27th November, 2014 Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine

Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine
www.ricepluss.com
Vol 4,Issue XI
Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter
27th November, 2014
Todays News Headlines

Rs 10 billion subsidy for basmati growers being
announced in Punjab: minister
Filipino farmers protest government research on
genetically modified rice
Consumer Reports: Why rice & kids might not mix
The Best Thing I Ate Last Week was also The Most
Exotic Thing I Ate Last Week
Procurement Begins on Dull Note
Burirum kicks off rice grain market weekly
Pakistan exports Rs 201b goods in October
Farmers get relief from rice diseases in 2014
Bangladesh farmers turn back the clock to combat
climate stresses
Should We Be Alarmed That Theres Still Arsenic
in Rice?
PHL rice production almost 100% self-sufficient but
threatened by overpopulation
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News Detail.
Rs 10 billion subsidy for basmati
growers being announced in
Punjab: minister
November 27, 2014
RECORDER REPORT
Punjab Agriculture Minister Dr Farrukh
Javed has said that 10 billion rupees subsidy
is being announced for Basmati rice growers
keeping in view the downward trend in its
prices. Growers will be given 5000 rupees
per acre subsidy to help them meeting their
losses. Dr Farrukh Javed disclosed this
while talking to a delegation of growers here
on Wednesday. He said that the government
is continuing its pro-farmer policies. He said
that growers had already been given a
subsidy of 22 billion rupees in electricity
prices and it would be continued.
He said growers would get subsidised rates
of electricity at the rate of Rs 10.35 per
unit. The Punjab government has also
finalised an agreement with a German
company to convert tube wells in the
province on biogas and a pilot project will
soon be initiated. The government will be
bearing a subsidy of 200,000 rupees per tube
well, the Minister added. The Minister
claimed that present government had
introduced farmer friendly policies and
historic subsidy packages.
He said that the province had a production
of over 19.5 million tons last year owing to
hard work of growers and co-operation of
the government extended to them. He said
some progressive
growers
achieved
production up to 98 maund per acre
establishing a new national record. He said
the government had fixed new support price

for wheat at Rs 1300 per maund to help the
growers and shed the bad impact of low
international wheat prices on local market.
He said government had fixed urea fertilizer
bag at Rs 1765 per bag and its availability
on this rate is being ensured. He said that the
government had also increased the research
funds for agricultural sector by 200 percent
and it would continue to introduce more
lucrative packages as per available resources
to facilitate the farmers.
Filipino farmers protest

government research on
genetically modified rice
IPS Thursday 27 November 2014
Jon Sarmiento, a farmer in the Cavite

province in southern Manila, plants a variety
of fruits and vegetables, but his main crop,
rice, is under threat. He claims that approval
by the Philippine government of the
genetically modified golden rice that is
fortified with beta-carotene, which the body
converts into vitamin A, could ruin
his livelihood.Sarmiento, who is also the
sustainable agriculture programme officer of
PAKISAMA, a national movement of
farmers
organisations,
told
IPS,
Genetically modified rice will not address
the lack of vitamin A, as there are already
many other sources of this nutrient. It will
worsen hunger.

It will also kill diversification and
contaminate other crops.Sarmiento aired
his sentiments during a protest activity last
week in front of the Bureau of Plant Industry
(BPI), an office under the Department of
Agriculture, during which farmers unfurled
a huge canvas depicting a three-dimensional
illustration of the Banaue Rice Terraces in
Ifugao province in the northern part of
the Philippines.
Considered by Filipinos as the eighth
wonder of the world, the 2,000-year-old
Ifugao Rice Terraces represent the countrys
rich rice heritage, which some say will be at
stake once the golden rice is approved.The
protesting farmers also delivered to the BPI,
which is responsible for the development of
plant industries and crop production and
protection, an extraordinary opposition
petition against any extension, renewal or
issuance of a new bio-safety permit for
further field testing, feeding trials or
commercialisation
of
golden rice.We
challenge the government to walk the talk
and Be RICEponsible, Sarmiento said,
echoing the theme of a national advocacy
campaign aimed at cultivating rice selfsufficiency in the Philippines.
Currently, this Southeast Asian nation of
100 million people is the eighth largest rice
producer in the world, accounting for 2.8
percent of global rice production, according
to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of
the United Nations (FAO).But it was also
the worlds largest rice importer in 2010,
largely because the Philippines area of
harvested rice is very small compared with

