21st January,2022

Daily Rice News

India rice rates jump to 7-month peak

Reuters

21 Jan, 2022

BANGKOK: Rice prices in top exporter India hit a more than seven-month high this week due to
a railway wagon scarcity, while rates in Thailand reached their highest level since July on a
stronger baht. India‘s 5% broken parboiled variety was quoted at $375-$382 per tonne, its
highest since June, up from last week‘s $367-$375.

Nearly a third of India‘s rice exports for this month are stuck due to a shortage of freight trains.
Most traders have stopped signing February export contracts to avoid demurrage charges,
industry officials told Reuters

https://www.brecorder.com/news/40148713/india-rice-rates-jump-to-7-month-peak

Japan eyes more seafood import from Pakistan

Sees great export potential for value-added agricultural products

Our CorrespondentJanuary 21, 2022

ISLAMABAD:
Pakistani agricultural products have huge potential, if they are processed into valueadded
products, underlined Japan Ambassador Wada Mitsuhiro.
In a meeting with Minister for National Food Security and Research Syed Fakhar Imam on
Thursday, the envoy pointed out that Pakistan was among the biggest exporters of shrimp,
mango, dates and rice to Japan.
He pointed out that Japan had a substantial market for seafood, and showed great interest in
importing fishery products from Pakistan.
He mentioned that Japan was eyeing to increase bilateral trade between the two countries. In this
regard, the two dignitaries agreed to enhance cooperation and collaboration, especially in the
agriculture sector.
On the occasion, the food security minister emphasised that the two countries could immensely
benefit from exchange of agricultural research and value-addition technologies.
Praising the mechanisation in Japan, Imam underscored that the two sides had a huge trade
potential.
―Pakistan has immense export potential with respect to citrus fruit, rice, mango, onion, potato,
fishery products, livestock, etc,‖ he highlighted, adding that Pakistan had around 8 million
tonnes of rice that could be exported.
Imam acknowledged that Pakistan should invest in the value-added industry in order to take full
advantage of the agricultural produce.
Pakistan exported around 144,000 tonnes of mango to the international market, he revealed,
adding that the country faced a number of challenges but with right policy interventions the
agriculture sector could be transformed.
The agriculture sector had stuck to the traditional techniques and ―it is time that we start looking
ahead in terms of modernisation‖, he said.

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2339669/japan-eyes-more-seafood-import-from-

PakistanAzerbaijan keen in bilateral trade

January 21, 2022

Islamabad : Azerbaijan and Pakistan can help each other in the food industry. He added that
Azerbaijan is looking forward to signing an agreement with Pakistan to introduce low custom
duties to import rice, wheat and other edible items, said the Ambassador of Azerbaijan Khazar
Farhadov.

He stated this while visiting while visiting the Sihala Flour Mill in I-9. Following the visit, the
delegation was escorted to the Khattak and Sons IT park where the ambassador was briefed
about the growing IT sector in Pakistan, says a press release.

Sardar Yasir Ilyas Khan, former president of Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry
(ICCI) invited the Ambassador of Azerbaijan Khazar Farhadov to explore various economic
opportunities in Pakistan to enhance bilateral relations.

The former president of ICCI stated that Azerbaijan and Pakistan have completed over 30 years
of bilateral relationship and cooperation which extends over a vast sphere ranging from political,
economic, technological, security to cultural segments. Azerbaijan envoy agreed while
addressing the press and stated that a ‗A strong Pakistan means a strong Azerbaijan.‘

Sardar Yasir, CEO of the Centaurus, emphasised upon the imminent need to cooperate in the IT
segment as it has a huge potential in terms of business and this year Pakistan aims to export
nearly $3 billion from this sector alone. Several local companies at this IT park are already
providing services to countries such as the US, UK, Middle East, Iraq, Zambia, Nigeria and
Kazakhstan. Many of these IT companies specialize in offering backend services to Amazon,
hospitals in the US including gaming and apps development for android and ios platforms etc.
The ambassador was also taken to Kahuta triangle to visit various pharmaceutical companies.

https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/926855-azerbaijan-keen-in-bilateral-trade

Rice Valuing 1.066 Billion Exported In First Half Of FY

2021-22
Fahad Shabbir (@FahadShabbir) Published January 21, 2022 | 05:03 PM

Rice valuing $1.066 billion were exported in first of financial year 2021-22 as against the exports
of $963.379 million of the corresponding period of last year

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st Jan, 2022 ) :Rice valuing
$1.066 billion were exported in first of financial year 2021-22 as against the exports of
$963.379 million of the corresponding period of last year.
During the period from July-December, 2021, over 2.081 million tons of rice exported as against
the exports of 1.849 million tons of same period last year, according the data of Pakistan Bureau
of Statistics.
In first two-quarters of current financial year, rice exports from the country witnessed about
10.73% growth as against the exports of the same period of last year, it added.
The exports of basmati rice grew by 33.14% as 343,633 metric tons of basmati rice valuing
$304.043 million exported as against the exports of 233,152 metric tons worth
$228.370 million of same period last year, it added.
Meanwhile, country fetched $762.772 million by exporting over 1.738 million tons of rice other
then basmati rice as compared the exports 1.616 million tons $735.009 million of same period
last year.
Duirng last 06 months, the country earned $201.581 million by exporting about 75.268 metric
tons of fish and fish products, which was stood at $195.
364 million in same period of last year, it added.
On month on month basis, the exports of rice grew by 3.26% in December, 2021 as against
the exports of 484.956 million tons worth of $232.676 million of corresponding month of last
year, it added.
It is worth mentioning here that food group exports from the country during first-half of
increased by 22.28% as compared to the exports of the corresponding period of last year.
During the period from July-December, 2021, different food commodities including rice,
vegetables, fruits, oil seeds, meat, fish, spices and others valuing $2.482 billion were exported
against the exports of $2.030 billion of the same period last year.
Owing to prudent policies introduced by current government, output of all major crops
including wheat, rice, sugarcane and cotton witnessed significant increase and surpassed their
fixed targets.
The rice production for 2021-22 was estimated at 8.84 million tons from an area of
3.5 million hectares showing an increase of 5.8 % and 5.0 % in area and production respectively
over the last year.

https://www.urdupoint.com/en/business/rice-valuing-1066-billion-exported-in-first-

1453102.html
Mega rice mill planned in mineral-rich West
Singhbhum
Paddy for the plant, expected to be ready in a year at Jagannathpur block, will come from Odisha

Adityapur Bhawan in Adityapur, Seraikela-Kharsawan district on Thursday.

Animesh Sengupta

Kumud Jenamani

 Jamshedpur
 Published 20.01.22, 04:58 PM

Advertisement

West Singhbhum district in the Kolhan region, known for iron-ore reserves, mining and dense
forests, could also turn into a rice-producing hub sometime in the future with Jharkhand
Industrial Area Development Authority (JIADA-Adityapur) planning to set up a mega rice mill
there.

In a first of its kind in the state, the proposed rice mill will be set up at Sialdiha village in
Jagannathpur block, about 120 km from here. Spread over a three-acre government plot, the
mill will have a capacity to produce 8 metric tonne of rice per day.
 Ashok Kumar Bihany, consultant for JIADA-Adityapur, said the proposed rice mill was coming
up following an initiative taken by the state government.

"An agreement between the JIADA-Adityapur with a local entrepreneur has already been
reached for the rice mill project. The mill is expected to come up in a year's time, " said Bihany
while talking to The Telegraph Online.

Bihany pointed out that since Jagannathpur block, or any other adjoining block of the district for
that matter, wasn't an agricultural zone, the bulk of the paddy would come from neighbouring
Odisha for processing at the proposed mill.

"Like the rice mill hub at Chakulia in East Singhbhum's Ghatsila sub-division, with over 40
mills, is fed paddy from neighbouring Bengal, the proposed mill at Sialdiha would be supplied
with paddy from neighbouring Odisha," said Bihany.

The Kolhan region comprises the two Singhbhum districts and Seraikela-Kharsawan.

https://www.telegraphindia.com/jharkhand/mega-rice-mill-planned-in-mineral-rich-west-
singhbhum/c

Pak-Japan agreed for further enhancing trade relations,

particularly in agriculture
Thu, 20 Jan 2022, 5:08 PM

Pak-Japan agreed for further enhancing trade relations, particularly in agriculture

ISLAMABAD, Jan 20 (APP):Pakistan and Japan on Thursday agreed for further enhancing
bilateral trade, particularly trade in agriculture produces, besides enhancing mutual cooperation
to benefit from expertise and knowledge for the welfare of the people of both the countries.

The consensus to this regard was developed in a meeting between the Ambassador of Japan to
Pakistan Mitsuhiro Wada, who called on the Federal Minister of National Food Security Syed
Fakhar Imam.
Speaking on the occasion Fakhar Imam said that the two countries could immensely benefit from
exchange in agriculture research and value-added technologies.

