22nd February 2022 Daily Global Regional Local Rice E-Newsletter

Daily Global, Regional & Local Rice E-Newsletter
22 February ,2022 Vol 7 Issue 2
1|www.ricepluss.com , www.riceplusmagazine.blosgspot.com
www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com
mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com 92 321 3692874
Lentil, Rice and Bok Choy Soup

By Julie Zimmer
Recipe Source : Lentil, Rice and Bok Choy Soup [Vegan]
Made with brown lentils, brown basmati rice, carrots, celery and bok choy, this one-pot soup is a
complete healthy meal in a bowl. One serving will give you all the plant protein and
phytonutrients that you need.
Lentil, Rice and Bok Choy Soup [Vegan]
$2.99
PRINT THIS RECIPE
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 Dairy Free
Serves
8+
Ingredients
 3 tablespoons (tbsp) olive oil
 1 cooking onion, chopped
 1 small jalapeño pepper (red or green) , seeds removed and diced
small
 2-3 garlic cloves, grated
 1 1/2 cups celery, diced small
 1 1/2 cups carrots, peeled and diced small
 1 rosemary sprig or 1 teaspoon (tsp) dry
 Mineral salt, a few pinches or to taste
 1 cup dry brown lentils
 1/3 cup rice (I use brown basmati)
 1/2 teaspoon powdered cumin
 1 teaspoon mild or sweet powdered paprika
 6-7 cups vegetable stock, ( I use homemade, but a good quality
store-bought kind is also good)
 2-4 cups of water (can add more later)
 2 tablespoons soya sauce
 Add last: Fresh bok choy, rinsed, sliced in two parts or chopped (as
desired)
 Cracked pepper, to taste
Preparation
1. Prepare, measure and dice all ingredients, having them ready to
go.
2. Rinse brown lentils and rice together in a fine-meshed sieve and
set aside.
3. In a large soup pot, heat up the olive oil over medium-high heat.
Lower heat, add the onion, jalapeño and garlic and sauté for 2
minutes until soft.
4. Add the carrots, celery and rosemary. Add salt. Cook stirring
often for 6-7 minutes until soft and fragrant. Add a bit of water
if it sticks.
5. Add the lentils and rice together and toss with wooden spoon to
blend the ingredients.
6. Add the cumin, paprika and toss gently. Cook for 2-3 minutes,
tossing regularly so that ingredients and flavours merge.
7. Add the veggie stock and mix. Add some water (start with 2
cups, can add more later). Add the soya sauce. Raise the heat
and bring to the boil, then reduce heat immediately. Allow to
simmer with lid half on for 30-40 minutes, or until the rice and
lentils are soft and cooked. Stir the soup from time to time. Add
more water if you prefer a more fluid soup (it does get thicker).
8. Add the amount of bok choy that you need and cook/simmer for
a minute or more and to your liking. Alternatively, you can pan
fry the bok choy. Transfer to individual bowls immediately.
Season with cracked pepper.
9. Refrigerate leftover soup in a sealed container. It keeps well for
several days.
10. Enjoy!
https://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-recipe/lentil-rice-and-bok-choy-soup-vegan/
'Light of a million suns' key to unlocking secrets of healthier

and safer rice
FEBRUARY 21, 2022
Dr Vito Butardo (far right) growing rice grains with members of the research team, Qurrat Ain,
Arash Jamalabadi and Achini Herath (back left to right). Credit: Swinburne University of
Technology
Swinburne scientists are using a football field-sized synchrotron light facility to examine
individual grains of rice to help enhance global food security, nutritional value and the food
safety of cereal grains.
By rapidly estimating the nutrient profile of hundreds of varieties of colored rice, the research
will help produce rice that is more nutritious, and lead to more positive health outcomes in the
developed and developing world.
Lead researcher Dr. Vito Butardo says the findings can be applied across a range of grains—
wheat, barley, oats and corn, for example—to create more nutritious crops around the world.
"Our research can be used immediately by Australian and international manufacturers to help
consumers make healthier choices when buying, cooking and eating rice," Dr. Butardo says.
"Over time, we can select and breed rice that has a lower glycaemic index (GI), higher
concentration of micronutrients—like iron and zinc—and fewer nasties—like lead, mercury or
cadmium."
Using radiation of 1 million suns from around the globe
Dr. Butardo and his team are among the first few Australian-based researchers to gain access to
the Canadian Light Source, a synchrotron facility, which accelerates electrons in a close loop
magnetic field to produce light brighter than a million suns.
This global connection allows Dr. Butardo to utilize the power of the synchrotron facility located
halfway around the world, which can be remotely controlled in his lab in Melbourne, Australia,
to determine the nutritional and safety profile of grains.
Regular biochemical analysis involves turning rice grains into powder and can take hours or days
to obtain full results.
Detailed analysis by the synchrotron can take just minutes, allowing Dr. Butardo's team to
analyze the nutrient-rich surface of hundreds of grains and help determine the exact location of
the health promoting compounds in rice.
This pioneering, non-destructive and high-throughput approach has already yielded results
demonstrating the high nutritional value of colored rices over white rice.
Dr. Butardo says the research has broad application across underfed and overfed rice-consuming
communities.
"Understanding colored grains better will help us create food that is more nutritious for
everyone, whether it be ensuring the underfed are getting a good balance of macro- and
micronutrients, or helping the overfed boost micronutrient intake, which can be a problem for
overweight and obese individuals," he says.
https://phys.org/news/2022-02-million-suns-key-secrets-healthier.html
China plans to feed 80m people with ‘seawater rice’
Source: yahoo.com
21 February 2022 8:28am
Jinghai district in northern China is hardly a rice-growing paradise.