other major rice-producing countries
in Asia.In addition to lacking sufficient land
resources to produce its total rice
requirement, the Philippines is devastated by
at least 20 typhoons every year that destroy
crops, the FAO said.However, insufficient
output is not the only thing driving research
and development on rice.
A far greater concern for scientists and
policy-makers is turning the staple food into
a greater source of nutrition for the
population.
The
government
and
independent
research
institutes
are
particularly concerned about nutrition
deficiencies that cause malnutrition,
especially
among
poorer communities.According
to
the
Philippines-based
International
Rice
Research Institute (IRRI), Vitamin A
deficiency remains a public health problem
in the country, affecting more than 1.7
million children under the age of five and
500,000 pregnant and nursing women.The
vast majority of those affected live in remote
areas, cut off from access to government
nutrition programmes.
The IRRI estimates that guaranteeing these
isolated communities sufficient doses of
vitamin A could reduce child mortality here
by 23-34 percent.Such thinking has provided
the impetus for continued research and
development on genetically modified rice,
despite numerous protests including a highly
publicised incident in August last year in
which hundreds of activists entered a

government test field and uprooted saplings
of the controversial golden rice crop.While
scientists forge ahead with their tests,
protests appear to be heating up, spurred on
by a growing global movement against
GMOs.
Last weeks public action which received
support from Greenpeace Southeast Asia
and included farmers groups, organic
traders and consumers, mothers and
environmentalists
denounced
the
governments continuing research on golden
rice and field testing, as well as the
distribution and cropping of geneticallymodified corn and eggplant.Monica Geaga,
another protesting farmer who is from the
group SARILAYA, an organisation of
female organic farmers from the riceproducing provinces in the main island of
Luzon, said women suffer multiple burdens
when
crops
are
subjected
to
genetic modification.
It is a form of harassment and violence
against women who are not just farmers but
are also consumers and mothers who
manage households and the health and
nutrition
of
their
families,
she
told IPS.Geaga said she believes that if
plants are altered from their natural state,
they release toxins that are harmful to
human health.
Protestors urged the government to shield
the
countrys
rice
varieties
from
contamination by genetically modified
organisms (GMOs) and instead channel the
money for rice research into protecting the

countrys biodiversity and rich cultural
heritage
while
ensuring
ecological
agricultural balance.Though there is a dearth
of hard data on how much the Philippine
government has spent on GMO research, the
Biotechnology Coalition of the Philippines
estimates that the government and its
multinational partner companies have spent
an estimated 2.6 million dollars developing
GM corn alone.
Furthermore, activists and scientists say
GMOs violate the National Organic
Law that supports the propagation of rice
varieties that already possess multi-nutrients
such as carbohydrates, minerals, fibre, and
potassium, according to the Philippines
National Nutrition Council (NNC).The NNC
also said other rice varieties traditionally
produced in the Philippines such as brown,
red, and purple rice contain these nutrients.
Danilo Ocampo, ecological agriculture
campaigner for Greenpeace Philippines, said
the flawed regulatory system in the BPI,
the sole government agency in charge of
GMO approvals, has led to approvals of all
GMO applications without regard to their
long-term impact on the environment and
human health.
The problem with the current regulatory
system is that there is no administrative
remedy available to farmers once
contamination happens. It is also frustrating
that consumers and the larger populace are
not given the chance to participate in GM