He praised the quality of mechanization in Japan and said that Japan and Pakistan had huge trade
potential, adding that Pakistan had immense export potential with respect to citrus fruits, rice,
mangoes, onion, potatoes, fisheries and livestock.

Pakistan had 8 million tons of rice, which could be exported to Japan, he said adding that value
added industry needed to be set up to fully take advantage of its agricultural products.
Fakhar said that Pakistan exported approximately 144,000 tonnes of mangoes internationally and
hence its export to Japan also had huge potential.

The minister said that Pakistan faced a number of challenges but with the right policy
interventions under the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan, agriculture sector was
transformed.
He said that Pakistani agriculture had been tottering along the traditional agricultural techniques
and it was time that we started to look ahead to the future in terms of modernization.

Imam also highlighted the current governments efforts and said that in the last 70 years the main
set back to research was insufficient funds, adding that this was the first time in the history of
Pakistan that under Prime Minister Initiative Program billions of rupees had been invested in
agricultural research which had led to record production of wheat, maize and rice last year.

Speaking on the occasion Mitsuhiro Wada, Ambassador of Japan to Pakistan told the minister
that Pakistani agricultural products had huge potential if they were converted into value added
products through processing.
He said that Pakistan was one of the biggest exporter of shrimp, mangoes, dates and rice to
Japan.

He showed great interest in importing rice from Pakistan in addition with fisheries and said that
Japan imports rice from Pakistan and had a substantial market for fisheries.
The Ambassador of Japan to Pakistan said that Japan was greatly interested in increasing trade
between the two countries.

The two sides agreed to further enhance cooperation and collaboration between
Ministry of National Food Security and Research and its Japan counterpart.

https://www.app.com.pk/business/pak-japan-agreed-for-further-enhancing-trade-relat

Legal pot growers can’t take much to the bank

Hekia Bodwich/UCANR

Californians legalized cannabis, but federal banking laws and drug regulations make it hard for
legal cannabis businesses to access credit, as well as more basic financial services like bank
accounts.
Lending institutions still don't want to run afoul of federal regulations.
Pamela Kan-Rice | Jan 21, 2022

SUGGESTED EVENT

New York Farm Show

Feb 24, 2022 to Feb 26, 2022

Legalization of marijuana in California has helped some financial institutions in the state
increase their assets. At the same time, many banks, feeling stifled by federal regulations, deny
services to licensed growers, manufacturers and retailers, a new study shows.

―Licensed cannabis businesses need to bank their cash and take out loans to build their
businesses, but many banks worry that by doing business with the cannabis industry, they'll be
flouting federal laws,‖ said co-author Keith Taylor, University of California Cooperative
Extension community development specialist. ―Banks that won't accept legal cannabis cash
deposits and don't provide loans, aren't monetizing their deposits. Marginalized cannabis
communities are missing out on capital.‖

Of the banks and credit unions contacted by researchers at The Ohio State University and
University of California for the study, most were not knowingly involved in the cannabis
industry.

Combining data on bank holdings and interviews with growers and bankers, the research –
published online in the journal Agricultural Finance Review – paints an initial picture of how the
marijuana and financial industries co-exist in California now, and suggests regulatory changes
could create new opportunities for both.

Legalization a financial boon

The data analysis did make one thing clear: Legalization of the estimated $16 billion marijuana
industry in California has been a boon to financial institutions. But restricted access to banking,
from checking accounts to loans, perpetuates inequities for those participating in the legal
production of cannabis – while unlicensed, illegal growing and exporting continues as an
enormous cash-based sector of the industry.

―We need a better understanding of the economics of this industry and all of the questions and
implications related to it so the impacts of policy choices are intentional,‖ said lead study
author Zoë Plakias, assistant professor of agricultural, environmental and development
economics at The Ohio State University.

―If we want to have a more equitable society and allow communities to keep more of the value of
this crop, how do we do that? We first need to characterize what happens in communities when
you legalize cannabis.‖
Plakias and Margaret Jodlowski, assistant professor of agricultural, environmental and
development economics at Ohio State, conducted the study with researchers Taylor, Parisa
Kavousi and Taylor Giamo at the University of California, Davis.

―The tensions we are observing in the cannabis banking space comes about in part due to the
inequity felt between large cannabis and small and legacy operators,‖ Taylor said. ―The ‗big
guys' are able to absorb a great deal more than ‗Ma and Pa.'‖

An indirect benefit

Marijuana is listed as a Schedule 1 drug under the federal Controlled Substances Act. Even in
states that have legalized recreational and medicinal use of cannabis, it is still a federal crime to
possess, buy or sell marijuana. California legalized recreational cannabis for adults in 2016, and
the industry is overseen by the Department of Cannabis Control.

Data used by the researchers for this study included bank and credit union call data for the years
2015-2020. The analysis showed that assets held by financial institutions in counties that
legalized marijuana had increased in that period by almost $750 million and loan activity rose by
about $500 million.

These benefits are presumed to be spillover effects of better overall economic health that
followed cannabis legalization in specific counties, Jodlowski said, because the interviews with
financial institutions indicated there has been little appetite among banks to associate with the
marijuana industry.

―It's important to remember when talking about loans that it's not possible to identify whether
they were for cannabis operations, and they're probably not based on what we heard from
stakeholders,‖ she said. ―It's more of a general relationship. The bank is doing better, and they're
able to lend out more in general and earn more interest from loans.‖
When they narrowed the analysis to banks that operate only in California, the researchers found
that for each single new manufacturing or retail license, bank assets and loan capacity grew by
tens of thousands of dollars. Cannabis cultivation licenses, on the other hand, had no impact on
California banks' holdings.

―This suggests that a lot of the economic benefits of legalization come from other stages of the
supply chain – and it's not a foregone conclusion that farmers benefit from legalization,‖ Plakias
said. ―There's a need to think about how farmers who are producing cannabis in the legal market,
often operating in rural environments with a weaker economic base to start with, can be
supported in the context of economic development.‖

The team also interviewed marijuana farmers and representatives from banks and credit unions
in Humboldt, Trinity and Mendocino counties – the ―Emerald Triangle‖ region known
historically in California and nationally for the quantity and quality of marijuana produced there.

Growers face obstacles

On the financial side, bankers reported being hamstrung by ambiguous federal guidelines that
pose a real risk to financing cannabis, largely because banks are required to report suspicious
transactions to the federal government. They might be seen as players in a criminal enterprise
even by providing banking services to employees who work for licensed members of the
cannabis industry, or they could lose big on lending if cannabis-related assets backing a loan
were seized by federal agents.

―What's consistent across all financial institutions is that it's very costly, and does involve taking
on some risk, to be in compliance with all of the guidelines – the risk being that even if you
follow all guidelines to the letter, there's no assurance that you can't still get in trouble,‖ Plakias
said.
Cannabis growers they interviewed reported paying fees ranging from $200 to $3,000 per month
for bank accounts, which they found to be cost prohibitive. These limitations leave most licensed
marijuana producers and retailers in the lurch, forcing them to rely on nontraditional financing
arrangements – maybe investing in friends' endeavors – or risk running cash operations.

―There is a lot of evidence that cash can be better for a local economy because cash tends to stay
local – but we are now a credit-based economy,‖ Jodlowski said. ―In this day and age it's
incredibly harmful for local economic development to have an entire sector that's denied access
to credit, because so much of developing as a household, or individual, or industry requires credit
and requires demonstration of credit-worthiness.

―That's a fundamental harm of these sorts of restrictions.‖

This research is part of a larger project on cannabis and community economic development in
California supported by a grant from the UC Davis Cannabis and Hemp Research Center. As part
of this project, the California authors on this paper recently published a review of the
opportunities and challenges marijuana legalization poses for localities in which the crop is
cultivated and sold.

―It's clear we need policies making cannabis banking and finance more equitable,‖ Taylor said.
―It's also clear that ‗Ma and Pa' enterprises need to associate together in formal organizations so
they can achieve economies of scale and harness their political power to endure the transition to
legal.‖

Despite the stigma attached to marijuana, even when legal, its status as California's most
valuable crop – estimated to be worth more than almonds and dairy combined – attracts outsiders
who are better-equipped to come up with funding to get their operations started and compete
with legacy growers who have lived and worked in California for generations.
This trend necessitates development of evidence-based policies that take all participants into
consideration, the Ohio State researchers say.

―Our findings speak to confusion around existing policies and the need for streamlining,
clarifying and having a more unified approach to regulating this industry,‖ Jodlowski said.

New rice variety for sodic soil condition released

S. Ganesan

TIRUCHI, JANUARY 20, 2022 17:44 IST

The new TRY 5 rice variety developed by Anbil Dharmalingam Agricultural College and
Research Institute. | Photo Credit: HAND OUT
A new rice variety suitable for sodic soil conditions, developed by the Anbil
Dharmalingam Agricultural College and Research Institute (ADACRI) at Navalur
Kuttapattu in Tiruchi, has been released by the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University
(TNAU).