Located along the coast of the Bohai Sea, over half of the region‘s land is made of salty, alkaline soil
where crops can‘t survive. Yet, last autumn, Jinghai produced 100 hectares of rice.
The secret to the bountiful harvest is new salt-tolerant rice strains developed by Chinese scientists in the
hope of ensuring food security that‘s been threatened by rising sea levels, increasing grain demand and
supply chain disruptions.
Known as ―seawater rice‖ because it‘s grown in salty soil near the sea, the strains were created by over-
expressing a gene from selected wild rice that‘s more resistant to saline and alkali.
Test fields in Tianjin – the municipality that encompasses Jinghai – recorded a yield of 4.6 metric tons per
acre last year, higher than the national average for production of standard rice varieties.
The breakthrough comes as China searches for ways to secure domestic food and energy supplies as
global warming and geopolitical tensions make imports less reliable.
The nation has one-fifth of the world‘s population, and that many mouths to feed, with less than 10% of
the Earth‘s arable land. Meanwhile, grain consumption is rising quickly as the country grows more
wealthy.
―Seeds are the ‗chips‘ of agriculture,‖ said Wan Jili, a manager at Qingdao Saline-Alkali Tolerant Rice
Research and Development Center, drawing a parallel between the crucial role semiconductors play in
the development of new technologies and their role in the ongoing trade war between the U.S. and China.
Seawater rice could help improve China‘s grain production in the face of an ―extremely complicated
situation regarding climate change and global food security,‖ she said.
China has been studying salt-tolerant rice since at least the 1950s. But the term ―seawater rice‖ only
started to gain mainstream attention in recent years after the late Yuan Longping, once the nation‘s top
agricultural scientist, began researching the idea in 2012.
Yuan, known as the ―father of hybrid rice,‖ is considered a national hero for boosting grain harvests and
saving millions from hunger thanks to his work on high-yielding hybrid rice varieties in the 1970s. In
2016, he selected six locations across the country with different soil conditions that were turned into
testing fields for salt-tolerant rice.
The following year, China established the research center in Qingdao where Wan works. The institute‘s
goal is to harvest 30 million tons of rice using 6.7 million hectares of barren land.
―We could feed 80 million more people‖ with salt-tolerant rice, Yuan said in a documentary broadcast in
2020. ―Agricultural researchers like us should shoulder the responsibility to safeguard food security,‖ he
told a local newspaper in 2018.
Climate change has made the task more urgent. China‘s coastal waters have risen faster than the global
average over the last 40 years, a worrying trend given the country‘s deep reliance on its long and low
eastern coast for grain production.
Successfully growing salt-tolerant rice on a large scale would allow the country to utilize more of the
increasingly salty land in the area.
According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, sea levels around the world could rise as
much as 59 centimeters by the end of the century if the planet warms by 2 degrees Celsius.
Oceans surrounding the U.S. will swell faster within the next three decades than they did in the past
century, according to a report this week led by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
President Xi Jinping has stressed in several recent meetings with top government officials that ensuring
the supply of primary goods is a ―major strategic issue‖ given climate and geopolitical pressures. ―The
food of the Chinese people must be made by and remain in the hands of the Chinese,‖ he said at a
gathering of the Politburo Standing Committee meeting in December.
Chinese scientists are betting that land once dismissed as barren can be turned into productive grain-
producing plots. About 100 million hectares of land in the country, about the size of Egypt, is high in
saline and alkaline. Meanwhile arable land has decreased 6% from 2009 to 2019 because of urbanization,
pollution and overuse of fertilizers.
To make use of salty soil, farmers traditionally dilute their fields with large amounts of fresh water. The
approach is still commonly used in some coastal regions. But the method requires vast amounts of water
and often doesn‘t improve yields enough to make sense economically.
―China is looking at another method now, to develop grain varieties that can withstand the soil‘s
saltiness,‖ said Zhang Zhaoxin, a researcher with China‘s agricultural ministry. While seawater rice has
mostly been planted on trial fields so far, Zhang said he believes commercial cultivation will soon take off
with the government‘s support.
The research team in Qingdao said last October that it can meet the goal of growing 6.7 million hectares
of seawater rice within ten years. In 2021, the group was put in charge of 400,000 hectares of land to
expand production of seawater rice.
―If China can be more self-sufficient in staple foods, it would be a contribution to the world‘s food
security too,‖ said Zhang. ―The less China imports, the more other countries will have.‖
https://www.myjoyonline.com/china-plans-to-feed-80m-people-with-seawater-rice/
The Missing Continent That Took 375 Years To Find
Rebecca Shepherd
Published 19:30, 21 February 2022 GMT
| Last updated 20:30, 21 February 2022 GMT
In 1642 there was a fella that discovered an eighth continent but it wasn't confirmed until 2017
when a group of geologists officially found 'Zealandia'.
First we'll take it back some three centuries when Abel Tasman, a Dutch sailor, was sure that a
vast continent existed in the southern hemisphere.
So confident in his beliefs, on 14 August 1642 he left Jakarta, Indonesia, on a mission to try and
find the area he knew was around.
Land mass of Zealandia

