.

Dependency syndrome But what of the price people pay for such assurance of ‗happiness unlimited‘? By seeking the

help of godmen and clairvoyants, people turn away from reality. Even the educated and rational

become vulnerable when a slew of problems strikes them. Indeed, in most instances, the devotee

is assured that it is his good karma that brought him to the spiritual guide in the first place (‗not

everyone can get theswamiji’s darshan,‘ he is assured). People start believing that all good things

that happen to them are thanks to the blessings bestowed on them, and all the bad things will

eventually pass, if they follow theirguruji‘s advice (which may range from an appeal for a

modest contribution to demands for huge sums of money to propitiate the gods).

Before they realise it, they become dependent on these so-called gurus for their physical,

emotional and financial well-being. The search for quick-fix solutions and the lack of courage

renders them incapable of facing the day-to-day challenges of life.Why are our godmen and

women so successful? Most of them come from humble backgrounds, start in a small way and,

within a few years, have a huge following with swanky ashrams, temples and loads of money.

No business model can explain their exponential growth. Almost always, they claim they are an

incarnation of god. A police officer, for instance, claimed that Lord Krishna appeared in his

dreams and told him he was Radha. Soon, a halo is created around them by a few people, which

is then publicised to attract more devotees to the fold. Stories of miracles are meticulously

spread.

The matajis and babas acquire a cult status once politicians and celebrities, ever ready to exploit

anything that can remotely benefit them, enter the scene. Thanks to political patronage, adulation

and publicity, it is not long before dollars and foreign tours start flowing in. The heady mix of

money, power and religion without responsibility, and the knowledge that even the state is scared

of meddling with religious affairs, make godmen and women acquire a larger-than-life image.

Many invest in hospitals, ashrams and educational institutions, which increases their popularity.

Religious sanction

What sets them apart from politicians, celebrities and businessmen is the religious sanction of

their influence, which they exploit to the fullest. They no longer seek or appeal for donations;

they place orders. There are reports in the media of people who sell their property, even abandon

their families at the command of their so-called gurus. What is baffling is the continued

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following sants and gurujis command even after allegations of sex, sleaze and crime are levelled

against them. Swami Premananda, once hailed as a spiritual leader, was sentenced to life for rape

and murder. Other religious leaders have been accused of similar crimes and more. But their

followers live in denial; those who make the allegations are sidelined, threatened, even

silenced. Sadhus and sadhvis, it would seem, can do no wrong. Any challenge to their authority

is perceived as a challenge to religion itself. The fear of antagonising the gods in whose name

godmen and women thrive, and the fear of reprisal prevent many from speaking out.

Ours is a country where religion is fed to people on a daily basis, and spiritual gurus are held in

great awe and respect. It has produced many eminent spiritual leaders who have worked for the

welfare of people, showing them the path to salvation. This is perhaps the reason people believe

that those who preach in the name of god can do no wrong.All religions preach spirituality. But it

is necessary to remember that spiritualism is also about giving up materialism, not promoting it

in the name of religion.

A guru or guide should ideally help realise one‘s spiritual dream, not promise the world to his or

her devotees in exchange for money, land or patronage. Anyone who claims to speak on behalf

of god and broker deals with god for a commission can hardly be trusted to elevate a person

spiritually.But then, till people realise that life has its ups and downs and no one except them can

fight their everyday attles, swamijis and matajis will continue to prosper. They will continue to

promise quick fixes in the name of the god they claim to represent and who has ordained them to

provide salvation to humanity – that part of humanity which is willing to submit and asks no

questions.

mythili.s@thehindu.co.in

Keywords: Radhe Maa, self-styled godman, dependency syndrome, Srimad Sarathi Baba, Swami Premananda

Soya acreage at all-time high, touches 121 lakh hectare The area under soyabean cultivation in the country this year is at an all time high at 121.086 lakh

hectare, senior officials from the Soybean Processors Association of India...

By: Nanda Kasabe | Pune | August 18, 2015 12:08 AM

The area under soyabean cultivation in the country this year is at an all time high at 121.086 lakh

hectare, senior officials from the Soybean Processors Association of India (SOPA) said. Last

year, the sowing had touched 110.177 lakh hectare.According to Davish Jain, chairman, SOPA,

although this year the area under soyabean cultivation is higher by 10 lakh hectare as compared

to last year, the production may not be higher than last year due to lower yield.Jain said the

erratic tenure of the monsoon and moisture levels could result in some loss to the expectation of

a bumper crop. Last year, the total production touched 99.64 lakh tonne.

