15th July, 2021 Daily Global Regional Local Rice E-Newsletter

Daily Global, Regional & Local Rice E-Newsletter
15 July ,2021 Vol 6 Issue 07
1|www.ricepluss.com , www.riceplusmagazine.blosgspot.com
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Editorial Board Rice News Headlines…

Chief Editor
 Pakistan Among Top 10 Producers Of Wheat, Rice, Sugarcane
 Hamlik
 Pakistan rice exports hit by 400pc increase in freight rate
Managing Editor  Traders urge govt to operate PNSC ships to avoid international
 Abdul Sattar Shah shipping companies
 Rahmat Ullah  Competition is Fierce on USA Rice Social Media in the UK
 Rozeen Shaukat  Viewpoint: Warning to Sri Lanka — Tunnel vision embrace of an
organic-only farming model sets country up for economic and
English Editor
environmental backwardness
 Maryam Editor
 Legal Advisor  Tiny Computers Reveal How Tahiti’s Tree Snails Evade a Fierce
 Advocate Zaheer Minhas Predator
 Modern-day agricultural heroes: Celebrating pioneers in crop ag
Editorial Associates  Nigeria moves forward with nitrogen-efficient GMO rice
 Admiral (R) Hamid Khalid  Must-Have Millets! Can the 'First Crops' Turn Out To Be 'Future Crops'
 Javed Islam Agha of the Globe?
 Zahid Baig(Business Recorder)
 The Big Potential of Little Millet
 Dr.Akhtar Hussain
 Dr.Fayyaz Ahmad Siddiqui  Rice from heaven: China harvests first batch of rice that returned from
 Dr.Abdul Rasheed (UAF) Moon last year
 Islam Akhtar Khan  Mumbai Angels Network invests undisclosed amount in energy
storage startup Indi Energy
Editorial Advisory Board  'Rice price highest in Bangladesh among 5 countries'
 Dr.Malik Mohammad Hashim  Revolutionize farm sector, increase exports
Assistant Professor, Gomal
 Food prices no longer an issue, says DOF
University DIK
 Dr.Hasina Gul  Stocks rise for second consecutive day
Assistant Director, Agriculture KPK  Meet the superfood experts say could help manage weight and lower
 Dr.Hidayat Ullah blood pressure
Assistant Professor, University  Fertiliser ban and economic crisis
of Swabi  International Conference on “Best practices for building sustainable
 Dr.Abdul Basir
Food Systems in OIC Region”
Assistant Professor, University of
Swabi  Rice theft threatens Haitian market for US exporters
 Zahid Mehmood  China harvests space rice, the grains went on a lunar voyage last year
PSO,NIFA Peshawar  BJP urges CM Naveen Patnaik to fulfil paddy bonus promise
 Falak Naz Shah  Rice prices rise despite bumper yield
Head Food Science & Technology  New $21 million lab for Rice Research Station
ART, Peshawar
 Nigeria: New Bio-Tech to Boost Rice Production, Reduce Import
 Vietnamese rice export price surges in first half
 TESDA to train Antique farmers on use of modern agri equipment
 Rice distributions in Yanggang Province lead to slight falls in market
Pakistan Among Top 10 Producers Of Wheat, Rice,

Sugarcane
Web DeskWEB EDITOR
14TH JUL, 2021. 06:34 PM
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is blessed with a rich natural resource base for agriculture and is
among the top 10 producers of wheat, rice, sugarcane and certain fruits, a government
official said on Wednesday.
Addressing the participants of the international conference on ―Best practices for building
sustainable food systems in OIC Region‖, held virtually, Federal Minister for National
Food Security and Research Syed Fakhar Imam said that despite having one of the
world‘s best alluvial soils and the best irrigation system, the country could not fully
harness the potential of the agricultural sector.
The main issues of the agriculture sector included the lack of quality seeds, cold storage
facilities, farm mechanisation, trained manpower, post-harvest management, processing
industries, and digital agricultural platforms, etc, he added.
The minister said under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan, the
government has prioritised the agriculture sector.
―We are working to diversify this sector, by enhancing focus on high value horticultural
crops, oilseeds and pulses. Our government is also taking keen interest in livestock breed
improvement, water conservation and promoting farm mechanisation. We are supporting
farmers by furnishing quality seeds of improved varieties, providing farm machinery at
subsidised rates, and disseminating improved production packages,‖ Imam said.
―Due to the excellent agricultural policies of our government; despite [the] Covid
pandemic and locust attack, the production of wheat, rice, maize and sugarcane has
increased to a record level. This year has been remarkable for [the] agriculture sector of
Pakistan, and our economy got a boost with the record agricultural production, indicating
a lesser reliance on food imports in 2021/22,‖ he added.
Additionally, due to the government‘s favourable policies and interventions, the exports
of agro-commodities have also increased significantly, the minister said, adding that
considering the role of the provinces, the government is also engaging diversified
stakeholders as the best tactic for building a sustainable food system in Pakistan. These
strategic initiatives will help improve the public health situation, which is reflecting high
rates of stunting, he added.
The conference was organised by the Islamic Organization for Food Security (IOFS) in
collaboration with various international research organisations.
https://www.bolnews.com/latest/2021/07/pakistan-among-top-10-producers-of-wheat-rice-sugarcane/
Punjab farmers reluctant to adopt DSR for paddy sowing due to

abundant availability of water: PAU study
Farmers are unwilling to adopt the direct seeding of rice (DSR) technique as an alternative to
sowing of paddy with traditional puddling due to an ―abundant availability of water‖, a study
conducted by the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) has revealed
By Gurpreet Singh Nibber, Chandigarh
PUBLISHED ON JUL 14, 2021 01:26 AM IST
Farmers are unwilling to adopt the direct seeding of rice (DSR) technique as an alternative to
sowing of paddy with traditional puddling due to an ―abundant availability of water‖, a study
conducted by the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) has revealed.
The study, funded by the Punjab State Farmers‘ and Farm Workers‘ Commission, focused on the
paddy crop pattern in 2020. The DSR helps save water consumption by at least 15% when
compared to the traditional method and also saves in terms of labour cost. ―Besides abundance of
irrigation water, the farmers‘ trust in the well-established paddy transplantation and no
experience of DSR were also seen as the reasons behind non-adoption of the new method,‖ adds
the report.
Farmers‘ commission member secretary BS Sidhu said it is not easy to bring behavioural
changes as the traditional method has been practise for years. ―The new method is a paradigm
shift and it will take some time for the paddy growers to adopt it,‖ he added.
https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/chandigarh-news
Pakistan rice exports hit by 400pc increase in freight rate

Traders urge govt to operate PNSC ships to avoid international shipping companies
By
Ghulam Abbas
ISLAMABAD: While Pakistan‘s rice export witnesses a declining trend, increasing freight rate
threatens to further damage exports, especially that of highly valued variant, Basmati.
According to exporters, international shipping companies have increased freight rates to around
400 per cent during the past six months without any increase in capacity of lifting goods or
number of ships as the international market has been opened for trade after a prolonged closure
due to the pandemic.
According to data shared by Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP), rice export faced a
14 per cent decrease during 11MFY21; however, Adviser to PM on Commerce Abdul Razak
Dawood claimed that the total decline was recorded 8 per cent in the said period.
―The freight charges for North America used to be $100 per tonne. However, shipping
companies are now charging $300 per tonne. The situation is the same in Europe and US where
Pakistani rice is becoming noncompetitive at a fast pace,‖ REAP former Vice President Tuafiq
Ahmed Khan claimed.
Speaking with Profit, traders said that the high cost of shipping consignments and non-
availability of containers are posing a serious challenge to the outbound shipments. They said
abrupt and steep rise in freight cost and non-availability of containers create an uncertain and
risky environment, which will make it hard for exporters to meet delivery commitments of
foreign buyers.
―Since these markets are crucial for Pakistan‘s Basmati, the government should operate Pakistan
National Shipping Corporation (PNSC) ships on these routes to avoid abnormally high freight
rates and shortage of containers,‖ the former REAP official suggested.
He said that exporters will not be able to compete in international markets as they are afraid of
cancellation of orders, which ultimately result in a loss of huge foreign exchange to the country.
It is pertinent to mention here that the overall impact of the high freight charges would be a 20 to
30 per cent reduction in cumulative export of rice of the country.
Exporters have also asked the minister for maritime affairs in particular, and the federal
government in general, to take notice and intervene in the matter for providing relief to the
country‘s rice export sector, which is the second largest source of earning forex.
It may be noted here that Pakistan exported 3.3 million tonnes of both basmati and other rice
varieties during 11MFY21, a fall from 3.87 million tonnes in 11MFY20.
https://profit.pakistantoday.com.pk/2021/07/14/pakistan-rice-exports-hit-by-400pc-increase-in-freight-
rate/
Competition is Fierce on USA Rice Social Media in the

UK
By Sarah Moran
LONDON, UK – In late 2019, USA Rice launched social media platforms here using the handle
@usariceintheuk, and focusing on Instagram and Facebook. The timing of the launch proved prophetic as
social media usage around the world increased dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic. Recent
research indicates that 79 percent of the UK population are active social media users, an increase of 4.4
percent or an additional 2.3 million users since early 2020.
U.S. rice wins every time
The USA Rice feed includes messaging on the sustainability of U.S. rice, plus recipes and videos
featuring U.S. long and medium grain rice, as well as brown and wild rice in response to the health-
conscious trend of using more whole grains.
―We‘ve found an effective way to increase engagement on social media is by hosting competitions,‖ said
Eszter Somogyi, USA Rice director for Europe, Middle East, and Africa. ―The last four-week competition
we ran garnered 894 entries! The winner received a virtual cooking class for two people, including their
choice of cuisines incorporating U.S.-origin rice, a rice cooker and pans, as well as a selection of U.S. rice
brands available on the UK market, all donated by local importers.‖
There is a great variety of U.S rice available in the UK market, and USA Rice has developed consumer
messaging designed to educate shoppers on the benefits of using various types of U.S. rice, suitable to
different ethnic cuisines.
―We will continue promotional efforts in both the digital space and the real world, tapping into
opportunities for growth in the different market segments here,‖ said Somogyi. ―The cooperation with
local U.S. rice importers is an important part of these activities and we appreciate their support.‖
USA Rice Daily
Ease of Doing Business & UNISAME

The Union of Small and Medium Enterprises (UNISAME) appreciated and welcomed the steps
taken by the ministry of industries and production (MoI&P) and the ministry of commerce
(Mincom) in comprehending the fact that it is best to consult experts from different segments and
follow their advise to ease doing of business.
UNISAME president Zulfikar Thaver said , "we are extremely happy that the government has
decided to consult experts as advised by us, in different segments namely textiles, rice,
chemicals, pharmaceuticals, engineering, electronic goods, leather, sports goods, surgical goods
and information technology and seek their advise on how to eliminate unnecessary hassle and
regulations to make doing business easy for all the big and the small.
In this connection Thaver said we have recommended the name of experts who will pinpoint the
shortcomings and impediments in growth of the segments. He said in our recent meeting with
Hashim Raza CEO SMEDA, we suggested to him to have a consultative body of experts and
asked him to convey this to the ministry and are glad that our suggestions have been well
received to facilitate entrepreneurs rather than burden them with formalities and orthodox
procedures which are wasting time and also costing entrepreneurs and promoting corruption. In
this age of internet one needs to do away with old methods of lengthy procedures.
Thaver said it is much appreciated and he welcomed the inclusive policy and attitude of the
government.
The Unisame chief advised the government to focus on the medium and upper medium
entrepreneurs who are inclined to modernize their units if the doing busy is made easy and
cumbersome procedures are removed and existing rules and regulations are tailored to make life
easy for the entrepreneurs.
UNISAME
Viewpoint: Warning to Sri Lanka — Tunnel vision

embrace of an organic-only farming model sets
country up for economic and environmental
backwardness
Parakrama Waidyanatha | July 15, 2021
A rice farmer stands in his fields near Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka. Credit: Anna Maria Barry-
Jester/Center for Public Integrity
A n Open Letter to Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa:

Your recent endeavor to ‗rush‘ the country from conventional farming to total organic farming,
compelled me to write this letter to give a balanced view of the issues at stake. I should on the
outset say that no well – informed agricultural scientists is against organic agriculture knowing
the benefits of organic matter in the improvement of the physical, chemical and microbial
properties of the soil which are critically important for sustained and productive crop production.
However, the large majority of them are concerned about the possible negative consequence of
substantially decreased productivity, leading even to hunger and starvation, if the mission is not
based on achievable goals.
Industrial pollution
If you are driven for organic farming because of the negative aspects of conventional farming
such as environmental pollution and human health; from an economic and sustainability
perspectives, correcting the negative aspects of the latter and continuing with it should be far
more beneficial, because organic farming is not devoid of those negatives.Please consider the
following:
1. The global organic farming scenario

Organic farming is confined to 1.5% the total global farmlands of which 66% is in pasture, and a
mere 16 countries have achieved over 10% organic cover. Bhutan, for example, with access to
substantial organic material such as leaf litter and farmyard manure, on account of its huge forest
cover and animal population, set a target in 2008 to reach 100% organic by 2020.
The organic movement was supported by the royalty and the government. The country with a
total area of 763,000 square kilometers has only 8% arable land. However, it was able to achieve
only 10% of the target; and now the target date has been extended to 2035! It is critically
important to review the global scenario before rushing into any decision.
2. The taskforce
10 | w w w . r i c e p l u s s . c o m , w w w . r i c e p l u s m a g a z i n e . b l o s g s p o t . c o m
A few days ago the ‗organic taskforce‘ you have appointed, some 40 odd people, bulk of them
politicians, met you, but a notable omission from it appears to be the senior scientists from the
agricultural research and development institutions and the leading academics from the
universities in the field. Of course there were several of the die- hard ‗organic tribe‘ therein!
Interestingly, one of them was reported, some years ago, claiming to have discovered a
‗swayanjatha‘ wee (a ‗self-generated‘ rice variety) that fed the ‗dasa maha yodayas‘ (the ten
warriors) of king Dutugamunu. It was later identified as a sorghum variety by the rice scientists
of the Agriculture Department!
And the other was reported in a Sinhala newspaper as having said that the weed killer glyphosate
‗even dissolved reservoir bunds, and what talk of kidneys‘! He claimed that glyphosate was an
etiolating agent of the Rajarata kidney disease but it has now been totally disproved!
So the quality of some scientists you have appointed is questionable! You should, ideally have a
balanced team of proven agricultural and other experts in the taskforce in the relevant fields to
seek tangible views on the feasibility of achieving your objective; and accordingly an action plan
within a realistic time frame should be drawn.
The large majority of agricultural scientists are for promotion of organic farming as far as
feasible, but is of the firm view that no country can go fully organic in the current context of
population expansion and increasing demand for food from the existing farmlands. Several
expert calculations reveal that without chemical fertilizers half the global population cannot
exist!
3. The ‗Wasa visa‘ pandemic

The masses have been gravely mislead by the connotation ‗wasa visa‘ for any agrochemically-
grown produce. The misinformation has spread like a pandemic! Apart from others, some of the
key ministers are to be blamed for this fiasco and misleading the masses.
[Editor‟s note: The phrase “wasa visa” translates to “poisonous substances.”]