regulation, said Ocampo.It is high time
that we exercise our right to participate and
be part of a regulatory system that affects
our food, our health and our future,
he asserted.
Greenpeace explained in statements released
to the media that aside from the lack of
scientific consensus on the safety of GMOs
on human health and the environment, they
also
threaten
the
countrys
rich biodiversity.Greenpeace
Philippines
said genetically modified crops such as corn
or rice contain built-in pesticides that can be
toxic, and their ability to cross-breed and
cross-pollinate other natural crops can
happen in an open environment, which
cannot be contained.Last week saw farmer
activists in other cities in the Philippines
stage protest actions that called on the
government to protect the countrys diverse
varieties of rice and crops and stop GMO
research and field-testing.
In Davao City south of Manila, stakeholders
held the 11th National Organic Agriculture
Congress. In Cebu City, also south of
Manila, farmers protested the contamination
of corn, their second staple food, and
gathered petitions supporting the call against
the commercial approval of golden rice.
http://www.eco-business.com/news/filipinofarmers-protest-government-research-geneticallymodified-rice/
Consumer Reports: Why

rice & kids might not mix
By Jim Niedelman Published: Nov 26,
2014 at 1:22 PM PST Last Updated: Nov
26, 2014 at 5:49 PM PST
LAY VIDEO
CONSUMER REPORTS -- Consumer
Reports issued new guidelines for limits on
how much rice you and your children should
eat. Consumer Reports analyzed Food and
Drug Administration data on more than 600
foods that contain rice and found some with
worrisome levels of inorganic arsenic, which
is linked to several types of cancer. The
Food and Drug Administration recommends
parents consider other options rather than
rice cereal for their childrens first solid
food.
Consumer Reports analysis found that hot
rice cereal and rice pasta can have much
more arsenic than its lab saw in previous
tests. Consumer Reports now recommends
that children rarely eat these foods, which
means not more than twice a month. And
Consumer Reports recommends children
under five limit rice drinks, rice cakes and
ready-to-eat rice cereals. Levels of arsenic
vary. Consumer Reports based its
recommendations on the higher levels in
each food group to offer consumers the best
protection.
As for rice itself, Consumer Reports lab
tests in 2012 found high levels of inorganic
arsenic in white rice and even higher levels
in brown rice. Consumer Reports tested
other types of rice and other grains and
found several alternatives with much lower
levels of inorganic arsenic. Some good
choices sushi rice from the U.S. and
white basmati rice from California, India
and Pakistan. On average they had half the
amount of arsenic as most other types of
rice. And brown basmati rice from
California, India and Pakistan has about one

third less inorganic arsenic than other brown
rice. Other good options bulgur, barley
and faro, as well as gluten-free grains like
amaranth, buckwheat, millet and quinoa.
In response to Consumer Reports
investigation, the USA Rice Federation
issued this statement: Research conducted
by the Food and Drug Administration and
U.S. rice industry shows arsenic levels
found in U.S.-grown rice are below safe
maximum levels established this year by the
World Health Organization. Studies show
that including white or brown rice in the diet
provides measureable health benefits that
outweigh the potential risks associated with
exposure to trace levels of arsenic. The U.S.
rice industry is committed to growing a safe
and healthy product; we continuously test
our crop, and research ways of reducing the
already low levels of arsenic found in rice
even further.
The Food & Drug Administration issued this
statement: The FDAs ongoing assessment
of arsenic in rice remains a priority for the
agency. Last year, the FDA released what
we believe to be the largest set of test results
to date on the presence of arsenic in rice and
rice products, and we are planning to release
a draft assessment of the potential health
risks associated with the consumption of
arsenic in these same foods. Until that
review is completed, the agency continues to
recommend that consumers, including
pregnant women, eat a well-balanced diet
containing a variety of grains.
Parents should feed infants and toddlers a
variety
of
grains
as
well,
and
consider options other than rice cereal for a
childs first solid food. Published studies
and ongoing FDA research indicate that
cooking rice in excess volumes of water
five to six times that of the rice and
draining the water can reduce the arsenic
content, though it may also reduce the

nutritional value of the rice.
KIMA News
The Best Thing I Ate Last

Week was also The Most
Exotic Thing I Ate Last Week
Nepal native Lama Salam Singh brings out a
platter at Yak: The Kathmandu Kitchen
restaurant
in
Mobile, Ala. (Mike
Brantley/mbrantley@al.com)
Mike Brantley | mbrantley@al.com
By David Holloway | dholloway@al.com
on November 27, 2014 at 2:00 AM
You won't hear me

