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June 22 ,2015
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Tidbits: Kool-Aid gelatin dessert; jasmine and basmati rice Hamilton Spectator By Al Sicherman JIGGLE VS. JIGGLE Mr. Tidbit has seen some strange things, but he doesn't recall ever seeing a product and a new virtually identical competing product coming from the same company.But that's the case with new Kool-Aid gelatin dessert. It's made by the Kraft Foods Group, which also makes Jell-O. The Kool-Aid box carries the iconic Kool-Aid pitcher, but otherwise there is almost no difference between the 3-ounce packages, and when Mr. Tidbit and two of his little friends tried the grape version of each, they found no apparent difference in Flavour. Both desserts even had the identical amethyst colour. (Mr. Tidbit would have called it "purple," but his little friends are much more graphics-oriented.) There is one difference, though: Where Mr. Tidbit found them, the box of Jell-O sold for 67 cents; the Kool-Aid gelatin was 73 cents. That's 9 per cent more. MORE NICE RICE A few weeks ago, Mr. Tidbit discussed his somewhat delayed discovery of Uncle Ben's new basmati rice and jasmine rice, which cook in 10 minutes (and Uncle Ben's two-serving Ready Rice versions of basmati and jasmine rice, which microwave in 90 seconds and are so old that the packages don't even say "new"). He marvelled that the once-exotic rices had begun turning up as brand-name staples.Since then, he discovered that he had still failed to notice several other related brand-name products, not one of which apparently is new. There's Uncle Ben's Ready Rice brown basmati rice, and entries from two other rice purveyors: Success Rice sells jasmine and basmati rice in 14-ounce boxes (eight boil-in-bag servings) at essentially the same per-ounce price as the Uncle Ben's 10-minute products.And there's Minute Rice jasmine rice in a two-pack of single-serving microwave tubs. Where he found it, it's a little cheaper than the Uncle Ben's microwave products. But all the microwave rices are much more expensive per serving than any of the rices that require you to get out a pan. Serving sizes are inconsistent, but the cost of a serving of one of the microwaved aromatic rices is roughly triple that of one of the you-boil-it versions.Minute Rice apparently also sells boil-in-the bag jasmine and basmati rices, but Mr. Tidbit hasn't found them on the shelf anywhere. Yet. Star Tribune (Minneapolis)
GI law yet to be finalised after 15 years
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MUBARAK ZEB KHAN — UPDATED JUN 19, 2015 08:44AM ISLAMABAD: A draft law on geographical indications (GIs) is lying with the government for the last 15 years, and has yet to be finalised.Pakistan may lose ownership rights of hybrid variety of super basmati rice if it fails to finalise the law promptly, sources said.The sources further added that the country has yet to enact the law to register the super basmati as local GI which will provide our policymakers legal grounds to contest the issue of super basmati with India at an international forum.The proposed law could also provide protection not only to rice, but also to other products, like apricot, Peshawari chappal, Multani halva, Hala‟s ajrak, Sargodha‟s kinno, Kasuri methi, Sindhri mango, Dir‟s chakoo (knife), wild mushrooms of Swat, Neeli Ravi buffalo, Chaman grapes, etc. The law will enhance visibility of several Pakistani export items in the international market as it will protect the ownership rights of goods that have a specific geographical origin and possess a
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quality, reputation or other characteristic.Geographical Indications are place names (in some countries also words associated with a place) used to identify the origin and quality, reputation or other characteristics of products.It is a concept of international trade which associates certain product to a specific location, thus identifying its originality and uniqueness. Such an indication to any product distinguishes it from the rest of same kind thus bringing premium to its price.The draft GI law has since been vetted many times by the relevant authorities, but no action had been taken in this regard, said a source. On Thursday, Commerce Minister Khurram Dastagir Khan directed the officials of his ministry to initiate coordination with relevant stakeholders immediately which include Intellectual Property Organisation Pakistan (IPOP), Ministry of National Food Security and Research, relevant provincial departments and the private sector.The minister admitted that some spadework was done on the GIs law by the previous governments during the last decade, but it was not brought to its logical conclusion.The government had established IPOP for legislation of similar kinds of laws to provide protection to the local products in the international market.WTO members need to give protection to GIs under Article 22-24 of the TRIPs agreement. Unless Pakistan provides GI protection to its goods by its law, Islamabad could not obtain GI protection for its goods in other countries that have the GI law.The separate law would make Pakistan capable of filing such applications in other countries to protect its various GIs in those countries.It was also proposed to set up a GI registry at Lahore or Karachi and appointment of an officer of the government as registrar, besides sub-registrars and assistant registrars as necessary for its prime office and sub-offices.According to an official statement, commerce minister said that his ministry will enact a new GIs law to bring distinction to indigenous Pakistani products. Published in Dawn, June 19th, 2015