For example, Hon. Chamal Rajapaksa, then Minister of Agriculture and Mahaweli Development,
addressing farmers in Embilipitiya last year, had remarked that Sri Lanka is the country
‗consuming the highest quantities of ‗wasa visa‘ in the world by way of agrochemical residues!
Not to be undone, Hon. Mahinda Amaraweera, Minister of Environment recently remarked that
our water bodies are highly polluted with agrochemicals. Surely, they should have sought advice
and information from their officials before making faulty utterances. The evidence in the Tables
attached below do not support their views.
Then Dr Padeniya, a Pediatrician and strong supporter of organic farming has often claimed that
agrochemicals are responsible for many of the non-communicable diseases. Can he provide
evidence as to what the agrochemicals are and the associated diseases? He is also an ardent
promoter of traditional rice varieties, purportedly because of some nutritional benefits. He was
unaware of the fact that they yield less than half of our new improved varieties, and that some of
the latter have many of the nutritional and health benefits of the old varieties!
Anyway, the prime function of the staple is to provide the energy, and those nutritional and
health benefits are easily obtainable from the other foods. Combining his prescription of organic
farming with traditional varieties will decrease our national rice production to less than half,
needless to say with dire consequences!
Sources: www.worldbank.org/indicator/AG.COM.Fert.2S; https//www.worldometers.info

As per the World Bank data in Table 1, we consume far less fertilizers and pesticides, than most
countries in the region.
Table 2 shows that after 2002, Sri Lanka has reduced by as much as 98%, the use of the most
toxic pesticides of Classes 1, and substantially increased the use of less toxic pesticides.On the
whole, the pesticide residue levels reported, are not alarming as evident from Table 3.
However, there should be a strong division within the Central Environmental Authority or under
the Health Ministry that regularly monitor pesticides in the food and environment, establish
tolerance limits, and at the same time, be responsible for enforcing the tolerance limits in the
food and environment.
Such effective and regular services are sadly lacking in Sri Lanka and should be of highest
priority. This is not to say that everything is ‗hunky dory‘ with conventional farming. Misuse of
agrochemicals is a serious concern, and this subject will be examined later.
4. CKDu-agrochemical myth
Then there is the other widespread myth of agrochemicals causing the kidney disease of the
Rajarata. Regrettably, a 2013 WHO Report on the matter stated that several pesticides were
above reference levels in the urine of CKDu patients and some of them are nephrotoxic (toxic to
kidneys) implicating pesticides in the causation of CKDu.
Surprisingly the Report did not have the pesticide residue data of people in the non-CKDu
(Hambantota) area. However, subsequent re-analysis of the data (see Table 4) revealed that their
urine had more than double or treble the pesticide residue levels compared to that of CKDu
subjects! So agrochemicals are most unlikely to be the cause.
Then, the International Consultation on CKDu that was held in 2016 in Sri Lanka, in its Final
Report stated that there was no evidence to implicate agrochemicals in the causation of CKDu.
The most convincing finding was that people who drank water from the reservoirs, rivers and
wells in the plains did not contaminate the disease, whereas those who consumed water from dug
wells on high ground did so. It was dramatically established by the finding from two adjoining
villages in Girandhurukotte, namely, Ginnoruwa on high ground and the other, Sarabhumi, in the
plain, the people of the latter who drank water from the river or adjoining wells did not
contaminate the disease, whereas those from the former village who exclusively consumed well
water did!
It was subsequently established that the hard water and high fluoride contents in those wells were
responsible for causation of the disease. Eventually when these people stopped drinking well
water but harvested rain water, no new cases of the disease were reported! In addition, research
of the Medical Faculty , Peradeniya University with rats fed water from these wells as against
distilled water, contaminated the disease! So agrochemicals are not the aetiolating agent of
CKDu!
4. Agrochemicals & their misuse

Hardly any chemical fertilizer is harmful to human health and to other living organisms if its
quality conforms to specified safe standards and used in the correct amounts. It is excess use of
fertilizer that can be harmful. Chemical fertilizer has been used successfully by all countries for
almost two centuries to meet their food demand, and countries moved away from organic
farming as it could not produce it. We are not aware of a single country that has banned use of
chemical fertilizers or of contemplating such action at this point of time.
Furthermore, if we ban chemical fertilizers to protect our people from consuming toxins, we
should also ban importation of wheat flour from Canada, milk powder from New Zealand and
chilli, onion and masoor dahl from India and Pakistan as these countries use chemical fertilizers
liberally.
Farmer fertilizing wheat field. Credit: Ohio State University

The real problem with agrochemicals is their misuse. Most farmers work on the premise that
more is better! An outstanding local example of this is the rampant excessive use of fertilizers by
vegetable growers, especially the potato farmers, who use 5-10 times the recommended
quantities of fertilizer. The excess fertilizer via erosion and leaching ends up in the downstream
lakes in the Rajarata causing algal booms which interfere with water use, and also secrete toxins
which are reported to damage the liver and kidneys.
Misuse of pesticides is probably a more serious problem. An FAO study conducted in Indonesia,
Sweden and Canada many years ago established that 50-60 percent of the pesticide used can be
cut down without loss of crop. What is critically needed is exhaustive training of farmers and the
extension workers in the judicious use of agrochemicals. Sadly, the farmers get their instructions
from the agrochemical sellers in the villages and not extension workers.
The extension services deteriorated following its provincilization, and strengthening this service
as also the research and development systems in the country is critically needed. These are
matters the government should address as a matter of highest priority rather than switching to
organic farming!
5. The unsaid side of organic farming

Some of the products used in organic farming are as toxic as conventional agrochemicals.
Sodium nitrate used in organic farming as a nitrogen fertilizer is mined in South America. It
carries highly toxic sodium perchlorate as an impurity, which is known to enter the soil and
water bodies. Then, sulphur, copper and copper sulphate are toxins for pests allowed for use in
organic farmlands and the latter is a Class 1 toxin, which can also bio-accumulate.
Further, as large amounts of farmyard manure and other organic material of the order of 20-30
tonnes/ha are added seasonally, much larger quantities of heavy metals such as cadmium, arsenic
and lead can enter the soil than through chemical fertilizer. Further, rotenone and pyrethrum
being natural pesticides are used in organic farming. However, rotenone is suspected to cause
Parkinson‘s disease and pyrethrum is carcinogenic.
In short, natural pesticides can be as toxic as synthetic ones. A serious problem with organic
agriculture is the surreptitious mixing of chemical insecticides with organic ones. Some time
ago, Prof. Nioki Motoyama of the University of Tokyo, showed that eight of the so-called
organic pesticides in the market, contained abemectin and other highly toxic chemical pesticides.
So, when expanded on a national scale organic farming can lead to as many problems of the
same scale as conventional!
Non-agricultural environmental pollution

It is regrettable that hardly any attention has been paid to air and other non-agricultural pollution
issues which can be as serious as agricultural pollution. Significant pollution with increased
industrial and population growth is obvious.
For example, release of toxins from coal power plants locally is substantial. About 3 tons of
mercury, 2 tons of arsenic, 2.9 tons of chromium and 5.7 tons of lead are reported to be spewed
out annually from them. Waterways are getting increasingly polluted with human sewage, and
air pollution within cities such as Colombo and Kandy, especially with regard to ozone gas and
fine particles, is a serious problem not addressed. The quality of air we breathe not only affects
the health of our lungs but also other organs! Motor vehicles have increased 20 times over the
last thirty years of which the three wheeler increase is the highest being 88 fold! Thus, the
importance of overall environmental pollution control cannot be overstressed.
Dr. Parakrama Waidyanatha is a scientist and former Chairman of the Coconut Research
Institute.
A version of this article was originally posted at the Sri Lanka Guardian and has been
reposted here with permission. The Sri Lanka Guardian can be found on
Twitter @srlankaguardian
The GLP featured this article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion and analysis. The
viewpoint is the author‟s own. The GLP‟s goal is to stimulate constructive discourse on
challenging science issues.
https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2021/07/15/viewpoint-warning-to-sri-lanka-tunnel-vision-embrace-of-
an-organic-only-farming-model-sets-country-up-for-economic-and-environmental-backwardness/
Tiny Computers Reveal How Tahiti‟s Tree Snails

Evade a Fierce Predator
The bean-sized snail has persevered despite hundreds of related species going extinct in
recent decades.
B Y H A N N A H T H O M A S Y J U LY 1 4 , 2 0 2 1
The gleaming white Tahitian tree snail Partula hyalina rests on a leaf beside one of
the world's smallest computers. C O U R T E S Y I N H E E L E E
In This Story
DESTINATION GUIDE
French Polynesia
C I N D Y B I C K I S O N A mission. The University of Michigan evolutionary biologist scans

her surroundings as she treks through the forested valleys on the north side of Tahiti. Most
visitors come to this South Pacific island to enjoy its beaches and clear water, but Bick is here
for another reason. She spots her quarry: a bean-sized dot of white on a sunlit leaf. It‘s Partula
hyalina, a small snail with a big story about risk and resilience in island species. With the aid of
miniature computers about the size of a grain of rice, researchers are beginning to understand
how this one species survived where so many of its relatives perished.
Over the past few centuries, and particularly since the 1980s, hundreds of species of Pacific
Island land snails have gone extinct; they account for a staggering 40 percent of all documented
animal extinctions. Like other flora and fauna that evolved on islands, isolated from the outside
world for tens of millions of years, these species have had few defenses against the multitude of
invasive species introduced—intentionally and otherwise—by humans. Often, attempts to
control invasive species by introducing another invasive species only created a bigger mess.
―What I can say about this family in terms of their conservation status is, it is extremely grim,‖
says Brenden Holland, a conservation biologist at Hawaiʻi Pacific University who studies land
snails, a group that includes tree snails like P. hyalina. ―These lineages are just poorly adapted to
cope with invasive predators, and that tends to be the main threat. And so, we‘ve seen really
extraordinary levels of extinction in the last four decades or so.‖
But as its cousins blinked out of existence one by one, P. hyalina, currently listed as vulnerable,
is hanging on. It hasn‘t been easy. On Tahiti, a formidable predator hunts them: the invasive rosy
wolf snail, Euglandina rosea, also known as the cannibal snail. These snails can grow up to four
inches long and are capable of impressive bursts of speed: When pursuing prey, they can
reach 19 mph over short distances. The rosy wolf snail is armed with an especially
fearsome radula (a tongue-like appendage lined with teeth) that it can extend, Alien-style, beyond
its mouth. The teeth themselves are elongated to more effectively scrape away flesh. ―It can
devour [another snail] whole, or it will take some time just rasping away at the soft body tissue
of the snail,‖ says Bick. ―It‘s a pretty brutal way to go.‖
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/tahiti-tree-snails
Modern-day agricultural heroes: Celebrating pioneers in

crop ag
By Dr. Carol Curchoehttp://www.artcompass.io/ Published: July 14, 2021
FOLLOW AGDAILY
The benefits from public and private investment in agricultural research are immense and have
transformed the world‘s food security by developing and applying science to increase the
productivity and advancements of agriculture. The way that many agricultural pioneers —
scientists who have made major discoveries in crop farming — have impacted society and the
course of history is astounding.
Before I started researching this article, I didn‘t know who discovered chlorophyll or plant
metabolism, who invented fertilizer, or who the architects of the ―Green Revolution‖ were,
dramatically improving crop breeding methodologies during the 20th century.
Less than 100 years ago, commercial exploitation of hybrid vigor in a self-pollinated crop such
as rice would have been considered impossible. Today, hybrid wheat, rice, and other species
occupies millions of hectares worldwide.
The advances made by agricultural scientists continue to this day with recombinant DNA
technology and breeding strategies to address the changing climate and ever-increasing world
population.
We dive in to show you some of the agricultural industry‘s biggest game-changers over the past
two centuries. They may not be household names, but these agricultural pioneers deserve our
gratitude and respect.
Justus von Liebig

Founder of agricultural science and organic chemistry
Justus Freiherr von Liebig, who lived in the 19th century, was a German scientist who made
major contributions to agricultural and biological chemistry and is considered one of the
principal founders of entire field of organic chemistry. Von Liebig‘s father was a chemical
manufacturer whose shop had a small laboratory, where von Liebig loved to perform
experiments when he was young.
Von Liebig went on as an adult to revolutionize organic analysis of compounds using a five-bulb
device called the ―Kaliapparat.‖ Through his work, he discovered the assimilation of carbon and
hydrogen required a series of chemical reactions that, starting from some organic acids, ended in
the formation of sugar, and maintained that plants feed upon nitrogen compounds, carbon
dioxide from air, and some minerals found in the soil. He was also the first person to invent a
nitrogen-based fertilizer.
Pierre-Joseph Pelletier and Joseph Bienaimé Caventou