say this very much,
but The Best Thing I
Ate Last Week also
turned out to be The
Most Exotic Thing I
Ate Last Week.I was invited to pay a visit to
one of Mobile's most memorable, fun
restaurants, Yak: The Kathmandu Kitchen.
The occasion was to take a culinary tour of
owner Lama Salam Singh's native Nepal and
to find out what all the fuss was about.This
tiny, storefront eatery is all the buzz among
certain segments of the Port City's food
culture. I was also there to do the prep work
for a preview story on the Mobile
International Festival so being the intrepid
working boy that I am, I decided to kill two
birds with one stone.Singh is a very amiable,
friendly sort who loves talking about his
native land, but he also never tires about
talking about his adopted hometown Mobile. He came to Coastal Alabama
several years ago where he enrolled as a
student at the University of South Alabama.
He liked it so much he decided to say and

open a restaurant that featured cuisine of
Nepal and India.
"I come from a very, very large family and
food is a big part of our culture,'' he said. "I
wanted to bring some of the taste of my
country to Mobile," he added.The cuisine is
reminiscent of Chinese, only different. The
flavor patterns are different and Nepali
cuisine, Singh explained, doesn't use sweet
or soy sauce. The dipping sauces are rich
and piquant; my favorite was a tomato-based
sauce that went really well with steamed
dumplings.My best advice is to go and enjoy
the daily buffet that offers a large crosssection of Nepali cuisine. If you have any
questions, the friendly wait staff is delighted
to offer assistance and answer any questions
you have.Take my word for it, a visit to
Yak: The Kathmandu Kitchen will be The
Best Thing You Ate Last Week.
Yak: The Kathmandu Kitchen
Owner: Lama Salam Singh
Menu: It is dedicated to serving the
authentic cuisine native to Nepal and India.
The dishes are very fresh and much lighter
than you would think. The dishes have
exotic names like MoMo Chicken (which is
really dumplings) and Nepalese Non-Veg
Thali (an arrangement of dishes highlighted
by chicken curry, salad, piquant fermented
mustard greens, mixed, lentils, basmati rice
and some tasty rice pudding for dessert.)
Atmosphere: Small and intimate. The
decorations are authentic Nepali and Indian
and are guaranteed to start many a
conversation.
Cost:Very reasonable. The MoMo Chicken
is $6.95 for eight dumplings and the
Nepalese Non-Veg Thali is $12.95, but it's
plenty big enough to share.
Owner Lama Salam Singh's parting

words: "Sharing food is part of our culture.
It makes me happy to see people eating
authentic Nepali food."
David's
parting
words: Yak:
The
Kathmandu Kitchen is a truly unique
culinary experience. It's not like anything
else you'll find anywhere in Coastal
Alabama. The staff is very friendly and
helpful; trust me, I had a lot of questions. I
encourage you to drop by for lunch or dinner
and see what I'm talking about. And I
encourage you to sample a lot of the cuisine
by sampling the goods laid out at the large
buffet. And like I said, don't be afraid to ask
questions; you won't be sorry.
Source with thanks: al.com
http://www.alabamamediagroup.com/service
s/
Procurement Begins on Dull

Note
By Express News Service
Published: 27th November 2014 06:06 AM
Last Updated: 27th November 2014 06:06
AM
SAMBALPUR: Even as paddy procurement

in the district began on a dull note on
Monday with farmers returning from market
yards without selling their stock, the district
administration is hopeful of streamlining the
process in the next couple of days.
Apparently, 21 paddy-laden trucks had to be
returned from the market yards as no milling
agents turned up to lift the stock. The
situation was similar on Tuesday.Admitting

