20th September, 2021 Daily Global Regional Local Rice E-Newsletter

Daily Global, Regional & Local Rice E-Newsletter
20 September ,2021 Vol 6 Issue 09
1|www.ricepluss.com , www.riceplusmagazine.blosgspot.com
www.riceplusmagazine.blogspot.com
mujahid.riceplus@gmail.com 92 321 3692874
Editorial Board Rice News Headlines…

 An interview with Shahid Hussain Tarer, Managing Director Galaxy
Chief Editor
Rice Mill (Pvt.) Limited
 Hamlik
 DA-Western Visayas targets 39% hike in wet season palay production
Managing Editor  Forced formalisation behind the surge in tax collections’
 Abdul Sattar Shah  Arhtiyas seek SIT probe into ‘irregularities’ in paddy purchase
 Rahmat Ullah  Chinese Halal food producers eager to invest in Pakistan
 Rozeen Shaukat  Central Region to revolutionise rice production
 NO test conducted for plant based pathogens in Chinese samples
English Editor
 Maryam Editor  India emerges as global rice exporting hub: thanks to COVID-19
 Legal Advisor pandemic
 Advocate Zaheer Minhas  Farmers have to cultivate crops other than paddy, says Gangula
 Govt. to probe possible contamination of test sample
Editorial Associates  Pakistan Dispatches 300-ton Edibles For People Of Afghanistan As
 Admiral (R) Hamid Khalid
Humanitarian Aid
 Javed Islam Agha
 Zahid Baig(Business Recorder)  Covid-19 related issues and the need for unified effort
 Dr.Akhtar Hussain  Weekend round up scientists tribal members combine research wild
 Dr.Fayyaz Ahmad Siddiqui rice decline
 Dr.Abdul Rasheed (UAF)  Punjab Read for Paddy procurement from 1st October,2021
 Islam Akhtar Khan  Seminar between USA Rice and the U.S. Embassy in Amman
 Gene in mutant rice identified
Editorial Advisory Board
 Dr. Stone Chapter 212: Release Date & Spoilers
 Dr.Malik Mohammad Hashim
Assistant Professor, Gomal  US panel backs COVID-19 boosters only for seniors, high-risk – San
University DIK Bernardino Sun
 Dr.Hasina Gul  New Zealand abandons Pakistan’s cricket tour to watch out for attacks |
Assistant Director, Agriculture KPK World
 Dr.Hidayat Ullah  Farmers want higher rice tariff on non-ASEAN
Assistant Professor, University  Italian firms mulling investment in Pakistan
of Swabi  Analysis: India may corner nearly half of global rice trade as exports soar to
 Dr.Abdul Basir record
Assistant Professor, University of  Asia rice: India loses out on some orders as prices near 2-month high
Swabi  India transforms into global rice exporting hub thanks to Covid
 Zahid Mehmood  Farmers want higher rice tariff on non-ASEAN
PSO,NIFA Peshawar
 IMF suspends engagement with Afghanistan
 Falak Naz Shah
 Punjab: Go-ahead for custom milling policy, paddy procurement
Head Food Science & Technology
 The hunt for Sony Playstation 5 and why the CBN may be chasing shadows
ART, Peshawar
 UAEX's Alton Johnson Sees Rice Up to the Challenge from Climate Change
 Competitive Study Of Agricultural Lubricants Market 2020|Crown Oil,
Morris Lubricants, Total
An interview with Shahid Hussain Tarer,

Managing Director Galaxy Rice Mill (Pvt.)
Limited
“Agri-exporters cannot demand price premium without attracting foreign

delegations” Shahid Husein Tarer is the...
BR Research 20 Sep 2021
“Agri-exporters cannot demand price premium without attracting foreign
delegations”
Shahid Husein Tarer is the Managing Director and CEO of Galaxy Rice. The company
is based out of Kalar (north-eastern Punjab) region, which is considered the birth area
of basmati.
Galaxy Rice was founded in 1974. The company works with rice farmers to improve
their farming practices by adopting resource-efficient techniques for reducing the cost
of production and enhancing crop yield, water productivity, and farm income in
addition with maintaining food safety “to ensure safe and healthy rice from farm to
fork”.
Under Tarer’s leadership, it has become one of the largest basmati exporters from
Pakistan. Tarer’s stated vision is to improve the capacity of rice growers in adopting
innovative water-efficient techniques, certified seed, and responsible use of pesticides
to reduce their cost of production, harvest losses and increase their paddy yield. His
company has also spearheaded efforts to provide extension services to farmers for
promoting resource efficiency through laser land leveling, Mechanical Transplanting
of rice Alternative Water and Drying Tubes (AWD) & use of specialized rice
harvesters.
In this interview, BR Research spoke with Tarer regarding the sustainability of local
rice production, given the crop’s high-water footprint, and discussed the challenges
and opportunities for local basmati rice since the inclusion of the country in EU’s GI
directory. Below are the edited excerpts:
BR Research: Rice has one of the highest water footprint among all kharif
crops. Can Pakistan’s agriculture sector really achieve sustainability
without diversifying away from basmati?
Shahid Hussain Tarer: All Kharif crops grown in Pakistan are water-intensive, be it
cotton, rice, or sugarcane. Often, misleading comparisons are drawn such as one
kilogram of rice uses two thousand litres of water, or a pair of denim pants consumes
four thousand litres of water. It would be more sensible to consider the Economic Value
Added (EVA) of any commodity and consider whether its substitutes could help make
up for the lost foreign exchange.
Basmati is not only the unique selling proposition (USP) of Pakistan‟s crop sector but is
also priced at more than 2 times multiple over other coarse varieties such as Thai, and
Vietnamese rice. Few other commodities that are only grown in our region enjoy such
premium in international markets. It would be a mistake to make basmati a casualty of
environmental criticism due to misplaced motives.
BRR: Among basmati varieties most commonly cultivated in Pakistan: PK
1121, Super basmati and others, which varieties have the highest water
footprint?
SHT: The rule of thumb to compare water consumption is to compare the „Days to
maturity‟ (duration) of various varieties. Among approved varieties, Super basmati,
Basmati 515, and PKR 1121 are the most commonly cultivated varieties in the country.
Each of these has an average „Days to Maturity‟ period of 110-115 days on average. Thus,
their relative water consumption is also similar.
BRR: There is some confusion whether Pusa 1121 – commonly known as

Kainat in local market – should be considered a true basmati variety? Many
believe the success witnessed by Kainat in recent years is attributable to its
lower water requirement.
SHT: The variety is officially known as PK-1121, and it is an indigenous variety. PK

1121‟s official Days to Maturity are same as Super Basmati. However, due to weather
conditions in southern Punjab where Kainat is more common, PK-1121 is harvested
early. This has built a perception that its water requirement is lower than other
traditional varieties.
PK-1121 is a true basmati variety, containing both basmati genotype and phenotypical
characteristics. Its parentage can be traced back to original basmati gene contained in
Basmati 370. The aromatic expression of basmati gene is stronger in local variety than
in its Indian counterpart. Over the past decade, PK-1121 has also gained considerable
share in both local and export markets due to its attractive farm economics and
sustainability.
BRR: By that logic, can any cross-bred variety that contains genes from 370
be considered true basmati?
SHT: It is important to understand the context first. During the pre-partition era, the
Rice Research Institute of Kala Shah Kaku was tasked with creating a seed bank of all
rice varieties grown in pre-partitioned Punjab. Hundreds of wild varieties were
collected, of which, rice varieties that met specified phenotypic expression criteria such
as aroma, non-sticky cooking, and elongation were classified as basmati. These varieties
are still present in the Kala Shah Kaku seed bank. However, many could not be
successfully commercialized due to various reasons such as higher cost of production,
height etc.
The original variety to be commercialized with official assent was called Basmati 370.
Today, the defined criteria of “true” basmati for derived varieties is that direct parentage
of at least one parent is traceable to 370 or other original varieties such as Super. Along
with whether geographic indication (GI) can be traced back to the atmospheric, soil,
temperature, water, and climatic conditions in which original basmati varieties were
grown.
BRR: How does the water footprint of IRRI varieties compare against local
basmati varieties?
SHT: Days to Maturity of IRRI varieties is usually lower than basmati. The duration of
IRRI and hybrid varieties is 90 days. Theoretically, that translates into 15-20 percent
lower water consumption. However, these are sown by May or early June, when raining
season is yet to commence. As a result, growers are forced to pump groundwater to
irrigate their crops.
In contrast, basmati varieties are sown in late June, even July in some areas. By this
time, monsoon rains usually begin all over Punjab. In fact, monsoon rains are a crucial
part of the basmati heritage in the Indo-Gangetic Plain which makes up the Geographic
Indication (GI) criteria.
Thus, in terms of water-intensiveness, it is difficult to conclusively state whether IRRI

and hybrid varieties consume less water. At best, water consumption may be at par with
basmati (due to IRRI‟s early sowing and greater dependence on groundwater).
BRR: According to official data, share of basmati in local rice production

has reached 50 percent – or 4 million tons. What do you think is driving
increasing popularity of basmati?
SHT: I am not sure if official data is truly reflective. Out of the 8 million tons of rice
produced, 2 million – 2.5 million tons is paddy. Moreover, it is possible that some
varieties may be misclassified as basmati, such as PK 386.
But leaving aside the accuracy of numbers, basmati is definitely growing in popularity
locally. This not only includes higher at-home cooking, but also a growing culture of
expenditure on dining-out, weddings, and festivities. On the supply side, improved
pricing due to growing demand has helped improve farm economics, in turn increasing
basmati‟s popularity with growers.
BRR: Is the basmati originating in the traditional Kalar bowl of Gujranwala

division considered more premium than the output of other regions such as
southern and central Punjab?
SHT: Although the distinction is not very commonly drawn, processors understand the
difference and place a discount or premium accordingly. For example, well-known
centre such as Kamoki mandi or Mandi Bahauddin mandi rice are known by their place
of origin, due to premium cooking quality, aromatic properties and taste. But output can
also obviously vary from year to year due to input conditions, such as climatic
conditions at sowing time, timely irrigation, temperature at the time of flowering stage
etc.
Having said that, now that work on GI directory is in advanced stages, government
should seriously consider issuing separate GI tagging to basmati originating from Kalar
belt. As the region produces the top-quality basmati in whole Indus plain, on both sides
of the border.
BRR: Does the foreign buyer draw distinction in basmati pricing based on
its area of origin? For example, is a premium offered based on whether
basmati originates from Kalar belt?
SHT: Those who have been in the business for long enough not only understand the
distinction but also demand premium quality rice. However, foreign buyers do not
necessarily demand premium quality based on area of origin but cooking quality levels.
For example, any foreign buyer who demands rice with “A+” cooking quality in effect
places an order for rice from Kalar belt, because “A+” cooking quality can only be found
in rice belonging to that region.
BRR: Do you believe local processors should invest in branding high quality
rice by its area of origin (such as Kalar belt) in order to fetch a price
premium in international market?
SHT: Of course, if processors were to brand the rice in this manner, it would pay
dividends. However, an even bigger impediment is the reluctance of buyers to visit.
When foreign buyers visit in the form of delegation, exporters/processors can arrange
field visits of farms, mandis, and mills; hold consultations with zamindars, wholesalers,
dealers, and brokers; showcase paddy crop upon harvest, varieties, phenotypical
characteristics, and cooking qualities. Field visits help build buyer confidence and trust,
and in turn allows exporters to demand a premium price.
For at least last 10 years (with brief exceptions), foreign buyers have rarely been able to
visit. In the past 18 months, travel has come to a complete halt due to Covid; but even
before, delegations could rarely visit due to terrorism and security risks. These
conditions make it impossible for exporters to gain buyer confidence, especially of those
from Europe and North America.
BRR: Do you agree that ever since exchange rate underwent massive
depreciation in 2018-19, basmati processors’ margins have improved on
export?
SHT: Exporters only gain due to currency devaluation during the intervening period
when orders have been placed based on older pricing (i.e. exchange rate) but shipment
or payment realization is yet to take place. With future orders, the benefit is passed on to
the mandi and farmers as local prices also rise; while the knock-on effect of currency
depreciation leads to an inflationary impact in the cost of farm inputs, fuel cost,
transportation etc.
Thus, devaluation does not affect basmati exporter‟s margin too much in the medium to
long term. They sell the same product in local market as in the export market, so selling
price cannot vary too much. In fact, within local sales, prices of shorter-grains move in
tandem with wheat and corn prices, whereas basmati prices have a correlation with
prices on the other side of the border.
https://www.brecorder.com/news/40121182
DA-Western Visayas targets 39% hike in wet

season palay production
NEGROS. A 39 percent increase in the production volume of palay during this wet cropping
season is being eyed in Western Visayas. (Contributed photo)
ERWIN P. NICAVERA
September 19, 2021
RICE farmers in Western Visayas including Negros Occidental are expected to attain
a 39-percent increase in the production volume of palay (unhusked rice) during this
wet cropping season compared to the actual harvest of 865,923 metric tons (MT) in
the same period last year, an official of the Department of Agriculture (DA) in the
region said.
DA-Western Visayas Rice Program Coordinator Elmer Cabusas, in a statement, said

the region can obtain at least 1.2 million MT of palay production this harvest period.
This is due to the agency's interventions and the expansion of areas planted that
reached 299,621 hectares in both rain-fed and irrigated ecosystems, Cabusas said.
Negros Occidental is targeting to produce 292,6661 MT this cropping season.