The new short duration variety, named TRY 5, has been found better than TRY 2, the
existing early duration variety suited for salt affected soil which was brought out by the
college in 2002, P. Masilamani, Dean, ADACRI, said. The college had also brought out
TRY 3 and TRY 4, which were medium duration varieties.

Dr. Masilamani pointed out that selection of a suitable variety played a critical role in
getting good yield, especially in problematic soils. Currently, farmers were cultivating
short duration varieties, which were not much suitable for salt-affected tracts, during
kuruvai and navarai seasons. There was a need to develop a short duration variety
which would also be of good cooking quality.
 ―Besides, farmers get seeds at subsidised rate of varieties notified within 10 years only.
Since they are no longer able to get subsidised seeds for TRY 2, there was a need bring
out a new variety,‖ Dr.Masilamani told The Hindu.

In order to cater to the needs of farmers, the Department of Plant Breeding and
Genetics of ADACRI had taken up research on developing a short duration sodicity
tolerant and high yielding rice variety, he said.

Following mutation breeding, the promising rice variety of TRY 5 was developed,
which is well suited for kuruvai / navarai seasons of Tamil Nadu. The crop matures in
110-115 days with an average grain yield of 5100 kg per hectare (ha) with an advantage
of 12.64 per cent grain yield over TRY 2. The variety is moderately resistant to blast
and brown leaf spot diseases and pests such as brown plant hopper, green leaf hopper
and white backed plant hopper.

―The rice is long and slender. The cooked rice of this variety is non sticky, soft with
good flavour and taste and suitable for batter. The variety has been approved by Tamil
Nadu State Variety Release Committee, following which the TNAU released it as a
Pongal gift,‖ Dr.Masilamani said.
https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Tiruchirapalli/new-rice-variety-for-sodic-soil-condition-
released/article38297477.ece?__cf_chl_captcha_tk__=viEiUQDZnwSm4dsStQnImcjjhtF3RakA
_vNxkMJRfgg-1642768198-0-gaNycGzNGeU

From rice to chicken and more, science pushes

Bangladesh farm revolution
Naogaon farmer Mokabbar Ali used to get 4-6 maunds of paddy per bigha of land before
1971. His yields after the country's independence had been growing slowly as seeds of many
hybrid varieties were available even in the remote rural area.

In 2015, Mokabbar discovered seeds developed by the Bangladesh Agricultural Development

Corporation (BADC) that pushed his paddy yield to 28 maunds (one maund is around 37kg) per
bigha.

"Government seeds are very exceptional," said the 70-year-old farmer – who is quite unaware of
the reasons behind the agri-magic that changed the farming landscape over the past 50 years.
The magic comprises agri-inventions such as high-yielding crop varieties and efficient farm
machinery, enabling farmers like Mokabbar to produce paddy four times higher than what they
used to grow 50 years ago.

And, the quadrupled paddy production appears to be the befitting reply to the pessimistic
forecast about Bangladesh by the international communities in 1973.

Just two years after Bangladesh's independence, the invention of the BR-3 paddy variety at the
Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) marked the beginning of the rice revolution. Farmers
eagerly embraced the paddy to replace their typical seasonal Aush, Aman and Boro varieties.

According to researchers, BR-3 alone raised paddy production to 1.40 crore tonnes from 1 crore
tonnes. Then came BR-11 in 1980 gradually replacing its forerunner. In the mid-1990s, BR-28
and BR-29 – popularly known as IRRI – revolutionised paddy production further in even remote
areas of Bangladesh.

The country now has more than 200 high-yielding paddy varieties, according to BRRI Director
General Md Shahjahan Kabir, while the latest paddy production in the 2020-21 fiscal year stood
at a record 3.80 crore tonnes.

Though the agri research and development was limited to paddy production at the beginning,
science and research gradually entered other farming segments such as fisheries, poultry, egg,
milk and livestock. Since the independence of Bangladesh, 1,160 new crop varieties, fisheries
and livestock breeds have been introduced in the agriculture ecology.

The gamechangers are BR-3 and BR-11 in paddy, fast growing fish varieties like tilapia and
Pangas in fisheries, poultry like broiler and sonali breeds in white meat and egg production. And
all of them were invented, developed or modified locally.

Thirteen public institutions and other private firms are now working on livestock, fisheries and
crop development, according to the "100 years of Agricultural Development in Bangladesh" by
the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC).

The Rice Research Institute was established in 1970 in the then East Pakistan, and renamed to
Bangladesh Rice Research Institute after 1971. The characteristics of BRRI developed paddies
range from insect, salinity, flood, drizzle and cold tolerant varieties to zinc-enriched high-
yielding crops.

Apart from BRRI, the Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture (BINA) works to develop new
types of paddies, plus inventing pest tolerant crops, reducing the yield times, minimising post-
harvest losses and increasing shelf life.

"Our crop varieties and efficient farming technologies have been helping agri production grow
every year," said BINA Director General Mirza Mofazzal Islam.
The Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) – an autonomous organisation that
conducts research on crops except rice – too has developed some new varieties of wheat, maize,
eggplant and potato that are high-yielding and can withstand adverse climate change effects at
the same time.

With a major focus on potato, BARI-developed varieties have pushed potato production close to
one crore tonnes. Besides, maize production also witnessed a remarkable yield of around 60 lakh
tonnes. However, BARI's wheat project failed to yield the desired success because of
unfavourable weather.

"Our agricultural landscape changed dramatically due to agri research," said BARI Director
General Debasish Sarker. He said their current projects emphasise climate change issues to
farming.

In developing new vegetables and hybrid paddies, some private firms such as Lal Teer, ACI,
Supreme Seed and Brac Seed outshined the public institutions. The companies are now the key
players in the local seed market.

Tilapia, Pangas led the fish revolution

Researchers brought Nile tilapia from Thailand after independence, while its commercial
production began in the 80s after some experiments. As the fish appeared to be fast-growing and
profitable, its cultivation spread rapidly all over Bangladesh.

At present, about four lakh tonnes of tilapia fish is produced every year. According to
researchers, the species of tilapia now being cultivated is the 13th generation, which has been
developed through research. The current generation of the fish produces 63% more than the first
variety.

In other words, tilapia fishes that are now available in the market weighing around 1-1.5 kg are
the outputs of lab research.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Bangladesh is now
the fourth largest tilapia producer in the world.

Another fish was brought from Thailand in the early 90s and its commercial production began
subsequently after making it suitable to the local aquatic environment. The breed is now widely
known as Pangas.

Besides, researchers in labs have developed many small-sized local fish varieties so that they
could be produced commercially. Their efforts raised the production of local fishes such as
pabda, koi and tengra to 2.5 lakh tonnes from only 67,000 tonnes in 2008-09.

"Commercial production played a key role in ensuring fish availability. Annual fish production
now exceeds 45 lakh tonnes, which is more than the local demand," said Yahia Mahmud,
director general at the Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute.
According to the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, Bangladesh stands fifth globally in
aquaculture production.

The number of hatcheries has grown from only 60-67 to 950, show Department of Fisheries data.
Of those, 820 are private. Since the country's independence, researchers have developed 60 fish
varieties and invented many breeding and farming techniques. Commercial fisheries and
hatcheries are using both the new breeds and farm technologies.

Established in 1984, the Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute can claim the credit for
switching the country from inland capture to closed-water fisheries. The institute can also be
credited with reviving the farm-raised fish to the regular food menu.

To prioritise self-sufficiency in fish production, Yahia Mahmud said they created more than 100
scientist posts and recruited the researchers in the last 5-7 years.

Broiler brought in to meet white meat appetite

For its flight kitchen catering service, the national flag carrier Biman Bangladesh Airlines flew in
broiler chicks in the 80s. Since the new breed survived in local conditions, farmers started to take
chicks from Biman for armature rearing.

But a private company Eggs & Hens Ltd first began commercial poultry production in
Bangladesh. As the chickens mature within four to six weeks and the production cost is
comparatively low, broiler farming took hold.

In 1983, Brac chipped in with a "rural poultry model" project aimed at grassroots farmers. The
efforts and growing popularity met with a broiler boom in the 90s, and the sector appeared as an
employment generator. The government also chipped in with policy support paving the way for
new investments.

Apart from broilers, efforts of the Department of Livestock Services also popularised another
breed locally known as "sonali chicken". With meat texture and taste similar to local country
chicken, sonali's demand is rising.

Broiler and sonali now hold 60% and 40% of the market, while the poultry sector supplies 80%
demand for eggs. With more than Tk35,000 crore investment, the sector meets more than 40% of
local demand for meat and has turned into a major supplier of protein.

As per the livestock services department, meat production has more than tripled and egg
production has nearly tripled in the last one decade.