to the initial hiccups, Collector Balwant
Singh said the problems are being sorted
out.Kharif paddy will be procured this time
through 49 market yards and procurement
centres to be opened under Sambalpur,
Kuchinda and Rairakhol sub-divisions.
Agencies like FCI, Markfed and Nafed
besides, 46 primary agricultural cooperative
societies (PACs) are participating in the
procurement process.Sources said the
agreement with rice millers who are to be
roped in for custom milling of paddy, is yet
to be finalised, which has kept the millers
away from the market yards on the first and
the second day. The Collector said 20 more
rice millers will be roped in to expedite the
procurement. Besides, unlike last year when
procurement was done for 60 days, it has
been extended to 90 days this year. The
administration has prepared a database of
farmers who will have to produce
their identity card to sell their stock. The
procurement target too has been enhanced.
Paddy-laden vehicles at a market yard in Sambalpur I
Express Photo
http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/odisha/201
4/11/27/Procurement-Begins-on-DullNote/article2543325.ece
Burirum kicks off rice grain

market weekly
Date : 27 2557
BURIRUM, 27 Nov 2014, (NNT), - The
Internal Trade Office in Burirum Province
has organized a weekly market buying
paddy at higher prices than those currently
offered in the market, with an aim to help
ease the burden of local farmers. The project

is a joint efforts of the provinces Internal
Trade
Office,
Krasang
Agriculture
Cooperatives Ltd., and a group of rice
millers in the Central region.
The weekly market is paying up to 13,400
baht for a ton of paddy, depending on the
moisture content and quality of the grains.
The price is considerably higher than that
currently offered in the general market,
which is in the range of 10-11 baht per kg.,
or between 11,000 and 11,000 baht a ton.
The market is meant to be an alternative for
local farmers, as unscrupulous middlemen
and rice millers have reportedly been taking
advantage of them by offering to buy grains
at much lower prices. More than 100 rice
farmers so far have expressed their interests
in selling their crops to the market.
According to the Provincial Internal Trade
Office, the project provides a fair
distribution channel for the farmers, adding
that it plans to hold the market in 5 districts,
which are Krasang, Kumuang, Nong Hong,
Calermphrakiate and Muang Districts.
http://thainews.prd.go.th/centerweb/newsen/NewsDetail?N
T01_NewsID=WNEVN5711270010001#sthash.mGcVc0S
n.dpuf
Pakistan exports Rs 201b

goods in October
Reported by: `Mahmood Idrees November
27, 2014
LAHORE: Pakistan has exported items
worth Rs 201.076 billion in October that is
1.58 percent more than the corresponding
period of last fiscal year, while imports into
Pakistan during October 2014 remained Rs
438.369 billion that is 25.80 percent than the
same period of last year.According to

available data, Pakistans exports during
October of the current fiscal year remained
Rs 201.076 billion that is 9.90 percent less
than the exports of September worth
223.172 billion. On the other hand, exports
from Pakistan grew 1.58 percent as
compared to Rs 197.940 billion exports in
the same period of previous fiscal
year.Exports during July-October 2014
totalled Rs 804.356 billion against Rs
888.025 billion during the corresponding
period of last year showing a decrease of
9.42 percent.
The increase recorded in main commodities

imported during October 2014 over
September 2014 are medical products that
showed 126.82 percent growth, plastic
material 0.43 percent, aircraft, ships and
boats 26.58 percent, electrical machinery
19.34 percent and fertilisers grew 0.22
percent.Import of petroleum products
decreased 7.93 percent, petroleum crude
9.01 percent, palm oil 11.54 percent, iron
and steel 18.53 percent and power
generating machinery 14.31 percent during
October 2014 as compared to September
2014.
Main exported goods during October were

knitwear, cotton cloth, garments, bed wear,
cotton yarn, rice, towels, made-up articles
and cement.Knit wear export showed 5.44
percent decline during October 2014 as
compared to September 2014, cotton cloth
downed 9.56 percent, bed wear 13.07
percent, basmati rice declined 11.24 percent
and cement export decreased 21.17
percent.Exports of garments and rice
increased 10.66 percent and 35.48 percent
respectively in October 2014 as compared to
the exports of September 2014.Imports into
Pakistan during October 2014 remained Rs
438.36 billion against Rs 466.77 billion in
September 2014 and Rs 348.471 billion
during October 2013 showing a decrease of
6.09% over September 2014 but an increase
of 25.80 over October 2013.
On the other hand, imports during JulyOctober 2014 totalled Rs 1.69 trillion
against Rs 1.49 trillion during the
corresponding period of last year showing
an increase of 13.08%.Main imported
commodities during October 2014 were
petroleum products, palm oil, medical
products, plastic materials, iron and steel,
aircraft, ships and boats, electrical
machinery, power generating machinery and
fertilisers.
Source with thanks:http://customstoday.com.pk/pakistanexports-rs-201b-goods-in-october/
Farmers get relief from rice