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The acreage has gone up further in Madhya Pradesh to touch 68 lakh hectares and there could be

an overall improvement of 1-2 lakh hectares across the country, he said.―For farmers soya is seen

as a better option in terms of prices of other competing crops such as cotton and basmati rice.

They received a bad deal last time and ended up in losses. Farmers, who had replaced soya with

other crops, are returning to soya plantation this year and the lost acreage of 2013 at 121 lakh

hectares has been regained,‖ Jain pointed out.DN Pathak, SOPA executive director, agreed and

pointed out the yield could be lower because of damage to crops.There have been pest attacks,

stunted growth and flowering problems and all this could impact production, he said.Industry

experts said the prices of oilseeds have been one of the major factors for a boost in sowing this

year.

SOPA has conducted a survey of soyabean crop in the three major soyabean growing states of

Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan. The survey was carried by extensive field travel

by SOPA teams in 59 soyabean growing districts of the countryt in these states.According to

agriculture department of Madhya Pradesh, area under soyabean cultivation in the state this year

is 67.280 lakh hectare which is higher than last year (55.462 lakh hectare). Due to poor rains

immediately after sowing and then heavy rains which caused water logging soya crop in

approximately 3.6 lakh hectare has been destroyed completely.The vegetative growth of plants

and formation of pods have been affected adversely due to water logging and insufficient

sunlight. Looking at all these aspects, the production of soyabean will be down by 15-20% this

year in Malwa region.

Adesina Slams Oshiomole Over Criticism Of Jonathan’s

Agricultural Transformation Agenda Posted by: niyi August 19, 2015

Immediate past Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, has

slammed Edo State Governor, Adams Oshimhole, for describing the Agricultural Programme of

former president Goodluck Jonathan as a scam.In a statement signed by his Special Assistant on

Media, Dr. Olukayode Oyeleye, the former minister said it was most uncharitable for the

governor who was in a better position to know the success of the Agricultural Transformation

Agenda (ATA) to attempt to discredit it for reasons best known to him.―Foremost, it is a bad

public relations stunt, not expected from the governor. Secondly, his comments detract from the

ATA – a reform that was vigorously pursued and implemented by Dr Akin Adesina, now

president elect of African Development Bank,‖ the former minister said.

―For reasons of safeguarding the economy and strengthening the confidence of the international

community in Nigeria, genuine efforts towards ensuring food security and diversifying the

economy away from oil should not be subjected to cheap politics as the negative impact that

follows such public comments could be to the nation‘s detriment.―Governor Oshiomole ought to

know better that, under ATA, efficient distribution of subsidised farm inputs – also known as the

Growth Enhancement Support Scheme (GESS), reached 14.3million farmers with 1.3million MT

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of fertiliser, 102,703 metric tons of improved rice seeds, 67,991 metric tons of improved maize

seeds, 6,171 metric tons of improved cotton seeds, 130 million stems of cassava, 45.5million

seedlings of cocoa, nine million seedlings of oil palm amongst many other crops between 2012

and 2014.―Those inputs helped produce an additional 21million MT of food that has acted as a

buffer against inflation with the devaluation of the Naira.

―At a time that the nation desperately needs to build upon the achievements of the immediate

past minister of agriculture, Governor Oshiomole can only do the Edo people some good by

recognising the fact that lending by commercial banks to agriculture increased from 0.07 per cent

in 2011 to five per cent in 2014 while banks lent a total of N27.5 billion to fertiliser and seed

companies.

―As the chief executive of a state so blessed with natural resources so highly favourable to

productive agriculture, Governor Oshiomhole ought to think rather on how to make Edo more

enterprising. In doing so, an area he is expected to be more interested in, should be

agriculture.―For that reason, Governor Oshiomhole ought rather to be keen on how the

intervention that brought agriculture from policy oblivion to a sector that is now widely

embraced could be replicated in Edo State within the remaining number of months he has to

spend as a governor.―He ought to have been asking, for instance, the erudite, resourceful and

hardworking former minister, how he was able to achieve so much within so short a time.

―If Governor Oshiomhole knows how to play the politics well, he should be thinking of how to

leverage on the former minister‘s growing relevance at the continental level as the new head of

the biggest development financial institution in Africa.

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―He is supposed to be expressing interest in the increased investment in the fertilizer sector

totaling $5billion from major companies such as Indorama, Dangote, and Notore.―He should

have been asking his special assistants to study how usage also rose from 13kg per hectare in

2011 to 80kg in 2014, or how seed companies in Nigeria grew from 11, producing 14,000 metric

tons of improved seeds, to 134 companies doing 174,000 metric tons of seeds.―The governor

should be asking how Nigeria become the world leader in the use of ICT to reach farmers

directly with farm inputs and how the World Bank is trying to scale out this efficient system of

ensuring high productivity of small holder farmers across Africa.