With over 145,000 hectares planted to palay, Iloilo, on the other hand, has a projected
production volume of 497,185 MT.
For other provinces, Capiz targets 165,297 MT; Antique - 161,259 MT; Aklan - 62,828 MT; and Guimaras
- 21,980 MT.
"For this year, we are hoping that we can produce 2.3 million MT of palay," he said, adding that based
on consolidated reports of local government units (LGUs), "we have already accumulated 1.2 million MT
production from more than 360,000 hectares of harvested areas with an average yield of 3.7 metric tons
per hectare from January to September."
Under favorable climate, proper utilization of inputs provided, and adoption of recommended rice
production technologies, he also said the region can secure a four MT per hectare average yield this
year.
For 2021, Iloilo and Guimaras are being prioritized for the Rice Hybridization Program while the
interventions for the four other provinces in the region are covered by the Rice Competitiveness
Enhancement Fund (RCEF) Program.
DA-Western Visayas reported that for the hybrid cluster, 1,746 bags, at 15 kilograms per bag, of seeds
were distributed to Guimaras and 73,374 bags to Iloilo.
The three bags of fertilizer complementing each bag of hybrid seeds are being provided to the farmers
through the voucher system where they could access the inputs from DA-accredited agriculture
suppliers in the region.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) has almost completed the delivery and
distribution of 447,999 bags of certified seeds to RCEF areas in Western Visayas intended for the wet
cropping season.
"For the dry season, we have already positioned 232,000 bags of RCEF seeds, as well as the seed
allocation under the regular program," Cabusas said.
The DA had also established hybrid rice model farms in June, with a minimum of 100 hectares per area.
These farms are in Buenavista, Guimaras; Pototan, Iloilo; Barbaza, Antique; Dumalag, Capiz; Numancia,
Aklan; and Bago City, Negros Occidental.
“We have put up these hybrid demonstration farms in different areas in the region so we could provide
location-specific and suitable hybrid rice varieties to the next batch of farmers who will graduate from
the RCEF program," he said.
Cabusas added that from being certified seed users, they will receive hybrid seeds once they complete
the maximum number of times they can access seeds from RCEF. (With reports from DA-Western
Visayas)
https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1907743/Bacolod/Business/DA-Western-Visayas-targets-39-hike-in-
wet-season-palay-production+&cd=1&hl=en
Forced formalisation behind the surge in

tax collections’
September 20, 2021 4:50 AM
India‘s informal sector accounts for about a half of its GDP but employs as much as 80% of its
workforce, according to an HSBC estimate.
Similarly, a shift in wealth distribution away from the poor and the lower-middle class to the
upper-middle class or the rich boosts income tax mop-up because the tax regime is usually
progressive.
By Banikinkar Pattanayak, Rajesh Ravi & Nayan Dave
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 robust tax collection in recent months has lent some credence to the notion that the expansion
of the formal sector of the economy, which got a leg-up from demonetisation and the GST
rollout, has gathered steam with the Covid-19 outbreak.
Gross tax revenue in the first quarter of this fiscal shot up by an impressive 33% even over the
same period in FY20 (before the pandemic struck). In stark contrast, nominal GDP in the June
quarter grew only 2.4% from the pre-pandemic level.
Industry executives in some of the labour-intensive sectors FE spoke to lamented that the
formalisation may have been a ―forced‖ process, driven mostly by the Covid-induced extinction
of several unorganised sector entities, rather than an organic one. This has led to greater
consumer reliance on the formal sector, even though overall consumption demand remains sticky
due to large-scale income losses.
This seemingly-accelerated shift towards formalisation, coupled with cost-cutting by India Inc,
have boosted the profitability of large companies, leading to strong growth in the corporation tax
collection. The GST mop-up, too, has remained robust in recent months, barring the aberration in
June (for business transactions in May) when the second wave peaked.
India‘s informal sector accounts for about a half of its GDP but employs as much as 80% of its
workforce, according to an HSBC estimate. Unsurprisingly, private final consumption
expenditure shrank 11.9% in real and 2.7% in nominal terms in the June quarter from the pre-
pandemic levels.
Pronab Sen, noted economist and former chairman of the National Statistical Commission, said
the spurt in tax collection has been driven by both ―forced‖ formalisation and a change in the
composition of consumption in the aftermath of the pandemic. When income inequality grows
and wealth gets redistributed in favour of the more privileged, the broader private consumption
gets a jolt. But the consumption pattern gravitates more towards discretionary items, including
luxury goods (which attract higher GST rates) than the essentials, Sen explained.
Similarly, a shift in wealth distribution away from the poor and the lower-middle class to the
upper-middle class or the rich boosts income tax mop-up because the tax regime is usually
progressive.
So, this phenomenon tends to drive up both the GST and income tax collections, Sen said. But
ultimately, it weighs down economic growth, given the informal sector‘s overwhelmingly large
share in employment, he cautioned.
Aditi Nayar, chief economist at Icra, said while direct tax collection jumped 47% in the June
quarter from the pre-pandemic level, the non-agriculture GVA in the Q1 of FY22 shrank relative
to the Q1 of FY20 — both in real (-10.3%) and nominal (-2.3%) terms. ―The formal/tax-paying
portion of the non-agriculture economy has gained market share at the cost of the balance,
benefiting from the structural shifts generated by demonetisation, GST as well as the Covid
shock,‖ Nayar said.
While hardcore data on the recent performance of the entire informal sector remain elusive,
industry executives said the Covid crisis has ravaged non-agricultural entities in the unorganised
sector more than the rest.
M Rafeeque Ahmed, founder of Farida Group, a major leather footwear exporter, said there were
instances of independent entrepreneurs shutting shop. ―I would not like to say this kind of trend
has added to the real formalisation because I believe it is not a healthy thing.‖
J Rajmohan Pillai, chairman at Beta Group, a dry fruit trading firm in Kerala, said, ―Out of 834
registered cashew factories, more than 700 are closed now due to a combination of factors.
Demonetisation, followed by the GST launch, had its impact.‖ Of course, most of the GST-
related issues, including refunds, have been settled now, he added.
In the tourism sector, informal units have suffered the most lethal blows of the pandemic. ―We
have reports that nearly 15,000 of our members have applied to cancel their GST registration,‖
said G Jayapal, general secretary at Kerala Hotel and Restaurant Association.
However, given the surge in export orders, some players see a silver lining. ―Most large
companies are flooded with orders, so much so that they have started taking the help of the
ancillary units (in the informal sector) to fulfil their commitments. While some of the smaller
units did suffer initially, things are improving now,‖ said RK Jalan, vice-president at the Council
for Leather Exports.
Though the agriculture and food sector has performed better than most others, here, too, stress is
visible in the informal segment. ―…almost 70% of the rice and flour mills are under pressure to
repay their bank loans and settle the bills, including power and water taxes,‖ said Bharat
Bhushan, chairman of Lucknow Dal and Rice Millers Association.
In the textile hub of Surat, nearly 20% of the units are either shut or running at less than a half of
their capacity following the pandemic, said Devkishan Mangani, former president of the
Federation of Surat Textile Traders Association.
However, the diamond units in Surat have recovered fast following the first and the second
Covid waves and almost managed to recoup initial losses now, said Dinesh Navadiya, chairman
(Gujarat region) of the Gems and Jewellery Export Promotion Council.
However, in the gold jewellery segment, industry executives say many neighbourhood stores in
Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata couldn‘t cope with the losses and demand compression, and closed
down.
https://www.financialexpress.com/economy/forced-formalisation-behind-the-surge-in-tax-
collections/2333509/
Arhtiyas seek SIT probe into ‗irregularities‘ in paddy

purchaseUpdated At: Sep 20, 2021 11:04 AM (IST)
Chandigarh, September 19
Alleging irregularities in the purchase of paddy
by some rice millers of Nissing, a few
commission agents on Sunday demanded a
probe by a Special Investigation Team (SIT)
into the matter.Addressing a press conference
here, the commission agents alleged they had
not been able to recover their payment for the
past six months despite the registration of 27
FIRs in the past six years.
Commission agents, including Manish Malik, Rajveer Malik, Manish Garg, Amit Mittal, Hemant
Kumar, Ashok Kumar, Virendra Garg and Sonit, alleged that a private mill defrauded them by
not paying their dues. The mill was shut in connivance with high officials, which resulted in
embezzlement of crores of rupees of arhtiyas and farmers.
All cases should be probed by forming an SIT for the entire state, the commission agents under
the Peedit Arhtiya Sangh added. — TNS
https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/haryana/arhtiyas-seek-sit-probe-into-irregularities-in-paddy-
purchase-313588
Chinese Halal food producers eager to invest in Pakistan

By
News desk
-
September 19, 2021
Observer Report
Beijing
―In the near future, more Chinese Halal food will be seen in Pakistani supermarkets‖, said Ma
Zhijun, Director of Halal Food Committee, China Council for the Promotion of International
Trade Sichuan (CCPIT Sichuan).
He was addressing a training seminar on Pakistani food market access held in Chengdu online,
according to China Economic Net.
Pakistan Halal Authority, Peshawar Customs, and dozens of Chinese food companies
participated in the seminar, which is sponsored by the South Asian (Chengdu) Standardization
Research Center and Chengdu Institute of Standardization.
Among the Halal food in Pakistan, 70% are imported, mainly from Iran and Malaysia. ―In the
past, Chinese food in Pakistan is mostly seen in local Chinese supermarkets and restaurants.
But in the future, more Pakistani consumers will get a taste of it. A leading convenience food
supplier in Sichuan is set to export its products to Pakistan. Halal food will also be provided at
the Summer World University Games held in Chengdu next year‖, Ma added.
Pakistani and Chinese people share some preferences in terms of food. For example, Sichuan
food features spicy flavor, which exactly meets the preference of Pakistani people.
Hot pot condiments, rice crusts, instant noodles, and pickles, all widely consumed in China, are
also warmly welcome in previous exhibitions staged in Pakistan.
―Consuls at the Pakistani Consulate General in Chengdu, China love Sichuan food‖, said Ma.
Lack of thorough understanding of Halal food production and requirements used to constrain the
international competitiveness of some Chinese Halal producers. But now, they are increasingly
supported by training activities.
https://pakobserver.net/chinese-halal-food-producers-eager-to-invest-in-pakistan/
Central Region to revolutionise rice production

Date: Sep - 18 - 2021 , 20:09
BY: Shirley Asiedu-Addo
Category: Business News
Some rice farmers harvesting their crop

Madam Mary Asante, 64, who has been a rice farmer for 25 years says the knowledge and
technical knowhow that comes to smallholder rice farmers in the communities as a result
of an initiative, the Rice Value Chain Improvement (RVCI) Project, would be a game
changer for them.
She told the Daily Graphic, "It is obvious from what we are seeing that a lot of our efforts have
gone to waste in the past. For a plot of land which could have given me about 22 bags of rice if I
had employed the right seeds and technology, I only had 16 bags of rice."
"We work really hard but get little because we don't adopt the most efficient inputs," she added.
Stating that rice farming had been the main source of income for her family, with two of her
adult sons also into farming of the crop, she appealed, "We need loans for many of the youth
here to come into rice farming. We need money for land preparation and machinery to sow the
rice too.
"Now the business looks more lucrative with all the technical and seed support we have had
under this project.
"Touching on the impact the project has already created, Madam Asante said, "We saw that the
fertiliser that was applied was in the right quantities. We saw how the field was prepared and
with the right rice seeds, it's not surprising what the results were. With about an acre harvested,
they are getting more than 20 bags of rice. That is very good."
Overseers of the RVCI project, valued at $8 million
and funded by the Korean government in the region, say it would change the fortunes of
smallholder rice farmers, boost the economic fortunes of the region and significantly reduce the
nation's rice imports.
It is also projected that the Central Region will soon be acclaimed for its rice production due to a
revolution in the growing of the crop brought about by the RVCI.
The project is being implemented in five districts of the Central Region with 765 farmers and the
beneficiary districts include Gomoa East, Assin Central, Assin North, Assin South and Twifo
Atti-Morkwa.
Smallholder farmers in the beneficiary communities are already excited about the initiative
which has so far planted and harvested a few acres of rice, which would be given to farmers as
seeds to start the rice revolution.
What is RVCI?
The RVCI, launched in June 2021, is a project to improve the rice value chain in the Central
Region.
The project is funded by the government of Korea through the Korean International Cooperation
Agency (KOICA), with the prime goal of improving the quality of life of farmers in the region
through increased rice output, strengthened post-harvest management capacity, improved rice
processing and packaging and strengthened farmer-based organisations' capacity and marketing
support.
The farms cultivated to supply farmers with seeds were also experimental fields for the projects.
As part of the project‘s interventions, 48 metric tonnes of high-quality AGRA rice seed will be
produced with selected farmers, in the seed rice value chain and supplied to paddy rice growers
under the project over a three-year period.
New technologies
An Agriculture Director working with farmers on the project in the Assin Fosu municipality, Mr
Hubert Dela Fiawoo, said the adoption of the new high yielding seed rice technologies was
certain to increase yields of the farmers and better their living conditions.
"It's also going to provide a lot of machinery which rice farmers lack in the Central Region,‖ he
said, adding that the project would also work on processing and packaging to increase value.
"A milling machine is being put up to improve processing. A seed storage facility too is being
built to store all the seeds produced and shared to the farmers for cultivation," he stated.
Maiden harvest
The maiden harvest of the demonstration fields at Assin Akropong in the Assin Fosu
municipality was witnessed by 30 farmers and public officials, including officers from the Assin-
Fosu Municipal Department of Agriculture.
The President of the Rice Growers Association in Assin-Akropong, Mr James Korankye,
expressed gratitude to the project team and the Korean government for the knowledge, skills and
technology demonstrated by the project in the cultivation of the seed rice.
He noted that the good agricultural practices and technology employed in the cultivation had
demonstrated to farmers the benefits of adopting good agronomic practices.
He said, "the physical characteristics of the crop were impressive; the rice headings were good,
panicles were heavy and grains looked attractive."
Rice imports
In 2018, rice imports to Ghana totalled $451,881.
With the population rising each year, Ghana is said to have imported 950,000 tonnes of rice in
2020 alone.
With the rice import bill in excess of US$ 500 million, the government, through the Ministry of
Food and Agriculture, seeks to improve rice production, reduce importation and the value chain
by 2023, while tackling poverty.
These goals are expected to improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers in the country.
The Project Manager, Dr Kim Sang-Yeol, explained that the high-quality seed would be supplied
to beneficiary farmers in nine communities of the project.
He stated that the project aims to supply eight tonnes of rice seeds in 2021, 16 tonnes in 2022
and 24 tonnes in 2023 to paddy producers.
He assured the farmers that the project would ensure effective transfer of improved rice
cultivation techniques alongside the supply of high-quality rice seed to increase rice productivity
by about 10 to 20 per cent. This, he said, was intended to increase the income of local rice
farmers.
Mr Sang-Yeol also indicated that the project would also address access to efficient support
services along the rice value chain.
He noted that the KOICA was also providing agricultural machinery, processing and packaging
facilities and technology along the entire rice value chain; from production to marketing to
increase food self-sufficiency in rice production in Ghana.
Madam Asante called for soft loans and inputs for farmers to sustain the use of the knowledge
acquired.
https://www.graphic.com.gh/business/business-news/central-region-to-revolutionise-rice-
production.html
OPINION | REX NELSON: A Delta vision