Discovered chlorophyll
Pierre Joseph Pelletier and Joseph Bienaim Caventou, were two young students of
pharmacology who had an amazing collaboration together. They worked with and discovered
many alkaloids: nitrogenous organic compounds of plant origin that have pronounced
physiological actions on humans. They include many drugs (morphine, quinine) and poisons
(atropine, strychnine).
Together they discovered emetine (1817), strychnine (1818), brucine (1819), and veratrine
(1819). In 1817, they also discoveredchlorophyll, the green pigment found in almost all plants,
algae, and cyanobacteria.
In 1820, Pelletier and Caventou, went on to demonstrate that cinchonine was a mixture of two
alkaloids that they named as quinine and cinchonine, thus successfully ending a 70-year search
for an effective malaria treatment.
Nicolas de Saussure
Discovered photosynthesis
Nicolas de Saussure was an early pioneer in plant physiology. He was born and lived in Geneva,
Switzerland, and later became professor of mineralogy and geology at the Geneva Academy. De
Saussure‘s most famous book was Recherches chimiques sur la végétation, or Chemical
Research on Plant Matter, published in 1804.
De Saussure studied gas and nutrient uptake in plants by enclosing plants in glass containers and
weighing the plants and enclosed carbon dioxide before and after, de Saussure demonstrated that
plants absorb carbon dioxide during photosynthesis. This showed that carbon in plants comes
from the atmosphere (not the soil, as some believed).
De Saussure proved that the volume of carbon dioxide absorbed is approximately equal to the
volume of oxygen consumed. Because the weight of carbon absorbed was less than the total
weight increase of the plant, de Saussure reasoned that water is absorbed, and in so doing
correctly described the major chemical transformations in photosynthesis.
H.J. Muller
Pioneer of induced mutagenesis
In 1928, Hermann Joseph Muller introduced the world to the concept of point mutation of DNA
facilitated by X-rays. In his paper entitled the Artificial Transmutation of the Gene, he claimed
that high doses of X-rays induced gene mutations in the Drosophila (fruit fly) genome. He
conducted three experiments in 1926 and 1927 that demonstrated that exposure to X-rays can
cause genetic mutations, changes to an organism‘s genome, particularly in egg and sperm cells.
He wrote: ―Organisms are found to be far more plastic in their hereditary basis than has been
believed, and we may confidently look forward to a future in which the surface of the earth will
be overlaid with luxurious crops, at once easy to raise and to gather, resistant to natural enemies
and climate, and readily useful in all their parts.‖
Muller‘s work had different implications for various fields, but it showed conclusively that
environmental factors like radiation affected heritable characteristics of organisms This
discovery enabled crop scientists to directly induce genetic mutations in cultivars, instead of
waiting for mutations to occur spontaneously.
While ultimately Muller is credited with discovering induced mutagenesis, he left behind a
troubling legacy; he specifically avoided peer- review for some of his findings. The evidence is
reviewed at length by Edward Calabrese, who writes, ―The set of papers reveal Muller to be an
inspiring and principled leader while, at other times, he appears as a person with distorted self-
serving interests, highly ideological and partisan, and with little evidence of a moral compass, all
the while being very self-righteous, within the context of a very intelligent, unrelenting,
aggressive and at times disagreeable manner.‖
Nazareno Strampelli
Italian wheat breeder
Nazareno Strampelli was a wheat breeding pioneer in the early 20th century who did not
publish many papers but bred many useful cultivars. Some of Strampelli‘s wheat hybrids were
exported out of Italy and grown on million of hectares in China in the ‘60s and ‘70s. Only since
the 1990s has his work has been recognized at the international level.
Strampelli was among the first, in Europe and in the world, to systematically apply Mendel‘s
laws to plant breeding, (particularly to wheat breeding), which resulted in varieties characterized
by rust resistance, early flowering and maturity and short straw. Due to Strampelli‘s varieties,
Italian wheat production doubled, an achievement that during the fascist regime of Benito
Mussolini was referred to as the ―Wheat Battle.‖
Some of Strampelli‘s wheats, such as Mentana, Ardito and San Pastore, played a key role in the
first phase of Norman Borlaug‘s Green Revolution.
Norman Borlaug, Dr. M. Swaminathan, Dr. Krishnaswami Ramiah

Architects of the Green Revolution
Norman Borlaug developed the ―shuttle breeding program‖ in Mexico, which involved growing
alternate generations of crops under two completely diverse environments. The locations differed
in soil type, temperature, rainfall, and photoperiod. The shuttle breeding procedure led to the
selection of strains possessing relative insensitivity to photoperiod as well as broad spectrum
resistance to stem rust. In addition, it helped to reduce considerably the time needed to breed a
new cultivar.
This gained global importance because places such as India once suffered deadly food famines.
But the Green Revolution in the late 1960s brought an end to the suffering and devastation of
malnutrition through the use of high-yielding cereal varieties and the increased use of irrigation,
fertilizers and pesticides which caused grain production to stabilize and soar.
» Related: AgBookClub Review: „The Man Who Fed the World‟
The Green Revolution was a huge development effort that brought food self-sufficiency to India
in just a few year‘s time. M.S. Swaminathan, a plant geneticist, was inspired and aided by
Bouralug and is credited with designing the Green Revolution by altering plant architecture and
physiological properties through breeding in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), rice (Oryza sativa
L.), corn (Zea mays L.), sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.), and other crops.
The quest for the breeding of crop cultivars capable of responding to higher levels of plant
nutrition started in 1952 when, when Dr. Krishnaswam. Ramiah developed a program for
incorporating genes for fertilizer response from japonica rice cultivars into indica strains at the
Central Rice Research Institute of India.
Dr. William Gaud

Coined the term ‗Green Revolution‘
Dr. William Gaud was an administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development from
its earliest days in 1961 at the outset of the Kennedy administration. He was in charge of its
operations in the Near East and South Asia until 1964. He oversaw an astonishing increase in
food production during this period — particularly in Turkey, India, and Pakistan. In 1964, India
produced 9.8 million tons of wheat. In 1969, it produced 18 million tons. Pakistan‘s yield rose
from 4 million to 7 million tons in the same five years.
He is credited with getting advanced technologies to the poorest countries that would benefit the
most from them. He told the U.S. Congress in 1968 that these countries ―lack the skills to do the
necessary adaptive research. They lack the foreign exchange to import fertilizer. They lack the
capital to build fertilizer plants. They lack the facilities and techniques needed to train their
people in the new ways.‖
George Washington Carver

Saved the South from Starvation
George Washington Carver (1864-1943), was born a slave on a Missouri farm in 1865, Carver
became the first Black student and the first Black faculty member at what is now Iowa State
University and was later recruited by Booker T. Washington to the Tuskegee Institute.
He was an agricultural scientist, inventor and educator who sought to revitalize southern soil that
was stripped by cotton, a nitrogen-depleting crop. He developed a crop-rotation method that
alternated the cotton with legumes like peanuts that fix nitrogen and other edible crops such as
corn. In addition to crop rotation, Carver promoted the practice of using compost to reintroduce
nutrients and add organic matter to the soil. He showed that using compost for soil revitalization
increased its productivity by a hundredfold compared with previous common methods.
During World War I, there were shortages of crops and food, and Carver began developed
alternative uses for sweet potatoes, soybeans, and peanuts. Peanuts were primarily used at that
time to feed livestock, but he developed hundreds of products, including plastics, synthetic
rubber, and paper from them. From soybeans, Carver invented a process for producing paints and
stains, for which three separate patents were issued. Among Carver‘s many synthetic discoveries:
adhesives, axle grease, bleach, chili sauce, creosote, dyes, flour, instant coffee, shoe polish,
shaving cream, vanishing cream, wood stains, and fillers, insulating board, linoleum, meat
tenderizer, metal polish, milk flakes, soil conditioner, and Worcestershire sauce. In all, he
developed 300 products from peanuts and 118 from sweet potatoes, in addition to new products
from waste materials including recycled oil, and paints and stains from clay.
John E. Franz
Discovered glyphosate
John E. Franz was a longtime Monsanto Co. chemist who is named on more than 840 patents and
is most recognized for discovering the glyphosate class of herbicides. Franz‘s work has earned
him several accolades over the years. His biggest came in 1987 when he was awarded the
National Medal of Technology Presidential Award.
―Franz‘s invaluable breakthrough spurred Monsanto to design and produce plants genetically
immune to glyphosates, which allows farmers to use the herbicide without damage to their
crops,‖ the website nationalmedals.org wrote, referencing the adoption by corn and soybean
farmers of Roundup Ready seed technology.
Although glyphosate has become Franz‘s crowning achievement, he branched out beyond that
realm of research while at Monsanto, including working on antiauxin chemistry, plant chemistry,
and nitride sulfide chemistry. The long list of his patents nationally and internationally includes
these fields, as well as several related to the identification and synthesis of glyphosate. He was
inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2007.
Henri de Laulanié
SRI: System of Rice Intensification
Henri de Laulanié avoided the spotlight, and there aren‘t even a handful of photos of him. His
work was barely recognized in his own lifetime, but his innovations may turn out to be key in
feeding the growing world population.
De Laulanié was born in France in 1920 and trained at an agricultural college before becoming a
Jesuit priest. He was sent as a missionary to Madagascar in 1961, where he spent the rest of his
life studying rice. By 1983, de Laulanié had discovered a System of Rice Intensification, ―almost
by accident.‖
Farmers using his techniques could get 8 tons of rice per hectare, against the 2 they usually got
with conventional farming. And yet, his system used half the water, a tenth of the seeds, and
could work with far lower levels of fertilizer or even just compost — farmers could grow four
times more rice!
SRI, as the technique is now known, has a couple of relatively simple ideas that just worked, and
at first nobody was quite sure why. De Laulanié planted tiny seedlings rather than larger plants,
and gave them more space than usual. And rather than flood the paddy in the traditional way, he
just kept the ground moist. This encouraged the rice plants to grow bigger root structures, with
more tillering from the original seed. This technique is more labor intensive, but the yields have
long been reported to be exceptional.
Yuan Longping
Father of hybrid rice
Rice occupies — and will continue to occupy — a pivotal place in global food and livelihood
security systems. Of the annual world production of 596.485 million Mg from 155.128 million
hectares, Asia produces 540.621 million Mg from 138.563 million hectares.
In 1959, China experienced the Great Chinese Famine. Yuan Longping was an agricultural
scientist who was powerless to help the starving people around him in Hunan province. He said,
―There was nothing in the field because hungry people took away all the edible things they can
find. They eat grass, seeds, fern roots, or even white clay at the very extreme.‖
He remembered the sight of those who had starved to death all his life, and it spurned him on to
become known as the ―Father of Hybrid Rice.‖
In the 1950s, two separate theories of heredity were taught in China. One theory was based on
the concept of genes and alleles (Gregor Mendel and Thomas Hunt Morgan), and the other
theory was from Soviet Union scientists Ivan Vladimirovich Michurin and Trofim Lysenko,
which stated that organisms would change over the course of their lives to adapt to
environmental changes they experienced and that their offspring would then inherit the changes.
At the time, the Chinese government‘s official stance on scientific theories favored the Soviet
side. Yuan was taught and mentored by some biologists who followed the ideas of Mendel and
Morgan.
In 1966, Yuan himself was eventually named as a counter-revolutionary, and there were plans to
imprison him. However, a letter of support for Yuan and his work was received based on his
publication about male-sterile rice, and as a result, Yuan was allowed to continue his research
and eventually perfected rice hybrids.
In 1979, Yuan‘s technique for hybrid rice was introduced into the United States, making it the
first case of intellectual property rights transfer in the history of the People‘s Republic of China.
John Charles Walker
Discovered how plants resist diseases
John Charles Walker was an American agricultural scientist noted for his research of plant
disease resistance.
He was the first scientist to demonstrate the chemical nature of disease resistance in plants.
Walker is most known for developing disease-resistant varieties of onions, cabbages, beans,
peas, beets and cucumbers. The National Academy of Sciences said that he was considered ―one
of the world‘s greatest plant pathologists‖ and that ―his fundamental discoveries of plant disease
resistance made a lasting impact on world agriculture.‖
C.T. Patel
Father of hybrid cotton
In India, the hybrid cotton era only just started in 1970 with the release of world‘s first cotton
hybrid ―H 4‖ from Cotton Research Station Surat of Gujarat Agricultural University.
This hybrid was developed by the late Dr. C.T. Patel, who is known as the father of hybrid
cotton. This hybrid, by virtue of its high yield potential and wide adaptability, quickly became
very popular among farmers. Though the work began to develop commercial hybrids in
tetraploid cotton around 1930 at cotton Research Station, Surat, India, it was only realized 40
years later in 1970.
The hybrid cotton era is divided into two parts: the conventional hybrid era and the male sterility
based hybrid era. In the beginning, all the cotton hybrids were developed by conventional
method, i.e., by hand emasculation and pollination. However, the seed of conventional hybrids is
very expensive, because manual labor is needed for emasculation. Genic male sterility (GMS)
has since emerged as a better tool to accelerate hybrid breeding.
Mary-Dell Chilton
Founder of Modern Plant Biotechnology
Mary-Dell Chilton was born February 2, 1939, in Indianapolis, Indiana, and is one of the
founders of modern plant biotechnology. Chilton was the first (1977) to demonstrate the
presence of a fragment of Agrobacterium Ti plasmid DNA in the nuclear DNA of crown gall
tissue.
Her research on agrobacterium also showed that the genes responsible for causing disease could
be removed from the bacterium without adversely affecting its ability to insert its own DNA into
plant cells and modify the plant‘s genome. Chilton described what she had done as disarming the
bacterial plasmid responsible for the DNA transfer.
» Related: Scientist Mary-Dell Chilton and her legacy
She and her collaborators produced the first genetically modified plants using Agrobacterium
carrying the disarmed Ti plasmid (1983). She has been called the ―queen of Agrobacterium.‖
Chilton is author of more than 100 scientific publications.
Robb Fraley
Plant biology and biotech pioneer
Robb Fraley spent decades as Chief Technology Officer for Monsanto Co. and is often referred
to as the ―father of agricultural biotechnology.‖ His oversight at Monsanto incorporated plant
breeding, plant biotechnology, ag biologicals, ag microbials, precision agriculture, and crop
protection, and he is credited with developing the first commercial-scale genetically engineered
crop (or GMO, in more popular terminology) in the 1980s. He has a doctorate in microbiology
and biochemistry from the University of Illinois.
Fraley has been known as a vocal advocate for genetically modified organisms — and the role of
science in helping feed the world‘s growing population — and has pushed for scientists to join
the public dialogue.
Some of his most distinguished honors include being recognized as a World Food Prize Laureate
in 2013, receiving the National Medal of Technology from President Clinton in 1998, and
receiving the National Academy of Sciences Award for the Industrial Application of Science for
his work on crop improvement in 2008, among other recognitions.
Percy Lavon Julian