It was a part of the world that wasn't very well known to Europeans but eventually Tasman came
to a South Island of New Zealand.
According to the BBC, things didn't go too smoothly because when his first encounter with the
local Māori people resulted in them ramming a small boat that was passing messages between
the two Dutch ships.
It's believed that four people lost their lives and some time after, the Europeans fired a cannon at
11 canoes with no knowledge of what happened to them.
Tasman called the location Moordenaers (murderers) Bay and that was that.
Until 2017 came around and a group of geologists announced that they'd discovered Zealandia -
also known by its Māori name Te Riu-a-Māui.
Credit: GNS Science
Reports have since suggested that the continent is around six times the size of Madagascar which
still makes it the smallest, thinnest and youngest continent in the world.
Related video:
An impressive 94 percent of Zealandia is underwater with just a small number of islands poking
out, including New Zealand.
Andy Tulloch, a geologist at the New Zealand Crown Research Institute GNS Science, who was
part of the team that found Zealandia, said: "This is an example of how something very obvious
can take a while to uncover."
Now scientists are working to unlock more information about Zealandia with one group of
academics collecting 2,500 metres of rock samples and sediment.
Expedition co-chief scientist Gerald Dickens from Rice University, Houston, said: "More than
8,000 specimens were studied, and several hundred fossil species were identified.
"The discovery of microscopic shells of organisms that lived in warm shallow seas, and of spores
and pollen from land plants, reveal that the geography and climate of Zealandia were
dramatically different in the past."
The group said their finds should also help to explain how and why some plants and animals
exist in both New Zealand and New Caledonia.
Featured Image Credit: Alamy
https://www.ladbible.com/news/viral-doctors-find-something-in-womans-ear-stuck-for-22-years-
20210702
Scientists are proposing to abolish SafePass in

supermarkets, bakeries and pharmacies
gregoirelautner
The Protocol on Mitigation of Pandemic Countermeasures will be finalized this afternoon and
will be in effect after a relevant meeting of the Scientific Advisory Committee with the Ministry
of Health.
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
Dr. Karagiannis said some of the proposals included the abolition of SafePass in supermarkets,
bakeries, pharmacies, etc., but he said he suggested that SafePass would continue to be needed in
nightclubs and restaurants.
Dr. Karagiannis, talking to Active, said that what stands out from the mitigation of measures is
the fact that a 24-hour rapid test will allow unvaccinated people to go to places they couldn‘t go
before. rice field.
He also expressed the view that when the NOVAVAX vaccine comes to Cyprus, many who were
against vaccination will be happy to be vaccinated.
https://in-cyprus.philenews.com/scientist-suggests-abolition-of-safepass-in-supermarkets-
bakeries-pharmacies/ Scientists are proposing to abolish SafePass in supermarkets, bakeries and
pharmacies
https://worldakkam.com/scientists-are-proposing-to-abolish-safepass-in-supermarkets-bakeries-
and-pharmacies/714300/
Rice tariffication repeal campaign tops farmers‘ agenda as review

nears
February 21, 2022 | 10:24 pm
PHILSTAR
FARMERS will press the next government to repeal the Rice Tariffication Law, claiming that it
has made little to no progress in meeting its objective of improving farmer prosperity after three
years.
―We are ready to discuss with the future administration to look at the problems and work on
what needs to be done… None of (the law‘s) promises were fulfilled. There was a drastic and
recurrent drop in farmers‘ incomes and farmgate prices,‖ National Manager of the Federation of
Free Farmers Raul Q. Montemayor said in a virtual briefing.
―There were only minimal gains for consumers, no significant improvement in farmers‘
productivity, cost of production, and competitiveness, as well as flawed packaging and poor
implementation of adjustment and relief measures for farmers,‖ he added.
The law, which is in the books as Republic Act No. 11203, liberalizes rice imports, which used
to be heavily regulated, with most foreign rice brought in via government-to-government deals.
Instead, the law allowed private parties to import with fewer restrictions, though importers
needed to pay a tariff of 35% on grain brought in from Southeast Asia.
The tariffs supplied P10 billion a year to the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund, which
was designed to kickstart the industry‘s modernization.
Tugon Kabuhayan convenor and former Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Chief Asis
G. Perez said the law is approaching its three-year review period.
―With its automatic review (coming up), we want to know if the annual P10-billion rice fund is
being spent, according to the law, which says that 50% should go to rice farm machinery and
equipment; 30% to rice seed development, propagation, and promotion; 10% for expanded rice
credit assistance; and another 10% to rice extension services. Specifically, we want to know if
this allocation should be revised based on what our rice producers really need,‖ Mr. Perez said.
Mr. Montemayor said that the law did not provide enough cash assistance and instead drove up
production costs.
―We estimate that for the first three years, the total loss for farmers was at P66 billion. The cost
of producing palay (unmilled rice) went up… Cash assistance is only a band-aid solution to the
problem. The government gives P5,000 per hectare and free seed, but it doesn‘t fix the broken
system that we have. There is a disconnect between the disease and the remedy,‖ Mr.
Montemayor said.
The groups want the new government to reduce reliance on imports and focus on supporting
farmers.
―We have to aim for self-sufficiency and stop relying on imports. Our country‘s food security
depends on our farmers but our government allows our farmers to be harmed first before they do
anything about it,‖ the Magsasaka at Siyentipiko para sa Pag-unlad ng Agrikultura Regional
Coordinator Rowena A. Buena said.
The farmers also sought an online database to track fund use from the tariffs generated by the
law.
―We don‘t know where all that money is going, or if it is being used properly. (The law) didn‘t
improve the lives of our farmers. We already know that this law failed. Future implementation…
will not help. Give our rice farms the proper support and technology. Stop ignoring the
problems,‖ Ms. Buena said.
Mr. Montemayor said the government should also invest in post-harvest facilities, establish
alternative marketing systems, promote crop and income diversification, strengthen crop
insurance and climate and price risk mitigation, and encourage participation and support of local
government units.
―Three years ago, our position towards the law was to review the policy first. Now, looking at
how it affected our farmers, we want this law to be (repealed). It did not fulfill any of the
promises made. Not all farmers received assistance… The money is not being distributed to
everyone. It went to the pockets of government officials. It went to a small minority of farmers
who belong to organized groups. Individual farmers received nothing,‖ said Rene Cerilla, Legal
and Policy Advocacy Officer of Pambansang Kilusan ng Samahan ng Magsasaka.
―Our government should be alarmed by the current situation. Majority of our farmers are old.
There are no more young farmers to replace them because they see no future in farming. It won‘t
be long until these farmers start selling their lands. These lands will not be used for agricultural
purposes. This is a threat to our nation‘s food security. We cannot rely on Vietnam or Thailand
for our food. If there is a shortage in these countries, we will be in trouble. We have to produce
our own,‖ Mr. Cerilla added. — Luisa Maria Jacinta C. Jocson
https://www.bworldonline.com/rice-tariffication-repeal-campaign-tops-farmers-agenda-as-
review-nears/
Nigeria rice: Is the government exaggerating production