Philippines plans to preserve highland rice varieties 300 „heirloom rice varieties‟ were farmed in northern Cordillera region
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PUBLISHED: 15:34 JUNE 20, 2015 BY BARBARA MAE DACANAY, CORRESPONDENT Manila: The Philippine government and non-government organisations have joined hands to preserve, nurture and market highland rice varieties from the northern Cordillera region for the health conscious, sources said, adding efforts include finding more varieties and reviving nearly extinct ones to make organic rice more affordable.Some 300 “heirloom rice varieties” were organically farmed using pre-hispanic tradition in the northern Cordillera region which is comprised of Abra, Kalinga, Apayao, and the Mountain province.Fourteen more highland varieties found in some parts of the 2,000-year-old rice terraces in Kalinga and Apayao, and 16 more in the Mountain province (three of which were categorised as nearly extinct), were documented after years of research, said Cameron Odsey, research assistant director of the agriculture department in the Cordillera Region. “The great plan now is to preserve almost extinct varieties for future generations,” said Odsey. He did not discount the project‟s value to a growing population of health conscious Filipinos in search of organically grown rice that could save them from diabetes.The project will be undertaken by the agriculture department, the 29-year-old Philippine Rice Research Institute, the 55-year-old International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), IRRI‟s International Rice Genebank, and several non-government organisations, one of which is the Heirloom Rice Project.Rice lovers were alarmed when a 2009 survey showed that the planting of indigenous varieties in the Cordillera region declined; that northern Luzon‟s upland farmers have shifted to foreign varieties with highland adaptability, and higher yield in shorter period.
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“There was a great fear this would result in loss of bio-diversity that dictates the Cordillera mountain‟s agricultural cropping patterns, loss of watershed, and deterioration of highland farming that has enhanced tourism attraction in the north,” said Dr Casiana Vera, IRRI‟s scientist and head of Heirloom.Her group began after Mary Hensley, United States‟ Peace Corps volunteer, and Victoria Garcia, a Filipino community worker, jointly marketed Cordillera‟s organically grown rice varieties in 2004. Heirloom‟s aim included conserving Cordillera‟s traditionally grown rice varieties which drew support from local and national government agencies, including public and private institutions. Some of Cordillera‟s organically grown rice varieties are farmed in the world-famous 2,000year-old rice terraces of Batad, Bangaan, and Nagacadan in Banaue; the Mayoyao rice terraces in Ifugao; the Hapag Rice Terraces in Hungduan; and the Kiangan Rice Terraces in Kiangan,Four organically grown rice varieties from the Cordillera region are now brand names among Manila and lowland‟s health conscious consumers. They include Kalinga‟s unoy; Kiangan‟s julungan and nagacadan; and Mayoyao‟s white and red tinawon varieties.“But they are also very expensive. They should be more affordable for everybody‟s health,” said a Metro Manila‟s retailer. http://gulfnews.com/news/asia/philippines/philippines-plans-to-preserve-highland-rice-varieties1.1537889
El Nino 'unlikely to affect rice supply' A worker piles rice up to two storeys high at a warehouse in Pasir Panjang. It is compulsory for importers to store rice at warehouses like this one. In times of shortage or emergency, the stockpile can last up to three months. Photo: ST
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Rice importers here are not losing sleep over El Nino, despite warnings from climatologists.Forecasts in recent weeks of the strengthening El Nino - a dry weather pattern warn of droughts and disrupted rice harvests across the Asia-Pacific.Japan's weather bureau even predicted that the dry spell could be as bad, or even worse than that in 2009, when some rice exporting countries had to ban exports to satisfy domestic demand.The price of Thai fragrant rice, which importers say is the most popular type here, cost about US$1,400 (S$1,860) a tonne in 2009.Rice importers, who now pay about US$1,000 a tonne for Thai fragrant rice, told The Straits Times they are better placed to weather the storm now.Mr Lim Ek Kwong, operations manager of major rice importer See Hoy Chan, said it now imports rice from about 15 suppliers in four countries - Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar and Cambodia. In 2009, it imported rice only from five suppliers in Thailand."If one country closes its doors to us, we can now still get rice from elsewhere," he said, adding that Thailand still has large stockpiles of rice that will help mitigate the price increases. He has seen no change in prices and supplies in recent times.Managing director of Chye Choon Foods, Mr Jimmy Soh, said: "So far, it is hearsay. We have asked suppliers to let us know if something happens."Supermarket chain NTUC FairPrice said prices remained stable and were, in fact, lowered last year. A 5kg bag of FairPrice Fragrant Rice had cost $6.90 since 2011, but was reduced to $6.50 in January last year, said Mrs Mui-Kok Kah Wei, its senior director of purchasing and merchandising.As a major rice importer in Singapore, NTUC FairPrice stockpiles more than three months of supply at any time, she added.Sheng Siong supermarket also said that prices of rice are stable, but it is monitoring the situation closely.When contacted, the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) said Singapore has "a food import diversification policy to safeguard against any food supply disruptions".