―It is grossly unfair for Governor Oshiomhole not to recognise that ATA of 2011 to 2014 was

Nigeria‘s equivalent of the ‗green revolution‘ that took place in Asia in the 1960s and 1970s,

where new highly productive varieties of rice and wheat, and the chemical fertilisers that helped

them achieve their potential, led to a doubling and tripling of yield and self-

sufficiency.―Particularly troubling is the fact that a political leader of a State as enlightened as

Edo State could feign ignorance at the fact that the number of integrated rice mills, needed to

produce parboiled rice, preferred by Nigerians, has grown from just one in 2010 to 24 in 2014.

―Equally worrisome is he fact that he is unaware that our parboiled rice milling capacity

increased from 70,000 metric tons to 800,000 metric tons. His former colleague in Lagos, at

some point, had bought as many as 56 trailer loads of paddy rice from Kebbi (a major massive

producer of rice under ATA) for processing into ‗ Eko Rice ‗ brand in Lagos. It means Governor

Oshiomhole‘s criticism is fraught with irregularities.

―Realising that the demand for import quality-grade parboiled rice was estimated at 2.5million

Metric tons (MT) in Nigeria, the gap in milling capacity prompted the Federal Executive Council

to approve a N9billion fund to support private sector companies to acquire nine new 36,000

metic tons per annum factories to further raise the capacity to 1.2million MT, leaving a national

supply gap of 1.3million MT that was to be met by controlled imports under the new rice policy.

―The new Rice Policy, aimed at reducing the amounts of rice imports and instead encourage new

domestic rice investments in the nation, has led to new investments in rice production and

milling of over N500billion, including N200billion by Aliko Dangote, of which a 200,000MT

per annum mill and 10,000 hectares will be located in Edo State. Is Governor Oshiomhole aware

of this?

The former minister also lambasted Oshimhole for claiming that the past government frittered

away over N800billion on waivers for rice millers and others, killing local rice production and

making agriculture unattractive.He made it clear that contrary to the governor‘s claim, the total

amount owed the government by rice importers, who imported beyond their approved limit, is

estimated at N30billion, an information that is conspicuously displayed on the website of the

Nigerian customs.

―It has to be emphasised here again that it was the immediate Dr Adesina that the took up the

fight against the erring importers, asking them to pay what they owed the government.―The truth

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is that under ATA, Nigeria has made giant strides towards achieving self-sufficiency in rice.

Between 2011 and 2014, a total of six million rice farmers were reached with improved rice

seeds and fertiliser and an additional two million hectares cultivated.―National paddy rice

production rose by an additional 7 million MT and the nation reached 85 per cent sufficiency in

rice production.

―Furthermore, for the first time in Nigeria, rice cultivation is twice a year, in the wet and dry

seasons. We have also seen the rise of thousands of small mills fitted with destoners and

polishers producing parboiled rice of similar quality as imported rice. With the new investment

in large scale rice mills, imported rice will soon become a thing of the past.―The governor may

wish to ask the leader of the cocoa value chain, an illustrious son of Edo State, who served under

the immediate past minister of agriculture in revolutionising cocoa production, Edo was one of

the biggest beneficiaries of the efforts to increase cocoa production base through the free

distribution of cocoa pods for raising seedlings in many farms in the cocoa-producing states.―In

the Oil Palm value chain, a total of 9 million sprouted oil palm sprouted nuts were distributed to

45,353 small and large oil palm estate owners between 2013 and 2015. Additional Crude Palm

Oil (CPO) production due to these interventions is projected to be 400,000 MT of crude oil palm

which would close the gap of 350,000MT of crude oil palm that is currently being imported.

There has been well over N100billion new investment in crude oil palm production in the

country.

―Nigeria‘s agriculture sector has undergone major reforms and transformation in the past three

and a half years under the leadership of the immediate past Honorable Minister of Agriculture

and President-elect of the African Development Bank, Dr Akinwumi Adesina.―Governor

Oshiomhole would benefit from data originating from the National Bureau of Statistics, showing

that the agricultural sector grew by 9.19 per cent (year-on-year) in the third quarter of 2014, up

by 2.7 per cent from Q3 of 2013. The agricultural sector grew by 38.53 per cent between 3rd and

4th quarters of 2014, with crop production being the main driver, with a growth of 43.5 per cent.

The Agricultural Transformation Agenda has proven to be a well-thought-out policy with great

gains for Nigeria.