Synthesized hormones from plants
Percy Lavon Julian was born in 1899 in Montgomery, Alabama, the son of a railway mail clerk
and the grandson of enslaved people. He was accepted at DePauw University in Greencastle,
Indiana, as a sub-freshman, meaning that he had to take high-school courses concurrently with
his freshman courses. Majoring in chemistry, he graduated as valedictorian of his class in 1920.
After graduation he taught chemistry at Fisk University for two years before winning an Austin
Fellowship to Harvard University, where he completed a master‘s degree in organic chemistry.
After Harvard he returned to teaching at West Virginia State College and Howard University. He
was a research chemist and pioneer in the chemical synthesis of medicinal drugs from plants,
such as cortisone, steroids and birth control pills.
In the 1930s chemists recognized the structural similarity of a large group of natural substances
— the steroids. These include the sex hormones and the cortical hormones of the adrenal glands.
The medicinal potential of these compounds was clear, but extracting sufficient quantities of
them virtually impossible. He was inducted into the National Academy of the Sciences, National
Inventors Hall of Fame and the American Chemical Society for his lasting work. Throughout his
life he was socially active in groups seeking to advance conditions for African Americans,
helping to found the Legal Defense and Educational Fund of Chicago and serving on the boards
of several other organizations and universities.
Shang Fa Yang
Discovered the plant hormone ethylene
Shang Fa Yang was a Taiwanese-American plant scientist and a professor at the University of
California, Davis who discovered, among many other things, the mechanism of biosynthesis,
mode of action, and applications of the plant hormone, ethylene.
Ethylene is involved in many complex aspects of the plant life cycle, including seed germination,
root development, shoot and root growth, formation of adventitious roots, abscission of leaves
and fruits, flowering, sex determination, and senescence of flowers and leaves. Ethylene also
helps plants adaptive responses to stress, such as drought, flooding, pathogen attack, or high
salinity. Ethylene is best known, for its essential role in the ripening of fruits, such as tomatoes,
bananas, pears and apples.
Dr. Carol Lynn Curchoe is the founder of ART Compass, and the author of The Thin Pink
Line, Regulating Reproduction. You can find her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram,
and LinkedIn.
https://www.agdaily.com/features/modern-day-agricultural-heroes-celebrating-pioneers-in-crop-
ag/
Nigeria moves forward with nitrogen-efficient GMO rice

Nkechi Isaac | Cornell Alliance for Science | July 15, 2021
Credit: Getty Images
S till basking in the euphoria of commercializing sub-Saharan Africa‘s first genetically

modified (GM) food crop — insect-resistant cowpea —Nigeria has begun moving toward the
environmental release of an improved GM rice.
Nigerian scientists and their counterparts in other African countries are currently meeting in
Abuja to begin compiling a dossier for a national performance trial on the high-yielding
nitrogen-efficient, water-efficient, salt-tolerant (NEWEST) rice. The completed dossier will be
sent to the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA), which regulates the country‘s GM
products.
The scientists said the improved rice variety will be a game-changer for Nigeria and Africa
because it will increase rice production in the continent. Through the use of biotechnology,
NEWEST rice is able to resist drought, withstand salty soil and make use of limited nitrogen in
the soil, thus reducing the need for fertilizer.
NEWEST rice has already undergone confined field trials at the National Cereal Research
Institute (NCRI) at Badeggi in Niger State and is now ready for the next step, which is the
national performance trial, said Dr. Kayode Sanni, the rice project manager for the African
Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF). The NEWEST rice project is a collaboration of
AATF, NCRI, the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN) and other partners.
Dr. Kayode Sanni. Credit: AATF/Twitter

Though rice is one of Nigeria‘s major staple foods, the country currently must import the product
because the conventional rice varieties now grown are low-yielding and unable to meet demand,
Sanni explained. Statistics show that Nigeria is the largest producer of rice in Africa and is
ranked as the 14th in the global index as of 2019. Despite, this, the nation is still one of the
world‘s largest rice importers.
A report by PricewaterhouseCoopers Ltd. on boosting rice production in Nigeria noted that the
country has a per capita consumption of 32 kilograms of rice. In the past decade, consumption
has increased 4.7 percent, almost four times the global consumption average, and reached 6.4
million tonnes in 2017, accounting for about 20 percent of Africa‘s consumption.
Given the importance of rice as a staple food in the country, boosting its production has been
accorded high priority by the government in the past seven years, according to the report. Since
then, significant progress has been recorded, with rice production reaching a peak of 3.7 million
tonnes in 2017.
Despite this improvement, the country‘s rice statistics suggest there is enormous potential to
increase production. Yields have stagnated at 2 tonne per hectare, which is about half the average
achieved in Asia. In addition, as population increases, along with rural to urban migration,
ensuring food security in key staples becomes critical. However, food security cannot be
achieved by a system that depends almost entirely on human muscle power and other manual
methods.
Sanni, who is also the leader for Alliance for Hybrid Rice in Africa, based in Nairobi, Kenya,
said that although the land area for rice had increased, there is also a need to improve yield — a
step that requires technology.
―One of the technologies that we have seen, that can help to improve the usage of the nutrients in
the soil, which happens to be one of the biggest challenges, is that we need fertilizer,‖ he
explained. ―Every year there is depletion in the soil. In Africa, it has been observed that the
nitrogen resource depletes by about 4.4 metric tons per year, so there is a need to supplement
that. And one of the ways to sustainably produce this crop is to have crops that can make the best
of every little nitrogen that is available in the soil, and that is what we are doing.‖
Sanni added: ―We have to also be conversant with the fact that the excess use of fertilizer leads
to greenhouse gas emissions, which leads to the release of nitrogen oxide into the environment,
which leads to environmental pollution. So, the reduction of the quantity of fertilizer that the
crop needs helps us to become environmentally friendly even as we produce our rice.
―What this crop will do for our farmers is that it will serve as security for them, and so that when
they plant in a land that has no nitrogen, or in a land where they are unable to have access to
fertilizer on time, their crop will still give them something that can help them to maintain their
livelihood.‖
Dr. Aliyu Umar, executive director of NCRI, said the project would contribute immensely to the
economic growth of Nigeria while addressing key environmental safety issues by ensuring
appropriate nitrogen fertilizer use. He said the NEWESTproject is very important because of the
numerous advantages accruing from it and the fact that most of the farmers who grow rice are
poor and unable to cover the cost of the inputs.
He added the project would greatly enhance the rice revolution which is taking place currently in
the country.
Similarly, Prof. Abdullahi Mustapha, the director-general of the National Biotechnology

Development Agency (NABDA), pointed out that Nigeria is losing billions of naira annually
owing to the massive importation of rice. He stressed that a lot of job opportunities are lost
because of the nation‘s inability to produce enough rice.
Prof. Abdullahi Mustapha. Credit: NABDA

He lauded President Muhammadu Buhari for placing restrictions on rice importation to
encourage more local production of the commodity. Though recent moves had led to an
improvement in the rate of locally-grown rice, supply still falls short of local demand as farmers
are still unable to meet up with the consumption rate of the continuously increasing population,
he said.
The NABDA boss identified nitrogen deficiency and drought as key constraints to rice
production in Africa and by extension Nigeria, saying it had been ascertained that production of
rice alone was responsible for more than 15 percent of fertilizer usage worldwide.
The improved nitrogen use efficiency within rice production systems could increase crop yields,
lower the continent‘s nitrogen fertilizer deficit, reduce its soil nutrient depletion and protect
water quality, Mustapha said.
With a majority of farmers unable to buy and apply the required rate of fertilizer for optimal
yield, nitrogen deficiency remains a key concern, he said. The application of biotechnology tools
to improve the quality of local rice seeds will usher the nation into a tremendous avalanche of
wealth, job creation and a healthier environment.
―Nitrogen deficiency is predominant in rainfed (both upland and lowland) areas. It is mostly
acute in the highly weathered upland areas (about 38 percent of the cultivated rice area) where an
average yield of only one tonne per hectare, which is about 25 percent of yield potential, has
been recorded. In lowland areas (33 percent of the cultivated rice area), it is difficult to retain
applied nitrogen due to floods and flowing water that characterise such areas.
―On the other hand, 80 percent of rice farms traditionally depend on the unreliable rainfall and
are unable to afford irrigation facilities, making drought a major concern. Improving the nitrogen
use efficiency (NUE) of rice is one means of overcoming the nitrogen deficiency limitation.
Estimates indicate that with 50 percent less nitrogen fertilizer, yields would go up by 20 percent
more than with conventional rice,‖ he added.
Speaking on the requirements for dossier submission, review and commercial release of GM
crops in Nigeria, Dr. Rufus Ebegba, the director-general of the National Biosafety Management
Agency (NBMA), said crops must meet all safety standards before permits are granted. The
dossier application process includes public input, as well as consulting with a national biosafety
committee and the national biosafety sub technical committee, which work independently to
review the dossier.
The recommendations of the national biosafety sub technical committee guide the agency in its
final decision based on scientific evidence that the crop will have no environmental impact or
risk to human health and will be of economic value to the nation. He pointed out the agency was
established to ensure that modern biotechnology is deployed safely to enhance the economy of
the nation, particularly the agricultural sector and the production of raw materials for industry.
Nkechi Isaac is a deputy editor with Leadership Newspaper, a national publication

headquartered in Abuja, Nigeria. She frequently covers biotechnology and biosafety issues.
Follow her on Twitter @enkaybc
A version of this article was originally posted at the Cornell Alliance for Science and has
been reposted here with permission. The Cornell Alliance for Science can be found on
Twitter @ScienceAlly
https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2021/07/15/nigeria-moves-forward-with-nitrogen-efficient-gmo-rice/
Must-Have Millets! Can the 'First Crops' Turn Out To

Be 'Future Crops' of the Globe?
By Jagpreet Luthra | India Science Wire
(IANS)
Millets are marvellous sources of nutrition. Traditional and rural societies everywhere in the
country and agricultural scientists in the top echelons of the Indian government have long known
it. But it took free India 70 years to notify millets as ―Nutri-Cereals‖—in 2018—which was also
nationally declared as ―The Year of Millets‖.
According to a note prepared by the Union Agriculture Ministry, ―Millets can help tackle health
challenges such as obesity, diabetes and lifestyle problems as they are gluten-free, have a low
glycemic index and are high in dietary fibre and antioxidants. ‖The note further states that
―millets are nutritionally superior to wheat and rice owing to their higher levels of protein with a
more balanced amino acid profile, crude fibre and minerals, such as iron, zinc, and
phosphorous.‖
Curative Power
A Mysuru-based scientist, Dr Khader Valli, popularly known as the ―Millet Man of India‖,
explains why millets are superior to rice and wheat. How our body processes food is important to
the absorption and value of food:
―Any food that takes a longer time to break down the glucose and fructose to be absorbed by the
blood is truly healthy. While rice takes only 45 minutes to be absorbed by the blood, positive
grains or millets take six hours‖, says Dr Valli.
A post-doctoral fellow of Environment Science at Beaverton, Oregon, Dr Valli did his PhD on
steroids at the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru. But that was a long time ago. For the last
35 years, since he quit a lucrative job in the U.S., Dr Valli has dedicated himself to the
promotion of millets. He swears by their therapeutic value and prescribes a mix of five millets to
his patients. Called the Siridhanya (rich grains) diet plan, it includes Kodo, Barnyard, Foxtail,
Brown Top and Little Millets, and is reported to have cured patients suffering from a host of
diseases, including anaemia, infertility, diabetes and cancer. Dr Valli says, Barnyard millet,
known as Udalu in Kannada and jhangora in Hindi, is his ―personal favourite‖.
Popular Dishes
In south India, Barnyard Millet flour is popularly used for making local foods like idli and dosa.
In the north, especially in Uttarakhand, it is mixed with milk and sugar/jaggery to make a sweet
dish, madirakikheer and with buttermilk known as paleu. Mixed millets khichdi is also popular
in many parts of India while millet cookies, puffs, flakes and laddus are fancied items at high-
end organic food stores all over the country. Research studies confirm the high nutrition of
millets in general and Barnyard Millet in particular.
A 2019 research paper by V. G. Ranganathan and others of the Tamil Nadu Agriculture
University, Madurai, titled ―Barnyard Millet for Food and Nutritional Security: Current Status
and Future Research‖, published in Frontiers in Genetic Nutrigenomics, June 23, 2020, says:
―The nutritive value of Barnyard Millet is superior to that of other major and minor millets. It is
a rich source of calcium, protein, magnesium, fat, vitamins, and some essential amino acids.‖
According to the paper, the average carbohydrate content of Barnyard Millet varies between 51.5
and 62.9/100 grams, which is lower than that of other millets; its fibre, ranging between 8.1%
and 16.3%, is higher than in any other cereal and the protein content, between 11.2% and 12.7%,
is reasonably higher than in other millets and cereals. ―The high ratio of carbohydrates to crude
fibre ensures the slower release of sugar in the blood, aiding in maintaining blood sugar levels.‖
Recognising their nutritional value, the agriculture ministry recommended the inclusion of
millets in the Public Distribution System (PDS) for improving nutritional support, but the idea
has not caught on. Only Karnataka, Odisha and Uttarakhand have introduced millets in PDS, the
main problems being the low shelf life of millets and poor storage facilities. For the same
reasons, millets have not been included in mid-day meal schemes, among the most important
places for the implementation of the government‘s plan for millets.
Food as Status Symbol
While the government is still struggling against bottlenecks, private businesses are retailing
millets successfully. Not just whole millets and millet flour, but also ready-to-eat items made out
of them, are in high demand at upmarket food stores, which many find ―unusual‖. ―Initially, I
was surprised to find foreigners and high-profile Indians asking for items made out of
such desi things as ragi and jhangora that I thought were rather crude,‖ says saleswoman
Meenakshi at one such store.―But now I know better,‖ she adds. Experts understand why she
thought poorly of millets.
According to Senior Scientist at the Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR)—Indian