Artificial insemination a success for milk, meat production

The country produced 84 lakh tonnes of meat and 1.19 crore litres of milk in the 2020-21 fiscal
year. Researchers say though the country's milk production lags behind due to some issues, the
livestock sector has made a great stride utilising artificial insemination of cows and goats.
Through artificial breeding, Bangladesh is now producing high quality bulls leading to thousands
of cattle farms even in faraway districts.

The Bangladesh Livestock Research Institute says the government does not allow Brahma
breeding over concern of shortage in milk production though many countries are switching to the
fast-growing breed for meat. Instead, the department is prioritising improved cow breeds for
milk.

Nathu Ram Sarker, former director general of the institute, said there has been a huge growth in
the sector since the introduction of artificial insemination. Artificial breeding drew big
investments as many young entrepreneurs are now raising cattle.

He said the institute is constantly supporting the sector by conducting research on various issues
including diagnostics, technology and production.

Farm technologies that changed agri landscape

A pheromone trap is a pest and insect control measure that does not use chemical pesticides or
insecticides. Instead, it uses pheromones, a biologically produced chemical that attracts insects,
to lure insects and save crops by organic measures. Many farmers are now using it to produce
crops with more emphasis on natural pest control.

Once farmers used to irrigate crops by paddle-irrigators. Diesel-run motors and electric deep
tube-wells replaced manual irrigation all over the country.

Since the independence of the country, 1,167 new technologies have been introduced into the
farming sector.

The whole agriculture process was heavily dependent on manual labour. From the use of oxen to
plough fields, farmers have now shifted to using tractors for cultivating land. Agri mechanisation
put an end to the slow and manual labour intensive process from planting to weeding to
harvesting and threshing.

Various non-governmental organisations have been developing agri machinery while the
government is implementing a Tk3,020 crore farm mechanisation project.

Small scale farming has now changed to commercial agriculture, while many agro entrepreneurs
are switching to high value crops.

We need more researchers

Former BRRI senior scientific officer Dr Md Abdus Salam and ex-BRRI director Tamal Lata
Aditya are two prominent figures in developing high-yielding paddy varieties.

Abdus Salam played a crucial role in IRRI invention, while Tamal Lata Aditya – also known as
"Dhan Konnya" – alone invented 15 paddy varieties.
Bangladesh Livestock Research Institute Scientist Dr Khan Shahidul Haque contributed to dairy
development and cattle fattening. Dr Imdadul Haque is a key figure in Bangladesh's poultry
sector development, while Dr Anisur Rahman contributed to Hilsa production with his expertise.

Other noted researchers are Mirza Mofazzal Islam and Shamsun Nahar Begum of BINA,
agriculturalist Dr Mohammad Hossain Mondol and Kazi M Bodruddoza Chowdhury of BARI
who developed the famous Kazi guava variety.

According to the BARC, the number of agri researchers in Bangladesh is currently 2,500, which
is more than in Nepal and Sri Lanka but much less than in India and Pakistan.

"Funding is not a problem for agri research, we just need more researchers," said BRRI Director
General Md Shahjahan Kabir.

To scale up agri research, a genome sequencing centre dedicated for crops is in the offing under
the Jute Research Institute. The institute came to the limelight recently after decoding a jute
genome.

https://www.tbsnews.net/economy/industry/rice-chicken-and-more-science-pushes-bangladesh-
farm-revolution-360202

Rice fields benefit endangered salmon

Todd Fitchette

Protective structures used to rear fingerling salmon for university studies dot a small rice field at
Montna Farms between Yuba City and Sacramento, Calif. UC Davis researchers, together with
the California Rice Commission and California Trout, are studying the effectiveness of utilizing
flooded winter rice fields to boost salmon populations on the Sacramento and Feather rivers.

Fish-rearing projects show that postharvest flooding of fields doesn't just benefit
waterfowl.

Todd Fitchette | Jan 20, 2022

Waterfowl and flooded rice fields have long been understood to be a natural fit. Now scientists
believe that juvenile salmon may likewise benefit from the same winter habitat rice farmers
provide their feathered friends.

Andrew Rypel is a fish biologist with the University of California. In a collaborative effort
between the California Rice Commission and California Trout, Rypel and others are looking at
how salmon can benefit from flooded rice fields and associated Sacramento Valley flood plains
during the winter months.

"Before I came here there had been some pilot work to look at whether salmon grew well in rice
fields, and lo and behold, it seemed like they did," Rypel said.

Baby salmon are being reared in protective structures at Montna Farms, River Garden Farms and
elsewhere in Sacramento Valley rice fields to gauge how they can benefit from the zooplankton
in the flooded winter rice fields. The naturally occurring food source is a rich source of nutrients
for the fingerling fish.

The studies include tagging the fingerling salmon – these are fish anywhere from 40-80
millimeters in length – with small tracking devices to track them as they move from the flood
plains with just a few inches of water, to the deeper river channel and ultimately the Pacific
Ocean.
"The number of zooplankton these fields can produce is astounding," Rypel says. "That's what
they eat and is what makes them grow so fast."

Mortality rates of the juvenile salmon in the Sacramento and Feather rivers is high, he said. In a
good year with ample flood flows, Rypel says about 20% of the fish born in the northern
California rivers can be expected to survive their trek to the Pacific Ocean. Those numbers
dwindle to between zero and 3% in a drought year.

Projects under way use protective cages in rice fields to rear the juvenile fish before releasing
them to the river systems. The thought is if rice fields can be managed in the winter as part of the
greater flood plains in the Sacramento Valley, the benefits to salmon and overall river health
could be great. Managed and controlled floods of the natural flood plains in the valley are seen to
bring life back to river systems forever changed by dams and levees.

Aside from the nutrient-rich food sources these fields harbor for juvenile fish, the managed
habitat of the shallow water – about four inches deep – coupled with the cooler winter
temperatures and wind that oxygenates the water are all important for the developing fish.
Predation by birds is low, he said, and the warm-water species of predatory fish common to the
Delta region are not present in those fields.

The goal is to grow the fish big and fast before they migrate to the deeper river channels and
ocean. Size and overall health are critical to their survival once they reach those areas.

"We don't have those natural flood plains left anymore, but we do have 500,000 acres of rice
which could provide surrogate benefits to what those wetlands once provided," Rypel continued.

The studies are funded in part by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), which he
said is keenly interested in the potential for a practice standard that can be implemented across a
wider area.

TAGS: SUSTAINABILITY
https://www.farmprogress.com/rice/rice-fields-benefit-endangered-salmon

Caraga Starts Rehab Of Rice Farms Hit By ‘Odette’

ByFeaturesdesk (MD)
January 21, 2022

The Department of Agriculture – Caraga (DA-13) on Thursday reported the arrival of 1,500 bags
of certified seeds that will be distributed to rice farmers whose farms were devastated by
Typhoon Odette.

In a statement, the DA-13 said the certified rice seeds came from the agriculture offices in
Region 12 (Soccsksargen) and Region 11 (Davao Region).

―The arrival of the certified seeds is part of the commitment of the DA – Mindanao cluster
regional offices for rehabilitation efforts of the rice farming sector in the Caraga region,‖ it said.
 To complement the rice seeds, the DA-13 said it will also provide some 685 bags of certified rice
seeds, 200 bags of hybrid rice seeds, and 156 bags of registered seeds.

The interventions of DA-13 to the rice farmers will be coordinated with the local government
units through the provincial and municipal agriculture offices.

The agency said the Philippine Rice Research Institute – Agusan, through the Rice
Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) Seed Program, has also distributed 884 bags of
certified seeds to the affected rice farmers in Butuan City, and 994 bags to Remedios T.
Romualdez town in Agusan del Norte last week.

Also last week, the DA-13 said a total of 3,292 farmers in Butuan City received PHP5,000 cash
assistance through the RCEF – Rice Farmers Financial Assistance Program.

In its initial January 3 report, the DA-13 said around PHP1.78 billion worth of crops were
destroyed by ―Odette‖ in the region.

The agency said the region‘s rice sector alone has incurred some PHP116 million worth of losses
due to the recent typhoon. (PNA)

http://pageone.ph/caraga-starts-rehab-of-rice-farms-hit-by-odette/

Randeep Singh Surjewala condemns hike in HRDF fee on paddy

 Updated At: Jan 21, 2022 11:08 AM (IST)
 Randeep Singh Surjewala. File photo
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, January 20

Congress national general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala today termed the decision to
increase the Haryana Rural Development Fund (HRDF) charges on paddy as ‗anti-farmer‘ and
‗anti-trader‘ and demanded the BJP-JJP government should withdraw it immediately.

Condemning the decision to increase the HRDF fee from 0.5 per cent to 2 per cent on all
varieties of paddy, including 1509, ‗muchhal‘, ‗sarbati‘ and 1121, Surjewala said it was a short-
sighted decision made during the pandemic.