by Rex Nelson | September 19, 2021 at 1:45 a.m.
Last month, the Walton Family Foundation announced that Robert Burns will be the director of
what's known as its Home Region Program.
Burns has several decades of experience in the areas of housing, philanthropy and community
development. As a senior vice president of the multinational investment bank and financial
services corporation Citi, he led efforts to promote economic empowerment in cities across the
country.
The foundation based at Bentonville has been led by three generations of Walton family
members and their spouses. They've helped make northwest Arkansas one of the fastest-growing
areas in the country. Walton Family Foundation grants are targeted and net positive results more
often than not.
While Arkansans are familiar with work that has been done in northwest Arkansas, most aren't
aware that the Delta is also considered part of the Home Region Program.
"The Walton Family Foundation will work steadily and boldly toward long-term change that
unlocks opportunity for every person in northwest Arkansas and the Delta," says Tom Walton,
the son of Jim Walton and grandson of Sam Walton. "Robert's background as a proven leader in
community relations, cross-sector collaboration and social impact will provide a new perspective
that encourages our partners and us to embrace innovative, community-driven solutions to the
unique needs of these regions."
The 2020 census painted a stark picture of the Delta's plight. Between the 2010 and 2020 census,
Phillips County's population fell from 21,757 to 16,568. That's a 23.8 percent drop. The county
seat of Helena declined 22.5 percent from 12,282 to 9,519.
St. Francis County lost 18.3 percent of its population, Lee County lost 17.5 percent, Monroe
County lost 16.6 percent, Woodruff County lost 13.7 percent and Chicot County lost 13.5
percent.
The Walton Family Foundation can help stop the bleeding. The grants will have to be large, and
they'll need to be focused. The Delta must play to its strengths--agricultural production, outdoor
recreational opportunities and its rich culture. Here are some suggestions for Burns and his team:
• Make Helena a model Delta town. The foundation has poured a huge amount of money into
Helena through the years, but it's going to take more. The Delta is too big for programs in every
county. But with investments in education, health care and housing at Helena, the Walton Family
Foundation can create a model that will give direction to other Delta cities. The region needs a
success story. The foundation knows the landscape and players at Helena, making it an obvious
choice for the model city.
• Partner with the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission in its efforts to protect flooded
bottomland hardwood forests that attract duck hunters from across the country. Duck hunting is
part of the fabric of life in east Arkansas and a significant portion of the economy each winter.
The commission recently announced plans to change water-control procedures on the Bayou
Meto, Hurricane Lake and Bayou DeView wildlife management areas. The commission doesn't
have enough money to do all that needs to be done. The foundation can do something about that
and, in the process, save the thing (duck hunting) that gives the Delta the most national publicity.
• Partner with the University of Arkansas' Division of Agriculture to complete the Northeast Rice
Research & Extension Center near Jonesboro. The center is on 600 acres in Poinsett County and
is the only agricultural experiment station based on what are known as "white soils" in a part of
northeast Arkansas where rice is king. The center will provide rice producers on these soils with
needed research-based information. Arkansas produces half the nation's rice. For the Arkansas
Delta to do well, we need the rice industry to do well. This center will help maximize the return
for producers through the development of advanced farming methods.
• Partner with Arkansas State University to expand its heritage sites across the Delta. These
include the Dyess Colony and Johnny Cash boyhood home, the Hemingway-Pfeiffer Museum
and Educational Center at Piggott, the Lakeport Plantation near Lake Village, the Southern
Tenant Farmers Museum at Tyronza and the Rohwer Japanese American Relocation Center in
southeast Arkansas. ASU has played a key role in helping interpret Delta history. These heritage
sites increase the quality of life for those who live in the region while also attracting visitors with
money to spend.
• Help with the expansion of the Sultana Museum at Marion. For decades, it was believed that
almost 1,800 Union soldiers perished when the Sultana sank. These soldiers had been released as
prisoners of war. The overcrowded ship sank in the Mississippi River adjacent to Crittenden
County in April 1865. Recent research indicates the number is closer to 1,200, which still means
that more people died on the Sultana than perished on the USS Arizona during the 1941 attack
on Pearl Harbor. The Sultana Museum will cost $7.5 million and be a part of a corridor for
tourists that includes Dyess Colony and the nearby town of Wilson. Taken together, the
attractions will cause many visitors to Memphis to spend a day or more on the Arkansas side of
the river.
• Participate in development of the National Cold War Museum at Blytheville. The museum at
the former Eaker Air Force Base will chronicle events that took place during the Cold War
between the United States and the Soviet Union. Future phases will include a welcome center,
self-guided tours, an interactive alert tower and maybe even an institute for studying the Cold
War. Done right, it will attract national attention and be among the most important developments
in Delta history.
Southland Casino Racing at West Memphis is moving forward quickly with its high-rise hotel
adjacent to Interstate 40. I can picture visitors staying there for multiple nights while making day
trips to Marion, Dyess, Wilson and Blytheville. Success for these attractions will change people's
perception of the Delta and lead to additional investments. The Walton Family Foundation can
put this initiative into overdrive if it chooses to do so.
Wilson already has a benefactor in the form of Gaylon Lawrence Jr., who's among the nation's
largest landowners. Lawrence acquired much of the former company town when he paid an
estimated $150 million in 2010 for Lee Wilson & Co., which had operated one of the country's
biggest cotton plantations. He has since spent millions of dollars transforming Wilson into a
place that attracts well-heeled people from across the region with its restaurant, museum and
upscale shops.
In December, Hotel Louis, a boutique hotel with 16 rooms, will open on the Wilson square. The
town hosts regular events ranging from wine dinners to pottery classes.
With agriculture becoming even more mechanized, we're not going to see population increases in
the Delta. With proper investments by entities such as the Walton Family Foundation and the
Lawrence Group, however, life can improve for those who stay there. At the same time, the
number of visitors who hike, bike, hunt, fish, listen to blues music, eat in famous restaurants and
visit historic attractions will increase. It just takes vision, planning and money.
Last year, the Walton Family Foundation announced a $20 million grant for the Delta Heritage
Trail, an 84.5-mile biking and pedestrian trail from Lexa to Arkansas City. The matching grant
will allow the state Department of Parks, Heritage & Tourism to complete the trail during the
next five years. It was huge news for the Delta, but there's much more to do.
Even with all that has happened in northwest Arkansas, foundation officials might one day point
to the Delta as their greatest accomplishment. The Delta is gravely ill but not yet dead. Saving
this patient would be worthy of international news coverage.
https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2021/sep/19/a-delta-vision/
NO test conducted for plant based pathogens in

Chinese samples
Written by Staff Writer 19 Sep, 2021 | 12:27 AM
COLOMBO (News 1st): Sri Lanka‘s Minister of Agriculture confirmed that a

microorganism identified as ‗Erwinia‘ was discovered in samples brought down
‗unofficially‘ to Sri Lanka and tested.
This supplier was revealed as Qingdao Seawin Biotech Group Co., Ltd.
―This supplier is the single largest organic fertilizer manufacturer and is based in China,‖
he said on Friday (17).
According to experts pathogenic microorganisms that are harmful to animals, plants, and
humans can destroy many cultivation in Sri Lanka.
Incidentally, Professor Nalika Ranatunga attached to the Department of Agricultural
Biology at the University of Ruhuna said no test was conducted for plant based pathogens
in the samples sent to Sri Lanka.
In addition to bacteria, viruses, various pathogens and other organisms can also be
present and there is no evidence to claim that the sample is free from all of that, she said.
―This sample was sent without any testing for any plant pathogens. We can not get any
confirmation from this about their impact on the agricultural sector. Only two types of
bacteria that cause human disease have been tested. Then viruses c an come in addition to
these bacteria. Various pathogens can come from other organisms,‖ she warned.
The Chinese company is preparing to supply Sri Lanka with organic fertilizer made from
seaweed.
Prof. Nalika Ranatunga points out that there is a suspicion that this fertilizer sample may
also contain non-organic matter.
―Now we‘re going to import granular fertilizer cubes that have been tested and found to
contain seaweed extract, or 10% seaweed extract. But when you look at the total nitrogen,
it‘s more than 15% – 16% of the total total nitrogen. Then there is a big suspicion that
inorganic substances like urea have been added to this. There is a question as to whether
any other source of nitrogen, such as municipal waste, is included,‖ she added.
Meanwhile, experts in the field emphasize that according to the law of the land, the
material containing such bacteria can not even be imported as samples.
Professor Saman Dharmakeerthi of the Department of Soil Science, University of
Peradeniya said a sample can ONLY enter a country if it is accompanied with the
necessary certification.
―Failure to produce the certification means that it is illegal to allow the samples to enter
Sri Lanka,‖ he said.
The professor further said that it is dangerous to import samples t hat are not certified by
the National Plant Quarantine Service and put them in field laboratories.
It was revealed at a media briefing by the Minister of Agriculture on Friday (17) that a
sample of organic fertilizer imported from China has been sent to th e Batalegoda Rice
Research and Development Institute (RRDI).
Prof. Nalika Ranatunga said that the samples were sent to the Bathalagoda Rice Research
and Development Institute (RRDI) for field tests to determine the quality of the
fertilizers, and not to test for pathogens or the presence of pests that could harm
agriculture.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture yesterday, the tender to import organic fertilizer
to Sri Lanka has been awarded to a Chinese company called Qingdao Seawin Biotech
Group Co., Ltd.
They operate a large factory in the port city of Qingdao, China.
Qingdao Seawin Biotech Group Co., Ltd. says that with over 20 years of experience, it
has become a leader in the production of marine biofertilizers using wild plants.
Meanwhile, Reuters reported in June that harmful algae had spread about 1,700 square
kilometers around the Chinese port city of Qingdao.
The report said that the area has been plagued by algae for about 15 years and that many
people have been affected by the stench.
According to foreign media, about 12,000 boats were deployed to remove the plants.
The amount of algae removed in June alone was 450,000 tons.
In this context, shouldn‘t the decision to use organic fertilizers, especially those imported
from China, be taken very carefully?
Dr. Parakrama Vaidyanatha, former Chairman of the Coconut Research Institute on
01.07.2021 said only 17 countries in the world use more than 10% organic fertilizer.
―They started using organic fertilizers in the 1960s and 70s. This was not someth ing that
could be done all of a sudden,‖ he added.
https://www.newsfirst.lk/2021/09/19/no-test-conducted-for-plant-based-pathogens-in-chinese-
samples/
India emerges as global rice exporting hub: thanks to

COVID-19 pandemic
The steep growth of the rice exports can be judged from the fact that India’s export during the
fiscal year 20-21 has registered a 112 % increase—the highest ever growth since India started
exporting rice.
Vijay Thakur | New Delhi | September 18, 2021 5:36 pm
India has emerged as a major global player in rice export during the past 20 months. Part of its
credit goes to the Covid-19 pandemic, because of which other major rice exporting countries
failed to meet world demand and India took this opportunity to export more rice worldwide.
The steep growth of the rice exports can be judged from the fact that India‘s export during the
fiscal year 20-21 has registered a 112 % increase—the highest ever growth since India started
exporting rice.
The situation is equally encouraging for this fiscal year where rice export registered 72 % in the
first four months against the corresponding period last year. If rice exporters are to be believed,
India could have exported much more than the present export, had there not been an acute
shortage of containers, and rice in ocean and inland freight.
The exponential rise in export is despite the fact that Indian exporters had to face a series of
hurdles including steep rice in container freight, transport freight and other handling charges due
to the COVID-19 pandemic, admitted Executive Director of the All India Rice Exporters
Association Vinod Kaul.
‗If we talk of 2020-21, India exported 13 Million Metric Tonnes non-basmati rice and around 4.5
MMT basmati rice—which comes to around 17.5 MMT rice. It is more than 37 % of the total
world export (47 MMT),‖ the Executive Director said.
There are mainly four major rice exporting countries, India, Thailand, Vietnam and Pakistan. In
the last fiscal year, India‘s rice export was more than the cumulative exports of the other three
major exporting countries—Thailand, Vietnam, and Pakistan.
India has performed excellently in this adverse situation of the COVID 19 pandemic. ―The
workers were rarely available, containers were hardly available, the inland ocean freight almost
doubled in some cases. Still, we made it happen,‖ said a rice exporter.
Thailand and Vietnam have one more advantage, the rice-producing areas are near to the sea, so
the inland freight is almost negligible. Whereas in India, rice-producing states mainly Punjab,
Haryana, Western UP and part of Jammu, all are far away from major ports. ―This resulted in
heavy inland costs, and we became less competitive price-wise,‖ Kaul said.
Another issue is that some of the rice exporting countries like Bangladesh and China became rice
importing countries due to low production. It further aggravated the rice demand in the
international market.
https://www.thestatesman.com/business/india-emerges-global-rice-exporting-hub-thanks-covid-
19-pandemic-1503009038.html
Farmers have to cultivate crops other than paddy, says

Gangula
BYTELANGANA TODAY
PUBLISHED: 19TH SEP 2021 7:31 PM
BC Welfare and Civil Supplies Minister Gangula Kamalakar interacting with farmers in
Tahirkondapur of Karimnagar Rural mandal.
Karimnagar: BC Welfare and Civil Supplies Minister Gangula Kamalakar on Sunday said
farmers have to take the cultivation of crops other than paddy in the wake of the Union
government‘s decision not to procure common variety of paddy.
The Minister was speaking at a meeting with farmers of Tahirkondapur of Karimnagar Rural
mandal. Attributing the adoption of other crops is mainly to the decision by Union Agriculture
Ministry refusing procurement, Kamalakar advised the farmers to switch to other crops as an
adaptation strategy.
Speaking on the occasion, Kamalakar said according to the Constitution, it was the responsibility
of the Union government to purchase the crops produced by farmers, storage, marketing and
export.
Supplying uninterrupted power supply, adequate irrigation, crop investment support and other
basic facilities were the duty of States. In Telangana, adequate water and 24-hour free electricity
is being supplied to farmers with the initiatives taken by Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao,
he said.
However, the Union government was refusing to procure common paddy variety on the pretext
that an excess amount of parboiled rice was available with the Centre. Stating that the farmers
were going to face severe hardships with the Central government‘s decision, he advised paddy
peasants to switch to other crops.
Instead of common paddy variety, farmers have to cultivate other crops such as oil farm,
groundnut, sunflower and commercial crops like cotton, millets and others.
With the pressure mounted on the Central government by the Chief Minister, FCI has agreed to
procure the paddy of last Yasangi and the next coming Vanakalam season. However, FCI made
it clear that it would not purchase boiled rice for the next Yasangi season.
The Minister sought an opinion from farmers whether they were ready to shift to other crops and
fine varieties of paddy crop if they still wanted to continue paddy cultivation.
Giving a reply to the Minister, farmers said in the recent past, they were able to cultivate crops
especially paddy in a perfect manner with the initiatives taken by the Chief Minister of the State
and expressed concern over Union government decision.
Promising the farmers to take their opinion to the notice of Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar
Rao, he told them to organise a meeting with agriculture officials, scientists and farmers.
Usually, paddy cultivated in Yasangi season would be broken. So, the government was taking
steps to develop a new paddy variety that would not be broken in the Yasangi season, he
informed and added that the farming community would be educated about crop switching. Later,
Kamalakar inaugurated Gram Panchayat building at Tahirkondapur village.
https://telanganatoday.com/farmers-have-to-cultivate-crops-other-than-paddy-says-gangula
Govt. to probe possible contamination of test sample