figures?
Source: BBC
22 February 2022 8:23am
A display of bags of rice in Abuja in January

The Nigerian government has hailed an increase in local rice production as a key achievement, and says
the country is actually exporting the grain.
But the opposition has challenged this claim, saying production figures have been inflated.
Has production been exaggerated?
The opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says it believes the ruling All Progressives Congress
party is exaggerating the growth in local rice production.
―If indeed there has been an increase in local rice production, that should be reflected in the marketplace
[prices],‖ PDP spokesman Debo Ologunagba told the BBC.
The most recent reliable figures for production come from the US Department of Agriculture, which has
projected that Nigeria‘s rice production will reach five million tonnes in 2022, slightly above the previous
year.
The US data show a significant increase in production between 2015 and 2017, which then slowed before
another jump in 2020 when production reached a high point of 5.04 million tonnes.
The Nigerian government has data on rice production also showing a big rise between 2015 and 2016.
But it does not have any figures for the last few years.
What is behind rising production?
The area under rice cultivation has expanded.
It grew from about 3.1 million hectares (7.7 million acres) in 2015 to 5.9 million hectares in 2018, and
then dropped to 5.3 million hectares in 2020 – the latest year for which we have UN Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO) data.
The government has been providing improved seedlings and fertiliser to smallholder farmers, and
invested in irrigation schemes.
In 2014, a scheme to help farmers hire machinery was introduced to improve mechanisation, and in some
states, regional governments have granted land concessions as an incentive to large commercial farmers.
In November 2015, the Central Bank of Nigeria launched a programme, under which farmers receive
loans at favourable rates. Farmers can opt to pay them back with part of their produce.
The recent display of rice pyramids in Abuja to showcase the success of rice production evoked earlier
times when Nigeria‘s groundnut (peanut) production was a key part of the economy.
Peanut pyramids in Kano, northern Nigeria, in 1955
Similar structures were built from sacks of peanuts, and were viewed as a tourist attraction and a symbol
of the country‘s wealth.
So why are rice prices rising?
President Muhammadu Buhari has said improved production ―will aid our efforts at reducing the price of
rice in Nigeria‖.
But the price of rice – which is now one of the country‘s staple foods – has been rising.
Government data also show the cost of producing rice in Nigeria has been rising, which would translate
into higher prices.
And while the production of rice has nearly doubled in a decade, the demand for rice has also been
growing.
―The increase in the quantity of rice [produced] is also being met with increasing demand due to
population growth,‖ says Khadijat Amolegbe, from the University of Ilorin.
Conflict between herders and farmers in the north-west and central parts of Nigeria in recent years has
also affected prices, by displacing rice farmers from their farms.
―Previously cultivated lands are not used due to fear of being killed or kidnapped,‖ she says.
However, it is not clear how many farmers have been affected or how great an area of rice production has
been lost because of insecurity.
Some farmers have been forced to relocate because of frequent attacks

Challenges in transportation because of bad roads have also pushed up prices.
Domestic consumption is currently estimated at seven million tonnes, according to US data, leaving the
country with a shortfall of two million tonnes.
Rice is being imported
To meet the shortfall, the country has been importing rice, which in some cases appears to come in
through smuggling.
Mr Buhari last month denied that rice was imported. ―Now [in] Nigeria we produce the rice we need and
we even export,‖ he told a local TV station.
President Buhari has claimed that Nigeria doesn‘t import rice
There is no official data for exports, and we could not establish from the government what the evidence is
for that.
As for imports, Nigeria has had restrictions in place since 2015 in a bid to boost local production. These
included:
 denying importers access to foreign currency
 banning rice imports from neighbouring countries
 slapping a 70% tax on rice imported from elsewhere
https://www.myjoyonline.com/nigeria-rice-is-the-government-exaggerating-production-figures/
Rice produced by multi-stakeholder partnership