―Farmers will have to sell paddy in mandis of the neighbouring states or to traders at a rate
cheaper by Rs 100-120 per quintal,‖ he claimed. He said the Khattar-Chautala government had
increased the market fee from 0.5 per cent to 2 per cent last year, causing loss to farmers,
arhtiyas and rice millers. This new decision would worsen the situation, he said.

Surjewala said the government had asserted the markets would not end, but the decisions being
taken were not in the interest of farmers. —
https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/haryana/randeep-singh-surjewala-condemns-hike-in-hrdf-
fee-on-paddy-363096

Haryana govt’s decision to increase HRDF charge on paddy

anti-farmer: Cong
PTI
20 January, 2022 08:30 pm IST

Text Size: A- A+

Chandigarh, Jan 20 (PTI) The BJP-JJP government‘s decision to increase the Haryana Rural
Development Fund (HRDF) charge on paddy is an ―anti-farmer‖ move, the Congress said on
Thursday.

The opposition party demanded its immediate rollback.

―We strongly condemn the Khattar-Dushyant Chautala government‘s decision of three times
increase in HRDF from 0.5 percent to 2 percent on all varieties of paddy, including 1509,
Muchhal, Sarbati, 1121,‖ Congress general secretary and chief spokesperson Randeep Singh
Surjewala said in a statement here.

He said it is a ―short-sighted decision‖ and will harm the cause of the farmers.

―Now, the farmers of Haryana will be compelled, either to sell off their crops in the neighbouring
states‘ agricultural mandis or they will have to sell paddy to the traders at a price cheaper by at
least Rs 100-120 per quintal. Six months back, the BJP-JJP government had increased the market
fees from 0.5 percent to 2 percent on all varieties of paddy,‖ Surjewala said.
He said 42.5 lakh metric tonnes of basmati and 1509 paddy and 56 lakh metric tonnes of
‗parmal‘ rice was procured in Haryana last year.

He said while the farmers will be worst-affected due to the HRDF charge hike, the decision will
also impact the ‗Arhtiyas‘ (commission agents), rice millers, among others.

―The farmers will either have to sell their paddy in neighbouring states like Punjab-Delhi etc.,
where the HRDF/market fees is less, which would be a time-consuming proposition, a farmer
will also have to pay the cost of transportation, which will increase his cost,‖ the Congress leader
said.

If farmers go to the mandis of other states to sell their produce, they will naturally suffer
financial loss, but at the same time the state government will also generate less revenue as it will
not get the tax, he said.

Surjewala said on one hand the government insists that the mandis are not being abolished, ―but
the decisions being taken by the state government are clearly indicative of the government‘s ill
intentions to lock the grain markets and hand over the farm business to the big private players‖.

https://theprint.in/india/haryana-govts-decision-to-increase-hrdf-charge-on-paddy-anti-farmer-
cong/808704/

Sri Lanka seeks rice bailout from China after fertilizer

ban
Friday January 21, 2022 9:57 am

ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka has sought a million tonnes of rice as a gift from China government
ministers says which is expected to make good an expected crop loss from during the main Maha
cultivation season from a chemical fertilizer ban.

Sri Lanka had sought the million tonnes of rice as a gift as a way mark a 30 year long barter
agreement between the People‘s Republic and Ceylon which ran from 1953 to 1982.
Trade Minister Bandula Gunewardena said the donation was sought during an virtual meeting
with the Chinese ambassador to Colombo with the 30 years being market on December 18,
2022.

―The response was very positive from China,‖ Minister Gunewardene told state-run ITN
television.

―What we asked was for a gift of one million metric ton of rice as paying respect for the 3
decade agreement that went on without changing under various governments.‖

A million tonnes of rice is worth between 350 to 500 million dollars at current market price
for Indica rice grades.

Sri Lanka‘s main Maha cultivation season that end around March produces about 2.5 million
metric tonnes of paddy (rough rice) and up to 3 million tonnes in good years.

About 1.9 million tonnes of milled rice is produced from a good season, which is enough for
over 9 months of use at around 195,000 metric tonnes a month. Output can fall to around one
1.5 million tonnes in drought years.

A million tonne gift from China will make good a crop loss of up to 50 percent. Sri Lanka‘s
cabinet of ministers also relaxed import controls to allow 300,000 metric tonnes of rice from
India.

Finance Minister Rajapaksa said in January the government will buy paddy at 75 rupees a kilo
to make good a 30 percent crop loss as part of 220 billion rupee ‗relief package‘.

Sri Lanka‘s farmgate price for rice was around 50 to 60 rupees. But millers said it had risen to
around 95 rupees at the beginning of the current harvest season which is just beginning.
Farmers are also complaining of steep harvest losses.

Related
Sri Lanka farmgate rough rice prices sharply up: millers

Sri Lanka top rice millers profiting Rs50bn a season says minister, amid import substitution

President Rajapaksa said this week that the government will also give 95 rupees for a kilo of
rough rice.

Sri Lanka retail rice prices for milled rice now range around 130 to 150 rupees, depending on
the grade.

―We need to understand that if we buy one kg per 50 rupees, then the price of it in the market
will be 100 rupees,‖ Minister Gunewardene said.

―If we bought it for 75 rupees the market price will be 150 rupees. By saying we need to
strengthen the farmers and get rice at 200 rupees per one kg the price of it in the market will
be 400 rupees.

Sri Lanka had earlier banned the import of rice to keep domestic prices high and also give
profits to rice millers. Attempts to bring price controls failed and created shortages.

In an improvement of policy the government has ended price controls.

―Rice mills owners said they will bring one kg price to 300 rupees,‖ Minister Gunewardene
said.

―At that moment I told the president and the cabinet that we will not let one kg of Samba to
go above 130 rupees, nadu we will try to give below 100 rupees or under 105 rupees.‖

Sri Lanka‘s consumer prices surged to 12.1 percent in the 12-month ending December 2021,
after two years of money printing and exchange rate trouble. The central bank on Tuesday
raised interest rates by 50 basis points. (Colombo/Jan21/2021)

https://economynext.com/sri-lanka-seeks-rice-bailout-from-china-after-fertilizer-ban-89819/
Cops to crack whip on procurement centres in Telangana
DECCAN CHRONICLE. | MOULI MAREEDU

PublishedJan 21, 2022, 8:45 am IST

UpdatedJan 21, 2022, 10:54 am IST

Police registered two cases at different places and nabbed the accused for allegedly diverting Rs
60L in collusion with rice millers

The accused created fake truck bills of Rs 34.16 lakh at Mukkudu Devulapalli centre for 1,743
tonnes paddy, Rs 51.72 lakh worth paddy of 2,638 tonnes stating that they purchased paddy and
shifted them to the rice mills. It was found that the accused had returned Rs 28 lakh to Mukku
Devulapally paddy procurement center and Rs 48 lakh was shown as deposits with Gattikal
paddy procurement centre, the DSP said. — DC Image

Hyderabad: Taking a serious note of the pressure being mounted by Opposition parties with
regard to paddy procurement in districts, the state government has directed police officials to
crack the whip on paddy procurement centres found guilty of irregularities.
Suryapet police registered two cases at different places and nabbed the accused for allegedly
diverting Rs 60 lakh in collusion with rice millers. The district‘s civil supplies manager
Bandavath Ram lodged a complaint with Atmakur (S) police seeking immediate action against
the miscreants for diverting the funds. Superintendent of police Rajendra Prasad ordered senior
officials to investigate the case and take appropriate action against all those involved in the
racket.
Suryapet DSP S. Mohan Kumar said that the Mukkududevula palli paddy procurement centre’s
Vemulakonda Ganesh and his mother Suryapet ward member Padma colluded with Laxmi Rice mills
owner Chiranjeevi, Dhanalaxmi rice mills owner Koteswar Rao and Gattikal paddy procurement centre
owner Sampath.

“The accused created fake truck bills of Rs 34. 16 lakh at Mukkudu Devulapalli centre for 1,743 tonnes
paddy, Rs 51.72 lakh worth paddy of 2,638 tonnes stating that they purchased paddy and shifted them
to the rice mills. It was found that the accused had returned Rs 28 lakh to Mukku Devulapally paddy
procurement center and Rs 48 lakh was shown as deposits with Gattikal paddy procurement centre,”
the DSP said.

Police nabbed Vemulakonda Ganesh (20) a resident of Chevella, Chimata Chiranjeevi (38) owner of
Laxmi Sahasra rice mills, Tella Praveen Kumar (28), junior inspector of Co-operative department, Jukati
Sampat (29) and Vemulakonda
Padma.https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/crime/210122/cops-to-crack-whip-on-
procurement-centres.html

Senate Passes Rice Council Bill

By

Economic Confidential

January 20, 2022

The Nigerian Senate

Senate Passes Rice Council Bill

The Senate, on Wednesday, passed a bill seeking to establish National Rice Development
Council, expecting it to save Nigeria about $2bn annually from rice importation and improve
foreign exchange earnings.
The passage followed the consideration and adoption of the report by the Committee on
Agriculture and Rural Development on the bill.