By Sunimalee Dias
Authorities have launched a special investigation to verify if there has been some sort of
contamination of the test sample of imported organic fertiliser following the recent report that
indicated it could prove harmful.
Agriculture Department Director General Dr. Ajantha De Silva told Business Times that they
cannot yet say anything about the test result as investigations are still going on into this matter.
But he noted that under the Plant Protection Ordinance ―we will not permit anything with
microbes if it is harmful for plants.‖ Microbes or microbiological organisms found in fertiliser
can be harmful to plants.
The tender awarded to the Qingdao Seawin Biotech Group Co., Ltd., in China for the
importation of fertiliser inputs was to bring down sterilized solid organic fertiliser, in line with
Sri Lanka Standards Institution requirements that it should not contain microorganisms or any
materials hazardous to plant, animal or human health.
The test result as submitted by the National Plant Quarantine Service under the Agriculture
Department has stated in a letter to the Director of the National Fertiliser Secretariat that based
on the samples provided on August 31, 2021 they have found that the samples were ―highly
contaminated with gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. The preliminary studies revealed
that bacteria to be Bacillus species and Erwinia species which can be pathogenic to plants.
Similarly, sample No. 359 was found to be contaminated with gram-positive bacteria which also
(would) be a Ancillus species. Therefore samples submitted for laboratory investigations are not
sterilized.‖
Dr. De Silva however, said that the fertiliser consignment ordered to be imported from China, for
paddy cultivation during the incoming Maha season, will also be tested at the Colombo Port prior
to being allowed into the country. This stock of fertiliser has not yet arrived in the country, Dr.
De Silva said noting that it is due by the end of this month.
A key official at the department said that the tests should be done according to the procurement
guideline as stated in the contract signed between the parties. In this respect, a special
investigation has been initiated into this issue, he said.
He noted that if the tests fail when the stock of fertiliser arrives, then the shipment will be
returned to its country of origin.
While farmers await the newly recommended organic fertiliser they will also need pesticides
required to control pests for the Maha season. However, this is likely to be delayed as authorities
are still carrying out research on bio pesticides or biosimilar pesticides that will produce results
only following two seasons.
Without an adequately available pesticide Peradeniya University, Faculty of Agriculture,
Department of Crop Science Prof. Buddhi Marambe said that this could result in a total crop
yield drop.
Pesticides used to control pest infestation of crops is vital to ensure that pests like the rice thrips,
brown plant hopper, yellow stem borer, rice leaffolders, rice gall midge, paddy bug and the rice
sheath mite can be controlled. So far these types of pests are identified by the Rice Research and
Development Institute in Bathalagoda as the major pests of rice in Sri Lanka.
Officials at the Registrar of Pesticides have stated that the approvals for the pesticides have to
follow a stipulated procedure that cannot be rushed.
The procedure involves testing over a period of two seasons and field testing and following a
recommendation of an evaluation committee, an official stated.
About 40 applications had been received for the importation of bio pesticides from locations like
Japan, France, India, China and Malaysia. Sample testing is underway for four of these
applicants.
In the meantime, the Agriculture Department has on September 10 discussed with the Irrigation
Department how farmers can receive an adequate supply of water to flood the fields in a bid to
control weed growth among the paddy plants.
Flooding is a method of controlling weeds by saturating the area for a number of weeks that
reduces the availability of oxygen to the plant roots thereby killing the weed.
www.sundaytimes.lk/210919/business-times/govt-to-probe-possible-contamination-of-test-
sample-455398.html+&cd
Pakistan Dispatches 300-ton Edibles For People Of

Afghanistan As Humanitarian Aid
Sun 19th September 2021 | 05:20 PM
PESHAWAR, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 19th Sep, 2021 ) :Pak-Afghan
Cooperation Forum (PACF), on behalf of the Pakistan government on Sunday dispatched 17
trucks loaded with 300 ton edibles to Afghanistan on the humanitarian basis.
Briefing media at the at Pak-Afghan border Torkham, Chairman, Pak-Afghan Cooperation
Forum (PACF) Habibullah Khan Khattak, said "Afghans are our Muslim brothers and neighbors
and we have centuries old relations with them." He said that the 40 years long war
in Afghanistan ruined the economy, agriculture and administrative infrastructure of the country
and the sudden withdrawal of international aid agencies put the entire population at risk.
Habibullah said, last year's drought also added to the miseries of Afghan people who were facing
humanitarian crisis.
The situation can result into a humanitarian catastrophe, if an immediate and effective steps are
not taken, he added.
Khattak further said that Pak Afghan Cooperation Forum is a Trust established to
assist Afghan population in the hour of need.
"We aim not only to provide immediate humanitarian assistance in form of food, medicine and
non-food items to the people of Afghanistan, but to help them to stand on their own feet and
make their homeland a peaceful, stable and responsible member of global community", Khattak
added.
"Our activities not limited to coordinate all humanitarian assistance but includes procurement,
storage, transportation, and distribution of rations, medicine or shelter for the needy people
of Afghanistan as well as interact with prospective donors and beneficiaries at organizational and
individual levels and undertake any other such assignment that is helpful in
rebuilding Afghanistan," said Khattak.
"With the help of various philanthropists and the Government of Pakistan, we have managed to
lift 32 tons flour, six tons cooking oil, two tons medicine through C-130." Khattak said.
Similarly, he said they are dispatching an aid convoy of 17 trucks loaded with a total of 300 tons
edible items including 65 tons sugar, three tons pulses, 190 tons flour, 11 tons cooking oil and 31
tons rice.
This is the first step towards this noble cause, he said expressing hope that in the coming days
they will also provide support in education, health and livelihood.
He said this package is a clear message to people of Afghanistan that the people
and Government of Pakistan will never forget them in the difficult times.
It is also a message to the world that instead of adopting the policy of 'wait and see' they must
come forward to help these Afghan people, he said.
He appealed to all philanthropists within Pakistan and across the globe, to come forward and
help them through generous donations to avert this humanitarian crisis.
Later, the Consul General of Pakistan at Jalalabad Abidullah and Regional Head Ministry of
Industries and Private Sectors Maulvi Mubariz received the edible loaded trucks and thanked
the government of Pakistan and Pak Afghan Cooperation Forum (PACF) for
helping Afghan people at this critical juncture.
https://www.urdupoint.com/en/pakistan/pakistan-dispatches-300-ton-edibles-for-peopl-
1354264.html
Covid-19 related issues and the need for unified effort
BY HEMANTHA KULATHUNGA
19 September, 2021
Perhaps for the first time since taking office of the presidency in November 2019, President
Gotabaya Rajapaksa has flexed his muscles to take a strong and bold decision following
presidential powers vested in him to invoke the provisions of the Public Security Ordinance.
Until then, the President has, by

all possible means, attempted to resolve the matter of distribution of rice and sugar in the country
amicably with the suppliers who were allegedly holding back their stocks and sell at
unreasonably high prices.
The step was taken to ensure the continuous supply of essential food and the presidential move
was hailed by the entire citizenry except for sugar importers and rice millers.
It is no secret that the country is facing the most gruesome economic crisis in recent history with
the dispossession of Government revenue that directly affects public welfare.
The Opposition was quick to accuse the Government stating that the real objective of the move is
to form a dictatorial administration to destroy Democracy. Nevertheless, in his proclamation,
President Rajapksa stated that the provisions were invoked to ensure the maintenance of supplies
and services essential to public life.
Staggering health expenditure
The outbreak of Covid-9 has led the country to mass havoc inflicting the biggest economic crisis
the country has confronted in recent history. The impact is two-fold: loss of foreign exchange
due to the existing global economic depression where international trade is impacted and
secondly, the intolerable escalation of domestic expenditure due to the health crisis.
The Government has declared that they were compelled to spend over a staggering 240 billion
rupees as Covid-19 expenditure since the outbreak. The funds were said to have been spent on
day-to-day health expenditure, PCR testing, purchase of vaccines, medicine, and to provide
periodical financial and material relief to masses.
The economy contracted to -7 percent last year; the greatest contraction since independence.
Hundreds of thousands of jobs were affected making a substantial loss in household income. The
loss for the lower middle and middle-class segments was colossal. Out of the eight million-
strong private sector workforce, more than three million, who were self-employed were the worst
affected. Less affluent people were pushed into poverty with the loss of income due to
lockdowns and other health measures.
Despite the difficult situation, the importers of sugar and the rice millers opted to ignore the
constant and intense plea from the Government to be reasonable in the pricing of these essential
food items.
The media revealed information about the accumulation of stocks although the traders‘ response
was lukewarm. The Government was forced to act swiftly to resolve the crisis as the general
public was getting agitated day after day. Consumers vehemently accused the Government of
inaction in the predicament.
Nevertheless, in his proclamation, President Rajapaksa said that the provisions were invoked to
ensure the maintenance of supplies and services essential to public life caused by the prevailing
Covid-19 pandemic. The timely act instantly presented results as the market prices of both rice
and sugar was swiftly dropped to the gazetted prices.
Controlling economic drawbacks
The Government has a daunting task in controlling the further downswing of the economy. Sri
Lanka was downgraded to a lower-middle-income country in the World Bank rankings. The
poverty levels have raised considerably during the past 18 months due to the income losses of the
less affluent and lower-middle categories of mainly self-employed people.
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) has risen to the highest level recording an all-time high value in
the year 2021. This means that the household expenditure escalation by several folds, making the
disposable income inadequate. Overall, the buying power of the vast majority of the general
public is affected due to the prevailing situation in the country.
No doubt that the Government is providing the optimum possible relief measures to the needy
people, particularly during lockdowns. However, the pertinent question is the amounts given as
allowances are adequate to survive? It is not enough. Therefore, helping them to carry on with
their day-to-day living efforts is more important than imposing lockdowns.
This is not anyway saying that lockdowns are not required if it‘s a precautionary measure
recommended by the health authorities. It is simply that the people themselves must be aware of
the threat of the pandemic and strictly adhere to laid down health guidelines. Inculcating self-
discipline is the key solution to the situation.
Currently, however, the public seems to be reacting with a better adaptation to safety measures,
compared to all previous occasions, perhaps due to the constant media reports on serious Covid-
19 cases and deaths. Fear is a natural, powerful, and primitive emotion and the public seems to
be acting on that.
The cash crunch
The Government not only is experiencing a severe shortage of foreign reserves but also a cash
crunch to carry on public welfare tasks. They have not been able to achieve the intended revenue
for the year 2021. According to the Minister of Finance Basil Rajapaksa, the revenue loss for the
Government during the past eighteen months is a staggering 1500 billion.
However, some of the controlling actions by the Government came under fire by the economists.
For example tax reduction given on sugar imports to reduce retail prices was not successful as
importers never reduced wholesale price even after the tax benefit. Although the intention of the
Government was sincere, most of the importers were having profit motives than social
responsibility.
In a move to confront the ongoing financial crisis, the Government has initiated actions to reduce
non-essential expenditure by all state institutions throughout the next year. The finance ministry
has already issued instructions to ministry secretaries to include only essential and productive
expenses in their estimates for the next year.
Contradictory statements
The contradictory statements made arbitrarily by politicians and some of the Government
officials often cause irreparable damage to the integrity of the Government. Most often, the
politicians appear in press briefings do not possess in-depth knowledge on monetary issues or
economic matters. Also, the credibility of some of the Ministers and Parliamentarians who
constantly appear in print and electronic media is questionable to the general public. The
citizenry, in general, trusts officials much more than the politicians. Hence, a better public
response can be achieved if the briefings are done through professionals on critical issues.
The recent behaviour of the virus, particularly with the surfacing of the ‗Delta variant‘ that has
invaded the entire country with a faster spread rate has raised concerns. The ongoing cycle of
opening and closing the general activities has created uncertainty among the masses.
Priority of the Government
According to the experts, the immediate priority of the Government is to focus on sustained
management of the ongoing pandemic and its effects on society and the economy in general. The
Government, up to this point has successfully confronted the challenge with the assistance of the
health authorities, military establishment, public service, and the general public. Time and again
controversial issues surfaced that are natural when facing a challenge of this magnitude.
Due to the contradictory statements by various health-related trade unions and individuals, the
general public was led to a state of confusion frequently. Some of these statements were sincere
and genuine whilst some were politically motivated. Regrettably, the response of the
Government was either lukewarm or came to light too late.
Vaccination drive
The vaccination program, the best currently available remedy as per health experts, confirmed by
the World Health Organization (WHO) is going on extremely successfully. Continuous and
constant disruptions by political opponents were ignored. Sri Lanka currently is among the best-
vaccinated countries with over ten million to-dose vaccinations that are over 47 percent of the
total population. According to predictions and action plans, by mid-October, the entire
population between 20 years onwards will be vaccinated.
Despite all challenges posed by the pandemic and the pressure from opposition political parties,
the Government is trying to improve the general economic conditions by encouraging the private
sector, particularly exporters.
The expectation is that the global demand will stabilise with the vaccinations around the world
where export-related activities will continue to improve. The country expects a unified effort by
all stakeholders including political parties, private sector, the public sector, and the rest of the
country.
https://www.sundayobserver.lk/2021/09/19/news-features/covid-19-related-issues-and-need-
unified-effort
Weekend round up scientists tribal members combine

research wild rice decline
 Saturday, September 18, 2021, 10:00am
Manoomin harvesters on Rice Lake. Photo courtesy of Sokaogon Chippewa Community