diseases in 2014
11/26/2014 02:57 PM
Disease in rice was not as big of a problem

in 2014 for most growers as in previous
years. LSU AgCenter plant pathologist Don
Groth said, With as much rain as we had,
sheath blight wasnt as bad as it could have
been," The cold winter of 2013-14 could
have played a role in the low incidence of
disease, Groth said, but the mild disease
year can also be attributed to the direct
result of breeding efforts that have selected
for disease resistance.That selection took
place through several years.
Groth said, We have a lot fewer very
susceptible and susceptible lines in our
nurseries, and resistance is being increased
in the breeding process." He siad current
high yields would not be possible without
disease resistance.Bacterial panicle blight
wasnt bad in 2014, Groth said, because
temperatures were moderate, and blast was
not found until late in the growing
season. Blast
resistance
in
variety
development was increased with the bad
outbreak of the disease in 2012, and that

eliminated many blast-susceptible lines.Out
of the almost 800 advanced lines he
evaluated for the disease in 2014, Groth
said, only four or five showed signs of
severe blast.
Many of the lines susceptible to Cercospora
have also been eliminated. Groth suspects
many farmers are spraying for that disease,
even though it may be unnecessary.Groth
said, "Its likely that fungicide-resistant
sheath blight is continuing its spread in
south Louisiana But we have the tools to
manage it. The main line of defense,
Sercadis, should be applied at 6.8 ounces an
acre because the lower rate of 4.5 ounces
does not last long enough, Groth said.
Convoy fungicide also had good activity
against both the wild and resistant sheath
blight fungi.Groth tested six new fungicides
in 2014, and he expects that two could be
available by 2015 or 2016. Groth said,
"Some of them look really good but the new
fungicides only have activity against sheath
blight. We really dont have any new
products for blast, and that has me worried.
" A generic version of Quadris Equation will
be available in 2015 because the patent on
azoxystrobin, the active ingredient, has
expired.Groth will start a study in 2015 to
look at the benefit of fungicide use on
currently available, moderately susceptible
varieties compared with not spraying any of
the products.Groth said, There is a question
if early-planted moderately-susceptible rice
varieties need to be sprayed. Somewhere
along the line, we need to cut costs in rice
production, and fungicide use is one
possible area.Research on rice diseases is
supported by funds provided through the
rice checkoff program.Director of the Rice
Research Station Steve Linscombe said,
This program has paid excellent dividends
for 40 plus years and will continue to help
the rice industry in the future."
Copyright 2014 Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc. All rights reserved.

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or
redistributed.
http://www.arklatexhomepage.com/story/d/story/farmersget-relief-from-rice-diseases-in2014/15665/eWhMExPvIUKc2aGe5eiMkA
Bangladesh farmers turn back

the clock to combat climate
stresses
BY SYFUL ISLAM
Wed Nov 26, 2014 7:52am EST
DHAKA, Bangladesh, Nov 26 (Thomson
Reuters Foundation) - I ndigenous varieties
of rice are making a comeback in
Bangladesh as farmers abandon highyielding hybrid rice in favour of more
resilient varieties that can cope with more
extreme climate conditions, researchers say.
About 20 percent of the rice fields planted in
the low-lying South Asian nation now
contain indigenous varieties that can stand
up to drought, flooding or other stresses,
said Jiban Krishna, director general of the
Bangladesh Rice Research Institute.At its
peak, high yielding varieties of rice are
accounted for 90 percent of total rice grown
in Bangladesh."In places where newly
invented varieties fail to cope with stresses,
farmers cultivate local varieties," Krishna
told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in an
interview.Bangladesh's government first
introduced high-yielding rice in the 1960s,
in an effort to promote food security and
meet rising demand, Krishna said. Over
time, most farmers adopted the new
varieties, which brought in higher
incomes.But in recent years, as climate