―It was Philip Asiodu, the former super permsec who recently opined that ‗What has killed this

country is the refusal of any new government to build upon what their predecessors had done.‖

―If ATA is allowed to continue as conceived and implemented under Adesina, Nigeria could

reach an additional 32 million farmers by 2019, up from 14.5million farmers reached with inputs

between 2012 to 2014, reaching at least 8 million of unemployed youths.―Under ATA, a

production of 7.1 million MT per annum of rice paddy was achieved With the new investments

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in milling, milling capacity could rise to 5 million MT and Nigeria will be self-sufficient in rice

production by 2017. It is indeed shameful for a country like Nigeria to import rice.

―Should ATA continue, cassava processing capacity, currently just below 100,000MT/annum

and a bane of the cassava industry, will be raised to 675,000MT per annum by 2019. Same thing

with maize production, from the achievement of over 12 million MT/annum in 2014 (compared

to 9million MT/year in 2011), we will increase this to 18 million MT/annum by 2019 to

accommodate the rise in demand for food, poultry feed, and maize for the milling industry.

―For Sorghum, we will go from 9.76million MT in 2014 to 13 million MT by 2019 to cater for

the increase in demand from the malted sorghum and high energy food markets. We can produce

1.2million MT of soybean by 2019, up from 700,000MT achieved in 2014 (compared to

500,000MT in 2011).―Same for cotton, from 240,000MT/annum in 2014 ( was 125,000MT in

2011) to 500,000MT/annum by 2019, Cocoa production from 350,000MT exported/annum in

2014 to 700,000MT exported/annum by 2019; crude oil palm, production from

800,000MT/annum in 2014 to 1.6million MT/annum in 2019 and Nigeria will become self-

sufficient in CPO.

―It is uncharitable and against the interest of Nigerian public to politicise issues of agriculture

and food security as Governor Oshiomhole did in his criticisms of that sector,‖ Adesina said. https://www.informationng.com/2015/08/adesina-slams-oshiomole-over-criticism-of-jonathans-

agricultural-transformation-agenda.html

Plant doctors get to the root of plant stress in

rice TEXAS A&M AGRILIFE COMMUNICATIONS

IMAGE: IN A RICE ROOT PRUNING STUDY, RESEARCHERS AT THE TEXAS A&M

AGRILIFE RESEARCH AND EXTENSION CENTER IN BEAUMONT USED TIME-LAPSE

PHOTOGRAPHY TO MONITOR RICE PLANT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT IN

RESPONSE... view more

CREDIT: (PHOTO COURTESY OF DR. ABDUL RAZACK MOHAMMED, TEXAS A&M

AGRILIFE RESEARCH AND EXTENSION CENTER IN BEAUMONT).

BEAUMONT -- Sitting in an air-conditioned office at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and

Extension Center at Beaumont, it's obvious: People work better indoors when temperatures

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outside climb to the 90s while the blazing sun shimmers through waves of humidity on nearby

experimental rice plots.

The rice plants, however, can't go

inside. So, they stress. And for rice

farmers, that means lower yield and

quality. Most growers resign

themselves to the facts. It's the

summer in Texas. It's hot.But Dr. Lee

Tarpley, AgriLife Research plant

physiologist, is studying what

specifically affects rice plants under

extreme environmental conditions.

Knowing that, he believes, could lead

to ways of helping plants thrive in the

heat and other stressful

conditions."We tend to view these

environmental stresses as necessary

evils -- especially temperature stresses -- as if there is little we can do to counter the effect," he

said. "We're finding that we can use specific knowledge of how the stress affects the plant to

design prevention measures."

Tarpley and Dr. Abdul Razack Mohammed, AgriLife Research assistant scientist, presented their

findings at the recent Rice Field Day at the Beaumont center. They've studied not only the effect

of heat but cold, submergence, salinity, wind and drought on rice crops.One of the specific

impacts, they discovered, is high nighttime temperatures, a common phenomena in Texas."High

night temperatures do two things to rice plants," Tarpley said. "The rice plant increases its

production of a plant stress hormone, and an oxidative-stress response occurs, which injures the

plant. Both of these ultimately lead to losses in yield and quality."

Because they were able to track the nighttime heat stress to those two factors, he added, they

were able to determine potential management strategies."We can spray the crop with a chemical

that prevents the stress hormone activity, so that the plant never senses that it is supposed to be in

stress," Tarpley said. "Or we can spray the plants with a sort of vaccination, which is like a small

dose of 'oxidative stress.' That triggers the plant to build its capacity to be acclimated to future

stresses."Commercial pre-harvest use of some of the stress hormone chemicals on higher-value

crops is occurring, Tarpley said, and it is just a matter of time and acceptance before the

vaccination-type products will be used on rice crops in the U.S.