Weekend Roundup: Scientists, Tribal Members Combine Research On Wild Rice Decline
Top Dog Contest, Dark Store Loopholes, Zebra Sightings And More
By WPR Staff
Published:
Local wild rice populations in Wisconsin have been declining for years.
To get to the root of the decline, scientists and tribal members have teamed up to research.
Joe Graveen is a wild rice technician with the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior
Chippewa. He told WXPR that wild rice is the reason Ojibwe tribes came to the Great Lakes
region. He noted that in 2020, about 60 pounds of rice was collected — two times less than what
was collected two years prior.
Crystal Ng is a researcher with the University of Minnesota. She said her focus has been
investigating water levels in regions of wild rice.
"Maybe it‘s water levels interacting with nutrients and sediments," she said. "How is that going
to change when infrastructure changes? How is that going to change with climate change and
forests changing around wild rice lakes?"
Such questions are things scientists hadn't thought much about before partnering with tribal
members like Graveen.
Wisconsin DHS: COVID-19 Weekly Recap
The seven-day average for new COVID-19 cases in Wisconsin is 2,227 as of Friday. That figure
has seen a significant jump in the past week — the average was 1,510 cases on Sept. 11.
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services has confirmed 7,827 total deaths from the
disease.
Nearly 53 percent of Wisconsinites are fully vaccinated — 83.2 percent of people age 65 and
older and 39.3 percent of children age 12-15.
Bird's-Eye Views To Catch This Fall
Some of the best fall views in Wisconsin come from up above — ones that you may not be able
to catch on a usual hike.
This rundown from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel mentions the best overlook spots in the
Northwoods, Door County, Great River Road and the southeast region of the state.
The village of Ephraim in Door County, Wis., is seen in October 2016. Door County residents
have differing opinions about the county‘s decision to discourage tourists and the return of part-
time residents to their summer homes during the coronavirus pandemic. Summer and fall are
usually peak visiting times, but the county has seen more part-time residents returning in recent
weeks. Photo courtesy of Tad Dukehart
NEW Top Dog 2022 Registration Open
For the second year in a row, Top Dog will be holding a charity dog contest to raise money for
children and pets in northeast Wisconsin.
There are two rounds of the competition — one local, followed by a championship. In the local
round, six animal shelters from the area will be showcasing dogs.
Registration for the contest opened Friday. The contest runs from Sept. 18 until Oct. 16.
From the website: "Is your dog the cutest, cuddliest, goofiest, coolest dog around? If you
answered yes, you‘re going to love NEW Top Dog! With over $15,000 in prizes up for grabs and
a chance to name a beer after your furry friend, this contest is every dog (and beer!) lover‘s
dream!"
Municipalities Navigate 'Dark Store Loophole'
Wisconsin communities are being encouraged by the League of Wisconsin Municipalities
to challenge big box retailers — such as Lowe's or Walmart — that use the strategy known as the
"dark store loophole."
These big box retailers file lawsuits that challenge their property assessments across Wisconsin,
many of which request refunds of hundreds of thousands of dollars in property taxes.
But recently, three state municipalities have won cases against big box retailers by pointing out
that the companies cannot argue their retail space could be converted into other kinds of
facilities.
"Big box retailers like Lowe's have said there could be other, more valuable uses for the
properties and therefore things such as income and activity should not be a factor. As a result, the
stores claim, only vacant properties that have sold recently should factor into their stores'
values," the Green Bay Press Gazette reports. "... The judges sided with municipalities' experts
who said the properties were best used as they currently were, as home improvement stores. The
Lowe‘s expert valued the building as if it was vacant and its best use was redevelopment,
without factoring in the building costs for other uses."
Zebras Spotted In Northeast Wisconsin
On Tuesday, officers with the Outagamie County Sheriff‘s Office ran into a pair of zebras near
Seymour.
(That's right, zebras).
"They were off in the distance, as I got closer, they looked like horses, and I got closer and I
happened to be talking to somebody on my headset and I‘m like 'I think I see zebras' and they
were like, 'No way,' I‘m like, 'Nope those are Zebras,'" said David Haupt, who saw the zebras on
the corner of County Highway G and Maass Rd.
Officials with the Sheriff's Office say the zebras are owned by some nearby neighbors, who
promptly retrieved them.
Madison Man Pleads Guilty To Entering US Capitol On Jan. 6
A Madison-area man had pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge in connection with the Jan. 6
riot at the U.S. Capitol.
Twenty-nine-year old Brandon Nelson appeared by video conference Wednesday in U.S. District
Court in Washington, D.C. on a charge of parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol
building. He faces six months in federal prison.
Prosecutors say Nelson traveled from Madison with Abram Markofski, an Army National Guard
member from La Crosse, to attend the rally. The Wisconsin State Journal says both men have
agreed to pay $500 in restitution for damage done to the Capitol, estimated at nearly $1.5
million.
UN 'So Far Off Track' From Greenhouse Emissions Goal
In 2015, the United Nations signed the Paris Agreement, in which each country must submit
their plans to cut greenhouse gases and their progress. Under the agreement, the goal is to
maintain average global temperatures from hitting above 3.8 degrees Fahrenheit, reports NPR.
However, a report released Friday by the UN shows that countries are making the opposite of
progress toward that goal. Greenhouse gas emissions are on track to be 16 percent higher in 2030
than they were in 2010.
"It's a sobering, sobering summary," said Rachel Cleetus, policy director for the Climate and
Energy Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists. "We are so far off track from where we
need to be."
Editor's note: The Associated Press contributed to this report.
https://www.wpr.org/weekend-roundup-scientists-tribal-members-combine-research-wild-rice-
decline
Punjab Read for Paddy procurement from 1st

October,2021
http://www.uniindia.com/~/punjab-pmb-ready-for-paddy-procurement-from-oct-
1st/States/news/2509489.html
Seminar between USA Rice and the U.S. Embassy in

Amman
Jordan
Published: 2021-09-18 17:44
Last Updated: 2021-09-20 12:01
On September 14th, USA Rice, in cooperation with the U.S. Embassy in Amman, hosted a
seminar in Amman for Jordanian rice traders. Representatives of the Jordanian Ministry of
Industry, Trade and Supply, the American Chamber of Commerce in Jordan and the Jordan
Chamber of Commerce participated in the event.
USA Rice is the global advocate for U.S. rice farmers, millers, merchants, and allied businesses,
including those exporting rice to Jordan. U.S.-origin rice has been present in the Jordanian
market for over 40 years. It makes up approximately 40% of the total rice imports in the country
and has become the most popular rice variety in Jordan. It is imported by numerous local
companies and used daily in Jordanian households, trusted for its high quality and great taste.
―The U.S. rice industry is proud to help supply one of Jordan‘s most important staple foods to
Jordanian consumers and we value the long-term relationships our industry has within the
Jordanian marketplace,‖ said Betsy Ward, USA Rice President & CEO.
Secretary General of Ministry of Industry, trade, and Supply Eng. Hassan Al-Omari stated
Jordan‘s food imports from the U.S. market contribute to enhancing the Kingdom‘s strategic
stockpile of food and basic commodities, especially wheat, rice, poultry and corn. The Jordanian
imports of rice from the U.S. in 2020 amounted to $74 million. Al-Omari emphasized the
keenness of working effectively together to advance the economic relationship between Jordan
and the United States.
U.S. Senior Agricultural Attaché Elizabeth Mello stated‚ ―This event illustrates our commitment
to the prosperity of Jordan by providing the Jordanian traders with the most practical and up to
date market information.‖ Mello added that U.S. rice sales to Jordan demonstrate the importance
of the U.S.-Jordan Free Trade Agreement for both countries, developing a robust trade
relationship that supported a steady flow of U.S. rice to Jordan. ―U.S. rice has played a role in
Jordan‘s overall food security by its affordability, availability, and accessibility. You can count
on the U.S. to provide you with quality and affordable rice.‖
During the seminar, a senior agricultural economist from the United States Department of
Agriculture, as well as rice researchers from California and Arkansas, gave presentations on the
world rice supply situation and the current U.S. rice crop. A question-and-answer session
followed, among the panelists and all participants.
―We hope to be helpful to Jordanian businesses in navigating the ongoing worldwide shipping
and food supply situation for the benefit of our Jordanian business partners and the Jordanian
consumers,‖ said Mark Holt, Chairman of the USA Rice Europe, Middle East and Africa
Subcommittee.
USA Rice is committed to continue its work in the Jordanian market to grow the presence of
U.S. rice and to share information about the high quality and availability of U.S. rice in the
market. For more information on U.S. rice, follow usarice.jo on Facebook or Instagram.
https://en.royanews.tv/news/31372/2021-09-18
Gene in mutant rice identified

By: Ronnel W. Domingo - @inquirerdotnet
Philippine Daily Inquirer / 05:12 AM September 19, 2021
MANILA, Philippines — A Filipino scientist at the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice),
along with a team of researchers from Nagoya University in Japan, has discovered a gene in
mutant rice that could help crops survive drought.
In a statement, PhilRice said Nonawin Lucob-Agustin and the Nagoya team identified the gene
called wavy root elongation growth 1, or weg1, that could be helpful to rice planted in lowlands
that rely on rainfall for irrigation.
According to Agustin, weg1 was found in mutants of a rice variety called Taichung 65, which has
wavy parental roots compared to straight roots in ―normal‖ rice.
―The wavy root is found to be highly branched compared to the straight root,‖ she said, adding that
highly branched root system enable the plant to explore its underground environment for water and
nutrients.
This in turn could mean survival and productivity even under drought conditions.
Agustin took part in the research as a participant of the government‘s Balik Scientist Program. She
was hosted by the crop biotechnology unit of the Department of Agriculture-supervised PhilRice.
Agustin earned a bachelor‘s degree in agriculture from the University of the Philippines. After
graduating in 2011, she worked as a science research specialist with PhilRice before going to
Nagoya in 2014 for further research studies.
For this same research, Agustin received the 2021 Special Citation Award from the National
Academy of Science and Technology.
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1489621/gene-in-mutant-rice-identified#ixzz76zyWImZx
Dr. Stone Chapter 212: Release Date & Spoilers

By
Meshack Makungo
Published
1 day ago
World tour for resources begins with Dr. Stone Chapter 212 with the science Kingdom crew
gathering resources worldwide. The trip to the moon continues in Dr. Stone‘s latest chapter.
From the latest Dr. Stone Chapter, the unit reveals that their next stop is Indonesia, where they
will collect all materials they need to build a rocket. Senku‘s team is glad they have arrived in a
forest that has a lot of rubber trees. They begin to collect the water from the rubber trees for their
next science project. Later the crew realizes that they have found Rubber City. They have also
traveled to Corn City, Fluorite, Math, Aluminum, Superalloy, and Rubber City.
Ryusui thinks that the grand adventure that took ten years is about to end. Kohaku talked about
returning to Japan and reunite with everyone. Ukyo believes that it will be the first time in
human history where the world will reunite. Chrome is excited that they will be united and
realizes that he has to craft a round-trip rocket. That will be the path to share a victory why-man.
Senku suggests reviving people to help them build the rocket in Japan.
Kohaku realizes that she will meet with Ruri and the rest of the villagers, and she can‘t wait to
tell them the good news. Ryusui talked about souvenirs, and Senku thinks that it is a good idea.
The crew talked about all the good stuff they enjoy around the islands and things that motivate
them to revive everyone. Chelsea adds that they can try giving people new food to inspired them.
Kohaku replies that Chelsea desires tasty meals. Ryusui comments that he desires that, too.
Francoise asks them about Japan‘s cuisine.
Dr. Stone
Previously on Dr. Stone Chapter 211
The crew told Francoise that Japan‘s comfort food is rice. Ryusui and his team went out to
collect rice. Francoise comments that rice gets harvested in April after the rainy season, which is
the time of the year for them to do it. Sai, Chrome, and Suika are working on a math project.
Kaseki is crafting something that Senku told him to do. They managed to build a machine that
helped them replanting rice crops. Gen thought that they wait for the next year to plant rice
crops.
Senku replies that there is no ten billion percent to do that since there is no winter in this region.
Gen realizes that it is because the area is so close to the equator. Kohaku wonders how this place
escapes winter. Senku told the two that they could plant rice crops three times a year and make a
good harvest. Ryusui thinks that every harvest will be left the soil less fertile, but if they meet
with top-notch fertilizer, things will work in their favor. Francoise comments that desire is noble,
like always. Senku replies that they have to thank the power of science. Ukyo and his team are
working on a Pink Rock project and said they pick them from Naru Island.
They mix wood ash, Nitric Acid, and phosphorite to complete their experiment. Later the crew
acquired rice using the machine that Kaseki created. Senku and his group are glad that the rice
resembles the one in Japan. The Science Kingdom crew enjoys eating rice. Senku and Ukyo
talked about the past and said it was time to return where their journey began back to Japan. The
team will arrive in Japan after two days, and they have set off.
Dr. Stone Chapter 212 Release Date

Dr. Stone Chapter 212 will be released on 26 September 2021. You can read Dr. Stone Chapter
212 online officially on VIZ and Mangashueisha. On Friday, Dr. Stone delayed the recent
chapter released on those official platforms, but the manga returned to its Sunday schedule. The
trip to Japan began as the scientists crafted different objects, preparing their journey to the moon.
The manga will take a break after releasing few chapters. That is what Dr. Stone has to offer.
The upcoming chapter Dr. Stone Chapter will release this coming Sunday.
WRITTEN BYMeshack Makungo
Meshack Makungo is an anime enthusiast from South Africa. He is so into anime & manga that
he doesn't like to write anything other than anime & manga. He reviews episodes and manga
chapters every day. You can reach out to him at Meshack@otakukart.com.
https://otakukart.com/dr-stone-chapter-212/
US panel backs COVID-19 boosters only for seniors,

high-risk – San Bernardino Sun
By MATTHEW PERRONE and LAURAN NEERGAARD

Washington (AP) —Giving the White House a devastating setback, a government advisory board
overwhelmingly rejected plans to give Pfizer COVID-19 booster shots entirely on Friday, instead
over 65 or severe illness Risk is high.
The twin vote has hit Biden‘s radical effort to strengthen the protection of almost all Americans a
month ago in the epidemic of the highly contagious delta variant. rice field.
The non-binding recommendations from the influential committee of outside experts advising
the Food and Drug Administration are not the last word. The FDA will consider the group‘s
advice and will probably make its own decision within a few days. And the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention will weigh next week.
Surprisingly, the advisory board rejected almost everyone‘s booster 16-2. Members cited the lack
of safety data on additional doses and questioned the value of mass boosters rather than targeting
specific groups.
Then, in an 18-0 vote, we approved additional shots for people over the age of 65 and those at
risk of serious illness. Panel members also agreed that healthcare workers and other people at
high risk of being exposed to the virus at work also need to get boosters.
It helps save some of the White House campaign, but still from the widespread proposal to
provide Americans with a third dose of both Pfizer and Moderna vaccines eight months after the
second dose. It‘s a big step.
The White House sought to assemble action as progress.
―Today was an important step forward in better protecting Americans from COVID-19,‖ said
Kevin Munoz, a White House spokesman. ―When the process is complete at the end of next
week, we‘re ready to offer booster shots to qualified Americans.‖
The CDC says it is considering boosters for the elderly, nursing home residents, and front-line
healthcare professionals, rather than all adults.
The FDA and CDC are most likely to decide at a later point whether the person receiving the
Moderna or J & J shot needs to get a booster.
During a few hours of lively debate on Friday, panel members questioned the value of providing
boosters to almost anyone over the age of 16.
Dr. Cody Meissner of Tufts University said: ―And the main message we send is that everyone
needs to be given twice.‖
―At this point, it‘s clear that unvaccinated people are promoting the infection in the United
States,‖ said Dr. Amanda Korn of the CDC.
In a statement, Pfizer‘s Head of Vaccine Research and Development, Katrin U. Janssen, said he
continued to believe that boosters would be ―an important tool in ongoing efforts to control the
spread of the virus.‖ rice field.
Scientists inside and outside the government have recently been divided on the need for boosters
and who should get them, and the World Health Organization is rich when poor countries do not
have enough of the first vaccine. The country strongly opposes the third vaccination.
Studies show that the immune level of vaccinated people declines over time, and boosters can
reverse it, but Pfizer vaccines remain among the delta variants for serious illness and death. Very
protective.
Unexpected changes in events could add to the criticism that the Biden administration was ahead
of science in promoting boosters. President Joe Biden promised early on that his administration
would ―follow science‖ following the disclosure of political interference in the Trump
administration‘s coronavirus reaction.
The overwhelming first refusal of the FDA panel began providing boosters to citizens in July,
despite full debate about the need for boosters from both Pfizer and Israeli health authorities.
Sharon Alroy-Israel Health Department Preis said booster doses improve protection against
infections in people over the age of 60 by a factor of 10.
―It‘s like a fresh vaccine,‖ she said, returning protection to its original level and helping Israel
―mitigate the serious cases of the fourth wave.‖
Pfizer representatives argued that it was important to begin strengthening immunity before
protection began to erode. According to a company survey of 44,000 people, the efficacy against
symptomatic COVID-19 was 96% 2 months after the second dose, but decreased to 84% in about
6 months.
Both Pfizer and Israeli representatives faced backlash from panelists. Some were skeptical of the
link between Israel‘s experience and the United States. Another concern was whether the third
dose exacerbated serious side effects, including rare cases of heart inflammation in young men.
Pfizer pointed out Israeli data from nearly 3 million boosters, suggesting that side effect rates are
similar to those already reported.
Dr. Paul Offit, a vaccination expert at the Philadelphia Children‘s Hospital, supported a third
dose for adults over the age of 60 or 65, but it‘s ―really embarrassing‖ for anyone up to the age
of 16. I have. ―
Extra shots will probably reduce mild or asymptomatic cases, at least temporarily, but ―the
question is how it affects the pandemic arc, but that may not be so many. No, ―Ofit said.
Biden‘s top health advisors, including the FDA and CDC heads, first announced plans for a wide
range of booster shots in mid-August, setting the week of September 20 as an almost certain start
date. But that was before FDA staff scientists completed their own assessment of the data.
Earlier this week, two top FDA vaccine reviewers joined a group of international scientists and
published an editorial denying the need for boosters for healthy people. Scientists said the study
showed that the shot was working well.
On Friday, U.S. Surgeon President Vivek Murthy said the Biden administration‘s announcement
was not aimed at encouraging regulators to act, but instead provided transparency to the public
and in case boosters were approved. He said it was an attempt.
―We have always said that this initial plan relies on independent assessments by the FDA and
CDC,‖ Mercy said.
The Biden program also raised major ethical concerns about the poorest parts of the world
seeking vaccines. However, the government argued that the plan was not ours or their choice and
pointed out that the United States is supplying large quantities of vaccine to other parts of the
world.
The United States has already approved Pfizer and Modana boosters for certain people with
weakened immunity, such as cancer patients and transplant recipients.
Some Americans, healthy or unhealthy, could get boosters simply by appearing and asking for
shots. And some healthcare systems are already providing additional doses to high-risk people.
___
The Associated Press‘s Department of Health Sciences is supported by the Department of
Science Education at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. AP is solely responsible for all
content.
US panel backs COVID-19 boosters only for seniors, high-risk – San Bernardino Sun Source
link US panel backs COVID-19 boosters only for seniors, high-risk – San Bernardino Sun
https://californianewstimes.com/us-panel-backs-covid-19-boosters-only-for-seniors-high-risk-
san-bernardino-sun/527766/
New Zealand abandons Pakistan’s cricket tour to
watch out for attacks | World
jillianlively3 days ago
RIZWAN ALIAP Sports Writer