change has brought more irregular rainfall including worsening floods and droughts farmers have had more difficulty producing
consistent crops of high-yielding varieties.
That has led to a growing share of farmers
returning to more resilient varieties capable
of coping with the extreme conditions, or
planting both old and new varieties side by
side.The switch back to traditional varieties
has happened with the help of nongovernmental organisations that have
reintroduced the varieties in an effort to
protect "heritage" species and help farmers
cope with adverse weather conditions ,
Krishna said.In C'Nababaganj district, for
instance, the Bangladesh Resource Centre
for Indigenous Knowledge has helped
farmers return to planting varieties that had
almost vanished.'Saika' rice, for instance,
ripens in just 60 days - well short of the 90
to 110 days needed by hybrid varieties used
in the area - and 'Sashi Mohon' needs hugely
less water, said Pavel Partha, coordinator of
the centre's food security programme.
CHANGE IN GOVERNMENT POLICY
The government previously never promoted
such varieties, considering them too lowyielding, he said. But in the face of growing
climate impacts, it is now actively
encouraging their cultivation as part of
efforts to help farmers adapt to climate
change, Partha said.Farmers say returning to
the old varieties has been a big help in
ensuring they get a harvest each season.
"Cultivation in this area is facing immense
trouble due to low and irregular rainfall.
Even cultivation of rain-fed Aman (rice) is

now totally dependent on irrigation which
raises production costs," said Hasan Ali, a
farmer in Barandra village."In this situation
we have brought in these indigenous
aromatic varieties which are tolerant to
many stresses," he said.Another farmer,
Anisur Rahman, said cultivation of the old
varieties is expanding in part because they
need almost no chemical fertiliser or
pesticides - which makes them cheaper and
easier to grow - and because their yields are
good in tough conditions.Abdus Sattar Hiru,
a farmer in Traltalia village in Tangail
district agreed that the 'Afsara' traditional
rice he is now cultivating has brought in
consistently good crops.
"The variety (grows over a) short duration
and can be cultivated once the rainy season
is over and water starts receding. In that
period, modern or high yielding varieties
can't be cultivated but this local variety can,"
he said.Returning to 'Afsara' rice has also
allowed him to bring back into production
land previously left barren because highyielding rice varieties did not grow there, he
said.
(Reporting By Syful Islam; editing by Laurie
Goering)
Source with thanks:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/11/26/bangladeshrice-idUSL6N0TG2RA20141126
Should We Be Alarmed That

Theres Still Arsenic in Rice?
Consumer Reports recently released strict
guidelines on foods that contain the known
carcinogen.(Photo: Phoenix Wang/Getty
Images)
November 27, 2014 By Kristina Bravo
Kristina Bravo is Assistant Editor at
TakePart.When the Food and Drug
Administration admitted
last
year that
theres more arsenic in rice than the limit set
by the Environmental Protection Agency for

drinking water, people panicked. Arsenic,
after all, is a known carcinogen and has been
notoriously used as poison for centuries
by famous serial killers and dissatisfied
spouses on their unwitting partners. The
FDA, which doesnt limit arsenic levels on
rice and rice products, reassures that current
levels in food arent high enough to cause
concern. But Consumer Reports argues
otherwise.For its latest report, researchers
from the organization conducted their own
tests and reviewed FDA data on 697
samples of rice. They found the arsenic
levels worrisome.Arsenic in the food
supply is a major public health issue, and
everything possible should be done to
eliminate the recycling of arsenic in our
environment and food, reads the report.It
recommends that children should avoid hot
rice cereal, rice pasta, and rice drinks and
that adults should stay away from brown
rice, which on average has 80 percent more
inorganic arsenic, the element's more toxic
form, than white rice. (Find Consumer
Reports complete recommendations here.)
The organization has asked the FDA to set
federal limits on arsenic in rice, but the
agency maintains that its assessment is still
ongoing and that everyone should consume
a variety of grains. When asked about
baby food, the FDA told Consumer Reports
that parents should simply consider options
other than rice cereal for a childs first solid
food.
So why isnt the FDA rushing to set new