Agriculture Research Institute, Delhi, Dr R S Bana, the young population of traditional and tribal
societies have an ―inferiority complex‖ about millets and need to be educated about their
nutritional value. They perceive rice and wheat as superior foods, he says, an observation that is
endorsed by researchers. However, the scene has changed over the last decade.
Coarse Vs Refined
Lifestyle diseases like diabetes, hypertension, and cancer, sourced to the preference for
chemically processed and fast foods over the whole and coarse ones, have made the wealthy
review their dietary choices. Refined and polished foods are being blacklisted by them and crude
foods with good roughage are the order of the day.
Dr Bana agrees that there is a sizeable section of the rich and educated that is lately quite
sensitive to the value of millets. It is they who offer the best hope of promoting millets. ―Once
they adopt these cereals as a staple diet, the approach of the poor people would also change.‖ As
of now, Dr Bana says, poor people are eating these nutritious foods ―by default‖.
POSHAN Atlas
A document, ―The Current Position of Millets‖, prepared by the Union Agriculture Ministry,
talks about ways to promote the consumption and production of millets. Interestingly, it refers to
a millet recipe book in regional languages published by The Indian Institute of Millets Research
(IIMR).
As if to underline the importance of millets in the Prime Minister‘s Overarching Scheme for
Holistic Nutrition (POSHAN), a ―POSHAN Atlas‖ is being prepared under the guidance of the
Principal Scientific Advisor; the atlas has information on state-specific recipes that account for
cultural food preferences and palates. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)
has designed and is running the ―Eat Right India Initiative‖, which, the ministry paper says,
could be an avenue for pushing for wider use of millets.
The flip-flop over millets—from being known as the poor man‘s food to being projected as a
health food—also makes one wonder about the origin and composition of millets. According to a
research paper by P. Ashoka and others, (published in November 2020 in The International
Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences), millets originated in and around India,
and have been the staple diet and health guardians of traditional societies for centuries.
Belonging to the Poaceae/Graminae family, they are small-seeded grasses, yielding two major
millets (Sorghum and bajra) and six minor millets (Finger, Foxtail, Little, Proso, Kodo, and
Barnyard millets). Recently, a few minor millets have been added to this group, likeFonio,
Quinoa and BrownTop millet.
―Each of the millets‖, the paper notes, ―is three to five times nutritionally superior to the widely
promoted rice and wheat in terms of proteins, minerals (calcium and iron), and vitamins and
fibre.‖ Millets, it adds, ―are an ideal food for all the people, irrespective of age, and especially
beneficial for children, pregnant and lactating women who are prone to anaemia.‖
Local to Global
Today, India is the number one producer and consumer of millets in the world with Rajasthan as
the top producer of millets in the country followed by Karnataka. The most interesting part of the
millet graph is that in March this year, the United Nations declared 2023 as ―The International
Year of Millets‖. The resolution in the U.N. General Assembly was proposed by India, and the
Union Agriculture Ministry is already busy planning its campaign.
With so much energy being injected into the campaign, it would be no surprise if millets,
described as ―the first crops‖ in a government book, ―The Story of Millets‖, turn out to be ―the
future crops‖—not just in India but across the globe.
**
The above article has been published from a wire source with minimal modifications to the
headline and text.
https://weather.com/en-IN/india/environment/news/2021-07-14-must-have-millets-can-the-first-crops-
turn-out-to-be-future-crops
The Big Potential of Little Millet
14-Jul-2021 8:00 AM EDT, by American Society of Agronomy (ASA), Crop Science Society of America
(CSSA), Soil Science Society of America (SSSA)
Venu Gopal
Plant scientist Mani Vetriventhan in an experimental field used to study different varieties of little millet.
PreviousNext
Newswise — July 14, 2021 - Since humans began cultivating the land, we‘ve prioritized one
type of crop above all others: grain. With high amounts of minerals, protein, and vitamins, cereal
grains form the foundation of diets worldwide.
But while our ancestors grew many different kinds of grains, today only a few reign supreme.
Corn, wheat and rice dominate modern agriculture. And they provide about 60% of the calories
humans eat worldwide.
Yet many other grains are available. They can serve important roles, such as hedging against
climate change and providing farmers with diverse sources of income. One such grain, known
mainly in India, is called little millet.
―Little millet grains are versatile and taste similar to rice, and can easily be incorporated into
existing rice or maize-based recipes,‖ says Mani Vetriventhan, a scientist at the International
Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics in India. ―It is a good alternative staple in
cereal-based diets, particularly in a changing climate.‖
Little millet production fell from the 1950s to the early 21st century. ―The decline in
consumption is mainly due to a major shift in diet preferences from traditional millets to rice,
wheat, maize and other commercial crops,‖ explains Vetriventhan.
But that‘s changing. ―Currently, the demand for little millet and other small millets has
increased, underlining the need for more research and policy support,‖ Vetriventhan adds.
To help farmers decide which varieties of little millet to grow, Vetriventhan and his colleagues
grew and studied 200 different types of the grain for yield and nutrient potential.
This work can help researchers choose little millet varieties to release and varieties to improve
through breeding. The research was recently published in Crop Science, a publication of the
Crop Science Society of America.
The scientists focused on important crop traits like grain yield and plant height. But they also
looked at nutrition. Staple grains have to supply a lot of important nutrients to keep people
healthy. So Vetriventhan‘s team measured grain protein content. They also analyzed the essential
minerals calcium, iron and zinc. To get an average set of measurements, the scientists grew the
crops over two different years.
Not surprisingly, the 200 types of little millet varied a lot. Yet for each important trait, like yield,
some stood out. Fifteen varieties had significantly higher yield, some double the average. Other
varieties produced a lot of straw, which could be useful as a biofuel.
There are two main types of little millet, known as nana and robusta. During the experiments,
researchers found that nana plants matured earlier than robusta. But robusta plants tended to
produce better yields. Knowing this, farmers can choose which variety to plant based on the
growing season and rain patterns to maximize their production.
The little millet seeds are nutritious. For the nutrients studied by the team, little millet could
provide more than the amounts provided by rice, wheat or corn.
In the future, the most promising varieties can be tested in different countries. By growing them
in other types of soil and climate, scientists can identify which perform most consistently.
―Such evaluations would help identify valuable varieties that can be released for farmers to grow
or can be used in little millet breeding,‖ says Vetriventhan.
Because of little millet‘s many attractive qualities, Vetriventhan hopes that both consumers and
farmers give it a second look. For consumers, little millet can be a nutritious supplement or
alternative to other grains like rice. And farmers can benefit from its resilience in the fields.
―Little millet is a multipurpose crop,‖ says Vetriventhan. ―It can be used for food, bird feed, and
bioenergy. It is less affected by pests, diseases and environmental stresses compared to other
grain crops, and it grows well under low-input agriculture.‖
Vetriventhan Mani is a senior scientist at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-
Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) in India. The research was done as part of the CGIAR Genebank
Platform.
American Society of Agronomy, Soil Science Society of America, Crop Science Society of
America: Collectively, these Societies represent more than 12,000 individual members around
the world. Members are researchers and professionals in the areas of growing the world‘s food
supply while protecting the environment. Together members work toward solutions to advance
scientific knowledge in the areas of agronomy, crop science, and soil science.
https://www.newswise.com/articles/the-big-potential-of-little-millet
Rice from heaven: China harvests first batch of rice that

returned from Moon last year
Beijing has earmarked 2.4 million hectares of land for the cultivation of space crops.
India Today Web Desk
New Delhi
July 14, 2021
UPDATED: July 14, 2021 17:59 IST
The seeds travelled more than 7,60,000 kilometers to the Moon last November. (Photo: CGTN)
China, which has been pushing for deep space exploration with its ambitious projects, has now
harvested the first batch of rice cultivated from seeds that returned from space.
Beijing, in a bid to strengthen its food security, had approved harvesting of rice seeds that returned
from the lunar voyage with the Chang'e-5 mission.
According to state television, scientists cultivated rice from 40 grams of seed that travelled with the
lunar probe. They are now in the process of studying the harvest so as to identify the best variety of
seeds that can be approved to be cultivated across the country.
The growing push for food security comes amid China's massive population and demand for
consumables.
A TRIP ACROSS THE MOON
Dubbed "rice from heaven", the seeds travelled more than 7,60,000 kilometers to the Moon last
November and returned to Earth on December 17 after 23 days of flight onboard China's
Chang'e-5 lunar probe. Seedlings were then developed and planted at the National Engineering
Research Center of Plant Space Breeding at South China Agricultural University (SCAU).
The growing push for food security comes amid China's massive population and demand for
consumables. (Photo: CGTN)
During the trip, the seeds were exposed to violent sunspot activity apart from cosmic radiation and
zero gravity. Chineses researchers believe that some of these seeds can mutate and produce higher
yields and improved quality.
Guo Tao, deputy director at the research centre, told China Media Group that the best seeds would be
bred in laboratories and later planted in fields. It is expected to offer new varieties of rice that will
boost China's grain harvest and enhance the breeding industry's efficiency.
https://www.indiatoday.in/science/story/rice-from-heaven-china-harvests-first-batch-of-rice-that-returned-
from-moon-last-year-1828145-2021-07-14
Mumbai Angels Network invests undisclosed amount

in energy storage startup Indi Energy
By FPJ Web Desk
Nandini Mansinghka, Co Founder & CEO, Mumbai Angels Network Mumbai Angels Network

Mumbai Angels Network, a premium startup investment platform for early-stage venture
investments, has invested in Indi Energy, committed to developing energy storage technologies
such as lithium-ion and sodium-ion batteries, solid-state batteries, supercapacitors, etc. as a part
of its seed round. While the funding amount remains undisclosed, Indi Energy will be utilising
the funds in bolstering its R&D and scaling up its proprietary sodium-ion battery technology.
Akash Soni, Co-Founder and CEO - Indi Energy said, ―Indi Energy is on a mission to develop
low-cost, safe, and high-performance Sodium-ion batteries that are manufactured from
agricultural waste and biowaste such as paddy straws and natural resources from the earth such
as sodium, thereby reducing our dependence on scarce elements such as lithium, cobalt, and
nickel which are essential components of Lithium-ion batteries. We are thrilled to have an
eminent investor Mumbai Angels Network backing us in our journey. This funding will allow us
to bolster infrastructure and scale up our business through the development of our Sodium-ion
battery technology.‖
Commenting on the investment, Nandini Mansinghka, Co-Founder & CEO- Mumbai Angels
Network said, ―Indi Energy‘s commitment to reducing reliance on scarce resources to build its
proprietary sodium-ion battery will be a revolutionary step in the energy storage space.‖
―Indi Energy is developing all the components of Sodium-ion batteries including anode, cathode,
electrolyte, and separator, alongside the battery cell manufacturing process. This capital infusion
will enable us to reach greater heights through strengthening our R&D processes‖, added Prof.
Yogesh Sharma, Associate Professor, IIT, Roorkee and Head of R&D, Indi Energy.
With an experienced core team of scientists and engineers from IIT, Roorkee, Indi Energy
envisions providing indigenously developed, cost-effective, safe, and high-performance battery
technology for various applications including solar and wind grid storage, electric scooters and e-
rickshaws, SLI batteries, batteries for solar lights, UPS batteries, and inverter batteries, amongst
others.
Furthermore, Indi Energy has made breakthroughs in Sodium-ion batteries with its energy
density 3-4 times better than the commercialized lead-acid batteries that are currently available
in the market. The company has also filed patents for Sodium-ion batteries, having invented a
high-performance Sodium-ion negative electrode material from rice/paddy straw and cattle
manure. This is a ground-breaking step that addresses the prevalent issue of burning rice/paddy
straw and stubble by converting them into a valuable energy source.
(To receive our E-paper on whatsapp daily, please click here. We permit sharing of the paper's
PDF on WhatsApp and other social media platforms.)
 Mumbai Angels Network

 startup Indi Energy
 energy startup
https://www.freepressjournal.in/business/mumbai-angels-network-invests-undisclosed-amount-in-energy-
storage-startup-indi-energy
'Rice price highest in Bangladesh among 5 countries'

Iftekhar Mahmud
Dhaka
Published: 14 Jul 2021, 21:49

Two men are winnowing paddy in Beel Pabla area of Dumuria upazila in Khulna on 6 May
2021.Saddam Hossain
Despite high yield of boro paddy, adequate stock in the government warehouses and low price at
the international markets, the rice price is very high in the local market.
According to the state-owned Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB), price of coarse

varieties of rice reached Tk 50 in the markets in the capital. Rice price increased by Tk 2 per kg
in a week. Rice is being sold at Tk 46-50 per kg at retail shop. The price is 13 per cent higher
than that of previous year.
Usually, rice price falls in the country during boro harvest since more than 55 per cent of total
rice is produced during this season. But this year rice price didn‘t fall and started rising before
the harvesting season ends.
The country‘s rice prices are the highest among five countries -- Bangladesh, India, Pakistan,
Thailand and Vietnam.
According to the latest report of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the daily
food crops report of the health ministry, rice price has decreased in those countries.
As a result, Bangladesh can import coarse varieties of rice at a rate of Tk 33-40 a kg -- lower
price than local market.
Price of medium and fine varieties of rice also didn‘t drop. Rice of medium BR-28 variety and
same quality were being sold at Tk 52-56 a kg at retail shops in Dhaka – a 10 per cent higher
than the price in the previous year. Fine varieties of rice are being sold at Tk 60-62 a kg and
najirshail rice at Tk 65-70 a kg – an 8 per cent rise from the previous year.
As countrywide Covid-19 restrictions decreased the income of the people working in the
informal sector, people of the lower income bracket have fallen in a crisis because of high prices
of essentials including rice, sugar and edible oil.
Former agriculture secretary and caretaker government adviser AMM Shawkat Ali told Prothom
Alo the purchasing power of poor people has dropped amid coronavirus pandemic. Many people
saw their earnings dropping during ongoing restrictions. Income of many people was also
stopped. Amid this circumstance, they may have less food due to high price of rice. The
government should expand the open market sale of rice immediately in addition to taking
initiative to increase supply, ex-caretaker government adviser observed.
More yields, godown full

Nearly 35 million (3.5 crore) tonnes of rice are produced in the country during boro, amon, aush
harvests. Nearly 19.6 million tonnes of rice were produced in last boro harvest. The agriculture
ministry estimated rice production crossed 20 million (2 crore) tonnes during this year‘s boro
harvest.
Rice stocks have reached one and a half years-high to 1.26 million (12.66 lakh) tonnes at the
government warehouses, according to the latest report.
Asked why rice price is on the rise, the owner of one of the country‘s largest rice mill Majumdar
Auto Rice Mill, Chitto Majumdar told Prothom Alo price of rice shouldn‘t be increased so much
considering the production cost. Many new middlemen have been stocking paddy in the markets.
They are increasing the price of rice and paddy. The government should take step after looking
into the matter immediately, he added.
Initiative for import