Rawalpindi, Pakistan (AP) —According to the Pakistani government, New Zealand canceled its
cricket tour on Friday because it was wary of being attacked outside Rawalpindi Stadium.
New Zealand Cricket refuses to reveal the nature of security alerts from its government that
prompted a sudden decision to cancel the moment of the tour before the scheduled start of the
day‘s international series in Rawalpindi bottom. Both teams were staying at the hotel.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told Pakistani counterpart Imran Khan that
cricketers could be attacked outside the stadium, according to Pakistan‘s Interior Minister Sheikh
Rashid Ahmed.
―We have one of the best intelligence systems in the world and there are no security threats of
any kind to the visiting team,‖ Khan, a government visitor to Tajikistan, told Ardan. rice field.
Ahmed supported Kahn at a press conference, saying there was no information about security
threats to New Zealanders.
―He guarantees to her that the situation of law and order is the best in our country and we have
no security issues here and no security threats.‖ The problem isn‘t a threat, but I unilaterally
canceled the tour because there was information that the team could be attacked if they went out.
―
People are also reading …
Mr Ardan said he had received a phone call from the Pakistani Prime Minister and explained that
he had agreed with the NZC that player safety was paramount.
―When I talked to the Prime Minister of Pakistan, I thanked him for taking care of the New
Zealand cricket team. I know everyone will be disappointed that the match didn‘t go on, but
we‘re completely gone. We support your decisions. Player safety must be our top priority. ―
Security concerns have left Pakistani hosts a mystery.
The Pakistan Cricket Commission, in collaboration with the Government of Pakistan, said, ―We
have made absolute security arrangements for all visiting teams. We have guaranteed the same
for cricket in New Zealand.‖
PCB Chair Ramiz Raja hinted at protesting the International Cricket Council against the NZC‘s
unilateral decision.
―It was a crazy day! I‘m very sorry to the fans and players,‖ Raja tweeted. ―It‘s very frustrating
to take a one-sided approach to security threats and get out of the tour. Especially when it‘s not
shared !! What world does New Zealand live in ?? New Zealand is an ICC Will listen to us. ―
NZC states on its website: ―With the rising threat level of Pakistan by the New Zealand
government and advice from the NZC security advisors in the field, Blackcaps has decided not to
continue the tour. The team is currently preparing for departure. increase.‖
New Zealand‘s first visit to Pakistan in 18 years was to feature three ODIs in Rawalpindi and
five Twenty20s in Lahore. Both the city and security arrangements were cleared by the NZC
security team last month.
Mr Ahmed said Pakistan allowed the match to be hosted without spectators, but New Zealand
declined the offer. Therefore, Pakistan has allowed Rawalpindi and Lahore stadiums to have
25% spectators for the pandemic. However, Pindy Stadium was not open to spectators on Friday
as New Zealand decided to cancel the tour.
NZC CEO David White said the advice he received made it impossible to continue the tour, and
he was supported by the New Zealand Cricketers Association.
―I understand this will be a blow to the great host PCB, but I believe that player safety is a top
priority and this is the only responsible option,‖ White said.
The PCB said it did its best to convince Kiwi, but said ―Pakistan and cricket enthusiasts around
the world will be disappointed with the last (New Zealand) withdrawal.‖
Pakistani captain Babar Azam expressed disappointment with the cancellation, and former
Pakistani high-speed bowler Shoaib Akhtar tweeted that ―New Zealand killed Pakistani cricket.‖
The England men‘s and women‘s team are scheduled for a short two-game T20 series in
Pakistan next month, and the England and Wales Cricket Commission have said they will make a
final call on this weekend‘s tour.
Men in England have not played international in Pakistan since 2005 during their first visit to
women.
―We are aware of New Zealand‘s decision to withdraw from the Pakistan tour due to security
warnings,‖ the ECB said. ―We are in contact with our security team in Pakistan to fully
understand the situation. After that, the ECB Board will decide whether to continue the
scheduled tour 24-48. Will be decided in time. ―
Pakistan has been an exclusion zone for international cricket teams for 10 years after terrorists
attacked the Sri Lanka team bus in Lahore in 2009. The ambush killed seven people and injured
several Sri Lankan cricketers, including Tiran Samaraweera on a New Zealand tour.
Management as a batting coach.
This is the first example a team must abandon while in Pakistan since the international team
resumed touring Pakistan in 2019.
Heath Mills, Chief Executive Officer of the New Zealand Cricket Players Association, said:
―They are safe and everyone is acting in their best interests.‖
Munir Ahmed of Islamabad contributed to this report
Other AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/apf-sports When https://twitter.com/AP-Sports
Copyright 2021 AP communication. all rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission.
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Source link New Zealand abandons Pakistan‘s cricket tour to watch out for attacks | World
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Farmers want higher rice tariff on non-ASEAN

Published September 17, 2021, 4:48 PM
by Madelaine B. Miraflor
By Madelaine Miraflor
The Federation of Free Farmers (FFF) has appealed to the government to revert back the
tariff on rice imports from countries outside Southeast Asia on the back of their low
volumes of shipments.
RICE FARMER
Citing data from the Bureau of Customs, FFF said that rice shipments from non -ASEAN
countries declined despite the Philippine government‘s decision in June cutting down the
rice import tariff coming from these markets from 50 percent to 35 percent.
Customs data showed that only 11,951 metric tons of rice from non-ASEAN countries
entered the country between June and August 2021 compared to 39,881 metric tons in the
same period in 2020, FFF said.
―India and Pakistan, which were expected to increase their exports to the Philippines as a
result of lower tariffs, actually scaled down their shipments to 4,607 metric tons, or less
than a third of their deliveries between June and August in 2020,‖ FFF said.
―While the number of exporting countries increased from seven to ten during the EO‘s
[Executive Order 135] effectivity, new entrants like Australia, Sri Lanka and Taiwan
brought in miniscule volumes. The percentage of non-ASEAN rice imports to total imports
during the period actually shrank from 7 percent in 2020 to 1.8 percent in 2021,‖ it added.
Raul Montemayor, FFF national manager said that EO 135 failed to significantly expand the
country‘s sources of rice and did not generate more imports from non-ASEAN countries.
He also noted that only Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam supplied the country with rice with
25 percent brokens, equivalent to regular-milled rice, during the first three months of the
EO.
―The non-ASEAN suppliers brought in high-grade and specialty rice varieties, such as
Indian Basmati, Japanese sticky rice, and rice with 5 percent brokens, for sale to relatively
well-to-do consumers at higher prices,‖ Montemayor said.
―Ordinary consumers did not gain anything from the reduced tariffs. Non-ASEAN imports
were also too small to have any significant effect on prices or inflation rates,‖ he added.
The FFF calculated that the government has lost P28.7 million in tariff revenues so far due
to the lower tariffs. This amount could have been added to rice tariff collections that have
been earmarked for support programs for farmers affected by imports.
Instead, importers of non-ASEAN rice most probably pocketed the savings from lower
tariffs.
―Given this outcome, President Duterte should immediately revoke EO 135. Clearly, it has
failed to achieve its objectives. All that it has done is to give windfall profits to a few
importers at the expense of farmers,‖ Montemayor said.
https://mb.com.ph/2021/09/17/farmers-want-higher-rice-tariff-on-non-
asean/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=farmers-want-higher-rice-tariff-on-
non-asean
Italian firms mulling investment in Pakistan

Investment expected to strengthen economic ties between two countries
APPSeptember 18, 2021
PHOTO: FILE
ISLAMABAD:
Italian companies are keen to pour investment into various sectors of Pakistan and the
investment will further strengthen economic ties between the two countries, said Pakistan’s
Ambassador to Italy Jauhar Saleem.
Speaking to the media on Friday, he said that at present Italian firms had investment in various
sectors including food, steel, leather, textile, tourism, information technology and automobile.
Saleem lauded the role of Italian government, embassy and private sector in providing technical
assistance and making technology transfer to Pakistan, particularly in the export-oriented leather
and textile sectors.
Previously, investments from Italy were highly concentrated in the hydrocarbon sector, he
pointed out.
The Italian embassy is endeavouring to build a more diversified investment portfolio and it has
pitched Pakistan‘s priority sectors for investment in a bid to grow the bilateral investment
portfolio at a sustainable pace, he added.
He highlighted that workers‘ remittances from Italy to Pakistan soared 92% in August 2021
compared to the same month of last year, making Italy the largest contributor to the remittances
from Europe.
―Keeping in view the growth trend over the past 12 months, Italy is expected to join the billion-
dollar club in terms of remittances to Pakistan, which can help bridge the current account gap
being faced by Islamabad,‖ he stated.
Read Italy praises Pakistan's efforts for Afghan, regional peace
―Italy is Pakistan‘s eighth largest export market,‖ he said.
Exports to Italy registered 64% growth on a year-on-year basis in August 2021, mainly led by
value-added sectors such as garments, leather products, home textiles and footwear, he noted.
―Pakistan‘s share in Basmati rice exports to Italy has surged to 82%, whereas India‘s
contribution stands at just 12%,‖ the envoy said.
Citing that exports to Italy from Pakistan reached an all-time high of $786 million in FY21, he
foresaw a larger figure this year.
The envoy announced that a delegation of Pakistan consisting of 40 businessmen from the
leather sector would visit Italy in the coming week.
―They will meet buyers and investors and visit some state-of-the-art leather manufacturing
facilities in Italy,‖ he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 18th, 2021.
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2320710/italian-firms-mulling-investment-in-pakistan
Analysis: India may corner nearly half of global rice

trade as exports soar to record
FILE PHOTO: A worker collects boiled rice to spread it for drying at a rice mill on the outskirts
of Kolkata, India, January 31, 2019. REUTERS/Rupak De Chowdhuri/File Photo
16 Sep 2021 05:49PM(Updated: 16 Sep 2021 05:51PM)
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KAKINADA, India : India could account for as much as 45per cent of global rice exports in 2021 as
expanded port-handling capacity allows the world's second largest rice grower after China to ship
record volumes to buyers across Africa and Asia.
The world's top exporter could ship as much as 22 million tonnes of rice this year, or more than the
combined exports of the next three largest exporters Thailand, Vietnam and Pakistan, said Nitin
Gupta, vice president of Olam India's rice business.
"Along with traditional buyers, this year China, Vietnam and Bangladesh are also making purchases
from India," he said.
India's exports in 2020 jumped 49per cent from the year before to a record 14.7 million tonnes, as
shipments of non-basmati rice spiked 77per cent to a record 9.7 million tonnes.
India on course to dominate global rice trade in 2021 as new port capacity boosts shipment potential
https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/ce/mypmnogrzvr/IndiaSEAsiaRice.png
In 2021, non-basmati rice shipments could nearly double from a year ago to 18 million tonnes, while
premium basmati rice exports are seen steady at 4 million tonnes, Gupta said.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture projects global rice exports of 48.5 million tonnes in the 2021-22
season.
LOGISTICAL BOTTLENECK
Indian rice has been consistently cheaper than supplies from Thailand and Vietnam since last March,
while global demand for rice has scaled record highs.
India rice export prices sustain steep discount to Southeast Asian prices since early 2020
https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/ce/xmpjoklwmvr/IndiavsSEAsiaRicePrices.png
However, limited infrastructure at Kakinada Anchorage, India's main rice port, led to persistent
congestion and lengthy loading delays last year, prompting some buyers to switch suppliers.
India was offering a discount of more than US$100 per tonne over other exporters, but much of the
discount was wiped out by higher demurrage charges tied to the delays, says exporter Brahmananda
Gudimetla.
To ease the congestion, the southern state of Andhra Pradesh in February allowed the use of an
adjoining deepwater port at Kakinada for rice shipments.
"Vessel waiting period has gone down after the deepwater port started handling rice. Demand that
could have shifted to other countries remained with us," said B.V. Krishna Rao, president of the Rice
Exporters Association of India.
India exported 12.84 million tonnes of rice in the first seven months of 2021, up 65per cent from a
year ago, according to provisional data from the commerce ministry.
At least one million tonnes of rice would be shipped from the deepwater port in 2021, said M
Muralidhar, chief operating officer of Kakinada Seaports Ltd.
SHIPPING SHAKEUP
Despite extra port capacity, Kakinada's loading rate still lags well behind Southeast Asian ports due to
a lack of dedicated rice-handling infrastructure.
"Here in Kakinada, it takes nearly a month to load around 33,000 tonnes of rice from the time we drop
the anchor. In Thailand it takes only 11 days for the same quantity," says Fahim Shamsi, caption of a
ship that was loading rice at Kakinada this month.
Strain on the Kakinda port has increased after the cost of shipping rice by container surged, forcing
rice shippers to switch from containers to bulk vessels, said Gupta of Olam.
Kakinada can export an additional 2 million tonnes of rice if infrastructure was upgraded and the
process mechanized, Rao said.
India's exports of non-basmati rice go mainly to African and Asian countries, while premium basmati
rice goes to the Middle East, the United States and Britain.
(Reporting by Rajendra Jadhav; Editing by Gavin Maguire, Robert Birsel)
Source: Reuters
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/business/analysis-india-may-corner-nearly-half-global-rice-
trade-exports-soar-record-2182681
Asia rice: India loses out on some orders as prices near 2-
month high
Reuters 17 Sep 2021
MUMBAI/HANOI/ BANGKOK: Rice export prices in India climbed to their highest level
in nearly two months this week on the back of an appreciating rupee, but demand was
tepid as buyers chose cheaper varieties elsewhere.
India‘s 5% broken parboiled variety was quoted at $360 to $365 per tonne this week - the highest
since late-July on average - up from last week‘s $358-$363 range.
The rupee has gained about 0.7% since the beginning of the month, trimming returns for
exporters and thereby prompting them to raise prices in dollar terms.
―Some buyers are moving to Myanmar and Pakistan, which are also offering rice at competitive
prices,‖ said an exporter based in Kakinada in the state of Andhra Pradesh. Yet, India could
account for as much as 45% of global rice exports in 2021, as expanded port-handling capacity
allows the world‘s second largest rice grower after China to ship record volumes to buyers across
Africa and Asia.
Prices for Vietnam‘s 5% broken rice variety rose to $410-$420 per tonne from $400 per tonne a
week earlier, as demand picked up.
Supplies from Vietnam, however, were still facing hurdles due to container shortages and
pandemic-led movement restrictions, a trader based in the Mekong Delta province of An Giang
said.
https://www.brecorder.com/news/40120695/asia-rice-india-loses-out-on-some-orders-as-prices-
near-2-month-high
India transforms into global rice exporting hub thanks to