Because of their research on the specifics of rice stress, the international company Agrofresh,

based in Collegeville, Pennsylvania, asked Tarpley and Mohammed to study transplanting shock,

a condition that affects farms mostly in Asian countries where rice is started in a nursery then

transported to a field for planting."Transplanting shock can decrease growth and development,"

Tarpley said. "And one thing we noticed is that a lot of root pruning occurs during the

transplanting process.

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14

That reduces the production of tillers, which are important since that is where the rice grains

develop."They found that root pruning reduces the net photosynthetic rate.That was key because

photosynthesis - the way plants use sunlight to make food and grow - depends on the green

pigments called chlorophyll. If there's not enough chlorophyll, the plant doesn't grow well. And

the connection between low chlorophyll and the presence of ethylene, a natural plant hormone,

has been well documented.

Ethylene is what causes bananas, apples and avocados to ripen and get soft, and it is used

commercially to ripen some produce such as tomatoes after they are picked.The researchers

decided to treat some plants with 1-methylcyclopropene, or 1-MCP, a compound that is used to

keep plants and produce fresh because it blocks ethylene perception in plants.The idea was to see

if 1-MCP would make the rice plants unaware that the roots were pruned, thus slowing the effect

of ethylene and maintaining a healthy level of chlorophyll, Tarpley."The application of 1-MCP

prevented transplanting shock in rice," he said. "The treated plants had more tillers per plant,

more root length and greater chlorophyll concentration and net photosynthetic rate."

He said though U.S. rice farmers directly seed their crops rather than transplant, root pruning can

also occur due to rice water weevils. So his team plans to test the application of 1-MCP for its

ability to mitigate damage from those insects.Tarpley added that his research team continues to

explore the physiological effects of various environmental stresses so that when pinpointed,

management strategies can be developed.

###

Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted

to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the

EurekAlert system. http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-08/taac-pdg081815.php

USA Rice Daily

Dietitians' Top Pick: USA Rice's Refreshed Toolkit

The new Think Rice toolkit goes live

ARLINGTON, VA -- This year, USA Rice updated its retail dietitian toolkit as part of the Think

Rice rebranding and the resource is now available on thinkrice.com. These materials are

designed to provide retail dietitians with reasons, recipes, and tools to recommend U.S. rice. It

also helps increase visibility of U.S.-grown rice in supermarket customer outreach including:

blogs, newsletters, social media, in-store radio ads, store publications, and in-store activities.

"Nearly forty-six percent of retailers publish health and wellness newsletters and 90 percent

provide healthy recipes to shoppers," said Paul Galvani, USA Rice Retail Subcommittee

chairman. "Retail dietitians are often the decision makers behind which foods are highlighted in

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15

these publications, so it's important that we regularly remind them and make it easy for them to

Think Rice and this toolkit does just that."

The newly designed toolkit contains several consumer handouts that highlight recipes, nutritional

information, U.S. rice types and varieties, and steps to building a healthy rice bowl, along with

tips for choosing, storing, and preparing

rice. Retail dietitians also have access

to sample social media posts and ideas

for promoting U.S. rice in retail and

local media communications.

Yesterday, a retail dietitian from the 200

store Midwest chain Meijer prepared

USA Rice's Greek Rice Stuffed

Tomatoes, a recipe featured in the

toolkit, live on a local TV news

program. The Meatless Monday

segment focuses on healthy back-to-

school dinners for busy families and

features U.S.-grown rice on-set. WDRB News in the Morning on Fox 41 in Louisville,

Kentucky has a viewership of 24,000 and the segment and recipe are also posted on the

WDRB.com website which receives more than 570,000 unique visitors per month.

"This TV feature is one of the added benefits of reaching this influential audience, and shows

how supermarket dietitians reach the consumer beyond the grocery aisle as a credible, third party

spokesperson for rice," added Galvani.Galvani said USA Rice regularly shares information with

a network of dietitians at 34 retailers nationwide.

Contact: Katie Maher (703) 236-1453

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16

Resources galore

CME Group/Closing Rough Rice Futures

CME Group (Prelim): Closing Rough Rice Futures for August 18

Month Price Net Change

September 2015 $11.840 - $0.155

November 2015 $12.115 - $0.160

January 2016 $12.410 - $0.160

March 2016 $12.640 - $0.135

May 2016 $12.870 - $0.135

July 2016 $12.890 - $0.115

September 2016 $11.920 - $0.030

Is the Philippines ready to scrap rice import quotas in 2017?

by BusinessMirror - August 18, 2015

By Alladin S. Diega | Correspondent

Conclusion One of the things that the new administration would have to think about next year is whether it

would push for the retention of rice-import quotas in 2017. Instead of slapping tariffs on all rice

imports, the Philippine government decided to maintain the so-called quantitative restriction

(QR) on rice to prevent the influx of cheap rice from neighboring Asian countries.The QR has

been in place for more than two decades.