The Chairman of the committee, Abdullahi Adamu (Nasarawa-West), in his presentation, said
the bill seeks to establish a council that will lead to a comprehensive development of the rice
sub-sector and organisation of the stakeholders to enhance local production of the food.

Abdullahi added that the establishment of the council would transform the activities of rice
farmers, processors, millers, researchers, marketers and other important stakeholders across the
entire rice value chain, particularly the clusters of smallholder rice farmers and small-scale
millers spread all over the country.

The senator said, ―With our natural comparative advantage in the area of rice production as a
country, Nigeria should consider the need to put in place a National Rice Development Council
and a fail-safe comprehensive national rice development roadmap that will guide us not only into
a regime of self-sufficiency in production, but also for export purposes, employment generation
for our teaming youth and growth of our economy.

―The Nigerian rice industry exists in abstract as there appears to be no form of coordination in
the absence of a properly structured rallying point.‖

Share this:

https://economicconfidential.com/2022/01/senate-passes-rice-council/

How can I get many orders from Fiverr.com?

Originally Answered: How do I get a buyer on Fiverr?

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Gig title
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him. And we can add one or two hot keywords in the title. So that people can find us more
easily.

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Texas Meeting Covers Multitude of Topics

By Lesley Dixon

EL CAMPO, TX -- Yesterday, rice farmers and industry professionals from across Texas
gathered at the Western Rice Belt Production Conference here. Featuring speakers from the
Texas Department of Agriculture, Ducks Unlimited, the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension
Service, and several area rice mills and affiliated businesses, the event also included a rice
consumers seminar for homemakers, and a catered lunch provided by local agribusiness
sponsors.
Texas rice as far as

the eye can see

The day kicked off with the Texas Rice Council‘s annual meeting.

Topics ranged from rice variety performance and row rice production to carbon credit economics
and conservation, with a focus on opportunities for growers to take advantage of incentive
programs and what to expect from the market and federal ag policy in the upcoming year.

Dr. Luis A. Ribera, Texas A&M extension economist and associate professor, emphasized that
incentivization is crucial to reducing greenhouse emissions in agriculture.

―The way I see it, we have to eat,‖ said Ribera. ―Everyone has to eat. We can produce all our
food at only 9.6 percent of all greenhouse gasses globally. But can it get better? Sure, but there‘s
going to be a cost, and someone has to pay for it. And that‘s the whole concept of carbon
markets. There can be a solution, but the market or the government has to incentivize producers
to change their most profitable practices.

George Knapek, Texas A&M extension economist and program manager for representative
farms, provided attendees a comprehensive farm policy update, including an overview of what
the Biden Administration‘s Build Back Better plan could mean for the rice industry if that
legislation were to pass, as well as an analysis on rising fertilizer prices, input costs, and
inflation.

The Western Rice Belt Production Conference was a joint effort between Western Rice Belt
planning committee, the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, the U.S. Rice Producers
Association, and USA Rice.
Green rice: Collaborations burnish crop’s image

Todd Fitchette

Ducks and geese have prospered in the Sacramento Valley since winter flooding efforts replaced
rice straw burning over 20 years ago. At the height of the winter migration about five million
ducks and geese inhabit the flooded rice fields.

It's been over two decades since growers stopped burning rice stubble after harvest. Now
rice is known as 'The Environmental Crop.'

Todd Fitchette | Jan 20, 2022

When California rice farmers were told about 25 years ago that they'd have to find an alternative
to burning their rice stubble after harvest, the news was not met with immediate enthusiasm.
Borne from this regulatory call, however, was a collaboration between farmers and conservation
groups to change practices and a philosophy that earned the California rice industry an enviable
moniker.

Tim Johnson, president, and chief executive of the California Rice Commission, still remembers
the call to end rice burning, an annual practice of razing harvested farm fields that choked the
valley air. Farmers saw the rice stubble burning as necessary to destroy the tough stubble and
help prepare fields for planting once again in the spring. As rice straw burning became more
unpopular with residents in the Sacramento Valley, state regulators stepped in to end the
practice.

Rice stubble burning is still allowed in limited situations, but the practice has largely ceased. In
its place, fields are flooded to decompose cut rice stubble. The move also transitions the
landscape to a managed flood plain that proponents say can mimic the days when levees and
dams did not exist.

Collaborations

Ducks Unlimited was an early collaborator with the California Rice Commission, Johnson says.
The conservation group helped rice farmers transition away from burning rice straw to flooding
fields that led to a win-win: farmers got to see their rice stubble decompose sufficiently ahead of
planting the following spring and, in a build-it-they-will-come moment, the conservation groups
saw an immediate increase in overwintering bird populations along the Pacific Flyway.

At the time, Ducks Unlimited had a program to encourage farmers to end the common practice
rice straw burning. The organization had machinery that would roll the flooded stubble to help it
decompose more effectively, according to Virginia Getz, director of conservation programs with
Ducks Unlimited. It didn't take long to realize that the late-fall and early-winter rice fields,
flooded with less than six inches of water, would attract millions of migratory birds.

"It's been a super win-win," Getz said.

Over time that collaboration morphed into others as the rice commission partnered with
Audubon Society, The Nature Conservancy, California Trout, and others to achieve habitat
restoration in ways that benefitted the environment while allowing rice production to flourish.

Paul Buttner, manager of environmental affairs with the California Rice Commission, worked
with the California Air Resources Control Board at the same time state regulators were calling
for an end to rice straw burning. After immersing himself with an understanding of the rice
industry as a state regulator, Buttner was hired by Johnson and the rice commission to lead its
environmental affairs program.

Buttner's job for the last 20-some years with the California Rice Commission has been to foster
and promote relationships to the benefit of rice farmers and the environment. Buttner was
recognized several years ago for his work in conservation at the USA Rice Outlook Conference.

To do this, "we work with farmers to slightly change the way they farm," Buttner says. "We
don't eliminate them from being able to plant a crop, but we help them find things that they can
do a little differently to expand their benefits per acre."

A change in thinking

Johnson said the regulatory call to end rice straw burning and the combined efforts of the
industry with conservation groups transitioned the industry from farmers being seen as polluting
the air and water, to the CRC's coveted moniker "The Environmental Crop." All this would not
have happened had the rice industry – namely the farmers – not embraced a working relationship
with the various conservation groups.

It works both ways, according to the various groups.

Rodd Kelsey, associate director of water programs for The Nature Conservancy, says the
collaborative efforts between farmers and conservationists marries cutting edge science with the
kinds of pragmatic innovations that farmers bring to the table.

Jacob Katz, senior scientist with California Trout, calls these collaborations "the most important
thing" to achieving common goals and positive environmental benefits.

Meghan Hertel, who runs the inland land and water programs with the Audubon Society calls the
collaborations "a natural fit."

"These waterfowl are getting about half of their food from winter rice fields; so, we cannot
support our populations of Pacific Flyway birds without working with rice growers and the
California Rice Commission," Hertel said.

Montna Farms

Montna Farms grows a super-high premium short-grain rice and some medium grain varieties
about 30 minutes north of the State Capitol in Sacramento. Together with Ducks Unlimited and
The Nature Conservancy, Montna Farms was able to place most of its land in conservation
easements in perpetuity to protect it from development and leave it in a managed system that
mutually benefits the multi-generational farming family and the environment.

"We will never have a strip mall or housing development in here – it will always look like this,"
says Nicole Montna Van Vleck, president, and chief executive officer of Montna Farms.
Montna Farms works with Ducks Unlimited, The Nature Conservancy and California Trout on
bird and fish projects. While the bird projects have been ongoing for well over a decade, the fish
projects are new. California Trout and UC Davis are working together on fish rearing projects in
the Sacramento Valley, including at Montna Farms that are designed to reverse declining salmon
populations and restore abundance to the managed flood plains.

From fowl to fish

Buttner says the move to work on restoring salmon populations in Sacramento Valley began
several years ago. While the ducks and geese have responded well to the winter flooding of rice
fields, and habitat restoration projects, shore birds remain a species of concern for the
conservation groups.

According to Kelsey, the winter flooding practices that greatly helped migratory waterfowl like
ducks and geese did not translate to similar benefits to shore birds. This is critical, he says,
because shore bird habitat is generally relegated to two locations in the Western Hemisphere:
The Great Salt Lake and the Central Valley of California.

Kelsey said the shore birds were initially not benefitting as much as the waterfowl because they
arrive earlier and leave later. They also require a different level of flooding. With this
understanding The Nature Conservancy began working closely with the rice commission and
farmers to develop practices that could benefit a broader suite of shore birds, he said.