regulations? There hasnt been enough data
to warrant them. Food in arsenic is a
relatively new phenomenon, said Habibul
Ahsan, director of the Center of
Epidemiology and Prevention at the
University of Chicago. He led a
large study on the effects of the heavy
metal in
Bangladesh
that
positively
associated rice consumption with arsenic
concentration in urine.The presence of
arsenic, a naturally occurring chemical, in
water has been known for a long time. More
recently, scientists discovered that crops
such as rice have been absorbing the
element from the soil, which contains both
organic (pure form) and inorganic
(combined with an element other than
carbon) arsenic. The U.S. Agency for Toxic
Substances and Disease Registry classifies
the latter as a known human carcinogen.
Despite the findings of the Bangladesh
study, Ahsan said the harm is a little bit
more complex with food, and it may not be
as dramatically bad as you expect.In Asia,
for instance, where rice is an important
dietary staple, cancer rates have historically
been low. Ahsan conceded that except in
countries like Japan and South Korea,
people often dont live long enough to
develop cancer, and rates are changing. But
other than tobacco, no single element leads
to cancer in a major way.
According to the EPA, diet has a relatively
low potential to expose children to
arsenic.There are so many things we eat
sugar, trans fatsso many negative health
consequences, Ahsan said. Totally
avoiding rice doesnt make sense. You may
want to have some moderation and be aware
of it. But in general, theres no reason to be
alarmed.As for childrens food, Ahsan
echoes the FDAs recommendation.There
are so many alternatives for baby food that

we dont have to rely on rice-based
products, he said. So why not avoid
something that could be potentially
harmful?
PHL rice production almost

100% self-sufficient but
threatened by overpopulation
By BEA MONTENEGRO, GMA NewsNovember
27, 2014 7:07pm
The Philippines is more than 90% selfsufficient when it comes to rice production,
according to academician Eufemio Rasco,
Executive Director of the Philippine Rice
Research Institute (PhilRice), but our rapidly
growing population means that our current
level of production still falls short of the
amount we need to feed our people.
Population burden
Even though our self-sufficiency is at alltime high, we still need to import rice from
other countries if we want to be able to have
enough. Rasco explained that we need to
import rice because the ratio of people to
yield is too low. For example, countries like
Vietnam may produce less rice per hectare,
but their population is much lower than the
Philippines.
But a large population isnt the only
problem we face when it comes to rice.
Other factors that might affect the price and
cause it to go higher.
Supply chain problems
The archipelagic layout of the country

makes it difficult for goods to be
transported, especially considering the lack
of infrastructure in place. Irrigation is also a
problem for local farmers face, and another
reason why domestic production costs are
higher compared to other rice-producing
countries.We cannot target self-sufficiency
and stable prices at the same time, said Dr.
Flordeliza Bordey, Senior Science Research
Specialist from PhilRice.
Global trends
The Philippines is the eighth largest rice
producer, accounting for 2.49% of global
rice output, but were also the fourth highest
importer. Unlike the trend in global prices,
the domestic price of rice has been steadily
increasing. From 2010-2014, domestic
prices are 50% higher than prices in
Thailand and Vietnam.Rice is the staple
food for 80% of the 100 million Filipinos in
the country, said Dr. Isabelita Pabuayon,
Dean of the College of Economics in UP
Los Baos, and it comprises 20% of the
consumption expenditures of the poor.
Even when faced with a steadily growing
population and the issues of self-sufficiency and
price stabilization, Dr. Pabuayon says that the
bottom line remains the same: available,
accessible, and affordable rice for everyone.
TJD, GMA News

27th November, 2014 Daily Global Rice E-Newsletter by Riceplus Magazine

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