When the second extension for the trade protection expired in 2012, Manila opted to negotiate

for its retention. Following negotiations with countries that have expressed their intention to

consider Manila‘s bid, the World Trade Organization allowed the Philippines to continue

implementing the QR until June 30, 2017.In pushing for the retention of rice-import caps, Manila

said removing the QR would threaten the livelihood of some 2.4 million rice farmers, who are

small landholders. To maintain rice quotas, Manila had to raise the minimum access volume

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17

(MAV) of rice to 805,200 metric tons (MT), from the previous 350,000 MT. Rice imports that

fall within MAV are slapped a tariff of 35 percent, lower than the 40-percent tariff imposed on

―out-MAV‖ shipments.

The rationale behind the implementation of the QR, an expert said, is to ensure that Filipino

farmers would be able to compete once the quotas are removed. A study, titled ―Benchmarking

Philippine Rice Economy Relative to Major Rice-Producing Countries in Asia,‖ found that rice

production is relatively competitive in the Philippines. Findings, however, suggested that more

needs to be done to ensure that farmers will survive once the government fully opens up the

country‘s rice market.The study was commissioned by the Department of Agriculture (DA), and

was done in close collaboration with the International Rice Research Institute. Using 2013 data,

it examined rice production in the Philippines, China, India, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam.

The study revealed that, among the six countries, the Philippines ranked third in terms of the cost

of producing rice per hectare. It also found that Filipino farmers paid the highest amount of

irrigation fee, at P2,536 per hectare. In contrast, farmers in China do not pay for irrigation

water.Rice Watch Action Network (R1) lead convener Aurora Regalado said the government

should consider reducing irrigation fees. ―Why do Filipino rice farmers pay costly irrigation fees

when neighboring rice-exporting countries heavily subsidize their farmers by providing them

free irrigation?‖

Regalado said the government and the rice sector need to work double time to prepare for the full

impact of the possible lifting of the QR. R1 called for a ―mixture of strategies,‖ which would

incorporate or align initiatives rolled out under several government programs.David Dawe,

senior economist of the UN‘s Food and Agriculture Organization backed the Philippines‘s bid to

pursue rice self-sufficiency. Dawe said, however, that the country should also be prepared to

become competitive.

―I think the government should pursue rice self-sufficiency based on enhanced competitiveness,

lower cost of production per ton, and a sufficiency program based on research and development,‖

Dawe said in an interview.In terms of decreasing the current production cost of rice in the

country, Dawe said ―the single biggest thing, or component, of rice-production cost is labor,‖

adding that to reduce that, ―some kind of mechanization program‖ should be pursued.The

government, he said, must closely examine whether the self-sufficiency program is making

progress. Dawe said the ―litmus test‖ for the program is when the local rice sector ―is subjected

to international competition to some extent through import.

‖Early this year Agriculture Assistant Secretary Edilberto de Luna told stakeholders of the rice

industry to brace for the possible termination of the QR in 2017. The DA said it has jump-started

nationwide consultations with its partners for this.De Luna, who is in charge of the national rice

and corn programs, said there is a need for the rice industry to prepare for this ―eventful

scenario.‖ He said there‘s a need to craft the best programs and directions to attain

competitiveness and self-sufficiency in rice.Among the strategies the DA had recommended

include improved rice harvest by restoring irrigation facilities; adoption of high-yielding

varieties; provision of farm equipment and facilities; and access to credit, among others.Dr.

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Roehlano Briones, senior research fellow at the Philippine Institute for Development Studies,

said the government should also prepare for income loss for local rice farmers. Lifting the QR,

he said, would likely result in cheaper rice prices but lower farm-gate prices for locally produced

rice.