The government has taken initiative to import rice again. Food secretary Mosammat Nazmanara
Khanum told Prothom Alo, ―We have taken initiative to control the price by importing the grains
through government and private channels. A proposal has been sent to the Prime Minister‘s
Office to reduce the tariff on import for private sector.‖
Asked on the price hike, the secretary said farmers produced coarse varieties of rice less than
they did it before resulting in a low supply of rice and a price hike.
According to the USDA report on the global situation of agriculture production, released on
Tuesday, Bangladesh will have to import rice as the country‘s domestic production will reach at
35.3 million (3.53 crore) tonnes against a demand of 36.1 million (3.61 crore) tonnes.
Currently, an importer has to pay 62.5 per cent of duty to import rice. The government reduced
the amount to 25 per cent for the private sector. The tax facility was in effect till 30 April this
year. Now private sector‘s importers said they can‘t import rice with high tariff anymore.
According to the ministry sources, the government is now mulling to set a tariff on import so that
price of rice can fall and farmers won‘t be affected as well.
People also want to purchase rice at a low price.
Sadek Hossain, who drives a motorcycle on hire, went to the open market sale point of the
Directorate General of Food at the capital‘s Dhakkhin Bishil to buy rice. He said, ―Police fined
me for two days after I went out to drive the motorcycle defying the strict Covid-19 restrictions.
Now I have no money. That‘s why I came to purchase the rice at the government-run shop.‖
*This report appeared in the print and online edition of Prothom Alo and has been rewritten
in English by Hasanul Banna
Read more from Local
https://en.prothomalo.com/business/local/rice-price-highest-in-bangladesh-among-5-countries
Revolutionize farm sector, increase exports

By Newsmeter NetworkPublished on 14 July 2021 7:38 AM
Vijayawada: Imagine savoring black and red rice with a bowl of mutton stew!
Cultivation of exotic black and red rice is slowly increasing in Andhra Pradesh. Considered
nutritious and low on fat, its demand is growing by the day.
The demand has also renewed hopes among the farmers who have been struggling to make the
ends meet. Colored rice fetches double the profit of conventional white rice.
As per estimates over 1,000 farmers in Andhra Pradesh are engaged in black and red rice
farming.
Under the natural farming initiative, the agriculture department has been promoting the
cultivation of black and red rice and other varieties in Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, West
Godavari, Krishna, and Guntur.
Black rice (Kala Batti) is a range of rice that turns purple when cooked. The purple color is due
to its anthocyanin content.
"The black rice has more vitamins, calcium, and other minerals when compared to regular white
rice. Black rice is also rich in fiber and has anti-carcinogenic properties. The plant is black in
color and so is the grain. Similarly, the red-rice (Ratna Chodi) is rich in iron," said K Prakash,
District Project Manager of Natural Farming, Vizianagaram.
A few selected farmers started black and red rice farming on a pilot basis a year ago. Now, the
area under cultivation of black and red varieties has increased to over 200 acres in Vizianagaram
district alone.
"Soon, the farming of the colored rice will become fancy. More farmers will prefer exotic over
traditional white rice," Prakash said.
Muralikrishna, a farmer who grows colored rice said he will try to persuade other villagers to
cultivate Kala Batti as it gives a yield in 140 days.
``I came to know about the benefits and huge market value of black rice and decided to
experiment on some land. The input cost for growing the variety is also low and the return is
good. Demand for the variety is also more, he said.
D Sudhakar, a resident of Vizag city said they have been consuming the black rice variety for the
past few months as it improves immunity and controls diabetes
Key highlights:
Farmers sell black rice at Rs 200 per kg and red rice at Rs150 per kg
The yield of black rice is 15 to 18 bags per acre
The crop fetches a premium price with less input cost compared to the normal white rice.
Scientists say red-rice and black rice are exported to the USA and European Countries from
India.Western Odisha farmers have success stories in growing black and red rice varieties
Few farmers are growing exotic rice in the hilly areas of Vizag Agency
https://newsmeter.in/regional/andhra-pradesh/black-and-red-rice-andhra-tries-exotic-paddy-to-
revolutionize-farm-sector-increase-exports-680669
Food prices no longer an issue, says DOF

Philippine Daily Inquirer / 05:20 AM July 15, 2021
With more imported pork and rice coming in, the Department of Finance (DOF) sees an end to
elevated food inflation this month.
Food prices are expected to ease steadily as imports rise to boost domestic supply.
However, Finance Undersecretary and chief economist Gil Beltran said ―bolstering food
productivity is necessary for long-term food price stability.‖
Beltran, in an economic bulletin, noted that food inflation was steady in June at 4.9 percent year-
on-year, similar to the rate in May.
Last month, ―the average prices of rice, fruits, and vegetables declined by 1.1 percent, 0.64 percent,
and 2.71 percent, respectively, muting the higher-than-average inflation in the prices of meat
(19.24 percent) and fish (8.66 percent)‖ compared to year-ago levels, Beltran said.
Month-on-month, food prices eased by 0.07 percent in June mainly as meat and fish prices
declined 0.32 percent and 0.89 percent, respectively, compared to levels last May, Beltran added.
State planning agency National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) last week reported
that supplies of rice, chicken, fish and pork were expected to be ample up to year-end. Neda had
said rice and pork supply would be boosted by President Duterte‘s recent executive orders, which
allowed increased importation of these Filipino food staples at lower tariffs.
Expensive pork due to tight supply caused by the African swine fever crisis had pushed headline
inflation above the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas‘ target range of manageable increases in prices of
basic commodities. Headline inflation averaged 4.4 percent during the first half, above the 2-4
percent target band.
As for oil, Beltran said recent prices trended up ―as global recovery boosts oil demand.‖
―Transport and electricity inflation rose as Dubai crude oil price surged to $70.96 per barrel in
June, up 7.5 percent from $65.98 in May 2021 and 76.8 percent from $40.14 per barrel in June
2020 as global demand rises,‖ Beltran noted.
For Beltran, ―a quick pass-through of international crude oil prices on domestic prices is desirable
since the country is an oil importer.‖
―The use of more energy-efficient technologies has allowed the country to trim down the impact of
oil-price adjustments on domestic inflation,‖ according to Beltran.
https://business.inquirer.net/327214/food-prices-no-longer-an-issue-says-
dof#ixzz70g9kNZrV
Stocks rise for second consecutive day

Star Business Report
Wed Jul 14, 2021 03:44 PM
Stocks continued to rise for the second consecutive day today because of increased
participation of institutional investors.
DSEX, the benchmark index of the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE), edged up 7 points, or
0.11 per cent, to 6,273.
GQ Ball Pen topped the gainers list that rose 9.97 per cent on the DSE floor followed by
Paper Processing & Packaging, Tamijuddin Textiles, Bengal Windsor Thermoplastics and
Shinepukur Ceramics.
However, turnover, another important indicator of the market, fell 1 per cent to Tk 1,648
crore today from the previous day.
At the DSE, 166 stocks advanced, 174 fell and 33 remained unchanged.
Stocks of Beximco Ltd was traded highest that worth Tk 119 crore followed Paramount
Textiles, IFIC Bank, Power Grid Company, and Sonali Life Insurance.
Tallu Spinning shed mostly that lost 8.13 per cent followed by Sonali Life Insurance,
Bangladesh Industrial Finance Company, and Kattali Textiles.
The Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE), however, dropped today. The CASPI, the general
index of the port city bourse, fell 18 points, or 0.10 per cent, to 18,201.
Among the traded 315 stocks, 139 rose, 143 fell and 33 remained unchanged.
https://www.thedailystar.net/business/news/stocks-rise-second-consecutive-day
Meet the superfood experts say could help manage weight

and lower blood pressure
Updated: 7:30 AM EDT Jul 14, 2021
By Sandee LaMotte, CNN
Eating at least three servings of whole grains each day can keep your weight, blood pressure and
blood sugar levels in check as you age, a new study found.
"Eating whole-grain foods as part of a healthy diet delivers health benefits beyond just helping us
lose or maintain weight as we age," said senior author Nicola McKeown, a scientist on the
nutritional epidemiology team at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on
Aging at Tufts University, in a statement.
"These data suggest that people who eat more whole grains are better able to maintain their
blood sugar and blood pressure over time," McKeown said. "Managing these risk factors as we
age may help to protect against heart disease."
In the study, published Tuesday in The Journal of Nutrition, researchers followed 3,100 people
in their 50s at regular four-year intervals for 18 years, thus allowing researchers to track changes
in eating habits over time.
Compared to people who ate less than one-half serving of whole grains, people who ate three or
more servings daily over time had a lower average increase in waist size (0.5 inch instead of 1
inch) and a greater decline in triglyceride levels during each four-year period.
A single serving of whole grains is one slice of whole-grain bread, or a half cup of oats, or a half
cup of brown rice.
In addition, average increases in blood sugar levels and systolic blood pressure (the top number,
which measures the force your heart exerts on artery walls each time it beats) were also lower in
people who ate more whole grains, despite any increase in waist size.
Why whole grains?

Eating the whole grain, as our ancestors used to do, provides a host of benefits to the body that
are lost when the grain is processed.
The flour in white breads, bagels, pastries and pasta has lost the grain's fiber-rich outer layer
during the refining process. Also lost is the inner germ layer that's full of antioxidants,
magnesium, potassium, vitamin B and healthy fats. Only the starchy part of the grain is left.
But keeping the grain whole can increase dietary fiber and "have a satiating effect," thus
reducing calorie intake, while "the magnesium, potassium, and antioxidants may contribute to
lowering blood pressure," said first author Caleigh Sawicki, who was a doctoral student at the
Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University
when she worked on the study.
"Soluble fiber in particular may have a beneficial effect on post-meal blood sugar spikes," said
Sawicki, currently a postdoctoral research fellow at Brigham and Women's Hospital at Harvard
T.H. Chan School of Public Health, in a statement.
Study: Too much Southern food can cause a sudden heart attack. Here's the diet that
reduced the risk
However, the "average American consumes about five servings of refined grains daily, much
more than is recommended, so it's important to think about ways to replace refined grains with
whole grains throughout your day," McKeown said.
"For example, you might consider a bowl of whole-grain cereal instead of a white flour bagel for
breakfast and replacing refined-grain snacks, entrees, and side dishes with whole-grain options,"
she added. "Small incremental changes in your diet to increase whole-grain intake will make a
difference over time."
Ancient grains
In the U.S. and Europe, ancient grains like protein-rich quinoa, farro and amaranth have been
growing in popularity for the past decade and a half. These grains have remained largely
unchanged over the past several hundred years, according to the Whole Grains Council.
Try ancient grains as a base for a grain salad at lunchtime or as a side at dinner. Less commonly
known ancient grains include iron-rich teff, which has a distinctive nutty flavor but can be pricier
than more common grains like oats. You can experiment with these grains by incorporating them
in small amounts into your morning bowl of oatmeal.
https://www.wmur.com/article/whole-grains-weight-blood-pressure/
Fertiliser ban and economic crisis
2021/07/15
By Dilshan Nadeera
A number of factors indicate the state of the economy of a country. Among these are growth rate,
trade deficit (TD), exchange rate (Rs/US $) and debts. The growth rate of Sri Lanka has declined
after 2015. It dwindled to 4.5% in 2016 and 3.1% in 2017 and in 2020 it was -3.6 %. The Trade
Deficit (the difference between exports and imports- TD) shows a decrease, but at present it
stands at – 6.1 US$ billion. Exchange rate continued to increase from Rs. 111 to a US $ in 2010
to Rs. 186 in 2020. Currently it is around Rs. 200. At the end of 2020, the total outstanding
external debt was US $ 49.2 billion. These figures indicate that Sri Lanka is heading towards an
unprecedented economic crisis.
Research studies conducted in Sri Lanka and elsewhere indicate that application of inorganic
fertilisers tends to increase growth and yields of crops. The recent decision taken by the
government to ban the import of fertilisers and pesticides, is likely to retard crop production in
the country and a drop in the yields of all crops. Currently the average paddy production in Sri
Lanka is about 4 t/ha, and this is likely to be reduced if inorganic fertilisers, such as urea, are not
applied at correct times. Already paddy farmers in some areas are complaining that basal
fertilisers were not available for their Yala crop. If this situation continues to prevail, local crop
production including rice will decrease, causing food imports such as rice, pulses, etc., to
increase.
Even at present, annually we spend nearly US $ 2 million on food imports. Increase in

expenditure on food imports will exacerbate the present economic and social problems in the
country. Reduction in local food production will affect the food security situation of the country
and a rise in food prices which we are experiencing at present. Decrease in productivity will
make the farmers poorer, which will tend to reduce their buying capacity, affecting local
industries and thereby increasing unemployment. There are around one million farmers and
when their incomes go down it will seriously affect their standard of living, their heath, and the
education of their children.
The Soil Science Society of Sri Lanka, (SSSSL) the membership of which includes soil scientists
representing the university academia, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Export
Agriculture, etc., in a letter sent to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, , has expressed its concerns
over the proposed move to shift towards organic fertilisers. According to the SSSSL, banning
import of inorganic fertilisers will have disastrous effects on the crop sector.
Sri Lanka Agricultural Economics Association (SAEA) is the professional body representing the
agricultural economists of Sri Lanka. The SAEA too predicts massive economic losses due to
potential yield losses, in the absence of proper substitutes for chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
The immediate adverse impacts on food security, farm incomes, foreign exchange earnings and
rural poverty can be detrimental.
Our annual export earnings from tea is around US $ 1 billion, and non-availability of inorganic
fertilisers will also reduce tea production, which will cause a decline in export income resulting
in a rise in the Trade Deficit, which at present is around -6.1 million US $. The non-availability
of fertilisers, such as urea, will affect tea production and the incomes of the plantation workers as
well. According to the Chairman of Tea Traders Association, the Sri Lanka tea industry will
stand to lose its key markets.
Around 70% of Sri Lanka‘s total tea production comes from tea small holders, and this sector
comprises approximately 500,000 tea land owners covering 138,900 hectares. According to the
Chairman of the Sri Lanka Federation of the Tea Small Holders, because of the fertiliser
shortage, tea production will drop by 30% by the end of 2021 and 50% by March 2022. . This
will lead to a reduction in the incomes of the tea small holders, which will affect nearly 1. 5
million individuals who depend on the tea industry. Reduction of their income will affect the
living standards and health of their families, and the education of their children.
Thus, banning fertilisers will have disastrous effects on the country‘s economy. Those in the
government appear to have not realised the gravity of banning imports of fertilisers and
pesticides. It is essential that the relevant authorities seriously consider all the repercussions of
banning import of inorganic fertilsers and other agrochemicals, and take appropriate action. If
not, the country is going to be doomed.
Dr.C.S. WEERARATNA
csweera@sltnet.lk
https://island.lk/fertiliser-ban-and-economic-crisis/
International Conference on “Best practices for