Aside from the concern over shore birds, Buttner points to the success of waterfowl restoration
projects that the rice commission and its partners want to replicate with salmon. As Buttner
explains, the Sacramento Valley was once a vast flood plain with two major rivers: the
Sacramento and Feather. Before levees and dams, the valley would flood in the winter, giving
young salmon a place to feed and flourish. These flood plains also fed the rivers, which in turn
fed migrating salmon. As levees and dams were constructed, and water managed for a growing
human population those fish were relegated to the deeper river channels where predation affected
their numbers.

The fish projects are relatively new. So much so that Luke Matthews, wildlife manager with the
California Rice Commission, became the newest staff member within the past few years to give
Buttner the opportunity to focus on the fish restoration projects. As a wildlife biologist with his
undergraduate and graduate degrees from nearby UC Davis, Matthews focuses on bird nesting
habitat and helping farmers manage their land for that, while Buttner works with conservation
groups and UC Davis on fish studies to understand fish biology and habits.

Jacob Katz with California Trout says the work with fish includes installing radio telemetry
devices in small fish – not an easy feat – to follow them from rearing facilities in rice fields at
Montna Farms and elsewhere. The idea, according to Buttner, is to capitalize on the rich
zooplankton and environmental conditions in the flood plains that he says can jump start fish
restoration efforts.

"One of the things we're learning is that we can, in the same footprint, create these kinds of
habitat that benefit these different species," Katz said.

Within this understanding is the knowledge of water depths needed by various shore birds and
waterfowl, and how they interconnect with the flood plains and the efforts to aid fish
populations.

"Now we understand that these fields are a part of the river and that they're the battery, or energy
source for these young fish," Katz continued. "This is where their food is made. And, that water
can then be moved off the fields and flood plains into a canal and back in the river where the fish
that are stuck in a food desert can take advantage of it."

Because of the threatened and endangered status of fish populations in this system, the rice
commission and conservation groups must work with regulatory agencies like the California
Department of Fish and Wildlife, National Marine Fisheries Service, and a host of other state and
federal agencies.

Buttner says dividends from these relationships between farmers and conservation groups, are
being seen in the relationships with the regulatory agencies.

"Our goal is to prove things out with the agencies," Buttner says.
https://www.farmprogress.com/rice/green-rice-collaborations-burnish-crops-image

UPDATE 2-NEW ZEALAND SHIP ARRIVES WITH WATER FOR PARCHED TONGA
1/21/2022

* New Zealand ship brings 250,000 litres of water

* Australian, New Zealand ships due in coming days

* U.N. says Tonga has asked for urgent assistance

* Astronaut saw volcanic ash from space (Recasts with ship with water arriving, adds comment
from astronaut, Musk)

By Praveen Menon, Kirsty Needham and Tom Westbrook

WELLINGTON/SYDNEY, Jan 21 (Reuters) - A New Zealand navy ship carrying 250,000 litres
of water arrived in Tonga on Friday, bringing life-saving supplies for the South Pacific
archipelago six days after it was devastated by a volcanic eruption and tsunami that polluted its
water sources.

As help from abroad started arriving, an Australian aid flight was forced to return to base
because of a positive COVID-19 case onboard, underlining the complexity of a contactless
humanitarian mission to one of the few countries that has kept the coronavirus at bay.

New Zealand's High Commission said that the HMNZS Aotearoa had arrived in the capital,
Nuku‘alofa. As well water supplies it was carrying desalination equipment that can produce
70,000 litres a day.

"Trucks from National Emergency Management Office have begun collecting and delivering
water supplies from Aotearoa," the High Commission said on its Facebook page .
The Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano https://tmsnrt.rs/3qCTwKY eruption last Saturday
triggered a tsunami that destroyed villages and resorts and knocked out communications for the
nation of about 105,000 people, and sent shockwaves across the Pacific.

Three people have been reported killed, authorities said.

The salt water from the tsunami and the falling ash spoiled most sources of water on the islands
and Tongans have been struggling to find clean water as they clear away the ash.

"We are cleaning the ash and have been since Monday," said Branko Sugar, 61, who runs a
bottle shop and fishing charter business from Nuku'alofa.

"Everything is so dusty, and we are running out of water," he said over a patchy telephone line.

"We only have the tap water, and it's been contaminated. We... can hardly breathe for all the
dust."

The first aid flights from Australia and New Zealand landed in Tonga on Thursday with some
water for sanitation and hygiene as well as shelter, communication equipment and generators.

Australia's HMAS Adelaide is en route from Brisbane and is due in Tonga next week.

URGENT ASSISTANCE REQUEST

NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center has said the force of the last Saturday's eruption was
estimated to be equivalent to five to 10 megatons of TNT, or more than 500 times that of the
nuclear bomb the United States dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima at the end of World
War Two.

Astronaut Kayla Barron said she could see the volcanic ash in the atmosphere from the
International Space Station.

"I opened the window shutter to see if we could see any effects of the eruption, and saw this
dramatic, high-altitude plume blocking out the sun," Barron said on Facebook.

NASA released photographs showing a huge grey smudge over the blue Pacific.

United Nations spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told a briefing that Tonga has asked for urgent
assistance.

"We remain seriously concerned about access to safe water for 50,000 people ... Water quality
testing continues, and most people are relying on bottled water," he said, speaking before the
Aotearoa arrived.
 Some 60,000 Tongans have been affected by damage to crops, livestock, and fisheries due to
ashfall, saltwater intrusion and the potential for acid rain, Dujarric said.

There are also reports of fuel shortages, he added.

Telephone links between Tonga and the outside world were reconnected late on Wednesday,
although restoring full internet services https://tmsnrt.rs/3qzVPyy is likely to take a month or
more.

Tongans have turned to social media to post images of the destruction by the tsunami and give
accounts https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/tongans-deafened-by-volcanic-... of their
shock after the massive explosion.

Tesla Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk asked in a post on Twitter if Tongans would like help
from his Starlink project, which provides internet connection through satellites.

(Reporting by Praveen Menon, Kirsty Needham and Tom Westbrook; Writing by Michael Perry,
Robert Birsel; Editing by Richard Pullin and John Stonestreet)

https://www.agriculture.com/markets/newswire/indias-adani-wilmar-sets-ipo-price-band-at-218-
230-rupees-a-share

Caraga starts rehab of rice farms hit by ‗Odette‘

By Alexander Lopez January 20, 2022, 6:41 pm
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


RICE SEEDS FOR REHAB. The Department of Agriculture in Caraga reported Thursday (Jan.
20, 2022) the arrival of 1,500 bags of certified rice seeds that will be used to rehabilitate rice
farms in the region. The agency said some PHP116 million worth of rice crops alone were
destroyed when Typhoon Odette hit Caraga in December last year. (Photo courtesy of DA-13)

BUTUAN CITY – The Department of Agriculture - Caraga (DA-13) on Thursday reported the
arrival of 1,500 bags of certified seeds that will be distributed to rice farmers whose farms were
devastated by Typhoon Odette.

In a statement, the DA-13 said the certified rice seeds came from the agriculture offices in
Region 12 (Soccsksargen) and Region 11 (Davao Region).

―The arrival of the certified seeds is part of the commitment of the DA - Mindanao cluster
regional offices for rehabilitation efforts of the rice farming sector in the Caraga region,‖ it said.

To complement the rice seeds, the DA-13 said it will also provide some 685 bags of certified rice
seeds, 200 bags of hybrid rice seeds, and 156 bags of registered seeds.

The interventions of DA-13 to the rice farmers will be coordinated with the local government
units through the provincial and municipal agriculture offices.

The agency said the Philippine Rice Research Institute – Agusan, through the Rice
Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) Seed Program, has also distributed 884 bags of
certified seeds to the affected rice farmers in Butuan City, and 994 bags to Remedios T.
Romualdez town in Agusan del Norte last week.

Also last week, the DA-13 said a total of 3,292 farmers in Butuan City received PHP5,000 cash
assistance through the RCEF - Rice Farmers Financial Assistance Program.

In its initial January 3 report, the DA-13 said around PHP1.78 billion worth of crops were
destroyed by ―Odette‖ in the region.
The agency said the region‘s rice sector alone has incurred some PHP116 million worth of losses
due to the recent typhoon. (PNA)

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1165968#:~:text=BUTUAN%20CITY%20%E2%80%93%20Th
e%20Department%20of,were%20devastated%20by%20Typhoon%20Odette.%D8%8E

China donates 1 mn mt of rice

Thursday, January 20, 2022 - 01:14

Print Edition

Local

Co-Cabinet spokesman Minister Ramesh Pathirana yesterday said that Sri Lanka will be
receiving 1 million metric tonnes of rice from China as a donation.
The consignment is expected to arrive in the country in March.