―What the government has to consider is how to actually provide temporary support to farmers to

compensate for their income loss. The assistance could come in the form of a cash-transfer

scheme or a price-guarantee scheme,‖ Briones said in an e-mail to the BusinessMirror.A cash-

transfer scheme, he said, would provide fixed and lump-sum payments to rice farmers. Under the

price-guarantee scheme, farmers could be paid the difference between a benchmark price and an

―insurance price‖ in case prices become too low. Briones said funds for these schemes could

come from tariffs that would be slapped on rice imports once the QR is removed.Briones said the

possible lifting of the QR could also act as a ―transitional measure‖ for farmers to diversify to

high-value crops. With the lifting of the QR, Briones said rice importing should become an

―exclusive function‖ of the private sector.―The detrimental effects [of the removal of the QR] on

farmers are unavoidable, but these can be mitigated with the right preparation,‖ he said.

http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/is-the-philippines-ready-to-scrap-rice-import-quotas-in-2017/

Get kids cooking early for a fun way to bond: Chicken and rice

skillet supper is super easy for kids to make

LOIS ABRAHAM, THE CANADIAN PRESS | August 18, 2015 | Last Updated: Aug 18 9:48 AM ET

TORONTO — Winning ―MasterChef Junior‖ was a huge thrill for Logan Guleff. But the 13-

year-old is also immensely proud that he‘s inspired kids in many countries to cook.The blond

bowtie-wearing cooking sensation won the second season of the U.S. culinary competition series

at age 11.Kids between eight and 13 are tasked with preparing restaurant-quality dishes that are

assessed by professional chefs, including Gordon Ramsay — his favourite judge, says Logan.

―It‘s really important for kids to get into the kitchen and cook,‖ says Logan during a recent visit

to Toronto.―It really gives them a great skill that they‘ll have all of their life.‖Logan, who hails

from Memphis, Tenn., suggests kids can start cooking at an early age with adult supervision.

When he was two, he made coffee in a drip pot. He graduated to pigs in a blanket, then learned

to use recipes and eventually started creating his own recipes.

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19

HO - Uncle Ben's Canada/The Canadian PressWinning "MasterChef Junior" was a huge thrill for Logan Guleff. But the 13-year-

old is also immensely proud that he's inspired kids in many countries to cook.

―Even if it‘s cutting the pepper, peeling the potato, there‘s always a task out there for you to do,‖

he says.―For parents out there, if you really want to get kids into the kitchen, you really need to

let them make a mess and that really helps the creative process.‖Toronto-based registered

dietitian Cara Rosenbloom started her children — daughter Kasey, now 8, and son Aubrey, 4 —

on simple tasks when they were about 2 1/2.

―When your children are preschool age or can follow the tasks that require a little bit of

instruction they‘re ready to cook too,‖ she says, adding it can actually save time in the long run

because parents can concentrate on other components of the meal while the kids work.―So you

can start young with child-friendly tasks — ripping, pouring, stirring, measuring … and as they

get older you can teach them knife skills, you can teach them how to use things like a spatula in a

frying pan or a blender with adult supervision. And soon they will be cooking your dinner.‖Give

them a say in what goes into their school lunch and let them help pack it. Use lunch boxes with

different containers so you remember to pack some fruit, vegetables and proteins into each one.

Look through magazines with recipes, cookbooks and websites for cooking inspiration. For

children who don‘t read yet, there are cookbooks such as ―Picture Cook‖ by Katie Shelly (2013)

that use drawings to illustrate ingredients and recipe steps.A recipe is a great building block to

build your own repertoire, says Logan, who has developed a line of spices and rubs and loves

experimenting at home.One day he wanted to tackle lollipops, so he searched on the Internet and

YouTube to learn how.

―Then I started messing with them to make all these wacky flavours. I did yuzu (a citrus fruit),

malt vinegar, just crazy flavours…. That was a fun day.‖Some were winners while others were

less than stellar, he admits.―A complete failure was I tried to make lime candy one time. I was

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20

positive that I was going to make this delicious lime candy. I had such a failure in the kitchen

that day.―Then you come in the next day and you try again. Usually it comes out better the next

day.‖Logan has created a series of videos and tips available at www.getkidscooking.ca. Families

can submit photos of their food for a chance to win one of three $10,000 cash prizes for RESPs.

HO - Uncle Ben's Canada/The Canadian PressTaco-licious Chicken Skillet with Whole-Grain Brown Rice.

TACO-LICIOUS CHICKEN SKILLET WITH WHOLE-GRAIN BROWN RICE Roasting corn in the oven intensifies and brings out its sweet flavours. It‘s the perfect

accompaniment to this skillet dinner and fresh tangy salsa.

When making the recipe, Logan suggests flattening the chicken before cutting it. The pieces will

be of uniform thickness and cook more evenly.

Browning spices first injects even more flavour into the dish, Logan says.