shipped abroad
Loc Troi Group, a leading provider of agricultural services and products in Vietnam,
shipped more than 4,500 tonnes of rice worth over 3 million USD to markets in Europe,
Americas and Asia in early 2022.
Hanoi (VNA) – Loc Troi Group, a leading provider of agricultural services and products in
Vietnam, shipped more than 4,500 tonnes of rice worth over 3 million USD to markets in
Europe, Americas and Asia in early 2022. The products, which met all requirements set by each
market, were produced with the partnership between farming households and the company. The
cooperation is part of the Loc Troi agricultural ecosystem comprising cooperatives and 1,200
staffers working with rice farmers, which helps raise efficiency, save costs and benefit farming
households who engage in the process./.
https://en.vietnamplus.vn/rice-produced-by-multistakeholder-partnership-shipped-
abroad/222420.vnp
Rice farmer advocates quality, hygienic product
For many Nigerians, rice is a staple food they cannot do without. Rice has become a major
delicacy that meets the daily needs of consumers in different parts of the country.
So how would you react to the question, are you buying the right rice? This question is pertinent
as focus increasingly shifts to the quality and hygienic condition of rice as a guiding factor when
purchasing it. When you purchase rice, your objective is to buy healthy rice. Healthy rice is safe
to consume but you need to consider a few factors, especially when buying from open markets
and nearby stores.
The plethora of rice brands in the market has offered consumers a variety of choices. More than
the challenge of identifying the rice is to identify the right quality. Some are sold in loose form
as seen in basins and loose containers while others are packaged. The form of presentation,
whether loose or packaged, impacts negatively or positively on the quality of rice. When rice is
sold in the loose form, a lot of factors affect it negatively. First, the ageing of rice in loose form,
which can affect its physical and chemical properties and in turn its quality, is a major
consideration. Different rice brands have expiry dates which buyers of the commodity in cups,
plastic containers and basins of various sizes are not aware of because it has been removed from
its bags. It is, therefore, possible that many consumers buy rice that has expired, with the very
high risk of consuming unwholesome product whose quality cannot be guaranteed and is,
therefore, not safe for human consumption.
When rice is sold loose, the consumer will be left second guessing the brand and may not be able
to make informed choices. The unsuspecting consumer is also vulnerable to retailers who may
want to capitalise on this to sell low quality rice for the price of high-quality rice. Rice
manufacturers take all necessary precautions to ensure quality and safety but exposure or loose
rice at the market by retailers can compromise quality.
Big Bull Rice is a premium quality parboiled rice, totally made in Nigeria. It is sortex-cleaned,
stone-free and has a high swelling index. The production of Big Bull Rice goes through extreme
measures to ensure safety. When you eat Big Bull Rice, you can be assured of the great lengths
taken to ensure your health is safe.
https://www.sunnewsonline.com/rice-farmer-advocates-quality-hygienic-product/
Farm exports boom in new year
High quality rice is being prepared for export. Photo nld.com.vn

HCM CITY – Farm exports to difficult markets like Japan, South Korea, Australia, and the EU
have been prolific in the first two months of this year, raising hopes for a successful year. Phạm
Thái Bình, general director of Trung An Hi-tech Agriculture Joint Stock Company in Cần Thơ
City, said his company has fulfilled five orders for nearly 1,000 tonnes of fragrant rice from
Germany, Malaysia and Qatar. " It is expected that this year rice exports will be very successful
thanks to many import markets around the world beginning to reopen after the Covid-19
epidemic was brought under control and trade agreements were signed." Lộc Trời Agriculture
Products JSC, a subsidiary of Lộc Trời Group, has exported more than 4,500 tonnes of fragrant,
white, brown, and glutinous rice varieties worth US$3 million to Europe, the US, the Middle
East, and Asia. Nguyễn Văn Thứ, director of GC Food Company in Đồng Nai Province, said his
firm shipped a container of aloe vera and coconut jelly on February 7. His company‘s exports
have increased by 30 per cent in the first two months of 2022 and it has many more export orders
to markets like Japan, Korea and Southeast Asia, he said. It targets exports of VNĐ350 billion
(US$15.2 million) this year, up 67 per cent from 2021. "The Việt Nam - EU Free Trade
Agreement has creates very favourable conditions for the export of agricultural products."
General secretary of the Việt Nam Fruit and Vegetable Association, Đặng Phúc Nguyên, said in
January exports of vegetables and fruits to key markets such as Japan, Korea, Russia, Australia,
the Netherlands and the US grew by 12-69 per cent. Vietnamese firms are familiar with the
quality and other requirements in these markets, which has helped increase exports significantly,
he added. With the forecast being that in 2022 the Covid-19 epidemic will be full controlled and
the global economy will recover, GC Food has invested in modern production lines to double its
total capacity to 35,000 tonnes of products a year, Thứ added. – VNS.
https://www.einnews.com/pr_news/563741771/farm-exports-boom-in-new-year
Anambra to start earning 13% oil derivation from