Covid
Asia News Network | Publication date 19 September 2021 | 20:16 ICT
India exported 17.5 million metric tonnes (mmt) of rice between April 1, 2020 and March 31,
2021, says All India Rice Exporters Association executive director Vinod Kaul. AFP
India has emerged as a major global player in rice export during the past 20 months. Part of its
credit goes to the Covid-19 pandemic, because of which other major rice exporting countries
failed to meet world demand, as India took the opportunity to export more rice worldwide.
The steep growth of the rice exports can be attributed to the fact that India‘s exports during fiscal
year 2021 ended March 31 registered a 112 per cent increase – the highest ever growth since
India started exporting rice.
The situation is equally encouraging for fiscal year 2022 – from April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022
– where rice exports logged a 72 per cent rise in the first four months against the corresponding
period last year.
If rice exporters are to be believed, India could have exported much more than the current figure,
had there not been an acute shortage of containers, and rice in ocean and inland freight.
The exponential rise in export is despite the fact that Indian exporters had to face a series of
hurdles including steep rice in container freight, transport freight and other handling charges due
to the Covid-19 pandemic, admitted All India Rice Exporters Association executive director
Vinod Kaul.
―If we talk of 2020-21, India exported 13 million metric tonnes [mmt] non-basmati rice and
around 4.5mmt basmati rice – which comes to around 17.5mmt rice. It is more than 37 per cent
of the total world export [47 MMT],‖ he said.
There are mainly four major rice exporting countries, India, Thailand, Vietnam and Pakistan. In
the last fiscal year, India‘s rice exports were more than the cumulative exports of the other three
major exporting countries – Thailand, Vietnam and Pakistan.
India has performed exceptionally well during the adverse situation caused by the Covid-19
crisis. ―The workers were rarely available, containers were hardly available, the inland ocean
freight almost doubled in some cases. Still, we made it happen,‖ said one rice exporter.
Thailand and Vietnam have an additional advantage, their rice-producing areas are near to the
sea, so inland freight is almost negligible.
In India, however, rice-producing states, mainly Punjab, Haryana, western Uttar Pradesh and part
of Jammu, all are far away from major ports. ―This resulted in heavy inland costs, and we
became less competitive price-wise,‖ Kaul said.
Another issue is that some of the rice exporting countries like Bangladesh and China have
become importing countries due to low production, trends that have further aggravated demand
for the staple in the international market.
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/india-transforms-global-rice-exporting-hub-thanks-
covid

September 17, 2021, 4:48 PM
by Madelaine B. Miraflor
By Madelaine Miraflor
The Federation of Free Farmers (FFF) has appealed to the government to revert back the
tariff on rice imports from countries outside Southeast Asia on the back of their low
volumes of shipments.
RICE FARMER
Citing data from the Bureau of Customs, FFF said that rice shipments from non-ASEAN
countries declined despite the Philippine government‘s decision in June cutting down the
rice import tariff coming from these markets from 50 percent to 35 percent.
Customs data showed that only 11,951 metric tons of rice from non-ASEAN countries
entered the country between June and August 2021 compared to 39,881 metric tons in the
same period in 2020, FFF said.
―India and Pakistan, which were expected to increase their exports to the Philippi nes as a
result of lower tariffs, actually scaled down their shipments to 4,607 metric tons, or less
than a third of their deliveries between June and August in 2020,‖ FFF said.
―While the number of exporting countries increased from seven to ten during th e EO‘s
[Executive Order 135] effectivity, new entrants like Australia, Sri Lanka and Taiwan
brought in miniscule volumes. The percentage of non-ASEAN rice imports to total imports
during the period actually shrank from 7 percent in 2020 to 1.8 percent in 2021,‖ it added.
Raul Montemayor, FFF national manager said that EO 135 failed to significantly expand the
country‘s sources of rice and did not generate more imports from non-ASEAN countries.
He also noted that only Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam supplied the country with rice with
25 percent brokens, equivalent to regular-milled rice, during the first three months of the
EO.
―The non-ASEAN suppliers brought in high-grade and specialty rice varieties, such as
Indian Basmati, Japanese sticky rice, and rice with 5 percent brokens, for sale to relatively
well-to-do consumers at higher prices,‖ Montemayor said.
―Ordinary consumers did not gain anything from the reduced tariffs. Non-ASEAN imports
were also too small to have any significant effect on prices or inflation rates,‖ he added.
The FFF calculated that the government has lost P28.7 million in tariff revenues so far due
to the lower tariffs. This amount could have been added to rice tariff collections that have
been earmarked for support programs for farmers affected by imports.
Instead, importers of non-ASEAN rice most probably pocketed the savings from lower
tariffs.
―Given this outcome, President Duterte should immediately revoke EO 135. Clearly, it has
failed to achieve its objectives. All that it has done is to give windfall profits to a few
importers at the expense of farmers,‖ Montemayor said.
https://agriculture.einnews.com/article_detail/551634568/pRNP3_DIpHpy0QCi?n=2&code=Vu
ZLay2YinrVF2-
0&utm_source=NewsletterNews&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Basmati+Rice+News&
utm_content=article
IMF suspends engagement with Afghanistan

PTI
Updated: September 17th, 2021, 20:35 IST
Washington: The International Monetary Fund has said its engagement with Afghanistan will
remain suspended until there is clarity within the international community on the recognition of
the government led by the Taliban.
The IMF said it was deeply concerned with economic conditions in Afghanistan, urging the
international community to take urgent steps to stall a ―looming humanitarian crisis‖ in the
country.
―Our engagement with Afghanistan has been suspended until there is clarity within the
international community on the recognition of the government,‖ IMF spokesperson Gerry Rice
told reporters at a news conference here Thursday.
―We‘re guided by the international community in terms of the recognition of the government in
Afghanistan and we don‘t have that. So, the IMF programme there has been put on hold; and,
again, as we said, last month, the country cannot access IMF resources, SDRs, and so on, at this
point,‖ he said.
The Taliban seized control of Afghanistan on August 15, ousting the previous elected leadership
which was backed by the West. The interim Cabinet announced by the Taliban consists of high-
profile members of the insurgent group.
Several world leaders have announced they would see whether the Taliban fulfils its promises to
the international community on issues like an inclusive Afghan government and human rights
before giving their regime diplomatic recognition.
Afghanistan was already facing chronic poverty and drought but the situation has deteriorated
since the Taliban seized power last month with the disruption of aid, the departure of tens of
thousands of people including government and aid workers, and the collapse of much economic
activity.
Foreign donors have suspended aid to Afghanistan, saying disbursements are contingent on the
behaviour of the new Taliban-led government, which has not been recognised by any country.
Ordinary bank transfers to individuals in Afghanistan have also been blocked. That has left
ordinary Afghans reeling from rocketing inflation, rising poverty, cash shortages, a plummeting
currency, and rising unemployment.
Rice, however, said the IMF stands ready to work with the international community to advocate
for urgent actions to stall a looming humanitarian crisis.
The IMF is deeply concerned with the difficult economic situation in Afghanistan and the
humanitarian situation in Afghanistan.
―We have said the immediate focus should indeed be on that humanitarian situation, aid to help
the Afghanistan people; and allowing the flow of remittances and small-scale transfers; and
providing assistance to countries hosting Afghan refugees,‖ he said.
The IMF‘s warning comes after United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said earlier
that Afghanistan faces a ―humanitarian catastrophe‖ and a complete collapse of basic services
under Taliban rule.
Guterres told an international aid conference this week that Afghans were facing ―perhaps their
most perilous hour‖. Donors at the conference pledged more than USD 1.1 billion to help
Afghanistan.
UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi has said that even before the Taliban took
over last month, more than 18 million Afghans, or about half the population, required
humanitarian aid.
Over 3.5 million Afghans were already displaced in a country that is battling drought and the
COVID-19 pandemic.
https://www.business-standard.com/article/international/imf-suspends-its-engagement-with-
afghanistan-until-clarity-on-taliban-govt-121091700132_1.html
Punjab: Go-ahead for custom milling policy, paddy

procurement
TNN / Sep 18, 2021, 13:26 IST
CHANDIGARH: The Punjab cabinet on Friday approved the Punjab Custom Milling Policy for
kharif 2021-22, for conversion of paddy procured by state procurement agencies (Pungrain,
Markfed, Punsup and PSWC) into custom milled rice and its delivery into the central pool. The
kharif marketing season (KMS) 2021-22 will start from October 1 and the operations would be
completed by December 15, said a spokesperson. During KMS 2021-22, the paddy so procured
would be stored in eligible rice mills in the state.
The policy provides for timely linking of rice mills to procurement centres, as per the purchase
centre allotment list issued by the food, civil supplies and consumer affairs department. The
paddy would be stored at eligible rice mills as per their entitlement, and the agreement executed
between agencies and rice millers. The millers shall deliver rice from paddy stored up to March
31, 2022, as per policy and agreement.
The department continues to stringently adopt online procedures introduced during the previous
year for processes like registration and allotment of rice mills, physical verification of rice mills,
submission of CMR and levy security, application for issue of release order and its fee
submission, through its portal (https://anaajkharid.in/).Randomised physical verification of the
paddy stock would be conducted at district and division level to check any kind of malpractices.
While reviewing the preparedness for paddy procurement season, the cabinet was informed that
adequate arrangements of labour and transportation of paddy from mandis to rice mills/storage
point would be made. For storage, crates are to be arranged by rice millers, for which they will
be paid user charges by the state agencies. Further, LDPE polythene tarpaulins are being
arranged for safe keeping of paddy during storage. As per the Centre‘s guidelines, integration of
the land records portal of revenue department has been done with the Punjab Mandi Board
Portal, as well as the anaaj kharid portal of food, civil supplies and consumer affairs department.
The Centre has fixed MSP for common variety of paddy as Rs 1,940 per quintal and for grade
‗A‘ variety paddy as Rs 1,960 per quintal for KMS 2021-22.
Meanwhile, Punjab Mandi board has notified 1,806 purchase centres, which will be allotted
among various procurement agencies on September 25.
OTHER DECISIONS
Time slashed by half for filing objections
To facilitate quick and effective implementation of Mission Lal Lakir, the cabinet decided to cut
down by half the time for filing objections prepared under the SVAMITVA scheme from the
existing 90 to 45 days. It approved the Punjab Abadi Deh (Record of Rights) Bill, 2021, enabling
amendment to Section 11(1) of the existing legislation, which stipulated objections could be filed
within 90 days of display of record at a conspicuous place in the village
GST Reimbursement on langar items
The cabinet amended Rule 10 (e) of revenue and rehabilitation department indexed at serial
number 37 in the state government‘s Allocation of Business Rules, 2007. With this, decks have
been cleared to provide for reimbursement of the state‘s share of GST on purchase of langar
items of Darbar Sahib, Durgiana Mandir and and Sri Valmiki Sthal Ram Tirath in Amritsar
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/punjab-go-ahead-for-custom-milling-policy-paddy-
procurement/articleshow/86315415.cms#:~:text=CHANDIGARH%3A%20The%20Punjab%20cabinet%20
on,delivery%20into%20the%20central%20pool.
The hunt for Sony Playstation 5 and why the CBN may be
chasing shadows
by Kalu Aja
September 20, 2021