building sustainable Food Systems in OIC Region”
ByMati Ullah
July 14, 2021
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Minister for National Food Security and Research Syed
Fakhar Imam addressed the participants of the International Conference on “Best
practices for building sustainable Food Systems in OIC Region” held in virtual format on
July 14, 2021.
The Conference was organized by the Islamic Organization for Food Security (IOFS) in
collaboration with various international research organizations.
The minister informed that Pakistan is blessed with a rich natural resource base for agriculture.
He said that we are among the top 10 procedures of Wheat, Rice, Sugarcane, and certain fruits.
However, despite having one of the world-best alluvial soils and the best irrigation system; we
could not fully harness the potential of our agricultural sector.
Syed Fakhar Imam said that the main issues of our agriculture sector include lack of quality seed,
cold storage facilities, farm mechanization, trained manpower, post-harvest management,
processing industries, and digital agriculture platforms, etc.
The minister for national food security and research said that under the dynamic leadership of
Prime Minister Imran Khan, our government has prioritized the agriculture sector. He said that
we are working to diversify this sector by enhancing focus on high-value horticultural crops,
oilseeds, and pulses.
The minister told that our government is also taking a keen interest in livestock breed
improvement, water conservation, and promoting farm mechanization. He told that we are
supporting farmers by furnishing quality seeds of improved varieties, providing farm machinery
at subsidized rates, and disseminating improved production packages.
The minister said that due to the excellent agricultural policies of our government; despite the
COVID pandemic and locust attack, the production of wheat, rice, maize, and sugarcane has
increased to a record level.
Syed Fakhar Imam told the participants that this year has been remarkable for the agriculture
sector of Pakistan, and our economy got a boost with the record agricultural production,
indicating a lesser reliance on food imports in 2021-22. Additionally, due to our favorable
policies and interventions, the exports of agro-commodities have also increased significantly.
The minister said that considering the role of provinces, our government is also engaging
diversified stakeholders as the best tactic for building a sustainable food system in Pakistan.
These strategic initiatives will help to improve the public health situation, which is reflecting
high rates of stunting, he added.
Mati Ullah
https://dnd.com.pk/international-conference-on-best-practices-for-building-sustainable-food-
systems-in-oic-region/249712
Rice theft threatens Haitian market for US exporters

07/14/21 6:37 AM By Bill Tomson
Armed thieves are threatening the viability of U.S. rice exports to Haiti, the largest foreign
market for U.S. long grain milled rice.
The thieves have stolen 500 metric tons of U.S. rice worth $300,000 over the past three weeks,
and U.S. farmers and millers are hoping the government can quell the chaos and crime that has
been gripping the country.
The situation has gotten so bad that the future of U.S. rice exports to Haiti — roughly 500,000
metric tons per year — is uncertain as exporters and the companies that provide insurance for
shipments to Port-au-Prince weigh the risks of continuing to do business with importers there.
―That‘s the bigger issue we‘re trying to deal with going forward — trying to keep the insurance
companies that we‘ve been working with for years to continue to cover countries like Haiti when
there are situations like this,‖ said Bobby Hanks, CEO of Louisiana-based Supreme Rice and
chairman of the USA Rice Federation.
―That‘s why it‘s so important that the security situation improve. If it doesn‘t, then we are going
to lose these insurers, which would make it very difficult, if not impossible, for suppliers to ship
product over there.‖
Haitian President Jovenel Moïse was assassinated in his home last week, prompting the
government to declare a state of emergency and shut down much of the country, but violence and
crime were escalating before Moïse was killed.
It was in the days before the attack on the president that armed men in skiffs boarded a ship
carrying 15,000 tons of U.S. rice, grown and milled in Louisiana or Arkansas and sold to Haitian
customers by Supreme Rice. The captain attempted to repel the robbers with a water cannon, but
ultimately failed, Hanks told Agri-Pulse.
The rice was still in bulk form on the ship — it wouldn‘t be bagged until later — so the thieves
could not steal it yet. They were limited to taking whatever miscellaneous items they could carry
back onto the skiffs.
Bobby Hanks, USA Rice Federation
The riskiest leg of the journey for U.S. rice from mills in the American South to Haitian
consumers is on trucks.
Much of the rice that arrives in Haiti is bagged at the port and then loaded onto trucks that take to
the grain to warehouses. There isn‘t much warehouse space at the port in Port-au-Prince.
Supreme Rice has its own warehouse in Haiti, but the company also delivers directly to
warehouses owned by its customers in Haiti.
And it's on that leg of the journey that thieves struck twice in June, says Hanks.
Supreme hires armed guards to accompany the shipments on trucks — each truck carrying about
20 tons of rice — but it wasn‘t enough to deter the criminals.
―You have gangs that are in control in certain areas,‖ said Hanks. ―We had armed security, but
(the thieves) still stopped the truck and hijacked the rice. The security team decided not to
engage and surrendered the cargo. They stole all of the cargo off the trucks.‖
In the June thefts, Haitian thieves made off with as much as 220 tons of rice grown in Louisiana
and Arkansas fields.
It was enough to get the attention of lawmakers like Rep. Clay Higgins, R-La., who began
working on a letter to the U.S. State Department even before Moïse was assassinated.
―While the continued theft of U.S. rice shipments causes export market and safety concerns, I am
worried that this will further increase food insecurity in Haiti,‖ Higgins wrote in the letter that
was eventually sent after the assassination. ―I ask your help in working with the United Nations
to intervene in Haiti and establish peace, or at the very least, better secure the delivery of all
critical food inland to the people of Haiti to prevent worsening the humanitarian crisis just 1,900
miles from our shores.‖
And it‘s not just U.S. rice in the crosshairs of pirates. Twelve containers of rice from Guyana
were stolen, according to USA Rice, which is monitoring the situation closely.
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free trial to Agri-Pulse. You’ll receive our content - absolutely free - during the trial period.
Spokespersons for the White House and State Department say the U.S. government is assisting
the Haitian government to investigate the assassination, but it‘s unclear if the U.S. will agree to
send troops to help bring calm to the nation that was already descending into chaos.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke last Wednesday with Haiti's Acting Prime Minister,
Claude Joseph, and stressed the ―United States‘ continued commitment to work with the
government of Haiti in support of the Haitian people,‖ but on Friday a State Department
spokesperson declined to comment on whether the U.S. would send troops to protect the
country‘s airports and shipping ports.
White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Friday the U.S. is ―providing $5 million to strengthen
the Haitian National Police capacity to work with communities to resist gangs.‖
Supreme Rice spent last weekend loading another ship with rice that‘s destined for Haiti, but it‘s
unclear if it can discharge in Port-au-Prince because of the lockdown, according to Hanks.
―We‘re not sure what‘s going to happen next,‖ he said. ―You don‘t know if it‘s going to stabilize
… or if it will tumble into complete chaos. We‘re on pins and needles because it‘s a powder keg
that could go off at any moment.‖
While Mexico is the largest foreign market for U.S. long grain rice, it primarily buys paddy rice,
says Hanks. The fact that Haiti buys value-added milled rice makes it a more valuable market.
If it were to become impossible to get rice into Haiti, or companies refused to insure shipments
there, the effect would be devastating both to Haitians — who need the grain — and to U.S.
farmers.
―These are the kinds of things that keep me up at night,‖ Hanks said. ―It would be catastrophic
for our business.‖
For more news, go to www.Agri-Pulse.com.
https://www.agri-pulse.com/articles/16161-rice-theft-threatens-haitian-market-for-us-exporters
China harvests space rice, the grains went on a lunar

voyage last year
China has successfully harvested the first batch of space rice that returned from a lunar voyage
last year. Scientists hope that such new varieties of rice could help safeguard the country's food
security.
https://www.oneindia.com/videos/china-harvests-space-rice-the-grains-went-on-a-lunar-voyage-
last-year-1666474.html
BJP urges CM Naveen Patnaik to fulfil paddy bonus

promise
Since the Centre has fixed the MSP for the 2021 kharif marketing season at Rs 1940, the balance
amount of Rs 990 should be borne by the State government to make price remunerative for the
farmers.
https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/bhubaneswar/2021/jul/15/bjp-urges-cm-naveen-patnai
Rice prices rise despite bumper yield

Govt to allow traders to import 10 lakh tonnes at 25pc duty
Sohel Parvez, Akanda Muhammad Jahid
Wed Jul 14, 2021 12:00 AM
Despite a bumper yield of Boro paddy in the just concluded season, rice prices
are going up, putting increasing pressure on low-income people, many of whom are
suffering from income losses for the lockdown and pandemic-induced slowdown of
economic activities.
The spike raised questions among consumers as the government agencies earlier claimed
increased production of the staple grain in the last three crop seasons: Aus, Aman and
Boro.
Market players linked the hike to a slow release by farmers from holdings and stocking
by a section of middlemen and millers as uncertainty over the Covid -19 crisis lingers.
Estimates by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) and Department of Agricultural

Extension (DAE) showed that Bangladesh produced 6 per cent more rice year-on-year to
3.86 crore tonnes in fiscal 2020-21.
Of the output last fiscal year, the DAE estimates Boro production to be at over 2 crore
tonnes.
On the other hand, the Directorate General of Food is sitting on 15.50 lakh tonnes of food
grains thanks to imports and increased procurement from domestic production.
Overall imports of rice also soared to 13.56 lakh tonnes in fiscal 2020 -21, up from a
meagre 4,000 tonnes the previous year.
Yet prices of Boro rice increased.
Coarse grain was traded at Tk 45.86 per kilogramme (kg) in Dhaka in June, up 2 per cent
from a month ago, said data of the Department of Agriculture Marketing (DAM), which
is used by the Food and Agriculture Organization.
The June prices of coarse grain were the highest since October 2017.
"It costs at least Tk 50 to buy one kg of coarse rice. As there is no income during the
lockdown, it is not possible to bear all the expenses of my five -member family," said
Abdus Salam, a driver of a CNG-run three-wheeler, yesterday.
He drives the three-wheeler between Mohammadpur, Nababganj and Dohar route.
Staple food marks a price spike at a time when queues of people behind mobile trucks
and stores for subsidised rice and essential foods provided by Directorate General of
Food are getting longer.
The countrywide lockdown since the beginning of the month destroyed income
opportunities for a large number of the population, including micro and small businesses,
hawkers, transport workers, rickshaw pullers, daily labourers and restaurant workers.
Salam said there was always long lines in front of the TCB's vehicles.
"If you are behind in line, you may find stocks of commodities run out by the time your
turn comes. To whom should I go and share my despair," said Salam, who also stood in a
queue to buy commodities including edible oil at less than market rates from the TCB's
mobile truck.
Abdul Mutaleb, a consumer, said it was very unfortunate that the price of rice was
skyrocketing when millions of pandemic-hit low-income and marginal people were
struggling to make ends meet.
Sonahar Ali, a paddy trader, said the paddy price of this year was around 20 per cent
higher than that of last year.
As of Saturday, the medium-high quality varieties of paddy, such as BRRI Dhan 28 and
BRRI Dhan 29, were being sold at Tk 1,050 to Tk 1,150 per maund.
Meanwhile the paddy varieties from which high-quality minicut rice is produced was at
around Tk 1,350 per maund at local markets, according to traders.
Due to uncertainty amid the Covid-19 pandemic, farmers are unwilling to sell paddy right
now, unless they are being compelled to do it, said multiple farmers.
"In other years, we sell the paddy when we get a good price. But we did not sell this year
because the days ahead might be more difficult due to Covid -19," said Mozammel Haque,
a farmer in Jamalpur, a northeastern district.
Many farmers said the current prices of paddy are reasonable.
If the prices of paddy go down below Tk 1,050 per maund, they will have to count losses,
they added.
Chitta Majumder, managing director of the Mazumder Group of Industries which operates
rice mills, said many farmers were releasing paddy from their stock slowly on
expectation that prices of grain would go up this year too.
"Seasonal traders and stockists have also stocked a good amount of rice an d paddy this
year to profit from the lean season. As a result, the supply of paddy at wholesale markets
has been very low," he said.
A number of traders however alleged that some millers stocked paddy to make higher
profits as the next big crop Aman would be harvested in the November-December period.
Against this backdrop of spiralling prices, the food ministry decided to allow private
importers to import 10 lakh tonnes of rice at 25 per cent customs duty in order to increase
supply of the cereal in the domestic market to contain the prices.
Presently, customs tariff to import rice is 62.5 per cent.
"We have taken the decision so that consumers do not suffer for high prices of rice," said
Food Secretary Mosammat Nazmanara Khanum.
She said initially, import permission to bring 10 lakh tonnes would be given.
"There is no doubt that we have bumper production. But prices have risen for various
factors, problems of transport and labour to handle the grains during the coronavirus
crisis. Besides, many also maintained increased stock of rice in their homes amid the
pandemic," she said.
The demand for rice is also increasing for population and non -human consumption, she
added.
In order to allow the import of rice by private traders, the food ministry requested the
National Board of Revenue (NBR) on July 6 to reduce import tariffs for non -basmati and
non-scented rice.
Contacted, a senior official of the NBR said they were going over the issue.
Ghulam Rahman, president of the Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB), ur ged

the government to increase the distribution of rice under social safety net programmes to
ease the pressure on them.
This will also increase rice supply in the market and help stabilise prices, he said.
https://www.thedailystar.net/business/news/rice-prices-rise-despite-bumper-yield
New $21 million lab for Rice Research Station

By Editor On Jul 15, 2021 Last updated Jul 14, 2021
A $21 million contract has been awarded to Manohar Service for the construction of a laboratory at
the Burma Rice Research Station on the East Coast of Demerara.
The contract was signed Wednesday at the Ministry of Agriculture.
The Research Station, run by the Guyana Rice Development Board, is currently operating without a
laboratory.
1. One of the rice varieties developed at the Burma Rice Research Station
The laboratory will facilitate the development of value-added products from local rice varieties and
perform sensory evaluation of new products.
The laboratory will also allow for microbial analyses, determine shelf-life and test quality parameters
of rice and rice-based products.
The lab will also serve as a centre for the provision of marketing analyses and processing
technologies for potential investors.
https://newsroom.gy/2021/07/15/new-21-million-lab-for-rice-research-station/
Nigeria: New Bio-Tech to Boost Rice Production,