Use ancho or chipotle powder for the chili powder and jalapeno or serrano chili pepper for the

red pepper in the salsa for added spice.Prep Time: 20 minutes

Start to Finish Time: 50 minutes

10 ml (2 tsp) olive oil

340 g (12 oz) boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed

5 ml (1 tsp) chili powder

2 ml (1/2 tsp) ground cumin

250 ml (1 cup) no-salt-added diced tomatoes

175 ml (3/4 cup) no-salt-added chicken broth

175 ml (3/4 cup) whole-grain brown rice

125 ml (1/2 cup) shredded Mexican cheese blend

2 corn cobs, husks and silk removed

10 ml (2 tsp) olive oil

1 ripe mango, chopped

250 ml (1 cup) halved cherry tomatoes

125 ml (1/2 cup) chopped orange pepper

50 ml (1/4 cup) finely chopped red onion

45 ml (3 tbsp) lime juice

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15 ml (1 tbsp) chopped fresh parsley

pinch salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 220 C (425 F).

2. In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat; cook chicken, chili powder and cumin for 5 minutes or

until browned. Transfer to a plate.

3. Stir diced tomatoes and broth into a skillet; bring to a boil. Add rice; reduce heat to low.

Return chicken to skillet; cover and cook for 20 to 25 minutes or until rice is tender and liquid is

absorbed. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, brush corn evenly with oil; transfer to a baking dish. Roast for 12 to 15 minutes or

until tender and golden brown in some spots.

5. While other items are cooking, stir together mango, cherry tomatoes, orange pepper, red

onion, lime juice, parsley, salt and pepper. Serve with chicken and rice and roasted corn.

makes 4 servings

Nutritional information per serving (1/4 of recipe): 450 calories; 12 g fat; 57 g carbohydrates;

19 g sugar; 6 g fibre; 320 mg sodium; 30 g protein.

Source: Uncle Ben‘s. http://news.nationalpost.com/life/food-drink/get-kids-cooking-for-fun-and-a-fantastic-way-to-bond-recipe-for-

chicken-and-rice-skillet-

supper?utm_source=USA+Rice+Daily%2C+August+18%2C+2015&utm_campaign=Friday%2C+December+13%2

C+2013&utm_medium=email

APEDA India News

International Benchmark Price Price on: 18-08-2015

Product Benchmark Indicators Name Price

Apricots

1 Turkish No. 2 whole pitted, CIF UK (USD/t) 5875

2 Turkish No. 4 whole pitted, CIF UK (USD/t) 5125

3 Turkish size 8, CIF UK (USD/t) 4125

Raisins

1 Californian Thompson seedless raisins, CIF UK (USD/t) 2444

2 South African Thompson seedless raisins, CIF UK (USD/t) 2348

Sultanas

1 Australian 5 Crown, CIF UK (USD/t) 2997

2 Iranian natural sultanas (Gouchan), CIF UK (USD/t) 2044

3 Australian 5 Crown, CIF UK (USD/t) 2997

Source:agra-net For more info

Market Watch Commodity-wise, Market-wise Daily Price on 18-08-2015

Domestic Prices Unit Price : Rs per Qty

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Daily Global Rice E-Newletter

22

Product Market Center Variety Min Price Max Price

Rice

1 Cachar (Assam) Other 2000 2500

2 Chala (Kerala) Other 2620 3040

3 Bonai(Orissa) Other 2200 2400

Wheat

1 Dhing (Assam) Other 1550 1800

2 Botad (Gujarat) Other 1460 1765

3 Haveri (Karnataka) Local 1500 1550

Pine Apple

1 Shillong (Meghalaya) Other 2000 2200

2 Sirhind (Punjab) Other 2000 2500

3 Hissar (Haryana) Other 1500 2800

Cauliflower

1 Bilimora (Gujarat) Other 1000 1600

2 Solan (Himachal Pradesh) Other 1500 3000

3 Koraput (Orissa) Other 2600 2800

Source:agra-net For more info

Egg Rs per 100 No

Price on 18-08-2015

Product Market Center Price

1 Ahmedabad 320

2 Mysore 337

3 Nagapur 293

Source: e2necc.com

Other International Prices Unit Price : US$ per package

Price on 17-08-2015

Product Market Center Origin Variety Low High

Potatoes Package: 50 lb cartons

1 Atlanta Colorado Russet 22.75 22.75

2 Baltimore Idaho Russet 21 24

3 Detroit Idaho Russet 18.50 20.50

Carrots Package: 20 1-lb film bags

1 Atlanta California Baby Peeled 18 20.50

2 Dallas Arizona Baby Peeled 16.50 18

3 Detroit California Baby Peeled 17 17.50

Grapes Package: 18 lb containers bagged

1 Atlanta Mexico Red Globe 24.50 25

2 Baltimore California Red Globe 25 26

3 Dallas Mexico Red Globe 22 23.50

Source:USDA