March, state’s rice production up by 524%
Says NMDPRA confirmed the lifting of crude oil in commercial quantity in Anambra.
by Chike Olisah
February 20, 2022
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Governor, Willie Obiano has revealed that Anambra State will start to earn the 13% derivation
with effect from March 2022, as part of benefits of its status as an oil-producing state.
This was made known by Obiano on Saturday during a chat with journalists in Aguleri, Anambra
East Local Government Area after a tour of the Awka International Convention Centre and
Anambra Cargo and passenger airport.
According to a report from NAN, the governor said he was informed by the Nigeria Midstream
and Downstream Pricing and Regulatory Agency (NMDPRA) who had confirmed the lifting of
crude oil in commercial quantity in Anambra.
What the Governor of Anambra State is saying
Obiano pointed out that Anambra had 15 oil wells with ENIYE 10940 Oil field operated by an
indigenous oil exploration and production firm, SEEPCO, fully operational and wholly owned by
the state.
On rice production in Anambra state, the governor said that the state‘s production capacity had
hit 530,000 metric tonnes yearly from the 85,000 metric tonnes capacity of 2014. This represents
about 524% increase in production.
He noted that the state has not just only become self-sufficient in rice production, but is also a
net exporter of the commodity, as a result of the revolution his administration brought into the
agricultural sector.
Obiano revealed that the state demand was just about 330,000 metric tonnes of the total output
noting that a lot of businesses had been invested in the sector and that many family economies
had been transformed by the boom.
Going further, he said the Anambra Airport which was fully operational would boost trade and
commerce as well as export capacities of the state adding that the 10,000 capacity International
Convention Centre would be inaugurated in March 9.
What you should know
 Recall that in September 2021, Anambra State was officially designated an oil-producing state in
Nigeria, following an approval granted by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal
Commission (RMAFC), which has ratified the attribution of 11 oil wells to the state.
 With the approval, the South-eastern state was expected to be eligible to benefit from the 13%
derivation fund, which minerals-producing states in Nigeria are statutorily entitled to.
 For the state, it has been a long-drawn-out battle to be recognised as an oil-producing state, but
with the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) insisting for years that the state had not met
all the pre-conditions to be added to the list.
 The DPR had said that Anambra State could not be declared an oil-producing state until the
company prospecting for the commodity in the state scaled up its operations from an oil
prospecting to oil mining lease.
https://nairametrics.com/2022/02/20/anambra-to-start-earning-13-oil-derivation-from-march-
states-rice-production-up-by-524/
Pakistan has potential of $4.5b rice exports
By News desk
-
February 20, 2022
Pakistan has the potential of $4.5 billion rice exports, but currently, the exports stand at $2.1
billion, WealthPK reported.
By taking pragmatic steps, Pakistan can improve its production and exports, according to Syed
Fakhar Imam, Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research.
The minister said in a statement that Pakistan‘s total production of rice this season is 9 million
tons. Pakistan‘s domestic consumption of rice was 3.5 million tons in FY 2020-21.
He said that with a total stock of 2.5 million tons from the previous year, Pakistan now has an
export potential of 8 million tons.
Globally, Pakistan is the fourth largest rice exporter and the 11th largest rice producer,
WealthPK reported.
Rice yields are 2.56 tons per hectare in Pakistan, but the world average is 4.7 tonnes per hectare,
which shows there is a lot of room for improvement.
During pre and post-harvesting, a large amount of rice is lost, WealthPK reported. Post-
harvesting accounts for direct loss of rice physically and quality-wise that reduces the economic
value of crop or makes it unsuitable for human consumption.
Due to over-exposure to fluctuating temperature, a huge quantity of rice is cracked during
threshing, causing rice breakage during processing (milling) and reducing its quality. Journal of
Agricultural Research and Technology states that due to mismanagement, pest attack, and
spoilage, almost 25 percent of rice is lost after harvest in developing countries.
Different stages of rice crops and how it is wasted are described below, WealthPK reported.
Technological innovation is an important factor in boosting agricultural output and reducing
wastage. Developing countries like Pakistan lag in the latest/up-to-date technologies.
Weak transportation and crop management system are important factors that increase the
probability of rice wastages. Almost 95 percent of farmers own less than 12.5 acres of land.
https://pakobserver.net/pakistan-has-potential-of-4-5b-rice-exports/
Farmers decry low unmilled rice farm-gate prices
By: Jordeene B. Lagare - @inquirerdotnet
Philippine Daily Inquirer / 04:25 AM February 21, 2022

The farm-gate prices for palay or unmilled rice in various provinces currently ranges between P12
a kilo and P17.20 a kilo, according to various groups—levels which, farmers have complained, are
too low for them to eke out a decent income.
Data provided by the Amihan National Federation of Peasant Women, rice watch group Bantay
Bigas and the Anakpawis partylist group showed the lowest prevailing price of unmilled rice was
in Camarines Norte and Iloilo at P12 a kilo recorded from Feb. 13 to 17.
ADVERTISEMENT
The highest farm-gate price of unmilled rice was P17 to P17.20 a kilo in Leyte, Albay, Tarlac,
Pangasinan and Pampanga.
In Capiz and Misamis Oriental, palay was sold at P12 a kilo during the period. On the other hand,
unmilled rice was sold for P14 to P15 a kilo in Negros Occidental, Palawan, Laguna, Occidental
Mindoro, South Cotabato, Isabela and Camarines Sur.
Cathy Estavillo, secretary general of Amihan and Anakpawis, said farmers are incurring
substantial losses at current prices.
―Luging-lugi na iyon kasi dahil dito sa tuloy-tuloy na pagtaas ng presyo ng mga farm inputs, lalong
lalo na iyong pagtaas ng abono … halos weekly pagtaas ng langis (Farmers have sustained losses
due to successive increases in farm inputs and fuel costs),‖ said Estavillo in a phone interview with
the Inquirer.
Expensive inputs
Data from the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority shows the retail price of prilled urea averaged
P2,499.04 per 50-kilo bag based on prices from Feb. 7 to 11, significantly higher than P1,060.77
per 50-kilo bag a year ago.
Also, the average price of granular urea surged to P2,535.39 per 50-kilo bag from P1,015.18 per
50-kilo bag.
Since the beginning of 2020, pump prices have been increasing steadily, with the cumulative net
increase exceeding P10 per liter.
Groups claimed that, since the Rice Tariffication Law was signed into law, farmers have not been
able to sell their produce for at least P20 a kilo, which Estavillo said was the ideal farm-gate price
for farmers to take home a decent amount of income.
―As the harvest season continues, rice farmers are forced to sell their product at a very low price
due to the dictate of monopoly private traders who traditionally use the flooding of imported rice as
leverage, on top of the structural weakness of absence of postharvest facilities in the national rice
sector, and the decoupling of the National Food Authority which procurement price serves as
regulatory measure brought about by the law,‖ said Estavillo in a statement.
ADVERTISEMENT
―The Rice [Tariffication] Law enabled this big traders and importers to reap giant profits at the cost
of depressed farm-gate prices and undermined self-sufficiency, thus, it is undisputed that the
Duterte administration policies are detrimental to the interest of Filipino rice farmers and poor
consumers,‖ she added.
Tariffication impact
They said when Republic Act (RA) No. 11203 took effect in 2019, the farm-gate price of palay in
Nueva Ecija dropped to as low as P7 a kilo.
In 2020, the recorded price was at P13 to P14 in Isabela and Nueva Ecija. Last year, it was P10 per
kilo in Occidental Mindoro.
Estavillo said to address the decline in prices of unmilled rice, the government should support rice
farmers through good farm-gate price, production support and postharvest facilities, among others.
They also called for the repeal of RA 11203 and pushed for the enactment of bills for the
development of rice industry and national food security based on self-sufficiency and self-reliance.
House Bill No. 8512 proposes a P495-billion budget for the Three-Year Implementation Plan to
introduce fundamental reforms in the rice industry.
It covers the following: Rice Production Socialized Credit Program with P25 billion allocation;
Accelerated Irrigation Development Program with P45 billion and P20 billion for rehabilitation
and repair; PostHarvest Facilities Development Program with P30 billion; Farm Inputs Support
Program with P50 billion; Research and Development and Extension Services Program with P15
billion; and P310 billion allocation for National Food Authority‘s local procurement program. INQ
https://business.inquirer.net/341427/farmers-decry-low-unmilled-rice-farm-gate-
prices#ixzz7Lcp5nzsR
Project to upgrade rice value chain in Red River Delta launched