I tried to buy a Sony PlayStation 5 for my kids. It was hell.
I am not a gamer, but the Playstation 5 was cool. So as a great dad, I went online to buy it on
black Friday. My kids let me know in clear terms that they wanted it.
My first shock; Amazon said they did not have stock, but they didn‘t stop there; they said, “We
don’t know when we will get stock.”
Related posts
I have read Amazon publish stock-outs but never that it could not guarantee an item in stock for
sale; this was, of course, the store of the world. So I went everywhere, Jumia, Alibaba, Best Buy,
slowly it dawned on me that something was amiss. This item was nowhere.
Last year, as Covid stopped all economic activity, the smart chip company also shut down. As
the economy restarted, demand for smart chips from companies like TSM was quite significant,
and it caused a severe backup of unfilled orders. Sony could not get enough smart chips for the
Playstation 5; thus, the supply of the game console was severely restricted. This shortage in
supply is what I was experiencing.
Playstation officially retails for $499; that‘s the Manufacturer‘s Recommended Selling Price
(MRSP), but at that price, it is unavailable; see figure 1 from BestBuy, a large US retailer.
Figure 1.
However, if you go online to the ―black market‖ of individual resellers, the Playstation 5 is
available but at a higher price. Figure 2 is a reseller offering the same Playstation at $1,149 on
Amazon.
Figure 2.
Sony, the Playstation 5 manufacturer, cannot supply enough consoles to meet demand; the
manufacturers also advise a fixed recommended price. Whenever you have a fixed selling price
and limited supply, a black market is created. To make money, I can simply ―round trip,‖ I buy at
the official price of $499 and sell on the black market at $1,100. Easy peasy! A business line has
been created when buyers called ―scalpers‖ build BOTs to buy high-demand goods like
Playstations and retail them, making a considerable spread.
Sony does not like round-tripping because it distorts its market plans. If I can‘t find a Playstation
5 for my kids, I can look at substitutes like the X Box, a Bike, or a drone, so Sony loses revenue
long-term. However, the only option open to Sony is to increase supply. If the supply of
Playstation 5 increases, the spread between the black market and the official market will reduce.
Let me repeat for emphasis, the only thing Sony can do to stop the round-trippers is increasing
supply. I eventually bought my PlayStation from a kid who got it as a Christmas present. We
transacted offline; I gave him cash, he gave me his original gift receipt. Sony can‘t monitor this. I
have registered that PlayStation as mine. I did not pay $499.
This week I watched in genuine shock as the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor accused a
private company that runs a price aggregation site of running an illegal operation, threatening the
individual personally on air.
Some background to the story
In Nigeria, the official exchange rate is the NAFEX rate. NAFEX is the Nigerian Autonomous
Foreign Exchange Rate. This rate is not determined by the CBN but by a company called the
FMDQ OTC Securities Exchange. FMDQ determines the quoted rate by pooling ten banks that
bid for forex and applying a ―trimmed arithmetic mean.‖
Nigeria operates a fixed exchange regime. The CBN retains the sole power to set exchange rates.
The NAFEX rate indicates the available offers made by banks from their clients to the CBN,
which the CBN can choose to meet. The black market is a floating market rate; prices in the
floating market are ―discovered‖ by the interaction of demand, supply, and speculation. Both
markets are separate; however, the CBN attempts to influence the market-driven rate with words
when its only power is the ability to supply forex.
The problem is this, 44 items are banned from the CBN FX window. Thus if you need to import
rice, you can‘t bid to receive CBN-funded USD. You have to go elsewhere. Where is
―elsewhere?‖ It‘s the parallel market.
Assuming I travelled to the US and did a summer job and earned $500. When I return to Nigeria,
I have two options; I can sell my USD at the NAFEX rate to a bank or sell to a currency trader at
the black market rate at a higher spread. You don‘t have to be a genius to find out where I would
prefer. The black market will pay higher for my $500 because their buyers will pay.
So just like the Playstation example, we have two markets; the NAFEX rate is cheaper but not
available for me if I want to import rice. The Black market rate is more expensive but available.
These two rates will never, again, never equalize until the CBN allows all players to access the
same market and bid for the same dollar inflow.
If I have $500, and my price is determined by demand and supply, importers will push the
exchange rate up, and the naira value will crash. This crash will attract more investors with
$5,000 to inflow to the Nigerian market and make a larger spread. As supply increases, the
spread reduces, and the Naira strengthens.
Like Playstation, the only way the Central Bank of Nigeria can make the Naira stronger is by
―defending‖ the Naira by increasing the supply of USD to the NAFEX market. CBN cannot
police what it does not know about; the current P2P market for USD is approaching $1 billion a
day. Playstation could ban scalping, it can ask Amazon not to publish PlayStation for sale above
$500, but it will be wasting its time. Many buyers will simply go offline and conclude their
trades.
The CBN is doing today what the Government of Venezuela in 2016 tried to do with another
website called DolarToday.com. Three Venezuelans owned and managed this website and
provided a benchmark exchange rate that allowed Venezuelans to price their goods back home.
The Venezuelan government sued the website, then sent hackers after it. Again a futile attempt.
The only way to enforce the fixed Exchange rate is to increase supply. Where supply cannot be
delivered, the currency is devalued just like George Soros forced the Bank of England to do.
In closing, let me say this; I understand why the CBN is fighting to keep the Naira strong. A
strong local currency can reduce the inflation rate, but the CBN has limited tools for this.
Imported rice is still in Nigeria, meaning Nigerians are still spending USD to import rice.
Nigerians are importing rice because the local supply of rice alone cannot meet demand. To
make the Naira strong, Nigeria needs to export more, which means better infrastructure, and
coordinated fiscal and monetary policies.
The CBN alone cannot boil the ocean, but it is trying pretty hard.
https://nairametrics.com/2021/09/20/the-hunt-for-sony-playstation-5-and-why-the-cbn-may-be-
chasing-shadows/
UAEX's Alton Johnson Sees Rice Up to the

Challenge from Climate Change
by Arkansas Business Staff
Monday, Sep. 20, 2021 12:00 am 2 min read
Alton Johnson took over as director of the University of Arkansas System Division of
Agriculture‘s Rice Research & Extension Center in Stuttgart on Sept. 1. From 2016 to 2020,
he served as both dean of the College of Science & Engineering and director of the 1890 Land
Grant Program at Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio. Johnson received
certification in leadership from the Leadership for the 21st Century program administered by
the Fanning Institute and a certificate of achievement in leadership excellence from the
American Management Association.
Johnson earned a bachelor‘s degree in general agriculture from the University of Liberia in
Monrovia, a master‘s in agronomy from Mississippi State University in Starkville and a Ph.D.
in agronomy from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. He is a graduate of the Institute
of Management & Leadership in Education at Harvard University Graduate School of
Education. He also received Strategic Leadership certification from the Harvard University
Extension School.
What is the role of the Rice Research & Extension Center in Stuttgart?
The Rice Research & Extension Center investigates, validates and disseminates the best
practices for sustainable rice production for Arkansas farmers. Our research is primarily field -
oriented, problem-solving and applied.
How can the center help rice growers in Arkansas deal with a changing climate and an
increasing number of extreme weather events?
The University of Arkansas is the land grant and flagship university of the state of Arkansas.
Our scientists are researching extreme weather events that affect us all, specifically our
farming community. The Rice Research & Extension Center works with the appropriate
departments and colleges at the University of Arkansas, partnering universities and federal,
private and international organizations to find solutions to these issues. Humankind has
learned to adapt throughout its existence. I am certain that we will find ways to adapt and
develop rice varieties that will help our growers. Research of this nature is ongoing at the
center.
Can you tell us a little about precision farming technologies and how they‘ve changed how
rice is grown in this country?
By definition, precision agriculture is a management strategy that gathers, processes and
analyzes temporal, spatial and individual data and combines it with other information to
support management decisions according to estimated variability for improved resource use
efficiency, productivity, quality, profitability and sustainability of agricultural production.
The technologies associated with precision farming vary and are improving constantly.
I remember advising farmers to irrigate crops based on canopy temperature readings that
indicated the onset of stress. A grower had to physically go to the field to take those readings
using infrared thermometers. Now, telemetry is used through applications downloaded on a
smartphone.
What drew you to this line of work?
As a young man, my interest was to get an education and help farmers. My parents were rice,
sugar cane and natural rubber tree growers. I saw the hardships they experienced on their
farmstead.
https://www.arkansasbusiness.com/article/137238/uaexs-alton-johnson-sees-rice-up-to-the-
challenge-from-climate-change
Competitive Study Of Agricultural

Lubricants Market 2020|Crown
Oil, Morris Lubricants, Total
Agricultural Lubricants Market
The global agricultural lubricants market is expanding due to increased farm mechanization
throughout the world. In addition, the market is likely to be driven by acquisitions, joint
ventures, and expansions by several major companies in the sector.
Governing authorities in developing regions such as Asia Pacific region are putting in place
a variety of farmer support schemes. In India, for example, the National Agricultural
Development Program (NADP) offers farmers rebates anywhere from 30% to 50% off the
cost of various agricultural equipment like power tillers, tractors, threshers, paddy
transplanters, power sprayers, harvesters, and other small machinery. This is likely to
contribute to a rise in the usage of sophisticated agricultural machinery, which is likely to
boost demand for agricultural lubricants and provide possibilities for its producers, allowing
them to expand globally.
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Agricultural lubricants also find utilization in farm machinery and equipment, such as fringe
cutters, combine harvesters, and tractors to ensure that the equipment operates correctly
and is maintained. Lubricants are able to prolong the service life of equipment. In addition
to that, the usage of agricultural lubricants has proven to be cost-effective because it
increases the performance of machinery and equipment, resulting in lower consumption of
fuel. These factors are likely to accelerate the development of the global agricultural
lubricants market in the years to come.
Agriculture has been one of the major contributors to the GDP of countries such as India,
China, the U.S., and Brazil. Over the last few decades, the agricultural scenario has
transformed. Agriculture entails the usage of modern technologies, equipment, and
techniques in order to enhance productivity. At the same time, loss of arable land, reduction
in size of total cultivable land, etc. are some of the challenges facing the agriculture sector.
As a result, the productivity of agriculture is decreasing. Increase in population has led to a
rise in demand for food. Thus, there exists the need to increase crop productivity and yield
with the existing arable and cultivable land area. Machineries, technologies, and modern
equipment help in improving agricultural productivity and yield. Machinery and equipment
employed for various agricultural practices help reduce the time and effort invested in the
complete process of producing agricultural products. Thus, the smooth working of these
equipment and machinery is of utmost importance in order to maintain the agricultural
productivity. Agricultural lubricants are used in farm equipment and machineries such as
tractors, combine harvesters, and verge cutters. They ensure the smooth working and
maintenance of the equipment. Agricultural lubricants bring about ease and comfort in the
use of farm equipment and machinery. Lubricants help improve the service life of the
equipment. Furthermore, usage of agricultural lubricants has proved to be cost effective, as
it improves the efficiency of machines, equipment, thereby reducing fuel consumption.
Agricultural lubricants also help in lowering the cost arising from repairs or replacement,
and losses and downtime due to breakdown of the equipment. However, synthetic
lubricants, which give better results than their counterparts, are costly and hazardous, and
require special attention while handling. Thus, there always remains a need for cheaper
substitutes with similar performance as that of synthetic lubricants.
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Based on product type, the agricultural lubricants market can be segmented into mineral oil
based, synthetic lubricants, and bio-based. Currently, the market is dominated by the
synthetic lubricants segment, due to improved efficiency of the equipment; better oxidation
resistance, which can translate into longer life; and higher flash or fire points. The synthetic
lubricants segment is anticipated to continue its dominance during the forecast period. It is
projected to expand at a steady pace during the forecast period. Furthermore, bio-based
lubricants are being used in developed regions of the world such as Europe, and North
America to avoid hazards associated with the use of synthetic lubricants. The bio-based
segment is likely to expand at a significant pace during the forecast period.
In terms of application, the agricultural lubricants market can be segregated into engine,
hydraulics, gear & transmission, and others. The market is currently dominated by the
engine segment, followed by the gear & transmission segment. Both the segments are
expected to hold major share of the market during the forecast period. These segments are
also anticipated to expand at a steady pace in the near future.
Geographically, the market is dominated by Asia Pacific, owing to the presence of major
producers of corn, wheat, and rice such as China, India, and the ASEAN countries. China is
the global leader in terms of production of rice. Agriculture is one of the key contributors to
the GDP of most of countries in Asia Pacific. Agriculture has been one of the prominent
sources of income and employment for the people of most countries in Asia Pacific until last
few decades. The market for agricultural lubricants in Asia Pacific is anticipated to expand at
a rapid pace during the forecast period. Countries in Europe and North America are
switching to bio-based lubricants owing to the hazards associated with the use of synthetic
lubricants.
Key players operating in the agricultural lubricants market include FUCHS Lubricants, Crown
Oil, Morris Lubricants, Total, Shell, and Lubrication Engineers Inc.
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vehicles-industry-presents-promising-growth-opportunities-to-dimethyl-carbonate-market-
study-by-tmr-301363509.html
https://manometcurrent.com/rising-adoption-of-global-agricultural-lubricants-market-analysis-
research-to-fuel-revenue-growth-through-2017-2025/

20th September, 2021 Daily Global Regional Local Rice E-Newsletter

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20th September, 2021 Daily Global Regional Local Rice E-Newsletter

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Daily Global, Regional & Local Rice E-Newsletter

20 September ,2021 Vol 6 Issue 09

Editorial Board Rice News Headlines…

An interview with Shahid Hussain Tarer,

“Agri-exporters cannot demand price premium without attracting foreign

BR Research 20 Sep 2021

“Agri-exporters cannot demand price premium without attracting foreign

BRR: There is some confusion whether Pusa 1121 – commonly known as

SHT: The variety is officially known as PK-1121, and it is an indigenous variety. PK

Thus, in terms of water-intensiveness, it is difficult to conclusively state whether IRRI

BRR: According to official data, share of basmati in local rice production

BRR: Is the basmati originating in the traditional Kalar bowl of Gujranwala

DA-Western Visayas targets 39% hike in wet

September 19, 2021

DA-Western Visayas Rice Program Coordinator Elmer Cabusas, in a statement, said

Negros Occidental is targeting to produce 292,6661 MT this cropping season.

Forced formalisation behind the surge in

Arhtiyas seek SIT probe into ‗irregularities‘ in paddy

Chinese Halal food producers eager to invest in Pakistan

Central Region to revolutionise rice production

Some rice farmers harvesting their crop

OPINION | REX NELSON: A Delta vision

NO test conducted for plant based pathogens in

COLOMBO (News 1st): Sri Lanka‘s Minister of Agriculture confirmed that a

India emerges as global rice exporting hub: thanks to

Farmers have to cultivate crops other than paddy, says

Govt. to probe possible contamination of test sample

Pakistan Dispatches 300-ton Edibles For People Of

Sun 19th September 2021 | 05:20 PM

Covid-19 related issues and the need for unified effort

Until then, the President has, by

Weekend round up scientists tribal members combine

Manoomin harvesters on Rice Lake. Photo courtesy of Sokaogon Chippewa Community

Punjab Read for Paddy procurement from 1st

Seminar between USA Rice and the U.S. Embassy in

Published: 2021-09-18 17:44

Last Updated: 2021-09-20 12:01

Gene in mutant rice identified

Dr. Stone Chapter 212: Release Date & Spoilers

Dr. Stone Chapter 212 Release Date

US panel backs COVID-19 boosters only for seniors,

By MATTHEW PERRONE and LAURAN NEERGAARD

RIZWAN ALIAP Sports Writer

Farmers want higher rice tariff on non-ASEAN

Italian firms mulling investment in Pakistan

APPSeptember 18, 2021

Analysis: India may corner nearly half of global rice

Reuters 17 Sep 2021

India transforms into global rice exporting hub thanks to

Farmers want higher rice tariff on non-ASEAN

IMF suspends engagement with Afghanistan

Punjab: Go-ahead for custom milling policy, paddy

September 20, 2021

UAEX's Alton Johnson Sees Rice Up to the

Competitive Study Of Agricultural

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