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"Apart from our top three import sources, Thailand, India and Vietnam, there is also sufficient supply from other countries including Myanmar, Pakistan and Cambodia," said an MTI spokesman. "There has been no noticeable impact on the quantity and prices of our rice imports so far."The latest figures from IE Singapore show that 361,930 tonnes of rice were imported in 2011, rising steadily to hit 498,633 tonnes last year, or a rise of 38 per cent.The past few years had seen a change in the main supply source of rice to Singapore. In 2013, India, for the first time, overtook Thailand as the Republic's biggest rice supplier.Last year, 37.4 per cent of total rice imports came from India, and 32.3 per cent were from Thailand. In 2009, Thai rice consumed here accounted for 62.1 per cent of total imports. limjess@sph.com.sg http://news.asiaone.com/news/singapore/el-nino-unlikely-affect-rice-supply#sthash.VRhcmP4e.dpuf
There should be an agricultural diversification programme for small farmers in the rice industry
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Dear Editor, The rice industry has gone from strength to strength, in terms of acres under cultivation and yield per acre, now averaging two tons per acre, that is, 32 bags at 140 lbs per bag per crop, due mainly to higher yielding varieties produced at the Burma Rice Research Station, and improved cultivation and husbandry practices. However, the industry has been slow to respond to acquiring markets for the increased production.As a result of new technology, drying and milling systems have improved, resulting in better recoveries from paddy to rice. A lot is being said now of monies that are owed by millers to farmers, by the Guyana Rice Development Board to the millers and by farmers to input suppliers, but nothing is mentioned of monies owed by millers to commercial banks, and the pressure the millers are under to dispose of the paddy in a timely manner, so as to pay the farmers.The problem of millers owing the farmers could have been non- existent, if the money that was made available to Guyana (about $3 billion) by the European Union for the rice industry, was put in a revolving fund as in Suriname, rather than in the Consolidated Fund after the first year. Because of the rapid increase in production, those looking for markets have been caught with their pants down. This is bearing in mind, that Guyana exports about 75 per cent of its production, while only 4 per cent of worldâ€&#x;s production is traded.The entry of Venezuela, although offering a higher price than Europe and the Caribbean, has caused some serious confusion in the rice industry, as they are only purchasing about 40 per cent of the production. All farmers on the other hand, are asking for prices based on the Venezuelan price, which is not possible.A lot of numbers have been thrown around in relation to the price of a bag of paddy, some very ridiculous, resulting in more confusion. Return on investments: The commercial banks are offering 3 to 4 per cent per annum on fixed deposits. The return on investment for most businesses, is considered good, at 20 per cent per year. It costs a farmer about $65,000 to produce two tons per acre per crop. Therefore, the total cost per acre per year (2 crops) equal $130,000. If the farmer were to make 20 per cent on his investment, he would expect $130,000 plus $26,000 equalling $156,000.Considering 32 bags per crop equals 64 bags per year, the price per bag should be $156,000/64 equalling $2,437, which can be easily sustained by the Caribbean and European markets, which are readily available.An additional $200 per bag on paddy can be available to the farmer, if cost savings can be considered in the areas of the levy to the GRDB, charges at the export ports, etc. Assuming a farmer will live relatively comfortably on $80,000 per month, that is, $960,000 per year, with him earning $26,000 per acre per year, he will need to cultivate $960,000/ $26,000 which is equal to 36.9 acres. The majority of farmers in the rice industry are way below this acreage, resulting in constant
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6 complaining, which is justified.So the big question is whether it is an industry problem or a social problem, seeing that the farmers have no other means of income.Obviously, it is not possible to make 36.9 acres available to all the farmers in the rice industry. This is where a new ADP (Export Agriculture Diversification Pro-gramme) should kick in, and encourage the farmers with a small acreage to concentrate on other crops, which will result in them earning 20 per cent or more on their investment.The average price for paddy is $3,000 per bag presently, resulting in the farmer earning $192,000 per acre, resulting in an excess of $62,000 per year that is a return on investment of 48 per cent. Yours faithfully, Beni Sankar http://www.stabroeknews.com/2015/opinion/letters/06/19/there-should-be-an-agricultural-diversification-programme-forsmall-farmers-in-the-rice-industry/
PhilRice develops technology for cheaper land preparation June 19, 2015 8:19 pm
The Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) has developed an innovative technology that reduces the cost of land preparation for irrigated areas and mitigates the impacts of climate change at the same time.The Reduced Tillage Technology (RTT) is an alternative system of land preparation for irrigated areas where plowing is not applied.RTT is a collaborative project of PhilRice, the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), the Regional Field Office of the Department of Agriculture in Central Luzon, and participating local government units. Ruben Miranda, the leader of a study team that oversaw the implementation of RTT, said the technology was developed due to the pressing need to look for new ways of doing land preparation as it comprises about 19 percent of the total labor cost in rice production.He said RTT was first piloted in 2012 in Talavera and the Science City of Muñoz, both in Nueva Ecija. In RTT, rice stubbles, weeds, and the scattered rice straws are pressed two to three times using the hand tractor‟s paddy wheels attached with riding-type leveler or by drop down-spiked tooth harrow.The pressing is done at a five- to seven-day interval. After the final leveling, crop establishment is done either by transplanting, by direct seeding using the drumseeder, or by manual broadcasting.After the success of its initial implementation, 14 more towns in Pangasinan, Pampanga and Ilocos Sur were added as demonstration sites.“Yield increase relative to using the conventional tillage method and savings generated on land preparation were the parameters used in measuring the success of the study,” Miranda said.He said that for three consecutive seasons, the average yields of the demonstration sites were relatively higher at 5.35 tons per hectare compared to 4.92 tons/ha for conventional tillage.In addition, farmers saved P3,380/ha per season.“Savings can be attributed to the faster operation time and lesser fuel consumption. In RTT, farmers can save more than five hours per hectare in their farming operations. Savings on fuel is up to 50 percent or 14 liters/ha lesser than in conventional tillage,” Miranda said.
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Besides the savings and ease of land preparation, RTT also mitigates impacts of climate change.“The reduced diesel consumption and scattering of rice straws which are usually burned by farmers resulted in lesser methane and carbon dioxide emissions in the atmosphere,” Miranda said.
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7 http://www.manilatimes.net/philrice-develops-technology-for-cheaper-land-preparation/193314/
Economist Advises FG Against Huge Spending On Rice Importation
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By NAN — Jun 19, 2015 11:41 am Prof. Akpan Ekpo, Director General, West African Institute of Financial and Economic Management, has advised the Federal Government against spending so much foreign exchange on the importation of rice.Ekpo gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Friday, saying such expenditure would deplete that national reserve.“For us to be spending so much foreign exchange in this dwindling oil revenue to import rice from Thailand does not make any economic sense.“This is because we have stockpiles of rice by our farmers producing quality rice across all the states.“For us to conserve our foreign reserve, we can use some of the foreign exchange to buy machines and help improve the farmers to produce more. “Is it not yet time for the CBN to stop rice importers from accessing the interbank market and conserve the country‟s very limited foreign exchange? „‟ Ekpo said that continued rice importation was not necessary “in view of the fact that the rice produced in the country right now is of the highest global quality and there is still plenty of land for more cultivation‟‟.He advised the government to support local production of rice and gradually stop importation.He said at present supporting local production involved getting adequate machinery and ensuring that the products enjoyed patronage among Nigerians.He said that at the moment many rice farmers still found it difficult to transport their products for consumers to buy and suggested that transportation facilities be improved to develop the rice sector. He said that the situation in some rice producing states, such as Kebbi, was disturbing.“In the last harvest season, farmers attained very high yields of about seven tonnes per hectare, whereas the average yield is about 4.5 tonnes per hectare.“In the absence of off-takers for this bumper harvest, the state government indicated that it had invested N800 million to purchase over 180, 000 tonnes of rice for storage from local farmers,” Ekpo said.He said the government intervened to encourage the formers to continue working considering that Kebbi was the only one among nearly 20 states that could grow rice in commercial quantity.Ekpo said that in Jega and YolaAugie only 20 per cent of 500,000 hectares of land available for rice cultivation was being used.“While we await the findings of the CBN staff and stakeholders visits to other states, the results from Kebbi State alone make it difficult to understand why the country is still depleting her foreign exchange reserves for importation of rice.‟‟ (NAN) http://leadership.ng/business/441671/economist-advises-fg-against-huge-spending-on-rice-importation
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