in Thai Binh
A ground breaking ceremony for a project to upgrade rice value chain in Vietnam‘s Red River
Delta was held in the northern province of Thai Binh on February 21.
VNA Monday, February 21, 2022 18:06
Thai Binh (VNA) – A ground breaking ceremony for a project to upgrade rice value chain in
Vietnam‘s Red River Delta was held in the northern province of Thai Binh on February 21.
The event was jointly held by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs of the
Republic of Korea (RoK) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam.
The project, part of a new framework on agricultural development cooperation between Vietnam
and the RoK, will be carried out in Thai Binh, Nam Dinh and Hung Yen provinces until 2024.
It aims to build a master plan on rice value chain development in the Red River Delta, improve
cultivation efficiency amid climate change and successfully develop a sustainable, high-value
rice growing model raking in high value in Thai Binh for expansion in the delta as a whole.
The project will be rolled out with a non-refundable assistance worth 5 billion KRW (over 4.5
million USD) provided by the RoK government through its agriculture ministry.
It is hoped to raise income of rice farmers as well as economic efficiency in agricultural

production in the Red River Delta.
Under the cooperation, an area of 2.4 ha will be zoned off for pilot rice cultivation, which helps
the two sides find the best rice varieties. It will also house a drying facility with a daily capacity
of about 20 tonnes, and a storage system, said Prof. Dr. Lee Dae-seob, Director of the project.
The area is projected to be put into operation this year./.

https://en.vietnamplus.vn/project-to-upgrade-rice-value-chain-in-red-river-delta-launched-in-
thai-binh/222405.vnp
Rice profits up around 15 pct
By Tat Dat February 20, 2022 | 05:08 pm PT
Farmers harvest rice in the Mekong Delta Province of Hau Giang. Photo by VnExpress/Nguyet
Nhi
Major rice producers and exporters saw their after-tax profits last year increase around 15
percent against the previous year thanks to stronger domestic and overseas sales with higher
export prices.
Loc Troi Group JSC reaped the biggest-ever revenues of over VND10.2 trillion ($443.4 million) and
after-tax profits of more than VND420 billion, up 36 percent and 14 percent, respectively.
Vietnam National Seed Group JSC (Vinaseed) made revenues of over VND1.93 trillion and after-tax
profits of more than VND225 billion, posting respective year-on-year rises of 18 percent and 16 percent.
Both net revenues and after-tax profits of Trung An Hi-tech Farming JSC increased 15 percent to
VND3.12 trillion and over VND100 billion.
Vietnam exported over 6.2 million tons of rice totaling nearly $3.3 billion last year, according to the
General Department of Vietnam Customs.
Advertising
The average export price of Vietnamese rice rose 5.5 percent against 2020 to $526.8 per ton in 2021,
according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
Loc Troi exported over 80,000 tons of rice worth over VND1 trillion, quadrupling in both volume and
value against 2020. Vinaseed exported 60 tons of premium fragrant rice to the U.K. for the first time.
Domestic sales also increased last year, partly due to social distancing measures imposed to curb Covid-
19. Hoa Sen Rice told VnExpress its sales surged 45 percent in 2021.
The Vietnam Food Association predicted Vietnam, which exported 505,700 tons of rice worth $246
million in January, would export over 6 million tons of rice this year. However, a sharp increase in prices
of agricultural materials, especially fertilizers, will increase input costs and lowers farmer incomes.
https://e.vnexpress.net/news/business/industries/rice-profits-up-around-15-pct-4429906.html
China issues 2022 minimum purchase prices for some

rice products
The total volume of rice purchased at the minimum purchase price for 2022 will be limited to
50mln tonnes
A worker falls asleep among heaps of rice sacks at a wholesale market in Jakarta May 3, 2008.
Image used for illustrative purposes.
REUTERS/Supri
By Emily Chow and Beijing newsroom, Reuters News
BEIJING- China's state planner on Friday issued the minimum purchase prices for some rice
products for 2022.
The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) set the minimum purchase prices
for early indica, late indica and japonica rice at 124 yuan, 129 yuan and 131 yuan per 50kg
respectively.
That works out at a minimum purchase price of 2,480 yuan ($392.14), 2,580 yuan and 2,620
yuan per tonne respectively. The prices are also higher than those set for 2021, signalling
increasing support for production of the crop.
The total volume of rice purchased at the minimum purchase price for 2022 will be limited to 50
million tonnes, with 20 million tonnes for indica rice and 30 million tonnes for japonica rice, the
NDRC said.
China had called for an increase in rice production at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic amid
concerns over food security in the world's most populous country. A government working group
said that regions with good growing conditions should restore double-cropping of rice and that
planted acreage of early crop rice should be expanded.
($1 = 6.3243 Chinese yuan renminbi)
(Reporting by Emily Chow and Beijing newsroom Editing by David Goodman)
((emily.chow@thomsonreuters.com; +862120830020; Reuters Messaging:
emily.chow.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))
https://www.zawya.com/mena/en/story/China_issues_2022_minimum_purchase_prices_for_som
e_rice_products-TR20220218nL1N2UT0RLX1/
China Plans to Feed 80 Million People With ‘Seawater