China is making the donation to mark the 70th anniversary of the Rubber-Rice Pact signed
between the two countries in 1952.
http://www.dailynews.lk/2022/01/20/local/270611/china-donates-1-mn-mt-rice

January 20, 2022

Milled rice export to EU expected to increase

Chea Vanyuth / Khmer Times

Click here to get Khmer Times Breaking News direct into your Telegram

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Cambodia is in high hope of seeing the amount of milled rice export to the European Union
increase after the import tariff on the country‘s rice was revoked.
The EU market accounted for more than 50 percent of Cambodia‘s total milled rice export in
2016 and this amount dropped sharply to around 20 percent last year, mainly due to the import
tariff on Cambodia‘s long-grain white rice.

High hopes to grain shares of rice export in the EU come as the bloc‘s three-year temporary
measure – import tariff came to an end on January 19.

Rice export to the EU will gradually increase from this year, said Song Saran, president of the
Cambodia Rice Federation, a clan of rice millers and exporting companies, said yesterday.

The rice body encourages its members and farmers to produce fragrant rice and high-quality rice
as import tariffs were removed in the EU, Saran said.

―We expect the milled rice export to the EU to increase, but it is not in a high pact of growth
because we focus on export of fragrant rice and premium high-quality rice,‖ Saran said.

Cambodia would spend several years pushing the amount of milled rice to reach the amount of
300,000 tons registered in 2019, he said.

The EU imposed import tariffs under the safeguard scheme as a temporary measure to help
protect farmers from competitively priced long-grain rice, with exporters in Cambodia and
Myanmar having benefited from tariff-free status under the EU‘s Everything But Arms (EBA)
scheme.

Under the tariff, exporters are subject to pay $198 per metric tonne in the first year, $170 and
$142 per metric tonne in the second and third year, respectively.

Figures from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries showed that Cambodia exports
only some over 140,000 tonne to the EU while more than 300,000 tonne to China, the biggest
market of Cambodia‘s milled rice.
―We expect to see an increase by 10 percent and constantly in the same beat until the amount of
rice export reaches about 25 to 300,000 tonne as before, and what we want is 300,000 tons per
year export to the EU,‖ he said.

CRF plans to promote and guide farmers to produce fragrant rice and premium quality rice for
export, rather than a lower price rice grain, Saran said, promoting in markets abroad is another
task the CRF would take to promote the country‘s rice name in international markets.

https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501009997/milled-rice-export-to-eu-expected-to-increase/

First Thai rice shipment delivered using Laos-China railway

PUBLISHED : 20 JAN 2022 AT 12:17

WRITER: ONLINE REPORTERS

 19

 13

A first shipment 1,000 tonnes of Thai rice has been delivered using the Lao-Chinese railway to

Chongqing, marking a new chapter in exports to China, the Agriculture and Cooperatives

Ministry announced on Thursday.

Exports of other farm products using the new rail link would follow, Alongkorn Polabutr, adviser

to the agriculture minister, said.

He said the initial shipment of rice was carried in 20 carriages and had already reached
Chongqing. More would follow.
 ADVERTISEMENT

The railway, which commenced service early last month, opened the possibility of extending

export routes to other Chinese provinces and farther, to Central Asia, East Asia, the Middle East,

Russia and Europe.

The government was looking into exporting fruit, orchids, rubber, cassava, palm oil and fishery

and livestock products on the new railway, Mr Alongkorn said.

Thai fruit could reach Chongqing in 1-2 days, retaining freshness thanks to the railway. This

would enable expansion to markets in China, he said.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/2250639/first-thai-rice-shipment-delivered-using-laos-
china-railway

Thailand uses Lao-Chinese railway to export rice to China

By Pattaya Mail
January 21, 2022
0
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

Alongkorn said the first lot of rice export to China on 20 train carriages on the railway amounted
to 1,000 tons and was delivered to Chongqing in western China.
The Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry and the Commerce Ministry started to export Thai
rice to China through the Chinese-Lao railway.

Alongkorn Polabutr, chief advisor to the agriculture and cooperatives minister, said the first lot
of rice export to China on 20 train carriages on the railway amounted to 1,000 tons and was
delivered to Chongqing in western China.

It was a new and historic chapter for cargo transport on trains which expanded opportunities for
trade and income for farmers, business operators and the country, he said.
The chief advisor said that the government was cooperating with Lao and Chinese service
providers to export natural rubber, fruits, orchids, livestock and fish products through the railway
to other Chinese provinces and other countries the future. (TNA)

https://www.pattayamail.com/thailandnews/thailand-uses-lao-chinese-railway-to-export-rice-to-
china-386852

Federal Govt Bans Importation Of Rice Through Seaports

by Yusuf Babalola,

24 hours ago

in BUSINESS

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Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) on Wednesday said the federal government has placed full ban
on importation of foreign parboiled rice through the seaports.

LEADERSHIP reports that the federal government had banned importation of rice through the
land borders in 2016.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has since 2015 refused to give forex for the importation of
rice through the seaport making, it impossible to import foreign rice through the seaports.

Addressing journalists yesterday, Customs Area Controller in charge of PTML Command,

Compt. Festus Okun said the command intercepted containers loaded with foreign parboiled rice
which he said are not expected to be allowed into the country whether through land borders or
seaports due to the ban placed on them by the federal government.
 ADVERTISEMENT

Compt. Okun who however disclosed that the command generated N224.4billion revenue from
importation of vehicles and other general cargoes in 2021 said due to the ban placed on the
importation through the borders, importers now falsely declare foreign rice as other consignment.

―It‘s a policy by the federal government that we should encourage local production of rice and it
was on that basis that importation of rice was prohibited and when they say ban through borders,
it means both land and sea borders and for our purpose here. I want to say categorically that this
is a border area because goods from overseas come in through here so it‘s a border area so we
have land and sea border and our is the sea border and the prohibition covers everywhere.

―One of the major instruments is that people cannot access forex going through the CBN for
importation of rice so, if you don‘t go through CBN, how do you source your fund to import rice
and because of this nobody declares that they are importing rice so, its false declarations and we
seize on that basis. I will say both lands and seaports are not expected to allow importation of
rice into the country.‖

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Speaking on revenue generated in 2021, Compt. Okun said the N224.4billion generated represent
about 94 percent of the revenue target of N238.2billion.

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He also said the command handled a total tonnage of 199,487 metric tons of goods exported out
of the country in 2021

―In the year 2021, the command generated a total revenue of N224.4billion and this represent
about 94 percent of the revenue target of N238.2billion set for 2020 adopted by by the command
in 2021.

―The Command handled export goods with a total tonnage of about 199,487 metric tons, with a
total Free on Board (FOB) value of N132.4billion.‖

He further disclosed that the command seized contraband comprising of vegetable oil,
pharmaceutical, vehicles worth N55million in 2021.

―The area of anti-smuggling activities, the command made some seizures in the year under
review. The seizure comprised of four containers (3x40ft & 1x20ft) which were found to contain
bags of rice, vegetable oil, drinks, vehicles, pharmaceutical product and among others with a
duty paid value of N55.5million.

―The seizures were affected because the importations were done in contravention of extant laws.
Vegetable oil is listed under Schedule III of the Common External Tariff (CET) Prohibition
(Trade),‖ he said.

https://leadership.ng/federal-govt-bans-importation-of-rice-through-seaports/

ocal rice production hits 9million MT under ABP

President Muhammadu Buhari, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr
Godwin Emefiele, state governors, ministers, rice farmers, and other players in the rice value
chain have expressed delight that local production has increased from 5.4 million metric tons
in 2015 to more than 9 million metric tons in 2021, thanks to the Anchor Borrowers’
Programme (ABP).
They also applauded smallholder farmers‘ per-hectare production, which has risen dramatically
from roughly 2.4 metric tons per hectare in 2015 to around 5 metric tons per ha in 2021.

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The President noted that the production expansions have not only made Nigeria the largest rice
producer in Africa, but have also unlocked enormous private sector investment in the rice value
chain, with the number of Integrated Rice Mills soaring from six in 2015 to more than 50 in
2021, with many more in various stages of completion.

According to Buhari ―The Anchor Borrowers‘ Programme has so far supported over 4.8 million
smallholder farmers across Nigeria for the production of 23 agricultural commodities, such as
maize, rice, oil palm, cocoa, cotton, cassava, tomato, livestock, among others.

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―Before my administration launched the ABP, there were only 15 standard rice mills in Nigeria.
As at today, we have over 50 standard and integrated rice mills in Nigeria, creating jobs and
reducing unemployment in Nigeria. We expect additional significant output when the two new
mills are established in Lagos and Katsina. I am also aware that, because of the large margins in
this business, more people are showing interest in investing in our agribusiness.

―The ABP is working. Indeed, these sky-high pyramids for which we are gathered here to
commission are part of our commitment at achieving national food security and economic
diversification through home-grown policies targeted at securing food for all Nigerians,‖ he
added.

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https://www.tvcnews.tv/local-rice-production-hits-9million-mt-under-abp/