Reduce Import
14 JULY 2021
James Emejo and Folalumi Alaran in Abuja

The African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) working with relevant research
institutions in Nigeria, said it has developed a new rice variety which could increase yield by 20
per cent and significantly boost the food security agenda of the federal government.
Partnering the National Cereals Research Institute (NCRI) and the Agricultural Research Council
of Nigeria (ARCN) among others, the foundation said the Nitrogen Efficient Water Efficient Salt
Tolerant (NEWEST) rice type, achieved through genetic engineering, will be a game changer in
the production of the grain, helping to significantly reduce importation.
Speaking during the 2021 annual review and planning meeting of the NEWEST rice project in
Abuja, the Rice Project Manager for AATF, Dr. Kayode Sanni, explained that unlike the
conventional rice which has low yield per hectare, the new variety could utilise low nitrogen in
the soil to produce good yields.
He the innovation will lower production costs which had impacted price in Nigeria as well as
bridge rice supply gaps.
Sanni said: "Though the land area for rice has increased but there is a need for increase in the
yield so that farmers will have better yield on their farms, and it has to be done using technology.
"And what we have done is that we have developed rice that can actually grow under low
nitrogen and still give a very good yield."
He said: "From the observation and what has been happening in Nigeria, the production of rice
has gone up a bit. As at 2015, we are about 3.9 million metric tons, and by 2019, we moved to
about 4.5 million metric tons.
"However, we still have a deficit of about 1.2 million metric tons which our production have not
been able to meet, and in order to meet that, we will we import.
"The productivity or the yield is low compared to what the global average is, the average yield is
about 2.2 tons per hectare, but that does not say there are no area where you have yield up to five
tons per hectare, but when you take the average across it's about 2.2 ton per hectare compared to
the global average yield which is about 4.3 tons per hectare."
Sanni, who is also an instructor for the Alliance for Hybrid Rice in Africa, based in Nairobi,
Kenya said one of the ways to enhance crop yields particularly rice was to have, "crops that can
make the best of every little nitrogen that is available in the soil and that is what we are doing."
He said: "We have to also be conversant with the fact that the excess use of fertilizer lead to
green house gas emission, which leads to the release of nitrogen oxide into the environment,
which leads to environmental pollution.
"So the reduction of the quantity of fertilizer that the crop needed helps us to become
environmental friendly even as we produce our rice."
He added that the new crop variety will serve as security for farmers when they plant in a land
that had no nitrogen or where they are unable to have timely access to fertilizer as the innovation
will still provide them with appreciable yields.
He however, pointed out that the review engagement with stakeholders was preparatory to
seeking relevant approval from the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) which is
committed to ensuring proper regulation of modern biotechnology.
The Director General, NBMA, Prof. Abdullah Mustapha, said the country had lost billions of
naira on annual basis to rice importation, adding that the nitrogen remained a key compound in
production of the commodity.
He said the majority of farmers are unable to buy and apply the required rate of fertiliser for
optimal yield, stressing that nitrogen deficiency remains a key concern particularly in rainfed
areas.
But he said estimates had shown that with less than 50 per cent of nitrogen fertiliser, yields
would go up by 20 per cent more than with conventional rice.
https://allafrica.com/stories/202107140216.html
Vietnamese rice export price surges in first half
 | VOV | July 14, 2021 03:12 PM

Vietnam exported approximately 3.03 million tonnes of rice worth US$1.65 billion during the
first half of the year with the average rice export price increasing 11.7% to roughly US$544.4 per
tonne, according to the General Department of Vietnam Customs.
The figures represented a fall of 14% in volume and 4% in value compared to the same period
last year.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development revealed that the country enjoys several
advantages in terms of exporting rice due to the complicated nature of the COVID-19 pandemic
making the demand for food in several countries rise sharply.
A representative of Trung An Hi-tech Agriculture Joint Stock Company noted that Vietnamese
rice has seen bright prospects in terms of exports to demanding markets, such as the EU market,
especially since the enforcement of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) in August
last year.
The representative emphasized that the company has successfully exported several consignments
to Germany, the Netherlands, and the UK.
Since the beginning of the year, the Philippines continues to be the biggest consumer of
Vietnamese rice, with export volume reaching over 1.09 million tonnes worth US$579.83
million, marking a fall of 20.6% in volume and 8.6% in turnover.
However, the average export price rose 15% to US$530.5 per tonne compared to the first half of
2020, thereby accounting for 36% of the country‘s total rice export volume and turnover.
China made up the second largest importer of local rice with 580,942 tonnes worth US$308.68
million, an increase of 26.9% in volume and up 12.5% in turnover, while the average export
price decreased by 11.4% to US$531.4 per tonne against the same period from last year.
Moreover, Ghana came third with 327,551 tonnes worth US$191.3 million, up 32% in volume
and 51% in value, with the export price increasing by 14.6% to reach US$584 per tonne.
Most notably, rice exports to Malaysia during the first half of the year plummeted compared to
the same period from last year.
Elsewhere, Vietnamese rice exports also witnessed significant export growth in the Bangladeshi
market with a rise of 11.181% in volume and 14.1% in turnover.
Last year saw the country ship 6.15 million tonnes of rice worth roughly US$3.07 billion, down
3.5% in volume, but up 9.3% in export value compared to 2019.
http://dtinews.vn/en/news/017004/74846/-vietnamese-rice-export-price-surges-in-first-half.html
TESDA to train Antique farmers on use of modern agri

equipment
By Annabel Consuelo Petinglay July 14, 2021, 12:14 pm
TESDA TRAINING. A farmer trains on the use of a walk-behind transplanter at Uswag Durog
Rivergems Farm, one of the accredited training centers of the Technical Education and Skills
Development Authority (TESDA) Antique. TESDA Antique provincial director Glenn Murphy
said in an interview Tuesday (July 13, 2021) that the training was in support of farmers to make
them more competitive. (Photo courtesy of Uswag Durog Rivergems Farm)
SAN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA, Antique – The Technical Education and Skills Development
Authority (TESDA) has provided scholarships to 125 registered farmers in Antique to boost their
income.
TESDA Antique provincial director Glenn Murphy, in an interview Tuesday, said hands-on
training is being conducted at the Uswag Durog Rivergems Farm, an accredited training center.
―We are now focusing on agriculture, especially on rice for sustainability,‖ Murphy said.
Since Republic Act 11203 or the Rice Tariffication Law allowed rice importation in the country,
then farmers have to be trained on the new farming technologies and use of modern agricultural
equipment for them to be competitive, he added.
Murphy said by getting the proper training, then they will be producing high-yielding and good
quality rice to be sold in the market. They can sell their products at a lower price because the
labor cost is also low.
TESDA has two accredited training centers for farmers in Antique: Uswag Durog Rivergems
Farm in San Remigio and the Others Farm in San Jose de Buenavista.
Rhea Dacallo of the Uswag Durog Rivergems Farm, in a separate interview, said they have
ongoing training for farmers from Barangays Alangan, Catungan, and District I in Sibalom,
which are divided into five batches, at 25 per batch.
―The on-site training for the farmers actually started last June 14 to September 18 and then they
will have entrepreneurship training from September 20-22,‖ she said.
Dacallo added that they are training farmers on the production of high-quality in-bred, certified
seeds and farm mechanization such as using the walk-behind transplanter and four-wheeled
tractor.
Anthony Abong, a rice technician of the Sibalom Municipal Agriculture Office and one of the
trainers, said it is important for farmers to know the new technology on rice production so they
could increase their yield.
―In our techno-demonstration, we used the RC480, which is high-yielding and a new variety,
developed by Philippine Rice Institute,‖ he said in an interview.
He said using the traditional variety like Azucena, a farmer can only harvest 60 cavans per
hectare, but with high-yielding varieties, they could harvest more than 100 per hectare.
He added that with mechanization like the four-wheeled tractor it is easy for farmers to do land
preparation and that they could incur less labor cost. (PNA)
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1146937
Rice distributions in Yanggang Province lead to

slight falls in market food prices
The authorities issued food provisions to Pyongyang residents on July 6
By Lee Chae Un
2021.07.14 4:43pm
Grain prices in some regions of North Korea have recently fallen slightly after the authorities
distributed food provisions.
In a phone conversation with Daily NK on Tuesday, a source in Yanggang Province said the
authorities have been distributing rice to families in Hyesan since last Thursday. ―At KPW 4,000
a kilogram, it‘s cheaper than buying five days worth of rice at the market,‖ he said, speaking on
condition of anonymity.
The nationwide distribution of the rice from military stores – which was announced on June 23
by the ruling party‘s Central Committee – appears to have taken around two weeks to actually
occur.
Market food prices have fallen somewhat after the distribution of rice began, according to the
source.
A kilogram of rice sold for KPW 5,500 on

Monday, down from KPW 7,000 at the end of
June. The price of corn also fell from KPW
4,000 to KPW 3,300, he said. Apartments can
be seen in Hyesan, Yanggang Province, in this
August 2018 photo. / Image: Daily NK
In Pyongyang, the authorities issued rice

provisions on July 6. In short, Pyongyang
residents received their food two days earlier
than residents of Hyesan. Though the amount of rice supplied was the same in both areas, the
distribution impacted food prices in the two cities in slightly different ways.
While the price of rice fell about KPW 1,500 in Hyesan, rice prices in Pyongyang have remained
unchanged since the distribution began.
Wealthy individuals and merchants have not placed their goods on the market under the belief
that the government‘s supplies of rice will not continue, the source speculated.
―It remains uncertain until when food provisions will continue, so the outlook for food prices
going forward isn‘t pretty,‖ he claimed.
Recently, the UN‘s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimated that North Korea will
suffer food shortages of 860,000 tons between Nov. 2020 and Oct. 2021. ―If this gap is not
adequately covered through commercial imports and/or food aid, households could experience a
harsh lean period between August and October 2021,‖ the organization warned.
https://www.dailynk.com/english/rice-distribution-yanggang-province-lead-slight-falls-market-
food-prices/
NFA assures ample rice supply for Capiz, Aklan

By
Panay News
Wednesday, July 14, 2021
ROXAS City – The National Food Authority (NFA) Capiz has accounted a total of 90,877 bags
of rice as of June 30, 2021.
Based on NFA records, the sufficient rice stocks are stored at the warehouses in Capiz and in a
warehouse in Aklan province.
―On the first half of the calendar year 2021, the branch sold a total of 85,250 bags of well-milled
rice to local government units and other government agencies,‖ said NFA Capiz acting branch
manager Glenda Paz.
The number is 185 percent accomplishment based on the 46,100 bags target for the period.
The NFA branch office has also procured a total of 75,778 bags of clean and dry palay from
local farmers out of its 62,000 bags goal for the palay procurement program from January to
June this year.
―To continuously beef up the buffer stock, NFA Capiz buys clean and dry palay with 14 percent
moisture content and 95 to 100 percent purity and from infestations at P19 per kilogram,‖ Paz
added.
Rice farmers who wished to sell their palay to NFA should bring samples before delivery at the
nearest NFA warehouses for pre-classification or testing.
These warehouses are located at Barangays Mangoso in Sigma town, Sta. Cruz in Dumalag
town, Bolo in Roxas City, and Linabuan Sur, Banga town in Aklan.(PIA-6)
:https://www.panaynews.net/nfa-assures-ample-rice-supply-for-capiz-aklan/

15th July, 2021 Daily Global Regional Local Rice E-Newsletter

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15th July, 2021 Daily Global Regional Local Rice E-Newsletter

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Daily Global, Regional & Local Rice E-Newsletter

15 July ,2021 Vol 6 Issue 07

Editorial Board Rice News Headlines…

Pakistan Among Top 10 Producers Of Wheat, Rice,

Punjab farmers reluctant to adopt DSR for paddy sowing due to

Pakistan rice exports hit by 400pc increase in freight rate

Competition is Fierce on USA Rice Social Media in the

U.S. rice wins every time

USA Rice Daily

Ease of Doing Business & UNISAME

Viewpoint: Warning to Sri Lanka — Tunnel vision

Parakrama Waidyanatha | July 15, 2021

A n Open Letter to Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa:

1. The global organic farming scenario

3. The ‗Wasa visa‘ pandemic

[Editor‟s note: The phrase “wasa visa” translates to “poisonous substances.”]

Sources: www.worldbank.org/indicator/AG.COM.Fert.2S; https//www.worldometers.info

4. Agrochemicals & their misuse

Farmer fertilizing wheat field. Credit: Ohio State University

5. The unsaid side of organic farming

Non-agricultural environmental pollution

Tiny Computers Reveal How Tahiti‟s Tree Snails

C I N D Y B I C K I S O N A mission. The University of Michigan evolutionary biologist scans

Modern-day agricultural heroes: Celebrating pioneers in

By Dr. Carol Curchoehttp://www.artcompass.io/ Published: July 14, 2021

Justus von Liebig

Pierre-Joseph Pelletier and Joseph Bienaimé Caventou

Norman Borlaug, Dr. M. Swaminathan, Dr. Krishnaswami Ramiah

Dr. William Gaud

George Washington Carver

Percy Lavon Julian

Nigeria moves forward with nitrogen-efficient GMO rice

S till basking in the euphoria of commercializing sub-Saharan Africa‘s first genetically

Dr. Kayode Sanni. Credit: AATF/Twitter

Similarly, Prof. Abdullahi Mustapha, the director-general of the National Biotechnology

Prof. Abdullahi Mustapha. Credit: NABDA

Nkechi Isaac is a deputy editor with Leadership Newspaper, a national publication

Must-Have Millets! Can the 'First Crops' Turn Out To

Food as Status Symbol

According to Senior Scientist at the Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR)—Indian

The Big Potential of Little Millet

Rice from heaven: China harvests first batch of rice that

India Today Web Desk

July 14, 2021

UPDATED: July 14, 2021 17:59 IST

Mumbai Angels Network invests undisclosed amount

 Mumbai Angels Network

'Rice price highest in Bangladesh among 5 countries'

Published: 14 Jul 2021, 21:49

According to the state-owned Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB), price of coarse

More yields, godown full

Initiative for import

People also want to purchase rice at a low price.

Read more from Local

Revolutionize farm sector, increase exports

Food prices no longer an issue, says DOF

Stocks rise for second consecutive day

Wed Jul 14, 2021 03:44 PM

Meet the superfood experts say could help manage weight

By Sandee LaMotte, CNN

Why whole grains?

Fertiliser ban and economic crisis

Even at present, annually we spend nearly US $ 2 million on food imports. Increase in