Rice’
Chinese scientists have developed salt-tolerant strains of rice in a bid to ensure food security
as sea levels rise from climate change.
Bloomberg News
February 19, 2022, 4:00 PM GMT+5
RR1
Generic 1st 'RR' Future
15.21
USD/cwt
+0.05+0.30%
CNY
China Renminbi Spot
6.3296
CNY
-0.0056-0.0884%
000681
VISUAL CHINA-A
15.55
CNY
-1.32-7.82%
Green Data Dash

52,000
Million metric tons of greenhouse emissions, most recent annual data
$69.9B
Renewable power investment worldwide in Q2 2020
Parts per million CO2 in the atmosphere
50%
Carbon-free net power in the U.S., most recent data
+0.84° C
Dec. 2021 increase in global temperature vs. 1900s average
Dhaka, Bangladesh
Most polluted air today, in sensor range
-3.26%
Today's arctic ice area vs. historic average
Jinghai district in northern China is hardly a rice-growing paradise. Located along the coast of
the Bohai Sea, over half of the region‘s land is made of salty, alkaline soil where crops can‘t
survive. Yet, last autumn, Jinghai produced 100 hectares of rice.
The secret to the bountiful harvest is new salt-tolerant rice strains developed by Chinese scientists in the
hope of ensuring food security that‘s been threatened by rising sea levels, increasing grain demand and
supply chain disruptions.
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Elon Musk Laughed at the Idea of Tesla Using Too Much Water. Now It‘s a Real Problem
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Known as ―seawater rice‖ because it‘s grown in salty soil near the sea, the strains were created by over-
expressing a gene from selected wild rice that‘s more resistant to saline and alkali. Test fields in Tianjin—
the municipality that encompasses Jinghai—recorded a yield of 4.6 metric tons per acre last year, higher
than the national average for production of standard rice varieties.
The breakthrough comes as China searches for ways to secure domestic food and energy supplies as
global warming and geopolitical tensions make imports less reliable. The nation has one-fifth of the
world‘s population, and that many mouths to feed, with less than 10% of the Earth‘s arable land.
Meanwhile, grain consumption is rising quickly as the country grows more wealthy.
Workers plant sea rice seedlings in a test field at Qingdao Saline-Alkali Tolerant Rice Research
and Development Center in Qingdao in 2017.
Photographer: Zhang Xiaopeng/Visual China Group/Getty Images
―Seeds are the ‗chips‘ of agriculture,‖ said Wan Jili, a manager at Qingdao Saline-Alkali Tolerant Rice
Research and Development Center, drawing a parallel between the crucial role semiconductors play in the
development of new technologies and their role in the ongoing trade war between the U.S. and China.
Seawater rice could help improve China‘s grain production in the face of an ―extremely complicated
situation regarding climate change and global food security,‖ she said.
China has been studying salt-tolerant rice since at least the 1950s. But the term ―seawater rice‖ only
started to gain mainstream attention in recent years after the late Yuan Longping, once the nation‘s top
agricultural scientist, began researching the idea in 2012.
What on Earth?
The Bloomberg Green newsletter is your guide to the latest in c
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-02-19/chinese-scientists-discover-how-to-grow-
seawater-
rice#:~:text=Yuan%20Longping%20at%20a%20super,in%20Guangxi%20Zhuang%20in%2020
17.&text=%E2%80%9CWe%20could%20feed%2080%20million,a%20local%20newspaper%20
in%202018.

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Daily Global, Regional & Local Rice E-Newsletter

22 February ,2022 Vol 7 Issue 2

Lentil, Rice and Bok Choy Soup

Recipe Source : Lentil, Rice and Bok Choy Soup [Vegan]

'Light of a million suns' key to unlocking secrets of healthier

China plans to feed 80m people with ‘seawater rice’

Jinghai district in northern China is hardly a rice-growing paradise.

The Missing Continent That Took 375 Years To Find

Land mass of Zealandia

Scientists are proposing to abolish SafePass in

Rice tariffication repeal campaign tops farmers‘ agenda as review

February 21, 2022 | 10:24 pm

Nigeria rice: Is the government exaggerating production

A display of bags of rice in Abuja in January

Peanut pyramids in Kano, northern Nigeria, in 1955

Some farmers have been forced to relocate because of frequent attacks

Rice produced by multi-stakeholder partnership

Rice farmer advocates quality, hygienic product

Farm exports boom in new year

High quality rice is being prepared for export. Photo nld.com.vn

Anambra to start earning 13% oil derivation from

February 20, 2022

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Pakistan has potential of $4.5b rice exports

Farmers decry low unmilled rice farm-gate prices

By: Jordeene B. Lagare - @inquirerdotnet

Philippine Daily Inquirer / 04:25 AM February 21, 2022

Project to upgrade rice value chain in Red River Delta launched

It is hoped to raise income of rice farmers as well as economic efficiency in agricultural

The area is projected to be put into operation this year./.

Rice profits up around 15 pct

By Tat Dat February 20, 2022 | 05:08 pm PT

China issues 2022 minimum purchase prices for some

China Plans to Feed 80 Million People With ‘Seawater

Green Data Dash

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